Video Blog

My last and final post to my blog for this class and I have grown so much. Each week the assignments and postings have become more in depth and substantial. Not only did I learn to add photos, links, music; I also learned to use technology not only for my personal use but in the classroom too!

This is the first time doing video over my blog and I like the concept but I do not like having to hear my voice or try to make sure I am sounding okay! I can't tell you how many times I had to start stop and re do while doing this. Although Screencast-O-Matic made this assignment much easier than I was expecting. I would definitely use it again in the future.

I hope you enjoyed my readings, experiences and insight! Here's to starting my life in the world of blogging & opening my eyes and lessons to new Web 2.0 tools.

Happy Learning :)

World of Wiki

Up until recently I also did not know that Wikipedia was a wiki. I guess now it makes sense since we have explored the texts and “wiki” being in the work Wikipedia. In my early years at college I just know that teachers told us not to use or cite Wikipedia as a reference and I was not too sure why. Now I know because it is a forum for information that can be changed, updated and added to by anyone. 

I have used a wiki before but only in my previous class as an undergrad student. When I first used it I found it to be very different than any other website and tool that I’ve used. Once it was explained I was able to navigate with ease and was able to create a beautiful Wiki on Butterflies that was my original Unit Plan and a School Bag on Mnemonics. However those were the only times I used a wiki until now. Pbworks is the only one I have used to create my own wiki, however it seems now I have used and accessed many before not quite knowing what they were.

 I have never used a wiki in a classroom but after reading I realize that there are hundreds of uses for them. Once specific site had 50 uses for Wikis; some examples were virtual field trips, student portfolios, fan clubs, or a school/class newspaper.  Teachers can set up classroom sites, forums for assignments, feedback and collaboration between other classrooms and schools district wide or even worldwide.  While researching further on how to use wiki’s in a classroom I found these terms that were not only cute, but explained the roles of those who use wikis:

Roles 
Champion – a person who can train others or help them get started
WikiGardener or WikiGnome – those who like to fix typos, find citations for quotes, fix broken links, and add links
WikiFairy - someone who makes format changes to make the wiki more visually appealing.
WikiTroll – those who like to insight a reaction from others by posting controversial content or doing disruptive things. WikiTrolls do not exists when wikis require a login with a secure password because they are not anonymous

Now knowing how wikis are used and can be used I would love to integrate the use in to my classroom. They are a quick and interactive way to get the students, teachers and parents involved in the learning of technology and the classroom. 

Here is a wiki we did as a group on TubeChop. TubeChop also works in tandem with YouTube. By choosing video and uploading it to Tube Chop you can select shorter pieces of the video to suit your means. This can be used in any classroom for any subject area. For example, you can take a part of a video and turn it into a writing prompt, or you can show a part of the butterfly life cycle. Here is our PbWorksWiki

As The World Turns

Spring is here and Summer is near. This makes me happy in the life of sunshine, warmth and water. Although, I find myself in pure chaos right now and extremely overwhelmed. As April comes to a close I am still recovering from surgery, school is 2 weeks from the end (with summer classes to follow), work events are every weekend through June and my personal life is in disarray between friends and family.

I try to be the strong, independent and goal oriented to get through each and everyday. As the world turns I find each day to get a little harder recently. I wish to find the perfect life balance. I know this will never be near perfect but I just want a day or two, maybe even a week of calm. My goal is to push forward through these rough and tough times and make it out ahead in the coming months. Summer is here and I refuse to be sad and upset through the summer, besides my birthday is in the summer! A perfect time to relax and move forward.

Digital Footprint

Google-ing Myself was an interesting assignment. I remember years ago back in high school doing it to see what came up and again in my later years in high school. Seeing as I have removed myself from all social networks or have chosen to keep the sites on the strictest privacy settings; I didn't find much. 

Most searches were not of myself but of other people with the same name. I was able to find more when I went into specific searches. For example: "Lynn Conners Poughkeepsie Journal" or "Lynn Conners Bowling." Most of those searches came up with the same information I was in the local news weekly for bowling scores or seasonally for high school or college bowling. It also seems that the journal has me for my graduation from MSMC in 2010 as well. 

This was an eye opening experience non the less and I enjoyed it. I will continue to keep tabs on my digital footprint.  Here is my video on my Digital Footprint. Enjoy

Here are some photos I found to be of interest in my searches on Digital Footprints!  I believe it is forever important at this point in education and technology that we teach our children and students the resposbiliity of posting and adding to the internet. Some day when they apply for jobs the internet will be away for interviewing most candidates. We need to protect ourselves and those around us by knowing that is save to post.

Here are some questions to ask yourself before you post! 

You control your own Digital Footprint! 

Sans Gallbladder

The road to recovery.... Since I was diagnosed with gallstones and extreme episodes of pain I have been admitted to the hospital 5 days early with surgery to happen sooner than expected. 

My frustration on Wednesday was high. I have been extremely nervous about the surgery since I was told I was to have an organ removed; a useless organ for me however, it did not hinder the fact I was having SURGERY! I was so careful to watch what I was eating and preparing meals daily, I was convinced I may not even need the surgery. Although that idea went right out the window with my last episode on Wednesday night. 

Wednesday 10pm: I left work in extreme pain hoping the pain medication would help and I would go to bed and wake up normal as I had the last 3 weeks. Tonight that was not the case. My mom did not give me any other option but to get in the car and call the doctor. As I tried to settle my nerves and avoid the pain I panicked over the pending surgery that was now 5 days sooner. I knew no doctor would let me go back home with a gallbladder.... Boy was I right! 

Thursday 11am: Prepped and ready for surgery I freaked out and was nervous as the road to recovery would be better than the pain I was experiencing but I was not sure how I would feel or if my recovery would be as easy as everyone made it seem. Surgery went well although they kept me an extra day because I was too sick from all the medication. Another sleepless night in the hospital. 

Monday 9pm: Days later I am happy that the surgery has happened sooner than later, however recovery is still hard. I am moving around and not as sore as I was Friday (which was my worst day, physically and emotionally). I am happy that there will be no more pain, not worries over what I can eat or fearing a restaurant wasn't as careful as they said they were. Now I just make sure that I do not lift or over exert myself for 4-6 weeks and see what happens! 

The road to recovery sans gallbladder is hard but getting easier everyday. 

Mobile Learning

Mobile Learning is becoming a large part of the worlds learning let alone in today's classrooms. Mobile learning includes smart phones, tablets, laptops and small technological items that can be connected to the wireless networks. This allows teachers to be flexible as well as extend the learning outside of the traditional classroom.

When exploring this idea of Mobile Learning in the classroom I found a quote that I loved:

"there is no surprise that young people want 

to employ mobile devices to make education 

more engaging and personalize it to their 

needs."

Part of learning about Mobile Learning, I also created  a news letter explaining

• What it is
• How it works
• Data and statistics
• Uses in the Classroom

To see my group project on Smore. Click Here>> Mobile Learning

April...

I sit here in complete exhaustion. How I am not so sure knowing that I just came home from a beautiful 5 day stay in Fort Lauderdale, Flordia. I always thought that one comes back rested, relaxed and ready to take on life. However, I feel myself reverting to the opposite.

Even though I have been nervously anticipating surgery on the 14th. I still went on vacation hoping the trip from work, school and life would really help me cope with the removal of an organ, regardless of how small and useless it might be. My time away could not have been any better, but the phone call before the vacation set part of my mood for the rest of my stay. On top of surgery, 6 work events, school assignments, and upcoming surgery, I have heard about the passing of a close families father. This hit me like a ton of bricks and didn't make the first day of vacation go with out a heavy heart. Now that I am home and said my goodbyes and gave my shoulder to friends who needed it; I must prepare the store for my time off after surgery, prep for events in the next few weeks, complete all school assignments (individual and work) as well daily life functions I am extremely stressed.

I hoped that April would be a great month; better weather, coming to a close on the school semester and work getting busier, I think I was wrong. Now I sit here and think, think, think...