Is it the end or only the beginning??

Wow! I can't believe I'm writing my last and final blog! When I started this blog I instantly loved it! There were SEVERAL exercises on this learning journey. One of my favorites was Animoto. I loved putting my on photos to music in a slide show. What I also loved about this assignment is how much it taught me about technology and how easy it can be! That is what surprised me the most because normally when people think of technology they think of difficult. I honestly think the program's format and concept were perfect. It was really easy to understand what to do and which step came next. The only thing that was difficult was the time it took to do the blogs. However, that simply cannot be fixed. There are so many things I've learned through this program that I know will help me when I'm a teacher. It not only helped me, but also will hopefully help my future students. Like I said when I first started this blog I loved it, and I also said that I would like to create a personal blog. Also, I would like to take the activities and social networks that I've found and keep using them to help me learn more.

This was a great experience for me and one of my favorite projects so far. As a future English teacher I think writing and creating ideas is extremely important. I would love to be able to use these ideas for my students. 23 things has taught me more about technology than I ever expected to learn.

Thing #23

It's crazy to think that everything on the internet belongs to someone. Most people don't realize this when they copy and paste passages, quotes, or pictures. It's good to be familiar with Creative Commons because it isn't right to take credit for someone else's work. This is especially important for teachers since they are setting an example for their students. It's okay to copy and paste as long as the author doesn't mind. That is why Creative Commons is such a great thing!! Now that I know about Creative Commons I'll know to look for the symbol somewhere on the page. Teachers are constantly using the internet for their lessons, activities, photos, etc. That being said Creative Commons is especially good for teachers!!
http://www.epractice.eu/en/cases/23things

Thing #22

LiveBinders is a really great site for teachers to use. It's a great way to keep all of your information organized. The titles of the three binders that I created are Lesson Plans, First Grade Grammar, and First Grade Reading. I decided to use these things titles because they go along with my standard. LiveBinders is great for teachers to have less clutter and know where everything is at!! It could also be good for students too! If students used LiveBinder they wouldn't "lose"their homework. Everyone wins!! Below I have added a link to one of my binders.

Lesson Plans

Thing #21

Make your own slideshow with music at Animoto.

I absolutely loved Animoto! This site lets you take your photos and create something create with them. You can choose from several different backgrounds and songs. It's quick and easy to use which is what I like about it. I love slideshows with photos and music. You can pick a song that captures the photograph. On the website Animoto you can set up a free account. However, if you want to make videos longer than you can upgrade your account. You can also download the Animoto app on your iphone! Just in case you need to make a quick video. I'll definitely keep using this account and might even upgrade it in the future.

Thing #20

YouTube is the 4th most visited sites in the U.S. Most people use YouTube more than they even realize. You can use YouTube to look up videos on almost anything! I use YouTube most to listen to music if I don't already have on my ipod. I chose this video to post because I thought it was a cute way for kids to learn different words and how to spell them. I like this site because you can look up so many things. It amazes me the things that I can find. Also, with this site you can create an account and upload videos yourself! While I was trying to find a video of a short English lesson, I found so many other videos that would have been helpful too! This site gives everyone great opportunities to look up anything you need.

Thing #19

I am a member of Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and now TeacherPop. There are so many social networks out there that many people don't know about! Many social networks are created for people with certain interest. It amazes me how many networks there are for education, music, movies, etc. A lot of these networks interest me and I'll most likely join a couple of them. Some of the social networks that I found interesting were Shelfari, IMDB, and Project Playlist. These sites concentrate on books, movies, and music. I love all the of these things and that's why I found these networks so interesting. I already use IMDB a lot when I want to figure out when a movie came out or who played a certain role. I'll definitely use Shelfari and Project Playlist in the future because I absolutely love reading and listening to music.

Thing #18

Samantha Lambright's Facebook
Samantha Lambright's Twitter

My two social networking sites are listed above this post. Social networking has grown rapidly and is still growing. Every day more people join Twitter and Facebook. Both of these sites have become used not only for personal reasons, but for organizations and business as well. Also, let's not forget about education!! Many schools, classrooms, and teachers now have one or both of these social networking sites. I think it's important that teachers know how social networking works because it gives them a great opportunity to reach out to other teachers. I am a member of both Twitter and Facebook and like them both. I created both of these accounts to use personally, but I now follow educational scholars and sites! Personally, I like twitter more than Facebook. However, on the educational and organizational level, Facebook has more useful features. Since both of these sites are becoming used by business, schools, and organizations, I can definitely see schools or classrooms becoming members of Twitter or Facebook. If we take a look around us it's easy to see....Technology is growing in our society in every way. Let's take advantage of it!!