1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey? Some things that will be very useful are Flickr, Google Tools and the online image creator. Also, Nings is something I will be joining in the near future...
   
2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals? This has helped me realize the various resources out there, and I plan to use many of the "23 things" in the classroom.
   
3. Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you? I didn't expect to learn as much as I did, and definitely didn't think I would apply this to my teaching. I will keep an open mind as return next summer!
   
4. What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept? I wish I didn't have to join some of the sites to work on them...mostly because its going to be hard to keep up with all of the passwords lol. But that's pretty much unavoidable...
   
5. If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate? Yes!!
   
6. How would you describe your learning experience in ONE WORD or in ONE SENTENCE, so we could use your words to promote 23 Things learning activities? Awesome.
   

Thing #22

I found a group on Nings that is just for orchestra teachers! This is so exciting, because orchestra can be such a smaller world, and it would be interesting to see what other teachers are doing outside the state... I was surprised to see that there were not any teachers from Texas, since we have such strong orchestra programs and orchestra specific organizations such as TODA and TMEA.

Some of the forums discussed orchestra literature and string pedagogy. One discussion was geared towards vibrato and the various ways to teach it. Too cool, I'm kinda geeking out, lol. I will definitely tell my collegues about this group/website!

Thing #21

So I had trouble loading Photostory onto my computer because it's a PC program and I have a Mac...boo, lol. I am really familiar with podcasts though, I subscribe to Chelsea Lately and some of the orchestra series on iTunes. I love that it is so easy to access, I can just put it on my iPod and go... I found a cool podcast called Discover Spanish. You can subscribe to more extensive lessons online or buy the CD-Rom.

Thing #20

There are really great things on YouTube for education and entertainment, and I think that TeacherTube could be a great resource after it has more users and more videos/audio posts. This is definitely something to follow.

There isn't really much in my content area, but I did find a neat video of Yo Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman performing together.

Thing #19

The one thing that is nice about the Web 2.0 Awards is that its one way to sort through all of the resources available out there. It is on way I can keep up with the developing websites.

I was also able to find new websites for personal interest, such as Urban Spoon. Urban Spoon has reviews of top restaurants all over the US, I personally like how you can search not only by city but also by area.

I also noticed that a lot of the websites that we are working with were on the winning list. Go 23 Things!!!

Thing #18

Google Docs is really useful..... I am a Mac user, so before I had Microsoft Office I would use Google to open documents that could not be opened in Apple Works. The formatting is normally like the original document. Also, since I use Gmail, I don't have to go to a different website or application, I can just open attachments right there!

Thing #17

I love Rollyo! Confession, I'm an online shopaholic lol. :) With this website I can combine my fav websites as a personal search engine and organize them by category. This would be useful from the educational perspective in which I can find credible websites and organize them as search engines for my students.

Here is a link to my search engine for Designer clothes & accesories...

Thing # 16

I love wikipedia, so I'm really excited that there are educational resources with the same format. I use wiki as a quick reference for composer dates and other music history info. Since anyone can post though, I always double check my info.... Collaborative note-taking it a great way for students to work together in a healthy way, without one student doing the "heavy lifting." Also, if a student is confused or missed a day, this enables them to network with other students.

After posting on the SBISD sandbox, it seems like everyone is loving this course and learning a lot. I'm happy that we are blogging about this, because I can use it as a reference throughout the year!!

Thing #15

I went to the library the other day and someone said "can you imagine what libraries will be like 10 years from now...they will probably be extinct." I still remember trips to the library when I was younger, and when I go there I love the smells and comforting quiet. I don't agree that libraries will just "disappear." Activities like this and the always-learning, tech-savvy librarians are resources to the community, and continually adapt the library to thrive.

Although students are technologically advanced, they need to be guided on what resources are best suited for what they need and how to utilize what they need. I thought the article Into a new world of librarianship was interesting because it discussed what librarians are doing already and their role in the community.

Thing #14

After using Flickr and Delicious, I feel like those websites had more in my content area. Flickr had many useful pictures and videos, and I found some interesting articles at delicious. Technorati was easy to use, but did not have much relevent information tagged for orchestra. I did find an interesting article on the humans' brain activity while listening to music. I also found a cool website that has a Playstation themed iPhone case.

Thing #13

Since there is such a vast amount of information online, it would be good as a teacher to sort through and figure out the best sources to help their students research using technology. I could also use it to tag things that might be interesting to my students pertaining to my content area. I would have to work with the website a little longer though, because it was a little confusing at first.

Thing #12

Commenting on fellow Library2Play blogs was fun because I was able to see what others liked or problems they had with the websites we've been assigned. I also commented on Celeb Gossip blogs...it's kinda a guilty pleasure. :)

Thing #11

Library Thing pulled up my books and information quickly. It was interesting to see how many people shared books on my list and to read their reviews. If I had books I wanted my students to read, I could post them and reviews so they could pull the information off of my page.

Thing #10

Going through the different sites really helped me see what is out there for both my students and myself... Some websites are mostly for fun and maybe jazzing up a project, while others I could use personally.

One fun website was Image Chef, and here is a where you can make a jersey. :)

Also, I will probably use the cd cover maker on the following website for my students concert recordings.

This website also has map makers, calendars and more!!!

Thing #9

Atomic Learning and Google Blog Search were definitely the easiest to use. I felt that Suprglu was a little confusing. The website itself was "busy" looking and more difficult to manage. On the Google Blog Search, I found a blog for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra that would be neat to share with my students. A funny blog was the TicTac Orchestra about a musical commercial for the candy.

Thing #8

I like that there is such variety in the different blogs and anyone could find something for almost any interest. Since many people have gmail, it makes it easier to stay in updated on news and events while just checking email. Teachers could have their students set up an account and have them follow specific blogs, or write about things they are following that are specific to their interests.

Thing #7

As an extracurricular teacher, the Google Calendar is a great way for all of my students to see rehearsals, concerts, etc. so they can put them on their family calendars.

The Google Notebook could be used by students for projects, especially long term science projects where you regularly track progress.

Here is my Google calendar...

Thing #6

The Librarian Trading Card would be great to create at the library as a flashcard for different historical figures. Also, students can use Mappr to better visualize exactly where various monuments are and use it for school projects. Mosaic Maker really is a neat app...this is Copper, my sister's dog! :)

Thing #5

I finally went to Flickr, lol. It was neat to see the candid shots of musicians and famous conductors. I can totally use it for music history lessons... I just thought this pic was cute though. Everyone needs music in their life. :)

Thing #3

YAY!!! Avatar created...will be done in no time. :)

Thing #2

Lifelong learning...

Besides being a total bookworm, my main outlet to lifelong learning is the cello. I started playing in the 8th grade and now as an orchestra teacher, I have to keep up with string pedagogy, new music repertoire and rehearsal techniques. Also, as a private lesson instructor, I have to maintain my own playing ability. I am making it my goal to focus on my playing this summer. It will be hard juggling practicing with working at a music festival, teaching, etc., but I'm going to do it.