Tool # 4

I liked working with Google Docs. I like the fact that we all can share documents without having to attach them to an e mail, plus you get feedback sometimes almost instantly. Uploading and sending a document was very easy. I am sure we are going to be using this tool very often next year (newsletters, grade level flyers, etc). I also enjoyed creating a survey and sending it to some of my colleagues. I already have some responses. That is awesome! This is all very exciting. This tool (Form) could be used in the classroom to collect information from students and afterwards graphing it (math), to answer specific questions or write a reflection on a topic or a lesson, etc. I will definitely use Google Docs.

Tool # 3

I enjoyed viewing the video sites suggested in “Tool #3”. I had used Discovery education in the past and I like the fact that you can narrow your search by content area, topic and grade level. Looking at the other sites, the one I liked best was School Tube. It has very neat stuff; the videos are sorted in categories making it easier to find material for your class. I posted two videos; one on coins and the other one about parts of a plant. I choose those videos because I think one way to learn things is by putting them in a song. It makes it easier to remember. Embedding them was not that hard. The pictures that I posted are from Google image. I had used it before and I like the variety of pictures it shows. I chose those pictures (and videos) because they show things that we study as part of first grade curriculum. The picture about the moon phases activity is my favorite.
I also learned that the copyright and fair use law allows the educators to use materials without the permission of the copyright holder as long as the copy right material is a legal copy and it is performed or displayed during face to face teaching process in a classroom.

Tool #2

This is getting interesting.  I like the fact that we are starting this online community within the school and hopefully with other educators in the district and beyond. It is always nice to learn from others' feedback and experiences.  I did have trouble trying to post comments on my colleges blogs but I finally figure it out and now it is getting easier. I will most likely be visiting the Classroom 2.0 educational blog in the near future. This is a " social network for those interested in Web 2.0 and Social Media in education". There are some interesting topics I would like to learn more about.

Getting started with 11 tools

I just started my "11 tools" experience and I can say it was not that bad. I read and viewed every single "how to do it" video (which by the way I found VERY helpful) and had to go back and forth but I finally got there. And so, here I am posting my first comment! I think what took me more time was deciding what background and voice I wanted for my avatar. It was so much fun  listening to the different "accents" and voices. I hope the next 10 tools are not that hard as well. Have a nice day everyone!