How Many Tools Are Needed?

I'm a Kitchen Gadget collector...Yes! I am confessing to LOVING kitchen gadgets and I know I've got a problem. I've returned from another Pampered Chef party and I just had the last order from a party a week ago delivered last night. If you've never tried their products, you should. Great quality and warranty that's outstanding.

As I was putting away my products I was reflecting on owning 6 measuring cups and then having just purchased two more. Everyone said I couldn't live without this Measure All  and the Mini Measure All so I had to have them. Secretly, I really did want them especially for my Peanut Butter Cookies at Christmas time. It's such a pain getting the peanut butter out of the measuring cup. This way the solids come seamlessly out of the tube. Are all of these measuring cups needed? 

Well, it depends on the job you're doing. As I am reflecting on Web 2.0 tools, collaboration and how they can be used for educational purposes I am wondering if one can have too many choices of Web 2.0 tools? Does having an abundance of tools cause us to become stressed about how to use them? Does it become overwhelming to learn and incorporate these tools into our already very busy schedules? I am contemplating these questions and many more as I learn more about other Web 2.0 tools. I know I'm still keeping all my measuring cups because at various times they all come in handy. Perhaps that's how we need to utilize Web 2.0 tools, keep them stored someplace for when they will come in handy.

Current Event #4 - Sharing and a PSN

Another Reason to Share 

Developing a Personal Sharing Network

I chose these two particular blog posts because they both appeared in my Feed on the same night and this idea of sharing has really stuck with me since the first discussion posts we did. In fact, I would take a good guess in saying that George Couros and Richard Bryne probably shared and collaborated on this very topic via Twitter)
I liked what George had to say about sharing, "but there is some teacher out there that can take what you have done, adapt it, modify it, and tailor it to exactly what their kids need." I remember someone else bringing this to my attention when I wrote about sharing my plans with another teacher. I saw this teacher as wanting my hard work, but instead it was an opportunity for her to learn from my experience and to modify it to her way of teaching so she could come to some understanding about writing.

I couldn't agree more with this statement, "When your organization shares your best ideas with your own community, the neighbouring community, and the world, you help push education locally and globally" I'm beinging to share more and it's a major goal in my inquiry project.

Richard Bryne also wrote about modify what we call the Personal Learning Network (PLN) to now having it called the Personal Sharing Network (PSN). What an interesting idea considering Web 2.0 tools allow use to share and then collaborate on ideas and issue in education. He also talked about the more you share the more others are likely to share with you. I believe in this whole heartedly now.
Isn't the first line Robert Fulghum's poem "All I Really Neet to Know I Learned in Kindergarten," "Share everything!" It's a simple idea but still the hardest for adults and some teachers, like myself to remember. I'm working on it though.

Diigo Beginnings

I logged on and created a profile a couple nights ago. Very easy and as I was maneuvering through the start up process and adding my interests, favourite movies, television shows, books, etc it really reminded me of creating a profile for Facebook. The screens are even similar. I'm thinking maybe the sharing will be similar to Facebook. 

Some of the language is even the same. My network, my groups. I think Facebook started with the same language as well. 

I am unsure of the categories down the left hand side but I think I'll be able to figure it out.
This is so cool! As I was scrolling through Google Reader I couldn't figure out what the blue box was around my images. I thought Google had modified something but it's not Google, it's Diigo. It's allowing me to bookmark an image. How very cool is this? Just clicked on the little disc image and it sent it to Diigo. I think I'm in love. What implication for education does this have? If kids find an image for a research project and they want to use it, just Diigo It! I think Diigo will be a tool I stick with for quite a while.

Technology Makes Me Giddy With Happiness

This post has nothing to do with my inquiry project but I thought some of you might be interested to know this, perhaps you do already but I'm going to share it regardless. 

A fellow grade 2 teacher who I'm working with on a small project sent me a placemat (a ledger size paper with sections marked off, I use it to help students understand number by decomposing it). 

This photo is a sample of one I use. They develop throughout the year as students' learning increases. This teacher decided to create one in Word. I didn't think you could create a document as large as ledger size in Word. That's a new learning all in itself, so of course I've got to try this at some point and problem solve how she did it. The fun part comes soon, I promise. How am I going to print this? Do I have to print 4 separate sheets then cut and paste them together manually? Yikes! I sure hope not.  I know basic printers at school don't print out ledger size. Well, now what! I thought maybe I could print this to our photocopiers. Sure enough, I found the photocopier setting on the computer, made sure it looked good and pressed send. 

Voila!!!!

I just about jumped out of my skin. It WORKED!!! Well now the possibilities are endless, the sky's the limit. I've got a placemat that's printed, clean of icky photocopy gunky spots and it was all done on the computer. LOVE IT! Can you tell how excited I am about this?

If you'd like me to send you the Word document please let me know. I haven't figured out how to add a Word document to blogs but I'll figure it out.

Inquiry Proposal

Ultimately this proposal occupied a large portion of my time this week and weekend. Sorry but it is far too large of a document to just copy and paste. It has been uploaded to Google Docs and embedded into this blog for  reading. Please click on the link if you wish to view it.

All I can say is,  "This was hard". It's one of the hardest assignments I have even had to do. It pushed me to my limit. I am left wondering, Is it too long? Detailed enough? Clear enough? Have I cited correctly? Have I made enough connections? Does it flow? Have I stated the reasons why I want to learn about each Web 2.0 tool? I guess time will tell.

This morning as I cried on the way to the school because of stress, I realized that I have a full time job and that being a perfectionist may not be all it is cracked up to be. By no means am I perfect nor do I want to be. Doing well and being perfect are completely different. My priority must be the job since that is what pays for me to do all of these extra curriculum things.
I've said it often but writing is one of the hardest skills. Good writing is like a great piece of milk chocolate cake. The first bite of sweet fluffiness draws you in to taking more and more bites, until it's gone. I can make a good chocolate cake so I'm going to trust myself that I can create a good piece of writing at sometime in my life. Or to think of it differently, maybe some of us were made to be bakers and some of us were not. Regardless, it's what we learn through the process and how great it feels to be done.

I have tried my best with the resources and skills available. Isn't this what we ask of our students? I know it's what I ask. How about you?

Here is a time line of my proposal.

Current Event #3 - Andy Ihnatko's Obituary of Steve Jobs

http://www.suntimes.com/technology/ihnatko/8057908-452/rip-steve-jobs-a-man-who-truly-changed-the-world.html

I personally think this is the biggest story in the tech world this week and for quite a while. Regardless of what you think of Steve Jobs he truly was a visionary in the technology world. As I'm writing about my current event on the computer he created or at least encouraged someone to build, I'm searching on my iPhone for a misspelling of a word and texting a friend who'd had a bad day. What would I do without them?

I am reflecting on the impact he's had on my life and those of others. Where would we be if we didn't have personal computers or Smart phones to work with? Would we have Web 2.0 tools? Would we have been able to just "Google It?" Would we have been able to do our learning over the computer? Do many of us even realize that Steve Jobs and Apple Computers really changed the way we communicate, interact, collaborate and educate children.

HIs death is sad and as I write this, I'm fighting back tears. I think we've lost a person who inspired us to do better and be better. He was a leader and a visionary. Steve wanted us to imagine the imaginable. I think as a teacher that's what I want my students to do as well.

Andy Inhakto's obituary is a wonderful tribute to Steve Jobs. I loved his personal story about the NeXT cube. Isn't it wonderful to think that perhaps it was Steve on the phone that day. I know I sure would like to believe that it was. Andy said it well, "Still: yesterday, I lived on a world with a Steve Jobs in it. Tonight, I don’t. That’s truly how I feel right now."

April

Current Event #2 - 10 Reasons Your Students Should Blog

Here is my Current Event #2
10 Reasons Your Students Should Blog
It comes from Matt Ray (aka Mr. Foteah) blog - From the desk of Mr. Foteah. I found this article last week while I was on Twitter and knew I had to share it with all of you. I believe whole heartedly in everything he is saying. Students are engaged and it provides them with a voice to share their thoughts and feelings about certain topics. Take a look at my trash bin on my computer. There are 121 comments and posts from my grade 2's in the past 3 weeks. I can't stop them nor do I want to. They are engaging and motivated to write. What more could a teacher ask for?


I especially enjoyed point #10 when he discusses instant engagement because I am seeing just that with my students. They can't wait until it's computer class or to go home and write. I've got one student who has written every night and not just 2 or 3 sentences, but more. As teachers we are always wanting to motivate our students to write and Matt Ray has given us 10 reasons why you should get your students to blog as soon as possible. Take caution because it can become addicting for them.
Hopefully you will start your students on the blogging journey. Kidblog.org is a fantastic site to get your students started.
April