Concluding Thoughts

As I come to the end of my 23 things experience, I've decided to reflect upon the different activities. My favorite thing was getting to discover so many useful knew sites that I know I will be able to use in the future. Some of my favorite new discoveries were Animoto, Comic Strip Generator, and Blogger itself. I definitely didn't expect to learn so much on my 23 things journey and am excited to be proven wrong! Many of these new technology discoveries will be implemented into my future classroom and luckily I will be able to keep up on new technology by all of the feeds, tweets, and blogs I'm following. I am excited to continue my life-long learning and welcome technology into this adventure!

Thing #23: Creative Commons

Creative Commons is extremely important for teachers to be familiar with. Following proper copyright procedures is crucial in the classroom. Sometimes it feels as though you can't use anything, but fear not; Creative Commons are here to help. CC allow you to have some rights reserved as opposed to all rights reserved. This was as long as you know what you can and can't do with that work, you are free to use it for its directed purposes. This even allows for alterations and collaborations at times.

Thing #22: LiveBinders

LiveBinders is a interesting site that allows you to create different binders and save different information there concerning the subject. It also has the option to fill your binder with Google, in which it will take things from Google that fit your binder subject. I created three binders entitled Art Teaching Ideas (for lesson plans), Organizing Your Classroom (for great organizing tips), and Display Your Work (for bulletin board ideas). Though I found this site a neat way to organize information, I don't know if it is necessarily one I will use. I think some of the other sites we've looked at throughout the term were much more efficient. Here's an example of my Art Teaching Ideas binder: Art Teaching Ideas

Thing #21: Animoto

Animoto is an awesome site where you can create your own videos! I made one to show you a little about myself. This could definitely be used in the classroom to make all kinds of videos. It's very simple and the videos are surprisingly good looking.

Try our video maker at Animoto.

Thing #20: Youtube

Youtube has many videos that can be useful in the classroom. There are informative videos such as The Elements of Art, which explains the elements and would be an upgrade from a simple PowerPoint presentation. You can also use Youtube to show things that you are learning about that you can't physically show students. Say you're teaching a lesson on cave art and you can't bring the students to a cave. You can show them a virtual tour of the Lascaux Cave Art.
The only thing I think you should be weary of on Youtube is that you cannot control what pops up in advertisements or similar videos. I recommend using a bookmarking site to have the actual video ready and then keeping your projector off until the video is running just to be safe.

Thing #19: Social Networks

Social Networks have become a huge portion of our daily lives. I can count my friends that don't have Facebook on one hand. With the rise in technology and smartphones, more and more social networking sites seem to come out of the woodwork. You've got Facebook and Twitter, yes, but you've also got Google+, Instagram, Tumblr, Flixster, and the list goes on and on.
I personally have tried out almost every social networking site I've heard of, just to see what all the talk was about. Some were great and others just seemed like Facebook with less people. One site I recently started using is last.fm. As I've discussed before, I love music! The thing that's difficult about music is that there is so much of it. Everyone's taste is different and it's hard to sift through and find the stuff you'll like. Any site that I can find new bands that I might like is a good site to me. Last.fm allows you to take the bands you like and find other people who like those certain bands and see what else they're listening to. Now this probably isn't something I would use for educational purposes, but it is a great site for me to enjoy in my down time (even though sometimes that's nonexistent in the education world).
That's the great thing about sites like this; you can find a social networking site based on almost ANYTHING you're interested in. I really like the idea of this because it makes the internet seem much more personalized.

Thing #18: Social Networking

I am constantly on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. I do think these have the ability to be helpful in the education world by simply giving you another way to interact with your coworkers, peers, and teachers around the world. However, I prefer to use these sites (Facebook more specifically) for more social uses than professional uses, though you should still keep it classy. I use Facebook to interact with friends and family. I like to use other sites for educational purposes because they keep me more focused.

Thing #17: Delicious

Delicious is a bookmarking site that lets you access your bookmarks from anywhere. It is very similar to Diigo, but I actually liked it more because of its clean and simple navigation. Though there are many sites for online bookmarking, I think this is a good one to use in the classroom. When you pull it up it shows "Me" which is YOUR links, as opposed to advertisements or things that other people post. You can be sure that what you show your students will be what you planned to show them, which is good because you never know when using the internet. This is the reason teachers MUST take advantage of social bookmarking sites. You can't just Google everything you want to show your students, because it isn't a site that can always be trusted.

Thing #16: Online Organizing

Organization is an important part of all of our lives, but how can technology help us stay organized? In this post I thought I'd talk about a few of the different means of online organizing.

I customized my starter page on iGoogle and found it much more convenient than I presumed it would be. For one, as silly as it may be, I love that I can have a weather widget on my starter page. I am constantly checking the weather so this is helpful and time-saving. I could also check my email and see updates on feeds I am following all from my home page. The only term I can think to describe this is "nifty", because you have everything you need at your fingertips before you even start searching.

Online Calendars are useful to me, because although I am obsessed with my planner and try to have it me at all times, it isn't always possible. I am constantly on the go and if I'm not organized, I'm not happy. I'm the type of person who needs everything planned to a tee or my day just feels like a chaotic mess (which it sometimes is). The point is, staying organized helps even the most stressful day feel like an accomplishable task.

As far as to-do-lists go, I like them a bit more tangible. Sitting down and physically writing out everything I need to do, though sometimes overwhelming, puts my nerves a bit more at ease. Although as discussed before, sometimes you might not have that list on you, and that's the time where an online to-do-list would come in handy!

How do you feel about the role of the internet in organization?

Thing #15: What is a Wiki?

Much like Google Docs, Wikis are editable documents between a shared group of people. I must say that I am a fan! The video Wikis in Plain English puts it simply by explaining a practical use of a wiki page: organizing a camping trip. However, Wiki pages can be used for all sorts of collaboration. Perhaps your class is going on a field trip and you need chaperones or you want to create a sign-up for parent-teacher conferences. These could be sent out and edited through a Wiki that could be linked on a blog you've set up for parents at the beginning of the year. It could also be used by students to collaborate on group projects. I am all about any way to save time, and online collaboration is just that!

Thing #14: Flow Charts

Flow charts can be extremely helpful when teaching a point in the classroom. There are a few sites that let you create flowcharts including Gliffy, Bubbl.us, Flowchart.com, and Mindmeister. Through further investigation I found that these are all awesome sites, but the one I liked the most was Gliffy. Gliffy was the easiest to navigate and I thought it made it simple to make your flow chart exactly the way you wanted it. This could be used for any subject or grade-level and is definitely something I will be using in my classroom.

Thing #13: Zoho vs Google Docs

I am new to Zoho, but it seems to me to be similar to many of the other sites we've seen that are based on web collaboration. Zoho is very business based, and I feel I would probably use a different site in the classroom. Google Docs, however, I am very familiar with. We often use this to share and edit documents in my sorority. There is always a t-shirt list, date list, and other endless Excel sheets that need to be constantly edited and added to. Google Docs pretty much run our chapter. I find them extremely useful because of how easily accessible they are from anywhere. This could be used in the classroom by the teacher to create spreadsheets, and students to share information with group projects. Let's be honest. In today's world we don't always have the time to meet up with people, so this is an easy way to just send out a document and allow others you are working with to tweek it as they will.

Thing #12: The Powerhouse That Is Google

Google is one of the most widely known companies in the world, so it is no surprise that this web tool wears a variety of hats. Google Alerts, Google Calendar, iGoogle, and Google Translate are just a few of Google's magnificent children.
Google Translate is one of my favorite internet tools. Having taken spanish for multiple years, this tool and I have had quite the love/hate relationship. Though it sometimes translates a bit too literally, it really is a wonderful resource. All you have to do is select the language you are translating from, type in your text, then select the language you want translate to, and there you have it!
Another Google resource is Google Calendar. This allows you to access your events from you phone and desktop apps. It also allows you to share your schedule with friends and colleagues and send out invitations and keep track of RSVPs. This is perfect for organizing our busy lives, which is always something I am in constant need of.

Thing #11: Finding The Feeds You Want

There are many different ways to find RSS feeds to the things you want. Often, there is an icon on the blog or site that will allow you to follow the feed. Sometimes, however, it is not that easy. Another way to find the feeds you want is through Technorati. What I liked about this site was that not only could you search for blogs or posts of anything you want, but they also have blogs sorted into categories such as Technology, Politics, or Social Media. This allows you to find the blogs you are searching for and follow the feeds quickly, so that you can get to the information you want as fast as possible.

Thing #10: Google Reader

RSS and newsreaders are furthering ways to view and share information. As with most Web 2.0, we can use this to gain knowledge from master teachers. Subscribing to feeds you're interested in allows you to filter through and see only the things you really want to see. Also, when you are subscribed to a feed you will be able to stay up to date on that information. One feed I was sure to look at right away was The Pioneer Woman. After being shown her blog by my education teacher, I have been hooked! This woman is fascinating! Plus, photography and cooking are two of my favorite hobbies, which makes me love her all the more.

Thing #9: Image Generators

Image generators let you be in control of your own creativity. You no longer have to be an artist to create awesome images for your classroom use! A site that I absolutely love for this purpose is Comic Strip Generator. Here you can find over 750 different comic strips that you can use to insert your own text and create a comic. It's THAT simple. I decided to play around and show you some of my own examples.

These are just a couple examples. Notice how you can also add a title to your comic strip! I chose to make my comic about art because that is the field I plan to go into, however, this could be used in virtually any subject. Grabbing attention can be the most difficult thing with children, and this is a fun way to do such.

Thing #8: Mashups

There are so many fun things you can do with pictures using Web 2.0. 

One great site I found was Family Art Studio. This has a lot of neat ways to create word art. The one that I tried was Photo Letter Art. It was VERY simple. All you had to do was type in the text you wanted to be shown, and then you could change the background, size, border, etc. This could be a really fun way to jazz up phrases on presentations or PowerPoints.

Here's an example of the one I created, though this is just one of the many tools you can use on this site.

Also, many of the mashups and apps available allow you to use your Flickr account. A site I attempted that did just that was Big Huge Labs, which allowed me to create a puzzle from photos on my Flickr account. All I had to do was log into my Flikr account, link the two, and choose the photo I wanted to use. Here's an example:

This could be fun and useful, especially in an art class. I could make puzzles using famous works of art and let the children put them together in any down time. 

The possibilities with mashup sites are endless! If you want to checkout similar sites, there are a ton to explore on The App Garden on Flickr.

Thing #7: Flickr

sydsaunders' photostream on Flickr.


This is the recent Flickr account I've created. I found that Flickr is very easy to navigate and allows you to share photos quickly and efficiently find what you are searching for. Although slightly different, I usually use Instagram for sharing photos I take. Instagram is similar in the fact that you can search tags although it is based around using the filters installed and has more of a Twitter feel than Flickr. Flickr would be a good site to use in the classroom because it would allow you to pull up photos quickly that are saved to your Flickr account. Also, if you remain on your own account, you wouldn't have to worry about anything inappropriate popping up like you would if you used the search in front of your students. It allows you to have the pictures you want already prepared, and in the teaching world being prepared is always better. The fact that the photos are public does mean you need to be careful with what you post, but for educational purposes, it could be a great tool. Sharing is definitely the way to go with education.

Thing #6: Exploring Web 2.0 Sites

Web 2.0 sites are taking over the internet! Sifting through all the new media-sharing sites can be difficult, so exploring ones unfamiliar to yourself is a great way to find out what you will or will not use. A list of top sites can be found on the Web 2.0 Award Nominees. I am making it a goal to check out each of these for myself! 


Today I looked further into a site called Pandora. I'm extremely into music, so Pandora is a fantastic site for me. It allows you to create radio stations based on a song or band that you love! To further sift and find the specific music you like, you can "like" or "dislike" songs and Pandora will know whether to play things like that song or not. 
One way this could be used in the classroom is by using it to find kid-friendly music. Nowadays it is so difficult to make sure music played is appropriate. Pandora will do that work for you with "Radio for Kids"!

Thing #5: Web 2.0

From what I've gathered from my readings, Web 2.0 simply means using technology to your advantage. It's about seeing the internet as a way of interacting, networking, and sharing ideas. This is mainly involved in social media sites such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc. It isn't merely about receiving information, but perhaps more interacting with that information received to give a whole new experience to the web previously known.

For schools of the future, this will mean much more technology in the classroom. Internet-based learning will become far more common than the elementary classroom I grew up in. Overheads and the occasional computer activity were about as high-tech as it got. What I see happening soon is the furthering use of i-clickers, smartboards, and eventually ipads to replace textbooks. Social media will be used in the classroom for more than updating what you had for lunch that day, but rather updating your class wikispace or blog to inform parents and students of upcoming events or assignments. As with any technology, Web 2.0 is all about becoming a power user and learning how to use technology to enhance how you are teaching in the classroom.

Thing #4: Comments Welcome

Commenting is the foundation to the blogging community. It is the means of knowing how your fellow bloggers respond to what you have to say. It is a way of finding out if your voice is heard, and to what extent. That being said, commenting on other people's blogs is of equal importance. Communication is a series of sending, receiving, and giving feedback. That feedback helps the sender determine how their information was interpreted. Though blogs themselves are means of sharing information, how is the worth of that information to be determined with out feedback?

The Edublogger Etiquette post had an interesting debate on the comment section involving whether of not responding to every comment someone leaves on your page is necessary. I saw both sides to the argument understandable, but more importantly I saw the argument itself on the blog as proof that people do take seriously blogger etiquette. This proves that commenting is important to say the least.

One tip on the post 10 Techniques to Get More Comments is to be humble. It states that "readers respond very well to posts that show your own weaknesses, failings and the gaps in your own knowledge rather than those posts where you come across as knowing everything there is to know on a topic."  I think that this is something very important to remember when blogging and commenting. Though at times being a know-it-all may get you comments, the phrase "any press is good press" isn't always true. Showing your readers that you are a real person, may make them feel they can relate and want to comment more.

Upon exploring why commenting was so important, I decided to comment on a few blogs myself.

-Cotton's Reflections gives some inspirational insight into how she views problems as challenges, which is a great outlook for a teacher. I commented on this because I felt her positive attitude towards this subject would truly benefit her in the future.

-The Wright Things discusses the importance of blogs and how they can be used as a mean to find ideas and tips from other teachers. She made some great points in this and I felt it was extremely important to learn from more experienced educators as teachers-in-training or new teachers.

-LClark's Educational Summer posts a cartoon that mixes math and fun that would be very useful for an attention getter for a math teacher. I love any time that learning and fun can be combined into one and I thought this was a wonderful example.

-A Summer Full of Technology discusses how having confidence in herself was one of her hardest habits to fulfill, which I completely related with. I wanted her to know many people in her position feel the same and that hopefully our confidence will come with furthering time and experience.

-Irwin Reclaiming the Classroom brings to attention how commenting on blogs calls upon room for debate, which I had to add to because I believe debate and seeing different viewpoints are important parts of continual learning. 

I wanted to give feedback to these blogs because I enjoyed what they had to say and had points to add that I felt were valid and relevant.

Thing #3: Why blog?

A blog is a great way to quickly get information across. I can easily see me using blogs as an educator in many ways. In the classroom, I could give the link to parents at the beginning of the school year so that they would be able to follow along and I could inform them of different activities and assignments we've been working on. This would allow parents to feel more involved in their students learning between conferences. It would also help keep parents knowledgeable on upcoming important dates and assignments. For that reason, students could benefit from the blog as well. They could check on it periodically to keep updated on assignments to come. Also, a blog could be used to interact and share activities and tips with other educators. This is something I see myself very likely using a blog for. There are so many great ideas out there for education and I do not plan to miss out on them. This is another way to constantly grow as an educator.

Thing #2: My Experience So Far

My experience creating this blog has been surprisingly simple. I did have a few difficulties at first learning how to navigate, but once I figured that out it became very easy. I chose to name my blog Sydney Seeking Education because that is precisely what I'm doing and what I plan to do for the rest of my life. I decided to create an avatar that is very similar to myself because it only seemed fitting to be myself on this blog. I'm feeling much more comfortable now than I had previously expected to be and look forward to posting further.

Thing #1: Continually Learn/Continually Grow

I recently watched a tutorial called 7 1/2 Habits of Lifelong Learners. I found these habits of learning to be particularly interesting because Lifelong learning is a very important personal goal of mine. I strongly believe that one can no longer grow when one has stopped learning. I hope to be ever-developing my mind by never being stuck in one set way. There is always room for improvement and there is always more knowledge to be gained. The easiest habit for me was probably teaching and mentoring others. As soon as I learn something I'm always striving to share my knowledge with those around me. However, I think the most difficult habit is first, which is to keep the end goal in mind. Creating your end goal is a very difficult thing to do. In order to do that you have to know where you want to be, and for some that is the most challenging. I do agree that all of these habits, though difficult at times, will help facilitate lifelong learning within your everyday routines.