Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.
Giving the ability to students to create their own videos that allows them to express their ideas and knowledge ina personal way is a powerful tool, whatever platform they chose.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thing # 21 Podcasts and Videocasts B
I created this video with animoto. You may create 30 second videos for free. To create longer videos with additional bells and whistles, you need to establish an account and pay for the service.
Giving the ability to students to create their own videos that allows them to express their ideas and knowledge ina personal way is a powerful tool, whatever platform they chose.
Giving the ability to students to create their own videos that allows them to express their ideas and knowledge ina personal way is a powerful tool, whatever platform they chose.
Thing # 23 Summary
At the beginning of the summer, a fellow colleague suggested we do “23 Things” together again. I convinced VB to let me participate, and the other person flaked out on me. I was hoping to convince several colleagues to join me in the journey, and I managed to persuade three (thank you Michele, Nannette and Barbara)! I felt the program has changed somewhat since I first participated two years ago. To summarize
What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
I think I am most excited about the wiki, the blog and delicious. I understand their use in the classroom to save time and to promote learning in the classroom environment.
How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
I think it has increased my frustration because I realize more and more that I will NEVER be finished! There is so much knowledge, so many tools and applications and my little brain gets so overwhelmed. I think my frustration comes from just trying to stay ahead of it all and do a good job with my day-to-day tasks.
Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from the program that surprised you?
The concepts in “creating community through commenting” and “Technorati”: for me these tools and idea are very frustrating; being overwhelmed all the time by all this technology; the tools, the blogs, the e-mail account, the passwords and the ids just are too much to manage sometime. I was surprised, and more than a little happy, that I just said no! As I have already expresses, not everyone’s opinion is worth reading, and some opinions should be kept to yourself!
What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
o Do not ask the participants to sign up for anything they; make it an optional part of the “thing” being discussed.
o Keep all the like tools together (i.e. blogs (nings). Introduce them all together and let the participant chose.
o Have a section on selection: which tools seem to be the best from an educational perspective and are best suited for use in the classroom.
o There needs to be a discussion about which tools are most appropriate to introduce at which grade level?
o There needs to be more commenting/communication between the participants.
Maybe small groups could be created or people assigned specific participants they need to react on for each Thing?
If we offered another discovery program in the future, would you chose to participate?
Yes. You have 11.5 Things I believe and I expect to do that next summer.
How would you describe you learning experience in on word or one sentence?
My words are frustration and overwhelmed; not words you can use to promote the learning experience. However, you can say challenging and thoughtful.
What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
I think I am most excited about the wiki, the blog and delicious. I understand their use in the classroom to save time and to promote learning in the classroom environment.
How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
I think it has increased my frustration because I realize more and more that I will NEVER be finished! There is so much knowledge, so many tools and applications and my little brain gets so overwhelmed. I think my frustration comes from just trying to stay ahead of it all and do a good job with my day-to-day tasks.
Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from the program that surprised you?
The concepts in “creating community through commenting” and “Technorati”: for me these tools and idea are very frustrating; being overwhelmed all the time by all this technology; the tools, the blogs, the e-mail account, the passwords and the ids just are too much to manage sometime. I was surprised, and more than a little happy, that I just said no! As I have already expresses, not everyone’s opinion is worth reading, and some opinions should be kept to yourself!
What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
o Do not ask the participants to sign up for anything they; make it an optional part of the “thing” being discussed.
o Keep all the like tools together (i.e. blogs (nings). Introduce them all together and let the participant chose.
o Have a section on selection: which tools seem to be the best from an educational perspective and are best suited for use in the classroom.
o There needs to be a discussion about which tools are most appropriate to introduce at which grade level?
o There needs to be more commenting/communication between the participants.
Maybe small groups could be created or people assigned specific participants they need to react on for each Thing?
If we offered another discovery program in the future, would you chose to participate?
Yes. You have 11.5 Things I believe and I expect to do that next summer.
How would you describe you learning experience in on word or one sentence?
My words are frustration and overwhelmed; not words you can use to promote the learning experience. However, you can say challenging and thoughtful.
Thing # 22 Nings
Ning (www.ning.com) is yet another social networking BLOG site, that allows the user to "create custom branded soc ail networks." Ning puts a emphasis on blogs that are of an entertainment, political, small business, non-profits, and education nature. The link below is for Project LIBS, a social network for a group of HISD Masters students at UNT.
http://libsfellows.ning.com/profile/GlennDeering
http://libsfellows.ning.com/profile/GlennDeering
Thing # 21 Podcasts and Videocasts A
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Thing # 20 Explore You Tube and Teacher Tube
I think most of us are familiar with the benefits of utilizing YouTube and/or TeacherTube video's within out classroom From current events, historical perspectives and science experiments, the amount of video instructional materials are limitless. Videos should be viewed to determine their appropriateness and applicability to the subject being taught. I tried numerous time to embed a YouTube video - it wouldn't work! Just as well, my district blocks YouTube anyway. Other great sources for videos are Discvery an PBS. I am not having any luck embedding a TeacherTuve video either. Must be opeartor error!
Watch the full episode. See more In Performance at The White House.
Thing # 19 Web 2.0 Award LIsts
Consider these questions when organizing your thoughts. What is special about the tool? What are its useful parts, especially with regards to Libraries and school? How might you use this tool in your own setting?
My Heritage (http://www.myheritage.com/) is a free gemological research site. This site will assist you with your gemological research. The BASIC plan is free. You get all the bells and whistles with the PREMIUM plan. If you are already using Ancestry.com, this is certainly redundant since it offers many of the same features! This tool is special because it gives the user the opportunity to develop a basic family tree for free. This could be used in the classroom for students learning about their family histories.
Pandora (www.pandora .com) is an online RADIO site. You select the music genre or singers you want to listen to and the site develops a personalized playlist. This site is FREE; I have been a member for sometime. The special thing about this site is it is free and provides access to an unlimited source of music. In the classroom. it could be used as a way to introduce different genres of music to students and to establish an ambiance conducive to reading in the classroom!
Spanishpod (www.spanishpod.com) is a site where you can learn to speak Spanish! "A convenient way to learn Spanish that combines audio lesson podcasts with web & mobile study tools." 850 sample lessons include everything from taking a taxi to ordering dinner to intriguing office dramas, focusing on the practical. It is NOT free, but the site does offer a free 7 day trial! This tool is interesting because it offers downloadable podcasts of Spanish language lessons. For students struggling with their acquisition of a second language, this might be a good reinforcement tool!
My Heritage (http://www.myheritage.com/) is a free gemological research site. This site will assist you with your gemological research. The BASIC plan is free. You get all the bells and whistles with the PREMIUM plan. If you are already using Ancestry.com, this is certainly redundant since it offers many of the same features! This tool is special because it gives the user the opportunity to develop a basic family tree for free. This could be used in the classroom for students learning about their family histories.
Pandora (www.pandora .com) is an online RADIO site. You select the music genre or singers you want to listen to and the site develops a personalized playlist. This site is FREE; I have been a member for sometime. The special thing about this site is it is free and provides access to an unlimited source of music. In the classroom. it could be used as a way to introduce different genres of music to students and to establish an ambiance conducive to reading in the classroom!
Spanishpod (www.spanishpod.com) is a site where you can learn to speak Spanish! "A convenient way to learn Spanish that combines audio lesson podcasts with web & mobile study tools." 850 sample lessons include everything from taking a taxi to ordering dinner to intriguing office dramas, focusing on the practical. It is NOT free, but the site does offer a free 7 day trial! This tool is interesting because it offers downloadable podcasts of Spanish language lessons. For students struggling with their acquisition of a second language, this might be a good reinforcement tool!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Thing # 18 Online Productivity Tools
Open Office is really a great tool. It gives the user the ability to create, edit and access their documents/spreadsheets from anywhere the have access to the internet. Occasionally a patron will come into the library with a file in a newer MS Word document version. Usually I can convert the file into an Open Office format that allows the patron to update their document.
One of the great features of google docs is the ability for multiple users to work on the same document at the same time. I just did this last night during a video chat on tokbox for an HISD professional development class called Digital Communication. Its a great way for collaboration. It also stores the documents on a central server, saving storage on your own computer and allowing access by the collaborators.
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