Thing 13

Insert a Google document, spreadsheet, or drawing into a post.  Discuss how Google Drive is useful in the classroom, and how students might be able to use Google Drive.  Compare and alternative to Google Drive, and discuss personal preference.

Google Drawing - Classroom
https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/17QNnBPnncMLK4rGyii2XDmdk9MHaml8XqWDbaQNr0HQ/edit

Google Drive can be used by every student in a class, teachers can share resources and documents where each student has access to through a shared folder.  This could also be utilized by group assignments/activities that require submission of documents that each student can access and alter.

Zoho.com has many products that are available to their users.  There are business apps, collaborative, and productivity apps.  Browsing around I noticed that the collaborative apps had mail, documents, etc. that make Zoho similar to Google Drive.  As a personal preference to using Google Drive and its tools, I have a level of comfort-ability.  I like to live life under the philosophy "If its not broke, don't fix it."

Thing 12

Choose two Google tools.  Create a post about your experience with these tools, and include a link to your creation.  What uses could these tools provide for teachers?

https://translate.google.com/#en/el/The%20Odyssey%0ABook%20I%0ATHE%20GODS%20IN%20COUNCIL%E2%80%94MIVERVA%E2%80%99S%20VISIT%20TO%20ITHACA%E2%80%94THE%20CHALLENGE%20FROM%20TELEMACHUS%20TO%20THE%20SUITORS.%0ATell%20me%2C%20O%20Muse%2C%20of%20that%20ingenious%20hero%20who%20travelled%20far%20and%20wide%20after%20he%20had%20sacked%20the%20famous%20town%20of%20Troy.%20Many%20cities%20did%20he%20visit%2C%20and%20many%20were%20the%20nations%20with%20whose%20manners%20and%20customs%20he%20was%20acquainted%3B%20moreover%20he%20suffered%20much%20by%20sea%20while%20trying%20to%20save%20his%20own%20life%20and%20bring%20his%20men%20safely%20home%3B%20but%20do%20what%20he%20might%20he%20could%20not%20save%20his%20men%2C%20for%20they%20perished%20through%20their%20own%20sheer%20folly%20in%20eating%20the%20cattle%20of%20the%20Sun-god%20Hyperion%3B%20so%20the%20god%20prevented%20them%20from%20ever%20reaching%20home.%20Tell%20me%2C%20too%2C%20about%20all%20these%20things%2C%20oh%20daughter%20of%20Jove%2C%20from%20whatsoever%20source%20you%20may%20know%20them.

Google Translate
I inserted the first paragraph of Book I from Homer's The Odyssey into Google Translate.  I added it into English to translate into Greek.  This tool allowed me to hear, a close to, version of what it might sound like to hear in Greek.  The Odyssey would have been an Oral Tradition in Greece, not written for many generations.  This tool could also be used by teachers for students where English is a second language.

Google Calendar
I inserted a schedule that I would go off of for the following week.  Google Calendar could be used be teachers and schools that do not have the budget to have an active website.  Google Calendar, Drive, Gmail, etc. could be used to allow all the students access to timelines, assignment due dates, etc.

Thing 11

Which method of finding feeds was the easiest when doing searches?  Which was the most confusing?  What useful/un-useful feeds did you find?  What were other methods did you find feeds?

I found it easiest to conduct my searches straight from Feedly.  When I went outside sources it was much harder to find the same results by adding quotations, timelines, keywords, etc, ergo more confusing.  My feeds that were the most useful were #history, #edtech, #teach.  I found the same methods through my iPhone as well.  Different search engines, such as Bing and Dogpile, with the same keyword searches yielded the same results as well

Thing 10

Create a Feedly account and subscribe to five feeds.  Describe what you like about RSS and Newsreaders.  How would you use this technology in the classroom, and how can teachers use RSS Reader?

American Historical Association
I joined the AHA to follow on Feedly because I have been on their website to gather information about what they do for history teachers, found links to resources and information, and they have conferences/seminars that are available to members.

Smithsonian
The Smithsonian has one of the largest historical collections available in world.  They provide information, references, guided online tours, etc that can be useful for history teachers.

Archaeology Magazine
The field of history is constantly changing based on new evidence found in archaeology.  Since archaeology is the field work for historians, this magazine is a tool for teachers going into either World History or U.S. History.

This Day in History
I subscribed to This Day in History because it often times draws its information from History.com and can be a fun bell ringer for history classes.

New York Times - Education
I subscribed to the NYT-Education because there is always news related to education, and this resource will provide live-time feeds of relevant information.

Free Tech for Teachers
My eyes have been opened finally for the technologies that are available online during this class, Educ5540.  I am going to have to continue to research technologies that can be used in history classrooms, as well as assistive technologies for students with disabilities.

Thing 9

Create an image in Image Generator, describe the process, upload and provide a link.  Describe how Image Generator could be used as a resource in the classroom.

I used Image Chef to design and create this Word Mosaic of the words:  Salem, Witch Trials, Massachusetts, 1692, Hysteria/Panic, Colonialism, History, Witchcraft.  I have never created a Word Mosaic, nor have I used most of these technologies in the past.  This assignment was fun to tweek around and see what words, shapes, patterns, and colors would provide.  I based this Word Mosaic on words from the Interactive PowerPoint and WebQuests that I made for this class, Educ5540.  They are based on the Tennessee State Standards for 8th Grade U.S. History, Colonialism Era (Salem Witch Trials).
As a teacher I would use this as an activity to fill any additional space before a class period is over, or a bell ringer assignment before class to get the students focused on the days lecture.  This technology should be geared towards use in the lower grade levels.

Thing 8

Using Flickr Mashup, create and upload something to your blog.  Then post how Flickr and Flickr Mashup can be used in a teacher's classroom.

http://bighugelabs.com/
Using Big Huge Labs I was able to create a jigsaw puzzle of an image of the Hiroshima Castle, Japan.  There were many other tools available such as Mosaic Maker, Movie Poster, Magazine Cover, Map Maker, Wallpaper, etc.  These tools are fun, and creative.

Flickr can be used to find images that are licensed under Creative Commons to add into PowerPoint lessons.  Flickr and Flickr Mashup tools can be used by students, primarily in K-6, to use content material from lessons to make creative images and activities.

Thing 7

Write a post describing Flickr, and my personal experience searching.  Provide an image to select, download it, cite it, and provide a link to the original.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jb912/7190313554/sizes/m/

I enjoy searching through Flickr for images.  However, when I began finding images that I might use they were unable to be downloaded by the original artist.  This is the problem where Creative Commons alleviates.  Besides for the search toolbar, Flick can also narrow the search by selecting a category of Sort, Search, and License.  By changing the License to Creative Commons license I was able to find only images available for downloads, and once I had the search entered I was able to find the images and image size that I wanted to select.  This tool is valuable for teachers because we can find images to incorporate into our lesson plans without violating copyright infringement.