Animoto in the Classroom

This past week I was fortunate to be able to share the Web 2.0 tool Animoto with a staff member. Together, we collaborated and created an Animoto presentation that was used to introduce the novel Forbidden City by William Bell.  The teacher and I worked together to select images and text that we felt would display the information necessary to not only provide the students with a general sense of time and place of this particular novel but also as a hook to capture student’s interest. 

The Animoto allowed for professional discussion and collaboration prior to the commencement of the novel study.  One aspect of the tool that we found challenging was the limited space for text on each slide and although at times we struggled with word choice, we were pleased with the final result.

Students were impressed by the presentation and excited to learn that they would also have the opportunity to use this tool during the novel study.  

Welcome to the Library - Animoto Style

What's on Your Bookshelf?

What are the benefits to using LibraryThing?  As a beginner to the LibraryThing site I wondered just that, how would this Web 2.0 tool be of any benefit to me as an individual and as a teacher-librarian?

LibraryThing, created by Tim Spalding, made its debut in 2005 as an online Web 2.0 tool that offered book enthusiasts a place to house their collections.  Now it boost over 1,400,000 subscribers and 66 million books cataloged.  LibraryThing is making its mark on the Web.  Used by individuals, authors, libraries and publishers LibraryThing offers its users a virtual environment to browse in a bookshop. This book-centered site allows users up to 200 free books on their book shelf, after which a minimal lifetime fee of $25 or an annual $10 fee may be paid to upgrade an account. 

My first visit to this site was brief and basically just a "drive through" to get a taste of what LibraryThing was all about as I had no prior knowledge of what this site had to offer its patrons. After reading A Very Short Introduction to LibraryThing I realized this site had potential as both a personal and professional Web tool.

My subsequent visits were very productive.  I was able to sign up with a member name (SISLibrary) and password.  It was quick and painless. I selected a Personal account thinking this would be the best type for what I was looking for, however, later this had to be changed to an Organizational one when I tried to add a LibraryThing widget to my blog. Filling in the profile page was not complicated and I was able to start adding books to my shelf within a matter of minutes.  Adding books was also easy and although I was just going by memory LibraryThing offered other titles either by the same author or of similar theme which helped aid in my memory retrieval. I added approximately 20 books at this time and then set about perusing the rest of the site.  While looking around the site I located the More tab which directed me to a page that contained a host of options for additional features. One such feature was instructions on how to add a LibraryThing widget to a blog. I followed the instruction and viola, I had a widget on my blog! I have to admit I was pretty pumped when I saw the LibraryThing widget in action. Check it out...top right hand side of my blog.



Surfers have the option to enter titles' ISBN or likely key search terms such as title, author or even a series name.  Although it is a bit time consuming to add books to your shelf it is still very easy to do. LibraryThing’s search engine will return likely matches to your search and you can then select the one you were looking for, complete with card catalog information and thumbnail cover art.

LibraryThing offers its subscribers many features to enhance their experience while visiting this site.  There are direct links to online retailers (Amazon has a 40% share in the company), a site blog, LibraryThing Blog, to keep members up to date and a Zeitgeist page that reveals the most popular collectors and reviews – did you know that Harry Potter- is the most popular read on LibraryThing!   This Web 2.0 tool provides a place for its members to catalog what they are reading. The comments section is a useful tool. It can be used to keep track of books that have been lent to friends or as a reminder that you will never read a particular book again.  Its privacy setting allows member to be as public or private as they would like. The “Connections” feature offers those with common likes to be connected and share with each other.  Clicking on a book in another user’s catalog will reveal links with the ability to instantly add a title to your collection or have access to Recommendations.  Tagging, also offered by LibraryThing, provides a means for members to ascribe catagories to their books.  Tags help to define genres in more precise and refined catagories.

So how do I see this site benefitting my personal and professional life?

Personally I am excited to set up an account with books that I have read and enjoyed over the years.  It will be nice to be able to keep track of the books I have read.  I often find I remember enjoying a particular novel but other details, such as title and author, are a little fuzzy.  LibraryThing will help keep these books alive for me and those I would like to recommend them too. I also plan on using the Recommendation application to peruse titles and authors that maybe of interest for future reading.   

Professionally I see many applications for LibraryThing in the school /library environment:

*Online chat with an author
*Read and write book reviews
*Student teacher conferencing through “Groups”
*Parental involvement
*Cataloging of novels students have read over a period of time
*LibraryThing widget on Library blog
*reviews on Library blog
*book clubs

One thing to be aware of before moving forward with educational applications is that LibraryThing, due to The Children’s Online Privacy Act, does not permit children under 13 to become members of this site.

Readings:

Sibley, R. (2008). The Librarian Who Loves “LibraryThing”. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 25(8), 20-21

Regan, Jim (2005-11-09). "Do your own LibraryThing". Christian Science Monitor. http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1109/p25s01-stct.html. Retrieved 2007-03-13.

Rutkoff, Aaron (2006-06-27). "Social Networking for Bookworms". Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB115109622468789252-i8U6LIHU7ChfgbxG1oZ_iunOIWE_20060727.html. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
Woodroof, M (2008-03-20). "Web Sites Let Bibliophiles Share Books Virtually". NPR. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88514715. Retrieved 2009-05-14.

What about Weblogs?

According to Webster’s Online Dictionary a blog is defined as: a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments and often hyperlinks provided by the writer; also: the contents of such a site.

So with this information in hand I ventured into the land of blogging...wait, stop, I have to make a confession first.  I have been here before. In 2008 I setup a Blog, with the help of a staff member, to use as a tool to notify parents of homework assignments ( Mrs. Boyd's Blog) but, looking back at this blog, I now realize it was not used in the true sense of blogging.  Sure, parents could find the homework assignments but I could have given them access to so much more.  A prime opportunity was missed to make connections with parents and students.


So what would I do differently now that I know better?

Well, prompted by Richardson’s statement that “the best way to fully understand the potential of Weblogs as a teaching and learning tool is to become a blogger” (Richardson, p.43) I dove into the realm of blogging.  During this inquiry I have learned how to do many tasks that make a blog more appealing to the audience.  Although I feel I have just scratched the surface here are a few things I have learned:

How to add a video from Youtube:

1. go here: http://www.youtube.com/
2. below the selected video there is a "share" button - click it
3. one of the options will say "embed" - click it
4. copy the code and paste it into a new blog post
5. you must be on Edit HTML

Why add video to a blog? Videos connect with the audience.  They are a quick and easy way to engage the consumer and get your message across. 


How to add a Gadget:

       1.      log into your blog
       2.      on the Dashboard select Design
       3.      select Add a Gadget
       4.      select the gadget from the bank that suits
                your needs - click the plus sign beside the gadget you desire.

Gadgets can be used to increase the profile of a blog, track interests of the blogger, or even provide weather updates.

How to add a picture to my profile:

       1. log into your blog
       2. on the dashboard locate settings – click it
       3. locate edit Photo – click it
       4. upload the URL with your picture

In addition to these "how tos" I have learned to add meaningful names to links so the URL is hidden, to add links to the blogs that I follow, and new pages for additional post, such as my Current Events page.

Blogs are a place to read and consume information, a place to reflect and connect. They should be engaging and informative; the reader should want to come back for more.

I plan to continue to investigate blogging as I continue my travels. Keep an eye out for new additions to this blog!

Readings:

Richardson, W., (2010) Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms,
(3rd edition.).Thousand Oaks, CA, Corwin

Learning 2.0

The more I search, the more I find,

The more I find, the more I read,

The more I read, the more I think,

The more I think, the more I learn,

The more I learn, the more I do,

The more I do, the more I create,

The more I create, the more I share,

The more I share, the more I collaborate,

The more I collaborate, the more I communicate,

The more I communicate, the more I connect,

The more I connect, the more I learn, the more I KNOW,

And the more Intelligent

I GROW!

Cheryl Capozzoli

Voki - Virtual Talking Avatar

I stumbled across a Voki on Mrs. Yollis' Classroom blog and although I was intrigued by the movement of the character I was on an unrelated mission and I did not give it much thought at that time. It was not until a short time later when I was pondering my next step in blogging that I was reminded of that little animated cat and returned to investigate. I was very surprised to learn that not only could this little orange guy wag his tail but he could also talk! This was definitely something I wanted on my blog.

I discovered a little speech bubble on the top of Mrs. Yollis' Voki which contained not only the word Voki but also a link to the Voki home page . I clicked the bubble and was taken directly to the Voki home page.  Here I found a wealth of information. I immediately learned that Voki was a free service that offered its users an opportunity to create customized avatars with voice options and the ability to publish and share with others. But perhaps the most exciting aspect that I discovered was that Voki was a web tool for education. Who would have thought that little orange cat could be fun and educational too! There was so much to delve into that for the time being I decided to just start with the basics and sign up for a regular Voki account.

Creating my Voki account was easy. After entering the usual required name, email, and password I was off and running.

“Create” is the first page Voki directs its users to.

Here users select a character from a wide range of options and customize it with clothing and accessories.  There is a variety of choice for backgrounds and the user can even select the color of their Voki player.  Users are limited only by their imagination!

Users can choose to select from preprogrammed voices or to record their own.  The text-to-speech option is especially convenient and was the one I chose to use.

Users are then directed to publish their new avatar.  Following the steps provided by the Voki website makes sharing your new creations with the online world slick and easy.

When I selected the character for my avatar it was with this blog in mind. I wanted to choose a figure that reflected a professional tone and if possible could look a little bit like myself. Although she is perhaps a few years younger I am happy with my first attempt at animating myself. It was fun to select an outfit and accessories. The background options were somewhat limited and I ended up settling for lockers instead of a library setting, however, I have since learned I could have uploaded a picture of my school library. The computer I used did not have a microphone so as I previously mentioned I used the text-to-speech feature. The hardest part of the whole process was choosing the message that my avatar would share.

I embedded my Voki in the top left corner of my blog.

Voki for Education

Voki Classroom is a classroom management system that is provided by Voki for a nominal annual fee of $29.95. It is a safe, confidential way for students to interact online with their real identities hidden behind an avatar. Voki boasts that this system will allow educators to manage multiple classroom and student accounts, have access to lesson plans which may be customized to suit the needs of students, as well as, unlimited support from knowledgeable staff (Voki 2011).

Voki classroom provides educators with a human element to online learning. It allows teachers and students to express themselves using a talking avatar and may potentially have a huge impact on learner motivation (Baylor 2011). Research indicates that avatar use provides numerous potential benefits including increased student engagement and opportunities for quality interaction among online participants (Blake et al 2010). Using Voki can generate discussion and help reach learning outcomes.

 

According to Jose Picardo, (2009)Voki possess many benefits:

·         It can be accessed at both home and at school;

·         It necessitates computer-pupil interaction, which is a motivating factor;

·         It enables the pupils to be creators of something unique, of which they have ownership;

·         It facilitates the transition from teacher-centered, class based learning, to one in which    the pupil begins to acquire individual responsibility;

·          It makes it possible for the quieter pupils to make their presence felt and be heard; and

·         It allows the pupils to role play and hide behind a mask (an avatar), creating a distancing effect which appeals to the more reluctant speaker.

 Like its counter part Voki, Voki Classroom offers its users the same easy sign up steps. Once a teacher has set up an account students are assigned a login and then they have the ability to create and customize their own avatars using the standard point and click method.

This unique tool enables educators to use avatars in the classroom in many ways.  Here are just a few of my favorites:

·         Media Reports

·         Classroom Blog

·         Book Talks

·         Second Language Classes

·         Introduction to a Lesson

·         Bringing Historical Figures to Life 

 

But don’t just take my word for it, see and hear what students and educators that are using Voki have to say about it…

Readings:
More than just knowing stuff!
Technology and Education Box of Tricks
10 Amazing Ways Avatars Are Being Used In Education
Baylor, A. (2011). The design of motivational agents and avatars. Educational Technology Research & Development, 59(2), 291
Blake, A. M., & Moseley, J. L. (2010). The Emerging Technology of Avatars: Some Educational Considerations. Educational Technology, 50(2), 13-20

Bistrips

OK, so I won't quit my day job, but I did have fun attempting my first "funny" compliments of Bistrips.