Thing 17.

Well, Delicious was not so delicious. It was very easy to find tons of articles related to educational technology; however, the websites that housed the articles were sometime difficult to navigate. I can see this resource being a great tool for connecting to articles and references for certain subjects. By using Diigo in class, I have learned just how simply bookmarking can truly be. I still have my reservations about bookmarking, but overall I believe that it will make my classroom run a little bit smother.

Thing 16.

The "start" page that I chose was iGoogle. Like most people my age, I am addicted to my iPhone and the convenience of the apps that are on my phone. With iGoogle, it was like having my phone blown up on a computer screen. As much as I loved iGoogle, I could not part with my Mozilla Firefox Google browser as my home screen. Old habits die hard, ya know??

I did enjoy using the online calendar and the to-do list. Being a college student, I need all the organization that I can get. The calendar and to-do list instantly made my life seem a little less complicated. I put my work schedule into the calendar and made a list of things I needed to complete before leaving for the beach. It was nice to have everything laid out right in front of me. I believe that I can use these tools for both work and home. I can make separate calenders and to-do lists that have to do with my schedule and task for school and home. It will add a little bit of organization to my usual hectic life.

Thing 15.

Let's just say that I'm a little lost in the sandbox. I am not a fan of wiki-ANYTHING. I grew up in the generations where Wikipedia was the "no-no" zone, and I still feel that same way today. I just felt lost trying to navigate through the wiki experience, and I wanted to see a little bit more organization. It kind of just seems like a jumble of a website that people try to mark as a reliable source.

I barely made it through the sandbox, but when I did I posted about my favorite blog, which has to be blog "Thing 2". Not only is the picture in the blog my favorite, but I loved how I was able to create an avatar and express the things that make up who I am.

This blog might come in SANDY. (Get it?? Sand?? Sandbox??) 

You'll catch on soon enough. :)

Thing 14.

For this blog, I explored different websites where you can either create a flowchart or a mind map. All teachers love flowcharts simply because flowcharts allow us to explain concepts better to our students. I explored Gliffy for a flowchart, and I created a Bubbl.us account and designed the mind map above. I have to say, I loved mind maps. It shows the natural thinking progress that my students will have, and it makes it easier for me to explain concepts to them. I enjoyed Gliffy, but I mostly chose that option because the other flowchart website took a while to create an account. I see myself using Bubbl.us quite frequently in my future classroom.

This future teacher gives Bubbl.us two thumbs up!!

Thing 13.

Before this blog, I had never heard of ZOHO docs. I quickly found that ZOHO is an excellent online tool. It is so easy to use, and it mimics that of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Now call me old school but I love the old Microsoft programs. I grew up on Microsoft, and it is where I feel the most comfortable. ZOHO was so easy to use, and it made me branch out and try different online tools.

The second online tool I tested out was Google Docs. I absolutely loved Google Docs. I have used Google Docs previously in the past in order to keep up with different events with my sorority. Since I already have a Gmail account, all I had to do was simply sign on and I was at the Google Docs page. It is a great tool to design spreadsheets, tests, documents, and other forms that might be useful within the classroom.

I enjoyed exploring both ZOHO and Google Docs. They were both very useful tools and could be used in several different ways within the classroom. The students can work together to form presentations and projects through these two resources. If I had a preference, I would say that I liked Google Docs the best. To me, it had more to offer than ZOHO and it is also very user friendly.

I created a noun quiz using Google Docs. Here is the link: Noun Quiz

Thing 12.

Who doesn't love Google?! I know that I personally use Google in my daily life. I look up recipes, questions, and even songs through Google. Once I began exploring the different resources that Google offers, I quickly realized that I could use Google for more than just looking up information. First, I started with the Google Translator. I absolutely loved it!! This resource will be so effective in my classroom. It will help with teaching the students different languages, and it can easily be incorporated into a social studies lesson. I also explored Google calendar. I love how this resource can be beneficial not only for my personal life but for my classroom life, as well. The calendar can sync with your phone, and the calender can also be shared with friends, family, and co-workers. This will serve as just another means of connecting with my students and their parents.

Google Calendar Link:
http://support.google.com/calendar/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2465776

Google Translate Link:
http://translate.google.com/

You won't regret checking out these resources!

Thing 11.

Oh geez. I'm going to be honest here. I found that some of these search tools were way to difficult for me to use. Take Topix, for instance. It is an amazing source, but trying to navigate around the page was like trying to find a needle in the middle of a haystack. I was constantly getting lost in the website. It was not the easiest search engine that I have ever used.

One search engine that I did really like was Technorati. This search engine was very easy to use, and the "Today Topics" on the first page were actually very interesting. I got caught up reading some of the articles that I forgot what I was supposed to be doing (That tends to happen). Overall, I think there are some amazing article search engines out there. It just takes some time and patience to find the one that works best for you. 

PS: Image represents my frustration with Topix. >:(