Tag Clouds

This took me a while to figure out, as the technology is a bit out of date, but I finally created this beautiful Wordle using Tag Clouds. I had to use Firefox instead of Chrome like I normally do, because Java won't work on Chrome. I also had to bypass some browser security options because it was so out of date none of my browsers trusted it.

My first thought was that this would be a great assignment to do in class. The class would really  enjoy this and it would be a very easy assignment. Tag Clouds are great for inspiration and remembering things, not to mention they make great posters for a tact board or covers for a binder.

The following is one I created using the 7 habits of lifelong learners. It's shorter than some of the examples, but I like it.

Podcasting

This week I looked at some podcasts. Though I must admit I don't care for podcasting, as I prefer the written word over the spoken or projected word, I did learn a lot from this experience. Podcasts are great for use in the classroom. There are many diverse subjects and great ideas, most for free, that will probably appeal to some students who love auditory learning.

I looked at a podcast put on by the National Public Radio. It was created for the purpose of education and it talks about a high school that implements a great idea. They teach students digital literacy by using the super bowl ads and breaking them down to discuss advertising and effectiveness. As we're a world of consumerism, the media knows how to work different ideas into advertising to get the message across a wide variety of platforms. Some people don't even know the Superbowl for the actual game; they only know it by the commercials and the food. Advertising is so big in our culture that everyone gets messages they didn't even know they're getting. By helping students see the advertising behind the Superbowl, we can help them become better consumers in the real world.

If I were to use podcasts in a classroom or library setting, I might consider finding some about popular book authors. It would be preferable to keep them under 30 min, but I did find some great podcasts that were an hour or longer. You can listen to them in the car, in your house, while you shower, or even when you're just bored. With so many awesome and diverse topics, it's possible to find one that suits any student's need.

Online Video

Naturally, YouTube has been my favorite place to find videos, especially for teaching. With their wide selection and easy navigation, I've found hundreds of great videos not just for teaching, but also for personal use. 

This video is an informational video about teaching and the school library media center. I love it because it not only talks about everything we should stand for as school library media specialists, but it also shows the new age of technology and what is available today. In today's world some employers might ask for a video instead of a resume. I thought this would be a perfect tool to get someone a job, since she gives great advice that any employer would want to see during an interview. But she's a step ahead of the game. In today's world technology and video sharing is more important than ever before, and we need to be aware of the times as school library media specialists. 

Play!

This week, we got to play around with image generators. I know I only need to post one, but I had some fun with a few of them.

This one is a font generator that allows you to do some cool things. It even lets you use your own fonts that you have installed on your computer! Yes, you could probably do this in Word, but it's still cool. It's called http://textcraft.net/


Another one I played around with was this typo effects one, where you can convert your image into a picture/text combined. It's hard to read because it's so small, not to mention they make you pay a fee for a nice one without the logo, but for my purposes it was fun. The URL is http://www.typoeffects.com/?page_id=135


Overall I had a lot of fun playing around with these. Who knows the limitations to what you can do if you're aware of what's out there, not just for professional purposes, but for informal purposes as well.

Lifelong Learning

7 ½ habits of lifelong learners:

1.      Begin with the end in mind.

2.      Accept responsibility for your own learning.

3.      View problems as challenges.

4.      Have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner.

5.      Create your own learning toolbox.

6.      Use technology to your advantage.

7.      Teach/mentor others.

7    7    ½ Play!

Lifelong learning is something that everyone should strive to accomplish, whether they consider themselves “smart” or not. You don’t have to take a class in order to be a lifelong learner. Learning comes in so many different forms, and many of them have nothing even related to school. Most people might stop going to school after the age of twenty or thirty, but no one should stop learning, ever.

My two strengths from this list would definitely have to be begin with the end in mind and accept responsibly for your own learning. For as long as I can remember I’ve always put a huge value on education and its role in my life. I’ve always thought about the end goal, from the moment I walked into high school and started to ask myself, “Well, what do I want to do with my own life?” I grew up as a first generation college student, and my parents never put a lot of emphasis on education. Throughout my life I became a great learner and took responsibly for myself, simply because my parents never taught me that. I eventually decided to become a teacher because of my love for learning, and I hope to show my students that they are responsible for their learning, not the teacher or their parents.

My biggest weakness is by far having confidence in myself as a competent, effective learner. All my life I’ve lacked confidence in my learning. It took me many years to even take honors classes because I never felt smart enough to actually do them. I often compare myself to others and grow frustrated that I’m not on the same level as them. I’ve since realized that even though we might not all be on the same level with the same goals in mind, we all have different ways and levels of learning. If I want confidence I need to strive to be the best I can be and continue to push myself to be better in my learning goals. Studying and commitment is everything, and I know I can do anything I set my mind to if I want it bad enough. 

Welcome

Welcome to my blog!

No matter what age you are, there's always room for learning. As a future school teacher/librarian, I'm passionate about learning and setting goals that can be reached. Never stop improving, never give up, and keep a great attitude through it all.