Tool 4: Moving Up to the Clouds

I could use Google Apps by making documents that have not been finalized available for my team to see as opposed to emailing each other back and forth and saving the same documents too many times.

I'm not quite sure how to use it with my kindergartners since they are young and this is a little bit more complicated for the little ones.

I think is difficult using Google Apps with my parents because at this point I would say about 5% of my parents have email, but I could send them notes and they could reply right there instead of sending it back and forth.

Google docs and forms are going to make it easier for me and my team to share and work on items that we all use in the classroom and planning on team stuff. We are all going to easily modify documents. With Goggle Docs, the document is in one place and each of us has access and we can adjust one! We can even add our comments in different colors from the text. As teachers of the same team could work together from our own room with our own materials to discuss topics or produce lessons. I plan to use Google Docs more often now that I somewhat understand how they work!

Tool 3: Finding online video and Image resources.

Using videos and interactive stories with our kindergartners is an amazing resource to use because is engaging and allows teacher display more information, and enhance student learning.

I'm familiar with Discovery Education and I've used that one often.
I couldn’t embed a YouTube video about Spanish Alphabet, I just pasted address and it is very interactive and fun to remember.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EGdmBnY370&feature=related

I visited several sites and I signed for Teacher Tube and School Tube because they had good videos, but not too many. I embedded these videos about Spanish Alphabet and Needs of an Animal

The other sites were good too and they had so many things to choose. Since I hadn't done this before, it's going to take me a little while to learn how to navigate them.

I learned about copyright and fair use is that the laws are not very clear but as long as something is used for instructional purposes it's okay. Also you can not publish to the public in general, only to a secure site and for educational purposes. It’s a good idea to check with our librarian about copyrights.

I think Picasa and Flickr are great sites where we can find many photos and I will definitely use them with my students this year.

Tool 2: Building Community in the Online Environment

I found learning and creating PLN's very beneficial professionally. It’s very helpful to share and view other colleagues thoughts and ideas on any subject matter. I am always searching for new ideas, and it is so much easier to visit the blogs of other teachers to see the kinds of things they are doing in their classrooms rather than searching many sites on the internet or through textbooks.

Sharing my thoughts publicly is an issue for me because there are times where we can post something wrong and it might be the crux of our argument, luckily it’s very easy to emend our mistakes and we can-and have to- do it in a graciously manner.

I found Google Reader interesting but difficult. I bookmarked some great sites, subscribed to a few interesting sites on Google Reader and I am following 2 blogs, still a little confused but making progress. I have no doubt that if we use effectively everything internet has to offer it provides schools with an excellent opportunity to engage the community we serve.

Collaboration and team community is the survival technique of all educators.

11 Tools. Tool 1: Getting Started

I worked in this blog – 23 Things - one year ago and now I am ready to continue with 11 tools. A slow start but I hope it will be funnier, easier and more productive than 23 things.

Thing #23

First of all, it was a long journey, I didn’t expect to spend so much time on 23 Things, but I really enjoyed discovering many useful tools on the web that I can use right now and in the future. Blogs are interesting and a good way to share/know other's opinions . I especially enjoyed with Flickr, Image Editors and Mashups and everything Google has to offer.
I can use in my classroom at the beginning of the school year: Blogs, Delicious, Photostory, Wiki, Teacher Tube, Bookr, Technorati, etc, and with RSS and Readers I can stay up to date with current events at school level and trends in the education system.
I need to play more with these tools because I want use the following in my personal life: my Wiki, Photostory, Delicious, You Tube, etc.
One month ago I was afraid of technology but now I am positive that it is the way to stay connected with former students, colleagues, old friends and family. Technology gives us the best opportunity at all ages, at any place and through leisure activities to continue as a long life learners.
Thanks Library2play for the opportunity. I am ready to start new things!!!!!!!

Thing #22

I explored Nings today, I went to "Educator's Ning" and "Ning for Teachers" and found a lot of websites. I was impressed how Ning combines blogs, wikis, Twitter, and so many other Web 2.0 tools into one! Nings are tools that are useful to share experiences with teachers from all over the world and we can find support and awareness that you are not the only one that struggled with something new.
As a teacher, I'm looking for ideas, lessons, or just intellectual discussions and Nings have something that is professionally-based yet also social, we can have professional discussions with colleagues. Nings might have more of a place for teachers than a blog or a website as far as being an online component to the classroom. I was happy with how teachers were sharing lesson plans, looking for solutions to problems in the classroom, etc
I also liked "Teacher Librarian Ning" and "Texas School Libraries Ning" but I didn’t join none of them, since I'm not a librarian. I found both useful because as a librarian you can add events, videos, and job postings. There are also forums, groups, blogs and a Facebook and Twitter connection capability. I think these Nings are great resources to connect, share resources and information, and keep a finger on the pulse of the library world.

Thing #21

I have heard about Photostory and had never used it. I just played with it for the first time and it is very user friendly even for the novice. I love taking pictures of our school activities and then show it to my students. I have a friend who works at HPD and they visited our classroom last year. I asked if I could share these photos with everyone and of course the answer was yes. My concern is if it is OK sharing student’s photos. As my last year students enjoyed Police Officer’s visit, I hope to see them soon because they will enjoy this videocast. Photostory is a great new resource for me.