Podcasts4Students

I just got done listening to the latest SLJ Podcast . In this podcast, the Tech Chicks, Anna Adams and Helen Mowers, highlight and preview a few of their picks for great podcasts for students. The podcast supplements their December, 2007 School Library Journal article, Listen Up! The Best in Educational Audio. Reading the article and exploring the links provided therein will provide teachers with just a few audio resources that can be used in the classroom. And, did I mention that most podcasts are free.

As well as podcasts, LearnOutLoud includes audio books, mp3 downloads, and videos. So, if you are looking for more resources, here is another tool to help you find appropriate podcasts for use in your classroom. An account is free and downloading the podcast/s can be done via a podcast site, like iTunes, or individually as needed.

VoiceThread

Wow, what a great tool for personal and/or educational use. VoiceThread enables collaborative storytelling.

A VoiceThread is an online media album that can hold essentially any type of media (images, documents and videos) and allows people to make comments in 5 different ways - using voice (with a microphone or telephone), text, audio file, or video (with a webcam) - and share them with anyone they wish. A VoiceThread allows group conversations to be collected and shared in one place, from anywhere in the world.

Here's an example of a VoiceThread, What's a VoiceThread Anyway?




I've spent quite a lot of time exploring and viewing many VoiceThreads. And I've listened to this podcast from Teachers Teaching Teachers in which VoiceThread is discussed by the creators and teachers. What's really great are the VoiceThreads posted in the comments section.

Educational uses for VoiceThread abound. Here only a few of the ways it can be used:

• Storytelling, poetry readings, etc. - Poetry Pizzazz
• Individual or group book reports like this one, Hatchet
• Practice using a foreign language - Meine Familie
• Oral commentary about a field trip - Chinese Garden
• Reactions about an event or disaster,
• Tour of ... Summer of 2007
• Art students' works with artist's interpretation and peer comments, Flash Video (Victoria Taylor-Gore uses videos to show her own work, tributes to Vincent VanGogh and Mark Rothko)
• How to whatever... Social Bookmarking
• Summary of an event, activity, concept, etc. - Triangles by Angles
• Time-lapse of a school year (picture for each month, season, etc.) A Year in 12 Pictures
• Explanation of an event, topic, lesson, etc. Plagiarism
• Select a VoiceThread and have students comment/learn how to comment.

I hope you make time to explore this great tool.


Here's a great post by Cheryl Oakes from the TechLearning Blog where she talks about her experiences introducing staff to VoiceThread and includes links to other resources about VoiceThread.

AASL Conference

Here's a link to a a short video highlighting a few events from the AASL 2007 Conference. It might entice you to checkout some of the handouts/recordings that are available from the conference.

Not Missing in Action

Wow, it has been almost a month since I added anything to this blog. After returning from my Texas trip, I just couldn't seem to get caught up with anything! But I haven't been inactive with my Web 2.0 learning, just not blogging about it.

I've been learning how to edit pages on the new WEMTA website. It's quite a bit different from the previous process. One just needs to be setup with a login/password and rights to add/edit particular pages. I was able to figure out how to add and edit content using the online help tutorials. I work on the following pages/areas: Battle of the Books, WEMAtter, Copyright, and the AASL news. I just had the official training on Monday and found that much of the info covered was not new to me. But the trainer did send out a link for a demo site which I can use to see the different ways that content can be added. I have to redo the AASL news section. That was the first area I worked on and I want to do it differently.

I have also been listening to some of the K-12OnlineConference 2007 sessions which I'll talk about in a future post.

Building a Web 2.0 Classroom (Pt.2)

In part 2, Mr. Murphy takes the audience through a research project and demonstrates how each of the ten skills is used to gather info and media to produce a multimedia project within a wiki. The whole process ultimately becomes a "community of online projects" which then allows for comments, elaboration, and collaboration. "Community needs to be infused" into a Web 2.0 classroom to allow the "conversation" to take place. The conversation becomes just as important as the project because it makes the project more valuable and meaningful.

Mr. Murphy explains it better than I am able:

Content is cool but……its all about the community conversations!

This idea refers to the deeper value of web 2.0 for teachers and students. Often the initial attraction to the web involves the ability to self publish, use images, slideshow, video etc. And teachers and students take the self publishing processes as the primary participation in the web 2.0 experience. What these participants soon discover, however, is that the value of content is not in making and presenting it, but in having it viewed and commented on and the ensuing conversations that come out of the content presentation process. Making content without audience is a process that ends right when it should be growing. The online world lets the conversation continue and gives the content making process more value and meaning.

Another point that I found revealing is Mr. Murphy's discussion of the "process of proximity." In the video he demonstrates how cutting & pasting, moving & aligning, etc. are actually ways to gather and place info closer together for easier understanding. And Web 2.0 is a process that brings people closer together in terms of time and space.

I highly recommend this K12OnlineConference2007 presentation, the author's blog and his GoogleVideos to anyone who wants to understand Web 2.0 and how it will allow classroom learning to become more meaningful for students in today's world.

Building a Web 2.0 Classroom

Here is another great presentation from the K12OnlineConference2007, Step by Step: Building a Web2.0 Classroom. I've listened and watched part 1 only at this point. The presentor, Drew Murphy, explains and demonstrates 10 basic skills he feels are needed to understand and use Web 2.0 more effectively. These skills are not new to me, especially after completeing the CSLA tutorial, however, since I always find it hard to break down the big picture into smaller bytes, this part of the presentation allowed me to step back and review how I have been able to make progress in my personal exploration of Web 2.0.

Mr. Murphy groups the 10 skills into three activities: Exploring & Participating; Deconstructing & Reconstructing; and Connecting and Creating. These activities are what make the new Web experiences, 2.0.

I've listened to part 2 and can't wait to complete the download of the video to see the examples he uses to apply the 10 skills in a Web 2.0 classroom project.

Metamurphism, Drew Murphy's blog, contains the videos and notes. (Use the tabs at the top, Web2.0, part 1; Web2.0, part 2; and Be the Box)

Return from Texas

I've been visiting my sister in Texas and her DSL was on the blink so I didn't get much chance to continue my Web2.0 explorations. Got back yesterday and have been trying to get caught up with my home-based email and a few of my RSS feeds. Here's a cute video, Librarian's Blues, that was posted on American Libraries Direct, October 24, 2007.



Well, enough fun for now, back to work. There are so many great learning opportunities available right now! SO much to learn and so little time.

• I have to finish exploring the Collaborative Web Pageflake. I think there are still 3 applications to learn about; Thinkature, VoiceThread, and JayCut.
• And then of course there are all the different presentations from K-12 Online Conference 2007. Let's see...there were 4 different strands with 9 presentations each and a keynote for each strand = 40 presentations, of which I have listened to 10 and viewed 1 of those. I've got a ways to go before I complete this conference.
• Then there's the AASL 13th National Conference which took place in Reno, Nevada. I can peruse the handouts, only about 100 of them (I'm not kidding), to help me decide if I want to purchase the conference DVD and/or CDs.
• In addition to the conference recordings, the AASL online learning e-Academy (if you have trouble with this link, keep trying. I got errors many times before getting the proper page. I'm not sure if the ALA website is still being revised, like WEMTA's) offers online courses and the Digital Institute 2007.
• And last but not least are the new AASL Learning Standards (pdf) to peruse and digest.

See what I mean???

Cell Phones as Classroom Learning Tools

I listened to one of the K12 Online Conference 2007 presentations in the New Tools strand. WOW!!! What a great presentation. I assumed that the info wouldn't be that useful, but I was wrong! I only use my cell phone to talk to friends and family without texting. And even tho the phone has a camera I haven't really used that feature because I didn't know what I could do with the photos. Now I do. And I now know how to make and share a podcast.

Liz Kolb explores using cell phones as data collection tools: audio recorders, digital cameras, and digital camcorders. Additionally, she discusse how classroom projects can be developed for cell phones: creating ring tones, text messaging, mobile WebPages, and mobile surveys. Finally, she looks at the future features of cell phones and how those features can play a role in learning

.
Since most teens already have cell phones why not tap into this ready-made tool. The cell phone could provide motivation and readily available learning opportunities. I was amazed at the free web applications that are available to use with cell phones and landlines (for those without cell phones). AND most of the projects can be completed outside of the school day. Many of the examples given during the presentation are useful and practical; like field trip or travel diaries or digital storytelling or photo collages.

I highly recommend this presentation. Ms Kolb's blog and presentation wiki are full of great resources and examples of educational uses of cell phones.

MoreThanCoolTools

Today is the first day of the K12OnlineConference. I received the first four presentations via audio podcast right after I got up this morning (they were due to be published at 7 am my time). Later in the evening after watching Dancing with the Stars I began a download of the video for the keynote in the New Tools strand. While waiting on the download, I was able to listen to its audio. It was only about 2 minutes long, but I didn't think anything was amiss. I proceeded to listen to the two presentations in the Classroom 2.0 strand while waiting for the video to download. I went into the conference blog and went to some of the links provided for each of the presentations. Probably spent about 90 minutes. Finally I began to read comments about MoreThanCoolTools. Should have read them sooner!!! probably before I even tried to download. There was trouble publishing the complete mp3.

One of the presentors, D'arcy Norman, had given another url for a lower quality video at google videos, which I tried. It loaded right away and I proceeded to view the New Tools keynote (53 min.)

The manner in which each presenter discussed Web 2.0 tools and the "trends" in development and use are very enlightening. I have used or was familiar with most of the tools used as examples in the presentation, but I hadn't really thought about the broader perspective or the "big picture". These are the trends discussed and explored in the presentation:

• embedding
• connecting people
• socializing
• collaborating
• sharing
• remixing
• liberating
• filtering
• disrupting

Two of the last three trends, liberating and disrupting, are things I had not realized at all. I still need to digest and reflect to fully understand them.

I also wanted to mention that the comments and discussion (scroll down)that take place in the blog will also be a great source of learning!

K12 Online Conference: Playing with Boundaries

I have been reading and exploring at the First Timers wiki. The Connected Planet Guide is very helpful. The conference takes place over two weeks, however, sessions will be available 24/7 after they have been published to the conference blog.

The first week is Oct 15 - 19 with a live Elluminate Fireside Chat taking place on Oct 20. Classroom 2.0 and New Tools will be the focus this week. “Classroom 2.0″ presentations will focus on instructional uses and examples of web 2.0 tools and the “New Tools” presentations will be "nuts and bolt" instructions for using web 2.0 tools with beginner's and advanced sessions.

The second week is Oct 22 - 26 with a live Elluminate Fireside Chat taking place on Oct 27. The focus this week will be Professional Learning Networks and Obstacles to Opportunities.

"Professional Learning Networks" presentations will include:

• tips, ideas and resources on how to orchestrate your own professional development online;
• concrete examples of how the tools that support Professional Learning Environments (PLEs) are being used;
• how to create a supportive, reflective virtual learning community around school-based goals,
• and trends toward teacher directed personal learning environments.
  

Unearthing "opportunities from the obstacles" rooted in these boundaries:

• copyright,
• digital discipline and ethics (e.g. cyberbullying),
• collaborating globally (e.g. cultural differences, synchronous communication),
• resistance to change (e.g. administration, teachers, students),
• school culture (e.g. high stakes testing),
• time (e.g. in curriculum, teacher day),
• lack of access to tools/computers,
• filtering,
• parental/district concerns for online safety,
• control (e.g. teacher control of student behavior/learning),
• solutions for IT collaboration and more

will be the focus of presentations in this strand.

Presentation teasers are short videos that introduce the presentor and an intro to what you could expect to learn by viewing/listening to the entire presentation.

Online Conference

I will be attending this conference which has already begun with a preconference session with David Warlick. I signed up for audio podcasts which I thought would help me decide which video sessions to attend. I've listened to David Warlick who demonstrates the lack of boundaries to communication that now exist, yet also the need to create new boundaries in the Web 2.0 world. Now I have discovered a wiki for First Timers which provides helpful info, guides, and links to everything. Check it out.

OpenID

Bloglines has just become an OpenID site. OpenID...What is it???

After reading the post at Bloglines I have a little better idea of what it is.

OpenID allows you to create an identity online and use that identity to login to any OpenID supported site. In other words, you will no longer need to create a new username and password for every single website.

It sounds too good to be true. I guess I'll have to wait and see how this idea progresses. The Bloglines team suggest checking out the OpenID Foundation. So that's what I'll do.


Gabcast! Learning #1 - OpenID

Bloglines has become an OpenID website.

Writeboard

Here's another online application that I discovered on The Collaborative Web pagecast. It's a writing tool that can be used individually and/or with others to collaborate on any type of writing project. Writeboard saves every version of a document so that one can easily view and compare different versions. You can subscribe to writeboards via RSS so that you'll always know of any changes made by others. Another neat feature is that Writeboard integrates with Backpack.

If you have a Backpack account you can attach writeboards to backpack pages or see a list of all your writeboards in one place on the Writeboards tab from within Backpack. You can also create new writeboards in Backpack. Using Backpack and Writeboard together is a great way to keep your writing organized (and not have to remember multiple usernames and passwords).

I'm all for having fewer logins to remember, so making use of both these online applications makes great sense to me.

xtimeline

I've been so intrigued with this next site that I've spent more time exploring all the different timelines rather that creating one myself.


allows one to explore, create, share, and discuss a timeline about all sorts of topics from people to places to things to events. The timelines are very flexible to use. Here is a sample timeline by the creators of xtimelines which shows the variety of resources that can be used in a timeline including text, pictures and photos, links, video, and music.

I tried to embed the timeline here, but there isn't enough room to show the entire screen and it was slow.

This resource would be a very useful, visual tool for the classroom. Teachers/students could use the information in timelines for learning in a multitude of ways such as: teachers could use/create a timeline to give a brief overview of a topic; students could research a timeline in order to verify that the information is correct and up-to-date and then rate, comment, or discuss; or students could create their own timelines for class projects. I really enjoyed my exploration and I think I'll see if I can create a timeline myself.

For a really good explanation read Joyce Valenza's post about xtimelines here. She did a great job on the list of higher level thinking that can be achieved using xtimelines.

Stu.dicio.us

is another online application that appears on the Collaborative Web pagecast that I wasn't familiar with. It's a simple application that can be used for note-taking (probably meant for college-level students) by anyone. Notes can be shared or located by school, professor, class, and content. A couple of handy features are: ability to automatically link to Wikipedia and Google ; and ability to substitute keywords for your abbreviations. Great tool for students at campuses with wifi.

FURL

Another application from the Collaborative Web pagecast is Furl.
is a social bookmarking site similar to del.icio.us.

Furl also privately archives a complete copy of each page that a user bookmarks, making it accessible even if the original content is modified or removed, an antidote for link rot. This also allows full text searches to be made within the archive. Topics are used to categorize saved sites, similar to the tagging feature of other social websites. Additionally, a user may write comments, save clippings, assign each bookmark a rating and keywords (which are given greater weight while searching), and have an option of private or public storage for each topic or item archived. From Wikipedia

Sounds like furl takes bookmarking to a higher level. I've been using del.icio.us and find it meets my needs at this time.

Backpack

"Backpack is a simple web-based service that allows you to make pages with to-do lists, notes, files, and images. Backpack also features a Calendar and Reminders that can be sent via email or to your cell phone at predefined times."

Backpack is another application from the Collaborative Web pagecast that I hadn't seen/used. Since I'm retired I really don't need to make long or involved to do lists, so I didn't sign up to try the site out, however, the examples provided show a wide range of uses. Here is pagini's blog about how to use Backpack for taking notes.

TakingITGlobal

The next Collaborative Web application that I'm not familiar with is TakingITGlobal(TIG).

"TakingITGlobal connects youth around the world to find inspiration, information and get involved in improving their local and global communities. TIG is led by youth and empowered by technology. TakingITGlobal works with global partners – from UN agencies, to major companies, and especially youth organizations – to build the capacity of youth for development, artistic and media expression, make education more engaging, and involve young people in global decision-making."

Essentially, a socialnetworking site with a global perspective and mission. The site is interactive providing: information and resources on global topics and countries of the world; opportunities to express oneself through writing or blogging, art, or podcasts; and collaboration with others to develop projects and take action. Membership is free.


School or classroom use is also provided thru TIGed. The same features of TIG are provided in a structured environment which can be controlled to provide protection and privacy for students. TIGed is a content management system that allows teachers and students to work in a private area, yet use public resources. The site provides resources to help teachers get started: activities database, thematic classroom units, events, and collaboration with other teachers from around the world. There is a fee but it's minimal for a teacher license, $30.

Any teacher who is "looking for an innovative way to introduce global issues to their students, from simple, low-tech solutions to online global collaborations with other classes thousands of miles away" should explore TIGed.

MindMeister

The next Collaborative Web application that I'm not familiar with is MindMeister.

MindMeister is an online collaborative mind mapping tool. It's similar to Inspiration, a visual learning computer application which can be purchased and installed on a computer. MindMeister is so much more! Not only is it available online 24/7 at no cost, but it allows for real-time collaboration. Colleagues can brainstorm on a project simultaneously, view each others edits, and even integrate the use of Skype for discussion.

Here is a map that I created about my learning experiences while working on the csla tutorial. If you'd like to collaborate on this mind map please leave a comment so I can add you as a collaborator.

Gapminder

The next Collaborative Web application that I'm not familiar with is Gapminder.

Wow!!

Gapminder provides access to searchable public data, however, the data is very visual and more easily understood because of Gapminder's philosophy. "Gapminder wants to make data more accessible and easier to use for instant visual analysis." Gapminder is providing tools so that people, independent of their political agenda, can freely "access the already existing statistics about global development to easily improve their understanding about the complex society" and how life has changed over time.


The site includes a tutorial that demonstrates how to use Gapminder's tools. There are video gapcasts and presentations, flash animations, and other resources which demonstrate how Gapminder tools make data come alive. Hans Rosling's lectures are awe inspiring. I especially liked his presentation, Debunking the myth of the "third world".

Public statistics which include a variety of indicators from life expectancy to internet use to military expenditures are available for most countries in the world. So teachers and students in many curricular areas could make use of this site.

ToonDoo

ToonDoo is site where you can create your own cartoons, from simple jokes to instructional lessons in a cartoon format. Here's a ToonBook, entitled Web 2.0. I'm not really into cartoons, so I won't be making any myself. But since this was the first item in The Collaborative Web pagecast I did explore some of the ToonDoo's and ToonBooks.

plash	Collection of web2.0

PageFlakes

I have heard, read, and explored at PageFlakes. It's a way to personalize one's homepage and include all kinds of content from the Internet. Here's a cool example of a Pageflake, The Collaborative Web.

librarywannabe has created this PageCast and shared it. I now have my new project. There are twelve different apps on this PageCast that I haven't used. I plan to explore them in the next 12 weeks and blog about what I have learned. And then, I'll create my own PageCast.

Creating an Image Link

Thanks to Krishbhavara for answering the question I posted in the Blogger Help Group about how to make an image linkable, or a HotImage. Here's the link that he/she sent me with the directions including pics.

(Note for me on how to: Insert image, then click on the image while in Compose mode, click the InsertLink icon and add the url.)

Banned Books Week banner

Banned Books Week banner
Originally uploaded by freerangelibrarian

Here's the original image that I thought was a widget. Saw it on an ALA page and it linked to the banned books week info so I thought it was a widget. Not sure how ALA got it to link. The original creator is Josh Culley, whose handle is "jovial_cynic" at www.newprotest.org.

Banned Books Week Flag

Banned Books Week Banner
Originally uploaded by DML East Branch

Here's another. It's really cool when viewed at Flickr!

Banned Books Week

Magazine Cover
Originally uploaded by lamc

I saw a really cool widget for BBW and wanted to recreate on my blog.
At the original creator's site, one comment said that the image was saved to Flickr. So while trying to find it, I came across some other cool images. This magazine cover was created with fd's flickr toys.

Banned Books Week

What is it with Flickr stuff. When I tried to add all three images in one post the titles and posters names get too small to read!!! So that's why I went back and created 3 separate posts again.

Magazine Cover
Originally uploaded by lamc

I saw a really cool banner widget for Banned Books Week and have been trying to recreate it in my blog. At newprotest.org, original creator's site, I found some comments, one of which, said that the image had been posted to Flickr. So while looking for the banner I also found some other cool pic's. This magazine cover was created with fd's flickr toys.

Banned Books Week Flag
Originally uploaded by DML East Branch

Here's another. When you view it at Flicker, it is really cool. Each "cover's" title appears.

Banned Books Week banner
Originally uploaded by freerangelibrarian

Here's the original banner I'm still trying to add as a widget. It will take you to ALA's banned books site.

Linux OS

I've done some more research on the different "distributions" for Linux. I found three others that sounded better, but I can't find out how much hardware is needed. And I can't figure out how to download. One has to get them from either a ftp site or a "mirror" site. Many moons ago I understood how to ftp, but no longer. When I went to mirror sites, I wasn't sure what to try (a folder or each item within the folder) Even found one distribution that can be run from a stick, however, the Gateway doesn't have any USB ports. I've given up on trying to install a Linux operating system on the old Gateway computer. It's just too old.

No Ubuntu

Well, after looking at the cd cover and the computer, I've discovered that Ubuntu needs at least 256mg of RAM and of course the machine has only 128mg. I tried anyway just to run Ubuntu from the cd, but that didn't work. So, I'm trying Edubuntu next. (Continuing...later) Now I find out that Edubuntu is for workstations working from a server, not a stand alone machine. So, I guess I'll have to start over or purchase 128mg to install into that old machine. InfoPower or Cass, do you want the CD's???

Edubuntu OR Ubuntu

I had decided awhile ago that I wanted to try an opensource operating system after listening to several podcasts from EdTechLive about opensource software. I went online and could have downloaded either operating system but I am going to try it on a stand alone computer so I ordered the free cd's. They arrived yesterday! I think that I'll try Ubuntu, since it won't have all the educational software that comes bundled with Edubuntu. Wish me luck!

Check out my Slide Show!

Here's a pictorial of most of the experiences I had during the School Library Learning 2.0 tutorial.

It was easy and fun to put this slideshow together. Slide is free and has lots of options. Now I have to find out about video's.

Post CSLA2

I have been reviewing this blog and my experiences with CSLA's School Library Learning 2.0 tutorial. It's been great fun learning about Web 2.0 tools.

I have begun listening to Jane Eyre which I had downloaded from LibriVox. Different readers for each chapter is interesting. I'm used to one reader. I have never actually read the book, just seen the movies, so I'm finding the story of Jane's early life revealing.

Have also been adding my personal book collection to LibraryThing. I'm already up to aver 100 items. I'm going to have to upgrade soon a-c I'm not even half done. I have been exploring the groups and have found a young adult book discussion group that I'm thinking of joining.

And, after viewing the slide show of the CSLA2 creators I have decided that my next project will be to learn how to create my own slideshow with pics and graphics created during this tutorial.

Week 9 - Thing #23 CSLA2 Ending

Sadness
Originally uploaded by ashleyasaurus

I've been putting this last thing off for awhile now. I don't want this experience to end.

What a great way to learn about Web 2.0 tools that can be used in a library media center and everyday life. I really enjoyed being able to work at my own pace and actually producing not just accessing and reading about Web 2.0. Using the blog to show my "things" and talk about my experiences during this CSLA2 tutorial has been the most fun activity. Since I no longer work in a school library media center I will be using several of the tools in my home and with WEMTA, Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association. I'm thinking of volunteering to be a reader for the Gutenberg Project.

thank you, uploaded by Qathi

Week 9 - Thing#22 eBooks&eAudioBooks

Wow!!! Another world to explore. Where will I find the time?

I had already looked at LibriVox, but didn't really understand what could be done. After examining the site again I began to realize the potential for this site, as well as World eBook Fair. I found myself exploring serveral sites from the ultimate guide too.

I downloaded 2 audio ebooks, one to my computer which I added to my ipod and one directly to the ipod. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is well read by a volunteer at LibriVox. I haven't tried to listen to Jane Eyre yet. Got that one from another site. Don't remember which I looked at so many. Most of the classics can be found at one site or another.

I found the manner of downloading interesting in the Gutenberg Project in that the ebooks are stored at various sites, not just one gigantic location. I don't own an ebook reader so I won't be reading any books from my computer screen, however, the ability to locate the text itself could be helpful in various situtations.

What was most exciting for me was checking out whether or not my public library has ebooks available. Of course, they do!


So I spent a lot of time learning about the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium digital book & video download center. Here's where I can locate current titles for use, some of which can be burned to CD or transfered to mp3 devices, tho, NOT yet ipods a-c DRM, which I kinda understand now.

Week 9 - Thing#21 Podcasts

After attending the WEMA conference this past spring I decided that I needed an ipod or mp3 player. I had gone to several sessions about podcasting and then did some online research when I got home. (In fact I already had the Yahoo podcasting tutorial saved as a favorite.) My laptop already had iTunes installed so I started there after I purchased an ipod. I subscribed to several series and have been listening ever since. (Mainly, when I'm cleaning or taking a long walk with the dog.)

I explored most of the directories included with this exercise: Educational Podcast Directory

PodcastAlley

Yahoo Podcasts

I discovered an RSS feed and added it to this blog: David Warlick & 21st century learning. I haven't checked in iTunes to see if this podcast is available there, but will. It's so easy to get new programs and synch up the ipod that I would prefer to access them from there.

Week 9 - Thing#20 YouTube

I have already explored YouTube at great length when I was trying to learn how to embed a video earlier. I've already saved a bunch of videos as favorites. So now I'll have to figure out how to create folders to organize those choices.

I thought that I'd explore TeacherTube. It has many videos that could be used in the classroom, for professional development with staff, examples of student productions and is a location to upload videos produced by students. I was looking for a "beginning of the school year" video, but I selected this video instead bacause it makes one think. It's kinda long but worth it.

ShiftHappens Added on 17-05-2007 by hsullivan.

Week 8 - Thing#19 LibraryThing

Wow!! What a great site LibraryThing is. Only added 8 books to start. (I may have to upgrade my service a-c I have more than 200 books in my personal collection.) My favorite task when I was working was cataloging. Now I can continue with my own collection and my sister's. When I visit her once a year she always has me update her collection's database for her.

Here's the link for my library thus far. I was able to add a LT chiclet, though, I removed it after adding the LT blog widget. See it below.

LibraryThing is very easy to use and I was able setup "my library" the way I like. I'm going to have to go back and actually look at the editions I have, but editing appears to be easy too. Easy to navigate.

Social side of LT is intriguing. The Zeitgeist provides lots of interesting info about users of the site and books. There are a variety of groups. And it's easy to explore other users and their library's. It's like del.icio.us in that regard. I don't get the discussions yet, but I'll check those out after I add all of my books to "my library". I'm gonna be busy after I have completed SSL2.
Only 4 more things left!

Zoho publish to Blogger (WORKS now)

Received a comment from Ranjith and he says the problem with Blogger is fixed. So, I'm trying again.

This is a test of the Zoho plugin for Microsoft Word/Excel. It’s supposed to save in Zoho from MSWord. Let’s see.

I clicked on the save button in the Zoho toolbar. Message told me to save locally before saving to Zoho. After saving locally, when I selected Zoho’s save button a popup asked if I wanted to save online. I’m going to see if it’s at Zoho. Yes, it is. Zoho has three versions of this document saved. It automatically named them based upon the name within Word. Only thing is I'm not sure if I'm in MSWord or Zoho, unless I actually login to Zoho. When I'm using Zoho from within Word is when I'm confused. I'll have to play more to better understand what's happening and when.

I have imported a couple of word documents into Zohoo and most of the formatting came thru. I thought that I'd try out Google Docs since I already have a Google account. I didn't like how documents were imported, the formatting did not come thru as well. And when I tried to correct the formatting it only got worse. I like Zoho Writer better. Although, I've been trying to change the font and size without success.

Now I'm going to try to post this document into my blog. Well, of course, it didn't work. First I gave it my login name and password and then the blog name and it's url. Keeps on telling me it can't find the blog. Have to try to find help in Zoho, though, there isn't a "help" choice, just FAQ's. Found the instructions, but I think that is what I already did. I'll try again, step-by-step. Only make it thru a few steps Unable to connect your blog. Username or password may be incorrect. Have tried several times still not working. 7/28/07 5pm

I've been looking thru some of the other SSL2 blogs and I'm going to try some more things

Next, trying to insert a link, article on LibraryThing, BibMe, & Zotero. That works, however, when I save it as a Word document the emoticons and anchors don't come thru. PDF, emoticons and link-yes, anchor-no

I have tried ZohoSheet too. Works great.

Now I'm going to try and share with Liz. Said that she wasn't registered. Sent to school rather that home. Will try at home too.

Technorati Tags Zoho

Week 8-Thing#18 (cont.)

Well, as you can see from my previous post that I was able to publish from GoogleDocs. I'm still going to continue trying from Zoho, though. Liz did you get it to work?

Week 8 - Thing #18 Online App's

This is a test of the Zoho plugin for Microsoft Word/Excel. It’s supposed to save in Zoho from MSWord. Let’s see.

I clicked on the save button in the Zoho toolbar. Message told me to save locally before saving to Zoho. After saving locally, when I selected Zoho’s save button a popup asked if I wanted to save online. I’m going to see if it’s at Zoho. Yes, it is. Zoho has three versions of this document saved. It automatically named them based upon the name within Word. Only thing is I'm not sure if I'm in MSWord or Zoho, unless I actually login to Zoho. When I'm using Zoho from within Word is when I'm confused. I'll have to play more to better understand what's happening and when.

I have imported a couple of word documents into Zohoo and most of the formatting came thru. I thought that I'd try out Google Docs since I already have a Google account. I didn't like how documents were imported, the formatting did not come thru as well. And when I tried to correct the formatting it only got worse. I like Zoho Writer better. Although, I've been trying to change the font and size without success.

Now I'm going to try to post this document into my blog. Well, of course, it didn't work. First I gave it my login name and password and then the blog name and it's url. Keeps on telling me it can't find the blog. Have to try to find help in Zoho, though, there isn't a "help" choice, just FAQ's. Found the instructions, but I think that is what I already did. I'll try again, step-by-step. Only make it thru a few steps Unable to connect your blog. Username or password may be incorrect. So, now I'm trying from within Google Docs.

NECC 2007

Just had to include these links for webcasts, blogs, podcasts, etc. for sessions at NECC Atlanta. I didn't attend, but now I can still learn.

Steve Hargadon's NECC 2007 Session Tags and Feeds

NECC webcasts

Apple's NECC 2007 Podcast channel

Photo mashups

Web Photos Now Have Zero Credibility - Now anyone can rewrite history, taking only seconds for each precious photo.

Just had to add this news article first seen in American Libraries Direct, July 18, 2007, to the blog a-c we covered flickr and flickr mashups. I think that the two programs described in the article above could be considered the "ultimate" photo mashups, however, I'm not sure that they are available yet.

YouTube

Tried again to embed UTubeVideo and it worked!! (Just copy/paste embed code)

Who's Watching YOUR Space The 3-minute version of the most recent OCLC Symposium at ALA Midwinter 2007. More than 400 people attended this discussion of social networking practices and trends on January 19, 2007 during the American Library Association Midwinter Conference in Seattle, Washington.


Now here's the one I have been trying to embed and thought I was doing something wrong. I finally went to the developer directly, mwesch and guess what? His video looks the same as mine does with Blogger's Dashboard in the background.

The Machine is Us/ing Us (Final Version)June 19, 2007
Web 2.0 in under 5 minutes by Michael Wesch

Week 7 - Thing#17 Wiki playspaces

I went to the sandbox portion of the California Curriculum Connections wiki and proceeded to create three new pages. It was certainly easy to add those new pages which included text, links, and a video. However, after I had done that I went back and looked at the Discovery Exercises and realized I should have been in the Sandbox ONLY. After I used the PB Wiki tour and the other PB Wiki resources I went back and removed all of the pages that I had created since none had much to do with Curriculum Connections. I did practice editing in the sandbox. I also examined history, used the comparison feature, and liked looking at the recent activity.

I also used the Wikispaces tour to learn more about this wiki-host.

Good idea to create the California Curriculum Connections wiki to share ideas about using Web 2.0 tools in schools and school libraries. I especially liked the Online Learning section's "licenses" and the information ethics. A great resources for teachers and parents.

Wisconsin's Battle of the Books is managed in Moodle and I'm wondering how wikis work within Moodle. Yikes!!! just returned from looking at the Moodle site we used and the server has crashed and data was unrecoverable!

Week 7 - Thing #16 Wikis

I have been listening to EdTech podcasts and I just listened to a NECC 2007 presentation, Using Wikis in the Classroom. (The EdTech link is a wiki , however, I didn't recognize it as a wiki until I began exploring wikis in this exercise!)

After listening to the podcast I was interested in learning more about wikis in schools and libraries. The examples in the Discovery Resources demonstrated a variety of uses.

• I liked the pathfinder (subject guides) and how local community links were included. That would be a great way to include parents and community in the school library.
• Another interesting use for a wiki would be for school resources and/or student handbooks.
• A wiki for the school district's long range Information and Technology plan, which is required in Wisconsin every three years, would make it a lot easier to collaborate. And would save lots of "trees" because the wiki would be online for state evaluators. And the wiki could include graphics, pictures, etc.
• Wiki Collaboration across the Curriculum by Victoria Davis is a great presentation about classroom wikis which benefits Teacher Librarians too.

Week 6 - Thing #15 Web 2.0/Library 2.0

The video, The Machine is Us/ing Us, was my first introduction to Web 2.0.

(I still can't figure out how to embed the video correctly. Always comes up with the Blogger Dashboard in the background, rather than the YouTube image. Tried after adding my blog to utube, tried copy/pastse of embed code, and then deleted my blog and tried to copy/paste embed code.)

Web 2.0, Library 2.0, School Library 2.0 seem to be synonymous terms used to describe tools available on the Internet which allow users to interact with others and create their own content.

I read many of the articles. I didn't like the articles that appeared in the OCLC Newsletter. They seemed too much like they were selling their product. I enjoyed many of the articles in the references list in the Wikipedia article on Library 2.0.


I really liked what Christopher Harris had to say in his School Library Journal article about School Library 2.0. I went to his blog, Infomancy and read all of his blogs tagged SL2.0. I think his thoughts are really on the mark for libraries and school libraries.

Here's my dreamclould with terms from Christopher's article&posts and many of the other articles I read:

Simple Interactive User-Participation Collective_Intelligence Self-Service Novel&RemixedContent Frequent_Evaluation User_Input Communication Information_Literacy Infomancy Read Write SL2.0 Collaboration

Week 6 - Thing #14 Technorati

Searching for School Library Learning 2.0 in various ways on Technorati did give different results.

• The Keyword, exact phrase, all blogs search yielded 131 entries, most of which were blog entries by registrants for the CSLA tutorial.


• The Tag search without quotations gave results similar to an OR boolean search with over 1000 posts found. Many of the entries were not related to the CSLA tutorial. When I searched "School Library Learning 2.0" the number of posts found was 129, close to the first keyword search with all of the entries from CSLA tutorial participants. Photos also appeared with this Tag search. I found my flickr photo and Liz's too. I noticed with other tag searches that posts, blogs, videos, and photos might be found.
  
• The Blog Directory search with and without quotation marks yielded the least number of results, 6 and 12, again all from CSLA tutorial participants.

I'm not exactly sure why the Blog Directory search turned up so few, unless one has to 'claim' one's blog to get found in the directory or the blog name is important. I did find my own blog and Liz's in the other searches, tho, they were pretty far into the results.

I discovered what the authority ranking is all about. At first I thought that it had to do with the number of comments a blog receives, but it's more than that. At this point in my life I really don't care if lots of people read my blog and link to it. I'm still more interested in reading what others say. Technorati doesn't seem too useful to me, unless I'm looking for videos or photos, but can't I just go to Flickr or UTube????

I do like tagging. It's easier to keep track of sites, blogs, etc. that interest me. I have tagged most of my favorites and continue to use del.icio.us to tag.

Week 6 - Thing #13 del.icio.us & tagging

I've spent a lot of time exploring del.icio.us. At first I thought the only use would be another location for my favorites. I didn't see anything social about it and I liked rollyo better. I was hesitant about using the info I was finding a-c I didn't know who was posting and whether the source was accurate, authentic, etc. But after reading and using some of the Discovery Resources I began to be drawn into the "social" aspect. I've since added two feeds into my bloglines account. AS IF Authors Support Intellectual Freedom, a blog, which I found when looking at tags for IF. Then, of course, del.icio.us's sjlibrarylearning2 tag has an RSS feed. I see that del.icio.us is a way to keep up on the latest info for those topics that interest you or that you are researching. And I found WEMTA's president is also a user. One could really "stalk" someone if one has the time. Also, was able to add my tags to this blog.

Since I'm retired I am able to explore, but I'm not sure that if I was still working that I would use del.icio.us that much. I think that I could recommend it to teachers especially those taking classes. Not sure about students. I'm still planning on looking at how del.icio.us is used by libraries.

Week 5 - Rollyo widget

I'm so excited!! I finally figured out how to add widgets when I was able to add my searchroll to the blog. Now I can go back and actually work with the Top Website Widgets. I really wanted to add a temp widget. (Note to myself on how to: Customize, Add page element, Add HTMl, copy code and paste.)

Week 5 - Thing #12 Rollyo

I explored rollyo. There are many different search rolls. I was glad to see a list of sites being searched since I didn't know anyone whose search roll I examined. By knowing the sites being searched I felt more confident in the results. Here's the rollyo I created http://www.rollyo.com/av_2.0_learner/intellectual_freedom/

Week 5 - Thing #11 Ning

I checked out Ning and searched for various topics. I didn't think that there would be so... many groups. I liked what I saw at Teacher Librarian Network . There was a group for HS LMS, which I was. And the forums would be really helpful, sorta of like the listserv used by WEMTA members, only you can see all of the forums and responses. I haven't joined this network a-c I'm not active as a LMS.

However, I've thought of several networks that I could create (retired LMS, Class Reunion from HS or college, Lake Association group). I may just join the TeacherLibrarian network and add a group for retirees. Cool site!!!

Week 5 - Thing #11 Web 2 Award Winners

So many apps to choose from!!! I looked at the descriptions for most of the Web 2.0 award winning applications, and explored at least one app from many categories. I found two that interested me:

Wufoo - HTML Form Builder - allows anyone to build online forms, save the data collected, and interprete the results in different ways. The list of possibilities is endless, only subject to one's imagination. So I set up an exercise log (there was once a link here, but I have since unsubscribed)
for myself to keep track of the type of exercise and amount of time spent. It was fairly easy to setup this simple form.


DonorsChoose.org - allows teachers/teacher-librarians to submit ideas for materials or experiences that their students need to learn. Donors (individuals or groups) choose a project and make it a classroom reality. It's easy to search for a worthwhile project, however, the site needs to be advertised in the school and community.

Week 5 - Thing #10 Image Generators

I played around with the Generator Blog. Amazing how many different image generators are out there. I tried several different ones, but like the For Dummies Book Cover Generator. Here's the result.

Week 4 - Thing #9 Searching for RSS Feeds

I tried out all of the RSS search tools suggested in the SSL2 exercise. Topix.net was easy to use and I've added my local community feed to my Bloglines account. Topix.net would also be useful to find out about happenings in other areas where I have lived and worked. I hate to say that I wasn't very impressed with the other search tools. I've seen links or something for Technorati in many places and have always wondered what they were. Now I kinda' know. I did find Blog Pulse interesting, but don't think that I would use it unless I was still actively employed.

I still don't understand what happens when I click on an RSS feed. What usually happens is that a link is created within Internet Explorer as part of a Feeds list. So I'm guessing that IE has an aggregator for feeds without all the bells and whistles that Bloglines has???

Week 4 - Thing #8 RSS & Bloglines

I have been using Bloglines since March. I read an e-article about Bloglines and wanted to try it out. Bloglines has on option to browse for feeds which is how I started out. I have since looked for RSS ability at the sites I visit and insert the url at Bloglines to receive the feed automatically.

I spent my learning time this week exploring the additional features of Bloglines.

I really like that I get info quickly. Info via the RSS feed comes before my subscriptions to various ALA e-newsletters (AASL Hotlinks, AL Direct, IF Action, etc.) arrive. My Bloglines feeds were one of the places where I found info to use when updating WEMTA's (WI Educational Media & Tech Asso.) website with WEMAtter and intellectual freedom news and info.

AV2Learner's Bloglines Subscriptions

Week 3 - Thing #7 iPod & Podcasts

I have been using my ipod this week. One of my favorite podcasts is net@nite with Amber and Leo. It's great that each podcast has an episode guide with the url's for the links discussed in the podcast. I really enjoy listening and learning since most of the stuff Amber and Leo discuss is new to me. See for yourself at TWiT TV with Leo Laporte & Friends

Week 3 - Thing #6 Flickr mashups

I have been playing with many of the Flickr 3rd party sites. What a blast! I am spending way too much time with this week's things. I played with many of FD's Flickr toys. I saved my bead art, Warholizer, and Magazine cover. I'm waiting for Flickr to complete the upload so that I can then decide which to include with this post. As you can see I like the Warholizer the best.

Week 3 - Thing #5 Hooray, At Last

I finally figured out that I was using the incorrect url for photos located on Flickr. Here's my cat, Adrian and the interesting photo from Flickr, The Writing Is On The Wall – If You Can See It, You Can’t Read It Originally uploaded by Peter from Wellington

Week 3 - Thing#5 (LAST continued)

I'm trying Blogger's add image feature using one of my own photos. Actually it's not a photo, but an icon image. The only library-related image I have right now. Blogger's add image works fine if I browse on my computer, but not when I try to use a photo from Flickr with a web address. Don't know why!!!! I'm going to move on...maybe I'll figure it out later.

Week # - Thing #5 (Continued)

The Writing Is On The Wall – If You Can See It, You Can’t Read It
Originally uploaded by Peter from Wellington

Here I am again (third time) trying use Flickr's blogging tool to add that interesting photo. I'm not going to do any editing of this entry because every time I do I lose the photographer's credits. They get extremely small so one can't read them.

Week 3 - Thing#5 Photos & Images

I have been exploring Flickr and it's features. I was surprised to find out that tags can be more than just keywords; i.e. medium, genre, subject, name, or location. Groups can be anyone or anything and used in various ways. I really liked the 365 Days of Library Pictures. Someone should start a 190 Days of School Library Pictures. Me??? I could spend days looking at the photos and exploring how to use Flickr.

On one of my visits I found a great photo that I'd like to post here, but I haven't yet created an account. I tried to use the Blogger Upload tool, but wasn't successful. I'll try again after I create a Flickr account. Below is the link.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/peter_from_wellington/519693491/. (discovered the insert link feature and edited the original post)

Week 2 - Thing #3 Blog & Avatar

I was able to setup my blog account and have gone back in several times to make changes in settings, color, etc. Creating my avatar was really fun. I may have to create a few avatars for different moods and change them when needed.

Week 2 - 7.5 Habits

Life long learning will help me stay young. The easiest habit and one that I seem to have been practicing already is accepting responsibility for my own learning. I have always been curious with a need to "find out". The hardest habit for me is to view problems as challenges. I find it hard to look ahead in order to prepare for obstacles that may hinder my progress. I liked the learning contract that was included and have completed and signed it.

Setting up a Blog

This is my first post to a blog. I'm looking forward to School Library Learning 2.0 and using my blog to explore what I'm doing and learning.