Thing 10 is a work in progress. We are now in the midst of inventory so everything is on hold. But, I am looking at the following:
Dropbox and reading this article:
Dropbox
Evernote
I hope to get back to both which why I linked them to my blog post. :)
The last tool I want to begin incorporating is:
Remember the Milk
I can always use help with reminders and organization. :)
Over the weekend, I set up an account with Hoot Suite. I have been following this resource on Twitter for a while and decided to get started. I really like the way it looks and I find it easier to navigate than Netvibes. The two seem very closely related in what they offer, but for me Hoot Suite just seems a bit more user friendly. I am still working on learning to use Evernote and Dropbox, both of which I have had downloaded as apps on my iPad for a long time, but have really never touched and certainly not thought about in an educational setting. So, as this course ends, those are the two resources I will save as yet-to-come.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Thing 9: Databases
I am very lucky in that I have a school district that allows me to purchase several great databases. The first thing I want to mention is a plus for PebbleGo. If you are an elementary librarian looking for good solid information for your youngest students (grades K-4) PebbleGo has several wonderful databases for your to try: Animals, Earth and Space, Biographies, and now, Social Studies. We love them.
I did a couple tutorials within the Gale group. I looked at a couple resources I might need to consider going to battle to add. I am not thrilled with the resources we have that support our Fine Arts projects, especially in the field of music research for middle school age students. So, if anyone has recommendations, please let me know.
What I did the most was to look over Google and the searching tips for use with a couple of classes starting research projects where Google would be used a lot. I did two screencasts related to this. One was on Boolean searching that I linked to our OPACs. And the second was on tips for searching with Google. I have that one for now on the library's main web page, but I am not sure that is the best place for it.
Here are the two:
Boolean Searching
Google Searching Tips
I know I will spend more time with some of the information found related to this topic. There are so many great tools we have been able to use. Of everything I have done, I have loved a lot of these tools which I know I would not have taken the time to explore on my own. Getting to know Twitter for professional use and developing screencasts are two things that have helped me so much and without this course would have been on a back burner for sure, if I had discovered them at all. ScoopIt has become my other "always open window". I use it constantly to save and review all sort of things. Polly, thank you so much for all of this!!
I did a couple tutorials within the Gale group. I looked at a couple resources I might need to consider going to battle to add. I am not thrilled with the resources we have that support our Fine Arts projects, especially in the field of music research for middle school age students. So, if anyone has recommendations, please let me know.
What I did the most was to look over Google and the searching tips for use with a couple of classes starting research projects where Google would be used a lot. I did two screencasts related to this. One was on Boolean searching that I linked to our OPACs. And the second was on tips for searching with Google. I have that one for now on the library's main web page, but I am not sure that is the best place for it.
Here are the two:
Boolean Searching
Google Searching Tips
I know I will spend more time with some of the information found related to this topic. There are so many great tools we have been able to use. Of everything I have done, I have loved a lot of these tools which I know I would not have taken the time to explore on my own. Getting to know Twitter for professional use and developing screencasts are two things that have helped me so much and without this course would have been on a back burner for sure, if I had discovered them at all. ScoopIt has become my other "always open window". I use it constantly to save and review all sort of things. Polly, thank you so much for all of this!!
Thing 7...more
Thing 7 has been great for me. I love Screenr and even have a couple of other teachers who are jumping on board after I used some screencasts with the classes. I have gotten better at screencasting. I have learned "script your work first", practice and then do the screencast. If I do that, I have tools for my staff, students, and even the community that will really help and will really save me time.
For an English 11 I-Search research project, I made screencasts to help kids with citations of several of the websites they all use. I put the link to the screencasts on the same page as the hotlist. That way they could go to the website, watch the screencast, open NoodleTools, and cite as they went along.
Here is the link to the hotlist on which you will see my screencast links:
11th Grade English I-Search Career Project Hotlist
One last thing is a question. How and where are people putting information out for your students? Are you still using web pages? Do you have library facebook pages? Do you link resources to your OPACs? Do you tweet it? It seems we have a lot of formats to consider and I was just wondering how everyone still manages the links to resources that they want to see used.
For an English 11 I-Search research project, I made screencasts to help kids with citations of several of the websites they all use. I put the link to the screencasts on the same page as the hotlist. That way they could go to the website, watch the screencast, open NoodleTools, and cite as they went along.
Here is the link to the hotlist on which you will see my screencast links:
11th Grade English I-Search Career Project Hotlist
One last thing is a question. How and where are people putting information out for your students? Are you still using web pages? Do you have library facebook pages? Do you link resources to your OPACs? Do you tweet it? It seems we have a lot of formats to consider and I was just wondering how everyone still manages the links to resources that they want to see used.
Thing 8: Collaborating, Connecting, Sharing
It has been a while since I posted. But, at Thing 8, I feel behind...way behind.
I did do a couple of things related to this topic. I worked on several boards within my Pinterest account and added lots of things for my elementary teachers to use. I also worked on boards for me.
Three boards I developed"
http://pinterest.com/melindawm/education-resources-for-my-teachers/
http://pinterest.com/melindawm/education-library-and-information-pins/
http://pinterest.com/melindawm/education-digital-citizenship/
The one for teachers has gotten quite a few repins. :) That one seemed easier to find pins for. Digital Citizenship I need to work on quite a bit more. Although, I have been using ScoopIt for the same purpose, basically. That seems quicker and I have had good responses to that, too.
Personally and in work, I have been working with Google Calendar, too. I am trying to do more with that.
Last, we are pretty much a Google school with kids in grades 6-12 with Chromebooks. Our use of Google docs in huge. We have gotten really good at sharing all sorts of things. A tool I wanted to mention because it has added a huge sharing feature, and because I just love it, is NoodleTools. Built into this program is an ability to share whole project via Google, but also teachers/librarians can set up assignment boxes within the program and students can share their citation work as they go. As a librarian, I can go to my "shared with me" folder and check their work and make comments. I love this feature. One of the reasons,\ I am so far behind here is because we have lots of research going on with several classes using this feature. One other thing to mention is that the tech support and help within NoodleTools is amazing. I love these people and this tool which is SO much more than a citation maker.
Okay, that is Thing 8 for me. :)
I did do a couple of things related to this topic. I worked on several boards within my Pinterest account and added lots of things for my elementary teachers to use. I also worked on boards for me.
Three boards I developed"
http://pinterest.com/melindawm/education-resources-for-my-teachers/
http://pinterest.com/melindawm/education-library-and-information-pins/
http://pinterest.com/melindawm/education-digital-citizenship/
The one for teachers has gotten quite a few repins. :) That one seemed easier to find pins for. Digital Citizenship I need to work on quite a bit more. Although, I have been using ScoopIt for the same purpose, basically. That seems quicker and I have had good responses to that, too.
Personally and in work, I have been working with Google Calendar, too. I am trying to do more with that.
Last, we are pretty much a Google school with kids in grades 6-12 with Chromebooks. Our use of Google docs in huge. We have gotten really good at sharing all sorts of things. A tool I wanted to mention because it has added a huge sharing feature, and because I just love it, is NoodleTools. Built into this program is an ability to share whole project via Google, but also teachers/librarians can set up assignment boxes within the program and students can share their citation work as they go. As a librarian, I can go to my "shared with me" folder and check their work and make comments. I love this feature. One of the reasons,\ I am so far behind here is because we have lots of research going on with several classes using this feature. One other thing to mention is that the tech support and help within NoodleTools is amazing. I love these people and this tool which is SO much more than a citation maker.
Okay, that is Thing 8 for me. :)
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