Monday, March 19, 2012
Review of Learning 2.0 Assignment
For the most part, I liked the learning 2.0 assignment. I enjoy learning on my own, and the wiki was extremely helpful in giving plenty of information. I learned a lot, mostly about how to make a wordle and the image generator was pretty awesome. Most of the other stuff I had used at least once, and much of it is a regular part of my day (blogging, skype, twitter, podcasts, google docs). But it was good to get a review of these things, especially google docs. I had never used the form component before, and I genuinely enjoyed making up my own survey and finding the results.
Wordle
Okay, I've seen these everywhere all over the internet, but I had no idea what they were or how I could make one. I am so excited that I know what it is now!
I think this would be valuable for teachers who are trying to help their students learn vocab. They could take a chunk of text from a book the class is reading and "wordle" it, then they would know what words were used the most in that text so they could use those words in their vocab lists! Not to mention, it would be cool to put a poster up of the "wordle" every week!
I think this would be valuable for teachers who are trying to help their students learn vocab. They could take a chunk of text from a book the class is reading and "wordle" it, then they would know what words were used the most in that text so they could use those words in their vocab lists! Not to mention, it would be cool to put a poster up of the "wordle" every week!
Podcasts
Who doesn't love podcasts? I know that I love them. I listen to everything from NPR to the ESPN podcasts my husband loves.
http://ia600808.us.archive.org/23/items/HiddenTreasuresLabriolaCenterKachinaDolls/101_HT_Kachinas.m4v
I learned about Kachina dolls painted by Tony Dukepoo. They are part of the Hopi culture and they are representations of the Hopi spiritual beings. They were used to teach Hopi children about the spirits of their culture. This podcast was centered around the Labriola National American Indian Data Center. This center is one of the best places for resources for those interested in Native American anthropology. A great deal of the material is completely unique to that center, not available online or anywhere else.
http://ia600808.us.archive.org/23/items/HiddenTreasuresLabriolaCenterKachinaDolls/101_HT_Kachinas.m4v
I learned about Kachina dolls painted by Tony Dukepoo. They are part of the Hopi culture and they are representations of the Hopi spiritual beings. They were used to teach Hopi children about the spirits of their culture. This podcast was centered around the Labriola National American Indian Data Center. This center is one of the best places for resources for those interested in Native American anthropology. A great deal of the material is completely unique to that center, not available online or anywhere else.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
YouTube/TeacherTube
Will Tweet for Work
I've used twitter for more 3 years. "Used" is a huge overstatement. I only get on when I have to find information for my work newsletter and/or when I want to see what my co-workers are up to when they are away on business trips. I pretty much only followed people in my field (web accessibility), with the exception of "E!" entertainment and The Wall Street Journal.
Little did I know that I can follow a library. A LIBRARY! Wow! I'm embarrassed by how little I know about something I have used for more than 3 years...
Anyway, I found some awesome people/institutions to follow. Like YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) and Library Journal (they do book reviews, and I am a sucker for book reviews).
But my favorite, by far, is NPR. What "bookish" person doesn't like NPR?! None, I say. So now I follow NPR, and I find out all their exciting news/latest posts without having to search through their site. I am so happy.
I think that twitter is essential to any job at this point- it's a great way to network and keep track of your field. But I think a librarian can use this to show students how to follow each other, and then glean information from each other that way. I also think librarians could use twitter to keep parents updated on what books they are getting, if parents have any suggestions for books the library should invest in, etc. Twitter is a great place for a community to communicate quickly and collectively. Social media is a two edged sword, and if we teach kids from a young age that twitter/facebook/blogs aren't for bullying or back biting, but a great way to meet new people and learn new things.
Little did I know that I can follow a library. A LIBRARY! Wow! I'm embarrassed by how little I know about something I have used for more than 3 years...
Anyway, I found some awesome people/institutions to follow. Like YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) and Library Journal (they do book reviews, and I am a sucker for book reviews).
But my favorite, by far, is NPR. What "bookish" person doesn't like NPR?! None, I say. So now I follow NPR, and I find out all their exciting news/latest posts without having to search through their site. I am so happy.
I think that twitter is essential to any job at this point- it's a great way to network and keep track of your field. But I think a librarian can use this to show students how to follow each other, and then glean information from each other that way. I also think librarians could use twitter to keep parents updated on what books they are getting, if parents have any suggestions for books the library should invest in, etc. Twitter is a great place for a community to communicate quickly and collectively. Social media is a two edged sword, and if we teach kids from a young age that twitter/facebook/blogs aren't for bullying or back biting, but a great way to meet new people and learn new things.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
RSS- Google Reader
I've been on the Google Reader bandwagon for a long time. In fact, just a few hours before looking at this assignment, I de-junked my reader- I had tons of old blogs I never read any more and wanted to put them in the right "files". I feel much better with my Reader more organized.
Anyway, the two blogs I found were these:
http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com
gotthamschools.org
The coolcatteacher is all about how to reach our more technology savvy students, and it is geared especially toward teachers who didn't grow up in the computer age. The thing I love the most about this blog (and any blog/website) are the freebies. She has a ton of awesome downloads for everything from internet safety for teens to tutorials on how to use technology to your advantage in the classroom.
Gotthamschools.org is about "what works and does not work" in the NY public school system. While it is technically geared toward New York schools, most schools face many of the same problems- delinquency, drop out, ethnicity issues, lack of funding, etc. It was so interesting to read what teachers were saying about how to help students succeed when it seems like the world is against them.
Anyway, the two blogs I found were these:
http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com
gotthamschools.org
The coolcatteacher is all about how to reach our more technology savvy students, and it is geared especially toward teachers who didn't grow up in the computer age. The thing I love the most about this blog (and any blog/website) are the freebies. She has a ton of awesome downloads for everything from internet safety for teens to tutorials on how to use technology to your advantage in the classroom.
Gotthamschools.org is about "what works and does not work" in the NY public school system. While it is technically geared toward New York schools, most schools face many of the same problems- delinquency, drop out, ethnicity issues, lack of funding, etc. It was so interesting to read what teachers were saying about how to help students succeed when it seems like the world is against them.
Diigo
I found a lot of interesting things in Diigo. I started out searching for terms like, "library" and "librarian" and got some awesome results, one of which was, "librarians know everything."
Obviously.
When I clicked on that tag, it took me to several things that surprised me; it wasn't necessarily library related. It was all kinds of information that people had found from librarians. SO. AWESOME.
Ultimately, I think Diigo is a very cool way of keeping track of the stuff you like. Unfortunately, the people who need it most (like my mom who literally has 300 sites bookmarked in her browser) may not understand how to use it (like my mom, even after I called her and talked her through the sign up and everything).
Obviously.
When I clicked on that tag, it took me to several things that surprised me; it wasn't necessarily library related. It was all kinds of information that people had found from librarians. SO. AWESOME.
Ultimately, I think Diigo is a very cool way of keeping track of the stuff you like. Unfortunately, the people who need it most (like my mom who literally has 300 sites bookmarked in her browser) may not understand how to use it (like my mom, even after I called her and talked her through the sign up and everything).
Friday, February 17, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Skype!
I love Skype. I think it is fun and intuitive. But I had never thought of Skype in the educational realm. I had no idea there were so many possibilities for something that seems so straight forward.
My top three favorite "Skype in Education" ideas (from the reading)
1. Using "ePals" to connect with other classes across the globe. In second grade our teacher set up pen pals from London for us- it was by far one of the coolest things I remember from elementary school. The problem was that it took weeks in between letters, and all together we only wrote back and forth twice. Now, if I could have Skyped that student in London, I could have had a real connection, and imagine how much more memorable it would be. One idea would be to research the other class's country history. Then present to each other and talk about the different perceptions of history (after all, the American Revolution is taught one way in America and one way in England).
2. Skyping with someone famous. Whether the person is famous for writing a book, being a politician, a scientist, a dentist, whatever. Allowing students to communicate with the people they want to be when they grow up will humanize careers for them.
3. Using Skype to connect with students who have to stay home. Students who are very sick, have a disability, etc, may need to stay home occasionally. This means that they are not only missing instruction and school work, but they are also missing valuable social skill building time. Using Skype to include at home students in group discussions, read arounds, and even parties, will help maintain that crucial social interaction.
My top three favorite "Skype in Education" ideas (from the reading)
1. Using "ePals" to connect with other classes across the globe. In second grade our teacher set up pen pals from London for us- it was by far one of the coolest things I remember from elementary school. The problem was that it took weeks in between letters, and all together we only wrote back and forth twice. Now, if I could have Skyped that student in London, I could have had a real connection, and imagine how much more memorable it would be. One idea would be to research the other class's country history. Then present to each other and talk about the different perceptions of history (after all, the American Revolution is taught one way in America and one way in England).
2. Skyping with someone famous. Whether the person is famous for writing a book, being a politician, a scientist, a dentist, whatever. Allowing students to communicate with the people they want to be when they grow up will humanize careers for them.
3. Using Skype to connect with students who have to stay home. Students who are very sick, have a disability, etc, may need to stay home occasionally. This means that they are not only missing instruction and school work, but they are also missing valuable social skill building time. Using Skype to include at home students in group discussions, read arounds, and even parties, will help maintain that crucial social interaction.
wiki wiki
It has been a while since I've used/thought about wikis. In fact, the last time I used one was early last semester for another class, and I hadn't looked at it since. Honestly, this was in part due to the fact that the whole concept of a "wiki" was still completely lost on me. I didn't understand why a group would need a wiki instead of a blog, or along with a blog.
But that kind of cheesy, really simple 5 minute video from the module completely explained the idea of a wiki. After the video ended I thought, "got it."
And now I think I need a wiki for everything I do.
Then I began a search of other wikis out there, and as it turns out, there are people who agree with me; we need wikis for everything. I found a Harry Potter wiki, a Glee wiki, The Bachelor wiki's (there were at least 30) and everything in between. Who knew?
The top coolest things about wikis for teachers/media specialists?
But that kind of cheesy, really simple 5 minute video from the module completely explained the idea of a wiki. After the video ended I thought, "got it."
And now I think I need a wiki for everything I do.
Then I began a search of other wikis out there, and as it turns out, there are people who agree with me; we need wikis for everything. I found a Harry Potter wiki, a Glee wiki, The Bachelor wiki's (there were at least 30) and everything in between. Who knew?
The top coolest things about wikis for teachers/media specialists?
- students can log in and change stuff around, allowing them to work from home and still work collaboratively.
- students can use wikis to document their research- how cool would it be to have some kind of timeline showing the students going through The Big Six?
- students get to go home and show their parents, friends, etc, that they are officially "on the web," which is exciting for the student and the family!
- media specialists can use a wiki to show the newest books and media in the library.
- media specialists can use a wiki to interact with parents- take polls on what genres of books they want you to order/announce all the activities at the library.
Wiki's are awesome. I'm excited to learn more about the ways I can use them!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
state library victoria, australia
This is breathtaking. I think it shows a different side of the library. Usually, when you think of library you think of books, but a library is much more than that. It is a place to gather, study, spread out, discuss.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Seven and half life long learning habits
Of the 7 and half life long learning habits, these are the ones I am definitely good at:
"Have confidence in yourself as a lifelong learner"
A few years ago, I got a job I really wanted, although, looking back, I was hardly qualified for. This job required a lot of fast paced learning. I started at that job and sometimes it seemed like they were speaking a different language: "I need you to edit the tag in dreamweaver to allow users to radio through the options of that table" or "can you make that page more contrasted, and then check to make sure that the alt text is appropriate". I didn't even know what dreamweaver or alt text was, let alone how to do anything they asked. It took hours of learning on my part. I worked hard, and now, 3 and a half years later, I am really, really good at my job.
"Use technology to your advantage"
This is related to the previous idea- I became more tech savvy because of this job, and now I use my phone to network for future jobs, and remind me when I need to do what. I also use technology to listen to classic literature that I would never have time to enjoy otherwise. I don't have time to sit down and read Crime and Punishment, but I it's easy to listen to while I exercise or clean my house. Also, I love podcasts, specifically NPR podcasts, specifically Wait Wait Don't Tell Me and Car Talk (Car Talk is a guilty, and slightly embarrassing, pleasure of mine).
"Teach/Mentor others"
This may be due to the fact that I am a know-it-all, but I love teaching people, especially if it is something I love. For example, my in laws, especially the females, know next to nothing about politics. They didn't know how many branches of government there are; so I took it upon myself to teach them about politics so they could make informed decisions regarding their voting habits.
The habits I struggle with are all the rest.
"Begin with the end in mind"
I struggle at keeping goals I set. I need to work on setting more specific goals, like, "read the chapter before class" rather than "get an A in that class."
"Accept responsibility for your own learning"
There is part of me that can't wait to graduate simply so my brain can take a break. I will definitely have to force myself to continue to learn even after I graduate, especially when it comes to English- I will always be learning new technologies, I will always be learning more about how my immediate world works, but I worry that I will forget to sit and read a book just for the sake of learning something.
"View problems as challenges"
I don't like challenges any more than problems. So I guess I will just have to grow up and start finding some kind of enjoyment in challenges.
"Create your own learning toolbox"
I guess I put this in the "struggle" category because I feel like I can always use more for my toolbox. And, there are some things that clutter my toolbox that I just need to get rid of- for example, I need to watch less TV and do more actual learning. So, I guess, get Netflix out of my "toolbox" and put a book in there instead.
"Play"
I have the hardest time actually enjoying myself, even when I am doing something I enjoy. I have this attitude of "hurry up and have fun so we can get back to work" and it drives my husband crazy. I definitely need to work on staying in the moment and enjoying what is before me, not what I have to do tomorrow.
"Have confidence in yourself as a lifelong learner"
A few years ago, I got a job I really wanted, although, looking back, I was hardly qualified for. This job required a lot of fast paced learning. I started at that job and sometimes it seemed like they were speaking a different language: "I need you to edit the tag in dreamweaver to allow users to radio through the options of that table" or "can you make that page more contrasted, and then check to make sure that the alt text is appropriate". I didn't even know what dreamweaver or alt text was, let alone how to do anything they asked. It took hours of learning on my part. I worked hard, and now, 3 and a half years later, I am really, really good at my job.
"Use technology to your advantage"
This is related to the previous idea- I became more tech savvy because of this job, and now I use my phone to network for future jobs, and remind me when I need to do what. I also use technology to listen to classic literature that I would never have time to enjoy otherwise. I don't have time to sit down and read Crime and Punishment, but I it's easy to listen to while I exercise or clean my house. Also, I love podcasts, specifically NPR podcasts, specifically Wait Wait Don't Tell Me and Car Talk (Car Talk is a guilty, and slightly embarrassing, pleasure of mine).
"Teach/Mentor others"
This may be due to the fact that I am a know-it-all, but I love teaching people, especially if it is something I love. For example, my in laws, especially the females, know next to nothing about politics. They didn't know how many branches of government there are; so I took it upon myself to teach them about politics so they could make informed decisions regarding their voting habits.
The habits I struggle with are all the rest.
"Begin with the end in mind"
I struggle at keeping goals I set. I need to work on setting more specific goals, like, "read the chapter before class" rather than "get an A in that class."
"Accept responsibility for your own learning"
There is part of me that can't wait to graduate simply so my brain can take a break. I will definitely have to force myself to continue to learn even after I graduate, especially when it comes to English- I will always be learning new technologies, I will always be learning more about how my immediate world works, but I worry that I will forget to sit and read a book just for the sake of learning something.
"View problems as challenges"
I don't like challenges any more than problems. So I guess I will just have to grow up and start finding some kind of enjoyment in challenges.
"Create your own learning toolbox"
I guess I put this in the "struggle" category because I feel like I can always use more for my toolbox. And, there are some things that clutter my toolbox that I just need to get rid of- for example, I need to watch less TV and do more actual learning. So, I guess, get Netflix out of my "toolbox" and put a book in there instead.
"Play"
I have the hardest time actually enjoying myself, even when I am doing something I enjoy. I have this attitude of "hurry up and have fun so we can get back to work" and it drives my husband crazy. I definitely need to work on staying in the moment and enjoying what is before me, not what I have to do tomorrow.
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