Thursday, April 16, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Week Nine: Thing #23
It seems to me that Creative Commons sums up the whole Web 2.0 movement with creativity as the main theme. People can show, share, and remix each others creations to reuse, recycle and return them for everyone to view, again. Again, very overwhelming to get the feel of how many creations are out there and available. It amazes me that anyone gets anything else accomplished during the day---like work and life, for example!
I really like the movies that explain what Creative Commons is all about. Watching the “searchcast’ I finally figured out that Creative Commons is a search engine and you can locate it when you are using Firefox/Google. Knocking down the fences so collaboration, sharing and remixing can take place in real time is amazing. This is a worldwide movement! It is not all or none as it is with Copyright “all rights reserved and ask permission”. Creative Commons allows people to decide how much or how little a piece of work a person has created can be used by others. It is a big change. All very exciting!
And in the end-----
Though I have dabbled with Web 2.0 things for a few years, this class helped me take a deeper look at the many features.
* I learned how the internet has become a place where people are now able to post their own creations instead of just consuming information.
* I now have a better understanding of how the young people I work with use the internet and its many sites for social interactions, education and entertainment.
* I have discovered a lot of features that will help students in their learning.
* Now that I have seen some of these great free programs I have a bigger job of sharing them with other teachers and students.
* The hope is that working together we can enhance our student’s learning as we incorporate technological tools into every day teaching.
* One more time I am humbled because the more I know the more I realize how much I do not know!
Thank you, Ann. You are a wonderful facilitator and a great teacher!
I really like the movies that explain what Creative Commons is all about. Watching the “searchcast’ I finally figured out that Creative Commons is a search engine and you can locate it when you are using Firefox/Google. Knocking down the fences so collaboration, sharing and remixing can take place in real time is amazing. This is a worldwide movement! It is not all or none as it is with Copyright “all rights reserved and ask permission”. Creative Commons allows people to decide how much or how little a piece of work a person has created can be used by others. It is a big change. All very exciting!
And in the end-----
Though I have dabbled with Web 2.0 things for a few years, this class helped me take a deeper look at the many features.
* I learned how the internet has become a place where people are now able to post their own creations instead of just consuming information.
* I now have a better understanding of how the young people I work with use the internet and its many sites for social interactions, education and entertainment.
* I have discovered a lot of features that will help students in their learning.
* Now that I have seen some of these great free programs I have a bigger job of sharing them with other teachers and students.
* The hope is that working together we can enhance our student’s learning as we incorporate technological tools into every day teaching.
* One more time I am humbled because the more I know the more I realize how much I do not know!
Thank you, Ann. You are a wonderful facilitator and a great teacher!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Week Nine: Thing #22
I have heard of sites where you can download audio books for free and it was informational to explore this site---Project Gutenberg. I found many titles available to be read from the screen of the computer, and others that were recorded books. The information about each title explains if the book is read by a person or in some cases, read by a computer. I found the books read by a computer a little bit harder to follow. I suppose if I were to listen to the computer read book for a longer period of time I might understand it better, but there seems to be a great deal missing in comparison to books read aloud by a person. I have added this link to my library home page for patrons.
World Public Library charges $8.95 per year to be a member to their collection, which is a small amount for access to so many books. For one month (July 4-August 4) this site will allow some of their books to be downloaded for free.
One other site I explored is "Mobile Books". At this site you can pay for a subscription to download books onto your iPhone. Very cool for those who commute or would like to use their iPhones to read from. The site has instructions for using your iPhone menu options to manipulate the book on the screen. You can even bookmark your place at the touch of a button.
World Public Library charges $8.95 per year to be a member to their collection, which is a small amount for access to so many books. For one month (July 4-August 4) this site will allow some of their books to be downloaded for free.
One other site I explored is "Mobile Books". At this site you can pay for a subscription to download books onto your iPhone. Very cool for those who commute or would like to use their iPhones to read from. The site has instructions for using your iPhone menu options to manipulate the book on the screen. You can even bookmark your place at the touch of a button.
Chapter 4: New Tools in Schools
In this chapter the authors wrote about examples of schools that are using new technology. Of course I had to perform a quick internet search for "The New Tech High Learning System" and the "New Technology Foundation". What I found mirrors what our text states. Again, the main obstacle for more schools to implement this system is funding. Another of the models this chapter describes used community partnerships to implement internet connectivity between schools and homes. But the aspect that really makes sense to me in this example is the 120 hours of curriculum based professional development offered to staff. Staff development is definitely a missing piece in my district.
In the examples of how teachers are using blogs, wikis, podcasting, and digital storytelling in their classrooms I agree with the statement that one technological tool may be a better application than another for a specific project. This is where the teacher's knowledge of Web 2.0 tools can really help.
As I read and looked up the web sites listed in this chapter I realize again how much information is available; an overwhelming amount. It seems our district is behind in many ways but ahead a few. Here it is mostly up to the individual teachers to figure out how to implement Web 2.0 tools into their teaching. And, as a school librarian, it is my place to support efforts made by teachers in implementing the use of Web 2.0 tools in classrooms.
I have emailed the High School Journalism Broadcast Project link to one of our teachers. Even if our district does not qualify for grants, I think he might be interested in other information the site has to offer.
In the examples of how teachers are using blogs, wikis, podcasting, and digital storytelling in their classrooms I agree with the statement that one technological tool may be a better application than another for a specific project. This is where the teacher's knowledge of Web 2.0 tools can really help.
As I read and looked up the web sites listed in this chapter I realize again how much information is available; an overwhelming amount. It seems our district is behind in many ways but ahead a few. Here it is mostly up to the individual teachers to figure out how to implement Web 2.0 tools into their teaching. And, as a school librarian, it is my place to support efforts made by teachers in implementing the use of Web 2.0 tools in classrooms.
I have emailed the High School Journalism Broadcast Project link to one of our teachers. Even if our district does not qualify for grants, I think he might be interested in other information the site has to offer.
Week Nine: Thing #21
Podcasts are a great tool to use for creating and posting audio or video onto the internet. “Yahoo: What is a podcast” and “podcast.net” are dead end links. “Podcast alley.com” lists some titles that would hopefully be blocked from our school network.
I am interested in finding free music to be played in the background of student created podcasts and videos. I first explored “Free Music Archives”. This is a site where anyone who wants to can post their musical creations. I was disappointed that I could not search for just “instrumental” songs and it looked like from the titles of some songs that there might be some inappropriate songs to be used by students. So I moved on to (EPN) Educational Podcast Network which I found to be more useful for educational purposes. Some of the random links would not work, but the ones that did were great. I explored the secondary podcasts and found some great ones. I especially liked the link “New Books In History: Discussions with Historians about their Work” category where interviews with authors were cast.
Maybe as I explore podcasts a bit more I will understand why sometimes they open in iTunes and sometimes in QuickTime, or sometimes not at all. I also wonder when the word podcast will no longer be underlined in red by MS Word.
I am interested in finding free music to be played in the background of student created podcasts and videos. I first explored “Free Music Archives”. This is a site where anyone who wants to can post their musical creations. I was disappointed that I could not search for just “instrumental” songs and it looked like from the titles of some songs that there might be some inappropriate songs to be used by students. So I moved on to (EPN) Educational Podcast Network which I found to be more useful for educational purposes. Some of the random links would not work, but the ones that did were great. I explored the secondary podcasts and found some great ones. I especially liked the link “New Books In History: Discussions with Historians about their Work” category where interviews with authors were cast.
Maybe as I explore podcasts a bit more I will understand why sometimes they open in iTunes and sometimes in QuickTime, or sometimes not at all. I also wonder when the word podcast will no longer be underlined in red by MS Word.
Chapter 1: New World, New Web, New Skills
Yes, it is a different, global world that our children are growing up in. Jobs are and will be different as technology enables interconnectivity 24/7 throughout the world. And, yes, as educators we need to guide our students in using the tools so they will stay engaged in life-long learning.
One aspect of the new Web 2.0 era I am concerned about is the storage and access to newly created items. Yes, it is convenient and wonderful that anyone and everyone can access, share and collaborate on documents and other online work, but REALLY if it comes down to it, if the information is stored on servers "somewhere out there in cyber space" doesn't that concern anyone else besides me? Maybe I am just being old-fashioned and the ability for many to contribute and create overrides these ownership fears. I do not really like the idea that everything I purchase at a Fred Meyer store goes into a database somewhere and keeps track of what I purchase and how often. In return for having an account, or in this case, a "Rewards Card" I get coupons that pay me back a small percent of what I have spent to use at the store. In reality, the business is only wanting to use my information for marketing purposes. Sometimes I wonder if we are headed into a world of "Big Brother" times just like so many futuristic fiction portrays or have I just read too many of them?
The aspect of many of the Web 2.0 tools I like the best is that they are free. We need free things for education in this country because for some reason the lack of funds is always an issue.
The changes that need to happen to better educate our students and get them ready for 21st Century jobs is slowly taking place. As the new college graduates come to our schools they are very comfortable with Web 2.0 tools and expect students to use these tools in their learning. Many of the long time teachers are people who are life long learners themselves and are learning about and using the new technologies, too. Yes, I agree with what is written in this chapter and have confidence in our teachers to meet the challenges of teaching 21st Century students.
One aspect of the new Web 2.0 era I am concerned about is the storage and access to newly created items. Yes, it is convenient and wonderful that anyone and everyone can access, share and collaborate on documents and other online work, but REALLY if it comes down to it, if the information is stored on servers "somewhere out there in cyber space" doesn't that concern anyone else besides me? Maybe I am just being old-fashioned and the ability for many to contribute and create overrides these ownership fears. I do not really like the idea that everything I purchase at a Fred Meyer store goes into a database somewhere and keeps track of what I purchase and how often. In return for having an account, or in this case, a "Rewards Card" I get coupons that pay me back a small percent of what I have spent to use at the store. In reality, the business is only wanting to use my information for marketing purposes. Sometimes I wonder if we are headed into a world of "Big Brother" times just like so many futuristic fiction portrays or have I just read too many of them?
The aspect of many of the Web 2.0 tools I like the best is that they are free. We need free things for education in this country because for some reason the lack of funds is always an issue.
The changes that need to happen to better educate our students and get them ready for 21st Century jobs is slowly taking place. As the new college graduates come to our schools they are very comfortable with Web 2.0 tools and expect students to use these tools in their learning. Many of the long time teachers are people who are life long learners themselves and are learning about and using the new technologies, too. Yes, I agree with what is written in this chapter and have confidence in our teachers to meet the challenges of teaching 21st Century students.
Chapter 2: Students and Learning
The two dimensional revised taxonomy described in this chapter illustrates how new brain research has given us more information about how learning occurs for students of today. Does this mean they learn differently than previous generations? Many people in their 50’s say “If it worked for us, why doesn’t it work for today’s kids?” Educators also recognize how new technologies can enhance student learning when incorporated with best teaching practices where different styles of teaching match the different styles of learning. Furthermore, the new taxonomy is a more active one that uses verbs to describe the different levels of learning instead of nouns as in the traditional version.
Also in this chapter, the theory of connectivism (another new word that MS Word has underlined in red) makes sense to me. Also agreed is the connection between keeping students engaged so they learn lifelong learning skills to prepare them for their lives as contributing citizens. If the use of technological tools will help them learn these skills and at the same time learn what they need to know to pass the standardized tests they are required to take, then we as educators need to incorporate these tools. The last point I agree with whole-heartedly is that these new tools might change how students locate information and what they do with the information but they still need teachers to guide them.
Also in this chapter, the theory of connectivism (another new word that MS Word has underlined in red) makes sense to me. Also agreed is the connection between keeping students engaged so they learn lifelong learning skills to prepare them for their lives as contributing citizens. If the use of technological tools will help them learn these skills and at the same time learn what they need to know to pass the standardized tests they are required to take, then we as educators need to incorporate these tools. The last point I agree with whole-heartedly is that these new tools might change how students locate information and what they do with the information but they still need teachers to guide them.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Week Nine: Thing #20
While looking at some of the video clips posted on Teacher Tube I enjoyed the “library dominoes” and some of the related dominoes clips. And just so you know, “Conan the Librarian” has been removed because it violated viewing rights.
The Teacher Tube clip I have chosen to post is about being careful with what you post on line because once it is posted, you will never be able to unpost it. I saw this first on Vacuous Digressions blog. The "Think Before You Post #2" video is a public service announcement being shown on TV stations. I'd like our students to include this video in their project to create an "Online Safety and Security Guide" for our school web site. Or better yet, think about creating their own.
Here is another "online Safety Video" created by a younger student!
The Teacher Tube clip I have chosen to post is about being careful with what you post on line because once it is posted, you will never be able to unpost it. I saw this first on Vacuous Digressions blog. The "Think Before You Post #2" video is a public service announcement being shown on TV stations. I'd like our students to include this video in their project to create an "Online Safety and Security Guide" for our school web site. Or better yet, think about creating their own.
Here is another "online Safety Video" created by a younger student!
Week Eight: Thing #19.1
The Digital Pipeline has such a wealth of information. Every time I use the Digital Pipeline I find something new! The flash movie showing specific features is informative even without sound.
For Thing 19.1, I created a folder and placed in it current articles having to do with various aspects of internet safety and security. I also created an alert for new articles about computer viruses so I will be notified if more are available for this project.
One of my favorite journals, “School Library Media Activities Monthly” is available on the Digital Pipeline. The description for this great publication is “Supports K-12 school library media specialists as they plan collaborative lessons and units with teachers, and promotes the integration of technology into teaching and learning.”
The Digital Pipeline home page has divided the databases into different levels in hopes of making them easier to access. The elementary level databases include those that would appeal to the elementary age with icons that students can identify easily. The middle school group of databases has more reference resources, and Alaska Digital Archives. In the group of databases for the high school level, even more reference databases have been added for the different topics most typically researched by high school students. All the levels include Novelist and Live Homework Help because these databases include information and help for students in K-12 grades.
I was not aware that Alaskans had access to videos via the Digital Pipeline! I searched the health database for videos about drugs. I intend to show students the link to this animation next week when two classes are coming to the library for the introduction for a research project.
* The “breadcrumbs trail” is a great way to keep track of previous screens and comes in handy.
* The “related images” feature is very useful for students to locate images related to their topics. Often images, especially colored ones are great for reports and needed for multimedia presentations.
* Aha! I have seen those little arrows on the sides of the screens, but had no idea they could be used to close the side panels! This is a nice feature to know about!
* One more new thing I learned about that would be good to show students is the description of the databases on the “Choose Databases” screen.
Last summer another librarian and I took a short class about the Digital Pipeline and we created a "digital pipeline class wiki" about a game that promotes use of the Digital Pipeline. Students would be using the “email article” feature to send us their answers to the questions, therefore learning how this feature of the Digital Pipeline functions!
For Thing 19.1, I created a folder and placed in it current articles having to do with various aspects of internet safety and security. I also created an alert for new articles about computer viruses so I will be notified if more are available for this project.
One of my favorite journals, “School Library Media Activities Monthly” is available on the Digital Pipeline. The description for this great publication is “Supports K-12 school library media specialists as they plan collaborative lessons and units with teachers, and promotes the integration of technology into teaching and learning.”
The Digital Pipeline home page has divided the databases into different levels in hopes of making them easier to access. The elementary level databases include those that would appeal to the elementary age with icons that students can identify easily. The middle school group of databases has more reference resources, and Alaska Digital Archives. In the group of databases for the high school level, even more reference databases have been added for the different topics most typically researched by high school students. All the levels include Novelist and Live Homework Help because these databases include information and help for students in K-12 grades.
I was not aware that Alaskans had access to videos via the Digital Pipeline! I searched the health database for videos about drugs. I intend to show students the link to this animation next week when two classes are coming to the library for the introduction for a research project.
* The “breadcrumbs trail” is a great way to keep track of previous screens and comes in handy.
* The “related images” feature is very useful for students to locate images related to their topics. Often images, especially colored ones are great for reports and needed for multimedia presentations.
* Aha! I have seen those little arrows on the sides of the screens, but had no idea they could be used to close the side panels! This is a nice feature to know about!
* One more new thing I learned about that would be good to show students is the description of the databases on the “Choose Databases” screen.
Last summer another librarian and I took a short class about the Digital Pipeline and we created a "digital pipeline class wiki" about a game that promotes use of the Digital Pipeline. Students would be using the “email article” feature to send us their answers to the questions, therefore learning how this feature of the Digital Pipeline functions!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Chapter 7: Online Safety and Security
Educating students about how to be safe online is one area I know needs to be addressed at every grade level. As technology changes, so must our teaching about staying safe online. There are organizations which provide online programs that share curriculum ideas and information for parents, teachers and kids. One that I am most familiar with is iSafe, and as mentioned in the text, Get Net Wise has information about internet safety especially for parents.
Of the five actions listed in Chapter 7 I think that installing filters is the main safety action my district employs. During the ASTE Conference in February, I participated in a session about online safety. The facilitator showed us a few public service announcements that are currently being shown on TV which I thought would get the message across to teenagers. "Think Before You Post #1" and "Think Before You Post #2" can be found on Teacher Tube. Click on these links if you'd like to view them.
Just today a teacher and I began discussing a project for her students. Each semester, we usually collaborate on a library research project for all of the “The School to Career” classes. This teacher would really like to learn and teach how to use iWeb to develop web pages for our high school web site. We are going to plan tomorrow how to approach this project. Following the same idea as Vicki Davis’ that is written about in Chapter 7, our plan is for students to research different aspects of internet safety while completing the research project. Then use the information to create an online safety guide using iWeb. The guide can be posted on our high school web site.
This chapter gave me some great ideas about how to address some of the issues we need to face having to do with teaching our students about online safety.
Of the five actions listed in Chapter 7 I think that installing filters is the main safety action my district employs. During the ASTE Conference in February, I participated in a session about online safety. The facilitator showed us a few public service announcements that are currently being shown on TV which I thought would get the message across to teenagers. "Think Before You Post #1" and "Think Before You Post #2" can be found on Teacher Tube. Click on these links if you'd like to view them.
Just today a teacher and I began discussing a project for her students. Each semester, we usually collaborate on a library research project for all of the “The School to Career” classes. This teacher would really like to learn and teach how to use iWeb to develop web pages for our high school web site. We are going to plan tomorrow how to approach this project. Following the same idea as Vicki Davis’ that is written about in Chapter 7, our plan is for students to research different aspects of internet safety while completing the research project. Then use the information to create an online safety guide using iWeb. The guide can be posted on our high school web site.
This chapter gave me some great ideas about how to address some of the issues we need to face having to do with teaching our students about online safety.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Week Eight: Thing #19
I have looked at Library Thing a few times before but had never created an account. This is a great tool for those who really want to keep track of which books are on home shelves. It is easy to locate cover photos and information for most of the newer and popular books. It is interesting to see how many other people have the same books as I do---and reading through their libraries gives me ideas about other books I might like, too!
This is the link to my Library Thing.
Some of my favorite books:
This is the link to my Library Thing.
Some of my favorite books:
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Week Eight Thing 18
Zoho Writer is a new tool for me. I love ZAMZAR.com, the free file converter, so I am willing to to take a closer look at another "Z" too. The Zoho "Welcome page" lists a few of the new features in the latest version of zoho. I like the left tabs which list all your documents. The way that zoho saves each version of your document is a great feature for documents which are being collaboratively written. The most fun feature is "insert emotions", where you can add a face to show how you are feeling at the moment. 
And for teacher comments on student work and to make sure your comments are seen, there is the "add comment" feature. (click on the comment icon below to see what the comment is) Pretty cool, really! The endless possibilities are here! Next I will try to post this document to my blog......
So what happens to edits after it is posted? Does it change when you post it again? YES! It worked. Very cool!
**Note that I was having trouble with my computer being slllllooooowwww and sometimes would not post comments, never open links, etc. My fix for that was to update Firefox and things are working much more smoothly now! I am finding that trouble shooting is the best way of handling these challenges!
And updating post again --- in zoho! Can't wait to show students this one!
And for teacher comments on student work and to make sure your comments are seen, there is the "add comment" feature. (click on the comment icon below to see what the comment is) Pretty cool, really! The endless possibilities are here! Next I will try to post this document to my blog...... So what happens to edits after it is posted? Does it change when you post it again? YES! It worked. Very cool!
**Note that I was having trouble with my computer being slllllooooowwww and sometimes would not post comments, never open links, etc. My fix for that was to update Firefox and things are working much more smoothly now! I am finding that trouble shooting is the best way of handling these challenges!
And updating post again --- in zoho! Can't wait to show students this one!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Week Seven: Thing #17
The postings I made to Learning 2.0 Sandbox wiki were about using avatars for shy staff on school web sites and having Battle of the Books team members create "book voices" about a battle book using voice thread and posting them on the library web page.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Week Seven: Thing #16
The more I work with wiki’s the more I like them. We use a wiki for our district technology committee and after our monthly meetings I post our notes for everyone to read. I send the link out to all school staff so they can access the information, too. Anyone on the committee who has been approved can add and change the content. They can make edits which helps with correcting the minutes, they can post additional reports to share, and add links to interesting articles other committee members may want to read. It is nice to be able to lock the wiki and only have those who have permission to make edits as this lessens the chances that someone might dismantle the information. I have found that Wikipedia has information worth looking at for some topics such as very new technologies. I rarely purchase print books that have to do with technology since everything changes so fast! I like the fact that Wikipedia is monitored closely. We know that well because many of our school district IP addresses have been blocked because there were too many falsehoods posted onto Wikipedia from them!
The wiki for Albany County Public Library Staff is a great example of how a wiki can benefit a group of people in a library setting. The wiki has links to training sites, lists of how to perform library tasks such as creating statistic reports, and meeting notes that everyone can read. I think that a wiki might be a very useful tool for our district library staff. We use email quiet a bit and would continue with messages, but having information which could be referenced any time may be very helpful for communication and training items. Off the top of my head, I can think of a wiki for our district libraries that had direct links to the AkASL homepage, Alaska Handbook for School Librarians, and even the Battle of the Books homepage where our wiki page could include information specific for our district battle program would be useful information.
What is the difference between PBwiki and Wikispaces? Well, who knew? I did not know there were so many different kinds of wikis! PBwiki (PeanutButterWiki) was created in 2005. I have a “wikispaces” account and that is the software I am most familiar with! It looks like most of the wiki softwares offer free wikis for small groups with basic features and a specific size. If a company or library or group wanted to use more features and have more space, then there are graduated fee scales.
I wonder when Microsoft Word will no longer underline “wiki” in red?!
The wiki for Albany County Public Library Staff is a great example of how a wiki can benefit a group of people in a library setting. The wiki has links to training sites, lists of how to perform library tasks such as creating statistic reports, and meeting notes that everyone can read. I think that a wiki might be a very useful tool for our district library staff. We use email quiet a bit and would continue with messages, but having information which could be referenced any time may be very helpful for communication and training items. Off the top of my head, I can think of a wiki for our district libraries that had direct links to the AkASL homepage, Alaska Handbook for School Librarians, and even the Battle of the Books homepage where our wiki page could include information specific for our district battle program would be useful information.
What is the difference between PBwiki and Wikispaces? Well, who knew? I did not know there were so many different kinds of wikis! PBwiki (PeanutButterWiki) was created in 2005. I have a “wikispaces” account and that is the software I am most familiar with! It looks like most of the wiki softwares offer free wikis for small groups with basic features and a specific size. If a company or library or group wanted to use more features and have more space, then there are graduated fee scales.
I wonder when Microsoft Word will no longer underline “wiki” in red?!
Week Six: Thing #15
Reading several of the Library 2.0 articles reminds me that change happens and I need to be open to thinking about the future because it is here. Especially when I am just trying to get through the day or the week, working as best and as fast as I can, to think about how libraries have changed and the direcetion they may continue to change is good for me. So, who has the crystal ball?
In the article, To a temporary place in time.... written by Dr. Wendy Schultz, she states that the current trends will continue to change and that we (libraries) need to keep the "...people and meaning at the center of our concerns." She writes about the possible FUTURE stages of libraries:
Library 1.--Commodity: The collection of printed materials made available free to all who venture through the library doors. Librarians serve as guides in the library.
Library 2.--Product: Where libraries have no walls. Information is available both in and out of the local libraries. Yet, the patron will still need a guide on how to search for the information they seek.
Library 3.0--Web 3D to Library 3D--Service: Where information is shared via 3D or in a "virtual reality" world. But still, the information seekers will need a guide and librarians can continue to help patrons find what they are searching for. The difference may be that patrons look for and use librarians who are listed with the best ratings or the most stars for their services!
Libarary 4.0--The neo-library--Experience: Where Library 1.0 through Library 3.0 will be included. Yet, the 4.0 libraries will be places where patrons will be allowed relaxation, mind travel, knowledge gathering, luxorious surroundings, etc. And the librarians will still be needed to guide patrons through the experiences.
In the article, To a temporary place in time.... written by Dr. Wendy Schultz, she states that the current trends will continue to change and that we (libraries) need to keep the "...people and meaning at the center of our concerns." She writes about the possible FUTURE stages of libraries:
Library 1.--Commodity: The collection of printed materials made available free to all who venture through the library doors. Librarians serve as guides in the library.
Library 2.--Product: Where libraries have no walls. Information is available both in and out of the local libraries. Yet, the patron will still need a guide on how to search for the information they seek.
Library 3.0--Web 3D to Library 3D--Service: Where information is shared via 3D or in a "virtual reality" world. But still, the information seekers will need a guide and librarians can continue to help patrons find what they are searching for. The difference may be that patrons look for and use librarians who are listed with the best ratings or the most stars for their services!
Libarary 4.0--The neo-library--Experience: Where Library 1.0 through Library 3.0 will be included. Yet, the 4.0 libraries will be places where patrons will be allowed relaxation, mind travel, knowledge gathering, luxorious surroundings, etc. And the librarians will still be needed to guide patrons through the experiences.
Week Six: Thing #14
Technorati offers unlimited amount of searching of blogs by tags. I seemed to get the same results searching for "School Library Learning 2.0" and I gather that is the way tags are suppose to work. I liked looking at the most popular photos of the day.
The information attached to this photo is that Goggle may be purchasing Twitter!
The most popular books of the day had to do with finances, roses, and twitter. Tags offer the advantage of searching many blogs for content and discussion of that subject. It is the same old saying, of course, "garbage in, garbage out". If the information is not tagged properly it will not be listed. I also find the huge number of tags overwhelming and I easily get lost reading so many---just like the teenagers I work with!
The information attached to this photo is that Goggle may be purchasing Twitter!
The most popular books of the day had to do with finances, roses, and twitter. Tags offer the advantage of searching many blogs for content and discussion of that subject. It is the same old saying, of course, "garbage in, garbage out". If the information is not tagged properly it will not be listed. I also find the huge number of tags overwhelming and I easily get lost reading so many---just like the teenagers I work with!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Week Six: Thing #13
So many sites to explore through Del.icio.us! I got lost a few times as I had to choose so many of the great links which lead to others, which lead to others. I tried many searches for “school libraries” and for “web2.0”. I also found great sites where the focus is on web design. There is an overwhelming amount of information on every subject I searched. This would be a great way for students to sort out their sites for research they are performing. Also a great place for teachers to keep the best of the sites they find and want to share with students. Many great lists of websites for librarians on the SJLibraryLearning2 page.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Week Five: Thing #12
I created a Voice Thread account while in Anchorage last month attending ASTE. At one of the sessions Voice Thread was demonstrated and I am so enthralled with this Web 2.0 function! The tutorials for voice thread are excellent and easy to follow.
My immediate thought was how fun it would be to put together family photos and everyone in the family could make a remark about what their memories which the photo brings back. Just like the family did in the Voice Thread piece that started the whole site. I tried to browse for "Darth Vater" but was unable to locate anything by that search.
The one piece I found I really liked is
This is the story of one man's search for "freedom" in his life. He actually took the theme of "freedom" and posted photos and comments about various parts of his life. One of the response comments is from a high school English teacher hoping to use his work as an example in her class. This I could also share with my high school staff and show anyone interested how to create Voice Thread projects.
I can see using Voice Thread in many educational ways. Mostly where students can collectively add their pieces to a project and then play it for the class. They would not only be sharing their work and knowledge of the subject, but also their technology literacy skills. Furthermore, I think the audience might really be more enticed to listen if the work was online and projected on a big screen.
Using Voice Thread to create book reviews might be an interesting challenge. I am thinking about having students on next year's Battle of the Books team use Voice Thread to create an online book discussion about the books.
My immediate thought was how fun it would be to put together family photos and everyone in the family could make a remark about what their memories which the photo brings back. Just like the family did in the Voice Thread piece that started the whole site. I tried to browse for "Darth Vater" but was unable to locate anything by that search.
The one piece I found I really liked is
This is the story of one man's search for "freedom" in his life. He actually took the theme of "freedom" and posted photos and comments about various parts of his life. One of the response comments is from a high school English teacher hoping to use his work as an example in her class. This I could also share with my high school staff and show anyone interested how to create Voice Thread projects.
I can see using Voice Thread in many educational ways. Mostly where students can collectively add their pieces to a project and then play it for the class. They would not only be sharing their work and knowledge of the subject, but also their technology literacy skills. Furthermore, I think the audience might really be more enticed to listen if the work was online and projected on a big screen.
Using Voice Thread to create book reviews might be an interesting challenge. I am thinking about having students on next year's Battle of the Books team use Voice Thread to create an online book discussion about the books.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Week Five: Thing #11
Lots of winning sites! Keeping with my "Spring Break" theme this week, I found a site called Free Cycle http://www.freecycle.org/ where I can advertise items I no longer need or want to give away FREE to someone else in Juneau. This saves the reusable items from going into the growing landfill! Spring cleaning is here! I am amazed to find there are over 600 people here in Juneau on the list advertising things to give away for FREE or if they need something they ask for it, too! Very useful site all for free!
Another site that I explored is City Search http://www.citysearch.com/ where it is easy to find hotels, restaurants, museums, etc when you are planning a trip to a new place. Often teachers assign students to create a brochure about specific cities or places of interest. This would be a good site for students to use for an assignment about places they research. Reviews of places are posted by those people who have already visited them and students might be able to contribute to this feature. Google maps http://maps.google.com/ will also come in handy this week as my husband and I plan our summer trip! I really like the satellite photos which help put the area in perspective!
Another site that I explored is City Search http://www.citysearch.com/ where it is easy to find hotels, restaurants, museums, etc when you are planning a trip to a new place. Often teachers assign students to create a brochure about specific cities or places of interest. This would be a good site for students to use for an assignment about places they research. Reviews of places are posted by those people who have already visited them and students might be able to contribute to this feature. Google maps http://maps.google.com/ will also come in handy this week as my husband and I plan our summer trip! I really like the satellite photos which help put the area in perspective!
Week Five: Thing #10
This is from "Comic Strip Generator" which is also a very fun and easy application. It might be very fun for students to create their own comic book stories using this application. Another place that might interest those who would like to create their own book is www.biguniverse.com. Check out this site where picture books can be created with your own photos, too!
Week Five: Thing #10
Image Chef is a fun site! I have seen other animated inserts on the web and always wondered where they came from and how they were added! Lots of fun for this "thing". I really like the wave, but someone already used it for their blog --- so I am trying a different animation.
Tomorrow spring break starts. Oh such a good feeling! I am filled with the excitement of endless possibilities --- what can be accomplished in one full week of no school?
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Week Four: Thing #8 and #9
It is good to know more about RSS feeds. Current news is something that I need to read about now, as we disconnected our TV over a year ago. The radio is not always enough news for me so now I will be able to follow current additions with the RSS feeds. Not only news---but reading about the latest in library science and technology is also a must.
It is always interesting and assuring to know that many librarians and teachers are discussing exactly the same issues as we discuss here in Juneau and in Alaska. We are all looking for solutions communicating on the internet using many of the Web 2.0 functions will help us share thoughts and hopefully find soulutions to some of these tough discussions.
And am excited about following blogs, too!
It is always interesting and assuring to know that many librarians and teachers are discussing exactly the same issues as we discuss here in Juneau and in Alaska. We are all looking for solutions communicating on the internet using many of the Web 2.0 functions will help us share thoughts and hopefully find soulutions to some of these tough discussions.
And am excited about following blogs, too!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Week Three #7
Whew! I tried so many times to "POST A COMMENT" from my computer at home during the weekend, but evidentally it must be missing an update or something, because nothing would post. After several hours of trying I gave up---and tried first thing this morning on my newer computer at school. It worked! So, even though it was frustrating, I did figure out that it was the computer, not me.
It is still cold outside with lots of snow piled up everywhere. I can feel spring in the air and wanted to post a mosaic with photos of tulips---something to look forward to! A few more weeks---we can make it!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Week Three: Thing #6
Using "Big Huge labs" I created this library trading card for my library. My phrase "Got Books?" is a little out dated and imagine that students could help me create something more current. It would be great to develop some of these and print them up in bookmark size for a very "local" flavor of bookmark!
I am thinking of inviting students to after school sessions to learn together how to use some of these really cool Web 2.0 features. One of our teachers has offered students "extra credit" if they create a podcast--yet will NOT teach the students how to do this. He seems to think they all know more about technology than he does. This may be true, but not ALL students are in the know.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Week Three: Thing #5
While exploring Flickr, I came across a library of “free to use” photos. This Flickr account is an example of the many online sites where students can find photos to use for projects without having to get copyright permission. For example, here is the link and photo of a river in Africa which can be used by anyone without asking permission.
http://www.flickr.com/search/groups/?w=685365@N25&q=africa&m=pool
http://www.flickr.com/search/groups/?w=685365@N25&q=africa&m=pool
and, another Africa photo free to use from Flickr.
Week Two: Thing #4
While creating this blog it was necessary for me to refer to the “HELP” feature a few times. Something I have learned to do---read the directions! I think knowing that the directions may have the answer is one more learning skill!
Registering my blog was the easy part! Fast response and comments are very helpful! Thank you, Ann.
Registering my blog was the easy part! Fast response and comments are very helpful! Thank you, Ann.
Week Two: Thing #3
One of our staff members does not like having her photo taken and further does not want her photo posted on our high school web site. After I learned how to create an avatar for myself, I decided to create one for this staff member. I made one for her, emailed the jpg to her for approval, and then posted it on our website. This may be the answer for other staff members with the same reluctance of having their photos posted on our web site.
Week One: Thing #2
“My Learning Contract” has been printed out and completed. I am using this self-paced Web 2.0 class as my first attempt to follow this signed contract.
After participating in the tutorial and reflecting on my current style of learning, it seems that I function in “bursts and fits”. Meaning that I tend to spend a lot of time on a project, then leave it for so long that I have to spend quite a bit of time reviewing what I have completed previously to continue. It feels like a waste of time having to review so much and if I could work and learn in a more consistent manner then I might be able to begin from where I left off, using my time more efficiently and making progress in a timely manner. This challenge sounds like a time management issue including taking responsibility for my own learning and making it happen.
Once I have learned something it is very easy for me to teach and share. I have a large, full toolbox that I rely on for my continued life long learning experiences.
Participating in the “7 ½ Habits” tutorial using the audio, text and photos via the internet is in itself an effective tool for learning and it is one of my goals to use this kind of format for several library lessons that I would like available for my high school patrons.
After participating in the tutorial and reflecting on my current style of learning, it seems that I function in “bursts and fits”. Meaning that I tend to spend a lot of time on a project, then leave it for so long that I have to spend quite a bit of time reviewing what I have completed previously to continue. It feels like a waste of time having to review so much and if I could work and learn in a more consistent manner then I might be able to begin from where I left off, using my time more efficiently and making progress in a timely manner. This challenge sounds like a time management issue including taking responsibility for my own learning and making it happen.
Once I have learned something it is very easy for me to teach and share. I have a large, full toolbox that I rely on for my continued life long learning experiences.
Participating in the “7 ½ Habits” tutorial using the audio, text and photos via the internet is in itself an effective tool for learning and it is one of my goals to use this kind of format for several library lessons that I would like available for my high school patrons.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Week One: Thing #1
The main reason I signed up for this class is to experience some of the new technical features available to us free from the web. I have played around with some of these elements before but sometimes it takes more practice for me to become proficient and comfortable with new things. I also hope to partner with two other librarians in our district so we can make this a group learning experience. And one more reason to stay abreast of new technologies is to be able to relate with what students know about these internet tools. It is interesting to know that not all students know about all these Web 2.0 functions. There are some students, for various reasons, who do not even have an email account. I hope that once I learn about these Web 2.0 'things' from this class, I will be able to share what I know with students who need to know and to learn from those who already know and are willing to share with me.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Test Post #2
There is a staff member at our school who will not let anyone take her photo. I really would like to have a photo of her for our school website. After I made my avatar last night I got the idea to make one of her and put it in place of her absent photo. I designed one---it is great. Now I just have to add it to our website. We shall see if she likes it enough to keep the avatar OR if it will encourage her to let me take a REAL photo of her for the website!
Test blog entry
Whew! This is actually very hard trying to figure out how to get the avatar onto the blog and how to navigate around in this space. Using the "open new window" feature seems to work a little bit. There must be easier ways to arrange the layout and such, I just have not figured it out -- yet. Lots of new accounts to sign into and to remember. I am hoping that by next week it will all be easy and familiar for me!
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