Wordle - John Milton

from http://www.wordle.net

Wiki Test in Summer School

Okay, so the time has come. I have opened my wiki up to the public, and I have invited my three students as writers. I uploaded the story "The Yellow Wallpaper," which I am expecting them to read, highlight, and then leave a comment on the wiki itself about their reactions/questions to the story. I'm not sure if this is going to work, but hey! a start is a start...

Week 9 - Thing #23 - Final Thoughts

Well, while I have come to the end of this particular course, I am just beginning my journey into the wide 2.0 jungle out there on the web. I have learned some great skills during this course, such as

1. developing a rollyo,
2. manipulating images,
3. subscribing to (and soon recording my own) podcasts,
4. developing a blog and wiki,
5. collaborating through social networks, and
6. utilizing web-based word and presentation processing applications.

I really am sad that this formal course has come to an "end" (if you offer any more, let me know!!), but what I am excited about is that I will continue to look for new web 2.0 applications that I can integrate into my teaching. I am coming out of this experience much more knowledgeable about the web, copyright (I LOVE Creative Commons), and one of the many goals of teaching: to prepare my students for success in a web-based world.

I have two goals for the future: 1) that my seniors will be ready to use these web applications by the time they graduate, giving them a head-start on their futures; and 2) to continue my own education in the high-tech world of web-based applications.

Week 9 - Thing # 22 - Ebooks and Audiobooks

Since I started graduate school, I have been using Project Gutenberg to download novels or short stories I needed for class. Also, if you are interested in downloading free works of poetry, go to Poemhunter. You can download different poets' collections of their work (not exhaustive or complete collections, but substantial anyway).

I really like the idea of Ebooks. I hate the fact that our enviornment has to suffer negatively for the production of paper. It is more difficult for me to read something online, but I think it's really all psychological. I need to just do it more often while taking the proper precautions to safeguard my vision (or what remains of vision).

In July, I will revisit the World Ebook Fair and download some books. However, I am tempted to just pay the $9 for the yearly membership. I really should also donate to Project Gutenberg for all the help they've given me over the years, hehehehe.

Week 9 - Thing #21 - Podcasts

I decided to look at Podcastalley, and I found many great podcasts I like. However, I chose to go on my Questing Beast blog: Mugglecast (because I am a BIG fan of Harry Potter) and Poem of the Day. You will find them on the right-hand side toolbar there, under all my other add-ons.

I think podcasts would be a great help to my curriculum because there is so much out there on literature. My students could add a couple of podcasts to their class blogs and complete writing assignments on each/every other new podcast show.

Week 9 - Thing #20 - Video Posts

Hi all!! Here is some videos I found on TeacherTube, SchoolTube, and Youtube. Enjoy!!

"Power Teaching" - a short video from TeacherTube about "Power Teaching," a grass-roots education reform movement that started tin 1999 in California. Chris Biffle, the philosophy professor you see in the video, is co-founder of the movment. I chose this video becasue of its creative and high-energy approach to teaching. What do you all think??



Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Book review of the 7th Harry Potter book found on YouTube. I chose this video because 1) I'm a Harry Potter fan, and 2) I think it will be great for my students to search for book reviews of the novels they will be reading to see what other people who have read the novel have to say about it. Afterwards, they can upload their own book review. This one is kind of cute....



I've been trying to watch videos on SchoolTube, but I've been having some trouble doing that. Once I am able to get to a computer that allows me to watch vidoes on SchoolTube, I will upload a video from there...'til then, have fun!!!!!!

Week 8 - Thing #19 - LibraryThing

My LibraryThing will one day be FULL of ALL my books (I really could open up my own library!!), but for now I have added five of them. This really is a cool site. I have joined a number of groups, the majority of them dealing with fantasy and gothic literature (although I am a HUGE classics freak, so don't worry you English purists out there). So I repeat, this is a really cool site because I am able to network with other people who have read the same books I have. I'm not quite sure how I can effectively use this in my curriculum, but I will definitely keep the idea open.

Week 8 - Thing #18 - Fun with Zoho

Okay, lets see... I am writing this on Zoho writer, and it looks pretty cool. I also opened up Google Docs simultaneously, but I was not as impressed with Google's application as I am with Zoho, which did surprise me. I am going to make this blog entry a sandbox...so I'm going to PLAY!!

It's a hot sunny summer over here in Brownsville, TX.

Have you they ever gone to Mexico?

---

¿Como estás?

Okay, that's enough playing. I'm not sure how this will appear on my blog, but it would be interesting to find out!! So far, this application has proved easy to use. I am now going to tag this and try to export it to my blog.

Technorati Tags page,zoho,practice

Week 7 - Thing #17 - Posting on Region One Sandbox

I had been playing around with pbwiki for a few days here, so I was not entirely lost on the Region One sandbox. The only difference is that my wiki is pbwiki v. 2.0, and the Region One wiki is v.1.0. In a way, I like the look of v.1.0 better, but v.2.0 works well.

Week 7 - Thing #16 - Wikis

As an educator, I have been an advocate of anti-wikipedia usage for serious scholarly research, and I have not changed my stance. However, I do see the immense potential of using wikis in classrooms: the ability to share essays; networking with students, parents, and other educators; small group planning and collaboration; and the list goes on.

So...here it is: SJA English wiki! For now, it is a private wiki because I am still working on it. I am still planning on its use in my classroom, but it takes quite a bit of planning on my part. I also think I'm going to have to upgrade to the lowest premium service because of the 1 GB storage space it provides, but I won't do that until later.

Week 6 - Thing #15 - Thoughts on Library 2.0

YES!! I hope it makes it all the way down here. I can say that, just as a graduate student, having complete access to WorldCat would be fantastic! I know that there are numerous independent scholars out there not unattached to any university that have difficulty finding research materials for lack of funds. The same thing happens when you live in the RGV: lack of fully-equiped libraries makes research hard to complete.

I know that getting our high school students used to WorldCat and a new way of doing research will be the best thing for them. I am really excited about the possiblities that Library 2.o will offer my students (and myself as an educator and graduate student) in the future.

Week 6 - Thing #14 - Technorati

I went ahead and claimed my two blogs with Technorati, but I do not feel that I am ready for this particular Thing. I still need to work on it some more before I am comfortable enough to have my students use it for class. Most of this comes from my frustration with the site. It took me an hour to register 2 blogs, and whenever I go to log in, it won't log me in!!

Oh well, we keep plugging along...

Week 6 - Thing #13 - Del.icio.us

I've heared of Del.icio.us before, before I always thought that my Google bookmark application is enough, and really it is...for me alone. However, Del.icio.us allows me to share my bookmarks with others (aka students) for the purpose of assisting them 1) with research work and 2) with a viable example of how to bookmark smart. I have added the badge to this blog (look under my biography), and I am planning on adding it to my Ning page as well.

Week 5 - Thing #12 - Rollyo

Yeah!! I went ahead and put together a preliminary British Literature search engine with Rollyo, and I even added it to my Ning page for my AP class! This is actually an awesome application! I think that I will have my students do the same thing for thier own pages; I know that it will come in handy in my class.

Week 5 - Thing #11 - Web 2.0 applications

Well, I had a lot of fun looking at some of the sites that offer gadgets, start pages, bookmarking, etc... However, I really enjoyed the Ning networking site. In fact, if you click on SJA AP Literature and Composition, you will see the networking group I created for my AP Literature students. I will also create a network for my regular senior British Literature class, but this was a start. Eventually, I would love to create a network for LAGSA, my university's Liberal Arts Graduate Student Association, of which I am a founding member.

I really think this is present state of education: net-education. I know that universities and many high schools are already using it. Soon, the physical classroom will be a distant memory, a fossil. It may well be that within the next 5-10 years, educators will be moderating discussion from home via Podcasts and networking sites. I really don't know how I feel about that, since I am a firm believer in the daily "physical" interaction with the kids (I put "physical" in quotation marks since I am referring to the ability to see the kids with one's own eyes, without the use of a screen). Using both in tandem would be ideal, and I hope that education never loses that "physical" connection that it offers today.

Week 5 - Thing #10 - Image Generator Fun

I made this tombstone for Bram Stoker (on whom I am currently writing my thesis), the "Medieval Buff" shield, and bottom "He Who Can, Teaches" banner on ImageChef. They really were fun to make, and there are so many other cool images you can make on imagechef.

I tried using the comic strip generator, but I did not like it. It is not user-friendly, and it really is difficult to try to make a decent image. But then again, it may just be my luck, and you may have a much better experience.

Week 4 - Thing #9 - Library/Classroom/News Feeds

Blogger offers the great service of allowing you to link RSS feeds and blogs to your page. On the lower right hand corner (above Bloglines) you will see My Blogs. I have a collection of news feeds and blogs that I would like to follow. Most of my blogs have to do with education and/or literature, and I love the ideas that these bloggers have posted on their blogs.

I can definitely use this idea in my English classes. I am still working out the details, so I'll know by the end of this course what my plan of action will be.

Week 4 - Thing #8 - RSS Feeds

http://www.bloglines.com/public/theosja

Here is my Bloglines account if anyone wishes to share my RSS feeds. I also have linked them to my Blog (on the lower right hand side of the screen). I'm still trying to figure this RSS thing out. I think I will be spending a little more time trying to understand how they work to be able to use them in my curriculum.

As far as libraries go, I think it would be great for kids to be able to see up-to-date news on their computers, especially if their teachers require them to keep a "Current Events" log. However, as one astute librarian commented (click http://elib570.blogspot.com/ to see her blog), isn't iGoogle already far beyond the RSS feeds era? My iGoogle page is loaded with gadgets that keep me informed of those issues that are important to me. Maybe combining the two forces together would create a powerful tool students can use in their research.

Week 3 - Thing #7 - Technology-Related Thoughts

I personally love techonology. I have used it since I was little: Atari games, old-fashioned computers, electric typewriters (I know, I'm dating myself, aren't I? And I'm only 29!). Now, I'm constantly using my digital camera, cell phone, and the internet. What I really enjoy about techonology - especially programs like Flickr, instant messaging platforms, Facebook, MySpace, and Blogger - is the networking capabilities that they allow. I am able to communicate with a new friend in Edinburgh or London with a simple push of a button! I can even see and hear that person if I use my webcam!

While everything has its drawbacks, I believe that techonology, espcecially those programs that have as their goal the removal of communication barriers, is helping to form a global community by bringing us a little closer together.What can be better than that?

Week 3 - Thing #6 - Mashups: Mission 08 Card

Mission 08 Card
Originally uploaded by theosja

WOW!! I had no idea there were so many acitivies I could do with mashups and 3rd party sites!! I created this trading card with a picture somebody took of me on a recent missions trip to Mexico. Looking around these different applications, I really liked the Magazine Cover and Badge Maker applications. I think they can really be used in my English classroom next year, and I am going to have fun trying them out first!!

What is really cool is that I am taking a group of kids to England next year, and those pictures we bring back will work beautifully with those applications, as well as with the Travel Journal application. I was going to try out the magazine cover application, but I need to have a really good idea first, so I am going to wait until later this week after I have developed some sort of workable idea.

Week 3 - Thing #5 - Flickr: Under Ben Bulben

Under Ben Bulben
Originally uploaded by biosamu

When I first read Yeats's poem "Under Ben Bulben," I was in awe of his poetic interpretation of this historic and breathtaking hill. I feel this picture beautifully presents the majesty and strength inherent in Yeats's mythopoetic vision. If you all have a chance, read "Under Ben Bulben" by W.B. Yeats!!

Week 2 - Things #3 and 4 - Avatar and Blog

I have had my avatar with me for about a year now, and I get such a kick seeing little Jr. on my Blog!! By the same token, I had started this Blog earlier this year, but I had abandoned it for what I mistakenly considered to be "more important" pursuits. I have forgotten how theraputic journaling can be (even though I have my students journal on a daily basis!) - thank you all so much for challenging me to take this up again.

I have to admit, though, that it is a little difficult for me to express my thoughts and feelings "in public" due to my introverted nature (although I can think of a few friends that would laugh at that!). However, I think it will be a neat challenge for me to overcome that "fear" by keeping up with this class.

Week 1 - Thing #2 - 71/2 Habits of Lifelong Learners

Hello all!!! Well, I watched the short video/slideshow, and I really can't say that anything surprised me (I've been a teacher for six years and have never stopped being a student, so I guess that I have sort of stumbled upon these habits as I journeyed on my educational quest).

From my own experience, I can say that the easiest habit for me has been to accept responsiblity for my own learning. I love challenges, and the biggest challenge for me is to challenge myself to be resourceful. I started doing this in college, and I have continued even into my graduate study.

The hardest habit for me is to PLAY!! I know I have to make time, but my "workaholic" personality makes me feel guilty. I guess I have started to make time in my schedule since I began working out on a daily basis. I have started to learn the necessity of making time for my health and spirituality, and now I have to make time for me to just sit down and read WHATEVER I WANT!!

Late Night Writing

For my first post, I want to offer a short prayer for the ones I love:


God of Peace,

I bring before you all that is, all that was, and all that will be. Allow me to live you every moment of everyday, experiencing you in all those I love and those I have to love better.

Amen.