23 Things - Thing #21

AND IT WORKS! I don't know what I did differently this time, but all that matters, is it works! Yippee!!!

23 Things - Thing #23

I have really enjoyed this experience on Library2Play. At first, it was overwhelming, but now I truly do see the value in it. I have learned a lot of useful information for me both personally and to use in the classroom/library. One of my favorite tasks was creating the blog. I had fun with this, especially creating my own avatar. I also appreciated the chance to review Library Thing again. I had previously heard about it and had every intention of signing up. Thanks to this exercise, that's one I can check off my list. I also found Rollyo interesting. I know I will using it this school year.

Every exercise I worked through had its level of challenge. Some were easier than others, and I am actually still trying to upload my Photostory to Thing #21. That was difficult and still is, but I am working through it. I am not sure if it is a computer issue or human error, but I will go forth and conquer.

I think that going through this program and learning new things about technology and its capabilities has given me a thirst for more. I want to know what else there is, and I know there is probably a lot more to learn. If there was another opportunity to participate in something like this again, I think I would be very agreeable to it. Although time consuming, it is well worth it.

If I were to sum up this experience in one sentence, I would say: Library2Play is Web 2.0 at it's best, so take a chance and play.

23 Things - Thing #22

After exploring different Nings, I thought that the Ning for Teachers was the most user friendly. It was attractive and easy to search. I really liked the "Find Teachers" and "Sharing Lessons" features.

Ning seems to be a great concept for the classroom. I like the fact that you can keep it totally private and have the option to allow others on to your Ning by invitation only. I think a Ning has multiple uses for many different subjects. For Language Arts, it could be a community that discusses all the books read in one school year, or a place to share ideas for projects. The possibilities are numerous.

23 Things - Thing #21

Blood, sweat, tears, and still no video upload. I can't seem to get this to work. I have tried for two days with no success. I even recruited my husband who is a computer geek, at home and work. We researched it, which it appears that this is a common problem. We converted the video to many different formats, which according to Blogger are acceptable. Again, no success and very frustrating. I really think that Blogger has a glitch in the system.

The only other option I could think of was putting the video on "You Tube" and downloading the embed code, which I know works. However, my photostory that I created is of my family, and this is not something I wish to share with the world. Oh, what to do?

Anyway, I will keep trying before I get to Thing #23. I did, however, have great success and fun creating my photostory. Too bad I can't share.

23 Things - Thing #20

I went to Teacher Tube, because most of the time, You Tube is blocked at my school. I would rather spend time searching through something that I can use. I typed in Language Arts in the search box, and it listed quite a few videos about grammar and parts of speech. To me, this was a great find because some times it is difficult to get students motivated about these things. I actually found a video of a mystery storyboard about "noun" disappearing. In the story, somewhat like Clue, all the other parts of speech are blaming each other for "noun" missing. In a cute way, it tells how each part of speech is dependent on "noun" or each other.

23 Things - Thing #19

After browsing through the Web 2.0 Awards List, I was very impressed with the various tools available for users. I have used some of these tools before. One of my favorites is Hair Mixer. My daughter and I have actually played around with this one before. She always has such a good time. Who wouldn't want to try on Paris Hilton for a new look?

I like the easy access provided on the Web 2.0 Awards List page. Since everything is categorized, it is easy to find the tool you are looking for. Obviously, these have been chosen to be the best in their category, so I feel comfortable using these sites personally and in the classroom (if not blocked). For schools and libraries, I can see using the bookmarking, books, collaborative writing, and mapping applications sites. These are all good for various content areas.

For me personally, I looked into the genealogy sites. I am interested in genealogy because we have been working on my mom's family tree for quite some time now. The family tree dates back to the 1800's. Her family used GenoPro, a program you can purchase to complete your family tree. Right now there are over 850 different Irish families listed. However, I like the sites on Web 2.0. Ancestry.com is very interesting. If you go to birth records and type in your information, guarantee you will be listed there. It's kind of scary! In fact, not only was my birth record there, but my marriage certificate was also available, for a fee of course.

23 Things - Thing #18

I explored Google Docs and liked many of the features available with this product. It is very similar to Microsoft Office; however, Google Docs allows for sharing documents to be edited without having to send in an email as an attachment. This is great for receiving instant and continual feedback on your document. There is even real time collaboration which allows you to see the document actually being edited. There is also the capability to chat during this process. Google Docs also has added new items such as the Drawing application, which allows for the use of charts and graphs. One of the disadvantages to this program is that it is internet based, so if for some reason your internet service is suspended or temporarily unavailable you will not be able to use this product. Microsoft Office is part of your computer's software, so access is always available for the most part.

23 Things - Thing #17

Rollyo was just the tool I have been looking for. This will make my life so much easier. I teach at an alternative campus, and the schedule for the day is somewhat different than a traditional campus. Our students come to us for a limited time period (3, 5, 10, or 15 days), and eventually return to their home campus. These students are here for behavioral issues. Each morning, students will report to their assigned teacher for Concepts class, which is similar to a homeroom. During this period, teachers are free to teach any lesson they choose for any subject matter. This class is only 40 minutes, but it is a time to check in new students to the campus, which happens on a daily basis. The students who are already well into their assigned days need something to do during this period. Last year, I chose to utilize this time for students to research current events on the computer. I did my best to keep it organized, but for the most part, students immediately searched Google. This was not exactly my first choice, but now with Rollyo I can tailor the students' searches. I created a new Rollyo for "Current Events" using both age appropriate and student friendly sites. I am truly excited about using this next school year.

Here is the link to my Rollyo:

Rollyo-Current Events

23 Things - Thing #16

I like the use of the term "sandbox" to indicate a spot in a wiki for discovery and play. I feel that this is what a wiki is all about. The participants have the opportunity to discover and learn about new things and even comment on things they may already know. It is just a great way to create conversation and discussion in an online community.

For the classroom, wikis are wonderful collaboration tools. The first time I was introduced to a wiki was last fall semester in one of my first graduate courses. The term was somewhat foreign to me, but as I have had time to work and play in wikis, I can see how useful they can be. Reviewing some of the curriculum connections for wikis listed on the Library2Play page I have found some new ideas that I had not thought of before. I really like the collaborative note taking, which is excellent for all subject areas. I have never used a wiki in my own teaching, but this is something I plan to incorporate into my lessons next school year. I think wikis in a language arts class can be used for research purposes, for sharing a booktalk, and maybe even for critical analysis on a novel.

23 Things - Thing #15

The online article from a 2006 OCLC Newsletter entitled, "Where will the next generation Web take libraries" by Tom Storey was very interesting. I think we must all ask this question. With the endless changes to technology, it is essential that we as librarians change along with it and accept new challenges. The 2.0 world is here, and we must embrace it or be left behind.

I also really liked what Michael Stephens states about the 2.0 world and librarianship. His idea of the librarian as the "strategy guide" just reiterates the fact that librarians will need to adapt to the new changes for their survival in the 2.0 world. According to Stephens (2006), "this librarian does not create policies and procedures that impede users’ access to the library." I think when we are thinking of the 2.0 world that we cannot deny the fact that access is important. Information is everywhere, and librarians need to be able to help users get the information they need. I also agree with him when he says, "this librarian seeks out information and news that may impact future services." Being at the top of the game and being able to realize what's going to be the latest and greatest will really work to the advantage of the librarian. We have to stay above the learning curve in order to help support and facilitate information literacy. I felt that Stephens has provided us with a new profile of what a librarian should be in 2.0.

Stephens, M. (2006). Into a new world of librarianship. The OCLC Newsletter. Retrieved June 25, 2010 from http://www.oclc.org/nextspace/002/3.htm

Storey, M. (2006). Web 2.0: Where will the next generation Web take libraries? The OCLC Newsletter. Retrieved June 25, 2010 from http://www.oclc.org/nextspace/002/1.htm

23 Things - Thing #14

Technorati was an interesting site. At first, I found the site a little difficult to navigate. Also, I did not think the site was very appealing. It did not catch my eye. Now if I was to use this site, I would find it easier to go directly to Tags to find what I am looking for. I am discovering that Tags make your search quicker.

I tried to find the most popular blogs on this site; however, this section was under construction. It did direct you to the Top Video Blogs. What I found out was that the Top 5 were mostly blogs about technology. There was one news blog and one celebrity gossip/news blog. When I looked at Tags, the most popular had everything to do with the BP Oil Spill. There was also Tags about Barack Obama, World Cup, and Politics. For the most part, I am starting to like the idea of tagging. I think it is a great way to organize information quickly.

23 Things - Thing #13

Love del.icio.us! This would be very helpful to me, because as they said in the video "Bookmarks" on the web browser is the old way of doing it and it tends to be unorganized. This is my problem. I have tons of bookmarks, but I always have to scroll down the list to find what I am looking for. By assigning each bookmark a tag, I can find things quicker. I decided I have a new project. I am going to clean up my bookmarks and move them to del.icio.us.

I can see how this could be useful in both the classroom and library. If teachers want students to find a website that they would like the students to research, the teachers could simply have the students find it on the social bookmarking page. I just feel this might be a better way to access materials on the internet that help support the curriculum. Librarians could use this site with other teachers to collaborate on new projects.

23 Things - Thing #12

I read through all the articles on commenting on blogs. I really liked the article entitled "Ten Techniques to Get More Comments on your Blog." The first two techniques I thought were the best, Invite Comments and Ask Questions. These seem very likely that your chances of getting a response are better. I also appreciated the comment made by Blue Skunk that if someone responds to your blog to be polite and respond back at least with a thank you. I feel that this strategy will definitely keep others posting on your blog. It's nice to be acknowledged.

I found two interesting blogs using a Google Blog Search that I actually responded to. One was called "The Goddess Blogs." Today, June 23rd, she posted a blog about libraries as essential services and how public libraries are suffering cut backs due to the economy. She was interested in others sharing their experiences about going to the public library as children. All of the comments were heartfelt. Another blog I commented on was the "Free Range Librarian." This is a general blog about librarianship. On June 19, ALA Conference Tips were posted. I found these to be quite useful, which I wished I would have had before going to TLA Conference in San Antonio. These could have proved to be useful there too. I felt so lost at the conference.

23 Things - Thing #11

I am really glad I was able to finally join Library Thing. I had heard about this in another graduate class and had every intention of joining. The time escaped me.

I am so happy that I now have a place to log all of the books that I read and want to read. I am an avid reader and always have a book in my hand. It will be interesting to keep up with how many books I am able to read in a year's time.

I also think Library Thing will be great for reading reviews from other participants. I am always interested in finding the next best thing.

I was looking at the different groups available to join, and luckily, there was one for Historical Fiction. This is my favorite genre to read.

23 Things - Thing #10

I really had a lot of fun completing this exercise. I enjoyed seeing the many different formats for creating an image. My favorite was the Dummies Book Cover Maker. I also tried using the Comic Strip Creator and the Danger Label Maker. All of these sites allow you to be creative without all the work. These tools can be used in various ways in the classroom and/or library. For a science class, students can use the Danger Label Maker to help create signs specifically for the lab. Comic Strip Creator is good for all classes. I have actually used something similar. Students in my class created comic strips based on a narrative story they wrote.

23 Things - Thing #9

The search tool that I found to be the easiest and most user-friendly was Edublog. Everything was in a organized list, and it was easy to find what I was interested in. Google Blog Search is okay, but you really have to know what you're looking for. It can be quite overwhelming.

Syndic8.com was very confusing. I had great difficulty finding anything, and to me, the home page was not very appealing.

I found both useful and unsual feeds. Useful feeds from Edublog that I added to my Google Reader were Free Technology for Teachers and Creating Lifelong Learners. Since Topix.net directs you to the community you live in when you open the website, I was given various feeds about Deer Park. There was one called dpisd sucks. Of course, being a parent of a child who goes to school in Deer Park, I had to check it out. Interesting information being shared; however, I am not sure how valid since these are strictly opinions. I just thought it was in bad taste to read blogs mentioning specific schools and teachers' and/or administrators' names. Quite frightening!

23 Things - Thing #8

I think what I like about RSS and readers is the convenience of having everything located in one spot. It seems more logical to use Google Reader to keep track of various blogs that one might follow instead of bookmarking each page. I actually chose to follow these blogs:

The Goddess of YA Literature
YA Author's Cafe
A Library By Any Other Name
Kathy Schrock
Cool Cat Teacher

Google Reader would be a fantastic tool to use in the classroom. I know as a language arts teacher this might be great for a year long school project where students keep track of various blogs about YA Literature. This would also be useful for keeping up with the latest and greatest in technology, especially since it is changing constantly.

Teachers, librarians, and administrators can equally use Google Reader for various reasons. Teachers and librarians can use it to stay current in their profession. Administrators could do the same, but it might even be useful to have their faculty keep a Google Reader account so that they can share pertinent articles that will help with campus needs.

23 Things - Thing #7

Cool Google Tools just shows how Google can be a very useful tool. There are many different aspects of Google that seem relevant to the classroom. I love Google Earth. I know that one of the Social Studies teachers on my campus uses this on a regular basis. He always has the application open so that when the class is discussing a location, he can show the class where this is located. I also saw this being used in my daughter's art class at Kids U at UHCL. In her class, the students were studying the Italian Renaissance, and the teacher used Google Earth to show students the architecture of famous buildings in Italy.

I also tried Google Alerts. I wanted to be sent anything that had to do with Collaborative Library Lessons when available. This is great since I will be able to keep a file of any articles that are sent to me about this topic. This will prove useful in the future.

23 Things - Thing #6

I really liked Thing #6--mash-ups. I can see how this tool would be very useful in the library. The library could use Trading Cards to create book marks to give away. These would be really fun if they had pictures of teachers advertising their favorite books.

The librarian could also use mash-ups as a way to create collaborative lessons with teachers. For Social Studies, I think Mappr would be a great tool for students to map important events that they are studying. Also, mash-ups could be used with art classes. Both Flickr Color Pickr and Mosaic Maker would be great for this.

23 Things - Thing #5

Flickr seems like a wonderful program for sharing photos, especially for artists and photographers wanting feedback about their work. I would personally be hesitant about putting my photos on Flickr even though you can set privacy settings. I always try to be careful about sharing things such as this. As a librarian or teacher, I can see where I might try using Creative Commons as an alternative to Google Images. I like that each picture has a license condition, so that the user knows how it can be applied.

23 Things - Thing #3

You know creating a blog for the first time was not as difficult as I thought it would be. I actually had a lot of fun doing it. Being able to design my own page was exciting, especially creating my Avatar. I really like being outdoors and being one with nature, so I designed my page with a gardening theme. At first , it was difficult coming up with a blog name and title. I was just sitting there looking at this page with absolutely no idea what to do; however, after I figured it out, it was pretty much smooth sailing from that point on. Although the Avatar gave me a few headaches while trying to upload it to the blog page, thanks to some classmates, I can now do that very easily on my own. Overall, it was not the scary experience I was expecting. It really was great. This is going to be so useful for me in the classroom as well as the library.

23 Things - Thing #2

I really enjoyed listening and watching the tutorial for 7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Life Long Learners. I identified with quite a few of these, but I would say the easiest habit for me is Habit 2, "accepting responsibility for your own learning." This is easy for me because I am a very curious person; therefore, there are things I want to know and try. I put the forth the effort to learn new things all the time. If I don't know something, I ask or do the research on my own.

Probably the most difficult habit for me is Habit 3, "view problems as challenges." I guess sometimes I get caught up in a problem and tend to over react when it is not necessary. I am getting better at remaining calm and accepting the problem as a challenge, but it is a work in progress. I am slowly learning to accept that there is no problem that I can't handle. I am definitely not as intense as I use to be in this situation. Thank goodness, because patience has its reward.