Now it's time to really play with all of this!

Ok, I just did some work to update my profile! I needed some help from my daughter up upload my picture after I altered it to cut my friend out of it. I took me a while but since I have less fear of trying things on the computer, I figured it out. Yeah me!

Thing 23

My personal plan of attack for the next year, and years to come, include continuing to use the web for continued learning opportunities. First, personally, I plan to go back and review and use the technologies we were exposed to so that I become more fluent in their use. Second, professionally and pedagogically, I plan to share with my OT and teacher colleagues websites that provide ideas and information that can be readily used with students. Going beyond OT practice, I have gained some knowledge that teachers can use with students in the classroom. I will continue with future learning opportunities on the web as I have in the past, but with even greater confidence in sites.
Prior to this class, I shared information with fellow workers only through e-mail. I will now be able to join online discussions through wikis. I also now have accounts at blogger.com, wikispaces.com, del.icio.us, Michigan LearnPort, and know how to use flickr.com, drop.io, vixy.net, and look at blogs and wikis. Who would have thought I could do all of that!

Thing 22

I already conduct my own learning experiences online to add to my therapy strategies. It is always fun to get new ideas or to see that I am using up to date techniques. When I started working outcounty in the schools providing OT to elementary students, I used the web to help me become updated since I had previously worked in psychiatry, geriatrics, then at the Skills Center instructing students in the transition from school to work. I have attended classes with Mr. Dornberg in learning to access the internet and it has been a tremendous experience! Those who know me know that I have called myself computer illiterate, but I don't think I can say that now! I will continue to access the internet for continuing education/research opportunities to enhance my job skills. Knowing that blogs and wikis are available, I can now add them to my list of sites to explore. This class has been stressful at times when I could not get things to work the way they were supposed to, but I am much more able to navigate sites without fear of "messing up". The tutorials presented by Mr. Dornberg were excellent. I hope they will be available to us for quite a while so we can refer to them. THANK YOU JIM!

Thing 21

It took me quite a while to work on this lesson. I was afraid of all of the warnings I was getting for the files we were told to download. I hope I did not infect my computer! I will not be using videos in my work with children since all of my therapy is hands on. I sure can see applications for teachers though!
I checked out the video links we were directed to and quickly found inappropriate videos. I justed checked my ISD e-mail before I started this lesson and we received warnings about the things we are using on ISD equipment. Hope Betsy understands the things we are trying on here since it doesn't all look work related!

Thing 20 - 2

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

Thing 20

I was thinking how easy all of this was and then I missed all of the settings we were supposed to use on the drop.io site. Oops! Now I can only put my link here with cut and paste since I do not have a widget option. http://drop.io/gywcazi I am finding my way around websites much easier now than when I started all of this, but I still have issues with computers!

Thing 19

Here are the podcasts I checked out. I really liked the quick and dirty tips!
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/default.aspx
http://greengirl.quickanddirtytips.com/
http://www.mpsomaha.org/willow/radio/listen.html
OK, remember that I am not a teacher in a classroom, so I have to think about podcasts in a different way. If I was a student, I would prefer video podcasts. I cannot learn just by hearing information. I need to see something to help round out the sensory input to my brain. I can see great applications for podcasts in the classroom. You know the kids get tired of just listening to their teacher talk! This would give different input. And kids nowadays do like their technology. They may enjoy listening to a "lecture" on their own laptop or iPod!
I did not like having to wait for podcasts to load and I think this could be an issue in a classroom where time is limited. The inability to get rid of links to other podcasts that may be innappropriate could make it more difficult to find podcasts for the classroom. You would have to check out all of the links to make sure they are all appropriate! What a job!

Thing 17

I hope our facilitators are checking on all of the things I have done for this class! This is not easy for me, but I do feel good about being able to figure out some issues on my own. I would never believe I could do all of this! Thanks Jim!
The difference between wikis and blogs are in that a blog is like a one way comment. I can share my thoughts and not have someone think they are the only way to view things. In a wiki I can share information with others and link sites I have found helpful for my work. I only just started my wiki skillsot.wikispaces.com
I hope to go back and link sites I have used to my site to help others who may be looking for new ideas that work!
I will not use wikis or blogs with my students since I am not a teacher and do not have assignments. I may use this in my professional life to communicate with other OTs. If other OTs are trying the same ideas that I am trying, we can blog our experiences. I thing a wiki can be used to share ideas with others. I find it interesting that I am even considering using this technology!

Thing 13, too

OK, this is not my day! When I added a picture, the site deleted the other blog I had posted (probably since they had the same title?) I did use the photo editing on the picture, but since it was a card there was not much I could do. I will definitely use this site for fun with photos as soon as I get a camera!!!

Thing 13

Wait! I got this added on, but it is not the one I edited! This was a card that depicted my husband and I on our wedding day. We are still together after almost 28 years, so it has worked for us! Can you tell we like to tease and joke?

Thing 12

Flicker seems like it can be very useful for teachers with the ability to gather and save photos for students to use. In a classroom I can see a teacher using computers with photos for "writing ideas" instead of cut out pictures if the schools move to more computer use for everyday assignments (as the trend is supposed to be headed). In therapy I can use pictures for showing students skills I need them to use, such as the correct way to hold a pencil for best muscle use, the way to hold scissors, pictures I could take of their work to compare their progress, etc. To be honest, I still like paper and pencil and will probably stick with their work papers in a folder to compare, but the idea is plausible if I have a scanner.

Hmmmm.....

I think I did something wrong on the last lesson since the website showed up, but not the slideshare. At least I know how to look at what others have done. I don't think I will need to use this in my work. I tried!

Thing 11

http://www.slideshare.net/wcbvi/pre-braille-skills-and-fine-motor-development-1306774

Thing 10

I think this may be over my head! I am a bit overwhelmed with this info on Google Docs! I can envision a survey for teachers regarding what they see as their needs from OTs in the classroom, but I am much more comfortable doing something on paper (old school). I would love to have the graphs, but individual responses are ok with me. I am probably a chicken when it comes to putting myself out there with technology, so I guess I might leave this part to someone else to try....but who knows.
Well, I'm back from trying to set up a survey, but I was unsuccessful!! I guess I need more 1:1 to get some of this. At least I have the info to try it again another time!

Thing 8

I already took a social bookmarking class with Jim Dornberg at the ISD so this was familiar to me. Actually, I do not have anything to add to it right now since I have been using it during the school year for myself. Since I am an OT I look up ideas to use with my students, such as crafts, to work on fine motor skills and muscle development. My current colleagues in this online class do not address the same thing, so they probably will not need my bookmarks. But if I am wrong, please let me know!

Thing 5

OMG! Ok, after this I feel like I am entering another world of education! I like the ideas of being able to access what other educators are teaching in their classes, but cannot fathom the amount of time it would take to do all of the things in the "story situation"! Teachers are amazing, but aren't there limits to the time they have?
As an OT I share a lot of information with teachers I work with. I can see the possibility of creating a blog for suggestions, activities, accomodations, and references for teachers to access ideas when I am not in their schools. But, again, finding the time could be difficult.

Thing 4

Ok, I have heard a lot of this information in technology courses I have taken. Since I am an OT and I go to sensory workshops as well as learning about ways to approach my students' difficulties with motor tasks in the classroom, I have explored some of the ideas of looking for different ways to accomplish tasks in the classroom. I think it is interesting for our students that they have infinite ways to approach work for school instead of just learning from one source as we did when I was a kid! I had not thought of it like this before!
I did like the information of how to become a Life Long Learner....and I am proud to see that I have taken these steps in my life! And now I am moving into technology "on my own" through this course!

Thing 3

I have never done anything with blogs before. I had my daughter help me set this up and I am still unsure if I did it all correctly! Those of you who know me will know that I get anxious when trying new things until I master them. I will have to work hard at all of this.