Yeah - finished! Almost made my July 1 deadline !!
1. Favorite discoveries - Facebook - been meaning to do it & this forced me to .. Second Life - something I will go back to for sure!
2. I will probably utilize a lot of these things lifelong - like Facebook .. & it helped me to organize what I want to focus on for next year as an educator.
3. I am surprised & confused about skype & all the VOIP opportunities out there. Personally, I'm struggling as I think LOTS of folks - do I want to keep a landline? Why am I paying for long distance still? Things like that - I knew about some of these technologies, but your post - REALLY opened up pandora's box for me. Not sure if I'm more confused, but in a good way ;)
4. Honestly, I cannot think of much .. I did 23 things last summer & really learned SO MUCH. This is absolutely the best professional development that I have ever had in my 20 years of education. It is VERY time consuming however - the hours I spend are not equal to the hours that I'm getting in prof. dev. - however that is probably my little perfectionist fault!
Thanks for the experience !!
Thursday, July 2
Thing # 11 - Digital Citizenship
I know my district is looking hard at coming up with some standards to put in our student beginning of the year handbooks. I think this is a must ! As Librarian & campus technology representative .. my campus will be looking to me for some direction as we have lots of new technologies & opportunities for our students awaiting us all in August. So, if I were to name 5 top items to focus on this concept with my students during their Library orientation - these would be :
1. Where & Why - I will have to go over all the technology available to them next year which will be much more than was available last year. Then I will need to discuss a sort of priority list .. why do I need an itouch rather than a laptop? questions like that to make sure students are choosing a technology that fits their needs & not taking up technology-time with our equipment in a frivolous manner.
2. Access - how to access our digital information. I will show students subscription databases & discuss sites open & some blocked at the school level. How to make alternative choices when they are at school - for example if you tube is blocked try teacher tube .. etc.
3. Literacy - so many students do not seek information when they are online. Help menus - tutorials - & plain old reading .. escape them. So, I wish to impress upon them there is a certain skill level to teach yourself & locate information when you encounter a new technology online.
4.Privilege - now that I have them excited about our new technology - I would discuss privilege & taking care of things that we are lucky to have ... pointing to our district's AUP will take place here.
5. Etiquette - I'm thinking I can jumble together the concepts of safety, using correct online etiquette, & paying attention to copyright .. giving credit .. fair use etc... Good luck, right??
My digital lesson will hopefully include a little technology petting zoo - in which I will have out a lot of the new technology that we have available to them. I would have some of these attached to a video projector so I can share things like the difference between using open office & Microsoft Office. I would also have a handout that includes tips .. & post all of this info on my website/blog for them. I think as a reinforcement .. & since I rarely get enough time to talk to students - I want to create a little fun online web quest or something along those lines for them to do at home on their computer.
1. Where & Why - I will have to go over all the technology available to them next year which will be much more than was available last year. Then I will need to discuss a sort of priority list .. why do I need an itouch rather than a laptop? questions like that to make sure students are choosing a technology that fits their needs & not taking up technology-time with our equipment in a frivolous manner.
2. Access - how to access our digital information. I will show students subscription databases & discuss sites open & some blocked at the school level. How to make alternative choices when they are at school - for example if you tube is blocked try teacher tube .. etc.
3. Literacy - so many students do not seek information when they are online. Help menus - tutorials - & plain old reading .. escape them. So, I wish to impress upon them there is a certain skill level to teach yourself & locate information when you encounter a new technology online.
4.Privilege - now that I have them excited about our new technology - I would discuss privilege & taking care of things that we are lucky to have ... pointing to our district's AUP will take place here.
5. Etiquette - I'm thinking I can jumble together the concepts of safety, using correct online etiquette, & paying attention to copyright .. giving credit .. fair use etc... Good luck, right??
My digital lesson will hopefully include a little technology petting zoo - in which I will have out a lot of the new technology that we have available to them. I would have some of these attached to a video projector so I can share things like the difference between using open office & Microsoft Office. I would also have a handout that includes tips .. & post all of this info on my website/blog for them. I think as a reinforcement .. & since I rarely get enough time to talk to students - I want to create a little fun online web quest or something along those lines for them to do at home on their computer.
Thing # 10 Virtual Worlds, Gaming
Well, my little avatar, Ivy Catnap is pretty beat up - running into walls & swollen ankles from all the sudden falls after I stopped flying - Ok, she is NOT very graceful yet! The directions on the naming bit really helped me pick out a good one. Again, the possibilities to students is endless. I tried to scuba dive, but could not yet figure it out .. but what a great way for students to learn about the continental shelf .. or just see some sea life up close. I'm very excited to keep exploring & share this with my teachers - especially (I think) science & social studies! So, where is my waiter with the libations?
Wednesday, July 1
Thing # 9 - Slideshare
I think slideshare is one of THE most important things we have discussed so far in Library2Play2. Why? we are moving down a slippery slope away from having PCs with all the bells & whistles in our schools. Mobile devices are prevalent - school funding is short - so why not allow students to make use of cheaper mobile devices if they don't need programs anymore like PowerPoint to share their work. For instance, instead of purchasing a full blown laptop for $1200+ your school can purchase notebooks for a fraction of the cost - which can get to the Internet & away we go - ... Plus we don't need complicated servers to save student work.
I use a slide share program called Picassa to share slides of books we read in my teacher book club. They display on my blog http://after4bookclub.blogspot.com/ - & everyone likes seeing where we have been, what we read etc. I just add slides as we read new novels throughout the year.
It is sort of like an ongoing time line of an event that I wish to document. So, I see a lot of parallels for students' work. We are all about portfolios - right? What an awesome project if you could have students keep adding a slide or two each year & watch how they progress.
I use a slide share program called Picassa to share slides of books we read in my teacher book club. They display on my blog http://after4bookclub.blogspot.com/ - & everyone likes seeing where we have been, what we read etc. I just add slides as we read new novels throughout the year.
It is sort of like an ongoing time line of an event that I wish to document. So, I see a lot of parallels for students' work. We are all about portfolios - right? What an awesome project if you could have students keep adding a slide or two each year & watch how they progress.
Thing # 8 - Screencast
There are so many screen capture capabilities out there. I chose one that would capture my video & audio at the same time (screencast). I'm still a fan of Camtasia - but it does cost $$. The reason you would want to purchase rather than use free - only if you want to produce really high quality video - like adding menus to your video, controlling the product output of your video, adding captions, & having a high level editing component where you can cut/splice & make all sorts of edits. I like to make really good video for tutorials for tech purposes so that is why I choose Camtasia. Also, our multimedia teachers prefer it - the output is important if you are creating media that you plan to use for a long time & play on various devices - like ipods, etc. If you are making quick easy video - then I think free is good, but sometimes you run into tech issues depending on where & how you wish to play it.
Here is a short tech tip on saving files that I created using Screencast:
Here is a short tech tip on saving files that I created using Screencast:
Thing # 7 - Video Resources
Video has become such a terrific part of the school environment. Sharing, watching, creating - in my opinion it is ALL good. I've been in the middle school environment for longer than I care to remember - & I just think that middle school students need visuals they need a big variety in the way content is presented to them. True for everyone - but especially for the adolescent brain which is often exhausted from all the changes they are experiencing.
I have explored Hula, & many of these video resources. I would love to use all or part of:
as an intro - with humor about what Libraries are not - how to respect Library materials .. etc. Big fan of Mr. Bean who transcends every language barrier.
These are great video sites listed on Library2Play2, but I often use video that I find just by using Google for a connection to a book or author we are talking about.
For instance, we used this video along with the book Iqbal as a discussion vehicle for my sixth grade student book club. I just typed in "Iqbal + video" in Google & it was the 2nd link "The My Hero Short Film Festival." This video had SUCH an impact - after reading the book - our discussion would not have been the same without it. In order to give correct credits .. I often make sure I am at the original source.
For instance this film is originally displayed from the My Hero web site which has a Teachers Room - great resources - if you want to get students involved in this topic.
Watch: (takes a minute to load - but it is worth waiting for ...)
Courage
By Anson Schloat and John G. Young (5.29 Minutes)
I have explored Hula, & many of these video resources. I would love to use all or part of:
as an intro - with humor about what Libraries are not - how to respect Library materials .. etc. Big fan of Mr. Bean who transcends every language barrier.
These are great video sites listed on Library2Play2, but I often use video that I find just by using Google for a connection to a book or author we are talking about.
For instance, we used this video along with the book Iqbal as a discussion vehicle for my sixth grade student book club. I just typed in "Iqbal + video" in Google & it was the 2nd link "The My Hero Short Film Festival." This video had SUCH an impact - after reading the book - our discussion would not have been the same without it. In order to give correct credits .. I often make sure I am at the original source.
For instance this film is originally displayed from the My Hero web site which has a Teachers Room - great resources - if you want to get students involved in this topic.
Watch: (takes a minute to load - but it is worth waiting for ...)
Courage
By Anson Schloat and John G. Young (5.29 Minutes)
Thing #6 - iTouch Apps
A lucky librarian just happens to have an itouch this summer & loving it! Got some apps in & found a good visual .. from Dave Taylor
Here are some ideas for using the itouch with multiple students ...
1st - I really am just chomping at the bit for the cable that will connect the itouch to a video projector. In that way .. students, teachers, & I can share some things as we learn on the itouch
2nd - If you can display it - then you can share it .. so Google earth on display through your projector onto your ActivBoard ? not sure how that will all dynamically fit together - but I am excited to try it.
3rd - I would like to see an app used by a group of students while they backchannel so I can get feed back immediately on which apps they like & why?
4th - as a former science teacher .. I see a lot of educational apps that can be used by multiple students - If I were still in the classroom - I would love for kids to use the itouch to gather data in the field .. like our school pond. So much easier than carrying around a bulky laptop. Ditto for math & calculator apps.
5th - my students are very capable of sharing the itouch to view video - like an teacher tube video - maybe a way to reinforce some of my first of the year library lessons? also want them to learn together to download an audio book & perhaps a pdf book on the itouch.
Enjoyed the Wikipedia links .. especially what Wikipedia is not. Must share next year as there is a lot of confused ideas about Wikipedia out there.
Here are some ideas for using the itouch with multiple students ...
1st - I really am just chomping at the bit for the cable that will connect the itouch to a video projector. In that way .. students, teachers, & I can share some things as we learn on the itouch
2nd - If you can display it - then you can share it .. so Google earth on display through your projector onto your ActivBoard ? not sure how that will all dynamically fit together - but I am excited to try it.
3rd - I would like to see an app used by a group of students while they backchannel so I can get feed back immediately on which apps they like & why?
4th - as a former science teacher .. I see a lot of educational apps that can be used by multiple students - If I were still in the classroom - I would love for kids to use the itouch to gather data in the field .. like our school pond. So much easier than carrying around a bulky laptop. Ditto for math & calculator apps.
5th - my students are very capable of sharing the itouch to view video - like an teacher tube video - maybe a way to reinforce some of my first of the year library lessons? also want them to learn together to download an audio book & perhaps a pdf book on the itouch.
Enjoyed the Wikipedia links .. especially what Wikipedia is not. Must share next year as there is a lot of confused ideas about Wikipedia out there.
Monday, June 29
Thing # 5 - Microblogging
Thing 5 has sent me into interplanetary orbit for a few days. I am now twittering & set up a facebook account. I have enjoyed participating in both, but I find facebook a little more to my liking & a better fit for things I want to do. I could see having a private/family facebook & one for school. I can see a lot of uses for it - like book clubs, maybe a tech committee group for my school. I am not sure yet if I like having school & family mixed together or better to have two accounts? any thoughts out there?
Again I have heard from teachers that students who are given access to facebook are using it for personal means instead of in an instructional way - so I'm sure they struggle with that line like me.
I like back channeling & really think this is a terrific way to hear from students & get immediate feedback. I want to work with some teachers on this next year. It would be a terrific way to monitor what is going on with the student while they are working on something like group projects, final lab write-up, etc... It could be a fantastic forum for exploding ideas/debate.
Again I have heard from teachers that students who are given access to facebook are using it for personal means instead of in an instructional way - so I'm sure they struggle with that line like me.
I like back channeling & really think this is a terrific way to hear from students & get immediate feedback. I want to work with some teachers on this next year. It would be a terrific way to monitor what is going on with the student while they are working on something like group projects, final lab write-up, etc... It could be a fantastic forum for exploding ideas/debate.
Thursday, June 25
Thng #4 - Teacher Tube
I am still a little nervous about broadcasting to the whole wild world. I don't know why? everyone else out there has no issues. I guess I'm just still a private person .. a lot of things that date me I suppose. Not to mention all this registering on sites - they want everything but your blood type.
Anyway I like school tube & think it could be useful for my campus - something to look into next school year.
I see about a million uses for creating video & having students post them on these types of sites. We need to have conversations with our students about privacy issues .. what to display as we teach them about using these tools.
We always have a lot of technical issues as students try to share their work created in multiple formats. Posting to a spot like teacher tube would eradicate all of those types of issues.
I've uploaded a video I made on how to use mp3 players to listen to audio books.
Audio + Books
Shared via AddThis
Anyway I like school tube & think it could be useful for my campus - something to look into next school year.
I see about a million uses for creating video & having students post them on these types of sites. We need to have conversations with our students about privacy issues .. what to display as we teach them about using these tools.
We always have a lot of technical issues as students try to share their work created in multiple formats. Posting to a spot like teacher tube would eradicate all of those types of issues.
I've uploaded a video I made on how to use mp3 players to listen to audio books.
Audio + Books
Shared via AddThis
Thing # 3 - Like Skype
A lot to take in. I think the way we communicate is changing so fast it is overwhelming. Soon landlines will seem like jiffy pop - for those as old as me ;)
There are so many ways classrooms & libraries could make use of these technologies.
Personally, I could see skype conference Book Club meetings over the summer months with my much loved & missed fellow book clubbers - both students and teachers.
We used skype at my school to keep a classroom in touch with their science teacher who had received a grant to study wildlife in another country. Imagine going to a conference or educationally related travel ( is there any other kind?) & being able to share immediately with students. For Libraries I am fascinated with the idea of a skype set up reference area. Students could perhaps talk face to face with other students in the country they are studying for their social studies course. 1st person interviews - talk about Primary Sources!!
There are so many ways classrooms & libraries could make use of these technologies.
Personally, I could see skype conference Book Club meetings over the summer months with my much loved & missed fellow book clubbers - both students and teachers.
We used skype at my school to keep a classroom in touch with their science teacher who had received a grant to study wildlife in another country. Imagine going to a conference or educationally related travel ( is there any other kind?) & being able to share immediately with students. For Libraries I am fascinated with the idea of a skype set up reference area. Students could perhaps talk face to face with other students in the country they are studying for their social studies course. 1st person interviews - talk about Primary Sources!!
Monday, June 22
Thing #2 - Wordle/Glogster/Voki/Bookr
Wordle - I think this is a great tool for introducing a subject like this one .. Library Genres
I could also see uses as a precurser to creating a game or helping students focus in on main ideas or to set their own main ideas from a reading.
Glogster - this looks like the solution to my hatred of glue sticks in the Library! This is very exciting. I can see some differences from a typical poster on paper assignment & this one. Registering the students & getting them all logins is one dilemma .. but once that is accomplished then other than a slight change in a visual on the computer vs. a visual poster sized .. I think it is an awesome tool. Looks to me that this tool should allow creativity & not skimp on content.
Voki - now I had to go & figure out my password. I've always LOVED this tool .. & this made me revisit it .. & create one for this blog which I hope to turn into one for our student library patrons in the fall.
Get a Voki now!
BookR - Wow .. I like this! Could be used instead of PPT, photostory, etc..
I know my reading specialists are going to go crazy. They like to have students create newsletters, etc & this is so much better.
I could also see uses as a precurser to creating a game or helping students focus in on main ideas or to set their own main ideas from a reading.
Glogster - this looks like the solution to my hatred of glue sticks in the Library! This is very exciting. I can see some differences from a typical poster on paper assignment & this one. Registering the students & getting them all logins is one dilemma .. but once that is accomplished then other than a slight change in a visual on the computer vs. a visual poster sized .. I think it is an awesome tool. Looks to me that this tool should allow creativity & not skimp on content.
Voki - now I had to go & figure out my password. I've always LOVED this tool .. & this made me revisit it .. & create one for this blog which I hope to turn into one for our student library patrons in the fall.
Get a Voki now!
BookR - Wow .. I like this! Could be used instead of PPT, photostory, etc..
I know my reading specialists are going to go crazy. They like to have students create newsletters, etc & this is so much better.
Thing #1 - Inspiration/Registration
This video, "the networked student" is just OK in my opinion. I understand they are trying to make a point with the simplicity of it - cut outs & so forth, but for some reason I find the format . well . not techie enough to grab one's attention.
I think our students could make a go at these types of video .. however with the PC video, editing, sound have created some issues on my campus. I'm hoping with some of our new Macs there will be easier video creating software which I hope to explore with students next year. I want to see my students TEACH my teachers how easy it is to make video. I like the fact that the student voice narrates this video & the teacher is like his helper. I think that is our spot - librarians/teachers are there to help students out when they come into a glitch of some sort. Sometimes, I think of myself as the magician's assistant - you know in the old magic acts - I am pulling out s-video, adapters, VGA, USB & handing them over to the students who are plugging & huffing & then VOILA - MAGIC! I've been doing that all year. This year a few of my teachers let students create media with whatever device they had available to them. This meant they brought some home laptops, cameras, iPods etc with their media on them & we did run into some snafus with converting - hooking their laptops up to the teacher projector etc.. But, alas .. I do digress ...
I think our students could make a go at these types of video .. however with the PC video, editing, sound have created some issues on my campus. I'm hoping with some of our new Macs there will be easier video creating software which I hope to explore with students next year. I want to see my students TEACH my teachers how easy it is to make video. I like the fact that the student voice narrates this video & the teacher is like his helper. I think that is our spot - librarians/teachers are there to help students out when they come into a glitch of some sort. Sometimes, I think of myself as the magician's assistant - you know in the old magic acts - I am pulling out s-video, adapters, VGA, USB & handing them over to the students who are plugging & huffing & then VOILA - MAGIC! I've been doing that all year. This year a few of my teachers let students create media with whatever device they had available to them. This meant they brought some home laptops, cameras, iPods etc with their media on them & we did run into some snafus with converting - hooking their laptops up to the teacher projector etc.. But, alas .. I do digress ...
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