2 manybooks 2 littletime

Reflections

2010-07-27T17:48:00.002-05:00

Some of the tools used here were those covered in 23 Things. It was nice to revisit them and remember what I liked about them.

I am a fan of technology, and I think we need to be careful in our choices of what to use in the classroom. We must make sure that what we use and what we incourage our students to use has real value - the tool should be used for substance not as a parade float. A tool (noun: the means whereby some act - hopefully, connected to learning-is accomplished) is by definition meant to be utilitarian.

Big surprise: I think I may be converted to the use of social bookmarking.

Tool #11

2010-07-27T17:32:00.002-05:00

1. Responsibility - the news is filled with examples to discuss with students: responsibility to the truth and the responsibility to each other. Included in the conversations should be the consequences for the misuse of the internet. The internet should not be treated as a childish toy or used maliciously.

2. Durability - what is said now, what is posted now, will be around for a very long time.

3. Authenticity - if what we use is not ours, give credit.

4. Gullibility - all web pages, blogs, wikis, videos, podcasts, etc. are not created equally- verify, verify, verify- be an informed consumer of internet content. " Be not like dumb, driven cattle!" Voices of the Night: A Psalm of Life - Longfellow

Tool #10

2010-07-27T16:56:00.002-05:00

I have had an ITouch for a couple of years which probably makes it ancient. I use it mostly for music and audio books. I don't know whether it is because it is 'old' or not, but I find using the internet on it very cumbersome and slow. Using the IPad in the classroom would be far more useful than the ITouch.

I have enjoyed downloading videos which may be one way to use in the classroom. I have also made frequent use of the WordBook app.

Tool #9

2010-07-27T16:52:00.003-05:00

Jing would be helpful in creating quick video 'how to's': use of a software program, how to get to certain resources on the internet, etc.

I have used Skype fequently for calls to family - especially to my grandson. I have also used Skype for video conferencing with teachers at other schools and assume our students would be able to conference with students at other schools in the district.

Tool #8

2010-07-27T15:48:00.002-05:00

This link is to a Discovery Education video on 1984 which I think could be used as a model when moving the students toward writing literature analysis essays.

http://gtm-media.discoveryeducation.com/videos/11819/pgr11819_256k.asf?sami=http://gtm-media.discoveryeducation.com/videos/11819/pgr11819.smi

I just love this Rube Goldberg video from OkGo. I had to download the video when I watched it because it kept buffering. I'm sure somebody can figure out why/how to use it.

Tool #7

2010-07-26T18:12:00.002-05:00

There are innumerable uses for digital story telling in the classroom: documenting research work, explaining a process, pictorial expression of a written piece, picture dictionaries, etc. etc. I think PhotoStory is particularly easy and fast to use.

Tool #6

2010-07-26T17:55:00.002-05:00

I have used wikis in online classes collaborating on research.

Recently, I used a wiki when my sisters and I were compiling an invitation list for my mother's birthday. Some of us had the names, some had the addresses, and/or some had telephone numbers. It was much easier than multiple phone calls and overlapping emails. We also composed the invitation using the wiki.

Tool #5

2010-07-26T17:49:00.002-05:00

I joined diigo and can see many benefits:
note taking
ease of screen shots
quick display of web sites on Activeboard
sharing of information with committee members

I ocated these two sites in my searches for writing about war:
wartime , correspondence, Ernie Pyle
http://journalism.indiana.edu/resources/erniepyle/wartime-columns/

wartime, poetry
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=602

Tool #4

2010-07-25T19:27:00.002-05:00

I have used Google Docs while taking a Region IV class on distance instruction. My teammates and I were able to colaborate on reports and senarios we were setting up. Much less trouble and fewer headaches than doing the same thing through emails, attachments, and documents using tracking changes.

I have also used Google Reader - NPR items- and find that I just don't get in the habit of checking often. I don't understand the need to use Google Reader to follow blogs of the 11 Tools because Blogspot tracks them for me already.

Tool #3

2010-07-25T18:53:00.002-05:00

I used Spell w/ Flickr for one of my favorite words: recalcitrant. I am in favor of most things that incourage students to play with words - they begin to notice words and become aware of the words being used around them in text and audio. Can't be bad.

I have done a book with Shutterfly, but won't share it here.

Used Wordit:
worditout.com/word-cloud/9602

Tool #2

2010-07-25T18:30:00.002-05:00

1. Participating in a PLN keeps us fresh and open to ideas.
2. Commenting/giving feedback directly and meaningfully to colleagues or students is the best way to insure continued participation in PLNs and student/classroom discussions.

The blogs I chose to follow are:

Amy Houser http://ahouser71.blogspot.com/
Cheryl Wegscheid http://cwegs.blogspot.com/
Tracy Williams http://williamswonderfulworldofenglish.blogspot.com/
Patty Carr http://patty-carr.blogspot.com/
Doris Gates http://waisscience.blogspot.com/

Tool #1

2010-07-14T10:27:00.002-05:00

I am using my blog that I created when doing the Library2Learn activities. In making this decision I considered 1. I liked the title- reading is very important to me, 2. the Avatar works for me, 3. considering short term and long term memory issues, I don't want to create another memory challenge.

Many teachers in the LA and SS departments at WAIS have already started using blogs in their classrooms for a variety of purposes - posts discussing reading experiences, political issues, etc.

Thing 23

2009-08-08T14:55:00.002-05:00

This project is a real gift to the members of SBISD- I feel lucky to have been able to take part.

It did disolve any illusions I had about being 'up' on technology. It would be easy to get overwhelmed and shut down. Which is another reason to complete the project. I have enough surface information on some of the Things now, so that I can at least ask semi-intelligent questions.

Also, doing the project gave me a feel for which of Things will be most useful to me and to the students.

I want to master Wikis, and I still have much to learn about organizing/placing things on my blog. The image generators and Google tools will definitely getting more of my attention. As will the ongoing work with the igoogle. RSS feeds and I still don't see eye-to-eye, but maybe the need will appear to me.

Also, I felt waaayyy smart when I was able to adjust the html so my teacher tube video would embed.

Thing 22

2009-08-08T14:05:00.002-05:00

Nings! Wow! This would be a great vehicle for the students to use around any collaborative activity. Our school does international investigation inquiry groups every year. This is perfect for many of the projects. Can't wait to get back to school and share. (Hey! did I just say I wanted to go back to school. This summer heat has gotten to me.:)

Thing 21

2009-08-08T13:43:00.003-05:00

I have been enamored with Photostory for years and have guided teachers and students in their use of it. Photostory crosses all curriculum areas and its uses are innumerable.

Thing 20

2009-08-08T13:09:00.003-05:00

I found this video on TeacherTube. While the picture is pixilated, the content is the type of project I would like the students to be able to create. In our classes this year we hope to offer various forms of product publication, especially videos.

As an information source for me as a teacher/learner, YouTube and TeacherTube is a good resource.

Thing 19

2009-08-08T12:42:00.002-05:00

Lulu is an amazing site - talk about removing the gatekeeper. Anyone can be a published/recorded artist, writer, or singer. I have seen a friend's 'coffee table' books created on LuLu, and the professional quality is wonderful. Students could feel very impowered by seeing their class's projects/writings published and possibly even made available for sale.

Thing 18

2009-08-07T11:53:00.000-05:00

I have been using Google Docs for about a year - during an online course as well as when collaborating on curriculum with others. I thought it very friendly.

When we use netbooks in the classroom this year, we will be relying heavily on Google Docs.

Questions: Can a facilitator (don't know if that is a correct term) create an RSS feed, so that notification is sent out when edits have been made? During my online course, we did get an email notification from each collaborator, but I'm not sure that the notification went to the instructor or, if it was, in what format it was sent.

Thing 17

2009-08-07T09:33:00.000-05:00

I created a search roll when I was applying for the technology grant.

Here is what I don't understand - I put in 10 sites that I thought had good info. But when I use that roll for particular information, I get as many as 288,000 matches. I've done something wrong since this tool would not limit/focus students in their research. (one of the classroom applications we were hoping for)

Thing 16

2009-08-07T07:42:00.000-05:00

I sooooo want to use wikis right now. But I still don't understand where we go to create a wiki page. I created an account on wikispaces, but that allows for only one page at a time which isn't enough for classroom use. Is there a district account?

Thing 15

2009-08-07T07:00:00.001-05:00

Change, change, change, change, change.

"Well, when I was in school...." Hopefully we do not hear this from those adults working in education. We are learning that as teachers, librarians, administrators, etc. that we can not/should not be the gatekeepers of information.

And it, of course, makes sense that no matter how fast libraries assemble printed material, they will never keep up. Nor can they acurately predict the requirements of patrons. A book has been compared to a new car: as soon as the car is driven off the lot, it drops dramatically in $ value; as soon as an informational book leaves the printing press, its insides are outdated.

There are arguments out there that books should be published on the internet as well as printed - some authors are doing so: Little Brother by Doctorow for one. Still, I do love the printed page - newspaper, magazine, books.

Thing 14

2009-08-06T13:05:00.004-05:00

Searching tags certainly makes sense, but there can still be 100,000 blogs that turn up for a search. Still, it is a good idea. I also liked the 'tools' technorati has for previewing bloggers- helps for weeding out.

I can certainly see how the site could be used for research.

Thing 13

2009-08-06T12:23:00.004-05:00

The availability of delicious and digg from the internet instead of relying on the bookmarks attached to one computer is an obvious advantage.

I could see students making use of these tools when collaborating on inquiry projects. Also, they are helpful in setting up unique tags to limit/build web sites for students to use for web quest assignments.

Tagging? Great tool - so much of the stuff I look at belongs in so many different categories - now maybe I won't lose the web sites, or at least will be able to remember what use I imagined for the site.

Thing 12

2009-08-06T10:41:00.004-05:00

After reading '10 Tech. to Get More Comments', I realized that a blog needs entry points for readers just as print media does. Drape's Takes discussion about responding to comments presented some ideas I hadn't considered. Not responding to blog comments is limiting entry points for the reader. By not creating conversations with the blog reader, the blogger keeps himself at a distance from his readers.

I went to two blogs focused on young adult literature. This topic is highly interesting to me - however, I got exasperated by the 'additional' material on the sites - I want to know about the books, not about what the blogger had for breakfast. :)

Thing 11

2009-08-05T11:30:00.004-05:00

I love talking to people about what they are reading - so, I am totally in love with Library Thing. I catalogued some of the books I have read this summer, but I can't figure out how to embed the widget in my blog. Help?

Update: I figured out that I had to be in Edit Html - thanks to Amy Houser. There I could paste in the code from Library Thing.

Now, how do I reposition the widget to the sidebar?

Thing 10

2009-08-05T10:54:00.002-05:00

The number of online image generators is overwhelming- I can see getting lost in this process- too many choices- and spending hours and hours playing around. The uses in the classroom are many, and I am sure that the students could think of even more.

Thing 9

2009-08-04T18:48:00.002-05:00

First, let me tell you that I tend to be way too blunt.

Okay, this RSS feed thing is going to have to be something that I develop a need for over time. I have visited blog finding sites like Technorati and looked at their list of rising posts and stories. The titles/headlines (old geezer terminology) was very similar to the promos for shows like Entertainment which I studiously avoid. I don't spend time watching gossip shows and don't want to spend time reading gossip blogs.

I have read the blogs of others going through the 23 things to see what their experiences with the different 'things' have been (a non-artificial need to share thinking with others). Maybe as I find blogs out of a relevant need I will become a fan. Otherwise, not so much.

Thing 8

2009-07-31T10:34:00.002-05:00

I created my Google Reader account and subscribed to some feeds. Seems that keeping the feeds to a manageable level will be an issue.

Thing 7

2009-07-19T12:37:00.002-05:00

I set up an IGoogle page. I was intrigued by the idea suggested in Library2Play that students could set up their own page with tabs for different subjects or projects. However, I don't see how that is done.

Right now I am trying to get a Google Gadget on my blog, but I keep getting an error message that the URL I am copying for the gadget has illegal letters/symbols. I tried the countdown gadget as well as the word of the day gadget with the same results.

Thing 6 continued

2009-07-15T14:55:00.005-05:00

I used Blubbr (one of the Flicker mashup tools) to create a 'comic' strip. I didn't realize I had an empty panel at the beginning and I don't know how to go back to edit.

Anyhow, I think you can get to it by clicking this: http://www.pimpampum.net/bubblr/archive.php?search=you+can%27t+run&f=popular&custom=

I think this tool has huge potential for serious/not serious word play, story structure, reports, etc. (Or maybe I am just easily amused. :)

Thing 6

2009-07-15T14:19:00.002-05:00

I read the Wikipedia artilce - it's kind of an iceberg thing - I maybe understand the obvious part (the 10% of the iceberg above the water) and I am completely fried trying to understand the rest (the 90% below the water).
I spent time looking at http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index.php?lang=eng - probably not a good idea if you want to sleep soundly at night. It's amazing to me that people know how to put this stuff together.
I will try my hand at the more simple and mundane.

Thing 5

2009-07-11T15:48:00.003-05:00

Flickr is a fabulous site- previously, especially when working with PhotoStory, I have had students using Google to search out pictures. I think Flickr will be a great additional resource. I use photos frequently: prompts, frames for sentences, vocabulary, history, etc.

Thing 3

2009-07-10T10:24:00.002-05:00

Setting up the basic blog was not difficult, but it does not yet look the way I want it to. More remodeling is needed. The avatar was fun and easy to export, once I read the fine print at the bottom. Oftentimes, I skim directions - I am a big picture person (at least that's my excuse).

Thing Two

2009-07-10T09:24:00.002-05:00

I have never had a problem being a life long learner. Problem is, I get very ADD about it and sometimes (well, frequently) lose focus and head in too many directions at one time. So, the easiest thing is interest; the hardest thing is self control.