At times, I despaired of being able to finish with 23 Things, but I am so glad that I pushed on to finish. As I looked back over the list, I think my favorite "things" were the ones where I could be creative, like Flickr and its mash-ups, the Avatar, Animoto, and the online image generators. I feel like I understand the whole concept of podcasting now and would like to explore more about how to make podcasts. Now that I'm more comfortable with the whole general concept, I'd like to go back to the beginning and get the connections that I missed.
During this process I realized that I have been WAY behind the times! I have heard of many of these technologies, but didn't see their importance to me. One thing I learned is that much of their value lies in the sharing and networking that they make possible. The RSS feeds let information come to me, so that I spend less time searching for it. My goal is to identify the programs that I want to maintain and to look for ways to improve with them. At the rate that technology changes, I think my goal may be to keep my head above water!
Some unexpected outcomes were that I actually like RSS feeds. I created as many accounts in Google as I could, so my Reader and calendar, maps, weather, YouTube and more are right there on my iGoogle page. I have been a day ahead of when I usually find out about news. I know I'll keep up with that page. Another result is that blogging doesn't intimidate me anymore since we've had to make so many posts. I was REALLY surprised that a program like Animoto exists for free. I also found out alot about my family from Facebook....their friends and how they present themselves to the world. I'm not sure they want me to be that up-to-date!
I'm not sure what you could do to improve the program. Maybe you could reserve a few rooms at the PDC for us periodically to meet with others on our own for support. I would definitely participate in any future discovery program. How else are we going to learn? Reading about the technologies is one thing; using them is another.
One of the influences this will have on me is how I keep up with library world news. By selecting a few blog feeds from people I respect, I hope to be better informed about new library ideas. I will also use the online image generators to spice up presentations. I would also like to look for creative ways for the students to express themselves, either through participating in some type of group created in Ning or maybe Facebook. Thank you, mmw and ds, for pushing us in areas we didn't know we needed to go.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Thing #23 - Creative Commons Copyright
With the easy availability of so many images and audio on Web 2.0 sites, I am very grateful that someone established Creative Commons. What a great idea to let authors of online resources decide ahead of time that they want to grant permission to share. This new type of copyright is very understandable, even for students. Since many of them are also creators of digital files, I think they would actually welcome the guidelines, since it will protect them and also require users to give them credit. It's a win/win situation.
Under the Credits on the Learning 2.0 site we have been using, there are attributions showing that the content was modified and adapted with approval. The license shows that there is permission to remix and to share as long as credit is given. It was fun looking at the original program and seeing how many other are also doing it.
As a school librarian, I could use this either on my personal sites, like a blog or podcast or anything that I choose to put on the Internet. As students put together digital presentations, I'd like to teach them about the Creative Commons License. At school they are currently blocked from using many of the sites that have video and audio that they could use, but hopefully some of the sites will be made available to them in the future.
Under the Credits on the Learning 2.0 site we have been using, there are attributions showing that the content was modified and adapted with approval. The license shows that there is permission to remix and to share as long as credit is given. It was fun looking at the original program and seeing how many other are also doing it.
As a school librarian, I could use this either on my personal sites, like a blog or podcast or anything that I choose to put on the Internet. As students put together digital presentations, I'd like to teach them about the Creative Commons License. At school they are currently blocked from using many of the sites that have video and audio that they could use, but hopefully some of the sites will be made available to them in the future.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Thing #22 - Animoto
Animoto was fun to play with, and the results make you look like a professional film editor! I noticed that one of the suggestions was about keeping the size of your photos small, so I uploaded the program they suggested (VSO Image Resizer). It worked great, changing the sizes of my photos all at the same time. I wish I had had time to search for Italian music, but the upbeat tune works OK. The photos are from my recent trip to Rome. I would like to try putting together some of our recent field trip too.
Thing #21 - Podcasts
In looking through Educational Podcast Directory, I found a great site right away. Under Student and Class Broadcasts (Secondary) I was very impressed by Hopkinton High School Library book talk podcasts. What's more, they have been doing it since 2002. They record book talks over their state's award winning titles, similar to our Tayshas list. Here is their link if you'd like to try it: Book Talk Podcasts
In searching the different directories, it is obvious that many libraries have podcasts. Some are about books, some feature authors or speakers they have had, some advertise programs they host. I noticed that some of the podcasts had not been updated in a while. It would be important before beginning to decide if regular podcasts are possible for your library. I also learned that if you put "book talks" into the search box, you find out that lots of authors are doing podcasts about their latest books!
In iTunes I found a podcast called "Cool Tools for the Library", featuring a different Web 2.0 tool with each episode and how it might be used in an educational setting. The podcast is presented by graduate students in the School of Library and Information Science at San Jose State University. I subscribed and added it to my Google Reader.
In searching the different directories, it is obvious that many libraries have podcasts. Some are about books, some feature authors or speakers they have had, some advertise programs they host. I noticed that some of the podcasts had not been updated in a while. It would be important before beginning to decide if regular podcasts are possible for your library. I also learned that if you put "book talks" into the search box, you find out that lots of authors are doing podcasts about their latest books!
In iTunes I found a podcast called "Cool Tools for the Library", featuring a different Web 2.0 tool with each episode and how it might be used in an educational setting. The podcast is presented by graduate students in the School of Library and Information Science at San Jose State University. I subscribed and added it to my Google Reader.
Thing #20 - YouTube
The interesting thing about YouTube is that anyone can create a video and upload it. The topics are unlimited, some inappropriate, and they range from very creative and humorous to ridiculous. I was suprised how many instructional video clips that I came across. What a great way to show how to do something new. Watching how many people create great videos makes me want to learn how to edit video better and mix slides in with it. (Is there a PFK class idea here???)
I would love to do something creative with the library rules that we talk about in Freshman Orientation. The more humor is used, it seems like the students remember it more. So I found a clip that I embedded on the rules at a Jr. High. One interesting feature I noticed was that you can create playlists on any topic. You could have several videos on hand to emphasize whatever you are teaching.
I would love to do something creative with the library rules that we talk about in Freshman Orientation. The more humor is used, it seems like the students remember it more. So I found a clip that I embedded on the rules at a Jr. High. One interesting feature I noticed was that you can create playlists on any topic. You could have several videos on hand to emphasize whatever you are teaching.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Thing #19 - Go With the Flow
I am glad to find these sites because I have seen some awesome mind maps on some of the sites we have been exploring. I wondered how they were created! I looked at all the sites and Gliffy and MindMeister were the only ones that sent me a confirmation email quickly. Gliffy seems easier to use than Inspiration because of the ability to drag and resize easily. Also, it has several groupings of images to use. I have been wanting to re-arrange my living room, so I created a floor plan. I'm going to add new elements and move some of the furniture around virtually. I could probably send the link to my sister, who is much better at visualizing than I am, and she could improve it in no time!
One of the things I liked about MindMeister is that you can put ideas down on a page without having to worry about the box formatting. I created a mind map of our student aides' shelving assignments. When I printed it, it was off the page, so I had to change the page setup to make it fit. I see it mainly as useful for planning, probably not to create anything for a class. They also have good tutorials on the help page. Flowchart.com never did send me an invitation, even though I requested it twice.
As with all of the Web 2.0 sites, the ability to share your ideas and files with others is central. Sharing the editing of documents will really assist any group project.
One of the things I liked about MindMeister is that you can put ideas down on a page without having to worry about the box formatting. I created a mind map of our student aides' shelving assignments. When I printed it, it was off the page, so I had to change the page setup to make it fit. I see it mainly as useful for planning, probably not to create anything for a class. They also have good tutorials on the help page. Flowchart.com never did send me an invitation, even though I requested it twice.
As with all of the Web 2.0 sites, the ability to share your ideas and files with others is central. Sharing the editing of documents will really assist any group project.
Thing #18 - Discovering Web 2.0 Tools
I decided to look at what is new in the Search area, thinking I may find a new search engine for students or myself. Like everything else in Web 2.0, the search engines are now able to be customized to search only the areas you want, and then you can share the results with others. Other users can also modify your lists. I looked at Rollyo. You can create your own search engine by specifying categories and tags; you can even look at what sites are popular with other users and quickly add those to the list you search from.
This is another example of creating a product with your own "circle of the wise". It is similar to del.icio.us, except that the group of bookmarks you have under any one tag can be searched by keyword. For example, if you have some expert health sites that you trust, you can search all of them for any new condition you want to research. I really like that fact that you can pick and choose from others' suggestions.
One possible caution about this type of tool is that you can limit the answers you receive by the type of sites chosen to be in your search engine. This may not be a problem when you are searching for facts, like diseases or history. But if you are trying to form opinions about a social issue, like economics or homelessness or ethics of cloning, etc., you have to be sure and include sites that have both sides of the issue.
There were ads on the search results, but not any more than the typical search engine. I think I would like to use this site personally, but it may be a bit much for younger students, who haven't developed their evaluation skills fully. High school students would probably love the customizing feature, but may still benefit more from Nettrekker or databases for their projects.
This is another example of creating a product with your own "circle of the wise". It is similar to del.icio.us, except that the group of bookmarks you have under any one tag can be searched by keyword. For example, if you have some expert health sites that you trust, you can search all of them for any new condition you want to research. I really like that fact that you can pick and choose from others' suggestions.
One possible caution about this type of tool is that you can limit the answers you receive by the type of sites chosen to be in your search engine. This may not be a problem when you are searching for facts, like diseases or history. But if you are trying to form opinions about a social issue, like economics or homelessness or ethics of cloning, etc., you have to be sure and include sites that have both sides of the issue.
There were ads on the search results, but not any more than the typical search engine. I think I would like to use this site personally, but it may be a bit much for younger students, who haven't developed their evaluation skills fully. High school students would probably love the customizing feature, but may still benefit more from Nettrekker or databases for their projects.
Thing #17 - Web-based applications
Web-based apps are a great resource for groups of people working jointly to create collaborative documents. It could be used for editing or brainstorming. I created an account in Zoho Writer, but I had problems with the editing. I uploaded a Word document, but Zoho did not consistently make the changes that I requested. It logged me out once. However, I did like the templates and smiley options.
I switched to Google docs, and had no problems with editing. Google doesn't seem to have as many choices as Zoho Writer, but is effective in what it does have. It apparently saves all the revisions, so that if I change my mind, I can go back and see what I previously had. Another very cool feature is to subscribe to an RSS feed of the document changes.
I tried to use both Google docs and Zoho Writer to upload a document to this blog, without success. Does anyone have any pointers?
I switched to Google docs, and had no problems with editing. Google doesn't seem to have as many choices as Zoho Writer, but is effective in what it does have. It apparently saves all the revisions, so that if I change my mind, I can go back and see what I previously had. Another very cool feature is to subscribe to an RSS feed of the document changes.
I tried to use both Google docs and Zoho Writer to upload a document to this blog, without success. Does anyone have any pointers?
Thing #16 - Sandbox wiki
The Sandbox wiki was very easy to edit and to upload an image. I'm glad that the wiki creators have short, clear How-To videos. It is much less confusing to watch those than to read instructions. I can see how someone who is new to this (like me!)would be confused about the purpose of different pages and links. But it's like walking into a new house or town; move around a little and soon you get your bearings.
A wiki could be used to create a collaborative document, like policies or to comment on a book study. It could be used by a classroom teacher to build collective knowledge of the students on any topic.
A wiki could be used to create a collaborative document, like policies or to comment on a book study. It could be used by a classroom teacher to build collective knowledge of the students on any topic.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Thing #15 - Wikis and how libraries are using them
I have been gradually finding out about wikis for a few years, starting with Wikipedia and then some workshops that touched on educational wikis. My main focus in the past has been to understand whether they were good sites for students to use for research. Now I see that I need to consider the creation of wikis by students and/or teachers/librarians as a useful learning tool. I was interested in the many ways that wikis are used: for online conferences, discussions, class projects, pathfinders, policy and procedure manual, subject guides, just to name a few. I'm glad to see that educational wikis can be ad-free. I liked both pbwiki and Wetpaint. They both looked easy to use and maintain.
I like the idea of creating subject guides for a library. Students many times have good suggestions for web sites for specific topics. I can also see a use for classroom teachers who are trying to cover various aspects of a broad topic. The class as a whole could have a wiki, with smaller groups assigned to create a page where the member update specific details on their sub-topic. An example could be World War II, with pages for specific battles, people, photos, timelines, etc. In Science, students could create a wiki with parts of a cell, or body systems. This would be a way to make learning more fun, more interactive and give students personal responsibility for the "teaching" in a class.
I like the idea of creating subject guides for a library. Students many times have good suggestions for web sites for specific topics. I can also see a use for classroom teachers who are trying to cover various aspects of a broad topic. The class as a whole could have a wiki, with smaller groups assigned to create a page where the member update specific details on their sub-topic. An example could be World War II, with pages for specific battles, people, photos, timelines, etc. In Science, students could create a wiki with parts of a cell, or body systems. This would be a way to make learning more fun, more interactive and give students personal responsibility for the "teaching" in a class.
Thing #14 - Web 2.0 and the Future of Libraries
As I read the article from Wikipedia about Library 2.0, one of the first comments that jumped out at me was that Library 2.0 involves "an increased flow of information from the user back to the library." Right now, the information flows out, but only comes back to us through email or phone calls. Allowing library users to customize the way that information comes to them and to participate in decisions about library services is at the heart of Library 2.0. Another item that struck me was that implementing these items is not a one-time "fix"; change is constant and systems have to be monitored to see if they are meeting the current needs of users. The list of references at the end helped clarify some of the points of the article. I also noticed that Wikipedia suggests other wikis for more on this conversation, provides a link to del.icio.us for tagging the article and links to a network on Ning for Library 2.0.
The second article read, "To a Temporary Place in Time" , by Dr. Wendy Schutlz, hypothesized about what Library 3.0 or 4.0 might be like. I loved the definition of libraries: "Libraries are not just collections of documents and books, they are conversations, they are convocations of people, ideas, and artifacts in dynamic exchange. Libraries are not merely in communities, they are communities...." She correctly advises us to put people and meanings at the center of our concerns. This aspect has been a part of libraries since before 2.0; it just looks different in an online environment.
I loved her vision that in 3.0 people will need a "tour guide" to guide them through the maze of information; who better than a librarian? Internet users already turn to virtual doctors and financial advisors; it is not a stretch to see them reaching out to virtual librarians. (Gotta work on my avatar's wardrobe.....) But Library 4.0 as a "knowledge spa", "a retreat from technohustle" is really a return to the things we value today in a library. It brings up the point that in our efforts to reach the wired generation, we cannot forget the unwired members. Nor should we forget the value of the physical space as a welcoming, stimulating place to browse or research, to be part of a community.
To me, Library 2.0 is enlarges the circle of people that the library serves and connects to. By providing blogs and wikis, access to podcasts and RSS feeds, by letting users leave comments and have access to other users' opinions, a library can grow into a dynamic place, online and in real space. It is a another way to connect with patrons. I see it as valuable, but also realize that we have many non-techno-savvy users who continue to need the personal touch and encouragement.
School libraries of the future will have to work closely with school boards and principals to be sure that equipment and connection speed and teacher training are funded. In our district, most of the technologies in this project are blocked by our filter. In order to effectively use the sites, they would need to be unblocked. I think that school libraries will continue to provide physical books in the future, but the social computing aspect will increase the students' connection to the world. Another issue is the young age of students, their privacy and the posting of their ideas online. Schools will need to work hand-in-hand with parents to develop policies that protect students.
The second article read, "To a Temporary Place in Time" , by Dr. Wendy Schutlz, hypothesized about what Library 3.0 or 4.0 might be like. I loved the definition of libraries: "Libraries are not just collections of documents and books, they are conversations, they are convocations of people, ideas, and artifacts in dynamic exchange. Libraries are not merely in communities, they are communities...." She correctly advises us to put people and meanings at the center of our concerns. This aspect has been a part of libraries since before 2.0; it just looks different in an online environment.
I loved her vision that in 3.0 people will need a "tour guide" to guide them through the maze of information; who better than a librarian? Internet users already turn to virtual doctors and financial advisors; it is not a stretch to see them reaching out to virtual librarians. (Gotta work on my avatar's wardrobe.....) But Library 4.0 as a "knowledge spa", "a retreat from technohustle" is really a return to the things we value today in a library. It brings up the point that in our efforts to reach the wired generation, we cannot forget the unwired members. Nor should we forget the value of the physical space as a welcoming, stimulating place to browse or research, to be part of a community.
To me, Library 2.0 is enlarges the circle of people that the library serves and connects to. By providing blogs and wikis, access to podcasts and RSS feeds, by letting users leave comments and have access to other users' opinions, a library can grow into a dynamic place, online and in real space. It is a another way to connect with patrons. I see it as valuable, but also realize that we have many non-techno-savvy users who continue to need the personal touch and encouragement.
School libraries of the future will have to work closely with school boards and principals to be sure that equipment and connection speed and teacher training are funded. In our district, most of the technologies in this project are blocked by our filter. In order to effectively use the sites, they would need to be unblocked. I think that school libraries will continue to provide physical books in the future, but the social computing aspect will increase the students' connection to the world. Another issue is the young age of students, their privacy and the posting of their ideas online. Schools will need to work hand-in-hand with parents to develop policies that protect students.
Thing #13 - Social Bookmarking
I have been hearing about Del.icio.us for several years, but had not tried it. The social aspect is very interesting and goes along with the idea of the "circle of the wise" that we read about earlier. I liked the user comments on some web sites. It would probably be more useful on education sites; I had the feeling that businesses may post their own complimentary comments in order to attract customers.
As I add people to my network, it will be very interesting to see if their links are helpful when I am building links for classes doing research. It will also be very convenient to have all my bookmarks in one place. Now I just have to decide which of my bookmarks at school that I want to add! Since librarians already categorize information, the idea of tags is very useful for us. This is another tool for helping students find relevant web sites on any topic.
I had a little trouble adding the browser buttons, but their help page walked me through most of it. I didn't realize I had to respond to their email before the buttons would be added.
Furl was not working on the day I did this assignment, but I will check back with it later. I like Ma.gnolia's clean look. When I did a search for "library 2.0" I found a number of other libraries also doing this exercise. At this point, I will stick with Del.icio.us because it will be easier to find others to network with.
As I add people to my network, it will be very interesting to see if their links are helpful when I am building links for classes doing research. It will also be very convenient to have all my bookmarks in one place. Now I just have to decide which of my bookmarks at school that I want to add! Since librarians already categorize information, the idea of tags is very useful for us. This is another tool for helping students find relevant web sites on any topic.
I had a little trouble adding the browser buttons, but their help page walked me through most of it. I didn't realize I had to respond to their email before the buttons would be added.
Furl was not working on the day I did this assignment, but I will check back with it later. I like Ma.gnolia's clean look. When I did a search for "library 2.0" I found a number of other libraries also doing this exercise. At this point, I will stick with Del.icio.us because it will be easier to find others to network with.
Thing #12 - Social Networking
I entered social networking with some reservations about its value for me, the amount of time it would take and how to maintain some amount of privacy. It seems like most of the students I talk to have either MySpace or Facebook accounts. I know that the majority of students who get past our filter do so in order to get on MySpace. Educators who know how students are communicating with each other can utilize that knowledge to create similar ways for students to receive information related to the classroom or library.
Here is a link to my Facebook page. My son says I need a photo so I don't look so "confused"; photo added! A useful feature in Facebook is the ability to create groups. I'm going to check with our student book club to see if they have any interest in having a Facebook group to discuss books. You can also check the photo albums of your friends and upload video. I don't really like that any time someone contacts you on Facebook that it sends you an email, especially since I used my school email. On the positive side, that feature may keep you from constantly going to check on your page for new messages.
MySpace seems like a much larger site. It has dozens more options, including its own version of YouTube, classifieds, forums, linking through favorite film and TV shows. lots more. That could be an advantage if you need those options. For me it was too much. If I were to consider using it as an educator, I would have to be very cautious about some of the ads and other postings that students would be exposed to. I think that Facebook would be more useful for educators, because there are less pop culture distractions for the students.
If the sites were unblocked, I could see a classroom teacher creating class groups for project work or for a forum to discuss issues.
Ning is such a great way to create a social network. I was very interested in the Teacher-Librarian Ning and the Classroom 2.0. Since we are helping teachers in the library, I like to read about what other teachers are doing so I have realistic ideas for projects involving Web 2.0. Our Mesquite Librarian Ning could be an interesting forum for discussion on issues that we deal with. It's an improvement over email, because you can see all the posts at one time on a topic. If we had an issue with a challenged book, we could submit our thoughts to the group. I'm going to keep looking for more ideas on using social networking.
Here is a link to my Facebook page. My son says I need a photo so I don't look so "confused"; photo added! A useful feature in Facebook is the ability to create groups. I'm going to check with our student book club to see if they have any interest in having a Facebook group to discuss books. You can also check the photo albums of your friends and upload video. I don't really like that any time someone contacts you on Facebook that it sends you an email, especially since I used my school email. On the positive side, that feature may keep you from constantly going to check on your page for new messages.
MySpace seems like a much larger site. It has dozens more options, including its own version of YouTube, classifieds, forums, linking through favorite film and TV shows. lots more. That could be an advantage if you need those options. For me it was too much. If I were to consider using it as an educator, I would have to be very cautious about some of the ads and other postings that students would be exposed to. I think that Facebook would be more useful for educators, because there are less pop culture distractions for the students.
If the sites were unblocked, I could see a classroom teacher creating class groups for project work or for a forum to discuss issues.
Ning is such a great way to create a social network. I was very interested in the Teacher-Librarian Ning and the Classroom 2.0. Since we are helping teachers in the library, I like to read about what other teachers are doing so I have realistic ideas for projects involving Web 2.0. Our Mesquite Librarian Ning could be an interesting forum for discussion on issues that we deal with. It's an improvement over email, because you can see all the posts at one time on a topic. If we had an issue with a challenged book, we could submit our thoughts to the group. I'm going to keep looking for more ideas on using social networking.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Thing #11 - LibraryThing
LibraryThing is a great idea for sharing favorite books. It is very easy to use and to update. I enjoyed seeing how many other readers liked the same books as me. I can see using the list to create groups of books for book club (thanks, llanolady, for that idea.) I couldn't think of all the titles that I would add to a virtual list, so as I remember my favorites, I'll be coming back to add new titles. The Tools option gives some interesting ways to share the books. I put a widget on my blog to share my list.
Thing #10 - Online Image Generators
This was a fun exercise and limited only by my imagination. The Comic Strip Generator had lots of fun cartoons to use. What a great way to bring a little fun into any presentation or web site. I'm thinking about using the one below on our web site in February. Unfortunately, I don't think I can recommend that site for students, since it contains some images that are inappropriate for them.
Next I tried Custom Sign Generator. What I loved about it was the ability to upload your own photo to customize with frames or text or other "frills". I saved this picture to my computer, but the HTML button was not working.
Image Chef had some very creative, humorous templates. It also seemed easy to use.
Happy Face Generator would be a good place to go to find a quick image to convey emotion.
I'm going to try to use image generators for our web site and also for inserting some humor in powerpoint presentations and signs.
Next I tried Custom Sign Generator. What I loved about it was the ability to upload your own photo to customize with frames or text or other "frills". I saved this picture to my computer, but the HTML button was not working.
Image Chef had some very creative, humorous templates. It also seemed easy to use.
Happy Face Generator would be a good place to go to find a quick image to convey emotion.
I'm going to try to use image generators for our web site and also for inserting some humor in powerpoint presentations and signs.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Thing #9 - Library Feeds
Whew! I feel like I've just been around the world on the web. I had no idea that blogging was so organized and easy to get to. Even though it is not a search tool, one of my favorite ways of finding feeds is to look on the blogs that I enjoy reading to see which ones they subscribe to. Many of those blogs were interesting and expanded on the topics from other blogs.
The Feedster link was not working when I checked it. Through Edublogs, I found A Library By Any Other Name, which seemed very organized and had interesting, short comments. The Google Blog search was very easy, but I didn't find what I was looking for: teen authors or YA authors. Since I have Google Reader, it was very easy to add feeds. An interesting feature of Google is that it lists how many people are subscribed to the blog.
Syndic8 was confusing to me because it returned lots of results that didn't seem to be relevant. Also, I thought the blogs were old until I realized you can sort by date; then the recent rose to the top. Also it seemed confusing to find the link to the actual blog.
One interesting thing I found was that School Library Journal has a long list of feeds on very specific topics that you can subscribe to. I added the feed to Joyce Valenza's Neverending Search. On all the topics she addressed, there wer good links to find more information. I also added the Cool Cat Teacher Blog. I'm still searching for one for teen authors.
I would use Technorati and Topix.net again. Technorati returned some useful blogs and posted lots of video and audio as well. Topix was great for news feeds. I put in plagiarism and found out that bloggers are passionate against plagiarism. I can see that Topix would be very useful for class assignments on current topics.
I didn't really find an unusual blog, but I found an unfamiliar graphic. It seems like many of the individuals who blog put a homepage banner at the top that contains a what seems like a random collection of items that interest them. It's like a collage that reflects their interests. Hmmm....
On one of the Blog searches I found a tool that would let you subscribe to a search for a keyword. In other words, it wasn't a direct blog feed, but a feed that showed where any blogs were talking about a certain subject. Now, I can't find which of the search tools had that; hopefully, I will locate it again. I'm looking forward to checking my feeds regularly and looking for ways to use them.
The Feedster link was not working when I checked it. Through Edublogs, I found A Library By Any Other Name, which seemed very organized and had interesting, short comments. The Google Blog search was very easy, but I didn't find what I was looking for: teen authors or YA authors. Since I have Google Reader, it was very easy to add feeds. An interesting feature of Google is that it lists how many people are subscribed to the blog.
Syndic8 was confusing to me because it returned lots of results that didn't seem to be relevant. Also, I thought the blogs were old until I realized you can sort by date; then the recent rose to the top. Also it seemed confusing to find the link to the actual blog.
One interesting thing I found was that School Library Journal has a long list of feeds on very specific topics that you can subscribe to. I added the feed to Joyce Valenza's Neverending Search. On all the topics she addressed, there wer good links to find more information. I also added the Cool Cat Teacher Blog. I'm still searching for one for teen authors.
I would use Technorati and Topix.net again. Technorati returned some useful blogs and posted lots of video and audio as well. Topix was great for news feeds. I put in plagiarism and found out that bloggers are passionate against plagiarism. I can see that Topix would be very useful for class assignments on current topics.
I didn't really find an unusual blog, but I found an unfamiliar graphic. It seems like many of the individuals who blog put a homepage banner at the top that contains a what seems like a random collection of items that interest them. It's like a collage that reflects their interests. Hmmm....
On one of the Blog searches I found a tool that would let you subscribe to a search for a keyword. In other words, it wasn't a direct blog feed, but a feed that showed where any blogs were talking about a certain subject. Now, I can't find which of the search tools had that; hopefully, I will locate it again. I'm looking forward to checking my feeds regularly and looking for ways to use them.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Thing #8 - RSS feeds
I'm so glad to finally understand (at least the basics) of RSS feeds. It's an interesting concept to have news come to you, instead of searching for what you want. I like that not just blogs, but also news agencies have RSS links. I chose Google Reader because I also have an iGoogle page and thought it might be easier to link the 2 pages. The list of headlines is a convenient way to quickly scan the postings, and it's easy to customize.
I can see classes who are doing research on current events subscribing to feeds from all over the world to get an average citizen's view on the events in their country (for example, Iraq.) The challenge will be to remember to check the reader frequently. I'm looking forward to being more connected now.
I can see classes who are doing research on current events subscribing to feeds from all over the world to get an average citizen's view on the events in their country (for example, Iraq.) The challenge will be to remember to check the reader frequently. I'm looking forward to being more connected now.
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