Thing #4

Commenting creates a sense of community and interaction by using one of the oldest methods around. Communication is the key to the entire process of blogging. It opens people up to new ideas and new ways of thinking. If you follow a blog, you will feel like you know the writer even though you have never met. Sometimes you may get to know them on a deeper level since there is no face to fact contact. This freedom allows the writer and responder to say things they may not otherwise say. In How to Comment like a king or queen, I enjoyed the discussion of Coolcat teacher finding her calling. I better understand blogging now in this sense. Knowledge is only useful when it is shared. Under the Blue Skunk Blog, I read about how important it is to respond back to someone who has commented on your blog. I myself will read the response, but I always think about responding to me later. I will be on top of this now. It is important to let them know you appreciate their response.I chose Miss Lorrie Anne Cooksey to read because she is a friend of mine. We went to school together and have stayed in touch through the years. She also cuts my hair!! This was her first profession. I commented on her blog about posting student work as a means to build confidence for their writing assessment. Next, I chose Christine Poindexter because she is one of my classmates and I think she has a fresh perspective on things. I commented on her blog about how technology has made us lazy. I agree it is easier, but at what cost to our health. I chose Lauren Drake because she is a classmate and she sits in front of me in class. I can relate to her way of thinking about technology. She is very creative and I agree with her that I find it easier to work on this stuff at home, on my own computer. Next, I chose Tiffany Allemand because she is also a classmate and her blog page looks great!! Maybe some of her skills will rub off on me. I commented about how professional her first 4 blogs are. That is all I have read so far and I can't wait to read more. I chose Randi Canto because she was a classmate in 2100 and I liked her avatar. Love the cow!!! I related to her when she commented on how Thing 1 and Thing 2 reminded her of Dr. Seuss. She also discussed the habit of play which was included on the 7.5 life habits. I commented on this habit also. The two outside blogs I am following are Cincinnati Locavore which focuses on home growing and cooking. I commented on a blog about home canning first. I love gardening and canning. The other one I chose is donuts and graham crackers. This blog is by a stay at home mom with three children. I can relate to this since I also have three children and was for a time a stay at home mom. I wish I still could be, but I need to work!!! I commented on her latest blog about running a marathon and how important it is to exercise. I will continue to update my comments here as I make more on these blogs.

Thing #3

Now that I am a little more comfortable with blogging, I think it is going to be a wonderful tool that I can use in the classroom. Since I will be teaching K-6, I think it will be more of a communication tool for the parents. I can post deadlines, assignments, and any other useful information on my blog page for the parents to view. It will also open up a line of communication between us. I love learning new things, and I will use my blog to continue to grow and learn through the comments of others.

Thing #2

For my posting name, I decided to just use my real name. I figured it was the easiest to remember! The name of my blog is my last name, Brown, and then I thought about the UPS commercials and decided to make it brownmovesme. I was just trying to be original since the first three names I tried were not allowed. It was very hard for me to create this blog. Altogether it took about three hours!! I have never posted a blog or even read one before this class, so this is a completely new experience for me. I don't have a myspace page either. My avatar reflects my personality through the clothes I dressed it in. My mother passed away from breast cancer, and I am all about the pink! I think of blue jeans as a second skin for my legs. I wear them all the time. I tried to create my avatar look a little like me. My hair color is in between the colors available, and I did not want to wear my glasses. I wishfully made her skinny also!! My confidence level is increasing as I complete more of these activities, and maybe by the end of the class, I will be a pro.

Thing #1

After viewing the online program information, I realized the hardest habit for myself is habit number six-using technology to your advantage. I use my computer very little. My cell phone is only for emergency phone calls, and I don't own an ipod, blackberry, digital camera, or anything else now available!!! The easiest habit is habit number seven and a half-play. I have three children and they want constant attention! This habit is part of my daily life. I hope to learn all about how to use the latest Web 2.0 tools, and maybe I will even set up a myspace page! Given the following information, I can honestly say that setting up this blog was with great confusion at first!!! I had to enlist my thirteen year old daughter for help!! Thankly, I hope I have mastered this first small step.