I've looked at YouTube forever, but did not realize how unbelievably easy it is to upload your own videos with basically the same format for TeacherTube. I especially like that you can upload support material with TeacherTube. The tutorial videos were excellent.
I practiced with a video I already had in my file made with my digital camera which has an .mpg extension. The hardest part is the long wait for it to upload. It was easy to embed here in the blog.
Dutch Oven Cooking
I also tried uploading a PhotoStory 3 file with a .wmv extension. Also easy and the music and voice over came through great. It is true that the photos lose their quality the more they are copied. The originals were extremely sharp, then they went into PhotoStory, then into YouTube.
Visiting Rome
I see a great advantage in uploading teaching/learning videos that can be used in the classroom! Sharing video resources shares the load of creation. Why reinvent the wheel when it is already out there and ready to use. By sharing videos, teachers do not have to create one for every lesson and therefore are more inclined to use them. "I don't have time to do this" is what I hear from my teachers who aren't real tech savvy. If they are available they will probably use them...and when they see how easy it is...then maybe they will create one.
My students would love sharing their work online. Motivation is one of our biggest problems in getting students to produce quality work. If they see it can really be published online perhaps they'll take a few more steps to develop something worthy of publishing.
Showing posts with label Library 2 Play 2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Library 2 Play 2. Show all posts
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Thing #3 -- Library2Play2
I downloaded Skype and am trying to get my daughter to set up an account too so I can practice.
I once attended a Texas Library Conference session where the speaker in the auditorium was debating someone using Skype so I have seen the app in use even though I have not used it. I can see a lot of potential for this technology in our small rural 1A school where we do not have a lot of monetary or physical resources.
I see us connecting our Spanish class students with students in a Spanish speaking country. It could be an opportunity for them to practice their English while talking to us and for us to practice our Spanish while talking with them.
I also see an astronomy project with New Zealand or Australia...calling up at times during a month to compare the phases of the moon.
How fantastic it would be to actually have a conversation with the author of a book we are reading or a discussion with a scientist about a scientific principle!
Homebound students meet regularly with our homebound teacher, but say they are having to write their major senior research paper and have specific questions. They could use Skype for an afternoon video call to the senior English teacher to ask and receive help.
I especially liked the 50 Awesome Ways article that provided links to suggestions for use in the classroom.
I once attended a Texas Library Conference session where the speaker in the auditorium was debating someone using Skype so I have seen the app in use even though I have not used it. I can see a lot of potential for this technology in our small rural 1A school where we do not have a lot of monetary or physical resources.
I see us connecting our Spanish class students with students in a Spanish speaking country. It could be an opportunity for them to practice their English while talking to us and for us to practice our Spanish while talking with them.
I also see an astronomy project with New Zealand or Australia...calling up at times during a month to compare the phases of the moon.
How fantastic it would be to actually have a conversation with the author of a book we are reading or a discussion with a scientist about a scientific principle!
Homebound students meet regularly with our homebound teacher, but say they are having to write their major senior research paper and have specific questions. They could use Skype for an afternoon video call to the senior English teacher to ask and receive help.
I especially liked the 50 Awesome Ways article that provided links to suggestions for use in the classroom.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thing #2 - Library 2 Play 2
OK, I thought since I got high-speed internet since 23 Things, everything would run like clockwork... not exactly. I used IE7 and the Wordle image would not show. I followed directions and reinstalled the newest version of Java with a restart and still no luck showing the image on IE. (I had also noticed that lately, my Avatar was not showing...the "Red X Syndrome." I had even changed the Avatar image and no luck).
Then I tried Mozilla and still no Avatar (but no red X box either), but this time my cloud shows up in Mozilla but still not IE. Any suggestions out their on how to get rid of the red X in IE? I followed the directions. And how do I get my Avatar to reappear?
Anyway, I created a Wordle image of the first chapter from the official site of The Alamo - History and the most frequent words are San Antonio and Indians. It would definitely be helpful in bringing the most common words to the forefront for a summary, especially in longer passages. I see here that the mission at San Antonio was built for the Indians.
(created at http://www.wordle.net/)
I just got through playing with Glogster and love it. Here is a link to what I created on Traveling. I found it super simple to use. The tutorials were really good and I liked the fact that she gave the same tutorial in several formats. It would be excellent for my students to create posters online instead of the traditional paper poster (which they always forget...or claim to). This way they all have access at school to the internet and can all create a project. It would be good for upper elementary through high school on animals, biomes, artists, biographies, Spanish speaking countries...to name a few we do. I also liked the concept of the teacher created one for information purposes. It is a lot more exciting to look at than all text. Student thinking...I found it is quicker to do this type of poster. It eliminates some steps (printing, cutting, pasting). If internet access is not available at home, time must be provided at school. Students can manipulate what goes on the poster easier...changing sizes and colors at a whim without wasting paper. Students will want to do this more than the traditional poster because it is new and they prefer anything technical.
I also played with Animoto and created a 30-second quickie on travel. It was unbelievably easy. Although it needs more practice to really tweek it, I know it has great potential in the classroom. Librarians already use it for booktalks. History projects showing a sequence of events set to music, art projects showing works of art by a particular artist or showcasing a students own work, using photos to illustrate an abstract concept.
Bookr was a unique little tool from Flickr although working with it I encountered some limitations. However when I looked at a few in the archive I could see that by spending more time I could probably work out some of my issues of picture size as others did. I see a lot of possibilities with this from elementary to high school. K-2 could build a book with the teacher working the computer and the students telling her what pictures to find...as in what do you find on a farm, in a rainforest, in the snow, etc. Older students could do history events, science projects. This could take the place of any of the other tech tools in this lesson or PowerPoint or PhotoStory. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Here is one I did on the Missions of San Antonio.
Then I tried Mozilla and still no Avatar (but no red X box either), but this time my cloud shows up in Mozilla but still not IE. Any suggestions out their on how to get rid of the red X in IE? I followed the directions. And how do I get my Avatar to reappear?
Anyway, I created a Wordle image of the first chapter from the official site of The Alamo - History and the most frequent words are San Antonio and Indians. It would definitely be helpful in bringing the most common words to the forefront for a summary, especially in longer passages. I see here that the mission at San Antonio was built for the Indians.
(created at http://www.wordle.net/)
I just got through playing with Glogster and love it. Here is a link to what I created on Traveling. I found it super simple to use. The tutorials were really good and I liked the fact that she gave the same tutorial in several formats. It would be excellent for my students to create posters online instead of the traditional paper poster (which they always forget...or claim to). This way they all have access at school to the internet and can all create a project. It would be good for upper elementary through high school on animals, biomes, artists, biographies, Spanish speaking countries...to name a few we do. I also liked the concept of the teacher created one for information purposes. It is a lot more exciting to look at than all text. Student thinking...I found it is quicker to do this type of poster. It eliminates some steps (printing, cutting, pasting). If internet access is not available at home, time must be provided at school. Students can manipulate what goes on the poster easier...changing sizes and colors at a whim without wasting paper. Students will want to do this more than the traditional poster because it is new and they prefer anything technical.
I also played with Animoto and created a 30-second quickie on travel. It was unbelievably easy. Although it needs more practice to really tweek it, I know it has great potential in the classroom. Librarians already use it for booktalks. History projects showing a sequence of events set to music, art projects showing works of art by a particular artist or showcasing a students own work, using photos to illustrate an abstract concept.
Bookr was a unique little tool from Flickr although working with it I encountered some limitations. However when I looked at a few in the archive I could see that by spending more time I could probably work out some of my issues of picture size as others did. I see a lot of possibilities with this from elementary to high school. K-2 could build a book with the teacher working the computer and the students telling her what pictures to find...as in what do you find on a farm, in a rainforest, in the snow, etc. Older students could do history events, science projects. This could take the place of any of the other tech tools in this lesson or PowerPoint or PhotoStory. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Here is one I did on the Missions of San Antonio.
Thing #1 -- Library 2 Play 2
Common Craft is one of my favorite online video tutorial sites because it is so simplistic. (As a matter of fact, before I opened Thing #1, I had just sent the Common Craft web site along with both Library2Play sites to 3 other teachers to use!) It is a perfect way to open the door for discussion on using online technology tools.
I agree that the 21st century student needs to be tech savvy to succeed, and I also believe that same student is probably more tech savvy than me! The key is to channel that expertise that he already possesses into the education field and show him/her how it can apply to life after school in meaningful ways. On the way, we can teach each other!
And most definitely...the librarian can play the role of teacher, whether tutoring the student on library computers one on one or co-teaching a lesson with a classroom teacher in the lab.
I agree that the 21st century student needs to be tech savvy to succeed, and I also believe that same student is probably more tech savvy than me! The key is to channel that expertise that he already possesses into the education field and show him/her how it can apply to life after school in meaningful ways. On the way, we can teach each other!
And most definitely...the librarian can play the role of teacher, whether tutoring the student on library computers one on one or co-teaching a lesson with a classroom teacher in the lab.
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