Adventures of Luka Blogwalker

11.5 Things - 11.5 (Evaluation)

2010-07-25T23:28:00.002-05:00

Wow, a fantastic 11.5 adventure completed! I learned so much during this summer journey and will take many great ideas back to the classroom. Some of my favorites were Video Resources, Screen Capture, Sharing, and Digital Citizenship (Things 7, 8, 9, and 11).

I was surprised at my reaction to Thing 11 -- Digital Citizenship. This is an interesting and significant learning opportunity that will stay with students long after they forget how to diagram a sentence or divide fractions. By taking our role as "guides" seriously, we can help students to *become* life-long learners -- questioning, evaluating, and preparing for the working world. There have been situations where jobs or projects were lost, due to ignorance of responsible digital citizenship. Just as we help students to learn subject matter, to prepare effective resumes, and to interview well, we should be guiding them to interact well with this Web 2.0 World.

I cannot think of one change I would make to the 11.5 experience. Lots of fun and play! Thanks so much for the opportunity, and I look forward to seeing what is around the corner at Library2Play 3!

May the Force be with you!

11.5 Things - 11 (Digital Citizenship)

2010-07-25T20:28:00.005-05:00

Digital Citizenship is the all-encompassing, consistent theme that should be behind all of our 2.0 tools. Teachers are aware that students are so computer-savvy (often more comfortable with technology than the teacher!) Also, technology exists today that was not addressed in typical teacher education programs.

Although students are comfortable with computers and technology, they do not automatically become responsible digital citizens without guidance. CoolCat Teacher sums up the dilemma by stating, "It is a process and cannot just be taught by one teacher one time and expect retention." We ALL need to help students from K-12 and beyond. We are actually preparing students to interact in the working world with the tools that they learn in school... not just math, science, and grammar... but also technology!

How do we model and teach students to be responsible digital citizens? CoolCat Teacher posts a nice graphic showing the four major parts to digital citizenship (Literacy, Safety, Learning Strategies, and Etiquette).

In a way, our students are preparing to receive their Technology Driver's License, just as they eventually receive their driver's license for a car. Here's a great lesson, with scenarios, question/answer discussion questions, and a unique way to present digital citizenship to students. Reactions to the scenarios could lead to several needed lessons and great dialogue.

Five points that I would mention to students as part of Library Orientation to prepare for our journey to become good digital citizens would be:

1. Read carefully and with your brain turned on. Be good detectives; can you trust what you find?

2. Think about etiquette and manners. How you treat others (in person, in e-mail, or with cell phones) has a big effect.

3. You wouldn't steal from a person or a store. Don't steal software, songs, or quotes, either.

4. We don't leave our doors wide open for people to take our possessions. Be smart about your personal information, too. Passwords and details about your life are private.

5. If you are not sure, don't do it. Librarians and teachers are your guides. Technology is developing every day; remember.... we didn't even HAVE computers when I was your age. ;-) Please share your experiences with me, and I'll share mine with you. Together we will become responsible digital citizens.

Sharing these five points, along with the Techology Driver's License lesson , will be a great introduction to digital citizenship. Then, the key will be to spend some time throughout the year in the classroom and library reinforcing good practices and answering questions.

May the Force be with you!

11.5 Things - 10 (Virtual Worlds)

2010-07-25T19:16:00.002-05:00

This Thing was interesting and new to me! I have heard of SimCity and other software simulation worlds, but I had never heard of Second Life. CoolCat Teacher posts some valuable points to keep in mind regarding joining Second Life. My kids and I had an interesting discussion about professors and teachers using Second Life for instructional purposes. I think it would definitely be appealing to some students. For other students, changing appearance might be a distractor to focusing on the lesson (seems like real life to me, at times). ;-)

Second Life can be as complicated or indepth as you would like it to be. One can spend hours just adjusting and changing appearance. The worlds are resident-built, and an avatar can walk, fly, or teleport to another location. The possibilities are only limited by players' imaginations.

All in all, the message is clear.... the times are a changin'! In order to keep up with the interesting ways students learn online, we have to be ready to modify our teaching styles to include virtual learning environments (such as Moodle), backchanneling, and other tools. That's why the 23 Things and the 11.5 Things (and Library2Play 3!) are so important -- to keep us learning and growing, along with our students.

May the Force be with you!

11.5 Things - 9 (Sharing)

2010-07-25T13:19:00.002-05:00

What a useful Thing! These tools are immediately applicable in the classroom and point to the evolution of presentations. The Educause article on Next Generation Presentation Tools summarizes the evolution nicely, "Presentations become less an end in themselves and more a compilation of insights, snapshots, or interpretations of data that can be used multiple times in different ways."

If we are to make ALL of learning interactive and multi-sensory, audiences should be able to view presentations, follow links, and collaborate in discussions regarding those presentations. No more passive audience, falling asleep during PowerPoint behavior!

Tools such as Slide Share and Slide Boom are so easy to use! Slide Share enables users to easily embed and also notifies the creator when someone has accessed his/her presentation. So, if the presentation creator decides to share, he/she can also receive feedback on how much the presentation is being downloaded, etc. Slide Boom has the option of uploading the presentation as "PowerPoint like" or "video like." Both have the presentation transcript available for viewing, which is very nice. Both are limited unless the user upgrades to the "Pro" status (i.e., subscription). Finally, both have search features for presentations and group/recommended features to find great presentations published by others.

I look forward to using these in the classroom! This would be a whole different way to share with students and enable many to create and share presentations from home. I especially want to play with 280 Slides -- a great way to create a presentation without software download. It would be interesting and fun to have students to each create a presentation and then embed those presentations in one master blog for viewing by parents and other schools.

May the Force be with you!

11.5 Things - 8 (Screen Capture)

2010-07-04T14:46:00.010-05:00

Well, I think this is the best thing since sliced bread! Really ;-)
I accidentally discovered this after completing 23 Things (See my 3/9/10 Post) and am happy to revisit it. It was interesting to try several different screen capture packages.

GoView does look fun and easy; however, I was never able to successfully download the screen recorder. It would do a little dance, like "I'm thinking about this." Then, it would just stop, and I would press download again.

CamStudio also looks good. It provides the ability to

change the cursor;
identify shortcut keys to record, pause, stop, etc.; and
have different views (button, compact, normal)

CamStudio Screen Capture

When I tried to assign shortcuts to record and pause, it would never work successfully. It also took much longer to post to this blog than Screencast-O-Matic. Both were saved as .avi files. However, I will play with CamStudio a bit more and see if things improve. I haven't given up on it yet!

The winner of the "I LOVE THIS" award is...... (drum roll, please......) Screencast-o-Matic! Easy (and quick) to use, great shots, and cursor halo (to emphasize to audience where to click). Give it a try ;-)

Screencast-O-Matic Screen Capture

May the Force be with you!

11.5 Things - 7 (Video Resources)

2010-07-02T14:48:00.005-05:00

While I frequently use United Streaming in the classroom, I had never heard of Hulu or some of these other resources! I'm excited to be exposed to them and will definitely make use of them.

First, the fair use video was applicable and user friendly. We do have to be respectful of code guidelines in providing great resources for the classroom. Either abusing code regulations or entirely avoiding resources is counterproductive to the learning environment.

Second, Hulu provides so many resources! It was interesting.... my daughter was immediately familiar with Hulu, so it has caught on at the college level. We just need to utilize it more at public school level. Here is a beautiful video of filmmaker Mal Wolfe's field trips to seven spectacular locations, including the Amazon River and the Namib Desert.

PBS Video offers some fantastic videos on everything from U.S. Presidents, Science, and Technology, to Arts & Literature. However, to play the video, you must purchase the DVD or the video from iTunes (at $1.89 each).

Joyce Valenza's list of video sources led me to Have Fun with History, which will be a great help next year! It has all kinds of goodies on the subject of American History.

Finally, I checked out the NeoK12 Site mentioned on Valenza's site. I saw several very interesting time lapse videos -- of arctic seasons, volcano erupting, seedlings growing, and the Northern Lights. Check this one out!

One year in two minutes

More Time Lapse videos and other Fun Videos at NeoK12.com

All in all, this is a super Thing to know and keep around for reference!! It's easy to think video resources are limited to United Streaming, but there's so much out there. I will enjoy finding more video sites this summer for use next school year.

May the Force be with you!

11.5 Things - 6 (iTouch Apps)

2010-06-30T18:38:00.003-05:00

What a great toy (hmmm I mean... tool)!
The iTouch has so much capability, and playing with one made me want to HAVE one ;-)

I really enjoyed looking at Chris Webb's Space, looking at educational apps. I appreciate how he even breaks the apps down by subject, to make selection easier. AppStoreApps has a nice site, with educational apps reviewed daily, as well.

Here's my favorite so far: UTechTips has an easy-to-navigate site of educational apps. I will be adding this one to Delicious for future reference! Ok.. just 2 more: Wes Fryer's and Lucy Gray's lists are fantastic. I think I could easily get lost (in a good way) in just the educational apps category! So many apps are free, and the ones that cost.... are very inexpensive.

Download Apps:
To download apps, I would just use iTunes (already on my computer) and follow these directions or video directions.

Uses in Library by Multiple Students:
Students could use the iTouch in the Library for
1. scavenger hunts
2. assembling bookcart for teachers to use for particular unit
3. reading books, digital articles, and newspapers
4. research -- one student could be the "notetaker," one could be the "grammar/spell checker," and one could be the "book searcher."

There are many other uses for the iTouch in the library, and many have been listed for use in the classroom, too! Spending the time finding and downloading educational apps would be time well invested in student excitement and productivity.

May the Force be with you!

11.5 Things - 5 (Microblogging/Backchanneling)

2010-06-30T18:25:00.002-05:00

Microblogging and backchanneling are such useful tools for teachers and students (of higher education!). I have enjoyed getting to know Facebook, and I have used TodaysMeet in previous classes to have a quick, informal chat regarding a group project. We actually used TodaysMeet outside the classroom and were able to save the chat for future reference.

I believe TodaysMeet, or a similar backchanneling device, should only be used during class with the instructor's knowledge and permission. Honestly, I believe that, when multitasking, *something* gets the "short end of the stick." During a lecture, it's easy to get distracted with some students checking e-mail, Facebook, and using TodaysMeet for purposes other than clarifying points in the lecture. So, it wouldn't be fair to other students or the professor for the lecture to get "the short end of the stick."

So long as microblogging and backchanneling are used in a disciplined way to maximize learning and collaboration, I'm all for it. Of course, school districts are a bit slow to hop on board these tools. It will take time (and concrete examples) to show that they can be useful and that distraction is kept to a minimum.

May the Force be with you!

11.5 Things - 4 (Posting to YouTube or TeacherTube)

2010-06-29T18:39:00.003-05:00

I have used YouTube, TeacherTube, and Zamzar to convert videos to watch in the district. But, I never realized how easy it is to upload a video into YouTube! I also never realized that there are privacy settings on the video so that you can control if the video is for certain people (students, parents, colleagues) or for the general public. How neat is that?!

This would be so valuable both for instructional use from teacher to student and for student products. Again, I believe parents would be excited to have the flexibility of watching a video of their child's presentation or work product, especially if privacy settings ensured web safety.

Our district this past year required all teachers to sign in and view the "airborne pathogen" video as well as a basic first-aid video. This was so effective, in that all teachers did not have to be present at the same time and watch the video together; they could watch individually at their leisure. It also provided the district with an "electronic signature," certifying that each teacher had watched the required videos for the district.

My daughter, who is taking ACU online courses this summer, has been exposed to several teacher-produced movies in different classes. After the movie, there is an assignment or assessment given to evaluate understanding and application.

There are many ways that videos can be used, and they are so easily available! This Thing was very useful and applicable to the classroom. Between YouTube, TeacherTube, and SchoolTube, we should be able to collaborate and offer students fun, educational videos. They can then take their education to the next level with producing movies! (Now.... just to get districts to unblock.... hmmmmm)

May the Force be with you!

11.5 Things - 3 (Video Web Connecting)

2010-06-29T14:12:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited about Thing 3! Since I have a daughter attending ACU, it makes so much sense personally for me to be on Skype. I have been *meaning* to install and experiment with it for several months. Thing 3 pushed me to dive off into the pool -- and it is great!

Professionally, I can see so many uses for Skype or a similar software package for the classroom and library. In fact, 50 Awesome Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom lists several exciting possibilities. Conferencing with guest speakers, authors, other classes, distance field trips, and children unable to be in the classroom are all very practical uses for Skype.

Finally, Ohio University's Skype-based Reference Service (located as a kiosk in the entrance to the library) was a very innovative way to use Skype in order to immediately and easily help visitors to the library. Since that article was written in March 2009, I was curious if Ohio University is still using Skype. Well.......Skype IS available and well at Ohio University, so it must have eventually "caught on!"

We are eager to collaborate in education; Skype or similar software makes this affordable and very doable!

May the Force be with you!

11.5 Things - 2 (Image Generators)

2010-06-26T23:32:00.011-05:00

Options, possibilities, so many choices!
I decided to explore: WordSift, Glogster, Animoto, and Bookr for Thing 2, Image Generators.

First, WordSift is an exciting extension of word cloud possibilities. I decided to "wordsift" the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States. In 5th grade Social Studies, students read the Preamble and recognize that it is not written in "5th Grade Language." We typically dig out dictionaries, define words, and create posters to make the Preamble easier to understand. WordSift would be a *wonderful* tool for my students to use. The words are linked to a visual thesarus and to various images, both sure to help students to understand unfamiliar text.

Glogster is a wonderful alternative to posters or other products for reports in that it allows the student to create a visually appealing product with video and other options embedded. Students have a blast with Glogster and do not even realize the amount of learning that is taking place as they are "playing!"

Animoto is a fun and very easy way to create movies. Just a few minutes, and you have images, soundtrack, and a mini-presentation! Students could use this for classroom presentations, and teachers could even use it to recap lessons for absent students! One other possibility is taking pictures of students throughout the year and then showing the video as a teaser during "Meet Your Teacher Night" or a great reminder of events for students and parents during Awards Assembly at the conclusion of the year.

animoto.com

Basically, all of these image generators (and Bookr also!) are ways to stimulate and capture student learning in a way that is easy to share with others -- the connections we strive to provide for our students. Fun, easy, and educational -- can't beat it!

May the Force be with you!

11.5 Things - 1 (Inspiration & Registration)

2010-06-26T22:13:00.006-05:00

It's good to be back!! I've missed learning new things, and I learn so much from playing. The video is a perfect example of .... the more a student is involved in his/her own learning, the more meaningful that learning will be.

Of course, the teacher or library media specialist assists in the learning process by juggling several roles. I love how the video mentions a few of these roles, such as a Learning Concierge, a Change Agent, a Network Sherpa, and a Learning Architect, to name a few. Let's see... do I think this job calls for my Change Agent hat or my Sherpa hat? Decisions... decisions...

The idea of a student connecting with others and sharing knowledge that is current and applicable is exciting! I am more than happy to facilitate those connections however I can. This beach time spent doing 11.5 Things will provide me with many tools to help my students, and I'm ready to begin!

May the Force be with you!

"After 23 Things" - Library Web Pages

2010-04-13T22:42:00.002-05:00

Just as the Library of the Future is a work in progress, Library *Webpages* of the Future will be limited only by our imaginations. Have you had a chance to visit the websites listed below?

Blue Valley West High School has a very user-friendly site, easy to navigate buttons and menu options. I love the Book Page, with author tweets and ebooks available.

Grandview Library Page is designed for K-3, and Sarah Chauncey has done an amazing job of moving the library from no technology in 2004 to present day --

Skype an Author
Project Organizers for Students
Podcasts
E-books
Reader's Theater
and much more!

Springfield Township has both the new interface and the older one running concurrently. Joyce Valenza has provided an incredible amount of information for students and teachers in these websites!

More wonderful elementary, middle school, and high school examples here. Please let me know if you find another great example of an interactive, Web 2.0 school library website!

May the Force be with you!

"After 23 Things" - Librarian + IT = Info Specialist!

2010-04-13T22:07:00.005-05:00

With the budgetary changes in schools these days, some responsibilities formerly held by IT personnel are now absorbed by the information specialist. In fact, the librarian at my school has been alerted --- she will teach students technology lessons next year (in addition to cafeteria duty, maintaining several library programs, etc., etc.)!

Keeping this transition in mind, I loved the post by Doug Johnson on Seven Qualities of Highly Effective Technology Trainers. Things like "assume hardware or software flaw" and "no mouse touching" are key tips to remember. I especially like the WIIFM Rule (look it up!)

May the Force be with you!

"After 23 Things" - Snap Shots

2010-03-29T01:02:00.005-05:00

Snap Shots is a great little tool that enhances links with visual previews of the destination site, interactive excerpts of Wikipedia articles, inline videos, RSS, photos, stock charts and more.

Sometimes Snap Shots bring you the information you need, without your having to leave the site, while other times it lets you "look ahead," before deciding if you want to follow a link or not. By the way, the site contains instructions on how to exclude certain links from Snap Shots, too!

I would love to hear your thoughts. Is Snap Shots useful or distracting?

May the Force be with you!

"After 23 Things" - More Uses for Wordle

2010-03-28T22:38:00.010-05:00

Joyce Valenza has introduced a new interface to the Springfield Township Library page, with an optional link to the more traditional site. She also shows Wordles used in a fantastic way that I had never considered for the library. Genre Wordles, such as Mystery, Romance, Horror, and Science Fiction, have been created with author names sprinkled about the Wordle. I can imagine what fun this would be, displayed throughout the library.... like a treasure map. A student could seek out a genre and be instantly exposed to several authors in an intriguing way. Check it out!

May the Force be with you!

"After 23 Things" - Shape Collage

2010-03-18T21:16:00.009-05:00

Another mash-up -- fun, fun, fun! Although Shape Collage requires a download, it is free and is such fun to play with. Librarians could use images of books as a collage or images of a theme (book club, bluebonnets) to beckon students to visit the library!

May the Force be with you!

"After 23 Things" - Google News Archive

2010-03-17T15:42:00.006-05:00

Ok, this is seriously amazing! Google News Archive shows timelines and either abstracts or entire newspaper articles from years back. Some of the searches I did produced a copy of the actual newspaper, while others led me to an abstract where I could purchase the entire article. I'm amazed and excited this is available. Not only can you search for a subject, but you can also see on the timeline how much was reported on the subject during different years. Try to enter search terms of September 11, 2001, or JFK Assassination. You will be surprised at everything that is available! This article is from The Palm Beach Post on July 21, 1969, and you can see the entire article via Google News Archive!

May the Force be with you!

"After 23 Things" - WeTransfer

2010-03-16T12:15:00.008-05:00

Ok, here's an exciting find! When you have a large file and want to send it via e-mail, it is frustrating to repeatedly get error messages. WeTransfer solves the problem! After you insert your e-mail address and your friend's e-mail address, WeTransfer sends the document on your behalf. You can send 2 GB of videos, music, photo albums, and documents up to 20 recipients. All file types are supported.

WeTransfer logo

There's no registration, the file is available for 2 weeks, and the e-mail data is kept private. Get more info about WeTransfer here. One more way of sharing files and data with friends!

May the Force be with you!

"After 23 Things" - BookSwim

2010-03-15T11:53:00.003-05:00

Hmmmm ... BookSwim is a kind of "Netflix" for books. I'm not sure what I think about this site. I love Netflix, and I also love books. BookSwim enables readers to rent books, request those that are not offered (BookSwim promises to purchase any books not available!), and keep any books that the reader cannot part with (rent changes to purchase).

According to BookSwim, "Many members even use BookSwim exclusively as a try-before-you-buy service, enjoying deep discounts for keeping the books they've rented."

BookSwim may be attractive to many because of no late fees, no problems with library hours, and no library reserve list. I can see where buying a book, then selling it to Half-Price Books doesn't make as much sense as this option. Also, students who just need a book for a few weeks could use BookSwim, without needing to renew.

But...I still enjoy going to the library and browsing! It's easy enough to request inter-library loans and renew online. What do you think?

May the Force be with you!

"After 23 Things" - Screencast-O-Matic!

2010-03-09T21:03:00.007-06:00

Ok, I'm so excited to find this new toy... it captures a video recording of your computer screen (Screencast-O-Matic). As a social studies teacher, I ask my students to take online tutorials in preparation for chapter tests. I need to show them how to get to the tutorials, and Screencast-O-Matic is perfect! Try it out -- definitely a toy with many possibilities. Keep in mind that, although this screen size is tiny in the blog, you can always view it full screen in the classroom.

Many thanks to Librarian in Black for mentioning this tool in her 13 Ways (and 147 Tools) to Help Your Library Save Money on Technology. Although there are other options (Jing, Camstudio, and more), Screencast-O-Matic is easy to use and no downloading necessary.

By the way, check out Librarian in Black's other technology tools -- great treasures!

May the Force be with you!

"After 23 Things" - Sky is the Limit!

2010-03-03T19:07:00.008-06:00

I really enjoyed the article by Doug Johnson in Blue Skunk Blog -- "Yesterday's libraries, tomorrow's libraries -- 12 Differences." So many of the differences he discusses are topics that we have addressed in class and through reading! We are entering the profession at such an exciting time -- creating, sharing, evaluating, collaborating.

Johnson states that, "Tomorrow's libraries will be all about being intellectual property counselors." While this role is a bit intimidating to me, the role of "developing multiple literacies -- print, auditory, visual" is exciting. Our discussion boards and blogs will be a great resource that I know I will refer back to again and again.

By the way, the picture is of a proposed Czech Library Design! Can you see libraries of the future looking like this?

May the Force be with you!

"After 23 Things" - Writing Tools

2010-03-02T21:53:00.008-06:00

Two great sites for language arts/writing I was excited to find!

PaperRater - helps with grammar, plagiarism detection, and writing suggestions.

Crocodoc - a file collaboration site with no account requirements; might be excellent for student peer editing. Crocodoc creates unique url for each document you upload; it's easy for anyone to access!

May the Force be with you!

Thing #23 - Graduation and Celebration

2010-02-28T21:01:00.007-06:00

Wow! I guess I could say I overcame the dark side (intimidation and procrastination) and completed the 23 Things. I am so excited and so in awe of how much there is to know.

Favorites?
Blogging, communicating and collaborating with others, mashups, online image generators, LibraryThing, Shelfari, Delicious, tagging, WorldCat, and many others. Just about every time I played with a new thing, I had a new favorite!

Lifelong Learning Goals?
This program has reminded me how important it is to keep learning... keep networking... keep reading. As we have learned, the library is dynamic, and learning new things is part of the fun.

Surprises?
I definitely was surprised by the sharing part of the 23 Things. The ability to learn from classmates and connect through blogs was a happy surprise. I believed blogging to be a very solitary, diary sort of endeavor. It is so much more!

Improvements?
Absolutely none. This is a fantastic tool for exposing people to technology, inviting them to play, and encouraging them to reflect on successes and challenges.

Future?
I would definitely love to participate in any future discovery program and will be signing up as it becomes available.

Library2Play -- What a fantastic learning playground... where time slips away and achievements are celebrated! Thanks to all who made this possible. I look forward to seeing others' discoveries and continuing the friendships started by this project.

May the Force be with you!

www.wordle.net

Thing #22 - Did Someone Ning?

2010-02-28T20:13:00.008-06:00

The wonderful thing about Ning is that it captures so much in one place! Networking, blogging, events, forums, ideas, and groups are all consolidated into one website. I joined three, including TeacherLingo, TeacherLibrarianNing, and Classroom 2.0. I'm excited to see so much collaboration. Any one subject, project, or class could be the focus of a Ning, with different tabbed pages on the Ning helping to organize the community.

With Ning, students may "...learn how to cultivate and sustain a community of users that might resemble professional contacts and relationships," according to 7 Things Yo u Should Know About Ning. Whether it is a student networking as he/she enters a new profession or students collaborating on a class or project, Ning can provide that venue in a user-friendly way.

May the Force be with you!

Thing #21 - Meet the Casts -- podcasts & videocasts

2010-02-24T22:54:00.022-06:00

Here are my two favorite Things! I am blessed.

Fight Song Anyone?

May the Force be with you!

Thing #20 - Meet the Tubes -- YouTube & TeacherTube

2010-02-23T20:01:00.006-06:00

TeacherTube and YouTube both have so much to offer in the classroom! I'm sorry that my district blocks most streaming video and these sites, but it's easy enough to copy it on a flash drive and bring it to school. I was happy to see other ways of working around these challenges in the Thing #20 post, such as Zamzar.

One of my favorite books and videos is by Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture. He is an amazing man and has left a fantastic legacy for millions.

A video that my students always look forward to is the Week In Rap, uploaded each Friday. It puts the events of the week all in one video, and the lyrics contain hot links to the news stories. Current events to rap... wow.

May the Force be with you!

Thing #19 - Web 2.0 Awards

2010-02-23T06:59:00.007-06:00

The Web 2.0 Awards List is a fun place to explore! Some of these goodies I had tried before or heard of before, and many are on my permanent "keeper" list. The librarian at my school plays music each morning from 8-8:30 a.m., before school, and Pandora can help. Once you identify a song or theme you'd like, Pandora creates a series of musical pieces to fit your taste! So, whether a librarian is playing 50's music for 50's day, Halloween music, or light classical, Pandora can be the virtual DJ, playing music fitting with a style or artist.

One of my co-workers fell in love with Lulu through a district workshop. She created a book of poems that her husband had written over the years and gave it to him for Valentine's Day! Lulu features several items that can be created and purchased, including calendars, CDs, DVDs, and books. Some parents would gladly purchase a small "memory book" of pictures or written work that their child had created throughout the year.

The surprise of Thing #19 for me was WorldCat. Oh my gosh! This website just received Honorable Mention through the Awards List, but I will definitely use this personally and professionally. WorldCat searches books, internet, and other sources for your search term, and lists libraries (with mileage), bookstores (with prices), reviews and tags which address your item. Can you believe this? It's like your own personal concierge, finding out what you're looking for and offering options. The screen shots don't do the site justice... please visit the links. You will be amazed!

May the Force be with you!

Thing #18 - Playing With Tools = Productive!

2010-02-20T23:25:00.003-06:00

To GoogleDocs or to OpenOffice .... that is the question!

It's amazing that there are free alternatives to the MS Office Suite, and many people have not heard of them. Both GoogleDocs and OpenOffice have informative blogs with detailed instructions and support. The price, the support, and the collaboration factors are winning reasons to go with GoogleDocs or OpenOffice. OpenOffice requires a free download; GoogleDocs does not.

I had to laugh at Byfield's description that "comparing Google Apps to OpenOffice.org is like clubbing a staked-out bunny," and Michael Lankton believes "OpenOffice will eventually replace MS Office." In this 2008 article, Eric Lai cited an independent study that OpenOffice is "five times more popular than GoogleDocs."

Although I enjoyed reading pros and cons of both, I must confess that I have more experience with GoogleDocs. It's easy, it's accessible, and no download. My daughter at ACU works in the Distance Education department, and they do all catalog revisions using GoogleDocs. Maybe Preston Gralla summarizes the best of both worlds -- combine the two!

May the Force be with you!

Thing #17 - Rollyo

2010-02-20T20:25:00.016-06:00

3/7/10 -

Rollyo is up and running! I am excited to find this great tool, which makes it so easy to limit a search to "tried and true" websites. I created a searchroll for Reference Search, which contains just those sites which I list, and I can always go back and edit or delete certain sites or the entire searchroll. This would be so handy to use.... I can see having a searchroll for Library 2.0, Home Maintenance, Summer Fun, Biography Project, etc. The possibilities are endless, and you can even pull up an existing searchroll and tweak it to save to your profile. Very, very cool Thing!

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2/20/10 -

Well, Rollyo is undergoing some "much needed maintenance," and has been down for several days. So, I searched for a comparable search engine to review now.... and I will continue to check back in for the new and improved Rollyo! When it's up and going, I'll come back and check it out and let you know what I find ;-)

Google has a Custom Search, and it fell short of Rollyo in Davey Winder's review in 2006. Google did some work on themes, rich snippets, and a new Wikipedia search, and the results are good, according to Jason Kincaid in his TechCrunch article.

Of course, the Custom Search can be added to the Google homepage or to a blog. I just created a simple one, listing a few quote websites to search. The user has the option of searching the entire web, with custom websites being given priority or just searching the websites designated. It was easy, fun, and definitely useful for library and classroom. I look forward to comparing it with Rollyo!

May the Force be with you!

Thing #16 - Wikis

2010-02-16T20:55:00.008-06:00

Wikis -- a cool tool for collaboration! It's exciting to see how some people are utilizing wikis to work on one site instead of passing e-mails back and forth (thanks, Common Craft!). Featuring booklists, lists of educational blogs, blogging options for educators, and class discussions, wikis are ideal for easy editing and contributions.

After Blogger Babe mentioned CaseWiki, I wondered if other schools had embraced this way of communication. I was impressed with University of Massachusetts' wiki and these two wikis from Brush Public Schools and Bering Strait School District. Brush Public Schools has a fantastic system for connections on standards, instructional and assessment strategies, and suggestions from other teachers. Wow...what a gold mine! Can you imagine entering a district with these resources readily accessible and up-to-date?

Through my wanderings in the world of wikis, I found another great quote! Doug Johnson believes in the "stone soup mentality," where "when each person in a profession, organization, or community brings his or her individual talents and efforts to the table, everyone benefits." I think that sums up the philosophy of wikis. Everyone benefits.

May the Force be with you!

Thing #15 - Two.Point.Oh is Our Future, Too!

2010-02-14T22:34:00.003-06:00

Watching the video and reading the articles on Library 2.0 was a real eye-opener for me, and I'm sure it is a real paradigm shift for some who have been in the field for a number of years. Michael Stephens, in his article "Into a New World of Librarianship," summarizes the new philosophy in the Library 2.0 world as

eliminating barriers and enabling access for users
embracing Web 2.0 tools
evaluating technology in terms of user benefit
making good, fast decisions
watching for trends
getting content and collaborating with users

Users do have choices and do have the right to expect an easily accessible and accommodating library that meets them where they are... in the workplace, at home, at school... and when they choose. Our jobs need to be dynamic enough to embrace the changes around the bend. It will never be a stagnant role or place; instead, as Stephens states, the library is human.

I have to admit... this Thing will be on my mind for awhile. I like things organized and systematic and in place. The fluidity and "perpetual beta" that Stephens references is not comfortable to me, but I see the absolute need for it. As a user, I want it. As a librarian, it's a bit like starting a journey and not knowing where it will end. As the video suggested, though, students of today are preparing for jobs that are not in existence yet. Wow... food for thought!

May the Force be with you!

Thing #14 - Technorati Tagging

2010-02-14T14:38:00.003-06:00

Using tags is heading to the top of my list as a "must." Technorati is a fantastic site for searching blogs, tags, and posts. Tags were originally developed for the ease of the user; however, some companies have used tagging as a marketing strategy. The intent of tags is being distorted when the tags come from companies instead of consumers.

For example, while I think it may be clever for a company to tag baking powder as cleaner (because it can clean), that is not its *primary* job. Instead, tags could be used by companies to gain insight into the consumer's mind -- a sort of ongoing focus group or poll. What do consumers think of (or tag) when they think of (or find a website on) a product? Then, advertising could take that information and tweak ads so that the ads appeal to a greater consumer base or a different consumer base.

I had fun poking around in Technorati and looking at library sites and technology sites. Kenley Neufeld 's philosophy is that "the more you are outside the library, the better it is for the library." I can see where familiarizing yourself with tools for the library can enhance your experience and your patrons' experiences in the library. In fact, the more we know, the more we realize we don't know!

May the Force be with you!

Thing #13 - Delicious Tagging

2010-02-14T12:51:00.003-06:00

Thing #13 turned out to be a week-long whirlwind activity for me! I am a compulsive "procrastinator surfer." I am infamous for seeing a website -- at home, at school, wherever -- and bookmarking it to "look at later." As a result, I have nearly 2,000 bookmarks that are worthwhile in some way at some time in the last 6 years.

Of course, I have organized My Favorites at times and have many lovely folders with bookmarks somewhat sorted. But, *then* there is the "junk drawer" of my bookmarks.... many countless bookmarks without a home. I'm not just talking about one computer... I believe I've combined about 3-4 computers' worth of bookmarks this week. Hurray! Now THAT is a feeling of accomplishment.

My previous strategy was similar to the above, but once in awhile (with a feeling of overwhelming frustration) I would just delete all bookmarks and think, "Well, if it was *really* important, I'll go back to it again and THEN I'll bookmark it, filing correctly."

Not anymore, Partners-In-Crime! Now, I've carefully tagged my bookmarks, discovering several that I assumed were gone forever. (I honestly was sadly missing one site from 6 years ago and found it through this arduous process! I had spent some time trying to find it again, without success.)

The good news is... having several different tags in Delicious enables a searcher to find a desired bookmark via several different paths. Also, Delicious has a "mass edit" feature, which is very helpful, as well as a "manage tag bundles" feature. This is great for putting tags such as language*arts, social*studies, and boards all in the same bundle -- leading to greater accessibility.

After a user has throughly enjoyed getting all her "tags in a row," Delicious has ways to network with other users, seeing who has bookmarked the same bookmarks as you have, joining subscriptions, and networking with other people. It is very easy to share bookmarks in this way. I shared with myself (created another Delicious account, as a test) and shared with farmerdaughter! What a great concept -- to share great finds with others. Another interesting bit of info is.... when I logged in as my "other identify" and networked with Lukablogwalker, I could see Luka's bookmarks *and* farmerdaughter's bookmarks (through Luka's network).

The key is... if a user makes his/her bookmarks public, there is an endless web of resources to access. If you find a trend, where many of your bookmarks are also bookmarked at another user's site, it would be worthwhile to add him/her to your network. I believe this would be an excellent way to keep all bookmarks in one place, regardless of computer or location. I'm excited about jumping into Delicious, and I find it easy to navigate and manage. The steep curve of uploading and tagging your existing bookmarks is offset by the ease of having bookmarks all in one place and very accessible. Then, finding a new bookmark is simple to add and tag.

Some of the other social bookmarking sites are unique for other reasons: Kaboodle (for shopping), mixx (for news, videos, and photos), and diigo (for research, highlighting, and using "sticky notes" on your sites). However, Gnolia (formerly Ma.gnolia) is now by invitation only, with former members having priority.

These sites, especially with the networking capabilities, could be easily used in the classroom and library. With the ability to make bookmarks public or private, you could choose which bookmarks to share

with students for a research project,
with co-workers for curriculum and lesson planning, or
with friends and family for kibbitzing on vacation planning or gifts.

I've just explored the tip of the iceberg, but this Thing #13 has really opened up to me several incredible ways to manage or filter our information overload on the internet!

May the Force be with you!

Thing #12 - Care to Comment?

2010-02-04T19:08:00.008-06:00

Community in blogging is essential for the blog to be what it was designed to be -- a means to communicate. We feel something and want to communicate. We learn something new and want to share.

You have to find the student within yourself, and that student will find the teacher within everyone else.
--Tatjana Mirkov-Popovicki

Thing #12 is invaluable in giving advice to new bloggers, and experienced bloggers could pick up a few tips, too! First, Cool Cat Teacher advises, "Don't be afraid to comment." As graduate students learning as fast as we can, it could take awhile before we feel competent enough to comment on an established blog. Cool Cat Teacher reminds newbies that we "have an important perspective."

Second, Darren Rowse suggests that we "interact with comments left." We know that we are excited to receive a comment or to see an engaging dialog. How can our readers know this unless we graciously interact and participate in the posting?

Third, Meredith Farkas, in Information Wants to Be Free, sums up the reason we blog and comment, which is "... when there's a culture of sharing, when we're all sharing knowledge, we will all benefit." We do we teach? Why do we strive to become librarians/media specialists? To continue to learn.

I'm enjoying blogging even more as I find new blogs and communicate along the way. It's a whole new world out there for sharing great ideas! While the first few posts were the hardest, it is becoming easier to "venture out." ;-) It surprises me when bloggers don't screen posts before they are uploaded, but it's nice -- a kind of "blog welcome mat."

May the Force be with you!

Thing #11 - LibraryThing

2010-02-03T18:22:00.005-06:00

LibraryThing is an extremely easy and fun way to record books, network, and find new books! It is so easy to sign up, add books to your library, and then post the library on your blog. I really enjoyed looking at book recommendations and groups, too.

I joined several of the groups, including Welcome to LibraryThing, Read YA Lit, Books Compared, Librarians Who LibraryThing, and a few others. There's also a group where questions for authors are contributed by members of the group, and the interview is later posted on the monthly State of the Thing newsletter. By the way, the State of the Thing newsletter contains everything from nuts and bolts of navigating LibraryThing to news features to free book giveaways!

I've already passed on information about this great site to co-workers and family members, and I can definitely see uses for this site in the library. Many students hear about great books during book talks or informally through friends. Here's a way they can keep track of books read and check in for new discoveries in a fun way.

May the Force be with you!

Thing #10 - Online Image Generator

2010-01-31T21:05:00.014-06:00

Book images from www.librarything.com

What fun! Had a blast with Glogster and Kid-Friendly Image Generator. Very easy to get used to and what a great way to be creative and express yourself! The process was easy... just customizing the image and playing with the "bells and whistles." There are many uses in the classroom or library. Book talks and biographies would be enticing, done in this way. Also, kids would look at science, reading, and social studies projects in a whole new way! Within the library, I can see that Glogster might be used to explain a display, encourage students to read themed books, or even announce upcoming library events! This is definitely a "keeper."

May the Force be with you!

Thing #9 - Awesome Library-Related Blogs & Feeds

2010-01-30T17:00:00.005-06:00

Well, I think Cool Cat Teacher read my mind. What a great article she wrote on selecting which RSS Feeds to subscribe to. Great stuff!

I really have enjoyed using Google Blog Search, and Technorati is useful and user-friendly, too. I like Cool Cat Teacher's suggestion of expanding your circle of the wise by viewing the blogrolls of the blogs you trust. So far, that is my main source of additional RSS Feeds, although I've also added a few of my own searches. I can definitely see that maintaining your list of Feeds has to be a work in progress!

May the Force be with you!

Thing #8 - RSS Feeds

2010-01-30T15:59:00.011-06:00

RSS Feeds are definitely the way to manage information on blogs so that it automatically comes to you instead of your hunting for it! The dilemma is that with all of that information accessible immediately and organized into folders, it's difficult to catch up in reading it all! It reminds me of coming in after class has started and trying to see what you've missed.

I can see immediate uses in the classroom! One of my friends, David Bean, was awarded a grant from the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teachers Program to go to Japan for several weeks, and he posted his travels on a blog. The students, teachers, and community had an interactive learning experience that just was exceptional. Finding these opportunities to "visit" other places through blogs and subscribing them via RSS Feed would be invaluable in the classroom.

On a smaller scale, classroom blogs, book club blogs, and blogs by other schools, superintendents and principals could all be easily managed in the classroom. With RSS Feeds, all of the pertinent information is accessible on one website and easily checked for new posts. Enabling students to subscribe will promote life-long learning that we all aspire to.

Finally, on a personal note, relatives and friends are often spread out and unable to keep in touch as they wish they could. RSS Feeds could help organize all of those relatives' and friends' blogs so that everyone could better communicate and stay in touch. RSS Feeds are just a great organizational tool to manage our current (& future!) information explosion.

May the Force be with you!

Thing #7 - Google Tools

2010-01-30T13:14:00.009-06:00

Google employees have such great reasons to come to work, and it's easy to see why. They are constantly working hard at playing with new gadgets and tools! I've used several of the Google tools in the past and am always eager to see what new things are around the corner.

I have used GoogleMaps, GoogleDocs, and iGoogle before, but this was the first time I've used Google Advanced Search or Google Advanced Image Search. I was able to search just for PowerPoints (for example, regarding the American Revolution), which would really streamline searching. Also, the Google Advanced Image Search enables users to filter their images searches by "labeled for reuse," "labeled for reuse with modification," and other parameters.

Finally, I always enjoy going to the Google Labs to see what fun and new gadgets are being tested in the Google playground. Google News Timeline is a unique and useful way to view the news in a calendar grid format. My favorite new toy, I believe, would be Google Squared, which captures and organizes information across the web. You can enter the search terms "presidents" or "romantic movies" or whatever.... and an instant chart of information is produced (complete with pictures) of your search term. I think I hear Google Squared calling me now....

May the Force be with you!

Thing #6 - Mashups & Third Party Sites

2010-01-30T01:46:00.013-06:00

Using mashups and 3rd party sites was such fun. I really enjoyed viewing the Mos ai c Maker and all the combinations that other people had compiled. It reminded me of iMixes in iTunes and recommendations in both iTunes and Amazon. I also want to check out Squidoo Readers' Advisory, just one of many sites where librarians match books with readers.

I made a calendar and a poster with images from Flickr. Also, I can see so many uses for the trading cards -- everything from science vocabulary to historical events to authors to books. It seems that students would really enjoy creating this product that they could share with classmates!

May the Force be with you!

Thing #5 - Flickr

2010-01-27T22:52:00.016-06:00

Update - 2/5/10
Just found a very interesting set of images in Flickr about backchanneling with 6th graders! We talked about this topic during our last class, so I was excited to find the photos. Photos of the room, instructions, and the conversation (complete with "stay on topic" typed frequently) are posted in the set. Finally, a backchanneling survey was given and posted in this same set!
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Playing with F lic kr has given me so many ideas. I enjoyed learning how groups and tags work (and how useful they can be), but seeing how libraries make use of Flickr was fantastic. Many of the libraries had contests and opportunities to share pictures of libraries and libr a r y displays! Since we discussed in our first class meeting how important it is during Year One to "change the furniture" and create a buzz about the "new" library, this was an unexpected bonus to browsing Flickr. Just as a bookstore beckons to people to visit, a library's ambiance and fun, themed displays will attract both students and faculty. The library display pictures certainly made *me* want to visit!

Finally, with American History, we talk later in the year about the Industrial Revolution and inventions, in general. There are many students who have never even seen a typewriter. I discovered these great pictures of a typewriter, computer punch cards, and old IBM Personal Computer. It's easy to forget that to these kids, the 70s and 60s is history! These photographs are primary sources which will help students clearly see the evolution of typewriter to computer in a relatively short period of time.

May the Force be with you!

Thing #4 - Ready, Set, Blog!

2010-01-27T22:47:00.004-06:00

I am an official player and have been browsing blog after blog.... So much to read and so little time!

Isn't it funny how we await the welcome e-mail with anxious anticipation? What a feeling of accomplishment. This is going to be quite an adventure.

May the Force be with you!

Thing #3 - Creating a Blog

2010-01-26T00:35:00.013-06:00

What a blast! Creating a blog and avatar turned out to be a wonderful maze of learning. I was excited to see all of the gadgets, themes, and materials on-line for blogging, and I barely scratched the surface! I had to continually remind myself, "Ok, I'll bookmark that to look at later... I have to get back to the goal!" You will never know all of my interesting, wacky drafts before the product you see now.

Actually, I felt like a kid.... staying up too late, going down interesting trails, getting lost, splashing around in new ideas. I'm a goner.... think I could get an excuse note to stay out a bit longer and play?

May the Force be with you!

Thing #2 - Lessons from Lifelong Learners

2010-01-26T00:35:00.012-06:00

Reviewing the 7 & 1/2 Habits and the 7 Habits was a much needed reality check for me! I know that my mind needs a "check up" periodically to make sure that I'm on track. This video and article were a perfect reminder to me that we all are continually learning. However, the learning can be truly appreciated with a little planning and reflection.

Habit #3 is one of my strengths, in that I enjoy the challenge of a problem to be solved. Years ago, I worked with a wise co-worker who would always look at problems or mistakes as "lessons learned." I try to carry this philosophy into my relationships with my kids at home and my kids at school. Instead of focusing on blame and errors, looking at life as one huge classroom is freeing and sends the message of everyone being "life-long learners."

Habit #7-1/2 is my weakest area, and I was a bit surprised to realize this fact! I have such a list in my head and on paper of "things to do" all of the time, and playing is never added to the list. I believe that is why this course excites me so much. It takes so many things that we, as media specialists, should familiarize ourselves with, and it gives us a playground to learn those things in! What a great example.... Sure, we could learn about Wikis and avatars and Wordle and blogs by reading about them in texts and articles, but instead, we jump into the deep end and play as hard as we want.

I liked Stephen Abram's quote, "Learning is incremental and you can grow a little bit at a time and suddenly realize you're competent in something new." That's what the first few Things have taught me so far -- I learned by playing!

May the Force be with you!

Thing #1 - Tell Me About 23 Things!

2010-01-26T00:32:00.007-06:00

What a fantastic start to an incredible journey! We, as teachers, know that students learn more when they are having fun. How is it that we forget that philosophy when *we* are learning? I am excited to play along with the members of the class and to develop into a teacher and librarian/media specialist who remembers to play, along with her students.

May the Force be with you!