There were so many choices to play with for Thing 10!
I finally settled on a tool I had not heard of before, called EdShelf. This tool reminds me somewhat of Symbaloo with the design of it. I really like seeing all the tools in one place. I also like how you can rate them, and the summaries and educational videos are very helpful. I created one to represent many of the tools I have discovered this year, with a few other favorites of mine.
https://edshelf.com/profile/scutri/new-from-cool-tools-for-school
I love how you can embed a collection on your website. I can definitely see using this with my teachers; it looks like a good place to collect subject area apps.
Finally, I compared a few tools. I use and love google drive, but maybe there's room in my life for a couple other collaborative type tools? It turned out I had a dropbox I had created at a conference a couple summers ago, so I revisited that. I also used Evernote again, which reminded me that I really like how I can write short notes that connect to all my devices so easily. I really must introduce this to my high school students who are always working in groups. There are so many tools now to collaborate with, there's really no excuse to not be using them so everyone has access, all the time!
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Monday, June 2, 2014
Thing 9: Databases and Search Tools
Love it! A lesson on databases! Actually, I'm still very much a beginner on a lot of topics, but databases, those I'm pretty good at. I have both a wiki, which I had created first, and then later, a library webpage for both buildings I work in with widgets on it. I love widgets! I believe in anything that will reduce the number of clicks that will get a student to the information they are looking for. My students know the best place to start their research is at my webpage with all the widgets and links.
I decided to explore some of the search tools I hadn't heard of. It seems like there are new ones all the time!
Libguides. What's the deal with libguides? Why are they so popular? I did start one; I loaded a catalog search widget, a video, etc, but, in all honesty, I just don't see what makes them any more useful than a webpage with links and helpful classroom pages. I guess I'll have to work on my libguide a little more. But I DID see the value in searching other people's libguides! Wow! There is a lot of great ideas out there!
Finally, I was very interested in some of the kids search engines that were mentioned. I knew about kidsclick, which I like and do show to my students. I did NOT know about kidrex and sweetsearch4me. I LOVE kidrex. I am putting my 5th graders on that this week! I compared it to Sweetsearch, and that site was good too, but I just found kidrex to be a little more intuitive in what I was searching for, and I liked the webpages it brought up, like national geographic, internet public library, etc. I have added a widget to my webpage; maybe I'll have the kids try both, and see which they like better!
I decided to explore some of the search tools I hadn't heard of. It seems like there are new ones all the time!
Libguides. What's the deal with libguides? Why are they so popular? I did start one; I loaded a catalog search widget, a video, etc, but, in all honesty, I just don't see what makes them any more useful than a webpage with links and helpful classroom pages. I guess I'll have to work on my libguide a little more. But I DID see the value in searching other people's libguides! Wow! There is a lot of great ideas out there!
Finally, I was very interested in some of the kids search engines that were mentioned. I knew about kidsclick, which I like and do show to my students. I did NOT know about kidrex and sweetsearch4me. I LOVE kidrex. I am putting my 5th graders on that this week! I compared it to Sweetsearch, and that site was good too, but I just found kidrex to be a little more intuitive in what I was searching for, and I liked the webpages it brought up, like national geographic, internet public library, etc. I have added a widget to my webpage; maybe I'll have the kids try both, and see which they like better!
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Thing 8: Collaborating, Connecting, Sharing
Wow! So many things to pick from!
The first thing I noticed was Google Drive, which I am a HUGE fan of. I have dropbox also, but I just seem to use google drive more. It is a Godsend for a traveling teacher. I love being able to access my stuff in any building, device, home, etc. However, I had never tried working with the forms, so that was what I wanted to explore next. How did I not know about this???? Super easy! I wasn't sure about sending it to students, so I explored the help until I found how to embed the code of a form on my webpage. So, I added a survey for students on their webpage for when we start our Inquiry unit. ( http://www.catomeridian.org/webpages/scutri/index.cfm?subpage=32997 ) Love it! Google will tally the responses instead of me typing it all out. I'm looking forward to using this more.
Next I played around with TodaysMeet...and then I found a science teacher who I knew would love it. She did...and her first question was (of course) "Is it blocked?" because so many sites are blocked by the filter. She had previously tried to use twitter for a online, real-time class discussion but it just didn't work quite right...we'll be trying this out on that class, and I think it will be a real improvement, and keep up with the class discussion!
Finally, I decided to look at google calendar. I know many libraries put their library and computer lab calendars online using google calendar, and I wanted to see how easy it would be for me to incorporate. Believe it or not, I found a slideshare presentation on just that topic! I love slideshare!
http://www.slideshare.net/msiefert/google-calendar-for-online-library-scheduling-12623190
I definitely think this will be something I work on over the summer and start next year. I am in charge of scheduling the library, 2 computer labs, IPAD cart, and laptop cart, so I could really use a streamlined way of doing all that! I only wish it was easier to change the times on it to class periods a little easier. We'll have to see what the time commitment is to keeping this up to date. (ha ha, date....)
The first thing I noticed was Google Drive, which I am a HUGE fan of. I have dropbox also, but I just seem to use google drive more. It is a Godsend for a traveling teacher. I love being able to access my stuff in any building, device, home, etc. However, I had never tried working with the forms, so that was what I wanted to explore next. How did I not know about this???? Super easy! I wasn't sure about sending it to students, so I explored the help until I found how to embed the code of a form on my webpage. So, I added a survey for students on their webpage for when we start our Inquiry unit. ( http://www.catomeridian.org/webpages/scutri/index.cfm?subpage=32997 ) Love it! Google will tally the responses instead of me typing it all out. I'm looking forward to using this more.
Next I played around with TodaysMeet...and then I found a science teacher who I knew would love it. She did...and her first question was (of course) "Is it blocked?" because so many sites are blocked by the filter. She had previously tried to use twitter for a online, real-time class discussion but it just didn't work quite right...we'll be trying this out on that class, and I think it will be a real improvement, and keep up with the class discussion!
Finally, I decided to look at google calendar. I know many libraries put their library and computer lab calendars online using google calendar, and I wanted to see how easy it would be for me to incorporate. Believe it or not, I found a slideshare presentation on just that topic! I love slideshare!
http://www.slideshare.net/msiefert/google-calendar-for-online-library-scheduling-12623190
I definitely think this will be something I work on over the summer and start next year. I am in charge of scheduling the library, 2 computer labs, IPAD cart, and laptop cart, so I could really use a streamlined way of doing all that! I only wish it was easier to change the times on it to class periods a little easier. We'll have to see what the time commitment is to keeping this up to date. (ha ha, date....)
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Thing 7: Screencasting and Podcasting
This turned out to be a challenge for me as I tried to find a good program to use. Many of the screencasting options to use required the use of JAVA, which I found out was a huge problem in my district. None of those programs would work for me. I searched madly through the other links to find something that I could play with, and in the process, I learned a lot about screencasting! I just wasn't able to create one of my own.
Finally I decided that maybe I would just focus on podcasting for this lesson. I think both podcasting and screencasting are great for education for a lot of reasons, but especially the motivation factor. I put a voki on my 5th grade webpage, and they just love clicking it and getting information that way!
I wanted to use my IPAD for this, so I downloaded the AubioBoo app and started recording. It was really easy, and I could definitely see using this with students for a book review page. I have a "wall of reviews" in my library, but I'm thinking it might be time to put it online! I think podcasting has a lot of uses for a librarian, not only for reading promotion, but research tips also, which would be really handy for me, a traveling librarian.
I put a book review Audioboo on my main webpage ( www.catomeridian.org/webpages/scutri ).
Finally I decided that maybe I would just focus on podcasting for this lesson. I think both podcasting and screencasting are great for education for a lot of reasons, but especially the motivation factor. I put a voki on my 5th grade webpage, and they just love clicking it and getting information that way!
I wanted to use my IPAD for this, so I downloaded the AubioBoo app and started recording. It was really easy, and I could definitely see using this with students for a book review page. I have a "wall of reviews" in my library, but I'm thinking it might be time to put it online! I think podcasting has a lot of uses for a librarian, not only for reading promotion, but research tips also, which would be really handy for me, a traveling librarian.
I put a book review Audioboo on my main webpage ( www.catomeridian.org/webpages/scutri ).
Monday, April 28, 2014
Thing 6 Curation Tools
Thing 6!
I decided since I had already ventured into the land of Pinterest, I should try out something else for this topic.
I am also a huge delicious fan, although I do forget about it! I used to use delicious to save things across my home and work computers, before I really got into Google Docs/Drive. Delicious was perfect for topics like coaching, when I was taking coaching classes and coaching basketball. Very handy.
I explored scoop.it for awhile, and created my own account using twitter. It's okay, but honestly I think Pinterest is more useful and easier to use. When thinking about students, I'm always about what's easier to use! Students can get turned off to technology so easily. Too many clicks and it's all over.
I also put Flipboard on the IPAD, since I'm always looking for new apps to play with and recommend to others. I definitely will be using that.
Finally, I had started playing with storify, and then it was mentioned in one of the workshops at the NYLA SSL conference this weekend, so that was it! I had to focus on it. I really like storify. I will absolutely be using this with classes. I especially like the idea of teaching students that social media can actually have an academic use or two! Who knew? :)
Here is a link to a silly one I created about my favorite baseball team.
https://storify.com/SusanMQC/is-pine-tar-really-our-biggest-problem-in-baseball
I decided since I had already ventured into the land of Pinterest, I should try out something else for this topic.
I am also a huge delicious fan, although I do forget about it! I used to use delicious to save things across my home and work computers, before I really got into Google Docs/Drive. Delicious was perfect for topics like coaching, when I was taking coaching classes and coaching basketball. Very handy.
I explored scoop.it for awhile, and created my own account using twitter. It's okay, but honestly I think Pinterest is more useful and easier to use. When thinking about students, I'm always about what's easier to use! Students can get turned off to technology so easily. Too many clicks and it's all over.
I also put Flipboard on the IPAD, since I'm always looking for new apps to play with and recommend to others. I definitely will be using that.
Finally, I had started playing with storify, and then it was mentioned in one of the workshops at the NYLA SSL conference this weekend, so that was it! I had to focus on it. I really like storify. I will absolutely be using this with classes. I especially like the idea of teaching students that social media can actually have an academic use or two! Who knew? :)
Here is a link to a silly one I created about my favorite baseball team.
https://storify.com/SusanMQC/is-pine-tar-really-our-biggest-problem-in-baseball
Monday, April 21, 2014
Thing 5 - storytelling/presentation tools
I was excited when I looked at the list of possible tools to try out for this lesson. I had actually already used some of them!!! Hooray!
I have created a few Vokis on my webpages, sometimes as a general message to students, but I have also used them as virtual booktalks for students to check out!
Another tool I already use (and love dearly) is prezi. My 5th graders LOVE using prezi to create their state travel presentations. I believe it might be the zooming.
I have also tinkered with voicethread, and honestly was never that impressed. However, I did showcase it to my foreign language teachers who thought it had a lot of potential for verbals.
One of my teachers showed me Educreations. It was one of the tools mentioned in this blog post in our resources. (Great blog, by the way, I added it to my followed blogs). She uses it as reinforcement for students needing extra help at home, or if a student missed certain lessons. It was very easy to create an account, and I created a class so I could play. You can also search already created lessons, which is great to view some examples!
Finally, for this blog post, I settled on Haiku Deck (well, last week WAS National Haiku Poetry Day after all). I created a short presentation (with some bad Haiku poetry) just to get the hang of it. I love it. I will definitely be incorporating it with classes. The IPAD app is so easy to use!
I have created a few Vokis on my webpages, sometimes as a general message to students, but I have also used them as virtual booktalks for students to check out!
Another tool I already use (and love dearly) is prezi. My 5th graders LOVE using prezi to create their state travel presentations. I believe it might be the zooming.
I have also tinkered with voicethread, and honestly was never that impressed. However, I did showcase it to my foreign language teachers who thought it had a lot of potential for verbals.
One of my teachers showed me Educreations. It was one of the tools mentioned in this blog post in our resources. (Great blog, by the way, I added it to my followed blogs). She uses it as reinforcement for students needing extra help at home, or if a student missed certain lessons. It was very easy to create an account, and I created a class so I could play. You can also search already created lessons, which is great to view some examples!
Finally, for this blog post, I settled on Haiku Deck (well, last week WAS National Haiku Poetry Day after all). I created a short presentation (with some bad Haiku poetry) just to get the hang of it. I love it. I will definitely be incorporating it with classes. The IPAD app is so easy to use!
Monday, March 3, 2014
Thing 4: RSS Feeds
Will the snow ever stop? Ever? It feels like I am stuck in forever winter.
Anyway....
RSS Feeds. Here's another topic from a professional development of long ago. I used to have the one through google, but it seemed that was gone, so I looked for something else. I found the article from Joyce Valenza very helpful in giving me more information on where to start, and one of my fellow librarians was just gushing on netvibes, so off I went to check it out.
I like it. A technology person I spoke to about them thought I was nuts....RSS feeds? Too much information, she said. And sure, it could be. But I like that I can just go to that website whenever the mood strikes...I would not want all that information sent to any of my emails. Better to be able to pick when and where and what. Genius, really. I haven't figured out everything yet, but I like pulling in so many websites I like into one place. News, weather, sports...next I must find some feeds for my teams! Go Orange!
Anyway....
RSS Feeds. Here's another topic from a professional development of long ago. I used to have the one through google, but it seemed that was gone, so I looked for something else. I found the article from Joyce Valenza very helpful in giving me more information on where to start, and one of my fellow librarians was just gushing on netvibes, so off I went to check it out.
I like it. A technology person I spoke to about them thought I was nuts....RSS feeds? Too much information, she said. And sure, it could be. But I like that I can just go to that website whenever the mood strikes...I would not want all that information sent to any of my emails. Better to be able to pick when and where and what. Genius, really. I haven't figured out everything yet, but I like pulling in so many websites I like into one place. News, weather, sports...next I must find some feeds for my teams! Go Orange!
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