If you’re on a site, and want to subscribe to its associated RSS feed, just look for something that looks like one of the icons below!
Still confused about blogs, Google Reader, and RSS? This video should help clear up a few things!
http://youtube.com/v/0klgLsSxGsU
The blog has now been active for a couple of weeks and we have 19 posts and 28 comments! Nice work WC! people! I love to see your comments and posts!!
Today we were working on our blogs and posting to each other’s blogs. I sent a comment to Kay’s blog. Cathie had noticed that you can be at the dashboard for your blog and click on comments to have it show you if you have any comments that are “Awaiting Moderation”. This way you wouldn’t have to wait for the emails. My comment showed up under “Awaiting Moderation” so we went to it. There is a button that allows the you to edit any comments that are sent to you before you accept it. I noticed that I had made some errors so we changed the wording and then accepted it. At first, I thought this was great because once it was published, I couldn’t go back to make changes. So I was happy to have Kay make the necessary changes for me and I was part of the whole editing process. Then it occurred to me that this could be scary too. You could send a comment to someone’s blog and they could completely change what you said. However, your name would still be attached to that comment! Without being an administrator on the blog, you couldn’t delete your “changed version” either. Just something to consider when you are leaving comments on blogs out there in the digital world.
This is a great YouTube video defining Web 2.0!
Go to www.YouTube.com and search for Web 2.0…The Machine Is Us/ing Us”.
What a visual explanation! Enjoy!
Did anyone else have trouble finding and accessing podcasts? I did.
I listened to two podcasts. The first was on a topic of personal interest dealing with a hermit who lived in the Adirondacks. Noah John Rondeau lived in the North Country for a number of years. The podcast came from North Country Public Radio. Of professional interest, I listened to 60 Second Science. This had a number of short podcasts dealing with many scientific topics.
As I was reviewing the statistics in this article, I was amazed at how much has changed since my daughter was in high school four short years ago. Then I see that one of our teachers is listening to podcasts with her six year old and I wonder what the world of technology will mean to her over time in school. It seems that keeping up with our children and their technology growth is a daunting task. As educators, what responsibility do we have to keep up with this growth and use technology in our teaching? What criteria do you think we should use to select technology tools to use with students?
My professional podcast is one from the Activated Storytellers website(http://www.activated-storytellers.com/folktales/davy_crockett.html). This touring group presents folktales to students at school assemblies and in a variety of different settings. This link will let you listen to a story about Davy Crockett which they have “Activated” and have an interactive website where you can follow along and read the story as you listen to the Storytellers and move a small group of animals around on the screen with your mouse. The actual story begins at the 5:15 mark in the podcast with other background information about the story tellers location and purpose to this podcast. I would rate this podcast ***. http://media.libsyn.com/media/activated/DavyCrockett3.mp3
For my personal interest podcast I found a fantasy football podcast giving information about selecting widereceivers and tight ends for my fantasy football team. Eric Karabell and Tristan Cockcroft share tips and strategies in selecting these positions in a draft. I rate this *****!http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/podcast/archive?id=2967163
Professional Interest:
Teachers Teaching Teachers is “a weekly webcast on the EdTechTalk channel of the WorldBridges network”. Discussions take place between teachers from all over the United States – New Jersey to California to New York City (August 1st podcast) and Maryland to Massachussetts to the Hudson Valley (August 15th podcast). Teachers communicate about various technology matters – much like what we have discussed or will discuss in WilliamsonConnects. The August 1st episode specifically talks about blogging in a social networking and creating projects so that it fits into a curriculum. Teachers bring their concerns to the table and talk about what they may do in their own classrooms. Rating: ****
http://teachersteachingteachers.org/?p=128
Personal Interest:
I found this site through a number of different searches that I completed. Christopher Fredrick – a graduate student at Colorado State University – is responsible for the different podcasts discussing real life topics and the mathematics involved. I listened to a particular podcast “Behold, the factorial!” Probability is not one of my favorite topics to teach. The explanation behind this topic was both descriptive and realistic. I envision using this podcast later this year while introducing factorials. Rating: ****
For my professional podcast I found this to be very insightful since art therapy is an interest of mine. It demonstarted how art therapy could be extended through the internet to reach those who are homebound and/or disabled. Dr. Kate Collie emphasizes that this approach is not intended to replace face to face therapy sessions…simply to offer it to a broader population. As I watched I could understand how beneficial this would be to those with social/emotional challenges. Small group communication/interraction takes place in a “safe” environment as participants create pictures on ther computers. I’d rate this ***** Check it out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvbhO-2xWmk
The personal podcast I found was http://www.rvnavigator.com. The RV Navigator is your digital home for RVing information. The guides will be providing audio reports (podcasts) covering the RV lifestyle from an on the road perspective. Your guides (Ken and Martha) are avid travelers and spend 6 months a year or so in their RV moving around the country as the mood hits. They have been to all 50 states (only 49 in the RV) as well as numerous foreign countries. They will share their thoughts on RV travel tips, technology for your RV, destination ideas and experiences and news for RVers.
I found this podcast to be very interesting because I enjoy camping in our fifth wheel camper just like the guides in this podcast do. It was very enjoyable listening to them.
My thought (more than a question is) — It is truly amazing to me that RVers traveling throughout the United States can broadcast an audio podcast from their campsites. Technology is bringing campers together. Who would have dreamed that was possible? (But the campfire is still a great place for conversation with fellow campers.)
