Thing # 11.5 Evaluation

Though I muddle through much, I THANK you each for exposing us to all these "THINGS"!
Of, course, I loved the Vokie, Bookmaker, and I am really interested in exploring Slideshare. I know it takes an inordinate amount of time and planning to prepare this opportunity for us....then the reading and comments. Thank you! I feel proud and privileged to have been given this opportunity...even though I am NOT a star player...but baby-steps get one in motion!

Thing #11 Digital Citizenship

A "brand new" technology need and required new curriculum..Digital Citizenship. Read all...It is obvious we are starting several generations late on this ethical super-highway. It is obvious that it must be a communal effort of family, educators(classroom and library), and individual... and taught alongside "print citizenship"! I need to read your printed handouts and explore more web sites before I form a plan. Thank you for the "heads-up".

Thing #10 Second Life

How hard can it be to register....the 13 ATTEMPTS to register and I have to keep trying for a new virtual first name. Frankly, I am very happy with my real-life one lovingly selected by my real-life parents. I have trouble enough keeping my present real-time life on track without messing with Second Life...read required readings...have no interest in it and see no viable app for wee ones..their teen siblings can initiate them in yet another fantasy...WHY DO WE NEED THIS

Thing #9 Slideshare

WOW! Tweaked my interest BIG TIME!Read Stephen's Lighthouse...tried to e-mail ppt on "Top Ten Reasons Libraries Are Still Important"...couldn't get it to work.Read Dr. Valednza's article and was anxious to expiement with 280 Slides......I got bogged down, need help, but want to persue! Slideshow concept awesome. I want to participate!

Thing #8 Screencasting

OK, I am, once again, officially on overload....I viewed Landrum's Jing...I am not at that place yet..read Merdith Farkas' article on "Joys of Screencasting"....perhaps her disappointment of so few people using it is because the are busy with 1,000,001 other technological gadgets...I can see no immediate use for me in elementary school.

Thing #7 Video Resources

Well, I do not know what I was trying to previously import so I just deleted them....re "viewed" video sites..liked Hulu's quality, was excited to view wildcast...BORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRing! Needs a narrative...there was some cursory music and skimpy narration...Google fun, contemporary...went to Vaughn's blog to read about the non-access of Totol...will go back to that...many resources at our fingertips!

Thing #6 iTouch Apps

Have read and explored all requested items. Will take myself to a store as soon as my company leaves and explore the IPhone and all their apps.

I did not know Britannica was 241 years old. Three cheers for trying to become more relevant...adding some wiki features. But I agree with someone's comment: it is like trying to emulate the success of Southwest Airlines and failing because they do not understand....
Congrats to Wikipedia for "coming into its own"....their linguistic instaneous diversity is without a peer.

What Wickipedia Is Not should be read by all who use and those components who will "never" use.

Thing #5 Microblogging

I love the analogy that technology is to the classroom as the water is to the sea.

Facebook: I signed up: I asked my daughter if I could be a "friend", signed up with a group: School Library Journal and I read the article: Book Clubs for Kids. This might be an enrichment for our 5th graders in MDE's Great Books program. I read Chen's article, 2 Cents Worth, plus Twitter in Plain English.

Does Twitter matter? Ask people in oppressed countries... Twitter spews forth the truth instantaneously and uncensored. In addition, with the use of only 140 characters, it makes one more disciplined in tweeting (?)...less verbal padding, etc.

Twitter in the library? Elementary? The "possibility door" is always open.

Back-channeling: Great concept with focused users. The "rub"? It will be getting presenters comfortable with the audience quasi focused on them.

Thng #4 Video Posting

OK...confession. This was my first time to peruse both sites...and, "no", I did not know until now that there was a SCHOOL TUBE. My technology skills preclude uploading a video (making a video is on my "to do" list). I signed in on YOUtube. So easy to navigate. My search for both sites was: Zheng He. YOUtube was excellent. I installed Windows Explorer 8 because my current browser was about to go KAPUT! I have no idea if that was good or not.
I found all the video quality to be out of focus.

I hated TEACHERtube. I tried to sign in and it would not let me install GOOGLE Search...needed to use IE7 or Firefox 2 so I was dead in the water.
Did NOT like any of the videos, pictures, channels, etc. that I searched on. I would use YOUtube to enhance lessons.

Thing #2 Bookr

I have tried multiple times alone and with the help of the magic fingers of Vaughn. We could not post the physical book at this time, but it was a learning expierence on how to work in HTML and hyperlinks. WOW! This a GREAT tool for the kiddos!Can hardly wait to use it with them.


Insects by Honeybear

Thing #3 Like Skype

Oh, my gosh!My head is buzzing, my eyes are crossing, my back aches, my shoulders are knotted...it is just overwhelming!Live videoconferencing...I want my students to talk with children in Pakistan's elementary schools... (Three Cups of Tea)...free"telephoning"(international too!) from your laptop, etc...miraculous deeds for education, industry, and personal use. I cannot begin to fathom how my grandchildren's life will unfold in this technological tsunami!

Thing #2 Image Generators: Voki & Bookr

What fun! I will need help- again- getting them posted to my blog!Oh, well, continue the learning. The kids will love doing both of these image generators!

Thing #1 Video Comments

The video was inspiring, intimidating, succinct, and a lesson for a whole new vocabulary genera.I envied the student's ease and tech knowledge. I would fail that teacher's class if I were currently enrolled....the concept was staggering. Absolutely, librarians can facilitate many (probably all) concepts. And where does this leave the future of university book stores? No more textbooks.....new or used!