1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
How can I even begin to narrow down my list? I loved discovering LibraryThing (Thing #11), learning about social bookmarking websites (Thing #13), exploring wikis (Thing #16), looking at Nings (Thing #22) and creating a videocast (Thing #21).
2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
I was completely inspired by Thing #15 in which we studied some of the takes on Web 2.0, Library 2.0, and libraries in the future. I realized that libraries are in a huge transition time and I want to be part of the change. This means that I must stay ahead of the curve and anticipate how libraries can meaningfully meet the needs of learners everywhere. In order to do this I must embrace being a lifeline learner. This program has also expanded my view of what a life long learner looks like. Life long learning can occur in formal settings such as universities, but learning can also take place on a professional blog, joining a Ning, watching an online tutorial posted on TeacherTube and "playing" with technology.
3. Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
I did not expect to feel so passionate about the concept of Library 2.0. I really hadn't thought about it much until I watched the video A Vision of Students Today. I suddenly found myself asking "What can I do as a librarian to make learning meaningful for the students of today?" and "How can I help teachers bridge the gap between the teaching strategies of yesterday and the Web 2.0 tools available for use today?" I feel a much heavier sense of purpose and refined focus than I did when I began this program.
4. What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
I'm not sure. I loved the concept of using a blog to document the learning experience. It has given me both a personal record of my accomplishments and a platform for interactions with others.
5. If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate?
I absolutely would. I have learned more in the past four weeks than I did during two semesters of technology classes for my undergraduate studies.
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?
RELEVANT
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Thing #21
I really enjoyed learning how to use Photostory for videocast purposes. I have used Photostory in the past to create photo slide shows, but I had never played around with adding narration to the presentation. It was a little challenging to figure out, but most new skills are. The most complicated task was setting up the microphone to work with the software. I feel confident that I know enough about this program to be able to teach others how to use it. The thing I love about Photostory is that it is SIMPLE to use, but produces results that look PROFESSIONAL. Photostory would be a great way to produce videos for staff development or for teaching a new skill to students. What fun would it be to create a videocast that promotes the Bluebonnet and Lone Star reading lists? Students could create book reviews or "tutorials" about something they have studied. Videocasts are a technology that I look forward to implementing in the future.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Thing #22
Who knew that there was a tool out there that would let you create your own social networking website? I certainly didn't. What a great idea. Definitely one of those ideas, yet again, that I wish I had thought of first! For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, Ning is a website that allows members to build there own social networking websites.
Once again I am blown away by yet another tool designed to connect people. I think that these Web 2.0 tools are really valuable for educators since most spend their day in four walls (with no windows) with a group of twenty two (or so) students. One of the greatest features of professional development is the opportunity to interact with other educators. Social Networking websites provide a way to interact and stay connected with the outside world from inside the four walls of your classroom.
Besides providing great professional interactions, Ning could also be used with students. The teacher could create a Ning for the class to use throughout the year. Students can then bring the social networking tools that they are so comfortable with in their personal life to a website with academic aims. Nings could be created for each classroom and also the school library, allowing students and teachers to connect in a dynamic forum.
Most of all, Ning is a great example of meeting students where they are at and integrating technology tools that they love into the learning experience.
Once again I am blown away by yet another tool designed to connect people. I think that these Web 2.0 tools are really valuable for educators since most spend their day in four walls (with no windows) with a group of twenty two (or so) students. One of the greatest features of professional development is the opportunity to interact with other educators. Social Networking websites provide a way to interact and stay connected with the outside world from inside the four walls of your classroom.
Besides providing great professional interactions, Ning could also be used with students. The teacher could create a Ning for the class to use throughout the year. Students can then bring the social networking tools that they are so comfortable with in their personal life to a website with academic aims. Nings could be created for each classroom and also the school library, allowing students and teachers to connect in a dynamic forum.
Most of all, Ning is a great example of meeting students where they are at and integrating technology tools that they love into the learning experience.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Thing #20
YouTube: Thank You Note
TeacherTube: Web 2.0
When I started teaching a few years ago the latest and greatest visual aide was UnitedStreaming video. It was revolutionary and it changed the way that teachers were presenting lessons. No longer did you have to reserve a video cart, spend hours searching for an appropriate video, and clear a chunk of time in the schedule to show it to the class. Suddenly teachers had the videos at their fingertips. With increased technology in the classroom they were able to show a 3 minute clip here and a 2 minute clip there. The best part was all of the videos were cleared for their educational value!
Step aside UnitedStreaming...YouTube and TeacherTube are here! Now, I'm not suggesting that we do away with UnitedStreaming. I happen to be a huge fan of UnitedStreaming. I can see the value though in an open source website where everyone can post videos and access them. UnitedStreaming requires a subscription, which is something that not every district can afford. YouTube and TeacherTube are available to everyone free of cost, plus they allow students and teachers to create their own videos and post them for others to view. Of course this means that not all of the videos on YouTube are pre-screened for their educational value. In fact there's quite a bit of stuff floating around that website that you wouldn't want to bring into a classroom at all, but that does not mean that everything on their is inappropriate. The great thing about YouTube is that you as the teacher or librarian can preview the material and even embed the video into a class website, wiki, or blog. This provides the students access without the worry that they'll stumble upon something they shouldn't. TeacherTube, on the other hand, boasts many of the same features as YouTube, but offers the advantage of pre-screening posted videos to make sure that they meet educational criteria first. I find both of the sites to be full of relevant, meaningful educational material. Additionally I find them both inspiring as well.
I found a video on YouTube titled "Thank You Note". It would be a great short video to show to faculty or fellow librarians. The video is a tribute to the library presented by a woman who found confidence and inspiration in library books as a child. The TeacherTube video "Web 2.0" provides a quick, creative explanation of what Web 2.0 is. I think that this video would be a great video to show to the faculty as a fun way to introduce the literacy components of Web 2.0.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Thing #19
Today I explored the self-publishing site Lulu.com Lulu won first place in the "books" category of the Web 2.o awards on SEOmoz.org. I had heard of the website a few times but I had never checked it out.
This unique site allows individuals to upload text, audio files, or photos, publish them in the format of their choosing, promote the material, and sell the material. The best part is that the basic features are free.
Teachers and librarians could use this book to promote writing with their students. Teachers/librarians can create a group which allows students to work privately on publishing their works and sharing them within the group. The tools offered by the website are applicable across the grade levels and subjects. Art classes can create books of their artwork. Writing classes can create novels, poetry books, and children's books. A music class could record their music and create a CD. A home economics class could create a recipe book. In math students could research the process, profits, and costs associated with publishing a piece of their work.
Lulu also offers a special program for schools called "Aspiring Authors". Teachers can enroll their students in the program which combines the publishing tools of the website with fundraising potential for the school. Each student receives a free copy of their published work. Limited details are available on the website, but you can sign up to receive more information.
I will definitely explore this website for use in the future. I think that it's a powerful way to help students connect what they are learning about in the classroom to application in real world scenarios.
This unique site allows individuals to upload text, audio files, or photos, publish them in the format of their choosing, promote the material, and sell the material. The best part is that the basic features are free.
Teachers and librarians could use this book to promote writing with their students. Teachers/librarians can create a group which allows students to work privately on publishing their works and sharing them within the group. The tools offered by the website are applicable across the grade levels and subjects. Art classes can create books of their artwork. Writing classes can create novels, poetry books, and children's books. A music class could record their music and create a CD. A home economics class could create a recipe book. In math students could research the process, profits, and costs associated with publishing a piece of their work.
Lulu also offers a special program for schools called "Aspiring Authors". Teachers can enroll their students in the program which combines the publishing tools of the website with fundraising potential for the school. Each student receives a free copy of their published work. Limited details are available on the website, but you can sign up to receive more information.
I will definitely explore this website for use in the future. I think that it's a powerful way to help students connect what they are learning about in the classroom to application in real world scenarios.
Thing #18
I was first introduced to the concept of Open Source Software (OSS) during my technology course with Dr. Bishop. At that time we were exploring OSS Catalogs for library use. In this course I learned about OpenOffice.org
For those that don't know what OSS is, it is software developed for free public use. In this case, OpenOffice. org is a free office software suite that includes programs for word processing, spreadsheets, graphics and presentations. One could liken it to the well known expensive Microsoft Office. It's free to download, free to update, and free to share.
The education implications for the use of this software are huge. First of all, it's free. That means that districts who can't afford to purchase Microsoft Office, or can't afford to upgrade to the latest version of the software, can now ensure that their office software suite is available to all and up to date at all times. For students, this means that they can have an office software suite on their home computers for personal use. OSS is an equalizer, providing software in different languages and eliminating the issues of students not having the same version to work on at home.
One of the things that I really loved about this software was the quality. It's compatible with most operating systems and can work with most of the files that you already have. It provides you with most of the features that the current Microsoft Office software does, as well as a few new features.
Of course, as with all software, there can always be bugs. I know that when I have used Google Docs in the past there have been formatting issues with some of my PowerPoint presentations. Of course with OSS people are always tweaking and improving the software at no cost to the users. One of the big dangers that I see with using something like OpenOffice.org is the lack of guaranteed support. Since this is community developed software, support for issues is also provided by the community. This means that you may encounter a problem for which there is current support for.
There are two main differences between Google Docs and OpenOffice that should be noted. First, OpenOffice is software that you download onto your personal computer whereas Google Docs is done online in the computing cloud. Second, OpenOffice is OSS whereas Google is not. Currently this means that OpenOffice boasts more features and is developing at a more rapid pace.
For those that don't know what OSS is, it is software developed for free public use. In this case, OpenOffice. org is a free office software suite that includes programs for word processing, spreadsheets, graphics and presentations. One could liken it to the well known expensive Microsoft Office. It's free to download, free to update, and free to share.
The education implications for the use of this software are huge. First of all, it's free. That means that districts who can't afford to purchase Microsoft Office, or can't afford to upgrade to the latest version of the software, can now ensure that their office software suite is available to all and up to date at all times. For students, this means that they can have an office software suite on their home computers for personal use. OSS is an equalizer, providing software in different languages and eliminating the issues of students not having the same version to work on at home.
One of the things that I really loved about this software was the quality. It's compatible with most operating systems and can work with most of the files that you already have. It provides you with most of the features that the current Microsoft Office software does, as well as a few new features.
Of course, as with all software, there can always be bugs. I know that when I have used Google Docs in the past there have been formatting issues with some of my PowerPoint presentations. Of course with OSS people are always tweaking and improving the software at no cost to the users. One of the big dangers that I see with using something like OpenOffice.org is the lack of guaranteed support. Since this is community developed software, support for issues is also provided by the community. This means that you may encounter a problem for which there is current support for.
There are two main differences between Google Docs and OpenOffice that should be noted. First, OpenOffice is software that you download onto your personal computer whereas Google Docs is done online in the computing cloud. Second, OpenOffice is OSS whereas Google is not. Currently this means that OpenOffice boasts more features and is developing at a more rapid pace.
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