So, committing to 15 minutes a day reading through blogs and watching videos to keep up? Not a problem (unfortunately??? Online Anonymous anyone? I find it highly ironic that there are so many online resources for online addiction...join their blog!!)
My issue would be actually signing up and trying the resources. I mentioned previously that I started to get "Register-Fever" after awhile. I've been monitoring my junk mail a lot during this project, and haven't noticed a larger influx of crud. That's a good sign. I also didn't take any of the surveys for cash in Second Life, either. That may be a wise move.
I feel a bit overwhelmed by all the accounts I have bookmarked, so I did do some major overhauling. I also put some links on del.icio.us. I like using that service quite a bit. I've already referred back to a few articles, and they were easy to find.
I'm also going to commit to teaching a summer inservice for staff on many of these resources. That will challenge me to really understand their use and features.
I bookmarked several of the sites listed on the Think 22 assignment page. I also created an Open ID with a Firefox extension that allows me to sign into sites with one password. Very cool.
Here are a few more I found:
Go2Web
I know this one is listed but TOO COOL.
You Suck at Photoshop
Yes, probably a tad off-putting for school, but I have learned a TON about Photoshop from these tutorials.
Technorati Tech
The latest tech chatter, and hugely popular site which tracks millions of blogs.
Technology Review
Kind of heady stuff, but I added the IT section to my RSS feeder
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Thing 21 - Social Networks II
Gather - I had joined Gather last year when I renewed my MPR membership, but I didn't really spend any time figuring it out. I went there and spent more time clicking around. It seems like it's mainly original content provided by members, and geared toward adults. I checked out the "articles" which seemed to be written about other articles found in mainstream media sites, or on blogs. I prefer going right to the sites on my aggregator. The comments are interesting, but I see the same types of conversations under the original article.
I did like the photography section, though. I accidentally posted a picture on there, thinking I was putting it up as my photo ID, but it went into the gallery. I was surprised to start getting nice comments almost immediately. I like the way the photos are categorized. I think I'd spend most of my time here on the Gather site.
Webjunction - Wowee. This is a gold mine and I'm really disappointed that I don't pay enough attention to sites like these. I was going through my personal bookmarks not too long ago and when I pulled Webjunction up I thought, "Gee, that's a pretty cool site!" I spent some time on and registered for the the site. This is going in my daily links. The courses are exactly what I have been looking for (I can't tell if you can get grad credit and/or CEUs for them - that would be handy). I didn't realize that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation played a big part in its creation. The discussions boards kept me going for quite awhile. I feel like I found "my people!"
View my page on 23 Things on a Stick
Ning - I'm about at the saturation point for signing up for sites and creating a profile, so I was glad that I could just be a member of a group on Ning and not have to search around for people. I added a short "hello" post and added a comment to a conversation on databases. I think Webjunction might be more up my alley, but I'll monitor this site occasionally.
The editing options were pretty cool on Ning. You can post something, and take about 15 minutes to edit the post. You edit the post by clicking on it, and it just opens up. That doesn't sound like much, but it was pretty nifty.
I'm LOVING the What's On My Bookshelf site. Yes, I did actually sign up for another site. I know I can just go to the library (as my sig other keeps telling me), but I will use this site to find books. I would LOVE to see my books being used and not just sitting on the shelf. I've added a few books, just to get a point. I'll update if I someone contacts me. My bookshelf is BURSTING at the moment, so I'm not going to order one until I'm caught up. Which may be never, but you never know!
I did like the photography section, though. I accidentally posted a picture on there, thinking I was putting it up as my photo ID, but it went into the gallery. I was surprised to start getting nice comments almost immediately. I like the way the photos are categorized. I think I'd spend most of my time here on the Gather site.
Webjunction - Wowee. This is a gold mine and I'm really disappointed that I don't pay enough attention to sites like these. I was going through my personal bookmarks not too long ago and when I pulled Webjunction up I thought, "Gee, that's a pretty cool site!" I spent some time on and registered for the the site. This is going in my daily links. The courses are exactly what I have been looking for (I can't tell if you can get grad credit and/or CEUs for them - that would be handy). I didn't realize that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation played a big part in its creation. The discussions boards kept me going for quite awhile. I feel like I found "my people!"
View my page on 23 Things on a Stick
Ning - I'm about at the saturation point for signing up for sites and creating a profile, so I was glad that I could just be a member of a group on Ning and not have to search around for people. I added a short "hello" post and added a comment to a conversation on databases. I think Webjunction might be more up my alley, but I'll monitor this site occasionally.
The editing options were pretty cool on Ning. You can post something, and take about 15 minutes to edit the post. You edit the post by clicking on it, and it just opens up. That doesn't sound like much, but it was pretty nifty.
I'm LOVING the What's On My Bookshelf site. Yes, I did actually sign up for another site. I know I can just go to the library (as my sig other keeps telling me), but I will use this site to find books. I would LOVE to see my books being used and not just sitting on the shelf. I've added a few books, just to get a point. I'll update if I someone contacts me. My bookshelf is BURSTING at the moment, so I'm not going to order one until I'm caught up. Which may be never, but you never know!
Thing 20 - Social Networks I
I created profiles on both MySpace and Facebook. I had a "shell" of sorts on MySpace, just to be able to look at some MySpace profiles some friends have. I am going to keep the MySpace page as a more personal site, and my Facebook will be for professional work.
I noticed that many public libraries have MySpace pages for their teen departments. Lots of high school libraries. I got a kick out of the groups that were filled with self-identified study geeks. They love their MySpace library groups, almost to a fault. Typical geek behavior. I can say that because I am unabashedly geek.
It seems that many of the MySpace groups featured polls on books, announcements, and some random chatter about various topics. I am considering creating a MySpace for my school's library next year. I'm trying to create new ways of publicizing books for boys (that's my goal - although I'm not avoiding girls' interests. I'm just working on that particular focus area this year). MySpace is blocked by our district filter, so it would just be an outside source.
On Facebook, I joined the library groups recommended on the 23 Things blog (Librarians and Facebook and Libraries Using Facebook Pages). I found the discussion on Facebook Profile Policies quite intriguing. I agree that it feels odd to have a personal vs. professional online spot. I didn't include information I felt was too personal - especially in regards to politics and religious views. What made that interesting is that I have 2 friends who I know personally who have Facebook accounts. I played around with the security settings to block professional friends from seeing information that would be too personal. I do like the fact that you can tailor the settings.
It was very easy to find friends on Facebook. It searched all of my web-based email lists. Is it odd that I feel a little freaked out because these sites can access my email lists so easily? True, I did have to provide a password, but yikes. It was enjoyable to be able to search so easily by graduation places and dates. I found a few folks I haven't talked to in years.
I placed a Facebook badge in my sidebar, but it's been difficult to get people to participate with one another during the project.
Contrasting Facebook and MySpace
Right off the bat I noticed that you can't look at full profiles on Facebook. It seems more secure. You can look for friends by accessing your online email accounts. I was surprised by how many of my friends already had Facebook accounts. I didn't like the network item in Facebook - it didn't have my town so I had to look at nearby larger cities, which was a bit useless. You can't delete that item from the profile.
I like the ability to make design changes in MySpace, but it also leads to some horrid designs. I have a friend who has a site I can barely read. She's got good info on it, but I couldn't read the ornate font, or see through the black background.
I didn't like the way Facebook tracks your actions. I was able to turn that off (I think), but it felt like an intrusive option in the first place. I recall reading how that was an issue as it related to purchasing items.
The article about using Facebook for professional use was interesting. I know of a lot of organizations and political folks who use both Facebook and MySpace, so I know it's done. I guess I prefer the e-folio online resume, which gives me much greater control over who sees my information, and what I want on there.
I noticed that many public libraries have MySpace pages for their teen departments. Lots of high school libraries. I got a kick out of the groups that were filled with self-identified study geeks. They love their MySpace library groups, almost to a fault. Typical geek behavior. I can say that because I am unabashedly geek.
It seems that many of the MySpace groups featured polls on books, announcements, and some random chatter about various topics. I am considering creating a MySpace for my school's library next year. I'm trying to create new ways of publicizing books for boys (that's my goal - although I'm not avoiding girls' interests. I'm just working on that particular focus area this year). MySpace is blocked by our district filter, so it would just be an outside source.
On Facebook, I joined the library groups recommended on the 23 Things blog (Librarians and Facebook and Libraries Using Facebook Pages). I found the discussion on Facebook Profile Policies quite intriguing. I agree that it feels odd to have a personal vs. professional online spot. I didn't include information I felt was too personal - especially in regards to politics and religious views. What made that interesting is that I have 2 friends who I know personally who have Facebook accounts. I played around with the security settings to block professional friends from seeing information that would be too personal. I do like the fact that you can tailor the settings.
It was very easy to find friends on Facebook. It searched all of my web-based email lists. Is it odd that I feel a little freaked out because these sites can access my email lists so easily? True, I did have to provide a password, but yikes. It was enjoyable to be able to search so easily by graduation places and dates. I found a few folks I haven't talked to in years.
I placed a Facebook badge in my sidebar, but it's been difficult to get people to participate with one another during the project.
Contrasting Facebook and MySpace
Right off the bat I noticed that you can't look at full profiles on Facebook. It seems more secure. You can look for friends by accessing your online email accounts. I was surprised by how many of my friends already had Facebook accounts. I didn't like the network item in Facebook - it didn't have my town so I had to look at nearby larger cities, which was a bit useless. You can't delete that item from the profile.
I like the ability to make design changes in MySpace, but it also leads to some horrid designs. I have a friend who has a site I can barely read. She's got good info on it, but I couldn't read the ornate font, or see through the black background.
I didn't like the way Facebook tracks your actions. I was able to turn that off (I think), but it felt like an intrusive option in the first place. I recall reading how that was an issue as it related to purchasing items.
The article about using Facebook for professional use was interesting. I know of a lot of organizations and political folks who use both Facebook and MySpace, so I know it's done. I guess I prefer the e-folio online resume, which gives me much greater control over who sees my information, and what I want on there.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thing 19 - Podcasts
I subscribe to a number of podcasts in iTunes. I travel frequently, so my iPod has become a close friend. I sub to This American Life, Speaking of Faith and Fresh Air. Public radio junkie? I think so. I enjoyed listening to the media specialist's podcasts listed on the Memoirs for the School Library Media Specialists. I wouldn't mind joining them, or sharing a podcast.
I have a great show that I'd recommend - it's called Grammar Girl. I linked to her podcast on apostrophes. She explains those pesky grammar difficulties in clear, fun language. I think this would be great for middle school and high school English classes. Maybe those students could create their own "tutoring" podcasts!
This is my first attempt at a podcast. I made the podcast in the style of a program that MPR broadcasts, about sounds in our lives. I used Audacity to record it. It took me a few times to get through it because my bird is so ANNOYING when I talk into a phone or microphone!
I couldn't figure out how to mix the tracks, so I just cut and paste them. The podcast is pretty quiet; I'll have to either get a mic for my computer, or figure out how to work with the gain control in Audacity more effectively. Either way, this was pretty fun.
I searched around and found a free site called PodBean. It seems like a regular blog site, but it has space for uploading podcasts. It's really easy to navigate, and I like the clean interface. I missed the GCast link on the first pass through the reading. I'd like to try that site, too. Here's Tico:
I have a great show that I'd recommend - it's called Grammar Girl. I linked to her podcast on apostrophes. She explains those pesky grammar difficulties in clear, fun language. I think this would be great for middle school and high school English classes. Maybe those students could create their own "tutoring" podcasts!
This is my first attempt at a podcast. I made the podcast in the style of a program that MPR broadcasts, about sounds in our lives. I used Audacity to record it. It took me a few times to get through it because my bird is so ANNOYING when I talk into a phone or microphone!
I couldn't figure out how to mix the tracks, so I just cut and paste them. The podcast is pretty quiet; I'll have to either get a mic for my computer, or figure out how to work with the gain control in Audacity more effectively. Either way, this was pretty fun.
I searched around and found a free site called PodBean. It seems like a regular blog site, but it has space for uploading podcasts. It's really easy to navigate, and I like the clean interface. I missed the GCast link on the first pass through the reading. I'd like to try that site, too. Here's Tico:
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Thing 18 - Online Video
I went a little nuts with this Thing. I'm pretty familiar with Youtube and some other video sites. I decided to take on the challenge and upload a video I created. I would like to use TeacherTube because YouTube is blocked in our district.
Unfortunately, I fought with Teacher Tube for hours. I could not get the video to upload, no matter what I tried. I started with a large .avi file. It would load all the way until the finalization point, and then it stuck there for an hour. I canceled and tried an .mov, a .wmv, and various smaller file sizes. Same thing. It would get to the finalization point and hang. I also tried using Google Video, but I kept getting an internal server error. I had read that Google was having issues today, so it was probably tied to that. I'm really frustrated at this point, so I just uploaded it to this blog. I'll keep trying to get it on Teacher Tube, because I'd like to use it next year.
I created a short video on how to use the library at my school. Of course it took me hours and hours to edit (I use Premiere Elements), and it's just a short little video. I'm pretty excited to use it next year to intro the library to new 5th graders, and for new students to the school. I wish I had done this earlier, but I had sufficient inspiration to create it now because of the Thing project. The audio is really tinny here, but it's fine on my original. I'll fight with it later.
My friends and I had a weird Youtube-flurry earlier this year and dug through so many 1980s music videos and 1970s Saturday morning cartoon shows that I considered ratting my hair in solidarity. At one point, as we were trading memories (any of you "old folks" remember Underdog? My favorite) someone messaged, "What did we do before the Internet?" Well, actually she said Intertubes, but you get what she meant.
I love the link from the 23 Things site to the book dominoes video. It's interesting to note how many people viewed that one compared to most of the other library videos. What do you suppose that means about people looking for information about libraries? Heh heh...
I posted a Youtube video about library training "back in the day" in Thing 2. There is a treasure trove of mid-century training/educational videos online - and I think I saw some of them in elementary school! Not too long ago, our media folks were talking about subscribing to a service that would serve videos on demand. Those talks have stalled because, for the most part, the online video sites have what teachers want. This video has been used by our admins in several sessions when we talk about what our students need to survive and thrive when they graduate. Sobering and inspiring stuff:
I also discovered this one recently. It's also really thought-provoking, and worth showing to teachers (and the public!)
Online videos are an amazing resource. Youtube is blocked in our district, but TeacherTube isn't. We've had fairly good luck finding videos there. Most of the teachers who use online videos are savvy enough to pull them offline so they aren't sucking bandwidth. Unfortunately, sites such as History.com don't let you pull the videos, so we have to chance our bandwidth availability sometimes. I can only see that online videos will become more and more vital to school curriculum.
This Youtube video of Jack Johnson singing Where Did All the Good People Go? is one I would love to show to a group of older students. It's probably more appropriate for high school, but what a great conversation starter:
Can't have a post about Youtube videos without posting the BEST video EVER.
Unfortunately, I fought with Teacher Tube for hours. I could not get the video to upload, no matter what I tried. I started with a large .avi file. It would load all the way until the finalization point, and then it stuck there for an hour. I canceled and tried an .mov, a .wmv, and various smaller file sizes. Same thing. It would get to the finalization point and hang. I also tried using Google Video, but I kept getting an internal server error. I had read that Google was having issues today, so it was probably tied to that. I'm really frustrated at this point, so I just uploaded it to this blog. I'll keep trying to get it on Teacher Tube, because I'd like to use it next year.
I created a short video on how to use the library at my school. Of course it took me hours and hours to edit (I use Premiere Elements), and it's just a short little video. I'm pretty excited to use it next year to intro the library to new 5th graders, and for new students to the school. I wish I had done this earlier, but I had sufficient inspiration to create it now because of the Thing project. The audio is really tinny here, but it's fine on my original. I'll fight with it later.
I love the link from the 23 Things site to the book dominoes video. It's interesting to note how many people viewed that one compared to most of the other library videos. What do you suppose that means about people looking for information about libraries? Heh heh...
I posted a Youtube video about library training "back in the day" in Thing 2. There is a treasure trove of mid-century training/educational videos online - and I think I saw some of them in elementary school! Not too long ago, our media folks were talking about subscribing to a service that would serve videos on demand. Those talks have stalled because, for the most part, the online video sites have what teachers want. This video has been used by our admins in several sessions when we talk about what our students need to survive and thrive when they graduate. Sobering and inspiring stuff:
I also discovered this one recently. It's also really thought-provoking, and worth showing to teachers (and the public!)
Online videos are an amazing resource. Youtube is blocked in our district, but TeacherTube isn't. We've had fairly good luck finding videos there. Most of the teachers who use online videos are savvy enough to pull them offline so they aren't sucking bandwidth. Unfortunately, sites such as History.com don't let you pull the videos, so we have to chance our bandwidth availability sometimes. I can only see that online videos will become more and more vital to school curriculum.
This Youtube video of Jack Johnson singing Where Did All the Good People Go? is one I would love to show to a group of older students. It's probably more appropriate for high school, but what a great conversation starter:
Can't have a post about Youtube videos without posting the BEST video EVER.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Thing 17 - ELM Resources
I'm kind of disappointed I can't add anything "sparkly" to up the interest level on this post (although my interest in it is quite high) so here's a cute picture to start us off.
I could kick myself every time I log into the ELM resources. I have them linked on our school website, but they aren’t being utilized like they should be. I blame that entirely on myself; I just don’t feel comfortable with this resource. I opted to complete all but one of the challenges (I’m not sharing a folder in NetLibrary yet), and am committing myself to teaching a course for teachers this summer on this resource. I couldn’t remember how to access ELM at home, but another media specialist filled me in on that password. It’s hard to keep on top of everything (obviously why this course is so valuable).
InfoTrack Student: I put the RSS feed about smoking in my Reader – that was pretty nifty. I can see teachers and students tracking info that way. I was disappointed that our district blocks the term “MySpace” because every article and other resources were blocked. I was able to get info using the search term “social networking” but the search hits included articles on Facebook and Bebo and other topics I didn’t want. It took a little digging to find the RSS feeds on NPR for Children’s Health, but once I found the News Feeds page, it was pretty slick. I chose to add the Politics & Society feed, rather than the Children’s Health feed.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Thing 16 - Student 2.0 Tools
Great, great resources. I have been working on implementing a new research method in our district - the I-Search - with little success. Partially, I think it has to do with the fact that we are "dumping" the entire research process into the 6th grade, without the "dribbling" of skills in previous grades that the Research Calculator site recommends.
Our teachers are not accustomed to a true research process. They are inclined to assign a "hot topic" to students, and to accepting what is, in essence, just a regurgitation of previously written information. It's hard to push teachers into the messy world of true research with their students. I REALLY appreciate the teacher resources that accompany the Research Calculator. I noticed that there are references to the I-Search process and a few well-written documents that talk about how to avoid plagiarism.
Defining a question is probably the most difficult aspect of the research process, and the support materials do a great job of covering how to define a topic and create a specific question. It would be handy to have a Bloom's Taxonomy handout in there, too. What a great resource, though. I'd like to share this with our curriculum director the next time we meet on our research process.
I found one glitch: the definitions aren't anchored well and lead to the whole glossary list, rather than to the word I clicked on. Small issue, but annoying.
I played with the Assignment Calculator, too. I was impressed that the links changed, depending on the subject area. I'd like to try that site for the next graduate class I take. Quite impressive.
Our teachers are not accustomed to a true research process. They are inclined to assign a "hot topic" to students, and to accepting what is, in essence, just a regurgitation of previously written information. It's hard to push teachers into the messy world of true research with their students. I REALLY appreciate the teacher resources that accompany the Research Calculator. I noticed that there are references to the I-Search process and a few well-written documents that talk about how to avoid plagiarism.
Defining a question is probably the most difficult aspect of the research process, and the support materials do a great job of covering how to define a topic and create a specific question. It would be handy to have a Bloom's Taxonomy handout in there, too. What a great resource, though. I'd like to share this with our curriculum director the next time we meet on our research process.
I found one glitch: the definitions aren't anchored well and lead to the whole glossary list, rather than to the word I clicked on. Small issue, but annoying.
I played with the Assignment Calculator, too. I was impressed that the links changed, depending on the subject area. I'd like to try that site for the next graduate class I take. Quite impressive.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
