Thing #15

If nothing else, I now know what wiki means. Since we are speaking Hawaiian, how many of you know that aloha means spirit from within? Enough of the linguistics lesson. I use wikipedia extensively for historical images and photographs. These sites have already been granted free use of the images on their sites since they have become part of the public domain and free of copyright issues. As mentioned in a previous post, the video game Call of Duty: The World at War uses fictional names set against the backdrop of World War II. While the storming of the Reichstag by the Russian army is the last level of this game, the last scene actuallly occurred. The photograph below provides the evidence and was obtained from wikipedia. I don't know if
these two are Sgt. Zarkov and Pvt. Petrenko, but this actuallly occurred.

Thing #14

The two tools that I selected were Gliffy and Flowchart.com. They seemed to be more easily manipulated when moving and setting up a chart. While I don't have a project upcoming that would require a flow chart or concept map, I can think of several uses for it. One would be for a lesson on world religions. Using various shapes, students can develop a concept map that identifies the major world religions and add more shapes to identify the central figures in each religion as well as their beliefs. Another would be to create a concept map to identify the causes of American imperialism at the end of the 19th Century. Flowchart.com has more basic layouts that even include floor plans for a house. While there may not be a great need in a History class for house plans, it could provide students with an opportunity to use a CAD to produce a simple diagram related to a historic event (allow them to use their imagination: not a bad idea sometimes).

Thing #13

Lucky number 13. This is another cool tool to use. I have already discovered a great use for it. I can now create a document with my Zoho account and save it there. Then, when I need to print it, I can access the document online and print it without having to add it to a thumb drive on the lap top and then plug in the thumb drive to another computer to in order to print it. This can make working on student communications and records much easier. I created a document from the introduction to my WebQuest to insert here. I hope this works!

http://writer.zoho.com/public/grf624/A-Prelude-to-War

This is simply amazing! I have been published on the web.

Thing #4 Redux

I got that title from The X-Files (the Redux part that is). I have decided to follow the following (that's almost redundant) blogs and the reason:

1. Blaize Miranda: he has a good eye for technology in the classroom as evidenced in his blog;

2. Candace Rogers: a science teacher's perspective;

3. Susan Runyon-Davis: a math teacher's perspective, as well as being in EDUC5500 with her;

4. Stefi Outlaw: another social studies teacher's perspective;

5. Amelia Crotzer: she likes to travel as I do, although NYC is not my cup of tea.

I have been exposed to more ways to communicate in the past two months than I thought was possible, including ways to make it more eye-catching was well. As I mentioned in a previous post, I do join in conversations on blogs on the Commercial Appeal and sometimes ESPN regarding UofM basketball and football. So far this has been fun! I am honored that Blaize enjoys my dry sense of humor.

Thing #12

This has been another adventure in technology and Google! I chose to set up a calendar and an iGoogle web page. I used the Prism from Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon for my iGoogle theme (they did not have any UofM artwork or logos). I have set up my calendar for the next three months. Of course, my dance card is not completely full yet, but I am sure that it will change. This reminds me of the scheduler that came on our first computer that we had over 10 years ago. It had a similar calendar function. This can come in handy since this does something that did not: it sends you an email reminder of your function. While it may not work for students, it definitely is an excellent tool for planning weekly and semester activities for the classroom. The iGoogle homepage is a good source of daily news items. I also included entertainment, sports and weather. One never knows what may come up in a classroom discussion. This page can at least provide some assistance. The links to my calendar and iGoogle page are listed below:

http://www.google.com/ig

http://www.google.com/calendar/render.

Thing #11

I chose to use Google Blog Search and Technorati for this exercise. The great thing about Google Blog Search is that it is relatively simple to use. There were no password requirements or user names. I simply typed in US History teacher blogs and was immediately sent to a menu of various sites. I found one that I feel could be very beneficial in teaching US History. The web site is http://ushistoryeducatorblog.blogspot.com/ . I found a really interesting blog that discussed "The Wizard of Oz" as a political allegory of the Progressive Movement in the 1890s. I had never heard this before. How many high school students that have seen the movie ever related it to an historical setting? I did join Technorati. In scrolling through its various blogs, I discsovered several blogs for teachers that provide insight on new developments within the teaching profession. I am finding more and more that the use of blogs can be of great assistance in both my personal and professional life.

Thing #10

I have often wondered what the RSS feed notation on many web sites was. Now I know. It has made my web surfing much easier. I now I can follow my Tigers without having to go through three or four links to get to my latest on the Memphis Tigers. I also checked and located two good RSS links from the History Channel and Infoplease that can provide additional facts and data to enhance my students' learning expreriences. The Infoplease site provides historic events that occurred on a date in History. For example, in keeping with my World War II theme for the majority of my project and blogs, on March 17, 1942 Gen. Douglas MacAruthur was named Commander of the Allied Forces in the Pacific. This technology is not limited to History. Using a Google search, a teacher can find RSS feed on most any content area that will enhance the class. Just one more tool that will make it easier for me to assist my students in constructing their knowledge. Here is a link to my public page for March 17: http://www.google.com/reader/shared/15788222262437964876.

Thing #9

Well another valuable tool for creating some eye-catching visuals for students! I liked the image of the Benal tiger. Being a UofM graduate, I have to show some support for my beloved Tigers. These online image generators can be used in a number of ways. Like the one that I have generated here, they can be used to emphasize class rules, key items of a lesson, further enhance Power Point presentations, etc. I can also see myself using these to create online ads for our Cookin' Colonels to help drum up a little extra money. This is another tool that I can visualize using in both the classroom and for personal use.

The web site is http://www.comicstripgenerator.com/.

Thing #8

Originally uploaded by dudley.griffin

I have always wondered how this was done. Now I know. I think that I may order some puzzlse for the rest of the cooking team. Well at $40 a pop, maybe not. I love these guys but I did not take them to raise!

Thing #7

Okay, Dr. Wall has opened my eyes to a whole new vein of resources. As I enjoy video gaming for relaxation, I received Call of Duty: The World at War this past Christmas. One of the final levels is the battle at Shuri Castle on Okinawa. After completing the level, my curiosity was piqued. So I researched Shuri Castle. The battle at the castle during World War II left it completely destroyed for the fourth time in its long history. The Japanese government has completely restored the castle to its original dimensions and architecture. I have uploaded a photo of the restored courtyard taken by Mark Boucher in August, 2005. The link is http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_boucher/38489237/.

Thing #6

I chose to look at the award-winning sites. I did not realize that there were so many different resources available that covers everything from word-processing to genealogy to maps to primary source documents. Wow! I chose to look at one of the music winners Last.fm. In 2005 Neil Young taped a live show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The name of the video was Neil Young: Heart of Gold. I recorded it on my DVR and occasionally will watch it. There was one song that appears on the video that, like Neil when he first heard it, I have found to be one of those songs that you can't seem to get out of your head. I used the site to find the album on which it was recorded, Comes a Time. The name of the of the song is Four Strong Winds. The link to the source is http://www.last.fm/music/Neil+Young/Comes+a+Time. Many times we fail to associate music as a reflection of the events going on around us. For example, Woody Guthrie is an American folk singer whose songs reflected the times of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl days of the Plains states. This is a great tool to allow students to search out music that is associated with the events of our nation's history, as studying the culture of different eras is one of our State Standards.

Thing #5

In reviewing some of the articles regarding Web 2.0, it becomes even more apparent that our classrooms are shedding their traditional roles. One article indicates that the "Cartesian" philosophy of "I think, therefore I am" is being replaced with the social learning through the use of the internet, creating a "we participate, therefore we are" attitude. This attitude has caused educators to rethink their approach to teaching. While technology may not completely replace teachers in the classroom, it can be a much needed asset in helping students construct their knowledge. It is interesting to note that Web 2.0 does not refer to a software version or a new version of the internet, but the adding of more layers of technology to the existing base. In the final analysis, teachers will be required to incorporate these technological advances into their pedagogy.

Thing #4

Commenting on postings does indeed create a sense of community. I am not a frequent "blogger". However, I do occasionally post comments on the Commerical Appeal comment space. Although it is not listed as a blog space, it has devloped into one for UofM Tigers fans to comment on Sports articles. It gives me a sense of belonging to the Memphis community although I live 200 miles away. Participation in this activity will make me a part of another community. One thing that I have noticed on the Commercial Appeal's blog space is that comments can and sometimes are removed for inappropriate comments. While this space allows for opinions to be expressed, it does not tolerate abusive posts. Nor do many readers. Comments need to be positive. Or, if you have an opinion that can be construed as negative, explain why you have the opinion that you expressed. Generally, you will find that you do attract comments from others that either agree or disagree. Another thing that I have noticed in blogging is that, in the majority of the posts,the posters (with a few exceptions) are gracious and humble in their repsonses; and, by not repsond harshly to criticisms of opinions, grammatical errors, typos, etc.


The blogs that I have chosen to follow are Miranda's Blog, Rogers' Science Spot, SKY BLUE SUE, Stefi's learning process, and Tink Time.