Social Bookmarking

Social bookmarking is a way that Internet users can organize, store, manage and search for bookmarks of online resources.  I really do like this idea for those of us who are not organized individuals.  Over the years, I have lost so many bookmarks that I can't even begin to count them all.  I really don't have a very good system of bookmarking.  Normally I just add to my favorites on the particular computer I am working at, and that could be one of three computers on any given day.  I definitely need to start using a social bookmarking tool. 

For me the appeal of Diigo is that the layout is simple and easy to follow.  It is intuitive and very user-friendly.  I even found this great tutorial that I could use to share this great tool with my students.  Also, I learned that Diigo has educator's accounts too.  Currently, Diigo is blocked at my school, and I would love to have a better way of sharing websites with my students.  I would like to research the educator's accounts more, and check in to the possibility of getting this opened up for use at my school.   

Although Delicious has many great features, and I think it is a little more complicated for my middle school students.  I did find a tutorial for Delicious as well.  Either bookmarking system could be a valuable tool for teachers and students in an educational setting.  Normally my students are not well-organized and are extremely forgetful.  This could be a way to help them start to gather good websites for reference as they prepare to transition to high school.  I can still teach them about social bookmarking, even if it is not available in my classroom.            

Trinity Antorian in Second Life

Last year I was required to create an avatar in Second Life and we spent a couple of weeks exploring this interesting virtual world in my Online Communities class.  After nearly having a major panic attack trying to learn how to get around in Second Life, I thought that it was too difficult to use, and definitely too challenging to teach.

  

This time around was much easier this time; once I was able to get logged in.  I couldn't remember my password!  I was excited to find the mule at Selmo Park; I don't remember seeing him during my last visit.  The picture is supposed to be of my avatar petting the mule, but it didn't turn out very good.

   

Most of my travels have been to places where there is not much opportunity to chat with other avatars.  However, upon visiting the Welcome Area, Korea 2, I came across some profanity and a few avatars, so I decided to leave quickly.

I visited the Babel Language School and found some world language learning opportunities.  There were several languages available, but these all required money.  Unfortunately, they are all too expensive for my avatar.  I only have L$100.

Although, I do not think that Second Life is appropriate for children, I think that virtual worlds can be a useful learning environment for students.  I came across an article that listed the following as benefits to virtual world learning: 

Self: Customizing the avatar

Exploration: Moving around the world

Communication: Sharing information with others

Navigation: Looking at 3D content

Interaction: Using 3D objects

Creation: Designing a class project

Delivery: Giving the projects to the instructor

Assessment: Evaluating virtual world projects

Feedback: Compiling progress and performance reports

During my exploration, I found a virtual world called  SecretBuilders, a place where students can immerse themselves in historical, literary, and artistic settings. In my opinion, this world is more appropriate for elementary and middle school age students. Another virtual world that looks promising is Whyville. This looks to be more appropriate for middle school and high school students. The students can actually be part of a world that has its own economy, and places that function like a real world society.

Virtual worlds can be intimidating to teachers who aren't very comfortable with technology.  There are a variety of ways to incorporate these worlds into learning activities.  I think that once teachers overcome the technical difficulties, they would enjoy seeing students benefit from this type of educational opportunity.

    

Portable Devices

There is so much information available about portable devices; it was difficult to decide where to start.  However, I did find some advice on purchasing portable devices.   When choosing a portable device, some factors to consider include the following: Internet range, Power capability, Screen size, Format, Durability, Added functions, and Price.  I did find an interesting chart that listed specs on a large number of tablets.

As I struggled to wrap my head around all of this, my brother (the tech geek of my family) explained to me that a tablet or netbook is basically a "sealed box" that operates on a specific platform such as Apple, Android, or Windows.  He said that normally you won't find any USB ports or CD/DVD drives on the tablets.  It is what it is, and you can't really take it apart and build a better tablet (which is what he normally does with all of the computers in our family).  

Our high school has a 1:1 laptop program, which began with Dell laptops for grades 9-12.  The second year of the program, the district purchased HP Mini netbooks for the 9th grade students.  This is still the current procedure, since the netbooks basically can do everything needed for the freshmen.  The netbooks allow the students to browse the web, watch movies, play some games, listen to music, download numerous apps, and more.

This week I have developed an addiction to that fascinating portable device known as the Smartphone.   I have discovered that these devices can be useful to a person like me.  Organization is definitely not my strong suit, and one of the benefits of a Smartphone is keeping important data all in one place.   Plus, I had a lot of fun playing Pocket Frogs.

Students really like portable devices, but I don't think that tablets or netbooks would excite them as much as the chance to use a Smartphone in the classroom.   Over the last year, I have noticed more and more middle school students with iPods or cell phones in lockers, backpacks, or back pockets.  It makes me feel bad when I have to tell them to put these devices away, since I would love to use them in an educational capacity.

Some interesting apps are available for students.  I was excited to find Spanish Dict because it is one that I have my Spanish students use when they need to look up a Spanish word quickly.  Another app that I loved is Project Noah.  Students can take pictures of flora and fauna and use this tool to "explore and document nature."   Science teachers could utilize this as a motivational tool for those reluctant learners.  Since I have been reading science fiction recently, I like the idea of being able to learn more about the planets with Planetoids.  It is supposed to show you where the planets are when you choose a specific date.

So, I think it's about time for me to get a Smartphone!    

Course Management Systems

What a major disappointment!  My district wanted to get Blackboard for next year, but decided against it due to the high cost.  I do not know if this information is correct, but someone said that it would be around $20,000.  Now that I have played around with Blackboard, I would love to be able to use it on a regular basis.  It does seem to be very user-friendly, and there are so many tools available.  

The best thing about Moodle is the cost!  I think that it is interesting to see the statistical information for Moodle; it shows that there is a strong community of "Moodlers".  As an alternative to Blackboard, it is a great solution for school districts on a limited budget.  In my opinion, Moodle is not quite as easy to figure out as Blackboard, but there are several resources and tools available to help a new user.   

It is becoming more evident to me that we need to use something, whether it is Blackboard, Moodle, or some other platform, for online course management.  I realize that it is a huge change for many teachers to convert to hybrid classes, but it is a change that needs to happen.  I think that it would be beneficial to many students if districts began to teach with this format.         

Camtasia Video

Well, I think we all are in agreement that Camtasia is much easier to use than CamStudio.  It has been quite a struggle to complete both of these assignments, and I still don't feel that I have mastered either program.  It has been a valuable learning experience to work with these tools. At least now I know that I will need a program with lots of easy-to-find, accurate tutorials to get me through the learning process.


I can't see these programs as something that I would teach my students, or many other teachers for that manner. However, since I do have the free trial of Camtasia, my plan is to create a few more videos on some common classroom tools. It is not something that I would purchase because I don't think I would use it enough to justify the price.

The Wallwisher video is the one that I wanted to do in CamStudio.  I need to make a better video, still trying to figure out a few things!  

My CamStudio

Wow! This was quite the challenge. I had to scrap my original plan because Wallwisher kept messing up on me. This Gaggle video tutorial is actually something that I can use in my classes.

Updated 3/12/11   I did the video over, because the first one wasn't quite the way I wanted it. 

Too Many Questions

Last week I attended the district technology meeting.  This was the first time I had ever attended one of these meetings, and I really did not know what to expect.  I wasn't even sure if there was an actual committee, or if any interested party was welcome.  It was a long, but valuable experience.  We were in session for approximately 2 hours.  There were so many items on the agenda that I thought would have been discussed at prior meetings.  I was surprised to learn that previously the group had only met about twice a year.  The main purpose for the formation of the technology team was to write and oversee the district technology plan.  

Topics ranged from changing to a new district homepage, to communication between buildings, to technology policy changes.  Many important issues were talked about, but there really was not sufficient time to cover anything in great detail.  I was pleased to hear that the group thought it beneficial to meet more frequently.  There is another meeting scheduled for next month.

When the meeting began, I was feeling a bit guilty because I had just invited myself.  I do not know if there is some proper etiquette in this situation or not.  However, I quickly changed my mind and felt positive about my decision to attend.  I think that I do have something to contribute to the group.  There are not enough people in my building that use technology consistently in the classroom.  Everyone needs appropriate training and support to transition to new ways of teaching our students.   I am excited to be a part of this change, and want to contribute to the technology vision of my school district.

So, this got me thinking and wondering about other technology teams.  Does your district have a technology team consisting of representatives from all the schools within that district?  Do people volunteer to be on the team, or are the reps chosen by administration?  Should there be certain criteria to be a member of the team?   Do you have a technology curriculum, and does everyone contribute to the teaching of the curriculum?

An Unhappy Experience with Web 2.0

Each time I learn a new Web 2.0 tool, one of my first thoughts is about trying it out in the classroom. It's almost like Christmas and there is a shiny toy that I just have to share with my friends, but in this case the friends are students and other teachers, and the shiny toy is some fun Web 2.0 application. Then comes the inevitable let-down when I get to school and discover that one of two unfortunate scenarios exist. The first one being worse than the second because it is the teaser.

Say, for example you want to use Quizlet to help prepare your students for an upcoming test. You set up your account at school, and create some vocabulary review flashcards, and are ready to try it out with students. Class begins and the students log on to the computers and follow all of your instructions and the site is BLOCKED. You had no idea that the students were not able to use this website. It worked fine for you as the educator.

The second scenario is that neither the educator nor the student can access the website at all. There are so many useful Web 2.0 tools that do not make it into the classroom. Generally, students are aware of one type of Web 2.0, social networking.

In all fairness, there is a process to get some of these sites unblocked for student usage. However, this does take at least a couple of days to a week or more depending on the site you want to use. The novelty of the new toy (or Web 2.0 tool) dims a bit in the frustration of having to jump through hoops for the students to have access to the application.

My hope is that we can all work together to find some ways to increase communication between educators and the technology coordinators (the head honchos) about using Web 2.0 in the classroom. One of our goals for the students is to promote collaboration, and we need the ability to use a wide variety of tools in the classroom to meet this challenge. I am excited to see what the future holds for our students in terms of technology and Web 2.0.

My Fishbone

Learning another fun tool

Click here for larger version

Kerpoof

Although I had some difficulty with Jing at first; it is quite useful.  For some reason, Jing froze up on me the first few times I tried to use it.  However, after I uninstalled and reinstalled, everything worked great.  One thing that annoyed me was that I had to keep starting over because my capture box would cut something off because my capture window wasn't large enough.  I did like the ability to capture the screen and incorporate audio.  That is a definite plus for Jing.  I'm sure that I will be using Jing again in the future.  I just have to learn not to talk too much.
 

Kerpoof is geared more for elementary and middle school students.  It is cute and easy to use.  One of the reasons I picked it is because my students are finishing up GoAnimate projects and sharing their cartoons this week.  


Here are some other web 2.0 tools that could be fun and useful for the classroom:
Tripline  You can create maps that can teach about geography, history, or share your vacation pictures, video, and more.  This one could easily be incorporated into my Spanish classes.
Middlespot  This allows you to mashup the web.  You can include any web content, and share it with other people. 
Wallwisher  This works as an online message board, like an electronic bulletin board.  You can include video and pictures too.

Cloud Computing and Web 2.0

Cloud computing has a variety of definitions depending upon which source you check.   Basically, with cloud computing you are able to save your work on a remote server instead of on your hard drive or desktop.  Many of us think of Google Docs as an example of cloud computing that we have used in our online classes.

Some  of the advantages of cloud computing include more flexibility since you can access your saved information from anywhere with Internet, the cost is less expensive because you don't need to set up servers or purchase extra software, and you can have the latest updates for your documents since the cloud hosts the most recent versions.

Disadvantages of cloud computing include security issues since the data you have stored is on the Internet.   Another issue is the need for a strong, reliable Internet connection, especially if you are using multiple apps at the same time off of the cloud.      

I think there is some confusion between the terms cloud computing and web 2.0. Online applications or software as a service is one thing that web 2.0 and cloud computing have in common.

While searching You Tube I found two good videos that explain the idea of cloud computing and web 2.0 from Explaining Computers.

Photo Story and Animoto

Wow, this was incredible. I absolutely loved playing with both Photo Story 3 and Animoto. There are definite advantages to both programs. Animoto was so easy to use, and I was thrilled with the final product. It didn't really bother me that I couldn't include my voice. However, I think that Photo Story 3 is the better choice for digital storytelling because you have more flexibility. Students could actually tell the story in their own voices, which can be a powerful tool. I must admit that I was more excited about setting up a You Tube account than anything else! It has been a very fun experience getting familiar with these two programs.

Playing with Animoto

This is a crafting activity that we do in beginning-level Spanish classes.  I had fun putting it together!  Music is by Mango Punch!, the song is Nada, Nada off the Animoto site.



Here is an example with more detailed instructions, but I don't like it as much.  Added on 2/13/11.

My First Podcast!

This podcast was created to share with my beginning Spanish students.  It has a few important learning tips.  Please check out Audionautix for great music.  Thank you Jason Shaw!

Copyright-To Beg, Borrow, or Steal?

According to WordIQ, copyright is a form of intellectual property that grants its holder the sole legal right to copy their works of original expression.  These works can be written, audio, video, and artistic, even architectural work can be copyrighted.  It is my understanding that a person must obtain permission from the creator of the work to use the original product.  Copyright can be confusing to educators and students.  Therefore, teachers need to educate themselves to provide guidelines for their students. 

One exception to this rule is the Fair Use guidelines, which is using the original material for educational purposes without permission from the creator.  For educators, this basically means that you can copy the material for classroom use, not public use nor for any monetary gain.  Copying by teachers must meet the tests of brevity and spontaneity.  The amount of material you use must be brief.  For example, one chapter of a book for the teacher's reference, and the number of copies should be small, such as a class set of an article used one time during one semester.  Many teachers, including myself, are aware of Fair Use.  However, in my opinion we do not always know enough information and at times abuse the Fair Use guidelines.     

While researching, I came across a list of four other categories of copyright:  public domain, traditional copyright, GNU free documentation license, and creative commons.   

Public domain means that the work can be used freely for any purpose.  Usually these are works created before 1923, or works generated by the government.  The owner of a copyrighted work can release that work into public domain.

Traditional copyright is typically what most people know.  This type includes all works created from 1978 to the present that are registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.  It is often represented with the © symbol or the word "Copyright", and is protected for the lifetime of the creator plus another 70 years after death.

GNU Free Documentation License allows you to take a work and redistribute it, and then another person could take it and use it also.  The text in Wikipedia is a good example of this type of license.

Creative Commons includes six different licenses:  attribution, attribution-share alike, attribution-no derivatives, attribution-noncommercial, attribution-noncommercial-share alike, attribution-noncommercial-no derivatives.  Basically these licenses allow you to use and redistribute works if you provide full credit(attribution) to the original owner.

I introduce my students to copyright by using the Power to Learn website.  This site has a For Students section with interactive case studies.  As a class, we discuss the Fair Use-Beg, Borrow, or Steal? lesson.  This is only my second semester teaching this topic, and I plan to develop more activities to add some depth to the original lesson.

While researching this topic, I found some high profile cases involving copyright disputes at the Copyright Website.  It is interesting to read about the popular movies and songs involved in copyright issues.  

A Look at RSS

As a child growing up I was never very interested in news or current events. The biggest reason why is because it was something that I considered boring. Many children in today’s society also suffer from the same problem. Parents and educators realize that we can keep our children entertained with technological toys and gadgets. Cell phones, laptops, iPods, eReaders, gaming devices, and more are one way that we keep our children happy with electronic fun. Now there is a way to encourage to children to read and stay more informed about what is going on in the world around them. Children and adults can subscribe to RSS feeds to stay connected with news and happenings in their favorite areas; whether it is in sports, fashion, music, or animals.

According to the University of California at Berkeley's Library, RSS, or Real Simple Syndication, is technology that delivers frequently updated content on the web. In order to receive these updates, you need a reader. There are web-based readers such as Google Reader and NetVibes that can be accessed from any computer or other Internet device. Also, you can install RSSOwl, Feed Demon, or other desktop-based RSS readers. With any of these readers, the user can chose certain websites to include on their readers. The biggest advantage of the RSS reader is the ability to customize the news, blogs, or articles that come into the feed. This is a useful time-saver, since you do not have to go from website to website to read the information.

Since I already have a Google account, I chose to use Google Reader for my online reader. Setup was simple; all I had to do was click on Google Reader and everything was already done for me. The most difficult part was deciding which websites to include in my feed. The goal was to keep everything based in technology or education, but I could not resist checking out the Day in Rock Report and The Daily Treat: Animal Planet. These were both a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed reading the postings. Normally I would not take the time the look at these websites, but the RSS readers gave me a chance to check things quickly. Google Reader is easy to use, but I did not like it as much as my installed reader. I do like the fact that it can be accessed anywhere I go, but the layout was not very appealing to me. There is just too much information all bunched together and I found myself skimming very quickly through the updates.

For the installed reader, I decided to try RSSOwl. Installation was quick and easy, and I was able to import the subscriptions from Google Reader into RSSOwl. My favorite part of this desktop reader is that a window will pop up to let you know when your feeds update. It also appears less cluttered on the screen, and was easier for me to read. Another nice feature is that the new information is bolded, and once you click on it, the text goes to normal.

My experiences with the RSS readers has been very positive. I think that with a little guidance my students could set up RSS readers. Last week we started blogging in class, and I could have students use the RSS feeds to find information for the blogs. Previously the students would do a Google search on technology, which caused some frustration and wasted time. I really think that students would enjoy having some of their favorite websites included in the RSS feeds. There are many teachers and administrators who could benefit from this time-saving tool. Content teachers in Science, Social Studies, and English could subscribe to specific sites to incorporate in the curriculum. Administrators could stay informed of trends in education through several sites such as EduCause, and could encourage teachers to use RSS readers.

It has been difficult to follow all of my classmates' blogs, and keep up with ten other RSS feeds for this assignment. However, I have really learned so much through this activity, and there are a couple of feeds that I will continue to read. One of these is Stephen Downes' blog. He is Canadian researcher who encourages the use of online tools in education. His writing style is humorous, and at times very blunt. He is very passionate about using technology in education. Two others that I really like are TechCrunch and Wired. These sites provide so much information about changing technology, and although the focus is not specifically technology in education; it provides a lot of insight into the potential of using technology.

Since beginning my classes in Educational Technology, there have been so many new tools to incorporate into my classroom. Many of them are very intimidating and somewhat challenging to use. However, the RSS readers is something that anyone can use, and it is such a time-saving device.

My path to learning Open Source

It is my understanding that the term free software existed before the term open source came around.  Open source software is free to download, and can run on multiple platforms such as Windows and others.  Also, the source code is available and open, so open source applications can be customized by the user. 

There appears to be a great debate between the Open Source Initiative and the Free Software Foundation over the correct terminology.  According to the definition of free software, the Open Source  Initiative group has started using the term “open source” to mean something close to “free software.” The Free Software Foundation argues for the term “free software” because, once you have heard that it refers to freedom rather than price, it calls to mind freedom. Their philosophy is that the word “open” does not refer to freedom.


Proprietary apps are usually purchased, and the source code is usually closed to prevent the user from changing the software .  The most commonly used proprietary software in our middle school is Microsoft Office, and at our high school it is MS Office and Adobe Creative Suite 3.

Through my research, I learned that many  Open Source applications are generally licensed under GNU General Public License, GPLv2 and GPLv3.  To be honest, I was not aware of any of this licensing information.

Several classmates have already mentioned Open Office and Moodle as open source applications that are great and useful in education.  One that I would like to try is Blender.  It is a 3d graphics application that can be used for video editing.  I have heard that it can be a bit difficult to use, but have no experience with it.  It is something that I would love to try!

Additional sources included in my research:

http://www.damicon.com/resources/opensoftware.html

http://software.ivertech.com/_ivertechArticle13894_OpenSourceSoftwarevsProprietarySoftware.htm

Introduction

Hi!  This is my 13th year teaching Spanish.  Currently, I'm employed in Knob Noster, previously splitting time between the high school and middle school for 5 years before switching to full-time at the middle school.  This year I was asked to take on an additional prep called High School Readiness Tools, which is a combination of many topics.  It's a new class, required for all 8th graders.  To be honest, I am still developing the curriculum; so far the focus is on technology and computer skills, digital citizenship, information literacy, and introducing tools such as digital lockers and homework drop boxes.  I get to teach in a classroom with the oldest computers in the building (which I call "the dinosaurs"), and the students get lots of practice troubleshooting simple problems.


This is the 4th semester working towards my MS in Educational Technology; my plan is to finish in December of this year!!  Last summer I completed 2 classes in 6 weeks, which was absolutely nuts!  So, this summer I want to focus on my family and some projects around the house.


The last good book I read was written by the daughter of one of my high school friends.  The amazing thing is that this young lady is currently a sophomore in high school.  The book is called "Partal" and is very good if you consider the age of the author!