I will definitely be using YouTube in my teaching this year.  The videos have the ability to bring to life things we are talking about in the classroom. For example, while reading Little House in the Big Woods we read about a prairie and a log cabin.  Watching the video I embedded will show the students exactly what these words mean.  After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.  I found some wonderful videos of totem poles to use in our Native American unit.  I also watched a really fun video of a totem pole carver.  The students will enjoy watching how to carve a totem pole.  I found it quick and easy to find relevant material on YouTube.   TeacherTube was not as enjoyable because of all the ads, and I found it harder to find quality videos.  I did watch one on mixed numbers and improper fractions that was well done.  As far as producing video, I would like to see my students produce something about their heritage.  With more and more cultural diversity in the classroom I think videos demonstrating their diversity would be interesting.

Again, I feel overwhelmed, this time by the amount of information offered by podcasts.  I spent much time clicking and watching videos.  I appreciated when there was a written synopsis of the show, so I could decide if I was interested before watching.  One show I listened to had a commercial at the beginning of the show…..this was very annoying.  One podcast that I found particularly interesting was “Grammar Girls Quick Tips.”  All the episodes I listened to were short and enlightening.  I also found “Word of the Day” to be an interesting podcast.  Each day a new word is presented.  It is pronounced, defined, and used.  I think this could be an excellent podcast to use in the classroom.  “Our City” is a podcast done by students.  Students around the United States tell about their city.  I thought this was a good use of podcasting in the classroom.

I subscribed to two podcasts.  One, Learning Matters will be an excellent way of staying in touch with current issues in education.  I listened to a discussion with the President of the American Federation of Teachers on how to spend the money that has been allocated to education in the stimulus package.  The other, Frontline World, will be an excellent way of getting in depth information on current political issues.

The first way I thought of incorporating podcasting in the classroom is as a tool for reviewing concepts.  I watched Ms. Edmison’s explanation of lattice multiplication on her class podcast.  How wonderful for a student who needs extra support to be able to watch the teaching again.  Also, if a student is absent they could watch from home and stay on track.  The other obvious way of using podcasting is as a reader theater, where students do the broadcasting.  The teaching would be student led making it more meaningful.

I love reading and found the “Library Thing” website fascinating.  I clicked on numerous contributors to see what they are reading and read several discussions…..all interesting and of course found several books that I think I now need to own.  I’m getting ready to read Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett and as it happens a discussion group called “Group Read: Pillars of the Earth” is starting to read the book in mid July.  I will definitely follow the discussion.  Under “Library Thing Local” I found out that Pat Conroy has written a new book, South of Broad.  He is going to be reading from it in August at the Jimmy Carter Library, an event I would like to attend.  This will be a great site for finding out about local events.  I will be visiting “Library Thing” often.  I am glad it was included in our course.

YES, Delicious is what I’ve been looking for…. a way to organize all this wonderful material I’ve been discovering.  I have been wondering how I would get back to some of the sites I have stumbled upon.  And so great to be able to retrieve the information from any computer.  I realize that tagging will be very important, just like filing something in a file cabinet, if I want to find it later I need to file it properly.  As I explored the site, I noticed the sites that had the most hits were usually the most valuable.  It will be very useful to see the sites that other teachers have found on subjects.  Using Delicious will make finding  new material much easier.  It will be a way of offering students sites to look at on the web.  I’m happy to think I might actually be able to organize this ocean of information.  This is the link to my bookmarks.

I have enjoyed reading the posts on Technologies for Teachers.  Not only does the author of the post share great websites, but he always includes ‘applications for education’ with each entry.  The Posts also include related resources that might be of interest.  One post I found particularly interesting was Interactive Math Assessment.  It is site where students can assess their understanding of fractions and other math concepts.  They can work individually or with a partner.  Many of the posts on this site have been of value, and I will continue to follow the site on my Reader.

Timetoast will be a fabulous tool to use in third grade.  It is a free website where you can create timelines.  You are able to include as much text as you want, images for events, and links for events.  It is far superior to the timeline program I have been using in the classroom.  For practice, I embedded a goofy timeline on my Wiki.  I included images, text, and a link.  It all worked, and it was extremely easy to create.  I linked the web address for editing the timeline.  A student would be able to clink on the link and add to the timeline.  Timetoast has several social features which will make it great to use in the classroom.  For one, a timeline can easily be shared with the whole class.  Also, students can add to a timeline by going to the edit page of the timeline.  A timeline can be worked on by groups of students at different times and locations.   Another words, by using Timetoast creating a timeline can be a collaborative project where the each student contributes.

I’m hooked.  I loved attending a conference in my PJs.  It was awesome to be able to rerun or stop the presentation when I needed to hear something again. It was also interesting to follow links and get more information on the topic.  I actually viewed a number of sessions and enjoyed them them all.  Although, I was glad there was a time limit on the sessions.  One session I found particularly engaging was Mathew Needleman’s video Film School for Video Podcasters.  He discussed the importance of sharing information visually with our students and how to make successful videos in the classroom.  Needleman compares the connection between video production and visual literacy with reading and writing.  We learn to write and this helps our reading comprehension.  If our students learn video production they will be able to better evaluate and understand visual media.  I had not thought about the benefits of making movies in the classroom before watching this presentation.  Needleman gives hints on how to use storyboarding in film making. Storyboarding is a useful third grade tool.  It will be exciting to turn one of our stories into a film.  I have the equipment and as Needlman reminds us, “you have to get through the bad films to make a good one.”

1. Master Totem Pole Carver by fotobydave
2. Totem Pole Victoria Museum, VCI by whipstar
3. Thunderbird Totem Pole by guate84105
4. Totem Pole by whipstar
5. Kakaso’las by wasabicube

I used Rock You to create my slide show.  I used different images of totem poles.  I started with a close up shot and then worked out to include more and more of the toem pole and concluded the slide show with a picture of a carver of totem poles. 

Flickr is huge.  It is a fantastic website for finding images on almost any subject imaginable.  Flickr is a great place for saving your own photos.  It is a wonderful websites for organizing your images.  In the classroom, it will be valuable to be able to find current images of the subject you are talking about and to be able to share the images in a quick, efficient manner.  To be studying a country in social studies class and go to Flickr and find pictures is fabulous.  I have used pictures from the newspaper as writing prompts but how much more interesting to find quality, color photos on Flickr.  I love the idea of creating virtual field trips on Flickr.  As we have more cultural backgrounds represented in our classrooms, I see a greater need for incorporating visual literacy in our instruction and Flickr is the tool for doing that.

The theme I selected is totem poles.  In third grade we do a unit on Native Americans who live in the Northwest.  I have used totem poles and what they represent as a writing exercise.  I will love showing the students the photos of totem poles I found on Flickr.

Image by guate84105

I have not notice the CC logo on websites, but I have (in the back of my head) been concerned about using images and clips I have found on the web.  I find it extremely helpful to use images and clips in the classroom and have done so often.  For third graders the expression “a picture is worth a thousand words” is very true.  And, as we have more ESL students in our classrooms being able to quickly put an image on the smart board is of great value.  While reading the book Little House in the Big Woods the students were not able to visualize “black cloth gaiter for shoes and dresses made of pretty pink and blue calico.”  I loved being able to find pictures of these items and putting them on the smart board.  At the time I didn’t worry about copyrights, hoping no one would come in my room and create a problem.  I am relieved to learn about CC and to learn that I can use items for educational purposes.  This course is the first time I have shared anything on the web.