Learning Steps

a) RSS Readers

1.  I used Google Reader for a couple of simple reasons.  First, of the video clips I watched, the clearest (to me) explanation was about Google Reader, so I used it. Second, I did this with two of my classmates and we all decided to try Google Reader.  Actually, I have a third reason.  I won’t have trouble remembering that I chose Google Reader because Google is already such a familiar term.

2. I subscribed to ESPN.com  Big12-Blog, Politico Top Stories, Technology Hints by Hinz, Robin’s Technology Tips, and Staying Actively Engaged. 

3. I chose the first two because they interest me and we talk a lot of sports and politics at our house.  My husband and my daughter will both be impressed!  The three RRISD technology sites will be useful to me as I look for things I need to know as I use more and more technology.  Also, I subscribed to three local sites because I’m still intimidated by commenting on sites like the first two with national audiences.  I’m not ready to play with the big boys!

b) RSS Reflection Questions 

1. I learned to use Google Reader to keep up with other blogs.  I also learned about tools for managing information overload.

2. I think I will continue to monitor blogs even if I don’t continue to post to my own blog.  I think I’ll probably delete my blog rather than leave unused cyber trash, knowing that I can create a new one when I have a real purpose in mind.  I’m realizing now that I only used this blog to learn the process.

3. The Google Reader was really pretty easy to set up.  I’m feeling increasing anxiety about how many places I’ve used passwords, some of which are the same. I’ve created so many new accounts just this week in the education world… TSMDS, TAKScopes, Google Reader, Edublogs….  I really do think I’ll use the Google Reader, but I’m regretting the day I joined Facebook.  Truly, I’m beginning to understand the term ”mouse potato.”

4. I don’t want to forget to keep all blogs that I’m interested in, in one place.  It’s kind of a way to organize browsing.

5. I can subscribe to different types of blogs and tag them.  I liked the video that showed the Reader as your blogging home.  In my educational role, I can imagine that soon we’ll be blogging after trainings like Rock Solid Math.  I think the RSS will keep this organized.

6. Yes, I’m guessing that we’ll begin to need a way to organize our blogs.

7. No questions come to my mind right now.

We are still standing after the Danskin.  We usually start training in February, and do two or three triathlons in the summer.  These are some of my best friends, and I’ve learned to love the time we spend riding, swimming, and walking/running.  Some of these women have become serious athletes, and others of us… not so much.  The great thing is that we support each other in staying active and doing things we never thought possible. 

I actually covered many of these questions as I was doing the initial post, so I’ll be brief.

1. I learned how to set up the blog.  I was unable to post the picture, but every time I got to the last step.  After I clicked insert Insert into Post, nothing happened.  I’ll be seeking help with this tomorrow.

2. I’m hoping I’ll get involved with an elementary teacher or two who want to blog with their students on a topic or book.

3.  I found this fairly intimidating.  I’m hoping it will get more comfortable as I get more competent.

4. I’m not sure what this question means.  I think that once I solve the posting picture problem, I hope not to forget the solution!

5. This is like question 2, but I hope to use this with students.

6. Yes, I think we need to use this technology with students.  We want literate students and this is the written communication forum where they are comfortable and active.

7. Again, just having trouble with the picture.  I feel sure it’s something simple like how to move the code, or why the code I keep getting just says “p”.

My name is Ann Barlow.  I am an elementary teacher first and foremost, although I am currently an instructional coach. I am really excited to have a slightly different focus in my professional life after 29 years in the classroom, but the classroom is still where I feel at home.  My husband, Brooks, and I have 5 grown children and two grandchildren.  When we married just over 10 years ago, we had 5 teenagers. There were days that it felt like I should go to school because there were fewer children there! 

I hope to learn to use blogging to communicate efficiently with my peers and creatively with students.  When I taught fourth grade, I used Mindstorms with students.  Some of the other teachers whom I worked with really loved the building and programming.  I can’t say that I really did, but I truly loved what the experience did for my students.  I loved it only because they loved it.  So far, I feel sort of the same way about blogging.  I’m not happy about sitting in front of this computer on a Sunday afternoon. However, I believe that blogging is going to be an important tool for staying relevant to students.  So, right now my purpose for learning to blog is just about keeping current.

To address the question about other blogs, I especially like Staying Actively Engaged by Debby Acevedo.  I like several things about it.  First, I know her and the personal connection makes the technology more fun for me.  Also, I like her postings about what helped her as a new teacher.  The other site that I enjoyed discovering was Factmonster.  I learned about it on Technology Hints by Hintz. 

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