The End...

Zombies attacked and I lost... The actual prosthetic I do!

This is how I feel about everything...

Favorite Discoveries or Exercises
Well one of my favorite discoveries made through this journey was the fact that anyone can create... A BLOG!!!! I had no clue of the easiness of doing this, and I think Google makes it even easier on people who really had no clue how people created these things. I also really enjoyed using the reader on Google, and I use it every time on Sunday nights after The Walking Dead goes off to see what new headline is going to go up on their blog.

23 Things Effect
The effect that 23 Things had on me was that I found out that I love doing tasks on my own as long as I am given directions. Also, 23 Things has effected my writing, because I now see to be much more personable of a writer than I was before this experience.

The SURPRISES
The biggest surprise of this whole experience was the fact that completing 23 Things is not as difficult as everyone claims it is. I have heard so many complaints about how difficult it is to complete this... It was a breeze, and I strangely enjoyed it.

The Improvement Needed...
My biggest complaint through the whole experience and what I felt was the biggest improvement needed was the fact that certain applications or tools you had to sign up for, you had to give your credit card number. The Internet is not a safe place, and if a company is not nationally rated like Amazon or eBay where a secure server like PayPal is not used, I am NOT going to give them my credit card number. So for future reference, the Thing #14 (in my opinion) needs new resources/tools that do not ask for your credit card number.

My Future Practice as a... Teacher!
When I did the library database exercise, I found this really cool article about how a teacher had each of her students set up a blog where she had them do their art critiques for her art class. I HOPE I am able to do something like that, because I have found most students do not want to constructively criticize or be constructively criticized in a group setting. So I believe a blog will alleviate that pressure regarding art critiques.
The Upcoming New Developments
Lastly, the way I will keep up with new developments is through Yahoo's main page, because they always have about 40 different articles ranging from technology to death role. So basically if something new happens with web 2.0, I will be able to find it one there : )

That's the end folks....

23!23!23!

The original work that Learning 2.0-23Things for Teachers blog was based on was 43 Things I (or You) Might Want to do This Year and the website 43 Things that was created by and from Stephen Abram's article. From there Helene Blowers took the idea and modified it into Learning 2.0 with help from her staff at the Charlotte Mecklenburg County Public Library system. This information can be found on "About Learning 2.0 - 23 Things for Teachers" tab on the apsu.23things blog spot.

If I find something that would be a useful resource within my future art classroom, I could use the Creative Commons Licensing to add too or alter the original resource if I felt that I could add more to it. The license would protect me from copyright troubles with the original creators, and it would protect them from having their work ripped off by someone else. Also, it gives the next person the opportunity to add too or use an already existing program to make it better while giving the creator credit.
http://apsu23things.blogspot.com/2008/08/about-learning-20-23-things-for.html

Thing 21 describe me at 21

Animoto and I did not get along...at all. I am on a slower Internet connection, and I think that the Internet caused a great deal of my problems. Uploading the pictures and choosing the song were not hard, it was having to save the video and then embed it on to my blog...However, I succeeded in figuring out how to accomplish this by the end of this experience. I have to say that this tool is very cool, and I totally agree with them feeling the need to charge someone to make videos.



Make your own photo slideshow at Animoto.

22 Binders

The titles for my binders are Toilet Paper Sculpture, Makeup, and Drawing Perspective. Both the Toilet Paper Sculpture and Makeup binders are part of a unit plan named "Careers in Art No One Talks About" that I have been developing for my TPA next semester. LiveBinders could be a place for students to use to find alternative resources to a certain topic they are learning without them finding all of the bad stuff sometimes found on the Internet... This could be a safe place for them to find additional resources. Also, I thought it would be interesting to use this binder website within school districts, so teachers from certain specialized areas could collaborate on what is being taught in their classrooms. The last thing I noticed on this website was at the topic of webpage that said something about common core curriculum. It hit me just a second ago at how LiveBinders could easily be the way that common core could truly be used.

Drawing Perspective

19 and Beyond

Membership
I am a member of Facebook, Twitter, Flixster, TeacherPop, and the Zombie Research Society. Other than the first two mentioned, I like using Flixster, because I love movies and LOVE movie trailers. So Flixster gives me an opportunity to check out coming up movies while being able to read the descriptions and see who will be in it. It is an application that can be added to most smart phones, and I love how it allows you to customize your likes and dislikes from a range of genres, actors and actresses, and even theaters. I have now joined TeacherPop, and I am excited about seeing what exactly I can do with that online community. The last online community I belong to is the Zombie Research Society where members can communicate ideas about basically anything zombie, plus they are featured regularly on the "Talking Dead" which is the talk show that comes on after AMC's The Walking Dead on Sunday nights.
Appeal 
Well of course Facebook is appealing, because it allows me to keep up with people and express my thoughts for all of my Facebook families to see. Flixster and the Zombie Research Society are also very appealing, because I am a diehard cinema/horror nerd. Professionally, I probably will have some use for TeacherPop as my education draws to an end here at the old Peay...
Interest
I found all of them interesting that I have mentioned, and I looked at a few others, but I am kind of skiddish of signing up for everything the Internet has to offer... I will use all of them later, and even though Flixster and the Zombie Research Society might not seem educational on the surface but believe me, I can relate anything and everything back in to become educational or at least a "real world experience".

Zombies at Thing 20

 YouTubeI LOVE YOUTUBE WITH A FIRE BURNING PASSION! So really I have no dislikes for YouTube...hahaha. The video I choose to use was the trailer for World War Z which is the companion to Max Brooks' "The Zombie Survival Guide" that is fixing to come out. I have always strongly disliked Brad Pitt, but if he is doing a zombie movie he has moved up considerably in my list of actors. World War Z is basically what would happen in the world if virus strain ever broke out that created the living dead. It has deeper issues that mirror what is happening in the world today like the war in the Middle East, the government's response to global events, and the ways the government hurts its people during extreme times.
Library Website
The first thing I thought of was that the library website could feature movie trailers to famous books to get kids interested in reading...Also, it informs kids that movies come from books not the other way around. (Hint the movie trailer I picked) YouTube is a great resource to use in the classroom or on a library website if it is watched properly and certain things are censored. YouTube gives you the opportunity to watch the original video you were looking for, see what is related to your search, or you can watch a video that has nothing to do with your search other than both creators having the same last name. I see YouTube like a research database that is set up to give the viewer information that stimulates intelligences that articles and books sometimes can not give. So... I see YouTube as a great application for a library website.

I was pretty social at 18

Educators and Social Networking
In my opinion, educators need to know how social networking works because of the ways students have figured out how to use them for purposes that hurt others. Bullying is on the increase in schools today, and cyber bullying is increasing due to the availability of websites that promote social networking. Teachers need to realize that even though the bullying might not be happening on the surface in a classroom, it could easily be happening on the World Wide Web where many more people can take part all at once. Educators can benefit from understanding how social networking works, because it is a resource that keeps you in touch with students' parents (NOT THE STUDENTS). It also is a place where teachers can communicate with other teachers or join groups relating to their educational pursuits. Insights
I have used Facebook since around 2009, and I have always enjoyed the simplicity of the site along with being able to write thoughts, post pictures, and see what others are up too. I have never used Twitter, so that is what I signed up for today. I learned that it is an easier way to follow influential or famous people or companies.
Likes and Dislikes
The likes I had for Twitter was like what I said above that it is easier to follow influential or famous people or companies. I liked how the home page or "dashboard" for your twitter page was also simple to use. My dislikes for Twitter was the fact that I had to sign up for another social networking site whenever I am very attached to Facebook. If I had came across it first it might be different, but I probably will not be using very often.
Most Useful Features
The site with the most useful features for me was Facebook, and that is truly only because I am familiar with the website. Facebook offers me ways to send messages, have private chats, post pictures, and tell my thoughts while tagging others. Some of those features can be used on Twitter, but I am Facebook kind of girl ; )
School Application
I can see a school having a group or page that others could follow. The school would be able to post what is going on in the school, certain events coming up, and interacting with other schools. Facebook I believe would be the place that this could be easily achieved (once again I am so biased), and more people use Facebook or have an account compared to Twitter.
https://twitter.com/KatherineHowe17

Tag me at 17

Overall Experience and Thoughts

Now this is a tool I believe that I will be using more often, and I am super excited that we actually had a thing over something like this. I typed in "educational technology" into the search engine, and instead of it just giving me tags over those certain keywords together, it gave me results related to those keywords. The site that I looked at and viewed the comments on was TED. I have been on this site before, and I have seen it used in pyschology classes, art classes, and just by people who have a love for learning about new innovations and ideas.

 

Classroom Use and the Teacher Advantage

This tool has major potential for many different uses in my future classroom. Unlike search engines, social bookmarking sites allow the user to get a more defined explanation of what the tagged or bookmarked website entails. This is because users are able to see what others have said about the website no matter if it's good or bad. With this said, I believe that I can use this tool in the classroom and be able to know what exactly a website is truly about before presenting it my class. Also, I found another use for it in the classroom by being an extra tool for students to use for more information regarding a topic they are struggling with. I looked at another site that came up when I typed in "art education" called Drawspace. It was an online classroom for how to teach or learn anything about drawing, and I thought it would be a good site to use whenever students miss lessons in drawing or need extra help. There are so many more reasons to use bookmarking sites other than just using them to keep resources used. Teachers will be able to take advantage of social bookmarking sites by creating a group within a school for teachers and adminstrators to see what resources and sites are being presented in all of the classrooms.

 

I am posting both of the sites I found using delicious....

http://dev.drawspace.com/

http://www.ted.com/

Sixteen's Productivity

Start Page I used the Google start page since I use Google just about every day because of the gmail and drive they provide. Unlike the gmail and drive, I really hated the start page Google offerred. It reminded me way to much of using OneStop, and I have major problems with any University resource because of the minor bugs that take so much to fix in a long amount of time. Also, I have a smart phone, so I am able to get whatever I desire from using which ever application in a matter of seconds. Like I said in a previous post, I like my stuff to be sorted out to its respectable place, so I know exactly where to go to get what I am looking for on a whim. In conclusion, I will not make the Google start page my permanent home page because of jumble of information that is thrown at me all at once and the small similarities it shares with the dreaded OneStop...
Calendars
Online calendars would be useful to me, because I can never keep up with a paper calendar for more than a few days. SInce I get on the internet at least once a day, I would be more inclined to keep up with an online calendar.
Also, I would be able to access the online calendars anywhere that I had internet access. Unfortunately, with how I treat paper calendars it would be more likely that I would sign up for it and never use it while it constantly sent me emails.
To-Do Lists
The to-do lists struck me as something that was too much work, but I can see where to some it would be useful.I like to have to-do lists, but I like writing them down, because writing something down helps me remember something easier. I already use several applications, tools, and programs on the computer, and it's hard enough keeping up with them all the time so a to-do list would probably push me over the edge.
Recommended Tools
Unfortunately, none of the tools I used for the discovery of Thing 16 would I be able to find use for at home or at school. I like to make my own to-do lists because of the act of remembering plus writing it down, and since I never have much luck with calendars that would probably never happen either. The start pages were something that was too much like what I already have to use on a day-to-day basis for accessing anything that has do with my personal learning experience (especially the pay of that learning experience). Now, if I was going to recommend any of these tools to another person, I would choose the to-do list, because I believe that as an adult you should be able to keep up with things that you need to do (haha) or accomplish. I have very little respect for folks who do not turn in papers, homework, and any other assignment in until after the due date. It is disrespectful to the teacher, other students, and ultimately yourself.

Wiki Wiki 15

Well, after completing this exercise I was amazed at the ease and simplicity of editing a wiki. I was most interested in the fact that anyone, anywhere, doing anything can post or edit things on the internet that could be true or false if it is open or if they have permission. Along with this, I was also interested at how this concept can positively evolve learning because of the constant changing pace. I could easily use a wiki in a classroom through art history. I could teach a lesson say on post-impressionism and have the students write their thoughts within the wiki on post-impressionism. Then I could ask each of them to tell me what modern art was going to deal with and place it in the classroom wiki. Whenever I have completed the lesson we as a class can go in and edit out what information ended up not really happening within the modern art period. This way the students can use technology and learn about a wiki, and also learn how not everything on the internet is true because of the ease of writing and editing anything. 

Thing 14 (blah)

So after completing this "Thing", I was a little disgruntled. Up till this point every application that we have been asked to use for our blog has been free...until today. Now, if a resource is constantly providing you with SOMETHING it is understandable why you have to pay, but a resource that generates mind maps and flowcharts???? I was not very happy after completing this, and I know that it says to set up an account with one of each, but I am not signing up for anything that requires my credit card number for the so-called "free trial" that will charge me if I do not cancel it before a certain date.

Anyways, I did use the demos that Gliffy and mindmeister used. When I used the demo Gliffy flowchart, it was describing Lady Gaga and so I filled it in with things pertaining to The Walking Dead and zombies (surprise surprise!). I liked the way the flowchart worked and allowed you to address several different degrees of where people know about certain subjects. Also, it allowed you to go further into evidence of who or what something is so anyone in your audience can eventually understand what you are talking about. Now with the mindmeister website and using the mind maps, it was something I was familiar with working with in art classes. We were always taught that if you a good idea that there is a better one, but you have to work and search to find it. That is how mind maps works to me by being a way to find a better solution to a problem that you originally do not see, and that is where mindmeister is trying to help people. 

Lucky Thing #13 : )

After using Zoho Writer and being a previous user of Google Docs, I feel that Google Docs is much easier and user friendly. Zoho Writer seemed to have a tool bar that resembled Word more, but I like my Google Docs for the simplicity. Now, I am biased, because I have used Google Docs for quite a while. Also, I believe that Google Docs has things spread out so you keep everything separate. Some folks out there might enjoy using Zoho because it has everything in one column, but for me I like thinking that all of my stuff is separated into its respected place.

Now for the sharing part of this post, I didn't exactly follow the directions because I chose to upload a powerpoint. This powerpoint is very dear to me, because I am a huge advocate for being super accepting and understanding of all students in my future classroom. I believe that LBGTQ rights are the last civil rights frontier for America, and I believe that teachers really need to be conscientious of how they teach and treat all of their students.

Google Docs is a great way for students to work collaboratively on papers, drawings, research, and power points. Students would be able to work at home on a project with their group members and chat while using Google Docs to make sure that the changes look okay or if something does not look right.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/16mDgK2W8Uyi_pgcKyS3F2ojvImwKWHVE_zRKMEV0uHI/edit#slide=id.gac0fad91_2_0

12! Halfway There!!

I really enjoyed using the Picasa Album, because it was an easy way to save photos. Photos on phones or computers and even hardcopies can easily be deleted or lost so using a problem like this is a great way to know that your photos are in a secure position. This would be a good way to create a folder of images for students to see regarding something being taught, so the teacher could pull it up rather than look through Google Images and be fearful of what pops up. This would be especially helpful for an art teacher, because I would be able to open a folder of images of art work that relates to a certain artist or period that the students do not have available in their books. I also used Google Translator, because I am currently in Spanish, and I am studying abroad this summer. I thought this would be a neat tool to let students use, but it should be censored... I would hate to know that my students were looking up inappropriate language to be offensive to an unsuspecting student...

https://picasaweb.google.com/110185379485560807117/February112013

http://translate.google.com/#auto/es/Hello!%20My%20name%20is%20Eli%20Howell%2C%20and%20I%20am%20using%20google%20translate%2C%20because%20I%20am%20studying%20abroad%20this%20summer%20in%20Spain%20and%20thought%20this%20would%20be%20a%20nifty%20tool%20to%20use.%20I%20believe%20this%20would%20be%20a%20good%20tool%20to%20use%20in%20the%20classroom...%20But%20it%20would%20have%20to%20be%20censored!

11 is The Thing!

I really enjoyed using Technorati for searching for blogs about certain things that interest me. It was capable of giving me either blogs or posts related to my keywords, and then it pulled up lists of the top 100 for certain categories. I thought the google blogs search engine was more confusing, because it pulled from many many different areas according to my keywords. However, I did find two different blogs from both search tools, and they are listed below. Uproxx deals with pop culture, specifically television and movies, and Creative Texture Tools was about metalsmithing and art education. I guess Creative Texture Tools was more useful for education, but I always find learning about anything pop culture vital for my learning experience. The most unusual feed I found was one about spending six months in Arizona learning how to paint and live in an all women commune. Like the examples on Thing #11's page, I found many other sites and blogs just from the information on the side of the page of certain sites. 

http://www.uproxx.com/tv/

http://creativetexturetools.com/news/

Oh Number 10 ; )

The funny thing about the RSS and newsreaders was that I had set it back at Thing #4 and had not even realized it. I just thought it was something to help me keep up with who all I had commented on whenever I had been working on the post. Well I have been using it successfully already in my personal life, because I have been able to keep up on what is going happening on AMC's The Walking Dead's blog. In my school, it would be easy to incorporate, because I would be able to keep up with what blogs I am following regarding art education. Teachers would be able to keep up with what teachers who teach similar content area as themselves and see what they are using in their classrooms. Teachers would be able to have all the blogs they follow easily at their fingertips at all times. I believe this is by far my favorite thing I have done so far, because I have used it the most frequently since doing Thing #4. : )

Thing 9 isn't quite a 10, but it's still great!

http://www.imagechef.com/ic/make.jsp?tid=Candy+Hearts



So I have had the hardest time with Thing#9, because the image or text generators just seem to not want to work for me. However, I have persevered and continued to try to make this work. So for what feels like the hundredth time, I chose to use image chef and the image for Valentine's Day. I would hope to never get this candy heart, but for this certain blog post I thought it was quite fitting. If this image for some reason decides to quit working after I turn it in, I do apologize and please note that I have tried several times to make this thing stick to my blog numerous times. (I have edited this certain blog several times because of having to regenerate an image or text...)

I believe that these image generators could be used in an entertaining and funny way in the classroom to keep students spirits up. These could be used in an educational way, but I believe that there are so many more ways to use these for kids to find a funnier side of life, especially if they do not find the brighter side of life very regularly in their home lives.

Ocho

 

 I really enjoyed using the "Spell with flickr" tool that was part of the list. I attempted to use some the other tools, but I really did not want to create a flickr account. I do have a facebook account and several email accounts, but I have no interest in joining flickr. To some it might be a useful tool, and it is fun to find many different images under one keyword, but I do not love photos enough to justify creating an account that would contact me over trivial matters. ANYWAYS, I can see where this could be used in a classroom. However, for an art classroom (like my future one) I would much rather have my students create letters to display signs, names, or words rather than using a computer generated word using photos.

Seven is the #

I have never used Flickr before, but I was amazed to find that the site had so many different photos for just one keyword. Also, that one keyword brought about so many different groups and tags to find other things relating in with the first search. When I first used the search bar, I used the word "zombie" (in relation to the blogs I follow), but I found that the images on the site were nothing different from any other zombie photo I had ever seen. They all seemed like something that I myself could have came up with. So I decided to go with something relating to my avatar, but gondolas had nothing interesting. FINALLY, I found this awesome picture from someone who had a relation to the keyword "sheep herding". I find this photo quite entertaining, because the sheep face the camera and the awesome mountain range in the background. For some reason, sheep herding has become an interest of mine... It might have to do with my love of Babe as a small child!


By. bild-schoen
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bild-schoen/8453381445/

SIX!

The tool that I decided to look at the closet was the Weduary site. I choose this tool, because my best friend is getting married in October, and as the maid of honor I have gotten thrown headfirst into wedding planning. Though it is fun, it is stressful and this tool seems to be something that I actually will recommend her to use so there will be a clear list of things needed before and during the wedding that can be easily checked off. I liked that this tool easily allows you to link your site to Facebook to show who all is going to the wedding before it actually happens. Also, this tool allows you to personalize it to your own liking, and it allows for certain areas to be private on your own site. There was nothing that I disliked, but I felt that the RSVP section was slightly cheesy...Because who does not send out proper invitations? The one part that I felt was very useful was the area where you could manage your registries, because believe me it can get confusing and stressful whenever the bride and groom decide on different places to register. I do have a hard time finding a use for this tool in a school or library setting, but hey I might get married and be able to connect my colleagues to how my planning is going ; ) I guess you never really know the usefulness of a tool until you use it personally for yourself...

Here is this tool's link! http://weduary.com/

It's a thing called...FIVE!

I choose to view all of the articles listed for Thing Number 5 to get a good view on what Web 2.0 and School 2.0 really are during this day and time. I was amazed to find from Wikipedia (favorite place on the internet) out that Web 2.0 was a term coined in 1999, and that the internet had already became a place where information was not only given, but a place where information could be received and interacted with amongst all groups of the world's population.  Now for School 2.0, I had a vague understanding from what was discussed in previous classes in education, but after viewing the articles 50 Web 2.0 etc. and Teachers 2.0 I understood what "School 2.0" meant. School 2.0 means to me that teachers and students use resources and tools to learn from the internet and give feedback from what they learned. Also, these same teachers and students change these resources and tools because of their use and feedback for the next group of teachers and students. I believe that the use of School 2.0 resources and tools for schools of the future means that teachers and students will be able to constantly change what is happening on the internet. Also, these same future teachers and students will be those who are creating new resources and tools to keep up with the constant changes and demands the world's economy has placed on educating the youth.

School 2.0 is the present and future for education at this time, but I am a person who believes that even this new creation for communication and learning will be replaced by something that is even larger and more technologically advanced!

Thing N#mber 4

Community and Interaction- Commenting on blogs that you have read creates a community for the blog because it shows that the blog is actually being followed. Also, it helps the author of the blog see that someone agrees with them, but if you do comment then make sure to make it worth the blogger's time when they go to read it. CoolCat Teacher talked about how comments like "Right On!" and "I Agree" do not really help, because she wants to know the WHY's!! Also, even though the commenting is sometimes for the author, it is also for the comments made by others creating an interaction and community between the author = commenters= and followers. SO... the gist of why commenting is a good thing according to all four bloggers : ) is because it helps the blogger and everyone involved actually be part of wordly interaction. BUT REMEMBER The CoolCat Teacher did warn about being a Darth Commenter, because words hurt folks...

Two Points- The first point that I felt was important other than the ones made above was the fact that ProBlogger talked about being Controversial? (haha) I am the type to like controversy, because I believe people actually figure out what they believe and feel passionate about whenever they get a little heated over a conversation. Now with that said, sometimes things can be taken a little to far...BUT I do believe that it is crucial especially whenever you follow a blog and find the author has really made an unsound opinion on a certain topic. Drapes Takes Blogger makes a create point when talking about the author of the blog actually commenting back from comments. Yeah it's great and everything whenever you find yourself with all of these comments from your faithful followers, but if you are not appreciating how people actually read your stuff and comment on it then you are being an Unjust Blogger in my opinion. 

7 Blogs-The 7 Blogs I choose were

• Markesha McCombs- I liked how she went into detail regarding her avatar, and how she made certain choices to really make it special. I commented on her avatar, because I felt she put a great deal of thought into creating it.
• JoBeth Turner- I choose this blog to follow, because I found that I had a great deal in common when it came to dealing with problems in regards to the 7 1/2 Habits of Lifelong Learners.
• Lacy Jack- This blog was extra awesome, because she posts pictures along with each of her posts. Her writing is very effective along with being easily readable, and it is very inviting.
• Matt Little- Mr. Little's blog was not generic at all, and he made sure that his posts were the least superficial he could make them. Along with this, he made very good comments and comparisons between educaion and blogging.
• Chasity Halpin- During a point in her blog, she commented on commenting on others' blogs and being critical in a nice way. I really enjoy it when someone believes it's better to be honest.
• Zombie Research Society- So I am very interested in anything zombie (especially fast moving zombies), and I always find this blog to be very comforting because of its diverse approaches to how to respond. I have followed this blog in the past, and it will probably be viewed by myself after this class. 
• AMC's The Walking Dead- To go along with true zombie obsession, I also am a faithful viewer of The Walking Dead. This blog that is on the AMC's website goes into detail regarding how they shot certain scenes, done makeup, who will die next, and so forth. I have also viewed this blog in the past, and it greatly helped me find love for prosthetic makeup.

My Comments- On Markesha McCombs's blog, I commented on her avatar and how she went about figuring out how to create the perfect image for her blog. On JoBeth Turner's blog, I commented on the commonality between both of our views on the 7 1/2 Habits of Lifelong Learners. On Lacy Jack's blog, I commented on how her blog draws the follower in because of both her writing and pictures. On Matt Little's blog, I commented on how he created a blog that was not superficial to the follower and seemed very personal. On Chasity Halpin's blog, I responded to her view on being critical of others' blogs and those comments that follow it. On the ZRS blog, I commented on a post regarding a zombie summer camp that has been started for high school age students so they will know how to respond to a situation like this. On AMC's The Walking Dead blog, I commented on a post about famous zombies from the show, and how one of the zombie's makeup was very convincing after it had eaten one of the main characters. 

http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2006/08/how-to-comment-like-king-or-queen.html 
http://drapestakes.blogspot.com/2008/05/edublogger-etiquette-responding-to.html 
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2006/10/12/10-techniques-to-get-more-comments-on-your-blog/
http://blogs.amctv.com/the-walking-dead/
http://zombieresearchsociety.com/blog

Thang #3

After viewing some of the blogs on the Top 50 list, I realized that I could create a blog for my future classroom as an area to write about what projects the kids are working on and to post student work. I thought the blog could be a place where friends and family of the students plus an area for other art educators to view what is going on in my classroom. Though I would not be able to show the students in any of the photographs, the students could easily tell what artwork belonged to them to their family members. This type of blog would be especially good for areas that had a large population of military families because of the most likely distance between them and their families and hometowns. Also, I feel it is important for art, music, HHP, and other specialized areas to have communication with others like themselves because of the likelihood they will be the only teacher of their kind in that school. My blog could become an area to post suggestions on how to make projects stronger or more well-rounded, or even talk about why it would be better to avoid certain projects all together.

Creating a blog for my future classroom and even using it now for my teacher program is a way to bring insight on how I view technology and art education. I believe that it would be a very helpful tool to have in my future classroom because of its usefulness to my students, my students' relatives, and for educators like myself.

Thing # One

After viewing the 7 & 1/2 habits of lifelong learners, I knew that the hardest habit for me is seeing problems as challenges that will help me along the way. I am a perfectionist to a fault when it comes to learning or creating something, and I have a problem with allowing myself to be okay with not always coming out on top. As I have gotten older, this habit has became more understandable, but it is still a daily challenge. I am art education major, and when I first started out in my art classes I realized that I was not going to be the best out of everyone in that field of study. It was an eye opener and a struggle, but I believe that it made me a better person and will helpfully make me a better teacher candidate and more empathetic towards my future students who struggle with art.

Now the habit that comes the easiest for me is having the end in mind. With that said, the end in my mind might change constantly with where I want to end up, but I have several goals and routes that I would like to take in the future. I love children, but I am not sure if I want to teach in a K-12 setting for the rest of my life because of my love for art history. However, what I do know is that whatever end I do choose in life, I will have chosen it with the knowledge that I made the right decision for myself.

Thing Number 2

When dealing with blogs, I have never read or had my own blog. I have never had much of a reason to put my thoughts so expressively on a site that allows me to talk at great lengths about myself or things close to me. I do use facebook on a regular basis for the usual snooping and alleviating boredom, and the occasional picture and status update. I did not get very creative with my blog name and posting name, because I wasn't aware that it was exactly a choice to do so. However, my blog name and posting name is okie dokie for me, so I feel no reason to change it. The creation of the blog was very easy, and I felt I could have done it by myself with the instructions given on the "23 Things" page. I have been around a computer a great part of my life and so figuring out the simple steps behind creating things rarely give me a problem. My avatar was the difficult part for me, because I deeply enjoyed all of the different approaches one can take when creating an avatar. The avatar does reflect my personality, because I created it with a silly attitude like my own attitude. The avatar does not look like myself, because I felt it was my chance to become a gondola driving, sheep herding wizard. Why? Well who wouldn't want that power? ; )