My Favorite Web2.0 Tools

Web2.o means that all of my computer needs are stored on the web. It enables me to have access to anything important from any computer that has internet access. It also enables me to invite people to share documents so we can work on them simultaneously from different locations.

Personal Productivity: Delicious

I chose to Delicious as my personal productivity tool. This website from Yahoo enables you to bookmark all your favorite websites so you access them easily even if you are not using your computer. This would be a great tool for person productivity because you don't have to have your own computer to have all the websites you use on a regular bases on one page. It would also be very helpful for a classroom as you could bookmark specific websites for research or other various uses for the students. It allows you some control over what websites the students go to as well.

Screen Recorders: Screenr

Screenr is a website that lets you record images on your computer screen and sound, publish it, and then save on your computer or publish to youtube. You can then link the recording to a website or blog and for other people to view. This would be a great tool for students to use when presenting a report or group project. It would also be very useful to share presentations on a teaching blog so other teachers could see presentations that you have created. This is a screencast that I did (with no sound) from a picture in Lake Tahoe of my wedding.

Google Spreadsheet has all the bells and whistles of the popular spreadsheet programs, but is accessible by multiple users at the same time. It also allows all users to access the most recent version so there is no confusion as to if the user has the most recent copy. In addition, users can create a document to present pertinent data in a variety of forms--whether this be though a bar graph, pie chart, map, picture, or other, Google Spreadsheet offers users many options in which to present their information to groups of people.

Improves productivity and enhances learning by:

1. The group can work together without having to be in the same place
2. Can use as a to-do list for multiple people; each person signs in and determines what still needs to be done
3. Could use for agendas in meetings, in which each member of the meeting puts a topic they want addressed into the agenda, which makes the meeting go faster since everyone can do it at the same time instead of going around one by one
4. Group members can chat and communicate ideas together while working. Also, if members are not working together, comments can be left on the spreadsheet for members to look at later
5. Data, pictures, graphs, and a variety of information can be presented in this user-friendly program. With having all of these handy tools available in one location, information can be presented in an aesthetic fashion (whether this be in a classroom, during a meeting, etc.)

My learning curve on this project was very much like a hockey stick. It took a little bit to get used to Google Documents but after we got our documents created and shared it was fairly easy. I have a lot of experience with Excel and it seems very similar to that program.

As for my contribution, I set up the Google doc, started with the basic information about out team, and then shared the document with them. After the spreadsheet created and shared I built the first table and graph. I then sent out a quick email (very easily by telling Google to send it to everyone on the shared list) to let everyone know to populate their information so our table and graph would populate.

Easy as pie!!!

Blogs in the Classroom

Reading about the various was to use blogs for education, there are three ideas that stick in my head and make me excited.

The first are blogs created by teachers aimed at other teachers (or various other interested readers). My favorite out of the blogs I looked at is dy/dan. This is a blog about teaching Math, Geometry and Algebra specifically. As a beginning teacher, this is a great resource to see what other teachers are doing and whether or not it is successful with the students. I think another valuable asset to having a teacher to teacher blog is being able to put up new lesson plans and ask for comments and/or improvements from other teachers. Even though this blog is a bit above my future students' age group it still is a great place for new ideas.

Another great example of how to use blogs in the classroom is Huzzah! This is a 5th and 6th grade class in Canada. The most recent post talks about "Anti-Embarrassment Goggles"; goggles students can wear while they are getting 'the talk' so no one will notice when they are blushing and feeling uncomfortable. The post has pictures of the goggles and students modeling them. It is absolutely ingenious and hilarious!!! The blog also features various other activities the class is doing. This is a great way for parents to see what their children are doing in the classroom. It also allows parents to be an active part of the classroom since they are able to comment on blog entries. The teacher gains valuable knowledge and feedback from parents as well. Win-win. Students can also comment or even create their own posts on the classroom blog if they want. Win-win-win.

Individual blogs by students are another option. This allows the student to have a place to be creative and also state their opinions about certain assignments or things happening in the classroom. Although I think this is a great idea, it may be more difficult to implement, especially when dealing with students younger than the high school level. The teacher would obviously have to make sure parents are aware their child has his or her own blog so both the teacher and parents could make sure no inappropriate content or visitors (internet predators) starting happening on the blog. That said, I still think this is an outstanding way for students to be more open with their opinions and feel like they have their own voice.

All About Me (the abridged version)

The Thornton Crew - Christmas 2009

Hello, my name is Denise Thornton and I am addicted to brownies. And coffee. And cotton candy. If any of those three things are around me I will consume them until they are gone.

I am a native Oregonian that had the opportunity to live in Phoenix for three or so years where I received an BA degree of Sociology and met my husband, Tracy. We unfortunately parted and went our separate ways only to reunite thirteen years later to get married. We now have three wonderful children: Ryan (7), Chase (4), and Karis (2).

After I graduated from Arizona State I soon learned that you don't earn much with a Sociology degree out in the corporate world, so I earned my MBA from Portland State in 1998. I then worked in marketing as a project/product manager for seven years. Following this I worked in the family business as the Business Manager, and later as President when my parents finally decided they'd had enough fun and would retire.

I have not always wanted to be a teacher. There was a time in my life when I wanted to be an Executive Vice President (yes, for some reason that was the exact title I was shooting for...) and rule the world. Then I realized that I like having a life outside of work and started to reflect on what was really important to me. Junior high was a difficult time in my life so helping children navigate through those two or three years more effectively would be very rewarding to me. Math and Science are my favorite subjects. I mean, who doesn't love Math and Science, right? I am also getting my endorsement for Business. This will make it possible for me to teach Business and Math at a high school level as well.

I like camping, fishing, watching my children laugh, movies, reading, baking, paper crafts, amusement park rides with no lines, shopping, music, singing, and driving our '68 Camaro. I also firmly believe that life gets better as you get older so if you ever think the best years of your life are somewhere in your past you are so, so wrong.