Thing 22…
The most relevant plan for staying current with the Web 2.0 is to stay connected with twenty-somethings. LOL, but my son and daughter are competent members of the digital age, and they share with me the latest 2.0 apps.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Thing 21….
The Research Project Calculator and the Teacher Guide will be especially useful for students participating in the science fair projects. The teacher can plan out a week-by-week agenda for project completion. In the say way, self-pacing completion dates can be established for book reports, social studies projects, and other research assignments.
I can use the RPC for monthly library usage reports, AR reports, and budget reports.
The Research Project Calculator and the Teacher Guide will be especially useful for students participating in the science fair projects. The teacher can plan out a week-by-week agenda for project completion. In the say way, self-pacing completion dates can be established for book reports, social studies projects, and other research assignments.
I can use the RPC for monthly library usage reports, AR reports, and budget reports.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Thing 20…
In my library, students are most interested in series books. Although they like to listen to audiobooks as a classroom activity, most students still prefer to read the book along with the audio.
I think the Book 2.0 tools enhance reading by offering guidance which generates more enthusiasm and increases circulation of books.
I visited the following sites:
Reading Trials ----database is too limited
BookLamp ---too limited
What Should I Read Next? --- Much more comprehensive and useful
What’s Next---was not current
Overbooked ---offered nothing for children
Reading Group Choices---Fun! Offered wine and music pairings for book discussion group activities
Lookybook---has folded
In my library, students are most interested in series books. Although they like to listen to audiobooks as a classroom activity, most students still prefer to read the book along with the audio.
I think the Book 2.0 tools enhance reading by offering guidance which generates more enthusiasm and increases circulation of books.
I visited the following sites:
Reading Trials ----database is too limited
BookLamp ---too limited
What Should I Read Next? --- Much more comprehensive and useful
What’s Next---was not current
Overbooked ---offered nothing for children
Reading Group Choices---Fun! Offered wine and music pairings for book discussion group activities
Lookybook---has folded
Monday, March 30, 2009
Thing 19....
I’m a member of Flixster, Playlist, Shelfari, and Bake Space. I prefer these because they are artistic/creative and I can see what others have recommended as well as choose my own favorite movies, music, books, and food.
I enjoy reading the recipes found in Bake Space, and I’m certain I will use those later. In fact, I plan to make a carrot cake this weekend for a friend’s birthday, and I found a recipe with pineapple and coconut. I can count on the feedback/comments/reviews from others when I select the recipes to use.
I use Playlist to make my own list as well as listen to others. Flixster helps me decide on movies, and Shelfari is a place where I can showcase my favorite books.
I’m a member of Flixster, Playlist, Shelfari, and Bake Space. I prefer these because they are artistic/creative and I can see what others have recommended as well as choose my own favorite movies, music, books, and food.
I enjoy reading the recipes found in Bake Space, and I’m certain I will use those later. In fact, I plan to make a carrot cake this weekend for a friend’s birthday, and I found a recipe with pineapple and coconut. I can count on the feedback/comments/reviews from others when I select the recipes to use.
I use Playlist to make my own list as well as listen to others. Flixster helps me decide on movies, and Shelfari is a place where I can showcase my favorite books.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Thing 18....
I set up a Facebook account just to see how it's done. Once I got on there, I identified my high school and graduation date, and suddenly I saw many former classmates and others from about 100 mile radius. I can see why it’s one of the fastest growing social networks, but I prefer more privacy, and I didn't want to keep the account active, so I deactivated it.
I didn’t set up a Myspace account, but I do visit it frequently for music sites. I don’t really like the format for libraries; it seems too busy and other sites serve the same purpose.
I set up a Facebook account just to see how it's done. Once I got on there, I identified my high school and graduation date, and suddenly I saw many former classmates and others from about 100 mile radius. I can see why it’s one of the fastest growing social networks, but I prefer more privacy, and I didn't want to keep the account active, so I deactivated it.
I didn’t set up a Myspace account, but I do visit it frequently for music sites. I don’t really like the format for libraries; it seems too busy and other sites serve the same purpose.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Thing 17…
I listened to podcasts of all genres, but I found it tedious to pinpoint a favorite. I definitely found Podcast.com to be the easiest directory to use, followed by Podcastalley.com and Educational Podcast Directory. I didn’t care for Yahoo Podcasts. I liked iTunesU the best, but I was unable to access because only universities may apply. I would use podcasting to record booktalks and link the podcasts to the media center website.
I listened to podcasts of all genres, but I found it tedious to pinpoint a favorite. I definitely found Podcast.com to be the easiest directory to use, followed by Podcastalley.com and Educational Podcast Directory. I didn’t care for Yahoo Podcasts. I liked iTunesU the best, but I was unable to access because only universities may apply. I would use podcasting to record booktalks and link the podcasts to the media center website.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Thing 16...
I utilize You Tube more frequently than Google Video, although both are great video search sites. I especially like the "videos being watched right now" feature of You Tube because I'm curious about what others are currently viewing. Both sites have featured videos and recommended choices.
I chose Corinne Bailey Rae because I like her as a recording artist, and I chose the song Girl Put Your Records On because that's what I do when I get home every evening, when I get up in the morning, and when I drive. I listen to music as therapy, I guess. And this song talks about putting your hair down and being yourself.
Corinne is from England, and I first discovered her one day while listening to AOL. My daughter was living in England at the time, and I sent her a link to the concert. She called to tell me that she had been listening to the same song that day while sipping tea with friends in an English garden courtyard.
Yes, I can see the value of video on the media center website, however I'm not sure about You Tube or Google Video. I need more information and discussion on that.
I utilize You Tube more frequently than Google Video, although both are great video search sites. I especially like the "videos being watched right now" feature of You Tube because I'm curious about what others are currently viewing. Both sites have featured videos and recommended choices.
I chose Corinne Bailey Rae because I like her as a recording artist, and I chose the song Girl Put Your Records On because that's what I do when I get home every evening, when I get up in the morning, and when I drive. I listen to music as therapy, I guess. And this song talks about putting your hair down and being yourself.
Corinne is from England, and I first discovered her one day while listening to AOL. My daughter was living in England at the time, and I sent her a link to the concert. She called to tell me that she had been listening to the same song that day while sipping tea with friends in an English garden courtyard.
Yes, I can see the value of video on the media center website, however I'm not sure about You Tube or Google Video. I need more information and discussion on that.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Thing 15....
Rollyo is free, so I registered and created a short searchroll. It was simple to do; I just decided on the subject of music, and then I chose a couple of websites that are representative of my favorites.
The sites I chose are the ones the searchroll will use to search for information.
Once my searchroll had been created, I was given the option to keep it private, or to allow other people to use it. I decided to put the searchroll onto my blog. I just cut and pasted the HTML that was provided, and it posted immediately.
How would we use it at school? Well, if a teacher had a very specific subject area in mind, we could create a rollyo which may facilitate quality control and reliable, authentic research.
Rollyo is free, so I registered and created a short searchroll. It was simple to do; I just decided on the subject of music, and then I chose a couple of websites that are representative of my favorites.
The sites I chose are the ones the searchroll will use to search for information.
Once my searchroll had been created, I was given the option to keep it private, or to allow other people to use it. I decided to put the searchroll onto my blog. I just cut and pasted the HTML that was provided, and it posted immediately.
How would we use it at school? Well, if a teacher had a very specific subject area in mind, we could create a rollyo which may facilitate quality control and reliable, authentic research.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Thing 14…
I played around with igoogle for a start page, but I use aol and I prefer it. With the latest version of aol, I can make similar choices and I like the format. I made a countdown to summer and posted it on the blog. I also made a link to lifehacker because I want to revisit it.
Yes, I found the calendar and list sites to be helpful both at home and at school. I created a google calendar for both monthly and weekly events. It was very simple to navigate; I toggled back and forth between tabs with ease.
I’d like to explore the use of PDF converters for student use more thoroughly.
I played around with igoogle for a start page, but I use aol and I prefer it. With the latest version of aol, I can make similar choices and I like the format. I made a countdown to summer and posted it on the blog. I also made a link to lifehacker because I want to revisit it.
Yes, I found the calendar and list sites to be helpful both at home and at school. I created a google calendar for both monthly and weekly events. It was very simple to navigate; I toggled back and forth between tabs with ease.
I’d like to explore the use of PDF converters for student use more thoroughly.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Thing 13…
Using Library Thing was easy and enjoyable. Some of my books were very popular, and the comments and ratings were interesting and informative. I’d consider linking Library Thing to a personal blog, but I’d hesitate to link it within the school media center website because of the lack of editorial detail. We currently share booklists through links to other sites and databases which are not as interactive and social.
Using Library Thing was easy and enjoyable. Some of my books were very popular, and the comments and ratings were interesting and informative. I’d consider linking Library Thing to a personal blog, but I’d hesitate to link it within the school media center website because of the lack of editorial detail. We currently share booklists through links to other sites and databases which are not as interactive and social.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Thing 12…
The wiki concept allows a group of people to add comments and collaborate on issues without sending, editing, and resending memos or emails. I like the social implications as well as the time-saving features of a wiki. The book lover’s wikis work well in a media center setting. In addition to books, students can include comments about movies and games. They can write collaborative stories, do reading circle work, group projects, etc.
Wikipedia is not banned by my teachers, but we do not encourage an end-all reliance on it. Students are given freedom to read it, but cautioned about its editorial policies.
I chose to edit the Neflin wiki.
The wiki concept allows a group of people to add comments and collaborate on issues without sending, editing, and resending memos or emails. I like the social implications as well as the time-saving features of a wiki. The book lover’s wikis work well in a media center setting. In addition to books, students can include comments about movies and games. They can write collaborative stories, do reading circle work, group projects, etc.
Wikipedia is not banned by my teachers, but we do not encourage an end-all reliance on it. Students are given freedom to read it, but cautioned about its editorial policies.
I chose to edit the Neflin wiki.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Thing 11…
While I found the news/information sites interesting on a home or personal level, I can’t recommend them for a middle school media center because of the potential for inappropriate content. For example, one of the most popular articles headlined profanity. That’s where an editor is helpful.
For this reason, I think these tools may be a productivity detractor rather than an enhancer.
I did find it very easy to share the news article from the NY Times. Using the share tool, I selected the Mixx icon; the article and rating appeared instantaneously.
While I found the news/information sites interesting on a home or personal level, I can’t recommend them for a middle school media center because of the potential for inappropriate content. For example, one of the most popular articles headlined profanity. That’s where an editor is helpful.
For this reason, I think these tools may be a productivity detractor rather than an enhancer.
I did find it very easy to share the news article from the NY Times. Using the share tool, I selected the Mixx icon; the article and rating appeared instantaneously.
Thing 10...
I definitely see the potential for delicious to be used as a research tool. Instead of bookmarking each computer, a teacher or media specialist can set up a delicious account, bookmark pertinent sites, and students will log into it and go directly to the best sites available to them. This streamlines the research process, saves time, and even allows accessibility from any computer with an internet connection.
Setting up blogger for tagging is easy and yes, tags are very helpful for narrowing the research process.
I definitely see the potential for delicious to be used as a research tool. Instead of bookmarking each computer, a teacher or media specialist can set up a delicious account, bookmark pertinent sites, and students will log into it and go directly to the best sites available to them. This streamlines the research process, saves time, and even allows accessibility from any computer with an internet connection.
Setting up blogger for tagging is easy and yes, tags are very helpful for narrowing the research process.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Thing 9…
I haven’t used the photo-sharing sites often. Until recently, I had only used Kodak Photo Share, but now that I have played around with Flickr and others, I have a huge variety of choices. So far, I like animoto the best. I made this 30-second slide-share video for free, and it was fun, creative, quick, and easy. I’ve seen it used for educational presentations as well. Try it out. http://animoto.com/
I haven’t used the photo-sharing sites often. Until recently, I had only used Kodak Photo Share, but now that I have played around with Flickr and others, I have a huge variety of choices. So far, I like animoto the best. I made this 30-second slide-share video for free, and it was fun, creative, quick, and easy. I’ve seen it used for educational presentations as well. Try it out. http://animoto.com/
Thing 8...
I’m not a newcomer to the tools in Thing 8: IM, email, web conferencing, and text messaging. I use them daily to correspond with friends, family, and coworkers.
On the job:
I use email to communicate with staff members and administration. Recently, I’ve begun to use email to notify patrons about account issues such as overdue books, fines, and holds. It’s also a great tool for parent involvement.
I used IM four years ago in another school system; the entire faculty and staff was logged on. It was great for instant answers from the office to the classroom and vice versa.
I’ve never used texting on the job. For one thing, I’m not able to get a signal in the building.
I’ve participated in a web conference several times, but I’ve never set one up. The most recent conference concerned my participation as a presenter in the upcoming Tech Fair. There were a few camera and battery glitches, but the interaction was great.
I use email, IM, and texting daily for communication with friends and family.
I probably text more often than I talk. IM’s work well for online references; I occasionally receive IM’s from former ESOL students who need quick answers to homework and study questions.
I’m not a newcomer to the tools in Thing 8: IM, email, web conferencing, and text messaging. I use them daily to correspond with friends, family, and coworkers.
On the job:
I use email to communicate with staff members and administration. Recently, I’ve begun to use email to notify patrons about account issues such as overdue books, fines, and holds. It’s also a great tool for parent involvement.
I used IM four years ago in another school system; the entire faculty and staff was logged on. It was great for instant answers from the office to the classroom and vice versa.
I’ve never used texting on the job. For one thing, I’m not able to get a signal in the building.
I’ve participated in a web conference several times, but I’ve never set one up. The most recent conference concerned my participation as a presenter in the upcoming Tech Fair. There were a few camera and battery glitches, but the interaction was great.
I use email, IM, and texting daily for communication with friends and family.
I probably text more often than I talk. IM’s work well for online references; I occasionally receive IM’s from former ESOL students who need quick answers to homework and study questions.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thing 7…
I searched the image generators and was surprised at the number of them. I could spend endless hours making these, but for the sake of staying on-task, I decided to use Image Chef to write a message in the beach sand. This was very quick and easy. After typing the text and generating the image, I sent it to directly Blogger.
I searched the image generators and was surprised at the number of them. I could spend endless hours making these, but for the sake of staying on-task, I decided to use Image Chef to write a message in the beach sand. This was very quick and easy. After typing the text and generating the image, I sent it to directly Blogger.
Thing 6…
I played around on several of the mashups, and I decided to post a photo from Flickr Color Pickr because I liked the composition and use of color. The door that has a No Entry sign....the steps that reflect inside and out…the twists….the directions and paths that could cross, but won’t…not by fate but by the sign….Very interesting…And the color of the sign sends the eye directly to it as the focal point.
Students would have a lot of fun making puzzles, spelling names, spelling out vocabulary words, etc. Teachers could generate photos to use as springboards for discussion.
I played around on several of the mashups, and I decided to post a photo from Flickr Color Pickr because I liked the composition and use of color. The door that has a No Entry sign....the steps that reflect inside and out…the twists….the directions and paths that could cross, but won’t…not by fate but by the sign….Very interesting…And the color of the sign sends the eye directly to it as the focal point.
Students would have a lot of fun making puzzles, spelling names, spelling out vocabulary words, etc. Teachers could generate photos to use as springboards for discussion.
Thing 5...
I chose the photo of running shoes in the midst of rocks as a symbol of perseverance because I can relate to it. The rocks are the challenges I face daily; they are forever shifting. The shoes are rugged and strong, yet a bit feminine.
I enjoyed searching Flickr for places, themes, emotions, etc. I marveled at some of the most exquisite photography….A very pleasant trip.
I chose the photo of running shoes in the midst of rocks as a symbol of perseverance because I can relate to it. The rocks are the challenges I face daily; they are forever shifting. The shoes are rugged and strong, yet a bit feminine.
I enjoyed searching Flickr for places, themes, emotions, etc. I marveled at some of the most exquisite photography….A very pleasant trip.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Thing 4...
I’m hooked. I can definitely see the value of this timesaver in an academic setting. What a great way to stay current with favorite sites without wasting time scrolling through bookmarks! In the library (or from any computer), students can log in to news reader accounts set up by teachers and access the content suggested by the teacher. Also, in the classroom application, without searching for each student, teachers can readily view the work of students who have completed assignments.
As a media specialist, I can use the newsreader to notify me about the latest changes in technology and books. And personally, with ease, I can stay current on music and entertainment opportunities.
The easiest tools were those with a feed icon/button or the RSS labels; copying the feed address and pasting it into an RSS news reader was simple.
I’m hooked. I can definitely see the value of this timesaver in an academic setting. What a great way to stay current with favorite sites without wasting time scrolling through bookmarks! In the library (or from any computer), students can log in to news reader accounts set up by teachers and access the content suggested by the teacher. Also, in the classroom application, without searching for each student, teachers can readily view the work of students who have completed assignments.
As a media specialist, I can use the newsreader to notify me about the latest changes in technology and books. And personally, with ease, I can stay current on music and entertainment opportunities.
The easiest tools were those with a feed icon/button or the RSS labels; copying the feed address and pasting it into an RSS news reader was simple.
Thing 3…
I searched Technorati for specific actors, friends, and special events before trying out other blog search engines. As I continued to search through Blog Pulse and Google Blog Search for the same topics, I discovered that each search engine was similar, yet each offered different advantages in relevance. The biggest difference for news stories was the memetracker advantage of Google Blog because it allowed topics to be sorted by those most actively discussed, but I also liked the trend graphing feature of Blog Pulse.
I searched Technorati for specific actors, friends, and special events before trying out other blog search engines. As I continued to search through Blog Pulse and Google Blog Search for the same topics, I discovered that each search engine was similar, yet each offered different advantages in relevance. The biggest difference for news stories was the memetracker advantage of Google Blog because it allowed topics to be sorted by those most actively discussed, but I also liked the trend graphing feature of Blog Pulse.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
I just finished reading/viewing the assignments/links for Thing 2. As I did this, I couldn’t help but wonder how far we will be able to incorporate L2 into the school library media center setting. As it is, students are not allowed internet access unless they have written permission, and they must check the computers in and out like a book. The filters on the net are tight, yet students attempt to find ways around them. One of the authors mentions the trust factor; trust is a problem among students.
I’m participating in 23 Things because I want to know more about it…how it’s set up and managed….and how it's changing the information highway. I use the net daily in work and at home for information and socializing with friends via email and IM’s. I’ve watched my children for years as they played on myspace, facebook, You Tube, etc. I never interacted with those, but I watched and read them.
I’m looking forward to experiencing L2 tools firsthand.
I’m participating in 23 Things because I want to know more about it…how it’s set up and managed….and how it's changing the information highway. I use the net daily in work and at home for information and socializing with friends via email and IM’s. I’ve watched my children for years as they played on myspace, facebook, You Tube, etc. I never interacted with those, but I watched and read them.
I’m looking forward to experiencing L2 tools firsthand.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
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