Thing 8

For thing 8 I used an app called Jigsaw. Since I really liked the image that I got from Flickr for thing 7 I decided to use the same image for thing 8. You can see the image below! Again, I think that images found on Flickr and modified by apps like Jigsaw can make PowerPoint presentations and lectures more engaging. I don’t know if I would ever share an extensive amount of pictures on Flickr or sites of a similar nature. Much like a blog it seems like a big commitment and at this point I really don’t have the time or desire to maintain one.

Thing 7

I didn’t know what Flickr was before this assignment. I opted for option 1 for this blog post. I went to the website and searched the keyword theatre. There were a lot of pictures of new and old theaters from all around the world. The one that caught my eye was a picture of the Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus by Natalie Stravers. As you can see below, it is an exquisite example of ancient Greek architecture. Having access to images like this would make lectures in theatre history much more appealing to high school students. Giving them a high quality image to look at adds to the lecture and overall learning experience. Not only do they learn about Dionysus and the festival inspired by this Greek God, they get to see the actual theater these events took place! 

Thing 6

While browsing around the website Go2Web20 I happened upon a really cool tool called  PowToon. PowToon is a tool that you can use to create and animate videos and presentations. I really liked this tool because I have seen one too many dull PowerPoint presentations and this made viewing the presentation fun. The site is really user friendly and I was able to create an account for free (you can’t beat free)! It was extremely user friendly and the website has really awesome animated video tutorials to show you how to use the product. I could see this tool being used in a school or library setting. I think that this would be a great way to get both young and old students interested in the material you are presenting to them. I think it would also be a really cool way for them to present work as well. 

Thing 5

Thing 5

The two articles that I really related to were Steve Hargadon’s “Web 2.0 Is the Future of Education” and “The Horizons Report”. I think I related to these two articles because they focused on the trends occurring in education. This goes along with what School 2.0 is. To me, School 2.0 is an educational environment that follows the student no matter where they are. They are learning at home, in the classroom, and in the community. It is more then location too. It is the tools students use to learn (traditional classroom instruction, app and other computer/mobile programs, games, etc.). 

I think School 2.0 means that school administrators, teachers, and parents are going to have to create a more collaborative educational environment that extends to the home and community. For an education program to be successful in the future I think it will have to focus on how to teach the individual student using technology. We all know that every student is different so why do we as a society insist on giving them the same standardized test that we know won’t show true potential in all students?

I think the articles had it right. They talked about integrating technology in the education system via mobile apps, games, and tablets/computers. They also talked about education moving in a more collaborative direction. Using social learning and encouraging students to take a more active role in their education is important. Making students collaborators in their own educational experience will not only give them new learning opportunities but it places value in their options and contributions.  

Thing 4

Commenting helps create a sense of community and interaction because you can truly participate in a dialogue with others from around the world. I think that reading and commenting on a blog can do wonders for both the reader and the blogger. It may very well be that the person leaving a comment makes the blogger look at things from a new perspective. The same can happen with a person who reads a post on a blog.

The reading from The Blue Skunk Blog made a great point about not being a troll when commenting on a post. It said, “Agree, disagree, add, or just say thanks, but make it heart-felt. Make it relevant. Don’t be a troll.” I think that this applies to all types of social media. Thinking about some of the comments that I see on some posts from Facebook, especially on posts that have to do with hot topic issues, there is always that one person who is rude and hostile in their comment(s). It is important to remember that words do have power and that one should be careful and thoughtful when crafting a comment. Give your opinion but remember that there is value in the opinion of others too.

I also liked technique number 2 and 3 from ProBlogger’s 10 Techniques to get more comments on your blog. Number 2 is ask questions and number 3 is be open ended. I think that asking questions lets readers know that you are inviting them to participate in a dialogue with you. I think that rule number 3, be open ended, goes hand in hand with asking questions. If you say all there is to say then you don’t leave any room for discussion.

I have selected the following blogs and left a comment on each:

Lynn Torres: Prufrock and Roll. I commented on Lynn’s Thing number 2 because I was really impressed with the fact that she has maintained some kind of blog since 2006. I am not a blogger so this type of assignment is hard for me.

Esther Yum: Ester’s 23 Things. I commented on Esther’s Thing number 3 because she had similar ideas as to how we can use our blog to communicate with parents and keep them posted on what we are doing in class.

Emily Ellison: Emily’s 23 Things. I commented on Emily’s Thing number 1 because we both thought Habit 6 would be the most difficult for us.

Sheilah Queener: Miss Queener’s 23 Things. I commented on Sheilah’s Thing number 2 because we are both new to the blogging world.

Joshua Jones: Mr. Jones 23 Things. I commented on Joshua’s Thing number 2 because I loved that he was very matter of fact with his thoughts. He didn’t beat around the bush and just write what he thought people wanted to hear. He gave his honest opinion.  

HowlRound: I commented on a post that talked about using Drama to teach social skills to youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders. This type of work means a lot to me because my focus as a teaching artist has been working with youth with complex disabilities.

TYA/USA Next Blog: I commented on a post about Homosexuality in Theatre for Young Audiences. This is a hot topic in the theatre world and the post gave a very insightful look at the idea that if a play contains a gay character that it doesn’t have to take center stage in the narrative.