information is bliss

Thing #11.5 - Evaluation (11.5 More Things)

2009-08-08T16:38:00.001-07:00

1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey? I liked the image generators (especially Wordle), learning how to post to You Tube, learning about other video resources, iTouch apps (I needed to learn this), Screencasting (Jing), Second Life (although I had no desire to do it at first, and claimed I wouldn't be doing it in my free time), and I think learning about Digital Citizenship is important.

2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals? These are just new things to have in my repertoire of experiences that I will be able to incorporate into my personal and professional life. And I think it's important as an information specialist to have a basic knowledge and understanding of what's available out there technologically (Skype, etc.), even if I don't utilize them all myself.

3. Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you? I had a negative attitude about Second Life and didn't feel like doing it at all. I claimed I would not be caught doing it in my free time, but I find myself talking about it to people, and I logged in the other day to see if I could find a Starbucks. It's just kind of cool. I think some people really must live vicariously through these virtual worlds, and I'm not into that (nor do I have the time), but it is pretty interesting and I want to interact with more people on there. It would be fun to get a group of friends together for a vacay somewhere. Also, I did research and really struggled between the Blackberry and iPhone for a long time before I made a purchase. I ended up going with (and loving) my Blackberry (claiming I wasn't a "gadgety" person and didn't need all those i-things). But I am so glad I got to play with my friend's iPhone and iTouch. I don't think I'm going to do away with my Blackberry, but I am now looking forward to my husband getting an iPhone and playing with his. It's the best of both worlds!

4. What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept? I enjoyed this one so much more than the 23 Things because it was shorter and I was more interested in the "things." However, I have some experiences under my belt that I did not have before doing 23 Things and that probably has something to do with it. I can't really think of a way to improve it.

Thing #11 - Digital Citizenship (11.5 More Things)

2009-08-06T20:27:00.000-07:00

I don't know how much I would touch on digital citizenship during a library orientation other than mentioning it, but I think a whole lesson dedicated to this topic is imperative. And who better to impart this information to our students than an information specialist? I don't think I would talk about all nine elements of digital citizenship in my lesson, but would focus on Etiquette, Literacy, Law, Health & Wellness, and Security. I am not sure if I would try to squeeze them all into one lesson, or make each one it's own. I remember the instructional technology person at my last school giving a really great presentation on Internet safety, and the kids were all ears. I would want to incorporate in my lesson some of the videos, lesson plan ideas, interactive resources (such as ID the creep or Get Your Web License), and other resources provided to us in this "thing" because kids respond well to short videos and computer generated things. It's funny that "Access" is one of the elements of digital citizenship, yet we as educators have limited access to certain technologies in our district with which to teach digital citizenship (You Tube, etc.). Not only is digital citizenship important to teach our students, but this is a topic our fellow educators should be aware of as well (this is a good topic for a training or inservice). In fact, just yesterday I was talking to one of the teachers at my school who is very into technology and doing Web 2.0 projects with her students, and she was saying she would like to have all the legalities regarding what can and can't be done with technology (copyright, etc.) spelled out to her on paper. I myself don't even know all the answers and think this would be a great topic to discuss at one of our future library meetings.

Thing #10 - Virtual Worlds (11.5 More Things)

2009-08-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

Hello. My name is Bree Collazo... Wow, this was certainly interesting, but it's definitely not going to be something you'll catch me doing in my free time. I played with it for a while and learned a lot, but I could REALLY benefit from someone showing me the basics and guiding me around, as opposed to trying to figure it out by myself. I watched a little video on how to change my avatar, and I also learned how to change it's clothes, but it was not as user friendly as one might hope. I never did figure out the hair. I went to Galveston, New York City, a flight museum, a school, and a store. One of the things that stood out to me was how lonely I was, although I did see an occasional person here and there. I wonder if there are places where a lot of people hang around? Apparently you can go shopping and get some new clothes for free, but I couldn't figure it out. I saw a man in a store and asked him to help me (chatted with him), and he actually led me to the women's department, but then I got stuck. My daughter saw me doing it and wanted in on the fun, so we messed around with it together (she helped me with the colors of my clothes, and we played around with the various gestures you can make your avatar say and do). She loved "wash" and just kept giggling about it. She was more into this than me, I might add, and it kind of helped me because I was at a bit of at a loss and she lead the way. As far as education goes I it looks like the sky is the limit. You can build and create things, buy things, go visit places, even attend seminars, etc., etc. The guy I chatted with owned that store, so I guess he built it himself -- which is beyond my imagination. And I read about the guy creating the Frank Lloyd Wright museum. I tried to go to a school to see what I could learn and I didn't figure it out. Neat stuff, but not my cup of tea. However, just like my daughter, I think some of the students would take this and run with it. I did notice some inappropriate things and clothing, so I hope the teen version is cleaner.

Thing #9 - Slideshare (11.5 More Things)

2009-07-28T20:01:00.000-07:00

I think Slideshare is a great Web 2.0 tool. I remember wanting to post a slide show to my blog someone sent to me via email of various places around Houston after Hurricane Ike. I couldn't figure out how to do it so, naturally, I emailed Vaughn. She pointed me to Slideshare and it worked like a charm. I think like all the other things we've been learning about, students can really benefit from using Slideshare. To me, it seems like the same idea as You Tube or Teacher Tube, just in slide form. It's a great way to search for information on a topic, and it would be a great way to put student projects on a blog, etc. for all to see, or for students to share their projects with the world. It would also make grading presentations nice for a teacher as they would all be in one spot. As I mentioned before, I've used Slideshare to post a slide show to my blog, but I didn't understand it well and didn't realize you could use it to search out other people's presentations. I found a book talk presentation on Slideshare that gave me an idea for my own book talk slides. I also remember Teri Lesesne's TLA presentations being on Slideshare this past year -- such an easy way to get access to her lists without killing all the trees. It's funny to think that it wasn't but a few years back that she was still using an overhead projector and rapidly tossing her transparencies to the floor as she spoke (or perhaps I just have a warped sense of how quickly time flies)...

Thing #8 - Screencast (11.5 More Things)

2009-07-27T15:47:00.000-07:00

Well, it was real, it was fun, and it was real fun... but it wasn't REALLY, REALLY fun. I enjoyed learning how to do screencasts, but this "thing" probably took me the longest of all because of all the trouble shooting I had to work through. I first downloaded GoView because it seemed so quick, easy, and visually pleasing to the eye. But then I was stuck. I had previously read in Vaughn's post that Jing was the only one that seemed to work for her (of the ones she tried), so I tried that next. It was really easy to use, but I couldn't get the sound to work so it took a while for me to figure out that my internal microphone wasn't turned on. (If you have this problem go to My Computer, Control Panel, Sounds and Audio Devices, click the Audio tab, click the Volume button under Sound Recording, then select Internal Microphone). Sigh. And for some weird reason I had to keep going back to turn on the internal mic over and over again (the setting would default back or something with logging in and out). After that I got excited and decided that I was going to do a screencast of a "Technology Tip of the Week" I previously sent out to my teachers (how to turn off the default setting so email notifications do not pop-up on your computer screen when giving presentations). This required me to switch back and forth from two different screens to do it, and after I recorded it, it would only show a tiny rectangle of the screen when played. I FINALLY figured out that one of the screens had to be minimized on top of the other one (if that makes any sense), and then it finally worked. Then because I am such a perfectionist, I had to re-shoot my screencast like 10 times. Well, I thought the hard part was over until I tried to post it to my blog (or share it). I changed the share settings to allow it go provide an embed code, but every time I would record and try to get the code, it would give me an error message. Grrrrrrr! I kept trying to shoot other things to see if I could get a code, and occasionally something would work. I finally just walked away from this over night and tried messing with it again today. In frustration I tried ScreenCastle but again I got stuck, and I didn't feel like learning a new program since I had already messed with Jing for so long. SO, I uninstalled Jing and tried to reinstall it to see if that worked. When I tried to reinstall it, I kept receiving an error message from SBISD!!! WHY, WHY WHY??? I didn't have this issue the first time! Then I figured it all out. I was logged into the district when I tried to install Jing the second time. After I logged out of SBISD it installed fine. Then I figured out that the reason it wouldn't give me an embed code is because I was trying to record a screencast from Outlook, which required me to be logged into the district. I finally just decided to try a screencast using Meriwether (logged out of SBISD) and it worked! It worked! It worked! I thought to myself that I am not going to be a perfectionist anymore, I'm done! ...until I replayed my screencast from my blog and it had no sound. Yes, I had to go back AGAIN and select the internal mic! I think I deserve 4 more credit hours for this one!!! :-) I wonder if anyone else has had this issue using Jing on their district laptop? I think this is a great tool for people to use to demonstrate things on Teacher Tube, etc., and students would have a ball using this for presentations! I think I could use it for the future Technology Tips I send out to my teachers, but an email just might prove to be less time consuming for me. I may have leave this job to the Atomic Learning folks. For what it's worth, see below... Okay, I just watched my screencast after posting, and it only shows half the screen. I think I am just going to move on now.

Thing # 7 - Video Resources (11.5 More Things)

2009-07-27T08:21:00.001-07:00

Wow! So many resources for finding videos! Most people know about You Tube and Teacher Tube, etc., and Hulu is being advertised on TV, but it's good to know about the others.

I embedded a video from hulu, which is just a funny Sesame Street skit of Grover in the library. Believe it or not, middle school kids are nostalgic about their favorite elementary books and TV shows, so I thought this would be a good video to show during orientation to remind them about the library. While I am not a stereotypical "shushing" librarian, I could use it to talk about what is and isn't appropriate in the library. See below.

Our 8th graders study the Holocaust every spring and our school holds a special assembly with guess speaker Walter Kase, one of the few remaining Holocaust survivors. It is a really moving time for our students, and I often see students in the library afterwards looking up things online about Walter Kase. Some teachers also bring their classes to the library for Holocaust/World War II research, so I thought a video of another Holocaust survivor (like the following I got from blinkx) would be good to show. I did not see a way to embed this video, so I created a link below.

Holocaust Survivor

Finally, the Twilight saga is still all the rave, so I used Google Video Search to find an interview with Stephenie Meyer. Even if you can't physically bring an author into your school for a visit, you can always show a video of author interviews.

Now I am curios to see if I can embed videos into flip charts, which I plan to make for library orientation this year...

Thing # 6 - iTouch Apps (11.5 More Things)

2009-07-23T14:40:00.000-07:00

This "thing" really set me back because I do not have an iTouch or an iPhone (although all my students do -- and one of them has been trying to talk me into getting one for a year). A friend of mine recently got an iPhone so I went to her house and she showed me how to download apps. It was all done from her iPhone (not the iTunes store online) so she lent me the iTouch that came with her Mac and I took it home to learn how to download apps on that, although I was required to pay a $10.00 fee to update my iTunes software. It is amazing how fast and easy it is to do! However, had I not already had experience with my iPod Nano, it would have been a much longer learning process. I downloaded Wikipanion, which is essentially Wikipedia for the iTouch, Facebook, Did You Know,? which provides random facts for the day, and Spanish Tudor. There are SOOOOOO many educational apps that can be used in the library or classroom. I have to admit, I wasn't sold on iTouches being useful in the library until using one. Students can use iTouches to do research on anything (just like a computer). They can download apps like Wikipanion, or go to the SBISD online databases (I just searched for a book in my library...). As far as using the iTouches by multiple students, they can view videos on things like Teacher Tube (or download an app like Poptig to view educaitonal videos), create a photostory, use Facebook for a project (as mentioned in one of my earlier blogs), type assignments, take notes, listen to audio books (by downloading apps such as Bookshelf, or Classics, etc.). The sky is the limit. If they had the latest iPhone they could even take videos and pictures for their projects. It's going to be a while before I return my friend's iTouch because I have more exploring to do. And if you've read my latest Facebook status, you will see that this has now convinced me to get an iPhone. I love my Blackberry, but I am behind the curve and seem to be missing out!

Thing #5 - Microblogging (11.5 More Things)

2009-07-06T08:23:00.001-07:00

I have been on Facebook for several months now (after avoiding it for some time) and became very addicted early on. It's been really fun to reconnect with people I haven't seen in years (especially high school friends) and it's funny to see that most of them are generally still the same. It kind of feels like a virtual sense of what heaven might be like. You join Facebook (or enter the "pearly gates") and everyone who is already there from every walk of life embraces you. And I love it because all your contacts are right there, so you know that even if somebody moves you'll still have access to them on FB. Who needs Christmas cards anymore? And while I really don't need to know what Michael Yee is doing every two minutes of his life (that can get annoying), I do think microblogging can make you feel closer to people in general.

I just signed up for Twitter so I do not have as much experience with it, but I am excited to follow a bunch of celebrities. I am always reading in magazines that John Mayer Twittered "this," or Jessica Simpson Twittered "that," so it will be interesting to see if I am receiving the same "tweets" I read about.

While these microblogging sites are great, there can also be some negative things about them. For example, I know of couples who have fought about Facebook because the fear of not knowing who their spouse might be "reconnecting" with is concerning. And let's face it, the online love connection thing is alive and well!!! These mediums can also be a means for Internet bullying (I read that Lindsay Lohan got snubbed by Justin Timberlake recently so she Twittered a lie about seeing him cheating on his girlfriend). And online communication can often result in misunderstandings, as it's hard to always portray one's tone in their comments (which can ultimately change the meaning of something said).

As far as educational uses go, you can certainly use either of these mediums for collaboration between students or colleagues, and I have heard of teachers having students create Facebook profiles for fictional or historical characters for a project (and I think she had them make comments like the characters would have done). Groups can also be set up on FB as a means for discussing specific things (my church community group has a group set up on FB). I think back-channeling is a great tool if used in the right setting. I doubt many middle school students are going to pay much attention to a speaker if they have a phone in hand. However, when a Holocaust survivor came to speak at our school, it would have been useful for students to be able to back-channel questions for him to answer.

I think Twitter is more for the famed, as celebrities are the ones who are going to have the followers. For example, I am following Lance Armstrong and he is "Twittering" a play by play of what is going on at the Tour de France right now, which is way cool if you are into that. You can also follow the NBA and such to learn about the latest and greatest goings on before it hits the newsstands. And Twitter certainly played a large role in the last presidential election... But for the average person, I think Facebook makes more sense.

Thing #4 - Video Hosting/You Tube (11.5 More Things)

2009-07-05T13:19:00.000-07:00

Wow, that was easy to do! I uploaded a video that one of my students (Meredith Miller) created in Photo Story about a career in acting. I was a little wary to upload it without her permission, but I figured I could always delete it. I use this video all the time to show students and teachers how to create a Photo Story, and she is very proud of the exposure she receives with that so I didn't think she would mind. I first uploaded her video to You Tube, but used the private setting. I tried to search for it using the tags I added but couldn't find it. Then I realized it was probably because I didn't list the people who were allowed to view it. I mean, the whole point of posting to You Tube is for the whole world to see your video, so I deleted it from You Tube and uploaded it to Teacher Tube instead (which I was going to try anyway). There are countless educational benefits and uses for uploading videos to Teacher Tube (how-to's, book trailers, etc.), but my biggest concern (especially when it comes to uploading student projects) is accuracy. Just like with a website, teachers need to be mindful about evaluating the videos they find on Teacher Tube before showing them to their students. Currently I am really into book trailers, and while some of the ones I've found on You Tube are fantastic, others are poorly done (or I couldn't find any for certain titles at all). I look forward to the opportunity to try to make and post some book trailers myself! I also uploaded to You Tube a video I made a while back that represents my husband's favorite things. Overall I think You Tube is more user friendly than Teacher Tube. And while I appreciate Teacher Tube reviewing the videos before posting them (I assume for appropriateness), having to wait 24 hours for your video to post is kind of frustrating in this "immediate gratification" kind of world we're living in. By the way, I didn't see a URL for my student's video, but you can search for it on Teacher Tube using the tag "Hollywood." The title is Meredith Miller Photo Story.

Thing #3 - Like Skype (11.5 More Things)

2009-07-02T11:11:00.000-07:00

Skype reminds me a lot of how I received my degree in graduate school -- interactive video. It can definitely be used in classrooms or libraries for collaboration, distant learning, or perhaps to interview someone for a project. The article about the teacher who used it with her class to debate and collaborate with a class from another country was really cool. I also thought it was neat to see the video where a Skype kiosk station was set up in a college library for students to ask a reference question. However, while this technology is a really neat thing (I love the Oreo commercial where the dad is out of town on business and "Skypes" his son so they can share an Oreo together), and there are many great uses (I think about people in the military who might use it to call and/or see their families from Iraq), it seems like too much of a production to set up for ordinary use. I tried downloading Skype on my SBISD laptop and I couldn't do it. Then I tried logging in with the home login, but couldn't get the login to work. Then you have to coordinate with whoever your conferencing or calling to make sure they have an account. I even read on the page that Skype encourages you to send people a thank you gift after inviting them to join. And then even the college librarian on the video mentioned above admitted that the students rarely used the Skype option they had set up. I messed around with EvaPhone and PokeTalk to try to make a local call, and then just got frustrated. I most likely will not revisit Skype or the like under normal circumstances. The video conferencing is amazing, but as far as making a phone call (or texting) goes, a cell phone works for me.

Thing #2 - Image Generators 2 (11.5 More Things)

2009-06-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

Wordle is way cool! I really had fun with this, and of course had to checkout every single font and play with the colors. I did one based on Barry's suggestion of listing every word that describes what our job as a librarian entails. I really do plan to print this out (poster size) and hang it on my office door. And I liked how you could change the layout of the words (horizontal, vertical, half & half, etc.) and if you like the horizontal layout, but you don't care for how the words are ordered, I found that if you change it to another layout (say vertical) and then change it back to horizontal, the words are in different spots, so you can mess with it and choose one where the important words are emphasised. I also plugged in my family blog website and almost started crying to see all the words that represent my family's life (Mia, soccer, Mimi, etc.). Amazing tool! Love it. A student could use this tool to summarize what was learned in a research project such as the Holocaust. Or, as mentioned copy and paste a paper that was written and it would be a great way to present the information (or could be used as a help tool when presenting a paper or book report to the class.

Wordsift is really amazing too! As far as school goes it can be used in the same manner as Wordle, bu via a projector so students can use the hotlinks. Again it would be perfect to present what was learned in something like a Holocaust project, as students could be linked to pictures and such as the person is presenting. The downfall would be all the hotlinks that come up for words that have nothing to do with content of the paper...

Glogster is really neat. I do think there is a different (better) kind of thinking going on by doing an online poster vs. a cardboard poster because there are so many different variables associated with Glogster (text, pictures, music, podcasting, videos, etc.). A lot more information can be imparted! And of course the kids are going to be more excited to do Glogster because they are technologically wired.

Bookr is neat. It could be used instead of a PowerPoint or Photostory to present a project. It does have its creative limitations though -- no sound, no changing colors or fonts, etc. However, the simplicity could be ideal for younger kids. And I like how you can easily email it to someone (a teacher). Unfortunately, I published my lame trial bookr project on the bookr site... enjoy!

Click this link to see my Wordle poster...

title="Wordle: Libraries2"> src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1028447/Libraries2"
alt="Wordle: Libraries2"
style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd">

Thing #1 - Registration (11.5 More Things)

2009-06-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

Just as technology doesn't replace the need for libraries, technology will never replace the need for teachers. The role of a teacher always has and will be that of a facilitator -- someone to point students in the right direction. In fact, technology enhances the need for both libraries and teachers, as they all go hand in hand. The information age is ever changing and can be very confusing. Libraries organize this information and teachers/librarians are there to impart it. I always said that I miss being in school because it kept me up on the ever changing technology. After graduate school in 2000 I would hear about things and not know what people were talking about. I haven't felt that way since I began working in SBISD because we have such an awesome library director who facilitates our continuous learning. Regarding the video, I think the role of the student is accurate (I am one), and the video is right on. And yes, a librarian can and SHOULD play the role of the teacher depicted in the video.

Magazine Cover

2008-11-17T08:40:00.000-08:00

Table 1 - Image Manipulation (Library Inservice 8/19/08)

2008-08-19T12:13:00.000-07:00

Here is an image I caputed from Discovery Education. It can be edited in a PowerPoint and text can be added for a presentation.

Healthy Body, Healthy Mind

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own.

Table 4 - Teacher Tube Video (Library Inservice 8/19/08)

2008-08-19T10:42:00.001-07:00

Below is a video from Teacher Tube that I discovered whenever I did the 23 Things. I thought I could actually use this as for lesson on evaluating websites, so here it is. I can also use it to revise the handout I have in my library on evaluating websites.

Table 3 - Photostory (Library Inservice 8/19/08)

2008-08-19T09:05:00.000-07:00

Here is another Photostory I created, but this time I added transition effects. These are pictures I downloaded from Flickr Creative Commons (which are pictures that do not have copyrights on them so anyone is allowed to use them). These are pictures of my husband's favorite things (next to the family, of course): Santa Fe, New York City, Napa Valley and, an English Bulldog. Enjoy...

Table 2 - Audacity (Library Inservice 8/19/08)

2008-08-19T08:02:00.001-07:00

Here is a song I downloaded from Incompetech.com and edited in Audacity. To get to Audacity on your district laptop go to: Start, Programs, Applications, Audacity. I chose the song from Imcopetech.com and saved it to My Music. Then I opened Audacity and browsed to find the file. Then I downloaded it to Audacity, edited, and then saved again under a new name (go to export as an MP3 file). Then I opened the library wiki created by Barry Bishop. The login is sbisd, sbisdlib. I clicked on the Sandbox Audio page and clicked edit. I downloaded my music file by clicking on the tree and browsing for the file. It then comes up in a box with a bunch of picures. Double click the file and it will come up in the wiki. Add words in the wiki if you want and click save. Below is the link to the wiki (webpage) to listen to my song.

http://sbisdlibraryfuture.wikispaces.com/Sandbox+Audio

Thing #23 - Summarize Your Thoughts about This Program

2008-08-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

1. My favorite discoveries or exercises on this program were learning about blogging, Flickr, online generators and Google Docs.

2. This program has assisted or affected my lifelong learning goals by making me want to continue to learn what's new out there.

3. One take-a-way or unexpected outcome of doing this program is that it encouraged me to invest in a really good digital camera. I had fun playing with the online generators and all the fun things you can do with photos. I have an older point and shoot digital camera that wasn't doing the job. Whenever I looked for a family photo to download into a photo album I found on Google Docs, my decision was made after only being able to find a couple pictures that didn't come out blurry (probably because of lighting issues or shutter speed). I have always been interested in photography and have wanted to take a class. I think doing this program (Flickr, online generators, Google Docs, etc.) inspired me to make the investment and I am loving my new camera (and free classes came with purchase from Wolf Camera)! I also want to continue to blog and am really encouraging my husband to do the same. He wants to blog about food and wine like some of the blogs he visits regularly, so I told him I would use my new camera to take pictures of his plates at restaurants! :) I also have found myself telling various people about what I've learned, and I'm looking forward to sharing this information with my staff as well.

4. As far as doing anything differently to improve upon this program's format or concept goes, I really feel like I was able to do this successfully because I have been (for whatever reason) exposed to a lot of this stuff already. For example, I have a MySpace page and spent a lot of time in the past learning about and fooling around with it, so I already had the background for html codes, etc. I also like technology and like to take advantage of the things I know about (PhotoShop, Publisher, etc.) and go to inservices to learn about them. I can really see how this course would have been difficult for those without the prior experience. Also, while there are numerous benefits for being able to do this at home and on a self-paced basis, there are so many different learning styles out there so if there was some way to try to cater to that, it may be more beneficial to some??? Managing time is difficult for some (who me?), so I would probably prefer periodic due dates (like in a traditional classroom setting).

5. If another discovery program like this was offered in the future, I would probably choose to participate (although I would manage my time better).

6. In ONE WORD or ONE SENTENCE I would describe my learning experience as "surprisingly fun."

7. Commenting...

Thing #22 Nings

2008-07-31T12:05:00.000-07:00

I really like the Texas Librarian Ning. I prefer it over the others because I guess I feel a sense of connection with everyone in the group being from Texas as opposed to anywhere. There are so many great uses for being a part of this kind of Ning. I think mostly just for discussion, collaboration and ideas. We tend to get into ruts and it's refreshing to be inspired by seeing another librarian's video or photos, or hearing about a good lesson or book display idea. And you might even make some new friends, or find your next TLA conference roomie!

Thing #21 - Podcasts and Audio Books

2008-07-31T11:16:00.001-07:00

This stuff is not only fun, but yet another affective teaching tool. I could spend a lot of time on these creations. I had fun making the PhotoStory below displaying the summer reading books for my school. Enjoy!

Thing #20 - YouTube, TeacherTube, and Zamzar

2008-07-29T13:02:00.000-07:00

I feel like a broken record, but I am such a visual learner and I think it's great to have access to all these videos at our fingertips! Of course a video isn't a new teaching tool by any means, but the wonderful thing about YouTube and TeacherTube is that the videos are not only easily accessible, but also free. I think the key to many of these videos is the way they are produced. For example, I think the relatively short fast-paced videos with fast music and pictures or quotes that rapidly flash on the screen are much more appealing than the long, slow-paced videos with slow playing music and/or boring narrators (Bueller, Bueller...), especially considering the generation of students we teach today (think video games). That's what I love so much about the CommonCraft videos -- they are fast-paced and to the point! I also noticed a lot of student projects found on TeacherTube. There seems to be a little out there for almost everything and everyone. Below is a moving video about the Holocaust created by a student.

Thing #19 - Web 2.0 Awards List

2008-07-29T11:37:00.000-07:00

Now we're having some fun! I explored I'm Cooked, the first place winner in the food catagory. This is a site for foodies and those aspiring to be the next Food Network star! First, I am a visual learner and I would much rather watch a video than to read instructions (which is one of the things I like about all these 2.0 things). I'm Cooked is basically a site containing thousands of videos that show regular people like you and me cooking a dish just like Rachel Ray (well, kind of)! You can also film and download videos of yourself cooking a dish! Now I am by no means a chef. I quit cooking several years ago whenever I started my master's program, and that's when my husband took over the kitchen -- and he has been the chef in our family ever since. However, I still love to eat food (and would consider myself a foodie), and I love watching some of the shows on the Food Network. I also don't mind cooking (in fact I used to bake all the time), but a lot of it is just being out of the habit, among other things. Even if you don't cook like me, the videos are entertaining and inspiring. You can also join groups and invite friends (like some of the other 2.0 sites). If you do nothing else, you must watch the coffee art video, which takes coffee making to a whole new level. Enjoy!

Thing #18 - Online Productivity Tools

2008-07-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, Google officially rocks my world! I checked out Google Docs and I cannot wait to utilize all the templates it offers (documents, spreadsheets, presentations, etc.). I spend so much time creating my own templates for things and this could save me some serious time. Here are just a few of the templates I found that could make life easier for people: fax covers, business cards, resumes, lost pet flyers(!), fantasy basketball standings predictor, home blood pressure monitor, baby feeding diary, emergency information for babysitters, recipe cards, and on and on and on. I got I played around with making a photo album of my family. I think I'm done with scrapbooking! There are so many benefits to using Google Docs verses Microsoft Office: (1) you don't have to purchase a program (it's free), (2) you can use any computer with Internet access to pull up your documents (and you don't have to worry about whether or not that computer has MS Office), (3) you can be a PC or MAC user, (4) other people can view your documents and collaborate, (5) you don't have to save your work to a flash drive, (6) it provides help videos (for the visual learner, like me), (7) the myriad of templates available (including research paper templates), and I'm sure I'll discover more. I guess the downside of using Google Docs as opposed to MS Office is... um... maybe... not sure. Well, there might be some font limitations (not too serious) and perhaps some other limitations I will discover in time, but overall, I think Microsoft is probably losing a little money!

Thing #17 - Rollyo

2008-07-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

This is really cool! I remember several years ago teachers doing this very thing on their own (kind of). Instead of allowing students to search the Internet, they would find websites on specific topics and create a web page with links to those sites for students to search. This is the same idea but better. And Rollyo has a lot of other features that can be explored. I can see this being extremely useful for teachers. As I was thinking about creating my own Searchroll I couldn't think of anything off the bat for my specific library (although I could easily come up with ideas for various disciplines), so I created a personal Searchroll for my daughter. She is five years old and likes to play games and do activities on various TV program websites (Playhouse Disney, Noggin, and PBS Kids). So I created a Searchroll with only those three websites. So now if my daughter only wants to find games/activities for Dora the Explorer, she can do that without going to the individual websites. Very cool. I even added it to my toolbar. I'm sure I will be able to think of other great Searchroll ideas in the future. I look forward to sharing this one with my teachers as I think some will find it really useful!

Thing #16 - Wikis

2008-07-29T07:26:00.000-07:00

This has been a good experience. Last year was my first year as a librarian in SBISD, and while I had been a school librarian for several years before, I'm embarrassed to say that (other than Wikipedia) I was not familiar with wikis. I can absolutely see the value in using them for so many different things. In the school setting I can see these being used between administrators, teachers that are on the same team or in the same department, librarians, and of course for student discussions and collaboration. I may even start up a wiki for students to discuss library books or other library issues. In Thing #15 I read about how future libraries need student input -- there you go! I REALLY like the CommonCraft videos and plan to use them this coming year to teach my students about wikis (and some other "things").

Thing #15 - Web 2.0, Library 2.0 and the Future of Libraries

2008-07-28T12:44:00.001-07:00

Away from the "icebergs..." Yes! Librarians look different these days and so should our collections, if that's even what we want to call them. I feel that a "just in case collection" (for finding information) is a waste of money for libraries. Don't get me wrong -- I don't believe that books are going away, which is apparent whenever you walk into any book store these days. We love books and always will (I personally would never choose read a novel if my only means for doing it was a computer). However, as far as education and acquiring information goes, information is hands down more quickly accessible via technology. Not only is it often a "one stop shopping experience," but by the time a book is published the information may already be out dated. I agree that with the lack of staff in libraries we certainly need to provide resources that require little training -- because librarians simply don't have the time! Plus, this generation of students is so technologically wired that they probably wouldn't respond as well to traditional forms of research, and yes, we have to meet them where they are -- both literally and philosophically. Librarians have to be willing to make learning these ever changing new technologies a priority (which is a big commitment)! If not, our libraries may be equivalent to the ones in the past that never had new books. I for one am ecstatic that the stereotype of the librarian is changing along with future libraries. We certainly can no longer be described as "bookish!" :)

Thing #14 - Technorati and How Tags Work

2008-07-28T10:30:00.001-07:00

I did a keyword search in Blog Posts (using exact phrase and all words) and in Tags -- both in the advanced search screen for "School Library Learning 2.0" and while the results weren't identical, they were similar. They both pulled up posts about web 2.0 things and they both pulled up videos about it. But of course the Tag search only pulled up posts that were specifically tagged "School Library Learning 2.0." (I can see where tags can be extremely useful, but I guess not everyone tags their posts). There may have been some overlapping sites (I saw the same video). I did a URL search and it pulled up the exact same things as a Tag search. I went to the Blog Directory and I did not see a keyword search, but clicked on "Web 2.0" under Technology. It pulled up blogs about Web 2.0 (not individual posts). Again, there may have been some overlapping as far as the blogs that came up, but I am not sure. Whenever I looked at Popular Blog, Searches & Tags, I noticed there were several blogs about technology (some of the same ones that came up in the Blog Directory under Web 2.0) under favorite blogs by fans and by authority. This shows what people are interested in and how they are spending their time. Technorati can assist me by helping me find blogs of interest as well as blogs having to do with my field. It is also a useful place for headlines and other information. I claimed my blog.

Thing #13 - Tagging and Discover Del.icio.us

2008-07-28T08:40:00.000-07:00

Now I understand tagging better. I think these social tagging sites are great - particularly because you can access them on any computer. I also like the fact that you can see how many people tagged certain sites (because you know there is something special or important about that site). For example, I clicked on a classical music tag and I saw a site that had an enormous amount of saves, so I clicked on it. It made perfect sense because it was a site for downloading free sheet music. I think del.icio.us is great for research because it kind of narrows the playing field and gets you to relevant sites faster. It would be a great tool for teachers to use as they can create groups and share resources. In Furl you can e-mail articles to people, etc. I really liked the look of Ma.gnolia even before I read the tutorial about the fact that they boast about the visual stimulation of their site. It is so true!

Thing #12 - Creating a Community Through Commenting

2008-07-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

I would say two important points about commenting are (1) making your comments meaningful, and (2) comment regularly on blogs you read often. Making comments that say "I agree," or "Right on!" seem to be in the same class as replying to an e-mail with "thanks!" or "OK." Unless those replies are solicited, it just breaks the rules of e-mail etiquette as it's a waste of time for the receiver. I never really thought about commenting regularly as a way to develop an online community, but it makes sense. And I learned that it also has other benefits, such as encouraging the blogger to keep blogging, as well as gaining traffic on your own blog. I found and commented on two blogs outside the Library2Play community. One was a young adult book review blog, the other was the blog of a young adult novelist (which I would love to be myself one day). Although I am not much of a blogger, those were two blogs I could see myself revisiting. And I can see where you would begin to start feeling as if you are getting to know that person through their postings.

Thing #11 - Library Thing

2008-07-25T08:32:00.000-07:00

Wow! This is pretty cool! It reminds me a little of Myspace or Facebook as far as the networking goes. I think my favorite thing about Library Thing is how you can add your favorite local bookstores or libraries, and it lists the upcoming events going on there. Just yesterday (before I started this "thing") my sister called me and asked where I was planning on purchasing Breaking Dawn (the 4th book in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, which comes out August 2nd), and which bookstore event sounded better. When Eclipse came out we went to the Eclipse Prom at Barnes & Noble, but regretted not going to the one at the Blue Willow Book Shop (which we caught the tail end of). Now all this information is at my fingertips. As far as the groups go, I probably won't join one because I would rather join a book club in which I can socialize with other people face to face. I spend enough time in front of the computer as it is (although I think it's a great option for other people). However, if I were to join a group, it would probably be Read LA Lit (considering the first couple of books listed as shared the most are the books I just cataloged in my Library Thing. I also found the Girlybooks group interesting. I also think it would be challenging and fun to join a group that would get you to read something you may not typically pick up. I look forward to sharing Library Thing with my sister!

Thing #10 - Online Image Generator

2008-07-24T19:19:00.001-07:00

I played around with various image generators and made some signs and other creations. I had also already made a trading card, a mosaic, and a Warholzer (using Big Huge Labs) for Thing #6. I could spend hours messing with this stuff. I was thinking I could make various traffic signs and put them around my library about the benefits of reading (Ex: "Caution: Reading will improve your vocabulary," or "Yield: Reading will improve your writing," etc.). I think I mentioned this in Thing #6, but you could also make a mosaic with pictures of recommended books. The fake magazine cover and movie poster would be useful for class projects. The sky is the limit.

The above image was created at www.imagechef.com

The above image was created at www.SignGenerator.org

Thing #9 - Useful Library-Related Blogs and Newsfeeds

2008-07-24T10:14:00.000-07:00

I am a Google girl because I love the simplicity of the search engine in general (no distractions all over the page), so it's probably no surprise that I prefer Google Blog Search for finding blogs, and find it the easiest for me to use. Topix.net was nice for locating local information by simply typing in a zip code. Edublogs' Award Winners is a nice place to go because there are just a handful of blogs to scroll through on various topics, and you know they are probably good and have a great following because they are award winners. School Library Blogs on Superglu was okay. Both of those sites are useful for reading blogs about my field. Syndic8.com was frustrating as it took forever to load. I was a little confused but had no desire to keep messing with it since it was so slow. Bloglines was okay -- I like how you can change your search to find feeds, posts, websites, or citations, etc. Technorati was confusing at first because of the busyness of it, but after getting to know it better in Thing #14 I found it a good place to find blogs (the tag search is good). Atomic Learning is a great resource for learning about feeds. As far as useful or unusual feeds go, I like the fact that you can locate videos in Technorati, I am also an entertainment junkie, so there are lots of things out there to get my celebrity scoop. :) As far as other news feeds go, I just find it easier to go through CNN.com for national news and Houston Chronicle.com for local - unless I am just really confused at this point -- which wouldn't be a big surprise! :)

Thing #8 - RSS Feeds and Readers

2008-07-22T11:10:00.000-07:00

I am not a big web surfer. That may sound ignorant, but it bores me - particularly because most of the time I cannot think of anything to "surf" for - and I generally only hit the web if I have a specific purpose (research, online shopping, etc.). My husband is a huge web surfer so I immediately thought the RSS feeds might prove to be more beneficial to him than myself. However, after doing this "thing" I found blogs that pertain to things I am interested in (which I had never done before) and added them to my Google Reader. For example, we are thinking about getting an English Bulldog, so I added a Bulldog blog. I also added a photography blog, some library blogs, CNN, etc. And I must be an over achiever because I even added more than five! I really like how it's all there in one place. Now I can sit down and peruse this instead of trying to figure out what to browse for! It's really going to guide me to information I would not normally seek out. For school use, teachers can add blogs pertaining to their discipline or even to Texas educators in general. Libraries can do the same (TLA, ALA, library blogs, etc.). I subscribe to a library listserv so now I am curious as to whether or not those posts can be added to my Google Reader. I showed my husband my Google Reader account thinking that he might be interested in creating one for himself, but he was not interested at all. He said he was all about being efficient, but he doesn't see what is so different about that than just keeping all your favorite blogs and news sites on your "Favorites" list on the tool bar. He is familiar with how all his websites are formatted and is comfortable perusing them in their various formats. That makes sense too. On the other hand, I'm sure Google Reader has a lot more options to take advantage of that I have not explored. Google Reader seems particularly useful if you are trying to access the feeds on a cell phone, etc. To each their own...

Thing #7 - Cool Google Tools

2008-07-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

I feel like I keep saying this, but COOL STUFF! Seriously though, what will they think of next? After viewing the various Google tools, I set up an iGoogle page and checked out all the gadgets, and I downloaded and explored Google Earth. WOW! The iGoogle page is so very cool. I particularly love how YouTube is right there, as well as access to the movie theater we go to. Then there's everything a Houston local needs to know (news, airport info, professional sports teams ,gas prices -- and the list goes on). I like a lot of the gadgets. My favorite is the desktop clock. I am always wishing the date was sitting at the bottom of my computer screen next to the time (why isn't it?), and I am always digging in my purse for my check register so that I can see a 12-month calendar. That is very useful to me. The calorie counter... not so much! :) I am also very "computer game illiterate" and spent a few minutes trying to figure out how to play one of the color games. I finally gave up after reading the directions four times! Oh well, I have better things to do anyway (and Solitaire - which I do know how to play - is always waiting in the wings). As far as educational purposes go, I would say that for a librarian it makes a good ready reference resource, and some of the gadgets can help one become a little more efficient. On a different note, Google Earth is pretty darn amazing! I located my current house, the house I grew up in, New York City, Santa Fe, and Dallas. I didn't know how many of my neighbors had pools in their backyards! The educational uses here are countless -- what with the sight seeing tours of the world, pictures of landmarks, restaurants, 3-D buildings, roads, etc., etc., etc. My students would have a ball with this one!

Thing #6 - Mashups and 3rd Party Sites

2008-07-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

I could spend hours playing with this stuff -- especially with pictures of my family. I made a mosaic, a trading card, a Warholizer, and a jigsaw puzzle using images of my husband and daughter (some of these done the first time I started Library2Play). You could use all sorts of these things for your library program. You could make trading cards for specific authors, make mosaics using the covers of books in various reading lists (Lone Star Books, etc. ), enlarge some of these images for cool bulletin boards (especially the author trading cards since there aren't posters of current authors like Stephenie Meyer), or add the created images to your library website or a Power Point. I'm inspired to really put some of these ideas into play!

Thing #5 - Flickr

2008-07-12T19:15:00.001-07:00

This inspires me to invest in a great camera and become a photographer! Lot's of cool stuff! I like to change my library website a lot and I am always looking for cute pictures to put on it for various holidays or library events. I can start going to Flickr for this. I did a search on "books" and found a ton of interesting Photos. I really liked the ones titled House of Books, The Fortress of Books and Book Shelf, which is the photo I downloaded of plain white books on plain white books shelves. I am not sure how I would use that one for my website, but the modern simplicity of photo just appeals to me. I do not know that I would ever join a group, or even share any my own photos on Flickr at this point, but it would be a great thing to share with my art teachers. The last time I explored this website I discovered links to other websites (like Zazzle) that allow you to do really neat things with your pictures. For example, you can order T-shirts, custom stamps or greeting cards with your pictures. I actually had a greeting card made with a picture of my daughter on her Grandpa's motorcycle (also posted). Great idea for Christmas cards and gifts!

Thing #4 - Register Your Blog

2008-07-12T17:59:00.000-07:00

I'm flying now...

Thing #3 - Setting Up Blog and Avatar

2008-07-12T17:01:00.000-07:00

This was SOOOO easy this time around because I did it before. However, I remember how long it took the first time! And I am a pro at the Avatar thing now since my 5-year-old daughter saw me doing it and wanted to play too. She now has her own Yahoo Avatars account!

Thing #2 - 7 1/2 Habits

2008-07-12T16:49:00.000-07:00

Of the 7 1/2 habits of highly successful lifelong learners, I would say the easiest one for me is #6 - using technology to my advantage. I love technology and I feel as if I'm missing out if I don't learn about all those new things out there. However,it can be a bit overwhelming and time consuming since it seems like every time you turn around there's something new out there. But the advantages are so great. What did we ever do without iPods? And how did we ever manage to wait a couple weeks to have our film developed? The hardest habit for me would be #3 - viewing problems as challenges. Let's face it, nobody feels like dealing with another problem. But it's also very true -- we probably learn more from the challenges we're forced to face than almost anything else. Viewing challenges as a learning opportunity does seem to make it better. I'll try and remember that the next time I lock my keys in the car! This may take some time! ;)

Thing #1 - Here We Go

2008-07-12T16:38:00.000-07:00

This is my second round of Library 2 Play (well, sort of). I started it last spring but didn't manage my time very well. The deadline caught up with me after Thing #5 so I withdrew myself from the game. Unfortunately, I missed out on one of those pretty little iPod Nanos for my library! But summertime is here and my days are a little bit more flexible. So... here we go (again)!