Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Week 9, Thing #23

That was a creative video on Fair Use. Seems like there is also a hidden message for Disney. It would be nice to use it with students and staff, but is very choppy and I don't know if students could understand it the first time through. I'm glad to see that a company such as Creative Commons exist to help people out who are creating some pretty neat multimedia projects.
As for the class, it was amazing. I learned so many new "things" and feel ready to share it with our staff and students. I have a better understanding about Web 2.0 and the variety of tools available to reach our students. As mentioned by other bloggers, I was glad that I participated in the class this summer due to the weather. BUT it was hard to sit at the computer for hours and having my dogs sit with their faces wondering when we were going to go out and play. We made it through.
The blogging format made it easy for discussions and I enjoyed reading up on what my fellow colleagues are doing with technology. They helped me get a better understanding of certain concepts. One idea I'd suggest: when clicking on links from the RAW 2.0 site, it would be nice if the links could open in a new page. There was a lot of back and forth which made it difficult when trying to pinpoint the next step of "things" to work on.
Thank you Ann and Katie for making RAW 2.0 possible this summer.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Week 9, Thing #22 eBooks & Audio books

I am a huge fan of audio books. Don't get me wrong, I love to hold a book in my hand, smelling the aroma as I flip through the pages while sitting in a cozy spot with my blanket. BUT.... I have time issues, especially when the school year is in full swing. SO I really enjoy listening to books in audio format while driving or walking the dogs. Sometimes I'll pop an audiobook into my boombox at work and listen while I shelve books. I began utilizing audiobooks with the Battle of the Books program to help students who are struggling readers participate. Elaine Daw used this idea with her YRC program, so I thought I'd try it out with Battle of the Books. It is FABULOUS! I have various listening stations with the different books and the students choose which ones they'd like to listen, which just adds another fun way to read a book.
eBooks is an arena I haven't ventured too far into yet, because I figure if I'm going to sit and read, I still find comfort in holding the actual book in my hand. But I have played with the Kindle a bit and I like the idea of storing hundreds of books in one "book" and was surprised that the monitor/screen is not hard on the eyes like a computer screen.

Week 9, Thing #21: Podcasts

I've used podcasts for various classes I've taken and this year gathered up my courage and worked with podcasts with students. What a great learning tool! The students loved being able to create and share their research and I was able to share them with their families. I subscribe to a few podcasts on my iTunes account: National Geographic, Fairy Tales, Relaxation--just to name a few.
The NG site offers videos on many podcasts covering subjects from pyramids, lions, elephants, sharks, aviation, etc.
The possibilities are endless!

Chapter 10: Tutorials

I chose to read this chapter in hopes of getting a deeper level of understanding with ideas and uses for Web 2.0 tools. These are a few of what I looked into and think would be great for teachers in our school. I'd love to share these with our staff at the start of our school year.
Tux Paint is a program geared for children age three twelve yrs. old and is similar to Kid Pix. The layout and operation of the program is similar in nature and children will be able to figure it out and probably teach us a thing or two. I like that program is free, we don't have to purchase a site license. Just download it to the computer and you're set! The only challenge I see is possibly the download because our computers are linked to the server and are managed that an administrator password may be required.

Audacity is another free, downloadable program that allows you to record and edit audio clips. This is very handy for creating podcasts. The only way I have been able to create a podcast is by using the GarageBand program. This also has the capability to convert tapes and records into digital or CD recordings which is great for our Spanish teachers. GarageBand also can do this, but again you'd have to purchase the program, site license, etc.

Class Blogmeister is another online blogging tool meant to be used by educators in an educational setting. I have been considering ways to start an online bookclub and this might be a great tool to use.

Google Earth is so popular and widely used and is just plain fun! I use it so many times throughout the school year and the students love to come up and type a location and have the projected image show up on the screen. I love to use this at science fair time also, it really helps get those space books off the shelves and out the door!

Google Reader is a tool I discovered through this class. I really like how I am able to organize my "feeds" and I can see what's new at my convenience. I keep adding more sites and will be sharing with teachers and friends.

Chapter 9: New Schools

This chapter offers an exciting look into the future of schools and our education system. What a wonderful place to be and learn with all these Web 2.0 tools. But my skepticism remains simply due to the lack of funding schools are given to educate the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic and now technology. Our students are digital natives, they grow up using Web tools in their day to day life and most schools limit these resources because we just don't get the funds to keep up to date with all this technology. In order for schools to succeed in educating students for the 21st Century, we need the hardware to access the tools. Educators need professional development and time to learn these skills so we feel comfortable teaching them to our students. Which will take more funding for schools. I've seen many charter schools come on board with this goal in mind, but then the rest of us are standing around trying to fill in the holes so our students aren't left behind. I have to agree with Elaine and I just love her analogy about buffets. Educators must focus on what is useful and relevant to the education of our students, which varies from school to school. We must use Web 2.0 as tools to lead our students into the 21st Century without bombarding them with too much "junk" and hopefully create mindful cyber citizens.

Week 9: Thing 20 Teacher Tube

Okay, I have to admit.....I am guilty of enjoying some comical videos on You Tube. My favorites are the ones that showcase pets and their amazing yet sometimes silly personalities. There are some educational benefits that teachers can use, I looked at some tutorials for creating "stuff". But the amount of time it takes to weed through what you don't need to find what you do is always of a concern. I do appreciate the safer approach to searching for videos on Teacher Tube vs You Tube, but as Leslie mentioned if ASD subscribes to United Streaming, that route could be more beneficial for educational purposes.
I tried uploading the video I found to my blog and have had great difficulties. I tried to copy and paste the Embeddable Player with no success. So I downloaded the video to my desktop to upload onto Blogger and it still isn't working.
Here is the link to the video clip, the title is my library.my life: http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=6fa2e54bb98577ffb4ff

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Ch 7: Online Safety & Security

This chapter serves as a great reminder that schools have another responsibility when educating our students: to stay safe while creating and sharing online. The Anchorage School District has implemented the use of internet safety lessons (iSafe) which librarians are responsible for coordinating/collaborating within their schools. There are also family events to invite parents for information sharing and ideas to protect their children. I like the way this chapter breaks down concepts for copyright and intellectual property, such as found on p. 139 and the Cyber Awareness Survey found on p. 141. I think they are both great resources to use when introducing Internet safety lessons and create avenues for discussions with students.
Another tactic districts are using is to block the use of inappropriate content within schools. Although this is effective for the most part, it does block some sites that are valid for school use and can lead to frustration with users, especially teachers. Thus educators must look for other solutions to work with the policies of their district.
With so many resources for students to use at just a click of a button, we must ensure that our students and their parents understand acceptable use policies and ethical behavior. There is still a large amount of confusion that schools must establish clear and precise guidelines and policies so their students can be responsible users of technology. Teachers and staff must also be aware of any administrative restrictions they can enforce while using Web 2.0 tools in their teaching practices so as to provide a safe learning environment for their students; safety that goes beyond the walls of the classroom and school.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Chapter 1: New World, New Web, New Skills

The title of the chapter says it all! Everyday that I work and learn in the realm of technology leads me to newer ideas and concepts. Things are completely different from when I was in college earning my bachelor's degree, let alone when I was in grammar school. The most important idea I take from this chapter is that educators need to move away from the old way of teaching, which is "presentation-driven". In order to reach our students, we must adapt to using newer technologies (Web 2.0) which allows students to collaborate and share ideas and information. Students can hold discussions to reach a deeper understanding of the problem and hopefully find answers. I like the phrase used in terms of there are no longer gatekeepers to the Internet and how it is evolving into an open and democratic arena for information to be shared.
The 6 key elements for 21st Century learning is important for educators to keep in mind while we lead students into the job market of the 21st Century and beyond. The 6 key elements taken from a 2004 report "Learning for the 21st Century" are: "emphasize core subjects, emphasize learning skills, use 21st-century tools to develop learning skills, teach and learn in a 21st-century context, teach and learn 21st-century content, and use 21st-century assessments that measure 21st-century skills". Students use Web 2.0 tools in their daily lives, yet in their learning environment we have yet to grant access to these tools for their learning. Educators must bridge this gap in Web 2.0 tools not only promote creativity, but also foster collaboration and communication on a global level. Businesses rely on these methods and our students must be empowered with the skills to thrive and move forward in the 21st Century.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Week 8, Thing 19.1: Digital Pipeline

I've used Digital Pipeline with my staff and students and really try to push its resources. The Pipeline tends to be th forgotten resource, and when reminded we say "Oh yeah, why didn't we use this?" I don't think we use this valuable tool as much as we should, which is a shame! But each year I my goal is to work at getting more on board and I've found that if the students use it, the teachers somehow catch the idea and begin to open up to using the tool. Another great way for me to showcase the Digital Pipeline is to physically get into the computer lab with a class as they research their project. It's wonderful to have two adults circulating to assist students. Of course having the right tools helps tremendously. I found more success this last year, probably because we have a new computer lab and through the TTL grant my team purchased some laptops, which I use in the library for lessons, which allows access to the resources. Another challenge is for teachers to have "get-to-know time" with the Digital Pipeline and databases.
I was able to find a few of my favorite journals and love the option to save items to a folder. I plan to offer and inservice to teachers on the newly updated Ebscohost sometime in the first quarter.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Week 8: Thing 19: Library Thing

What a great online tool for organizing books! What a neat way to share books with others. One idea I had is to create a library account so students can add their books allowing them to visually track their readings and offer their opinions with one each other. Another idea is for classroom teachers to use this site to organize their classroom library and allow students to access the site.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Web 2.0 Thing 18

Well, I'm trying out this new WP program ZOHO Writer and will hopefully be able to upload it to my blog. It seems to have all the features of MS Works and maybe more. cool I like the Emoticons option. kiss            
Loading pictures seems to be straight forward and easy to modify. So far it seems to be a great tool AND I think it's great for students and teachers to use because we don't have to worry about all having the same WP program-- we just all need access to the internet. It allows for more flexibility to get our work done. I also noticed that we can add a tag to this document.

Week 8: Thing 18 Online Productivity Tools

I signed up for a free account with ZOHO and I already am set up for Google Docs. Apparently our area group has shared a document. Who knew!
I like the idea that we don't have to have worry about which WP program is compatible because going this route, it is easily accessible via the internet.
I posted my document I created--just more to add to this blogging. Apparently the emoticons don't transfer over. Sorry!
Neat programs!

Week 7, thing 16 & 17

I visited the Book Lovers Wiki and found some interesting books I'd like to read. One in particular is a book called Flushed: How the Plumber Saved Civilization by W. Hodding Carter. I like reading about interesting historical happenings. Sadly, no suggestions for children's books.
The second Wiki I visited was Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki. I searched under programming and looked for program ideas for elementary and had not luck. "no search results found."
Then I tried Librarian Book Revoogle: reviews by other librarians. Proves to be handy and reliable.
As I delved into each Wiki, I was disappointed that there isn't much out there for elementary libraries. Guess we will have to start a Wiki space for elementary librarians to share ideas and lessons.

Week 6, thing 15: Library 2.0

I read Michael Stephens' article "Into a new world of librarianship" The Librarian 2.0 must promote user access to the library by embracing the latest trends in which our patrons communicate with one another and access information. We must plan for our users so that they have a variety of choices to access libraries. I like his term "technolust" and that he states we should not invest in technology just for the sake of it being tech related. While embracing the Web 2.0 tools, we must select tools that meet the needs of our patrons. And he concludes by stating "...the future of libraries will be guided by how users access, consume and create content."
The second article I read was "Away from Icebergs" by Rick Anderson. Anderson states that there are three "icebergs" that pose threats to success in our profession: The “just in case” collection, reliance on user education, and the “come to us” model of library service. Anderson's argument is that we should expand our resources in libraries that don't limit our patrons to print only materials. We are in the digital age and should make available all forms of resources. We should concentrate on breaking down the barriers that separate patrons from the information they need for learning, teaching when we can but also making it easier to access the information. We have to create ways that patrons can access the library within their preferred living environment and lifestlye.

Week 6, thing 14 Technorati

I visited Technorati and got very confused. I don't find it to be very user friendly and doing searches seemed to lead me in circles. After a few hours of 'playing' I did the keyword search for "School Library Learning 2.0" and got 266 hits. The search under "tags" produced only 5 hits.
Tagging is just another way to organize information, but not so formal/standard as we do in libraries. The advantage is that it's a flexible way to sort topics. The disadvantage is it takes some guessing at what tag others would choose to use to sort their information. There is no really wrong or right way to "tag" an item of information so you could find something quickly or invest time into finding your information.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Week 6, #13 Del.icio.us

What another great tool! It's nice having all the bookmarks in one place and the idea of sharing them with others is helpful. I also like that you can see which bookmarks are popular. As a research tool, it is a huge step forward in the right direction. Especially for librarians to share with teachers and teachers to share with students when working on various projects.

Week 5, #12 Voicethreads

Voicethreads have been around for a few years and I used to wonder what's the difference between Pthe two. Thanks to this activity, I have a better understanding. I like being able to post a question/problem and then having a variety of ways for others to discuss and share ideas/solutions. I also like Elaine's idea for P/T conferences, especially for our parents who are serving overseas. Hopefully the district can create a secure way of accomplishing this task.
One way I'd like to use Voicethreads for is book clubs. I think it would be a great tool for students to discuss books with one another. I can also see it being used as a collaboration tool for teachers and librarians to comment and share ideas on a variety of topics.

Week 5, #11

Well I checked out a bunch of various tools. It was fun. I liked the I'm Cooked site where you can create a video of favorite recipes and share with others. Pumpkin Brulee, YUM!
Then I looked through the VuFind where the "library OPAC meets Web 2.0". It works with many interfaces--including SIRSI. It's free, allows you to choose how your web catalog can look, offers images and reviews from Amazon and...well you'll have to see for yourself. I think it will be useful for us to take a look at as our district is searching for a new/updated interface to replace WebCat. Then played the travel game and am glad to be reminded of how much I've forgotten since who knows when! =]
I also visited a site called Twitter. Not sure if I agree with using this, as I do not care to know or share every little mundane detail of daily "happenings" with others. But if you are into this form of social networking, go for it! I however must worry about finding time to get my 30 minutes of daily physical activity so as to turn my gluteus maximus to gluteus minimus. I wonder when they will invent a holder to attach my laptop to my elliptical trainer?

Bloomin' Books Week 5, thing 10


ImageChef.com Flower Text

This is an animated image I found on ImageChef. The idea is neat, but when the message blooms, it's hard to read. My message simply says "books".

Seeing Stars Week 5, thing 10

Walk of Fame Animated custom comment codes for MySpace, Hi5, Friendster and more - ImageChef.com
This is an image I was able to successfully create and get it to upload. I tried some others and it kept freezing up. Which leads me to think that my computer, which is managed by the district, may be the culprit. I've been having issues on this particular computer that I don't on my personal laptop. Anyhow, I used the site imagechef.com which has a wide variety of images you can use to customize. I enjoyed looking at all the different ways to create and share messages/images with others.

Week 5: Thing 10 Image Generators

This is neat! What a fun way to be creative and share with the world! I'd love to be able to create some images to use on my library web page. I think it's a great way to "hook" our students to get them interested in learning.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Week 4: Thing 8 RSS Feeds & 9 Library Blogs

What a neat way to have information come to you! I am in the early stages of building my collection of RSS Feeds, but MAN! There is SO MUCH out there! Something for everyone and every walk of life! I like that I can look at them at my convenience and until then, it just stays in my Google Reader. I like that I can organize them into categories and I can share with others. I definitely want to utilize this tool for the upcoming school year. In the SLJ feed, I found one for getting boys more excited about reading, which led me to another site about a new series titled The DoppleGanger Chronicles:The First Escape to be released in Sept 2008. It's similar to Hugo Cabret and will be popular with struggling readers as well. The text combines with graphic novel and the pace is short and shifts to keep the reader's attention. The website for the book is worth looking at, the address is: http://www.dopplegangerchronicles.com
I came back to Google Reader to see what else is new and found an article about Digital Resources: Presentation in a Box which led me to a site called smilebox.com. It's a site where you can create and share photos/videos for free! It includes ideas for educators. Another blog site I found is librarianinblack.net which has several ideas,descriptions, and links to the latest Web 2.0 tools. Some are Schmap (a mapping program for travel), Libgig (site to post/apply for library jobs), 360 Cities (allows you to view major cities world wide in 360 degree), etc. I also hooked up to some MSNBC RSS feed, the ADN news feed.
Back to RSS Feeds...Yet again I can foresee a problem....when to find time to do all this? As a librarian in an elementary school there is just not enough time in the day. I often find that I can get something going and soon it falls off the plate because other issues get piled on. Maybe I need to learn better ways to manage having my hand in too many pots. OR not having them in so many pots. Oh the dilema!

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Week 3: Thing 7

Hmmm...Blog anything technology.....
I guess I am always amazed at how quickly things change in Techno World. Just when I think we've got enough to get us by, something new and innovative creeps up! And I am usually skeptical about it--take the cell phone. I just need one to make phone calls when I'm in a bind. Then I had to replace it because it wouldn't operate with the new system the phone companies are using. And with each replacement phone I got (due to the phone dying in 2-3 years) there were more bells and whistles. Now we have phones that take pictures, videos, send email, Internet, texting, MP3 Players--and the list goes on! I'm afraid to ask, "What next?"
But I try to keep up with the tech trends. I recently received a new iPod--the iTouch. WOW! So I can store and listen to my music, send/recieve emails, watch movies/videos, YouTube, get world wide weather reports, search the Internet, buy music, get Stock Market updates, play games...and the list goes on.
I can't help but to ask, that with all these "tools", are we becoming a less sociable society? Are we forgetting or not learning social etiquette when we meet people face to face? In a recent trip to Japan, I couldn't stop noticing that many young people never look up while completing their daily travels--they are texting and have earphones in their ears--all while walking down the street. Just the other day I saw a person driving and texting at the same time. And I was worried about people talking on phones and driving. I know that I need to keep up with the current trends and that we as educators need to meet the demands of what our students need to learn. But sometimes, it's all too overwhelming. Then I remember...take a breath, relax, and just go with the flow. I'll catch on sooner or later. =]

Thursday, July 10, 2008

A visit with Ben



This is a photo of Ben Mikaelsen when he visited our school. In this photo, he shares his newest book with Paige Turner, our library mascot who visits and travels around the world with students and their families.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Week 3: Thing 6


I love the Trading Cards program! What a cool way to get students to share their favorite reads! I created a trading card of a visit to the Ramen Museum in Yokohama, Japan.
Other ideas for school use:
We would use a photo of them reading their book, have them write a review and add the call # along with the title. Then we could display the trading cards around the library/school, make bookmarks, or make actual trading cards they could share with their friends. Another idea that would be a great way to link library skills (such as learning Dewey) is having students take photos of their favorite section in the library and create a trading card to include a description of the section.
It's also a great way to easily assess student work.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Week 3: Thing 5


Fishing
Originally uploaded by /\ltus
This image describes how I often feel with new technology. I'm sitting alone on a rock, fishing for information. Okay, only when I am feeling very overwhellmed. But I think it describes how a lot of staff members in my building feel about the fast pace evolution of technology.
Cheers!


So I've been playing around in Flickr and think it's another great tool to share photos online. Seems to have similar features to iPhoto (sorting photos, creating books/calendars), but this is a nice way to share with friends and family online. I like the fact that you have a choice to share totally public or be more selective of who you let view your photos. I'm not sure I'd like to share personal stuff with the world yet, goes back to the whole privacy issue.
As for use in school with students, I would say use caution especially with elementary. It's a great lesson in being careful on what you're searching. An innocent tag/keyword can bring up not so innocent photos. But that is the way of the Internet.
I could see teachers using this as a tool to collect their own photos, have students/families add their photos and linking it to whatever curricular project they are currently studying.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Week 2: Thing 3 & 4

Yeah!!! I created my blog, added my Avatar.....
But I have to say, it took a little learning and lots of patience!
I had fun creating the Avatar, and think it's a great way to post a picture without using a real photo. I am leary of posting actual photos on the web, something we teach our students to be cautious of with Internet Safety. I had trouble getting the site to save my Avatar, it took 4 tries before the Avatar finally took. Which brings me back to my "time" issue I have with using technology. It's great....when it works! =]
Creating the blog was much more successful and after re-reading the directions slowly, I finally got my Avatar uploaded to my blog! Hurray!
Only thing left is to email my blog address to the RavenWeb2.0 Team.
Whew!

I just resent my blog address to the Raven Web 2.o Team, I hope it gets through. Now I am off to investigate Flickr. =]

Week 1 / Thing 1 & 2

#1
I am excited to finally get some hands on experience utilizing Web 2.0 tools. It's often hard for me to justify spending so much time on the computer, but taking this class will hopefully help me overcome that idea. I've created blogs in the past for classes I've taken and I would really like to incorporate learning blogs for students to use via my library web page.

#2
I enjoyed listening to the 7 1/2 Habits...Lifelong Learners. It's a great insight/refresher on what lifelong learners do to keep the knowledge flowing.
My weakness is probably viewing problems as challenges or new learning opportunities. I get frustrated/stuck on problems and it takes some effort to see it as a learning opportunity. So I continue to change the way I approach problems and it seems to be helping.
My strength is probably creating my own toolbox. I love to learn, take classes, have discussions with others, and add resources to my learning.