Thing 9

Photo Fun

I created this magazine cover using http://www.fakemagazinecover.com/. This is my younger brother and me at my older brother's house when his band came to play. I rarely sing with him so I thought this was a special occasion and decided to make our "star" moment. LOL! This was very simple to create. I uploaded the photo and chose the magazine cover. It was as simple as that.

Since I was on a roll with my brother's band, I decided to make a logo for his band Root Douglas. I used http://www.spiffytext.com/ to create this logo. I wanted something that related to a tree or roots because of the group's name. Again, very easy to create. I chose the font and then the background.

As far as how I could use this in the classroom, again I would rather the students have the opportunity to experiment with these apps rather than me make things for them to see. I think the magazine cover creator would be great for students to use when they are writing articles in class. I know the students in my school must write pieces for authentic purposes and one of those pieces is an article. This would be a way to have the students buy in to the writing process if they could actually create a "real" cover of the magazine that features their article.

Thing 8

Mashup time

I made this puzzle with Jigsaw and linked it to my Flickr account. This was by far the most simple thing I have EVER created. I simply linked my account, chose the photo, and let Jigsaw do the rest. But I love taking credit for the results. This is another photo from our Gatlinburg vacation.

I can see how a variety of Flickr mashups can be helpful in the classroom. The Spell with Flickr app could be great for adding some fun to traditional spelling and vocabulary lists. How much fun would the kids have creating their spelling lists with that app? Pictures can be used in any content area. All of these apps allow a teacher to enhance those visual images in a way that the students can be involved in the interactive process. They allow the students to have a new perspective on an old concept.

How do I feel about sharing photos online? I think it is a great idea, but we must be careful. Of course not all people use the Internet in the most helpful or beneficial way. This is why we as educators we must extra cautious to ensure the safety of our students. We must choose our images carefully and take precautions to make sure that we don't put our students at risk to corruption of the mind or other things.

Thing 7

Flickr

I love this pic. I took it at the Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg this summer while on vacation. I love the contrast in colors. As you can see, I am NOT a great photographer but I tried.
Here is another one that I might just make my own personal postcard..also from Gatlinburg (as if you can't tell) right outside our condo.

This is my first Flickr experience. I found it to be moderately easy. The only real problem I ran into was posting the URL of the image itself. I had to right click and "save image location" to get it to work properly and I am still not certain if it will turn out ok when everyone views it.
As of this moment, I don't plan on using Flickr in my classroom unless I can connect it to my music content (which I am sure I can but I working on all of the other current tools available). However, I love it for personal use. The only photo sharing site I have used is the photo option on Facebook. I don't really have a problem with posting pictures on the Internet. I can change the privacy settings if I choose to. I know some people worry about safety but I guess if someone really wants to find me, they will whether my pic is on Flickr or not.

Thing 6

2.0 Tool I like....JamLegend
Ok, let me start by saying I am NOT a gamer at all.  I have never been good at any type of electronic game, and never cared that I stunk at games because games are not my thing. BUT the first time I played Guitar Hero, I had a blast. Jamlegend is very similar to Guitar Hero and can be played online using the number keys on the keyboard.
Pros-

• user friendly
• variety of songs to choose from
• different levels of challange
• can create an account by using Facebook account
• don't have to be a member to play
• can play against computer or other members

Cons-

• don't know many of the songs that are free
• most of the well known songs must be paid for and downloaded
• random advertisements not appropriate for all ages
• some songs not appropriate for all ages

I have far more GREAT things to say about this web 2.0 tool than negative. I would absolutely LOVE to try this using a mobile laptop lab in my music classroom. Of course there is the issue that the students may try to click on an inappropriate song or pop-up advertisement, but this would be a great way to allow students to have an interactive music experience that is different from the norm. It would give the students a chance to feel the pressure of many performing artists when they are "in the spotlight" and would also help them further develop their sense of rhythm. Seriously, I wonder how many people from my generation (I'm 30 btw) would have LOVED experiencing music like this. I may have even taken guitar lessons had this been around back then.

Thing 4

Blog commenting
Commenting helps create a sense of interaction and community because the words on the web page become examples of real life instances where the content of the blog has been meaningful. Comments are necessary because what is the point of a blog with no comments? It would just be an online diary, meant for the author's eyes only. According to Your Comments by Blue Skunk Blog, blog writers do write to be heard. If they didn't want comments, then they would write in a spiral bound notebook and keep it to themselves. Comments give the writer insight to whether or not others can relate or agree to what he has written.
Two other interesting topics from the reading is to beware of Darth Commenter. This is the person who is excellent at putting other bloggers down. Instead of beginning with an argument or rebuttal against the blog, begin by commenting on what you do agree with. Another topic I found interesting is to be a brave newbie when leaving comments to the blogger. According to Cool Cat Teacher Blog,  newbies have an interesting perspective when they first begin commenting. After a year their perspectives begin to change. Be brave and post your comments even if you are a new learner.

More to come on Thing 4 once I choose the blogs I will follow.

Thing 3

How would I use my blog in the classroom??

I could use my blog in a variety of ways with my students. One way would be to share news with my students and their parents, to keep them informed of activities we will be doing in class. Another way would be to post web resources that we might have used in class that day or that pertain to what I have been teaching so that the students could access resources at home. I could also use my blog to build personal relationships with my students' families. It would provide a way for them to get to know a little bit more about me personally and give them an additional way to comment or communicate with me. It could give students a chance to voice their thoughts with me and their classmates about what we are learning in class.

Thing 1

I guess out of all of the seven and half lifelong learning habits, habit number one is probably my most difficult. I am not a great goal setter, at least not when it comes to being specific. For instance, when I first checked out the Macbook from APSU last spring I realized I was clueless about how Macs operate. I couldn't even figure out how to right click. So I thought to myself, "I'll Google it". I started out by looking up key strokes then realized I wanted to know more. My problem is that I begin by saying "I would like to learn______." but I never set a specific goal so I change my mind repeatedly along the way. If I could start out by setting that specific goal, I could work to reach it and then move on to a new goal.

The easiest lifelong habit is viewing problems as a challenge. If I reach a stumbling block along the way, I turn it into a stepping stone. I am determined that I will figure it out no matter how long it takes. I am quite a determined individual (my husband would say headstrong) and I actually like challenges. They make me compete against myself to complete the task. When I can beat the challenge, I feel like I have really accomplished something.

Ok- on to Web 2.0. I am really enjoying playing with the Web 2.0 tools. I am surfing through those tools to see which ones I can use with my elementary students during their music class time. I had a blast with Jamlegend and would like to use it when teaching the kids how to actually FEEL the rhythm in a song rather than just writing rhythms. I know they would really enjoy it. I lack SO many materials in my classroom that are essential to teaching music. I also lack funding to send them on trips to see live performances. These tools bring so much of the world into the classroom and give the students many opportunities to learn old concepts in new and exciting ways....best of all, they can learn at their own pace!

Blogging Experience- Creating the blog wasn't hard at all. Blogger provides an easy step-by-step process that is very user friendly. I have actually enjoyed creating the blog and this post as well. I need to make sure I am posting in the proper manner, but other than that I feel pretty confident in my blogging skills.