Podcasting: The survey says...

Podcasting Survey 2011 using Chartle.net My use of this tool still needs some fine-tuning.
This week Ms Knight and I completed our first collaborative podcasting experience with her grade 8 Science classes. Although we faced a number of challenges the overall engagement of the students and results were spectacular.

When asked what they had learned students responded:

• science can be fun
• I can learn without visuals
• repetition by rerecording helped me learn
• how to use Audacity
• how to make a podcast
• about my water issue and why it is important
• I would make a great reporter

 Suggestions made by students for next time:

• more time to record
• practice more
• should podcast more often
• try video recording
• speak more clearly, more slowly and with more expression
• work faster
• pick a different partner

Although some students chose not to publish their podcasts online Ms Knight and I agree the assignment was worth the time and effort.

Tech in Perspective

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43217080@N00/1169807846

An informal meeting with a board Technology Resource Teacher (ITRT) today made me review the progress we have made implementing technology at my school. A little refresher to put things in perspective.
Library Tech:

• wireless hub 
• 13 netbooks + 4 desk top PCs
• 4 flip cameras
• 15 headset/microphones
• Evernote & Diigo added to netbook image

• Wiki use for social studies and science projects (gr. 6)
• wiki use for reading strategies demonstration (gr. 7)
• use of Flickr and FlickrCC resources
• Glogster presentations (prior to board blocking)
• Prezi creation with French classes (gr. 8)
• Diigo recommended for student collection of bookmarks (g.r 8)
• Bibme accounts for collection of citations (gr. 8)
• introduction of alternate search engines; Sweet Search, Mashpedia, Boolify and Yippy
• 16 Sqworl pathfinders for a variety of subject areas (gr. 6,7,8)
• podcasting with six science classes (gr.8)
• video creation with two media classes (gr.7)
• introduction to blogging for eight classes (gr.7, 8)
• purchase of Weebly Campus Account
• ten teachers set up Weebly class accounts
• purchase of PodOmatic podcasting account for school
• planned PD to introduce Diigo and Twitter as tools for PLN

Tech in the school:

• wireless hubs on three mobile netbook labs (20 netbooks/ one cart/grade level)
• use of Google docs at staff meeting and student focus groups
• VP's from our superintendency visit digitally savvy schools in B.C.
• teacher attendance at board-wide Tech conference
• School blogs with student content, photos, Voice thread

Our digital footprint is much better than we thought and growing.

Doing the Web 2.0 Quickstep

As the first few months of my Web 2.0 course pass I have begun to dance the Web 2.0 dance just a little quicker. As a new dancer there have been the inevitable missteps.

Image: 'Indian dancer ¬ 9363*'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36699339@N00/3423542026

I have done the Flickr: steps at school without too much stress. I have experimented using Flickr in the library for a few lessons where I showed colour palettes and watercolour paintings. I found a visual of 5 grams of salt for a nutrition lesson and another group used the flickr images on Mashpedia to understand oil spills.

These Thinglink steps are still in rehearsal.  It is a tool I would like to have our students access on their web pages. It remains to be seen whether the thinglink plugin can be activated on Weebly student accounts.

The Podcasting steps are a bit more complicated than we thought but with more attention to the technical we will have this tool ready for performance. In order to accommodate class  podcasting we purchased an upgrade for the PodOmatic site for one year.  Some very enthusiastic grade 8 classes have created scripts to use for podcasting their research about issues related to water. Using Audacity which can be found on the school board computer image was simple although students found trying to transfer from Audacity versions downloaded at home to the school version was impossible due to incompatibly issues. We found microphones to use with our netbook labs and the library has purchased our own microphone/head sets. Unfortunately problems developed when the microphones would not record and when classroom noise levels interfered with recording.
In order to publish student podcasts we needed to contact  PodOmatic support. They instructed us to have students use the same login and password to access and publish their episodes on our podcast channel.
One more thing: we are looking into a school Voicethread Account and a staff learning session in the library to allow more students access to this tool for broadcasting on the internet .

Video Creating is a dance of frustrations. The students in small groups collected video clips for editing to create commercials for Media Studies. Students were given the choice of using Masher.com or Movie Maker. To access Movie Maker using school computers is simple as the software is on our school board computer image. Some of the library netbooks required downloading of the software which revealed that Microsoft Movie Maker is not available for Windows XP (the system our school computers use).
Our first attempt to upload to Movie Maker failed because our flipcamera files are MP4 and movie maker reads avi files.

'Flip Camera
http://www.flickr.com/photos/71018547@N00/2437471860

An email to our Learning Technologies Specialist gave me the link to Free Studio (supported by our board) to use to convert MP4 files to avi. The download and the conversion took forever! And because we were dealing with two classes and six groups in each class and needed to transfer from computer to computer using USB drives and the librarian didn't think to name the files using student names...you can imagine that day.

Thanks to the engagement of technology the students were patient while they waited and enthusiastic once their files were uploaded and the editing began.  Thank you to my colleague who was supportive and had a sense of humour.
I am seriously considering an additional investigation of Animoto for online video editing. Rouleau (2011) writes, "Animoto allows the user a fast and animated video creation tool that automatically adds in special effects with minimal effort." (para.3)

Still practicing these Diigo steps: Although I have had Diigolet added to my library netbook image and suggested to some students they open an account to collect bookmarks for a research assignment there has been little opportunity to teach with Diigo.

Blogging is the dance I most look forward to. Blogger is blocked by our board and Edublogs although recommended  by our board as a substitute for Google Blogger doesn't rank highly amoung staff who have class websites. Weebly though, is very well thought of and a number of staff already have accounts. A request to open a Weebly account put to our principal resulted in the purchase of a campus account for 750 students and 30 teachers with the ability for present account holders to migrate to the new school Pro Campus account.
We have introduced blogging to four classes this week using the Commoncraft videos: Blogs in Plain English., a Brainpop Video about Blogs and the Kist (2010) Snowball activity (p.37) which has been very successful in helping students recognize the need for guidelines when writing blogs.
I have recreated my BBAT boys' reading blog using Weebly and hope to encourage our boys to read and write using this tool. I am also considering using blogging for my Red Maple Reading Program group to discuss the ten fiction titles selected this year.

The dance continues and each day I feel a little more sure-footed about the opportunities for using Web 2.0 tools in my school library with the teachers and students.

Would you care to dance?

My 3 Blogging Hats

Teaching Hat:

• engaging students in meaningful writing for authentic audiences
• student portfolio development
• literature/discussion circle
• "supports critical thinking, encouraging students to think and reflect prior to writing."(Trexler, 2010, p105)
• engaging students and teachers using technology
• allows all members of a class an equal voice
• sharing ideas and understanding
• school library blog
• student reading group blogs
• sharing passion for technology in education and school libraries
• offering PD to teachers

Learning Hat

• Personal Learning Community (without a doubt)
• professional resources available through searching credible sources
• links to new resources through the blogs I follow
• collaborate to present ideas to colleagues/followers
• using Google Reader for updates from blogs I follow
• life long learning will be up to date, relevant and accurate
• RSS feeds how did ever live without you?

Personal Hat: 

• possibly create a blog to share my interest in watercolour painting (might have to wait now I am on this journey to Web 2.0)
• developing my voice
• Should I delete my Facebook account due to a few negative experiences and focus more on blogging?
• feeling validated by repeat viewers from around the world
• I think therefore I am a blogger

Finding a Blogging Voice: Step Four

My voice as a teacher librarian is thrilled by books, new titles and old, especially Canadian and passionate about intellectual freedoms on the shelves and on the web.

My voice as a technology leader is excited by the possibility of using Web 2.0 tools and technology in my library and in the classrooms. 

My voice is regularly frustrated by board of education internet filters and tight controls of forward thinking practices regarding technology. 

My voice as an educator is pleased by, supportive and encouraging of creative and unique approaches to teaching and learning. 

My voice as a learner is enthusiastic to experience new things and PASSIONATE to share what I have discovered and always has been and probably always will be.

The message I want to express as a blogger is that teacher librarians can move our schools into the 21^st century and I will post information that is a real and honest attempt to pass that message along. I agree that these technologies "can be used to transform classroom practice and extend the school day in ways that will have a positive impact on student achievement." (Brooks-Young, 2010, p.11)  I am seeking an authentic voice in my posts but the details of the assignment seem to be interfering with my natural style of blogging (or what I think is my style of blogging) although my recent posts feel more like me (with an academic edge)...if that makes sense.  I am developing a sense that if I could write posts more quickly and more often my voice would be less formal and more real, authentic and readable (PASSIONATE). I revisit and edit my blog posts all the time. 

 

The (My) Guide to Finding Your Blogging Voice  offers these suggestions:

• Identify your unique voice.
• JUST START ALREADY!
• Write like you talk.
• Tweak it along the way
• Wisdom comes through risks.

I would like a voice that is mainly Whale with a bit of Dolphin.

 

I hope to take this advice to heart.  I am still looking for my voice. Has anyone out there seen it?
Final advice-Take my own advice! 

Five Blogging Fundamentals: Step Two

What have I learned about blogging?

My experience creating and posting to Steps to Web 2.0 has given me some insight into blogs and blogging.

1. Create a site with an interesting design:

    -preview as you play with the layout to see how things look

    -don't hesitate to change the design if it isn't working (most recently-November 13, 2011)

Blogger Design Page

2. Use interesting titles and tags:

    -play with words but be clear about the content of your blog and posts
    -tag each post to clarify content
    -be flexible and creative

3. Add images, screencasts or videos to create interest:

     -enhance using public domain, creative commons or original digital images

4. Include hyperlinks to internet sources:

     -include links to items you talk about and sources of further information. Reading on the Web includes hyperlinks which make your blog interactive and enhance content 

5. Share your passion

    -create a blog for your personal digital videos, photos, your interests, travels, or personal news or opinions

    -read, follow and comment on other blogs that interest you

   -if you want to introduce blogs to your students you need to blog yourself. Richardson (2009) states,"if we want our students to learn from blogs, we have to experience that learning first hand."(p.43)

My 3 Social Bookmarking Hats

 My Teaching:
-research - grade 8 Body Systems
-private group creation (class/subject/teachers)
-collaboration and sharing of links
-in lieu of "can I email this to myself?"
-critical thinking re: creation of tags and selection of links
-writing annotations
-selection of text for highlighting
-bookmark appropriate sites for student pathfinders
-Student learning communities
-opportunities to connect to other researchers

My Learning:
-research for all graduate courses
-sharing links with colleagues and group members
-daily updates = instant PD!
-life long learning
-"cloud" access to all links
-extend my PLN to teacher librarians, teachers and others interested in Web 2.0 
-access far more on the internet through groups and those I follow
-subscribe to groups for updates, annotations and bookmarks


Personal:
-use a private Diigo group to save bookmarks presently residing in my favourites on each computer I use
-tagging is changing the way I work with Web 2.0
-connect with like-minded educators and teacher librarians
-expand my use of the internet to personal interests: storytelling and watercolour painting

My 3 Video sharing hats

My Learning:

-professional development topics

-YouTube "how to" video
-to help my nieces with their education and life choices

Teaching:

-engage visual learners

-video production for a variety of purposes

-promote books with book trailers

-video storytelling

-background knowledge for curriculum topics (natural disasters)

-YouTube "how to" (Khan Academy)

Personal:

-step by step watercolour instruction

-create more storytelling video files

-create video files of family events

My 3 Podcasting Hats

My Learning:

-follow episodes of TED Education, The Audacity to Podcast, and Clever Sheep
-unlimited possibilities for professional development (if I only had an ipod)

Teaching:
-engage auditory learners

-alternate presentation task

-read aloud books for English Language Learners and add to library blog
-enlist students to read aloud for school library podcasts

-engaging students in learning through use of Web 2.0 audio files

-sharing with parents
-presently collaborating with a grade 8 teacher to produce podcasts for water issues project (6 more microphones are on my shopping list)

Personal:
-send audio messages to friends and family

-promote my storytelling as a business

-add 'think aloud' podcasts to my artist website

-blog posts as audio files

My 3 digital image sharing hats (with respect to Joanne deGroot's 500 hats)

Personal:

-share family event photos

-share personal event photos with absent family

-share photos of paintings with the world

-join Flickr watercolour artist groups 
-reference photos for paintings

Learning:

-building (PLN) learning networks with T-L Flickr groups

-studying the work of watercolour artists

-share comments with artists in my groups

Teaching:

-use to develop background knowledge with flickr visuals

-virtual shared experiences

-introduction to biomes, aboriginal peoples environment, country studies

-sharing school events

-virtual yearbook photo collection

-reference photos for electives watercolour students 

Note: I offer a watercolour painting course to grade 8 students in the library. As a result of my exploration of Flickr I created a gallery of pictures including a colour wheel, a palette of colours with paint tubes, and examples of watercolour paintings I found in the Flickr groups I follow. I was able to show slides of my own paintings and suggested we might create a gallery of student work. A collection of Flickr images of iris' and poppies helped students visualize the flowers for their floral paintings.

Grade 8 Watercolour Elective Flickr slide show