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!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Thing #8 - Screencasts
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Thing #7 - Video Resources
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?
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
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?
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?
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Thing #5 - Microblogging
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.
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.
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