CFF - CDWG Professional Development Training - 11/17/08

Good morning!

It's been a while since posting to my virtual space.

I've thought often about how I would "keep this blog alive" and came up with tying in some of the things I'm learning during my Classrooms For the Future Coach Training.

The project for this morning is to domonstrate adding features to a blog post.

These include adding digital audio files, adding clipart, adding digital photographs, including hypertext links and sharing and tracking changes.

What a great opportunity to revisit my own learning. And away we go....

First - adding digital audio files

When I did my first search - for digital audio files, I came up with a link to a file convertor. After checking with my trusted companion, Zamzar is recommended.

http://www.zamzar.com/

Zamzar offers free file conversion for Document formats, Image formats, Music formats, Video formats, and Compressed formats.

The offer a FAQ page that lists the most common questions when using the service.

We just had an interesting conversation about if Zamzar could violate copyright?
I'd love to hear what you think.
jane

Week 9: Podcasts, Video & Downloadable Audio #23 Final discovery exercise on Copyright and Creative Commons

For this final discovery exercise, we are asked to explore Creative Commons.

The closest thing I could find to a simple definition of what Creative Commons is all about is found on the History page:

Creative Commons’ first project, in December 2002, was the release of a set of copyright licenses free for public use. Creative Commons developed a Web application that helps people dedicate their creative works to the public domain — or retain their copyright while licensing them as free for certain uses, on certain conditions. Creative Commons licenses are designed for several kinds of creative works: websites, scholarship, music, film, photography, literature, courseware, etc.

The first step is to choose from several conditions you would like applied to your work.

The choice begins with the amount of attribution you allow regarding copying, distributing, displaying, and/or performing your copyrighted work. Choices include deciding if your work can be "tweaked" and redistributed for commercial and/or non-commercial uses with appropriate credit to the original work. the range of choices include from the "most accommodating" to the creation of derivative works to the "most restrictive" meaning simply allowing redistribution of the original, intact, with credit. Once decided, select a license and place the appropriate icon or link with your work to convey your intention.

Creative Commons has developed a flyer that describes the process. Other useful links can be found on the Documentation page.

Creative Commons is recognized globally. Licencing agreements are broken down into three levels: Commons Deed (written in understandable language), Legal Code (for lawyers) and the Digital Code (metadata). The Legal Code portion can change depending on the country of origin.

I must admit that this is such a worthy project that provides a necessary component to the evolution of web2.0 capabilities. It offers a chance for true global collaboration...grass roots development regardless of geographic location, while still offering some level of protection to the original work.

At the header of this PA Online Web 2.o it reads:

"Learning 2.0 is a discovery learning program created by Helene Blowers. Content
and style for School Library Learning 2.0 and Classroom Learning 2.0 have been
borrowed and duplicated with permission, under a Creative Commons License".

In addition, on a sidebar of the California site it reads:

"Learning 2.0 is a discovery learning program created by Helene Blowers. Content and style for School Library Learning 2.0 and Classroom Learning 2.0 have been borrowed and duplicated with permission, under a Creative Commons License".

A general search for Helene Blowers led me here to the original 23 thing site and here to a 2007 article in Library Journal online promoting Helene's open access attitude.

It's hard to believe I've finally reached the end of this discovery journey (nearly...).

The true power of this is in the experience. What I'd love to do is bring this back to my learning community and share this...get more people to walk the walk. These ideas are meant to be passed on, used from different perspectives, rise in different ways.

And, based on the language of the Creative Commons License associated with this project...I can. How great is that!

One more thing to go...a least for today : ).

I'd like to leave you with this thought...jane

Week 9: Podcasts, Video & Downloadable Audio #22 eBooks and Audio eBooks

Hi all,
I actually deviated from the directions a bit for this exercise.

I am an audio book person at heart.

For the last many years, between commuting to college, waiting for appointments, walking, or just needing to occasionally cook or clean...listening to an audio book has become a regular part of my daily routines. So when I saw the link for AudioBooksForFree.com, I had to check this out.

First, let's talk about the things I do like. The interface is fairly clean, the organizational structure of the content, and details about the particular titles are nicely formatted on the page. It's easy find a favorite genre. All titles list how long the piece is as well as info about the author and narrator. Tabs across the top section link to content by fiction, non-fiction, children's stories, and music.

What seems to be the case is that depending on the amount of files you'd like to download...it could very well end up not being free. Also, certain titles do not seem to be available unless "bought". It appears some authors actually have money deposited into paypal accounts for access to their work.

Now, I honestly don't have a problem with paying for this service (as I would if I decided to purchase a print book). But the site title is a smidge misleading. I couldn't come up with a better one...but finding out it wasn't really free after all was disappointing.

Also, under "size vs. sound quality...well 8kps is free. OK...I'm not sure what a kbps is yet, but free is associated with a "bearable quality.
For $5 USD, I can get "tolerable quality". But $8 USD will buy me "very good quality".

My intention is not to knock this service. It is convenient. They do seem to have their bases covered with things like:

• List of Download Managers.
  List of Multimedia Players.
  Is your portable mp3 player suited to play audiobooks?
  FAQ, HELP, Potential Problems, Support
  

And, the selection is decent.

But for this girl who watches her pennies...my local library is still the best deal in town...no matter what medium I'm looking for.

As for eBooks. I read all the time online. But, everything I read though is fairly short though.

If I need to read something that requires extra concentration or something of length regardless of the purpose...I usually prefer paper if that's possible. My eyes are grateful too.

I wouldn't discourage anyone from accessing the vast amount of resources available from sites like World EBook Fair' site. To have this resources at your fingertips is truly magnificent. It's just not for everybody all the time.

jane

Week 9: Podcasts, Video & Downloadable Audio #21 Podcasts (You don’t need an iPod!)

Hi all,
I'd like to start with a definition from the PA Online Web 2.0 site.

"The word podcast is used to refer to a non-musical audio or video broadcast that is distributed over the Internet. What differentiates a podcast from regular streaming audio or video is that the delivery method for podcasts is often done automatically through RSS."

You can use an application like iTunes as a directory to locate mostly pop culture items...TV, movies, music to load onto an iPod or MP3 player.

I found a video on YouTube that did a decent job of explaining the mechanics of how podcasts work. The video is entitled "What is a podcast?" Summary details: "Jason Rhode (Northern Illinois University) provides a brief introduction to the technology of podcasting and mentions a few of the instructional benefits and considerations for using this new medium for information
delivery."

For this exercise, we were asked to subscribe to a podcast in our blog reader using the RSS feed. The blog reader I use is Bloglines. I selected NPR: Radio Diaries Podcast to be delivered to my feed. I don't have a mobile device to listen to podcasts yet, but I think this would be a worthwhile investment. I could easily see listening to the NPR podcast (or any other of interest) while exercising or anytime you are "waiting". What a convenient way to stay "in touch".

Even though this discovery exercise doesn't require that we create podcasts, I plan to venture into this territory. I've checked out the How to Podcast tutorial posted on the School Library Learning 2.0 site. This seems like a good place to start...now to just make the time.

It's amazing, the creativity tools at our fingertips...
jane

Week 9: Podcasts, Video & Downloadable Audio #20 Discover YouTube and a few sites that allow users to upload and share videos

I know...I know...
This is getting out of hand.

This one I will have to use one day for a professional development session.

Too, too funny!



Thanks to ZrednaZ who reposted this February 21, 2007 with the summary:
"A.k.a. Medieval Helpdesk. This video makes fun of moderns newbie computer users by illustrating - in a way fully understandable to them - how silly some of their questions are by creating a similar problem in the Middle Ages.

It's from a show called Øystein & Meg (Øystein & I) produced by the Norwegian Broadcasting television channel (NRK) in 2001. The spoken language is Norwegian. It's written by Knut Nærum and performed by Øystein Bache and Rune Gokstad.

NEWS: NRK have uploaded an official version of this video themselves - also with Eng subtitles. It is located at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQHX-S..."

Week 9: Podcasts, Video & Downloadable Audio #20 Discover YouTube and a few sites that allow users to upload and share videos

And finally...The Librarian from the Black Lagoon trailer
Added by BigfottStudios on 8/28/08. The summary says, "A trailer for the Scholastic/Weston Woods film "The Librarian from the Black Lagoon", based on the book by Mike Thaler and Jared Lee. Directed by Galen Fott. Voiced by Alexander Gould and Diana Canova. Animation by Bigfott Studios."

Something we can all aspire to be...

Week 9: Podcasts, Video & Downloadable Audio #20 Discover YouTube and a few sites that allow users to upload and share videos

Should I be having this much fun learning?? Tee-hee...

Star Trek was one of my favorite Friday night shows as a kid. Hmmm...maybe this is what influenced me to choose my present career path...



Added to YouTube by "herrissyvoo" on 12/17/2007. The summary is as follows: "Captain Kirk wishes he had decided to become a librarian in the TAS episode "Bem". Spock, as always, responds by speaking the truth."

Week 8: Online Applications & Tools #19 Take a look at LibraryThing and catalog some of your favorite books

Good morning!
I've been playing around with Library Thing. It's simple to use and provides a lot of options with regard to how you manipulate the content on your Library Thing page or if you choose to post the content to your blog. The tour is a great place to start.

I especially like that it allows you to post book jackets and also links to the titles and authors. This visual option definitely adds to the whole experience. I knew in past copying jacket covers was discouraged, but apparently the copyright issues were worked out. I found this note (Cover images link to Amazon, a requirement if their covers are displayed. Text links go to LibraryThing.) Finally, another impressive feature of LibraryThing is the search options via Amazon or Library of Congress for cataloging info.

I could easily see this tool used for by our high school students to create and share their favorite books and authors, not only with each other in their school setting...but with the larger world of readers...which is what Web 2.0 is all about.
jane

Week 9: Podcasts, Video & Downloadable Audio #20. Discover YouTube and a few sites that allow users to upload and share videos

Welcome back!

For this exercise we were encouraged to find and embed a YouTube video into our blog.
I simply searched for "library"...and spent a fair amount of time browsing. There is some real bone-headed stuff out there...argh.

Anyway, I decided on three interesting enough to include (two more to come in additional posts).

The first is called "Interval Library". This video was added to YouTube on 6/27/06 by Kim Huston. Her summary of the video is as follows: "A project made for UWM: shoot something to do with intervals in the library. I chose the moving stacks in the basement. You press a button and they slowly go along a track to open up.
It was sort of a "What happens after hours" type of thing... kinda. If I had to give a reason for the goings on.".



Note: Somehow this first entry for Week 9 ended up after the one I posted earlier in the day for Week 8. I'm not sure why that happened, but does anyone know how to move the posts once they are listed?

Welcome letter to Mr. Fillmore

Hi Mr. Fillmore,

I'm learning about an online productivity tool called Zoho. It's similar to Google docs.

I haven't used either with students...but used Writely (predecessor to Google docs) as a student. We wrote a grant using the product. It was great to be able to post our component parts and collaborate on refining the final product.

BUT we also had access to something called Centra which allowed us to talk to each other. SO we were able to add the verbal (real-time conversation) dimension to our work. I think that could make a huge difference depending on the product.

I wonder if Skype could do the same thing if students were working on an online project outside of school?

Thanks for letting me send you something. I thought you might like to see Zoho too,

jane

PS - I may like Zoho a bit better than Google docs. It seems to have more options on the document page...very intuitive. I'd be interested to hear what you think.

Technorati Tags Web2.0

Week 8: Online Applications & Tools #18. Take a look at some online productivity (word processing, spreadsheet) tools

AWESOME!!
The above post was created in Zoho.
I used Zoho’s publish options to post to your blog.
FYI...Mr. Fillmore is a chemistry teacher in my high school who has migrated his course into Moodle this school year. We spoke briefly last week about his plan to use Google Docs with his classes.
BTW-if anyone out there is interested. We also have migrated his students citations and note-taking into NoodleTools. NoodleTools is an online bibliography composer with fully-integrated note-taking capabilities. We did make them (11th grade students) use books...YES, print sources...can you hear them groaning...for the first exercise last week.
For as wonderful as this is you can't throw the baby out with the bath water. There will be times when navigating a brick and mortar library and consulting print sources is absolutely the best choice (or an additional choice). It's well worth the time to elaborate on these important skills.

And Mr. Fillmore...I appreciate your being a good sport and allowing me to keep the post from the Zoho letter in my blog. In all fairness, please let me know if you'd rather I didn't or would like something edited.
jane

Week 7: Wikis #17 Add an entry to the Pennsylvania Curriculum Connection wiki

Hi,
Is there a password I should use to post to the PA 2.0 Curriculum Connection wiki?
I did not see one listed in our instructions.
Thanks,
jane

Week 7: Wikis #16a Take a look at California's Learning 2.0 SandBox wiki

Hi all...
Visited the California Curriculum Connection Wiki.
Cool idea to create a wiki around this course work.
As more and more people participate in the 23 week program...ideas will flow.
I was just thinking that the wiki is similar to a blog post, but it's just dawned on me that I probably could have edited other posts while I was on the photo and image page.

If used with the best intention, a wiki can be a wonderful learning tool. I imagine if you were using this in a classroom situation, there would need to be groundwork for those contributing. I wonder if it would be a good idea to have the students develop the collaboration framework within their wiki.
One thing that may also be of benefit is to see the trail of updates. One complaint with group work is the load is not always distributed appropriately. This may be useful to track who shared what.

The link to my wiki post is:
http://calcurriculum.pbwiki.com/Photos+and+Images
jane

Week 7: Wikis #16 Learn about wikis and discover some innovative ways that libraries are using them

Definition from week 16-
"A wiki is a collaborative website and authoring tool that allows users to easily add, remove and edit content".

Library applications

• pathfinder
• subject guide (e.g. St. Joseph County PL - Antiques & Collectibles) - How wonderfully complete. It is so clean & simple, yet comprehensive. I wonder how they divided the developmental work...one person...two people...all staff?) MEDIAWIKI
• book review (e.g. Princeton PL - Book Lovers Wiki) - Nicely formatted, like the link to write a review. Question - no posts since 2006? Why not? PBWIKI
• conference posts - Great interactive way to share posts, get people to learn about how to use a wiki. Thought - once the event is over...should there be some closure to the creation? My point is that often these things are created with great enthusiasm in anticipation for the event and then left floating...adrift... I'm guessing it's a "labor/time" thing and we all experience this type of crunch. Is follow-up just as vital as initiation?
• best practices - Policies and Procedures (e.g. Albany PL) - Great way to share/collaborate an typically internal document PBWIKI
• best practices - this Westwood Schools wiki beside being the home base for course information...also evolved into a "ning" called The Horizon Project to connect, communicate, collaborate Question...how did you design your project? around what theme? How did you find your social network participants? Another answered question to Who can join this space? If you're not a student of Mrs. Davis, please do not ask to join, although this space is publicly viewable it is only editable by the teacher and students at Westwood Schools.** Shouldn't this ease the concern many at our schools worry about posting to "the big world"? WIKISPACES
• This quote is taken from the header to Mr. Miller's "English 10 classroom blog

"We read, we think, we discuss... we post.

• So COOL! Questions...can your students access this from school? What was it that helped you to create this...a personal interest in emerging technology, a graduate course, etc... Do you mind having your course info posted for the world to see? Any challenges with either you or your students posting? It seems to me as if you have taken theory and put it into practice. Any "learned the hard way tips" to share? How much time to develop/maintain? I would love to sit down and have a conversation with you. I may just email... WIKISPACES

Final thoughts...great links showing the varied uses of wikis...I like some layouts better than others. I'll have to go back and check if it's the hosting site or simply the use of the tools. It still jumps out at me when something doesn't show an update in a two year span. I have a few blogs floating out there that I developed for various graduate courses that are just languishing too. Who houses these orphans? Should I clean them up? Can I? Another thing to check into.

FOLLOW-UP - blogs can be deleted under settings...and I think I like media wiki best, then wikispaces and finally pbwiki...

Week 6 follow-up...

Hello world!
I just checked my Technorati site where I've claimed my blog.
My rank is 4,580,432 and has no authority or fans...YET...

After searching Technorati for School Library 2.0, this link jumped out at me from page 16!!
Here we go Off the shelf librarian...I hope this give you the bitty jump start you need to get recognized in that big blog world out there...

http://offtheshelflibrarian.blogspot.com/

All the way from Texas? What a small world after all,
jane

Week 6: Tagging, Folksonomies & Technorati #15 Read a few perspectives on Web 2.0, Library 2.0 and the future of libraries

#15 asks us to write about our perspective regarding web 2.0 and its impact on our services.

The following quotes are taken from Web 2.0 Where will it take libraries? and written by Michael Stephens for a page entitled...Into a new world of librarianship.

"This librarian bases all planning and proposals for services, materials and outreach on user needs and wants". I might also add user preferred formats. For those of us targeting young adults...we need to learn both with and from them. Challenging...yes, but professionally necessary and often rewarding too.

"This librarian recognizes how services might be enhanced by the Read/Write web and how new services might be born in a climate of collaboration".
Someone replied to me from Texas...Texas. Here I am sitting in Lancaster, PA and get to hear what someone thinks half way across the United States! It still amazes me how easy and seamless this technology lets us interact with the WORLD!

"This librarian creates and nurtures a living, breathing technology plan".
Sticky...safety and expense are two hot topics when planning for technology integration. I'm all for purposeful purchases...team brainstorming/team vision/team commitment...ALL stakeholders. Sometimes, I believe we get too hung up on what might happen...we need to open Web 2.0 opportunities to communicate from school.

"This librarian recognizes how quickly the world and library users change with advancing technology".

I often felt overwhelmed that I would not be able to keep up with what's out there...until I finally accepted that I can't stay ahead of it. But, I can stay with it. Open confidence, open mind. What is truly important in not that I can teach each new technology innovation, but rather teach my students how to think...how to problem-solve...how to be comfortable with innovation. These skills will translate into any world yet to be.

"This librarian reads outside the profession and watches for the impact of technology on users and new thinking on business, because it is, in fact, related".

It's what we are preparing our students for... It's what will be expected...

"This librarian understands that the future of libraries will be guided by how users access, consume and create content".

As librarians, we should all be part of this forward flow. It' always been part of our nature...what we thrive on...

Finally, what does Library 2.0 mean to me...

Well, really it's just a stop along the way. It will be amazing to be a part of what's going on in 5 years from now...imagine...

jane

Week 6: Tagging, Folksonomies & Technorati #14 Explore Technorati and learn how tags work with blog posts

Earlier in the week I did the search for "School Library Learning 2.0”. I found a few links to folks who took this class!

I'm not particularly surprised to find the popular choices revolve around technology, politics, and current culture. This new realm really does bring "voice" to your fingertips. As they state in their "about us" page...it's about what's happening now.

I may be a bit slow on the uptake with this one...and may have even "realized" this earlier, but Technorati is like a melting pot for interests and ideas. It's a technological innovation that as it "crawls" through the vast web creates linked connections based on language (tagging choices). Getting Technorati to notice you is one of the purposes of week 6.

Whoa! I've just claimed ownership of my blog! Go School Library 2.0...let's get those favorites numbers up!!

Week 6: Tagging, Folksonomies & Technorati #13 Learn about tagging and discover Del.icio.us (a social bookmarking site)

Another adventure...

I helps me to define the things I look at, so here's what I found at the Technorati site:

"Technorati is the recognized authority on what's happening on the World Live Web, right now. The Live Web is the dynamic and always-updating portion of the Web. We search, surface, and organize blogs and the other forms of independent, user-generated content (photos, videos, voting, etc.) increasingly referred to as “citizen media". We rapidly index tens of thousands of updates every hour..."

So from a tagging perspective, technorati is a melting pot of sorts.

As for Library Thing...again individually selected tags that make sense to the contributor...rather than following a standard method as in more traditional settings. I guess what is fabulous about this is at least it does organize the wealth of data linked/accessible via the web. Not for the purist mind you, but definitely functional. Onward...

I just recently started a del.icio.us site. It's a life-saver. For so long I've stumbled through trying to keep track of the various sites that cross my path on a regular basis. It's overwhelming. I had to give up a bit worrying that I was "tagging" things well. The bottom line is that it needs to make sense to me...it needs to reflect the content in a way that will make it accessible in the future when I need it.

I could see this tool being used by anyone doing research over a period of time...personal or academic. It's a way to make some sense out of the chaos. Libraries can use this to make their web presence unique to their patrons. I could see it developed into a reflection of the community interests. Lots of potential for this one.

Week 5: Play Week #12 Roll your own search tool with Rollyo

The final portion of week 5 deals with a online tool called Rollyo. Rollyo lets you "create your own personal search engines" by "picking the sites you want to search. There are options to search "searchrolls" developed by others interested in whatever topic you select. I don't lnow that I have my arms wrapped around this yet, but my instinct tells me as time goes on, this may be a valuable tool in a library setting.

So often our searches revolve around either topics of curricular importance or of personal interest to our students. I could see searchrolls developed around the content that naturally happens in our libraries.

My first searchroll creation is centered around the PA Young Reader's Choice YA authors. I'm not sure how I will use this yet...but at least the framework is in place. I'll add the link tomorrow.

FOLLOW-UP - I've been back into Rollyo and so far have not found the path to add the link to my blog. The directions say "Add your searchroll to your blog using the "Create a Searchbox" tool.Select...Reference. Search The Web". I get so far, but don't know what code to copy or how to migrate what I need here. Anyone else having the same trouble?
jane

Week 5: Play Week #11 Join a Ning network & play Traveler IQ

Well, I'm member #1841 of TeacherLibrarian Network!
I've joined two groups - YA Lit in School Libraries and High School Teacher Librarians.
I think I will add these via RSS to my Google Reader...I need someplace to manage my library subscriptions. This makes sense to me...but any practical advice on how to manage/navigate in this "new web 2.0 world" would be appreciated.

And this is just plain fun...
Traveler IQ Challenge
I always have students who want to play in the MC.
I think I'll recommend this!
jane