I have to be honest. I had never even gone to YouTube before doing the Library Thing. I don’t know if I would ever find much for an elementary student. I haven’t even been tempted when the news or a TV program reports a video that someone has downloaded.
I went to the sites suggested. I really enjoyed, the 60's and 70's musical videos and 1970 commercials. These were fun to go and remember the many days of yesteryear.
As for TeacherTube, I found a couple of videos that would be helpful in class. Well maybe entertaining.
This experiment was done the day before our Science night with the students (grades 2-5) to get them interested in coming to Science night. Our Science SIS did a demonstration for each grade and we had a record number turn out.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Thing # 19
I am amazed at how in-depth you can go into this. There's some really awesome sites. Many of the sites we have already visited in the Library2Play. So I looked at Yelp. It's a review site by area/city. I looked at restaurant reviews for Houston and Clearwater, Florida. They also have entertainment, real estate, home services, auto, etc. You can write/read reviews, search by neighborhood, and post a question or comment. It's very easy to use and it looks good. I learned of a bakery in Katy that I would love to try.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Thing # 18
Like others have stated, OpenOffice took a while to download. I must have missed the boat. I always have a difficult time getting started on these new tools. I watched the demonstration and saw how the presentation was a lot like power point in MS. I have not mastered that yet and now I am trying something new. ARGGGGHH! I like the fact that it is FREE! The price of Microsoft is steep and this is a great alternative to do word processing, presentations or spreadsheets. The time learning the new “software is not worth it at this time. I’m glad to know it exists however.
Now GoogleDocs is fantastic. I already made a spreadsheet. I am very familiar with Excel so that wasn’t a stretch. I made it for a family trip we are taking and kind of put our itinerary on there. I put choices of excursions for each port that each family might not have researched yet. It is much like a wiki that others can access and share information. I will use this much more. Again, the downside for students is that they have to register. But the upside is they can access it from home, school or any computer. I think it is a great resource. Google is amazing and FREE!
Now GoogleDocs is fantastic. I already made a spreadsheet. I am very familiar with Excel so that wasn’t a stretch. I made it for a family trip we are taking and kind of put our itinerary on there. I put choices of excursions for each port that each family might not have researched yet. It is much like a wiki that others can access and share information. I will use this much more. Again, the downside for students is that they have to register. But the upside is they can access it from home, school or any computer. I think it is a great resource. Google is amazing and FREE!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Thing # 17
I made a post in the Sandbox. I like everyone's ideas. I really want to try having a faculty committee wiki. Instead of going to committee meetings, this would be a great way to use our time for meetings. We usually turn in minutes to our principals, now they could just explore the wiki. I think this would be a easy way to introduce the faculty to a wiki without too much stress. The collaboration would be endless.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Thing # 16
Wikis-I am really seeing some awesome ideas to use in my classroom. For Dr. Bishop's class, our group started a Habitat Wiki page. It was really fun and easy. I will be using this with my second graders this semester. I first was introduced to a wiki through our librarian. She made one for the Salad Guy. You know how school lunches taste. It seems to be a hit. Every day when I go into the lounge for lunch, there are several orders there, ready and waiting.
After going to wetpaint.com I decided to try one for an upcoming family reunion. Our family is huge and spread out all over the US. So far the people who have actively used it are the nieces and nephews that are in the late teens, early 20s. My sisters and brothers had to be coaxed into signing up. Don't even get me started on my 87 year old mom. Wiki? What is it? We got her signed up, but she really has not a clue how to go about adding information or editing pages. She says she just enjoys reading the other people's comments.
After going to wetpaint.com I decided to try one for an upcoming family reunion. Our family is huge and spread out all over the US. So far the people who have actively used it are the nieces and nephews that are in the late teens, early 20s. My sisters and brothers had to be coaxed into signing up. Don't even get me started on my 87 year old mom. Wiki? What is it? We got her signed up, but she really has not a clue how to go about adding information or editing pages. She says she just enjoys reading the other people's comments.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Thing # 15
As a teacher, I am enjoying Library 2.0. I have learned so much already about so many neat tools to use with my students, but I know there is so much more out there. I have only scratched the surface of the possibilities. The sad part is, my students probably already know about several of these tools. I'm the one trying to play catch up.
One thing is for sure, the librarian/teacher relationship needs to change. There needs to be more collaboration on lessons and discussions on the best way to approach a subject/research. By learning new resources to use in the classroom, I can’t wait to share these with my students.
After reading, Away from the “icebergs”, I thought about how librarians need to keep up with the ever changing trends. As a librarian, I would start with my teachers who are the “cheerleaders” of the school. You know the teachers I am referring to-the ones who are always willing to try new ideas. They love learning, so why not bring them onboard to help? Personally, I love when a brand new teacher joins our campus. They may not have experience in the classroom, but they bring in a fresh new perspective to teaching. Sure they are going to make mistakes, but so are some of us older folks who aren’t trying to reach the children with new approaches.
One thing is for sure, the librarian/teacher relationship needs to change. There needs to be more collaboration on lessons and discussions on the best way to approach a subject/research. By learning new resources to use in the classroom, I can’t wait to share these with my students.
After reading, Away from the “icebergs”, I thought about how librarians need to keep up with the ever changing trends. As a librarian, I would start with my teachers who are the “cheerleaders” of the school. You know the teachers I am referring to-the ones who are always willing to try new ideas. They love learning, so why not bring them onboard to help? Personally, I love when a brand new teacher joins our campus. They may not have experience in the classroom, but they bring in a fresh new perspective to teaching. Sure they are going to make mistakes, but so are some of us older folks who aren’t trying to reach the children with new approaches.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
