Finito

Yay I’ve finished !!! 

A big thank you to Syba Signs (for making this course available online) and Dione (from Yarra Plenty Regional Library) for facilitating and encouraging us on our journey with Web 2.0 tools.

The best thing about this course was being able to not only learn about Web 2.0 but actually put it into practice and try it out for myself. So often on a PD I hear about different tools available but by the time I get back to my workplace and the busyness of life I just don’t get to try it out or I forget how they did it etc. I have thoroughly enjoyed exploring and using all the different tools. Following other Web 2.0 bloggers added to the experience with their findings and contributions.

My biggest challenge now is taking what I have learnt and seeing how it can be expressed in my workplace; amongst my colleagues in the Discovery Centre, teaching staff and of course the students. I suppose in a way it really means leaving the old way (or habits) of doing “stuff” and embracing a new way of doing it.

I would love to hear, in the future, from other bloggers how they have been able to introduce these new tools effectively into the classroom, library etc and the benefits of doing so!!

Thank you again

Sharon    

#23 E-books

I have used the “Project Gutenberg” site before and found “Many Books” site had lots of free e-books too.

E-books make reading very accessible ie being able to have lots of books kept in a lightweight portable device available at the touch of a finger. However copyright laws do provide some restrictions between countries which can be frustrating at present.

There is potential for the e-book, I think from a student’s perspective, in having textbooks available in this format. Would certainly save lugging them around in your school bag! Would have to be cheaper and also as curriculums change and textbooks update constantly it would have to save a few forests as well!! However from a school library point of view how to manage this format, taking into consideration Digital Rights Management, copyright and availability of Australian material etc requires some forethought and research.

As much as the idea of e-books sounds great, nothing beats reading a real book!!

#22 Audio books

Audio books are even more usable now with mp3 players and other such light weight portable devices (beats the old cassette and cumbersome player) which means you are not as limited to where and when you can listen to your favourite book. It would be great for me on a long road trip as I cannot read a book whilst travelling in a car – I get sick!

Obviously this format is great for the visually impaired but also for those who may struggle with their literacy skills and could help a student with learning difficulties to better understand a text being studied in English etc. E-books combined with audio would be even more beneficial as the student could see the words as they are spoken – great also for international students learning English or another language.

#21 Online Video

It never ceases to amaze me what you can find on YouTube! Enjoyed watching some of the clips and also exploring TeacherTube. This is certainly a good tool to engage student’s attention and can be a fun way to get a point across!

I have used godtube too when looking for online videos with a Christian content but you have to put up with a very short add before being able to play the video.

After watching the inspirational video on purple wombat’s blog about Nick Vujicic “Life without Limbs” I was reminded that the movie “Soul Surfer” based on Bethany Hamilton was about to be released in Australia (26th May). You can watch the official trailer above. We have her book in our Discovery Centre.

It is the inspiring true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through the love of her family, her sheer determination and unwavering faith. The film features an all-star cast, including AnnaSophia Robb and Helen Hunt, with Carrie Underwood in her film debut, and Dennis Quaid.
SOUL SURFER is based on the book by Bethany Hamilton, Sheryl Berk and Rick Bundschuh.

On a lighter note you might like to watch this dog say “I love you”

#20 Podcasts

Below are some sites I found which could be useful regarding educational podcasts to aid learning in the classroom. However a podcast being listened to in a classroom setting could be a bit boring for a student who is used to the very visually stimulating world we live in!! Good resource for the teacher to gain information and maybe more useful for older students who could use them as a research tool by listening via their ipod, mp3 player, computer etc etc etc.

• Science and environment        CSIRO podcasts
• News and The Science Show   ABC podcasts
• Science and nature from a Biblical Creation point of view    Answers in Genesis podcast  (Around the World with Ken Ham)
• Interesting articles from a range of topics    State Library of Vic Audio and Video

I thought it was good that you could get these via RSS feed so you could keep up-to-date with the latest subject information and news.

#19 Rollyo

I must admit I didn’t get overly excited with this as it just seemed to be another way to do the things we have already learnt about. Anyway I have persevered and added a search roll to my blog and you can check out my book week 2011 search engine. As mentioned by some of my colleagues this could be useful for class topic searches etc. Sorry for my lack of enthusiasm – must be tired!!

#18 Wikis

I have looked at a lot of Wikis tonight and think there are some great possibilities using them in the classroom for class projects etc and particularly in the Library – collaborating resources for staff and students – creating book lists, subject/topic lists etc. Certainly a lot of food for thought!!

#17 Delicious

Social Bookmarking is a relatively new thing for me. Last year I signed up with Diigo as I had heard that Delicious was closing down however it is still hanging around and I now see that it has been bought out by AVOS. I signed up with Delicious today to have a look around the site but I think I will stay with Diigo. There seems to be a lot more options with Diigo such as highlighting, sticky notes etc. although I am still only an amateur.

Using a bookmarking site like this certainly has its advantages especially being able to view your bookmarks on any computer and also allowing others to view them as well. Great tool for students to collaboratively bookmark sites for a group project or for teachers to use and share with their students to recommend helpful sites for a particular subject. Why not use it with team members at work, for example, when researching a new area of technology such as eReaders and eBooks, iPads in the classroom etc. Tagging the bookmarks certainly makes it easier to sort and also to find the site again at a later date.

“Information Age”

You may be interested in reading the following article

5 Myths about the "Information Age"

from the Chronicle of Higher Education.

After reading that then check out what this School Superintendant has to say about the iPad …..

Schools supe: iPad more important than a book

Two differing points of view – some food for thought!!

#15 RSS Feeds and #16 Subscriptions

I am familiar with RSS feeds and have been using MS Outlook to receive a number of subscriptions already, at home and at work (Bright Ideas and Creative Library Display). Since doing this course and setting up iGoogle account I have been receiving “followed blog” updates via Google Reader which has worked well. I thought I would try subscribing to “Unshelved” and did so via Google Reader – I’ll give it a few weeks to see if I will keep it or not!

Activity #13-#14 MySpace/Facebook

I now have a MySpace page. I can’t say I liked the format though and would prefer to use my existing Facebook page. Having said that I don’t really use Facebook very often – it’s amazing how many friends I potentially have!!!

I could see myself using this with family/friends who were overseas; lived in another state or if I was travelling for a long period of time. A great way to share photos and what is happening in your life with those you don’t get to see very often.

I think the articles explaining how people need to be careful about what they say on these sites and also how to protect your identity etc is very important.

Had a quick look at Ning and searched libraries only to discover the ones I clicked on were offline or needed reactivating?!? Also why would you pay money when there are so many social networks free? Checked out LinkedIn and it certainly has a more professional look and feel about it. And then of course there is Twitter – I have heard heaps about it and know my son uses it and have seen the Tweets come through when reading online about recent natural disaster updates on ABC news etc.

However after reading all this information and exploring the possibilities …there really isn’t anything that can replace a good ol’ chat with family, friends or colleagues over the phone or face to face.

Flickr - Make a badge

You can make this nifty little badge up and embed into your page which shows some of your photos from your photostream. Thought I would have a little play and see what it looks like.

www.flickr.com

Activity #12 Flickr - Autumn Burst

I love this photo, as Autumn is my favourite season and it is especially beautiful in Bright - a great place for a relaxing holiday.

Autumn Burst, a photo by boydmace on Flickr.

I also managed to upload a couple of photos onto Flickr as well. Great way to share photos with others.