Thing #23

I have enjoyed this experience! I originally picked this program for summer continuing education credits, because I missed other available classes due to the wedding. Now that I realize how valuable this experience is, I would recommend the "23 Things" to everybody! I would like to thank our librarian, Mrs. Nance, for recommending this program.
Some of the most fun tools I discovered are Rollyo, Photostory, and Image Chef. I would say the single most effective item that leads to lifelong learning is the "71/2 Habits" video. I will review that video frequently. I did not expect to find so many tools with multiple uses. A lot of the exercises are useful personally as well as professionally. Another discovery program would be of interest to me in the future, most likely during another break. A single word to describe this program would be... informative. IF I could use two words, I would say... entertainingly informative.

Thing #22

I looked into Educator Ning and Ning for Teachers. Both of these social networking sites seem useful. They include groups you can join in order to learn more about your field. I like the idea or connecting with people who share your professional position who may live far away. This allows educators to share their ideas and ask questions. I think a social networking site for libraries would be very helpful to teachers and students. I think Ning sites can be good for parent and teacher communication. A Ning could be used to show a specific unit being studied in the classroom. If an educator kept their Ning site current, parents could stay informed of what is expected from the teacher without relying on their child. It allows the teacher to communicate with a large group of parents or other teachers without creating individual notes, e-mails, or phone calls.

Thing #21

I made a video cast of our wedding use Photostory. I enjoyed making this video, but I encountered some problems ("challenges") with the music. I tried to "select music" instead of "create music". I wanted to use a song from my iTunes library. I guess the music I have is in a MP4 form. I didn't know how to convert the file, so I tried inserting the CD I wanted to use. The CD did not come up correctly when I selected the drive and folder that should have held the music. The folder showed nothing inside. After much frustration, I decided to create music for the video. I am happy with it, but will continue trying to figure out how to use the music already on my computer.



While I was making this video, I thought about how useful this activity would be for children that stutter. We often use explanation or reading to work on fluency. My students could create a story about themselves or an activity they participated in, and practice fluency while reading or telling the story to the group. Having pictures or video might make the experience easier and more enjoyable for the child.

Thing #20

I embedded a video of a Speech Pathologist telling a success story from TeacherTube. I think that access to large quantities of video is wonderful for may reasons. For example, this video is inspirational to me. It reminds me why I want to go back to school to be a fully certified Speech Pathologist.
Videos are also great for visual learners. Sometimes it is much easier to comprehend a new concept or idea by seeing a demonstration. I think YouTube and TeacherTube are useful for both students and teachers. I knew about the uses of YouTube before this exercise, but I was not familiar with TeacherTube. I do not have access to YouTube at work. This school year I will try TeacherTube.

Thing #19

Many of the tools are useful. I am already familiar with YouTube which I think is extrememly helpful for demonstration and cueing for some children. Occassionally some of our younger students are reluctant to repeat the word or sound that we are trying to elicit. Sometimes showing them a video or clip or someone making a similar sound inspires them to try. I think Delicious is wonderful for keeping bookmarks easily accessible.
I looked into Revolution Health for this Thing #19. It is the top ranked health tool on this award list. This is a useful tool for me because it provides information and suggestions for many health issues. Several of the students I have close contact with have more than speech impairments. I like to read about other involved conditions, so I can understand more about each child. Revolution Health has a lot of information on Autism and other condidtions relevant to me. It also has some parenting information, which is helpful to us all.

Thing #18

I explored Google Docs for this exercise. I think this is a great way to create and upload old documents while making them accessible to you everywhere you have the Internet. That is the true beauty of e-mail accounts already. I recently had a situation where I saved a document on my Dad's computer and needed it shortly after I left his office. I had to drive back over and e-mail it to myself in order to have a copy. If I knew about Google Docs, I would have created the document using this tool. I think Google Docs is perfect choice anytime you are not using your own computer.