Week 9 Thing 23

Well it is hard to know where to start here. It has been a great adventure. Most of the activities I found worthwhile and productive. Some just didn't do it for me. But the process was great. At first I wasn't sure about how to go about making the blog posts with the Week and Thing in it. It might be good to show a sample of putting the title with week and thing in one of the introductory activities.
After I got used to the format it was great. I enjoyed being able to post at anytime and have no defined time frame. This was good as some activities took lots of time and others did not require or acquire the same amount of time. It was very easy to get sidetracked and get involved in the activity exploration. It was also lots of fun for many of the activities. I also liked to be able to post about the activity immediately after completion or complete several activities and post. The book was a great addition to the class. It covered some areas and explained things in more depth and got into some philosophical things as well to make you think about some of the ideas or examples presented. They referred to many studies and provided lots of examples throughout the book. I liked the authors approach and even read more of the chapters than were required for this class.
We definitely covered a gamut of Web 2.0 tools. It was nice to have the option within an activity to do one or two things and the examples given were great. The curriculum connections were a good addition to the activities also. I think the time frame was reasonable as well. I was not so sure when I first started but as I got involved and started to complete some tasks it didn't seem so overwhelming. I wasn't sure what I had gotten myself into when I first took a look at the requirements and activities needed to be completed within the alloted time.
I liked the responses from the instructors and fellow classmates. A community blog for questions and answers might be an interesting option within the class. I remember reading several people's blog where they asked questions and things like that or weren't sure if they were doing something right. I don't know just a thought.
I would be interested in another adventure of this type. Thanks for offering this class during the summer.

Week 9 Thing 22 ebooks and audio ebooks

It was very interesting taking a closer look at those ebooks and audio ebooks. I have become a fan of ebooks in the past year for reference books providing access to multiple students at one time. This is one way to get the teachers to come to the library with their classes so everyone can access the resources at once. I have found this effective for several subjects especially social studies.
I was surprised at the number of sites offering free books so I took a closer look at several of these sites to see why they were offering the books for free. Some were authors and some just wanted to make these books available for all. I have read some poetry online and listened to books on tape but when reading I want to touch the book and put it down and pick it up again and read ahead or behind. I am old fashion when it comes to reading a book.

Week 9 Thing 21 Podcasting

Podcasting is an interesting way to share information. I listened to several podcasts and linked their feeds to my google reader. One of the time consuming things here is waiting for them to download. I still find this overwhelming but have managed to find some interesting podcasts out there. This is not something I am interested in spending lots of time on. There are many other things that interest me more. I have seen the application of utilizing a podcast for students to present information and been involved in making podcasts.

Week 9 Thing 20

I searched both TeacherTube and YouTube for videos on web 2.0, research, internet safety. It was interesting to see what came out of the searches. I think the most frustrating thing is waiting while they buffer. I put two of them on my blog but notice it takes a long time for them to load when I open my page. I think this is my network issue since I am using wireless. There is lots of information out there sorting through it is always a challenge to find something that may be appropriate to use with your students or with a specific class. It was lots of fun checking out the different videos and input from a variety of people on Web 2.0.

Week 9 Thing 20 Teacher Tube

Week 9 Thing 20

Week 8 Thing 19.1 Digital Pipeline

Here I have added the Sled Search sites widget for direct searching from your website or blog. Which I added to the bottom here.
I compared the different searches for elementary, middle school and high school. Each level provides more opportunities for information as they advance in levels.
I also found exploring the Consumer Health Database an interesting adventure and found some good information here.
I think I learned much here more than I realized even after all the times I have used it and help students and teacher use it to find information.
I think the small engine and automotive repair section would be handy for many Alaskans out there who are trying to figure out how to fix something. That however is not me. I am not the fix it type.


I learned how to create a journal alert and a search alert. I found that using the Ebsco how to's is easy and handy. Here is the information from Ebsco directly from their how to information.

How do I create a Journal Alert?

---

Set up a Journal Alert | Set up a Search Alert for a Journal Title

Not all databases support journal alerts. For a list of databases that support journal alerts from the Publication Details Screen, click here.

To set up a Journal Alert:

1. Click the Publications link. To locate the publication, enter the title in the Browse Publications field and click Browse, or use the A - Z links and left/right arrows to browse through the list of titles.

2. From the title's Publication Details Screen, click the Journal Alert link. If you have not already signed in to My EBSCOhost, you will be prompted to do so.

3. The Save Journal Alert Screen appears. The Journal Alert name, Date Created, and Database name are automatically filled in.

4. In the Run Alert for field, select how long the journal alert should run:

• One month (the default)
• Two months
• Six months
• One year

5. Select the Results content - indicate whether you want to include: Link to TOC page on EBSCOhost or Article links embedded within the results.

6. Select the Results format (if including Article links): Brief or Detailed.

7. To limit EBSCOhost access to only the articles in the alert (rather than the entire site), mark the checkbox to the left of this field.

8. In the E-mail Options section, indicate how you would like to be notified. Select one:

• E-mail all alerts and notices (the default)
• E-mail only creation notice
• No e-mail (RSS only)

9. E-mail Address - to be notified by e-mail when a new issue is available, enter your e-mail address. If you are entering multiple e-mail addresses, place a semicolon between each e-mail address.

10. Subject - enter a brief explanation that will appear in the subject line of the Journal Alert e-mail.

11. Title - you can optionally enter a title for the e-mail. The default value for the title field is: EBSCOhost Alert Notification.

12. E-mail [From] address - defaults to EPAlerts@EPNET.COM. You can enter a different "From" e-mail address if desired.

13. Select the E-mail format to use: Plain Text or HTML.

14. To have your search string included with your results, mark the Include query string in results checkbox.

15. When you have finished making changes, click Save. You will be returned to the Publication Details Screen. A message is displayed that indicates a journal alert has been set for the publication.

Not all databases offer the journal alert feature from the Publication Details Screen. In this situation, you can set up a Search Alert using the publication title as your search string.

To set up a Search Alert for a journal title:

1. From the Advanced Search Screen, click the Publications button.
2. Enter the publication name in the Browse for field.
3. Check the box in front of the resulting publication name and click the Search button.
4. Click the Search History/Alerts link below the Find field.
5. Click the Save Searches/Alerts link.
6. Sign in to My EBSCOhost. If you do not have a personal account, click the I'm a new user link to set one up.
7. On the resulting Saved Searches/Alert Screen, click the radio button in front of Alert. Fill in the required fields, then click Save.

See also: EBSCOhost Journal Alert Help Sheet

ID:	1216
Topic:	Linking Services
Services:	EBSCOhost Research Databases, Canadian Reference Centre, EBSCOhost Text Only, UK Reference Centre
Link:	http://support.ebsco.com/knowledge_base/detail.php?id=1216

Web 2.0 New Tools New Schools Chapter 10

Chapter 10 Tutorials is a great way to conclude the book with some specific tutorials from Web 2.0 tools that had been introduced in chapter 3. I like how they covered basic applications like word processing, presentations, spreadsheets and communication tools like blogs and wikis as well as some creative tools such as photo editing and audio editing and drawing. I think these tutorials are a great introduction to the tool and would get some people to try them that normally wouldn't by just seeing them online or something like that. I took a look at some of the ones I had not used before and checked them out. I even followed the tutorial on one of them which is always hard for me. I just like to try them out and see what they can do. I think this will be a helpful chapter for many who are new at these web 2.0 tools.

Web 2.0 New Tools New Schools Chapter 9

New Schools Chapter 9 wow we aren't kidding when we say that things are changing so fast, what is here today may be gone tomorrow. I have trouble seeing the vision presented in this chapter. I can see the positive impacts of utilizing Web 2.0 tools in the classroom to help bridge the gap in the students learning styles. Trying to use the same tools in the classroom that students use at home on a daily basis trying to utilize social networking in an educational setting.
This concept of "harnessing the collective intelligence of educational data" Solomon pg 178, is a good one and many of these tools could assist teachers and students to create educational tracks that would meet their needs. Web-based software used to provide feedback and suggest direction and resources based on what has worked with other students does make sense.
David Warlick vision of a middle school using blogs where they write everything from homework assignments to reflections on course topics posted each Monday, with the principal posting week at a glance and the district administrator viewing and posting as well. Students utilizing team wikis to communicate and post their work all seems like a good vision but logistics need some work.
Using open source software provides lots of opportunities and challenges but it seems like a viable option for many teachers to enhance their classrooms. Utilizing wikis for collaborative classroom writing provides another tool for teachers and students to communicate quickly and effectively and provide immediate feedback.
The idea of open-source educational applications is interesting, Bob Tinkier (2006) believes that we can change the paradigm used for software development to open-source. If this is going to work these applications need to be embedded in an educational platform that can deliver complete learning activities online and then assess student progress as the students work through these activities. With teachers and educators able to adjust the curriculum and customize activities and assessments. I don't know how this would work as an open-source broad based community application but it is interesting to think about. Having students work on projects that interest them and are available to other students and parents and teachers to view presents other interesting applications.
I think the weakness with all of the web 2.0 applications is the majority of our teachers fear technology and the loss of control of their direction of the education. We must continue to educated and train and communicate with each other to provide assistance to teachers technology needs. Another problem is access to the computer to be able to complete the assigned online work. Many students lack internet access at home or even a computer. Schools are also limited with computer access an availability for classroom use. I see this as a major obstacle in implementing more use of the web 2.0 tools in the classroom.
To increase the use of Web 2.0 in the classroom, communication is key here to communicate what works and what doesn't, share good lessons and good techniques and practices. Continue to move forward and help each other along the way.

Week 8 Thing 19

The LibraryThing is way too much fun. I think it would be a good addition to my library website. I like how easy it is to post the books and read the reviews and gather any information that might be interesting. I spent way too much time looking at books I have read and ones I want to read. I will definitely have to spend more time using it to figure out more of how it could be utilized. But I like it and plan on utilizing it. The book reviews were fun to look at and see how it had been rated.

Books Books Books!!!

Week 8 Thing 18

I used Zoho Writer and created a document which I posted to my blog: http://writer.zoho.com/ It was an interesting experience much like using a normal word document changing fonts colors adding things was pretty easy. It was also a breeze to post it to my blog. I have used googledocs before with some interactive writing which was interesting. I would have to spend more time with Zoho Writer to become proficient in all it can do.

Web 2.0

Welcome to the world of Web 2.0 where with the click of a button you can be famous on the web or infamous whatever the case may be! All you have to do is get out there and share. Here are a few places you can go to explore some Web 2.0 Tools:

• http://www.flickr.com
• http://www.biblio.com/
• http://del.icio.us/
• http://www.lulu.com/
• http://www.librarything.com/
• http://www.worldcat.org/
• http://www.vufind.org/
• http://docs.google.com/?pli=1
• http://www.writeboard.com/
• http://www.thinkfree.com/
• http://wufoo.com/
• http://www.mangolanguages.com/

There are many more exciting and challenging places to visit and things to do with Web 2.0. If you have lots of time and nothing else to do.

Week 7 Thing 17 Sandbox Wiki

My idea here is to use a Web 2.0 tool for a student project Scrapblog http://www.scrapblog.com/. Have students use Scrapblog to create their project on a project that they would normally use PowerPoint. It would be fun to see how creative they could be with the Scrapblog. It is a fun tool to use. I have added this idea to the wiki.

Week 7 Thing 16 Wikis

This exploration has been interesting. I created a wiki for my library webpage but I never linked it to my page at ASD. I have spent some time modifying it as I have seen a few new things out there on other wikis, just to see if it was something I could do. I need to spend more time with them and continue exploration. There are lots of awesome wikis out there. I think that this would be a good place to get teachers to add content to a wiki for the lessons they teach to help students find the information they need to complete their class projects. I have liked using the wikis that I have been involved with and will continue to learn as I do so.

Week 6 thing 15

In the article by Michael Stephens "Into a New World of Librarianship" he adds an interesting thought that the library Web 2.0 is that "the Library is human," because it makes the library a social and emotionally engaging center for learning and experience. I think that libraries should be more of a socially engaging place but not just because of Web 2.0. Our school libraries need to be the hub of the school both educationally and socially. Students need to want to be there and feel comfortable there to utilize the resources available. It would be nice to be able to do all of the things he talks about but I have trouble figuring out where to find the time to add all of these things into the daily routine.
Librarians 2.0 plans for their users as all librarians should to meet the needs of their patrons. It will take time before librarians embrace Web 2.0 technologies. They must become more comfortable with them and see how they can be used to benefit their patrons or they can best use the technology to assist them. Embracing the tools to enhance their ability to meet the needs of those they reach. They make good decisions about the technology to use not just for technology sake. This all makes good sense as well as the ability to make good decisions about the changing technologies by planning and communicating with those who will be impacted by these decisions. I am not sure how well all of these would work in the school library but can definitely see many applications being valid.

Week 6 thing 14

Using Technorati was an interesting experience. So many blogs and so much information out there. I found it overwhelming and somewhat frustrating at times. When searching for something what I thought I would find was very different than what I actually found. The tagging was interesting it seems dependent on others and how they tag their post to how it comes up in the search. It does have some interesting points and was another way to sort information finding things in different ways. Using similar search patterns or tags. I am not sure I will be spending a whole lot of time here. I really didn't find it very user friendly and ran into search problems where it wouldn't complete the search having tech problem or something like that. But it is another tool to explore out there. http://www.technorati.com/

Web 2.0 New Tools New Schools Chapter 7

In the chapter on online safety and security the authors discuss legal issues, copyright and intellectual property, security solutions, awareness programs, acceptable use policies, ethical behavior, administrative restrictions, parental involvement, blocking and problems as well as some alternatives when things are blocked.
Online safety is of great concern as teachers we are aware that the Internet is not always a safe place and we must create an awareness in our students about the dangers out there. Keeping our students and data safe are important aspects of using the Internet. It is important to prevent problems by education of both staff and students. With today's Internet web 2.0 applications it is easy to get information out on the Internet but that information is not always truthful, may be biased or inappropriate for some individuals. We must be aware of the social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook that students readily utilize to maintain their social contacts and teach our students not to post private information on these websites that may be used by others Adults and children do think differently about the Internet and its dangers.
Their discussions on how to avoid copyright problems and five steps are good things to think about. Having a technology policy that includes a code of ethics and procedures, reviewing this policy with parents, teachers and students, have a technology manager, teach ethical and legal behavior for technology use, and thank your employees and students for supporting the steps. We all must work to help students understand copyright and intellectual property.
Security is important to protect our students:
According to the Thinkronize report from 2006 the actions that have been taken to protect students include;

• Having filters installed
• Giving faculty instruction on safety
• Giving students instructions on safety
• Providing parents with tips and information
• Purchasing special search engines

Anchorage schools are working on this with the Internet safety being taught in elementary and middle schools. More instruction is being given to faculty and students alike. That information as well as other information is being shared with parents. Special search engines have also been purchased to help alleviate these problems. Students are being taught about cyber awareness, safety, acceptable and appropriate uses of information.
Instant messaging, image sharing, and social networks have created another interesting obstacle for school districts to manage. With filters and education it is still a challenge to keep students from using these inappropriately. Having web 2.0 tools on intranets so they are behind district firewalls is one way to help alleviate some of the problems. As always with new technology come new challenges and obstacles which need to be overcome and continually monitored. Continually getting information out to students, teachers and parents on how to use these resources will help them to do it safely and legally. We will still have challenges to overcome but that is always the case with emerging technologies.

Web 2.0 New Tools New Schools Chapter 1

Chapter 1 discussed the new world, new web and the new skills needed to make it in the world. It is true that we are wired in a world where we can communicate and collaborate all hours of the day. With many corporations becoming multinational having workers around the world has changed the way corporations are doing business. If we are going to keep up and continue to be productive in this society we must understand the changes in the web and how they reflect the changes in the world around us. As teachers we should provide these new tools to our students so that they are prepared for the challenges that they will face. Our students need to be intelligent employees as well as educated citizens. It is true that education needs to focus on the skills and abilities that students will need to help them remain competitive in a changing world. Competition in the workplace continues to intensify around the world. Businesses must diversify and spread jobs around the world in order to remain competitive. It may not be how much we educate our children but how we educated them. The new internet with its growing and expanding applications and open source software allows everyone to interact and add correct comment and create information on the internet and post it with the click of a button. The increasing amount of social networks has changed the way we interact with others.
I definitely agree that it will have a dramatic effect on businesses. Creating a different way of communication with immediate feedback on service or products, meeting online from a variety of places across the country. This seems to impress on the need to teach those 21st Century Skills we are always talking about. I think the biggest weakness we have here is the lack of training for our teachers it is hard to get everyone on board working to increase the use of 21st century skills in the classroom. NCREL;2003 has a good definition of theses skills:
Digital-Age Literacy

• Basic, scientific, economic, and technological literacies
• Visual and informational literacies
• Multicultural literacy and global awareness

Inventive Thinking

• Adaptability and managing complexity
• Self direction
• Curiosity, creativity, and risk taking
• Higher-order thinking and sound reasoning

Effective Communication

• Teaming, collaboration, and interpersonal skills
• Personal, social, and civic responsibility
• Interactive communication

High Productivity

• Prioritizing, planning and managing for results
• Effective use of real-world tools
• Ability to produce relevant, high-quality products

The new Web 2.0 tools is going to effect schools and students learning and change the way we think. These tools promote creativity, collaboration and communication and will enhance those areas where these skills play and important part. This may be a slow process in some places but it will happen and is already starting. They create many new options for students, teachers and schools in the way information is used and interacted with. The better students are at using the tools of the Web 2.o the better prepared they will be to utilize them in the workforce.

Week 6 Thing 13

Web 2.0 who would have thought that we would be tagging and social bookmarking. I think that this is really cool way to not recreate the wheel every time you are looking for something searching a tag and finding quickly what you may have already found or someone else has tagged. I have found some very useful sites searching the tags. I had created an account and explored it in a class earlier in the summer but not spent much time with it. I am liking that it is easy to use and organize. I have explored many others accounts and it is very interesting but again it seems to be a time zapper. All of the sudden an hour has gone by and who knew what I was really doing. I do see this as a useful tool however and I think that I will be using it more and more.