This has definitely been a learning journey for me. Like Book Maid stated, I also feel as if I have completed a Master's Thesis. Instead of twenty-three "fifteen-minute projects," some have been very time-consuming and frustrating. My favorite discoveries were the image generators, the LibraryThing, and Zoho Writer, which I will definitely share with some of the students. I particularly enjoyed the LibraryThing because I can read updates on new books, and I can read reviews and recommendations from other book lovers.
Twenty-three things would surely be a lifelong learning goal for me because my "life" is not spending day and night on a computer. I did learn a lot from this discovery journey and can see a use for many of the applications I have learned.
Surprisingly, I never thought I would be creating a web page much less a blog. I have learned many technology skills, some taking forever to complete, and some I completed quickly. I have even shared several of the "things" with friends, teachers, and students.
To improve the program, the override needs to be eliminated. If these tools are implemented at
school, there needs to be an easier way to get around these blocked sites and the district filter.
I soon discovered arriving early at school or staying late was wasting my time. Too many of the applications could not be successfully completed at work.
I would probably participate in another discovery program like this in the future. Hopefully, then I will receive the PGH. My next forty-five hours will not begin until August 2008, and I have definitely earned the hours through this program. I know that I have spent far more than eighteen hours on these exercises.
As for its influence on me as a school librarian, the journey has opened my eyes to the vast amount of technological tools available. I have already been sharing some of these tools with others and hope to continue. Some I will continue to use and others will probably be forgotten or referred to at a later date. For sure, I have gained a little more confidence in myself with computers and usage of technological applications.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Animoto
Thing Twenty-two
This at first was definitely not my favorite thing. Finally, I figured out the way to move my pictures from Flickr to another location. The pictures then loaded on Animoto and the process went quickly, but only after spending a couple of hours trying to figure out the problem. Animoto would be a great way for students to produce short video clips for class presentations. Teachers could also use it to add visual presentations or attention-grabbing aspects to their lessons.
This at first was definitely not my favorite thing. Finally, I figured out the way to move my pictures from Flickr to another location. The pictures then loaded on Animoto and the process went quickly, but only after spending a couple of hours trying to figure out the problem. Animoto would be a great way for students to produce short video clips for class presentations. Teachers could also use it to add visual presentations or attention-grabbing aspects to their lessons.
Creative Commons
Thing Twenty-three
This thing was definitely something new to me. Creative Commons is a copyright license that grants permission for an author's work to be edited, shared or reused. Within reason or under certain conditions, a song, movie, book or any other publication can be altered. So, with the "cc" license an author or owner has given up "all rights reserved" protection and freely given the rights for someone to collaborate, change, and use his creation. An example of a creative commons article is "The Eiffel Tower." Also, flickr is another tool that implements this copyright license with its pictures.
Students could use creative commons to download pictures for science fair or art projects. Also,
they could alter songs to create a musical background for video or oral presentations. However, as a librarian, I feel copyright laws or respect for one's publication should be taught or stressed.
Yes, I skipped thing 22; I will return to it later. It is creating much stress for me!!
This thing was definitely something new to me. Creative Commons is a copyright license that grants permission for an author's work to be edited, shared or reused. Within reason or under certain conditions, a song, movie, book or any other publication can be altered. So, with the "cc" license an author or owner has given up "all rights reserved" protection and freely given the rights for someone to collaborate, change, and use his creation. An example of a creative commons article is "The Eiffel Tower." Also, flickr is another tool that implements this copyright license with its pictures.
Students could use creative commons to download pictures for science fair or art projects. Also,
they could alter songs to create a musical background for video or oral presentations. However, as a librarian, I feel copyright laws or respect for one's publication should be taught or stressed.
Yes, I skipped thing 22; I will return to it later. It is creating much stress for me!!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Podcasts
Thing Twenty-One
I browsed all the podcast directories and discovered that podcast.net was the easier one to use.
I found a set of podcasts on teen/librarians that had podcasts on an array of topics that teens and librarians face today. Some were MySpace, anime and manga, blogs, social networking, and wikis. Since MySpace and other social networks are so controversial, I chose "Need a Reason to Allow Social Networking Sites?" According to a survey of teens, "more that 50 percent specifically talk about schoolwork." As of now, I do not know how useful some of the podcasts would be to me, but I found a lot of interesting ones on teens and the new trends in technology.
I also added this article to my shared items.
I browsed all the podcast directories and discovered that podcast.net was the easier one to use.
I found a set of podcasts on teen/librarians that had podcasts on an array of topics that teens and librarians face today. Some were MySpace, anime and manga, blogs, social networking, and wikis. Since MySpace and other social networks are so controversial, I chose "Need a Reason to Allow Social Networking Sites?" According to a survey of teens, "more that 50 percent specifically talk about schoolwork." As of now, I do not know how useful some of the podcasts would be to me, but I found a lot of interesting ones on teens and the new trends in technology.
I also added this article to my shared items.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
YouTube
Thing Twenty
YouTube is a website that allows one to upload, tag or share segments of videos. It has hundreds of video clips on an array of topics. What I like about it is no one can download clips on nudity or pornography. Also, since teachers are not allowed to show a full-length film, teachers could possibly find short video clips to support a topic they are teaching. Many students tend to learn better from visual aides. I did not find a particular dislike or use for my library website. I would just need to spend more time searching the various video clippings. However, I did find the video clip below that might be good for an elementary website.
YouTube is a website that allows one to upload, tag or share segments of videos. It has hundreds of video clips on an array of topics. What I like about it is no one can download clips on nudity or pornography. Also, since teachers are not allowed to show a full-length film, teachers could possibly find short video clips to support a topic they are teaching. Many students tend to learn better from visual aides. I did not find a particular dislike or use for my library website. I would just need to spend more time searching the various video clippings. However, I did find the video clip below that might be good for an elementary website.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Go With the Flow
Thing Nineteen
I explored the flowchart Gliffy and the mindtrap Blbbl.us. Both offer a way to organize your thoughts. Bubbl.us is a tool to brainstorm ideas and visually sort them out through bubble boxes. The mindtrap would be an excellent graphic organizer for students to prewrite notes for essays, projects, or class notes. I was not impressed with Gliffy. Online flowcharts and diagrams can be created for floor plans, seating charts, and various other uses, but it was not a very user-friendly tool. I see Gliffy more as a business-oriented application and Bubbl.us easier for classroom students. Both online tools allow information to be edited, saved and shared with others.
I explored the flowchart Gliffy and the mindtrap Blbbl.us. Both offer a way to organize your thoughts. Bubbl.us is a tool to brainstorm ideas and visually sort them out through bubble boxes. The mindtrap would be an excellent graphic organizer for students to prewrite notes for essays, projects, or class notes. I was not impressed with Gliffy. Online flowcharts and diagrams can be created for floor plans, seating charts, and various other uses, but it was not a very user-friendly tool. I see Gliffy more as a business-oriented application and Bubbl.us easier for classroom students. Both online tools allow information to be edited, saved and shared with others.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Biblio.com
Thing Eighteen
At first, I wanted to again explore The LibraryThing, but since I had already blogged about it in Thing 17, I decided to branch out and chose Biblio.com. It is an online source for used, rare, and out-of-print books and textbooks. One can search by subject categories or browse many online bookstores. Biblio offers books and shipping at an economical price, and for those who are concerned about the environment the packaging is eco-friendly. This marketplace supports the community businesses and works toward "fostering education and literacy." As for its applicable use in a library, I wish I had known about this site several years ago. A friend and I spent a lot of time searching online and at bookstores for an out-of-print book for use in her classroom. She and her husband are still browsing bookstores for chemistry and physics books. I will definitely share this tool with them and use it to help me find discarded, worn-out books that students and teachers love but are out-of-publication.
At first, I wanted to again explore The LibraryThing, but since I had already blogged about it in Thing 17, I decided to branch out and chose Biblio.com. It is an online source for used, rare, and out-of-print books and textbooks. One can search by subject categories or browse many online bookstores. Biblio offers books and shipping at an economical price, and for those who are concerned about the environment the packaging is eco-friendly. This marketplace supports the community businesses and works toward "fostering education and literacy." As for its applicable use in a library, I wish I had known about this site several years ago. A friend and I spent a lot of time searching online and at bookstores for an out-of-print book for use in her classroom. She and her husband are still browsing bookstores for chemistry and physics books. I will definitely share this tool with them and use it to help me find discarded, worn-out books that students and teachers love but are out-of-publication.
Zoho Writer
Thing Seventeen
Zoho Writer is an advantageous web-based tool for word processing, spreadsheets, databases and other applications. Its particular values are having access to your documents from any computer and the capability of multiple users editing and collaboratively working on a project together. Also, the document can then be emailed to anyone without sending it as an attachment. Since many of my students do not have computers at home, another asset is their projects and essays can be typed online. Now, I do not have to worry that the students' assignments cannot be saved on the PC computers. I can definitely see a use for Zoho Writer at my library.
Here is my test document for Zoho Writer.
Now that Christmas break has ended, school has returned to its normal routine. Since this school year is the first in many years that the term did not end before Christmas, the teachers are frantically reviewing materials and trying to get in late work for the six weeks. I am visiting with the reading teachers to schedule their classes into the library to work on TAKS skills. Also, I have a math teacher willing to work on a TAKS project in the library. In addition, I am trying to again promote my Texas Lone Star books, hoping to have a greater number of students attending Celebration Station.
Zoho Writer is an advantageous web-based tool for word processing, spreadsheets, databases and other applications. Its particular values are having access to your documents from any computer and the capability of multiple users editing and collaboratively working on a project together. Also, the document can then be emailed to anyone without sending it as an attachment. Since many of my students do not have computers at home, another asset is their projects and essays can be typed online. Now, I do not have to worry that the students' assignments cannot be saved on the PC computers. I can definitely see a use for Zoho Writer at my library.
Here is my test document for Zoho Writer.
Now that Christmas break has ended, school has returned to its normal routine. Since this school year is the first in many years that the term did not end before Christmas, the teachers are frantically reviewing materials and trying to get in late work for the six weeks. I am visiting with the reading teachers to schedule their classes into the library to work on TAKS skills. Also, I have a math teacher willing to work on a TAKS project in the library. In addition, I am trying to again promote my Texas Lone Star books, hoping to have a greater number of students attending Celebration Station.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Sandbox Wiki
Thing Sixteen
I added one of my image generators to the sandbox wiki. This is one of the simpler "things" to complete. Described as "pure play," this website could be as fun as the image generator thing.
After viewing the PB Wiki Tour I learned pages can be linked, plug-ins can be inserted, different features can be added, and there are settings to make the wiki public or private. I could use a wiki as a way of communicating teen favorite books or new arrivals to the students and teachers. It also could be a way to communicate to teachers beneficial information for use in their lessons or class projects.
I added one of my image generators to the sandbox wiki. This is one of the simpler "things" to complete. Described as "pure play," this website could be as fun as the image generator thing.
After viewing the PB Wiki Tour I learned pages can be linked, plug-ins can be inserted, different features can be added, and there are settings to make the wiki public or private. I could use a wiki as a way of communicating teen favorite books or new arrivals to the students and teachers. It also could be a way to communicate to teachers beneficial information for use in their lessons or class projects.
Wikis
Thing Fifteen
A wiki is another web-based social networking tool for online collaboration/communication.
It is designed so that anyone can make changes to the content or add and delete pages. This can be problematic, since entries can be easily spammed or vandalized . Also, there can be issues with the entries not being authoritative. I personally do not want to create a wiki without having control of the information that is published. I guess the interesting aspect of a wiki is viewing the creation of those who enjoy this form of communication, and if one has to create a wiki, it can be developed without knowledge of HTML or "other markup languages." In a library, I feel a wiki is a useful tool for book lists or reviews, presentations, projects, library information resource, or as a connection to the community, patrons, and teachers.
A wiki is another web-based social networking tool for online collaboration/communication.
It is designed so that anyone can make changes to the content or add and delete pages. This can be problematic, since entries can be easily spammed or vandalized . Also, there can be issues with the entries not being authoritative. I personally do not want to create a wiki without having control of the information that is published. I guess the interesting aspect of a wiki is viewing the creation of those who enjoy this form of communication, and if one has to create a wiki, it can be developed without knowledge of HTML or "other markup languages." In a library, I feel a wiki is a useful tool for book lists or reviews, presentations, projects, library information resource, or as a connection to the community, patrons, and teachers.
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