Thing #5 (What we saw as a threat can improve our teaching!)

School 2.0 Means that I as an educator have the access to the web in so many different forms: flickr, twitter, google, blogger, updates of my schedule that goes to my phone and other staff's phones. This opens up the can of worms about technology being a distraction in the classroom.

I don't think it is, I think that texting is more convenient when something is urgent but can not disrupt a meeting with the loud ringtone of the cell phone. Texting as said in the Administrators Texting for Success: Six Ideas
could help instead of harm education abilities.

Schools of the future can have full access to communicate in any way and there will be limitations with the students since we don't promote texting the test answers in class to other students. But just as email has helped the teacher send a reminder for homework or helped send documents that the class went over that day to a student who was sick, other forms of technology can also help in the schools of our future!

Thing #3 (Blogs in Classrooms)

Ways I might use a blog in my future as a successful teacher:

1. Have my students collaborate with each other by having them each create a blog for a reasearch project. Rather than have a stack of papers to grade, I can read their blogs and see what they have researched.


2. I can use it as a diary to record my progress as a teacher by sharing what techniques I used or how I handled a situation in class that day.


3. When evaluating classes as a student, I can record the differences I notice within each class and grade that I observe.


4. As a student teacher I can note things here and there that I want to use in my own classroom when I think of them.


5. Make a blog to help future educators know what to expect when they choose the teaching field.


6. Catalog class assignments for students who may be out sick and for the parents who want to keep up with what their child is to be doing in class.


7. Use the blog as an "extra help" tool for students who may be struggling with a certain topic or skill.


8. Also the blog can be used to keep the parents up to date with photos of their kids in the classroom with various activities we will do. (With the parents approval)

Thing #2 (Cat and Chalk)

Creating this blog has been a great experience and not at all as stressful as I had imagined it to be. The avatar was fun and I enjoyed trying to make a little generic cartoon look like me. Now granted, there was no hairstyle or hair color even close to matching mine, but the argyle and glasses along with my orange fat cat truly do describe me and my personality!

I decided on the name of my blog because one of my nicknames is "Rocky" and my last name is "Watters". And the "Smooth Landings" part is because I do hope that in my learning process of dealing with technology and the web, I will succeed. 

Thing #1 (Habits) and Web2.0 tools

Thing 1 and Thing 2. Sure does make me think of Dr. Seuss. So where do I begin?
 I guess it is safe to say that I will not be rhyming as the good Doctor did and would if he had a blog. Instead today I am going to share with the other bloggers what my habits and whether or not they are easy or hard for me.

Easiest Habit- To teach/mentor others.
Since I was in 7th grade, I have realized that I tend to be the friend that everyone comes to to talk or to ask for help. I am not the best nor will I say that I have asked for this privilege, but I do enjoy hearing others problems and I try to solve them or ease their burden. In 7th Grade, my Science teacher had me teach my fellow classmates the lifecycle of the frog. He prepared me to do so by giving me a large Zoology book along with some transparencies so I could demonstrate the cycle. I remember the day like it was yesterday. I was up there, in front of my classmates, ready to teach THEM what the life cycle of a frog was like and they were going to listen to ME!

Hardest Habit- To view problems as challenges.
I am not the person you want on your team to go and cream the other team in a game of basketball or football. No, I would say I am the one who would rather watch you do the action. You see, I was not born competitive. When problems occur in life, I tend to shy away from it and let it conquer me. I have been told that problems strengthen us and will help us in the future when a similar problem shows up. But sometimes they look like a giant in our way of our goal. Or we can compare the problem to a thorn in our foot. It makes us hobble on our way to our goal. In college and growing up, I have made it a priority to look at problems right in the "face" and take them on in a full "tackle". I do all that I can to conquer it/them and to learn as I do.

Now on to what I want to learn by playing with Web 2.0 tools and my experience in setting up my blog:
Ok, okay, I will admit it, I did enjoy creating a "diary" of how I feel about those two habits. At the same time I enjoyed designing this blog as my very own to express how I feel and who I am with the various colors and font choices. :)  I want to learn as much as I can as I continue playing with Web 2.0 tools!

Thank you for reading this unique post from me to you!