Animoto

Thing 21 Podcasts

I learned that the difference between an audio file and a podcast is that a podcast has regular episodes. You must subscribe to a podcasts to have the episodes delievered to your Google Reader or other outlet. I use iTunes so the episodes are saved there for me. I subcribed to Pottercast which discusses all thing Harry Potter. I also signed up for Radio Willow Web which is different grade levels reporting on various topics from fish to ants to sound. Of course you can put the podcasts onto your iPod, but you do not have to. I think this is a great way for students to share what they have learned in a meaningful way for an actual audience. I looked through several podcast directories and found some interesting book reviews and other library podcasts. There is so much out there that it is overwhelming. I would love to use this in the library for book reviews.

Thing 20 YouTube

Wow, I had no idea how much stuff you can find on YouTube. I love the laughing babies. I laughed so hard, I woke my husband up. There is so much that I had trouble narrowing things down. I tried libraries and librarians and got some stuff. I have actually used YouTube at school during research with 5th grade. We watched clips of Man vs. Wild during our Biome unit. The product was to create a list of things you would need in a survival pack for a biome you would choose to live in, so these clips were perfect. Just like anything that you use from the web, you have to be super careful of what content comes up with what you are searching for. When I searched Man vs. Wild, there were many paraody clips that people made. You have to preview everything. It was fun and everyone uses YouTube. Some of the questions for the Presidential debates actually came from YouTube so that tells me that we have to get on board with this and find ways to utilize this service in the classroom and the library.

Thing 19

I tried out 2 different sites for this exercise. The first was Gliffy.
This site allows users to create flowcharts using boxes, circles, and graphics. It is super simple to use. It is a click and drag process. I am wondering if it might work with the Promethean Board. . . I'll have to check when I get back to school. You can create multiflow maps, single flow maps, and even floor plans. I could have used the floor plan application during some of my library classes that required us to draw our library. Students could use this to create dream rooms or houses. Students could create the bedroom of a favorite character. The product of a project could be create what you think Fern's, from Charlotte's Web, bedroom might look like. You can add images by doing a Yahoo search and dragging the images onto the floor plan. Fun and functional!

I also played with Bubbl.us. This is an easy graphic organizer that is very much like Kidspiration. You can type in a main idea and then create bubbles that go with that idea. You can save your documents and make them public if you like. I couldn't find a way to post it to a blog though. There are many obvious ways that you could use this in the library or in the classroom. I think that if I want teachers and kids to use this, I will have to link it to the school library website for easy access.

Thing 18 Web 2.0 Awards

I spent a whole evening looking through this list of Web 2.0 nominees. I have to thank my husband for being such a trooper and helping so much with the kids during this journey. He walks in and I am playing Guess the Google and says,"This is working?" This was one of my favorite finds and it is somewhat addictive. There are 20 Google images and you have to guess the keyword that links them all. I can see kids loving this game. You get more points for typing fast so it could actually enhance typing skills. The vocabulary ranges from simple, like fries, to more complex, like cycle. This makes it multilevel and uses visual critical think skills in a game format. I did not encounter any questionable images in my 5 games.

I read several other blogs that said that One Sentence was fun, so I checked it out. It was intriguing. What a great way to teach word choice to kids. You could also talk about foreshadowing, drawing conclusions, and great beginnings. I read several sentences, but I am still composing mine.

My husband and I love to explore new resturants, theatres, and other quirky places, so Yelp has become an instant favorite of mine. Yelp is a city guide that is composed by real people. You can search for restuarants and read reviews that others have posted. The restuarants are sorted by things like romantic, fun, downtown, ect. There are also reviews for salons and shopping. This is a great site for those who love to get out and about.

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Thing 17

Zoho is a great resource that can help teachers and students in many ways!  I have told my husband many times that there needs to be a site where I can save documents at school and pull them up at home without having the Mac/PC combatibility problem.  Now there is!  Hooray!!  I explored and found many premade templates that would be useful in the library or in the classroom.  Zoho also has wiki, spreadsheet, and presentation programs as well as word processing.  You have to register and have an e-mail account, so students might not be able to use this.  I found out quickly that many features did not work using Safari, so I switched to Firefox.  I never received the confirmation e-mail that I was supposed to, either.    I adore these little happy face guys also.  They are too cute and easy to use.    There is also a comment speech bubble that i enjoy playing with.  Practical applications?  Lots!  Now you do not have to spend $100 on a pricey application to download.  Although you can download Google Gears and use the tools without being connected to the Internet.  

Thing 16

The Sandbox wiki was super easy to use and contribute to. I took some time and looked through the entries and ideas. I added several of my own ideas. The idea of learning through play is such an inviting concept. I mean, who doesn't like to play? I think that wikis are easy enough to create and use. However, I think that the teachers on my campus will have to buy into the concept. I always hear, "I don't have time!!!" whenever I approach teachers about using more technology. Someday I hope that teachers can see that by using technology, it can actually make teaching more relevant and practical. If I was in the classroom, I could see creating a homework wiki, where students and teachers could exchange ideas. I am going to create one for our campus for book suggestions. I think that collaboration is the key to student success. Why not rely on the experience and knowledge of an entire community?