Thing 16: Student 2.0 Tools

I think that both the Assignment Calculator and the Research Project Calculator are great tools. I like that they both provide dates by which certain aspects of the project should be completed. I also like that they both provide links with more detailed information.

I think that, as a middle school teacher, I would encourage students to use the Research Project Calculator. The Assignment Calculator is geared more towards college students (this is something I could use for my own projects). I like that the Research Calculator allows students to choose the format of their presentation (slide show, essay, or video), and then provides them with a time line that is specific to that project. I also like that the Research Calculator provides teachers with tools to teach different aspects of the research process. The graphic organizers provide students with a great visual for organizing and understanding their information.

The Research Project Calculator would really be beneficial to those students who struggle with long-term projects. It breaks the project down into steps, which is what so many students need. I think this would be a great link to include on my Edline page.

Thing 15: Online Games

I looked at Second Life and found that the possibilities in the game are endless. It is neat that players are able to interact with other online players. Players are able to create a character, buy a house, create products to sell, visit businesses and much more. The game changes each time players log in, because people are constantly adding to the game.

I think that playing this game could be a great learning experience for students. It teaches them about cause and effect. I taught a design unit last year and think that this game would have supplemented the curriculum nicely. Students are able to see how an area changes and how human design affects an area. The one drawback to this game is that it is time consuming. It would take a while to get it set up in school, and I'm not sure that the school computers could handle the downloads required for the game.

Thing 14: Library Thing

I found library thing very easy to use. I liked the fact that I was able to type in the author and get book titles. It made it convenient to add books to my library. I am looking forward to getting book recommendations, but I have not yet added enough books.

Thing 13: Online Productivity Tools

I was amazed at the number of online productivity tools that are available. I used the My Yahoo for my start page. I decided to use that page because my home email account is through Yahoo. It is nice to have direct access to my email account on my start page. I also liked that it displayed the weather for my area. I always want to know the weather conditions before I go somewhere.

I also liked the Backpack Page. It was nice to have so many features available in one place. I could definitely see myself using the calendar feature on the Backpack Page. I could use it at home (especially as my daughter gets older) to synchronize everyone's schedules. I could also use it at school to help students manage a long term project. I could post specific deadlines to the calendar and then create a link to the calendar on my Edline page.

I have mixed feelings about the to-do lists. I think a site such as Ta da list could be helpful for long term lists. I could see myself using it to organize my assignments after I receive a syllabus for a master's class or possibly creating a list of things to do each month during the school year. I don't see myself using it for daily or weekly lists, however, because I don't have constant access to a computer. I find it easier to jot down daily/weekly things to do in a planner.

Thing 12: Do You Digg?

Tools such as Digg, Mixx, and Newsvine can be very valuable. Teachers can use them to find current events of interest that relate to their subject matter. Students are more successful in a subject area if they are able to connect it with something that interests them. The sites above help teachers (or anyone else) to find articles about current events of interest. I like how Digg, Mixx, and Newsvine provide tabs with subject areas. If I wanted to find an article/story related to health or science, I simply click on that tab.

Thing 11: Tagging and Del.icio.us

I think that Del.icio.us is a valuable tool for research. In the past, I have found that I start research on one computer and complete my research on another computer. When I switch computers, I need to find all of my research sites again. With a Del.icio.us account, I would not have to find all of the sites again. I could simply log into my account and find the sites under the appropriate tags. This would save me a lot of time. Students often run into the same problem when they start research at school and try to finish it at home. I could help them to eliminate this problem by encouraging them to set up a Del.icio.us account. The two things they would need to remember are their password and tags.

Thing 10: Wikis

I edited the 23 Things on a Stick wiki. I've used wikis in the past and find them very easy to use. I think that they are a great communication tool. We use them at our school to communicate with parents and students. We let them know about upcoming tests, projects, and school events. We also use them as a staff to reflect on school events. This allows for both positive and negative feedback so that we can make improvements to the events. I've also used Wikis in college classes to reflect on questions related to reading. I think that I could easily incorporate this type of wiki into my classroom. It gives those students who don't feel comfortable speaking in front of the class a chance to share their ideas.