Connected but Hassled

Thing #11.5 - Whoohoo!!

2009-07-17T12:55:00.002-05:00

1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
I was excited about the free screencast programs but will have to find one that works right for me. Bookr has promise and I hear worked for others so I'll have to revisit. I was just happy to be back in the know even at a low level.
2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
Again, I like that someone else (or several someones) has combed through all that is out there and said these things are worth your time to learn. When there is SO much out there and more every day, it can become to daunting a task and difficult to know where to jump in. This guides the journey though the journey is what you choose.
3. Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
I was surprised at how often things didn't work for me. I also guess I should also be surprised at how it didn't phase me this time around!
4. What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
Oh, you've got a good thing going as far as the participants are concerned. I know it's a HUGE undertaking for the lifeguards. I do hope that the PR gets ramped up so more people become aware of it and take advantage of this step by step guide.

Thing #10 - Virtual World again

2009-07-13T21:56:00.002-05:00

I signed my daughter up for JumpStart's Virtual world and then looked over her shoulder as she began. Not enough clear directions so she didn't get to actually dress/change her Jumpee (avatar) as she clicked on the wrong arrow which just took her into the world. It was a little frustrating trying to figure out what to do and sometimes we just didn't but then she landed in something that she was able to do and eventually found a way to change her Jumpee and dress it, make it blond, etc. She spent about 1.5 hours and I'm sure she'd enter again. They definitely would like you to become a member but aren't very public about what that entails and I have yet to click to find out. JumpStart supposedly uses skills to ready kids for preschool and my daughter is approaching 1st grade so it was not difficult once she understood how to move and do what was being asked. This was not a virtual world where she interacted with others.

Thing #11 - Digital Citizenship

2009-07-11T19:05:00.007-05:00

The question posed was what would you tell students during orientation about digital citizenship. I think it really needs to start before the students arrive. The ISTE documents, NETS-S for students and the NETS-T for teachers are a good starting place for discussion with teachers and administration. We've had schoolwide semester goals for new behavior modification guidelines. Why not pick a few things to accomplish school wide from these? I would consider copying these for each teacher, maybe highlighting some things that they already do so it isn't so daunting. Need to think more but they are good places to start the conversation.

From Cool Cat Teacher's post I would say we need to concentrate on the modeling. Not just showing the website, database, etc, but talking through our search, our decision making process, much like primary teachers talk through, model, the reading of a book and the internal questions a reader poses and answers. I know that too often, due to time restraints, I dash to the site and don't always show them the journey, or the journeys, I took on the way to deciding to use that site.

Validating a source is a hard concept for elementary kids. They think everything they find is real, fact, there for altruistic reasons... I once suggested to a group of third graders that if they are not being honest, (some had already admitted to lying about their age to use My Space and others), others could be dishonest too. The cute 13 year old boy/girl they are chatting with could really be a 52 year old man. Seeing the realization and then horror that slowly crept over their faces was a powerful experience for me. I can only hope it was for them too.

The Digiteen Wiki was also interesting. I thought I could use the Rights and Responsibilities section with the students. Telling them that it was written by students would gain a little interest and then we could discuss statements from it.

A lot of what was discussed as digital citizenship really mirrors much of what happens in SBISD elementary schools during the first weeks. Classes discuss and work on community building, behavior expectations, respect, teamwork and consequences for not adhering to the community's guidelines.

I had a lot of other thoughts as I read through all of the writings. I especially like the notion of explaining that digital footprints don't wash away like footprints in the sand. There is a book, Feathers by Heather Forest that could go along with this idea that once you say or write something, it's out there and you can't take it back.

I think I was supposed to come up with 5 things to talk to the kids about during the beginning of the year. On Educational Origami, the tenets were respect yourself, protect yourself, respect others, protect others, don't steal, honor intellectual property - seems like a good place to start.

So much to think about, so little time...

Thing #10 - Virtual Worlds

2009-07-11T13:37:00.013-05:00

#1 - Anything with this many directions is usually something I choose to do without!

#2 - I'm anti-social, in any world.

#3 - If I wanted to fly I'd be a gymnast or a pilot not a librarian.

OK, got that out of my system.

I think it will be like learning to enjoy reading fantasy. The first time I HAD to read one, Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey, I put it down after 2 pages because I didn't want to learn new words, new rules, etc. It takes work. Since I didn't have a choice, I picked it up again later and plowed through it and eventually was able to enjoy it and many more since.

After even more reading of directions (I mentioned I was a librarian...), Cool Cat Whitman instructed that I not go in alone so I won't. In RL, I will teleporting to IAH and I will get SL with a friend. More later. (Photo by Rhaaga - used through Flickr CC)

Thing #9 - Slideshare

2009-07-05T11:02:00.004-05:00

I first heard about slideshare at a conference a few years ago (or maybe it just feels like years as fast as new things come up!) I was excited to be able to revisit a presentation that went by too fast or too far away, or be able to see a presentaion that I hadn't gone to. authorSTREAM is exciting because the audio goes with it. In slideshare you can see the main points but aren't sure what was said! Anyone doing research or a presentation would be wise to at least search these sites for their topic. I'm not advocating theft but it's always good to get ideas, both pro and con.

Students, and I'm thinking elementary, may not currently find a lot for their use. I think using their slides in a photo story and creating a movie to upload may be better. Now I'll go read what the rest of you thought!

Thing #8 - Screencasts

2009-07-05T10:04:00.021-05:00

Well, this will certainly save time as I used to have to do the whole thing in PP with action buttons to make it appear as if I was 'hot linked' (no interactive board of course). I can see being able to help out staff remotely with stuff that is quick. Definitely a way to check for understanding with the kids!

Had trouble getting my ScreenCastle screencast to show here. Embed didn't work at all, linking brought up a player but it said the video wasn't available. So I went to freescreencast which said simple with no downloads. Step one : download... Moved on to Screencast-o-matic. Had to throw the first one away since the 'done' button had disappeared (Apparently I didn't read the directions well enough?) Here is the 3rd try for the day. Clearly it would have to be larger to be of any use.

SO, using Screencastle was very fast and easy and I was excited about the potential but the final execution never happened for me and I ended up having to export the movie and then upload so my excitement has wavered. Obviously I would have to play more to find the right match for me.

Thing #7 - Video Resources

2009-06-30T19:57:00.005-05:00

I am amazed at what creative folks can put together.

I was frustrated with searching blinkx since the same videos kept coming up over and over. I found a movie trailer on hulu for Disney's The Princess and the Frog. I think I could use it when we talk about story variants (The Horned Toad Prince by ...), or genre features (magic, animals talking), and there was an idiom included "cutting a rug." It would be useful if you wanted students to extend a story since this movie is what happened AFTER the frog gets kissed. Plenty of options to incorporate the trailer in a lesson. With it being Disney, you won't see it here!

I also saw a video on cockroaches from youtube that I found searching blinkx. Having just finished reading 2 different Bluebonnet Nominees starring cockroaches I was thinking I could show part of it, especially with the sound off, to get reactions and then present the insect as a leading lady! Did their impressions change?

Thing #6 - Good touch Bad touch No itouch

2009-06-30T19:56:00.005-05:00

I don't have access to itouch and can't currently get to an apple store so I'm skipping this one! For now.

OK, I still haven't touched an itouch but I WANT TO! I've watched tutorials and read 11.5 Things posts about the apps and use with students. I understand there may be elementary issues but I totally see it serving as a point of need resource. Makes me wonder if they'll ever do research in the library again?! Errant question comes up in class, get a kid on the itouch! Forget the dinosaur desktop, don't leave the ActivBoard display to use the teacher laptop, don't wait til later, don't just wonder, use the itouch. My former school has very small classrooms so this would put technology in the hands of more kids per day. I know one teacher who would definitely go gaga over this. More will if the training precedes the use. I assume that only free apps would be downloaded - has the district requisition process caught up to online downloading? What if there's a great, curriculum based app that a school is willing to pay for? Can it be done?

Thing #5 - Microblogging

2009-06-23T17:01:00.008-05:00

I can't keep up with all the new terms! I joined Facebook after I moved north and it has been a good way to keep up, albeit superficially, with friends and colleagues from Texas, stray friends from the rest of my life and even a few stray relatives. I have been contacted by my High School whose Alumnae office has a Facebook presence as well as a summer camp planning a reunion for families in the fall. It's not just for college students anymore. I still don't post a status often and it's usually about the weather. Guess I'm not a sharer. I would certainly set up a page for a high school. Facebookers are supposed to be 13 and in high school (I know they aren't as I was contacted by 5th graders this year) and I'm not sure it would be appropriate to encourage elementary students by having a library presence. Discuss?

Twitter has taken me even longer to embrace. I signed up and then realized, once again, I don't care. Lee LeFever said it helps connect those who want to know about the minutia in your life. I guess I don't have anyone that fits that bill. Maybe once my daughter leaves the house, I'll feel differently. Now, I can see using it in the library. New book updates, commenting on something I just read, a new tech thing, links, projects, invites, etc. I liked the Do's and Don't's list when it stressed Add Content. I think that is the part that turned me off. I don't care who is having coffee right now.

I will add some of the suggested Library/Education Twitters and see if I can change my mind.

I had never heard of backchanneling before and I need to see it in action before I can completely wrap my mind around it. It seems like it would be distracting to me but I'll reserve judgement until I can try it out. I can understand the posing of questions and a facilitator/teacher making sure things are clarified during a presentation but when Joyce Valenza talked about her students going off and researching terms and issues during a speaker, she lost me a bit. Maybe it's because I have trouble reading and listening at the same time! My issue.

Thing #4 - YouTube Teacher Tube Uploading

2009-06-23T15:45:00.008-05:00

I'm not really interested in cluttering up these sites with video not worthy so I'm writing this post but leaving it sit for awhile while I think about what I can do. The question was concerning the advantages of uploading student work. I did some photo story book reviews with students 2 years ago when there was a free site to host them as podcasts. It has since gone 'for pay' so using these sites to upload the student projects would be a solution. I think students like to see other student projects, especially good ones. It can inspire, instill confidence, curiosity, and illuminate. Imagine a student who finally "gets it", whatever it is, and then goes about explaining it in his or her own way and uploading so others can benefit from his final understanding. It may help another student, but the power the uploader feels will far outweigh those benefits.

OK, many days later, I have gone through the upload process at Teacher Tube. I found it frustrating as a 1st timer because it wasn't til the third screen that I was actually asked where my video was located. I still have no idea what Create Album is for and I was too frustrated with the inefficiency of the forms to delve into it. Obviously, the angst will be gone for any subsequent uploading. I have no idea if it was successful since I have to wait 24 hours to be approved. I guess that's a good thing. Since tomorrow is actually July (regardless of the date I began this post) I need to move on.

Thing #3 - To Skype or not to Skype

2009-06-23T12:15:00.004-05:00

I must admit I have not tried Skype. I've downloaded, set my privacy options (Thank you Edublogger), removed the 5 new conversations from folks I don't know but don't have any contacts yet. We recently used Yahoo Messenger so I could talk to my daughter from 2,000 miles away. This was chosen simply because my father had an account and had already set one up on my laptop. We had webcams which froze frequently but it was better than just the telephone. My parents got to experience it while I used them as a hotel and they have now bought their own webcam. As others have said, class to class discussions, questioning experts, homework help hours much like public libraries do telephone reference are certainly ways to use the conferencing. I have a teacher friend who likes to do crafts and has talked about various afterschool clubs. If the technology is available maybe students could club from home. Elementary may not need to use it for group projects in the same way that high school students might, but they would definitely get a better sense of the world seeing a class in another country. Texan kinders getting to see New England kinders getting all their snow gear on just to go to school! (My daughter took forever getting everything off on her first day at school in MA and had to be taught what to do with the gloves so they didn't get lost - her teacher looked at me and asked if she'd never worn them before?!) Autumn leaves and other seasonal, geographical things may mean more through Skype than the pages of a book or even a streaming video. LMS is having Sun Burn Clinics for f2f interaction but one could be held in a conference call setting as well. Imagine a joint project among 3-5 graders on different continents using glogster or some other app. Clearly it boggles our traditional minds but leaves the other side excited!

Thing #2 - Image Generators

2009-06-22T07:42:00.034-05:00

I have tried Wordle before so I looked at Wordsift. I chose to use an article in Britannica Elementary on Dolphins. I had difficulty bringing the image here, guess I've been out of the game too long! I did manage to bring the wordle. Wordsift was interesting with its links and pictures. The pictures were oddly attributed though. One link took me to a real estate site. I bet there's a lesson there! The pictures were easy to grab, (easier than the wordsift image), but I'm sure they weren't "free for the taking."

I have played a little with VoiceThread which I love. I have never gotten to complete a project since I don't have a captured audience, guinea pigs, etc. and haven't been able to capture a teacher into it...yet. My ideas were Book Reviews, using a jacket image and have others record their thoughts, and a 5th grade project with the people they are supposed to know something about. Glogster was fun and my daughter and I created this in the 20 minutes before the bus came today. She had just finished her dolphin project for school so the pictures and facts were still on the computer and fresh in her mind. I see good things coming out of this since there is a class component. I did not get to explore this...yet! Question about different thinking...the opportunity for links, which we didn't use, certainly changes the product from a traditional poster. Content, busyness, flow of info - that all stays the same as stuff to think about but the links and movies and sounds add a new layer.

On to Voki since I just used Animoto to send Father's Day Greetings to my dad! I had created a meez once upon a time so it was time for a voki.

I have been away too long or they've changed the rules but I am having a hard time getting things to show up. I finally put the voki on the sidebar and then when I posted, lo and behold, my voki, in the post as well. So, now I've edited and removed the side bar Voki because one Voki may be too much.

I felt the choices were more limited with the voki but they'll probably grow. A quick way to send a message that would get someone's attention. Homework reminders, due dates, meetings (did I say that?), invites, Have a nice day, Book Fair, New Books, book reviews, etc.

Bookr - Neat idea. Frustrating execution. Did it twice, it seemed like it never saved it. So I decided to emplore the archives, and ta da there were our 2 books. Oy. wait, not so fast, there were the covers of our 2 books but no guts. Double Oy. I'll have to see if other beachcombers actually were successful with this one. I'm feeling stupid. Thing #2 took about 4 hours total and I was already familiar with half of it!

Thing #1 - Connectivism

2009-06-04T10:21:00.006-05:00

Wow, we're back. Feels like forever ago that we journeyed through 23 things.
Applause for Lee LeFever granting permission to this student. I do wish I could have read some of the fine print better but a very nice production. Daunting to think we will be trying to lead (or follow) students to this kind of project. I definitely feel that I will be doing more following than leading as the years zip by. Students are growing up with social networking, web technologies, etc. the way we learned the words to the Brady Bunch and Partridge Family theme songs. (dated myself, didn't I) I mean that they can do it without thinking and it will stay with them as they add new knowledge through the years (It's the story of a ...) A librarian can absolutely fill the role of the teacher. Time may be the challenge. I also think that the librarian may fill the role of liason between the student and teacher who may not understand that the student is in fact doing the "assignment." The student in the project totally went through the Big 6 steps - what do I need, where do I find it, what am I going to do with it, evaluating constantly and creating a product. The feedback/comments from the social networking avenues also help with the synthesis and evaluation steps. Perhaps I should change my blog title to Learning Concierge!

Image Manipulation class

2008-09-04T17:10:00.004-05:00

Here's a graffiti poster I created from graffiti generator.

Table 2

2008-08-20T14:33:00.005-05:00

Audio Manipulation
Audacity is not my friend but mainly because I have used it without fully understanding HOW so I spend a lot of time being frustrated until I find a way, probably not the BEST WAY, but A way to do what I'm trying to do. I ALWAYS get confused as to what I am about to cut, the highlighted part or the other stuff and I definitely need to be SECLUDED before trying to do anything in audacity. I have edited, imported, recorded, and used limited effects but I am far from proficient.

Incompetech looks useful.

Table 1

2008-08-20T12:55:00.008-05:00

Image Manipulation - Flickr Creative Commons - I could use an explanation of the symbols but I think Non-Commercial Licenses makes sense for pics I am free to use. VWB explained how to cite using ppt. or a word document. Probably need to hear this again because I know she was explaining more about linking back to the source but I lost focus. Now I find that I cannot add a ppt to this blog and am not sure whether that is because you CAN'T or my brain just isn't functioning in the August fog.

Tried to use fakemagazinecover. com from Library2Play pages but was BLOCKED by district as it is categorized as GAMES which we all know are harmful to student achievement:(

Tried several online image generators and none of them worked. If I had been sitting with a teacher, I would have lost them for good. If I had been sitting with students, they would have redecorated the library.

I finally, in the privacy and silence of my home, found one that worked for me.

Table 4

2008-08-20T10:30:00.004-05:00

Video Assignments - Teacher Tube took a LONG time to use in district today. Of course YOU TUBE is still blocked. My teacher tube practice is 2 posts below.

In trying to combine 2 clips from Discovery Education I ran into 2 problems. 1)I had a brain misfunction and forgot to right click on the correct icon to save the clip. Big DUH moment for me since I did that A MILLION times last year.
2) Movie maker kept popping up a box that wanted me to debug. SO, I was unsuccessful with this project though I know HOW to do it. I DO NOT KNOW how to handle the debug issue.
3) I also had a sound issue though I had sound for Photo Story a few minutes ago and I'm using the same headphones. Go figure. I will attempt it later, probably at home with a different computer, and a different wireless system so that everything works.

Table 3

2008-08-20T10:17:00.005-05:00

When using Photo Story, not everyone remembered to
a) BROWSE and choose where to save your project and movie
b) You can ONLY post your movie which is a .wmv not a .wp3
c) When I was adding music, for the first time I was not on my 1st photo and I could not quickly find a way to either remove that music (I could change it or delete the entire photo) or get it to start from the beginning at the first photo. Time was an issue so I chose the easy option that meant the music would just start over at the last photo.

My Photo Story practice is 2 posts below because I did not understand the directions! I did make a powerpoint slide and save it as a jpeg for the 1st 'photo'.

Amelia Earhart

2008-08-20T10:10:00.003-05:00

Continuing on my theme of Second grade historical people, here is a video from Teacher Tube of a student reporting on/as Amelia Earhart.

Photo Story Practice

2008-08-20T09:44:00.003-05:00

Even librarians get assignments! I'm at a training and we are practicing a few things to do with students this year. Here is a photo story. Remember, this was a quick exercise not a complete project. This took less than 30 minutes. You can do it too!

Summer Things

2008-06-22T17:25:00.004-05:00

I am reading some of the current player blogs for 23 Things and I find that I am a little jealous! I hope everyone is enjoying it and if they aren't, they will in retrospect. I can see that several players are from the same school and are commenting to each other. I know that enhances the experience. It makes me look forward to the next journey in the fall - though summer sure leaves more time for it!

An experiment

2008-04-02T20:37:00.012-05:00

Apparently I don't have enough to do - I started yet another blog.

It, like this one, has a specific purpose. We are having author Linda Sue Park visit soon and I needed a way to introduce her books to the students but we didn't have time to read them. In these days of testing, I barely get to see the students! Parking it Here has a series of activities that one class is going through at their own pace and writing their posts which only I have the right to publish. The other classes will go through the activities as a whole group and then, hopefully, add comments to the student posts. It's not perfect. Getting the students from the class who is posting to return their permission slips has not been easy. While they are enjoying the experience, I'm not sure if they'll be any better prepared for the author visit. The blog itself is crazy with so many different people posting about different things at different times. You have to use the categories on the side to navigate. Choosing the category Activities will get you the 6 activities that the students read before they post. Anyway, if you're interested in having students blog without them each having their own blog, edublogs has a way to get them all attached to the same one.

If you, like me, don't have enough to do, please consider reading and commenting to some of the students. I also welcome any suggestions as to how to improve upon the idea.

Connections

2008-03-27T19:45:00.003-05:00

OK, so this is not as good as Book Nook Girl's story of Barbara O'Connor but I was perusing the new resources sent to me by Teaching Books.net and came across the name of an elementary school friend. I had stumbled upon a memoir she had written a few years back so I knew she was an author but I hadn't realized she was now writing for young adults. Anyway, I read the interview, looked at her blog and then chose to post a comment just saying hi and congratulate her on her success. I didn't know if she would even remember me since we were very young when she moved away. I was a little surprised and extremely happy to find a comment waiting to be moderated in my inbox this morning from her! She found this blog and responded. VWB has continually reminded us how the world is shrinking and connections or reconnections are being made in this 2.0 world. OK, I get it.

Just playing

2008-03-13T20:42:00.002-05:00

2008-02-23T20:34:00.001-06:00

Thing #23 - I see the Light

2008-02-23T19:31:00.003-06:00

That's the light at the end of the 23 Things tunnel (which was pitch black a few times) as well as the light shining on all things Library 2.0.

OK, my favorites...Google Reader came in handy, especially for keeping up with the other players. It is also overwhelming as some of the professional blog keepers are certainly have much to say and say it often.
Lifelong Learning...I'm glad to know a little more about a few things. This program absolutely made it easier for me to tackle the first layer of Libray 2.0.
Take-aways/unexpected outcomes...Google alerts has let me keep up with my brother a bit. He's in the music biz so whenever he puts a new song on his MySpace page or another person writes about him, I get an alert! That's been fun. I'm in the middle of doing trading cards with the 2nd graders with the dreaded bird research and we're starting with 3rd grade states. I didn't realize how l o n g it would take 2nd graders to type in 3 facts that they already had written on their research sheets. Won't do it again. It was nice to realize that I already had a little experience with some of the tools (blogs, wikis, podcasts)
Improve this program...Well, it really was TOO much. There were way more than 23 things. Thing #7 had 8 things all by itself! SO, pare it down a bit. Maybe split it up so someone can be successful even if they can only get through half of the program. If you have smaller bites, someone could then move through the different levels?
Another one?????? I'm not sure if I would sign up to fully participate but I would certainly look at what was there that I needed/wanted to learn. Let me get over this one first.
One word or one sentence... Self-paced introduction to a variety of web 2.0 tools that can be used in our schools for, by, and with our students. How's that?
Thank you to our kickball captains. I know that setting this up wasn't easy and keeping up with all the players had to be more than time consuming. Once again, I've been pushed to go places I didn't think I could go. And I survived. Now let me go see if my daughter did.

Thing #22 - Ning

2008-02-23T18:29:00.002-06:00

OK, I wasn't really getting it. I mean I sort of understand but, being over 40, and not a joiner, I don't get it. Maybe if you worked somewhere rural and didn't have a built in network the way we do, I could see joining the teacher or librarian nings as a place to start. So, since I wasn't convinced yet, I searched ning for the popular ones and found SXSW 08 which is an Austin music conference/party that my brother has dropped in on a few times. OK, I get that this could be useful to him on the East Coast before he hits town. Maybe if TLA had a ning, those who couldn't attend could pick up some conference remotely...but there are other ways to do that. So I kept searching. Lots of Moms groups, schools groups, tv fan groups, yadda yadda yadda. Nothing in my life that I searched for had a ning. Somehow, that didn't upset me. I did see that it could (and does) serve as a closed network for student groups, school faculty, far flung friends and relatives. I'll have to think about whether this is the best place to start for a few of my teachers who are ready to have their own space but aren't sure how.

Thing #21 - Podcasting

2008-02-23T14:39:00.009-06:00

Yeah! One thing that I've already done before. Now, I'm not expert but podcasting was something I decided to play with this year (before I signed on for 22 other things!) I started with a session by one of our own and then a session at Region IV's Technology Applications Conference which is well worth the day and the $25.00 (they even feed you!) Anyway, I learned about Jodix converter to get the photostory into mp4 from wmv and about Media Max to host the podcasts. (This is where you get the url to link the podcast to your blog, etc.) All free, just another user name and password! Anyway, my students started in the fall and then I received a grant from the ed tech department so I was committed to doing more. I've been doing them myself but hope to get back to using the students once all the testing hooha settles down. They can be found at My Pod or Yours. But for the sake of the 23 things, here's a little sample.

Thing #20 - You tube, we tube...

2008-02-18T20:26:00.006-06:00

These are two videos I saw at TCEA that struck a chord, for different reasons of course.

I'm trying the Zamzar thing but, while they keep saying they'll send me an email in 24 hours, I've yet to receieve one. I searched Blinkx but came up emptyhanded in my specific search but I want to remember it exists. I've seen some interesting curriculum videos on Teacher Tube though they are usually geared a little higher than elementary. There was a cute claymation that had the 3 pigs and Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White's dwarves in each other stories. I do wonder what kind of schools have the time to do these projects. Seems that all we have time to do is test, retest and test again. I use the streaming video in the library but I do suffer from flashback to junior high when they turned off the lights and put you in front of a movie. I hope I do a better job of relating it for the kids and doing something with it after we've viewed it. There is still that question in the back of my mind that I'm bringing kids to the library and putting them in front of TV? Now if we could make the video... (that's going to take another 23 things!)

I know that my teachers have appreciated the science clips I been able to share and work together with kidspiration or other activities to help reinforce the science instruction in the classroom. It's been great using digital stories in various forms with first grade's Around the World unit, for changing up holiday presentations such as Valentines Day or President's Day, and of course, just for fun!

more things

2008-02-17T20:09:00.003-06:00

OK, my Google reader has sent me far afield tonight. I can't even remember where I started but it led me to Will Richardson, and then in his blog responses to Mrs. V, a third grade teacher, then through her tech conference experiences to some Top Ten web sites and I think, honestly, I'm writing this just so I can keep track of where I've been in case I wish to return. And who says a full time working, single Mom never gets to go anywhere!

OK, back to the real things.

In honor of Education - Go get it week

2008-02-17T14:32:00.003-06:00

Thing #19 - Web 2.0 Award Winners

2008-02-16T15:34:00.009-06:00

Now I expected this would be fun as well as time consuming! I looked at One Sentence which challenges you to tell a story in one sentence. This could be used for story starters, writing prompts, leads, etc. EXCEPT we need a kid friendly version :) An enterprising teacher could cull through and find some to use.

Just for fun - Guess which keyword search yielded these pictures.

Then I spent a lot of time looking at useless things. Or maybe they just weren't good for elementary education, or maybe I'd already seen stuff that was similar, or maybe I'd just seen too much. I'm with Froggy and I'm going to go play with image generators.

I am awed by the creativity (and time) that many people apparently have.

Thing #18 - Open Office, Google Docs

2008-02-16T14:19:00.004-06:00

Obviously, the main thing about Microsoft Office is that we're already comfortable with it. But I switched from Mac in the late 90's I guess I could switch again. As Grendel experienced, it did take a LONG time to download so I don't think it was a computer issue.

OK, the writer (word processor) functioned much like Microsoft but I loved that inserting a picture did not bring up the drawing canvas which I hate! It was much more flexible. I found the presentation module, Impress, a little less intuitive and I wasn't impressed. Granted, I have access to Powerpoint. If I didn't, maybe I would be raving about Impress. Since I don't love Excel to begin with, I wasn't expecting much from calc. It seemed to work the same in as far as I use it. I don't calculate or run formulas so someone else will have to test that.

Now Google docs seems to have an interesting twist. I guess wikis would achieve the same thing but I'm going to pass it on to my father who does newsletters for various groups and does end up waiting for the work of others.

Thing #17 - Sandbox

2008-02-16T13:40:00.000-06:00

Ok, I added an entry to the sandbox. Is that really all there is to this Thing? I didn't spend my usual three hours so I'm thinking I missed something....

Thing #16 - Wiki

2008-02-13T17:58:00.014-06:00

I was once asked to teach others about wikis. I try not to let people down but I didn't know what a wiki was. As mentioned before, I love the Common Craft Show but I noticed that their wonderful explanation wasn't created until May 2007. I was struggling to understand it earlier that year. The light finally dawned between a TLA PreConference given by Michelle Boule and Gary Wan and another TLA session by Michael Stephens and Jenny Levine in April 2007.

So I have played with wikis. I find the hardest part is getting others to play with you. This summer I began 2. Just today I got my most techy teacher to come (finally) and be shown how to add to one of them. She has participated in that she sends me stuff to add to it but now she has the power. (She's had the power all along but now may know how to use it).

I liked the idea of the Summer Reading Club wiki. It would be fun to have librarians and teachers participate in this so we can all catch the good books! I'll have to go back and investigate the must have graphic novels from the teacher-librarian wiki but I didn't like that every "post" was a new page. At TCEA, there was a presentation on Google Maps where they used a wiki for their 3 classes so that there was enough info to use even if a student missed a day(just go to the other class' page) AND the wiki provided a web location for the pictures that were saved to it which is necessary in order to use them in Google maps.

Enjoyed the Hong Kong school (Library Zone) that had podcasts and movies to go with their wiki work! I noticed many used wikispaces but I have found wetpaint to be fairly user friendly. I created a table and was able to paste it in but it is limiting. It's still easier than DotNetNuke which the district wants us to work with.

So, my goal is now to get others to wiki with me!

Thing #15 - Perspective

2008-02-11T21:24:00.000-06:00

Reading these thoughts on Library 2.0 first made me wonder if I needed to find a new career. If all the information is at the users fingertips and all barriers removed, yada yada yada - why do we need libraries or librarians. As I read further, I caught a few thoughts that made me feel a little better.

Dr. Wendy Schultz made the point that we are/will be needed because we know/understand the relationships between documents. So, if we (I) can see the relationships between the info, the web 2.0 (or 3.0 or 4.0!) and the users, maybe I won't have to switch careers. She also said that libraries have to offer a compelling experience, others referred to the library as a conversation and Michael Stephens challenges us to meet the user's needs in a new or improved way. I guess you have to find whatever it is that makes people go to Starbucks rather than use the coffee maker in their kitchens. Not sure I have the answer there but I do think it will be easier as an elementary school librarian to bring something extra to the experience. Perhaps I'm naive.

Things 24 and beyond

2008-02-11T08:09:00.001-06:00

Just returned from TCEA and I'm still digesting what I heard and saw. A lot of attention to blogs and wikis but I wanted to list here a few of the other things that caught my attention. I haven't had a lot of time to play with them yet so a listing is not an endorsement, just an note to take a look. Of course, you'll probably need to sign up for a free account or two!

Mixbook - make a digital book. Look at the World War I book by a high school class.

Kerpoof - digital storytelling in cartoon format. You pick a background, pick characters, tell them what to do. I played a little bit, it would take more but the kids would would probably be faster! There's a section for Fairytales.

Gcast - Haven't has a chance to look at this myself. The presenter said it was podcasting over the telephone so the kids were able to podcast straight from their field trip in real time-ish. They called, spoke and the podcast was up for others.

Flickr-storm - This allows you to search Flickr, select photos to put in your tray and then it gives a URL so that the students can be focused only on the photos you selected for the project. You can filter the flickr photos first by non-profit so you have the creative commons permissions.

Scrapblog - Another way to present info using your photos, text and voice if you choose. Haven' t had achance to play with it yet but the presenter said it was easy enough to use with his young daughter. You can embed your project but not download. Meet the teachers? Welcome to 3rd grade?

I'm sure I haven't done these programs justice in my quick explanations. There were many, many more of course and many of the more are listed on presenter Randy Rodgers website.

Thing #14 - Technorati

2008-02-06T16:17:00.000-06:00

This particular thing has taken a long time. Technorati updated their site so our directions had to be changed but then I found that it still didn't function the way they said it would. Oh well. I get that it is a gateway to find blogs, blogs, blogs. They seem to be doing many other things as well now (photos, videos, popular books, etc) and maybe this made it hard for me to see past it all to the point. OK, I get the point, I guess. It's just all overwhelming.

I did find the thought about tagging your own stuff interesting. Tags are more meaningful for the consumer when made by the consumer. I rarely pay attention to movie ratings and don't get me started on Children's Book Awards but without something to guide us through the masses of stuff, well then, it's just masses of stuff. At this point, I don't see using Technorati personally unless a pressing needs arises to find a blog or blog post on a specific topic, or I find tons of idle time on my hands. The tag cloud widget didn't work for me! Now, raise your hand if you're surprised. Perhaps I can't see the forest for the trees. As with other things, I'll mull it over but I'm moving forward.

Thing #13 - del.icio.us

2008-01-26T21:32:00.000-06:00

First, I just have to say that I LOVE The Common Craft Show! It is my favorite thing and it doesn't even have a number!

Now, this one was tough for me. All of the bookmarks worth tagging in del.icio.us are bookmarked on my school computer, not at home. So...dilemma...do this at school...export the bookmarks and take them home...find sites and create a new list to play with this tool so I can move to the next thing...I won't divulge my methods but I have a small collection now.

I definitely had a hard time NOT typing a comma between tags.

If our favorite puppet afficianado had used del.icio.us way back when she started keeping bookmarks she could have saved us all a lot of time and effort. Alas, we're on our own.

I think I will use it to finally take care of the links from my old library page. I may even dump the wiki where we've been putting our links since I can't get the teachers to add to it. No need for a wiki if I'm the only one adding to it. Hmm, have to think about that. No pages, just tags. Hmm.

THWARTED AGAIN

2008-01-25T07:31:00.001-06:00

Imagine that! All my work from last night is not visible in the district.

Thing #10 - Image Generators

2008-01-24T20:53:00.000-06:00

I couldn't open the comic strip generator but a google search found this Photo Cube that is interesting. I plugged in the 2nd grade heroes. And below I made myself a reminder using Image Chef. I could see you could spend a lot of time PLAYing!
Myspace Photo Cube

Reminder

2008-01-24T20:06:00.001-06:00

Thing #11 - Library Thing

2008-01-24T16:11:00.000-06:00

Hey! Something that actually worked for me! I could sit and add my books all day but my 'to do' list is too long. I don't know if I will actually use this but I did like tagging my books with prediction, problem solving, etc. If every teacher/librarian did this with their picture books then instead of our marc subject headings you could search for inference, for example. There is a list for inference but imagine what it could be....

Yes, I know I skipped #10. You can catch it later...

Thing # 12 - Rollyo (sounds like a candy)

2008-01-24T16:08:00.000-06:00

It took me forever to come up with a topic to use for this activity. I really have become one-dimensional but that’s a topic for another blog. So, being in the thick of 4th grade Texas History research, I finally used the Texas sites that were on our favorite page and made my searchroll. It took me a little while to figure out how I could use it since I had to personalize my search page first. Maybe that was in the directions but I’m on direction overload. Anyway, I searched only it for Alamo (the search the web choice was not selected). Then I had to pick myself up off the floor from laughing for a few minutes since the 2 hits I saw were from Alamo Rental Car. After I got back into the chair, I scrolled down and below the “paid for” results were valid results for my search. Check out the search engine for yourself! It is called Texas History.

By the way, it is now 7:57pm on Jan. 24 and I have just written this and my last 2 posts. It's dangerous to just try to jot down a thought or two and save it for editing later. Write one word and save it and that's the written time regardless of how many days it may take you to write another word.

New Leaf

2008-01-22T09:24:00.000-06:00

I was reading in the January 2008 children’s magazine Odyssey, about Second Life, mashups, etc. It mentioned that while multitasking, which we all do out of necessity, our brains are not retaining information in the section that lets us hold on to the information. I knew this of course but I did a quick search and found a few blogs, studies and information. Even a discussion on Flickr!

This is so obviously my problem. I am constantly multitasking. There is probably not a minute of my day (or night) that I am not doing more than one thing that requires complete and unrelated attention (Watching a Web 2.0 training video and listening to my 4 year old and cooking dinner.) Learning this Web 2.0 info or even playing with it really requires doing nothing else simultaneously. You’re doing enough multitasking just playing with mashups and photo albums.

I realized that I was getting very frustrated by the technology and was not enjoying the journey so I made a resolution (it's still January!) to slow down, try to find the enjoyment factor, and just obtain the knowledge that these things are out there even if I can't make it work for me. On the plus side, I'm trying to keep up with my Google Reader though it seems to work differently each time I open it on a different computer. I am using the Google Notebook to keep info from the Google Reader that I might want to revisit when I have the time. No guarantee that the time will appear but we all have "To Read" piles. And I am eager to look at the Comic Book Creator, etc. that others have already posted about. I said my hardest habit was play!

But I will carry on, I will just allow myself not to GET IT all the time.

Thing #9

2008-01-21T15:11:00.000-06:00

I'm feeling the limitation of online professional development. I want to TALK TO SOMEONE. I want someone to EXPLAIN things to me when I DON'T GET IT. I didn't get the shared thing. I tried but I'm not much of a sharer so the computer must sense that. I tried to share a video, it told me how to share the video from the Common Craft Show but it didn't work the way they told me to do it. Then, I couldn't get the blogger page elements to share it the way I thought I could do it. So once again, I have to come in through the backdoor or down the chimney or something. I think I am destined to be a dabbler, no proficiency. I think I am ok with that.

And then, once I've vented publicly, it seems to work! Anyway, it seemed that some of us weren't feeling the Flickr thing as much as others and I thought this presented a new reason or two. I'll try to find something different ot share and see if I can keep it working. I may need a nap first.

Things #8 and #9

2008-01-21T13:47:00.000-06:00

I think it was 2 years ago that our fearless leader suggested Google Reader to keep up with his and other blogs. I remember dutifully getting an account and then getting stuck not understanding what to do next. Apparently I don't remember actually going forward but when I logged into it today I had several blogs in several folders with over 100 new posts waiting for me! Needless to say, I read a few and marked the rest as read and will start over. That is definitely the problem with all of the technology, there is too much to keep up with! I have to go back and deal with the shared stuff but I have a four-year old who didn't go to daycare today so I'm lucky to have gotten this far! I am excited to have gotten this far because I knew I would be able to put our 2PLay blogs in the reader and not have to click through the list like I have been doing. So now I have a folder called 23 Things. I also will make my husband set up a Google Reader. He actually has sites that he visits daily unlike me. I also have not explored the searching for blogs quickly opportunity - ah, so much technology, so little time.

Problem = Challenge

2008-01-20T22:35:00.000-06:00

My last post ended in frustration (and a fair bit of blue language but my kid was in bed.) After taking time out to read through several 2play blogs, I returned to the scene of my frustration. I did manage to embed the slideshow as a page element but without the captions. Not what I wanted. I followed the directions for adding the link, didn't work (again). So, I eventually ignored the directions and took what looked like a perfectly good address even though it was for email and IM not for adding to your webpage. Ha, it worked. Definitely don't think it was worth the time invested. I'm going to bed.

Thing #7 (for real) - Google

2008-01-20T19:59:00.000-06:00

I google therefore I am. I do believe that you could spend a week doing nothing but exploring Google and still not see it all. I have been to other trainings, conference sessions and looked at things that were not part of this exercise. I've been using the advanced search for a few years to pull up powerpoints on lessons that I'm working on to see what others have done or to get some background info. I'm pretty sure I learned that at the TCEA Conference which everyone should have a chance to go to someday. I set up some Google Alerts but I realize I have no life anymore because there wasn't anything I was interested in enough to really care about being alerted to it! However the emails have come in and I see what it is about. I showed my UT student husband the Google Scholar about 2 months too late but there's always this semester. I set up a public Picasa Album which I can't seem to embed even though I can read and follow directions just fine. After fighting with it for 40 minutes, I'm done. It's public, see if you can find it. It's called Evolution of a Reader.

Thing 7 -2 = 5

2008-01-19T21:42:00.000-06:00

As I was exploring Picasa as part of Thing 7 I came across a photo of Flat Stanley in Vancouver. This made me wonder if I could search Flickr for the same. Did you know there are over 7,000 photos with Flat Stanley on Flickr? Now, if the kids can't send Flat Stanley around the world maybe they could map him using the Flickr photos (or Picasa). Ok, back to Google.

Thing #6 - MashUps and Trading Cards

2008-01-19T19:50:00.000-06:00

It is interesting to see how much the 2.0 webbers seem to be willing to share. If you can think it (and write the program), apparently someone will let you do it. Hard to comprehend for those of us who are used to dealing with the copyright rules that limit everything. I wasn't quite as enamored of the trading cards as other players but I do see the student use and I may partake. I did create 2 which I have included here. Maybe it was a case of the hype coming first so there was no way to live up to it. Moving forward!

Thing #5

2008-01-14T21:51:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure I understand all the rules of Flickr (or how to spell it). I get that you can upload your personal photos, and your family can see them without trying to send them through email. I read about Creative Commons and saw the different levels but still am not clear about being able to use the photos. (Maybe it just feels too much like stealing) I did enjoy looking up my hometown on the map and seeing photos taken there and I even put in an old camp name and saw a few faces from 15-20 years ago. Maybe part of my problem is that most of my photos these days are of people -my daughter, teachers and students. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with posting any of these on the web and some I don't have the right to post. Trying to look at it from an educational view - if students can take and use the photos for projects (weather, animals, etc) then there are plenty of possibilities. I think I have to look around it some more and perhaps at an earlier hour. I'm definitely a nine pm pumpkin turner these days. More to come I'm sure.

Thing #4

2008-01-10T15:16:00.000-06:00

Ok, I've sent my email and I'm beginning to look at the other PLAY blogs. I have to admit, I like knowing who wrote them. It helps me hear their voice. I'm already jealous of those who found ways to already include a link. I must have a void in my sharing toolbox at the moment. Can't wait to PLAY with everyone. If I'm falling behind, i.e. it's Valentine's Day and this was my last post, send me an email or comment and kick me into gear (or offer to babysit!).

Thing #3

2008-01-10T14:38:00.000-06:00

Great, now I have more logins and passwords! And they(web hosts, etc) keep thinking for me which, I must admit, makes it a little trickier to outthink them but I did manage it. Definitely viewed the registration problems I was having with yahoo for the avatar as a challenge ( I did not want to use my name) that I did overcome. The avatar thing, I must admit, escapes me as to WHY?? Ok, it's fun, but....maybe the light will dawn at a later Thing. I'm not completely new to blogging so I guess I don't have much to say there except that I do feel that I am rambling on this one! And there are no links or pictures to view. Maybe later. Guess I'll go read everyone's blogs now and see my deficiencies.

Thing #2

2008-01-10T13:19:00.000-06:00

ME, bad habits? Nah. OK, I see a few habits that I slide on periodically but if I have to pick one that's the hardest, these days, it's play. I'm a mother of a toddler and work as a school librarian so everything is 5 minutes behind, day late, undone, unwashed, unread to, unrested. Am I seeing these problems as a challenge, NO, right now, they are problems. But, I guess I am fairly good at keeping the end in mind. I want the paycheck, my child is healthy, there are good days where things run smoothly if you ignore the rest, and tomorrow or next month will be different. The goal is to improve and not leave too much of a wake. My daughter will have to write a tell all book later to gauge the wake.

Thing #1

2008-01-10T13:15:00.000-06:00

Life long learning. I'm tired just thinking about it. But yes, I do like and need to continue to learn. The hard part right now is learning new ways to learn. If I could just do it the way I've always done it (reading, watching others, being directly taught) maybe I wouldn't be feeling so worn out. But here it goes, online learning and beyond!