Thing # 12 Rollyo

At first I was a little confused about Rollyo, but I think it's because I didn't go in with a plan....I wasn't looking for a specific topic. Once I thought about how it could be used, I got excited. I use IKeepbookmarks for sites for students to go and use. I now see how I could set up a search strategy for the students, yet give them a little more freedom to do some general searching. You are able to set the parameters for students to be successful in anything they do. I also see how we could set up some good searches for teachers to help them narrow their searches. At first I got a few strange results, but then I noticed that on the first page, I had a few extra things clicked.
The Rollyo I created tonight is entitled "Lesson Plans." I constantly am looking for a quick idea to share, I put the sites that are usually successful on my rollyo. I of course included two that link to sites with integrated technology. I'll have to share this link with my staff....perhaps they'll be able to give me topics to work with.

Thing # 11 Library Thing

I had actually run across Library Thing a few months ago and kinda of looked at it and moved on...figuring that I really wasn't too interested. Taking this Libary2Play class, I'm trying to relate everything to school as much as possible and seeing how I can use the different pieces to get my teachers interested in using technology. I have showed Library Thing to one teacher and she was most interested in getting her classroom collection put in (she's a new teacher and is just started in the collection of materials). I think I'll make a handout to share with the staff...this would be a great way for some of them to "catalog" their rather large collections...one of the neat aspects of the service is having a picture of the front cover. One of my teachers has an enormous collection, but he can never locate the book he is looking for because he doesn't know what he's looking for...having the cover will make life easier. Also, having a tag that you could place the level or the box the book is stored in would make life easier for those teachers with large collections. As mentioned before, I'm looking for the hook to get teachers to try some of these new things...I'll have to let you know how it goes. If it takes off even half as good as the trading cards, I'll have a lot of groups to teach!

Thing #10 Image Generators

Okay, this is very scary! It's too addicting....I've totally lost track of time as I've played on these websites! I can't wait to share it with the students at school! I could easily see this as a way for students to give a quick synopsis of something they have read. I'll have to get with fifth grade teachers to see if they are interested in seeing what kind of humor their students have. My problem...I have no sense of humor! I can't think fast enough with a quick whit. I'm really a boring person. I think if I take a computer to the teacher's lounge and have the teacher's play with it...we'd have a rockin' good time though. I enjoyed each of them, but spent a good part of time on Imagechef...I like the animations! Big problem....too many choices.

Thing # 9 Useful Library-Related Blogs

It is too hard not to do thing 8 and 9 together! I had a long list of library blogs that I wanted to add, so this was a perfect time to do some additional searching. I'm a real Google lover - so I loved searching with the Google Blog Search....found some obscure things I would not have thought of. I am not to fond of the news searches - I'm already a news junkie, so adding news blogs are a bit too much....I found my self reading too much just from the home page of Technorati.
Thank goodness for Atomic Learning...I've spent some time watching the videos. I'm a real slow learner, so watching things several times allows me to finally "get it!"
I did not like syndic8, I think I'm just too elementary! Pages were not graphically easy for me to read.
I did do some searching for my other blogs for students - we're listed! It was exciting to see your blog listed on the Google Blog Search! I've got a stack of student work to add to RCE Musings. I did a lesson and the students got too busy writing. Didn't find a match for my newly established Podcast....could be because we haven't posted an actual podcast yet?
Blogging is still a new idea for me, but I did enjoy reading what others had to say. It is an addictive behavior, you almost seem like a stalker reading what some people have to say. This being a political year...WOW...the stuff that is out there...you could make any candidate be great - or cause him to fall.
Spent enough time on the computer tonight...it's time to call it quits.

Thing # 8 RSS

The rain outside put me in the mood to just sit at the computer...I have totally lost track of time, I've been on now for way too long....but I had wanted to learn about RSS. New Year's day I spent hours reading blogs and bookmarking the pages.....now I've been able to go back and add the links to my Google Reader account. Much better than looking at "My favorites"!
It took a little while to figure out the adding of a subscription..I think at one time I had too many accounts opened. Finally got it figured out....then I got lost reading blogs! It is truly an addictive behavior! I'll be glad to only have to check my reader now. Having a reader should definitely shorten my time spent checking blogs.
I found a lot of blogs that I will want to keep up with for school...I didn't really play around for myself. That will come next. I'll have to think about what I'd like to read about...I really am a children's book person...always have been.
As I read through blogs, I can see many ways for libraries to use RSS...what a way to keep up with all that's going on. I didn't link all the blogs I want to read...most of them are linked on the pages that I put on my blog roll. I can see that I will spend hours reading.....may the rains come back!

Thing # 7 Google

Google - the possibilities. I had begun to explore all of the things that Google has to offer when I was asked to test out a new lap top. I learned about many Google Aps that I didn't know existed. It's almost as if we could "do it all" with Google!
For this experience, I checked out Google Calendar and Advanced search. My younger sister, a fellow teacher at my school - and totally non tech, was raving about Google calendar. I had put it on the back burner to try one day. She has her whole life charted and listed on her calendar...so I thought I'd try. Boy is it easy! I was even able to sync to my phone! I'm a visual person, so I like being able to see my calendar without having to carry around my 10 pound notebook. I think this will be put to good use. I'm thinking of doing somekind of enrichment calendar for my students....not sure yet. If I make the calendar public, I'm wondering if people would use it to sign up for the various areas in the library...it would make it easier than keeping up with "the facilities book" on the circ desk. Perhaps next year.
Advanced search. I loved being able to look up by type...I had been asked to prepare a powerpoint for a teacher's lesson. One quick look and I found the lessons already prepared and by downloading I'm ready for her class next week. WOW! It's amazing what is out there to use.
I'll have to keep coming back to #7 for more...it's got a lot to offer.

Thing #6 continued

Well, I thought I'd move on, but I've gotten stuck here. It's a good stuck though! The trading cards have been a hit. I've taught several classes, individual students and teachers and my schedule is full of classes for next week. If nothing else, the trading card experience has been worth doing Library 2 Play!
My PGP students want to do nothing but make playing cards, they came up with a list of activities to do for the spring semester...nearly all had to do with playing with trading cards. I may have created a monster! Tomorrow they are going to bring what they made at home. I've got to get to Thing #7!

Response from faculty meeting....a success...I'm scheduled to teach at least one class of everything I shared.....still need to get a few teachers on board...but I'm getting there. Hopefully soon we'll have technology (in whatever form) embedded in every curriculum topic at school.

Thing #6 Third Party Sites

Well, after spending a few days reading and rereading the article, I think I finally have a grip on Mashups. I think I have used them, just not knowing that's what they were. I have had a difficult time staying on task....so many of the sites have additional links that of course I must go out and see what they are. I spent about an hour chasing rabbits last night! I got to the trading card site and played around a bit there. My second grade students are doing their biography unit on heroes right now and I could definitely see the students making trading cards using the heroes they are researching. What fun it would be! The end result would be fun to actually print and trade. So far everything I have explored I can put directly into use in a classroom situation. I will be sharing several of these things tomorrow at the faculty meeting. I can't wait to see the reaction of my staff. Hopefully my schedule will fill up with classes so I can share the knowledge before I forget it. This has so far been a fun experience, giving me the "right" to play and explore all kinds of new things!

Thing #5 - Flickr

So today I spent quite a bit of time on flickr. Just in the nick of time. Tomorrow I am doing part of the inservice and was wondering how I would share photos....Flickr to the rescue! In a manner of time I was able to take photos, put them on line and now they are ready for the teachers to access tomorrow. I am sure that I will be upgrading soon as I will use up space. My mind is going fast with all of the ways that I can use this wonderful little thing!
The biggest problem I am having is how I will keep up with all of these things....and with life. I enjoy the time I "play" EXPLORE.....but right now I am not too busy with life!

This has been fun, and definitely stretched my brain a little!

Thing #4

Okay, so I've registered. ...and I'm on PDLC...yeah for the credit!
I meant to work a little over the holidays...but time escaped and little was done. I did spend one afternoon just looking a various blogs. It's amazing what you can read about in blogs...I kinda got lost for a few hours. It made me feel a little bit better about keeping a blog as I saw how short and simple some of the entries were. I also realized that in reading someone's blog, you can learn something especially if you follow some of their links. I kept getting deeper and deeper into links.