Blogs I Posted To

My comments show up as Thunderbird.  Obviously I had already applied to Blogger before starting ECAP and didn't want to track a whole new user name.  The three I posted to were:

1) http://hillaryecap.blogspot.com/p/web-20-applications.html

2) http://myfirstyearteachingat.blogspot.com/p/web-20.html

3) http://hst-johnson-cte.blogspot.com/p/web-20-applications.html

Thanks...

Scribble Maps

For my "Other Media and Communication Tool", I chose Scribble Maps.  As you may have noticed from other posts, I am thoroughly enjoying being a coach, so I thought a cool thing would be to plot where each school is that we played against.  I used Scribble Maps to draw a circle of that school's colors to represent on the map where that school was.  In the end, it looked pretty neat to show how our district is close to us but we still ventured out to play some farther away teams such as Aledo and Arlington Sam Houston.

The ease of use was pretty good.  The only issue would be crowding up the map, as I had originally wanted to put in the distance of travel for each opponent.  I can see myself using this in Geometry to create shapes on a map and have the students figure out the area encompassed by the shape or find cities that represent an angle with another city along the angle bisector.

Good tool there!

Digital Storytelling

I used Little Bird Tales to create a chronicle of the 2012-2013 JV2 boys soccer team that I coached.  I found the website very interesting and making the 3 minute video was fairly easy.  I was able to put snapshots from the games as pictures for the pages and then add text and my voice to it in order to round out the story.  The usefulness of this precise tool is difficult to see in a geometry classroom, especially when there are already so many tutorials (Khan Academy comes to mind) already out on the web detailing exactly what I would be saying.  It may be worth having the students make up a review for a specific unit, as it will make them put it into their own words.  This could be a beneficial activity for them.

WIki page

I made a Wiki page that I could see myself using for the students as they come back from summer vacation.  The first thing we do in Geometry is a couple week review of algebra.  Using the Wiki page, I can introduce the topics that will be covered, post assignments, and provide notes.  The students will be able to provide their input as well.  The first assignment I put up was for each student to make a discussion post, stating the pluses and minuses from algebra.  This not only makes them think back to the prior year, but it also will serve me in dictating which portions of the subject need to be touched on with deeper instruction.

Making the Wiki was not difficult at all.  It was quick to sign up for, easy to navigate and easy to link to.

RSS Feed <--> Pinterest

I use Feedly as an RSS feed to get my news on soccer, music, art, and educational ideas but I feel that is a private affair that does not need to be linked to on this blog.  I enjoyed the Google Reader format much better and Feedly, but they are both very nice to be able to scan the headlines and only click on those that spark my interest.

Concerning Pinterest, I use it solely as a source for really awesome ideas.  For instance, when looking at a design website, they had a canister that could open with differing volumes to allow the user to get the desired amount of pasta based on the number of dinner guests.  Little items like this that could be future birthday presents are what excite me about Pinterest.  A very easy to use tool.

Google Docs

I have used Google Docs in the past and found it very helpful.  My fellow Texas A&M alumni and I annually play in a soccer tournament and we use a shared document to keep up to date on everyone's pertinent information and status for that year's tournament.

Additionally, a few friends and I use the site to share an inventory of the music we have in our catalogs.  This allows each of us to know what the other is currently listening to and vice versa.

The process of sharing a link was not difficult either, as you simply had to update the security settings and copy the link over.  Very pleased with Google...unsurprisingly.

Social Bookmarking

On the Web 2.0 page of this blog, right underneath the glog, you can find a link to my delicious site where I have begun the process of bookmarking pages I like.  This is mainly geared towards my soccer team rather than my geometry team, but I can see how putting labels on the links would allow it to be used for both groups.

Overall, I was unimpressed with the social bookmarking page, as many RSS feeds are doing the same thing as this.  I currently use Feedly.com, having buried Google Reader (RIP).  It seems like a convenience that is being pushed on me, telling me all these "benefits" that are not necessary to a pleasant web experience.