Thing #23: Summarize Your Thoughts about This Program

1. My favorite discoveries/exercises:
*Just to mention a few of my favorites I must include Flickr, the online image generator, and Big Huge Labs. These are all fun sites that one can easily sit down and create something in a short amount of time. I know not everything can be completed so quickly in life, but it seems that in our professional lives, we are often more apt to include those new applications that can be mastered relatively quickly.
2. How has the program assisted or affected my lifelong learning?
*One of the best lessons or reminders while working through this program was the constant reminder that we must remain lifelong learners. Several times I thought I was on the right track and then had to make myself stop, back up, and regroup to accomplish my tasks. I have had the opportunity to work on computers for the better part of my educational career, but I do not consider myself an adventurous computer user. I pretty much keep myself in safe territory and don't go out on too many technology limbs. Working through this program forced me out of my comfort zone and proved that it's good to try something new-- and valuable because you learn along the way too!
3. Take-aways or unexpected outcomes from the program?
*Flickr will definitely be a site that I will use more frequently when I need pics. I like the aspect of using actual photographs as opposed to 'clip art' for presentations for my students. I often make vocabulary powerpoints and like to not only display the word, its meaning, but also an image. I think the kids enjoy real photos more than clip art. Sometimes the clip art generates a chuckle, but I think the actual photos are more meaningful.
4. Improvements to the program's format or concept?
*I can't think of any improvements to the program that would be necessary.
I can think of ways that I could have improved my approach, staying on track and completing a few Things per week, as opposed to craming one-third of the program into the final week, but that's just me!
5. If another discovery program was offered, would you choose to participate?
*Absolutely! How likely is this to happen?
Additionally, will we still have access to the Library2Play site as needed? I can imagine that there will be times that I will need to look back at particular 'things' for a refresher.
6. One word description of the learning experience:
*perseverance
7. I will now go forth and visit other blogs.

Thing #22: Nings

I can see great value in using Nings. I visited all of the listed Nings. I spent more time exploring Ning for Teachers AKA TeacherLingo. As a current classroom teacher I liked the new resource for lesson plans and ideas. It is always nice to learn from another person's prespective and this Ning allows you insight to other ways of teaching the same concept. The concept of building a community of folks with similiar interests is appealing. It's nice to know you can communicate and learn from people in your own neighborhood or from an entirely different hemisphere than yourself.
I also checked out the Teacher Librarian Ning. I think this will be an invaluable resource to me in the near future. I am looking forward to spending more time with this Ning.

Thing #21: Podcast and Videocast

I enjoyed this Thing. Before today I had never created my own PhotoStory. I have seen products from others. For some reason I always thought it would be harder than it turned out to be.
I created a PhotoStory about Pearl Harbor. It has been four years since that trip, but it was a very moving vacation. I opted for silence over a music selection. I thought the silence would better lend itself to thoughtfulness while viewing. In hindsight I now think Taps would have been a fitting musical tribute as well.

Ok, I am SO aggravated right now. I easily created the PhotoStory, but now I'm having trouble adding it to my blog. I'm throwing in the towel for now. When I can see straight, I'll try it again.

After my up-teenth attempt, I know I should not give up, but for the time being, this 'Thing' has beat me! Maybe today is just not my "Thing 21" Day.

New day, tried it again, unsucessfully! Phew! My hat is off to those of you that easily made this appear on your Blog. Kudos to you all!

Thing #20, part 2: YouTube, TeacherTube and Zamzar

Beginning Monday I will be teaching my second graders how to subtract two digit numbers with regrouping. We taught 2-digit addition before the Thanksgiving holidays. Addition went surprisingly well, but most of us are pretty nervous about the subtraction piece. This is always a difficult concept for our students. I think this TeacherTube video will help. I am looking forward to seeing and hearing my students' reactions!



While we all realize showing a video must have merit, not simply a time-filler, the access to videos is very rewarding. I have found this to be very true time and time again in Science and Social Studies lessons while integrating Discovery Education (old timers-- United Streaming)video clips. I used to use the videos as an introduction, but now I use them more for reviews or extra support. I have found that the kids seem to enjoy them more when we can "review" the concepts. They enjoy feeling proud of their knowledge and seeing the information as a review as opposed to being exposed to new information. I have found this use to be more effective.

Disclaimer: I couldn't figure out how to post two videos in the same entry. It is after 1am and I'm tired, so I opted to create two posts for Thing #20.

Thing #20, part 1: YouTube, TeacherTube and Zamzar

I found the following video clip on YouTube. I think it does a nice job of explaining the role of a teacher-librarian. It seems so many folks believe the only job a librarian has is to shelve books. Sit back and enjoy this one!

Thing #19: Web 2.0 Awards List

OK, so my choice is not one that would be the first to apply to a library theme. I chose Urbanspoon.
http://www.urbanspoon.com/c/8/Houston-restaurants.html
This site is a cool way to search for a restaurant in your area or another area you choose. The restaurants may be grouped by top neighborhoods or top types of foods.
After a quick search I found my favorite Rice Village Thai restaurant and was happy to see that others agree. My family has frequented this restaurants for decades. It's delicious and very reasonably priced.
I could see a teacher and/or librarian tying this site in with a food study or possibly a social studies lesson about multiculturalism. It would be neat to poll the students for as many different types of foods as they could think of, have the students ask their parents, and then compare your results with that of the restaurants in your local neighborhood. How does each type of food compare with representation in actual polling and eateries in the area?
Additionally, after a tough day on the job, you could do a quick search for take out for dinner! Ha ha-- I think about food WAY TOO MUCH!!

Thing #18: Online productivity tools

I worked with Google docs. I had explored it previously, but it was nice to get back to it again. I have Christmas shopping, gift giving, etc... on my mind right now. I took a few minutes and created a quick spreadsheet to organize who and what gifts I already have purchased. This was an easy way to see what projects I still need to complete and what purchases still need to be made. Then I was able to make a quick action list for tomorrow!
I also revisited a family calendar that I had created some time ago, including all family members' birthdays and anniversaries. In the past I have printed this out for each 'family' group. This year I plan to email the link to all and go from there. I have dangled the idea at recent family functions. It seems most everyone still wants a paper version but maybe in time, we can convert to the Google docs calendar alone... Only time will tell!
http://www.google.com/calendar/render?tab=oc

The obvious advantages include ease of access to Google docs, providing that the user has Internet access. Additionally, the price is just right! I like the idea that multiple people may view, access, and adapt the docs as needed.
A disadvantage that comes to mind is Internet access. Sometimes we have computer access but the Internet connection may not be readily available.

Thing #17: Rollyo

WOW!!! I love the possibilities available with Rollyo. However, I was extremely FRUSTRATED by exactly how painstakingly slow the process was! I had to attempt and redo my efforts numerous times before I had a good connection and successful creation.
I can see that it will be such an asset in student research projects. Last year my second graders completed a desert research project. I was the old-fashioned teacher at the neighborhood public library pulling all available 'desert' books. This year, however, we will try out the Rollyo approach. I believe the students will think this is easier and definitely more fun!
http://rollyo.com/auntie_karin/jones_2/

Thing #16: Wikis

Prior to this semester, I knew Wikis existed, but I didn't know how easy they were to use, update, view, etc... I now have a better understanding of Wikis and can appreciate their value.
As a second grade teacher currently teaching in a low socio-economic area, I'm not sure how much participation I would have if I tried a Wiki with my students, but I can definitely see how it could apply if we used it during our computer lab block.
I have never initiated my own blog, but I am giving serious thought to trying one out in the coming months. I am thinking about setting it up as a book discussion arena for our class. I am thinking it would be a good motivator for those students who are sometimes reluctant readers. Taking the time to see what others (peers) enjoy reading may help spark an interest in reading.
Taking this one step further, I can imagine using a Wiki in the same manner as an elementary school teacher-librarian.

Thing #15: Web 2.0, Library 2.0 and the Future of Libraries

*Library 2.0 is an exciting adventure that I am happy to be a part of. To me, the whole notion of 2.0 supports that none of us ever stop learning. The 2.0 movement supports the idea of all aspects of our lives as continually evolving, including our motivation and drive to continue to learn and become better at our passions. For many of us, our passions include teaching-- young and old-- and the ability to stay on top of available resources through the Web 2.0 functions allow us to be on the top of our game.
Another key idea is one that is heard often in various classes at UHCL: "The library is not an archives." I have heard this basic idea from both Dr. Bishop and Dr. Claes on several occasions. It is important to keep this notion in mind along with the Library 2.0 movement. The library is not an archives, however, it is a living body of information, constantly evolving and adapting to the ever-changing needs of countless patrons.
*I enjoyed reading the various perspectives.
From "Away from the "icebergs" I liked the idea of a "just in case" collection as being an outdated system. However, if you poll ten people and ask what comes to mind when they think of a library, I would be willing to bet that the majority of responses would be directly related to print materials.
The "come to us" model of library service requires a shift in our thinking in the ways we serve our modern patrons.
Basically, I am interpretting Library 2.0 as a big paradigm shift that I am still personally working on completely digesting.
From "Into a new world of librarianship" I enjoyed the line: "Librarians 2.0 plans for their users: 'User-centered libraries breakdown barriers and allow users access wherever they are: home, work, commuting, school, or at the library."
I think the key here is that when most people think of the library as simply a place to visit, it now has many more applications that no longer require physical attendance within its walls, to take advantage of a library's many resources and functions in today's modern world.

Thing #14: Technorati and How Tags Work

*I had more success navigating Technorati today than ever before! Earlier in this semester I tried to use Technorati unsuccessfully. Today was a real turn-around! I can now through this experience see how valuable Technorati is. It will be a wonderful resource for me and my students as I search for information in my teacher-librarian role.
I came across a great resource from: The Blue Skunk Blog: "You no longer have a choice" Guest Post: Mary Mehsikomer
This post is a fantastic reminder that you can't always do what you've always done; we as educators must embrace the new technologically-based opportunities that are knocking on our web doors.
*The value of tags is invaluable! If one tags his/her information appropropriately the information can be retrieved and used by countless people around the globe!
*I was not looking forward to this 'Thing' simply because I had not been able to use Technorati successfully in the past, but I now am a believer in the value of this resource. Thank you for another eye opening experience that enabled me to learn even more.

Thing#13- Tagging and Discovering del.icio.us

I had never heard of del.icio.us or any similar bookmarking site before this assignment. This is a very cool tool that could be extremely beneficial to those that know about it.
I can imagine this being helpful during research. There is no longer an issue of trying to remember where it was you saw that fantastic resource. With the aid of a bookmarking site, you can save and recall your information from any computer. How cool is that!! The aspect of the easy access from any computer with an Internet connection is amazing.
I believe this idea of tagging could be very useful for both classroom teachers and school librarians. This is a great system to foster collaboration between school colleagues.

Thing#12- Creating Community Through Commenting

*I found the ProBlogger comments helpful. I liked the idea of inviting comments and asking questions that would in turn invite comments.
Additionally, from the Information Wants to be Free blog, I liked the concept of sharing as related to blogging.
I am not an active blogger nor actively commenting, but with my new knowledge, I intend to get more involved in the world of blogging.
**From time to time I have been peeking at others' blogs from our class, but today was the first time I actually commented on a couple. I can see how comments can validate one's work. I like this notion.
***Hands-down, my favorite genre to read is mystery. I thoroughly enjoy reading Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series and Fern Michaels' Sisterhood series, just to name a few. So, my blog search led me on a little searching about these two authors. I found blogs about a few of their recent books and shared my two cents. The two blogs I found for this purpose are:
Will Work For Books and The Mystery Gazette

Thing #11- Library Thing

What a great way to keep up with your personal library! I like the ease of this site. It was fantastic to be able to simply enter the ISBN and automatically your title was popping up in a sidebar screen. I think this service could prove to be very useful. I like to be organized and what better way to organize your books than this?!
I could see looking to this site and taking a look at titles that people with my similar reading interests have been browsing. Sometimes you might think about trying out a new author, but aren't sure if they fit your taste. This way you could read personal readers' reviews and see how their reviews match your common reading interests. It seemed like there was a 'group' for just about any topic of interest.
I like this Thing!

Thing #10- Online Image Generators

*This thing was a lot of fun! I participated in a summer inservice with Dr. Bishop and Ms. Branagh where they introduced us to the Big Huge Labs playground. I enjoyed being able to revisit. I know I can go to this site at any time, but sometimes our days get so busy we have to cut the fun and only stick to the meat and potatoes of our day.

*All of these online image generators could be used to help make informational or motivational signs in a classroom or a library. Sometimes a new image will help get the message across easier than 'peat and repeating the information.

I visited many of the sites.

*I created a happy face sign at http://www.happyfacegenerator.com/

* I created a seasonal comic strip pic at http://www.comicstripgenerator.com/

*I created a quick version of a Wordle using 'homework' terms. I realized that to create a great one you need a lot more text to contribute to the design. I typed a short paragraph, but you would actually need more to give the cool effect you see on the online examples. http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1171247/homework

*Finally I had some fun with the jigsaw puzzle maker at the Big Huge Labs site. I created two-- the first is of my Yahoo Avatar, but the resolution is rotten. The second jigsaw puzzle is an Easter picture of one of my nieces. The resolution is much better on this one.

*I enjoyed this experience! I can definitely see how these tools could be used in a classroom or a library.

Thing #9- Useful Library-Related Blogs & News Feeds

*The search tools I found the easiest to navigate were Google Blog Search and Topix.net. I enjoyed various searches to see what I could unearth.
*I can't say that the School Library Blogs on Suprglu was confusing. I couldn't get into this search tool, so I'm not sure if would have had any trouble with it or not. I thought the title was catchy, so I was disappointed that I couldn't access this one. I'll try it another time!
*I found several useful feeds on Topix.net. I particularly enjoyed finding local news links. A few of the unusual or interesting feeds that I came across were Wikitravel and Broadway Shows Guide.

Thing #8- RSS feeds and readers

*I like that my Google Reader has been tailored to meet my personal interests.
*I can see this applying to my school life as a way to keep updated on current issues in education and current events impacting my students' learning. My Google Reader has the same appeal in my personal life-- I have chosen RSS feeds that personally interest me. This is a quick way to browse many topics in a single browser setting.
*I could see this easily lending itself to a content-specific research project. What a cool way to sift through countless informational articles and sources without any paper cuts!

Thing #7- Cool Google Tools

I liked this "Thing" a lot. I explored all of the tools and even created a few items along the way. *For the last two years I have created a family calendar that I have printed and given to family members at Christmas for the following year, noting birthdays and anniversaries. I liked the Google Calendar application. I created a new version of this calendar, emailed it to an aunt for her to preview, and intend to forward to the rest of the family. I did not, however, create this as a public document.

*I set up a Google Alert for full moons. After 13 years in the classroom, I am a firm believer in the effects of full moons and barometric pressure changes on our little ones. I am curious how this Alert will work!

*Finally the last item I saved was a photo from the Dole Pineapple Farm in Oahu, Hawaii. This picture was found on Picasa Web Albums. The photo was uploaded by Carol.

This was a cool 'thing'!!

Thing #6- Mashups and 3rd party sites

This was a fun "Thing" to complete. I had experimented some over the summer with Big Huge Labs. What a great site to visit! I made a quick poster and trading card in no time. This would be fun to use with the kids too. I now realize I need to build the My Pictures file before doing too much more...or set up a Flickr account. Thanks for the fun!

Thing #5- Flickr

Gravity, uploaded by Richard Peters

I first discovered Flickr this summer at the Web 2.0 seminar. What a fun website! This evening I found countless wonderful images, but downloaded only two. One goes along with what my students are currently studying in Science (forces). The other shows a picture of the USS Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor. Visiting this memorial is one of my favorite and most somber vacation moments over the years.

USS Arizona, uploaded by pandk

Thing #4- registering blog

I thought I had correctly uploaded my Avatar to my Blog. When I viewed my Blog I could see the Avatar, but apparently no one else could. I have tried it again; I think I have it taken care of now...let's hope!

Thing #3-- Setting up a blog and creating an avatar

This was a slow process for me because I usually don't go outside of my comfort box with technology. I am very naive about exploring with current technology, but I DID IT!!

Thing #2- Life Long Learning

I am excited about beginning the 23 Things online training. I know I have much to learn!! I like to see where I'm going, so beginning with an end in mind is natural to me. I have more difficulty with viewing problems as challenges.