Friday, May 24, 2013

Anti-Social?


I’ve had a gym membership. I signed up, tried it once, felt inadequate because I couldn’t keep up with the people already on their way to physical perfection, so I never returned. I’ve also signed up for Twitter, Facebook, Skype, IChat, explored Second Life, have a blog, have three email accounts, managed a Wiggio account, and I’m a member of a PLN. Sounds as if I’m using social media.

Truth is I haven’t blogged since February, don’t know how to access the PLN, let alone contribute, no one in the Wiggio group used it, and Twitter is making me nervous. I can’t handle the number of tweets that pop up in a half a second time period. I can’t read them all, information overload! And who can send a coherent message in 140 characters?

I want to be on the cutting edge, I’ve tried. I’m one of those old dog-new trick people. I don’t want to be an old dog so I try new tricks. Trouble is, I only know enough to get stuck. I can only ask my tech friends so many questions before they un-friend me. LOL and what’s all that! I’m an ESL teacher and realize that exposure and use of a new language can lead to acquiring it but OMG!

I see the potential, the promise of greatness, in using social media as a tool to gain knowledge. New generations of teachers will bring these tools with them to their classrooms just in time for something newer still to come along. But these teachers will have the background knowledge to make the transition to the new stuff. My background consists of a typewriter. Most kids have never seen a typewriter, let alone know what magic an electric one possessed.

You probably think I’m anti-social media.  I’m not. I love that you can communicate with people all over the world.  Meeting new people, learning new things keep us growing as productive, contributing adults.  But am I a true contributing member of these social networking groups? And am I able to use social media tools to help my students learn? Just like the gym, I’m feeling inadequate.

However inadequate I may feel you can gain some new tools by taking a look at the following list. Enjoy and Use!


Trading Cards

Educreations Interactive Whiteboard





Activity Types and Technology

CAL SIOP lesson plans

Common Core Reading Lessons

Khan Academy FAQ

Career Tech Testing Center

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…



Apps


iOS Education App Reviews and Web Sites

Math Dictionary

Web 2.0 Smackdown at Iowa 1:1

This is the Animal Matrix

The 100 Best Twitter Tools For Teachers (2012 Edition)

Cool Cat Teacher Blog

10 Free IPad Creativity Apps for Young Learners

25 Ways to Use the IPad in the Classroom

Scooped By Judie Haynes


Colorin Colorado



UtellStory: a multimedia storytelling and sharing community

To Activate Prior Knowledge
DE Streaming

Learn360 (Login is at the top right)

American History in Video

Educational App Store
Plenty of free as well as inexpensive apps