Thing 17 Beware the Pod-people

Podcasting . . . can we say YUCK?! I prefer to delude myself into believing that I really am a 5'9" super model, thank you very much! On the other hand, a pre-recorded tirade my sub could use to threaten my students when I'm out would be nice. I previewed the NPR Books podcast and the Webster's Word of the Day podcast, and I think both have classroom applications. It is worthwhile for students to hear about new literature because it reminds them that books are indeed a part of the modern existence of many people; the word of the day site is a wonderful resource for my TAKS prep students who have English language problems because they can hear the proper pronunciation of English words. I used the iTunes podcast directory to look up The Onion on the advice of Salinger, and it was well worth it!While I have the ability to create my own videos, my students do not . . . some barely speak English. I teach a section of TAKS English to Seniors who have previously failed the TAKS and need to pass to graduate on time. Because most of them do not speak much English (if at all), I must show them how to write one essay they can use for a variety of prompts and then have them memorize it. We write the same essay over and over and over and over again until the can write it by heart in their sleep. There just is no room for podcasting. And, as I've mentioned before, access to the technology is limited. 40 laptops (sans camera) for the entire 2800 members of the student body just isn't cutting it. I can see the possibilities for podcasted lessons that can be used to adjust the pace of the reading of a text or that illustrate and emphasize key moments and concepts in a text, but again, podcasting seems like a faraway dream until technology is truly integrated for all students.

Thing # 7B: Lunch With Lou, Ole!

I love "The Onion"! Whenever I am truly depressed about the state of the world, I read a reader post from "The Onion" and I feel instantly better about my own cynicism. "Lou Dobbs Leaves CNN" is a perfect example. Check it out! How brilliant is it to report that T.V.'s least imigrant friendly pundit is being deported as an illegal hispanic imigrant? I love the philosophy that "The bigger they are, the harder they fall." It has nothing to do with political orientation; I just love to see pedantic blowhards get theirs. I wonder if my therapist will say this points to my feelings in inadequacy? Oh, who cares! I pay him to listen to me.

Thing # 7A: Awww, My Old Friend The Reader

I found a really cool story on my reader post for NPR, and it made me think of something hopeful in education. The story is "Two Graphic Novels Explain Science, Colorfully", and it sparked a wonderful daydream for me in which students can't wait to do their science homework because it is in a form they love, a graphic novel. Graphic novels are now the most common fodder for movie ideas in Hollywood: Ghost Rider and Watchmen are just two recent pieces turned into blockbuster films. I think students would love for at least some of the curriculum to be in a mode they like and are rather expert in. It makes us look "cool" and it makes science a little more entertaining, which hopefully means more teachable.

Thing #15 umm, umm, good!

Delicious: worth the wait at the dinner table? I am not sure. As with many technologies I have explored so far, I found the use of the site and the process a bit overwhelming and at times it didn't seem to work. I received several error messages that told me to try to bookmark later, and I found several sites that were no longer there. Having said that, the idea of compiling, sharing, and categorizing all of my favorite sites is pretty cool. I do believe that delicious has applications in the professional realm, including a way for departments and individual teachers to share resources and even create virtual guides to meeting talking points. The ability to tag is also useful; it helps me sift through multiple bookmarks for what I want or need at the moment, and it gives others clues to what they would find interesting or useful. I definitely think I will continue to explore this technology and try to find ways to use it to help me organize and share resources that I previously just jotted down and hoped I would come across when I needed them in the future. Check out my delicious links about Lord of the Flies, a bibliography maker, and service dogs .

Thing #14 Word!

I posted an idea using wordle because it was easy to use and superneat. Blabberize was impossible and did not seem to work as advertised. My idea was to use wordle to create an "I" poem ( you know: a bio-poem using parts speech to be descriptive) about yourself or a character from a text. I think it speaks to the skills of students who are good with words as well as visually creative students. Some of the tools allow editing and sharing options that allow creators to connect with others socially. Again, some of these tools are clunky and you have to register or pay for features. I don't think I will use those tools if they are not user-friendly and cost money just to access the cool bits.

Thing # 13 The Lucky Number

Image mashups are cool! I had trouble getting to some of the sites, and I was a bit frustrated that the map site said it would not work because as it claimed, it has not supported flikr since 2007. I am sure the discovery activity for the thing just needs to be updated. As you can see from the documentation on each of my pictures, I used the smiley face site to create the picture on the left and a comic strip generator for the alien. I think this is a skill that students could master to enhance their existing projects, but I am at a loss for how to make this the major meat of a project. I am more impressed with the fun social possibilities for mashups; I can also see the selections I created also being used to create political cartoons. Hey! That would be a way for government students to use this tool.

Thing #12: Electric Slide

My slideshow is a tribute to a very mischievous kitten named Toby. I just adopted him, and he is obsessed with unrolling the toilet paper and carrying it to his secret hidey-hole. Based on his commitment to this project, I am convinced he dreams of nothing else. The frustrating part of this thing was the fact that half of the listed slide sites were inaccessible through the school network, and I worry that students who do not have at home internet access are out of luck if asked to use these functions. Therefore, I hesitate to set them up for failure and disappointment if our district will not allow them to utilize these technologies. What a shame.
1. sleepyhead bella by wicked one
2. cimg1671 by 9.81 meters per second squared
3. img_20070120_0001 by cosimba2