This has been an amazing journey with lots of surprises. Now that the new school year is about to begin, I have been rejuvenated to share all this fun stuff. Our computer aide is really going to fall in love with everything. I can't wait to present the program in our first staff meeting and invite our entire staff to embark on their own journey.
What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
My favorite discoveries were Image Generators and Flickr. I believe it is the kid in me.
How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
It has forced me to stop and try to think outside of the box. I am sometimes a little timid when coming up with ideas for fear that they will either fail or flop. Hey...it's okay...as long as I learn something!
Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
I did not think that the majority of these tools could be used in the elementary setting. Kids certainly couldn't handle this. Once I stepped out of the above box and put things in a child's perspective, I realized that there was something for everyone, every age. It just means a little more effort may be required.
What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
I would have liked a blog/site that we could go to ask questions and view responses. The Team was always just an email away but I would have enjoyed reading what others were questioning. The Sandbox did have the "Water Cooler" section that is being designed. I think it will become a popular hangout.
If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate?
Absolutely. Technology is always going to be moving forward. Weren't 45's the rage not too long ago?
How would you describe your learning experience in ONE WORD or in ONE SENTENCE, so we could use your words to promote CSLA learning activities?
SUPERNAL
Irmapince - you can finally go to sleep
libladylib - thank you for "nudging" me into this
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Week 9 #22 - ebooks and Audio Books
Working in an elementary school library, I discovered ebooks very quickly. It was a way for me to "read" a lot of the new books without viewing them. I could listen to a couple as I was preparing dinner or cutting out bulletin board displays. Sometimes I would get distracted because I wanted to view the pictures as well. Our school has also used them to further reinforce necessary skills for our Special Education classes, RSP program and our ESL students. Tumblebooks is not a free source but offers a wonderful selection of children's books.
Week 9 #21 - Podcasts
I discovered podcasting about 6 months ago. The developer of our district webpage program, EdWeb, was updating our current version and asked my opinion on its value to our staff. One of the elementary teachers within our district was also testing its benefits. He uploaded his using an iPod. I, however, not owning one nor a microphone, investigated other options for creating a podcast. GabCast was a great alternative for me. I created a free account. Using a telephone and connecting to a specific voice mail, I was able to record and save my podcast. The message was saved and easily accessed via their website. GabCast gave me the opportunity to stay within my budget (zero), create a podcast easily within my classroom without district filters via the telephone, and post them on my web page. So easy.
It would be a great opportunity to collaborate with teachers and align their curriculum with library book talks. One of the ways we are looking into is to have students read a Social Studies supplemental reading, write a review, record their review and post it as a podcast on the class and library web pages. These books would also be "featured" in the library.
Here is an example of a GabCast podcast:
Gabcast! Podcast test #1
It would be a great opportunity to collaborate with teachers and align their curriculum with library book talks. One of the ways we are looking into is to have students read a Social Studies supplemental reading, write a review, record their review and post it as a podcast on the class and library web pages. These books would also be "featured" in the library.
Here is an example of a GabCast podcast:
Gabcast! Podcast test #1
Week 9 #20 - Discover YouTube
I became aware of YouTube when my kids set up their MySpace accounts. They were always calling me into view another video that they found. Since then I am always looking at different things. There are some great positive library videos out there.
I just couldn't stop at just one choice...so I have three.
#1 - I couldn't pass it up. It's always fun when you find a family member or someone you know featured in an online video. And yet, freaky.
#2 - I just love the imagery in this video. Libraries, books and reading really do make a difference!
#3 - Just for fun. I laugh every time I see this video.
Unfortunately, in addition to some really great stuff there is a tremendous amount of inappropriate material as well. YouTube would have to be very closely monitored in order for any filtering system to allow it's viewing. Perhaps there could be some sort of view only tag that districts could embed into a video link so that you could not wander from its location. Not sure this would be accepted by districts either. Many, like our own, have cut so many budgets that there are barely enough tech reps to handle phone issues let alone deal with the Internet issues.
I just couldn't stop at just one choice...so I have three.
#1 - I couldn't pass it up. It's always fun when you find a family member or someone you know featured in an online video. And yet, freaky.
#2 - I just love the imagery in this video. Libraries, books and reading really do make a difference!
#3 - Just for fun. I laugh every time I see this video.
Unfortunately, in addition to some really great stuff there is a tremendous amount of inappropriate material as well. YouTube would have to be very closely monitored in order for any filtering system to allow it's viewing. Perhaps there could be some sort of view only tag that districts could embed into a video link so that you could not wander from its location. Not sure this would be accepted by districts either. Many, like our own, have cut so many budgets that there are barely enough tech reps to handle phone issues let alone deal with the Internet issues.
Week 8 #19 - Library Thing
This is a great tool. What a wonderful way to showcase titles on a library website. It sure was 100 times easier than creating a slideshow. 10 minutes versus 10 hours per book!
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Week 8 #18 - Online productivity
I love Zoho. I can't wait to share this with our 6th grade teachers. Currently our district allows for students to save to a "w" drive. However, this drive is stored on a district server so therefore not accessible from home. Many of the students save their work to disks or flash drives(which are not longer allowed) to upload to their "w" folder. Often their Word version is not compatable with the school's or they saved their file onto a non Rewritable CD. This would solve all of these problems. A student could access their documents from any on-line computer and modify to their heart's content. Filters and parental consent would be an obstacle to address, but well worth the effort.
Ah...I'm figuring out these wikis
Today while waiting in a doctor's office I thought of a way that we could introduce wikis into the classroom. I know that there are multitudes of applications but I need to take baby steps to get familiar with everything. Every year our GATE students are responsible for creating a play to present to the entire school. I am not part of the GATE instruction; however they meet weekly in the library on Friday afternoons. Quite frequently I am present re-shelving the weeks returns or cataloguing. I have the opportunity to observe.
The students decide upon a theme, revolving around a subject supplied by the teacher. They are responsible for dividing into groups and electing individuals to be in charge. For example, they would select a Director (overall coordinator), props (with one student in charge), script (with one student in charge), etc.
The wiki could be created by the teacher to coordinate every one's efforts for the production as a whole. Each individual group could add their link to wiki their individual progress. The group managers would be able to see how the group was working within their designated categories and the teacher would be able to oversee everyone...stepping as needed. It could be done quickly rather than on a weekly basis.
Sometimes it is a little more intimidating for me to step outside of the box. Oh...another flash as I type....I will post this in the "sandbox".
The students decide upon a theme, revolving around a subject supplied by the teacher. They are responsible for dividing into groups and electing individuals to be in charge. For example, they would select a Director (overall coordinator), props (with one student in charge), script (with one student in charge), etc.
The wiki could be created by the teacher to coordinate every one's efforts for the production as a whole. Each individual group could add their link to wiki their individual progress. The group managers would be able to see how the group was working within their designated categories and the teacher would be able to oversee everyone...stepping as needed. It could be done quickly rather than on a weekly basis.
Sometimes it is a little more intimidating for me to step outside of the box. Oh...another flash as I type....I will post this in the "sandbox".
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Week 7 #16 & 17 - Learn about wikis
Okay I have to change my opinion of wikis. Originally I was not necessarily a fan. Wikis, such as Wikipedia, are not always completely reliable sources. However, after looking through a couple of the listed sites, I found a lot of valuable information.
The Sample School Wiki was a wonderful example of how this tool could be used within the classroom. However, it looked extremely involved to set up. I would like to go back to view the first postings to see how the site as progressed from its conception.
Another wiki I enjoyed was the Blogging Libraries Wiki. For the elementary schools, it provided links to blogs rather than a true wiki. However, I enjoyed looking at what other libraries are doing with this knowledge.
I saw this video on Page Space's blog and felt it important to include on mine page as well. It really broke everything down into a very simplistic manner. Wikis are beginning to make sense to me know. I felt that blogging could do the same thing but now I see that wikis could eliminate the need to go back and read a paper trail.
The Sample School Wiki was a wonderful example of how this tool could be used within the classroom. However, it looked extremely involved to set up. I would like to go back to view the first postings to see how the site as progressed from its conception.
Another wiki I enjoyed was the Blogging Libraries Wiki. For the elementary schools, it provided links to blogs rather than a true wiki. However, I enjoyed looking at what other libraries are doing with this knowledge.
I saw this video on Page Space's blog and felt it important to include on mine page as well. It really broke everything down into a very simplistic manner. Wikis are beginning to make sense to me know. I felt that blogging could do the same thing but now I see that wikis could eliminate the need to go back and read a paper trail.
Week 6 #15 - Thoughts on 2.0 perspectives
I came across David Lee King's blog entitled "Am I a 2.0 Librarian and the Library 2.0 Spectrum". Although, it was not on the list of suggested perspectives to investigate - I will get to those - I was drawn into his remarks. Libraries are managed by such a diverse group of individuals with any equally diverse background. We all have our comfort zones...some are more comfortable reading to children, others cataloging, designing and maintaining web pages, blogging, and the list goes on. However, the constant thread is that we all have a love of knowledge, the desire to learn, and to pass this knowledge on to our patrons/students.
David Lee King's Blog
Personally, every year has become more challenging to maintain and operate our elementary school library. Funds that were abundant 8 years ago ($10,000 +) have dwindled to almost nothing ($742 last year). With the lack of funds, I have to wonder how I will be able to put these lessons into practice. There is barely enough money to replace damaged books and purchase new additions, let alone purchase the necessary hardware to implement these programs. In addition to a reduction in funds for library purchases, funding for personnel hours has been cut as well.
Many believe that there is no need to maintain an elementary library. I disagree. This is where students learn to love to read. Without the knowledge to read they would not be able to go online to social network. The library is a haven to escape from the harsh realities of the classroom. They are able to read out of enjoyment and let their imaginations take them to exciting places. Sure there are movies/videos but with the written word they are able to envision the scenery or the storyline slightly differently than the screenwriter or director. Just as an individual can look at Van Gogh's "Starry Night" and imagine that it is evening just after dark when it becomes necessary for the lights to be turned on. On the other hand, some else sees it at night beginning to transition into the morning when all are awakening from their sleep.
I want to be able to offer it all.... books to hold and cherish, teach basic skills so know how to conduct research, offer new and inventive ways to utilize the Web to enhance their studies. I just hope that libraries will be around to do this.
David Lee King's Blog
Personally, every year has become more challenging to maintain and operate our elementary school library. Funds that were abundant 8 years ago ($10,000 +) have dwindled to almost nothing ($742 last year). With the lack of funds, I have to wonder how I will be able to put these lessons into practice. There is barely enough money to replace damaged books and purchase new additions, let alone purchase the necessary hardware to implement these programs. In addition to a reduction in funds for library purchases, funding for personnel hours has been cut as well.
Many believe that there is no need to maintain an elementary library. I disagree. This is where students learn to love to read. Without the knowledge to read they would not be able to go online to social network. The library is a haven to escape from the harsh realities of the classroom. They are able to read out of enjoyment and let their imaginations take them to exciting places. Sure there are movies/videos but with the written word they are able to envision the scenery or the storyline slightly differently than the screenwriter or director. Just as an individual can look at Van Gogh's "Starry Night" and imagine that it is evening just after dark when it becomes necessary for the lights to be turned on. On the other hand, some else sees it at night beginning to transition into the morning when all are awakening from their sleep.
I want to be able to offer it all.... books to hold and cherish, teach basic skills so know how to conduct research, offer new and inventive ways to utilize the Web to enhance their studies. I just hope that libraries will be around to do this.
Further discovery of Technorati
As I became further engrossed with Technorati it became apparent that the correct tagging is very important. When searching for any of the words "school library learning 2.0", I arrived at 1,884 hits. Once narrowed to EXACT phrasing, the hits diminished (216), but the results were much more productive. I am going to rethink the value of Technorati. Still not convinced that it will be beneficial to elementary students, maybe 5th & 6th graders with much assistance. Also, the validity of the information obtained would have to be questioned.
Week 6 #14 - Explore Technorati
I spent about 4 hours perusing Technorati. Don't think this will be a favorite of mine. So much time was spent filtering through "dribble" to find a something of interest. For example, if I searched "library, school, elementary, skills" I would obtain blogs from "screwing around in the school library" to "I love my library - contests". Perhaps as I become more proficient with tagging I will be able to narrow the searches down. I claimed my blog and will try another go at the program today.
Social networking does have its pluses and minuses. I have used blogs in the past to communicate with family members regarding events, much like the annual Christmas letters many receive, that are happening without having to write each individually. They can post their replies and it is fun to read what others have to say - you don't get that in individual letters. But this blog is not going to be of interest to anyone outside the family circle.
Social networking does have its pluses and minuses. I have used blogs in the past to communicate with family members regarding events, much like the annual Christmas letters many receive, that are happening without having to write each individually. They can post their replies and it is fun to read what others have to say - you don't get that in individual letters. But this blog is not going to be of interest to anyone outside the family circle.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Week 6 #13 - Tagging and Del.icio.us
It has been a fun morning. I really like Del.icio.us and the opportunity it offers to access all the web links, articles, references that I like from any computer. No more sending emails between school and home with attached links. I did run into a little bit of trouble with the link buttons. My home computer uses the Yahoo-SBC browser which does not install the buttons. Once I accessed the internet I just opened a separate Windows IE tab and was able to work just fine. It is a little more cumbersome because I need to keep switching between screens until I get all my bookmarks transferred but in the end it will be worth it. It is just going to be a little time-consuming because I have over 1000 sites bookmarked and I am looking at every one to check it's current value to me. Some of the links were created by my daugther 3 years ago before she studied abroad - don't need those anymore.
I have also been slowed down looking at who else has tagged the same site and what other sites they have tagged. Fun, fun, fun. I certainly have to remind myself to stay on task and accomplish one thing before I branch out. So first, make sure that all my imported links are current and functional, tag them, then play.
We have had some issues with our district filtering system. They are working with a new one. "Libladylib" has been successful, more so than I, in getting a response from the Technology Director. Hopefully things will have a positive outcome and open the doors for other sites to have the filters removed.
I have also been slowed down looking at who else has tagged the same site and what other sites they have tagged. Fun, fun, fun. I certainly have to remind myself to stay on task and accomplish one thing before I branch out. So first, make sure that all my imported links are current and functional, tag them, then play.
We have had some issues with our district filtering system. They are working with a new one. "Libladylib" has been successful, more so than I, in getting a response from the Technology Director. Hopefully things will have a positive outcome and open the doors for other sites to have the filters removed.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Back on board - ready to tackle Del.icio.us
Well I'm finally back on board after weeks of summer and family stuff. I have started working with De.li.cious but find myself getting lost in reading and not accomplishing much.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Week 5, #12- Roll your own search tool with Rollyo
I was able to finally create a Rollyo once I stopped trying to be creative with it. One of my passions is trying new recipes. So I decided to go from there. Usually I will just google a recipe but I realized that I usually end up at a couple of favorite sites. Once I become more familiar with it I will work on incorporating it into a library setting. I can see it being used by teachers and students to access various sites that have been pre-approved. It just isn't the easiest to incorporate into our district's current webpage format. However, this will give me some more things to do in my spare time over the summer. I was disappointed that I could not place the tag anywhere on my blog (excluding this post) except under my avatar.
Another thing to work on this summer!
Thanks to those that gave me some alternatives and suggestions. It really helps.
Another thing to work on this summer!
Thanks to those that gave me some alternatives and suggestions. It really helps.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
General comment
I am currently working with Rollyo and we're not getting along. I decided to see how everyone else got along with this feature. In searching for blogs regarding Rollyo I encountered an abundance of amazing blogs. Wow...I am spellbound by the creativity within this group. Thank you for opening many wonderous doors...now if I only had more time! (but I have to get back to Rollyo...I know I created something I just have to find it in cyperspace!)
I know there is a way to harness all these great ideas but I either slept through that lesson or haven't come to it yet!
I know there is a way to harness all these great ideas but I either slept through that lesson or haven't come to it yet!
Monday, July 9, 2007
Week 5, #11 Explore (and still playing)
I perused many of the award winning sites but I still have my reservations as to how I would utilize them. In light of recent of news reports about a missing girl and comments from those I know, I wanted to look into Craig's list. Personally, it does allow individuals to get information out to a majority but it brings up those questions about Internet safety.
A friend obtained a roommate via Craig's list and it turned out to be a disaster. They did not meet prior so there was no way of getting that "intuitive" "warm fuzzy" feeling about an individual. It was kind of like a mail order bride.
As with many of the Internet sites, an individual can become a chameleon and be whatever they want to whomever. There are so many great technological tools for our students to access on the web but I understand why school districts do not want to take the legal responsibility of where students go. If we minimize the filters to allow students to access Flickr photos (for example), we open the door to them accessing inappropriate materials. How do we merge the two?
Ning's are new to me. I joined a Library Technician group and am very excited to see where this goes.
And I played some more....thanks to Whats up I found another fun image generator site. And now it is time for some fun in the California sun!
Song Code formProfilePitstop
A friend obtained a roommate via Craig's list and it turned out to be a disaster. They did not meet prior so there was no way of getting that "intuitive" "warm fuzzy" feeling about an individual. It was kind of like a mail order bride.
As with many of the Internet sites, an individual can become a chameleon and be whatever they want to whomever. There are so many great technological tools for our students to access on the web but I understand why school districts do not want to take the legal responsibility of where students go. If we minimize the filters to allow students to access Flickr photos (for example), we open the door to them accessing inappropriate materials. How do we merge the two?
Ning's are new to me. I joined a Library Technician group and am very excited to see where this goes.
And I played some more....thanks to Whats up I found another fun image generator site. And now it is time for some fun in the California sun!
Song Code form
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Week 5- #10 Still playing
I am still having fun with the generators. Two generators caught my eye...Gamers Sig Generator and Arcade Games Pic. Kids love video games. Unfortunately, I am not that familiar with some of the current games and Pong was not on either list. However, I did find a couple that I recognized. The elementary kids also love bookmarks so I merged these two loves.
Using the image generators above, I created the picture for the bookmark. Then I imported the graphics into PrintShop 21, added the rectangular shape at the bottom and saved the entire graphic as a .jpg file. The bookmarks would be cool with color at the bottom but it would use up way too much ink. As it is they use up quite a bit. There is some distortion with "Sonic" that I am trying to work on.
This course has really helped me to look outside the box for ideas. Our school's yearly theme next year will be "Go for the Gold", revolving primarily around the Olympics. Trading cards with Olympic athletes would be really fun but cost will certainly play an important role. I love the Movie Posters and Magazine Covers that many have created. These would also be something that could be created for the library, with Olympic athletes again.
My school webpage has a "Quick Poll" feature. Currently I am just featuring details about a past Olympian. I would like to create a trading card with the information and incorporate it into our poll feature.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Week 5 - #10 Play
I have always enjoyed Image Generators. However, I never knew there were so many different sites out there. Currently, I use a font generator for my school webpage... www.familylobby.com. I like adding a little more dimension to the title. Finding sites that did not contain questionable content for elementary school age students has been an issue.
I played around with the Comic Strip Generator and noticed a link to http://www.imagegenerator.org/. Wow what a plethora of sites to search. Loved it.
A new project that I would like to introduce into our school library is a Birthday Book Club. Many of the schools within our district have such a program to increase the library collection as well as acknowledging the students. My funding is very limited. One way to save on some cost would be to created a bookplate that I could print out on the computer using existing Avery labels. Another positive for this project was the opportunity to purchase the rights to the graphic which would be free of the link. This would eliminate any students going to a site that may potentially have inappropriate material or links to another site that does.
The label was created using a generator found at http://www.customizemagnets.com/.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Week 4, # 8 & 9 - RSS & Newsreaders
I found some really cool sites for RSS feeds, my favorite being Doug Johnson's blog. I also created a draft post asking how we can keep up with new blogs for those within the CSLA course. Now I know. However, I ran into some difficult. We are just about to the MAX on free space on our computer so the RSS and Newsreaders really slowed us down. My task this summer is to do some computer housecleaning and clear some of those old files. I can't afford a new, bigger, better computer just yet! So for now I need to be content to bookmark the sites and visit them on a regular basis.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Little bit of a setback - difficulty viewing video
I was really looking forward to moving onto the RSS lesson when it was brought to my attention that some are still having difficulty viewing the "movie" I made. If some of you cannot view it, that means that students, parents, and staff cannot as well. So...until I hear back from the developer of the EdWeb program regarding what I am have done incorrectly, I tried to think of another workaround. (Of course it works on my computers, so I won't know if it works on yours).If you choose to view the video you will need to go to the following link:
http://edweb.pylusd.org/lib0320
When the site loads, the video should appear at the bottom of the page. If not, it can be viewed by clicking on the "Summer Reading Video" link on the left-hand side of the page. It may also have something to do with filters. Some avatars do not display correctly on my comments and I found out that they were being filtered...not all just some.
I am very proud of my creation and think I did an okay job for only my second attempt. Looking forward to creating more "movies" for school and family. Let me know what you think and how it can be improved
http://edweb.pylusd.org/lib0320
When the site loads, the video should appear at the bottom of the page. If not, it can be viewed by clicking on the "Summer Reading Video" link on the left-hand side of the page. It may also have something to do with filters. Some avatars do not display correctly on my comments and I found out that they were being filtered...not all just some.
I am very proud of my creation and think I did an okay job for only my second attempt. Looking forward to creating more "movies" for school and family. Let me know what you think and how it can be improved
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Ammendment to previous blog
I created the video and linked it to my website from home with no problems viewing the video. However, while attempting to access it from an on-site computer the video would not load completely. Photobucket is a filtered site so I am assuming the video link to Photobucket was being blocked. After reconstructing a large portion if the video using Movie Maker, I uploaded that to my webpage data files. From home it looks okay but I will have to try tomorrow at work. Unfortunately it starts automatically. Now I need to figure out to set the video to manual play. Oh well....
I am open for any suggestions or assistance.
I am open for any suggestions or assistance.
Week #3 - Item 7 Having fun with technology
I went along one of those side trips that get me in trouble....but I sure had a good time. Here is my "work in progress". I thought it would be nice to utilize "mash-ups" on my library webpage. With the arrival of summer, what better than a video introducing great summer reading suggestions?!
Herein lies my journey....
I wanted to create a slideshow/video with suggested summer reading titles for Grades K - 6, but with something more than photos of book covers and book description captions. Flickr Toys has a slideshow option but it was more limited than what I was after.
Photobucket has a great remix program but also did not allow for me to personal the slides like I envisioned. FilmLoop Studio allowed me to do some really cool stuff with my photos, BUT...I don't like their limited slide transitions. That's where Movie Maker came into play. I loved what I could do with Movie Maker with a recent attempt to make a "Flat Stanley" video for a relative. Great transitions, bubbles, etc.
The process went something like this:
1. Obtain a photo of the book jacket from Amazon.com - save as .jpeg to my computer.
2. Decide and locate photos, bubbles, tattoes, etc. that would enhance the book cover. Sources included FilmLoop Studio graphics collection, PrintShop 21, PC Hugware graphics, and Movie Maker.
3. Create a final photo utilizing FilmStudio and saving them as .jpeg files.
4. Import the above saved .jpeg files into MovieMaker and create a slide/video utilizing their slide transitions (great selection).
5. Save the file as a video file.
6. Import the above video file into Photobucket remix.
7. Add music from the selected titles.
8. Create video and save as file to embed on my webpage.
Here is the final outcome. Hope you like it.
http://edweb.pylusd.org/lib0320
Things that did not work out as planned:
1. The photos distorted when uploaded into Photobucket remix. This makes some of the slides more difficult to read.
2. The video was timed to the music but did not transition as planned.
3. Since I saved the photos as .jpeg files in FilmLoop Studio, I was unable to go back to make changes. I should have saved everything as a draft movie in the event that it would not have uploaded as desired. Now I know.
As I update the slideshow, I will make the necessary changes to the existing selections. It is going to be very time consuming since I have to re-create each slide from scratch.
Herein lies my journey....
I wanted to create a slideshow/video with suggested summer reading titles for Grades K - 6, but with something more than photos of book covers and book description captions. Flickr Toys has a slideshow option but it was more limited than what I was after.
Photobucket has a great remix program but also did not allow for me to personal the slides like I envisioned. FilmLoop Studio allowed me to do some really cool stuff with my photos, BUT...I don't like their limited slide transitions. That's where Movie Maker came into play. I loved what I could do with Movie Maker with a recent attempt to make a "Flat Stanley" video for a relative. Great transitions, bubbles, etc.
The process went something like this:
1. Obtain a photo of the book jacket from Amazon.com - save as .jpeg to my computer.
2. Decide and locate photos, bubbles, tattoes, etc. that would enhance the book cover. Sources included FilmLoop Studio graphics collection, PrintShop 21, PC Hugware graphics, and Movie Maker.
3. Create a final photo utilizing FilmStudio and saving them as .jpeg files.
4. Import the above saved .jpeg files into MovieMaker and create a slide/video utilizing their slide transitions (great selection).
5. Save the file as a video file.
6. Import the above video file into Photobucket remix.
7. Add music from the selected titles.
8. Create video and save as file to embed on my webpage.
Here is the final outcome. Hope you like it.
http://edweb.pylusd.org/lib0320
Things that did not work out as planned:
1. The photos distorted when uploaded into Photobucket remix. This makes some of the slides more difficult to read.
2. The video was timed to the music but did not transition as planned.
3. Since I saved the photos as .jpeg files in FilmLoop Studio, I was unable to go back to make changes. I should have saved everything as a draft movie in the event that it would not have uploaded as desired. Now I know.
As I update the slideshow, I will make the necessary changes to the existing selections. It is going to be very time consuming since I have to re-create each slide from scratch.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
My creation - Warholizer & original pix in a Mosiac
My creation - Warholizer & original pix in a Mosiac
Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/8640079@N04/
#6, Week 3 - Flickr fun, mashups, and 3rd party sites
OMG - I haven't even progressed past the first sentence in this task. I started playing around with Flickr Toys and came up for air 3 hours later. What a blast! I have two older children that would love some of these generators for their myspace pages...and just think Mom told them about it!
Our sixth grade students prepare a PowerPoint presentation in conjunction with their country reports. I can't wait to share these generators with the teachers and computer aide. What a great opportunity for technology and curriculum to merge.
Our sixth grade students prepare a PowerPoint presentation in conjunction with their country reports. I can't wait to share these generators with the teachers and computer aide. What a great opportunity for technology and curriculum to merge.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Obligatory Teacup Shot 4
This picture opens the door to many sights, sounds and smells of my youth. Now it makes reminds me to have fun even when everything around me seems to be spinning out of control.
Week 3, #5 - Explore Flickr -- Create Your Account First!!!
Flickr was awesome...however...create your account first.
I was having a grand time browsing and looking for pictures, making sure to make notations regarding search keyword and page numbers for all the pictures I found intriguing. In order to place the photo into my blog I needed to sign in. Easy enough. However, when I went back to select my photos the search delivered different results....not really different results the photos were in a different order.
I couldn't wait to continue with this course so pictures of my library will have to wait. But I am not sure that I want to publish pictures of my library as it looks currently. There are books everywhere!
I have worked with Photobucket.com but this has many features that they don't...I think. I will have to go back to check. Now that I am learning there are numerous doors opening all around me. I am a kid in a candy store!
I was having a grand time browsing and looking for pictures, making sure to make notations regarding search keyword and page numbers for all the pictures I found intriguing. In order to place the photo into my blog I needed to sign in. Easy enough. However, when I went back to select my photos the search delivered different results....not really different results the photos were in a different order.
I couldn't wait to continue with this course so pictures of my library will have to wait. But I am not sure that I want to publish pictures of my library as it looks currently. There are books everywhere!
I have worked with Photobucket.com but this has many features that they don't...I think. I will have to go back to check. Now that I am learning there are numerous doors opening all around me. I am a kid in a candy store!
The Mad Hatter at Disneyland
The Mad Hatter and I have a very long history. This was the first photo that appeared when I conducted my search.
Week 2, #3 & 4 - I want it all...NOW!
This has been a very difficult assignment for me. Posting the blog/creating an avatar were not the problem but rather because I want everything to be perfect and look a certain way. I have not yet learned how to make my blog have the spark I want...but it will come.
I have found that Lifelong Learning #1 is going to be an issue. Beginning with an end in mind is easy...not going on those lovely side trips might be. This is not new to me. I need to clean a room, I start out like everyone else, but then I see that SPOT! The one that requires that I clean, that then leads to washing the entire wall, which in turn requires cleaning of all the walls in the room, but now the drapes look dinging next to the lovely clean walls. And so on....
I have found that Lifelong Learning #1 is going to be an issue. Beginning with an end in mind is easy...not going on those lovely side trips might be. This is not new to me. I need to clean a room, I start out like everyone else, but then I see that SPOT! The one that requires that I clean, that then leads to washing the entire wall, which in turn requires cleaning of all the walls in the room, but now the drapes look dinging next to the lovely clean walls. And so on....
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Week #1 Lifelong Learning and Discovery
I was very impressed with the 7 1/2 Habits presentation. This would be a great resource to present to teachers, staff and students as a motivator for the beginning of a new year.
#4 "Have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner" will be the hardest habit for me. I work with a group of tremendously gifted individuals. At monthly meetings, I am always inspired by all the activities that others are implementing within their libraries. I just barely have time to accomplish routine tasks. The sentence "The words that you use to describe yourself will soon become your reality so be careful with your choice of words" hit me like a ton of bricks. This will be one of my obstacles to overcome.
However, #3 "View problems as challenges", #6 "Use technology to your advantage", and #7 "Teach/mentor others" will be my positives. The computer is my friend and I love sharing new ideas. My father, who was and still remains my inspiration, had computers for his business for as long as I can remember. My first introduction was to "Bertha"...the monster that took up an entire room. As I grew larger, computers grew smaller but my infatuation with that monster remains.
#4 "Have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner" will be the hardest habit for me. I work with a group of tremendously gifted individuals. At monthly meetings, I am always inspired by all the activities that others are implementing within their libraries. I just barely have time to accomplish routine tasks. The sentence "The words that you use to describe yourself will soon become your reality so be careful with your choice of words" hit me like a ton of bricks. This will be one of my obstacles to overcome.
However, #3 "View problems as challenges", #6 "Use technology to your advantage", and #7 "Teach/mentor others" will be my positives. The computer is my friend and I love sharing new ideas. My father, who was and still remains my inspiration, had computers for his business for as long as I can remember. My first introduction was to "Bertha"...the monster that took up an entire room. As I grew larger, computers grew smaller but my infatuation with that monster remains.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
