Getting Things Done

I am using paper and pencil to organize my process. I may switch to a software once I come across one that would work for me. Overall, I am more comfortable with paper and pencil at this point.

I actually already do the Collecting process. I have "inboxes" in my classroom as well as at home even though that is not what I called them. I like the idea of separating the Processing and the Organizing steps. It keeps the structure more well-defined and helps me not to keep the organizing in my head all the time. I am going to try to combine the Collecting and Processing steps whenever feasible to help save time. I would need to get to the Processing at least once a day. Organizing is where I would need to spend more time and do it well. For me, that is they key because my days are always so full. I need to figure out what needs my attention immediately, what can be delayed a little, and what I can put away for a little longer. The weekly Review is my weak point. I am planning to set aside some time every Friday to work on that. Hopefully, it will help me not to panic on Sunday night. After that, of course, the Do step comes. If the steps leading to this one is done in a timely fashion and according to schedule, the Do should work out pretty smoothly.

I do think that this process will help me. I work much more efficiently when I know where to go and look for my tasks. I am also constantly looking for ways to not keep schedules and plans in my head all the time. I plan to try this out and may adjust it a little to suit my need. This is something that I have been looking for.

Social Networking

After reading about all the tools available for participating in and creating social networks, I realize that I am living in a world where everyone around me is already or is becoming connected through social networks in some way or another. My own daughter has a Facebook account, and so does many of my students. Many of them are either using Twitter already or know people who use it. Almost all of them are also using Skype very regularly. I am not a part of any of these social networks at this point.

I plan to start by exploring and eventually using the social network tool to communicate more effectively as an educator. This includes connecting with my students and with my colleagues. The article "Social Network Goes to School" has been a relatively informative read for me. At my school, some of my colleagues are on Skype and Facebook. Some teachers here also use blogs/wikis for various courses and school activities. Most teachers and students who begin to use these social networks are continuing to do so. I believe that it is definitely a very powerful tool for teaching and learning.

As a teacher, I can use this to communicate with students, colleagues, and other math teachers around the world. Students can also use this to ask questions, comment, and/or communicate with other students in their class. It could be a huge time-saver and allow teachers to have a personal level of communication with students. Of course, along with this, we need to be cautious about cyber security.

I am looking forward to becoming more connected through social networks.

RSS

It actually is amazing as to what is available out there. I created a google reader and added the subscriptions that were a part of the Session 1 assignment and went on to add four more new feeds. I have been checking my google reader everyday now for four days. It allows me to briefly scroll down and see the latest posts from my feeds. I can also click on a particular topic that I find interesting and read the entire article or blog post. I can click on a specific subscription to see the latest posts from that feed. It really is great! Below is a screen snapshot of my google reader with my subscriptions:

On Day 1, I read the post from the Reflections of a High School Math Teacher's blog where the author discussed the way to teach and engage students in solving 2 step equations. His method involved having students work in pairs and then coming up to the board one at a time to complete a step each until the entire equation is solved showing all the work. He even has videos embedded in his other posts to show activities and ideas that he has used or is planning on using with his students. CNN.com Breaking News is another subscription that I added. It had several current news including the situation in Lybia and updates on the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.


I posted a comment to the Reflections of a High School Math Teacher's blog titled, "You take the Left side and I'll take the Right side." I commented on the importance of teaching students how to solve 2 step equations and how his proposed method allows students to work collaboratively with each other. I also stated that I particularly liked his idea of having students justify their work and that I would try his method out with my Algebra 1 students.


On Day 2, I read a news article from the Times of India about the Cricket World Cup that is taking place in India right now. The article discussed one of the best cricketers India has ever seen, Sachin Tendulkar, and how this World Cup at home (for him in India) is the most important tournament of his life. The Reflections of a High School Teacher blog had no new posts. CNN had several news about the world that were listed with brief descriptions. I read a couple of them.


On Day 3, I looked at some posts from the Techlearning feed. There was a post about voting for best student problem solvers and another one about the Schoolhouse Rock, a collection of animated songs. This "four-time Emmy award-winning series introduces kids to grammar, science, multiplication, money and American history concepts through catchy, educational songs." There was a three minute video embedded in the post to give us an idea. The IB Online feed that I subscribed to had nothing new for all the three days. There last post is dated March 4th. It discussed the typical IB learner profile.

Overall, this is a very efficient and effective way for me to get updates with information on a  professional level as well as on a personal level. It is fairly easy to use and modify once the  page, contents, and subscriptions have been set up. I could add more subscriptions or remove one if it doesn't work for me anymore. Having a chance to view what other math teachers do and what is happening in the IB world regularly would keep me constantly up to date with my professional world. The google reader is already becoming a regular part of my daily life.


After a week and a half, I realize how up-to-date I am with the current events and the educational world. Even with just a few minutes available, I am able to actually look through my google reader and select a couple of articles/posts to read. It is definitely a very efficient way to keep in touch with everything around us. I plan to add a few more subscriptions, but want to be selective to include topics and areas that are of prime interests to me. This is really wonderful!

Differences Between Traditional Web Pages and Blogs

There are several differences between traditional web pages and blogs. The most obvious one in my opinion is that blogs are more personalized and reflect more personal experiences and thoughts. Traditional web pages are more like information "brochures" even though some may allow the option of posting comments, whereas blogs are designed to easily allow the blog publishers and permitted blog users to have on-going dialogues with each other. You do not need to have a full detailed outline of the contents on the blog before you start using it. The content can be created and/or modified as you continue using the blog. Web pages are more based on providing factual information based on the perception and intent of those who created the web pages. Overall, blogs and web pages are different. They may overlap in some areas, but mostly, they have their areas of strengths. They can probably work well hand in hand.