Mr. Schultz's Classroom Rules!!!!

Mr Schultz is teaching the class about rules!!!

I think comics are a great teaching tool.  Students have a great time making them and they engage in them really well.  I really like them!!!!

Multimedia hey hey hey!!!!!

All right, I'm totally a bit frustrated with this whole multimedia stuff.  I'm really struggling with embedding video's and such in my powerpoints!!!  Grrrr total annoyance today!!!!!

Are there ACTUALLY 7 things we should know about blogs?????

Well, well, well!  There really is a lot of information out there about blogs.  Some of the things that I consider most important are the following:
1.  What is it?
Blogs are a short-hand term for 'Web Log'.  It is a collection of personal commentary and links that someone has written about, or better yet, 'blogged about' and put on line.  Blogs can be accessed anytime and anywhere as long as there is an internet connection.
2.  Who's doing it?
Well, EVERYONE, basically is doing it now.  Blog's are getting SOOO popular it is crazy.  Teachers, students, parents and everyone in-between are getting onto the band wagon of blogging.  They are group blogs, class blogs, family blogs, individual blogs, even corporate blogs.  Even I'M BLOGGING!!!!!!!
3.  How does it work?
Well, you simply find the right blogging application that suits you and you pop your information into it and VOILA its there online for everyone to see.  Entries can include anything from writing, to hyperlinks and images and EVEN video's!!  I know, totally CRAZY, (or as the youth of today would say 'tots cra cra'
4.  Why is it significant?
I'm going to quote straight from the article I've read because it totally sums it all up.  "Blogs foster the growth of communities, and the dynamics of collaborative filtering and recommending/referring may provide new ways to evaluate, vent and critique student-created knowledge.
5.  What are the downsides?
Well with anything great, there are always downsides!  Blogs mainly can include biased or inaccurate information.  It is the equivalent of an online trashy mag.  There's a lot being said but what is actually the truth is hard to determine.  As I like to say, 'perception is every persons reality'.
6.  Where is it going?
So I've read that there is something stupid like 50 million people blogging.  It's gone completely viral, similar to the Facebook epidemic.
7.  What are the implications for teaching and learning?
They are beginning to be more and more accepted within the education system.  They are used for a vast variety of things and this can be on either sides of the spectrum.  The implications will vary due to individual perception and belief.  

Podcast Shhhmodcast!!!

Ok, ok!!!  Really what is the BIG deal about bloody podcasts?  I don't get it.  I need to be able to have something to look at rather than just listening to it.  I find that it is a bit like having the car radio on in the background and you can hear the music but are you really listening to it?  I know that the majority of the time I'm not.  I would rather be looking at a slideshow and actually reading the material then listening to something.  Listening, for me, is to Music.

 Writing about podcasts!  Blogging is Fun, Podcasts, not so much!!