Thing #23 - Summarize Your Thoughts About This Program

1. Online image generator was my favorite “thing” (I thought of so many different ways I can use this resource with my students), but I have to say I spent the most time on blogging. My family and I spent three weeks in Florida this summer and I posted to my personal blog at least once every day. Some days I was blogging more than anything else. Every time I took a picture with my Blackberry my son would say, “we have to wait for mama to blog this before we go!” Great fun.
2. It has made me re-evaluate what I am doing as an educator for my students and how I can make adjustments to my program. I want to continue searching for free online resources that will help me assist my students in their use of technology. I am one of the ones that has had to learn technology as an adult, my students live in a world where they have been totally surrounded by technology their entire life. They HAVE to know how to use these resources or they will be completely left behind not only in the learning, but in the life.
3. Yes, I have found so many different ways I can improve the way I work with students and teachers. I feel like I have learned so much my brain will explode, but now I can take these “things” back to my school and help my teachers become more productive. The time saving aspect of the resources makes this so much more beneficial than I ever dreamed. Thank you!
4. I think this is a great way to learn. I could work on this wherever I am with my computer as long as I had an Internet connection. You never even knew that I was sitting next to my pool getting a great tan! J
5. Most definitely. I appreciate being offered your expertise even though I am not involved in your school district.

6. Enlightening

Thing #22 - Nings

I have been a member of the Texas School Librarian Ning for some time (can’t really remember when I joined, but I was one of the first members). Honestly I have not done a great deal with the site. I would like to, but more than anything else I would like to create a Ning specifically for early childhood librarians. I know we are few and far between, but I think it would be great to have our own little community where we can share ideas that relate only to serving the early childhood community. I would want to be very specific in who is involved in the Ning. I would want it to be school people who service Pre-K and Kindergarten students. I know elementary schools have these grade levels, but I don’t really want to know what they are doing in 3rd and 4th grade and that is what happens too often with a community of people who service older children too. I want to share and gather ideas from other people who are like me and work with the very young children in the public school. I know this is probably being very picky, but if I am going to dream, I might as well dream big. Besides, if I create the Ning, I can have it however I want! Maybe this will be a new project for me…after I have grasped everything I can about the 23 Things.

Thing #21 - Podcasts and Audiobooks

I would like to use podcasts this next school year to promote books to my students as well as to allow the students to "book talk" their favorite books to their friends. I think it would be a great way for the students to interact with technology and promote books to their friends.

I have used Audacity and Camtasia to create instructional videos for my teachers. It is a wonderful resource for staff development follow-up. It gives them the opportunity to go back and review the step by step instructions.

I created a photostory of the 18 years Walter and I have been together. We celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary in May. Photostory is a great way for students to show sequencing or tell a story using photographs, whether photos taken my the students or selected by the teacher. It is easier for the student sto use this program than PowerPoint, and just as fun.

***I have tried unsucessfully to upload the video of my photstory. If you can offer any advice, please let me know. Thank you.***

Thing #20 - YouTube and TeacherTube

Since I am an early childhood librarian, I decided to search for early childhood libraries in YouTube. I found the greatest video of a three year old named Azalea and her visit to the Baltimore County Public Library. I loved seeing all of the different things she could do and it justified the importance of my job as an early childhood librarian even more by watching and listening to her interact with all of the resources available in her library. It inspired me to add additional items to the library for the children to have access to during their visits.

I was very disappointed to find no videos on early childhood libraries when I visited TeacherTube. Instead I searched for early literacy and had 20 search results. The majority of the videos were free reading lessons on topics ranging from counting words in a sentence to writing letters. A rather informative video on the different stages of writing would be a very useful tool for teachers who are not familiar with the earliest stages of the writing process.

Thing #19 - Web 2.0 Awards List

I was excited to see that a number of the award winning sites were sites in which I am familiar, so more familair than others. I LOVE Facebook. It has become one of my obsessions. When I was recently on vacation, I was having withdrawal because I could not get on Facebook and interact with my friends. Now, I DID download the mobile application so I could e-mail and have limited interaction, but it was not the same. I was so excited when I returned and I could play Scrabulous with my friend in Thailand, scratch my scratch off tickets, play my slots, and work on my Green Patch. I know it sounds crazy, but it is so much fun.

I was also thrilled to see Etsy on the list of award winning sites. My cousin, Charlotte, has her jewelry for sale on this site. It has been a great way for her to sell her jewelry around the world and not just in the tiny west Texas town she lives. I have also found some great handmade items on this site. I can get lost (and spend LOTS of money) for hours on Etsy.

Thing #18 - Online Productivity Tools

I started using Google Docs a few months ago. I love the way I can share documents I have created with others as well as having access to them at all times simply by logging into my Google account.

I have been trying to convince my son to use this resource for some of his school work. I know it
will ease a great deal of his frustration with his working being either at school or at home when he needs it. This way he can access it in both places easily.

What a great tool. Wish I had thought of it!!!

Thing #17 - Rollyo

I'm not sure that I did this whole thing correctly. I have tried to upload my bookmarks three different times. I followed the directions provided, but get a blank screen with "done" in the lower left corner after every attempt. Once I go back to my Rollyo page, I can't find that the bookmarks have been exported.



I created a searchroll for the upcoming fantasy football season. This will enable me to find the latest results and information I will need during pre-season when I am drafting my team as well as during the season to watch my players and potential pick-ups.