Sunday, November 29, 2009

Things 4 & 5: Cloud Computing, Twitter

Now that we're getting a little more comfortable with some Web 2.0 tools, we're going to take the next step and explore collaboration with cloud computing in Thing 4, and then we'll look at microblogging sensation Twitter in Thing 5.

Thing 4: Cloud Computing

Do you ever find yourself working on a document, spreadsheet or PowerPoint at home and wishing there was an easier way to access it at school, or vice-versa? Have you ever lost a flash drive (I know our students have!) or had your computer crash, erasing all of your work? Or have you ever had to work on a group project and had to email a document around and around so everyone could edit? So cumbersome! Google Docs is a Web 2.0 application that is part of the new wave of "cloud computing", where documents are saved in a "cloud" (on a server somewhere), and can be accessed from any computer around the world (this was Allison's part of the video). Watch these videos below for a quick explanation:



And just for fun since we ARE working in a high school :)



I've created a document called 17 Things Ideas, where I've asked people to add an idea for how we could use some of these Web 2.0 tools in a school setting. I have saved it as a "Public" document that ANYONE can edit, just to make it easier for this exercise, but you can also choose to allow only certain people editing rights. Open this document and add an idea or two.

I've also created a shared calendar , but in order to edit it, you've got to create a Google Calendar account. You should just be able to go to google.com, sign in with the same username/password you use for Blogger, and then sign up for Google Calendar. Once you've done this successfully, send me an email and I'll give you editing rights to the shared calendar. We were having some trouble getting people set up with Google Calendar here in the library, however, so if this doesn't work, I will figure something else out!

To complete Thing 4:
  • Add an idea or two to the 17 Things Ideas shared document.
  • Accept the invitation to edit the shared calendar and then add an event (you can make one up, if you want)
  • Reflect on your experience using Google Docs and Calendar. Could you see yourself using these tools?
Just for fun (optional): Zoho.com is another online application that allows you to create documents, spreadsheets, and slideshows. The slideshow I used during the Institute Day presentation was created using Zoho. Check it out and post about the differences you noticed, and which tool you liked best.

Thing 5: Twitter

Willie Nelson does it. Ellen does it. John McCain does it, too! And now it's your turn. No longer is Twitter mainly used to let the world know what you had for breakfast: surgeons use it to instruct medical students, politicians use it to update their constituents, and educational leaders use it to share new ideas and engage in dialogues with interested "followers."

Read "Twittering, Not Frittering: Professional Development in 140 Characters" from Edutopia, and then create a Twitter account for yourself. If you're comfortable with this, set your account as "Public" (that way we can all find you on Twitter). If not, then I think you have to approve individual people to be your followers. If you choose to be "Private", please give me "mrsduelllibrary" permission to follow you! Do a few Internet searches to find leaders in your area, and chances are that they will have a Twitter account (for example, I might search for leaders in the world of school librarianship). "Follow" at least three of them, post your Twitter name to your blog (mine is mrsduelllibrary), and then let us know who you're following.

To complete Thing 5:
  • Create a Twitter account
  • Find at least 3 people to "follow"
  • Re-tweet at least 3 of their posts
  • Post your Twitter name to your blog
  • Tell us who you're following
  • Reflect on your experience using/reading about Twitter. Do you think you would use Twitter? How could it be applied to a school setting?
Just for fun (optional): Tweet a few of your favorite lessons or activities in which you take part here at RB. You never know who might re-tweet YOU!

Friday, November 20, 2009

Things 2 & 3: More With Blogging, Social Bookmarking

Congratulations on making it to Things 2 and 3! I hope everyone is as excited as I am about all of the fun and exciting tools we're going to explore during this Web 2.0 journey. Before I go on, I wanted to point out the "Tracking Spreadsheet" on the sidebar to the right. This is how I'll be keeping track of who is in the program and who's already completed which Things. If you notice that I'm missing something for you, just email me.

Thing 2: Doing More With Your Blog

Blogs are great for keeping up to date with other people, so for Thing 2, you'll be commenting on and following some of your colleagues' blogs, in addition to tagging the posts you've created so far. First, choose at least five of your colleagues' blogs (see the sidebar on the right), and comment on their first post or on their video. Commenting on blogs allows us to ask questions of one another, make suggestions, or simply to reply to what has been written or posted. I will be commenting on various blogs throughout the 17 Things to Chew On program. Once you've commented, you should then "follow" those blogs. Oh, and "follow" this blog (17 Things to Chew On), too. As you can see in your own blog, I have "followed" you- so you can now see my picture on your blog's sidebar. Now when I log into my blog and look at the Dashboard, I can see what's been updated on the blogs I'm following! Cool, right? Let's try to share the love, so if you notice that someone's blog has not yet been "followed" by anyone but me, you might choose to follow them. Also, let's "tag" the posts you've created so far. Tagging allows you to categorize your posts, which is really helpful if you blog regularly. If you look at my Bulldog Banana Bread blog, you'll notice on the sidebar to the right that I have a bunch of different keywords listing all of the different subjects my posts have been about. That's because I tag each post with relevant keywords. What keywords will you use? Finally, write a blog post telling us who you're "following" and also what tags you created for your first several posts.

So, for Thing 2:


  • Comment on at least 5 people's blogs
  • Follow the 17 Things to Chew on blog AND the other blogs on which you commented
  • Use keywords to tag the posts you've created so far
  • Write a post about about who you're "following" and what tags you've used so far


Just for Fun (optional!): Upload a picture to your profile. It can be a picture of you or of something else you want to represent your online self. Having a picture makes your blog a little more personal!

Thing 3: Social Bookmarking

The next Thing we'll be looking at is social bookmarking using Delicious, which will help you organize all of your favorite websites (this was my part on the Web 2.0 Fairy video!). Watch this explanation from Common Craft and then sign up for a Delicious account. When you first look at Delicious, check out some of the "Fresh Bookmarks" and "Popular Bookmarks" to see how they have been tagged.



Once you've created a Delicious account, add and tag some of your favorite websites. Post your Delicious username on your blog (mine is mrsduelllibrary), then, once other people have started posting their Delicious usernames, add a few of your colleagues to your network. You can add me first just to see how it works. When you're finished, create a post and relect on your Delicious experience. Do you see this as a useful tool? Would you actually use this? How could it be helpful in a school setting?

So, for Thing 3:

  • Create a Delicious account and add websites
  • Add me to your network (mrsduelllibrary), then add a few of your colleagues
  • Create a post about your experience AND post your Delicious username

Just for Fun (optional): Add the Delicious buttons to your toolbar on your HOME computer (it won't work on your school computer- it will just get removed when you re-boot). I tried it and it was pretty simple, plus now it's even easier than ever to bookmark new websites! Just click on "Help" at the top and find the "Need Tools?" section and follow the directions from there.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Welcome to 17 Things to Chew On!

Welcome to 17 Things to Chew On! This is a 9 week overview of what Web 2.0 is really all about. Some of you have a good idea, but haven't seen a few new tricks. Some of you haven't got a clue and are sick of hearing about all this tech gobbledygook! Whatever your reason for joining, I hope you gain a better understanding of how this concept is changing the way we work, play, and even educate.
If you feel any of the tasks are easy, please offer your help to others. If you are lost, please ask for help. Partnering up with someone is another great way to work through this. If you have questions, please ask anyone in the group!

THING 1

Part 1:
Set up your own blog & add your first post. Your first post can be a simple "Hello" or a paragraph on the video (see below). Once you've completed this step, email me your blog link.

Part 2:
Assuming we all agree that technology is changing education and teaching (for right or wrong)... support that idea with a video. Place that video on your new blog (either as a link or as embedded video).

Example video:



Some keywords for searching: collaboration, "24/7 education", "open learning", "web 2.0", "school 2.0", edtech, connectivity, social networks+schools, "personal learning networks, "education+think tanks", "21st century skills", "flat schools", "creative education", "new schools", "student centered learning", remix

Just for Fun (optional!):
Watch part of or all of this TED video ("Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity") and comment here on my blog.