Relearning how to blog! :)

Wow! I find myself back in a class - - didn't I just graduate from school a very short month ago? Ah well... I am a life long learner!

Gary Paulsen - Author Study

My personal learning network has expanded greatly after beginning the SLIS program, even more so after taking this course. One of my biggest fears is that at some point, when I am done with college, I will become stagnant and stop learning technology. This class has both heightened and lessened my fear. I feel empowered in my ability to seek out and learn new tools right now, but what happens when I don’t have awesome instructors and a cohort of 19 others cheering me on! I realize I will need to invest time and energy seeking out all the ever-changing technology that is available via Web 2.0 and the Internet!

I've created my own Personal Learning Network wiki to keep track of the many technology tools and ideas that I use. This is a work in progress and I will hopefully add to it frequently!

Visual information literacy by Debbie Abilock

I really liked that right off she gave us a definition of what visual information literacy is and how there is an interaction/transaction of information between the viewer and the image.
The fact that photographs are a truthful representation of reality, but based on the perception of the photographer was a new way to think about pictures and what they “really” represent. It was also interesting to examine the ethics of altering digital photography. (I do it all the time, getting rid of red eye, cropping the picture to eliminate the dirty dishes in the background, etc.)
I like the concept of using images to create projects and incorporate visual literacy skills. I think with the technology in the Media Center, this is something I can take back to work and encourage teachers collaborate.

Podcast problem solving

I have some podcasting questions. I want to create a project for an Independent Reading course where one of the required book reports could now be a podcast. Easily done – right. Well, what I would like to do is promote the podcast, store them on the computer that houses the library’s card catalog, and use them as a book talk database. Students can access and listen to the podcast at their leisure or if they are interested in reading the book.

My problem starts here. I have a mobile computer lab of Mac Books. They dual boot – meaning they can be PC’s or Mac’s. I will most likely install Audacity on the PC side. Garage Band is on the Mac’s already.

My question is this: Can a podcast created on a Mac using Garage Band be played on a PC? Do I need to install any special software on the PC to make it compatible with Mac created projects? Can the podcast be uploaded in specific format instead?

I know the PC I will use is operating on XP and has Windows Media Player. would I need more installed on it than what it has now?

I can see many uses for projects created by podcasting and think it will really take off at my school. I have several teachers that are as excited as I am about podcasting, I just want to be organized and prepared when I tell them all the things I want to do!

Thanks for any ideas/suggestions you have to offer!

Grace Poli - Podcasting - Webinar

I just got done listening/watching this presentation. I've taken some notes and downloaded the PowerPoint slides.
This was my first webinar experience (and then it is not really live - just recorded.) I really enjoyed have this opportunity to view it. I will be watching/waiting for future webinars offered through our AEA so I can continue to take advantage of this learning opportunity.
The podcast itself was centered around ESL students using ipods to learn English. Grace had many great suggestions and ideas on how ipods can be used in many different curriculum areas. She also had many great links for resources that I will have to save!
I did have some audio difficulties - the sound kept cutting in and out. That could have been my satellite too.
I leaned a lot about storage and maintenance of the ipods, a big concern of mine! Grace also talked about the benefits and convenience of the Bretford ipod cart - something I have been looking into.
It was very educational and very informative. I'm glad I took the time to watch this webinar.

Voicethread

I am on here for three reasons. First I want to talk about my experience using the Voicethread to create my presentation for Joel. In my opinion, I spent too much time creating the presentation in another program (Powerpoint) and not enough time creating in Voicethread. I will try and learn from this mistake next time. This is what I will do differently 1) keep text and background simple 2)add my hyperlinks after presentation is uploaded to Voicethread 3) Add my graphics to Voicethread not PPT.
I am excited to try another Voicethread and see if it is less stressful and easier. I can't imagine it won't be! I hate to admit how many hours I worked on that first presentation. I do have to say I am glad it is done!
Reason number two for the blog, I need to keep using this tool or I am bound to get busy and forget! (Plus it will satisfy Kristin's blog requirement. :)
Three, I need help. Can anyone give me a refresher course on how to upload my Voicethread to my blog? I got my podcast uploaded and thought I could do the same with the Voicethread. It is not always working. I've tried a couple of different ways. My Voicethread appears on my blog page but sometime it says the link is inaccessible. Any suggestions? I will eagerly await a response! :)