Several of the classes I took for my masters required making ten-minute videos or 5-minute presentations over the ICN. I always thought these were TOO LONG! I could "Name that tune in three notes" as it were. Therefore, I was really surprised as I began creating my Jing at how quickly 5 minutes flew by. My original plan was to demonstrate my entire library website and show all the links and pages. HA! The Jing kept telling me I had run out of time. It limits each presentation to 5 minutes.
I purchased a cheap little microphone to attach to my computer. When I finally got my lesson down to five minutes and went to review it, there was no sound! I was sure I had purchased a bad mike, but after some quality time spent "trying everything" I realized that I had the mute button on in the Jing program. Worked real well after I figured that out!
My presentation became "Using the online catalog" and I could have rambled on much longer than 5 minutes about that, too. I'm getting to be quite the chatterbox!
Jings are very easy and useful for quick directions that a teacher needs to give again and again. They are useful to have in a file, so if a student is absent, they can watch the Jing and have the same experience as the rest of the class. One of the math teachers at my school uses them frequently and students use them to review information and instructions. They are not meant to be polished lectures - instead of editing a user must begin again if a mistake is made. They ar useful for short snippets of information or direction. I think they would come in handy for subs to use, also.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Podcasts
Podcasting went pretty smoothly as the latest technology to be explored. Luckily for me, Sandy had her computer during our study session, since mine is a dinosaur that does not have a camera or a microphone as standard hardware. I had to do my podcast on her computer - we had fun!
The podcast I made was a "self-guided tour" of the library. I think that sort of thing is a great way to use podcasting. It is the narration to something else. I used to go to an annual herbal gathering called "Herbfest" every summer. There would be numerous speakers, with five lectures or workshops going on at one time. One would have to purchase cassette tapes (if you're under 30 and reading this- look it up on Wikipedia) of the lectures one missed. I certainly hope that gatherings like that have begun to use online resources to make the information available to a larger audience. Of course, the cassettes were money-makers, too. Perhaps they stick with the older technology?
Interviews are another great use for podcasting. Step by step directions for putting things together would be another. It isn't always necessary to have a visual, and sometimes it can be a distraction. It's nice sometimes to just close your eyes and listen.
Wouldn't it be fun to do an old-fashioned radio show, like a murder mystery, complete with cheesy sound effects? Or interview an historic figure ( like an author) as a dramatic presentation without having to worry about costumes and make-up? So many possibilities..
The podcast I made was a "self-guided tour" of the library. I think that sort of thing is a great way to use podcasting. It is the narration to something else. I used to go to an annual herbal gathering called "Herbfest" every summer. There would be numerous speakers, with five lectures or workshops going on at one time. One would have to purchase cassette tapes (if you're under 30 and reading this- look it up on Wikipedia) of the lectures one missed. I certainly hope that gatherings like that have begun to use online resources to make the information available to a larger audience. Of course, the cassettes were money-makers, too. Perhaps they stick with the older technology?
Interviews are another great use for podcasting. Step by step directions for putting things together would be another. It isn't always necessary to have a visual, and sometimes it can be a distraction. It's nice sometimes to just close your eyes and listen.
Wouldn't it be fun to do an old-fashioned radio show, like a murder mystery, complete with cheesy sound effects? Or interview an historic figure ( like an author) as a dramatic presentation without having to worry about costumes and make-up? So many possibilities..
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Flickr
I have found myself becoming quite enamored with photographs lately! I've never been much of a photographer - I was always the mom without a camera at the soccer game or band concert or awards ceremony. I love looking at photos, however. I guess I just felt that when I taking pictures or filming an event, I was removing myself from being present in the moment. So my pictures are of plants - and I find that photographing them actually makes me look more closely and notice details I would otherwise miss.
Flickr seems to be a great tool for photography and for uses of pictures for things such as posters and trading cards. These both are items that can be used in education to enhance learning. I will be taking more time to more fully explore this tool; especailly after reading some of the great ideas my classmates have come up with! Personally, it is a great way to share photos with family and friends - no need to invite people over and set up the slide projector screen anymore! People can view at their convenience!
I enjoy seeing other great pictures, also. Of course, I don't see having time to look at strangers' photos very often, but it's nice to know they're out there if I have the time and the whim!
Flickr seems to be a great tool for photography and for uses of pictures for things such as posters and trading cards. These both are items that can be used in education to enhance learning. I will be taking more time to more fully explore this tool; especailly after reading some of the great ideas my classmates have come up with! Personally, it is a great way to share photos with family and friends - no need to invite people over and set up the slide projector screen anymore! People can view at their convenience!
I enjoy seeing other great pictures, also. Of course, I don't see having time to look at strangers' photos very often, but it's nice to know they're out there if I have the time and the whim!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Bookmarking with Delicious
Everyone comments on how easy it is for them to sign up for and start using delicious. I had a bit of a different experience. Last week my daughter and I decided on the spur of the moment to get our hair cut while we were out shopping. She went for some highlighting of her hair as well. Because her appointment was so much longer than mine, I had a lot of free time in the salon to be on one of the computers they so graciously provide. "I'll just set up that delicous account while I'm here," I thought. So I did....except I couldn't download any of the buttons, because it wasn't my computer. "Oh well", thought I, "I'll just finish this up at home."
A few days later, I tried to finish my delicious account process and, firstly, realized I couldn't remember the user name or password I used. I keep a word doc with all my logins on my home computer, but of course, I didn't set it up on my home computer! I finally remembered my username, played around until I figured out the password I had used, and then found that the page to set up the buttons was no longer there! Eventually I found it and installed the buttons. But the "tag" button didn't install, so I installed them again. Still no "tag" button ( the most useful and necessary one if this technology is actually going to make things easier!!). My solution was to set up a new account and go through the process all at once. Installed buttons, still no "tag" button. Eventually, I realized that it just wasn't showing on my toolbar, and I could add it easily to make it show up. Hmmm...now I had two delicious accounts! Fortunately, deleting an account with delicous is very simple (unlike AOL, where I still have two unused accounts and can't figure out how to delet them!!). Once these hurdles were overcome, the process was, and now is, very simple indeed!
I found both of the tutorial videos extremely helpful to watch before setting up the account. It seems as though I am slowly changing my internet habits as I utilize these new tools from Web 2.0. As my habits change, this all becomes more intuitive and useful to me.
I set up a Diigo account after a workshop I took a couple weeks ago. This will be used by all of the librarians in our school district to share resources. I haven't done much with it yet. I also have a twitter account but so far, fail to see its usefulness! Maybe this class will allow me to gain insight into that!
A few days later, I tried to finish my delicious account process and, firstly, realized I couldn't remember the user name or password I used. I keep a word doc with all my logins on my home computer, but of course, I didn't set it up on my home computer! I finally remembered my username, played around until I figured out the password I had used, and then found that the page to set up the buttons was no longer there! Eventually I found it and installed the buttons. But the "tag" button didn't install, so I installed them again. Still no "tag" button ( the most useful and necessary one if this technology is actually going to make things easier!!). My solution was to set up a new account and go through the process all at once. Installed buttons, still no "tag" button. Eventually, I realized that it just wasn't showing on my toolbar, and I could add it easily to make it show up. Hmmm...now I had two delicious accounts! Fortunately, deleting an account with delicous is very simple (unlike AOL, where I still have two unused accounts and can't figure out how to delet them!!). Once these hurdles were overcome, the process was, and now is, very simple indeed!
I found both of the tutorial videos extremely helpful to watch before setting up the account. It seems as though I am slowly changing my internet habits as I utilize these new tools from Web 2.0. As my habits change, this all becomes more intuitive and useful to me.
I set up a Diigo account after a workshop I took a couple weeks ago. This will be used by all of the librarians in our school district to share resources. I haven't done much with it yet. I also have a twitter account but so far, fail to see its usefulness! Maybe this class will allow me to gain insight into that!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
RSS Feeds
Learning about and experimenting with RSS feeds was made easier and more fun because Sandy and I worked on it together during a "study session". Though seemingly daunting at first, we were soon adding feeds and having a great time! During our excitement, we explored PageFlakes (not what we thought it was - it's basically another version of Google Reader), Technorati ( I will return here for tech links later), and ended up adding RSS feeds to our wikis. We felt like quite the techno-gurus for a little while! Then, when we discovered the folders to organize our feeds, the librarians in us were happy, too. It's nice to have someone to work with - to bounce questions off of and share ideas.
Google has many features that make life easy and convenient. We already had google accounts because of a library curriculum document we were working on as a group. Google docs is a great small group collaboration tool. Anyway, Google reader was just a click away, and it wasn't too long before we figured out a system for adding RSS feeds. The challenge will be to check it regularly, especially during the summer!
Some of the sites I subscribed to are:
Professional:
AEA11 Teacher Librarian Wiki
The New York Times Book page
School Library Journal New update
Joyce Valenza's blog
Unabashedly Bookish Blog by B & N
News:
NPR Topics:News
The New York Times
CNN.com News
Sandy's Wiki page of news :)
Entertainment:
Movie Reviews
Rolling Stone
Simply Recipes
Even as I peeked at my Google Reader to get the above list, I had over 100 new feeds from these sites. Time is an issue with this technology! Skim and delete, skim and delete....
Google has many features that make life easy and convenient. We already had google accounts because of a library curriculum document we were working on as a group. Google docs is a great small group collaboration tool. Anyway, Google reader was just a click away, and it wasn't too long before we figured out a system for adding RSS feeds. The challenge will be to check it regularly, especially during the summer!
Some of the sites I subscribed to are:
Professional:
AEA11 Teacher Librarian Wiki
The New York Times Book page
School Library Journal New update
Joyce Valenza's blog
Unabashedly Bookish Blog by B & N
News:
NPR Topics:News
The New York Times
CNN.com News
Sandy's Wiki page of news :)
Entertainment:
Movie Reviews
Rolling Stone
Simply Recipes
Even as I peeked at my Google Reader to get the above list, I had over 100 new feeds from these sites. Time is an issue with this technology! Skim and delete, skim and delete....
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Wiki World
As I mentioned, I have created a couple of blogs and wikis already, with limited success. To create a wiki for this class (to be used in my work), I used a wiki I had previously created for a book club and completely revamped it for use as a book club that students may actually join!! I even changed the template of the pages. Only the title "WHS Book Club" is the same. Check it out! I used to think that the difference between a blog and a wiki is that a blog is a journal and a wiki is a collaboration tool. According to Richardson, however, a blog "Links with analysis and synthesis that articulate a deeper understanding or relationship to the content being linked and written with potential audience response in mind." (Richardson, p. 31) Wikis, are, indeed, collaboration tools.
I love the idea of working on projects, both in the classroom with students and amongst colleagues professionally, without having to be in the same place at the same time. No matter when a meeting is planned, there's always someone who can't make it! Students have their "school-sponsored activities" that take them out of classes on a regular basis. A wiki makes planning and creating documents and working on projects accessible to everyone, all the time. My hope is that it begins to get utilized more at our school.
I'm delighted that Wikipedia is finally getting a little respect as an incredible repository of knowledge. I use it just as I would use any resource - with a curious mind and a critical eye. At a workshop I attended the other day, one of the presenters explained that many of the Wikipedia pages are edited and updated by people who feel very passionately about the topic, and that most inaccuracies are caught and deleted within a matter of minutes. I like the mental image this creates in my head! I appreciate those who are well-versed in any subject. I love to learn new things! Next we are tackling RSS feeds - also addressed at the workshop I attended, but I have yet to attempt to subscribe to any. I'll let you know how it goes!
I love the idea of working on projects, both in the classroom with students and amongst colleagues professionally, without having to be in the same place at the same time. No matter when a meeting is planned, there's always someone who can't make it! Students have their "school-sponsored activities" that take them out of classes on a regular basis. A wiki makes planning and creating documents and working on projects accessible to everyone, all the time. My hope is that it begins to get utilized more at our school.
I'm delighted that Wikipedia is finally getting a little respect as an incredible repository of knowledge. I use it just as I would use any resource - with a curious mind and a critical eye. At a workshop I attended the other day, one of the presenters explained that many of the Wikipedia pages are edited and updated by people who feel very passionately about the topic, and that most inaccuracies are caught and deleted within a matter of minutes. I like the mental image this creates in my head! I appreciate those who are well-versed in any subject. I love to learn new things! Next we are tackling RSS feeds - also addressed at the workshop I attended, but I have yet to attempt to subscribe to any. I'll let you know how it goes!
Cited
Richardson, Will (2009). Blogs, wikis, podcast and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Thousand oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Beginning Reflection
Isn't this fun? The assignment, from the online class Web 2.0 Tools for the 21st Century Classroom, is to create a blog and use it for reflections on what is being learned during the course. Right now, we're learning about blogs. Already it was a kick to create a name for the blog, a URL for it, and just start talking (writing...blogging..).
I am taking this class because, as a librarian in a high school, I feel a responsibility to be familiar and comfortable with the future of knowledge, expression and relationship that is Web 2.0. Yes, these tech tools are here to stay and, like it or not, we can no longer expect our students to be engaged and retain relevant information through lectures, notes and powerpoints. There really isn't much of a need to retain statistical information - just know where to find it when it's needed. The fast-paced, abbreviated, ever-changing ways of communication are standard for high school students. Educational institutions will be needing to embrace these methods instead of trying to stifle their use. Even an old lady like me finds it a bit disconcerting to be without her cell phone for too long (What if one of the kids needs me? What if my car breaks down?).
This course is a challenge for me. I have made a couple blogs and wikis as part of my library website, but it's mostly stagnant. And once we're done with the blog/wiki portion of the class, I am totally out of my comfort zone. That's ok - the goal is for that zone to continually move farther down the road from where I am. I hope to gain a familiarity with new tools and bring this knowledge back to my school in relevant ways.
I enjoyed making the introduction poster which was fast and easy. Our book is refreshingly readable ( Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson) and the "Moodle" classroom environment, though not as intuititive as I had hoped (not using my intuition, anyway), is becoming easier to navigate the more time I spend with it.
So far, so good.
I am taking this class because, as a librarian in a high school, I feel a responsibility to be familiar and comfortable with the future of knowledge, expression and relationship that is Web 2.0. Yes, these tech tools are here to stay and, like it or not, we can no longer expect our students to be engaged and retain relevant information through lectures, notes and powerpoints. There really isn't much of a need to retain statistical information - just know where to find it when it's needed. The fast-paced, abbreviated, ever-changing ways of communication are standard for high school students. Educational institutions will be needing to embrace these methods instead of trying to stifle their use. Even an old lady like me finds it a bit disconcerting to be without her cell phone for too long (What if one of the kids needs me? What if my car breaks down?).
This course is a challenge for me. I have made a couple blogs and wikis as part of my library website, but it's mostly stagnant. And once we're done with the blog/wiki portion of the class, I am totally out of my comfort zone. That's ok - the goal is for that zone to continually move farther down the road from where I am. I hope to gain a familiarity with new tools and bring this knowledge back to my school in relevant ways.
I enjoyed making the introduction poster which was fast and easy. Our book is refreshingly readable ( Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson) and the "Moodle" classroom environment, though not as intuititive as I had hoped (not using my intuition, anyway), is becoming easier to navigate the more time I spend with it.
So far, so good.
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