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Thursday, July 24, 2008

Thing 23

What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
Flickr Toys, Photostory, Blogger.
How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
It has made me feel more confident using some of the library 2.0 tools.
Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
Yes. I was surprised by how enjoyable it was and that I actually received comments on my site even if two of them were negative. ;)
What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
I would consider going more in depth. I would like to learn how to use Blogger more effectively and make my site more user friendly. Also, I would like to learn how to use Photostory better. I couldn't even turn my picture around so I had to choose horizontal ones.
If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate?
Possibly.
How would you describe your learning experience in ONE WORD or in ONE SENTENCE, so we could use your words to promote 23 Things learning activities?
Houston--we have a solution. -- 23 Things
Now go and comment on some of the other Players' blogs?
Maybe we should vote on our favorites in fall and you can give awards to the top 3-like an academy awards for best blogs. I think that would be fun.

Thing 22

I like the social networking features found on Nings. I especially like that you can pose a question or ask advice and receive feedback from other librarians. I even recognized a fellow librarian on the 2nd Ning you recommended we view. What I don't like is the lack of privacy so I'm not sure if I would join one yet.

Thing 21

Creating a vidcast using Photostory was mucho fun. Trying to register for Switchpod to share it with everyone was not. I am going to email you the result, Vaughn. This assignment has converted me to vidcasts & podcasts. I think the kids will love using these tools as part of their learning in the 21st century.

Thing 20

I think having all of the videos available on YouTube and TeacherTube is invaluable for student-teacher-librarian learning. I conducted a few searches in both and found some great videos to share with students and teachers. I like many of the booktalks created by students in TeacherTube. I especially liked a funny video I found in YouTube called No Cookies in the Library-Classic Sesame Street that I'd like to share with the kids in k-1st. Here's the link if it is blocked. My computer froze when I tried to access Zamzar to convert it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJlkplvYdgA


















Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Thing 19

Oh my goodness -- I just got lost in the library 2.0 award-winning site Biblio.com. This site is perfect for locating hard-to-find out-of-print books. So many children's books and teacher manuals are impossible to find on Follett. This is a good place to look for that tattered copy of a teacher or student favorite and it uses carbon neutral shipping methods. The prices are amazing. I am going to start using Biblio instead of Amazon for my personal and professional book orders. I also think that Writeboard is an excellent online tool for collaborative writing and can see it being used with Whiteboards.

Thing 18

One of my friends who is a programmer just recommended I use Open Office instead of Microsoft. He uses it at work/home/coffe shops to create PDF documents instantly and because it allows him to see an outline format while creating a document/presentations for work. I like the fact that it is free and is offering a strong alternative to Microsoft. This friend also thinks that Firefox is superior to internet exporer as a browser. What do you think about firefox vs. explorer?

Thing 17

I'm not a true believer in Rollyo just yet. I found it rather confusing and time consuming, but I can see the value of inputting only those sites you want your students to access. However, when I put in a keyword to look up my searchroll, I was overwhelmed by the number of searchrolls I had to view to find it which I never did. Thank goodness I could find it by opening my profile. I'd rather not publish my searchroll on this blog because I accidentally used my real name.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Thing 16

I might use a wiki as a forum for planning technology day projects. I could also use it with students who are participating in the Bluebonnet Reading Program. Students could review and rate each book on the list. I also think the wiki could be used when students make observations of nature for the outdoor classroom grant our school received. In addition, the Writers-in-the-School program may be coming to our school this year and this might be a good place for students to collaborate on pieces they are writing as a group.

Thing Fifteen

Library 2.0 - It's many things to many people. What does it mean to you? What does it mean for school libraries?
It means rethinking the way we manage our school libraries. Rather than the traditional mode of school library visits, where teachers have a preset schedule each week, we need to come up with a model whereby we can train teachers and students in how to access information 24/7. As Tom Storey says in Where Will the Next Generation Web take Users?, we need to let go of the they come-to-us model and stop spending all of our budgets on just-in-case collections that will soon be out of date. As Michael Stephens says, we need to use a strategy guide whereby we can help users find info., gather knowledge and create content in order to enter into a new world.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Thing #14

Create a blog post for Thing #14 and express your thoughts regarding how Technorati and its features could assist you. Since you have now looked at several tools that use tagging (Technorati, de.licio.us, & Flickr), add your thoughts about the value of tagging information.
Exploring Technorati was a blast. I wish you hadn't included the popular searches link because now I'll never want to go back to work. Found a blog with 10 tips to find time to do 23 Things by a university librarian in Cananda that was helpful. Also, loved a youtube video by a singer I like who appeared on Sesame Street. The students will love using Technorati and tags to help them find other students with similar interests or to just research a topic. My only concern is that there might be predators out there looking to speak with students. Does the district allow the use of Technorati or is it blocked?

Thing #13

Can you see the potential of this tool for research assistance? The far-reaching potential for research assistance. I was able to research a topic that would have taken me hours in minutes. Or just as an easy way to create bookmarks that can be accessed from anywhere? This is one of the best features of this site--ease of use. How can libraries or classroom teachers take advantage of social bookmarking sites? Now, instead of manually putting bookmarks on all of our student computers in the library, I can put them all on de.li.cious and share them with both teachers and students. Amazing.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Thing #11

How do you think it could be useful to you in your situation? I wish Marc Magician were as simple as LibraryThing. If I could catalog this easily in the library, I'd catalog everything that moved. Did you check out any of the groups? I did, but I wasn't exactly sure how to interact with them. Did you find a group of users that share your interests? I found several groups that looked interesting. I am going to share this site with the people in my bookgroup.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Thing # 9

For me, the easiest way to locate sites I'd like to include on a personal RSS is to look for the RSS feed icon. Next, I would use the award winning edublogs to find sites that are considered high quality. I also think it is easy to use the sites that our friendly captains have compiled especially since they relate directly to my job as a librarian.

Thing # 8

What do you like about RSS and newsreaders? I like having the exact information I want to read at my finger tips. I also like that you can add items in bundles by theme saving time.
How do you think you might be able to use this technology in your school or personal life? I can use this as a selection tool and to share ideas with other librarians and teachers.
How can libraries use RSS or take advantage of this new technology? Librarians can use RSS as a forum to keep abreast of the latest technology that affects our students.

Thing #7

I explored just about all of the links you shared on Google. The two that I especially liked were Google Alerts and Google Scholar. Teachers can use Google Alerts with their students when they want to find up-to-the-minute information on topics they are studying in class. The 2nd grade teachers do a unit on weather phenomena and I think this would be a great site to use to find out about natural disasters occurring in the world bringing the topic to life for students. Google Scholar is good for older students who need to find articles related to their topic. Unfortunately, I was only able to access an abstract of the article I was looking for. Google Earth takes up way took way too much space on the harddrive. I had to remove it right away, but it's really cool to look up places and I know the students really like using it.

Thing #6

Wow. I was blown away by all of the things you can do using that bighugelab website. I am definitely going to share this site with our technologist, teachers and students. Loved playing with the trading cards. Plan on using them with the upper grades. I also like the mosaics you can create with your own photos or borrowed ones. Loved the idea of showing the students how to creat a poster or billboard for their in school assignments. I think the students would really get into it. http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/ Saving this site to share with coworkers.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Thing #5


Enjoyed browsing thru flickr. Chose the photo next door because I think it's a good metaphor for reading, books and technology and how they provide a window on the world.

Thing #3

That was lots of fun, especially the part where I got to create an avatar-was a super big fan of paper dolls when I was little. A bit frustrating coming up with a yahoo id that wasn't taken. Worried that I may not remember all these new passwords and id names.

Thing #2

The easiet habit for me is 7 1/2. It has been since I was little. Hardest habit is number 4-- need to develop this one. Also, number 3 can be a problem for me as well. I used number 6 last week. I looked up how to make a cup of pakistani tea on youtube for a book club I'm in and decided it takes way too long to follow the guy's instructions for one cup of tea.