Revisiting an old friend

I got acquainted with Animoto about a month ago, but I didn't have a great first impression.  I was trying to create a video slideshow for my husband's grandfather's 100th birthday party.  But, it's kind of hard to capture his life in 30 seconds! Then, I realized that there is more to Animoto than meets the eye: there's Animoto for Educators.  So, I took the pictures I scanned, and started again.  In a very short amount of time, I was able to produce the video embedded below.  

In the end, we didn't show this video at his party.  My husband had already created one using iMovie.  When I compare what I did to what my husband did, I can easily say that he invested a lot more time in his video.  However, iMovie was new to him.  Even so, Animoto is easier to use.  I think the perk with iMovie, though, is that you can customize your video in more ways than you can with Animoto.

If I were going to ask the students at Mission Hill Elementary School to create a video slideshow, I would definitely encourage them to use Animoto because there isn't a steep learning curve and the final product looks very polished!  I think students would be proud of their work.  In fact, I'm thinking of recommending Animoto to our principal who likes to create slideshows for assemblies.  For me, I would like to use Animoto to post on our school library's website.  I would love to take photos throughout the year of activities that take place in the library.  I just have to make sure that I'm allowed to post students' photos on our webpage first.  

Final thought: I'm keeping in touch with Animoto!

Gotta keep up!

To help me get started on my technology journey, I've been referring to and relying a lot on Will Richardson's book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms.  It's been a great resource, but I've been using the second edition (2009) instead of the third edition (2010).  That's probably why some of the links and recommendations haven't been working out for me (although most of them have!).  For example, in his book, he recommends using OurMedia.org to access free, unlimited bandwidth.  I needed a provider, like this, so that I could make my podcasts available on my blog.  But after uploading my podcasts and retrieving links for each one via email, I still couldn't get them up on my blog.  End result: I spent too much time trying to make it work!  So, I moved onto Box, recommended by Blogger, and had my podcasts uploaded in 20 minutes.  Yay!  I, too, recommend Box!

***One caveat: I couldn't upload the iMovie I made because I didn't have enough storage.  So, the free account doesn't give you unlimited bandwidth, but at least it worked!***

Feeling satisfied

I had fun with my podcasts  yesterday.  I subjected my grade ones and twos to all seven podcasts!  I was surprised and pleased that they all did well.  Now that they know what to expect with the podcasts, I could challenge them a bit more.  I have three takeaways from podcasting for my students:

1. I drove my first group of students a bit crazy because all seven podcasts had the same introduction: "This is Mrs. Wilson from Mission Hill Elementary..."  I was trying to follow the podcast rubric created by Purcell (2011).   For a podcast to be exemplary, Purcell (2011) states, "Introduction/Purpose: Tells the audience: who is speaking, what to expect in the podcast, where the speakers are located in the world, when the podcast is taking place (the date), and why have (the purpose of) the podcast" (p. 1). In hindsight, I should have done that for the first podcast in the series, not for the whole series.
2. As I was creating these podcasts, I was wondering what the difference was between speaking in person and creating these podcasts.  But, one thing I've been noticing is that when I plug in any type of media, students are quieter.  It's good for the chatterboxes: they're not as chatty!  On the flip side, it's not as interactive.
3. The seven podcasts I created are definitely more suited to my grade one English language learners; however, I think they all enjoyed it.  It was different!  And, I feel empowered.

Reference

Purcell, M. (2011). Podcast rubric. Library Media Connection, 29(5), 1. Retrieved from http://www.librarymediaconnection.com/  

Where do I start? Podcasts for English Language Learners

According to the prescribed learning outcomes mandated by the B.C. Ministry of Education, 40-60% of the language arts curriculum for grades 1-3 should be organized around speaking and listening (2006, p. 8).

As an English language teacher, I want to support English language learners by reinforcing some of the concepts introduced in class.  Specifically, I'm following the guidelines outlined in the ESL Policy and Guidelines drafted by the B.C. Ministry of Education:



Some concepts are simple, but learning them will help students follow instructions and navigate their way through their primary years.  For my first series of podcasts, I am going to focus on the reinforcement of some simple concepts we studied earlier in the school year.

Listen up!

Using Audacity, I created seven mini podcasts for my grade 1, 2, and 3 English language learners.  Since September, we've been focusing on various concepts, such as top, middle, and bottom.  These podcasts are meant to be progressive and test the students' abilities to demonstrate their understanding of some of the concepts studied.



Podcast #1
Short and simple.
Tests the concept middle.

Podcast #2
Tests the concepts top, middle and bottom.
Vocabulary: triangle, circle

Podcast #3
Tests the concepts top, middle, and bottom.
Vocabulary: square, circle, red

Podcast #4
Tests the concepts top, middle, and bottom.
Vocabulary: triangle, circle, blue, green

Podcast #5
Tests the concepts top, middle, bottom, and above.
Vocabulary: square, triangle, red, green, blue

Podcast #6
Tests the concepts top, middle, bottom, and under.
Vocabulary: triangle, circle, heart, red, blue, yellow

Podcast #7
Tests the concepts top, middle, bottom, above and below.
Vocabulary: heart, circle, red, orange, checkmark, x

These are my first ever podcasts created for students.  I'm hoping to test them out tomorrow!

Falling into place and onto my blog!

I thought recording my podcasts via Audacity and exporting them to MP3 files using LAME MP3 Encoder was going to be enough for me to post them on my blog.  I didn't realize, until I read Richardson (2009) that, "The first step to sharing your podcast is to transfer the MP3 file you made from your computer to a server that's on the Internet" (p. 118).  I think this might be the reason I couldn't upload my iMovie to my blog as well.  Luckily, Richardson (2009) suggests using OurMedia.org which provides free storage and bandwidth for podcasts, videos, photos, etc.  Ah, another piece has fallen into place!

References

Richardson, W. (2009). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

It's tough having resources at you fingertips!

I don't know if I'm getting old and cranky, but, a few months ago, I was pretty skeptical as to how Twitter and Google Reader were going to save me time.  Having resources available at my fingertips is great, but having to read through endless feeds is a bit overwhelming.  So, I've come to a compromise.  I scan the feeds in both and use them as research tools.  I'm happy to report that they haven't failed me yet! However, I think it's time to take Twitter and Google Reader to the next level.  I came across this article, 50 Great Ways to Grow Your Personal Learning Network, via New Stephen's Lighthouse.  From 50 recommendations, I have focused on five that I think will take me to the next level in my PLN.

1. DON'T JUST CONSUME, CONTRIBUTE. The most important element of building a PLN? Don't be a lurker! Throw in your own two cents from time to time, help out others, and play an active role in the online community. I think because I'm learning so much from all the great resources out there, I feel like whatever I have to say has been said.  That being said, I'm still an individual within my own unique context.  And, after all this learning, I must have something to contribute!
2. BE YOURSELF! The whole point of being part of an online community is to offer your own unique perspective and ideas, so don't try to be someone you're not.  It's not that I'm trying to be someone else, but I am trying to present my professional self.  In person, I like these discussions, but I also like to joke around. Does humour have a place on my blog?  Maybe my posts would be more interesting to read!
3. TAG PEOPLE IN LINKS YOU THINK THEY'LL LIKE. Found a link you want to make sure certain Twitter friends will see? Just tag them. You can also tag great links with hashtags so that anyone interested in that topic can easily find your tweets. I didn't know you could do this! I think I would definitely pay more attention to a tweet if someone tagged me.  I think I'll try this out!
4. SUPPORT OTHERS. If you really want to grow your PLN, then you need to comment on other blogs. The idea is that you'll spark a conversation, and that blogger will start reading and commenting on your blog in kind.  That makes sense.  My blog is up and rolling, but there haven't been a lot of comments, so I don't feel as motivated to post.  Richardson, (2009) says this is true for students too: "...comments are a powerful motivator of student writing in blogs, especially when those comments come from sources outside of the classroom walls" (p. 30).  In hindsight, I haven't been commenting on other people's blogs!  I think a little reciprocation is in order!
5. PARTICIPATE IN WEBINARS. Webinars are easy ways to learn more without even having to leave home. You'll be able to learn from an expert and engage with other participants before and after the event. With all the great webinars out there, I'm surprised I haven't taken part in one yet.  This is definitely on my "to-do" list.  

References

50 Great Ways to Grow Your Personal Learning Network. (2011). OnlineCollege.org. Retrieved from http://www.onlinecollege.org/2011/10/26/50-great-ways-to-grow-your-personal-learning-network/ 

Richardson, W. (2009). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Who's your source?

In an attempt to find out more information on electronic pathfinders, I came across a resource I haven't heard of before: The Internet Scout Project.  Vileno (2007) informs, "...the Scouts scan announcements of new web sites and on a weekly basis select 20 sites of particular interest" (p. 438).  According to their homepage, The Internet Scout Project (2011) elaborates, "Since 1994, the Scout Project has focused on developing better tools and  services for finding, filtering, and presenting online information and  metadata."  I thought this might be a useful resource because I always appreciate it when a reliable source has already reviewed a site.  Their university-based blend of academics and professionals from library science and computer science gives me the confidence to take their recommendations seriously.


This week, under the heading "Network Tools," there are two recommendations: CiteThisForMe and AdBlockVideo.  CiteThisForMe is very user friendly; however, it uses the Harvard referencing style, a style I've never used before.  I've never used ad blocking software before either, but it's something I would be interested in using if I ever start showing videos to students.  I mostly teach K-2, so we don't watch a lot videos.  The Internet Scout Project looks like a good source of information for practical, open-source software applications that I can use to enhance my teaching and student learning.  

See what you think and let me know!

References

The internet scout project. (2011). Retrieved from http://scout.wisc.edu/About/index.php

Vileno, L. (2007). From paper toelectronic, the evolution of pathfinders: a review of the literature. Reference Services Review, 35(3), 434-451. doi: 10.1108/09007320710774300

Pots, Pans, and Podcasting

Last night, while I was scrubbing the pots and pans, I listened to a podcast by Storynory.  The episode, Portia's Puzzle, is based on William Shakespeare's play, The Merchant of Venice.  It's been a while since I've "read" anything for pleasure and I absolutely loved it!  It was the typical happily-ever-after storyline, but it also tried to leave the reader hanging: "But, of course, life isn't as simple as a fairytale or this story and things did not work out so well so quickly for Portia and Bassanio. But if you want to know the full story then, one day, you should go to see Sheakespeare's play, The Merchant of Venice."  Keep in mind that I was in the mood for something light and fluffy!

When I began subscribing to podcasts about a month ago, I was really focused on podcasts for professional development. I searched the Education Podcast Network to find education-related shows.  Although I enjoyed the audio format, I didn't particularly like any of the podcasts I had subscribed to.    So, I decided to look elsewhere.  This time, I followed Will Richardson's (2009) recommendations:

1. Go to the iTuness store homepage;
2. Click on the "podcasts" link at the top;
3. Under categories, select "Education"; and
4. In the "More Education" box, click on K-12 (p. 112).

This is when I discovered Storynory, which was fun for me and will be fun for my students.  I never enjoyed washing dishes as much as I did last night.  I was completely absorbed in the story as I scrubbed.  It motivated me to listen the next podcast I had subscribed to, News Hour Poetry Series (PBS).  I hit the treadmill with Transtromer, Swedish Poet With 'Tinge of Modernism, Surrealism,' Wins Nobel  and I now feel connected to the literary world again.  I probably have to listen to quite a few more before that's really true!

I'm starting to enjoy this new media.  I like the fact that I can multitask while I listen!  I've subscribed to 15 podcasts, but I'm on the hunt for more.  In the end, though, I'd like to narrow the list down.  I'm not sure what the ideal number is, but I'd be happy with solid top 5 list.

I'm going to check out the following sites recommended by Puckett (2010):

1. Escape Pod - Science fiction
2. PodCastle - Fantasy
3. Pseudopod - Horror
4. Cory Doctorow - Science fiction & non-fiction (e.g. technology, copyright, information access, libraries)
5. The Murverse - Fantasy

Puckett (2010) also recommends Podiobooks, a great repository of the above and other works (p. 5).

This should keep me busy until I'm brave enough to produce my own!

References

Puckett, J. (2010). A peek inside the personal library of a librarian. Georgia Library Quarterly.  47(1), 4-5. Retrieved from http://gla.georgialibraries.org/glq.htm 


Richardson, W. (2009). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Ta-Jing!

Ever get tired of explaining the same thing over and over again? Maybe screencasting can help!

When I started exploring screencasting, I wasn't quite sure how useful it was.  I look back to my first time with Jing and realize that I wasn't utilizing its full potential.  I wasn't utilizing my full potential either!  I simply took a snapshot of something I was viewing online, but it wasn't that much different from or better than providing a link.  Then, I started reading more about screencasting and looking at some examples.  I've discovered that screencasting is much more useful when it's used to as a "how to" tool. 

Koval (2009) asks us to, "...just think about everything you’re constantly re-teaching students and staff to do" (p. 35).  For me, I am thinking ahead.  I recently created a livebinder called Mesopotamia for a grade 7 class.  In my livebinder, I added a link to Museum Box.  Museum Box is new to me, new to the classroom teacher, and, most likely, new to the students.  Students must create a login name and password before they can save their work.  In addition, their accounts must be registered with their school.  In order to make sure everyone "is on the same page," I created a screencast to walk them through the registration process.  I've added these instructions as a sub-tab to the main tab, Museum Box, in my livebinder.  You can view my very first video screencast by going the sub-tab in my livebinder.

Mesopotamia

I'm satisfied with my first video screencast.  I don't think it will eliminate all of the questions, but, at least, if I'm not available to provide an explanation, students have the option of watching the screencast.  They just have to find it first!

I can't say that my first video screencasting attempt was quick.  I lost count of how many "takes" it took after the first hour.  The problem, for me, was that if I made a mistake, I couldn't edit.  I simply had to start all over again.  I suppose I could have downloaded the 30-day free trial of Camstasia, but I didn't.  I thought I should be able to get through a 3-minute video fairly painlessly and that downloading another appliction and learning that application would cause me more pain.  But, I'm not sure that my theory worked.  If I decide to screencast more often, I will definitely try out Camstasia's 30-day free trial.  In the end, my saving grace was the pause button.  It allowed me some transition time between each frame and I didn't feel rushed.

Now that I've finished my first video screencast, I see the value in screencasting from Richardson's (2009) point of view: "From a teaching standpoint, you could create screencasts as support materials when teaching complex skills on the computer" (p. 122).  By doing this, one could lessen the broken record syndrom that Koval (2009) refers to.  Thank you, Jing!

References

Koval, A. (2009). the 2.0 tech i can't live without. Knowledge Quest, 37(4), 34-35. doi: 1709435561

Richardson, W. (2009). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Adventure & fun with geocaching!

In my quest to find some information on pathfinders, I came across an article that introduced me to geocaching, "...a high-tech treasure hunt game that is played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS (Global Positioning Systems) devices (Marcoux, 2008, p. 79).  Sound interesting? Watch the video below.

Although the site boasts to have over a million caches hidden around the world, I was surprised to learn that there are, in fact, quite a few caches in my area.  And, while I was surfing geocaching, I remembered that I have a retired, but extremely energetic, neighbour who loves this GPS-style treasure hunt!  I may have to tag along with him sometime. 

I can see myself taking on this adventure with my husband, friends, or colleagues.  It could be a great team-building exercise!  But, I'm wondering how this might be used with students in the context of the school library.  Marcoux (2008) suggests, "The steps for starting geocaching are simple and easily attained and can be adjusted to the school library world, incorporating the traditional pathfinder component to research with a new twist (p. 79). It sounds great, but I think trying out the fun is the first step!

References

Marcoux, E. (2008). School library tech ideas. Teacher Librarian. 36(2), 79. Retrieved from http://www.teacherlibrarian.com/

Podcasting: have I come full circle?

Three years ago, I got my first (and only) iPod.  On Christmas Day, my brother-in-law helped me set it up.  He also helped me pick out some music.  I was so excited!  My new tunes were going to be my ticket to the treadmill.  Everything was coming together.  Until...he left.  I kept those songs on my  iPod for quite some time before I thought about reloading my iPod with new ones.  But, by that time, I had gotten a new computer and had no idea where iTunes had gone!  Of course, I was too busy, always too busy, to figure it out.  And, so, my little iPod sat, dusty, for three long years.

Then, I took EDES 501 (Exploration of Web 2.0 for Teaching and Learning) through the University of Alberta and was forced to explore technology!  Yay!  I got to reconnect with my iPod!  I even got back on the treadmill...once.  Even better, though, I got out for a few good walks with my iPod and my dog, Kelso.

The first time I picked up my dusty little iPod, I really had to start all over again.  Luckily, getting started wasn't that hard.  I had a great resource, Will Richardson's book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms.  His explanations and step-by-step guide (pp. 109-122) were clear, concise, and invaluable. His book gave me the confidence to explore podcasting. I highly recommend his book for anyone interested in these web 2.0 tools for personal and/or professional development.

I think part of the reason I wanted to get an iPod in the first place was to listen to and produce podcasts.  In the first course I took through the University of Alberta, EDES 545 (Information Technologies for Learning), I explored blogs, wikis and podcasts.  It's hard to believe that that was four years ago!  Even harder to believe is how hard I had to look to find the webpage and blog I produced during that course.  I tried googling myself, but that didn't work.  I really had to dig.  This is where I was at then: E.T. Library Connections.  I feel like I might be coming around full circle.  At that time, I was just learning what podcasting was; now, I'm trying to think of meaningful ways podcasting can enrich my students and I. 

What I'm really excited about at this point is all of the free podcasting subscriptions I've subscribed to so far.  On my first try, I subscribed to six podcasting sites.  Then, I eagerly walked my dog, Kelso, while I explored this new technology.  I love the fact that I can learn, but that I don't have to be stationary to do it.  My first impression was "just okay."  It wasn't that I didn't enjoy the media; I just wasn't that interested in the topics that week.  What I realized, though, was how much I enjoyed listening to someone's voice. It was a nice change to all the online text I had been reading.

Today, I've subscribed to five more promising podcasts.  I'm hoping that a few of them get me hooked.  And, if they do, I'll let you know which ones they are.  My goal is to strengthen my personal learning network, but I will throw in a few personal ones just for fun!

Over the next few weeks, I will be thinking about how I can incorporate podcasting into my role as a teacher-librarian and/or as an English Language teacher.  In his book, Richardson (2009) recommends the blog, Madrid Young Learners Podcasts, as an example of how English language teachers can use podcasting to teach English language learners (p. 115).  Although it doen't look like this blog has been updated for a few years, I think the postings from previous years will still give me a good starting point for creating my own podcasts.  More on that later.

References

Richardson, W. (2009). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Over 4,000,000 users!

It looks like 4,000,000 people knew about this before me, but my new find for this week is Edmodo.  It’s a micro-blogging site with extra features like being able to send alerts, events, and assignments to students. It looks like it would be a useful communication tool between classroom teachers and/or teacher-librarians and their students. I came across this interesting tool via the LM_NET listserv. In her post, Lemon (2011) recommends Edmodo for K-7. 

One of the other tools listed, Museum Box, is something I discovered a few weeks ago. I’m looking forward to using it with the grade 7 students on an upcoming social studies project although Lemon (2011) recommends it for grades 8-12.

References

Lemon, B. (2011, November 3). Best2.0 tool for each department. [Msg 6]. Archived at http://lmnet-archive.iis.syr.edu

Derailed by Animoto...or was I?

I think I'm getting a little too comfortable with technology.  I'm starting to play with it before I read the instructions.  Is that confidence or stupidity?  In this case, it was stupidity!  As long as I learn from my own mistakes...I guess!
.
My first experience with Animoto was disappointing.  I wanted to use Animoto to create a video slideshow of my husband's grandfather who is turning 100 on November 22nd, 2011.  It's a pretty big deal!  

We asked family members to send us photos of the birthday boy.  I had to scan in most of them  because they were taken way before digital cameras were around.  After scanning 60 - 70 pictures, I was ready to use Animoto to create a video slideshow.  It was as this point that I realized I was only able to create a 30 second video slideshow with the free version of Animoto.  And, I wasn't ready to upgrade.  I had never even tried the product! 

For the sake of trying it out, I uploaded 12 of our photos into Animoto (as recommended for a 30-second presentation).  However, after 9 photos, the presentation quit.  This is probably because I added text.  The transitions between pictures were quick - too quick - although I have now figured out how to slow them down.  It was sadly comical the way I tried to capture 100 years into a 30-second video slideshow - impossible!  Take a look...

After my disappointing start with Animoto, my husband and I quickly brainstormed alternative software I could use to produce this video slideshow.  Within minutes, we had a better slideshow started using iPhoto.  iPhoto was new to me to, so I didn't realize that you can't upload videos into iPhoto.  With that in mind, we opened iMovie.  Again, I've never played around with iMovie.  In my opinion, iMovie is a bit trickier than iPhoto.  I think the video slideshow presentation is going to take a lot longer than I had originally anticipated.  But, it'll also be more customized than if I had used Animoto.

It wasn't until I was ready to post my reflections and disappointments with using Animoto that I went back to the source that originally inspired me to use Animoto.  This is when I realized that I should have consulted the source first!  In her instructions for getting started, Lisa Perez helpfully directs the educator to the Animoto for Education website.  Using this site, educators get unlimited video slideshow presentations!  Being able to create longer video slideshow presentations with Animoto for Education is a huge incentive to use this software.  It's easy to use; you can upload pictures, video, and music; and, Animoto takes care of the rest!  Students and teachers will love it!

My advice: do your research and read the fine print.  On Animoto's homepage, it's easy to see why I missed the option for educators.  Below is a screencast of their fine print at the bottom of their webpage:

Now that I've used Animoto for my own purposes, I would like to make Animoto available for teachers and students to use.  I will see if I can get a link to Animoto on the library's homepage.  As well, I will be thinking about the ways in which I can use Animoto to promote the school library.  Perhaps, I can make a book trailer, as Lisa Perez suggested in her article.  To find Lisa's article, use the bibliographic information below.

Perez, L. (2010). Animate your students with animoto! School Librarian's Workshop, 31(2), 12. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Livebinder It!

I just created my first Livebinder for a grade 7 social studies unit on Mesopotamia. It's the first resource link on my school library's homepage.  I hope to add more resources throughout the year!

Using Livebinder was relatively easy.  I like that my resources for one unit are together, look organized, and are visually appealing. My only wish is that I could add some of my own text to guide students. I suppose I could create a PDF file and upload it if I really wanted to.  Now, I'm just waiting to see how the classroom teacher(s) uses it and how the students respond to it.  I'm hoping for some good feedback!

On a side note, I sent out my first tweet with a link to this binder and saw a 550% increase in the number of people following me on Twitter.  It's not as astronomical as it sounds.  I didn't have a big following to begin with, but still...

Mesopotamia