Thing 4

                I think that commenting on other people's blogs is essential to creating a sense of community and interaction because it is one of few mediums for communication to be exchanged on a blog.  Telling other classmates how you can relate to their work and pass ideas back and forth really helps classmates move from being individuals to becoming a community.  Another reason that commenting on a blog builds a sense of community is because every writer likes to know they have been heard.  It can become frustrating when a blog writer believes no one cares or is paying attention to what they have to say.  My third reason I believe it is important to comment on blogs is because if you stop commenting on your readers comments they may decide you are being aloft or that you do not appreciate their opinions.  In either way not acknowledging a reader's comment on your blog can definitely be seen as rude.  I believe discussion should flow freely and a writer does not have to comment on each post on your page if a true discussion is being held but no one should be left hanging out being ignored.

The 5 student blogs I selected to communicate on are:

James Kelley

Adrienne Vergos

Scott Davis

Vanessa Steele

Michelle Clark

Trish Watanbe

Christine Luke

       I picked Scott and James because they both sit next to me in class and are new at blogging too :)  I picked Adrienne because we have shared several previous classes and she always has the best conversations :)  I selected Vanessa, Trish, Christine, and Michelle because I see they are all working ahead of schedule on the blog and I also, would like to complete the blog requirements early. 


I posted:

Jamie you and Scott motivated me to get back in the game in this blogging processing. I have to say keeping up with the posts would not be so bad but this "Thing 4" has taken up so much time I wish it had been broken into 2 extra parts lol...


on James Kelley's blog because he and Scott have motivated me to get back into finishing the 23 things.




I Posted:

Hey Adrienne :) I am working on Thing 4 and wanted to blog with you since we have shared several classes together. I like your avatar :) It is nice to know you have blogging experience because I have none and now I know who to all for help. :)Jamie you and Scott motivated me to get back in the game in this blogging processing. I have to say keeping up with the posts would not be so bad but this "Thing 4" has taken up so much time I wish it had been broken into 2 extra parts lol...


on James Kelley's blog because he and Scott have motivated me to get back into finishing the 23 things.

I Posted:

Hey Adrienne :) I am working on Thing 4 and wanted to blog with you since we have shared several classes together. I like your avatar :) It is nice to know you have blogging experience because I have none and now I know who to all for help. :)

on Adrienne's page because I am happy to work with Adrienne again. In other classes we do not always have a chance to work together so it is nice to have the opportunity now.

on Adrienne's page because I am happy to work with Adrienne again. In other classes we do not always have a chance to work together so it is nice to have the opportunity now.

I posted:

Scott, you and Jamie have motivated me to get my butt in gear and get moving in this blog again. I think this semester is going to be fun! I look forward to working with you on this blog experience :)

on Scott's Thing 4 because Scott has been a person who motivates me to continue my blogging experience.

I posted:
Hello Vanessa :) I just wanted to drop you a few lines and say hi. I am going to be commenting on your blog this semester. I agree with your opinion of Avatar's. I think they would be great for school age children though because it gives it a personal touch without actually posting their own pictures on the internet. Internet predators are a big fear I have for my students because I know many of them have facebook and not all parents monitor their pages.

on Vanessa's page because I wanted to introduce myself to her and show her I agree with her feelings on avatars.

I posted:
I like the idea of blogging with other classes as well. I thought it would be really neat to see if my geography class can connect to some Department of Defense schools around the world so the kids can talk about the new places they are in :) I have thought about blogging with international students but at the moment I think it is outside my comfort zone.

on Michelle's page because I am new at blogging and would want to make sure that in setting up an international blog other students understood the objective of our blog and use it for its intended purpose.

I posted:
Hello Trish :) I talked to you in class this week and had to laugh. It was the first time we spoke in person but I had selected you to comment on your blog through this semester. I think it is interesting that you have worked a bit out of order but are accomplishing so much. I think I am going to try this tactic too. It seems very productive :) I have to say I agree with how you feel about commenting on blogs as building a sense of community. I have felt different about technology as we move this blogging experience. I am new as well to blogging.

on Trish's blog.  I actually talked to Trish in class this week and thought blogging really does make me feel more like a community when we are commenting on each other.

I posted:


Hi Christine! I am only on thing 4 and selected to comment on your blog this semester:) I read this "Thing" and have to say you have me intrigued. I am teaching geography and I really like your sample quiz you made. I think I will be skipping ahead to check out this neat feature :)
on Christine's thing 13.  I commented on this thing because it caught my eye as I scrolled down her page.  She had me hook line and sinker before I even knew I was caught :)

Thing #3

     As a History and Geography Teacher I can see many uses of a blog.  One thing that would interest me with a blog is to make "blog pals" with students and teachers in other countries and allow them to assist with descriptions of their country's culture, geography, and history from their own perspective.  For example, if you ask a young American about the American Revolution and a young British student their likely will be two very different views on the topic.  It also would be nice for students to be able to get a personal answers to questions they have concerning the topics they think are interesting.  I think it would be a great way to help students link history and geography from the past with the present.  

Thing #2 :)

      I decided to be simple since this is my first blog and I have a drive to be organized in all my digital endeavors.  So in keeping with my true persona I name my blog after myself and the course we are taking.  As I began to create the blog my experience was positive and confident.  Though I will admit at one point I faltered and became frustrated because I kept getting hung-up on the google profile before realizing I was just wasting time with that.  After I got over that little time snag everything went very smoothly and I was impressed with how easy this process really is.  Everything follows a logical procedure and has prompts that guided me through the entire process. 

Thing #1! Here we Go :)

     I think the hardest habit for me to follow in the "Seven and 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners" is Habit 6- Use technology to your advantage.  I was a teenager before computers became affordable in most homes and I was child 4 of 6 so getting new technology was not always a priority in my family.  My parents were very fair and if they bought one of us a Discman then we all got one.  I was 14 when we got our first family computer.  I observed a history class last semester who used youtube videos to connect middle school students with World History.  I was a little surprised because in all my thoughts of lesson plans I had not considered youtube as a resource.  However, the kids loved the songs and memorized them. This simple and free resource really helped the kids learn several major parts of World History.  I think the easiest habit I utilize on the "Seven and 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners" is Habit 1- Begin with the end in mind.  I often examine the goal or key points of projects and then work backwards to figure out what I need to accomplish each goal.  I am meticulous in my planning and I like to make sure I have ample time to complete my projects.