Item #21

I found a lot of new information through this process. I used to copy and paste web addresses so students could click and link through, and now I know how to embed content and RSS feed information to give a better flow for information.

I loved the Library Thing website and will personally use that quite a lot in the coming year.

The biggest thing I'm going to walk away from this experience with is that although technology changes quickly, it doesn't change too quickly to keep up with. Some of the ideas and uses of embedded information will cut my workload way down. There's always a learning curve and this one was not steep. It's been a fun and non-stressful experience, and I'm glad that my colleagues will be going through the same self-discovery process so we can talk about shared use of technology at our site.

Thanks for reading this.

Item #20

I spend a lot of time commuting and listening to audio books. Mostly I go through my (monthly fee) audible account to get the latest fiction books, but I also like Project Gutenberg. I have not yet used ManyBooks, but I'll explore some of their lists and files over the next week or so. The problem I have with many of the "free classics" files is that they're abridged or very poor sound quality (particularly in a car with poor signal-to-noise ratios.)

I don't use an eBook reader yet but my husband does, and he loves his Kindle. I will eventually use one, but for now I'm still a paper-book-library-using girl. I love the smell and sound of paper when I'm reading and the Kindle doesn't have the right tactile weight. I will eventually get one when I take a long trip since it takes up less weight and space than several paperbacks.

I'm looking forward to the next generation of Kindles that should have the ability to be read or have an attached audio file that share one bookmark so you can read on the screen or listen through headphones or an audio jack out. It's coming eventually, and I'd like to hold out for the feature(s) I want before buying an eBook reader.

Item #19

I've used podcasts in the car (automatically downloaded through iTunes to my mp3 player then attached through a *gasp* connecting wire to the front of my car stereo. I hadn't known that podcasts are now video feeds also. That makes sense since iTunes started selling videos too. I'm currently hooked on Car Talk and Wait Wait (the NPR news quiz) since my favorite show, Pulse of the Planet, went off the air. I'm going to try and link the Wait Wait podcast, or at least a part of it, to this blog.

Item #18

There are some really fantastic videos on YouTube, and some horrid things. I've been frustrated at school trying to stream content (after we finally got YouTube unblocked), and I've found the best thing to do is download at home, burn onto a CD, and play back at school. This destroys any spontaneity to click through as each class takes its curiosity in different directions. I'm open to suggestions about how best to show video content from a live site. My current favorite YouTube video is

Taylor Mali - "What Teachers Make"

which I fully encourage you to check out. I think there are a couple of rude words in it, but the content is worth it. I'm not comfortable linking to it because it's not relevant to teaching math or science, but I wholeheartedly encourage anyone interested in teaching and teachers to check it out.

Item #17

I absolutely LOVE LibraryThing. I'm an avid (okay, addicted) fiction/science fiction reader, and this gives me recommendations for books I might like based on books I've already loved. It's like being in my favorite bookstore or library where everyone already knows what type of books I'd like. I know, based on the recommendations for the first book I entered, that I'll like many of the recommendations because I've already read all but one of the recommended books and enjoyed most of them.

I have no idea how I'll use this for school, but I can see my summer reading list taking shape already. This site alone has been worth the time I've put into the GRMS 21 Things project. Thank you, Katie!

Item #16

I was able to use the Google docs program to make a Valentine's Day card. I'll try to post it. This should be a great use of my time, but I can also see this as an incredibly time sink for that "just one more screen of cute puppy pictures" image. I love the idea of sharing document templates with students and colleagues. I think I need some more experience/practice to make it usable.

Item #15

I really like the way some of the Wikis are being used between classrooms worldwide. It's like the great-great grandchildren of pen pals. When I was in second grade, I became friends with Erin D in New Jersey and we wrote back and forth for years. This is like an international, instantaneous (except for time zones) classroom full of pen pals. I think at some point cultural sensitivities will have to be taught in school (perhaps along with anti-bullying training) so that students can get the most from their collaborative relationships.

There are some fantastic uses of technology, but what I saw reading through the flat classroom project was mainly that students have the ability to demonstrate their understanding and learning in different media. If a student can articulate (or link to) information, then others don't have to repeat the information but can build on it.

My main question is: How do you determine when an individual student has internalized the content and fit it into his own personal framework? At what point can we stop testing students for recalled facts and start testing them on synthesizing information and use of logical thinking and accurate fact searching?