Final Evaluation

1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?

I absolutely loved the discovery exercise concerning Netvibes and I wish I had done Thing #16 earlier than I did. I am pretty sure PhotoPeach would have made a lot of my friends' lives easier over the past few months (as far as constructing slideshows for weddings).

2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?

Thanks to this course (and Netvibes) I am now able to access technology articles, diagnostics articles, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest in one sitting. I can no longer complain that I don't have time to keep up with everything that is happening around me.

3. Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?

I came into this program thinking I knew nothing about the combination of education and technology. I am leaving this part of the course realizing I actually knew a lot about technology and am now able to  use it my classroom.

4. What could I do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?

The only thing I would suggest is making sure all of the example links and resources are up to date. There were several exercises in which I could not access the resources or tutorial videos.

I hope this is not the end of our learning journey together but the start of something amazing …Think about your next steps...you can continue this journey by...

Thing #16: PhotoPeach

"Without change there would be no butterflies." -Anonymous (12 months of change) on PhotoPeach

I would use this at the end of the year with my students. They love taking pictures and videos of each other. This would be the best way for them to remember their lives in my class. I can't wait to do this with them!

Thing 15.5: Twitter

This was the easiest exercise for me to complete because I already use Twitter and LinkedIn. During class I attached the Twitter widget to my blog so I should be easy to follow. Until now I Twitter served my personal needs. I didn't spend much time playing around with it since I am such an avid Facebook user (yes, I know it's silly, but it's easy to keep up with people on FB). Now that Twitter is linked to my Netvibes page I am spending time catching up on tweets from educational and religious sources, as well as friends, celebrities, and news affiliates. I need to spend more time reading articles on my Scoop.it page (and app) so that my tweets will be professional and useful. Several friends and family members have their Twitter and Facebook accounts linked, but I am keeping them separate to prevent clogging anyone's feeds with repetitive information.

LinkedIn is difficult for me to get invested in at this time. I am not looking to move jobs and even though I should be connecting with professionals in my field I am waiting until I get closer to graduating with my Master's to pursue these connections. This is shameful to admit but I was so annoyed by LinkedIn at first that my friend (who at the time worked in HR at UT's Medical School-Houston) offered to fix up my account for me. Let me tell you, I have never jumped on an offer so quickly. I do however have my LinkedIn account attached to my personal website, which I created this summer, in hopes that future employers will look at both!

Thing #15: Things like Skype

Skype would be amazing as an educational tool in a classroom! I would use it to communicate with students in other countries from other cultures, let the students have "conference calls" with authors of books we are reading, or interview professionals (scientists, police men, firemen, etc). Talking with students from other cultures would educate my students on manners around the world, the customs, and simply broaden their horizons; the more they know about the world outside Houston, Tx the more chances they will have to be successful as they grow into adults. It would also be useful in foreign language classes, you could create a pen pal type relationship with a student fluent in Spanish and both students could spend time speaking to each other in their native languages.

I have used Skype many times in my personal life. My mother, sister, and I used it last summer while we were in Italy to talk to my dad and other sister who were in Houston. I also used it to do a face to face appointment with my therapist since I didn't have time to make an in office appointment; talk about convenient. I would imagine that Skype and apps like Face Time (for the iPhone) have really helped out couples in the Army. I know my parents would have enjoyed using Skype when my sisters and I were younger since my dad traveled all the time. Then my mom could have called him to reprimand us when we were being awful!

Thing #14: Podcasting and Bookmarking

I discovered iTunesU this summer and really enjoyed the "Keep Texas Wild" podcasts provided by the TEA. I watched several podcasts from Children's Learning Institute (CLI) at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. These podcasts are focused on phonemic awareness instructions, the research behind it, and the strategies that promote it. CLI not only provides access to lectures, they also include the print outs needed to follow along with the presenters. I think iTunesU could be a great, free  resource as far as continuing education for me. I also like that they have college readiness programs and podcasts on algebra and geometry, these may come in handy for secondary teachers. I know I would have benefited from podcasts on math instruction when I was in high school.

I have been on Pinterest for a while now, I get sucked into the humor, education, animals (who doesn't love pictures of puppies and kittens???), and fashion sections when I'm watching TV and waiting in line. I try really hard to stay away from Pinterest at all other times, if I don't my pretend life might become more amazing than my real life.

On Monday, I found a post in the education section on Pinterest that showed me a new way to make pumpkins for our Halloween/Fall unit. I had never thought of dying pumpkin seeds before and I think this is the best way to spice up a tired art project the kids do every year. For my class we are taking the idea a step farther and doing an experiment to find out whether food coloring or this special water color temper paint will dye the seeds better. Thanks to this picture of a pumpkin seed pumpkin on Pinterest my students get to experience a new science and art project! 

Community Helpers Digital Story TC

Mr. Taylor's Community Helpers - 2011