I already had an account with LibraryThing, and I love it. It's very useful and the fact that I can connect to it from anywhere is great. One disappointment is that they don't sync up with facebook and I have a "bookshelf" on my account there, so I'm kinda doubleing my efforts, but I'm okay with it.
I added an additonal five books to my account and it is very easy. I also added the LibrarThing Widget to my blog and that is way cool!! I the most popular books on there within the YA genra, so I had a bunch of reviews and there are lots of discussions and groups surrounding them.
I like LibraryThing and I actually heard the designer of the site speak at a conference. He was telling us how his wife and mother in law were librarians and the idea of creating LibraryThing came from them! How neat is that?
Friday, December 19, 2008
Week #8, Thing #18-Zoho/Google docs
I'm very familiar with zoho. I use zoho notebook a lot for my class and I show it in class. Some of my students who don't have power point at their home computers use Zoho notebook. I love how its set up and it's so easy to use.
As for google docs...I've used this a lot with my community college students. Many of them don't have microsoft word and they can easily use google docs for their assignments. We've also used it to colloaborate with other faculty memebers. Instead of sending emails back and forth...using google docs is so much easier.
I also posted my xmas with list on my blog...that was a first and it was very easy!!
As for google docs...I've used this a lot with my community college students. Many of them don't have microsoft word and they can easily use google docs for their assignments. We've also used it to colloaborate with other faculty memebers. Instead of sending emails back and forth...using google docs is so much easier.
I also posted my xmas with list on my blog...that was a first and it was very easy!!
Xmas list
Things I want for x-mas...
- Photography class
- Greek videos
- cheese grater
- candels
- picture frame(s)
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Week #7, Thing #17-Sandbox
I really like the CA curriculum page. It has a lot of great idea and I furled the page too. I would love to expose the students to more web 2.0 stuff, but it all takes time and I have learned to be patient.
As for how I would use a Wiki? Our part time English teacher/ Alumni persons and I are going to take our print "guide to good reading" and move it to a wiki. We have planes to add new/ favorite titles to the MS page and the US page based on the Marketing ideas that the library has. For example, during teen read week I asked the MS students for a list of books that they liked. We then found the book jackets for those books and created a display showcasing the books and/ or the book jacket. The students seemed to like this. Last year, at the end of the year I asked the senior class to send me a list of their all time favorite books that they read through school. I got a great response from them and again put up a display just for them. So are going to add this info into the wiki and have other students add to it over the summer and add reviews and so on. We have just started on this grand idea, but I think it will be a great way to get my students into cyberworld, so they are not so scared.
As for how I would use a Wiki? Our part time English teacher/ Alumni persons and I are going to take our print "guide to good reading" and move it to a wiki. We have planes to add new/ favorite titles to the MS page and the US page based on the Marketing ideas that the library has. For example, during teen read week I asked the MS students for a list of books that they liked. We then found the book jackets for those books and created a display showcasing the books and/ or the book jacket. The students seemed to like this. Last year, at the end of the year I asked the senior class to send me a list of their all time favorite books that they read through school. I got a great response from them and again put up a display just for them. So are going to add this info into the wiki and have other students add to it over the summer and add reviews and so on. We have just started on this grand idea, but I think it will be a great way to get my students into cyberworld, so they are not so scared.
Week #7, Thing #16-Wikis
Okay, so I love the idea of wikis. Collaboration, everyone can see others ideas, notes, ext, but my issue with them is that my students don't know what they are, nor how to use them. So, in comes the teachable moment. But the problem that I have with students is the critical thinking on their part. They want me to tell them what to write down, many of them are looking for the "I tell", "You regergitate" form of teaching. Having them shift gears is difficult, and at times I think they more frustrated and stop learning.
So that brings me to one of the wikis that we had to look at. The "Sample School Wiki" was amazing! I was blown away with the information that the kids had up there and their use of technology with the projects. I was blown away...did i say I was blown away? One of my many fears is that because we are in a smaller community, where you are likely to run into a person or two that you know at the store, my students lack that global thinking. Things are so familiar to them and a lot of them "think" they use technology, but only going to Youtube, and check their email, that I find It very difficult to get them outside that box and think on a larger scale. When I tried to use a Wiki in class, the response was, "why can't we just email you everything and you put it together?" The thing is, the kids are not lazy, they are scared of new things.
I went to a local public school in the area and I found those students to be very tech savy! So, what is the issue with my students? I haven't a clue!
Another wiki I likes was the teacherlibrian wiki. It seemed to have a lot of useful info, but some of the pages couldn't be found. Yet those pages that I did get to were very good and they had a lot of useful info. I fuled a few of them! :)
So that brings me to one of the wikis that we had to look at. The "Sample School Wiki" was amazing! I was blown away with the information that the kids had up there and their use of technology with the projects. I was blown away...did i say I was blown away? One of my many fears is that because we are in a smaller community, where you are likely to run into a person or two that you know at the store, my students lack that global thinking. Things are so familiar to them and a lot of them "think" they use technology, but only going to Youtube, and check their email, that I find It very difficult to get them outside that box and think on a larger scale. When I tried to use a Wiki in class, the response was, "why can't we just email you everything and you put it together?" The thing is, the kids are not lazy, they are scared of new things.
I went to a local public school in the area and I found those students to be very tech savy! So, what is the issue with my students? I haven't a clue!
Another wiki I likes was the teacherlibrian wiki. It seemed to have a lot of useful info, but some of the pages couldn't be found. Yet those pages that I did get to were very good and they had a lot of useful info. I fuled a few of them! :)
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Week #6, Thing 15- 2.0 perspectives
I read "Into a new world of librarianship" and I liked the format of the article. I also liked the quote, "...the library a social and emotionally engaging center for learning and experience.". That quote hit something inside. I love the library and it is an emotionally charged place. I like the idea that library 2.0 is the "strategy guide" for helping users. Web 2.0 allows us to bring content to our users in an easy way. We really can help them navigate and organize all the information that you can find in the library in one easy way.
Another thing that struck me about this article is the word, "Technolust". I think that a lot of people just purchase "cool toys" for themselves or the institution that are at just because it is cool and hot right now. That is not good! I have been in places that this happens and once you get the technology you can left with the feeling of, "now what should I do with it?" Sometimes lack of training and understanding the true usefullness of the product doesn't happen till later and I think that's a waste!
Another thing that struck me about this article is the word, "Technolust". I think that a lot of people just purchase "cool toys" for themselves or the institution that are at just because it is cool and hot right now. That is not good! I have been in places that this happens and once you get the technology you can left with the feeling of, "now what should I do with it?" Sometimes lack of training and understanding the true usefullness of the product doesn't happen till later and I think that's a waste!
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