Things to try

I've decided that I can't keep up with technology. Every day I get new websites to go and visit...rarely do I have the time to try them out to their fullest extent. I'm going to have to try to schedule in some time to "play." www.toondoo.com is a site where you can build a cartoon. www.gcast.com allows you to create a podcast or MP3 file. I've gotten hooked on www.zamzar.com where you can convert YouTube videos into MP4/AVI files to show at school. www.sparklebox.co.uk is a good site for the young children on literacy, numeracy, books signs and labels. All in all, just a few clicks and you learn all kinds of new things. My list just keeps growing.

Election Project

The fifth grade students at Rummel Creek will be doing an election project, really a "So I want to be President" project. As I shared the project yesterday, I was so impressed about their knowledge of the current issues being discussed on the current national election. Their projects should be outstanding. I shared the final product with a short sample using photostory incorporating several web 2.0 tools. Before I could finish explaining the sample, the students were already shouting out ideas...WOW! These projects are going to be great. I can't wait to see where the students go with their creativity. Today, several had cameras and had begun writing. This is exciting to see the students go after and activity so quickly. More on the election project soon.

Just Thinking Out Loud

It's been a wild week in the Rummel Creek Library, students are busy with research and projects. I also checked out Mrs. Davis' homeroom Wiki...such good writers. Things would have gone even better if all of the technology had worked...by Friday I thought I might pull my hair out. I hope the teachers and the students don't give up on technology...it's going to be better real soon.....we're learning patience. The first of the activboards just arrived...we can't wait to try them.
Rummel Creek students are always interested in a contest...check out this site for a fun contest... http://www.cobblestonepub.com/kids.html ...
Hope you all enjoy the festival tonight.

Open House at Rummel Creek

I was able to sit in on fifth grades open house - as a result, check out the Rummel Creek Website, in particular the library website with links to curricular materials.
Try this site: Rummel Creek Curriculum Links. Look for links to typing lessons, math fact practice and more. The general curriculum links are under subjects; grade level assignments are under the specified grade level. Spend some time clicking around to see what is available...lots of good "stuff" to do with your children.

Please drop by the library for the list of passwords to the databases on the Library Resources Page. If you are not familiar with the Library Resources Page...click here. The resources available are amazing. I am glad to work with parents as well as students on utilizing the resources or using technology...just drop by anytime. TumbleBooks are great for primary grades...Again...just drop by and I'll be glad to share the information with you.

Wordle

This week, we've been having fun in the lab trying to create wordles. What is a wordle? It is a word cloud that the students create. The students type in words, then hit the create button and a neat word cloud is created. We have had fun creating wordles about characters, about ourselves, and about school. At RCE I have not let the students save their wordles on line, we paste them into powerpoint to use later. We have had great fun playing with colors and fonts. Click on http://www.wordle.net. Enjoy!

Back to School Again

I had really planned to write weekly on my blog and provide information about how the students at RCE were using the Web 2.o tools....well....things have not started off well, we're into the end of September and I haven't written a thing....I thought I'd write from home, but the last few weeks have been home without power...so today I write.....

After spending so much time at home without power, internet, or phone....I have come to the conclusion that balance is so important....as a librarian I can share both the wonderful world of books (and how children can escape into a new world) as well as share the newest technology available. Students need to have access to both...they each have a place in our lives. I have been so excited to hear my students return from Ike talking about the books they read and shared over the days they were at home. It's nice that they went back to the books.....they were probably more exciting than the hot nights at their homes. Next week we'll hit technology again when we're all up with power....tonight...I think I have power at my house (I've heard it through the grapevine)....so I'll enjoy a read at night with a real light. Maybe tomorrow my internet will be back up and I'll find the web again....

Library Inservice Follow-Up

I'm finally able to sit for a second to finish posting about the Library Inservice. I've been on the road taking my daughter back to college...hard to get internet service driving!
Anyway...I enjoyed taking the time to "play" with the web 2.0 tools again....I had done a lot over the summer, but putting things into practice was good.
Table 1 - Saving images from discovery learning - put into powerpoint and using image generators. II had to make new slide shows for KRCE...so I took photos from Discovery Learning and put the pledges. I had an error from the blog service trying to upload the video.....I need to call and find out what the problem is.
Table 2 - I was successful in using audacity - I had used it a lot last year. I added the sound track I created to my orientation lesson on Photostory...but hit a snag trying to upload the wmv file. I'll have to work on it. ....I'd love to be able to post my lessons for parents to see.
Table 3 - I used photostory for my library and computer lab orientation lessons. This way they will be on the shared folder and hopefully at one point I'll have them on a video podcast for new students to view....still working on that one. Again...I'm having a problem posting on the blog....I think the videos may be too big...when I have time I'll call and talk to tech services...they left me a "problem number" each time I tried to post.
Table 4 - A second part of my library orientation lesson is made up of clips from discovery education. This year I dumped the clips into movie maker. I made title clips and credits at the end so all I have to do is run the movie instead of stopping and starting...I would like to post...but again...I got an error.
Table 5 - Made an animoto to use as a "set" for my orientation lessons...hopefully it will get the children's attention. I have not attempted to post yet....but....I will.
I can't wait to show my teachers the Time Rime...I think they will enjoy it.

It has been fun...and yet a little frustrating wanting to get it all done...but patience will get me through....I did find that the animotos I tried to do on Wednesday went through real fast on Sunday evening...it's all about the time!