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.

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!

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?

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!

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!

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.