Tool #6 Blogger

Tool  #6 Blogger

            The last tool that I will be exploring in this Inquiry Project is Blogger since I’ve been using this tool since the beginning of the semester. I have used Blogger before for a previous UBC Teacher Librarian course but with limited success as all I did was post and not explore the ins and outs of what can be done on a blog.  A blog can be defined as a web log, a place to post you thoughts and express them to the world.  A blog may be a place to record your daily life or have an over reaching theme such as this one for UBC LIBE 477.

            Setting up a blog is quite easy and free.  For Blogger all you need is to have a gmail account.  After you sign up you need to name your bolg, pick your background, layout, and the gadgets that you would like to add and customize your blog.  Your blog is personalized to your specifications.  I have called my blog the UBC LIBE 477 Library Lady Blog.  The title exactly spells out what my blog  is about  this UBC class and me and aspiring Teacher Librarian.  I chose a layout that was easy to follow and a nice backdrop for my work.  Through exploration of the gadgets I chose the following that I though fit on this blog:

• ·         About Me: This is a place to give an introduction to yourself and the purpose of the blog that has been created.

• ·         Followers: This gadget displays how may people are following your blog and are interested in what you are posting on.

• ·         Lists: I created two lists of links that I think are important to have on my blog.  The first is a list of educational sites that I like and use in my daily classroom life.  The second was a list of links of the different tools that I used during this blog creation.

• ·         Search this Blog:  This gadget is allows you to search the entire blog for a specific topic.

• ·         Educational Quotes: This gadget gives daily inspirational educational quotes.

• ·         PC World Latest Technology News: This gadget updates the latest tech news for its viewers.

• ·         Best Selling Children’s Books: This gadget sorts books by age group and displays the prices of the books.

I found creating and maintaining this blog quite easy.  Creating a new post is as simple as clicking on the new post button, writing a new post, and attaching anything else you choose such as pictures. The presentations of the posts are easy to follow and understand placing the latest post on the top of the page and chronicling them monthly on a sidebar.

 In my experimentation with this blog I have decided that I will create one the next time I am in a high school position or have my own library. At my previous school a high school English teacher created a wonderful blog for his classes with all of his assignments, sources for students, it had interesting information on it, and students could submit their assignments to him on the blog.  This blog was password protected and only for students in that particular teachers course.  I have also seen library blogs where new books are requested and discussed, bibliographic information is given, as well as general library information is posted.  I think that blogs are a useful way to express an opinion and give information and plan on making many in my educational future.

           

Tool #5 Prezi

Tool #5 Prezi

http://prezi.com/index/

The fifth tool that I will be presenting an interactive presentation program.  I was inspired to play with this tool by the Autobiography of a Tech User and Creator assignments from the beginning of the term.  Quite a few of my fellow students used this program to introduce themselves and demonstrate their journey through technology.  What impressed me was how professional and interactive their presentations were.  I discussed this tool with a some people who had experimented with this tool and they assured me that a Prezi was easy to create and could be taught to our students.

Signing up for a Prezi account is simple  first you need to choose what  type of an account you would like.  There is the free basic account, a free education account Edu Enjoy, Enjoy for $59.00, and  Pro for  $159.00 per year.  The free education account gives you all of the same tools as the Enjoy account it only requires you to have an educational institution email account.  The educational account is what I have signed up for and  it allows you have access to the following details:

 Edu Enjoy

$0/year

·         Core Features

·         Storage Space

·         Make your prezis private to secure your content

·         Use your own logo instead of Prezi’s

·         Premium Support in less than 24 hours

Once you get signed up there are support videos to watch on how to make a basic prezi and how to enhance your presentations after you have masterd the basics.  The site also provides Cheat Sheets http://prezi.com/learn/get-started-cheat-sheet/ every step of the way so that you feel comfortable with what you’re creating.  I decided to use the basic video and Cheat Sheet to help me create a Prezi of the Disneyland vacation that I went on with my family in August 2010. 

I was able to take my own photographs, images and videos from the web, and to use text to create my Prezi with ease.  It is a simple point, type, click, and drag system.  I was able to be creative and add my own flair to this presentation.  I just got back from another trip to the “Happiest Place on Earth” and my own personal happy place and plan on creating an new Prezi for my sister who went on the trip with me as a virtual scrapbook.

Here is the Prezi that I created: http://prezi.com/g45keyxq2svf/edit/#32_7796154

I plan on showing my family my Prezi creation at the next family dinner and will post reactions in my final reflection.

 

Tool #4 Pinterest

Tool #4  Pinterest

. http://pinterest.com

For my fourth tool I have chosen to explore the Pinterest.  Although it is not in my original proposal it is a tool that has been discussed in my staffroom and by other teacher friends.  Pinterest according to their website “Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. Best of all, you can browse pin boards created by other people. Browsing pin boards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests. To get started, request an invite.”.  What my colleagues are using it for is to find amazing educational ideas that can be shared and organized on personalized boards.  This is a great way to bookmark organize activities and ideas that can be used in a classroom and in everyday life.

            On this site you can follow your Facebook friends that have a Pinterest account as they are linked.  Many of my friends on Facebook are teachers and have used their Pinterest account to search the web and share the great ideas that they have found.  When you start your account you can create virtual pin boards on any subject you choose.  I chose to create the following “boards” on a few of my passions Education, Teachers, and Disneyland.  I then searched my friends “board” and used the search feature to create my boards. I found amazing activities to use in my classroom and to explore further.  Pinterest is an excellent way to bookmark, sort, and share information. 
            An assignment that I would use with this tool would be around finding something that my students are passionate about.  As stated previously I am passionate about education, teaching, and Disneyland and have created boards around those subjects.  I would have students create a board to show to the class and then create a speech to go along with it.  After Spring Break my students will be starting their speeches for public speaking, I plan on making this part of their assignment as a visual.

I will discuss this tool further in in my reflection at the end of the project.

Current Events 5

I have been experimenting with a new online marking program that I asked Joanne if I could use as o e of my tools. She suggested that I share it with you as a current event. Those of us in BC have experienced the difficulties with BCISIS the government grading and marking program. Engrade is an easy to use online raking system where you can do you marking and communicate with your parents and students. You can program your percentages and weigh your assignments, a great tool to explore.

www.engrade.ca