Well, no need to mention it. I won't have a problem keeping up with the Web 2.0 and the emerging Web 3.0 (didn't you know? They are already talking about that one!) It's part of the job and the reason I love being a 21st Century media specialist. It changes from day to day and every day, week, month there is something new to learn. The Web 2.0 is, like I said before, way too cluttered. Hopefully finances will gradually force some streamlining and the best of the bunch will rise, like the Phoenix, so we can all become... what? Web 3.0 experts?
Remember Lotus 1-2-3? Maybe it was before your time... but other spreadsheets cluttered the market until one, Excel, became the killer app to the point that very few use Lotus nowadays. And so the Web 2.0 apps will fizzle and die, and the survivors will become mainstreamed.
http://www.go2web20.net/ was an interesting page design. Gave me some ideas for my own website - design, that is, although the links are also interesting.
I need to remember about Webjunction - been there but keep forgetting to go back. Definitely a future stop. http://www.webjunction.org/1
Well, so long. I don't imagine I will continue this blog but there is always hope.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Thing 21 - Student 2.0 tools
I have been looking forward to this Thing because, as a media specialist in a high school, I feel this could be really helpful in my situation. So... I start.
The assignment calculator could be helpful to my seniors in the IB program. It really goes into too much detail for the student who is not college bound, and the thesis/argument focus of the research paper is not one I want to have to discuss or try to explain to a 9th grader. Still, for those students who are serious about research, this could be a great tool - help them write that dreaded extended essay.
The amount of reading necessary to use the calculator, though, is what makes this a self-study course in the research process, almost a class by itself. I am sure professors at universities spend time on the topic, but I am not sure how extensively this is covered in the IB program... a topic of research for me!
I have put a link to the Research Project Calculator in my media center webpage. I will introduce it to the group of students who will be coming in for career research - I like the email feature, but I wonder how many kids will feel they are being nagged first by their teachers and now by their computers!
http://rpc.elm4you.org/date.php
The teacher resources are fantastic! National Board candidates should be looking at these before writing their entries
http://rpc.elm4you.org/support_materials.php
Our district provides similar materials but I like the simplicity of these forms. The 5 step model (as opposed to the Big6) is generic enough that the forms could be used any place.
Well, this was just a bit short. Rewarding, but short. I have put the links to these in my blog just in case the NEFLIN page disappears and I am unable to find these again. Don't want to lose them!
The assignment calculator could be helpful to my seniors in the IB program. It really goes into too much detail for the student who is not college bound, and the thesis/argument focus of the research paper is not one I want to have to discuss or try to explain to a 9th grader. Still, for those students who are serious about research, this could be a great tool - help them write that dreaded extended essay.
The amount of reading necessary to use the calculator, though, is what makes this a self-study course in the research process, almost a class by itself. I am sure professors at universities spend time on the topic, but I am not sure how extensively this is covered in the IB program... a topic of research for me!
I have put a link to the Research Project Calculator in my media center webpage. I will introduce it to the group of students who will be coming in for career research - I like the email feature, but I wonder how many kids will feel they are being nagged first by their teachers and now by their computers!
http://rpc.elm4you.org/date.php
The teacher resources are fantastic! National Board candidates should be looking at these before writing their entries
http://rpc.elm4you.org/support_materials.php
Our district provides similar materials but I like the simplicity of these forms. The 5 step model (as opposed to the Big6) is generic enough that the forms could be used any place.
Well, this was just a bit short. Rewarding, but short. I have put the links to these in my blog just in case the NEFLIN page disappears and I am unable to find these again. Don't want to lose them!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Thing 20 - Books 2.0
"confessing that he now found it difficult to read long books. " (because he is reading too much on line) Interesting... I feel that way sometimes, especially when I can't finish a book. Used to be I read from cover to cover. Now if the book doesn't grab me in the first two chapters, chances are it will not be read.
"One early study showed that giving home Internet access to low-income students appeared to improve standardized reading test scores and school grades. “These were kids who would typically not be reading in their free time,” said Linda A. Jackson, a psychology professor at Michigan State who led the research. “Once they’re on the Internet, they’re reading.” More power to them, I say!
I have looked at the Kindle, but I feel it's too much to pay for a book reader. My iPhone downloads books on demand (even Kindle formatted books) but I have yet to read any of them - screen too small, time not just there to squint. I checked ebay for the first Kindle - still at $250 or so, so no go there either. I will wait and see if it takes off. I'd love to be able to try it out and, perhaps, I'll purchase one for my library just to have accesses? I see Amazon allows libraries to lend these out to patrons. Perhaps a grant or a SAC request will provide access - of course, the issue of book purchases still remains since I lack the required institutional credit card for purchases like this. Hurray for red tape!
http://www.tx2ph.com offers books online that can be downloaded a bit at a time - really backwards technology if you ask me. I have downloaded a few books to my iPhone, like I said before, using some of the iPhone apps. This works a lot better.
"One early study showed that giving home Internet access to low-income students appeared to improve standardized reading test scores and school grades. “These were kids who would typically not be reading in their free time,” said Linda A. Jackson, a psychology professor at Michigan State who led the research. “Once they’re on the Internet, they’re reading.” More power to them, I say!
I have looked at the Kindle, but I feel it's too much to pay for a book reader. My iPhone downloads books on demand (even Kindle formatted books) but I have yet to read any of them - screen too small, time not just there to squint. I checked ebay for the first Kindle - still at $250 or so, so no go there either. I will wait and see if it takes off. I'd love to be able to try it out and, perhaps, I'll purchase one for my library just to have accesses? I see Amazon allows libraries to lend these out to patrons. Perhaps a grant or a SAC request will provide access - of course, the issue of book purchases still remains since I lack the required institutional credit card for purchases like this. Hurray for red tape!
http://www.tx2ph.com offers books online that can be downloaded a bit at a time - really backwards technology if you ask me. I have downloaded a few books to my iPhone, like I said before, using some of the iPhone apps. This works a lot better.
Thing 19 - Other Social Networks
WebJunction has grown leaps and bounds since the last time I visited. Back then it was just a skeleton of a social network; right now it is overwhelming in variety and professional offerings. I found the 31 things to do with Flicker in your library and may actually implement one of those; watched a couple of videos about the new spaces in libraries. I was disappointed that there is little for high school media specialists, though. I guess I need to start a thread.
A while back somebody invited me to register at https://www.linkedin.com/, but, honestly, I am having a hard time keeping up with Facebook alone, so I am not signing up for anything else. At some point some of this clutter will disappear and it will hopefully be easier to keep up.
Social networks are what bulletin boards used to be when the web first started. At the time I belonged to a few groups (now Google bought out the archives and calls them groups) and my posts are still out there in cyberspace someplace. So I am going to decline the offer to join any of the new social groups, mostly because having to GO to the site is much less convenient than having the messages delivered to my mailbox. Yes, I could turn the feeds on, but then my already cluttered mailbox will be impossible to read.
I have bookmarked the TeacherLibrarian Ning. I feel that, like a lot of these social experiments, these will be swallowed by groups in Facebook or MySpace since these sites get a lot more traffic. But it will be interesting to go back in a month or so, just to see if things have changed.
I think Jim Louderback sums up my opinion of these networks :-)
A while back somebody invited me to register at https://www.linkedin.com/, but, honestly, I am having a hard time keeping up with Facebook alone, so I am not signing up for anything else. At some point some of this clutter will disappear and it will hopefully be easier to keep up.
Social networks are what bulletin boards used to be when the web first started. At the time I belonged to a few groups (now Google bought out the archives and calls them groups) and my posts are still out there in cyberspace someplace. So I am going to decline the offer to join any of the new social groups, mostly because having to GO to the site is much less convenient than having the messages delivered to my mailbox. Yes, I could turn the feeds on, but then my already cluttered mailbox will be impossible to read.
I have bookmarked the TeacherLibrarian Ning. I feel that, like a lot of these social experiments, these will be swallowed by groups in Facebook or MySpace since these sites get a lot more traffic. But it will be interesting to go back in a month or so, just to see if things have changed.
I think Jim Louderback sums up my opinion of these networks :-)
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Thing 18 - Facebook and MySpace
Yes and yes.
Have both..
Use Facebook exclusively, but check on MySpace once in a blue moon.
I can see how these can be helpful for Media Specialists, to promote the media center. Problem is, we can't use this at school nor are we comfortable making friends with students - legal issues and all, mentioned earlier in an in-between post.
I joined the ALA group, the Library 2.0 interest group and Facebook AppsForLibraries in Facebook using my family/personal account. As a rule reject any requests to befriend me unless I know the person in question, so I guess I can't be your friend - don't be crushed, nothing personal!
Here is MySpace URL: http://www.myspace.com/crazymom1128. I will accept your request if you make one!
The 7 Things you should know about Facebook pdf documents is a bit outdated. Still, it shows an potential use of Facebook I had not anticipated - purposefully using the site to research a trip. TripAdvisor and Lonely Planet are two sites I would think of as having more appeal for this purpose.
The Askthelibrarian.org video contest winners were cute. The site, of course, is not updated every day and that is unfortunate because both Facebook and MySpace keep close tabs on the last time information was changed or posted. Like any other web presence, these social networking places need to be kept up to date or else they fall to the bottom of the 200+ friend lists.
I think these is a SOCIAL use for these sites and I can't imagine my busy college students or even recent graduates using the sites forever. The pages are too fluid, the sites keep changing the main pages, there is little control on content (how do you control what somebody posts on your wall???) and I am not sure these will ever be appropriate to use with the under 18 crowd.
Have both..
Use Facebook exclusively, but check on MySpace once in a blue moon.
I can see how these can be helpful for Media Specialists, to promote the media center. Problem is, we can't use this at school nor are we comfortable making friends with students - legal issues and all, mentioned earlier in an in-between post.
I joined the ALA group, the Library 2.0 interest group and Facebook AppsForLibraries in Facebook using my family/personal account. As a rule reject any requests to befriend me unless I know the person in question, so I guess I can't be your friend - don't be crushed, nothing personal!
Here is MySpace URL: http://www.myspace.com/crazymom1128. I will accept your request if you make one!
The 7 Things you should know about Facebook pdf documents is a bit outdated. Still, it shows an potential use of Facebook I had not anticipated - purposefully using the site to research a trip. TripAdvisor and Lonely Planet are two sites I would think of as having more appeal for this purpose.
The Askthelibrarian.org video contest winners were cute. The site, of course, is not updated every day and that is unfortunate because both Facebook and MySpace keep close tabs on the last time information was changed or posted. Like any other web presence, these social networking places need to be kept up to date or else they fall to the bottom of the 200+ friend lists.
I think these is a SOCIAL use for these sites and I can't imagine my busy college students or even recent graduates using the sites forever. The pages are too fluid, the sites keep changing the main pages, there is little control on content (how do you control what somebody posts on your wall???) and I am not sure these will ever be appropriate to use with the under 18 crowd.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Thing 17 - Podcasts
Again...not new. I have produced a couple, downloaded a ton, subscribed to too many - never enough time to watch the vodcasts, the iPhone makes it easy to listen to the podcasts on the way to work. I also found spoken books on iTunesU, so I am hesitantly embarking in Thing 17... is there anything new for me to explore?
I subscribe to the Maccore
http://themaccore.com/
about all the things Mac. They don't produce regularly, which fits my busy schedule just fine.
Also, the video podcast (vodcast) Ask the Techies
http://askthetechies.com/
is one of my favorites - again, heavy emphasis on the Mac platform, but lots of shows that are cross or Windows based.
.....
Another subscription... waiting for the link to activate the account...
later.....
mail problems.....
Ok, waited one day. I think that is enough podcasting for me this weekend :-)
I subscribe to the Maccore
http://themaccore.com/
about all the things Mac. They don't produce regularly, which fits my busy schedule just fine.
Also, the video podcast (vodcast) Ask the Techies
http://askthetechies.com/
is one of my favorites - again, heavy emphasis on the Mac platform, but lots of shows that are cross or Windows based.
.....
Another subscription... waiting for the link to activate the account...
later.....
mail problems.....
Ok, waited one day. I think that is enough podcasting for me this weekend :-)
Thing 16 - Youtube
Well, before I even start I am going to question the inclusion of this popular website in this exercise. I think one needs to be a non-techy hermit not to be familiar with this site... let me go see what the assignment is.. maybe I will learn something I didn't know!
What??? No teachertube.com or schooltube.com????? I am surprised the list of 62 video sharing sites doesn't include these, which are moderated and appropriate for school use. Plus still not filtered by the state.
When I first started this blog, I shared a video link to my favorite Gators video so I will refer you back to my things 2 and 3... somewhere in between I managed to squeeze a video from Youtube...
I uploaded a video to schooltube, which was a chore since it needed to be re-coded from mov to a flash format. This took FOREVER in the decoder and it wasn't such a hot video to begin with... so I am going to decline the challenge at this time, mostly because I am behind in my 23 things and I want to see what's ahead that I haven't tried yet.
What??? No teachertube.com or schooltube.com????? I am surprised the list of 62 video sharing sites doesn't include these, which are moderated and appropriate for school use. Plus still not filtered by the state.
When I first started this blog, I shared a video link to my favorite Gators video so I will refer you back to my things 2 and 3... somewhere in between I managed to squeeze a video from Youtube...
I uploaded a video to schooltube, which was a chore since it needed to be re-coded from mov to a flash format. This took FOREVER in the decoder and it wasn't such a hot video to begin with... so I am going to decline the challenge at this time, mostly because I am behind in my 23 things and I want to see what's ahead that I haven't tried yet.
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