Just a Little Tweet From Me

Illustration by Tom Bloom

He rocks in the treetops all the day long
Hoppin' and a-boppin' and
a-singing this song
Every little bird, every little bee
Loves to hear
the robin go tweet-tweet-tweet

Tweet. Tweet. Tweet. Tweets are the actions that make Twitter work. Each message sent out on Twitter at 140 characters or less are called "tweets" and can share with the world what you are doing at that moment, the score of a hockey game, ground breaking news or a link to a fabulous website you just came across. Twitter is gaining momentum and is quickly becoming a useful tool in many professional and personal areas.

I am new to Twitter, three months new, and am just beginning to understand its possibilities. When I look back, way back to the beginning of this course where I read that I must join Twitter, I thought to myself, what have I got myself into. Twitter, what is that? I spent the first few weeks trying to figure out what possible value it could have in my life. Honestly, I felt it was a complete waste of time. It wasn't until this topic was brought up in class that our professor, Joanne de Groot finally clarified things for me: use Facebook
for social gatherings, and Twitter for gathering professional ideas. That was the direction I needed. I continue to follow a couple of people for fun, but mostly I follow links that catch my interest professionally, much as I do with Google Reader.

However, even after this discussion, I continued to feel challenged as I simply did not feel that I had anything to offer in this fast paced social network. By the time I thought I had something to add to a topic, everyone had moved on to something new. Or by the time I got to my computer, I would have forgotten what wonderful idea I had to share in the first place. (That really burns.) I became more hesitant after a classmate said she tried to add something frivolous to "test the waters" and found herself being chastised. It was a slow start.

I found the collection of sites from the Trailfire to be very good. Twitter Search in Plain English from Common Craft was once again a useful place to begin. There were many sites that described Twitter simply and clearly such as Suggestions for Getting Started with Twitter and Top Ten Twitter Tips for Beginners. I wish I had spent some time checking out sites like these when I was first learning about Twitter.

I was grateful for Joanne's reminders that if we didn't actually use Twitter, we would not get a very good mark. It has now been many weeks and 10 tweets later, and I am slowly getting the hang of it. I still only like to tweet when I have something "uber" intelligent to say so I don't post very often. :) I get what Mack D. Male says on his post: "...you can’t really explain Twitter. It’s one of those things that you have to experience before you get it." I remember this same conversation in our class about how I really didn't know what to do now that I was a member of Twitter. It is only after many weeks that I am slowly beginning to understand its purpose. I know Joanne, you have pushed us to use Twitter and to not leave it to the last minute and I now understand why. This same idea is once again expressed on the pdf Twitter for Beginners. On page 8 the comment "To learn about Twitter, you have to use Twitter." is so true. As you first take your baby twitter steps, you certainly question what all the hype is about? You don't understand the social niceties - when and where to jump in. I found it was like coming in in the middle of a conversation and no one being polite enough to include you so you had to just be pushy and say your piece. It was all very complicated. And so at first it was just easier to not participate.

However, slowly, with some more pushing from Joanne, I tested the waters. It wasn't too bad - but it does take a while to figure out that most people do not answer questions or give responses. Basically you are adding to the dialogue, giving out information, but it is not really a conversation. It's like a conference, we are all there for the same reason (mostly) and everyone has some information to share. You share it, put it out there, and what someone does with it is up to them. And that is the end of the conversation - mostly. Or at least that's how I see it. I did post a question, asking for links to websites for making an online photo album but I received no responses. Or if I did, I don't know how to retrieve them.

There were lots of helpful hints on websites to help you become a "twitterer". Mack Male, on his website shares his ideas on how to get started with Twitter:
-pick a good user name
-keep your tweets public.
-enter your website URL if you have one (I haven't done this as I am not confident enough to want to share my blog with others)
-make your tweets interesting. Now that just makes me want to start sending out tweets right away. (As I inwardly groan.) Whose to say what is interesting!


Personal Use
How would I use Twitter personally?
You can tweet about any topic:

-the score of a hockey game
-where you are having lunch
-a major crisis in your community or the world at large
-an interesting website on a personal topic such as books, quilting, swimming, etc.
-a community event

One of the things I have noticed when searching a general topic is how frequently people use foul language. The "f" word gets thrown around a lot and I was a surprised with this. I certainly don't see it in the professional tweets I follow but in other areas I do. This would be a worthwhile discussion with my students if they were to use Twitter. One of my grade sevens mentioned that she uses Twitter and this would be a good opportunity to open discussion on what one might say on Twitter.

Professional Use
Presently I follow people who interest me professionally such as people interested in technology in an educational setting or other teachers or teacher-librarians. I can see how the more you use Twitter, the more people you may find to follow. As I am a new cell phone user I haven't tried to use Twitter on my phone, only the computer which can be cumbersome. Having access through a Blackberry or iPhone would probably make it easier to access.

I haven't used Tweetdeck or any other tool that would collect my tweets for me but I would like to give this a try. Each time I download something, our computer runs a little less successfully so I thought I had best wait.

I don't really think I would use Twitter within my staff. I mention Twitter around my staffroom table and I get a blank stare. Perhaps sharing links with our technology support teacher in this manner might be viable. I certainly do not see using it with students. "Recently, many libraries across the nation(USA) have begun adopting Twitter as a means to keep on the cutting edge of new technology as well as keep patrons informed and interested in library services." (College at Home, 2010) The fact that you have access to so many people instantaneously is magic.


Twittering Successfully
I think there are some key ideas if you are to twitter successfully. First you need to have something to say that interests others. Whether this be websites, new ideas from a recent conference, there needs to be a point to your babble. Does anyone really care that you just did the laundry? Here are some suggestions from Brad Hughes, a school superintendent:
-Beat the 140 character limit by linking to a web page with more information.
-Add your Twitter address to your e-mail signature and school district letterhead.
-Limit the personal stuff unless you know followers care where you go or who you meet.
-Do it daily. People value online resources they care about and that are regularly updated.
-When news media outlets print or air a positive story about your district, tweet it, with a link to the story.

Personal Learning
How do I feel about Twitter after giving it a try these past few months? I am feeling more confident in understanding its purpose and am less hesitant to post my own thoughts and ideas. Twitter for me will be more of a place to gain knowledge and when the right moment comes along, I will also share knowledge.

In her article Library 2.0: Enter the Teacher Librarian Enthusiast, Wanchek quotes Joyce Valenza: "If school librarians are information specialists then they have to be users and producers of information in our time." I may not be a tweeter "extraordinaire", but as a teacher and teacher-librarian in the 21st century, I must be aware and cognizant of web 2.0 tools and the impact they can have on our students and on our own personal learning. I must be willing to at least give it a try before I say yeah or nay. For now, I will continue to use Twitter and the content it offers. That is its real value.


Sources

Bloom, T. Illustration. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6573999.html?industryid=47079&q=twitter

College at Home. (2010). Twitter for librarians: the ultimate guide. Retrieved from http://www.collegeathome.com/blog/2008/05/27/twitter-for-librarians-the-ultimate-guide/

Hughes, B.. (2010, April). Twittering in the Hands of School Leaders. School Administrator, 67(4), 8. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals.

Kroski, E. (2008). All a twitter: want to try microblogging?. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6573999.html?industryid=47079&q=twitter

Ludwid, S. (2009). Top ten twitter tips for beginners. Retrieved from http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2341095,00.asp

Lynch, C.G.. (2009). Twitter tips: how to write better tweets. Retrieved from http://www.cio.com/article/491372/Twitter_Tips_How_to_Write_Better_Tweets?source=nlt_cioinsider

Male, M.D.. (2008). Getting started with twitter. Retrieved from http://blog.mastermaq.ca/2008/11/21/suggestions-for-getting-started-with-twitter/
Rene, L. (1958). Rocking Robin. Lyrics retrieved from http://www.lyricsdownload.com/hollies-rocking-robin-lyrics.html

Twitter for beginners. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.crowinfodesign.com/downloads/twitter_beginners.pdf

Wanchek, N. (2010). Library 2.0: Enter the teacher librarian enthusiast. Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/articles/2010/03/25/library-2.0-enter-the-teacher-librarian-enthusiast.aspx

Will You Be My "Friend"?

Social networking sites - what's to this? This week's topic has been a uphill battle. I think the part I am struggling with the most is the fact that we are focusing on more than one site and most of them I know little about. I have never signed up for a single social site before and really wasn't all that keen to do so for this course. Despite these feelings, I am now a member of Facebook (and somewhat active) and Teacher LibrarianNing. I haven't used the Ning much but can see it having more value after I am no longer taking courses and part of a regular teacher-librarian community.

As my 8 year old becomes closer to 12 & 13, I need as a parent to be well informed and understand the workings of these social networks. I want to know what my child is up to, who she is talking to and what she is saying. As a teacher-librarian I need to be aware of the web 2.0 tools our students are using and how they are being used. It is our responsibility as parents and teachers to teach our children the rules of the road, no matter what type of road that might be and to do that we need to be active participants in these communities.

To begin my learning I headed to the trailfire to read through the sites listed. Through the readings, many social networking sites were mentioned. I will discuss some of those listed below.
Facebook
Nings
Second Life
MySpace
LinkedIn

When it comes to learning anything new, especially when it comes to technology, I have learned that the best place to start is by checking out the Common Craft website. This time it is Social Networking in Plain English. This video gives an overview of the purpose of social networking sites, rather than explains any specific site in detail. I liked that.

Facebook
I became a member of Facebook when it became compulsory for this course. I would describe myself as a reluctant user but am becoming more comfortable in this space. I see the social side and can understand why so many people enjoy using it. With our very busy lives we often don't have time to converse with our peer group and this environment allows us this opportunity on our time. So once the kids are in bed and the house is quiet, we can sneak away and see what our "friends" have been up to.

Personal Uses
There are many personal uses for Facebook. I enjoy being able to post a website or video when you come across something cool. I think this may be a more appropriate place then sending out an email. Facebook allows you to socialize with people you may never have had the opportunity in your regular day to day life. It allows you to keep in contact with people you may not see on a regular basis. It allows you to find old school friends and reunite friendships. As explained in Social Networking in Plain English, Facebook gives you access to people that you don't really know, but are friends of friends and you are a bit more familiar with them. There are still parts of Facebook that I dont' get. There is a colleague at work that only speaks to you if you speak first, otherwise she would never talk to you. And yet she was one of the first people to ask to be my friend. I don't get that. If you won't talk to me at work, why would you want to talk to me on Facebook. I've been told I am missing the point. Am I?

It must be noted that as a teacher, we have been advised to a) either not have a Facebook account or b) be careful when posting to our Facebook site. As professional people in the community, how we are perceived is important and we could place ourselves or our jobs in jeopardy. This issue was the focus in Folger et al. paper on Moral Spaces in MySpace: Preservice Teachers' Perspectives about Ethical Issues in Social Networking. Journal of Research on Technology in Education. This is uncharted territory and working with preservice teachers to make them aware of potential hazards when posting on Facebook or MySpace is a good place to start.

Professional Uses
Attempts have been made to use Facebook in a professional manner. I can't see using it in an elementary school - not that our district would ever unblock it. When we first started using Facebook and Twitter for this course, a discussion ensued. Our professor, Joanne de Groot said that she uses Twitter for mostly following her professional interests and Facebook is for her personal life. This separation makes sense. I have no interest in using Facebook for school. The overwhelming diaglogue on Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog is that Facebook is more for personal use and not for interactions between students and teachers. Once relationships between students and teachers occur, one must be very careful that the professional line does not get crossed.

Now on all social networking sites, like all social activities, there are etiquette rules to follow. The video Facebook Manners and You goes over some general behaviours that we should shy away from when using Facebook. This was excellent and so funny that I had to post it on my Facebook page.

Although I would not recommend Facebook in a school setting, here is one example from Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog that I did find interesting.

"We are very focused here on Inquiry Based Learning programs and one of the components, alternative products and audiences. I would like to suggest that your principals hear a bit about how Facebook might be (and has been) used as a student product. For example, in a group of students each one creates a Facebook page for one of these folks: Abe Lincoln, Salmon Chase, Edward Bates, William Seward etc. Then they go in and create a Facebook Group. - explaining how these folks worked together. What were the controversies, decisions etc? Great way of demonstrating that they not only understand the history here but also the concept of leading and making decisions by listening to all sides and points of view... Projects like this require lots of research, knowledge and understanding. Facebook is a great way to demonstrate learning in the area of biography, history etc. One thought... Positive demonstration of kids using social networking for learning." (Fox, 2008)

Ning
The next social networking site I checked out was a Ning. "Ning is just another social network, like Facebook, MySpace, or LinkedIn. What makes it different is the ability to customize the features to meet the needs of a specific group of people." (NCTE inbox, 2008) After looking at the two suggested (Classroom 2.0 and Teacher LibrarinanNing) I decided to join the Teacher LibrarianNing. I very quickly realized that here is a world that I could be comfortable in. I continue to be reticent when it comes to being fully immersed but I am slowly putting myself out there and can easily see myself being actively involved in this network in the future - especially once I have completed my degree and do not have the constant contact with other teacher-librarians as I do now. This would allow me to discuss issues with others in my field. One teacher was looking for books to be added to her summer reading list for students and I added a couple of Canadian authors like Kenneth Opel and Deborah Ellis. Here is an arena that I feel I have something to offer.

A Ning may have more uses in a school setting as it is described as a "walled garden" and allows for more privacy than Facebook allows. This might be a place to hold discussions with students. A Ning is more like a wiki, you can design one around any topic you like but you get to choose the settings.

Personal Use
design a ning on any topic
group together people interested in the same things

Professional Use (NCTE Inbox, 2008)
Set up discussion forums based on literature circles, peer writing groups, different class periods, and so forth.
Create groups based on student interests—book clubs, favorite genres, other content areas.
Upload alternative book reports created as podcasts, videos, or photos.
Ask students to write their reading logs or journals online, using their own personal blogs.
Post information for students and their families in a shared space.

Here is a short list of some Nings you might find useful:
Ning in Education
Teacher LibrarianNing
Classroom 2.0

Second Life
Okay, now this site pushes me past anything I am comfortable with. I did not like this site at all and was very uncomfortable here. Why would anyone want to spend hours living in a make believe world when one can hardly handle the daily struggles of real life! I'm sorry, but I wouldn't recommend this site personally or professionally. I think, for so many people this would be an unhealthy place to hang out. I see this site attracting people who are struggling in real life and need an escape and that is where I see the pitfalls. I can see the attraction - being able to pick your own persona, pretending to be anyone but yourself. Obviously I was very uncomfortable here and did not stay long.

That all being said, I read an interesting report by Stuart Laidlaw where a law and technology conference was being held on Second Life. This gives an interesting and useful perspective of how this tool may be used in a positive manner but this was neither for a personal or educational use.

Conclusion
"Social media scales things in new ways. Conversations that were intended for just a friend or two might spiral out of control and scale to the entire school or, if it is especially embarrassing, the whole world. Of course, just because something can scale doesn't mean that it will." (boyd, 2009) But as we know, when it comes to the web, anything is possible. Social networking sites look like they are here to stay and as educators we must be prepared to work with our students in educating and protecting them from others and themselves. We need to teach "students how to be responsible "digital citizens" online. At their most basic level, these sites can be launching points to discussions on Internet ethics." (Blanding, 2009)

Whether we choose to use these tools in our schools is up to us and the people we work with. But as ktenkely: @karlfisch says on Twitter," Isn't it all of our jobs as teachers/specialist in our fields to keep current? how else can we be effective as teachers?" Let's remember who we are and our role in society. We are not students' "friends", we are their teachers, mentors and leaders. We need to be skilled users of social networking tools if we are to be relevant to our students.

My learning for this week's topic was steep. I do believe that throughout this process I am not only learning about web 2.0 tools but I am learning about myself - my fears, my insecurities, my ablility to push myself past my comfort zone, even if they are only baby steps. I was not comfortable joining Facebook and am still not sure where that journey will end. I do enjoy checking in and seeing what everyone is up to. I enjoy reading your postings each day Joanne - it gives me a look at the other person you are besides the teacher.

I think if I spend enough time in the Teacher LibrarianNing that I would become very comfortable there. I sense people just like me, looking to converse with other teacher-librarians over a cup of coffee. I will need to make more effort to dialogue and reach out to the members of that group.


Sources
Blanding, M. (2009). Harvard Graduate School of Education. Retrieved from
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/blog/news_features_releases/2009/01/thanks-for-the-add-now-help-me-with-my-homework.html

boyd, d. (2009). Social media is here to stay...now what?. Retrieved from http://www.danah.org/papers/talks/MSRTechFest2009.html

Common Craft. (2010). Social networking in plain english. Retrieved from http://www.commoncraft.com/video-social-networking

Facebook. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.facebook.com

Fisch, K. (2010). Twitter. Retrieved from http://twitter.com/karlfisch

Foulger, T., Ewbank, A., Kay, A., Popp, S., & Carter, H.. (2009). Moral Spaces in MySpace: Preservice Teachers' Perspectives about Ethical Issues in Social Networking. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 42(1), 1-28. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals.

Fox, L. (2008). The blue skunk blog. Retrieved from http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2008/10/7/facebook-an-educational-resource.html

Johnson, D. (2009). The blue skunk blog. Retrieved from
http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2009/3/16/more-on-friending-students.html

NCTE Inbox. (2008). Social networking: the ning's the thing. Retrieved from http://ncteinbox.blogspot.com/2008/09/social-networking-ning-thing.html

Second Life. (2010). Retrieved from http://secondlife.com/?v=1.1

Stuart Laidlaw. (2010, March 16). Avatars to debate autonomy Virtual conference is a first for Canada with loss of privacy issues to be explored. Toronto Star,1. Retrieved from Proquest Education Journals.

Teacher LibrarianNing. (2010). Retrieved from http://teacherlibrarian.ning.com/

VoiceThread, Animoto, Last.fm and More

Multimedia
Don't you just love having to do an assignment on something you know nothing about? To try and alleviate some of those feelings of anxiety and fear, let's move forward and try and find out what multimedia sharing sites are. And what better place to start then at the Common Craft website with Social Media in Plain English.

After viewing this video I must say this is the first Plain English video that did not make the concept clearer for me. I had to go back and watch it more than once, not because I loved it but because my brain was still in a muddle after viewing it. I understand the multimedia sharing part but I think the ice-cream analogy was too much for me.

As I head into the readings from the Trailfire, I discover the tools that fall under this topic and they are quite exciting - for me as a learner and as a teacher. The first one I looked at was VoiceThread. VoiceThread is a tool for having conversations around media: video, documents, photos, images, presentations or a combination. Here is a tool I could see being used both personally and in the classroom. I tried to show it to the district technology teacher at school but it was blocked. I have asked to have it unblocked - we'll see where that goes. I have been sharing its possibilities all week with other teachers. Usually for these assignments, I use the technology we have been learning about at the end of my assignment but this week I couldn't wait. I tried each tool right away - they were just that much fun.

Bill Ferriter has produced an interesting wiki to help us learn more about VoiceThreads. There is a lot of useful information on how and where voicethreads can be used. Using voicethreads in the classroom helps to promote discussions and conversations between its members. VoiceThread could be used for story telling with kindergarten and grade one students. This would be a great tool for any struggling reader to tell a story with pictures instead of words. Using VoiceThread pushes students to think about what is happening in the picture and they get to put a voice to their thoughts. Often students do not get a lot of opportunity for this type of learning.

Professional Uses

• social studies - discussing clothing, food, any aspect of a people's culture showed in the picture
• two communities discussing similarities and differences of their respective communities within our province, country or abroad
• opportunity for students to give voice to their ideas and opinions
• young children telling a story of their picture
• help struggling writers tell their story
• gives students an opportunity to share their work orally and have others (students, teachers, moms, dads, etc.) respond to it.
• Classroom 2.0 - using a map to share where you are from
  

Personal Uses

• share and dialogue pictures of holidays/special events with friends and family
• share your child's work with far away family
• share and critique art work with other artists around the community or world at large
• sharing and dialoguing of really anything you want
  
  It has been very exciting learning about VoiceThread. I posted the VoiceThread I made to my blog early because I was so excited and had to share my learning - I would love it if you could respond to it.
  
  
  
  
  Animoto
  The next multimedia tool I discovered was animoto. I have come across both voicethread and animoto in discussions with classmates before but have never had an opportunity to experience either of these exciting multimedia sites. On the School Library Journal website, Joyce Valenza discusses the many uses of animoto and instantly I think of how it could be used to present an overall picture of your school to newcomers. This is a very cool tool to give a slideshow a professional look. She discusses how there was concern that this tool did not allow a lot of room for creativity as it does most of the work for you. I think I would have to agree with this statement but I think using animoto with students still has value. Using animoto with a group of junior highs just for fun or to bring a project to a conclusion would be a blast. But it could be used to introduce people to your library if you posted an animoto slideshow to your library website or made a movie of pictures of school special events. That's when this tool would be useful and powerful.
  
  Animoto: another very cool tool. With this tool one has to be careful not to be breaking copyright law by using someone else's music unlawfully. The site itself has lots of great music that you can use.
  
  Professional Uses
• with students just for fun to bring a project to closure
• present special events in the school posted on your school blog or website
• slideshow of the library posted on the library website
• slideshow of your school
  
  
  Personal Uses
• slideshow of family holidays (I did one of last summer and shared with my sister whom I often holiday with - she loved it and shared it with her friends)
• used to present any special events
• wonderful for a wedding or anniversary celebration
• school reunion
  
  
  Music Sharing Sites
  Here is an area that I feel totally incompetent discussing. If I had quick access to a teen I would haul them in and have them tell me all about what they know of music sharing sites. From reading Web 2.0 for Schools by Julia Davies and Guy Merchant, I get a small glimpse into this amazing world. I understand the powerful role music plays in the lives of our teens - I remember back to my youth and how important music was to me then as well. Teens today have the ability to make their own music and broadcast it either as a podcast or on Youtube. So what does it mean to have the ability and capabilities to share music?
  
  Sites like Last.fm and Pandora have a social networking side to them that allow their users to interact with each other to a degree. Last.fm allows its users to "show off your taste (in music), see what your friends are listening to and hear new music" while Pandora allows users to "provide feedback on the individual song choices that Pandora 'learns about' and uses in compiling subsequent selections." (which is based on music you have told Pandora that you like) At this time however, Pandora is closed to Canadian citizens due to licensing issues.
  
  When it comes to talk of current music, it is like I arrived from Mars. My eight year old knows more about current pop than I do. I had to do a Google search on "Lady Gaga" recently as her name kept coming up and I thought I NEED to know who she is. As quoted by danah boyd in Davies & Merchant (p. 72), "Music is social glue among youth." "and functions as a fluid marker of what is cool and what is not." (Davies & Merchant, 2009)
  
  As a teacher-librarian, the discussion of music sharing sites gives ample opportunity to discuss copyright of intellectual property. It is important for us to be aware of illegal downloading sites such as BitTorrent and LimeWire and to know where to direct students so they can access music legally such as Last.fm. However, I don't understand how you get to listen to the music for free - doesn't someone have to pay for the use of this music each time a song is played?
  
  Talking to students about music is entering into their world. If we want to get students engaged in learning, then I think this is the place to do it. "If nothing else, school-based work on music sharing can serve as an early and relevant introduction to ideas about copyright and ethics, about the rights of producers and consumers, and about the more adventurous ideology that informs Creative Commons." (Davies & Merchant, 2009, p. 72)
  
  
  Personal Uses
• enjoy the sharing of favourite music
• our daughter would love to be able to compile a list of her own tunes (parent approved)
• compilation of favourite artists and genres
• this evening we are having supper with some friends who are big music buffs and I will be sure to share Last.fm with them
  
  
  Professional Uses
• opportunity to teach about the legal and ethical sharing of other people's work
• to engage students -bringing today's world into the classroom to make learning relevant to our students
  
  
  The last idea I want to discuss is "mashup". After reading through Chapter 6 -Mashups and Web Services by Eric Schnell in Library and Beyond: Innovative Technologies and Tomorrow's Users, I can't say that I have a clearer understanding of what this term means. I head to Wikipedia and it tells me "a mashup is a web page or application that uses or combines data or functionality from two or many more external sources to create a new service." Michael Stephens in his blog gives three examples of different types of mashups that help simplify what a mashup might look like.
  
  Mappr - allows you to take Flickr images and paste them on a map
  Flickr Color Pickr - lets you find public photos in Flickr that match a specific color.
  Montagr – create a photo mosaic from photos found on Flickr.
  
  I suppose once you start looking, you will find countless number of mashups people have developed.
  
  After all this, do I have an understanding of this weeks tools? I understand the multimedia aspect of them, especially VoiceThread, where it allows different capabilites to exist together. Would I be able to have an intelligent conversation about mashups or music sharing sites? Probably not - but I now know where to start looking and am at least more aware of what is out there.
  
  To get an overall look at some of the relevant sites on this topic, check out Let’s Get This Party Started: Pump up the Volume. Streaming Music is a Great Way to Connect with Older Kids by Kate Pritchard on the School Library Journal website.
  
  
  Sources

Animoto. (2010). Animoto. Retrieved from http://animoto.com/

Common Craft. (2010). Social media in plain english. Retrieved from http://www.commoncraft.com/socialmedia

Courtney, N. (Ed.). (2007). Library 2.0 and beyond: innovative technologies and tomorrow's user. Libraries Unlimited: Westport, CT.

Davies, J. & Merchant, G. (2009). Web 2.0 for schools: learning and social participation. Peter Lang Publishing: New York.

Ferriter, B. (2009). Using voicethread for digital conversations. Retrieved from http://digitallyspeaking.pbworks.com/Voicethread

Pritchard, K. (2010). Let’s Get This Party Started: Pump up the volume. Streaming music is a great way to connect with older kids. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6720445.html?q=music+sharing+sites

Stephens, M. (2008). Thing #6 More Flickr Fun (Toys, Mashups, More!). Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/290000629/post/1020031302.html?q=mashups

Valenza, J. (2008). Announcing: Animoto for education. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1340000334/post/1560024356.ht....

VoiceThread. (2009). VoiceThread. Retrieved from http://voicethread.com/

Wikipedia. (2010). Mashup. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashup_(web_application_hybrid)

Fun in the Summer

Animoto

This was one of the most exciting tools to play with. After seeing Brad's on Facebook, I couldn't wait to try it out. I sent it off to my sister who sent if off to all her colleagues. This was just plain fun!!

Fun in the Summer

Voice Thread

In beginning to learn about multimedia sharing sites, I spent the morning finding my way around VoiceThread. I had spent a little time on this when we were making podcasts thinking I would use this instead and then realized it was coming up in another week or so. I really like this tool and think it could be a lot of fun. I am posting this now to see if it works and have others check it out. Enjoy.

http://voicethread.com/share/945942/

Wicked Wikis

Wikis - finally something I already have an account for.

If you are looking to work collaboratively with others, either in a work or a personnel setting, than a wiki may be for you. There are many examples of wikis but you may want to start familiarizing yourself with them by watching the tutorial from Wikis in Plain English. This gives a simple explanation of how you might use a wiki for planning an activity such as a camping trip with a group.

You may already be familiar with Wikipedia, an oversized wiki that just keeps on growing. The wiki I created for the grade fours Grade Four Bancken is a simple wiki that has been developed to provide an easy accessible place for students to access links to websites. I could of had the technology teacher add these sites to our school website but it made more sense for me to design it this way and then I can make changes when I want. Also, if students begin finding websites they would like to add, I can open the wiki and give them the opportunity to edit and change this site.

A wiki, described by Debbie Johnson in the article Wikis for Science Ed Collaboration, , is a "living document, easily accessible, ever changing, and yet always available." Take Wikipedia for example. Many people know what Wikepedia is as a searchalbe tool, but do not realize that it is a wiki or what that means. Here is a document that is constantly undergoing change by the people who use and contribute to it - a collaborative work in progress.

Personal Journey in the World of Wikis
Though not really knowledgeable about wikis as a whole, I did set up a wiki two years ago for a group of grade sevens doing a novel study. So I already had an account with Wikispaces and was a little familiar with the process of what to do. I did not find this process nearly as frustrating as setting up a podcast.

I did discover that I am not fond of all wikis. For many wikis, I find the font small and all the same colour and I find them very busy. Even Wikipedia, I find there is too much information and I do not enjoy reading the pages. There are so many links to different sites that I find it difficult to stay focused and on task. Now Davies and Merchant in Web 2.0 for Schools say that the "existence of hyperlinks seems to encouarage readers to trace back the provenance of the entries and to research further, so that the culture of online reading is to travel (or 'surf') from text to text, gathering information, comparing accounts and gaining background data. In this way, critical reading becomes exciting and 'usual' - the hyperlinks show the routes to follow." (pg. 92) I find it does the oppostite for me - there is simply too much going on. If I feel this way, how many others, especially students, feel the same?

Thanks to Nicola, I spent a little time wandering around the "Manage Wiki" area and discovered a whole new world. Becasue I have a free wiki, most of this area is unaccessible to me but shows what is available to paying customers. I did ask to have my wiki upgraded (for free) so that the ads on the side will be gone as part of a K-12 educational account. That is a really nice bonus.

Personal User
Wikis are useful for sharing all types of information. My sister is presently planning a trip to Europe with six other people. They are looking for the cheapest flights, where is the best place to fly out of, accomadations, places to visit, etc. If they had a shared wiki, they could go in and update any information whenever they found anything tht was pertinent to their trip. There are wikis for knitters where you can post what you are knitting or share your patterns. There are wikis for book clubs and sewers. You can set up a wiki on any topic you like. You can choose to leave it open to allow others to add and make changes to your information or you can lock it and only allow people to view what you have posted.
You can use different sites to set up your wiki such as Wikispaces, Wet Paint or PBWorks.

Professional Use
Now there are some wonderful educational wikis out there. This one I came across in our Trailfine School LIbrary Website I really like. There is lots of colour and the graphics are not so overwhelming. A lot of work and thought has been put into the layout and it catches my eye right away. It is also relevant to me and that might also make me more interested.

As a teacher-librarian I may set up a wiki to show all the activities that are planned for I-Love-to-Read month or an interactive wiki for junior high students to comment on the MYRCA books they are reading. Using a wiki as a pathfinder allows students the ability to search topics but can also be improved by students as they find websites that could be added or remove dead links. This way the pathfinder moves from a stagnant document to one that may constantly be changing and updated.

The list of what types of projects can be done with wikis and with who is endless. Projects can be shared within a class, a school, a city, a country and across continents. They can be on personal topics such as researching things to do while on vacation or school subjects such as writing and sharing your own piece of music. The possibilities are endless.

Sources
Common Craft. (2010). Wikis in plain english. Retrieved from http://www.commoncraft.com/video-wikis-plain-english

Courtney, N. (Ed.). (2007). Library 2.0 and beyond: innovative technologies and tomorrow's user. Libraries Unlimited: Westport, CT.

Davies, J. & Merchant, G. (2009). Web 2.0 for school: learning and social participation. Peter Lang Publishing: New York.

NSTA Reports. (2010, February). Wikis for science ed collaboration. Vol. 21, No. 6. National Science Teachers Association: Arlington, Virginia.

School Library Website. (2010). Retrieved from http://schoollibrarywebsites.wikispaces.com/

Wikipedia. (2010). Welcome to Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://www.wikipedia.org

First Podcast

I now understand why more time is needed to play and get to know this tool. Attaching a podcast to your blog for the first time takes some work - and it doesn't always go smoothly the first time.

I have tried many times and I cannot seem to post the link properly. However, if you run the mouse over the title (First Podcast), you may be able to access the podcast. Good luck.

What Is A Podcast?

As I head into the world of podcasting I think to myself, here is a topic that I have some experience with. I have had some PD on podcasting as well as used Audacity with a class of grade fours last year. But as I begin to explore this week's topic a little more, my experience is but a drop in the bucket.

The description provided by the Common Craft website called Podcasting in Plain English gives an excellent explanation of what podcasting is, how it is different from radio and television and how we can use it personally. (I listened to it at least three times.)

Will Richardson in Blogs, Wikis and Podcasts and other Powerful Web Tools for the Classroom describes podcasts as "basically the creation and distribution of amateur radio, plain and simple". I find this to be a rather simplistic definition because I see podcasts as having more to offer than just that. I don't think we see radio being used to the same depth as podcasts - especially in the classroom. "More and more, teachers are finding that Web 2.0 applications such as wikis, blogs, podcasts, and videosharing sites move learning beyond the walls of the classroom." (Riddle, 2010)

Podcasting gives you the opportunity to listen to what you want when you want. You can listen to your podcast on the computer or download it to your Mp3 player or iPod and take it with you. That's the best thing about podcasts - their versatility. It's surprising that they continue to be used so little in our classrooms.

3 Reasons Why Podcasting is so Popular
-anyone can do it
-subscriptions - you can subscirbe to podcasts for free (all you need is a podcatcher like iTunes)
-gagetry - you can download it and take it with you
It all seems pretty simple doesn't it?

Something to keep in mind when making podcasts is the use of copyrighted music. This topic is touched on in Podcasting in the Classroom: A Sound Success by Johanna Riddle and again by Stewart McLean and the Vinyl Cafe podcast. In Riddle's article she discusses how in introducing podcasts to her class of university students, a student used copyrighted music and was asked to remove it. At this time a discussion took place as to why - a teachable moment. In the Vinyl Cafe podcast, Stewart McLean discusses how they do not have the rights to podcast commercially recorded music on their podcasts although they are allowed to play the music on live shows. I am not sure I understand the difference here but that is what he said. With independent artists they are sometimes given special permission to use their music. The ethical use of artists' work is a very important piece of using technology and an easy one to teach students about in the use of podcasts.

How Can I Use Podcasts Personally?
I can -listen to my favourite radio show like the Vinyl Cafe by Stewart McLean when I want, where I want.
- access information that may not be available to me through regualar radio but can download it as a podcast.
- listen to an author visit to our local library that I missed.
-have my child make a podcast of herself reading her favourite book or a story that she wrote and share it with distant family and friends.

Using this Tool in the Classroom
As a school tool, I think podcasts have great potential. The hardest part is getting the word out and providing teachers the opportunity to try using this platform with their students. From kindergarten to grade 12, the possibilities are endless. In kindergarten students could tell a story about the picture they have drawn. In grade 1 you step it up a notch with students reading the story they have written or reading a book they love. By grade 12 these students could be producing any number of things with integrated music and sound effects. Podcasts can be produced on topics of interest or a specific school focus. Two years ago, our school fundraised $15,000 to build a school in Mauritania, Africa. Podcasts could have been made at regular intervals to tell our school and community about the progress we were making. A podcast could have also been made about our school and who we are and been shared with the school in Mauritania (if they had Internet access which is unlikely). So much is possible. Using podcasts as a music or language specialist adds a whole other dimension to music and language learning.

Show My Learning
I have downloaded my first podcast and downloaded Audacity with only a few glitches. I used Audacity to make my podcast and found this to be a simple process. I have uploaded my podcast to http://www.box.net/ but for some reason cannot get my podcast posted to this blog site.

Sources

CBC. (2010). Welcome to the Vinyl Cafe. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/vinylcafe/home.php

Common Craft. (2010). Podcasting in plain English. Retrieved from http://www.commoncraft.com/podcasting

Riddle, J.. (2010, January). Podcasting in the classroom: A sound success. MultiMedia & Internet@Schools, 17(1), 23-26. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals.