It's All Relative....

Thing 11.5-Evaluation

2009-07-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! I made it! Here is my wrap up evaluation:
1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
My favorite discovery by far was Skype. It was my favorite for entirely selfish reasons. I now see ways to communicate with my sons with out the use of cell phones and the accompanying bill. I have tested it and it works great. What a find!
2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
I enjoy finding out about new on-line resources. Many of them I can use in library lessons, but even the ones that do not particularly apply to elementary education can be used in other ways---Skype for example.
3. Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you? I cannot think of any unexpected outcomes this time around, but there were two very good take aways that I definitely will use in library lessons: Wordle and Slide Share.
4. What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
The only suggestion I can think of would be the division of site exploration by grade levels. For example, there was really no application in the elementary setting for Second Life. It is good to know about it, but I would prefer to explore more usable sites for my grade levels.

Thing 11-Digital Citizenship

2009-07-30T18:11:00.000-07:00

It is important for students to understand the importance of the uses and responsibilities of of on-line communications and learning. Five important concepts to discuss are:
1. Digital Etiquette-What is appropriate behavior when using the computer? What are the consequences of misuse of computer equipment or on-line sites?
2. Digital Literacy-What are necessary research skills? How can we judge the reliability of a web site?
3. Digital Law-What are ethical uses of technology and information taken from web sites? How do we properly cite our sources?
4. Digital Rights and Responsiblities-Students need to know that they have the right to freedom of speech and the right to privacy on-line, but students need to know how to exercise these rights in an appropriate way.
5. Digital Security-Students need to understand that not everyone on-line is to be trusted. Students need to understand about viruses and web protection along with their personal protection on-line.

Thing 10-Second Life

2009-07-29T13:53:00.001-07:00

Okay, I explored this, but I am still skeptical. Who has time for this---both in the school setting or on my own time? Since I am in an elementary school, I see no way that I could use this in a class setting. Even the teen version is for ages 13 and up.
I have been told by my much more in tune with what is current sons that Second Life is considered very out now. Maybe I should try it again when I am in a better mood.....

Thing 9-Slideshare

2009-07-28T19:44:00.001-07:00

I investigated Slideshare and 280 Slides. I really liked both sites for several reasons. I liked the creative options that are available. I think that it is great to be able to look at other Power Point presentations for ideas or even to use and modify. I can definitely see students using both these sites for the above mentioned reasons. For students, I can see an advantage to saving presentations to these sites, then being able to access them from any computer. This would be a great help in student presentations to the class. It would no longer require saving the presentation to a flash drive or switching laptops.

Thing 8-Screencasts

2009-07-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

I like this; however, I have to admit that I had some problems with it. I used ScreenCastle, which was very very easy to use, but I found that my finished screen cast dialog did not match up with the on screen action. I tried it twice and both times I got the same result. I am posting it here anyway. I can definitely see possibilities with screencasting. I could prepare a lesson and not have to repeat the same lesson four or five times for a grade level, I could screencast it. I could send e-mails to faculty members explaining technology changes. Students could create screencasts to instruct other students. The possibilities are endless....
I cannot make the video of my screencast work...as you can see below...hmmmm..

Thing 7-Video Resources

2009-07-21T16:53:00.000-07:00

I am really glad to find out about all these video resources! I have used videos in the past in library lessons and they really keep student attention. For example, in the past I have used videos with book talks. For example, in a book talk about Brian Selznick's book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, I found a video presented by the Franklin Institute about automatons (the subject of Hugo Cabret) which I showed to classes. As a result, The Invention of Hugo Cabret went from collecting dust on the shelf to being the most sought after book of the year.
For Thing 7, I watched a video about space (which I am going to include here) and a PBS video from the American Experience series about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. I can see using them as I have in the past in library lessons and teasers to keep students interested.

Thing 6- ITouch Apps

2009-07-20T14:51:00.000-07:00

I have had an I Touch for some time now and really do like it. I have read all the directions for downloading apps, but have to admit that I have had some problems actually doing on my IPod. I have enjoyed visiting the App Store and am amazed at all the information that is available for free. I can see uses for many of the educational apps---especially the math apps. Students could work in groups to solve the problems. One app about the presidents of the United States could be useful for student research or question and answer sessions. I also like the chess app. Students could actually practice their chess skills using the IPod.

Thing 5-Microblogging

2009-07-17T18:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am officially on FaceBook and Twitter. I have to admit that I cannot see how Facebook or Twitter could help my students since I work in an elementary school and I think that both of these sites would be a little too advanced. I can definitely see why high school and college students and beyond enjoy these sites. Facebook is definitely a great way to keep up with friends, classmates and even family members (as I discovered when I joined). I could imagine a teacher or instructor setting up a Facebook page and posting assignments or notes for students to access---complete with pictures. As for Twitter, it is certainly popular. It is a great way to access very current events without accessing the web if you are using a cell phone. Obviously it is much faster and easier to read. I have also noticed TV and radio programs urging viewers/listeners to Twitter questions and comments for on air feedback. I think the idea of using Twitter to back-channel in the instructional setting is a great one---for high school and up. It would definitely be a great way to ask for clarification with anonimity.

Thing 4-Video Hosting-You Tube

2009-07-15T17:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I have uploaded a video to You Tube! It can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kKDi4_mtJU. There would be advantages to having teaching/learning videos available online at sites like You Tube and Teacher Tube. The advantage would be the availability of these videos at any time for student use. Student created work would have the same advantage. Students could upload their work and it would be readily available for viewing by other students and parents. However, there is a REAL problem with this idea since the district still blocks You Tube. Anyway, here is a snippet of my You Tube entry.

11.5 Things-Thing 3-Skype

2009-07-13T20:15:00.000-07:00

I have registered on Skype! After reading about Skype I am genuinely excited about this. I have had problems connecting, though. How to use Skype in the classroom? Well, after reading 50 Awesome Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom, I don't see how I could possibly add to that very creative list. I particularly liked the ideas of using Skype for connecting with other classes in other parts of the world, for allowing students who may be sick at home to participate in class lectures and lessons, and for virtual field trips. Wow! That's only three of the ideas.

11.5 Things-Thing 2-Image Generators

2009-07-12T16:36:00.001-07:00

Where to start? I tried both Wordle and Word Sift. I liked them both. I think that Word Sift facinated me the most because of the definitions and other web sites that might be associated with the words. I had typed some lines from Macbeth and was surprised to see the different web sites that appeared---including a picture of Macbeth from a motion picture. I could see students doing just what I did---type in lines from a play or book and find definitions or make other connections. I then moved on to VoiceThread and played with that. I imported a picture and typed my own comments. This could be a great group project where students analyze a picture for art, or a poem, or a line from a book, or a mathematical equation...the list could go on. I really liked this one and registered for the free educators account. As for Voki and Animoto, I have known about these and used these before. I love Voki (see blog entry for March)and my students have really enjoyed working with it. Absolutely it sends a stronger message than just text. I always get immediate responses when I send messages to my sons using Voki instead of regular e-mail or texting. Finally, Bookr was great. I created an album. I could see students combining Bookr with the use of digital cameras and writing projects to describe their photos. What a great way to inspire students to write and keep their interest at the same time.

11.5 Things-Thing 1

2009-07-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

I like this idea! This is education as it should be---student driven. The teacher/librarian is the facilitator and the student decides which direction to take.
In this scenario, it is very important that the student know how to effectively use technology. The student needs to know how to search for information, how to compile the information and how best to present the information. This involves a lot of technical expertise on the part of the teacher/librarian so that the student can be guided in the right direction. That is why programs (like 11.5 Things) to educate educators are very important, because this is definitely the direction that the world is going now.

Vokis

2009-03-03T12:14:00.000-08:00

Here is my latest discovery. I love this......

Inservice Table 2 Exercise-Audio Manipulation

2008-08-20T15:18:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed Incompetech. My only complaint was the length of time that it took to load. When I could finally open it, I was amazed at the amount of free music files that could be downloaded. I can think of all sorts of uses for this. I ran out of time and did not get a chance to link to my blog, but I will try that later.

Table 4-Exercise-MovieMaker

2008-08-20T15:07:00.000-07:00

I had fun with this one. Here is my effort:

Inservice Exercise 3-Posting a PhotoStory

2008-08-20T11:59:00.001-07:00

Note to self: If posting PhotoStories on Blog make them short. After waiting about two hours for my first attempt to load, I got smart. Here is the new, revised PhotoStory.

My Magazine Cover-Table 1

2008-08-20T11:35:00.001-07:00

Here is my image generator attempt. A picture of Matthew Brady from Discovery Education created on the MyMagPic web site.

Thing 23---My Thoughts on 23 Things

2008-07-07T15:30:00.001-07:00

The end of 23 Things. I have mixed emotions about this, so I will
go straight to the required questions:

1. I enjoyed discovering Picassa, Google Docs (especially the Power
Point like program) and Google Reader. These are all programs
that I never would have found or tried had I not participated in
this program.
2. This program has assisted me in my lifelong learning goals by
challenging me to get out there and see what is new. It has also shown me that I can still learn new tricks.
3. I think the Blogging experience was the most unexpected outcome that surprised me. I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I also did not expect to impress my family as much as I did after they read my Blogs. I think that they now see me in a different light---maybe a little cooler than previously.
4. I can't think of any way to improve this program----unless we got more hours for participating. I found that I spent much more than 18 hours completing all of the requirements.
5. If another program like this were to be offered in the future I would definitely participate.
6. How would I describe this program in one word or one sentence? Hmmmm.....I think the above cartoon says it all.
7. Now that I am finished....whew!!!....I feel that I am now qualified to comment on my fellow player's blogs. Watch out Tech Goddess........

Thing 22-Nings

2008-07-07T15:22:00.001-07:00

Nings! Nings! Nings are wonderful things! I certainly enjoyed visiting them and seeing th.e pictures of the other members. I really enjoyed the Cat in the Hat video that was created to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday. I can see that Nings could be very helpful in sharing ideas and creations (like the Cat in the Hat video). It's kind of like a WIKI with pictures---a PIKI? Anyway, I can see they are not only fun, but useful in the exchange of ideas. I now know why my kids are hooked on Facebook.

Thing 21-Podcasts

2008-07-07T14:33:00.000-07:00

Finally! Something I can do! After Thing 20's embedded video fiasco I am actually looking forward to Photostory. I have created a number of Photostories over the past year. I have used them to create memory dvd's of birthday parties and vacations---and to create lessons. I love Photostory. Be warned, though, that once you start using it you won't be able to stop. It is yet one more program on my computer that I can only do when I have lots of time to play with it. It is addictive! Here is my Photostory presentation that I created for Constitution Week. I showed it on the morning announcements. I will probably create something else this year. Okay!!! I give up! I have successfully embedded my Photostory, but now it says that it is currently unavailable. Maybe it will work for you. I will keep my fingers crossed.......

Thing 20-YouTube, TeacherTube and Zamzar

2008-07-06T17:31:00.000-07:00

YouTube and TeacherTube were not new to me. I have explored them before---YouTube at home since the district blocks it. I love them both. I can waste a lot of time exploring both of these sites, so I try to only visit when I have a specific topic or lots of time to spare. I found several videos that I could use in my teaching. Okay, embedding the video proved to be alot more work than I had expected. I finally managed with a sample video, but not with the TeacherTube video that I had wanted or with the video that I sent to Zamzar. I will work on that some more. In the meantime, I just linked the TeacherTube video. Enjoy........

http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=c44114c473a74b8bdf36

Thing 19-Web 2.0 Awards List

2008-07-05T10:17:00.000-07:00

And the winner is......Microsoft Live Search Maps! I like the way categories can be searched----schools, stores, malls for example and the websites of these different locations can also be accessed. How easy is that? There are different ways to view the areas also. I could see using this with students in map studies. I also checked out the "Collaborative Writing and Word Processing" category and was pleased to see "Google Docs and Spreadsheets" won 1st place among other voters. This was my favorite also when I visited it in an earlier exercise. I also played with Comigs, a site that lets you create and share comics. I'm not quite sure just how I could use this in the school setting---yet. Give me some time and I'm sure that I can think of a way. In the mean time, I sure had fun playing with it.

Thing 18-Online Productivity Tools

2008-07-01T20:59:00.000-07:00

Well, I tried them both, but I have to admit that I had more luck with Google Docs. I created a presentation in Google Docs. I was very impressed with the ease of adding videos to the presentation---something that was always challenging with Power Point. I also like the that way that Google Reader and other Google programs can be accessed from the Google Docs page.

Thing 17-Rollyo

2008-06-30T16:29:00.000-07:00

Okay. I tried this, but can't say that I see the benefit. I guess if I had thousands of book marks it might be worthwhile, but since I don't......Maybe I need to talk to someone about this, but it seems like it's similar to Google Reader---which I understand. This is one of the "Things" that I will revisit when I have more time and patience.

Thing 16-WIKIS

2008-06-29T10:18:00.000-07:00

I like WIKIS! I didn't think that I would when I started this "thing". I like the idea of so much input. I can really see some valuable uses for WIKIS since individual schedules are so hard to coordinate. A meeting could be replaced by a WIKI. That's a win-win. Hummm...a Win-Win WIKI. Another unexpected upside of WIKIS occurred when I informed my techno-saavy teenage son that I was working on WIKIS and he said "what's that". Woo-hoo! Score one for the mom. Thanks 23 Things.

Thing 15-Library 2.0

2008-06-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

In my opinion, Library 2.0 is the current direction that libraries should be taking. We just need to realize that today is a time of constant evolution, so we shouldn't get too comfortable. Tomorrow will bring new resources and learning challenges. I think that the most challenging part is the ever changing role of the library and the librarian. Librarians can no longer rest on past learning, we must be constantly educating ourselves in order to educate our patrons. Over the years some have forecast the end of libraries as we know them. I think that belief is both true and false. There will always be a need for libraries to provide good easy and fiction books for readers. Contrary to what some will argue, there will always be a segment of the population that just loves the feel and smell of a book and will refuse to curl up with a good computer. As for the reference section of a library----much of that will need to go. It is impossible to supply in a library the information that is available on the web. Our job as librarians is instruction on accessing this information and learning to differentiate between good solid information and the unfortunate junk that is also available on the web.

Thing 14-Technorati and How Tags Work

2008-06-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, I took a look at Technorati. I watched the video. I explored the popular blogs listed on Technorati. Did I find anything that interested me? NO!!! I understand Tagging. It is not unlike keyword searches---but with the fun of making up your own keywords instead of the letting the Library of Congress do it for you. I like that part. Probably if I had more time to do tagging and reading I would have found some interesting blogs. I found Technorati's list of the most popular blogs, though, to be a total waste of time. Maybe it's a generational thing. I'm not giving up on Technorati---I'll just revisit it when I'm in a better mood.

Thing 13-del.icio.us

2008-06-26T19:43:00.000-07:00

I really like del.icio.us! I like the possibility of sharing websites with others. I can see alot of possiblities here....sharing relevant sites with teachers. How easy is that! I can also see that I have some work to do. I need to go through all my "favorites" and save them in del.icio.us. I will say that thanks to my new district issued laptop, the necessity of being able to access my bookmarks from any computer is not as necessary as it once was.

Thing 12-Commenting

2008-06-25T17:23:00.000-07:00

Two points of interest in commenting on blogs:
1. Be open ended and ask questions. I hadn't thought about this, but it makes sense. If you don't want your blog to turn into a diary, then invite conversation.
2. Interact with comments left. I can see how easy it is to read the comments and respond only to yourself---not a good way to run an interactive blog. As was mentioned in the assigned blogs, once you interact with your commenters you get to know them and create a community. Hmmm....very interesting.
Now for the blogs on non Learn2Players......
I liked Mike Falik's blog which cites Jay Mathew's article "Hit the Books". This article argues that elementary aged school childred should have no other homework than 30-60 minutes of reading each night. I like that!
I also liked Library TWEeter's "The Good, the bad and the library". A very brief, but oh so true look at the very popular books of the elementary school library----where there are always twenty five inquiries about the only two copies you own.

Thing 11-LibraryThing

2008-06-24T19:27:00.000-07:00

I created a LibraryThing account tonight---very easy as promised. I also added five titles to my list. I have posted two of my books here. I could have added hundreds more if I had more time---I will save that for later. I can think of many ways that I could use this. I am always reading, looking for books to read or being asked to recommend books. This is a great site for book recommendations. I also like the local happening feature. I have already checked that out that see what will be going on around Houston in the next few days. Thanks so much for making LibraryThing part of this game.

Thing 10

2008-06-23T17:21:00.000-07:00

The assignment was to have fun playing with image generators. Boy, did I have fun! The family did have to remind me that dinner had not yet been fixed. I would probably still be playing if not for familial hunger pains. I enjoyed all the sites! Here are some of my efforts. I used comic strip generator. I could see using these sites in many ways---in particular I could see using these sites in the use of book plates. They would certainly be far more interesting than the ones I make now.

Thing 9-RSS Blog and News Feeds

2008-06-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

Now my thoughts on blog and news feeds.
I liked both Bloglines and Technorati. Both seem to bring up articles that interested me with no steep learning curve on how to use them. Since it is 11:00 PM, easy to use is important.
Most confusing---for me it was Syndic8.com. It just looked confusing. Some useful feeds that I discovered included: Librarians Internet Index and both the New York Times and Washington Post Book Reviews. I can't say that I found other tools to locate news feeds (again, it is 11:00 PM. My brain shuts down at 10:00 PM). I will say that I have found more news feeds in the two above mentioned sites than I will ever be able to read and absorb.

Thing 8-RSS

2008-06-19T19:54:00.000-07:00

I found this exercise to be very interesting...but frustrating at the same time. I find it frustrating because it points out how much information is out there and how little time I usually have to read it. I could definitely see using this in my personal life, however I am still mulling how I could use this in my library. Perhaps it would be more useful in the middle school or high school setting rather than my elementary school. Still, I'm glad to know that it is available and I have set up my Google Reader account with my favorite feeds. I think that a daily dose of BBC will be very good for me.

Thing 7-Picasa Slide Show

2008-06-18T15:59:00.000-07:00

Thing 7

2008-06-18T15:22:00.000-07:00

Today was Google Day!!! I had no idea that so much was available from Google. I especially enjoyed exploring Google Scholar---especially the book section. I can think of many ways that I could put that to good use. I also enjoyed exploring Picasa. I have created a collage that I am trying to embed in this blog. I can definitely see uses for this. Not only in instruction, but also I could see using this in my library web page. If I succeed, I hope you enjoy.

Thing #6

2008-06-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

Tonight was Mashup night. Very interesting and very easy to lose all track of time. I especially liked the motivational poster maker on FD Toys. Using my own photographic handiwork I created my own motivational poster and trading card. Here is my motivational poster effort. Hope it motivates.....something.....

Thing 5 Reflections

2008-06-17T13:56:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I visited flickr for the first time. Wow!!! What fun! I downloaded nine examples of my own photographic attempts---all available for public viewing for anyone who might be interested. Sample search tags for the mc2 collection include: Frogs, Wildflowers, Birds (look for the Blue Heron) and Gates. You get the idea---they're all very predictable shots from an aging hippie. Here is one of my favorites from the flickr creative commons site.

Thing 3 in Twenty Three Things

2008-06-16T19:29:00.000-07:00

As can be seen, I have successfully created a blog and an avatar! Woohoo!!!
I created both with ease and have consequently gained points on the "coolness scale" with my teenage children.

It's All Relative......

2008-06-16T15:23:00.000-07:00

After watching the short video presentation concerning the 71/2 habits of highly effective learners, I have decided that I am a life long learner....with conditions. At my advancing age, I do not want to waste valuable mental storage space with unnecessary or unwanted junk. I am already discovering important information that has been crowded out by trivial stuff, so I am going to be much more selective in what I store in the old metaphorical attic. The easiest habit for me is #1---beginning with the end in mind. Envisioning the end product is not hard for dreamers. The hardest habit is #3---viewing problems as challenges rather than stop signs. I have a tendency to hit a speed bump and stop rather than slow down and continue. All of this leads to habit #4---having confidence in yourself as a competent and effective learner. In my opinion, this is the most important habit of all. Confidence makes all the other habits possible. Now, where can I buy confidence?