Thing 16 - ScreenToaster

Since I couldn't get the embed thing to work, here's the URL for my ScreenToast: http://www.screentoaster.com/watch/stUEpWQEdIRFtZSFVZX1JaVldd

I had a lot of trouble getting the audio to work, but after some superhuman rescue attempts by Deb Friedman, I was ready to go for my 5th attempt at recording the same no-script how-to video. (So if I made mistakes or repeated myself, blame the repeated efforts.) By and large, however, I like this THING a lot! Now that I've successfully completed it, I can imagine making many more instructional videos to post to our website for new staff, for mini-lessons (how to do a mail merge, for example), how to set up your library account so that you can track your circulation, how to use SWAN to find a book -- and then how to get the library to order it for you -- and so on , and so on, and so on.

For classroom teachers, this could be a great teaching tool -- but for students, what wonderful practice in oral expression. Good for learning how to deliver information verbally (a Speech component of the English curriculum?), and also good for information technology skills -- how to "do" technology language and literacy. If they can teach it, they will know it themselves. I would limit the length of a video presentation - to teach how to be concise, and also so that the "teachers" don't lose their audience. So pre-planning (storyboarding, practicing, etc.) are important.

All in all, a good thing!

Thing 14: Wiki

Well, Alicia D., I think that (from looking at Welker's econ wiki) a wiki might offer more formatting opportunities than Google Docs. I think both equally invite collaborative content creation. I liked all the different ways that Mr. Welker set up his wiki -- he had obviously been AT it for a long time! and experimented with a variety of uses for his class. As you might recall, I thought that Weebly was somewhat limited in its layout options. It seems that wetpaint allows a lot of widgets, sharing among different sites such as FaceBook, Twitter, etc., and it INVITES viewers to participate in a way that a weebly website wouldn't. All in all, I think they are all more useful for teachers than our current Curriculum Page option, where the librarian usually sets up the page and posts it to the web. A wiki allows teachers to do their own updates regularly. And for organizing a course with student postings, chapter summaries and links to helpful resources, polling options, and so on, this wiki tool seems really helpful. I am going to set one up for our preparation for the School Board presentation. That way you, Susie, and I can all throw things into the mix and not lose ideas or actual paper in my mess of an office. -- Doreen F.