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 15 - Voicethread

Well, even though I'm commenting in my blog about Thing 15 in order, I actually made my Voicethread comments a couple of weeks ago, when Alicia posted this task. It IS cool. I experimented with commenting by drawing, typing, and "phoning in" my comments. It was fun to see what others did. It would be interesting to see whether this would actually be a good teaching (or learning) tool. Though it seems neat and collaborative, it seems there would be quicker ways to get fellow-learners to pool their knowledge. I liked the possibility for delivering a lesson online (as the art teacher did in the demo we watched), but a video might work just as well. It seems that Voicethread, just like Animoto, would be most effective if the content were minimized. Short and sweet and get to the point. Otherwise, even WITH the visuals and the audio, it seems to drag on too long without really GOING anywhere.

A tour of the library for new students might be nice -- to point out where they could go for different types of materials. We could add comments on how to find and use our catalog, where to find the biographies, where our "Book of the Day" and new books are displayed, and so on.

Seems to leave out the ELL students, unless you used a native language for the voiceover while typing the English -- or something like that. (too bad both modes of comments won't "play" at the same time!)

I will be fascinated to see if any teachers find a way to use this at RB -- please let me know if you do!

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.

Thing 13 - Animoto

I love the idea of Animoto, and found it not-too-hard to do. But then I realized that I hadn't used it to its full potential. I only included images, and didn't do some of the text- or video- options. I want to play with this some more. I love the examples by students, and could definitely see this as an option for students doing a presentation. Especially students trying to make an impression or catch one's attention. This kind of presentation doesn't allow for a lot of information content, but it sure would allow students to set the mood or make an emotional impact. Nice to allow students to use visuals, and to demonstrate their visual literacy, too.

Here is the video I created - no, it has nothing to do with school or education. But I had lots of pictures at home, and since Bob and I just celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary . . .

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Thing 12 - Creative Commons

This might not be as wonderful as I had hoped. Finding content in CC is not very easy - I searched for music that our TV kids could use to save us some software money currently used to purchase copyright-free music for their TV productions. But I got caught in a seemingly-neverending loop of assorted websites. Some linked to Myspace and other music-distribution websites. One that looked promising (royalty free music library) charged $79 per "album". So the ROYALTY was free, but not the music. Most of the websites that were in the list when I searched for "copyright free music" linked to sites that don't have a creative commons link. This might not be useful for me. Or else I have to spend a TON more time on here learning to use it -- and you KNOW that students won't want to go to that trouble.

I guess this goes against the grain of my librarian soul which wants to make information easily available to students. It might be nice for people trying to license their own productions, but not so much for people searching for licensed works to use.

Final grades (on a 1-5 scale, 1 being low) for:
Usefulness = 2
User-friendliness = 1
Organization = 1

Thing 11 - Shelfari

I already have a LibraryThing account (deweyfritz), so decided to try out Shelfari. I had admired the one publicized by the LT South library media specialist, Kelly Gibson. It is much more graphically pleasing than LibraryThing - looks like an actual bookshelf, but allows for many of the same functions as LThing --reviews, groups, tags, and sharing with friends -- but this one ALSO allows me to keep track of books I've lent to friends (a necessity now that my brain no longer retains that information!) I can also build a wish list that I could share with those who buy me gifts. So all in all, for my personal AND professional life, I'm glad to be on a shelfari! (username deweyfritz)

Thing 10

After a long hiatus, I was encouraged to get going again when I saw that Alicia had posted even MORE things - I'm so far behind! But I love the idea of a NING - it's kind of a protected webpage - (though others can see it, so not REALLY protected and private). But a great place to share ideas. How would I use it? Maybe just to help teachers to develop their own NING for a class or a club - and link it from our website. But it allow for the interactivity and sharing of Facebook without the total worldwide exposure and goof-offiness of FB.