Learning 23 Things

Thing # 23Things

2009-08-16T20:06:00.000-07:00

Even though I was familiar with most of the applications presented, I did enjoy the guided practice and the blog posting part. It was easy to just write like I would talk to a friend or colleague but I could also share videos, images, and links to other websites of interest. I enjoyed reading what other members were writing and the ideas they shared on their blogs. I don't know if I will keep this blog going or not. It does take time and I SHOULD be posting booktalks to my library bookshelf blog. That type of writing takes more thought and preparation so I have not done as well with keeping it up.

If you offer this online workshop again, I would like to suggest you double-check some of the links that we found were not working. I would participate in another workshop of this type again next summer if you develop one for some newer web 2.0 applications.

Thanks again for your guidance!

Thing # 22 eBooks and Audio Books

2009-08-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for old books in the public domain, you could use some of the websites suggested. However, I found World Ebook Fair is only available for a month a year. You still have to go to Project Gutenberg or the other contributors to find the free downloads. For public domain audiobooks, I think Librivox is the best choice. I like the short story collections, ghost stories, science fiction, horror stories, and Aesop's fables would all be good choices for teachers and librarians to use.

My public library provides access to Netlibrary. It is the service I use to download children's and young adult books to my mp3 player. I listen to them as I commute to work or travel long distances alone in the car.

Thing # 21 Podcasts

2009-08-16T19:26:00.000-07:00

A couple of the podcasts directory links are no longer working, Yahoo Podcasts and Podcast.net. I looked at Podcastalley.com but didn't find it easy to search. They need an advanced search in order to limit the education podcasts lists even further. I do like Educational Podcast Directory since it is just that. However, I found most of the middle school podcasts were out of date. I did find a couple that were very good however so I bookmarked that site in my delicious account. I want to be able to show teachers some examples to help them see how they could use podcasting in their classes.

Thing #20 Youtube

2009-08-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

We use Youtube at my house to listen to our favorite music performed by the original artists. I have an account so I can subscribe to my favorite producers. When I log in, I see what they have uploaded recently. My subscriptions include RandomHouse and Penguin Young Readers for book trailers, TechLearning Online, Lee Lefever, and Google Apps for the latest in technology how-to videos. I suppose libraries could implement something similar in the way of different "channels" for different genres.

Thing #19 Library Thing

2009-08-16T17:13:00.001-07:00

Okay, I must admit I didn't see any use in spending time "cataloging" books already in my school catalog. I did put in some titles and gave them stars but I didn't write reviews for them. I tried to include the book cover gadget in my sidebar but can't seem to make it work. I'll try to include it in this post. I found several other people who had posted the same books I did, Lone Star titles for this year, and liked seeing the reviews. I guess it would be a good place to find other books that I might add to my catalog but I don't think it will be replacing my current selection tools.

Thing #18 Online Tools

2009-08-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

I tried Zoho a couple of years ago and although it looks like they have really expanded their products, I still love Google Apps. Google has them beat just because of their name recognition. Students will choose Google over Zoho because that is their search engine of choice. I like the fact that everything Google offers works together so well. I created a Google Site about a few Google Apps for a technology camp presentation for teachers. It is available from my library website's Teacher Resources page. It is the first link USS Google Fun Ship in the Teacher Tools section. My favorite discovery is the forms application in Google Docs. When you complete this form and click submit, your answers along with everyone else's is recorded in a spreadsheet in my Google Docs account. I am going to create one of these to collect email addresses of my students' parents.

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Extra: Steve Hargadon: Web 2.0 Is the Future of Education

2009-07-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

Steve Hargadon: Web 2.0 Is the Future of Education

Because paradigm shifts in education move with the speed of a herd of turtles, this 16 month-old blog post is still relevant to our conversations today. Mr. Hargadon presents some very thought provoking ideas which are discussed even further in the comments from other educators.

Extra: 10 Best Free Web 2.0 Tools for Teachers

2009-07-17T11:57:00.000-07:00

Watch this 1 hr video of NECC 09 Presentation by Discovery Education's Steve Dembo.

Thing #16 Wikis

2009-07-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

I do like wikis. I have seen many of these library-related wikis and have many of them bookmarked. What I need to see more of are the ways wikis are used in the classroom with students. I believe I already blogged about my efforts to use a wiki with some students this year. I like the fact that you can set it up so anyone can contribute whenever they have time. I did discover Google Sites this summer which also operates like a wiki. I will be trying it out more since we had trouble with our browser freezing when 2 students were trying to log in to Wikispaces at the same time.

The Math Tips was a good idea and the Salute to Seuss project was really neat.

Thing # 15 Library 2.0

2009-07-13T19:28:00.000-07:00

I read the Wikipedia article and agree that getting the patron involved in helping shape library services is part of library 2.0. Libraries have always asked for feedback so that they may meet the needs of their customers. It is just with the advent of these new web 2.0 tools that the feedback may be publicly seen on the library website, whereas it may previously have just been a suggestion box of little slips of paper that no one but the library staff ever read. We have finally managed to get our catalog online with Destiny so our patrons can access the information they need from home. Follett has also included the Destiny Quest interface which mimics an Amazon type of search. The covers of the books are shown and a box of suggested titles also appears. The patron can even create their own lists to save for reference anytime. The patrons are even able to leave comments, ratings, and upload digital content they have created to add information about the titles for others to see. All in all, I see the library, be it public or school, as a place that must stay current in order to remain a part of our patrons' lives.

Thing #14 Technorati

2009-07-13T19:19:00.000-07:00

I've completed the Discovery exercises for Technorati and looked it over and I still don't see anything of interest to me. I'm not interested in claiming my blog and putting in the html for technorati tags so others may find my blog. I don't like all of the advertising on their pages either. It was interesting that they had a Twitterati that showed the tweets of the bloggers with the highest authority. I looked them over and still didn't see any that I would want to follow.
I guess I'm happy with my Google Reader and the education blogs to which I've already subscribed.

Extra: No Future Left Behind

2009-07-10T09:49:00.000-07:00

This video is from YouTube so you may have to watch it from home. If the embedded doesn't work, here is the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kra_z9vMnHo

Thing # 13 Del.icio.us

2009-07-08T20:01:00.001-07:00

I have been using Delicious for about a year now. I still haven't tagged all of the bookmarks I imported from my Google Bookmarks and IE Favorites yet. There is so much out there. I guess tagging is a way to start getting it organized. I learned from this Thing about clicking on the number of times a link has been saved to see all of the notes other people put on it and the other tags they used. I then used one of those tags to find a FANTASTIC resource for using Google Apps with lesson plan ideas and video tutorials. An Almanac of Things for Learning is a Google Site by Google Certified teachers Cheryl Davis and Martha Thornburgh. I digress. Anyway, I love Delicious for the ease with which I can bookmark sites, add notes and tags so I can find them later. I also have added some people to my network but really haven't spent the time looking at their bookmarks or sharing any bookmarks with anyone else.

Thing #12 Rollyo, Wordle, and Animoto

2009-07-08T16:36:00.000-07:00

I don't like Rollyo because of all of the advertisment. I tried to create a Rollyo using my school's online encylopedias and it wouldn't work. I can see this might help if a teacher has a list of websites to have the students search. I just didn't get how to put this search on my website. Hmmm.... we call this federated searching in libraries. I'm hoping we get our online catalog set up this summer to do this with our online subscription databases. We usually don't use the open web for research.

Wordle is one application I have used. This is a Wordle of words describing the services the library and librarian can provide. I have this one on my Teacher Resources page of my library website. I am also considering using Wordle to create signs for the Dewey section of my library.

Animoto is my favorite! I have used it to promote the LoneStar books, promote independent reading with a Get Caught Reading video, and created a sample demonstration for students doing a state research project using Texas images as the example taken from Facts on File's World Atlas database. Just found this article of tips to make your Animoto videos better.

Thing #11 Web 2.0 Winners

2009-07-08T15:44:00.001-07:00

The link in the wiki pointed to 2008 winners so I searched for 2009 and found Webware 100 2009-CNET I looked at several of the web 2.0 application winners. Many, we have already explored. Of the new ones, I had heard of Hulu but hadn't tried it. I now know where to watch the episodes of The Closer I have missed! I can't wait. Another one I was interested in is OpenID. I've seen it on several websites but haven't tried it. I'm still not really sure but I do like the idea of only remembering one login and password. Skype is another one I've heard alot about but haven't tried yet. It does require a download of software so technically, is it really web2.0? Anyway, I like the idea of having author visits via Skype video conferencing so this is one I'll be looking into some more.

Extra: Google Calendar

2009-07-06T08:26:00.000-07:00

Please pardon this extra. I'm practicing with my Google Calendar.

Extra: Top 5 New Bloggers Beware

2009-06-30T12:41:00.000-07:00

Just read Here's My Top 5 Mistakes Made by New Bloggers by Sue Waters and thought it would be good for us all to read.

Thing #10 Online Image Generators

2009-06-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

This one I created using ComicStripGenerator.com. Easy schmeezy. I'm not very good at coming up with "funny" sayings though. This is my best shot!

I really like using Image Chef. I used it to create this image for my library website and catalog's homepage the last 2 weeks of school.

And this is the one I currently have posted, also created with ImageChef.

BigHugeLabs aka FD Toys is a really good one. I hope it is not blocked from school. I can see us using the magazine cover creator or the trading card creator for quick and easy research projects over historical people or even authors. I know we are planning to do something for Women's History Month and this would be a fun way to incorporate a little history research with a technology product. Last year we had a summer reading photo contest. We used Big Huge Labs tools for the entries.

Thing #9 Newsfeeds and blog searches

2009-06-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

I tried Technorati to search for blogs and didn't really find it user friendly. I liked Google's Blog Search because it came up with relevant blogs and at the bottom it allows you to sign up for email notice of any new additions to the search results for my search terms, or RSS feeds added to my Google Reader of new blogs or a search gadget added to my Google homepage. I like to use all of the applications from a single provider like Google because they all integrate so seemlessly.

I tried Topix.net for the first time looking for news in my area. I was rather shocked that it did come up with something, not for Evant but there was plenty of bad news from Gatesville! What a breeze to just type in the zipcode of the city for which you want news. Too bad we can't filter out all of the bad news and just get the good! or can I? Hmm. I'll have to check that out!

Thing # 8 Google Reader and feeds

2009-06-23T10:13:00.001-07:00

I started out using the little orange button to add feeds to my Internet Explorer toolbar. It is in the same section as Favorites and History. From there, I could just click on the names of the blogs that had been updated since I last read them. (they were in bold print) That way I could keep up but I found that I didn't always want to read everything they had posted. Next I tried Google Reader. I was setting up my IGoogle page and found I could put the Google Reader widget in my homepage. If the title of the post intrigues me, I can just click it and the post will open in a bubble window right there on my screen. I don't have to go to the website itself, although that option is there if I need it. For some reason, Joyce Valenza's blog on SLJ doesn't show the complete posting so I do have to click the Show Original Item link to see it in it's entirety.

I like the use of newsfeeds for research projects. I know Ebscohost has this feature so you can create a search and then subscribe to it so any new items published on your research topic can either be added to your current newsreader or emailed to you directly. We've come a LOOONNGG way from the big red books haven't we?

Thing #7- Technology and the use of it.

2009-06-23T07:33:00.000-07:00

There is so much to think about regarding technology. Not just the latest tools and web2.0 applications, but the use of it all. I just read a blog post by Sue Waters about the use of student pictures and names on the Internet. Reading all of the comments posted by others shows that this is an issue with which we should all be concerned. Do our school districts have up-to-date AUPs with regard to web2.0 usage? Are our teachers trained about what to do and not to do regarding not only student pictures on the web but also with implementation of blogs, wikis, etc.

We can be aware but sometimes things slip past us. The last couple of weeks of school, I set up a wiki as an alternative assignment for some students. I made sure I only used their first names but I caught one putting his last name on a powerpoint he uploaded. Once we uploaded a student created video created with PhotoStory3 we were so excited to share. However, when the movie played in the media player on the website, the student's complete name showed up as the name of the file. Another instance was a wonderful 8th grade video project that we wanted to share via our school website but the students had used their complete names in the video and the credits so we could not. Not only do the teachers need to be trained, but the students as well.

Our district is planning to implement an online safety curriculum this year. I hope it is a good one that will cover all aspects of online safety and we will have the opportunity to educate the teachers as well as the students.

Thing 6: Flickr Mashup

2009-06-21T11:54:00.000-07:00

I've been playing with the tools from fdtools, Big Huge Labs. I have been using the mosaic maker but it cuts off part of my pictures. I finally just picked the ones that would work. These are my children and my grandaughter.

Extra - YouTube find

2009-06-19T07:38:00.000-07:00

I found this video via BoortzNews (husband's favorite newsletter) who got it from Kim Komando (America's Digital Goddess) and wanted to share.

Thing #5b Flickr

2009-06-16T18:38:00.001-07:00

P1060540
Originally uploaded by sandracarswell

Here is one of the videos I took.

Thing #5a Flickr

2009-06-16T18:35:00.001-07:00

Caution tape butterfly
Originally uploaded by sandracarswell

This is a picture of one of the butterflies I took today at the Butterfly Rainforest at the Museum of Natural History in Gainesville, FL. I had a hard time getting them to pose for a good shot! I do have some videos as well. Fun Fun.

Thing 4: Twitter

2009-06-10T20:12:00.000-07:00

I'm trying out Twitter. I just don't see much use for it for my library, students, or myself. I prefer my librarian listservs and reading blogs for getting the latest information.

Thing #3 About me

2009-06-09T19:05:00.000-07:00

I have been a school librarian for 6 years, the last 3 in junior high. The 13 years prior to that I was a 5th grade teacher. I love my job and all things tech that go with it. In this class I'm hoping to learn more about web 2.0 applications and how they can be used to motivate learning throughout the curriculum.

I had difficulty figuring out where to post the html for the avatar. Finally found that on the Layout page, I had to click Add a Gadget and then select Html to have a place to paste the code.

Testing

2009-06-07T15:13:00.000-07:00

This is my first blog post using Blogger. Our school website service, School Wires has a blog style page so I have been using that to post book talks for books I have read. I find it hard to make myself write them but maybe this type of blog will be easier.