Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Integration of Technology

It is hard to believe that more than a month has passed and I have not written about my newfound experiences with technology and the various integrations and new web 2.0 tools.

Monday, March 17, 2008

An Awesome learning experience

The creation of this blog and so forth have been an awesome learning experience. I try to stay on top but there is so much that I learned and so many ways I will be able to use what I learned.

My favorite discoveries on this learning journey were finding LibraryThing and using it, learning about tagging and Del.icio.us (social bookmarking site), On-Line Image Generator, including FD Toys, Comic Strip Generator, Custom Signs Generator, Image Chef, and Generator Blog and especially creating my own blog and wiki that I plan to continue. I plan to continue learning and using what I had the opportunity to find and explore.
Web 2.0 has affected my lifelong learning goals in a very positive way, I have become more aware of what is available to teach with and use in the classroom.
An unexpected outcome of this program would be the fact that I blog, journaling was not something I enjoyed doing before and I was not open to allowing others to know what I was thinking or read what I was learning. I have found the reflection is wonderful. The Web 2.0 was awesome and a wonderful learning experience.

eBooks and Audio eBooks

The Gutenberg Project available at World EBook Fair' site is really quit unbelievable. I was able to download Grimm's Fairy Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm and then explored the site - It was very interesting and offered a lot of reading for free and or for a minimal price. Poe, Edgar Allan (436) is something I think our English department would be very interested in. Possibly the use of Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome for our 6th and 7th grades, or A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (1735) for our 8th grade. It seems that there would be so much information available for our reading classes. This is really interesting. eBooks and Audio eBooks

Podcasts

A podcast I made is Flotsam Audio Booktalk
Podcasts

YouTube

An excellent U Tube can be found at Download The Connected Classroom WMV versionDownload Connected Classroom MOV version
Another great You Tube can be found of Steve Dembo from the PETE and C conference. Also Will Richardson. You tube allows you to join, upload, share, view and rate video's. Some are fantastic. This was great Web 2.0 .
YouTube and a few sites

Library Thing

I went to LibraryThing and created an account. Books in my library can be found at: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/cybrariancyndi . These are books published in 2007 that I will be using for a Children's Literature class I am teaching. This is fantastic. When I put the books published in 2008 I will use the 2008 tag and I am thinking that I will be able to search for those books published in 2008 in my library. In a before school session with teachers to promote books and reading I have started another Library Thing of just the books in their library that I will be talking about at http://www.librarything.com/catalog/cwelsh

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Online Applications & Tools

Zoho Writer and Google Docs (Formerly known as Writely) must be pretty much the same. I have heard positive praise about Google Docs but have not heard of Zoho Writer until now. There is so much here that can be profitable to use in the classroom.

First I made a free account in Zoho Writer .

Friday, February 29, 2008

Wikis

Wiki’s began as a wikiwiki in 1994 / 1995 by Ward Cunninghan --called it a wikiwikiweb for programmers. Wiki means quick or fast (Hawaiian) and is a collaborative on-line website / Internet tool, a simple on-line database, a content management system, a website that allows the users to visit, read, reorganize, brainstorm, add, edit, delete and update information and allows users to work collaboratively to create a website with no knowledge to html. Lists are made of changes including the time of changes and who changed. Wiki’s can have:
Course information
Course discussion
Subject Guides
Book Discussions
Reader Reviews
Collaboration
Knowledge Sharing
Creating Stories
Conferences
Professional Development
Technology Professional Development
Creative Writing about things learned in class / library
Links to relevant Web sites
Key events of the class
Comments and exchanges of writing --For the students and ESL learner jokes, riddles, questions Teachers can query then students post written responses allowing the students to read and respond to other student’s ideas evolving more into a discussion instead of teacher directed.
The best know wiki is Wikipedia. A wiki that I am working on is a literature wiki (mostly specific to recently published children's literature K-8 located at https://literarygreats2008.wikispaces.com/ at this point it is open to anyone, later I will probably be restricting it.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Top Tools for learning

What are the Top 100 Tools for learning? The Top 20? Here is a great download that will come in handy to learn more about these tools and play for awhile. I must check with Discovery Learning. They had taken a poll and I do not remember what the top 10 were.

I liked how the top ten most frequently mentioned on 2008 lists by other teachers, instructional designers and online learning specialists (many I am familiar with and have used) are listed here from the InfoBytes NewsletterJanuary 16, 2008Editor: Karen Franker. -- Sometimes it pays to go back through old emails and clean out my box.
Skype – host IM chat, conference and international calls
Del.icio.us - store, tag and share bookmarks online, valuable resource for finding others’ favorite sites
GoogleDocs - write documents to share, store, present and access from anywhere via the web (no more emailing drafts); import docs from MS Office and Open Office
Google Reader - aggregate and read all your news and blog feeds in this free web-based reader
Audacity - record podcasts and edit audio files
Google Search – research topics with this highly-regarded and powerful Web searching tool
Camtasia - record your computer screen to create training videos or screencasts
Articulate – create tutorials and quizzes with three tools – Presenter converts PowerPoints to Flash tutorials with narration, Engage adds interactivity, and Quizmaker creates Flash-based tests and surveys
Captivate - create flash cards and interactive simulations for self-paced online learning
SnagIt - capture, edit and print screen images and make a video of on-screen actions

It is also nice to have them listed here for me so that I can go back through the website address and check out more later.

Friday, February 22, 2008

International Edubloggers Directory

International Edubloggers Directory
is a directory of edubloggers from around the world, where I can check into and learn from what they (other edubloggers) are blogging about.
Cindy Welsh, USA, K-8, Adult,
LibraryTeacher/ Library Media Specialist
Cybrarian Cyndi's BlogMy musings about Web 2.o tools, Libraries, and Technology.
Theme: web 2.o tools, libraries, technology, gifted support teacher, adult education teacher
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Also check out EduBloggerWorld. I am member #582. Check out the Frappr Map at: http://edubloggerworld.wikispaces.com/Our+Frappr+Map

I am also a member of Keystones Who's Who (Keystone Technology Integrator 2007)

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Web 2.0.

Web 2.0
The image to the right, came from Wikipedia
-- September 30, 2005, Tim O'Reilly wrote a piece summarizing his view of Web 2.0. The mind-map (constructed by Markus Angermeier [1] on November 11, 2005) sums up some of the memes of Web 2.0, with example-sites and services attached.
This mind map is very similar to tag clouds.

Technorati

Technorati Profile

Explore Technorati and learn how tags work with blog posts

How big is the blogosphere? Technorati is currently tracking 112.8 million blogs and over 250 million pieces of tagged social media....according to Technorati data, there are over 175,000 new blogs (that’s just blogs) every day. Bloggers update their blogs regularly to the tune of over 1.6 million posts per day, or over 18 updates a second.

First --- a keyword search for "Cybrariancyndi" and I came up with one result Week 2 - Thing 3 Blog and Avatar . It was 21 days ago Tagged: Cybrarian Cyndi's first blog posting Has a screen shot and rating ..................Cybrarian Cyndi's Blog........http://cybrariancyndisblog.blogspot.com/
Rank: 8,911,336

Now on to “School Library Learning 2.0” in 1,817 results 32 posts, 20 blogs, 42 photo's in tags. I then explored popular blog, searches and tags.

OK I've tagged posts with Technorati tags -- become part of Technorati tag searches. Then to claiming my blog and created a watchlist. Also checked into how to favorite blogs where I chose my favorite blogs so the latest posts will always be listed.
REMEMBER: HTML code - make sure in Blogger's Edit HTML window.
Checked out Technorati Tour – Technorati Discover & Popular features

******************Curriculum Connections -- use Technorati to locate blogs and other sites relating to election when we (Collaborated lessons with 8th and 7th grade Social Studies classes) work with research and the unit on the election.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Tagging and Del.icio.us (social bookmarking site)

Tagging / Tags - A bookmark, Unstructured - following no guidelines, user creates/ chooses the keywords to associate with their online content, -- very different than the library's structured rules and formal catorgories.

Even though I don't think I ever really noticed it before, lately, it seems that I see tagging everywhere (Flickr, Technorati, LibraryThing, del.icio.us (to bookmark pages and add tags - social bookmarking allows me to also see what others have tagged and get other places to find information this is a little strange getting into other people's information - it almost feels like I should not look). At the PETE&C sessions Tagging was a big word in the Web 2.0 sessions where I even learned about tag clouds - how interesting!) I have the freedom to associate my own words and I fell a little apprehensive.

In a del.icio.us search for web 2.0 I found : Related tags: web2.0 web webdesign ajax design tools internet blog business technology For PETE&C I found Related tags: web2.0 education technology tools web wiki resources video conference conferences . I can learn from sessions at the conference that I was unable to attend. This will be almost as wonderful as the Virtual Conference provided by DEN. Wouldn't it be neat if all conferences were virtual? I could watch and listen to all sessions that I wanted to see. The cost would be so much cheaper, no overnights, no driving in the snow and ice, no problems finding a spot to park, no problems finding a room because I booked late, No running to get to a session only to find it is completely full. Wow wouldn't it be nice? I think if I remember right there were more than 2500 people at the PETE&C and at the banquet it was so packed.

Now we have Web 3.0: Is It About . How can that be I am just figuring out web 2.0 and I am behind again.

Back on track again, I have looked at and enjoyed del.icio.us and the Del.icio.us tutorial by Santa Cruz Public Library. Probably I should have started with this as it was very good, I then watched another excellent video and then went on to SJLibraryLearning2 to learn more - I subscribed to this using the RSS, created a Del.icio.us account and a network badge. I checked into Us.ef.ul: A beginners guide to Del.icio.us . Del.icio.us has potential for research assistance in addition to being an easy way to create bookmarks with the advantage that the bookmarks can be accessed from anywhere and any computer. Cloud tags look neat but not sure how to get it into this blog.

More Rollyo

I am back with a Rollyo account and I am to be able to create my search tool for on-line resources - My School_Library 2.0
I found and looked at these created search rolls:Public Domain e-Books SearchRare Book Library SearchFree PhotosQuick Quotes, Reference, WIReD.I can now see a potential use for tools like this I was trying to gather different blogs and posting of what was available about PETE&C and have them on my blog, but what better than to put those sites into a Rollyo. I addded a blogroll to my site earlier: using the "Create a Searchbox" tool. Select...Reference. Search The Web

PETE&C Notes

There are so many wonderful bloggers to learn from and wiki sites that for me to tell about the PETE&C would be pale in comparison. One great place to go to find out more about the sessions is Reporting Back , Eduwikius, NitscheNotes, The Connected Classroom where Kristen has Steve Dembo's keynote session recorded, and also Slideshow.

Bloggers To Learn From

I really like David Warlick's site 2¢ Worth and as usual it is excellent, A path to becoming a Literate Educator and the steps, including a list of Bloggers To Learn From. Along these same lines - Books To Learn From. The three things that have helped me the most are Discovery Educators Network, PETE&C and this Web 2.0 course.

Monday, February 11, 2008

DEN Pre-Conference at PETE&C

What a fantastic pre-conference.  It was very difficult to choose the sessions because they were all so good.  Digital Storytelling with Web 2.0, and Do You Have The Audacity to Podcast? both by Jennifer Dorman were fantastic.   The Whole World in Kid's Hands Google Earth Tours by Julia Tebbets and 50 Ways to USe DE streaming by Matt Monjan were both excellent.  Todays sessions at PETE&C look wonderful.  I am also looking forward to the Poster Sessions at 12:30 today.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Rollyo

Rollyo sounded very interesting to start with and then seems to be just what I was looking for - I was becoming overwhelmed with information and not doing a great job of organizing those on-line resources and information. Actually I am looking at this blog as a great way to document what I am doing so that I can go back and find some of the interesting sites and explore some more. I am really enjoying the blogging and learning. They teased me as they were leaving to go cross country skiing and I sat in here having MORE fun than they are... I am warm and learning and enjoying every second. They are cold and snowy and enjoying every second. To each their own.....I still need to do laundry so I can pack so I can leave tomorrow at about 5:00 for the PETE&C. I can't wait. I am thinking I have information overload now, what will I be like when I come back Tuesday night? Take a break.. do some laundry, find a suitcase, make a list, get a map and a blanket etc to take along, and pray that the snow eases up so the drive is not bad tomorrow. I have spent all morning even forgetting to eat working on this!! It is 2:08 I have to get ready to go. More to come after I get packed.

Web 2.0 award-winning applications and Ning

Web 2.0 Award Winners can be found at found at Seomoz .
This site is better to find Web 2.0 applications I ended up overwhelmed when I went on a quest to see how many Web 2.0 tools are available. Maybe not but I still got sidetracked and have to pull myself back to after looking to see how much a flat would cost in London using housingmaps (when my daughter was looking for a flat she used something like this) a 2 bedroom garden flat £510 per week. Bills not included. ($1,020.00 a week plus bills?)

Now back to work using the search word books I found Library Thing which I enjoyed earlier. When I have time I would like to add books. Under blog I found BlogLines and Technorati which I was a little familiar with thanks to this course. There are many ways these could be used in the classroom setting. It seems I need to play for awhile and then I am better able ot think of how I would use this.

I am a little familiar with nings --the PSLA ning from an email this past summer from Joyce Valenza. I didn’t join until just now but it looks like a great way to stay up to date and I knew others on the ning. My page.

I checked out the following -- Library 2.0, ALA Members, Teacher-Librarian, or Teachers2.0

TeacherLibrarian ning again from Joyce Valenza is a well know ning offering even more information. I joined this yesterday. It was neat I received Naveed Ahmad left a comment for CybrarianCyndi Feb 7 I tried using the TeacherLibrarianNetwork Badge to put on this blog but it cut a portion off. Maybe I will try again later.

Travel IQ was interesting and after playing some games I found I could look at blogs and pictures and so forth of other countries and even get airfare prices.

How many web tools are there available as of Saturday, February 09, 2008?

Could there be more than 2025? According to the site GO2Web2.0 , (established mid 2006) a directory of web 2.0 applications and services they have 2025 logos. Go2Web2.0 displays these logo's and as a visitor all that needs to be done is click. Go2Web2.0 brings together Flash and AJAX technologies.

I tried out Phozi found under the heading of Photo's and it was interesting. I am not sure what happened on my first try, it looked good saved until I added it here. On the second try I saved my image in a smaller size before adding it and it worked. The more I learn the better I get at fixing my mistakes.

Under the heading of Photo Mosaics (used earlier) was found along with Slide (a great tool to use to make an interesting slideshow).
Wow is this any indication as to how fast web 2.0 tools are emerging?

Thursday, February 7, 2008

ImageChef

ImageChef.com - Custom comment codes for MySpace, Hi5, Friendster and more Happy 30th was created with ImageChef. Thursday after school we leave for the beach to celebrate our 30th anniversary.

On-Line Image Generator


warholizer Family
Originally uploaded by CybrarianCy

A week of playing with on-line image generators.

The title of this photo - Warholized Family

Some if the ideas to include an on-line image generator in the curriculum could be to make an interesting image and then use it to be a story starter. A little twist would be to use the star image on Hollywood Boulevard and have the name of the author who last visited and have the students write why that author should be included as our star (or hollywood boulevard star) or the name could be for a (character in the book being read or a famous person being studied in class). Comic strip generator a way to "write with pictures to link visuals and text" could be used to promote the students favorite book in a very condensed way -- like a book review. It could be used for the student to show what they learned about basically any subject, or in Language Arts to make cartoon directions as part of the writing curriculum. Books to read that relate to this are - "A whole New Mind", and "Reinventing Comics" I also really liked the idea to generate an image for a library blog, wiki, website, newsletter, or bulletin board. Some of the On-Line Image Generators used were FD Toys, Comic Strip Generator, Custom Signs Generator, Image Chef, and Generator Blog . Earlier in this blog I used some of these -- I was having way to much fun.

Pageflakes

I registered for Pageflakes and have started my own page. Bitty Browser is also on the page. It looks like this is something to better organize my information. Now I can get my bloglines in Bitty browser on PageFlakes. This is nice…. Oh what fun changing backgrounds and adding all types of educational, technology, and misc tools to Pageflakes.

Life comes at you fast - Addiction

Life comes at you fast and throws you all kinds of curve balls and areas of addiction (#2 and #1). I think I am addicted to blogging (pretty well explains the whole thing right here! – I will even take my computer to PETE&C to take notes and blog). I ask you Is there a cure? I got up last night to work on a blog for today. This came about quickly and unplanned, but I do need to get some other things done besides learning, searching, and blogging.

Bitty Browser

The next tool I want to spend some time with is Bitty Browser . It is described as a browser that would be put on my web page (or blog I think) that is a "Picture -in -Picture" for the web allowing interactivity. Information about this can be found at http://www.bitty.com/info/.

LibraryThing

LibraryThing is something that I took some time to learn and use this morning. I had heard about it before but never took the time. Let me tell you it is worth the time to look at and see where it fits your need.
LibraryThing, created by Tim Spalding (www.isidore-of-seville.com, www.ancientlibrary.com, www.bramblestory.com and mothboard.com), gathers information using the Z39.50 protocol to retrieve information from open access collections including the Library of Congress and world libraries. LibraryThing is an online tool for cataloging (members have cataloged over 23 million books! LibraryThing, allows me to get recommendations, blog my books, tag and explore other’s tags and easily create a book library and catalog books that I can then access from anywhere. LibraryThing has been described as “the world’s largest book club”, "MySpace for books" or "Facebook for books" with reading suggestions and book recommendations. It took but a few seconds to put in my list: A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age by Daniel H. Pink.
Information came from reading taking the tour and using LibraryThing and this website http://www.librarything.com/. This is definately well worth the time!

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

RSS Feeds, setting up a Blog reader account, Locating blogs of interest

RSS (Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication – a file format that delivers updated information through the Internet) feeds are changing the way information is consumed and shared. Blogs write in a code or feed called XML similar to HTML.

I went to Bloglines.com (I can access it from an Internet connection anywhere), set up my account. It was very easy subscribing to the sites. Actually I got a little carried away with 35 sites and then went back earlier tonight and cut a few out. I put my blogroll on my blog. This was a very interesting week and one that I feel will become more and more important. It will be so much easier to keep abreast of new information in technologies and library with the RSS feeds coming directly to me and I do not have to go searching. There are probably blogs I will eliminate and other blogs I will add as time goes by.

Google search or del.icio.us search

I had read in Will Richardson's site in his reference to Brian Smith’s point -- when he looks for information he tends to do a del.icio.us search rather than a google search. I thought I would do a little experiment.

So my experiment use 1) Google search …. I did yesterday and came up with some ideas for Silk Road 2) today I would try a different and possibly better way to search – do a del.icio.us search (social bookmarking) which I had never used before. This is fantastic what I came up with for “The Silk Road” and the quality of the first page findings was better related. It was interesting and different.. Must check into more it looks like great possibilities for me to use.

I heard Will Richardson speak at last years PETE&C and he was fantastic. I also have his book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms and since starting this course the book makes so much more sense. At his website you can see his resources on (my stuff) in Pageflakes and also links to school bloggers.


Using Mashups to Teach IT Concepts at Bentley College

Interestingly I found this article about “Using Mashups to Teach IT Concepts at Bentley College” about first year college students using a Microsoft application to create mashups so they experience and better understand “business in a Web 2.0 world”. It was very easy to register and then I was off to create a mashup through a tutorial in 5 easy steps. Additionally there are mashups that have been created you can use. Think of all the creative mashups that will be available. I created a Books Photosphere . Really different, possibly students could create in this to demonstrate a book report or country report. Let it load and then use your curser to allow the books to rise up and float through the photosphere. Wow!!!! So many toys to play with, so little time!

Trent Batson, "Using Mashups to Teach IT Concepts at Bentley College ," Campus Technology, 2/6/2008, http://www.campustechnology.com/article.aspx?aid=58029

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Children’s Book Search Tool: Teacher Book Wizard

A new Children’s Book Search Tool: Teacher Book Wizard has just been launched by Scholastic. I played a little with it and it looks like it will be a beneficial tool for searches and levels of books along with creating book lists and lesson plans, discussion guides book talks and student activities. Another great place to go on the Librarian page is:
Using Technology
9 Technology Tricks Every Librarian Must Know

Framer

Both images were made using Framer: Add a customized frame to your digital photographs

FramerEagle
Originally uploaded by luvkayak

There are a variety of other ways to frame the pictures.

Blogheader

A blog header. This is one created from our book fair

My creation
Originally uploaded by luvkayak
but it is too bold in colors to include.
Blog Header Generator: Spiff up your blog with a custom header I will use a picture of the library with mostly light colors.

Trading Card Maker


Cybrarian
Originally uploaded by luvkayak
This trading card was made using Trading Card Maker . I plan to use this with the 4th grade students to create trading cards for the PA. Animals research they are doing. They can use photos to quickly create the trading card about their animal.

Jigsaw. Flickr

Taking the same photo using Jigsaw this is great!

My creation
Originally uploaded by luvkayak
This is so easy that students could accomplish their task using pictures in Flickr or ones we uploaded for them to find and use to create a jigsaw puzzle of their animal.

Flickr


My creation
Originally uploaded by luvkayak

There are so many things that could be done with Flickr mashups and this one creating Motivational Posters. I have wanted to take pictures of student reading their favorite book -- and possibly add a motivational saying underneath or Read similar to the READ posters. This would be great.
I loved the idea of the Badge Maker: Create an ID badge using your digital photographs.
The Pocket Photo Album looks like a whole lot of fun. This would work well with the travel brochure idea and the Trip Planner. 7th graders are making a brochure of places they could see today and also back then on the Silk Road which could possibly turn into using Pocket Photo Album or Trip Planner .
There are so many different things to try out. I am definitely having too much fun!!!!!!

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Flickr and warholizer


My creation
Originally uploaded by CybrarianCy
Another great way to use Flickr and Warholizer. The picture is a three year old going down the boardwalk to the beach in December.

Trading Card Maker and Flickr


My creation
Originally uploaded by CybrarianCy

There are so many Flickr toys (this was made using Trading Card Maker) and things to do once pictures are uploaded to Flickr. This has many application in the use at school. I think Elementary and Middle School students would really enjoy working with this and it was so simple to create a great looking trading card.

This would be wonderful for our Pa. animal research or 3rd grade Habitat unit. They could create their cards from their research. Another great way to advertise the Award winners.

I had to play around a little and it was interesting how the background color changes the look of the trading card. This would take so little time to show and create a nice product the students would like. The pictures could be already posted for the animals that the students are studying if time needed to be saved.

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Mosaickr and Flickr



mosaickr The photo is of my library using mosaickr hundreds of pictures of books create a mosaic. So interesting and fun.

DEN Virtual Conference - Technology

What a fantastic way to spend a Saturday – at a National Conference (First DEN Virtual Conference) with the focus of Web 2.o in my sweatpants and sweatshirt sitting on a comfortable chair with a front row seat with over 1,000 other educators from at least 4 countries.
This virtual conference with nationally know speakers had sessions that will be archived. Sessions were: Lost in Translation (Lance Rougeux)Revenge of the Digital Immigrants (Hall Davidson)Building a Bigger Builder (Matt Monjan)The Bionic Lesson (Mike Bryant)50 Ways to Spin a Digital Story (Steve Dembo)DEN in Second Life (Lori Abrahams)

Keynote: “Lost in Translation” presented by Lance Rougeux -- Lance Rougeux stressed that our students are bilingual they students speak a different 2nd language a digital language and we are the ones who need to have the IEP . One great websit to make sense of the lingo students speak is transl8it . Great books to read ttyl or ttfn ot l8r, g8r are by Lauren Myracle
Other interesting things discussed were Moonk , voice threads , mosaickr

DiscoveryEducationScience for Elementary looks like a fantastic area for my students as science is going to be playing a bigger part than previously because of standards now.

Kathy Schrocks Guide for Educators has a nice section of Web 2.0

For on-line professional development DEN from Discovery Education or for DEN Blogs -----

A great book to read “A whole New Mind” by Dan Pink

Additional information later it is back to the conference now.
Other sessions included
Keynote: Revenge of the Digital Immigrants
Breakout with Steve Dembo - 50 Ways to Spin a Digital Story derived from 50 Web 2.0 Ways to Tell a Story
Breakout / Building a Bigger Builder

Steve Dembo's - 50 Ways to Spin a Digital Story was fantastic -- I am looking forward to going to the PETE&C and all the technology information I will learn on Sunday from DEN and then for Tuesday’s Opening Keynote: Steve Dembo (Online Community Manager, Discovery Educator Network) Learning to Speak Native: How education can be transformed in 140 characters or less. The hardest part for me will be choosing which sessions to go to as I want to be at more than one at a time.

Using Flickr

Uploaded by palindrome6996 on 1 Feb 08, 4.30PM PST.

I am planning a trip to London this summer to see my daughter so I wanted to find some sights that others have found interesting enough to take a picture. In searching for a photo of London, England I had 530,378 pictures to choose from. I narrowed it down to Big Ben, London, England and still had 10,043 pictures to choose from. I was then able to narrow it down by the most recent pictures, this was taken September 16, and uploaded February 1, 2008. . I found it very interesting how many tags were included with this picture, including London, big, Ben, clock, bell, England, hands, 11:45, 11:45AM. It also said some rights reserved which basically told to include the photographer name.

Friday, February 1, 2008

Flickr

In my time with Flickr I have had many interruptions and in a few short days I forgot the passwords that I made on Monday and had to make more today. Pictures of my library can be found at Flickr . In my exploration of Flickr I was surprised to see so many beautiful pictures of the places we go in the Adirondacks and also Potsdam, NY where we were planning to go after school today until the storm hit.

7 1/2 Habits

7 ½ Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners

Habit 1: Begin with the end in mind – Determine the goal and learn what is needed to accomplish it and the length of time it will take. To me the most important make a roadmap to accomplish the goal.
Habit 2: Accept responsibility for your own learning – Value learning, begin different courses and take an active role. Learn from others.
Habit 3: View problems as challenges – View the obstacle as a learning opportunity, a challenge to learn from and provide the motivation to learn. We can not always be on top of the mountain sometimes the most learned is getting to the top. I’ve found depending upon the degree of the problem sometimes it takes real determination to get back up.
Habit 4: Have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner – To me it is important to think positively and not to say things unless it is the way I want them to be, choice of words and thoughts are very important to success.
Habit 5: Create your own learning toolbox – Putting together a toolbox of books, classes taken, notes, others who know more and can mentor and various technology are all helpful along the way.
Habit 6: Use technology to your advantage – Technology can always be an advantage in learning ex. the ipod to download information and music, and Skype is so wonderful for communication and especially to talk with my daughter in London and GoogleEarth to see what her neighborhood looks like. We can talk and see each other as often as we want. I use it to talk to my other daughter and grandson who live in PA also.
Habit 7: Teach/mentor others – I enjoy this the most as I integrate the technology and help other teachers I learn more and share the enjoyment of technology and many ways to integrate it into the curriculum. I enjoy teaching Community and Continuing Education classes.
Habit 7 ½: Play – The hardest and the one I appreciate the most. I try to practice this and have to remind myself to play because I tend to be a perfectionist and get involved and do not take the time to play. Lately I have learned to realize how important Habit 7 ½ is. Taking a technology course can be considered PLAY right? How about 2 on-line technology classes? Play becomes easier when the weather is beautiful and the kayak is calling my name.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

PA Online Web 2.0

PA Online Web 2.0 which was borrowed from the CSLA (California School Library Association) School Library Learning 2.0 and Classroom Learning 2.0 .

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Blog

Hello and Welcome to this new blog from Cybrarian Cyndi. I am excited about and looking forward to learning to use Web 2.0 tools like my Middle School students are so comfortable using.