Although I have complete 23 Things from Library2Play, I am not done! Now, I need to go back, relearn some of my favorite tools and incorporate them into my lessons. This experience has been a great one...I can't wait to share my experiences and new knowledge with my colleagues and principal! I thought I was pretty techno-savvy as I started this journey and boy did I eat a big piece of humble pie. I had no idea the wealth of information and technology tools that were out there. The crazy thing is that many of these "Things" were not intentionally created for educational purposes. This experience allowed me to stretch my imagination and look at different ways to see/teach/experience different ideas.
My favorite discoveries were mashups/3rd party sites (e.g. Mosaic Maker, Trading Card) from Thing #6. Also, after some real-life applications, I really love Delicious! It is so great to have a network of sites all in one spot so neatly organized. I will definitely be using this more. LibraryThing was pretty neat to. I had no idea that it would be so easy to use! It is another great resource for getting ideas about new and exciting books both for school and personal use.
It is so wonderful to know that:
1. These tools are free! So many people want money nowadays...it is nice to know that some things in life really are free.
2. They are so easy to use. The minds behind all of this thought of the everyday Joe when they created their products.
3. Anyone can access them...just a username and password and you are ready to go.
One thing I did not like was the fact that my district has most of this blocked. I have never tried (nor knew I could) "unblock" a site before. This is foreign territory to me. I understand the reasoning for filters, but something has to give!
There were some "Things" and some sites that were just to chaotic for me. In other words, there was an overload of information and links. While all of this can be helpful, I am the type of learner that likes things organized and concise. Too much fluff and I tend to tune things out. I get the main idea and move on.
This experience has been somewhat of a blur because I had to do it in 4 weeks. There is no way I explored and delved into these "Things" as much as I wanted to! I need to go back, find my favorites, and learn them again. But at least Library2Play will not go anywhere right?!
If I had the chance to do this again I would, but I would stretch out the time more. The amount of learning that I acquired is astounding!
In one word, this experience has been ENLIGHTENING!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Thing #22 - Nings
Well, in my journey with the Web 2.0 world, I have learned a lot. Some has been completely new to me...and Nings is among them! I had never heard of a "ning" before, but of course I had heard of My Space and Facebook. I just didn't realize there were so many social networks out there like these two popular entities.
I explored Teacher Librarian Network. It is pretty neat. I like the Forum the best. In just the beginning of it there was a post about decorating a library. There were already 8 comments. I thought that was pretty cool and I could see myself posting a question or idea and getting a responses from people interested in the same area as me! I also saw that videos could be posted! Yet another Web 2.0 extension to YouTube and Teacher Tube! I could also access blogs to members and get even more information. Again, it is neat to be in a social group of people online who share the same interests as me.
I think I will use this to get information and belong to a group of people who understand the library world. It will be another avenue of information that will help me be better at what I do.
I explored Teacher Librarian Network. It is pretty neat. I like the Forum the best. In just the beginning of it there was a post about decorating a library. There were already 8 comments. I thought that was pretty cool and I could see myself posting a question or idea and getting a responses from people interested in the same area as me! I also saw that videos could be posted! Yet another Web 2.0 extension to YouTube and Teacher Tube! I could also access blogs to members and get even more information. Again, it is neat to be in a social group of people online who share the same interests as me.
I think I will use this to get information and belong to a group of people who understand the library world. It will be another avenue of information that will help me be better at what I do.
Thing #21 - Podcasts
I have used Photo Story before for personal use last year. I had actually forgotten about it. It is an easy tool to use and very self-explanatory. I love how music can be added to the background as well. It looks so professional when it is all said and done. I like the fact that I can type out what to say before I record the narration. That helps me so much! I honestly don't know that I would actually use this yet in the classroom or library. I think if I read some other blogs and think of some lessons, I could find some ways to incorporate this tool...After some thought, I had a brainstorm...I would like to do some type of staff development about copyright and about how I can be of service to the school. Perhaps I could create a Photo Story that pertains to those two subejcts with my narration behind the images. Copyright is so difficult to understand, so maybe using this technology will liven it up a bit!
Regardless, below is my attempt at Photo Story. It is about my family's weekend together.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thing #20 - YouTube and TeacherTube
So many videos so little time! The possibilities and search options are endless. Technology may have its downsides, but one of the upsides is the access we all have to a plethora of materials! Having so many videos is great. I can learn through a tutorial session about wikis, I can post my own video, I can find some to teach with, I can find some to show to faculty and staff, and of course I can find some just for fun. Videos open new doors to education and what is available as sources for information.
I am of course familiar with YouTube and have used it for personal use. One of my favorite videos to watch with my daughter is the Snuggle Puppy song. But I digress. I think personally that YouTube at the elementary level is best used by teachers and librarians. In other words, I do not want my students to search for videos here because there is so much inappropriate content. However, it is a fantastic free source in which educators can search for videos to use in their classrooms or staff developments. I searched for "librarians" and found this hilarious song. It pokes a little fun at the librarian stereotype but at the same time describes a lot of what we do. It will make you smile I promise =)!!!
Then I went to TeacherTube. Believe it or not the only experience I have had with it is from people sharing videos with me. I had never actually explored it before. Well, since I do teach 4th grade, writing is always at the forefront of my brain. So, I searched for grammar videos. In the process, I saw a lot of resources that inspired me and some that I would like to use. I saw that a lot of teachers created songs or raps to help their students learn all of those crazy grammar rules. I wanted to start that this year, but I am so not talented in the music-writing department! So, seeing some of these videos has given me a great starter point. Below is an adorable School House Rock video. I remember watching these when I was a kid!
I am of course familiar with YouTube and have used it for personal use. One of my favorite videos to watch with my daughter is the Snuggle Puppy song. But I digress. I think personally that YouTube at the elementary level is best used by teachers and librarians. In other words, I do not want my students to search for videos here because there is so much inappropriate content. However, it is a fantastic free source in which educators can search for videos to use in their classrooms or staff developments. I searched for "librarians" and found this hilarious song. It pokes a little fun at the librarian stereotype but at the same time describes a lot of what we do. It will make you smile I promise =)!!!
Then I went to TeacherTube. Believe it or not the only experience I have had with it is from people sharing videos with me. I had never actually explored it before. Well, since I do teach 4th grade, writing is always at the forefront of my brain. So, I searched for grammar videos. In the process, I saw a lot of resources that inspired me and some that I would like to use. I saw that a lot of teachers created songs or raps to help their students learn all of those crazy grammar rules. I wanted to start that this year, but I am so not talented in the music-writing department! So, seeing some of these videos has given me a great starter point. Below is an adorable School House Rock video. I remember watching these when I was a kid!
A Little Out of Order...Thing #18 - Online productivity tools
I downloaded and explored OpenOffice. It is nice because it is free. As I looked around it has many of the same features as Microsoft Office, but it doesn't seem to have as many. There are new templates in the "presentation" (aka Power Point) software that is nice. One thing I do not like is that it is not set up in the same way as Microsoft Office. Therefore, I think for people like myself who are used to using that software will spend more time finding applications on OpenOffice than actually producing products. I do like that it can be put on as many computers as needed. I have Microsoft Office for Students and do not have Access so I cannot create databases. I didn't want to spend more money on Microsoft software for an app that I will hardly use. So it is nice that I can get it for free and use it as needed.
I am not sure how this could benefit the education system since Microsoft Office is pretty much standard in most districts. Can someone give me ideas on how this could be used in a library setting?
I am not sure how this could benefit the education system since Microsoft Office is pretty much standard in most districts. Can someone give me ideas on how this could be used in a library setting?
Thing #19 - More Web 2.0 Tools
Well, this was a pretty neat list of other Web 2.0 Tools. I clicked on a BUNCH and played around with some. As I opened many though and read their descriptions, I found myself saying, "Huh?" Many of them surprisingly I have already heard of and have used. I guess I know more about Web 2.0 than I thought!
I played around with Writeboard and liked it for the most part. I liked that I could create a document, add comments, share it with others who can make changes, etc. However, I did not like that I could not format it automatically. I had to use their codes for a bulleted list or to make a numbered list. I think it would almost be easier to create a Word document, send it out, and let people make changes. However, with this program, multiple people could make changes, comments, additions, and deletions all in one place. All could see the changes made and then see the document before changes were made. I also like that it is password protected. I coul see using this for a collaboration lesson with teachers. We could create a Writeboard for any number of things and each make changes to it. But then again, can't we do that on a Wiki?
I also playe around more with Last.fm. I typed in Eli Young Band who I love just to see what would pop up. It was interesting because I could see their biography, charts for their songs, comments from the band, pictures, and videos. This would be more fun for personal use rather than school use, but maybe it could be used at the junior or high school level. Perhaps teachers or librarians could have students research and compare two artists and their styles. Of course, this would just be one source and it would have to be extensively evaluated before it could be used, but that is just an idea.
Overall, I find that the tools I have learned about through Library2Play are much more beneficial to me at the educational level. I might use more of the tools that I explore here for more personal use.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Thing #17 - Rollyo
Rollyo is pretty neat. It seems to be a lot like the social bookmarking sites in some way in that my favorite sites are in one place. However, with Rollyo I can categorize those trusted sites all together, type in a keyword, and BOOM! I have a list that comes from all of my sites! I could see using this tool for research in the library. Students could log in and search from sites that I have evaluated myself. This keeps them researching, but they are protected too from anything inappropriate that may pop up.
From a personal standpoint, I could house all of different likes in regards to websites and save a lot of time by searching in just one place instead of 20!
I love to shop online, so I am going to create a Rollyo (and use some high rollers as well) that will allow me to search my favorite sites all at once. I was just searching for a particular dress for my daughter. I tried many different sites that I go to and it took a lot of time. I wish I had known about Rollyo then!
I put a Rollyo search box on my side bar. You can search a few of the searchrolls that I have created and have used from others.
From a personal standpoint, I could house all of different likes in regards to websites and save a lot of time by searching in just one place instead of 20!
I love to shop online, so I am going to create a Rollyo (and use some high rollers as well) that will allow me to search my favorite sites all at once. I was just searching for a particular dress for my daughter. I tried many different sites that I go to and it took a lot of time. I wish I had known about Rollyo then!
I put a Rollyo search box on my side bar. You can search a few of the searchrolls that I have created and have used from others.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Thing #16 - Wikis
Well, I first heard of Wikis last summer in a technology workshop. I thought it was a pretty crazy name and didn't really understand it. But now that I have read about it through Library2Play and have used it myself, I can see some benefits as well as some drawbacks.
In my class for summer school, we were required to do a group project. We were to create a lesson a librarian could do. We made a Wiki scavenger hunt in order to introduce students to the online catalog in the library. It was so easy to use. I am glad we did that so that I was able to get hands-on experience with it and to become more familiar with its features. I just wish it had more templates and "cutesy" ideas/themes/etc =).
I read an article called Using Wikis to Create Online Communities. This really gave me a couple of good ideas of how I can use Wikis both in my classroom and in my future library. This coming school year, I hope to start a Wiki in order for my students to post reviews and comments about books they are reading personally and for school. I am going to have my students participate in the Bluebonnet Award this year. I would love for them to post reviews about the books and create a sort of "book talk". This way, their parents can see what we are doing and hopefully become involved in the process. The only thing about Wikis that concerns me is the privacy issue, but I can easily overcome that with setting the security of the page myself.
As a librarian, the above website also mentioned that it is great for collaboration. It cuts the need for numerous and confusing emails. Teachers, administrators, and librarians can post ideas, edit documents, add comments, and so on all in one spot. Time is always an issue for collaboration. With a wiki, collaboration can be done anytime, anywhere!
In my class for summer school, we were required to do a group project. We were to create a lesson a librarian could do. We made a Wiki scavenger hunt in order to introduce students to the online catalog in the library. It was so easy to use. I am glad we did that so that I was able to get hands-on experience with it and to become more familiar with its features. I just wish it had more templates and "cutesy" ideas/themes/etc =).
I read an article called Using Wikis to Create Online Communities. This really gave me a couple of good ideas of how I can use Wikis both in my classroom and in my future library. This coming school year, I hope to start a Wiki in order for my students to post reviews and comments about books they are reading personally and for school. I am going to have my students participate in the Bluebonnet Award this year. I would love for them to post reviews about the books and create a sort of "book talk". This way, their parents can see what we are doing and hopefully become involved in the process. The only thing about Wikis that concerns me is the privacy issue, but I can easily overcome that with setting the security of the page myself.
As a librarian, the above website also mentioned that it is great for collaboration. It cuts the need for numerous and confusing emails. Teachers, administrators, and librarians can post ideas, edit documents, add comments, and so on all in one spot. Time is always an issue for collaboration. With a wiki, collaboration can be done anytime, anywhere!
Thing #15 - Library 2.0: Debated!
Well, the whole world of Web 2.0 was somewhat foreign to me. I guess, I should say the term was. Once I saw what it was I said to myself, "Oh that is what all of this is called!"
So as far as Library 2.0 is concerned, I feel it has an extremely important role today. Let's face it, the world has gone technical in all of its applications from home to office to car! In the library world, in order to fulfill the needs of our users (which is one of our standards anyway), we need stay abreast of all of the 2.0 tools that are out there. But we need to interact with the users and let them have a part in it all. The Wikipedia article on Library 2.0 helped me wrap my brain around this term and its features. In addition, this same article stresses the need of communication between the users and librarians.
Michaels Stephens' blog was also very interesting. He lays out key points librarians must put into place for Library 2.0
These include:
1. Making it accessible anywhere, anytime
2. Actually uses and puts the Libray 2.0 tools into practice
3. Has a critical eye when choosing technology tools
4. Makes quick and accurate decisions
5. Reads up on current trends in this realm
6. Librarians take part in it and hold dialogue with their users
I loved this blog! It made me really look at my own personal role in this whole new world of technology and its abundance of tools!
So as far as Library 2.0 is concerned, I feel it has an extremely important role today. Let's face it, the world has gone technical in all of its applications from home to office to car! In the library world, in order to fulfill the needs of our users (which is one of our standards anyway), we need stay abreast of all of the 2.0 tools that are out there. But we need to interact with the users and let them have a part in it all. The Wikipedia article on Library 2.0 helped me wrap my brain around this term and its features. In addition, this same article stresses the need of communication between the users and librarians.
Michaels Stephens' blog was also very interesting. He lays out key points librarians must put into place for Library 2.0
These include:
1. Making it accessible anywhere, anytime
2. Actually uses and puts the Libray 2.0 tools into practice
3. Has a critical eye when choosing technology tools
4. Makes quick and accurate decisions
5. Reads up on current trends in this realm
6. Librarians take part in it and hold dialogue with their users
I loved this blog! It made me really look at my own personal role in this whole new world of technology and its abundance of tools!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Thing #14 - Technorati
This is another great tool in my toolbelt for finding relevant and specific information. Again, I am new to the "blogosphere" and this is another source I can use to find some blogs. I love how I can get as detailed or broad as I want in my searching. I also like the features like searching just tags or seeing the most popular blogs.
I could see myself using this more as I get more familiar with it and play around with it more. I probably will use it as a personal source first, and then as I get to know more names in the library world, I will expand my horizons.
I did add a widget/gadget to the side though...Technorati News...which I thought was pretty cool =).
Update: I must say though that I was a little frustrated. I watched the Technorati tutorial video and when I went to explore it and make my account, it didn't look anything like what I had just seen! It was very hard to search and I was a little confused by it all. Did any one else have this problem?
I could see myself using this more as I get more familiar with it and play around with it more. I probably will use it as a personal source first, and then as I get to know more names in the library world, I will expand my horizons.
I did add a widget/gadget to the side though...Technorati News...which I thought was pretty cool =).
Update: I must say though that I was a little frustrated. I watched the Technorati tutorial video and when I went to explore it and make my account, it didn't look anything like what I had just seen! It was very hard to search and I was a little confused by it all. Did any one else have this problem?
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Thing #13 - Tagging
I thought that Delicious was somewhat useful because of the tagging. As I was thinking about what to say about this on my blog, I thought, "Why don't I just use the 'Favorites' function on Internet Explorer?" Of course the tags are what is unique here. I could see using this as a librarian to sort and tag various websites for different research projects, my own personal sites, my own professional sites, etc.
I like the fact that I can type in the simplest word and see other's postings. I typed in toddler recipes and found some cool sites that I bookmarked myself. Of course, this could be used professionally in so many ways.
I can't figure out though how to share directly with certain people. Did I miss something? Can someone help me with this? I saw I can make a public profile however, but I don't know how to share specific sites. Can someone help me?
Update: I have just realized the value of Delicious in the real world. I have found some useful websites for my group presentation. I saved and tagged them in Delicious. They were there all together, and they were quick and easy!
I like the fact that I can type in the simplest word and see other's postings. I typed in toddler recipes and found some cool sites that I bookmarked myself. Of course, this could be used professionally in so many ways.
I can't figure out though how to share directly with certain people. Did I miss something? Can someone help me with this? I saw I can make a public profile however, but I don't know how to share specific sites. Can someone help me?
Update: I have just realized the value of Delicious in the real world. I have found some useful websites for my group presentation. I saved and tagged them in Delicious. They were there all together, and they were quick and easy!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Thing #12 - Commenting
One thing I found interesting was that when people make comments, comment back! It is the only polite thing to do and it lets the readers know that you, as the blogger, care about your readers. I can see how this would make sense. It is kind of like email...if a friend sends you an email and you don't reply back, a lot could go through their mind - Is my friend okay? Are they mad at me? Are they ignoring me? Did the email go through? etc.
Another thing I found important is that when I leave comments, I must not simply say "Great idea!" or "Thanks!". I need to leave a remark that lets the blogger know I care enough to reply to what they have said. Just as a blogger needs to validate the commenter, the commenter needs to validate the blogger.
Also as a blogger, I read that it is important to leave my blog open for discussion. I should ask questions or somehow invite people to comment on my blog so that they feel comfortable enough to do so.
I posted a comment on CafeMom as I searched "toddlers". I found some excellent recipes that I could try! I even decided to join the site. I am so glad that I was "made" to search some other blogs. It was neat to look at other comments as well. I really feel a part of a group!
I also posted on Green and Clean Mom. Again, I was finding what would be usfeful to my life and this topic caught me eye. The layout was attractive and the topics were interesting.
Another thing I found important is that when I leave comments, I must not simply say "Great idea!" or "Thanks!". I need to leave a remark that lets the blogger know I care enough to reply to what they have said. Just as a blogger needs to validate the commenter, the commenter needs to validate the blogger.
Also as a blogger, I read that it is important to leave my blog open for discussion. I should ask questions or somehow invite people to comment on my blog so that they feel comfortable enough to do so.
I posted a comment on CafeMom as I searched "toddlers". I found some excellent recipes that I could try! I even decided to join the site. I am so glad that I was "made" to search some other blogs. It was neat to look at other comments as well. I really feel a part of a group!
I also posted on Green and Clean Mom. Again, I was finding what would be usfeful to my life and this topic caught me eye. The layout was attractive and the topics were interesting.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Thing #11 - LibraryThing
I have posted a "gadget" on the side to my LibraryThing book list. Check it out! I will be adding more.
This is a fantastic tool. For personal use, I like having my books listed in an orderly manner. I love the fact that I can see a library quality description page for each book. I can then connect to other members who share a similar interest, read reviews, and more.
I looked around the groups and loved it! I am always wanting to know what a good book would be to read and I love hearing people's reviews and recommendations. I played around on one group in particular, Crime, Thriller, Mystery. I love reading these types of books and I could quickly find a new one to read.
As a librarian, I could search a book or groups to find out some personal opinions of books. This is great!
This is a fantastic tool. For personal use, I like having my books listed in an orderly manner. I love the fact that I can see a library quality description page for each book. I can then connect to other members who share a similar interest, read reviews, and more.
I looked around the groups and loved it! I am always wanting to know what a good book would be to read and I love hearing people's reviews and recommendations. I played around on one group in particular, Crime, Thriller, Mystery. I love reading these types of books and I could quickly find a new one to read.
As a librarian, I could search a book or groups to find out some personal opinions of books. This is great!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Thing #10 - Online Image Generator
Comic made by Comic Strip Generator and Fototrix.com
Poster made by Big Huge Labs Motivator. Photo by Eflon: Uris Library Stacks
This is so much fun! I had to stop myself before the night got away from me. The possibilities go on and on with all of these tools. There are a number of ways these could be used both professionally and personally!
Big Huge Labs is my favorite for educational use. I love the poster I made. Students could use this with Flickr and other images to create a poster for a book or a project.
I like Kid-Friendly Image Generators simply because it is well, kid-friendly. However, it is a little limiting because the upload has to be a URL.
Thing #9 - Useful Library-Related Blogs and News Feeds
I am new to the world of blogs and I do not know many names to search for yet. So I really like the Edublog awards search site. It is a way for me to see some of the top blogs that are finalists for a previous years. This was very helpful and easy to use.
I thought that School Library Blogs on Suprglu was nice too because again, it gave me some new choices and names to look for in the library world. There is a lot of information, a lot of blog links, and it was relatively easy to use.
I thought Bloglines was personally a little more difficult to use. I didn’t quite understand it and the layout was a little weird for me. Maybe once I get used to blogs and all of the terminology I will like it more.
I also really liked Topix.net! It is nice to have a search specifically for my zip code! This could be great at a school doing research about a particular area for example. I also like that the search can be limited to no blogs…just news sources. Nice touch!
I thought that School Library Blogs on Suprglu was nice too because again, it gave me some new choices and names to look for in the library world. There is a lot of information, a lot of blog links, and it was relatively easy to use.
I thought Bloglines was personally a little more difficult to use. I didn’t quite understand it and the layout was a little weird for me. Maybe once I get used to blogs and all of the terminology I will like it more.
I also really liked Topix.net! It is nice to have a search specifically for my zip code! This could be great at a school doing research about a particular area for example. I also like that the search can be limited to no blogs…just news sources. Nice touch!
Thing #8 - RSS Feeds
Before doing this, I had heard of RSS but had NO IDEA what it meant! It sounded very confusing and something I would never try. But, the video was fantastic! It really made it simple and now I am interested in keeping up with it!
For personal use, it is a great way to organize my favorite blogs and websites so that they are in one organized location! I don't have to scroll through long searches or forget where I found something interesting.
At the professional level, I can keep up with the lastest news and blogs with just a few clicks. We live in a world in which we want information now or not at all. With RSS feeds, that is possible!
An administrator or librarian could use this to keep up with current research and statistics in a certain area of personal or educational interest. Also, restating my point, a librarian can follow notable blogs and get updates in just one place. It saves an abundant amount of time searching and searching through thousands of pages and sites!
For personal use, it is a great way to organize my favorite blogs and websites so that they are in one organized location! I don't have to scroll through long searches or forget where I found something interesting.
At the professional level, I can keep up with the lastest news and blogs with just a few clicks. We live in a world in which we want information now or not at all. With RSS feeds, that is possible!
An administrator or librarian could use this to keep up with current research and statistics in a certain area of personal or educational interest. Also, restating my point, a librarian can follow notable blogs and get updates in just one place. It saves an abundant amount of time searching and searching through thousands of pages and sites!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Thing #7 - Google stuff
I played around with several Google features, but the two I liked the best are the calendar and iGoogle. I already have a Picasa site which I love for sharing my pictures with family and friends who I don't get to see all of the time. This is a great way too to create some other 2.0 tools with my own photos. They are available no matter what computer I am on.
The Google calendar is great for a variety of reasons. I played around with it for personal usage. But as a librarian, I could post my schedule for teachers to see what I am doing, to sign up to come in, etc. I could also make one for my principal to see what I did in the library that month. It would be a format change that might be nice =). Of course, I could use it as a teacher too for my own use. I could also use it and print it out for each student so they know what is going on for the week, day, or even year.
iGoogle is pretty neat. I love being able to customize things to my liking =). It could be used in the library. It would be a quick access to specific things that I would want to see with just a few clicks. If 4th grade is studying weather, I could make that a feature on my iGoogle page. Then I could just go to it quickly to show them weather patterns. At a higher level (or any for that matter), I could select news stories to be on my main page. I could pull up stories from reputable sources for research or to look at text features.
The Google calendar is great for a variety of reasons. I played around with it for personal usage. But as a librarian, I could post my schedule for teachers to see what I am doing, to sign up to come in, etc. I could also make one for my principal to see what I did in the library that month. It would be a format change that might be nice =). Of course, I could use it as a teacher too for my own use. I could also use it and print it out for each student so they know what is going on for the week, day, or even year.
iGoogle is pretty neat. I love being able to customize things to my liking =). It could be used in the library. It would be a quick access to specific things that I would want to see with just a few clicks. If 4th grade is studying weather, I could make that a feature on my iGoogle page. Then I could just go to it quickly to show them weather patterns. At a higher level (or any for that matter), I could select news stories to be on my main page. I could pull up stories from reputable sources for research or to look at text features.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Thing #6 - Mash-ups
Wow! I don't know if I could even explore all of the possibilities! I really like the Mosaic Maker. I think that my students could compile a mosaic and then write a story about the photos they chose. They could also make a mosaic that focuses around the theme of a book we are reading in class or that they are reading for Independent Reading. Mappr is neat for a geography/history teacher. How fun!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Thing #5 - Explore Flickr
Flickr is pretty amazing! It is nice to find a wide variety of pictures that can be used. I liked this picture because well, first, it is a libary, and second, it looks neat.I could see me using this in my language arts classroom in a variety of ways. I would incorporate it with another Thing or Web 2.0 tool such as Animoto. I could have my students find pictures relating to a book and create a video with main ideas about the book scattered throughout.
Photo by Eflon: Uris Library Stacks
Thing #3 - Avatar
How fun! I made an Avatar that basically looks like me (some may disagree...LOL!) and the background is my dream home! But, I could have gone crazy with it and made an alternate persona or someone I could never be and just hav fun.
In the classroom, I could have students use this to create characters from a book we are reading, create an Avatar of themselves at the beginning of the year as an introduction, create one and then have someone else write a descriptive paragraph about it, and the list goes on and on!
In the classroom, I could have students use this to create characters from a book we are reading, create an Avatar of themselves at the beginning of the year as an introduction, create one and then have someone else write a descriptive paragraph about it, and the list goes on and on!
Thing #2 - 7 1/2 Habits of Lifelong Learners
For me, the easiest habit is Habit #1 - Begin with the End in Mind. I do this naturally without even realizing that I am doing it! I think about my desired outcome and logically lay out the best way to get to that goal. I do this in almost every aspect of my life. Almost to a fault!
The hardest habit for me is Habit #3 - View problems as challenges. When a problem arises, my natural reaction is "Aw man! Now what?!" It is hard for me to see a problem as a way to learn something new.
From the first set of slides, I thought about how I could incorporate this into my classroom. I thought I could try to instill in my students that whether they realize it or not, they are learning! Most students may not realize that the classroom is not the only setting for learning. I will try to point out, model, and demonstrate all of the contexts in which they (and I) learn everyday. For example, when they are standing in the lunch line, they are learning the ways to behave in a large setting while trying to wait patiently.
The hardest habit for me is Habit #3 - View problems as challenges. When a problem arises, my natural reaction is "Aw man! Now what?!" It is hard for me to see a problem as a way to learn something new.
From the first set of slides, I thought about how I could incorporate this into my classroom. I thought I could try to instill in my students that whether they realize it or not, they are learning! Most students may not realize that the classroom is not the only setting for learning. I will try to point out, model, and demonstrate all of the contexts in which they (and I) learn everyday. For example, when they are standing in the lunch line, they are learning the ways to behave in a large setting while trying to wait patiently.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Videos Galore! - Idea #3
During our library time, the librarian set up the SmartBoard (an incredible, interactive whiteboard...but it is expensive) to let my students watch a few videos about the brain and nervous system on Brain Pop. Your school may subscribe to this service. Some videos are free. Otherwise, you will need a description. The nice thing about this site is that all of the videos are "kid-friendly". Of course, the librarian and I preview the videos before we show them to evaluate their content.
Anyway, the students watched a video and then I had them take the quiz with me as a class. I "manned" the laptop to start the quiz. I had a student go up to the SmartBoard to select the answer. There were 10 questions and we received our score at the end. There were some pretty tough questions, but the kids got most to all of them correct. I was amazed! The video held their interest and the content was age appropriate. They wanted to do more. We did two more videos, and the results were the same.
When we got back to the classroom, I allowed them to explore some games via a digital hotsheet on the mobile lab (a cart of 30 laptops). Where do you think a lot of them went? BRAINPOP!!!
Anyway, the students watched a video and then I had them take the quiz with me as a class. I "manned" the laptop to start the quiz. I had a student go up to the SmartBoard to select the answer. There were 10 questions and we received our score at the end. There were some pretty tough questions, but the kids got most to all of them correct. I was amazed! The video held their interest and the content was age appropriate. They wanted to do more. We did two more videos, and the results were the same.
When we got back to the classroom, I allowed them to explore some games via a digital hotsheet on the mobile lab (a cart of 30 laptops). Where do you think a lot of them went? BRAINPOP!!!
Get Researching! - Idea #2
As our research on the brain continues, I tried to incorporate technology as much as possible, but also letting the students know that research comes from other places such as books and mgazines. A novel idea huh?
Another way to integrate technology for research is a newly discovered website I learned about from my grad school class called TrackStar. This is much like the digital hotsheet, but takes it to another level. I am going to use this in the upcoming year when I tackle brain research again. With this device, you can pick specific websites for your class and do numerous things with them through the "annotations". You can ask questions, create quizzes and worksheets, or make it simply for researching information. First, you set up the "track" with a description of what it is. Then, once you have all of your websites and annotations set (which, by the way, you do all on one page within the program), it is set up and reviewed by TrackStar for appropriate content. You wil be assigned a TrackStar number. This will be handy because when you want your students to view your track, they can simply type in the number in the search field to find it quickly. You can also search, using keywords, for other people's tracks! The work may already be done for you.
It is incredible! The best part...it's FREE!
Give it a try. Think about all the ways you could use it in your classroom.
Another way to integrate technology for research is a newly discovered website I learned about from my grad school class called TrackStar. This is much like the digital hotsheet, but takes it to another level. I am going to use this in the upcoming year when I tackle brain research again. With this device, you can pick specific websites for your class and do numerous things with them through the "annotations". You can ask questions, create quizzes and worksheets, or make it simply for researching information. First, you set up the "track" with a description of what it is. Then, once you have all of your websites and annotations set (which, by the way, you do all on one page within the program), it is set up and reviewed by TrackStar for appropriate content. You wil be assigned a TrackStar number. This will be handy because when you want your students to view your track, they can simply type in the number in the search field to find it quickly. You can also search, using keywords, for other people's tracks! The work may already be done for you.
It is incredible! The best part...it's FREE!
Give it a try. Think about all the ways you could use it in your classroom.
Focus the Brain! - Idea #1
This past year, I did an extensive research project with my 4th grade students. I had done research of course in my previous years of teaching with index cards and folders. That was a nightmare! I wanted another way to take on the sometimes daunting task of 4th grade research. So I collaborated with my school librarian and come up with some ideas.
I am a very organized person who needs things tidy and neat. So, what we came up with was perfect. The librarian and I created a digital, internet-linked hotsheet. Because of all of the "mess" that kids can get themselves into on the Internet, I knew this hotsheet would be great. The basis of the hotsheet was to give the students specific websites to go to for finding facts, viewing videos, and playing games. Because these sites were specifically linked on the hotsheet, there was little if no room for students to stumble on an inapprporiate site. All of the links on our digital hotsheet were personally screened and evaluated.
The kids loved the novelty of it. They had never used one prior to this. After the Brain Research project, I used hotsheets for other projects. They weren't a novelty anymore, but at least now they knew what a digital hotsheet was and how to use it. They LOVED it!
I am a very organized person who needs things tidy and neat. So, what we came up with was perfect. The librarian and I created a digital, internet-linked hotsheet. Because of all of the "mess" that kids can get themselves into on the Internet, I knew this hotsheet would be great. The basis of the hotsheet was to give the students specific websites to go to for finding facts, viewing videos, and playing games. Because these sites were specifically linked on the hotsheet, there was little if no room for students to stumble on an inapprporiate site. All of the links on our digital hotsheet were personally screened and evaluated.
The kids loved the novelty of it. They had never used one prior to this. After the Brain Research project, I used hotsheets for other projects. They weren't a novelty anymore, but at least now they knew what a digital hotsheet was and how to use it. They LOVED it!
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