Tool #8 Using the Tools

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Tool #7 Reaching Out To The World

The first time I used / learned about Skype it reminded me of the EMG program that Spring Branch subscribed to back in the 1990s.  It really was early video conferencing - does anyone remember the "Bat Phones" we were supposed to use?  Someone it never quite came off as it was supposed to - mostly because we had to coordinate schedules.  That's hard to do in an elementary school where students tend to do unpredictable things like upchuck as they are headed out the door. 

Lisa Branon, the Librarian at Frostwood experimented with Skype last year.  Her students reaped the benefits as they enjoyed some author Skyped visits.  I see from reading the blog entry that there's a web site of Skype friendly authors.

Last year a couple of students talked me into doing a book club - we kept it small and meet every 6 days or so.  All of us really enjoyed it -and since the students will be in 5th grade next year I suspect we'll keep it up.  II'll start by letting them explore this site and select an author who is willing to Skype.  None of the names jumped out at me, but it will be fun to discover a "new to us" author.  

It will keep my first school Skype experience small and I'll have the pleasure of working with students who are articulate and adore technology.   

Tool # 6 Web 2.0 in the Classrooms

I've been using Blogs for about 4 or 5 years now via Housman's After School Programs.  I thought students might be more interested in writing if they didn't have to struggle with pencil and paper.  Some of the students proved to be amazing writers and others were more interested in finding widgets rather than putting fingers to keyboard.  Originally I let them chose a topic of their choice but after the umpteenth post about Justin Bieber and WWF I was forced to impose a bit more structure.  I found I had to specify how many sentences qualified as a post.  Oddly I found myself doing the very same thing for teachers when they tackled the 11 Tools.  


Here's a link to one of my favorite student blogs - the author is going into the 5th grade and he's been blogging for 2 years.  As you can tell he loves making Animotos.  I have 102 student blogs on my Housman Blogger account. 


The library's also had a delicious account since I first did the 23 Things.  It's proved to be invaluable since elementary age children can't type long URLs.  Diigo wasn't around back then but it appears to be superior and I've migrated the Housman bookmarks to Diigo while we decide which one we want to keep updated. 

Tool 3 - Embedding Videos

Videos are easy to embed -or link.  Sometimes you opt for one, and sometimes the other. I perfer to embed since it's easier for your blog followers to view it.  It also adds visual interest to the blog.   If there are firewall and "Net Nanny "issues a link it best, otherwise there will be this big blank space in the middle of your blog.  Below are examples of Linking and Embedding.

Much to my amazement I've become a Lady Gaga fan.  Granted, I am I old enough to be mother - she is younger than my daughters but I do enjoy her music.  It makes me get up and move.  Moving is good. 

The woman excells at  using Social Media and I think her commerical for Google Chrome is a masterpiece.

Tool # 4 - Into the Cloud with Google Docs

I've used Google Docs created by others but this is the first time I've created one myself.  It's so easy!  Now I'm kicking myself for dragging my feet!  Silly me!


I'm doing a presentation at the back to school in- services so I've started a document to help me collect my thoughts.

The 11 Tools - Huh????

The instructions for some of the 11 Tools are well, well they are lacking.  One of the cardinal rules when writing instructions is that you always give them to someone clueless and make sure they can follow them and complete the task successfully.   It's becoming very apparent that it wasn't done.


Along with some other librarians,  I attended an Atomic Learning training session and discovered there are some very very helpful videos available to those who are wandering in the wilderness of cyberspace.


Karen Harrell, the librarian at Rummel Creek listed them on her blog. 


Take a look - and you even get PDLC hours - well make that minutes for watching them. 

Adding a Picture to Your Post

Pictures make your blog more interesting and more appealing to the reader - here's a link that explains how to do it.


http://www.howtoinblogger.com/blogger-tutorials/how-to-upload-images-in-blogger/

It's really easy.  I always save the picture to my desktop so that I can find it easily!  Then you click on the picture icon (it's next to the word LINK)  on the toolbar that shows up when you posting and follow the instructions!

Tool # 2 Commenting and On Line Learning Communties

I discovered The Google Reader during the 23 Things and it created organization out of chaos. I have on set up for The 11 Tools so I can keep up with who has posted and who hasn't.  Makes it easy to leave comments.  

My  stack of books to be read is always toppling off my night stand and my Google Reader is always about to burst with postings. Sometimes I get frustrated and mark them all as "read" so I can clean it out and start back at zero.  Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog and CoolCat Teacher are my go to blogs.  I visit the fomer to keep with my profession and the latter because she's always on top of what's happening in the world of Web 2.0.


I've found some of my favorite blogs via other blogs.  It's a bit like books, if someone enjoys the same book you do, chances are you have some other books in common too.


Delicious is another tool that entered my life during Library2Play.  I promptly set up an account for the library and it's been such a time saver.  Children can't type URLs correctly and bookmarks aren't practical since they are tied to a specific computer. 

Diigo came along a bit later and I set up a Diggo account for the library too.  It has some extras -stickly notes for example that Delicious doesn't offer.  I think I'll start encouraging the kids to use Diigo instead of Delicious. I like the fact that it is cross platform now  that we have iTouches, iPads and computers.  Less letters in the word Diigo too- so less of a chance for typos.  Well, we can only hope. 

Blogger Dashboard

• I attended a workshop on Atomic Learning today - which is new and improved and way easier access than it used to be. We now just log in with our SBISD logon and password.  I know a couple of you - yes you - Janet want to change your blogs "appearance" - here is an explanation of the Google Dashboard and what is the purpose of each tab.

We were also told that Atomic Learning videos viewed at home count for PDLC hours.  Granted they are only 1-5 minutes long so you have to watch more than one to get your hours.  It's still better than having to attend a Fire Marshall presentation - yes you -Hanne!

• Blogging Workshop
• 
  
  • B. Creating a Blogger Blog
  • 
    
    • Introducing the Blogger Dashboard pt. 1
    • Introducing the Blogger Dashboard pt. 2

The 11 Tools - Here We Go Again....

I've done the 23 Things, the 11 & A Half Things and The 5 & 3/4 Things....and now here comes The 11 Tools.

Some of which I'm familiar with and some of which I'm not. The Web comes and goes so quickly so some Tools have already vanished.  The Land of Oz and the Internet have a great deal in common.


I love anything Web 2.0 and the kids do too.  Now that the library has the new Macbooks and the Minis we finally have some decent technology we can finally turn the students loose on the  world of the wild, wild, web.

But, before we can turn the students loose; the teachers have to be taught.  Actually, the kids could teach the teachers but that's not the way it's done in Spring Branch.

This summer, along with packing up, moving and not knowing where we're going to be holding classes come fall everyone must haul out their laptops and create a blog.  Not only that, but they must write 11 posts on their blog.  For some this is a piece of cake (I've had a blog since 2004) but for others it's an overwhelming task.

To quote one of the greatest movie lines of all time "Buckle your seatbelts it's going to be a bumpy night".