So Long Farwell Auf wiedersehen..

This is my final blog that is part of the IST 611 Syracuse class. Tommorrow I will be heading to Germany to meet with Rebecca and Dietmar so before I say my goodbye here is my reflections about the blogging experience.

I must admit that I liked the blogging experience more so than I had anticipated. I previously created a blog for my school library about January of 2007 in a Region 9 technology workshop however I have not used it. I had intended to use it with my grade 6 reading club as a safe space to continue our book discussions. When asked to create a blog for this class I used my preexisting blog http://ps108library.blogspot.com/. At least this made the first part of the assignment easier for me. I used the basic template design and then I saw how my classmates in my yellow group customized their blogs so you can say that Margie, Stacy and Gloria inspired me to bring it up a level.

An important part of why blogging was an engaging and successful experience is that I liked being in a group with these three wonderful women. For me it seemed that we took our blogging assignment seriously and every week we all posted at least once on our topic as well as other topics that interested us. We all responded in a timely manner to each other in a respectful, encouraging way.

Another reason why I enjoyed blogging is that I thought that I had very interesting topics to blog about, digital storytelling and vlogging. These topics made the assignment relevant for me. My first topic was digital storytelling. I found so many interesting resources that I look forward to sharing with my students and teachers and what’s even better is that I have it ready to show to all of them on my blog. I could have continued on this topic throughout the course. I have to admit that I did post on that topic afterwards because I just found the most moving movie created by a young 15 year old girl. My hope is that when I show this story to my students that they too will be inspired to tell their stories in a digital format. I look forward to collaborating with classroom and the technology teacher to make this a reality. By then I will have the consent forms that I need and can post those stories first on TeacherTube first and then onto my blog. My other topic vlogging was just as interesting especially when I was found some cool vlogs that are being produced by teachers. I thought that these two topics went hand in hand and are a huge piece in blogging. Some of the other topics that my classmates had to blog were interesting. Their blogs were a method for me to learn about technologies that I was unaware of such as Elgg, Filamentality. Other topics were not as interesting for me and to blog about them for more than 2 weeks must have been a challenge for my classmates. However every week there was something new and relevant to read about. I am unsure how I would have felt about this experience if I had a topic that wasn’t of importance for me.

I look forward to using blogs in my library with students on various curriculum subject areas as well as topics that my students can relate to. When I go back to work I would like to survey my students and staff and see what blogs that they read. I would love to start a blog about the Summer Reading Program and discuss what great books were read. I can see blogging as a useful and effective tool to keep in touch with my students, staff and parents about what is going on in the library. No more lost memo papers all you have to do is look for the posting on my blog to find what you missed. Classroom teachers can use it to post assignments or missed homework for absent students and to keep the parents updated on class curriculum and events. The possibilities are out there and now it its time to bring it into my school where it can be a useful resource. Wish me luck. This was a pleasurable and educational experience thanks to team yellow for going with me on our journey to blogging I couldn’t have done it without you. Enjoy the summer.

Cyber Safety

This weeks topic is Cyber Safety. I talk to my students alot about being safe on the internet. Since so many of my students use My Space or other social network sites I like to inform them of the dangers they may be putting themselves in. I share with them Katie's story from web wise kids, and on the teenage catergory you can see a movie with Katie telling the story in her own words.

I added a Cyber Safety Category on my portaportal page. I am going to set up a parent workshop this year with the help of my Parent Coordinator. I believe it just as important to educate our parents as well as our students.

I just found this wonderful PSA about identity theft on www.staysafeonline.org. Here is an easy way to view the clip. It is scary how easy you can lose everything a once. Technology can sometimes be a double edge sword.

"Voices of the Heart" Digital Story

Ok so Kelly, Susie and I created a digital story using Powerpoint and then turning that into a Quicktime movie using the PowerPoint Program. I never knew that you can do that in PowerPoint. I learned quick a few neat tricks but I still have a ways to go in learning all that these wonderful programs have to offer. So cross your fingers and wish me luck has I try my best to upload this movie onto my blog.

Room 132 Vlogs

While researching vlogs I came across this blog/vlog from Bre Pettis a former Seattle, WA LanguageArts middle school teacher titled Room 132. On his blog he posted a powerpoint that he converted into a movie "Blogging For Teachers: Presentation For the Seattle Middle School Conference" He created some wonderful vlogs for his students and some are with his students. Sit back, relax, watch, and think of the possiblities for us as educators and how motivating vlogs can be for our students.

Vlogging and the Presidential Race 2008

I just read this blog about vlogs that are sure to impact the 2008 presidental election. This blog lead me to the New York Times site that lists all the 2008 candiates and links to their websites, blogs and other multimedia. Who would have thought in the last election of 2004 how much impact and influence the internet and web 2.0 applications would have for the Presidential Election in 2008. Now all presidential candiates have websites, blogs and some dare to have vlogs. Here is John Edwards vlog to see how the candiates are using the web to get their message across. On Hillary Clinton site there is a contest to make a 30 second video that is being sponsered by YouTube and CNN that will be seen during her July23rd debate. If this is going on in the 2008 election I wonder what we will see in 2012 election.

Vlog - Deaf Dish: Through the Eyes and Hands

I was thinking about assistive technology and came across this excellent vlog "Deaf Dish: Through the Eyes and Hands". My only problem is that I don't know American Sign Language (ASL), and there is no captions under her signing, however I enjoy reading her blog. Right now she is taking a break for the summer, busy with her kids and life which I could totally relate to. There are previous vlogs to view. If you know anyone that is deaf or can read ASL direct them to this site and see what they think.

Digital Story "Remember Me"

I just show this wonderful digital story created by 15 yearold Lizzie Palmer. I read about her in this School Library Journalarticle. I thought her movie "Remember Me" was a piece of art and it moved me to tears. If you get a chance to view it let me know what your thoughts are.

Create Your Own Vlog

I found this project on CNET site about creating your own vlog. It is in the form of a vlog. Another great site that has a tutorial is freevlog. Then I stumbled across this vlog from the TILT(Teachers Improving Learning with Technology )site that Julie Matz worte to us about. Scroll down the page till Episode 14 "So you want to be a videcaster?". Of course I haven't found the time or courage to start my own vlog on my blog. I keep thinking of this article I read Thinking of video blogging? You should probably forget it by Penelope Trunk. I mean all I would vlog about is the topic of vlogging although I find the topic to be interesting I am not sure if my vlog would be good. Well maybe one day soon I will gather up the nerve and vlog,vlog, vlog until then it just me and my good old reliable blog.

iTunes, Apple Applications and Education

This week the topic of discussion was iTunes. You can access music, television shows, movies and podcasts from the iTunes store.On the iTunes podcastand education website there is a link on the left side that will open your itunes application. There is a podcast about creating a podcast.




Apple is an bringing education to a new level with all their wonderful applications such as iphoto, imovie, garage band to name a few. There are some wondeful movies created by K-12 schools on the apple website for social studies, language arts, math, science, and other, using these applications. It inspires me to see the possiblities.

Oh a Vlogging We Will Go

The second topic I will be blogging about is Vlogging. Vlogging is just like blogging but with video. When a vlog comes to mind I think of Rosie O'Donnell since she has a blog that she vlogs on. I never really go to that site but I will say when I was on maternity leave 6 years ago and she was raving about Mac computers and making iMovies of her family I was inspired to get Macs for my library. The a few years later we were given the Manhattan Borough Grant to do over the library. You could spend the money on anything but books so my inspiration became a reality. I know have a cart of 15 iMacs. I also ordered 28 emacs to build a technology lab for our students.

On my quest to search vlogs I came across this vlog about the iphone on this site http://www.webpronews.com/ I love the way they have vlogs on their site.

In this article I found this quote"Vlogging gives average citizens an audience and a chance to make their voices heard." However I believe that there is use for vlogs in the educational community. My quest is to now search for that perfect educational vlog and when I come across it I will let you all know.

As for now I must go and search and who knows during the next six weeks I will attempt to create a vlog that I can post on my blog. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Here is looking forward to the journey of vlogging.

Asia's Digital Poem

I just viewed Asia's Digital Poem about "How Much is a Life Worth?". This digital poem was powerful and I know will reach out to my students in East Harlem. The article of how Asia's digital poem came to be is on an archived section of Voices of Urban Education. She did this project with Digital Underground Story Telling for Youth (DUSTY) located in Berkeley, California. I can't wait to show this to my students in the fall to show them the possiblities of digital storytelling.

I also found this insightful article about Co-authoring identity: Digital storytelling in an urban middle school by Alan Davis. It mentions Digital Underground Story Telling for Youth (DUSTY) and other afterschool programs. A must read for anyone interested in creating digital storytelling in their school.

Digital Storytelling as a Reflective Portfolio

I was searching for more interesting information on digital storytelling and I came across this this website electronicportfolios.org created by Helen Barrett. Dr. Barrett's paper on "Digital Sotries in ePortfolios:Multiple Purposes and Tools" is a must read I really like the linking of digital storytelling and electronic portfolio. She used her grandaughter Victoria and made a digital story using only her voice and iPhoto to create the story. There are other interesting examples of digital stories on this site that have inspired me.

Gloria will be happy to know that this site made us of mapping to get the point across.about ePorfolio and digital storytelling. I love that on the map there is an arrow pointing to digital storytelling and it says"Strategies that promote Intrinsic Motivation to maintaing the process for Lifelong Learning. " That to me is the goal of digital story telling with our students.

This site also has a page about "Creating ePortfolios with Web2.0 Tools". It is a very useful website. This was all so foreign 6 weeks ago and now I really can see the possiblites. I guess you can place me in the Lifelong learning catergory anyone want to join me.

Once my collbrative technology digital storytelling project is completed my students will have their first electronic portfolio. Hopefully something the students will look back at with a smile Iknow mine will be from ear to ear.

Digital Storytelling and Apples iMovie

For the collabrative technology project my team and I want to make possible an iMovie. Today while searching I found this directory of additional digital story resources from the University of Houston College of Education I mentioned in my very first posting on Digital Storytelling. Did I mention I love that site. That led me to this site about iMovies in Education. Today I tried my hand at the opening title to the iMovie about the Sistine Chapel project. I worked with 3 fifth grade students who seemed more interested in producing a PowerPoint presentation on this project. Who knows maybe we will do both. I must say that they are very motivated about digitilizing this project and so am I.

Introducing Surface by Microsoft

Professor Ross Todd emailed us the other day about the new Surface computer that is being developed by Microsoft. I am in awe of this new computer and I bit shocked that it is Microsoft and not Apple that is producing this innovation in the the digital world we live in. We discussed in our IST 611 class how this would be great to have in our schools for the little ones, ESL and disabled students. I can envision my library tables will one day become equipped with Surface computers and the PS108 library will be changed forever. I want to thank Professor Todd for making us dreamers of what our world can become.

Digital Storytellling A 10 Step Tutorial and Me

On the website http://www.techsoup.org I found this cool article about "Digital Storytelling: A Tutorial in 10 Easy Steps". I also found on the BBC Wales website a link to digital storytelling. The school shoebox stories are made by students. I need to explore these sites since I will be creating digital stories for my collabrative technology project for IST 611. The topic of digital storytelling appeals to me and I see it as a great tool to motivate my teachers to incorporate and intergrate technology in the classroom. Kelly and I have two great teachers in my school collabrating with us on this topic. They created awesome projects. The first project is a 7th grade special education class that created a poetry quilt. The second project is a 5th grade bilinigual class that studied Michelangelo, recreated the Sistine Chapel ceiling and wrote reports on his life. . I will keep you posted on our progress so wish us luck on our new and exciting project.

Social Bookmarking, the NYCDOE Library Services and ME

Social Bookmarking is the buzz everywhere. This was the big topic at New York City Department of Education Library Services conference this past May. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the conference so I contacted the office to ask where I could find the resources that were distributed. I was kindly directed to the NYCDOE Library Services website which I visit often and told to go to the professional development link to locate the materials. I opened up the powerpoint "Using Social Tools to Promote Literacy". It had some great web 2.0 resources that all related to libraries. I was unfamiliar with these sites so I decided to check them out. Here are a few I thought were interesting.

Springshare

EduBlogs

Visitmyclass

This site let me to a blog "A New Adventure" that I found very interesting. If you get a chance check it out the last post was about Skype.

Another site that related to this week's topic LibraryThing was
GoodRead

A few weeks ago I didn't even know these sites exsisted now my problems is with some many wonderful social bookmaking sites how can I keep up with them all!

Digital Storytelling and Teacher Tube

TeacherTube is a wonderful website. I have to thank Margie for posting this site in the favorite links section on her blog. As I searched this site it occurred to me that TeacherTube and digital storytelling go hand in hand. Once you create your digital story this is a safe site for it to be seen on. Of course you must have your students' parents sign waivers for their work to be posted on the web. Teachers must also sign waivers to have their work appear on the web. You can obtain these waivers at the NYCDOE Division of Instructional Information Technology website. Here is a digital story by 2 third grade students telling of their special places. This video "When I Grow Up" shows the importance of how we must forge ahead with Web 2.0. I found this video so simplistic yet so powerful. This topic is motivating me to want to get busy with my students in learning and creating our own digital story. I even found a third grade teacher in New Zeland that produced a digital story advocating on why students should blog. TeacherTube is a high quality Web 2.0 site that is useful for teachers and students.

RFID we ain't in Mayberry

When I first saw the initials RFID I couldn't help but think of the show Mayberry RFD that was a spinoff of the Andy Griffith Show. Yes I am dating myself although I was a young child when that show first hit the airwaves in 1968.

Before this week I had no idea what RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) was. Who knew that I use it everyday when I cross the George Washington bridge. I also see it used at the Mobile station in the form of speedpass or in cars that have OnStar. To learn a little bit more about this topic I began to search the web and came across this website RFID journal, it offers news and information about RFID and its many business applications.
http://www.rfidjournal.com/

There are articles there about many public and academic libraries across the world that are implementing RFID technology. When public libraries reopened in New Orleans they chose to use RFID. http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/2460/1/1/ What was seemed like a foreign language to me has now become somewhat familar and could very well be an active part of my future in library services. On the downside the article states that library went from a staff of 4 librarians to just 2 librarians.

While reading this online journal it amazes me how many different business implement this technology. I just read in article on the RFID journal lhttp://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/3383/1/1/
that Karstadt, Germany’s largest fashion retail is getting involved with RFID. The article stated that “During the pilot, Karstadt will implement RFID in three separate processes: tracking goods from the time of arrival at a store until the point of sale; performing and managing inventory; and locating goods to facilitate price changes. The uses for this technology is endless. It also got me thinking if companies can track what is being sold and a customer purchases their items with a credit card then companies can track that person too. It all seems a little big brother to me, remember 1984? Is anyone else worried???

VoIP+VideoConferencing=Opportunities in Educational Uses

The topic last week in IST 611 was Voice over Internet Phone. I new a little about the topic since I do use Cablevision to provide my phone service. There are many other companies out there that also provide this service such as Skpe and Vonage. This could be a great way to communicate with my husband Dietmar's family in Germany. If you have a webcam on your computer then you have move to the age of the Jetsons where you can see who you are speaking with. This too could be utilized in schools. My daughter's kindergarten technology teacher just went to Alaska on a research expedition. He kept in touch with students on his blog JacobTanenbaum
He stated that the ship he was on had advanced technology. He also video conferencing to have a converstation with a third grade class. I think that is amazing. I can see the many educational uses for VoIP with my students in East Harlem once I think outside the box.

IST 611 Digital Storytelling

For the next few weeks I will be blogging about Digital Storytelling. This topic holds great interest for me. I can see many wonderful stories that once were told orally now can move forward to the 21st century in the digital environment. I was surfing the net and came upon this definition Digital Storytelling is the modern expression of the ancient art of storytelling. Digital stories derive their power by weaving images, music, narrative and voice together, thereby giving deep dimension and vivid color to characters, situations, experiences, and insights. - Digital Storytelling Association retrived from http://electronicportfolios.com/digistory/faq.html#1 on June 2,2007
I can image the possiblities of our students using this format to tell their stories especially students that have special needs. Students can create digital stories in all their subject areas. A website that I found useful was the University of Houston College of Education http://www.coe.uh.edu/digital-storytelling/examples.htm. When you get a chance check this site out and let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing you thoughts on this topic.

Welcome to the World of the PS 108 Library

Welcome to the PS 108 Library Blog.