Hopkin Green Frog

When I read the assignment I had no idea what Hopkin Green Frog was. I was very surprised when I found out what it was. Hopkin Green Frog was a stuffed animal, lost by his owner. The autistic boy who owned it made a flier in hopes that this would help him locate his frog. It was found and posted to the Internet and since has become a very popular post. I googled Hopkin Green Frog and found so much! I went to www.lostfrog.org and was surprised to see people wearing lost frog t-shirts, a Jerry Springer episode about it, and some other photos surrounding this phenomenon. A lot of the ideas about what a social network can be seen in this situation. Everyone involved in creating or viewing this material is a node and the network that ties everyone is the fascination over this boy's lost frog.

YouTube

You Tube, to me, is a perfect example of Web 2.0. It is very interesting and exciting to me that people everywhere can share videos through this website. I completely understand how this is a social network because everyone is connected. I have spent a lot of time looking at different videos on this site and I have been very fascinated by the things that you can find. A friend of mine sent me a link to the video of the bride cutting off all of her hair on her wedding day. I remember thinking, "That poor girl!" and feeling completely awful for her (while also laughing because it was pretty funny). Of course, then I find out that the girl was on the today show shortly after, and that it wasn't a real situation. I was a little upset but also a little relieved to find out that it wasn't real. I think that part of what makes You Tube so great is that people can use it for whatever they would like to. New directors can use it to get their art out there and expose people to it, or you can put a video on it just for fun. It truly is a great example of a social network because everyone is a node connected through this one relation. You are able to view material as well as post comments on it. This site is definitely changing how people can express themselves and how we can communicate about what we see.

Myself as a Reader

I love to read. I always have and it's a wonderful hobby and life skill because once you know how to do it, you can enjoy it for the rest of your life. As bizarre as that may sound... It is a skill that is difficult to teach, hard for some to learn, but it is a skill that truly can make your life easier if you are able to do it. (And, as we know, it is a tool to obtain power for those who possess the skill.) It is necessary for almost everything you do in life. Now, I can't say that I love to read everything. There are definitely things that I can't read and things that I don't want to read. There is nothing I love more than sitting on the beach in the summer with a good book and lots of time to read (and bake in the sun).
As a teacher of reading, I emphasize my love for reading throughout the day. I know that this plays a role in my students' attitude toward literacy in my class, and I can only hope that my efforts carry over into their after school encounters with literacy. In school I read aloud often, hold guided reading group meetings, give students large blocks of time for independent reading, plus allow them time to buddy read. I teach students how to choose books that are right for them and I encourage them to respond to their literature in their journals. Currently, I use technology to supplement reading instruction. I have some of my struggling readers read living books on www.starfall.com. I wouldn't say that technology plays a large role in my daily teaching, as far as students having access to computers, but technology certainly plays a large role in informing my teaching. I get a lot of research and ideas online. Just recently, in doing research and getting ideas for my Underground Railroad unit, I found a great activity on the National Geographic website. I plan on having my students read an account of a slave's travels online, rather than having them read a book because I know they will really enjoy it. I think that including technology in reading instruction is important because it is new and innovative and students really enjoy using technology. I think that there are many ways that I could use it more often, I'm just trying to figure out more ways as I go.

The World of the Matrix

I usually am not usually really interested in Sci-Fi types of movies, so I have to admit that I wasn't really excited with the prospect of watching The Matrix. I really didn't know very much about it. I found it to be pretty interesting, being that the idea is that machines take over. I find that there are several parallels to be seen with our daily lives. There are many ways in which we rely on machines to do so much, and there are always ways in which we can become "enslaved" (ex. people and their blackberries). I think there are some aspects of the movie that are difficult for me to wrap my head around. I find it hard to imagine that what we believe, dream, and do, is not actually controlled by us, as in the movie, but rather by a machine.

Read Across America

I am a little late in doing my posts for last week....eek! I have to say that last week was a very crazy week at work and I think I may have signed on for a few too many things lately. I had all the parents in on Tuesday for a Reader's Theater, which was wonderful. The kids did so well and I think everyone really enjoyed the day. Friday was Read Across America Day, aka Dr. Seuss' birthday. I had our former Governor Richard Codey come to read to my class which was great. The kids were really excited to have a special guest. Of course I spent a lot of time preparing for that, making sure my room was clean, the kids were prepared, etc. So it was kind of a hectic week. I am looking forward to getting back into a normal routine next week.