bring on the boredom

My life is a soap opera. god, do I want to be bored!

Too Much Information!

This week I feel like I over-researched! I read too many articles, looked at too many websites and videos to the point that I felt overwhelmed with information and paralyzed to put it together. I had notes everywhere, behind shopping lists, on envelopes, in notebooks and on tablets. It took me many hours to write what I feel was a mediocre presentation. I teach my students better research skills than I was practicing!
But now it's time to move on and time to say goodnight.

P.S. My annotated bibliography follows my address on a separate page.

"Let's not create a cyberbullying panic"

safekids.com
This post presents readers with a balance of information that puts cyberbullying into perspective. While author, Larry Magid, addresses the serious nature and consequences of cyberbullying, he sites research that indicates "bullying is on the decline." He also points out how adults, especially public figures, like politicians and talk show hosts need to model good behavior when they are referring to others.

Getnetwise probably contains everything parents, children and educators need to know regarding internet safety. There are guides, tools, websites and even blogs they can log onto for detailed, comprehensive information. The Internet Education Foundation started this site "to help insure that internet users have safe and rewarding online experiences." You can even watch Frontline's Digital Nation through this site! The one topic I did not see specifically addressed was cyberbullying, but I could have missed it!

Blogs and RSS feeds

Initially, I chose to present a Professional Development workshop on blogging using Blogger.com, and I wrote as if I were addressing an audience of the 7th grade Purple team with whom I am working this year. As I went through the presentation, I thought that since I had had these folks create a Gmail account, it would be the perfect opportunity for them to get their feet wet with an RSS feed at Google Reader. I did not go into great detail with them, especially regarding the RSS feed, because I wanted them to have some time to use these tools.

P.S. As it turned out, having viewed my blog :), they all wanted to go to Animoto.com and create a video on their blogs!

linking

I have not been linking sites, and I want to be able to show others how it is done. I tried to go back to an old post, A Few More Cool Sites, to include proper links and it did not work. I am going to see what happens here on a new post. It is not working. I see the link here on my blog's edit page, but not on the posted page. The link is Vimeo.com. Wow, I just got it...I figured I'd give it one more try before e-mailing Barb for a lifeline. Let's try others Pandora.com, Europafilmtreasures.com Yes, I finally get it!

Out of the Loop

This week I am out of the loop. I have had no PD training; it's not part of "my" experience. I don't feel like an expert ready to teach teachers, but I am not afraid to share what I know. We will see where it goes.
I have more than usual on my plate. We have water in the basement again...I have an event to attend for one of my students on Thursday, my daughter AJ has her senior show on Friday and Saturday (I will be helping her set up Thursday night and Friday--we need to hang paintings, arrange space, buy food and wine...) Sunday is Easter! I have not yet set up our eating arrangements. AJ has to work until 5 on Easter...I think I am oversharing...Sorry.

Module 2

Wow, module two was quite an exporation! What I would most like to get more familiar with is creating wikis. A wiki offers students and teachers a truly on-going collaborative experience. I feel like the design of this course is something like a wiki.
Utube and teachertube are great sites with tons of videos and podcasts for classroom use. And of course, everyone knows how I feel about creating Animotos. Now that I can upload the music component, there's no stopping me!
RSS feeds and delicious are also fabulous additions to my internet library!
Here is to future explorations.

No ipad For Me

I never did get a chance to touch an e-reader. I went to the Apple store to learn that the ipad won't be available until April 3. I am intrigued by these readers. Although I couldn't see myself nestled on the couch or in bed with one, I think they would be great to have on a plane. I am going shopping with my daughter today. Maybe, she won't mind taking a detour to see an e-reader.

The Outsiders--an animoto

The Outsiders

When creating this assignment,I was able to download Elvis's "Jailhouse Rock," thanks to Dylan. What is important about this assignment is that students can put a face on a character and appreciate music from another generation. It enriches their reading experience.

Ponyboy's Facebook Woes

It seems Ponyboy and I share a problem with Facebook. We cannot upload photos even though the Facebook plug-in has been installed. Oh well, maybe we can get some help from Dylan, the music wiz or AJ who has 700+ photos on her Facebook!

West Side Story--revisited

West Side Story
Today I continued working on technology that students might use in an English class unit on The Outsiders. Of course, I returned to one of my favorite sites to play with Animoto. It took quite some time to put together an array of photos I will use in an animoto of "the Greasers," but while in the process, I learned how to convert the itune music into MP3 form! AJ was here with an emergency visit to the dentist and we put in a phone call to her boyfriend (a musician) who taught us how to convert it. I had already bought the overture to West Side Story and now I could convert it. I went back to that animoto and plugged in the correct music. I will buy some Elvis music for the Outsiders animoto.

Getting Going

I have been feeling a bit uncertain about my assignment this week, and I had not felt like I could begin. Finally, I plunged and decided to use The Outsiders, a book I have read with students, as a unit topic. Using one of the prereading activities, I created a survey on Survey Monkey. I am not sure how to move it around yet...I can at least copy it, it seems. I feel a little better having done something.

Facebook--the place for making friends

Did I say I was friendless on facebook? When was that? I am now afraid to open my e-mail account for yet another invitation. I have mothers of my daughters' friends, college aquaintances I cannot remember, nieces and their husbands and distant cousins who want to be friends. Facebooking probably won't last for me...I don't want to slight these folks but I just don't have the time or the inclination to keep up with them (except for my relatives whom I will e-mail). I have enough friends in my neighborhood to catch up with. After the one picture I uploaded, I had trouble uploading others and I am now glad I didn't pursue it. The wall is coming down.
8-)

A Quick Look at World of Warcraft and Ragnarok

I can see how kids are attracted to playing games like World of Warcraft and Ragnarok. The graphics are so well done and inviting. I want to step into a mythological world and meet charming characters in fanciful settings. Just looking at some of the descriptions, it is obvious that the games encourage collaboration and require skill.

The Short Life of Babayaya

Babayaya was born on GaiaOnline. She chose a new race, a new look and some unique clothing. Babayaya went to the Durum Depot and spent too much $$ on yet more clothing and accessories. Alas, Babayaya is no more.

A Few Friends

It looks like I have friended a couple of people. One wants me to join an Island Game she plays and is sending me things like coconuts and llamas. Where on earth I would find the time for this is beyond me. This week I have more social commitments in the real world than I can handle, and I don't know how I can make time for the cyberworld.

Friendless on Facebook

This week has started off somewhat disastrously for me. I have spent nearly every free moment trying to cope with a flooding and, finally, flooded basement. This included a trip to Home Depot last night for a wetvac when my surface pump burned out. But enough of my whining...
Last night I started a facebook acoount but didn't get too far with it. It reported having a contact import error so I remained friendless. When I returned to it just a short while ago, I still could not view any gmail contacts beyond the letter, F. I am going to move on for it is getting late and I want to spend some time on other sites.

West Side Story-a few scenes

West Side Story-a few scenes

This is another one of my animoto creations.( I have a couple more but I don't want to overkill) As backround music, I had hoped to use the overture of West Side Story so I purchased it from the Apple store, only to learn that Animoto would only accept music from an MP3 source. I charged Chloe's ipod, found the music but then learned that to use her ipod with my computer I would need to reconfigure it to Windows. It's time to move on...my basement is getting water, my refrigerator is empty, dirty laundry is calling...
This week I am going to make an Animoto of some of my students.

More Cool Sites

Vimeo, Pandora and Europa Film Treasures are just another three great sites to add to my ever-growing collection. Vimeo seems like a nice alternative to YouTube. The layout is appealing/user friendly, the quality of the videos is much better than those on utube, and there seems to be a lot less advertisement, if any. I guess the one drawback would be that videos on Vimeo probably get less exposure than those on utube. It all depends on what one is looking for--quality vs. quantity. I love the fact that when I returned to Pandora after several days, the site began playing one of my favorite Sting songs. That you can just plug in a genre of music is another great feature. Something I remembered when I first opened up the site is that my friend Elizabeth has Pandora on her iphone (lucky woman). Finally, browsing through the vintage films on Europa was pretty awesome. I was surprised by the high quality of some of those old films and enjoyed watching a few snippets of foreign films.

Voiceless VoiceThread

I did some minor fiddling around with VoiceThread which seems like a really cool site that I want to get back to. I did not add any voice; I haven't any way to add voice on this computer. I might try to use Ed's computer if I can make the time.

Mental Math Challenge

I was unable to post this podcast in my discussion but wanted someone to have easy access to it. As I mentioned in my post, a math teacher, Nancy Foothigley, has children solve a math puzzle of the day using podcasts. Here is one




See more Audio at TeacherTube.com.

TeacherTube.com

See more Audio at TeacherTube.com.
I should have spent more time on Teachertube and less on Podcast Alley where I had no luck getting podcasts. I tried to upload two different aggregator software applications but I couldn't figure out how to use them...I wonder if I even loaded them correctly. Fortunately, I found my way back to Teachertube where it is so easy to listen to podcasts.
P.S. This Mr. Duey sure gets around. I used his fraction rap video for my assignment this week.

Elizabeth's iPhone

I just looked at my friend, Elizabeth’s iphone and I am blown away by all it does. It is not just a phone, but an ipod, a GPS, and a portable computer as well. She can take notes on it, set timers, alarms and stopwatches, use a calculator, make voice memos, tell you the time in Venice, and when the next bus leaves Marblehead for Haymarket Square. She has added iBookshelf which not only keeps track of what she has read but which connects to Amazon where she can purchase books. She has Moonphase so she knows when the moon is waxing which is when one should plant a garden (I just learned this interesting little tidbit). Elizabeth also stays in touch with her family on Facebook, another site she has downloaded. There seems to be no end to what one could do with this little attractive phone. You could take a text and using school software, scan and convert it to an audio file for iphone, ipod or an MP3 player. Amazing!

AJ and Mom edited

AJ and Mom edited

Yesterday morning, I revisited the Animoto website. I hadn't created an account because I did not want to reveal the personal information required to use the site, but I decided to throw caution to the wind. These are photos AJ and I took when we went to New York last summer and a couple when we were in Venice.

It's a Wrap

I just wrapped up my week with an attempt to use Rollyo(I had missed it on the list.) Every time I tried to search a topic, I got an apology, something about a temporary error. I finally looked at a couple of other people's rolls but did not find the layout of information appealing--it popped up in a tiny box.
Although I spent many hours on line this week,I need more exploration on sites like Zoho which is so comprehensive, one could take a course on it. Sites like Doodle, Bubblus, and Animoto were easier for me to explore in a bit more depth.
I had a couple of funny experiences. Yesterday I "stumbled upon" the site AllTops which sells women's blouses and Bubbuls which sells bath and body products.....so I did a little shopping :) just to break up my day. (jk)

Bleary Eyed

It's 5:37 pm and I have just spent the last 4+ hours doing the second half of my exploration this week. Whew! Earlier in the week, reading Debra and Brian's comments helped me to better understand Zamzar; I hope a student will need me to open a Windows 7 document, so I can see how it works...actually I can try using the document I created for this week's assignment.
I enjoy exploring on the Internet although I sometimes find it frustrating. I downloaded Jing and spent a considerable amount of time trying to use it, but I could not seem to get out of instruction and into creation. I finally tossed in the towel. In fact, it's time for me to quit for now.

Wiki Surprises

I knew my friend Robin had added a "Cheaters' Chocolate Cake" recipe (and here I am trying to lose a few pounds!), but I was surprised to find first a southwestern salad and then a sweet and sour entree on the wiki. Robin says she only put the cake on, so I guess others are finding their way onto the wiki...and here I thought I might need to start a little guilt tripping :). Since my brother has not stepped up to the "plate" with my mom's homemade ravioli recipe, I might have to either search for it or contact him. He has retired and cooks all the time.
Feeling inspired, I added my banana bread, and now Chloe wants her peanut butter bread pudding on the wiki. Cheers!

I wasn't able to rearrange the Flickr photos on the home page, but I did rearrange them in a "set".

Flickr Fun

Before I began my Flickr exploration, I had this notion that I needed to download a CD that came with my camera. I looked in my husband's office, called my daughter in Boston, and worried needlessly. So I figured I would use photos that I had in an e-mail link. That worked and then (duh!) I plugged my camera in and downloaded my own photos to my new computer. I am learning how to navigate tecnology!
I am now enjoying the Flikr site. I have uploaded the photos from my camera and some photos that were sent to me in a link. The only problem with the photos from the link is that they are tiny and distort when I use the photo album feature. The woman who shared the photos uses Smugmug. I am going to have a little more flickr fun (I also want to rearrange the order of the photos, if I can) before I move on!

P.S.

P.S. I forgot to mention that my sister-in-law Diane (computer girl) added a Salmon recipe to my wiki. She is one of three people who joined--I think I will have to do a little guilt tripping...Not :)

Techno-Overload

This week I have had a hard time coming up for air. I am spending so much more time on line yet I haven't written much about it. I am like a kid in a candy shop who cannot make up her mind about what to choose. There are just so many sites to see--so much information to sort through and organize. Widgets/gadgets, videos, blogs,tweets, wikis, google alerts, RSS feeds...two hours pass and I find I am watching videos of Pekingnese dogs on utube.
I realize students will need much guidance to stay focused when they scan sites to compile information for research. I think Richardson makes a point about the different types of reading we need to do when online and off. We need to teach our students to discern what is significant and what is random...I mean we wouldn't want them to end up looking at videos of Pekinese* :)
*I have a fondness for these little lion-like beasts and own a couple of them.

the voki--more than I bargained for!

Well, I finally played around with my voki to the point where I now have two of the same voki on my blog. I am trying to delete one. In all honesty, I just wanted a little voki photo! I had no idea I get the whole blessed thing. Ahhhh....

I did it--eliminated one with a little tool on the side of it.

I wonder how long this rather large voki will last--it seems a bit obnoxious.

Getting Started on Week 4

I am finally starting to move into week 4 although I still need wiki work. I checked out Google Reader and was pleasantly surprised to see my blogs got there first! I now have updates on world and breaking news, I can check out the latest movie reviews, and I can view Oprah and Dr. Oz's Twitters. Not bad. I read through the class discussions thus far and I gather that Delicious is connected to Yahoo. Like Elizabeth, I find Yahoo obnoxious with its advertisements and pop-ups. However, I do have an old Yahoo account out there...I better get going--time to learn about Delicious.

Computer Blues--Back to Best Buy

I should never have installed that McAfee (sp?) protection plan on my new laptop. Since I did that on Thursday, I am being blocked on Voki and I am getting a message on my wiki that something was not installed properly, probably that McAfee plan. After being blocked and getting the negative message, I tried to cancel protection on the computer...that didn't work. In fact, I think it has caused other problems. My wiki is no longer displaying "New Page" on the computer. I still need to work on my wiki for I have not created links to pages. It is a wiki for family/friends' recipes but it lacks sophistication.
Right now, I am on Ed's computer. Later, after dance, I am bringing the computer to the Geek Squad at BB...I hope they can un-install the plan.

WikiWackiness

Today I will create yet another wiki. I haven't been happy with my initial attempts. I deleted one and tried to edit another without the results I was aiming for. I have a new idea altogether. These posts are getting to be pretty dull reading...my apologies.

Basic wiki 101

I deleted my original wiki and substituted it with a wiki where students could access the templates we use in our ELA class. It is very bare bones right now, containing a simple book report template.

Looking for the toolbar

Earlier this week, my first wiki experience was a bit frustrating. When I went into the sandboxes, I couldn't find any useful information or application. I then tried to start a wiki on wikispaces but couln't find the toolbar which was nearly off the page (I found it, dragged it on the page but had trouble getting it to stay put; it took me a while to figure out that I needed to stay in the gray area)I am going to reread everything and start afresh. Back to the sandbox for me.
Part of my frustration comes from the computer on which I have been "trying" to work. It regularly disconnects me from the server. Later this afternoon, my husband and I are buying me a computer all my own :)

I thought this was easy :)

I just tried to contact my one follower Kathleen Porter and ended up being a follower of my own blog instead of hers. Help!

A Tweet!

I think my older girl AJ Rombie Machine, tweeted me. I hope it was me. Do I see all of her tweets? I bet I do not. She thinks my "twitter" is good stuff; Chloe, on the other hand, thinks twitter is silly. She need a Voki :)

Time Zone?

Reading over the blogs, I realize they are not in the time zone in which I exist. Hmmm, I should try to edit this.

The Jewel Tones Win!

I am back from the a capella competition, and finally after making it to the semi-finals 3 out of 4 years, the a capella group in which my daughter, Chloe, sings (she's the high soprano) won!! They are off to New York City, my kinda place, in April! Yes, yes, yes, I am so glad she is finishing HS on a "high" note. In December, she was Maria in West Side Story and now, the Jewel Tones have won. Last year, she seemed to be getting a little discouraged about performing...she hadn't landed any leading roles in three years.
I better sign off. I have a busy day tomorrow.

And now I twitter!

I just set up a twitter account! The only two persons on my list of contacts were my nephew and my oldest daughter. I was able to find Barb and invite her to twitter. So far I have found it easy to access new sites and create pages. I learned that I have been accepted to classroom 2.0. I find myself spending more and more time on line; it's fun but I have brownies to bake. My younger daughter is in an a capella group that is competing tonight and I'm a FOPA(Friends of the Performing Arts)mom, so I better get going.
P.S. to Barb, do you just get these Blogs? I sent the first; is that all I had to do?

Who is on Classroom 2.0

Today I went onto the classroom 2.0 site and I tried to register. I haven't heard from them yet so I don't know if I am in or out.
Other than the Reading Literacy teacher of 2 years ago, I have not observed any use of blogging(or any interactive tech) in the classrooms of MVMS. Blogging in the classroom does not take place in the SS, Science or Math classrooms; I am curious about 3 of the 4 English classes--one I already know the teacher is not blogging in or outside of the classroom. Are we behind the times? I think maybe so...

10 things...

Hi Barb,
Here is my list:
*Make contact with the school librarian (or computer science teacher) and learn at least one new technology.
*Practice by teaching new technology to your peers
*Be open-minded about trying something new in the classroom.
*Invite the school librarian into your classroom to help you demonstrate your new technology.
*Technology does not mean that all the conventions of writing have to fall by the wayside. Students can use technology in every aspect of their writing fromfreewritng to writing formal essays.
*Let your students know that you don't have all the answers.
*Find out what your students know how to do that you don't.
*Talk to your principal about professional development that focuses on new technology.
*Join an online classroom to share ideas.
*Connect with the IT person at your school.
*Take a course.
*Relax, enjoy and apply your new knowledge.
*Then take another course (smile).

The library of my childhood vs. the library of today

One of my earliest childhood memories is my weekly trip to the library with my mother. I remember her tirelessly reading Mother Goose rhymes, fairytales and oddly, books from a Little Golden Books series, one of which was titled We Help Mommy. For some reason, I couldn’t get enough of the stories about that helpful brother and sister who did all sorts of household chores, something my mother never expected me to do. (Their round, pleasant, very similar faces appealed to me.) At the library itself, I only recall physical resources: books, magazines, encyclopedias, maps, newspapers and of course, the card catalogue. The library did not host children’s reading hours like those to which I took my own children. It was sometime in the mid to late 60’s when a bookmobile made its way into the Glenwood Houses, where I lived in Canarsie, Brooklyn. Along with nearly every child in the neighborhood, I anxiously awaited the weekly visit of the beloved blue and white “Library on Wheels.”* There we found the literature that would introduce us to new places, different eras and a broader understanding of the world. In my teenage years, I sometimes traveled to the New York Public Library. How I loved sitting on the steps of that grand, imposing building with a recently-acquired book in hand. There also was no better place to do research, and my mother often packed me a lunch so I could spend the day. It was at the New York Public Library where I first used microfiche, about the only source of information I accessed other than the physical resources I mentioned earlier…which brings me to the library resources available today.
The changes that have taken place between the library of my childhood and the library of today are mind-boggling and are all due to the advent of the computer. I do not even need to step out of the house to access much of what is available in the NOBLE library. Books can be browsed, reserved, renewed, or downloaded; newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias and journals can be accessed; one can learn everything from speaking a foreign language to repairing a car (both of which I would find challenging). The library itself is no longer a place where complete silence is expected; there are programs, events, and activities for children and adults and designated areas where people with laptops can get free wireless connections. Walking around, one sees CD’s, DVD’s, and electronic books to download. Long gone are the days of card catalogues. Computers have transformed our libraries forever.

*Barbara, I was curious to see if I was accurately remembering the name of the bookmobile, and I stumbled upon this image. I nearly “dropped my teeth” as my husband often says. This is the bookmobile in the housing development of my youth.
This scene was made into a postcard. I have to try to get it!

SUMMARY Blue and white "Library on Wheels" bookmobile, with children holding books spilling out of doors; mothers and children watching from bench in foreground; large apartment buildings (Glenwood Houses in Canarsie) in background. Caption from copy 2: "Brooklyn Public Library: Twin bookmobiles, serving areas not reached by library buildings, pave the way for permanent structures. Scene at Glenwood Houses." NOTE Title supplied by cataloger. LOCAL NOTE Copy 2.
SUBJECT Brooklyn Public Library. Public libraries -- New York (State) -- New York. Bookmobiles -- New York (State) -- New York. Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) Canarsie (New York, N.Y.)


Where is my bookmobile? I lost it in the translation somewhere!

Oh to be a LMS

When I read through all of the posts of my classmates, I am overwhelmed by how much experience they have in library technology. I cannot comment on some of their posts because I lack knowledge in a particular area. For example, I wonder what a Moodle is? Yet another avenue I must explore. I have much to learn.

To blog or not to blog

I guess I'll blog. Setting this up was easier than I thought it would be. I have no course insights and have nothing new to say today, at least not yet. But I am a blogger :) It's a start!