Thing #16 Back to loving Google!

Seriously? You want to know which productivity site I would choose? I feel as though if you have read this blog long enough you should already know the answer to this question. Google! I could say it a million times.

As I have said before I use almost everything of Googles. Now I'll admit that maybe not everything they offer is the best of all the opportunities (How dare I!) but I find it easier to use one than 8 different sites. I have my calendar and tasks synced to my phone and I can add deadlines to tasks so with school I know when assignments are due. I can color code everything so I know who has to be where and my husband and I are not mixing up each others work and what importance it plays in my life.

Now about the tools I find helpful. What don't I find helpful? I mean I really love Google! (But not more than my husband and kids) 

Thing #15 Snowflakes

Wikis are cool. I think that there is a vast amount of people that don't know about them let alone know how to use them. It is hard for me to have a site that is edited because I want to know who changed it and when they changed it and I feel as though I have lost the control. For a project that I don't mind giving up some of that control (Good Luck!) I might find some uses for. I also like that I can limit who is able to make those changes as with small groups or classes (I knew I could find control). I however find it hard to not go in and change things just because I can...Go ahead, I dare you to change something on wikipedia.com! 

As a teacher I plan on teaching younger grades so there will not be as much need for a Wiki within the classroom, but I could foresee using it with the parents or fellow educators within the school. I feel that is it another way for people to connect that are not always able to do so in person. Some are just more responsive when they can do it on their own time and easily access.

Thing #14 Blue Satin Sashes

I was immediately drawn to Gliffy.com. I glanced at the other sites to do the task and found that mindmeister.com was also a nice site to use. However easy these sites are easy to use and offer an ultimate amount of uses it is going to take some work to get use to using them. I found that Gliffy.com had an array of items to create over and above this assignment that could come in handy for other projects a teacher might have for themselves or the students. These however seem to be tools that take some work to learn all that is available and make work for a teacher’s advantage and ease.  

I have seen teachers draw mind maps and flowcharts out on Power Point, Word, and on projectors or smart boards, but I think the advantages of using the technology are wonderful. These sites offer more than just giving an example or creating a teaching lesson, but providing the students with a more in depth learning opportunity. A teacher could create and customize a mind map or flowchart specifically for a lesson and have it in the classroom when needed.

Thing #13 Girls in White Dresses

I starting using Googledocs for my online document application for everything when I started school here at APSU. I love it! I'm already on this site for my calendar, so I find that it is easy to use. I don't have to use my email and try by that inbox and have to search through everything. I also don't have to keep track of a portable devise. When I am in class and have to present I just pull on this site and view. 

The only down fall is that I much have online access to view or create anything. The other issue I have been battling and working on is that when I type a document on Googledocs it does not keep the document in the format that I need. This may be happening because I use my Ipad to create and then open in Word on a Dell computer. ​​​

This is my first time using ZOHO writer. I figured since I'm creating the document and I had no idea what to type what better way to create the blog post. I like the way the layout of the tab bars. They seem a little more user friendly than Google. 

While this site is easy to use and easy to access. Old habits are hard to break. I just don't see me using this as much because I already have a site that I use. I will however keep this for the day Google crashes....yea, like that will ever happen!

Thing #12 Google is one of my Favorite Things!

GOOGLE! 

I heart Google! I really do. I use Google all the time. If Google ever crashes I am done for. Allow me to indulge.  

I am a current user of Google calendar. It allows me to color code my calendar so I know what is my schedule, my husbands and generic things (for example birthdays and holidays) are all in one place. I also can sync the calendar with my husbands. He can even push his to his outlook and iPhone calendars. I can access it anywhere, including my phone and idevices. As a teacher I can add school calendar updates and have it linked to my class blog. I can have all my calendars in one place but still limit what other people see when I so choose. 

I also use Google email…Gmail. I have so many email addresses to count, but what I love about this email is my contacts list. Remember back in the day when you bought a new phone and had to either pay to have your contacts pushed to the new phone or reenter them one at a time. I don’t have to do that now that all of my contacts are in Google. Whenever I get a new devise I can sync it will Google and everything in loaded in. As I said before, If Google ever crashes and I’m done for.

Another wonderful Google tool that I currently am using and think is wonderful for teachers to use is Google documents. Here I can create and/or store documents in an online database. I am able to load created documents onto here and then access them from anywhere. I can then download to that computer and edit if needed. I can also share the document with other people. As a teacher I can put documents on here and other teachers can view them. I can also use this and create documents when a Microsoft program is not available at the time such as when I’m using my iPad.

You see how I love Google right? Of course I’m using the Blogger and the Reader features and the search engine. What else? I have a wiki (Google Sites) that I created for this class and a Google+ (but honestly I’m still on Facebook more than it). 

One last discovery. Did you know about Google Scholar? It is basically a search engine for scholarly articles. Now I know that we, as APSU students have access to anything the library has to offer. But what do you do when you just can’t find what you want? What do you do when you graduate? This engine allows you to search for scholarly articles. Now a downside is you must pay for prints, sometimes you have to register on the site and still other time you may have to be a subscribing customer. I think it is pretty neat feature regardless. I think Google is pretty neat! (Wow, what a nerd!)

One last thing, I swear. Check out Google Books! The revolt against Kindle :: Gasp:: ::Shocked face::

THing #11 Wild Geese that fly...

When it comes to searching for a blog I want to consider what I want to read. Blogs are not something you want a whole bunch of tying up your RSS feed if you aren't truly interested in reading it. I think in the beginning search for them was hard, although after a while I got the hang of changing up my key terms and began getting results that I wanted. I began to find more than plenty to read. I just don't like weeding through all of them. I kept thinking of the blog by Cool Cat Teacher I read on how to choose a blog. I found what she had to say very helpful in minding what I choose to follow. I even asked fellow teachers who and what they are reading these days. A penny for your thoughts on favorites?

I liked using Google (like you didn't see that coming) to search for the blogs. I also liked using Technorati.  I did not like Topix.net! It was hard to search for things and I kept getting these pop up ads. After the 3^rd time I stopped using it altogether.

Some blogs I choose to follow are EducationWeek, Inside Pre-K, and The Innovative Educator. Right now I am choosing blogs that mainly are organization driven and news worthy. I believe as I read and follow that other blogs with extra curricula topics will come along.

Thing #10 Schnitzel with Noodles

When I first wanted to know about RSS feeds I simply asked my husband. To be honest it didn’t sound like something I wanted to have filling my email inbox, or having another feed of things to read. I already am a “fan” of most of the sites I like and I can easily see what they are posting. As this assignment came up I thought I wasn’t going to enjoy it. I went ahead and watched the video and realized that I had missed the entire point of RSS feeds! It isn’t about getting the same data in a different place, it’s about getting everything in one place firsthand. I can easily have sites that are blocked at work send their RSS feeds to my reader and see what is going on them. I can also have access to all my favorite sites with the advertisements that are extremely annoying to me these days. I can see all my favorites and what has been posted on them all in one place. There is no need to keep a favorites folder on my internet tabs or skip from site to site. I can go to one online reader and have everything in one place. While I do enjoy it I am finding that old habits die hard. I still am getting into the habit of reading them and using the reader effectively and efficiently. This will cut down on so much work during the day with trying to stay up to date on the world when I spend most of my day with students and no time to play.