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!!

Thing #17

I found the Delicious website very interesting. Just like many other websites, Delicious proves to us that technology and society are growing. I like the idea that you can share documents on this website. I'm not sure I would use this in the classroom but I would definitely use it personally. However, I do think that as our society and technology continues to grow this site has the potential to be used in the classrooms. Students in high school and college could use this for projects and various other things. Also, I think it would be a wonderful site for a teacher community. Teachers could share ideas, lesson plans, photos, etc. Social bookmarking and tags can make researching and organization much easier.

Thing #16

For this blog I noticed that I use all three activities in my everyday life. I'm a major to-do list person. I am constantly writing down things I need to get done. I also liked the online calendars. For my starter page I used iGoogle. I use my Google account daily for various things. I liked how I could create iGoogle as my homepage on my personal computer. Also, I loved that I could customize it to make it feel and look a little more personal. IGoogle appealed to me because like I said I use my account daily. My customized account is now my home page when I open safari. The ocean is my background, and yes I chose it because I wish I was there!! The online calendars can be very useful because I like having all my events written down. Online calendars are even better because since I'm always on my mac I can check my calendar when. I wouldn't have to worry about losing it! I found the to-do sites helpful but I most likely wouldn't use them because generally I don't like to waste a lot of time writing down what I need to get done! Especially if I have things to do!! These websites were very helpful and I could see myself using them at home and in the classroom. I definitely recommend them to everyone!

Thing #15

For this blog we were to look at APSU 23 Things Sandbox wiki. I created a entry and although it was fun to do, I had difficulty understanding how to get started. Once you figure out how to use this website it can be really useful. Wiki can be used with your students for a group project where they have to share documents, images, etc. It would be extremely convenient and could be less of a hassle. I found it interesting that you could edit other things. I like the fact the you can share things with other people. I'm not sure if I would use this website, but it definitely can be useful.

Thing #14

I really enjoyed this exercise. The websites that I chose were Bubbl.us (mind map) and Gliffy (flowchars). Both of these websites would be great for teachers to use for their lessons. Flowcharts and mind maps are great to incorpperate into a lessons because they are easy to understand. I know that when I was younger I loved when my teacher would use flowcharts. To me, they made things easier to understand. As an English  major, I hope to one day teach English and use flowcharts and mind maps in my own classroom. I think this is an excellent way to help students brainstorm ideas before writing a paper. Personally, I liked Gliffy better because it gave me more options. By using Gliffy I had the opportunity to create many different things. When using this website, you can pick different charts and shapes. Although Gliffy was my favorite, the Bubbl.us was definitely easier to use. In the future if I have to create a lesson plan quickly I would definitely go to this website first.

Thing #13

Zoho Writer looks a lot like Microsoft Word. It has most of the same features and tools. While I did enjoy looking around Zoho Writer, I'll most likely continue to use Microsoft Word. Google Docs is an application that I already use daily. I use Google Docs for work and find it very convenient. Through this application, my co-workers and I can share documents automatically. In an office that can be very helpful.  Of these two applications I prefer Google Docs because I am already familiar with it. In a classroom, students can work together using any tool in Google Docs. They could collaborate because they are able to share documents. I created a calendar using Google Docs without difficulty. I found it very easy to use!! Click on my calendar to view my activities!!

Thing #12

For post 12 we were asked to look at Google more closely and what all it offers. Google offers so many different things that I didn't even know about! I chose to look at Google Calendar and Google Translate for this exercise. Because I already have a gmail account, I could go look at these two without having to take the time of creating an account. I am really excited that I had to look at these more closely. Now I know how easy it can be! When looking at Google Calendar, I actually created my own calendar to remember important events! Also, I looked at Google Translate. I thought this was a really great and easy way to translate words or phrases. Students and teachers could use both of these Google sites for educational purposes.

Thing #11

One of the first blogs that I looked at was Edublog, which was voted the best teacher blog in 2011. That is pretty impressive!! Out of all the education blogs, and there are a lot, it was voted THE best! I was so impressed by this blog and found it difficult to stop looking at it. This blog was definitely the easiest to use. I also enjoyed searching "school library learning 2.0" on Google Blog Search. The search tool that I found to be most difficult was Topix.net. It was difficult for me to follow so it didn't grab my attention. A blog that I started following was "A Journee in Language." This was Brad Patterson's blog and it attracted me first by the title. I want to teach english so when I started following his blog and reading his post I was really interested. Google is a great way for searching for blogs. However, I personally prefer Edublog because it is so easy to use.

Thing #10

I really enjoyed the RSS exercise. I think I like it so much because I like blogging so much. I found that I got really excited every time I subscribed to a new blog. Blogging is fun for me because I get to share my thoughts and interests. I've even thought about creating a personal blog! These blogs that I subscribed to are blogs that I would personally like to look at everyday. I enjoy RSS because of how easy it is to look at and find other blogs. I can also use this in school by subscribing to some educational blogs that would be helpful to me in the future. Technology is definitely giving us various opportunities to explore the internet and use it to our advantage. I think parents and students could possibly create their own blog and it would be a great way to keep up with assignments and events in the classroom.

Thing #9

For thing #9 I decided to use Smiley Generator and Word Mosaic as my image generators. I loved playing around with these websites! I mean who wouldn't! I like the fact that I could create so many things and there were so many options. Both of my images were inspired by Alabama football!! I'm a huge Alabama fan. I would definitely us both of these links in the classroom. They would be a great when doing a fun project.

Thing #8

Flickr can be used for so many things. While using flickr mash ups I spent so much time creating and editing so many photos! Editing photos can become a little addicting! Especially when you have so many options to edit and create. Flickr is an excellent example of being creative. It almost reminds me of an art class. You're taking one photo, and with that one photo the options on how to edit it are endless! Now for me this could be a problem that I call procrastination and wasting time. Simply because I don't know when to stop! I could spend all day making neat creations with my pictures. I think flickr mash ups would be a great way for students to use their imagination and realize how much they could create by using flickr mash ups.

Thing #7

A picture can say a thousand words. I believe that is certainly true for this photo I have shared. When I look at the picture some words such as laughter, kind-hearted, beautiful, and silly come to mind. This is a picture of my siblings last summer. My sisters, brother, and I are very close. I wanted to share this photo because I felt like it captures their personalities. They are all three so silly and full of life. I enjoyed creating a flickr account. I think it is a great way to upload, organize, and share photos. Also, I think flickr would be great for a classroom. It would be a neat way for students to do projects and various other things. However, I think that a teacher might get more out of flickr than a student. A teacher could use flickr to upload pictures of class trips and other events and share these photos with parents or other teachers. Photos are wonderful ways to capture moments that should be remembered. Flickr is a great way  to help you organize and share those beautiful memories.

Thing #6

For this post I chose to take a closer look at Gmail. Gmail can be used for several different things. Mostly, people use this site for email purposes. However, you can also use it to share documents, calendars, photos, and more! I like this tool because it is useful for so many things. I think gmail would be an excellent way to communicate with your students. You could share a calendar of the month's events and assignments, or share a spreadsheet with all your students. I could definitely see this being used in a classroom in the future. Also, students could use the computers in the library to check their gmail to make sure they caught up on their assignments. Email is such a big part of most everyone's life. Although, gmail allows you to do so much more other than just emailing. A lot of times in the classroom students lose papers given to them by their teachers. If they had a gmail the teacher could share a document with their assignment on it. There would be no more, "I lost that paper," excuses.

Thing #5

Over the past 5 years technology has changed in so many ways. Technology is incorporated into most people's daily lives. So many people are dependent on the internet for email, research, and social networking. Many young adults and students have several different social networks. With social networking being so popular among students, technology is becoming a part of their everyday life. Why not incorporate education in technology? There are so many opportunities we have with technology and the internet. It would be a shame to not use it to its full potential. To me, School 2.0 means taking education and technology and using both to create endless opportunities for students. Also, I think that it gives schools in the future endless ways to keep students' minds working and always learning. This will give students endless reasons to enjoy learning.

Thing #4

Blogging would not continue to grow if other people did not comment on blogs. When people blog it gives other people a chance to see what they are writing and thinking about. I personally think blogging is great. It gives you a chance to be creative. By gaining followers and commenting on other blogs, you've created a community that allows you to interactive with other people who share the same ideas as you! Just like other social networks, following other blogs and pages gives you a chance to see new ideas. I follow several people's blogs in our own class.

The first person I followed Allie Burkepile http://allieburkepile.blogspot.com/ Allie and I not only live and  work together, but we're also best friends. That being said we have a lot in common and share a lot of the same ideas. Who wouldn't follow their best friend?? That would be a crime!

Next, I decided to follow Caitlin Ladd http://caitlinfaith.blogspot.com/ Caitlin sits beside Allie and I in class and her blog is awesome! It's so unique and different and I think anyone would be drawn to it. Her blogs are always very interesting and she has great ideas.

Another person I decided to follow is Rebecca Black http://becca-black.blogspot.com/ Rebecca is in my English class and over spring break this year we got the opportunity to go to London with our class! On our trip we got to know each pretty well.

Erica Paredez http://eprez12.blogspot.com/ is another classmate I decided to follow. Erica's blogs are amazing. She puts so much thought and time into her blogs and you can tell just by looking at them. She truly goes above and beyond. Her blogs are so detailed and helpful to read. She has wonderful ideas and I always look forward to reading them.

Lastly, I decided to follow Ariel Griffith http://agriffith3.blogspot.com/ Just like Erica, you can tell that Ariel puts a lot of thought into her blog. She always refers good websites in her posts as well. I always think her posts are interesting, which I think is a good thing when people are following you.

I also follow to other blogs that I found interesting. The first blog is called Making a Difference http://difference.blogspot.com/ and the other blog I follow is called Always Learning http://kimcofino.com/blog/ Both of these blogs are really great and I found ways that I could relate to both of the. Making a Difference is a great blog that could inspire anyone to be a teacher. I loved reading these great posts. One thing about this blog that immediately caught my attention was the quote on the homepage that reads, "We sometimes feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop. Next I commented on the Always Learning blog. This blog grabbed my attention because she writes about international technology in education! I thought it was ironic that I found this since this program is for Education 3040. Also, I loved this blog because I love traveling and she always writes about education around the world and includes beautiful pictures!

Thing #3

Creating a blog can be useful in many different ways. Blogging can be especially useful for a teacher. Teachers can use a blog to post useful information for other teachers or their students. You could use your blog to provide some teaching tips for other teachers. Also, you can keep a log of teacher-training experiences. A blog can also be useful for a teacher's classroom. It would be extremely helpful be able to post calendars, events, and homework assignments. This blog would keep students and parents aware of what's going on in the classroom. Examples of classwork, such as essays, could be displayed on the blog. As a student, I find examples of work very helpful. When feeling stumped it's nice to be able to look at an example to make sure I know exactly what I am supposed to do! Creating this blog is already giving me so many ideas of how to use it in the future.

Thing #2

When I was in the process of creating my blog I was so excited. I love being able to have so many options to create something that reflects my personality. My blog name, as well as my posting name, is Samantha Lambright. I know it doesn't seem very original but considering it was my first blog I thought it was appropriate. Designing my blog was more fun that I thought it would be. At first I was a little overwhelmed, not because it was hard, but because there were so many options! I wasted more time changing the layout and design of my blog than I want to admit. During the process of creating my blog I kept thinking of the Pioneer Woman. Her blog is breathtaking and I told myself if I could create something half that good then I would be more than satisfied. When I finally decided to get serious about it and write my first post I began to enjoy it even more! Creating my avatar was a fun experience as well. I decided to make mine look like myself to be more realistic. My avatar has brown hair and brown eyes just like me! The way my avatar is dressed is the way I would normally dress on an everyday basis. I enjoyed creating my avatar almost as much as I did designing my blog!

Thing #1

While reading the tutorial of the 71/2 Habits of Lifelong Learners, I felt that some habits were easier than others. I would have to say that habit 6 is the easiest for me. Habit six is using technology to your advantage. I don't feel like this is a challenge at all. In fact, if the habit was to NOT use technology it would be the most difficult for me hands down! I find that this particular habit is easier for me simply because I use technology in my everyday life. (Just like the rest of the world!) Technology is growing so rapidly in today's society. It has made some of the most difficult things become the easiest. Why not take advantage of it? My other easy, and favorite, habit would be none other than 71/2. Habit 71/2 is to play! Often, I sit down to work on homework and I end up day dreaming about doing anything else! If someone asked me to stop working and start playing I would say, "BLESS YOU," and be on my way. Now the hard part. I couldn't make it through all 71/2 habits and not find one or two that seemed difficult. I would have to say that habit 3 is by far the hardest for me. Habit 3 is to view problems as challenges. Through life we all face problems. When faced with a problem most people, me being one of them, want to crawl into the fetal position and forget all their troubles. However, that is not reasonable and does not make anything go away. That is why this habit is harder than others. It's easier to want to forget about it than to look at it as a challenge. In the middle of your crisis you let yourself believe that there is nothing that can be done and that you have the worst luck on the planet. However, everything happens for a reason and in the end it's all part of your journey in life.  It's just another bump in the road, another challenge. I know, easier said than done!