tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23569040506092656602024-02-19T05:32:05.616-06:00Learning New ThingsA blog for the Library2Play2 online course.Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-33596502274178354342009-07-18T16:47:00.005-05:002009-07-18T17:17:00.333-05:0011.5 Thing #11.5-Evaluation1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises?<br /><ul><li>Glogster - Two World Geography teachers have already signed up for the library when school starts. They want the students to create posters on world religions. I would love to show them Glogster. My first step is to contact our technology department to see if this is possible.</li><li>Wordsift - for use with the ESOL students.</li><li>Facebook - I never would have thought that I would create a Facebook page. Now that I'm there, I have found two college friends and a friend from many years ago when our children were young. Added benefit, I can see the posts on my daughter's Facebook page!</li><li>Screencast - Hoping to use this to provide instructions to the classroom teachers.</li></ul><p>2. How has this program affected or assisted your lifelong learning goals?</p><p>Although the course was a lot of work, I loved it and look forward to exploring the topics in greater depth. After taking the 23 Things last summer, I was excited about taking this course when I saw it offered. If you can think of more things to teach us, I will definitely sign up! Years ago my very young daughter showed me the difference between my computer and my computer monitor. Now there are things that I can show her!! </p><p>3. Were there any take-aways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?</p><ul><li>Facebook - as I mentioned above, I love this and spend way too much time on it.</li><li>Second Life - I was surprised by this and my negative reaction to it. Despite all the excitement about it and the possibilities for education, I am not comfortable with it. I was the same way about the microwave oven 30 years ago, so I am likely to change my mind!</li></ul><p>4. What could we do differently to improve upon this program's format or concept?</p><p>In the 23 Things course, you required us to read and post on the other blogs. I didn't see this instruction in the 11.5 Things, but I did it anyway. It is a tremendous help and great opportunity to share information and ideas.</p><p>Thank you for providing this course. It was an amazing journey of hard work and play. My hope is that our technology department will let us use some of these tools with our students. I agree with Rhondda in Rhondda's Reflections (Thing 11) when she says, <blockquote>Many educational systems and/or schools are ignoring the existence of much of the on-line digital media, by banning outright, filtering and heavily restricting use. This leaves our students alone to use and figure out the media on their own, outside school, with varying degrees of understanding about the intricacies of the best, appropriate and safe use. Studies are continually showing that more and more of our young people are using digital media in their own time without any guidance. Ignoring the digital media in the hope that students won’t be interested in or use most of it, isn’t working and it is dangerous.</blockquote>Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-76592061643879902802009-07-18T15:55:00.005-05:002009-07-18T16:30:45.658-05:0011.5 Thing #11-Digital CitizenshipI read all of the links provided even though the assignment said to choose about 3. I'm so glad I did. All were excellent and informative. I am fired up over a concept I previously didn't know anything about.<br /><br />Even though my library orientation packets are already printed for the start of school, I will definitely work in a discussion about digital citizenship. Subjects I would include are manners, safety, evaluating information, copyright, and the AUP. Regarding the AUP, I would engage the students in a discussion about why we have the rules rather than just posting the rules.<br /><br />I like this activity that I accessed through the Ning in item 4 of this assignment. It's titled, "Digital Citizenship and the 21st Century Digital Compass Activity."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.educ.ksu.edu/digitalcitizenship/CompassArt.pdf">http://www.educ.ksu.edu/digitalcitizenship/CompassArt.pdf</a><br /><br />Something I will do more of having read these articles and suggestions is model how I evaluate the websites I find for the students. There is never enough time to devote an entire lesson to website evaluation, but if I and other teachers model our use of technology, eventually the students will become better at it themselves. Having said that, I must admit that many of our teachers need to learn and model better technology use! I hope my principal will let me provide some staff development on Digital Citizenship.Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-50670880882917974372009-07-17T14:25:00.002-05:002009-07-17T14:47:01.304-05:0011.5 Thing #10-Virtual WorldsThank you for the option of looking at other virtual worlds if we did not feel ready for Second Life. I read ALL the links providing information about SL and the more I read the more I dreaded joining. Cool Cat Teacher emphasized the importance of NOT entering alone. Someone posted to her blog additional advice that indicated we should immediately change our clothes and purchase advanced walking skills so that we would not look like newbies who walk like ducks. The reader said that if we didn't dress for success we would be indicating that we do not take the game seriously and would look like tourists. Who needs that? All this judging of people by how they look and dress along with not accepting newcomers is something I see all day in the high school where I teach. I sure don't want that in my second life!<br /><br />I looked over the list of 200 virtual worlds for kids and found several of interest. One was based on Legos, another was Hello Kitty. At Hello Kitty one could chat, farm, build a house, battle opponents, mine and cut timber. The tutorial for building a house said that one would use up his energy by working, so be sure to eat. Of course, the food had to be purchased with Kitty dollars! These seemed very similar to Second Life but much safer and less judgmental. The downside to most of the ones I looked at is that they are still in the developmental stage and not ready to play. Some were being beta tested and would allow users to sign up for emails to be notified when the game is ready.<br /><br />I did join Zwinky where I got an avatar, dressed her in the "free" clothes and got a free dorm room at ZSU. I furnished it with furniture I found at the department store. This was all part of a newcomers quest and I racked up lots of points by successfully completing the quests. My clothes didn't fall off and no one asked me for sex which happened to another participant in the 11.5 Things when she was in Second Life.<br /><br />Lots of people are certainly excited about the possibilities of using Second Life in education. At the ALA Convention I learned that the Chicago ISD has an island in Second Life! I think our students could see land forms, waves, the inside of cells, and other things that they might not otherwise see by using the subscription databases, Flickr, Google Earth, and other tools we have learned about through 23 and 11.5 Things.Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-32088062482635553752009-07-16T16:12:00.012-05:002009-07-17T08:51:43.209-05:0011.5 Thing #9 - SlideshareLooking at all of these presentations was inspirational. I think it would be important for students to use Slideshare and similar sites so that they could see examples of good and not-so-good presentations. I have felt for a long time that PowerPoint is overused in classroom assignments. However, using Slideshare makes the process more collaborative and current. Students could access their presentations from any computer; currently if the presentation is stored in their documents on the school district's server, they cannot access from home.<br /><br />Here is a great one from Slideshare called "Death by PowerPoint":<br />(This presentation just would not load as an imbedded file, so I created a link.)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/thecroaker/death-by-powerpoint">Death by PowerPoint</a>Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-74009863650447824572009-07-08T15:37:00.003-05:002009-07-08T15:55:52.817-05:0011.5 Thing #8 - ScreencastWow! I am excited about this. My first attempt was to create an instructional video to show teachers how to reserve the computer labs. This is an ongoing thing and being able to send them this clip would be much easier for everyone. I realize that I need lots of practice as was suggested in the tips and I need to speak MUCH louder.<br /><br />I would like to try this method for showing students how to use the subscription databases. I usually demonstrate with a projector attached to my laptop, but the light in the library is too bright and the classes are so large that those in the back of the room cannot see. <br /><br />Here is my first attempt. I may replace it when I produce a better one!<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw6wc6DD9mc6Cbrhuvt4WrAPha2UKVo6zsknb6JbHXpjnOHhE5WdoNBEJg9MRPoELQlkUUDYlbXB2oAnTBhvQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-57443938972346926112009-06-28T17:33:00.003-05:002009-06-29T07:41:35.606-05:0011.5 Thing #7 - Video ResourcesI am so glad to have discovered all of these video resources. I found several that I plan to share with the classroom teachers. One that I found is a PBS video titled "The Lobotomist". The psychology teacher could use this for his class when he teaches the brain and mental illness. This is certainly not a fun movie, but it is an interesting look into medical history and mistakes that have been made.<br /><br /><br /><br />On a lighter note, I found several nutrition videos on NeoK12. The Foods and Nutrition classes as well as the Health classes could benefit from these. They are short, informative, and fast-paced enough for today's students. I might use these in the library when the classes come in for their research projects. Of course, they would work well in the classroom, too. This particular video is from YouTube, so it would be blocked in my school district. I read in the paper today that BYU in Utah has decided to unblock YouTube for its students. If BYU thinks there is enough educational information on YouTube to open it up to the students, maybe my district will do the same!<br /><br /><br />Top 10 Worst Foods - Nutrition by Natalie<br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CZlVpthaYEs&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CZlVpthaYEs&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-27913947766034993512009-06-25T17:24:00.002-05:002009-06-26T09:00:25.242-05:0011.5 Thing #6 - iTouch AppsI don't own an iPod, iPhone, or iTouch, but I found some excellent video tutorials on the Apple website so I am familiar with the apps and what they can do. I wish I could download the "Bubble Wrap" app!<br /><br />If I understand this assignment correctly, we are to come up with ways to use the iTouch in the library with groups of students. While connected to a data projector, you could show and use the calendar, dictionary, Google Earth, downloaded books, the Declaration of Independence, science apps, other social studies apps. <br /><br />For individual student use, I think the notetaking app (Dexy) and the Air Sharing app would be invaluable. Right now students cannot access from home their documents that are stored on the district's site. Air Sharing would allow them to use their documents at home and at school.Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-36637148471148463542009-06-24T14:30:00.004-05:002009-06-24T16:49:31.082-05:0011.5 Thing #5 - MicrobloggingI created a Facebook account about a week ago. Since then I reconnected with my college roommate and an old friend from my education classes. One of my nephews sent out a birth announcement via Facebook. I started slowly and changed security settings just today so that friends can read postings on my wall. I still haven't written anything about myself on the home page, much like my blog for this class. Gotta get over my shyness.<br /><br />I was a club sponsor and had a web page, a bulletin board, used the morning announcements, and emailed students to let them know about meetings and other activities. Most of them never knew what was going on! Web pages and email are antiquated technology for our students today. I will try texting and Facebook this coming school year. <br /><br />When exploring Twitter, I came across this statement:<br /><br />[Twitter is] ...an RSS feed to every boring aspect of your friend's lives, according to Helen A.S. Popkin, MSNBC contributor, Twitter Nation: Nobody cares what you're doing (Then again, if you don't get it, that must mean you're totally too old.) on May 2, 2007.<br /><br />That describes my initial reaction perfectly. I don't understand how I can get meaningful input from colleagues and other experts in my field from a Tweet. However, the information on back channeling and using Twitter during presentations was fascinating. I imagined what it would be like to have my students on laptops as I presented works cited and literary criticisms. According to the article, they might actually pay attention and ask questions if they could use Twitter! The shy students would ask questions if they could remain anonymous. Maybe someday...Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-24003333438657797352009-06-24T12:51:00.005-05:002009-06-24T13:43:34.512-05:0011.5 Thing #4 - Video Hosting<p> </p><p>YouTube, TeacherTube, the education channel and government channel portion of YouTube are all excellent sources of videos for use in the classroom. Some advantages are that the videos are free, safe (at the education sites), and convenient. Best practices in teaching call for using video clips rather than showing full length theatrical release films. Online videos from hosting sites meet that criteria. The variety of available content is impressive. I have always found it difficult to find math videos for my teachers, but they can certainly find videos on these sites to support their subject. Students of all ages would enjoy and benefit from creating and sharing videos. I envision book reports, science projects, announcements, lectures, and promoting clubs and organizations using video.</p><p>Did you notice that on the YouTube video for how to upload your videos, the frame was flipped during one part and the wording on her shirt read, "ebuTuoY"?</p><p>Here is my attempt at creating and posting a video created with Animoto. I uploaded it to YouTube.</p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw689OK91Zn04Q5DnlVLpseqq6MBLig3li_4dfswmZDY0LIKJBfLVgk-X3Su-6n9hrqusGBfdJH8whtPNqO_Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-63042762416298007772009-06-23T18:09:00.004-05:002009-06-23T18:20:36.074-05:0011.5 Thing #3 Like SkypeThis "thing" was fun! My husband and I downloaded Skype and talked to each other while in the same room. Now I will expand my connections. The personal applications are obvious: staying in touch with family, connecting with friends who live far away, etc. The Learning Librarian blog (item #4) discussed using Skype for biology classes sharing their research. I really want to try this with our APES (advanced placement environmental science). The handbook available on her blog is very useful. Our students who are home bound could benefit from using Skype for lectures, lab demonstrations, and book talks! Another area where Skype could be used is with home schoolers. I'm off to buy a camera and microphone for my computer...Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-78449761409306079932009-06-19T10:08:00.012-05:002009-06-19T16:43:48.909-05:0011.5 Thing #2 - Image GeneratorsWordSift<br /><br />I tried WordSift with an article from the Dept. of Energy on alternative fuels. Not only would this work well as an introduction to the subject with the IPC (Integrated Physics and Chemistry) classes, it would be perfect for the ESL students. I clicked on the word "turbine" and got the synonym "rotary engine" in the visual thesaurus and pictures of wind turbines in the images. Images and simpler words are just what our English learners need to master science vocabulary.<br /><br />Glogster<br /><br />I want to try this with the freshman geography classes. Their teachers want them to create posters on world religions. Think poster board, markers, glue, scissors, etc. I hope we can use Glogster because it is new and exciting for our 14-year-olds. I would have them research their topics first using the ABC-CLIO databases, CultureGrams, and the online Encyclopedia Britannica. They could be so creative with this tool. Also, if they try something they don't like or if they make a mistake, they can change it!<br /><br />Voki<br /><br />I thought the talking avatars were off-putting. However, I did create one and put it on my blog. Can't wait to read how some of you suggest using them with students!<br /><br /><br />Bookr<br /><br />At first I didn't really like this tool. As I played with it I started to see some possibilities with the addition of text. One could create a very nice report on almost any topic with all the images available in Flickr. There are many opportunities to evaluate and research before taking random pictures and slapping together a book. Here is my first try:<br /><br /><object width="450" height="250"><param name="movie" value="http://www.pimpampum.net/bookr/bookr_blog.swf"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="FlashVars" value ="id=7488"></param><embed src="http://www.pimpampum.net/bookr/bookr_blog.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="450" height="250" FlashVars="id=7488" ></embed></object>Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-41730642726747736702009-06-19T08:52:00.004-05:002009-06-19T09:53:30.959-05:0011.5 Thing #1 - ConnectivismWhat an inspirational video. Our students can use their toys such as computers and iPods to create knowledge. I was thrilled when the narrator mentioned using the library's databases for this project. The librarian can definitely play a role in this type of learning by showing the students how to evaluate websites, use the subscription databases, and cite those sources. The video mentioned all the reasons why the teacher was still necessary in this type of learning, but the librarian can teach many of those skills in preparation for the project and make this a collaboration.Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-88401731162059285382008-07-17T08:07:00.000-05:002008-07-17T08:08:06.595-05:00Library NinjaFunny but true!<br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9ZdeVuEJ-s0&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9ZdeVuEJ-s0&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="349"></embed></object>Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-68853894739924733232008-07-13T15:06:00.004-05:002008-07-13T15:37:59.640-05:00Thing #23 Summarize<span style="color:#cc0000;">1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?</span><br /><br />Google Tools, online image generators, Library Thing, Teacher Tube, and creating a blog.<br /><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">I have always been curious and love to learn new things. Through participating in this program, I learned so many things...far more than 23! As I stated in a post at the beginning, I remember when my daughter showed me the difference between the monitor and the computer. Now I know more than she does, at least about web 2.0. I am ready to start a new course and learn even more.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">3. Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">What surprised me is my personal growth. At the beginning I was so nervous about posting on my blog, let alone commenting on others' blogs. I loosened up over the weeks and it is easier for me to participate. I'm amazed at myself.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">4. What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Perhaps put #12, Creating Community through Commenting, closer to the beginning. Also, it would be nice to see where participants are in the 23 Things so that it would be easier to find postings to read. There were so many participants and it took a long time to open each blog looking for a post on a particular Thing.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">5. If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate?</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Absolutely. Just say when.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">6. 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?</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Learn while playing! Not original, but it is the perfect description.</span><br /><br />I do plan to keep my blog and repurpose it. At the beginning, I thought I would delete it as soon as this class was over. That shows how far I have come. I do plan to keep reading others' blogs because I will keep learning from my classmates. C'mon everyone. You can do it!Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-35171894811312110522008-07-13T12:52:00.003-05:002008-07-13T13:23:26.072-05:00Thing #22 NingsI had heard of Nings, but didn't know exactly what they were. Now I do! When checking out the Texas School Librarian Ning, I found a subgroup for High School Librarians. It is small with only nine members, but I can see how one could get support and ideas by interacting with these fellow librarians.<br /><br />As I learned from <em>7 Things You Should Know About...Ning, </em>educators can learn about social networks in a safe environment away from MySpace and Facebook and keep up with what our kids are so familiar with. I like the idea of creating projects for a course within Ning. The students would enjoy the format and interaction. For library use, I am thinking of creating a book club. My students have such difficulty getting to school early or staying after school because most of them ride the bus, so a book club ning would let us discuss books, post pictures, and have fun! I may create a ning for the club I sponsor so that we can share dates, announcements, and get to know each other. Last year's president would put announcements on her Facebook account, but I would prefer having a place specifically for the club and be able to monitor it and contribute to it. (I wasn't invited to be a friend on her Facebook account!)<br /><br />What I did find alarming is the number of surprises I found when searching for nings. I did a search for "Navy wives" which I thought was an innocent search term and, oops, some interesting things appeared. As if the name of the ning, "Nude Wives/Girlfriends", wasn't descriptive enough, there was a photo beside it! As with all Internet searching, ning.com must be approached with care.Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-49232215993944013422008-07-11T12:07:00.010-05:002008-07-13T12:01:35.103-05:00Thing #21 Podcasts and Audio BooksThis one took days, but I really enjoyed it. I was planning to create a PowerPoint (how old school) for parent night next fall. I have lots of pictures of students using the library and I wanted to have it playing during Open House. Now I will create a Photostory and add narration and music. Can't wait! For this assignment, I decided not to use my students' pictures because I do not have their permission (or their parents' permission) to put their pictures on the Internet. To learn about Photostory, I used some photographs I have of a trip to Washington, D.C. I learned about iTunes and downloading music legally. I registered, paid for several songs, and used the appropriate amount in my presentation. (At least I hope I did!)<br /><br />This is pretty corny, but I created it for all the members of my family who were or are in the military, including my father, brother, husband, nephews, and brother-in-law, and in remembrance of two friends.<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwI1MG6XUROaStRXKBXwL5keJEFYJShAcF2inNmGZbPDk5IDYUHk4II__m9g7WJGbqNiQQDxN2YykfwrZtFbg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><br />All photos are mine except four that I found at Flickr: The Air Force Memorial is by bg_os; Marine Memorial is by winter ends; Navy Memorial is by OZinOH; Navy Memorial Fountains is by singed photography.<br /><br />As for my thoughts on this technology, I plan to use it for booktalks. What an exciting way to introduce books to students, especially in a setting like a high school library where we don't see the students regularly and they are all so busy. Teachers, too! In addition, I try to teach students how to cite their sources using the MLA format. What a dry, boring topic. Podcasts and vidcasts might make it a little more interesting for the students.Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-65471082069113489522008-07-08T18:47:00.004-05:002008-07-08T19:32:17.118-05:00Thing #19 Web 2.0This assignment was too much fun. I was still playing with several of the sites when my husband got home from work, so I showed him two that I thought he would like. I sent my daughter a link to <a href="http://www.livemocha.com/">Livemocha</a> so that she can stay fluent in German or help others who are learning to speak it. For personal use I intend to use <a href="http://www.menuism.com/">Menuism </a>and <a href="http://www.yelp.com/houston">Yelp</a> to find local restaurants to try.<br /><br />For school use, <a href="http://www.wetpaint.com/">Wetpaint</a> is a hosted wiki site that I will definitely share with the biology teachers. Each year they come to the library with their classes to research genetic diseases. Each student then creates a PowerPoint presentation. This coming year I would like to freshen up the assignment and have the students share their research on a wiki. Wetpaint seems user friendly and provides education templates and tips. Since I couldn't narrow down my choice to one 2.0 site, I must mention <a href="http://www.millionmasterpiece.com/">The One Million Masterpiece</a>. The goal of this site is to gather artwork from one million contributors. Each creation is a small square created with the site's software. So far they have 28,576 contributions from 174 countries. The goal is to create a snapshot of our global society. It is "a collaboration where everyone is equal, where all outcomes are valid." The site claims that the results will be printed and displayed in some of the most prestigious art galleries. I want to suggest this to the art teachers and the computer teachers. I hope that they will be excited about it!Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-53266558084287100722008-07-08T14:48:00.006-05:002008-07-11T11:46:01.965-05:00Thing #20 YouTube, TeacherTube, and ZamzarThis assignment was fun. I discovered so many useful videos for teachers and students to use. I linked to two videos just for your enjoyment. The first is linked directly from YouTube. I converted the second through Zamzar. At this point, I am waiting for the conversion which will be sent to me via email. When I receive it, I will edit this post and include the converted link.<br /><br /><em>I did receive the converted file, but I can't figure out how to post it to my blog. I can open it and play it, but I don't see any way to grab it and put it here.</em><br /><br />Enjoy this video about Bill Gates' retirement from Microsoft.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Xr5w3X4R8b4&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Xr5w3X4R8b4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />An oldie but goodie about tech support:<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pQHX-SjgQvQ&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pQHX-SjgQvQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I can't open TeacherTube today. I will try again tomorrow to complete this portion of the assignment.<br /><br />Having so many clips available is a great opportunity for teachers. Teaching with clips is preferable to using full-length videos. These sources will allow students to find clips that they can use in their presentations. Blinkx returned so many results when I searched for clips related to science. I played with searching for the Three Gorges Dam in China and was amazed at the results. I've already emailed two clips to the Environmental Science teacher.Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-92013391034632368922008-07-08T08:50:00.005-05:002008-07-09T11:50:39.992-05:00Thing #18 Online Productivity ToolsAfter three attempts, I got Open Office loaded. (I believe if was operator error) It is a great tool that offers word processing, spread sheets, presentation software, and technical support. I have many students who do not have Microsoft Word at home, so it is impossible for them to work on their projects outside of school. Since Open Office is free and not licensed, I could give them copies of the program to take home. We have Microsoft Office 2007 on our school computers, and Open Office is not compatible with 2007, but the Microsoft Office 2007 does allow one to work with documents created with 97-2003. The Open Office product is clean and simple to use. Our students are confused by 2007 since they never received training on it. Teachers and staff were offered training, and those of us who took it are still struggling to figure out where things are on that "ribbon"!<br /><br />I like the fact that Open Office is free, anyone can use it, it can be loaded on as many computers as needed, copies can be burned to CD, and there is a great community out there to support and improve the product.<br /><br />A minor annoyance for me is that Microsoft Word thinks it knows what I want and provides formatting without being asked. Open Office does not seem to have built-in intuition...and that is good!Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-61272306456899952692008-07-03T08:46:00.003-05:002008-07-03T08:59:09.054-05:00Thing #17 RollyoI had high hopes for Rollyo. I create genre notebooks for my library in which I put one-page reviews for books. Students flip through the books to find titles that might interest them. I always have two or three websites open at one time while creating these; amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Titlewave by Follett. Having these together in one Searchroll seemed like a real time-saver. I did create my Searchrolls and placed them on the right side of this blog. After trying a few searches, I found the results to be overwhelming. I got pages and pages of results when I searched The Host. I also experienced an error message and had to perform the search again. I will "play" with this for a while, but at the moment it doesn't seem to streamline my searches.Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-74485576195128098002008-07-02T17:36:00.003-05:002008-07-02T17:45:58.590-05:00Thing #16 WikisThis exercise was one of my favorites. I now have several ideas about using wikis with the students for their research. The suggestion about collaborative note-taking with each student adding information about a topic, including the sources of the information, then writing their papers using only the notes on the wiki would work very well with the ESL students. <br /><br />As I say on just about every post, I hope the students can use wikis on the district computers. Is my frustration with the technology department's blocking everything apparent?Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-47137471933146484292008-07-01T13:37:00.003-05:002008-07-01T14:12:48.145-05:00Thing #15 Web 2.0, Library 2.0The video, "A Vision of Students Today" was interesting. While it has been a very long time since I was an undergraduate, my daughter is a recent college graduate, so I have some idea of what college students are like today. I think that students are the same as they ever were; only the technology has changed. If a student doesn't want to open his expensive textbook, he won't. Other students may find that textbook so interesting that they keep it long past graduation, usually in Mom's and Dad's spare bedroom. Students choose to pay attention in class or they don't. Just yesterday afternoon my daughter stopped by for a visit. She picked up a textbook from her anthropology class and read an essay entitleld, "Hard Times Among the Neanderthals." While reading that essay she was checking her text messages and responding to them. Like one of the students in the video said, she is a multi-tasker. I do hope, however, that we never get rid of classrooms and move to online education exclusively. Human interaction is vital. Learners need to use all of their senses to gather information and process it.<br /><br />The discussions about Library 2.0 are very exciting to me. We will be able to get information into the hands and minds of so many people. I look forward to the changes in cataloging so that searching for books and other information will be easier for the patrons. Michael Stephens had excellent suggestions for using Web 2.0 tools such as IM, mashups, and MySpace profiles for collaboration, and connecting with users. While I can imagine some wonderful things taking place in school libraries, the reality is that we are prevented from utilizing these wonderful tools. Students and teachers are blocked from images, wikis, blogs, social networks, and email (the students) while at school. Unfortunately, many of my students do not have computers and Internet access at home. We are not preparing them to be successful if we don't provide them with the opportunities to become familiar with the uses of technology.<br /><br />I loved the end of Dr. Wendy Schultz' comments. She is the futurist who commented on Library 3.0 and Library 4.0. She suggests that there will be a time when people will need or have access to a "knowledge spa: meditation, relaxation, immersion in a luxury of ideas and thought...a WiFREE space, a retreat from technohustle, with comfortable chairs, quiet, good light, coffee and single malt. You know, the library."Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-29232397333404299602008-06-30T11:28:00.007-05:002008-06-30T12:35:28.325-05:00Thing #14 Technorati and How Tags WorkSearching for tags rather than blogs or posts really narrowed the results which works for me!<br /><br />Technorati ranks blogs by looking at which blogs link to other blogs. Liz Dunn, the product manager of the Technorati web site, said that the blogs in the Top 100 belong to crazy people who sit at their computers and post a thousand times a day, then link to each other. She went on to say that opinions of the unwashed masses were more helpful than the published reviews or news reported by professionals who are paid to critique things. These comments make me want to proceed with caution in using blogs to get information. We should certainly continue to teach our students how to evaluate web sites and now blogs when they are gathering information.<br /><br />The millions of people who blog and whose blogs are tracked by Technorati are obviously on to something. Tantek Celik said that people are connecting directly with people and we are living on levels we have never lived before. I prefer face-to-face contact when connecting with people. Blogs, like email, lack tone and statements can be misunderstood.<br /><br />My thoughts about the value of tagging:<br />Joshua Schachter, who launched del.icio.us, says that tagging is something we do for ourselves to help find information. Sites such as del.icio.us and ma.gnolia are good for helping one find the websites that are saved there. Publishers tag content to draw readers in, which is completely different.<br /><br />I added 25 of my favorite web sites to del.icio.us, but in spite of the tags, it is difficult to find particular sites that I am looking for. The site is very busy and cluttered in its appearance. At this point, I prefer having my favorites filed in folders that I created.Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-18239770996781561532008-06-28T14:35:00.002-05:002008-06-28T14:52:59.654-05:00Thing #13 Tagging and del.icio.usI have been using an online bookmarking site for years because it is so convenient to access favorites or bookmarks from any computer anywhere. The ones explored in this lesson, del.icio.us, furl, and ma.gnolia, are an improvement because of the ability to tag and locate sites that others have found or sites that you saved and forgot where you put them! (This is happening to me more and more.)<br /><br />As time allows I am going to move my saved sites to ma.gnolia. I prefer this site over del.icio.us because of its appearance, ease of creating tags, and the fact that the star rating is built in. I hope my choice doesn't limit me because it seems that del.icio.us is by far the most popular social bookmarking site at this time.<br /><br />I plan to provide sites for my students on ma.nolia or whichever site they can access at school. In the past I have created Word documents with active links to sites I found on various research topics. I then put the documents in the resource folder for the library which is found on the "share drive". The students have to click on five items to get to the desired document, then open the links. Very time-consuming and not attractive to teenagers who want everything to be immediate. I think they will like going to a social bookmarking site. Another advantage is that they can access this from home. They cannot get to the "share" drive from their homes.<br /><br />We librarians are always emailing each other with good web sites. It is then up to the individual to save it in some way that she or he can find it again. Sharing through bookmarking sites will be so much more useful and time-saving.<br /><br />After reading about tags and looking at the various sites, I think I understand where RDA (Resource Description and Access) is headed. As I learn more about RDA, I understand that our cataloging will be moving away from Library of Congress Subject Headings and we will be using more natural language. Hmmmm. Sounds a lot like tags in del.icio.us and the other sites!Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356904050609265660.post-30619980367348853072008-06-26T15:39:00.004-05:002008-07-09T12:28:19.832-05:00Thing #12 Commenting1. Vicki Davis says that commenting on blogs indicates that you think that particular topic is important. Blog writers will continute to write and provide information about topics that the readers respond to. I hadn't thought of comments in this way and can now see what a useful tool comments can be.<br /><br />Another point that I think is important is to invite comments on your own blog by asking questions and inviting comments. That's simply a technique of good conversation. A newbie would certainly feel more willing to post a comment if asked.<br /><br />2. I have left comments on four of my "classmates" blogs so far.<br /><br />3. I found a blog called "<a href="http://www.reluctantentertainer.com/">4 Reluctant Entertainers</a>". This one is perfect for me. I posted a comment on the topic of letting go of perfectionism. Her advice was to let the kids set the table. The table will be beautiful in its own way and your guests will be comfortable.<br /><br />Another blog I found was Reel Movie News. I must confess that I love films and own over 200 videos and DVDs. Now I must catalog them!Cooking Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494312554280491365noreply@blogger.com1