Thing #6

I picked www.pandora.com to explore.  It's free.  It is a music/radio site that allows you pick any artist, track, genre, or composer and make a playlist list.  You decide whether or not you like a song then the service will play songs similar to the one you picked or move on to another song.  You can create a playlist based on your musical preferences.  It does have advertisements but they do not pop up like on other sites.   This would be a great site to use during down time in the classroom.  It would also work in a music class.  The students could be exposed to all different kinds of genres of music.    

Thing #5

School 2.0 means using all the technology available to education students.  There are so many new and exciting ways to teach children using the web.  Smart boards and clickers are great tools to use in the classroom.  They are quick and easy to use.  When I use in school we had overheads and projectors, it seemed to take forever to get set up for class.  Student/Educational networking is a good way for students in different areas of the world to communicate with other.  Teachers can use blogs to assign homework and post discussion questions. In the future, all students will carry laptops instead of books. Using paper and pencils will become a thing of the past.  Teachers will be able to podcast lessons from home.  Students may not even have to physically go to school, they will be able to stay at home and attend virtual school.       

Thing #4

Blogging helps people get to know other people who share common interests and views.  Commenting lets the blogger know that people are reading and appreciating their opinions.  Criticizing kindly according to the Cool Cat Teacher is important.  At some point you will disagree with what a blogger has written.  It is important not to personally attack a person.  The Blue Skunk Blog says by leaving a comment you are making a blogger's day.  You can agree or disagree just make it heart-felt.  

I selected Jessica Tucker's blog because I like her idea of using a weekly blog for her students to comment and discuss about current events.  I think it is a great idea to teach them to be respectful of other people's opinions.  I chose Lisa Weber's blog because I can relate to not having computers readily available in high school.  She did not have any computers in her high school.  Most of the teachers at my high school had a computer in the classroom but they were not for student use.  I agreed with Alexis Harris on her comment about seeing problems as challenges and how frustrating problem can seem.  That is why I chose her blog.  I picked Elizabeth Thomas' blog because I like her idea about using a blog to remember previous year's success and unsuccessful projects.  I picked Janice Stamper's blog because I absolutely love the picture she posted of where she grew up.   

I commented on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis.  She published a post on 10 Ways to be a Terrible Teacher.  I commented, "Thank you.  As a college student preparing to be a teacher, I will definitely remember what kind of teacher not to be."  I found what she had to say very informative.  Some of her ways to be a terrible teacher include the teacher is always losing his/her temper or is predictably dramatic, the teacher is always on their cell phone, the teacher only teaches with one method, and my favorite the teacher who hates the students.  Why be a teacher if you hate students?

I commented on a National Geographic Daily News article written by Christine Dell'Amore.  The article is about a new species of crab that are purple and found in the Philippine island of Palawan.  I commented that, "Nature is so beautiful.  It definitely has a way of surprising us."  It has always amazed me when new species are found.  One would think that with all the technology we have we would have discovered everything by now.

Thing #3

My blog will become very useful as my education progresses.  I can use it to reflect on my experiences, classes, and projects.  When I become a teacher I may use a blog in my classroom.  I think it is a good way for students to showcase their writing.  A blog would be a good tool for classroom discussions and assignments.  I could also share my experiences in the classroom with other teachers.  Lesson and unit plans could be shared with other teachers. 

Thing #2

Setting up my blog was easy at times and frustrating at others.  There were a few times I thought I was on the right track then have to start all over again.  I am sure as I get better acquainted with how it works, I will find it much easier to navigate.  My post name and blog title were not hard to pick.  My blog title is the point of this whole thing and my post name is just me.  My avatar does resemble me.  I have brown hair and one of my favorite colors is purple.  I wanted it to reflect somethings about me.

Thing #1

The easiest learning habit for me would probably be habit 2, accept responsibility for your own learning.  I want to be here and I want to be getting an education.  The first time I went to college, I did not take my classes very seriously.  I really was not focused on my education, but now I am.  It is important to me to get a good education.  The hardest learning habit for me is habit 3, view problems as challenges.  I tend to get anxious when problems get in the way.  I need to remind myself that problems can be fixed and that they are nothing more than hurdles that I will learn from.

Becoming familiar with the Web tools will help me become a more effective teacher.   Technology is such an important part of the classroom, as a teacher you have to have a good grasp on how to use it.  I did not have the easiest time setting up my blog.  I got frustrated on more than a few occasions.