One Last Thing

I learned so much is this class-even more than I expected to. I've become a lot more comfortable in using tech tools to save time and be more efficient in my work. Some of my favorite tools include the RSS feeder, Google Docs, and social bookmarking. The biggest surprises that I know I will find useful are Ning and LibraryThing. I plan to continue to check back with all of the networking sites, as well as using Google Docs to help streamline my attendance and data tracking. I really appreciated this self-guided format, as I could allocate my time as I needed to throughout the course depending on other committments. I have enjoyed all of my online classes this semester. I'm very thankful I had the opportunity to participate in this course.

Thing #23

Visit Classroom 2.0
I am really excited about Ning. It is just the kind of site I have been looking for to get fresh ideas for educating the students of tomorrow. I found multiple groups to join, including rhe recommended Teachers 2.0, and Classroom 2.0. I also found an interesting group called Connected Therapy, which includes professionals from speech pathology, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. I'm definitely going to be sharing the information about the Ning network with my speech colleagues. In addition, I found a great website with Teacher ratings and recommendations for their favorite materials to use in teaching various topics. Before I knew it, I was getting drawn in to the forums, reading all the comments related to inclusion and technology trainings for teachers. It was just a lot of fun to connect with so many like-minded people, regardless of geographical region, cultural differences, etc. Everyone on those sites is focused on improving education for our youth.

Thing 22

I revisited my Facebook page, because I did set up an account about six months ago. I feel much more comfortable with Facebook, than MySpace. It's just personal bias, I guess, but it seems like MySpace has younger users. I also like that Facebook has controls that limit who can see your information and interact with you. What I love about Facebook is that I have reconnected with friends that I haven't seen in over 20 years. I have some dear friends that I hope to reconnect with more in depth over the summer. What I don't like about Facebook are all of the silly requests-from Happy Hour to kidnap to pillow fights. It takes a long time, even just to click ignore. Most of my friends have stopped trying to write on my wall even, because I haven't been visiting Facebook regularly, and haven't been writing much.

I had a lot of fun looking at my site tonight, and was thinking about how fun it will be to join some of the more interesting groups, like Circle of Moms, and taking interviews to discover how my friends have changed over the years. I really do like Facebook overall, especially because of the special people from my past that I now have the opportunity to get to know again. Just a sample of the people I have found on Facebook-a friend from my freshman year in high school; my old college roommate, my two best friends from high school; and several good friends from college. I love how geography doesn't matter as much, as we can use technological tools to bring us all together again!

Thing 7C

I revisited David Warlick's blog and read one of his posts about educational games for children related to the environment. It made me think about how recycling has really come into its own in my lifetime, and just how important it is to save the Earth's resources. This theme is carried over on many child friendly networks like Noggin and the Disney Channel. I think it's an extremely important lesson, which needs even more attention than it gets. As I was surfing his site, so to speak, I found additional articles of interest, including the current explosion of kid oriented virtual worlds. It made me think of my son, who is not even in elementary school yet, and how much he enjoys the computer. He already knows more about a computer than I knew as a teenager. That's why all of these technology trainings are so important. It is our responsibility as educators to prepare our children to be competitive in this global economy, where technology is the link. Teachers have to be proficient in all of these areas, if we are to effectively educate our students.

Thing #21

I am a big fan of Google tools. I took a class in Web based collaboration tools last fall, and learned about Google Calendar, Google Sites, and Slideshows. I am looking forward to using Google Sites to create a website for sharing information with parents about current themes in speech therapy, as well as home program support information for parents. I already use Google calendar frequently to manage finances/bill due dates, family events, and track my husband's commitments as well. I added a public menu calendar that should not contain any sensitive information. I also experimented with Picasa, and uploaded a few photos of the newest family addition to the site. Once you click the link, you'll see pictures of our Heinz-57 (the vet won't even venture a guess as to breed) dog, Sparky. He was a stray wandering the street when he chose our family as the one he wanted, and quickly won our hearts last summer.

Other possible uses I can think of 'off the top of my head,' so to speak, include using Google notebook for research and collaborative projects, using Google alerts for updates related to a particular topic you're teaching in the classroom, and Google Earth for geography. I have been so impressed with all of the tools Google is offering to make technology accessible to all.

Thing #20

I think I have found my solution to my document management difficulty with Google Docs. I'm going to use it to organize my data collection/tracking, and my students' attendance and incentives earned. That way, I won't have to wonder whether I've saved the work on my home computer, or my work computer. It will also save me the trouble of emailing from work to home email addresses to be able to access the files from different locations. I may even try posting my schedule and lesson plan documents in Google Docs, for the same reason. I love that I will be able to use technology to simplify my life. My students can use it to compose stories together, edit each others' work, or collaborate in other creative group projects.

Thing #19

I really like the idea of using Voicethread in many ways to support instruction, as well as collaboration. I first learned of Voicethread's existence just yesterday, when I was searching for SLP-related information on YouTube and TeacherTube. I found an example where a student used voicethread to comment about his experiences. So one application for me would be to use Voicethread with my nonverbal students, using augmentative communication devices. Another application for me would be to use it to teach sequencing, like the example with measuring volume for irregular objects. I like the potential for collaboration on projects/work while it is progress. Voicethread can also be used to supplement lecture, differentiating instruction to incorporate all learning styles in a multisensory way. It also seems to be very accessible and flexible with regard to methods of commenting, which is also very inclusive for students with learning differences and disorders.

Thing #18

I finally visited You Tube for the first time today. I've always avoided it because you always hear about all of the negative things that are posted there. When I embarked upon my mission of finding four useful or personally meaningful segments, I thought it would be a challenge. I was amazed at how quickly I located the nostalgic/fun video-the YouTube Orchestra. The universal cultural appeal of music, and it's ability to bring people of all backgrounds/cultures/life circumstances together, is personified in this orchestra. It reminded me about how music has always been a personal mode of expression for me, and a source of friendship and comraderie, as well as accomplishment. I have drifted away from it since becoming a parent-I probably haven't played an instrument since my second child was born almost four years ago. That video inspired me to pick up my flute again. Second, since my husband and I will be repainting our home this summer, I thought I should learn how to repair drywall holes. I found an excellent example for repairing larger holes in drywall.

I had to try TeacherTube for more useful material related to my field, speech pathology. I found a word document posted to TeacherTube, giving ideas for using a simple communication device with students. I also found a video on TeacherTube that demonstrates using a communication device with VoiceThread, so I'm very interested in learning more about VoiceThread and how I might use that with my students.

Thing 17

Podcasts are really amazing. It is a great way to supplement instruction and keep students' interest. The multisensory and differentiated learning components are built into the Podcast. I explored a few related to reading and language. I subscribed to one for grammar rules, as I felt that it would supplement my grammar lessons in a more interesting way. I also liked the Word of the Day podcast. I thought it would be easy to incorporate into my lessons to increase vocabulary incrementally. I fell in love with the Just another Book! podcast, because the participants' love of children's literature really resonated with me. I know I will use some of their reviews to help me plan language literature units for my students. I am looking forward to summer, when I can research other relevant podcasts in more depth!

#16

LibraryThing is so cool! I love all the groups of people on the website that have gravitated to certain genres of writing. It really does make so much sense, and it's very easy to use. I'm looking forward to using it at a personal level to get additional book suggestions to read for pleasure. I hope to discover some new authors, as well. From a classroom perspective, it seems like it could be used to find additional books about a particular topic, for example with a class project assignment. I really love the social aspect of bringing people with similar reading interests together. I also am impressed with the local activity and event feature of the site. This site is a book-lover's dream come true!

Thing #15

I love the Delicious website! I am very excited to use the websites I bookmarked to vary my lesson plans and get fresh ideas for helping my students in therapy sessions. The field of speech pathology has changed so much since I start 10 years ago! It's nice that so many resources are available on the web, for free. I have also enjoyed all of the free and inexpensive continuing education opportunities available in the DFW area, and in MISD. I found some wonderful indexes of SLP websites that I plan to review over the summer, as I think about my caseload, plan therapy approaches, and select new additions to my therapy library. This is my favorite tool that we have discussed from the course so far. To see the sites I have bookmarked in Delicious, go to http://www.delicious.com/rkubala.

Thing 7a

It was a joy to revisit my google reader and find so many interesting articles with useful information. I want to briefly reference two interesting posts in my RSS aggregator: one about chore charts which helped me rethink my incentive plan/schedule, and a wonderful blog from David Warlick reflecting on possible solutions for the high school drop out problem. For some reason this year, I have been struggling with managing my incentive system. I didn't want to betray student confidentiality with a sticker chart, but now I think I will use student initials, store the chart in a cabinet, award stickers on the chart (with dates recorded somehow) and I will then have an incentive tracker as well as my attendance, all on one chart. I also like the applications for family use, with chores management, while adding an incentive. I loved the information about preventing dropouts. It is definitely a multifaceted problem that requires us to work together with a variety of solutions. It takes a village (of people and ideas)!

Thing #14

I really had a lot of fun with this activity. I am a list-maker, so I tried my hand with TaDa lists and 30 boxes. It's important that they have the social sharing feature, to help families keep in touch and coordinate activities and schedules. I already use Google calendar, and didn't see the advantage of 30 boxes over Google. I have used Writeboard earlier in the course, I think, and found it useful. I loved the possibilities of Mix Book for customizing grade appropriate texts for some of my self-contained students. I also think Polldaddy looks like a great tool with lots of possibilities for data collection and interactive assignments. Wordle looks like an interesting, engaging way to introduce new vocabulary, information, and ideas. The possibilities are endless!

Thing #13

This was such an interesting activity! I had so much fun looking at the Flickr Color Pickr, Comic Strip Generator, and the Custom Sign Generator. The image to the right is from the Comic Strip Generator, which I found easiest to use. I simply searched for a familiar, old favorite cartoon character, then selected my favorite frame from the samples listed, scrolled down and changed settings to customize the strip. It was a very straight forward experience. I really enjoyed looking at the Flickr Color Pickr, and spent some time wondering how the creator of the site managed to organize that task as computer code.

There are multiple educational implications for the sites I looked at. Certainly it helps a student be much more organized and creative in their classwork. Students can use these tools in their school projects, for everything from creating an fictional advertizing brochure, to adding interesting images to presentations. All of the activities I tried today were motivating, engaging, and fun, which also aids in the learning process.

Thing #12

Pictures in the slide show are used under Creative Commons Agreement from The Lizard Queen, doug88888, jonrawlinson, and exfordy.

As stated in an earlier post, I chose to search for pictures of elephants because my three year old has stated multiple times that he is going to be an elephant when he grows up. I've also embedded this slide show in my wikispace.

Thing #11

Flickr was really interesting. I have received numerous emails from friends, sending me pictures of their children through Flickr. I never considered all of the multiple educational applications (beyond help with slide shows, anyway) for Flickr. Of all of the educational ideas listed by David Jakes, I was most intrigued by using Flickr images to stimulate creative writing and illustrate poetry. I also thought that using it with Google Earth to teach Geography sounded fun. I also enjoyed the idea put forth by Teacher Dude to teach vocabulary differences using images from Flickr; however, I thought it might prove fairly time-consuming overall to find images to represent certain vocabulary, unless the person posting the picture had decided to tag it with that descriptor.

I did a search in the CC Flicker database for pictures of elephants. I figured I'd better learn as much as I can about them, since my three year old has told me that he is going to be an elephant when he grows up. The picture from doug88888 (above) was interesting. I will create an elephant slide show in my wikispace later. I'm sure my son will enjoy it.

Thing #9

This was by far the most frustrating task for me. I had to try things over and over and finally had to use some of the tools in my toolbox (e.g. family members) to help me figure it out. Since I am a very independent-natured soul, this went against the grain. But, I got through it, and am no longer as frustrated with using and editing Wikis. There was a bit of a scary moment when I thought I had replaced the heading of the "Sites We Like" page with an external link to one of my favorite sites! But, all's well that ends well...it really is a powerful collaboration tool. I'm looking forward to adding content to my wiki site. Onward and upward to the future!

Creative Commons-Thing #10

Creative Commons is a significant refinement of Copyright. I've never really noticed it on a website before, but I often wondered about using others' content from the web, and how that would work. Now I know. I am really excited about OER and the possibilities of using it to enrich lessons with students. The face of education is truly changing, driven by technology. Up to this point, I have not shared information from the web in any of my presentations, largely because I wasn't sure how ownership of materials worked for Web content. The significant concern I have about Creative Commons is that you do have to trust others to credit you or cite their source to some extent, and some people may not be doing that. Creative Commons, and the use of content with this designation, will have a significant impact on my future instructional lessons.

Thing #8

Wikis are amazing! It's like a whole other world of possibilities. I found so many of the wikis interesting. I love the natural incorporation of editing, critical thinking, analysis and synthesis. I also think the focus on collaboration and forming a group consensus through interchange of ideas and/or compromise is so needed. I found the 1000 project wiki heartwarming. It seemed simple, but so relevant in its organization. I was a little overwhelmed with the Holocaust site, and had difficulty understanding how the project was supposed to work at first. I absolutely loved the creativity inherent in the 1001 tales wikispace. I also loved the fictitious code blue clinic site for mastering biology content. I was inspired by the CoolCatTeacher's blog about her first Wiki experience and how it evolved so quickly into an interactive student study hall.

I'm still struggling with how to apply it with my students, whose 30 minute sessions revolve around articulation/speech and communication goals. My focus with the students is more oral, rather than written. However, one of the ideas I read about in my 'meanderings' related to creating a collaborative story using vocabulary or spelling words for the week. This could address so many areas of difficulty with my language disordered students. I have also been finding more speech language pathology websites which provide activities to improve students' language and articulation skills. Slowly, but surely, I will figure out how to effectively implement these tools with my students!

Thing #7

I have really realized in this activity the importance of commenting. I'm not fully comfortable with it yet, but really think we need to thank each other at the very least for our contributions. I do agree with the Blue Skunk Blog that it should be relevant, meaningful and heartfelt. I think for these Web 2.0 tools to bring people together, there does have to be dialogue. This activity has helped me realize how empowering it can be to use these tools, and fully understand that everyone can have a voice in the blogosphere.

Thing #6

I became completely lost yesterday in my RSS Aggregator, and finally had to force myself to stop reading (at about 12:30) and go to sleep! I kept some of the original blogs in my reader, and found some extremely helpful and useful ones to add. I found an excellent Augmentative Communication blog with great websites and free tools to use with nonverbal students. I've already shared the blog address with my PPCD teachers on my campus. I'm going to take some time this weekend to look at specific posts more completely, to help me plan my lessons for these students. I was mesmerized, as always, by Cool Cat Teacher's blog, and used her blog roll to find a fellow Texan's blog. Finally, because, with a family of five, plus two dogs, my house is always a disaster area, I found a housekeeping blog to follow. I much prefer cooking and baking to cleaning. Oh, for a live in maid...All in all, it was a very productive, informative, and fun time!

Doing More with Less Thing #5

The RSS Aggregator is an incredibly powerful, free tool. As I scrolled through multiple articles, and listened to some wonderful podcasts, I was thinking about the amazing possibilities. All of this knowledge at our fingertips. We as a society are able to do so much more, using less time, because of technology.

So many of the articles from the NYT RSS feed related to developments in the economy. They all reinforced the idea of people learning to do more with less, whether it relates to managing their work with less time at the workplace, budgeting differently, growing their own food, and otherwise creatively trying to meet the financial challenges of the current recession. The internet, and all of the Web 2.0 tools, are amazing, free tools to help us as we acquire new information, share ideas with parents and colleagues, and organize our lives and careers, and enrich our students lives and learning experiences using online tools, applications, and activities.

Educational Blogging (#4)

I was fascinated by everything that I read online related to educational blogs. People in my family often talked about technology isolating people from one another, but I feel that Web 2.0 tools are really focused on connecting people and ideas.

I love how blogging gives people an opportunity to network with other professionals, share ideas for teaching, and teach students critical thinking skills and the importance of understanding all viewpoints. Everyone has the opportunity to express their ideas and opinions, receive feedback from others, and further refine their opinions. Students are able to meaningfully communicate with other students about complex topics and issues. Debates, which foster critical thinking, are started.

One of the most important skills we can teach students is the ability to analyze information. Blogging is a powerful way to do this.

Web 2.0 in a Changing World (#2)

I am amazed today by the possibilities of the future. In my short 36 years of life, technology has transformed our world.

In elementary school, we had one computer for all of the students to share. We were each given 15 minutes per week of ‘computer time’ down in a room at the end of a hall, by ourselves. Since my family didn’t have a computer, my entire time was spent in frustration, trying to figure out how to turn on the machine.

In middle school and high school, computer labs were an exercise in frustration, as I knew very little about how computers worked. It wasn’t until I went to college that I had regular access to computers. I didn’t purchase my first computer until after I was married, in graduate school, and working on my thesis. That was in 1996, and the cost for the system was $2600.00.
Throughout college, I used email, Quicken, and Word frequently, but did not see the potential for technology to increase my productivity, or to connect me to others.

Then, we moved to Texas. My company used a computer system to track patient billing, employee productivity, and set up treatment plans. I began using technology on a daily basis. Suddenly, I had to find multiple facilities in an unfamiliar MetroPlex. My husband’s GPS became an incredibly useful tool, rather than a superfluous luxury.

I had transformed in 10 years from an individual who shunned computers as an expensive toy or gadget, to someone who appreciated the functionality of technology. On a daily basis, I was using my cell phone to stay connected to family via text and talk. I was using financial programs to track spending and organize my tax returns. I used email to stay in contact with family and friends. However, I had no idea what ‘blogging’ was, wasn’t sure how to chat, and couldn’t download pictures from my digital camera.

In my work, I already use a program to track student progress on special education goals and to write IEPs. Email helps me coordinate with colleagues. The curriculum program helps me ensure my lessons dovetail with what my students are doing in the classroom for the week.
But, after my first day on the job in Mesquite, I knew I had ground to make up. My goal this year is to become familiar with all of the technology tools currently available, so that I can become more productive and communicate more easily with parents and colleagues.

I plan to become more proficient in fully using the functions of Excel, to track and compute progress of my students on their various goals and objectives. I will be learning how to download pictures from digital cameras, which will help me share events with parents. Over the summer, I plan to create my own website for sharing information and collaboratioon ideas with parents. I am learning more about all of the functions of Outlook, to continue to organize my calendar and send email to groups.

I am looking forward to learning more about all of the tools of web 2.0 so that I can enrich my lessons, engage my students, and include parents in the educational process.
My goal is to increase communication with families and colleagues, and manage all aspects of my caseload more efficiently, so that I will be more productive. My goal is to use technology to help me work smarter rather than harder.

Education and the tools we need to use in the 21st century need to be flexible and creative. Bringing technology into lessons will actively engage students, teaching them how to be flexible, adaptive learners. They will learn to virtually simultaneously acquire, organize, and apply new information. They will also gain proficiency in basic computer literacy and skills (typing, word processing, etc.) All of these skills are important keys to being effective members of the workforce in the 21st century.
Comments

Lifelong Learning (#1)

This year has been an incredible year of change and growth for me. I have always believed in continuing my education beyond the university experience; however, I find myself striving like never before to improve my skills and broaden my perspective this year.

My family and I moved to Texas fairly recently (approximately 18 months ago). This may seem like a long time ago to some, but when you consider that we moved from our home of 20 years, it was a tremendous shift.

We came for a better education for our children, more career opportunities for my husband and myself, and a brighter financial future. We are attaining all of those goals here, and have gained a great deal through being able and willing to embrace the ideal of life-long learning.

I have been a school-based speech therapist for 10 years. When we moved to Texas, I found myself broadening my skills into the medical field, to help my family survive economically. I spent 14 months learning and growing, expanding my skills.

Then I was able to transition back to what I truly love-working with children. But I was surprised yet again by the differences in the roles of educational SLPs in Texas, versus my home state. I gained greater appreciation and understanding of new professional perspectives. I grew in flexibility as I now was expected to become more proficient with technology, familiarize myself with new state special education regulations and requirements, and gain some of that Southern hospitality and grace via osmosis.

I now divide my time between the schools (5 days) and long term care settings (1-2 days) per week. My husband's corporate position, like many others' in this great nation, has been a casualty of the recession. I find myself grateful for the ability to support my family in this difficult time, when so many people don't have options.

My husband has used this time to reflect on his past career, and has realized that he was happiest when he was teaching. He is expanding his knowledge base of the most current teaching techniques by completing an alternative certification program. He hopes to obtain a position in the fall teaching science to 4th-8th grade students. He is hopeful that our children are realizing the necessity of lifelong learning, perseverance, and flexibility.

I am continuing to strive for improvement in my work performance, becoming more organized, learning more about technology to increase my productivity, and deepening my knowledge base of instructional techniques and programs. I am proud of the example I am setting for my own children, and for my students. I know flexibility and a commitment to lifelong education will continue to be the keys to a successful career in the 21st century.