Thing #20, Digital Storytelling

I think Digita.l Storytelling is a great resource for education. I hadn't heard of it until COSOTI. Using photos and narration,a digital story can be told. I would like to create a story sometime in the future. Here's a few links to stories that I found at Story Center: Running, Untitled, I Think of You,
Home...in past tense and The Mountain. These stories can be used for a variety of subjects in education.

Thing #19, Audio/Video Tools

I am no stranger to audio as I am a musician and I have experience recording. I've used N-track for years and it is pro quality recording software that is inexpensive. I am new to video and I want to learn more. I went to the Animoto site and found it to be very useful. Here's what I came up with pretty fast. I hope you enjoy!

Thing #18, Podcasts

Finding a quality podcast can be a tedious process. I ran into many feeds that were outdated and were still listed. Some of the links didn't even have any posts at all. I did find a good one. It is called CNN Student News. The podcast contains world news specifically directed to middle and high school students. The posts are up-to-date and CNN is definitely a trusted source. This podcast can be used for a variety of subjects.

Thing #17, Online Videos

Online videos are a great resource. They are usually included in most websites these days. I choose a video of photos from a photographer from a Clovis High football game. I was there on the sidelines as a coach. I liked the action shots and the photographer did a great job. I definitely want to explore more videos sites like Teacher Tube and see what they have to offer.

Thing # 16, Google Earth, Literature Stories

I created this simple pyramid using Google "Sketch-Up." It took me a while to get a hang of using the program. I used just a few tools to create it. This picture could used as a destination picture for pyramids in Egypt, Mexico, etc on Google Earth. The Lit Trip I took was called "Fifteen Poets." The trip had the birthplace destinations of the poets and a history of them. This could be used for English, History, or Geography subjects.

Thing # 15, Online Collaboration Tools

My recent experience with online collaboration tools was with Elluminate. It was at the last day of the COSOTI. My topic of presentation was RSS Feeds. I enjoyed using Elluminate and being able to talk to people present in the class and people following from a distance. I think Elluminate is a great tool to use in education to present a topic allowing for instant student feedback.

Thing #14, Online Resources

Out of all of the online resources I explored, I liked Curriki the best. There's a Clovis Online School group that is growing. Here our a few links that have quality resources to be used for the classroom: Physical Activity, Practice Curriki Collection and What is Physical Education? These links can help educate students and give teachers additional resources that they may have not known about.

Thing #13, E-books

I liked Wiki books. There were books on different subjects that are used in education and other topics. Under "Games and Athletics," there was a football book that explains how football works. It was very informative and a good book to recommend to a athlete interested in the sport.

Thing #12, Social Bookmarking

It looks like Diigo and Delicious are great ways to organize online bookmarks and share them. This benefits both teachers and students to be better organized web browsers and they could find helpful bookmarks posted by other users. Also, there's a sense of contribution by submitting bookmarks to be public.

Thing #11, Gen Y

Don Tapscott provides an "in your face" view of Gen Y. At first he seems negative about Gen Y, but then he ends positive. He was actually criticizing the critics who are scorning Gen Y. For more info, Go here.

Thing #10, Wikis

I edited the "wikis" section on the curriculum connections wiki. I added that students could edit a wikipedia page of something they are interested in. This will give them a sense of contribution. Wikis look to be the wave of the online future. I am glad I am getting grasp on them now, so I can be a better informed teacher. If I were to create a wiki, it would be for the technology elective course for the Clovis Online School. It would be where students can connect about the subject and I (as the moderator) could add things here and there.

Thing #9, Web 2.0 and Social Networking

As far as tools, I found a great site for downloading free documents. It is called "docstoc" and it offers a variety of documents that can be used in an educational setting. Users upload documents to share. As far as Nings, I joined Classroom 2.0. This a place where educators and teachers can share ideas for classroom education online.

Thing #8, Free Technology Tools Blog

When I searched the The "Free Technology For Teachers" website for Physical Education, I came across a blog about an online quiz to see "what Olympic sport you are qualified for." I think this would be a fun quiz for PE students to take to lead them to a sport they might enjoy. Here's my result:

If I was a sports person i'd be a Weightlifter

Yours is an independent path. You like to keep it simple, and you don't have time for pretentious people. The driving rhythms of rock -- occasionally even metal -- fill your personal soundtrack. You don't have time to worry about the newest gadgets -- you're loyal to what's worked before. Click here to find out what type of athlete you would be...

Thing #7, RSS Feeds and Blog Readers

I learned so much this section! Now I know what a RSS feed is. I never really knew what it was. Now I will be able to sift through all the "junk" on the internet that gets in the way of what info I really want. This will be great for my students so they can get direct access to information.

Thing #6, Image Generators

I used Comic Strip Generator to create this comic strip. The generator was easy to use and had a lot of images to choose from. I recommend it and it can be a lot of fun for students.

Thing #5, Flickr and Photo Sharing

Flickr and other photo sharing sites can really help an online teacher provide quality photos to students with a simple click or upload. I have been using "Photobucket" for a long time now. I first started using it while I posted photos on social networking sites. I picked this photo because it has to do with Physical Education and that's my credential. I'm glad we don't have to go through this same training as these PE trainees!

Thing #4, Searching The Web

The thing that I learned from web searches that is important to share with students is that there are many search engines and indexes on the internet. Just because one engine or index doesn't have what you are looking for, don't give up. Use other engines/indexes in your search until you find exactly what you are looking for. Also, be as specific as possible in your search which helps you get more accurate results.

Thing #3, iGoogle Suite

The Google suite of tools can help me organize information by giving me a central hub from where I can read, process and create from. The Google suite of tools can be used for education by allowing a teacher to be a "coach" leading students through different topics through a "2-way" street of learning. The "paradigm flip" that the article suggests should occur in classroom and libraries where we don't just feed students information, but we adapt it and allow communication from them and adjust the information accordingly.

Thing #2, Create your blog and a little about micro-blogging (Twitter)

I have learned that blogging and online education go hand in hand. This will allow students and teachers to post their thoughts on topics and allow the material to be viewable to whoever will benefit from it. The video about Twitter was definitely was simple, helpful and gave good background on the new fad. Tweet, Tweet!

Thing #1, About 23 Things

It looks like I will be learning a lot about online education by going through the "23 Things" program. It is an exciting time and I can't wait to be apart of the Clovis Online School!
http://clovis23things.wordpress.com/2009/01/30/register/