Thing 4

       Commenting on blogs helps to create a sense of community, because it helps people to understand one's thoughts and inspires feedback. One of the keys to a successful commenting community is to be controversial. Basically, I think if one expresses their true ideas, feedback will result. And while it's essential to be aware of one's writing, it's also imperative to ask questions or make comments that one believes in and stands for. Since only 1 out of every 100 bloggers only comment, one must give aspire to write a blog that will give the internet community an inkling to blog back.
       The seven blogs that I commented on are; Lisa Werber's, Katie Robello's, Jessica Tucker's, Sara Hammontree's, and Mrs. Miller's from our class. I also commented on Cortne Hunt's and April Bumpus' from other classes. The comments that I choose to make revolved around letting them know that each had great ideas for using blogs. I also added a bit of humor to my comments, because there is nothing better than a laugh. I selected these people, because each gave a great blog. And blogs are made to encourage remarks.

     

Thing 6

  I explored Picasa. Picasa makes it really simple to take photos from your desktop and publish them online for others to see. Picasa also has a built-in geotagging that lets you set where photos were taken either by single photo, or by entire albums. It's a great way to browse photos if you feel like exploring. Another interesting aspect is that it lets one manipulate their pictures in a variety of ways like; cropping, getting rid of red eyes, and black and white. Perhaps, the only feature that I didn't like was that users have to pay for additional storage; however, after downloading, one does obtain 1GB of free hosting. I think this tool could be useful in school settings for clubs like the Yearbook clubs. Also, it just helps one be more organized when it comes to albums and pictures.Picasaweb.google.com  

Thing 5

       The articles I chose showed me that the internet is apart of everything in life. If one wants to progress, he or she better have skills and be able to use the internet. In the article Web 2.0, one learns that the future of our daily lives will be entrusted to people that live through the internet. And while I'm not a fan of the internet, I know that I too will have to adjust my life for this technology. However, I also know that the internet will help me to develop better lesson plans and instructional methods for my teaching. To me, the term School 2.0 means that schools need to be on board with technology otherwise they will be left behind in learning. The future of schools is very simple: they will either be technology sufficient or the school will be shut down. As shown in Teachers 2.0, educators are even taking to the internet to vent. Basically, the internet is everywhere, and it's here to stay and keep changing our lives.

Thing 3

     Blogging is an essential tool for any kind of educational purpose. The main aspect of blogging is that it helps one communicate their ideas with others. This process of communicating ideas eventually results in the sharing of ideas which is always a positive in the education atmosphere. For my education and future teaching, I will use blogging as a way to keep a journal of my experiences in order to further help my development. For my students, blogging will be a useful component to class through discussion, development of computer skills and keeping active in participation.  

Thing 2

    The creation of my blog was a difficult endeavor at first. This was the first time I'd ever attempted to use a computer in this way. And while I became very frustrated at times, I eventually, with help from the teacher, learned how to create my blog.
     When deciding on my posting name, I simply followed my teacher's advice to put my last name. Also, it is better for people to see my posting name as my last name rather than a nickname that will never be associated with me for future job opportunities. When choosing the name of my blog, I simply titled "Me." I thought that was simple enough for me, because I'm a simple guy.
      My experience creating this blog was very difficult. I'm very weak when it comes to computers, and I've never been able to learn computers thoroughly. I guess I'm considered a dinosaur in this age of technology. However, with help and guidance from my teacher, I was able to understand how to create a blog.
      When creating my avatar, I was in such a hurry to keep up in class that I wasn't able to make it reflect me. In fact, my avatar ended up being naked. So, when i get time, my avatar will reflect my personality eventually. 

Thing 1

        The habit of lifelong learning that I find the easiest is Habit 4: having confidence in myself as a competent effective learner. The reason Habit 4 resembles my personality and character as a person, because I don't ever let anything bring me down. The habit I find the most difficult is Habit 6: using technology to my advantage. And while Habit 7 is my weak point as a learner, I will use my confidence as a learner (Habit 4) to combat any difficulty that technology (Habit 6) may challenge me with.