Week 9, Thing # 23

Wow! I can't believe we're at the end of the line! This has been a fantastic learning journey. Before taking this course, I had only briefly heard of these new technologies, so having this kind of opportunity to learn about and experiment with them has been tremendously helpful.

1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
I enjoyed all of them, especially Flickr, online image generators, RSS feeds, and online documents.

2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
It has re-energized me and provided me with a working knowledge of these new technologies.

3. Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
There were so many, it's difficult to choose. The online image generator will address my immediate need to find icons for my online catalog, and I plan on introducing the online presentation tools to my students in response to their current, somewhat cumbersome, practice of emailing documents back and forth to themselves.

4. What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
I would like more time to explore each topic. Maybe a few more directed activities would be helpful.

5. If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate?
Yes!

6. How would you describe your learning experience in ONE WORD or in ONE SENTENCE, so we could use your words to promote CSLA learning activities?
This experience will refresh my teaching practice.

Week 9, Thing # 22

Audiobooks and eBooks have much to offer, especially for those students who struggle with language or a learning disability. I was surprised to see how many books are available at no charge through Project Gutenberg. For a nominal charge ($8.95/yr), World eBook Fair offers many more titles. The site is easy to navigate and the books are also easy to download in many different formats. Books in many languages are listed.

Week 9, Thing # 21

Podcasting 101. I explored several podcast directories along with possibilites for their use in an educational setting. I especially likes the Educational Podcast Network for its content and tutorials on podcasting. The URL is: http://www.epnweb.org/index.php?view_mode=about

I added Hopkinton (NH)'s Library Podcasts' RSS feed to my blogroll. These podcasts are a wonderful example of how that librarian uses the medium to promote books through interesting booktalks as well as providing students with great tidbits on how to nurture their love of reading. I found this to be very inspirational.

Week 9, Thing # 20

I investigated YouTube and other social video sites. I immersed myself with surfing and watching these videos. While they could be a great excuse to waste a bit of time, I see many benefits to using this medium in the library. I have a flexible schedule, and reaching certain groups of students can be challenging. The students who don't frequent the library would benefit from tutorials posted on my site. Possible topics include using the automated catalog to accessing online databases. I will next attempt to embed a cute video about a dog and his family swimming off the coast of Hawaii.

a href="http://www.beachwalks.tv" alt="Beach Walks with Rox" title="Beach Walks with Rox" Beach Walk 598 - Come Join with Melt;/a>

Week 8, Thing # 19

Library Thing is totally cool! I created an account and added 5 books that I've either read or would like to read. The site is extremely easy to use. There are options to search any of hundreds of sources for a book, and it's great to see the views of the book covers displayed alongside the data. Data is organized in two basic categories: social and book. Social data include member reviews as well as anti-recommendations. It's wonderful to have this access, and I agreed with the books listed under each category. Tags present a very visual representation of the subjects associated with each book. Under book data, all of the basic descriptors necessary for cataloguing are found. Most helpful are the LC and Dewey classifications and citation information. I will be using this site when manually cataloguing books that have hard to find Marc records. Other applications include the ability to share book recommendations with a select group, such as reading clubs.

Here is a link to my Library Thing: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/hmsbookbagger

Week 8, Thing # 18 (continued)

This is my test page. I'm using Zoho Writer. Zoho has so many options -- quite impressive!

Here are the productivity tools offered:

• word processing
  
• spreadsheet
  
• online note taking
  
• presentation tools
  
• online organizer
  
• wikis
  
• instant messaging
  
• database applications
  
• web conferencing
  

The word processing template is very easy to use and the many buttons are nicely formatted and visually appealing.

Week 8, Thing # 18

I explored Zoho by creating a document utilizing some of its various word processing features. Very impressive! I will attempt to publish this document.

Week 7, Thing # 17

I visited the sandbox in the wiki area of the CSLA blog. I used the password for invitees and created an account simply by typing in my name and email address. I chose to start a new page and once there, types in my message using different colors for the background and font. Pure fun! Here is the link: http://calcurriculum.pbwiki.com/MSLA+exercise

And, I found an area that would convert your wiki into a PDF file. Here is a link to the PDF version of my wiki. http://calcurriculum.pbwiki.com/MSLA+exercise?raw=pdf

Week 7, Thing # 16

Wikis can be used in various ways. Interesting examples were ones that functioned as a website or portal. Advantages include easier posting that allow more frequent updates. These integrated library activities, blogs, stories of local interest with catalog information. The community activity forum can be collaboratively updated by members of the town. For school use, wikis are great for collaborative projects, both for teachers and students. They could also be used for interactive book reviews, ongoing discussions that extend from those begun in the classroom, and as an area that professionals can post best practices. One disadvantage is the collaborative nature of the wiki, that primary authors may lose control. One way around this is to limit the authority of those who post through various login requirements.