Thing 12

Google Translator: 
Let's see JUST how good it is...muahaha!


My name is Megan and I should have done this a long time ago.


Latin (generated by Google): Nomen meum est et ego feci Megan olim.


"should have done" is translated in the indicative mood when it needed to be translated in the subjunctive mood. Olim is not the best translation either; I accept it but it is poor word choice.  It is usually translated as "once".  Finally, the translator neglected to translate "this". 


This is useful for more advanced students; the class could correct Google translator as an assignment. 


Google Calendar:
I use google calendar to send the week's assignments, quizzes, and tests to my students and their parents via email. Here is a link to one of my calendars: 
http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=clarksvilleacademy.com_nise6dqjqjlfi7d1841odit9ac%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/Chicago

Thing 11

Google's blog search was the most user friendly. I partially contribute this to the familiar search bar and its general platform. It was extremely easy to find feeds about practically anything. The most confusing site was Technorati; when I initially loaded the site, it looked more like a news website than a search engine. It took me a few glances amongst the news stories to see where to actually search for a specific feed. Well, with most internet searches, "Latin" or "Latin language" tends to bring up articles and new stories pertaining to Latin America. So I searched "pugs". I found an interesting story about a lady stealing a $1,200 pug puppy! After that, the blog site took me on numerous tangents, i.e., "How the Kardashians Affect Young Girls"...back to the assignment. All that because of a pug feed search.

Thing 10

• Tools, such as RSS, are great ways to retrieve the latest information. The internet is consistently updated and one rarely gets the latest information about ever-changing topics from a simple search engine. These tools actually do give you the latest information and you don't have to search for it!

• As far as school life is concerned, I doubt that there will be frequently updated information in the realm of Latin and ancient culture but an example might come from a new archeological find! How exciting would that be!? Professionally and personally, I would like to receive new updates on technology that I can use within and outside my classroom.

• The first thing that comes to mind when utilizing this technology in the classroom would be SCIENCE CLASS! The amount of research that is conducted and published daily is astonishing and any student or teacher can find out about it without search for it through RSS.

Thing 9

I used Imagechef.com. I had some issues using my personal computer; it is a few years old and it would not work! Mysterious! Anyway, having used the lab's computer- it worked just fine! I think this is a wonderful tool to use as an attention getter or just for fun!

Thing 8

The Flickr mash-ups are great attention getters! These images are much more interesting to look at that regular text and I think this should be used instead of titles in Power Points. I am a very private person and I am very leery about sharing my photos via the internet. I tend to explore the privacy features before uploading anything with my face on it.

Thing 7

Finding pictures and registering on Flickr.com was extremely simple. I was trying to link my blog to Flickr and I had some issues with that. After the help of Dr. Sigears, I was able to screen shot the photo and has no issues.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockandracehorses/3283458929/

Thing 6

Of the nominees, www.mint.com was an exceptional web 2.0 tool. Being the wife of a banker, saving money is always a topic of discussion. Also, as a teacher, it is important that we do as much as we can with what we get (It's no secret that we are NOT in this for the money). A user of mint.com should not fret from handing over all their financial information. After a lengthy setup (about 1 hour), one will see his or her financial outlook and status clearly. I love the spending graphs; sometimes the graphs display the cold hard truth, "Megan, you are $200 over your clothing budget this month!'. Ouch! This is an invaluable tool for anyone on a budget! There are so many features, I could write about this hours. It is definitely worth exploring.


As for an educational spin: Yes, it can be used effectively in a personal finance class. It can even help some students find great student loans and interest rates. Having a firm grip on one's finances is important for student and teacher alike. 




http://news.cnet.com/8301-13546_109-10237665-29.html?tag=mncol

Thing 5

All of the linked articles reassured me that technology is not going anywhere; if anything, we are becoming more and more dependent on it with reference education. I would be lost with my Powerschool, Gradebook, and the almighty Google. This year marks the first year of Clarksville Academy's 1 to 1 computer program. Being a teacher of a language whose primary sources are over 2,000 years old, this was a frightening idea. To my surprise even the Classics are being digitalized and there are amazing resources on the internet. School 2.0 is my (work in progress) reality. Blogs, wikis, RSS feeds are all things that even a so-called "dead" language can be enhanced by. With any subject, the ability and necessity of communicating, rather it be teacher to student or student to student, is the best feature about School 2.0. As for future- I am happy I am a lifelong learner; otherwise, I would be left in the dust.

Thing 4.

I. Commenting can literally create a "chain reaction". First, the commenter is able to voice his or her opinion and who doesn't love that? This creates a sense of community and an open forum for discussion. For instance, what if a blogger inadvertently offends a reader: That reader is now able to directly let the world know! Also, other commenters and the original blogger can clarify, defend, or retract statements. This is a great feature about our advancements in communication.


II. My two points from the readings:
       1. "Write meaningful comments"- from the Coolcat Teacher: Not one blogger wants to receive a simple "Okay :)" from a reader after spilling personal thoughts, advice, and experiences in a blog. A positive comment can encourage the blogger to continue blog; also, comments can generate future blog topics.
       2. "Be humble."- from the Problogger: Since everyone experiences conflict, rejection, negativity, and mistakes in life, people are attracted to reading humbling thoughts and stories. No one like a pompous person and no one is perfect!
III.
Classmates:
1. Damaris- I loved her blog's layout. She also commented on my blog! We both teach foreign languages and share similar tribulations.
2. Rachel- Rachel and I share similar opinions about blogging and one's need to seek a connection with the world.
3. Hyam- Her blog's layout is stunning! She is a very creative person and I respect that! I commented on her "Thing 7" because she posted pictures of her origami! It is so neat!
4. Roman- We both shared a similar view on commenting and he poetically expressed it by saying that if no one commented it is like "telling a story and no one listening." Well said!
5. Emily Henson- I commented on Emily's mainly because I was a long-term substitute in her economics class a few years back! (Haha) We also shared similar views on the necessity of commenting.


Other blogs: I'm not sure if we have "free range" of subject matter on this topic but here it is! I love cooking and it truly is my favorite thing in this world. I love reading cooking blogs to get recipes or restaurant suggestions.
1.http://www.seriouseats.com/- This blog talks about a variety of food topics! Rather it be trivial facts about food, or where to get the best burger in Texas- this blog has it all!
2.http://anastybite.blogspot.com/- This blogger is located in Nashville. She blogs about various hotspots, new resturants and all the while, putting a healthful spin on life.


IV. All comments were made because I related to what the author of the blog was saying. People naturally want someone to relate to and blogs are a great tool for people to use to connect to one another.