Thing #19

It's true--So much to see; so little time. It was very interesting and informative exploring these Web 2.0 award winners. I chose Pandora in the Music category to look into in depth. What a great idea to have your own personal radio station with all your favorite music. I was especially interested since I saw an interview last week with the founder of Pandora. It's clear that what is available now is only a preview of what he will create in the future. I will enjoy using selected music in my classroom while students are working, not to mention my use of Pandora for my personal use at home and, hopefully soon, in my car.

Thing #18

I really like the availability of these free online productivity tools. I didn't even realize that Open Office was on our laptops. I especially like the feature of Google Docs that allows real time chat while collatorating. I can imagine sharing in curriculum planning between teachers of different schools. That would be quite a change from everyone meeting at one location to write curriculum. Also, teachers of the same department could work together from their own rooms with their own materials to produce lessons. Another great idea!

Thing #17

Rollyo is a great tool for student research to move students away from Google searches--a huge job! I intend to create a link with search results for each of my social studies. I have included the link to the first unit on Latin America and will continue to add more sites before the unit begins. I will include the link on my web page for the students, as well as on assignment sheets during the unit.

http://rollyo.com/search.html?q=Search+for...&sid=634309&x=42&y=23

Thing #16

I definitely plan to have students use wikis next year. This will be an excellent platform for them to share their thoughts about books they are reading during the year. Also, when they are working on group projects, it will be a way for group members to collaborate on their work outside of class time. It will be important to incorporate groundrules for working in their wiki, just as there are groundrules for their working together in groups in the classroom.

Thing #15

I enjoyed reading the perspectives of bloggers, librarians, and the futurist on the Library 2.0. It is clear that libraries are changing. The library in my school has certainly changed in appearance and in the amount of technology available to students. Before school everyday, every computer and ipod is in use, and the seating areas are also filled with students reading books. Most of the students are there by choice, although many are working on class assignments. I was reminded of this when I read the futurist's perspective of the library of the future.

Our librarian has done a fantastic job of training teachers so that we are able to train our students in the many uses of the technology that is available. If libraries are to be centers of community and collaboration, students must learn how to use the technology in the goal of life-long learning and not be simply overtaken by "technolust." It is also important that they are constantly reminded that not everything they read on the Internet or in blogs is necessarily correct or more than one person's opinion.

The following article, "The Medium is the Medium," by David Brooks in the New York Times is an interesting approach to the future of libraries.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/09/opinion/09brooks.html?_r=1&ref=davidbrooks

Thing #14

In exploring Technorati, I found little on school library learning, specifically, and on education in general, in the posts and Blog Directory. After using several tags, I found 6 blogs on the subject of technology in the library. Why are there so few on the subject of Education? I wonder if many people in education are more involved in "doing" rather than blogging about their work.

I read an AOL News article this morning on Nate Henn, the Invisible Children worker who was killed in the Uganda bombings this weekend. Because of Thing #14, I noticed, and undertood the significance of, the list of several tags at the end of the article. At this point, it seems that de.licio.us will be the most useful of the tools that use tagging.

I saw an interview recently with the creator of Pandora Internet Radio. As I was working on this "Thing," I went to the Pandora web site and looked at their videos on "personalized advertising" on a "personal radio station." The implications are incredible, and possibly frightening. Brave New World??

Thing #13

Delicious is great! My favorites list is rediculously long, and this will be the perfect way to organize them. I plan to use tags to categorize sites for my various units. Instead of scrolling down the favorites list to find the site with the words and music of "Waltzing Matilda," I can go to the Australia tag on my delicious page. All of the other social studies teachers can add their sites, and we can share them. Excellent for finding information and saving time!