Sharing at TLA 2011: Librarians' Know-How!

Six terrific librarians from my district presented four sets of ideas to use in libraries during the first annual 1001 Great Ideas forum on TLA opening day 2011. We had 2 pairs of elementary librarians presenting ideas on bookclubbing using Skype and free resources and apps to use in creating student projects on Itouchs and Ipads. Two individuals, one in elementary and one in middle school, presented crazy ways to get kids hooked into books and how to make green screen movies, respectively.

It was so much fun and such a great way to start off annual conference. There were dozens and dozens of other ideas, projects, and adventures as well from school, public and academic libraries from across Texas! Can't wait to see what comes up next year!

I was so happy to be the "cheerleader" for the folks from my district. They represented a larger group of hard-working innovative people who are trying all kinds of interesting things in order for children to dream, to learn and to create. I took some photos and will share those a little later on this post when I get permission to use their names, but I also took some Flip videos just for fun.

This evening I played with the Flip Share software and in about five minutes (no kidding) created this little Quick Flip movie! I downloaded my not-so-good pieces of video and the software grabbed a few seconds of each and produced this 30 second video on its own! Similar to Animoto in a way!

More later about conference and all the good "stuff" that came from it. I'm beat...off to bed!

551.5 Weather iMovie: Another Adventure with My MAC

I had an opportunity to work with iMovie and have some expert help around while I doing it. I used an idea from D#1 as inspiration for the project. It isn't the best example, but did allow me to start understanding the process. Although it is more intense than PhotoStory, it helped that I had experience with the Microsoft product.

I was able to import a series of images from several sources and add sound effects and music from iTunes to fill out the project. Nope, no voice over yet...time ran out. Yes, I know I have said I don't like to record, but this time I really was going to do some, but the unit will be over if I take anymore time with this...and I have another much more important project to create. So voice-over will have to come later.

I did save the project several ways so that it could be played in on a MAC or PC or directly from my channel on YouTube. Again for practice. Also the reason for adding it to my blog...practice, practice, practice!

One thing I did notice...when saving images, save them at the largest file possible. I usually save Flickr CC images at medium size or around 500 psi, but I noticed some of these images were blurry when I viewed it in full screen. So I will check that out on the next one I do.

Enjoy!

P.S. If you have suggestions for better productions, please share.

UPDATE: I took the YouTube version down becasue too much was cut off on the right side...and this version, an mp4 upload makes it hard to read some text...o, well...I'll do better next time!

004.09 Did You Know 4.0: Stats about Our Current World

Ok, it is time to be reminded that what we have been doing in the 2.o world is NOT being done in isloation...we are playing and learning and testing and learning and practicing and learning the very things that more and more of the world is doing every day as a part of its normal, everyday world.

Is it a perfect world? No. Is it a totally safe way to do the business of everyday life? No. But neither is the other world!

It will take you a little more than 3 minutes to catch up with the latest and be reminded that it is ok to move forward and think differently, communicate differently, react differently, and most importantly in our little education corner of the world, learn differently!

Enjoy the current update of the wildly popular Shift Happens.

P.S. I'm intrigued by the method used in creating the text strips and some of the graphics. Pretty cool and worth the time as well!

In case the embedded video is blocked in district, here is the link. You should be able to see it through teacher sign-on of your computer.

027.8 Library of Congress: Going Where the Users Are!

Library of Congress videos on YouTube...potential overdose for this  history & trivia dabbler! But how cool of them to take all their great stuff and put it out for all to see and use! Going where the users are instead of sitting back and waiting for them to come to them.* Aren't libraries just getting so smart these days! ;-) 

Look at the two samples I pulled up in the first five minutes I was in the new collection.

[I have requested conversions of these from Zamzar so they can be seen in district. When I get them and have a few moments to upload them...I'll add them. Even more reason for this important resource to be available at school...ALL schools!]

Enjoy!

*I intend to still  get there some day to the "real thing" and be able to stare up into that beautiful dome!

612.8 The Power of Touch

A good friend sent this to me.

Please take the minute AND 40 seconds it takes to watch the ENTIRE video. It is worth it!
And then tell me you couldn't make several lessons for any age level.
I dare you!

And then go hold hands (even virtually) with someone!

973.0992 Presidents: Playful Presentations

Gave myself permission to spend some time playing so in doing so I made a stop by YouTube and look what I found. 

I did take time to convert these two videos using the Zamzar site so that it would be available in district (and other places where YouTube is blocked.) This time it was successful although the uploading sure did seem to take a long time. Guess I just need to remember patience is a virtue and all good things come to those who wait!

Anyway...this first  video morphs the presidents from Washington to Obama. I found myself concentrating on the eyes as the changes were made. Take a look...I think you will find it interesting on some level.

This second video is a rap of the presidential list, again from Washington to Obama. Catchy little tune goes with it!

I know neither of these items is heavy-duty in the learning and education department...not brain surgery or nuclear science...but they are fun...and similar types of activities could be created by students and a lot of learning value could be had.

For now, I'm just asking you to enjoy!

P.S. Visited the Educational Rap site. Would be worth some time. It also has its own channel on YouTube as well. Who knew there would be a rap about photosynthesis!

The morphed video was originally uploaded by polvideo.

551.57 Snow: A Surprise Visitor

The weatherman kept saying it might happen...and it did! Snow fell within the city limits of Houston today...the first time in over 4 years!


It was a major news event all day...and caused all kinds of excitement...it actually feels like Christmas around here! (as opposed to the feeling one gets in December when you are STILL swatting mosquitoes.)

It was a good feeling...my old dog Mr. C was actually frisky after walking today...another new neighbor and I met each other for the first time and actually stood out on the sidewalk and let the flakes accumulate on our jackets as we exchanged our first neighborly tidbits...it brought out the bloggers around here and here as well!

But the WEIRDEST part of it all (and the main reason I ended up posting) is I hit (literally) on this YouTube video THIS EVENING by accident...it was fate! Enjoy!

Pretty cool, isn't it?...and I'm somebody who just doesn't "get" spreadsheets at all...I admittedly have "spreadsheet" envy on something like this!

P.S. I hope this bit of winter weather wonderland doesn't create a mess in the morning for all the drivers!

[Video from the Google Collaborative Spreadsheet Art collection on YouTube converted by Zamzar so it will be visible in district]

371.22 Videostreaming For the Younger Set

Last week, I was told this site existed so I went to see what it is all about. TOTLOL is for younger children and their parents to share the "funny" video experience. It is powered by YouTube and includes videos rated by parents as safe and appropriate for the younger children in the family. Here is the background behind the site which just launched about two weeks ago.

A check search thru the videos shows that animals and pets are a big part of the collection. I'm sure there are many other things that I will find when I return again. I selected this video because I too have a dog with a crazy habit. Enjoy!

http://www.totlol.com/watch/CoiFGva_JoY/Dog-Vs.-Balloons/0/

There are some "learning" videos included on the preview page as well...look like pre-reading and vocabulary building activities.

The site does not include file info (that I can find yet), so I can't put the video up here, but I'll be watching to see if things change.

I will be checking to see if it is available in district tomorrow...my initial thoughts are that it is not, at least for now, because of its association to YouTube.

Update: It is NOT available in district (for now anyway)

I will be adding it to our recently created wiki page of early childhood materials so others can check it out as well.

006.6 Photostory: Inquiring MAC Minds Wanna Know!

We have been talking a lot about PhotoStory in my circle recently with all of the work we have been doing with the 23 Things adventures and our 21st Century Student Products workshops. Every once and awhile, the question comes up...what about MAC users? What do they use?

iMovie seems to be the answer. I can not speak to it personally, but the wise ones around me do and the Internet says so as well. Here is a great post about the ins and outs along with some screen shot help and a sample iMovie that has been uploaded to TeacherTube. And the President's riddle idea looks fun...in any format!


Thanks to Tech4Teachers for providing this nice overview!

Apple has iMovie help and tutorial videos as well.

The stuff on the net is great, isn't it?
I just wish we all talked the same language! O, well, as they say, variety is the spice of life and wouldn't the world be a boring place if we did everything just alike! hope this helps the MAC users out there "translate" Photostory expereinces.

027.6 Definition of a Library: The "My Space" Version

That never-stops Joyce Valenza of Neverending Search has provided us with a video to use as food for thought once again. She had her students tell us about their library / the space as they see it!

My personal favorite--the very first description...especially where the narrator speaks with such reverence and adoration about the magnificent collection of American History "classics." Be still my heart! I recognized almost EVERY title and cover on every shelf. I can close my eyes and almost drink in the fragrance of wonderful friends and fond memories of the many hours spent with those books and the children who experienced them. Such fine times!

I think the students spent quality time talking about both their print and technology-related experiences, as well as the enjoyment they got out of the library for both scholastic and personal pursuits!

One tiny sad thought for a brief moment...several wonderful descriptions/tours are given with virtually empty "spaces"..but in the end, it became the lively place I knew it must be.

If we saw a narrated tour of your library, would we recognize it as a happening place like these kids do?

Enjoy!


Find more videos like this on TeacherLibrarianNetwork (hope this shows in district)

P.S. We gotta get some of those flippy cameras going in my circle of influence and see what kind of good stuff can come out of them!

P.P.S. Need to explore the ning as a source for parking space for videos and other large files! I forget about it. Can it be used thatway?

005.2 Animoto...Even Better!

I did a little happy dance when I found out about the new features in Animoto...specifically for educators!

Check out the new stuff. Overview.

I have emailed for the necessary passcode, but have not had a chance to explore it totally...you will need to provide school info.

005.2 Animoto Samples

I have gathered several examples of the kinds of things you can do with the free program Animoto and placed them in a link over on the blogroll. I will update as others share with me!

In the meantime, have fun yourself...all it takes is a group of visual files and a few minutes.

785.06 Vegetable Orchestra: A Salad Bowl of Sound

I love the Web. I love all of the creative people and things I get to see because some creative person put something together and then some other creative person made a video of it and handed it over to another creative person to put it up on the Web so I could see.

Just wish all the students and teachers in my sphere of influence could see everything I see.

But for the ones who can away from school, I present the Vegetable Orchestra



I know there is science involved in the creation of the instruments...even a vocabulary review of the vegetables...how about a compare and contrast of these instruments with the real ones.

What about pairing it up with Orchestranimals by Van Kampen or Scott Gustafson's Animal Orchestra or Young Person's Guide to Music (with accompanying CD)

Maybe graphing (spreadsheet?) how many different instruments are made from carrots, gourds, squash...

The video is a tad long, but PLEASE hang on till the end ...the bell pepper horn up close is worth the wait!

I bet kids would remember more general information about the orchestra after viewing this!

P.S. Not sure creation of these instruments by young children would be possible...the tools are pretty wicked!

PPS. ok , did a little research to see if there were other versions that might come thru at school...
same group, but is narrated by a member (3+ minutes) maybe it will show? AVAILABLE in District!...just checked.
but no listings for TeacherTube or Google videos. Rats!

959.704 Vietnam Veterans Memorial: 25 Years Old

This is Veteran's Day...a time to honor all those who have served the country...and for the rest of us to reflect on what that service has meant to us. Included on several blogs, I came across:

“A veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The 'United States of America', for an amount of 'up to and including my
life.'” (Author unknown)

Veteran's Day books can be found at 394.26 in any library that uses Dewey.

This particular holiday is a tad more historical in that is the 25th anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. I remember all of the controversy that surrounding the idea and plans of the Memorial, but also remember the immediate acceptance of the site as a very special place. Although I have never had opportunity to visit, I can not look at pictures of or read accounts of the meetings at the Wall without feeling the emotion of the place.

Here is one of the many stories surrounding this anniversary including video of a vist to the Memorial. In the audio background of the video, you can hear the reading of the 58,000+ names listed on the Wall...a part of this anniversary ceremony. It takes 60 hours or so to read all of the names. Did you know that in the 25 years of its presence, over 100, 000 objects have been left by visitors and have carefully been collected by Park Service personnel and are in storage for a future museum.

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To read more about it:

Always to Remember: The Story of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial by Brent Ashabranner
Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam collected by the NY Memorial Commission

Their Names to Live also by Ashabranner

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial...several books by different authors with copyrights of 2000+
The Wall: Images and Offerings from the Vietnam Memorial
The War and the Wall: Service, Sacrifice and Honor

and the very sweet and moving The Wall by Eve Bunting

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There are several videos available at YouTube that will give you some information. You can find them by putting "Vietnam Veterans Memorial Washington, DC " in the search box. You'll have to watch at home! ...and kleenex close by for some.

004.67 More Evidence of the Power of Web 2.0 and the Students Who "Live" It

Bringing you a couple more YouTube videos from the same director ( Michael Wesch) and his students who brought the immensely popular The Machine Is Us/ing Us awhile back.

A Vision of Students Today has been making the rounds of some of the blogs I follow...a series of statements from a college class put together to give you a picture of the "average" college student. The statement that jumped out at me..."I will read 8 books this year" followed by "I will read 2300 web pages" and "128 Facebook profiles." Some commentors at the site find the statistics depressing (or worse, stupid)...I find them intriguing and perfect evidence in understanding why the way we teach,and present info to assist students in learning MUST change!
Yes, I know the video is unavailable at school, but do yourself a favor and check it out away from school or let me give you the downloaded file! Read about the statistic details and background.



Another Michael Wesch video that I came across while looking at the one above is Information Revolution...another presentation on how information storage and retrieval has changed. Makes the "cataloger" side of my brain a tad nervous in some respects, because I don't totally agree with the theme that information no longer needs to "organized"! I simply think the organization format has changed!
Anyway, it is worth a look if you are still struggling with understanding the Web 2.0 changes or are having trouble convincing others of the value of the changes.
[Personal note: I loved the cataloged card marked up with black marker! Brought back wonderful memories! :-)--ha, bet I have hooked a couple of you into looking for this little detail.]


In doing my blog reading this week, one of best statements I have come across since I started this adventure was featured by David Warlick at 2¢ Worth...he got it from one of the participants at the K-12 Online Conference.

A kid the other day said to me that he hates the term Web 2.0…makes sense, it’s
1.0 to him!

It makes sense that our students don't understand the hubbub about of the technology and 2.0 stuff..they don't know anything else! We tend to show our age the more concerned we are about it all...the kids don't. It's life as they know it!

004.716 Web Cams: Take a Look at the World

Over the last couple of weeks I have come across several web cam experiences while doing a little research and watching the boob tube. I tend to forget about web cam sites...there are hundreds now.

Thought you might like to see the ones that came up on my radar screen recently. They can sure be a help with animal studies, weather, and geography...and I know you can come up with all kinds of reasons to check them out and use them with your students and your own viewing pleasure!


This morning CBS Sunday Morning did a feature on The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. Female elephants are brought here to live out their lives in groups, with "best friends," and plenty of acreage. They have both Asian and African elephants who were circus performers and zoo residents. Thoe oweners set up the cameras so that we could watch the animals, but not disturb them in this comfortable habitat. There is a series of lessons that you can use along with video footage.


The National Park Service has a series of web cams throughout its parks for a variety of reasons. The ones noted on this map also record weather statistics. Included is information on how to use the information in lessons about air pollution, acid rain, and ozone issues.

Additional web cams (without air quality info) include Yellowstone, Glacier, and Yosemite.


Around ten years ago, I discovered the africam series of web cams and they helped turn me into the internet junkie I can be at times. most of the cams are trained on water holes where you can watch a virtual parade of animals pass by.

On the same site are a couple cams in North America...the Bald Eagle cam and the Osprey cam.

Also included at this site is a cam of the pyramids in Egypt...not the most exciting cam site unless you are into sunsets BUT they have some things helpful to students and one is a visual comparion chart of how large things are in relation to the pyramids...fun way to present point of view, big and little, or compare and contrast.

And take a look at this...a mashup of web cam photos and YouTube video technology! What a fun way to talk about Africa and its animals! There are more videos...check the blog here.

005. 2 ANIMOTO: Free Video Web Application

Oh, boy! I found another fun little FREE program!
Make a movie out of your photos in less than five minutes...no kidding...with music and all kinds of flashy moves!

ANIMOTO
http://animoto.com/play/a462c2d1fe46475b480b18b8b6e7f6e3
this link is the movie I made to learn the process using the only batch of pictures I had handy...hence the reason for it only being 26 seconds long.
If it doesn't play because of a password issue, try one of theirs...I saw a cool little movie about skateboarding in the preview pane. It is a simple 1 - 2 - 3 process.

Of course, at this moment, I am not sure it will be available inside my school district...guess I will find out tomorrow.

All the interesting techniques with the pictures, Animoto did that...it does ask you to highlight a few of the pictures for extra punch...and you can choose one of their music files...not too many to my taste, but, hey...it's free!! and it does all the work for you...so I am not complaining! (You can use your own music file--be sure you are not violating copyright!)

Go have some fun...it is E-A-S-Y.


P.S. It took me longer to create this post than it did my little movie...of course typing can be a bit of a problem when your space bar all of a sudden decides to stick! o, brother...technology is fickle, isn't it?

006.7 Blogging: The Value of Using It with Kids

"...and a little child shall lead them."



How much more convincing do you need?
Here's the blog itself.

These children are 6 & 7 yr olds. I think they got it.
I'm glad their teacher got it for them.
And their administration must get it too!

Of course, I AM preaching to the choir...or you wouldn't be reading this!

371.22 Educational Technology: Videostreaming Resources

Hopefully, your school district has access to educational videostreaming products such as Unitedstreaming and Power Media Plus. They are subscription services, require passwords to access, and are worth e-v-e-r-y p-e-n-n-y your administration pays for their use!

However, there are other sources for videos that can be used quite successfully in the school setting with proper planning and attention by teachers and librarians. Probably, the best know of these is the video sharing site YouTube which has been discussed in this blog earlier this year. Individuals can create videos and upload them for all to see. There are many, many, many appropriate videos for school use...BUT... my and many other school districts block this resource.

So, as with many things technological, someone came up with a "work around"-- in this case, a site called TeacherTube, a video sharing site devoted to videos create for and quite often by students and their educational needs. It too has previously been discussed in this blog. Great stuff...you NEED to take a look. And that is possible at school! What a pleasant surprise!

There are the traditional news services such as CNN, MSNBC, ABCNews, Fox News and USAToday along with other educational and institutional sites that provide current events, science, social studies and other educationally appropriate video resources. But it would a lot of work to check all of these sources and the dozens of others available on a regular basis.

Hurray! To the rescue comes Blinkx... a video (and audio) search engine. You can put in your search term and get a list of videos from over 130 sources. You can then select the appropriate ones for your needs and can usually play them without additional software or other technology.

Often, because these videos come from reputable sources, they are not blocked. However, it is possible that the Blinkx site might be blocked, but you could locate the video from home, capture the address, and then be able to see the video from within the school district.

A word to the wise. Be sure you check these videos out before turning them over to students. They are not exclusively educationally appropriate items. Some are user created and uploaded to services such as MySpace, but the Blinkx crawler will find them.

Have a look at all of these..either at school or at home. You will be pleased, I think!

371.22 Educational Technology: TeacherTube

Been worried about using YouTube videos with your students?

Give this site a look. These are videos that have been done for using with students. I saw some interesting lessons for math on my first pass thru. I will be going back.

I sure hope you can see this from your venue!