Emily's Web 2.0 Blog

Week 3 Reflections

2009-08-05T18:17:00.003-05:00

As I read some of the educational blogs, I was reminded of the wide range of possibilities for a blog.

I started a library blog in January. My primary audience is 3rd - 5th grade students. I try to share information about books and upcoming library events. My goal has been to post weekly, but I haven't been very consistent, especially this summer.

I feel that is is important for educators to actively use Web 2.0 tools with students. We are teaching 21st century learners who will be using many of these tools in their personal lives. Students at my school have been thrilled to use wikis and blogs in a school setting, so it's also a way to actively engage students. We can be the educators to teach students how to safely navigate the world of social media.

The Top Ten Reasons for Using 2.0 in Learning wiki organized by Joyce Valenza has become one of my favorites for new ideas for using Web 2.0 and rationale to support their use. I've also found the following video inspiring!

Week 2 Reflections

2009-07-22T12:59:00.002-05:00

What did you learn?
I had no idea there were so many templates available to choose!

How will you use what you have learned?
Templates and gadgets are fun ways to customize a blog.

How did you feel about this information?
I like the idea of selecting a template that reflects the you and the purpose for your blog. While I like adding some gadgets to my blog, I think it can easily start feeling cluttered. I don't want the gadgets I add to distract students from reading what I post.

What makes a template work for you? What do you look for in a template for your website?
I didn't end up adding a template to my blog. Instead I selected a background from The Cutest Blog on the Block and added it to my existing template. In selecting a template, I want something simple that reflects my personality and fits with the purpose of the blog.

What widgets did you add this week?
I added a picture, calendar, weather, NASA Picture of the Day, suduko, and goodreads.

What purpose do you see for widgets on your website?
I think it is important to add widgets that relate to the purpose of your blog, so they don't distract from your posts. On my library blog, I have a text widget to tell students how to safely comment on the blog, a links widget for links to the library catalog and author websites, and a goodreads widget to recommend books to students.

What questions do you still have about blog templates and widgets?
None right now.

What would you like to see covered next week?
??? I don't have any ideas right now.

Week 1 Reflections

2009-07-20T11:41:00.002-05:00

What did you learn?
I love the idea of being able to have guests contribute to your blog by email. I knew you could invite guest bloggers, but I hadn't explored the blog by email option. I also am glad to know how to remove the navigation bar from the top of the blog.

How will you use what you have learned?
I'm looking forward to inviting some classes to post on my library blog using the blog by email option. I removed the navigation bar from my library blog for students, but I left it on my Web 2.0 blog I'm using for this course. I'm kind of attached to the account options at the top right hand side of the screen.

How did you feel about this information?
I'm glad to learn about some new to me features in Blogger. I've explored a lot of the menus, but I had never tried the email to blog option.

Do you feel that comment moderation is a benefit or a detriment? Why?
I am strongly in favor of comment moderation. I feel responsible for any content that is posted on my blog, and I want to make sure that comments are appropriate and relevant to the post.

Who did you ask to try the Mail-to-Blogger feature? Did it work? Would you use this with your students? colleagues?
I tried the Mail-to-Blogger feature myself. It is really easy to use, and I like that you can have the post save as a draft until you are ready for it to post. I'm definitely planning to use it with classes and teachers at my school.

What do you not want to forget about this week’s information?
I need to save the directions for removing the navigation bar. I think this is a great way to make our blogs safer for students.

What questions do you still have about blog settings and templates?
Is there any way to remove the Next Blog and Search box, but still keep the Sign In link on the right side of the navigation bar? Like I said before, I'm kind of attached to that feature. I know I can get used to the change, but I do use that part of the navigation bar a lot when I'm working on my blog.

Email Post Trial

2009-07-20T11:33:00.002-05:00

I'm trying out the post by email option in Blogger.

I think this would be a great way to allow classes, teachers, or even administrators to contribute to my library blog.

A photo of the new computer tables in my library is included with this post just so I can see how images are included from an email.

Advanced Blogging

2009-07-14T20:46:00.000-05:00

Advanced Blogging starts tomorrow! I'm excited to learn more about blog features and to find new ways to use my library blog with students.

The Voki I created last summer doesn't seem to be working, so I guess I'll be fixing it in the coming weeks. :)

Week 6 Reflections

2008-07-30T16:42:00.000-05:00

How would you describe this course to a colleague?
An introduction to Web 2.0 tools that provides you the opportunity to actually explore the tools and find ways they can help you in your job.

What was the best part of the course and why?
Having assignments using the tools was the best part of the course for me. I had heard about many of the tools and knew that they could help me in the library, but until the course, I never made the time to actually try them.

What will you take away from this course to use in your classroom?
I plan to use blogs and wikis in the library during the coming year to communicate with students and teachers. I'm sure I will incorporate other tools along the way.

What is one thing you would change about this course for the next group?
I think the course could be broken into a couple segments. A six week class has been a little bit long during the summer even though I enjoyed the learning. I can see there being more interest in a shorter course.

Would you recommend this course to anyone else? Why or why not?
Absolutely! I already have! Librarians in the district have discussed Web 2.0 tools. There is quite a bit of interest, but I think this course is a good way to jump in and try some of those things that we already know are great tools.

Scrapblog

2008-07-27T22:29:00.000-05:00

I decided to try Scrapblog. It basically is a free digital scrapbooking program that allows the user to upload photos from your computer or photo sharing account. Lots of scrapbook templates are offered or you can create your own page from scratch. I decided to explore Scrapblog because I thought it might be a fun assignment option for a student project.

Follow the link below to learn more about Scrapblog. Click on the "Take a Quick Tour" link to learn more about this tool.

http://www.scraplog.com/

Below is my sample Scraplog. My fifth graders usually do a project where each student researches one of the fifty states. I thought they could create a scrapblog telling about their state and some of the attractions.

Week 5 Reflections

2008-07-27T20:31:00.000-05:00

What did you learn?
I've explored photo sharing accounts and Teacher Tube before, but Playlist was new to me. It's a great way to incorporate music.

How will you use what you have learned?
I think it will be fun to share photos from library events with teachers and parents by using a photo sharing account. And it will save server space! :)

How did you feel about this tool?
More great resources!

How can this be used in the classroom or in your educational role?
Instructional videos are great tools to use with students and for me to learn new things.

Would you use a shared media like playlist.com?
I'm not sure how I would use it at this point. I'll have to do some thinking about how it could be used in the library.

Should you use this in the classroom or your educational role?
Both

What questions do you still have about these tools?
I tried to post my playlist in a blog post, but it wouldn't work. I could use the same code and post it in the frame of my blog. It's something I'll have to keep exploring.

Teacher Tube Video

2008-07-22T14:26:00.000-05:00

This is a fun video about the importance of using sources other than Google and Uncle George when doing research. I think I may use it with my fifth graders who think that Google and Wikipedia are all they need for research projects.

More Library Photos

2008-07-22T14:07:00.000-05:00

I uploaded more library pictures to my Flickr account today. I think a photosharing account will be a great way to share pictures from library events with students and teachers. Here is a link to more pictures.

Caldwell Library Photos

Shared Media

2008-07-22T13:52:00.000-05:00

Media sharing is the publishing of photos, video, or other media through social networks such as email, text messaging, blogs, etc. You hold the copyright to any media you create. In order for anyone to use or alter your work, they must have your permission. According to fair use guidelines, a small portion of your work may be used without requesting your permission if certain criteria are met. Creative Commons is a non-profit organization that allows users to choose what level of copyright restrictions they would like to place on their creation. A Creative Commons license is generally less restrictive than a traditional copyright license.

Week 4 Wiki Reflections

2008-07-15T09:57:00.000-05:00

What did you learn?
I now have some new ideas for how wikis could be used in schools. I like all the widget options for adding polls, spreadsheets, audio, video, etc. to a wiki.

How will you use what you have learned?
I plan to create a wiki to use in library planning with teachers this year.

How did you feel about this tool?
Wikis are a great resource for collaboration!

What do you not want to forget about this tool?
I want to be sure to remember to use the widgets on my wikis and to subscribe to them using an RSS reader to easily monitor changes.

How can this be used in the classroom or in your educational role?
Wikis are a great tool for planning because multiple people can contribute easily. I know they can be used with students as well, but I need to do some more thinking about how to use them with students in the library.

Should you use this in the classroom or your educational role?
Both

Wikis

2008-07-15T08:45:00.000-05:00

I've actually used a couple different wikis during the school year for planning and have found them very useful! A wiki is basically an easily edited webpage that can be open to the public or members only. Below are some wikis that I explored.

RRISD ITS Wiki
The purpose of this wiki is to share job related information and resources. It is very well organized with a different page for each topic. I particularly like the page about TCEA where members shared about sessions they attended at the conference. I think this would be a great idea for librarians to add a page about the Texas Library Association Annual Conference to our wiki. Everyone comes back eager to share what we learned at the conference, but finding time to share is often difficult.

All About Math Wiki
This wiki is a guide for teachers showing how their textbook connects with the Massachusetts curriculum. It also includes additional resources related to the units. I'm sure teachers would appreciate information like this in other subject areas as well.

RRISD Armadillo Readers' Choice Wiki
This is a private wiki that I created for the librarians who are part of the Armadillo committee. As a committee, we selected books that we plan to use with kindergarten through second grade students. We used the wiki to brainstorm lessons to use with the books.

Podcasting Reflections

2008-06-29T22:08:00.000-05:00

My current working definition of a podcast is as follows. I'm sure I'll refine my definition over time.

A podcast is an audio or video file distributed through the internet that uses a feed for playback and subscription. New podcast episodes are posted on regular basis.

I enjoyed listening to podcasts created by students such as the Coley Cast. I think podcasts would be a great way to share student work with parents throughout the school year. I'll have to do some more thinking about how podcasting could be used in the library. My only idea so far would be to create some library orientation podcasts or podcasts about special events. These would be great for the younger library users who couldn't read a blog post.

Podcasting was a real challenge for me! I didn't have any trouble recording the audio file in Audacity, but uploading the file to my blog was difficult. My first attempt resulted in a blank audio file. :) I think I would use Edublogs in the future if I plan to do regular podcasting.

My Library Podcast

2008-06-29T21:32:00.000-05:00

I created this podcast to introduce library users to the different sections of our library.

Week 2 Reflections

2008-06-26T15:05:00.000-05:00

What did you learn?
RSS Readers are great tools to keep track of blog posts on your favorite blogs. It's nice to have everything in one place that you can check from anywhere rather than relying on a list of favorites in Internet Explorer.

How will you use what you have learned?
I will definitely be more consistent in reading professional blogs now that they are all in one place!

How did you feel about this tool?
It's very useful.

What do you not want to forget about this tool?
I had some trouble getting all my feeds arranged on the reader. I hope I can remember the tricks I learned.

How can this be used in the classroom or in your educational role?
I will use my RSS reader to keep up with the professional blogs I like to read, but often forget.

Should you use this in the classroom or your educational role?
Just educational so far. I'm not sure how it could be used in a classroom.

What questions do you still have about this tool?
None at the moment.

RSS Reflections

2008-06-25T18:49:00.000-05:00

I'm running a little behind. My mom was in town last week, so I put all classwork on hold to spend time with her! :)

What RSS reader did you chose and why?
I decided to use Netvibes as my RSS reader. I have colleagues that use Netvibes and recommend it. I liked the clean, easy to use format. Multiple columns were also appealing. So far I'm pleased.

What “non-classmate” blogs did you subscribe to? What made you chose those blogs?
Joyce Valenza's NeverEndingSearch
As I said in the post about blogs, I really like to read about what new things Joyce is trying in the library. She is my hero for Web 2.0 in libraries!

Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog
Doug Johnson is a name I hear often in school library discussions at a national level. I'm curious what he has to say and look forward to reading his blog.

AASL Blog
I recently discovered this blog of the American Association of School Librarians. I'm interested to read about school libraries from a broader perspective than just Texas. It also has a blogroll of other library related blogs that I am anxious to check out.

My Library

2008-06-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

Just to try out posting a picture, I thought I would show you my library. It has a high ceiling with exposed wood beams and lots of windows. I think it's a great place to work! :)

Week 1 Reflection

2008-06-16T13:47:00.000-05:00

What did you learn?
I learned that it is not as difficult to start a blog as I imagined. I continue to be amazed at all the different types of blogs available.

How will you use what you have learned?
I plan to continue reading and exploring other library blogs. I would also like to start an elementary library blog in the fall for students.

How did you feel about this tool?
I think blogging is a great tool to quickly and easily share information.

What do you not want to forget about this tool?
I want to be sure to continue looking for other library blogs. I learn a lot from other people's ideas and seeing what kinds of things they post.

How can this be used in the classroom or in your educational role?
In the library, I think a blog would be a great way to promote books to students and teachers and highlight upcoming events.

Should you use this in the classroom or your educational role?
I think I will use it mostly in a classroom role, but I will definitely read other blogs related to libraries because of the ideas they generate.

What questions do you still have about this tool?
I am curious how the comments feature will work with elementary students. I would love for them to share their insights, but I don't want them to share their names or contact information on the blog.

Library Blogs

2008-06-16T10:44:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about creating a library blog all school year, but I was never quite brave enough to just jump in and start. I enjoyed exploring other library blogs and getting some ideas for what kinds of things I might post on my library blog. Here are a couple of my new favorites.

http://sennlibrary.blogspot.com/
This is a high school library blog that is very similar to what I've always envisioned for elementary students. It highlights books and promotes library and school events.

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1340000334.html
This blog is written by a high school librarian named Joyce Valenza. I saw her present about Web 2.0 resources for libraries at a conference this spring. I've been sporadically reading her blog ever since. She writes about ways she uses technology in the library and reflects on instructional strategies used with students.

Welcome!

2008-06-16T07:58:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my Web 2.0 blog! I'm Emily Gardner, librarian at Caldwell Heights Elementary. I will be using this blog to post about the things I'm learning as I explore Web 2.0. I'm excited about learning some new things and finding ways to use them with students and faculty at my campus.

I'm new to blogging, so this will be a fun adventure. I've read lots of blogs, but I've never written my own. Let the adventures begin!