Pandora is the BEST!

I've recently tried using Pandora after weeks of my husband begging me to try it out. I tested it out and found that it is the best online music player ever!!! You basically start by typing in a band that you like. The website finds music that has the similar tone, vocals, and music style. The website will play music that sounds very similar to the artist's style and you as the listener can choose which songs you like and which ones you don't. So, in essance, you get a catered playlist that fits your style.

Check it out at: www.pandora.com and type in your favorite band. See what happens...

JHU Classes Online?

I think that there are numerous classes that could have been strictly online JHU courses. The first one that came to mind was the Collaborative and Project-Based learning class two summers ago. I'll focus on the other class that stood out since there have already been some posts on the CPBL one...The Professional Development course that we took this past summer would be a challenging yet interesting online course. I say challenging because of the need for teachers to get together to talk, collaborate, grow professionally, and present technology related trainings. I think it would be interesting to use an online venue such as Elluminate to share some of the trainings and material via use of the digital white board. The literature circles that we had on our class readings could be break out sessions in Elluminate or could become discussion/blog posts. The presentations, commercials and technology connections could be shared online. The only problem was all of the great snacks... if only we could find a way to share tasty treats online...

Websites that could support this JHU online class are:
Tapped In
http://tappedin.org/tappedin/

World Wide Learn
http://www.worldwidelearn.com/continuing-education/teachers-educators.htm

My Real World Community

There are many communities that I belong to in my personal life: teacher, neighborhood, dog-owner, Texas alum, music lover etc... The one community in which I feel I can connect with more people from around the world is my Scuba diving community.

I became Scuba certified in the summer of 2000. Since then, I've gone on about 75 dives in Texas, Mexico, Honduras and Spain. The interesting thing about diving is that the minute you drop your gear on the boat, every person will immediately introduce themselves and engage in a conversation about diving. People come from all over the world and for one day, for approximately 4-5 hours, you instantly bond. There is nothing quite like jumping in the ocean and exploring the big blue sea. We can't talk when we're under water. All we can do is signal each other to look at amazing wildlife and coral formations. If we're lucky, we might just see something extraordinary like a pregnant sea horse only 6 inches tall, a bottlenose dolphin and it's young, a manta ray wider than three humans... the possibilities are endless.

When we ascend back to the top we can retell the details of our dive and bond over lunch and a cold drink. There is a reason why this hobby is so addictive. It's not just the diving, it's the entire experience of the dive and the friendships made because of it.

To begin your own diving experience check out: http://www.padi.com/padi/en/sd/default.aspx

My Online Community Experience

The class that I'm currently taking is the only true online learning community that I feel that I am a real member of. In the past, I've been part of discussion boards, postings, e-mailing and file sharing but this class seems to encompass more. The fact that half of this e-learning class is online makes it that much more authentic.

By participating in Elluminate sessions, I feel a real sense of "online" community. I like that if I need to connect with someone in the class, I have several options: email, phone, discussion posts, and Skype. The requirements of this class are much more convenient for me in the sense of being able to complete them from the convenience of my own home on my own time. In addition, the group work is also more practical. My teammate and I can Skype each other, and both be online editing our Wiki page at the same exact time or divide and conquer as we see fit. This eliminates the scheduling hassle of us both having to pick a time and place to meet in person. I like the convenience of this option.

In reflecting about online learning communities, I stumbled upon an article entitled:
Community and Culture in Education Online by Steve Jones. The link below will also provide three other articles related to online communities.

http://pt3.altec.org/technology/visquest_elearning.html

Texas vs. O WHO?

I just have to say that this year's Red River Shoot Out was yet another successful victory!!! Texas shut out Oklahoma State with a 28-10 final score. The sea of burnt orange was ever present in the last minutes of the game as the Sooners left early to hit the road back to OK. Hook 'Em Horns!!!

Using email as a tool for communication...

I find it remarkable that 27 out of 28 students' parents have access to email this year. My teaching partner (who has 27 out of 27 with email access) and I have decided to try sending a weekly electronic newsletter to them. This not only elliminates paper consumption but it also reduces the amount of time we'd spend waiting in line in the copy room. If parents have a question, which they often do, then they just hit reply, and fire away. I print a hard copy for my 1 student to take home to her parents. Parents seem to like this method of communication and I've found the the amount of phone calls I've recieved has gone from 3-5 a week to none. I think that email can be a useful tool for communication when used creatively.

The Dark Cloud is Moving Away...

I think that the dark cloud of my internship might have lifted today. I just recieved final word that I did a job well done and was thanked for my time. I've submitted my reflection and it's only a matter of time before I'm free at last!!!

Not that it was a bad experience... it was just beginning to feel as though it might last FOREVER!!!

One more thing I can check off my list.. Whew HOO!!!!

My thoughts on the Technology for Educators Master's Program at JHU

Last week's discussion about the program left me with a feeling of satisfaction. Looking back at all of the classes that I've taken over the past year, I really have learned quite a great deal about technology, technology integration, and about myself as a teacher. I was hesitant at first about beginning a Master's program because I didn't feel that I'd be able to manage my time well enough to be successful. I really like the way that the program is set up to only have one class per teaching semester and two in the summer. This made it much more convenient for me to work, go to school and have somewhat of a social life.

While I have to say that there were at least two classes in which I didn't feel that I learned much from the instructors, I did however learn how to teach myself the material. There were far more classes with interesting and knowledgeable professors. I have tried new technologies that I never knew existed such as Captivate, Elluminate, Skype, and much more. The best part of the experience so far has been that I have interacted with so many great people in my cohort that I look to as friends and resources.