Blogs v. Wikis

Both wikis and blogs allow for interaction with a larger population than a teacher would normally have access to. A blog allows for reflection that is created by one person, but still allows for interaction with readers. A wiki allows multiple creators, and reader interaction as well. I have always preferred blogs over wikis, but that probably speaks more to my personality than anything else.

I think both blogs and wikis can be used as a method for publishing student writing and for allowing our students to interact with the outside world. They allow students to put their ideas out into the world and receive feedback from other readers.

But that leads me to one of my main concerns about wikis and blogs, especially with students. I feel as if it is very difficult to control and filter what students will post. I worry that students will make inappropriate comments both about the content, as well as to other students. And then I feel like reviewing all their comments is a huge task, that often feels overwhelming.  I did enjoy having students interact in a service like edmodo, but I think I enjoyed that in part, because it was a closed forum.

I think I am also uncomfortable with wikis for that same reason. If I cannot control all the information going out of a site that I am associated with, I worry about the possible professional consequences of such things. I'm sure the argument could be made that I should trust my colleagues to be professional, and I agree. I truthfully can think of tons of people who I would trust to create a wiki or a blog with, and I would enjoy working with them and value their input. But that doesn't change my underlying worry… that some information or opinion that I put out on the web will come back to me in some negative manner. I probably am overly cautious and missing out on some great opportunities. That is something for me to think long and hard about. 

Rambling Reflections

I have soooo enjoyed this assignment. To be honest, I was familiar with many of the activities that we did, but I appreciated the chance to remember the activities, AND to look at those activities from a new perspective... in the library, rather than just in my classroom. I think it might be fun to look back at all the activities and evaluate their usefulness, while setting some goals.

FLICKR- I really enjoyed this app. I especially enjoyed the fun ways to manipulate the pictures, without spending a lot of time and effort on editing. I strongly believe that many of us are visual learners, and the more visually attractive I can make my webpage, the more students will interact with my site.

WIKIS- Of all the things that we looked at, wikis are my least favorite. I absolutely see how it can be incredibly useful to a group of adults, in creating an active, vibrant page. As a librarian though, I find them hard to set up, and I would never allow students onto the site without screening any and all information. Besides, I am much more familiar with webpages, and prefer those. Having said all that though, I though the wiki worked very well for our class, and when we are done, I hope to have time to help build the other wiki page, with database links.

SKYPE- I really enjoy Skype, I have used it many times before. to be honest however, this is the tech thing that is most intimidating for me. The thought of approaching authors, running into tech troubles, dealing with sill questions from kids... it all makes me nervous! And yet, I recognize that those experiences would be so powerful for so many children. This will be at the top of my list to try, especially since it makes me so nervous.

MASH-UPS! Nothing but good times! I still feel like this little puppy, or rather, I wish I could sleep like this puppy! :)

DIIGO- Maybe I am not as tech savvy as I thought I was. I also am a little overwhelmed by Diigo, but this seems to be really cool and a great way for managing the internet... I need to practice with this and put it to use... I wonder if I could use it on my webpage...hmmm.

TECHNORATI- I think this would be great as a tool in a library. I wonder about placing it as a homework help. I am currently teaching a research paper, and I don't let my kids use blog entries. I seem to remember that there were blogs that are credible, so maybe that would make for an interesting lesson on website validity.

BLOGS: Such a great resource of information. I think they are great for giving feedback and reviews of books for students. And I also think they are excellent sources of information for me as a librarian. I love Google reader and the fact that I can get quick easy updates on new topics.

TWITTER: OK, this is the piece of social media that I would love to harness. I'm not sure that is possible because it is a two way street, and many people are not on twitter. However, I ADORE the short bursts of information! In my world right now, I don't have a ton of time to read about new information, or continually go to blogs or news stories, or whatever it is. Twitter allows me to get quick information, in tiny bites that allows me to decide if I want more or not. I also love the idea of using language in a powerful way... how do I get my message across in 140 characters? Who knows, but its gonna be fun! I hope to use twitter for scavenger hunts, book reviews, and many other fun uses! Wish me luck!

VIDEO: This is the one piece of tech that I am not quite sold on. I know from experience that it takes a TON of time to make a video. And especially as a teaching tool, I'm not convinced it is worth the effort. However, I think there are many great videos that are already made that I can utilize in my library. Our school librarian actually wants to make a composite video of book trailers and have that running continually in the library and I think that is an awesome idea. In one of the libraries I visited, the librarian makes a quick video from images of book covers, and runs that in his library. Both great ideas with minimal work... that's my idea of using video!

PODCASTS: I think this is a great example of collaboration. Working with an english teacher, this could be a great writing and speech activity. BINGO... collaboration achieved!

WORDLE: I love, love, love this! I already use it in my English classroom for book reviews. Another great example of reading and writing collaboration!

GOOGLE DOCS: Ok, this is probably my new favorite tool. I have an activity that I have been doing for years, while I teach the Holocaust. I give the students over 30 questions and have spent hours compiling the data. NOW, I can use a google survey and have the data compiled for me! AWESOME! I also can have students electronically upload assignments! DOUBLE AWESOME! So glad to have learned about this! :)


Really, I enjoyed this assignment so very much! There were other things I learned about, like Pinterest, QR codes and Library Thingy and I am sure there is so much more to know! Good times! I know I will be coming back to my blog to remind myself of all the cool things! LOVE IT!!

Google Docs

Wow! Google Docs could be my new favorite thing! I LOVE the survey form, especially since it coalates all the data for you! I do an activity in my class when we study the Holocaust, and I ask each student approximately 30 questions, and for years I have been compiling the information by hand. NO MORE! Next year, I will put the questions on a survey form and watch the miracle of my organized data unfold! Love it, love it, love it!

My survey questions focused on book series, and I asked people why they kept coming back to book series. I know that for myself, I have favorite authors and characters that I return to over and over again. With the exception of one person, all the other people responded that strong characters were the factor that brought them back to series, and I would have to agree. I sometimes find myself wondering what a character would be doing today, or how they solved a problem that was not answered in the book. I think that is the mark of a good writer, someone who can bring me back again and again.

My last question asked what their favorite series was, and I am excited to look up the series that I am unfamiliar with! Overall, I really loved this segment of our wiki assignment!

Question Question Question

Here is my survey, thanks for participating! :)

Wonderful Wordle

One of my favorite tech things of all time. Period. 

The Podcast Principle

Week 12: Thing 17

I haven't listened to many podcasts, which is funny, because I am an avid audiobook listener. Part of the reason is because I don't have a new ipod which will play the podcasts... that tells you how old my ipod is! Hahaha! I really found the slave narratives at the Library of Congress compelling. The gentleman that I listened to was the grandson of a man who was enslaved by Thomas Jefferson. As I listen to podcasts like those, I feel horror and fascination all at once. I really appreciated the fact that the LOC provides a transcript... that makes it much easier to find a compelling segment in a larger podcast to share with my students. The ability of technology to connect us to the past is really quite amazing.

The library podcast that I found is called The Fireside Chat. This is a podcast produced in Australia by teen readers, for teen readers. I listened to several podcasts and enjoyed them very much. The format was a little unexpected, because I expected to hear teens reading a script they had written in their English class. But rather, it was an interview format. The interviewer is very energetic and very kind and very good at drawing out the teenagers. Some of the "chatters" were very quiet and had to be drawn out, but the interviewer was very good at that. I really liked that format because it was good interaction. I think it would be fun to have a book review panel at a middle school to review books... if you could figure out a way to control the "talking over" that often happens with teenagers, it could be really fabulous! It would be fun to share those on the school website, or on the library website.

Tempted: a review by Tamara

Book Magic

Week 11: Thing 16

I really loved this video, it reminded me of the magic of libraries. I grew up in a relatively poor family, and the library was my escape. My mother used to take us there on hot summer days, and I would walk into the cool, air conditioned library, and immediately head into the stacks. I would walk the aisles and browse the shelves and collect books as I went. I have clear, vivd memories of checking out so many books at one time, that I could barely carry them out to the car. It became our weekly ritual.

I love the music and the art work, and the books that were picked to showcase. It intrigues me that I don't I know all the books that are in the video. In my mind, my library will be a place of magic, a place of fun, safety, excitement and most of all a place that loves, loves, LOVES books!