My husband and I visited my son in Senegal during the third week in March. He is there on a semester abroad program. What an experience for him and for us.
I am a little late in finishing this course. The trip slowed me down a little. Wouldn't have missed it for the world.....
I am posting this picture from Flickr. One of the many things I learned in this class. What fun!
Friday, April 4, 2008
Thing#23 (Week 9)
Copyright Comments and Summary of Course:
The issue of copyright has become a big issue in my school district. As teachers become more savvy with technology, they are finding it easier and easier to put materials on the Web for students to access. We have found teacher Web sites containing entire chapters from books. The teachers scanned the pages and uploaded them to the Web. We have called the issue to their attention and offered to put the materials on reserve in the library. So far we have made little progress.
I hate the perception that library teachers are the "copyright police," when what we are doing is notifying staff of the law. One of my colleagues has written a grant proposal to our districts Educational Foundation for a copyright Web page. If we receive the funds, we will develop a Website with FAQs and dos/don'ts for teachers, staff and students.
I was interested in the Creative Commons material. I have found Wikipedia can be a good source for "open source" images. If you click on an image in Wikipedia, the image will open in a new window with information about the image. Many of them are available for sharing under Wikimedia Commons. I showed this to students in a World History class who were researching major pieces of art from the Renaissance.
The is a slippery slope however. It is hard to tell students to use Wikipedia for the images but to be wary of the content.
Final questions:
What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
There were many things I enjoyed. It is hard to choose my favorites. After reviewing the 23 Things, the applications that came to mind are:
- Creating an avatar. I have always wondered how this was done. I noticed a student creating a avatar on a school library computer a few days ago and knew exactly what she was doing. Made me feel, in a small way, that I was keeping up with the kids.
- Flickr. This photo sharing app is easy to learn. I taught my son who is in Africa for a semester how to post his pictures to Flickr. Nice way for the family to share.
- Zoho. This is a powerful wordprocessing/spreadsheet/presentation application. I would use it more at work for sharing files and information. Problem is our connection is often too slow. We encourage students to save work on Google docs as well as flash drives. Great way for them to backup their work.
- LibraryThing. I am still thinking about the best way to use this amazing tool.
How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
It is a challenge to keep up with technology. I take a least one course a year to keep my skill up-to-date as much as possible. This course was a convenient way to keep that momentum going.
Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
I was surprised by how many of the applications I already knew. I knew wikis, blogs, podcasts, YouTube, RSS feeds (to a limited extent), Google docs, and Library Thing, among others. I was also suprised by how much is out there. Web 2.0 is growing by leaps and bounds. The area we didn't cover was social networking ala FaceBook or My Space.
What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
It felt "lonely out there." Keeping a blog that few people viewed felt odd. All the other online courses I have taken, create a sense of community among the participants. I recommend creating pairs or teams in the future. Each member of the team would be required to read and comment on the blogs of the others in the group. Just suggesting that participants post to other blogs doesn't do it...
I also recommend that the affiliation with CSLA be carefully worked out in advance. Too many of us wasted time clarifying whether we would receive graduate credit for this course. That is not something for which students s/b responsible.
If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate?
Yes.
How would you describe your learning experience in ONE WORD or in ONE SENTENCE, so we could use your words to promote CSLA learning activities?
At times I felt overwhelmed and frustrated by the amount of time and energy this course took - in the end I was proud that I was able to make my way through each of the lessons.
Now I have to attend to completing the requirements for getting graduate credit.....
The issue of copyright has become a big issue in my school district. As teachers become more savvy with technology, they are finding it easier and easier to put materials on the Web for students to access. We have found teacher Web sites containing entire chapters from books. The teachers scanned the pages and uploaded them to the Web. We have called the issue to their attention and offered to put the materials on reserve in the library. So far we have made little progress.
I hate the perception that library teachers are the "copyright police," when what we are doing is notifying staff of the law. One of my colleagues has written a grant proposal to our districts Educational Foundation for a copyright Web page. If we receive the funds, we will develop a Website with FAQs and dos/don'ts for teachers, staff and students.
I was interested in the Creative Commons material. I have found Wikipedia can be a good source for "open source" images. If you click on an image in Wikipedia, the image will open in a new window with information about the image. Many of them are available for sharing under Wikimedia Commons. I showed this to students in a World History class who were researching major pieces of art from the Renaissance.
The is a slippery slope however. It is hard to tell students to use Wikipedia for the images but to be wary of the content.
Final questions:
What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
There were many things I enjoyed. It is hard to choose my favorites. After reviewing the 23 Things, the applications that came to mind are:
- Creating an avatar. I have always wondered how this was done. I noticed a student creating a avatar on a school library computer a few days ago and knew exactly what she was doing. Made me feel, in a small way, that I was keeping up with the kids.
- Flickr. This photo sharing app is easy to learn. I taught my son who is in Africa for a semester how to post his pictures to Flickr. Nice way for the family to share.
- Zoho. This is a powerful wordprocessing/spreadsheet/presentation application. I would use it more at work for sharing files and information. Problem is our connection is often too slow. We encourage students to save work on Google docs as well as flash drives. Great way for them to backup their work.
- LibraryThing. I am still thinking about the best way to use this amazing tool.
How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
It is a challenge to keep up with technology. I take a least one course a year to keep my skill up-to-date as much as possible. This course was a convenient way to keep that momentum going.
Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
I was surprised by how many of the applications I already knew. I knew wikis, blogs, podcasts, YouTube, RSS feeds (to a limited extent), Google docs, and Library Thing, among others. I was also suprised by how much is out there. Web 2.0 is growing by leaps and bounds. The area we didn't cover was social networking ala FaceBook or My Space.
What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
It felt "lonely out there." Keeping a blog that few people viewed felt odd. All the other online courses I have taken, create a sense of community among the participants. I recommend creating pairs or teams in the future. Each member of the team would be required to read and comment on the blogs of the others in the group. Just suggesting that participants post to other blogs doesn't do it...
I also recommend that the affiliation with CSLA be carefully worked out in advance. Too many of us wasted time clarifying whether we would receive graduate credit for this course. That is not something for which students s/b responsible.
If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate?
Yes.
How would you describe your learning experience in ONE WORD or in ONE SENTENCE, so we could use your words to promote CSLA learning activities?
At times I felt overwhelmed and frustrated by the amount of time and energy this course took - in the end I was proud that I was able to make my way through each of the lessons.
Now I have to attend to completing the requirements for getting graduate credit.....
Sunday, March 30, 2008
"Fixing" Thing #6 (Week 3)
In preparing to write my final thoughts on this course, I scrolled back through my postings. I noticed the trading card I had made for Thing #6 was missing.
When I created the trading card, I used a picture of one of my good friends. To create the card and post it to my Blog from Flickr, I had to mark the picture as public. When reviewing my Flickr a/c recently, I deleted the picture, not realizing it would also be removed from my Blog!
I redid the trading card on Flickr Toys and uploaded it to Flickr. From there I posted it directly to the Blog. Still remembered how to do all this!
When I created the trading card, I used a picture of one of my good friends. To create the card and post it to my Blog from Flickr, I had to mark the picture as public. When reviewing my Flickr a/c recently, I deleted the picture, not realizing it would also be removed from my Blog!
I redid the trading card on Flickr Toys and uploaded it to Flickr. From there I posted it directly to the Blog. Still remembered how to do all this!
Thing #22 (Week 9)
I am finally closing in on the end of this course......
eBooks and Audio eBooks
I have been intending to look into eBooks for some time. This lesson provided me with the impetus to do so!
First I checked out The Gutenberg Project. I browsed the many titles that are available. I decided to download an HTML version of The Raven to figure out how the downloads worked. The version I chose came complete with illustrations. I started to read it out loud and my husband made me stop...he hates the rhythm of that poem!
I moved on to my local public library's web site intending to download an audio eBook for the first time. I browsed the titles and decided to download Bitter Medicine by Sara Paretsky, one of my favorite mystery writers. I thought it would be a good book to listen to as I drive to work.
To educate myself, I listened to a podcast (!) for newbies to eAudio books. Imagine my disappointment when I learned that the free software I needed to install in order to download a book is available for Windows only. Nothing for my Mac..... Somewhere in the recesses of my memory I think I had heard about this. What a disappointment.
When I have more time, I will sit down to my husband's Dell computer to accomplish this task.
eBooks and Audio eBooks
I have been intending to look into eBooks for some time. This lesson provided me with the impetus to do so!
First I checked out The Gutenberg Project. I browsed the many titles that are available. I decided to download an HTML version of The Raven to figure out how the downloads worked. The version I chose came complete with illustrations. I started to read it out loud and my husband made me stop...he hates the rhythm of that poem!
I moved on to my local public library's web site intending to download an audio eBook for the first time. I browsed the titles and decided to download Bitter Medicine by Sara Paretsky, one of my favorite mystery writers. I thought it would be a good book to listen to as I drive to work.
To educate myself, I listened to a podcast (!) for newbies to eAudio books. Imagine my disappointment when I learned that the free software I needed to install in order to download a book is available for Windows only. Nothing for my Mac..... Somewhere in the recesses of my memory I think I had heard about this. What a disappointment.
When I have more time, I will sit down to my husband's Dell computer to accomplish this task.
Thing #21 (Week9)
Podcasts
As I am a Mac user, I decided to explore the iTunes Podcast Directory. I listened to a few podcasts from "Grammer Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing." (I am always trying to improve my writing skills.)Then I explored some of the podcasts from Public Radio. There are a multitude of them listed! I subscribed to two free podcasts: Garrison Keillor's Writers Almanac and This American Life. Both will be updated on a regular basis to my Podcast directory in iTunes. Am I dating myself with these choices?
I decided to explore one of Podcast directories listed in the lesson plan. I tried Podcast.net first and found it wouldn't open on my computer. I was successful in opening Podcastalley.com (what a name!) and browsed through the numerous categories of Podcasts. I found myself gravitating to Public Radio again. (When overwhelmed, I am drawn toward the familiar.) This time I used an RSS feed to put NPR Hourly Newscasts into Google Reader.
While in Google Reader, I noticed I could mark podcasts as "shared items" and add to them to a Blog. I marked the NPR Hourly Newscast as "shared" and posted it to to this Blog. I couldn't quite figure out how it would look. I had to save this posting as a Draft and view the Blog to locate the Podcast - found it on the lower right hand side of the Blog.
Cool!
As I am a Mac user, I decided to explore the iTunes Podcast Directory. I listened to a few podcasts from "Grammer Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing." (I am always trying to improve my writing skills.)Then I explored some of the podcasts from Public Radio. There are a multitude of them listed! I subscribed to two free podcasts: Garrison Keillor's Writers Almanac and This American Life. Both will be updated on a regular basis to my Podcast directory in iTunes. Am I dating myself with these choices?
I decided to explore one of Podcast directories listed in the lesson plan. I tried Podcast.net first and found it wouldn't open on my computer. I was successful in opening Podcastalley.com (what a name!) and browsed through the numerous categories of Podcasts. I found myself gravitating to Public Radio again. (When overwhelmed, I am drawn toward the familiar.) This time I used an RSS feed to put NPR Hourly Newscasts into Google Reader.
While in Google Reader, I noticed I could mark podcasts as "shared items" and add to them to a Blog. I marked the NPR Hourly Newscast as "shared" and posted it to to this Blog. I couldn't quite figure out how it would look. I had to save this posting as a Draft and view the Blog to locate the Podcast - found it on the lower right hand side of the Blog.
Cool!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Thing #20 (Week 9)
The video I chose to view features Cirkestra, a circus band. Cirkestra plays music that is a blend of gypsy, jazz, klezmer and circus music.
I looked at this video because Cirkestra is coming to my town to perform for one of our community read programs. The book we are reading is Water for Elephants. The book has a circus theme which made Cirkestra a fun programming choice.
I enjoyed listening to the music and watching the performers as it gave me an idea of what to expect. The music quality was a little poor and the lighting was dark. Didn't really bother me, however.
I love YouTube. I am usually able to find what I am looking for using the search function. My son who is a tv/media student at Ithaca College posted a movie he made at school - a great way to share it with us. I have used YouTube for everything from instructional videos to watching funny clips on a variety of topics.
YouTube poses some problems in my h.s. library. Hard to tell when the kids are using it for instructional purposes or to watch their favorite rock band or WWE wrestler.
Once I helped a student embed YouTube into a PPT presesentation - I had to figure out how to convert the file so the Mac could read it. Used a conversion program called ZamZar. Worked like a charm! While I was at it, I made sure the student gave credit where credit was due!
I looked at this video because Cirkestra is coming to my town to perform for one of our community read programs. The book we are reading is Water for Elephants. The book has a circus theme which made Cirkestra a fun programming choice.
I enjoyed listening to the music and watching the performers as it gave me an idea of what to expect. The music quality was a little poor and the lighting was dark. Didn't really bother me, however.
I love YouTube. I am usually able to find what I am looking for using the search function. My son who is a tv/media student at Ithaca College posted a movie he made at school - a great way to share it with us. I have used YouTube for everything from instructional videos to watching funny clips on a variety of topics.
YouTube poses some problems in my h.s. library. Hard to tell when the kids are using it for instructional purposes or to watch their favorite rock band or WWE wrestler.
Once I helped a student embed YouTube into a PPT presesentation - I had to figure out how to convert the file so the Mac could read it. Used a conversion program called ZamZar. Worked like a charm! While I was at it, I made sure the student gave credit where credit was due!
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Thing # 19 (Week 8)
LibraryThing
I learned about LibraryThing at the AASL conference in Reno. Didn't get a chance to try it out until now. What a great Web site.
I am at that age where I read books and forget what they were about! From now on, I plan to add my books into Library Thing. From there I can quickly refer to reader reviews or the Amazon descriptions to get a refresher.
I have been looking for a good way to "advertise" new books in my high school library. I am considering using LibraryThing as a way to do that. When investigating the widgets available on LibraryThing, I found the html code to use to create a portal from our school Web site.
Cool!
All of the books I added to LibraryThing are very popular, except one. There was scant information on Town Boy, a graphic book, by Lat. Several of the pages I linked to said "Back in a Minute. We'll be back in 0-5 minutes." I walked away from the computer, came back and found nothing had changed. Oh well.
I learned about LibraryThing at the AASL conference in Reno. Didn't get a chance to try it out until now. What a great Web site.
I am at that age where I read books and forget what they were about! From now on, I plan to add my books into Library Thing. From there I can quickly refer to reader reviews or the Amazon descriptions to get a refresher.
I have been looking for a good way to "advertise" new books in my high school library. I am considering using LibraryThing as a way to do that. When investigating the widgets available on LibraryThing, I found the html code to use to create a portal from our school Web site.
Cool!
All of the books I added to LibraryThing are very popular, except one. There was scant information on Town Boy, a graphic book, by Lat. Several of the pages I linked to said "Back in a Minute. We'll be back in 0-5 minutes." I walked away from the computer, came back and found nothing had changed. Oh well.
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