Adventure #23 is looking at copyright laws and creative commons. Creative commons allows you to take an idea or an image or anything else under license or copyright and remix it or "change it up." Copyright laws are so extensive that I feel, even though I am at the end of this course, I will devote other blog postings to laws that pertain to librarians and teachers.
I enjoyed every adventure. Did I learn new things? Yes; however, I felt like I was being rushed and couldn't devote enough time to adventures that I really enjoyed, like glogs! One of the other librarians taking this class thought it would be a good idea to include podcasts in the course. Why not incorporate the technology that we are learning in the course. Good idea Ms. M. Gonzalez!
This isn't the end of my blog. I am learning new technology applications that will lead to more adventures. Adventures never end; so, keep tuning in techies....................The fun is just beginning.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Adventure #22 eBooks
eBooks are becoming a fast-growing phenomenon with all the competition in eBook readers; however, as with everything else, you can invest a lot of money into purchasing the reader and the book; there are several places that I researched that provide free eBooks. These are books that are part of the public domain, books not covered under copyright laws in the United States. I found some of my favorites: Emma by Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, to name a few.
There are two sites that I really like for free eBooks; one is the Gutenberg Project and the other is Many Books, found at http://www.manybooks.net. You can browse in Many Books by author, title, genre or language. Their are many different formats for download including PDF files.
Another site was mentioned, http://www.friedbeef.com. This site provides "best places to get free eBooks." However, this site was not working properly.
For elementary schools, there is a website called Tumblebook Library but you must pay for a subscription unless you can access it through a public library.
If you are interested in purchasing eBooks, you can visit The World e-Book Fair for websites.
That is all for now techies.....................
There are two sites that I really like for free eBooks; one is the Gutenberg Project and the other is Many Books, found at http://www.manybooks.net. You can browse in Many Books by author, title, genre or language. Their are many different formats for download including PDF files.
Another site was mentioned, http://www.friedbeef.com. This site provides "best places to get free eBooks." However, this site was not working properly.
For elementary schools, there is a website called Tumblebook Library but you must pay for a subscription unless you can access it through a public library.
If you are interested in purchasing eBooks, you can visit The World e-Book Fair for websites.
That is all for now techies.....................
Podcasts-A New Note
Although the definition says that podcasts are non-musical, I am finding musical podcasts. They are in MP3 format and some are downloadable, either to your podcast receiver or your computer. Interesting!!!! Thought I would share.....on to e-books!
Adventure #21 Podcasts
Podcasts are non-musical audios that are fed into embeddable players or through your RSS feeds. I signed up for an account at http://www.podbean.com/. I liked that fact that they have an embeddable player for podcasts. The embeddable player can be embedded into your blog or other website. However, what I am finding out, although I am still investigating this, is that the podcasts that embed into the player are the ones that we create, not ones that you find that are already created by someone else. I am still trying to find a way to embed podcasts that have been created by someone else but am running out of time right now.
There are many podcasts that are found in directories on topics such as current news topics, education (found one on beginning Spanish) and any other topic you could think of.
One of our librarians last year created podcasts with her students. They read books; then, they created book review podcasts. What was interesting and exciting was that Derek Landy, author of Skulduggery Pleasant, found out about her podcast and scheduled a phone interview with her students, all the way from Ireland. Kudos to Amy Marquez, librarian extraordinaire!
So, my podcasting adventure is just beginning. I will post more on this adventure at a later date. So until next time techies........
There are many podcasts that are found in directories on topics such as current news topics, education (found one on beginning Spanish) and any other topic you could think of.
One of our librarians last year created podcasts with her students. They read books; then, they created book review podcasts. What was interesting and exciting was that Derek Landy, author of Skulduggery Pleasant, found out about her podcast and scheduled a phone interview with her students, all the way from Ireland. Kudos to Amy Marquez, librarian extraordinaire!
So, my podcasting adventure is just beginning. I will post more on this adventure at a later date. So until next time techies........
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
YouTube-Adventure #20
YouTube has every kind of video imaginable. Unfortunately or fortunately, YouTube is filtered in our district. I added two videos for practice. The first one is a song by OwlCity called Fireflies. My daughter loves that song. This is a remix. What can I say, I love it too. The next video is of Roshan Taneja, an Indian Acting Professor who went to the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York with my father. He has been in the acting profession for over 45 years and is revered in India, as well as the United States.
TeacherTube is not filtered in our school district; so, I plan to view videos in TeacherTube and post one or two that I feel I could use successfully in the library. So, until next time techies......
TeacherTube is not filtered in our school district; so, I plan to view videos in TeacherTube and post one or two that I feel I could use successfully in the library. So, until next time techies......
Adventure #19-Library Thing
Library Thing, found at http://www.librarything.com, allows users to add books from their personal library to the website; thus, they can connect with other users who have similar interests. This reminds me of a world-wide book club! I added books that are my favorites (although I have many many more), and it allowed me to see who had similar libraries like mine. Maybe other librarians? Other Angel believers? There are also book reviews by users, which could prove useful for librarians.
I was able to add a Library Thing widget to my blog. You just have to go into the HTML and paste the code. Hopefully, it will update when I add more books. I will test this out tomorrow. So, until next time techies......I'm off to the pool.
I was able to add a Library Thing widget to my blog. You just have to go into the HTML and paste the code. Hopefully, it will update when I add more books. I will test this out tomorrow. So, until next time techies......I'm off to the pool.
Zoho Writer-Adventure #18
Zoho Writer, found at http://www.zohowriter.com, is a web-based tool that allows you to create online documents. This is similar to google docs. This tool allows the user to set up their page and add images, a table of contents, a table or anything else that they would normally use if they were using Microsoft Word. I think this would be especially helpful for high school students who may not have access to Word or Works at home but have access to the Internet.
I also found out, as you can see from my previous posts, that you can save a document and post it into your blog or publish it for other Zoho Writer users to see. I am off to another adventure. (This was a fast one....felt like I was just passing through but I actually went in depth with it.) Until next time techies................
I also found out, as you can see from my previous posts, that you can save a document and post it into your blog or publish it for other Zoho Writer users to see. I am off to another adventure. (This was a fast one....felt like I was just passing through but I actually went in depth with it.) Until next time techies................
Zoho Writer Part 2 -Adventure #18
It worked! You can save your documents in Zoho Writer; then, publish directly to your blog. Love it.
Zoho Writer
I am experimenting with Zoho Writer. It is similar to Google Docs. Registered users are able to create word processing pages, spreadsheets and many other items without having to have Microsoft products installed on their computers. Now, I am going to save this; then, I am going to try to post this to my blog. It has this feature, but let me see if I can get it to work. More on Zoho Writer later.......
Adventure #17 Wikis Revisited
For this adventure, I was asked to look at other wiki websites. Then, I was asked to play in the ESC1 wiki's sandbox. I really didn't enjoy playing in the sandbox. The sandbox is an area where you can add things for fun, I guess so that you will become comfortable with working inside a wiki. To each his own.
What I did enjoy, however, was looking at other wiki websites. The one I really liked is a California Curriculum Connections wiki found at http://calcurriculum.pbworks.com. This provided me with a lot of ideas for wiki use.
Wikis could be used as a place for librarians to help each other (within a school district), especially new ones. In fact, I think I am going to start one, let the librarians know about it, and see where it goes. Librarians could also collaborate on creating standard documents to be used in all elementary or secondary libraries. Library uses: Scavenger hunts, genre study, technology wiki for teachers and students, book discussions....and the list could go on and on.
Another wiki I enjoyed was the TeacherLibrarian wiki found at http://teacherlibrarian.pbworks.com. Okay, enough of wikis. I am ready to move on to web-based tools. So, until next time techies.
What I did enjoy, however, was looking at other wiki websites. The one I really liked is a California Curriculum Connections wiki found at http://calcurriculum.pbworks.com. This provided me with a lot of ideas for wiki use.
Wikis could be used as a place for librarians to help each other (within a school district), especially new ones. In fact, I think I am going to start one, let the librarians know about it, and see where it goes. Librarians could also collaborate on creating standard documents to be used in all elementary or secondary libraries. Library uses: Scavenger hunts, genre study, technology wiki for teachers and students, book discussions....and the list could go on and on.
Another wiki I enjoyed was the TeacherLibrarian wiki found at http://teacherlibrarian.pbworks.com. Okay, enough of wikis. I am ready to move on to web-based tools. So, until next time techies.
Adventure #16 Wikis
I am trying to complete my 23 adventures by Sunday, my deadline.......scary thought; however, I have been inundated (don't you just love big words?) with a lot of other technology woes. I just found out yesterday that I would be getting a new circulation system for the library. It isn't hard to do, but when you haven't had any formal training, you need time to "play around" with it. I also created a website for my husband and his friend. (They have a cover-band) I have been learning about domain names and google analytics. So, even though I haven't been solely concentrating on the 23 adventures, I have been venturing out into uncharted territory. Okay, enough dramatics!
Some of these adventures tend to overlap; so, I hope I don't repeat myself. Wikis are collaborative websites that allow users to add, delete and edit content created by any of the registered users.The wiki website that I researched is PBworks, found at http://www.pbworks.com/. The PB wiki is an easy to use wiki for elementary school implementation. In addition, the teacher can sign up as many as 100 students under him/her without the students needing email addresses.
4th graders, in Texas, are tested in writing; so, this would be a good tool for editing and peer feedback. This would also be a good resource for story writing across grades, as well as collaborative research projects. I can envision a state or country project!
PBworks is not filtered in our district which is a plus. I am just hoping that I can get the teachers to jump on the PBworks wagon with me. If not, then I will set up one for the library for an on-going research project....maybe a road trip! Who doesn't like road trips?
Better venture on. The next adventure is the same as this one: Wikis. So, wait a few minutes and come back. There will be another entry.
If you want to see my website creation, go to http://www.lostintimergv.com/. Sounds like I'm promoting right? Until next time, techies....
Some of these adventures tend to overlap; so, I hope I don't repeat myself. Wikis are collaborative websites that allow users to add, delete and edit content created by any of the registered users.The wiki website that I researched is PBworks, found at http://www.pbworks.com/. The PB wiki is an easy to use wiki for elementary school implementation. In addition, the teacher can sign up as many as 100 students under him/her without the students needing email addresses.
4th graders, in Texas, are tested in writing; so, this would be a good tool for editing and peer feedback. This would also be a good resource for story writing across grades, as well as collaborative research projects. I can envision a state or country project!
PBworks is not filtered in our district which is a plus. I am just hoping that I can get the teachers to jump on the PBworks wagon with me. If not, then I will set up one for the library for an on-going research project....maybe a road trip! Who doesn't like road trips?
Better venture on. The next adventure is the same as this one: Wikis. So, wait a few minutes and come back. There will be another entry.
If you want to see my website creation, go to http://www.lostintimergv.com/. Sounds like I'm promoting right? Until next time, techies....
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Library 2.0-Adventure #15
Do you remember when you started Kindergarten? You may have only known some of your colors or some of your numbers, but it was okay. Kindergarten was a learning year. Now, however, kindergarten is the new 1st grade. Students are required, in kindergarten, to perform on their first day.
What does this have to do with Library 2.0? Let's first look at 21st century learning. 21st century skills are being introduced at an early age. Students are being asked to work in groups to solve problems, while building on each other's thinking; they are being asked to use critical thinking skills to share their work in a variety of ways, usually involving technology. 21st century learning is necessary in order to compete in an ever evolving technological society. It is also necessary, in my opinion, to start the 21st century learning process in elementary school.
Library 2.0, which is based on Web 2.0 tools, incorporates 21st century learning. Therefore, Library 2.0 tools need to be in place in order to facilitate the learning process. Can public school libraries provide a complete Library 2.0 setting? No. School libraries, with their money woes, lack the necessary funding and must use free technology. In addition, a school librarian's time is limited, especially when the librarian is on a fixed schedule and only has a maximum of 15 minutes of instruction time.
So, public libraries are jumping on the Library 2.0 bandwagon, with good reason. Public libraries are providing what school libraries can't: one-button commands, easy to use programs and services that require little or no training and available personnel that can work on a one-to-one basis if necessary. Does that mean that school libraries are off the hook? No. We are still responsible for 21st century learning, and once again, 21st century learning requries a 2.0 Library.
That is where Web 2.0 tools play in, for there are many free tools that school libraries can use to help students begin their 21st century journey. Wikis, blogs, glogs and other collaboration tools are readily available to school librarians if they are willing to invest a little time into learning what is actually out there.
Michael Stephens in his article "Into a New World of Librarianship" published in the OCLC newsletter summed up Library 2.0 nicely when he said that libraries must meet the needs of its patrons by allowing "users access wherever they are." How can students be expected to develop 21st century skills if they don't have access to the necessary tools?
So, a 2.0 library is what we all should be striving for; otherwise, our students will always be one step behind.
What does this have to do with Library 2.0? Let's first look at 21st century learning. 21st century skills are being introduced at an early age. Students are being asked to work in groups to solve problems, while building on each other's thinking; they are being asked to use critical thinking skills to share their work in a variety of ways, usually involving technology. 21st century learning is necessary in order to compete in an ever evolving technological society. It is also necessary, in my opinion, to start the 21st century learning process in elementary school.
Library 2.0, which is based on Web 2.0 tools, incorporates 21st century learning. Therefore, Library 2.0 tools need to be in place in order to facilitate the learning process. Can public school libraries provide a complete Library 2.0 setting? No. School libraries, with their money woes, lack the necessary funding and must use free technology. In addition, a school librarian's time is limited, especially when the librarian is on a fixed schedule and only has a maximum of 15 minutes of instruction time.
So, public libraries are jumping on the Library 2.0 bandwagon, with good reason. Public libraries are providing what school libraries can't: one-button commands, easy to use programs and services that require little or no training and available personnel that can work on a one-to-one basis if necessary. Does that mean that school libraries are off the hook? No. We are still responsible for 21st century learning, and once again, 21st century learning requries a 2.0 Library.
That is where Web 2.0 tools play in, for there are many free tools that school libraries can use to help students begin their 21st century journey. Wikis, blogs, glogs and other collaboration tools are readily available to school librarians if they are willing to invest a little time into learning what is actually out there.
Michael Stephens in his article "Into a New World of Librarianship" published in the OCLC newsletter summed up Library 2.0 nicely when he said that libraries must meet the needs of its patrons by allowing "users access wherever they are." How can students be expected to develop 21st century skills if they don't have access to the necessary tools?
So, a 2.0 library is what we all should be striving for; otherwise, our students will always be one step behind.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Technorati-Adventure #14
Technorati, found at http://technorati.com, is a website phenomenon that is transforming the blogging world and making it more accessible. Technorati uses tags like education, technology, web 2.0, to help bloggers or blog readers find entries that suit their reading interests.
Do I think that elementary school teachers would be interested in using Technorati? I doubt it. The reasoning behind my assumption: Time constraints. Elementary school teachers have a hard enough time keeping up with all the TAKS-related information that they have to assimilate. State testing in Texas seems to consume most of the teacher's time, whether at the elementary or high school level.
School librarians do not have the luxury of time either. Summer would seem to be the only time that librarians would be able to search Technorati for interesting blog postings.
Do I think Technorati is worth looking into? Definitely! I didn't even know Technorati existed until this Web 2.0 class; I believe it is worth introducing to the teachers/librarians; then, when they have free time (Insert big smile here!) they can explore the site on their own.
Technorati also lets you "claim your blog." When you submit your blog to Technorati, they will evaluate it to see if it is worth being included in Technorati's blog search. You have to remember, however, to include tags at the bottom of each post. (I just saw the area for labels at the bottom of this post-big Duh for me!) I guess better late than never.
So, until next time techies.....I will keep you posted on my blog claim.
Do I think that elementary school teachers would be interested in using Technorati? I doubt it. The reasoning behind my assumption: Time constraints. Elementary school teachers have a hard enough time keeping up with all the TAKS-related information that they have to assimilate. State testing in Texas seems to consume most of the teacher's time, whether at the elementary or high school level.
School librarians do not have the luxury of time either. Summer would seem to be the only time that librarians would be able to search Technorati for interesting blog postings.
Do I think Technorati is worth looking into? Definitely! I didn't even know Technorati existed until this Web 2.0 class; I believe it is worth introducing to the teachers/librarians; then, when they have free time (Insert big smile here!) they can explore the site on their own.
Technorati also lets you "claim your blog." When you submit your blog to Technorati, they will evaluate it to see if it is worth being included in Technorati's blog search. You have to remember, however, to include tags at the bottom of each post. (I just saw the area for labels at the bottom of this post-big Duh for me!) I guess better late than never.
So, until next time techies.....I will keep you posted on my blog claim.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Social Bookmarking Sites-Adventure #13
Delicious, found at http://delicious.com, is just one Social Bookmarking site that allows you to save your favorite websites in an organized, portable way. I had already signed up for Delicious before this adventure began because these adventures tend to overlap each other. However, I was introduced to another Social Bookmarking site that I like even better. It is called Diigo and can be found at http://www.diigo.com. What I like about Diigo is that you can link it to your Delicious account as well as your blog. So, right now, my new bookmarks for Diigo are also saved in Delicious. You can also see that I linked Diigo to my blog; so, if I find an interesting website that I need to share, I can send it directly to my blog. (see post before this one.)
Bookmarking sites are important for teachers and librarians because websites can be shared with students and colleagues in a portable way. The student or teacher doesn't have to be on the computer that the sites were saved on. Diigo also has an account especially designed for teachers which will allow their students to also use the site under their teacher's account without having an email address (important for elementary students more so than with high school students.)
Diigo has many other features that would not only help teachers but help students organize research materials found on the internet and then take the research materials to any computer. Diigo's toolbar allows the user to highlight information found in an article, capture the whole article and then send it to other users if needed.
I did find out that you have to go to View: Toolbars: Diigo each time you open your browser, but that is not really a problem. You just have to remember to do this.
Sounds like I am sold on Diigo, right? I think it will help librarians and teachers become more organized. Believe me, if you see my list of favorites on my computer, you would know what I mean. What a mess!! Social Bookmarking sites allow you to add Tags to help you find websites that have a common theme; this is what helps with organization. You can not do that with your traditional favorites bookmarking on your computer.
Each of these adventures have really been eye-openers for me; however, they are time-consuming. I am having fun though. I would encourage technology buffs to go on their own adventure but at a slower pace. Until next time techies........
Bookmarking sites are important for teachers and librarians because websites can be shared with students and colleagues in a portable way. The student or teacher doesn't have to be on the computer that the sites were saved on. Diigo also has an account especially designed for teachers which will allow their students to also use the site under their teacher's account without having an email address (important for elementary students more so than with high school students.)
Diigo has many other features that would not only help teachers but help students organize research materials found on the internet and then take the research materials to any computer. Diigo's toolbar allows the user to highlight information found in an article, capture the whole article and then send it to other users if needed.
I did find out that you have to go to View: Toolbars: Diigo each time you open your browser, but that is not really a problem. You just have to remember to do this.
Sounds like I am sold on Diigo, right? I think it will help librarians and teachers become more organized. Believe me, if you see my list of favorites on my computer, you would know what I mean. What a mess!! Social Bookmarking sites allow you to add Tags to help you find websites that have a common theme; this is what helps with organization. You can not do that with your traditional favorites bookmarking on your computer.
Each of these adventures have really been eye-openers for me; however, they are time-consuming. I am having fun though. I would encourage technology buffs to go on their own adventure but at a slower pace. Until next time techies........
Education World® : Special Theme: Children's Book Week
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Rollyo-Adventure #12
I have been "playing around" with Rollyo for about 3 hours. Rollyo is a site that allows you to create your own search tool using the websites that you frequently use. You can find Rollyo at http://www.rollyo.com/. I thought I would create one using websites that I have on my favorites list. All of the websites are connected to books and lesson plans for elementary school libraries. I didn't add a lot of websites but am assuming that I can go back and edit. (need to check on that)
I first went to: Add a gadget on my blog so that I could add the search box on the side. Do not click on "Search Box." That is a search box that Blogger provides. Instead, Click on "HTML/JAVA Script and paste the code that is provided from Rollyo. That will add your search box to the side or wherever you want the gadget. Just for fun, type in "shape books" and see what comes up.
It was fun creating my own search tool. I think it would be fun to create science websites for the teachers to search in or now that a social studies test is being added to 5th grade.........endless possibilities!
This adventure is not over. I am hoping to continue this adventure tomorrow. So until then techies and librarians and friends and foe....... (sorry, my husband has been reading Hulk comic books, but that's another story!)
I first went to: Add a gadget on my blog so that I could add the search box on the side. Do not click on "Search Box." That is a search box that Blogger provides. Instead, Click on "HTML/JAVA Script and paste the code that is provided from Rollyo. That will add your search box to the side or wherever you want the gadget. Just for fun, type in "shape books" and see what comes up.
It was fun creating my own search tool. I think it would be fun to create science websites for the teachers to search in or now that a social studies test is being added to 5th grade.........endless possibilities!
This adventure is not over. I am hoping to continue this adventure tomorrow. So until then techies and librarians and friends and foe....... (sorry, my husband has been reading Hulk comic books, but that's another story!)
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