I'm a producer?!?
Check out my first Animoto video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIBLiMt-Hkc
What's with the cheese?
Sorry! It was very cheesy, wasn't it! It's because I'm getting married this Saturday, August 1st... so, I'm in that daydreamy mode right now. Most cheeses are pretty easy to slice. So was Animoto. I just got these engagement pics a few days ago from the photographer, so, I had to reduce the size of the pictures to ensure faster upload. I don't own any photo software so, I used Gimp, which is a free open source photo editor. I found this Animoto to be easier than Flickr when it came to reordering the pictures and adding text. I thought it was great that Animoto offerred a selection of music to choose from. I love the different edits they make for you each time with the same pictures even! I found the product to be better than what my skills would allow me in Moviemaker. However, because I was only using the free option I was limited to 30 seconds and I couldn't edit parts of the songs I wanted. But I'm not complaining. I am sending the link of this video to everyone. It was so fun to see what I "produced".
VoiceThread
Unlike Animoto which is an entertainment tool my mind, I think VoiceThread is more of an academic tool. I like the flexibility of adding a video, pictures, or documents onto VoiceThread anyone or those you invite can doodle on it or add comments in various ways (voice, phone, text, webcam). I think of this tool as a whiteboard plus skype. This is great for explaining concepts. Sometimes you just want to point something out because the other party is just not understanding or not seeing what you want them to see. I also like how this is not done via realtime and so, it can be opened up later and participation is still possible despite time zones or busy schdules, etc. There are so many 1 minute clips that VoiceThread offers, that it is easy to use this tool.
One teacher created a novel study project using VoiceThread and noticed that it was important to practice using Web 2.0 tools formally in the classroom. "Although the students were comfortable creating online content, they struggled to create content with an academic focus and tone appropriate for an academic task. The informality was particularly a problem when they recorded the narrative. The same studnts who regularly engaged in formal class presentations in other media struggled to record scholary presentations in VoiceThread." (A PRE-READING VOICETHREAD: Death Comes for the Archbishop. By: Bomar, Shannon. Knowledge Quest, Mar/Apr2009, Vol. 37 Issue 4, p26-27) This goes back to our group 1 discussion question#3 about whether or not it is important for students to use Web 2.0 tools in the classroom. As this teacher pointed out, it is necessary because these students need to practice this transition as they reach the career world and they have to write emails, memos, make presentations - they can't just use the informal tone they are used to from leisure participation of online applications.
So what does Social Multimedia mean for students and Teachers?
-"Animoto will create a wave of excitement among most middle and high school students who enjoy incorporating digital photography into a high-tech video production."
-"For teachers and librarians who are looking to introduce instructional units, showcase ideas, or frame concepts with a musical element, Animoto will easily allow even the "technologically-challenged" to create high-tech productions that will amaze."
(ANIMOTO. By: Brisco, Shonda. School Library Journal, Jul2008, Vol. 54 Issue 7, p64-64)
-VoiceThread adds a new twist to visual presentations like Powerpoint as well as allowing students to work asynchronously on projects and at home
I think applications like Animoto and VoiceThread are the future. It doesn't have just one purpose like posting and watching videos or only producing podcasts. It's a mixture of many things. Social multimedia tools make "the work" more fun. For example, when working on a poster for a presentation and colouring or cutting pasting paper is not as fun as listening to music and selecting which one fits your slideshow.
As McPherson states, "[o]ne of the many challenges faced by teacher-librarians wanting to develop their student's new and multiple information literacies, is the process of locating engaging, cost effective, intuitive learning technologies." (Mashing Literacy. By: McPherson, Keith. Teacher Librarian, Jun2008, Vol. 35 Issue 5, p73-75) By golly, our choices are endless now!
Implications for the classroom and library
I feel like every week we learn a new tool and many of the class activities can be modified for each tool. I think I've been looking at this question incorrectly. It's not so much what kind of activities could you come up with for this tool, but it's more like which online skill do I want my students to focus on next with this next activity or project. I've come to this idea because VoiceThread and Animoto is a complex tool yet so easy to use! In some ways easier than others! I mean you can post videos on Youtube, but you can't make one on there. With Animoto, I would use it for activities about visuals, tone and mood. The music function is quite powerful in explaining what the pictures are portraying. With VoiceThread, I would use it to emphasize on how powerful communication is since there are so many forms to communicate your opinion with VoiceThread including the doodling tool.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Wikis
What I know is What You know
Working together to share knowledge has never been easier. Wikis allow anyone or only members or certain people you allow to edit and add to your pages. You can also set the viewer settings on your pages to be public, private, etc.
Please forgive my wickiedness...
The most common wiki would be Wikipedia. It's a wonderful wealth of knowledge. So many experts maintain the pages as well as contribute to it. I'd have I was wrong with what I was teaching my students about Wikipedia this past year. As you already know, I was only training to be a teacher-librarian this year. I was teaching my English 12 class about which online resources are reliable sources. A veteran English 12 teacher of 15 years advised me to make sure that I tell my students that Wikipedia is not a legitimate resource because in the past she has edited the pages with wrong information to prove a point to her students about how it is not reliable because anyone can edit the information. She said it took about 2-3 weeks before someone found that information. With her experience so much greater than mine and it was only my first year of teaching English 12, I passed on this information to my students.
Now that I have learned more about Wikipedia, I would have to change my mind about it. I think it is a reliable source. I think the key is... the information was corrected in the end. Plus there are so many wiki entries that not every page will have an error. Even then, our students should be using more than one source to confirm the information they are retrieving. So, I think it's a great place to start for students to gain background knowledge of their research topics. I also like the language level used on the sites and I think my students enjoy it as well because it's user friendly and my ESL/EFL students can understand it.
My Wiki: http://mapleleaflibraryskills.wikispaces.com/
Picking which wiki to use was quite simple with the help of wikimatrix which compares many different wikis' services. I picked the one that offered the most for K-12 Educators. I like the idea of being able to create 100 new wiki users for my students.
A Wiki? So what? I've seen it all before!
When I was going through my wiki tutorials, I had my doubts... How is this different from a blog? I am adding information on this page, adding links, etc... I guess the key was other could edit this page. Then I asked myself how is this different from Google Docs? Google Docs allows you to share pages with users as well. Perhaps it's the idea that it can be public? As I worked more with the pages, I realized that the navigation and how every page is connected to the main page is what makes wikis great. The layout is simple and similar to a blog. So, it was easy to navigate through the options, select my settings etc. I did have troubles with the navigation bar. I created a page for "Common Online Research Skills" at first. Then I created a second page called "What's a Research Paper?" I wanted the second page I created to be first in the navigation bar but it didn't give me a lot of options to move it around, so, I deleted the first page so that the second page could be first.
I do have one issue with online text editors and typing... I don't like how the formatting and editing online often is wrong or it lags. So, I found it easier to create my page from MS Word first and then paste it into the wiki page. Perhaps this is cheating and obvious not possible when you are editing a page that already exists, but presentation is important. I think a clear and simple look invites a reader to continue reading and they are not having troubles with following with the information because it's clustered or unaligned, etc.
Wiki Uses
Many teachers have used wikis in different forms:
Example#1: creating wiki pages about grammar conventions, so students are responsible for their own learning. (The Grammatically Correct Wiki. By: Bomar, Shannon. Knowledge Quest, Mar/Apr2009, Vol. 37 Issue 4, p51-51)
Example#2: "Wiki forums can be used for group work, writing, fact-checking, and proofreading" "[A]nd the use of wikis to teach critical faculties, such as how different views on issues can arrive on a consensus." (Wiki man. By: Norrington, Alison; Manning, Stephen. Times Educational Supplement, 3/30/2007 Issue 4730, special section p58-59)
Example#3: Use wikis to collaborate ideas and experience learning in a community for news writing as well as revisions.
(News writing using wiki: impacts on learning experience of student journalists. By: Ma, Will W. K.; Yuen, Allan H. K.. Educational Media International, Dec2008, Vol. 45 Issue 4, p295-309)
What's the GCD (greatest common denomenator)?
"[T]hat the core principle of wikis is collaboration. Once you start, you will wonder how you ever lived without one. (A Wiki for Classroom Writing. By: Morgan, Brian; Smith, Richard D.. Reading Teacher, Sep2008, Vol. 62 Issue 1, p80-82)
I would have to agree that collaboration is the key. This past year I have been very keen on peer editing with my grade 12s. It's quite the puzzle that my student get 90 - 100% correct on grammar skills exercises; however, when it comes to their writing it is littered with grammar errors that they were able to correct on a worksheet. So, I recreated my peer editing checklists to look like a grammar worksheet and my student work through each step when they are peer editing and I found this very successful. However, now that our provincial exams are e-exams, we often write on the computer for practice and students trade laptops to edit work and often students have different version of Word programs etc. which then half the time students are learning how to use the different function keys. Plus, there is a lot of email to me so, I can review the edits. This is a wonderful solution becuase everything is already here!
I also think wikis are a great place for students to collect the information and record their links on here. When students peer edit their work, then can click on the links and know exactly what and where the student author got their source from. Student editors can also comment on whether or not they agree that it is a reliable source to use in their paper or perhaps even suggest other ones to use.
I chose my wiki to be about Library skills because I think this is a great way to collaborate about these skills. My students have zero prior training about libraries and research skills. I don't think it's effective for only me to post information about these skills. I think it would be more effective for students who actually understand what their peers have most difficulties with abou these skills to put it in terms of student understanding. Other teachers may also notice or discover some helpful writing tips or techniques that can be added to the pages for sharing ideas and nothing will be lost because it's all collected on one page. Instead of random email messages or post-its everywhere.
Warning
"It is recommended that instructors provide highly supportive learning experiences to teach students how to use wikis and how to work collaboratively when implementing wikis to maximize the benefits of this emerging tool. " (Building a Networked Environment in Wikis: The Evolving Phases of Collaborative Learning in a Wikibook Project. By: Lin, Hong; Kelsey, Kathleen D.. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 2009, Vol. 40 Issue 2, p145-169).
Like everything else, we would have to scaffold our students about what collaboration is, waht does it look like, how to do it, etc. before they try it. And even then, additional lessons about working together may need to be strengthened. We might even have to teach them to respect different perspectives and only edit what is necessary not because you disagree or don't like something. Any other tips about how to teach online collaboration?
Working together to share knowledge has never been easier. Wikis allow anyone or only members or certain people you allow to edit and add to your pages. You can also set the viewer settings on your pages to be public, private, etc.
Please forgive my wickiedness...
The most common wiki would be Wikipedia. It's a wonderful wealth of knowledge. So many experts maintain the pages as well as contribute to it. I'd have I was wrong with what I was teaching my students about Wikipedia this past year. As you already know, I was only training to be a teacher-librarian this year. I was teaching my English 12 class about which online resources are reliable sources. A veteran English 12 teacher of 15 years advised me to make sure that I tell my students that Wikipedia is not a legitimate resource because in the past she has edited the pages with wrong information to prove a point to her students about how it is not reliable because anyone can edit the information. She said it took about 2-3 weeks before someone found that information. With her experience so much greater than mine and it was only my first year of teaching English 12, I passed on this information to my students.
Now that I have learned more about Wikipedia, I would have to change my mind about it. I think it is a reliable source. I think the key is... the information was corrected in the end. Plus there are so many wiki entries that not every page will have an error. Even then, our students should be using more than one source to confirm the information they are retrieving. So, I think it's a great place to start for students to gain background knowledge of their research topics. I also like the language level used on the sites and I think my students enjoy it as well because it's user friendly and my ESL/EFL students can understand it.
My Wiki: http://mapleleaflibraryskills.wikispaces.com/
Picking which wiki to use was quite simple with the help of wikimatrix which compares many different wikis' services. I picked the one that offered the most for K-12 Educators. I like the idea of being able to create 100 new wiki users for my students.
A Wiki? So what? I've seen it all before!
When I was going through my wiki tutorials, I had my doubts... How is this different from a blog? I am adding information on this page, adding links, etc... I guess the key was other could edit this page. Then I asked myself how is this different from Google Docs? Google Docs allows you to share pages with users as well. Perhaps it's the idea that it can be public? As I worked more with the pages, I realized that the navigation and how every page is connected to the main page is what makes wikis great. The layout is simple and similar to a blog. So, it was easy to navigate through the options, select my settings etc. I did have troubles with the navigation bar. I created a page for "Common Online Research Skills" at first. Then I created a second page called "What's a Research Paper?" I wanted the second page I created to be first in the navigation bar but it didn't give me a lot of options to move it around, so, I deleted the first page so that the second page could be first.
I do have one issue with online text editors and typing... I don't like how the formatting and editing online often is wrong or it lags. So, I found it easier to create my page from MS Word first and then paste it into the wiki page. Perhaps this is cheating and obvious not possible when you are editing a page that already exists, but presentation is important. I think a clear and simple look invites a reader to continue reading and they are not having troubles with following with the information because it's clustered or unaligned, etc.
Wiki Uses
Many teachers have used wikis in different forms:
Example#1: creating wiki pages about grammar conventions, so students are responsible for their own learning. (The Grammatically Correct Wiki. By: Bomar, Shannon. Knowledge Quest, Mar/Apr2009, Vol. 37 Issue 4, p51-51)
Example#2: "Wiki forums can be used for group work, writing, fact-checking, and proofreading" "[A]nd the use of wikis to teach critical faculties, such as how different views on issues can arrive on a consensus." (Wiki man. By: Norrington, Alison; Manning, Stephen. Times Educational Supplement, 3/30/2007 Issue 4730, special section p58-59)
Example#3: Use wikis to collaborate ideas and experience learning in a community for news writing as well as revisions.
(News writing using wiki: impacts on learning experience of student journalists. By: Ma, Will W. K.; Yuen, Allan H. K.. Educational Media International, Dec2008, Vol. 45 Issue 4, p295-309)
What's the GCD (greatest common denomenator)?
"[T]hat the core principle of wikis is collaboration. Once you start, you will wonder how you ever lived without one. (A Wiki for Classroom Writing. By: Morgan, Brian; Smith, Richard D.. Reading Teacher, Sep2008, Vol. 62 Issue 1, p80-82)
I would have to agree that collaboration is the key. This past year I have been very keen on peer editing with my grade 12s. It's quite the puzzle that my student get 90 - 100% correct on grammar skills exercises; however, when it comes to their writing it is littered with grammar errors that they were able to correct on a worksheet. So, I recreated my peer editing checklists to look like a grammar worksheet and my student work through each step when they are peer editing and I found this very successful. However, now that our provincial exams are e-exams, we often write on the computer for practice and students trade laptops to edit work and often students have different version of Word programs etc. which then half the time students are learning how to use the different function keys. Plus, there is a lot of email to me so, I can review the edits. This is a wonderful solution becuase everything is already here!
I also think wikis are a great place for students to collect the information and record their links on here. When students peer edit their work, then can click on the links and know exactly what and where the student author got their source from. Student editors can also comment on whether or not they agree that it is a reliable source to use in their paper or perhaps even suggest other ones to use.
I chose my wiki to be about Library skills because I think this is a great way to collaborate about these skills. My students have zero prior training about libraries and research skills. I don't think it's effective for only me to post information about these skills. I think it would be more effective for students who actually understand what their peers have most difficulties with abou these skills to put it in terms of student understanding. Other teachers may also notice or discover some helpful writing tips or techniques that can be added to the pages for sharing ideas and nothing will be lost because it's all collected on one page. Instead of random email messages or post-its everywhere.
Warning
"It is recommended that instructors provide highly supportive learning experiences to teach students how to use wikis and how to work collaboratively when implementing wikis to maximize the benefits of this emerging tool. " (Building a Networked Environment in Wikis: The Evolving Phases of Collaborative Learning in a Wikibook Project. By: Lin, Hong; Kelsey, Kathleen D.. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 2009, Vol. 40 Issue 2, p145-169).
Like everything else, we would have to scaffold our students about what collaboration is, waht does it look like, how to do it, etc. before they try it. And even then, additional lessons about working together may need to be strengthened. We might even have to teach them to respect different perspectives and only edit what is necessary not because you disagree or don't like something. Any other tips about how to teach online collaboration?
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Virtual Libraries
AH!!! Midnight already? How am I going to do my research now?!?!
"[e]lectronic access to information has become a major partof our culture. (Library Media Specialists and Assisted Technology. (cover story) By: Edwards-Johnson, Adriana. School Library Media Activities Monthly, Jun2009, Vol. 25 Issue 10, p22)
Most of already use the internet to look for information. So, it's a natural progression to have library websites that categorize useful links for various subjects. From the few that I have viewed, many of the virtual school libraries integrate the physical with the virtual. What I mean by this is... ebooks, podcasts, useful websites, links to online databases, tutorials, etc. are all easily accessible. However, there are some information that you still need to go the library for. For example, the school library catalogue can be accessed online, but all the books you would find would be from the physical library. I think this is a great transition, especially since the library already has those books, and its definitely a resource - so of course it should be accessible on the website.
The Second Life Virtual Library is amazing! It's a definitely a virtual experience. Though, I am far from achieving a website like that! But I am interested in learning more about it and perhaps contribute when I have the skills!
So, I would like to look at some virtual school libraries that are easy and simple to use.
"Far more people are familiar with their local public or college library facility than their library's website and online resources. In fact, according to a recent survey, 96% of Americans said they had visited a library in person, but less than one-third have visited their online library. Yet people agree online library resources are valuable! Why this disconnect?" (Marketing the VIRTUAL LIBRARY. By: Fagan, Jody Condit. Computers in Libraries, Jul/Aug2009, Vol. 29 Issue 7, p25)
I'll be honest. I haven't used virtual libraries much. My school has access to EbscoHost Database and I encourage my students to use this resources as much as possible. I also feel disconnected from being in China. Each year I return to my public library, I see changes. Physical changes as well as virtual changes. It's amazing how quickly trends move. I don't doubt that more people will learn more about virtual libraries and they will use it when they do know that it's available. Like the quote from the introduction, finding information on the internet has been embedded into our lives.
Virtual Library in my School?
Since the school I'm going to this fall has just been built, we lack resources! I have ordered books from publishers, but it usually takes about 2-3 months to dispatch it from original publisher, go through hoops, land in the 3rd party warehouse, then it is sent to my school. I think this is a wonderful opportunity for me to create a Virtual Library for my school. My students have almost no traning of how to use a library. Their culture trains them that only textbooks have relevant information and are worth reading. What better time than to teach them about copyright and how to use the online resources that are at the click of a mouse? It can also be a group effort. I can teach the students the skills to search for reliable websites and we can build the resources for the different subjects pertaining to their projects/assignments in their courses. (Of course I will also be reviewing the sites.) So, together we can build a virtual school community library. I hope to work on Phase 1 for our new school library this fall.
Food for thought
As we are reaching this technological age, there are less tactile things for students. For example, this virtual library - everything is found by clicking a mouse and reading on the computer screen. However, what if this doesn't suit the learning needs of our students? How can we modify this new model to include and support all the needs of our students?
For example: Modifications can be made in video and podcasts for the hearing impaired simply by adding closed captions so students can read what is being voiced. "Remember, it is not just students with physical disabilities who need assistance. There are many more students who have cognitive disabilities, diagnosed or not, that need assistance as well. The process of logging on to a library database from home may be difficult or unintuitive because it sits behind several different links or requires a fourteen plus library card number to authenticate." (Library Media Specialists and Assisted Technology. (cover story) By: Edwards-Johnson, Adriana. School Library Media Activities Monthly, Jun2009, Vol. 25 Issue 10, p24)
We do have a responsibility to make sure that whichever direction school libraries are heading, it needs to be friendly to all users.
Have no fear, Virtual Libraries are here!
I guess it only makes sense for virtual libraries to become more popular, especially since"[e]lectronic access to information has become a major partof our culture. (Library Media Specialists and Assisted Technology. (cover story) By: Edwards-Johnson, Adriana. School Library Media Activities Monthly, Jun2009, Vol. 25 Issue 10, p22)
Most of already use the internet to look for information. So, it's a natural progression to have library websites that categorize useful links for various subjects. From the few that I have viewed, many of the virtual school libraries integrate the physical with the virtual. What I mean by this is... ebooks, podcasts, useful websites, links to online databases, tutorials, etc. are all easily accessible. However, there are some information that you still need to go the library for. For example, the school library catalogue can be accessed online, but all the books you would find would be from the physical library. I think this is a great transition, especially since the library already has those books, and its definitely a resource - so of course it should be accessible on the website.
The Second Life Virtual Library is amazing! It's a definitely a virtual experience. Though, I am far from achieving a website like that! But I am interested in learning more about it and perhaps contribute when I have the skills!
So, I would like to look at some virtual school libraries that are easy and simple to use.
Phase 1: Virtual Middle School Library
This is a very clean and simple virtual library. It has resources for students, teachers, and parents. Each link is easy to access and select what you are looking for. It has links that encourage students to read by suggesting possible novels. It offers information for students to learn how to create a webpage, etc. This website is lacking in the reference/online database section, but I think this is a very good start to a virtual school library. Hence, PHASE ONE.
Phase 2: Bibliothèque Reynolds Library
This virtual library is a bit more advanced. It's has a little more character by being less plain with the wordle and the clipart. The links that are offerred include catalogues, database, book blogs, lists of web 2.0 applications, teaches students about copyright, and reference list formats. This library seems a bit more complete and uses more web 2.0 applications in the webpage itself. So, I think this is an example of Phase Two since it includes more online resources.
Phase 3: The Konawaena High School Virtual Library
This virtual library is information filled. It offers different links for Teacher, Parents, and Students. There are several online databases that are available for the students. There are a lot of links available in the reference section. There are some fun links for anyone to take a look at ie) joke of the day, etc. -students are still reading, even though it's the joke of the day. I do like how this library has integrated school updates onto the website. It's almost like a school bulletin board for everyone as well. It's a great space to constantly visit and hopefully more users will visit and use this page. So, this would be Phase 3.
Wait a second... How many Phases are there? (only referring to the readings)
Good question. Let's say Joyce Valenza's virtual library is a Phase 4 and Second Life is Phase 5. So, there are 5 phases. I like how Joyce's virtual library is designed and easily accessible since it looks like a real library! This way students can relate to the real experience and still know their way around a physical library.
Summary: What do I think a virtual library needs? Well, I think this website needs to be "student friendly". It needs to appear simple and easy to navigate around the site. It also needs to have resources of different genres ie) reference section for encyclopedias, different subjects, online databases, section for promoting reading where students can contribute, resources for teachers and parents. An added bonus would be to build a sense of community as well, whether its in the form of school and community bulletin boards, community contributions on to the site or even forums for expression.
Interesting Find
"Far more people are familiar with their local public or college library facility than their library's website and online resources. In fact, according to a recent survey, 96% of Americans said they had visited a library in person, but less than one-third have visited their online library. Yet people agree online library resources are valuable! Why this disconnect?" (Marketing the VIRTUAL LIBRARY. By: Fagan, Jody Condit. Computers in Libraries, Jul/Aug2009, Vol. 29 Issue 7, p25)
I'll be honest. I haven't used virtual libraries much. My school has access to EbscoHost Database and I encourage my students to use this resources as much as possible. I also feel disconnected from being in China. Each year I return to my public library, I see changes. Physical changes as well as virtual changes. It's amazing how quickly trends move. I don't doubt that more people will learn more about virtual libraries and they will use it when they do know that it's available. Like the quote from the introduction, finding information on the internet has been embedded into our lives.
Virtual Library in my School?
Since the school I'm going to this fall has just been built, we lack resources! I have ordered books from publishers, but it usually takes about 2-3 months to dispatch it from original publisher, go through hoops, land in the 3rd party warehouse, then it is sent to my school. I think this is a wonderful opportunity for me to create a Virtual Library for my school. My students have almost no traning of how to use a library. Their culture trains them that only textbooks have relevant information and are worth reading. What better time than to teach them about copyright and how to use the online resources that are at the click of a mouse? It can also be a group effort. I can teach the students the skills to search for reliable websites and we can build the resources for the different subjects pertaining to their projects/assignments in their courses. (Of course I will also be reviewing the sites.) So, together we can build a virtual school community library. I hope to work on Phase 1 for our new school library this fall.
Food for thought
As we are reaching this technological age, there are less tactile things for students. For example, this virtual library - everything is found by clicking a mouse and reading on the computer screen. However, what if this doesn't suit the learning needs of our students? How can we modify this new model to include and support all the needs of our students?
For example: Modifications can be made in video and podcasts for the hearing impaired simply by adding closed captions so students can read what is being voiced. "Remember, it is not just students with physical disabilities who need assistance. There are many more students who have cognitive disabilities, diagnosed or not, that need assistance as well. The process of logging on to a library database from home may be difficult or unintuitive because it sits behind several different links or requires a fourteen plus library card number to authenticate." (Library Media Specialists and Assisted Technology. (cover story) By: Edwards-Johnson, Adriana. School Library Media Activities Monthly, Jun2009, Vol. 25 Issue 10, p24)
We do have a responsibility to make sure that whichever direction school libraries are heading, it needs to be friendly to all users.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Podcasting
1, 2, 3 ... You're on the AIR!
That was my first podcast. You might need this code to listen to it: http://www.upload-mp3.com/browse/sheryllee/26193
At first I had some issues downloading AVS Audio Editor. Because I have never done this before I figured I should download the completely documented version, so, if needed help, I would find it easily. However, after a few recordings, I realized that my first take was always the best cut. So, when I wanted to save it, it said it was a non-activated version. This stumped me since many websites and our textbook told us that this was a free open source! Finally, I realized that the unfinished beta version was the one that was free. I found the beta version easier to use than the completed version for purchase.
Little did I know that that was the easy part! I tried to find a good site that would upload my newly created mp3. I went to http://www.ourmedia.org/ but for some reason, this page would not load. I tried several times (it works now though). So, then I searched and went to http://www.mp3upload.ca/ and I signed up, however, their uploader is faulty and doesn't work! Then I found http://www.upload-mp3.com/ and was able to find the correct url - this site gave me several formats for possible embedding urls to use. I finally found the address that was compitable with the embedded odeo player I found during my online searches. Only then did it finally work. I did wish that I had a blog site that enabled embedding mp3s directly. Nonetheless now that I have the right tools, it is done and it would be much easier the next time.
Since I had so much trouble with posting my video on youtube, I was surprised how comfortable I was in creating a podcast, listening to the podcast, and sharing the podcast. I'm not so sure why... perhaps there's still some anonymity in who is speaking since you can not see me? Podcasting reminds me of the old PA systems we used to have in schools, except podcasts are very accessible, portable and can have a wide range of followers.
Does audio podcasting enhance the learning of students?
(Use of audio podcast in K-12 and higher education: a review of research topics and methodologies. By: Hew, Khe. Educational Technology Research & Development, Jun2009, Vol. 57 Issue 3, p333-357, 25p)
Some interesting statements I found in this article that I would like to comment on:
1. ‘‘listening is instinctual, [but] reading and writing are
not’’ (Clark and Walsh, p. 5)—that linguistic psychologists have found that unlike reading and writing, children do not learn how to understand the spoken word, but are hard-wired with the skill (p334)
I agree with this. It is very hard to speak a language without hearing it first. Otherwise pronunciations would be wrong, accents, tones, etc. Sometimes speaking a new language you need to mimic another person's way of speaking this language first.
2. "the spoken word can influence a learner’s cognition (adding clarity and meaning)
and motivation (by conveying directly a sense of the person creating those words) (p334)
I agree with this. For example, there are words that I understanding from listening to it. However, when I see this same word in a text, I will treat this word as a new vocabulary I haven't learned. Yet when I hear it, I can recall when I heard it last and recall the context it was used and remember the meaning of the word.
3. "auditory learning is convenient, portable, flexible, etc. (p334)"
Who can agrue with this statement? However, professors and teachers are afraid that podcasts will encourage absneteeism in their classes because they can retrieve the lecture later (p335). However there is no live interaction with podcasts. The students would have to listen passively and if they had a question or needed feedback from the teacher, they wouldn't have the opportunity to ask the professor.
4. "Japanese students regarding their experience in using supplementary
podcast in an English as a foreign language course. The study found that most students
felt that utilizing podcasts could enhance their learning of English (p348)"
Like I mentioned in my podcast, when learning a new language, listening and speaking the language yourself will increase your language development since there are so many aspects to learning a new language. For example, my French reading and writing skills are stronger than my speaking and listening skills, however, when I was in Morocco, I couldn't communicate as well as I would have like in French because no one understood my wrong accents and tones of the words. If I could remember how someone else pronounced it, I could mimic it and there would be a higher possibility of someone understanding my spoken French.
5. "Students in these studies typically pointed out that the use of podcast
enabled them to listen to specific information or material they had missed or did not
understand multiple times (p.348)"
When sitting in a lecture, sometimes you may miss information, either due to distractions, lack of vocabulary, or just unable to grasp the concept. However, if you could replay it several times, this might help one to take the time they needed to fully absorb the concept.
Podcasting in the classroom and library?
This is a very affordable tool. And if your school has their own server, well, then we can worry less about privacy issues. My students generally need to improve their verbal language aquisition. Often when we choral read or read in pairs, it is hard for me to individual pick out which student mispronouned the word. I think if everyone choral read into a microphone, I could check for participation, and I would be able to listen carefully as to which words and sounds the students need more help with. This would also be a great tool for students to practice their presentations. They could record their words, and playback to themselves or have peers listen to it to give feedback. This way they can really focus on their clarity, volume, etc.
In the library, we could have virtual literature circles, where the groups can record their ideas and share with other group members anywhere. Podcasting students reading passages out loud would also be an interesting way to promote reading and have "real" student reviews. Students who don't like to read are less likely going to read a written book review. Perhaps this is also a medium for students to read their own written work to share with other students. We could create student audio story collection podcasts, etc. There are so many possiblities!
That was my first podcast. You might need this code to listen to it: http://www.upload-mp3.com/browse/sheryllee/26193
At first I had some issues downloading AVS Audio Editor. Because I have never done this before I figured I should download the completely documented version, so, if needed help, I would find it easily. However, after a few recordings, I realized that my first take was always the best cut. So, when I wanted to save it, it said it was a non-activated version. This stumped me since many websites and our textbook told us that this was a free open source! Finally, I realized that the unfinished beta version was the one that was free. I found the beta version easier to use than the completed version for purchase.
Little did I know that that was the easy part! I tried to find a good site that would upload my newly created mp3. I went to http://www.ourmedia.org/ but for some reason, this page would not load. I tried several times (it works now though). So, then I searched and went to http://www.mp3upload.ca/ and I signed up, however, their uploader is faulty and doesn't work! Then I found http://www.upload-mp3.com/ and was able to find the correct url - this site gave me several formats for possible embedding urls to use. I finally found the address that was compitable with the embedded odeo player I found during my online searches. Only then did it finally work. I did wish that I had a blog site that enabled embedding mp3s directly. Nonetheless now that I have the right tools, it is done and it would be much easier the next time.
Since I had so much trouble with posting my video on youtube, I was surprised how comfortable I was in creating a podcast, listening to the podcast, and sharing the podcast. I'm not so sure why... perhaps there's still some anonymity in who is speaking since you can not see me? Podcasting reminds me of the old PA systems we used to have in schools, except podcasts are very accessible, portable and can have a wide range of followers.
Does audio podcasting enhance the learning of students?
(Use of audio podcast in K-12 and higher education: a review of research topics and methodologies. By: Hew, Khe. Educational Technology Research & Development, Jun2009, Vol. 57 Issue 3, p333-357, 25p)
Some interesting statements I found in this article that I would like to comment on:
1. ‘‘listening is instinctual, [but] reading and writing are
not’’ (Clark and Walsh, p. 5)—that linguistic psychologists have found that unlike reading and writing, children do not learn how to understand the spoken word, but are hard-wired with the skill (p334)
I agree with this. It is very hard to speak a language without hearing it first. Otherwise pronunciations would be wrong, accents, tones, etc. Sometimes speaking a new language you need to mimic another person's way of speaking this language first.
2. "the spoken word can influence a learner’s cognition (adding clarity and meaning)
and motivation (by conveying directly a sense of the person creating those words) (p334)
I agree with this. For example, there are words that I understanding from listening to it. However, when I see this same word in a text, I will treat this word as a new vocabulary I haven't learned. Yet when I hear it, I can recall when I heard it last and recall the context it was used and remember the meaning of the word.
3. "auditory learning is convenient, portable, flexible, etc. (p334)"
Who can agrue with this statement? However, professors and teachers are afraid that podcasts will encourage absneteeism in their classes because they can retrieve the lecture later (p335). However there is no live interaction with podcasts. The students would have to listen passively and if they had a question or needed feedback from the teacher, they wouldn't have the opportunity to ask the professor.
4. "Japanese students regarding their experience in using supplementary
podcast in an English as a foreign language course. The study found that most students
felt that utilizing podcasts could enhance their learning of English (p348)"
Like I mentioned in my podcast, when learning a new language, listening and speaking the language yourself will increase your language development since there are so many aspects to learning a new language. For example, my French reading and writing skills are stronger than my speaking and listening skills, however, when I was in Morocco, I couldn't communicate as well as I would have like in French because no one understood my wrong accents and tones of the words. If I could remember how someone else pronounced it, I could mimic it and there would be a higher possibility of someone understanding my spoken French.
5. "Students in these studies typically pointed out that the use of podcast
enabled them to listen to specific information or material they had missed or did not
understand multiple times (p.348)"
When sitting in a lecture, sometimes you may miss information, either due to distractions, lack of vocabulary, or just unable to grasp the concept. However, if you could replay it several times, this might help one to take the time they needed to fully absorb the concept.
Podcasting in the classroom and library?
This is a very affordable tool. And if your school has their own server, well, then we can worry less about privacy issues. My students generally need to improve their verbal language aquisition. Often when we choral read or read in pairs, it is hard for me to individual pick out which student mispronouned the word. I think if everyone choral read into a microphone, I could check for participation, and I would be able to listen carefully as to which words and sounds the students need more help with. This would also be a great tool for students to practice their presentations. They could record their words, and playback to themselves or have peers listen to it to give feedback. This way they can really focus on their clarity, volume, etc.
In the library, we could have virtual literature circles, where the groups can record their ideas and share with other group members anywhere. Podcasting students reading passages out loud would also be an interesting way to promote reading and have "real" student reviews. Students who don't like to read are less likely going to read a written book review. Perhaps this is also a medium for students to read their own written work to share with other students. We could create student audio story collection podcasts, etc. There are so many possiblities!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The Disadvantages Of Social Bookmarking
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The Disadvantages Of Social Bookmarking - Annotated
lack of structure in social bookmarking
- One draw back with this tag-based system is that there are no standards set for the keywords, controlled terms and vocabulary used. This can create a problem, especially since the tag-based system relies on people, and not on any program created in the Internet. This means that this type of system is not flawless in terms of organizing its different bookmarks since the people are the once organizing the tags, thereby creating an inconsistent standard and management system for tags. People who create the tags just create them according to their own accord, creating confusion with the other users who rely on the tags to find what they are looking for in these social bookmarking websites.
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The lack of standards for tag structures, such as capitalization, singular vs. plural, as well as other similar issues, in social bookmarking makes it susceptible to mistagging. This can be caused by misspelling certain words, by tagging certain subjects using keywords that have two or more meanings, by tagging websites and/or Web pages with unclear tags caused by synonym-antonym confusion, or by using unorthodox and too “personalized” tags that other users will not be able to understand or decipher what the tag is about. Aside from these problems, social bookmarking is also susceptible to corruption and collusion due to its popularity. This type of system can be used by users to help make their Web page or website more visible in the Web by optimizing their search engine results.
- the unstructured system of tagging is an issue that could cause some searches to not be accurate as it could be and possibly make searches off-topic depending on each person's interpretation or reference to tagged words - post by sherylslee
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Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Social Bookmarking
Share the wealth with social bookmarking!
Yet another new web 2.0 tool. I've never used any webbased bookmarking tool other than "My Favourites" on Internet Explorer. I have to admit, that it's not easy to find anything I've bookmarked in "My Favourites" because there are so many folders, subfolers, etc. Whatever mood I'm in I might add it to that folder, yet when I look for it, I can't find it or when I finally do, I'd question myself as to why I placed it there in the first place.
Well, tools like Diigo, Del.icio.us, Citeulike, etc. allow someone like me with millions of bookmarks to tag each site, so I can search with keywords and it'll will find the ones that match the tags I have set. I picked Diigo to experiment with because Diigo offers highlighting the pages, adding sticky notes, creating groups, etc. What attracted me the most was the premium account option for educators to create student Diigo accounts, have all the same features as a regular account but there are privacy settings pre-set in the student Diigo accounts for just the teacher and classmates to communicate with each other, as well as limited "education-related" ads.
Signing up for an account was quick and easy. Importing my brower's bookmarks is another story. First I had to download the Diigo toolbar, (which is a bit redundant because the diioglet already offers the key functions), then I had to refind the page with instructions to export my bookmarks. Like I said, I have A LOT of bookmarks that I have collected over the last 5 years with this laptop. It's been four hours and I am still waiting for the email from Diigo to notify me that all my bookmarks have been loaded to Diigo. Diigo didn't suggest an approximate time as to when it would be done. They just said it depends on how many bookmarks I had and how many other users are also importing their bookmarks.
Nonetheless, I was not discouraged and started to play with the tools for random sites. The highlighting didn't seem to work with the URLs with pdfs. During my surfing, I immediately noticed the sticky notes posted by other people - though it can be annoying at times, much like the blue RSS feeds icon that pops up when I highlight certain things as well. I do like the ease of pressing "send" and all my annotations of a particular website would be sent directly to my blog.
Where's the wealth?
Ah yes, the wealth... that would be enriching others with your bookmarks and vice versa. So, you can share this with friends, students, colleagues, or strangers with similar interests and tags. More specifically, "social bookmarking sites, such as Delicious, Diigo, and CiteULike, can provide the resources to facilitate a scholarly approach to teaching where teachers concerned with developing research-based best practices can collectively assemble, annotate, recommend, and share scholarly resources, such as books, journal articles, websites, and contacts. Socialscholarly practices leverage and archive our collective intelligence. According to library media scholar Laura Cohen, social scholarship operates on principles such as 'openness, conversation, collaboration, access, sharing, and transparent revision.' As educators reflect on what it means
to take a scholarly approach to their teaching, their use of these social bibliography tools may, in turn, provide greater insight into their own attitudes and teaching practices (e.g., what it means to teach “the research paper” in the presence of social scholarship tools)."
(http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3620082009/JuneJulyNo8/36810g.pdf)
I absolutely agree with Laura Cohen's statement about how social scholarship works best when everyone works together and shares openly. At my previous school for the next school year, we will have designated blocks for teachers to participate in Professional Learning Community (PLC). These groups will be created by the teachers of all disciplines and what they will research is also up to the group. Many teachers commented on how it might be difficult to organize, share, discuss their individual research for their own group. Well, I think that social bookmarking is the solution to that concern and this also allows me to participate even though I'll be a few thousand miles away at another campus.
How reliable is social bookmarking?
1. Server
"In January, the popular social bookmarking site Ma.gnolia (ma.gnolia.com) suffered a major server failure that led to data corruption and loss. Suddenly, its users had no access to the content they'd bookmarked and no definitive answer from Ma.gnolia about when (or if) they'd get their data back. This event led many to consider the security Of their hosted web content. Sites hosting our web content have become so ubiquitous that most of us take their continued existence for granted. As we saw in the case of Ma.gnolia, this complacency can be a huge mistake." (Your Stuff, Their Rules. By: Farkas, Meredith. American Libraries, Jun/Jul2009, Vol. 40 Issue 6, p42-42, 1p)
Lesson learned? We should backup our important files in more than one place ie) one on your computer and one on the web - though this shouldn't prevent us from using these tools because what we gain is so much richer than what we lose and what we lose, we can probably find again and maybe more!
For more information about Ma.gnolia's sever failure:
Citizen Garden Episode 11: Whither Ma.gnolia? from Larry Halff on Vimeo.
2. Inaccurate tagging system (see annotated Diigo post on Disadvantages of Social Bookmarking)
Social Bookmarking in the Classroom and Library
This is definitely a great tool for teaching, practicing and evaluating the steps of good research in the classroom and the library. I also see it as a great way for students to share other sites they have found that might help other students in understanding concepts, since I can not read or write Chinese - I am not able to find relevants sites to aid at risk students' progress when a concept is too difficult to understand in a foreign language, yet it would be a stepping stone to know what the concept is first in their first language and then linking those ideas with the new English vocabulary.
Here's a sample of my Diigo Tags... 8 hours later... still waiting for my bookmarks to be fully imported...
Sunday, July 12, 2009
To Videoshare or Not to Videoshare, that is the Question
Youtube or just Metube?
For the first time, I posted a video of myself on Youtube. I struggled for a long time because I was very reluctant to post anything about myself on Youtube. I'm not sure where this insecurity comes from, but it could be the fact that I'm not sure who might view my video or for what purpose they might use this video. I guess I am very protective of footage about me. This could stem from when a colleague created a yodelling video on Youtube for fun. She had a blast making this video and told all her friends to check it out. However, at the yearend staff meeting, we had a slideshow of all that happened that school year and... her yodelling video appeared in front of the whole staff. She was so embarrassed. Her fiance was the one who suggested that the video be played in the slideshow, and he immediately leaped out of his seat in fear of her strangling him. This raises the question about audience. Sure, she was comfortable in posting her segment for individual audience and perhaps when she's not in the same room, but what if your video was used for an audience that you did not intend for? How can you control this?
Like I said, I was very hesitant to post my video on Youtube for all of the world to see. But has I searched for tips on how to add a video onto Blogger, I stumbled upon an option that you can select... you can make it PRIVATE and only share with whom you wish. This eased my apprehensiveness about posting a video clip about myself onto Youtube. I was able to get my embedded url and post it onto my blog. If I had so many issues about posting something about myself, what does this mean for my students?
Why am I a control freak?
I'll admit when it comes to our student's safety, I have every right to be a control freak. I've never posted on Youtube before until now, but I have been a user of Youtube. Teaching in China, there are limited resources for teachers and the internet is a very important tool. Many of my colleagues and I use Youtube for video clips in our classes for interviews, transitions, advertisements, etc. When using Youtube in this way, it is totally safe because I am controlling what my students see. (Tip: You can use sites that will save a Youtube clip onto your computer and you can play it on a larger scale with a FLV player.)
However, I am learning that videosharing is also a great learning tool for our students and most of our students are already using similar sites - maybe not to post but definitely for viewing. So, how can educators control sites like Youtube? Like in Dawn's blog, she suggests Schooltube to be a useful videosharing site and Will Richardson says Teachertube is another safe medium to use. In the article "Youtube comes to the classroom" (School Library Journal, Jan2007, Vol. 53 Issue 1, p22-22), it suggests that Youtube's K12 education group (www.youtube.com/group/K12) is a good place to start as well because it is a channel for teacher and student subitted work or to even embed the Youtube videos you want your students to access onto a blog or a webpage. However, there are issues with the latter because once students click on the video link, it will bring them "straight to YouTube's inviting and unsafe arms."
Perhaps there is no way around this. Perhaps we just have to educate our students about what is appropriate footage and what isn't? (I think our students already know what isn't appropriate.) Perhaps, the most we can do is to make sure they stay on task when doing their searches for materials relevant to the assignment. Sure, teachers can watch vigilantly in our classrooms, but we can't control what our students will see on Youtube at home or what they may even post. For example, in PBS Frontline Segment Growing Up Online, some underaged teenagers were drinking openly on public transit on their way to a concert. Footage was filmed with their cell phones and placed on Youtube. These teens then faced consequences when parents and schools saw this video clip. Whoever posted this incident online thought it would be fun and that only peers would have access to this. Little did they know that it would backfire. Just a prime example of how you never know who your audience might be when placed publicly on Youtube.
Bottomline?
I agree with Rebecca Mullen and Linda Wedwick's article "Avoiding the Digital Abyss" Getting Started in the Classroom with Youtube, Digital Stories, and Blogs" (Clearing House:a journal of educational strategies, issues, and ideas; Nov2008, Vol. 82 Issue 2, p66-69) that "an educational revolution is changing the face of learning and giving a voice to every student and teacher." I was and still am a shy type of participator. I'm not one to raise my hand in confidence and voice my questions, thoughts or ideas comfortably in front of a live audience. However, the web tools we are learning about have opened my eyes to how we can redefine participation in the classroom. We can hide behind the computer screens and be able to share our voice in a safe zone.
Isn't that ironic, don't you think?
Yes, it is. Many educators as well as I are concerned about the worldwide web and how there can be predators out there to harm our students, which makes it an unsafe place. However, when the worldwide web is used appropriately, it can offer a safe environment for our students to express themselves freely within their comfort zones.
So, what does this mean for my classroom and school library?
I think I would scaffold the idea of videosharing with a few group assignments first to warm up the camera shy type of students before assigning individual oriented assignments. I would also educate my students about using the privacy setting when uploading onto Youtube and I would probably collect all their videos by having students embed their videos into the Class Blog. I believe that videosharing would be a great peer and self-evaluation tool to be able to view their presentations, performances, speeches and reflect about it accurately. If students go by memory, their personal bias or emotions during the presentation, performance, speech, etc. may distort the actual experience. Students could also use movie maker to highlight what they did well and what they need to improve. I also see the use of "videopals". This school year, I am being relocated to a new campus, but my students can share their videos with students of other campuses or other parts of the world even. For example, if we are doing the same novel study and the students needed to create a video clip for an assignment, we could share what the students have produced easily. As for the library, I really enjoyed the movie trailer idea to promote books to peers like in Jennifer Wooten's "Flipped!: Want to get teens excited about summer reading? Just add video"(School Library Journal, 5/1/2009).
So? What's all the fuss about?
Friend or Foe?
I'm still undecided... so let's say Friendoe? I still believe we need to be very careful of the sensitivites of individuals and their comforts with posting themselves online and to think about how we can guarantee the right audience.
For the first time, I posted a video of myself on Youtube. I struggled for a long time because I was very reluctant to post anything about myself on Youtube. I'm not sure where this insecurity comes from, but it could be the fact that I'm not sure who might view my video or for what purpose they might use this video. I guess I am very protective of footage about me. This could stem from when a colleague created a yodelling video on Youtube for fun. She had a blast making this video and told all her friends to check it out. However, at the yearend staff meeting, we had a slideshow of all that happened that school year and... her yodelling video appeared in front of the whole staff. She was so embarrassed. Her fiance was the one who suggested that the video be played in the slideshow, and he immediately leaped out of his seat in fear of her strangling him. This raises the question about audience. Sure, she was comfortable in posting her segment for individual audience and perhaps when she's not in the same room, but what if your video was used for an audience that you did not intend for? How can you control this?
Like I said, I was very hesitant to post my video on Youtube for all of the world to see. But has I searched for tips on how to add a video onto Blogger, I stumbled upon an option that you can select... you can make it PRIVATE and only share with whom you wish. This eased my apprehensiveness about posting a video clip about myself onto Youtube. I was able to get my embedded url and post it onto my blog. If I had so many issues about posting something about myself, what does this mean for my students?
Why am I a control freak?
I'll admit when it comes to our student's safety, I have every right to be a control freak. I've never posted on Youtube before until now, but I have been a user of Youtube. Teaching in China, there are limited resources for teachers and the internet is a very important tool. Many of my colleagues and I use Youtube for video clips in our classes for interviews, transitions, advertisements, etc. When using Youtube in this way, it is totally safe because I am controlling what my students see. (Tip: You can use sites that will save a Youtube clip onto your computer and you can play it on a larger scale with a FLV player.)
However, I am learning that videosharing is also a great learning tool for our students and most of our students are already using similar sites - maybe not to post but definitely for viewing. So, how can educators control sites like Youtube? Like in Dawn's blog, she suggests Schooltube to be a useful videosharing site and Will Richardson says Teachertube is another safe medium to use. In the article "Youtube comes to the classroom" (School Library Journal, Jan2007, Vol. 53 Issue 1, p22-22), it suggests that Youtube's K12 education group (www.youtube.com/group/K12) is a good place to start as well because it is a channel for teacher and student subitted work or to even embed the Youtube videos you want your students to access onto a blog or a webpage. However, there are issues with the latter because once students click on the video link, it will bring them "straight to YouTube's inviting and unsafe arms."
Perhaps there is no way around this. Perhaps we just have to educate our students about what is appropriate footage and what isn't? (I think our students already know what isn't appropriate.) Perhaps, the most we can do is to make sure they stay on task when doing their searches for materials relevant to the assignment. Sure, teachers can watch vigilantly in our classrooms, but we can't control what our students will see on Youtube at home or what they may even post. For example, in PBS Frontline Segment Growing Up Online, some underaged teenagers were drinking openly on public transit on their way to a concert. Footage was filmed with their cell phones and placed on Youtube. These teens then faced consequences when parents and schools saw this video clip. Whoever posted this incident online thought it would be fun and that only peers would have access to this. Little did they know that it would backfire. Just a prime example of how you never know who your audience might be when placed publicly on Youtube.
Bottomline?
I agree with Rebecca Mullen and Linda Wedwick's article "Avoiding the Digital Abyss" Getting Started in the Classroom with Youtube, Digital Stories, and Blogs" (Clearing House:a journal of educational strategies, issues, and ideas; Nov2008, Vol. 82 Issue 2, p66-69) that "an educational revolution is changing the face of learning and giving a voice to every student and teacher." I was and still am a shy type of participator. I'm not one to raise my hand in confidence and voice my questions, thoughts or ideas comfortably in front of a live audience. However, the web tools we are learning about have opened my eyes to how we can redefine participation in the classroom. We can hide behind the computer screens and be able to share our voice in a safe zone.
Isn't that ironic, don't you think?
Yes, it is. Many educators as well as I are concerned about the worldwide web and how there can be predators out there to harm our students, which makes it an unsafe place. However, when the worldwide web is used appropriately, it can offer a safe environment for our students to express themselves freely within their comfort zones.
So, what does this mean for my classroom and school library?
I think I would scaffold the idea of videosharing with a few group assignments first to warm up the camera shy type of students before assigning individual oriented assignments. I would also educate my students about using the privacy setting when uploading onto Youtube and I would probably collect all their videos by having students embed their videos into the Class Blog. I believe that videosharing would be a great peer and self-evaluation tool to be able to view their presentations, performances, speeches and reflect about it accurately. If students go by memory, their personal bias or emotions during the presentation, performance, speech, etc. may distort the actual experience. Students could also use movie maker to highlight what they did well and what they need to improve. I also see the use of "videopals". This school year, I am being relocated to a new campus, but my students can share their videos with students of other campuses or other parts of the world even. For example, if we are doing the same novel study and the students needed to create a video clip for an assignment, we could share what the students have produced easily. As for the library, I really enjoyed the movie trailer idea to promote books to peers like in Jennifer Wooten's "Flipped!: Want to get teens excited about summer reading? Just add video"(School Library Journal, 5/1/2009).
So? What's all the fuss about?
Here's the video I didn't really want to post. It's a clip that I found from my first day of my Teacher Education Program. I thought it would be fun to make it into a clip to but on my blog since it's an introduction as to who I am and why I wanted to be an elementary school teacher and because now I'm in a new stage in my role as a teacher transitioning from the classroom into the library.
Friend or Foe?
I'm still undecided... so let's say Friendoe? I still believe we need to be very careful of the sensitivites of individuals and their comforts with posting themselves online and to think about how we can guarantee the right audience.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
1, 2, 3... (say) CHEESE! *snap*
You have just bought a new digital camera. You snap 100s of pictures with ease, but what do you do with those pictures after that?
Using Flickr with your Clickr
There are many photosharing sites out there besides Flickr, such as Snapfish, Picasa, etc. Basically, now that we don't have to use film, digital photos have the freedom to be placed anywhere and be viewed by anyone you allow to look at your photography. Photosharing has been made so easy that with the click of your mouse, you can add pictures, modify pictures, organize pictures into albums, tag your pictures, add write descriptions of your pictures, even give each picture a title. It's no longer a photo album you are creating, you are basically creating a pictoral story album.
I have to admit, this isn't the first time I've used photosharing. I started to use it when my friends moved to countries shortly after university and I used it a lot to share with my family my life overseas. Even my colleagues, we all share our photos on Facebook even though we see each other everyday and/or were present at the time of when the photo was taken. There's just something so attractive about the ease of photosharing. You no longer have to carry heavy albums, or to make a special trip to drop off your film and pick up the prints - you can even order your prints online for those you want to frame! I think the best part is the ease of finding the picture, knowing exactly where it is or just searching the keywords.
It is easy, but time consuming at the same time! Hours pass by as you add narrations to your photos, or geotag them to where they were taken. Is it all worth it? I think so. Your photos stay stored on the photosharing host site so, you can login to any computer and share your pictures, you can email your friends and family about your latest photos. Yes, initially it takes time to set up your photos and albums, but once you're done, the sharing is endless and effortless. Don't believe me? Here, check out my lastest album called Travel Memories.
Flickr in the Classroom
Photosharing is not a new phenomenon for most of our students. They've already got the basic skills to take digital pictures using cellphones and cameras, to set pictures for their online profiles, to search for images, etc. and even if they don't, it's not difficult to give a tutorial on how to attain these skills.
How are teachers using Flickr in the classroom?
As Jakesonline.org points out in his Education and Technology Conference paper, the purpose of using a web tool like Flickr is to "promote and build visual literacy skills in students." Pamela Aucoin believes that Flickr "invites student collaboration and participation." Here's just a taste of how appications of Flickr have been used in classrooms:
1. Anywhere visual images are required, such as presentation, etc.
2. Multiple image digital storytelling projects
3. Virtual Field Trips
4. Using Flickr with Google Earth to teach Geography
5. Creating slides shows within Flickr
6. Creation of visual arguments
e.g. biology classroom-The Case for Genetic Engineering
7. Visual documentation of school events, student work, etc.
...and more. Also available are Flickr resources and sites.
Why is Flickr the teacher's choice?
Flickr has partnered with Creative Commons licensing to provide a way for its community members to legally share content and use photographs for non-commercial use. (LearnHub-Teaching Flickr in the K-12 Classroom) As well as allowing Teachers to set privacy modes for who can view the pictures.
Creative Commons who?
Watch this video http://revver.com/video/89072/wanna-work-together/ (LearnHub)
What does this mean for my classroom?
I definitely agree with choosing Flickr because of their partnership with Creative Commons. Because my English classroom is an EFL learning environment, I believe that using Flickr for a slideshow to introduce new visual concepts would be helpful for my students to access background knowledge they may lack due to their different cultural experiences or lack of (unbiased) worldly knowledge. This may even be an opportunity for them to search for visuals that represent the descriptions of the setting of a novel per se or visuals that will help them remember meanings of vocabulary words. Many of my male students dislike drawing and this is a great solution, while they can practice reading English online. There are many equivalent sites but all in Chinese. Having students using a Flickr account would ensure that they are using an English host site that would enable them to practice reading and writing in English.
What does this mean for the school library?
Teaching students about why we need something like the Creative Commons is a great way to introduce how plagiarism is not acceptable. I also see Flickr as a great addition to research reports and assignments for visual learners to express what they have learned and not be limited to expressing with words. Students can also spice up their "reading blogs", book reviews, etc. by adding photos they have found or taken.
Flickr ... Friend or Foe?
Definitely, Friend. Need I say more?
Using Flickr with your Clickr
There are many photosharing sites out there besides Flickr, such as Snapfish, Picasa, etc. Basically, now that we don't have to use film, digital photos have the freedom to be placed anywhere and be viewed by anyone you allow to look at your photography. Photosharing has been made so easy that with the click of your mouse, you can add pictures, modify pictures, organize pictures into albums, tag your pictures, add write descriptions of your pictures, even give each picture a title. It's no longer a photo album you are creating, you are basically creating a pictoral story album.
I have to admit, this isn't the first time I've used photosharing. I started to use it when my friends moved to countries shortly after university and I used it a lot to share with my family my life overseas. Even my colleagues, we all share our photos on Facebook even though we see each other everyday and/or were present at the time of when the photo was taken. There's just something so attractive about the ease of photosharing. You no longer have to carry heavy albums, or to make a special trip to drop off your film and pick up the prints - you can even order your prints online for those you want to frame! I think the best part is the ease of finding the picture, knowing exactly where it is or just searching the keywords.
It is easy, but time consuming at the same time! Hours pass by as you add narrations to your photos, or geotag them to where they were taken. Is it all worth it? I think so. Your photos stay stored on the photosharing host site so, you can login to any computer and share your pictures, you can email your friends and family about your latest photos. Yes, initially it takes time to set up your photos and albums, but once you're done, the sharing is endless and effortless. Don't believe me? Here, check out my lastest album called Travel Memories.
Flickr in the Classroom
Photosharing is not a new phenomenon for most of our students. They've already got the basic skills to take digital pictures using cellphones and cameras, to set pictures for their online profiles, to search for images, etc. and even if they don't, it's not difficult to give a tutorial on how to attain these skills.
How are teachers using Flickr in the classroom?
As Jakesonline.org points out in his Education and Technology Conference paper, the purpose of using a web tool like Flickr is to "promote and build visual literacy skills in students." Pamela Aucoin believes that Flickr "invites student collaboration and participation." Here's just a taste of how appications of Flickr have been used in classrooms:
1. Anywhere visual images are required, such as presentation, etc.
2. Multiple image digital storytelling projects
3. Virtual Field Trips
4. Using Flickr with Google Earth to teach Geography
5. Creating slides shows within Flickr
6. Creation of visual arguments
e.g. biology classroom-The Case for Genetic Engineering
7. Visual documentation of school events, student work, etc.
...and more. Also available are Flickr resources and sites.
Why is Flickr the teacher's choice?
Flickr has partnered with Creative Commons licensing to provide a way for its community members to legally share content and use photographs for non-commercial use. (LearnHub-Teaching Flickr in the K-12 Classroom) As well as allowing Teachers to set privacy modes for who can view the pictures.
Creative Commons who?
Watch this video http://revver.com/video/89072/wanna-work-together/ (LearnHub)
What does this mean for my classroom?
I definitely agree with choosing Flickr because of their partnership with Creative Commons. Because my English classroom is an EFL learning environment, I believe that using Flickr for a slideshow to introduce new visual concepts would be helpful for my students to access background knowledge they may lack due to their different cultural experiences or lack of (unbiased) worldly knowledge. This may even be an opportunity for them to search for visuals that represent the descriptions of the setting of a novel per se or visuals that will help them remember meanings of vocabulary words. Many of my male students dislike drawing and this is a great solution, while they can practice reading English online. There are many equivalent sites but all in Chinese. Having students using a Flickr account would ensure that they are using an English host site that would enable them to practice reading and writing in English.
What does this mean for the school library?
Teaching students about why we need something like the Creative Commons is a great way to introduce how plagiarism is not acceptable. I also see Flickr as a great addition to research reports and assignments for visual learners to express what they have learned and not be limited to expressing with words. Students can also spice up their "reading blogs", book reviews, etc. by adding photos they have found or taken.
Flickr ... Friend or Foe?
Definitely, Friend. Need I say more?
Monday, July 6, 2009
It's the Beginning...
Phew, I didn't even break a sweat!
As you can see, this is my first blog entry for my EDES 501: Exploration of Web 2.0 course at U of A. Starting a blog was easy and effortless. It really was like signing up for an email account and composing a message like Will Richardson mentioned in Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. I am pleasantly surprised as to how user friendly blogs are, but I guess this is why there are so many new blogs being made each day!
Who is Sheryl?
For those of you who don't know me very well, a quick intro would be I am a relatively new educator. I am only going into my fifth year of teaching BC high school English to international students in China. I have always had an interest in how to use technology effectively in the classroom. Coincidentally, the international school I work for is Maple Leaf Education Systems and the school believes in using technology to aid the education of their students. In the past year, every classroom was equipped with a LCD projector, speakers, and campus wide wireless network. So in this past year, I have been learning to use this paperless technology that was readily available in my English 12 and Communications 12 classroom. And now, learning to incorporate Web 2.0 into my classroom is definitely the next step I should be taking especially since my students enjoy using their computers. Moreover, I need to find different ways of increasing my students comfort in using computers to express their knowledge, thoughts, ideas, opinions, and creativity because my students write their provincial exams online.
Why Blogger?
I chose Blogger as my blog host because in the past year, I have switched to Gmail as my primary email provider and I am quite happy with this email service, alongside the Google Documents that I can use to share files and simultaneously edit the files with other users. I plan to use Google Reader as well for my RSS feeds for blogs. So, it only made sense that I would continue to use services provided by Google, which would maximize the use of all Google "thingy-ma-jigs" :oP
Comments on Blog Post Assessment.
The criteria used seems quite fair, although I am already intimidated about the "Writing Style" component. Though, I believe as I publish more posts on my blog, I will feel more comfortable with my cyber voice and writing style.
Blogs - Friend or Foe?
So far? I'd have to say a friend. Publishing a post is definitely more than just shooting an email to someone. Knowing that there could be a potential audience of all sorts makes me think and write differently - yet I can express what I believe freely... definitely interesting! Can't wait to for my next post!
As you can see, this is my first blog entry for my EDES 501: Exploration of Web 2.0 course at U of A. Starting a blog was easy and effortless. It really was like signing up for an email account and composing a message like Will Richardson mentioned in Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. I am pleasantly surprised as to how user friendly blogs are, but I guess this is why there are so many new blogs being made each day!
Who is Sheryl?
For those of you who don't know me very well, a quick intro would be I am a relatively new educator. I am only going into my fifth year of teaching BC high school English to international students in China. I have always had an interest in how to use technology effectively in the classroom. Coincidentally, the international school I work for is Maple Leaf Education Systems and the school believes in using technology to aid the education of their students. In the past year, every classroom was equipped with a LCD projector, speakers, and campus wide wireless network. So in this past year, I have been learning to use this paperless technology that was readily available in my English 12 and Communications 12 classroom. And now, learning to incorporate Web 2.0 into my classroom is definitely the next step I should be taking especially since my students enjoy using their computers. Moreover, I need to find different ways of increasing my students comfort in using computers to express their knowledge, thoughts, ideas, opinions, and creativity because my students write their provincial exams online.
Why Blogger?
I chose Blogger as my blog host because in the past year, I have switched to Gmail as my primary email provider and I am quite happy with this email service, alongside the Google Documents that I can use to share files and simultaneously edit the files with other users. I plan to use Google Reader as well for my RSS feeds for blogs. So, it only made sense that I would continue to use services provided by Google, which would maximize the use of all Google "thingy-ma-jigs" :oP
Comments on Blog Post Assessment.
The criteria used seems quite fair, although I am already intimidated about the "Writing Style" component. Though, I believe as I publish more posts on my blog, I will feel more comfortable with my cyber voice and writing style.
Blogs - Friend or Foe?
So far? I'd have to say a friend. Publishing a post is definitely more than just shooting an email to someone. Knowing that there could be a potential audience of all sorts makes me think and write differently - yet I can express what I believe freely... definitely interesting! Can't wait to for my next post!
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