Week 9 Thing 23

This class has taken me a year to finish. This was not one of those classes where I wanted to zip right through. Each thing required time to view, think about how to use it/work it first, and second how I could use it educationally and which grade to attach it too. The truth for me is I am not really done with this class, I want to go back and take more time and explore areas I don't feel comfortable I have a total grasp of it. RSS feeds are easy to do. At this writing I have forgotten some of the steps. I have this site to revisit.
Podcasts are another adventure I am excited about. What to download and listen to. Stories are to be found everywhere.
I am not crazy abut the Avatar look. I am a middle aged woman who has worked hard for my gray hair and the knowledge it covers.I don't want to look like a young woman. I think Avatars reflect our societies lust for youth.
I found out I love widgets. There are all kinds of widgets out there. They do many things. This will be fun to explore and add.
I love anything that easily keeps track of things for me. Book Thing went way beyond that. I would like students to keep track of books read either for pleasure or out of HM or other subject areas. Students could learn to write reviews and have these put on this handy webpage.
I agree with Renee about this blog. I have used it over and over again. It is easy to do, doesn't take long and records my experiences even if I don't always remember them now.
This is my ideal way of taking a class. It is self paced, my learning goes as slow or as fast as I want it too. Usually much faster than a year.
I am going to have one or two of my classes have a blog to write to. After seeing the space display at UAA last weekend, space is my theme this year in the library. I have used a blog in the past for sixth grade students to post their formal Newbery book reports on. Their writing skills improved greatly when they realized their peers would be reading them.
About the new tools we used. I feel the tools selected were perfect. I would be interested in learning more. Web 2.0 is changing so fast, and I want to keep it up so that the students I teach are competent if not just a little above others when taking over the reins of running the world.
Thank-you both Ann and Katie.

Week 9 Thing 22

I went to World EBook Fair' site and found this site to be a little confusing about what I was to be looking for or at. I eventually scrolled down to Project Gutenburg and typed in Brown, Rita Mae. Nothing found for her but I saw to the side Top 100 and went there. It was great to see requested classics by Dickens, Twain, Bronte, Carroll, Baum, Austen, Anonymous, Eliot and others. This particular type of website needs a tutorial for me and I suspect other to get around. It seems to have a good number of classics, but I am also interested in modern classics if not good modern stories for all ages. This site bares some more time to look into and tell my friends about.
I did find the children's section. I looked at biographies. It was all about men who have done famous things. Nothing about women. Give this more time and money and this will hopefully change. They did put women authors in other selections.
I have a question-Do people like to read books using a computer? Or do people like to print the book?
I then went to LibriVox. I am impressed with this site. There is an FAQ as well as other items to help the reader get started and understand this website. Instructions are easy to follow. It looks more user friendly. I would share this site with students.

Week 9 Thing #21

Podcasts. June 2009, Yahoo: What is a podcast tutorial is not available as of June 2009.I have wanted to learn to listen to Podcasts for some time. This is pretty exciting stuff for me!!
I listened to one podcast about Reader's Theater from Teacher Created Materials. It is really good and gave great examples between Reader's Theater and Choral Reading. I don't understand why it didn't download to iTunes. Instead it opened to Quick Time Player. After pigeon holing my son to a half hour block of time, he explained to me how to download to iTunes. It is not intuitive to me. I think the directions should be written down. Thank-God for the young who can explain to the older generation like moi.
Until recently, the last twenty minutes, I didn't get the hype on podcasting. After reading more on how or what it is and why it is important, I am jumping on the band wagon. Anything that gives Clearwire a run for their money and allows me to listen to whatever I want when I want is a extraordinary tool. The Educational implications are limitless;regardless of an age group one falls into.
The truth of the matter for me, is not everything works for podcasts. Some items of interest are better seen than just heard. I felt this when listening to the Reader's Theater podcast. I did agree w/ the writer that this type of work requires the voice to show emotion.
Once again, I am thankful this is summer and I have one more computer item to look more intensely at as well as jot down ideas to use in the library.
The other thought I have about Podcast is it is twofold. First there is the listening to them and second is to make them. The websites I looked at to tell the reader what a podcast is also goes in to describing how to make a podcast. Similar to voice threads, I think this would be accessible to work with K-primary grades on some kind of project.
One thing I love about podcasting is I have missed so many Fresh Airs w/Terri Gross on NPR. I can now catch up on all those terrific interviews she has done.

Week 9 Thing 20

I viewed Conan the librarian and watched Boolean Operators. Conan was humorous. I have never really used Boolean and so found the tutorial a very useful tool.
Teacher tube is very useful. I have found several interesting sites to look at. One is from Dr. Loopy. His cast makes interesting vignettes about library ideas. They are fun to watch.
I have also looked at all the suggestions put forth and found the ones I could get into informative and interesting if no downright educational. I look forward to watching more.
I am impressed with Teacher Tube. I look forward to using it as I come up with new and different ideas about subjects I wish to teach to the children I serve.The other thing I like about Teacher Tube is vignettes can demonstrate a how to, or model a concept or an idea a teacher librarian wants her students to understand.
I also found this site useful to teach all kinds of ideas ranging from poetry, playing music, english, math, reading and writing.
AS I said, I am impressed with this website.

Week 8 POST 19.1

Several years ago I took a class on the Alaska Digital Pipeline w/ Debbie Mole from UAA. This is a fantastic tool for students and teachers to use. All student websites have been reviewed and considered child safe and age appropriate. This is such a gift for students, teachers, principals, parents and the community at large. So often the wording is for an older crowd. I held a one day after school workshop to show students this site and gave them time to explore. I then showed several classes this site.
I don't use this site extensively. I am writing it down in my notebook to show students as a possible research tool. It is also fantastic to use for Alaska studies.
Using the photographs from Alaska Digital Archieves

I hit the jackpot this morning. I found both how to save a journal alert and a search alert in one fell swoop. Finding information/references via the old way or through computers can be incredibly time consuming. I think this tool is very useful and can be a time saver. Who ever thought up the idea of information coming to the user is a friend for life. The other part of this, is this tool is for the person who starts their research a head of time and not the person who may wait until the last minute to do it- ie. moi.

*The three interfaces: Elementary, Middle and High School
High School has more research tools to use than ele and middle school. However their is relative information for the older student. Facts For Learning can be used for all three age groups but is only found in elementary and middle school. High school could benefit from this but would have to seek it out.High School Weekly Reader can be accessed from middle school. Is Weekly Reader considered too "young" for the high schooler?

I have set up another file on items to show students and teachers. This one is labeled Ebsco. I sort of like ebsco. I find it a little cumbersome to use because there may be too many choices for me to use. Others will love them.
This has been the most difficult thing for me to do. I don't really know why. I am so glad to be pushing on to Week 9. Yahoo.

I have put this into my folder of items to show students and staff when school starts up again in Aug.

Week 8 Thing #19

I am so enthused about Library Thing. Reading is a often a solo activity. Library Thing allows the reader to join the rest of the world and find out what the world is reading and what the reader(s) think about it. It is so hip.
I put down my summer reading list on it. I found reviews for the different books, the number of readers who had read it, and the cover of the book. One of the choices to click on is this is a german word- zeitgeist- which means the spirit of the time. I also went in and looked at several groups. The one group listed as 1001 books to read before I die was a little daunting. There are books on the list I never planned on reading. If I take up the challenge, I may have to stretch a little. Is there a list out there for books each grade should read before ending that grade? Would I or others agree with it?
I haven't played with the wigits. I am just excited to find out about books I have read, what others have thought of them etc.
I have taken a 4th and 5th grade class to this site. The students are really interested and couldn't wait to play with this site. It fascinates me to watch students become engaged in a learning process. I love it that a site carries important information for both youth and adult. Library Thing does that.
Library Thing could be used to track books students are reading throughout the year.
Ann and I have had the conversation about students need to see the cover of a book when looking for books on the card catalog system. Students need to see the cover. It is a new way of perusing the shelves.
Again, a very useful website which can be used anywhere.

Week 8 Thing #18

ONLINE WORD PROCESSING
I think this is as wonderful as delicious social bookmarking. I am very grateful our technology is such that we can get at our own files from any computer in the world. Web 2.0 rocks.
In Week 7 Thing #16 I came across a wiki from Princeton Public Library called Book Lover's Wiki. I really like the books and found my summer reading. Tonight, I cut and pasted the five star reviews into the Zoho Writer. I realized later I could have imported them. I tried it and it couldn't be imported because the site is not supported. What does that mean?

I love the idea of everything I do being at my fingertips via the internet. How often have I or others had a file or project piece at our home computer or at another computer than the one we are on? I love the idea of online word processing, spreadsheets etc.
I also like the idea of Microsoft not having the hold it has had on us for so long.... and someone else giving them a run for their money.
This all being said, I cut and pasted my summer reading list onto zoho. Saved it and then couldn't retrieve it. Zoho doesn't have as much to offer as does word or open office. However, I do think, it is well on its way.
I have talked with a lot of people using google docs. They love it. I am anxious to try it.