Blogging Reflection

Admittedly I began this experience with some trepidation. I do not consider myself technologically savvy, nor have I had much experience reading blogs, let alone creating and maintaining my own. I was also concerned that I would not find enough information on my assigned topics to make my discussions each week interesting and useful to my audience. Fortunately I found my first topic (digital storytelling) quite interesting and was able to find a wealth of information to share that was relevant to the K-12 environment. My second topic (vlogging/vodcasting) was much more difficult to cover. I had a more difficult time finding resources that I thought were pertinent and interesting to discuss. It was a challenge to make the blog posts over the last half of the semester but I felt that this challenge made me dig deeper and look more critically at a subject that I otherwise would not have explored.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading my classmates’ blogs over the course of the semester. They covered topics that were familiar to me and some that were completely new. The resources they provided were interesting each week and many I found useful enough to bookmark for future use. Through this interaction I learned how truly useful blogging can be. It is a wonderful way to share ideas and resources with people who have your same interests and issues in mind. Once I begin work as a TL I will seek out other blogs within the school media community which will provide me a means to discuss professional issues, teaching techniques, changing technology, etc., with others in my field. I can imagine that it is easy to become sheltered within one’s own school community. Blogging can provide me the avenue through which to reach out to others beyond my own little library world.

Though I had my initial concerns, I found this to be a very enjoyable assignment and one that I learned a lot from. I not only learned about creating and maintaining a blog, I also learned a wealth of information and gained valuable resources covering eight technology issues/capabilities that are currently impacting the K-12 environment. Most importantly I learned that interaction and the sharing of ideas is critical to success in the school media community and that blogging is one tool which I can utilize to help achieve it.

Podcasting and Vodcasting in the University Community

Since universities (as is often the case with new technologies) seem to be on the leading edge of integrating podcasting and vodcasting capabilities into their courses, I wanted to spend this final week looking at some of the ways in which universities are using vodcasting and at some of the corresponding issues that are being debated about its implementation.
Peter Meng, a Technical Business Analyst at the University of Missouri, has written a white paper which addresses the many benefits of podcasting and vodcasting and how these capabilities are being used by the school. This is a long paper and there are many details we do not need to cover for this discussion, so I would only like for you to read from the “Pedagogical Implications” section on page 9 through the conclusion on page 11. I found some of the questions raised about podcasting/vodcasting issues to be quite interesting. “How does podcasting or VODcasting challenge the current “talking head” model of classroom lectures? If all lectures are available via video and audio, do students need to go to class? How often? How do we keep them in class?” Also, “Who owns the content, the school, the instructor, the user? Can this be used outside of the university community? How is it protected or secured to the owner or subscriber?”

How do you feel about these questions and others listed in this white paper?

Meng, P. (2005). Podcasting and vodcasting: A white paper. Retrieved April 23, 2008, from University of Missouri, IAT Services: http://edmarketing.apple.com/adcinstitute/wp-content/Missouri_Podcasting_White_Paper.pdf

Controversy Over Filtering

The Children’s Internet Protection Act went into effect in the 2002 school year, mandating web filters for public schools that receive E-Rate funding for internet access. Heather did a great job facilitating this discussion for the week and asked a lot of interesting questions. I find the debate over filtering quite interesting, especially the question over allowing full access while teaching students to use their own judgment online versus attempting to filter everything that might be viewed as harmful. Many argue that students have full access to the internet outside of school/at home and therefore should be taught how to navigate it without falling victim to scams or should be taught how to avoid inappropriate material altogether. Can any TL or classroom teacher, or any parent for that matter, ensure that their children are not accessing such potentially dangerous material online? On the other side, many argue that filtering should be mandated as through CIPA, but are these filters effective? Are we simply shielding our children from reality; a reality they will have to face later as young adults?

This article addresses some of these same questions as well as others and I found it to be an interesting read. What are some of your thoughts on this issue? As a future TL, will you support filtering or will you advocate greater access?

7 Things You Should Know

I wish I had found this article when I started blogging on this subject because the information is very useful for explaining what vlogging is and what purposes it can serve. You can skip section 1 because this covers what a vlog is, something we discussed in week 9. However, please read the Scenario and the other sections of the article. I found the “Why is it significant?” section to be of particular interest as well as section 7, “What are the implications for teaching and learning?” These sections discuss the impact that vlogging has by allowing greater personal expression than one is capable of achieving through text-based blogging. As they become more and more media literate, our students can take advantage of such benefits of vlogging in their classroom projects and as a means of expressing their own personal interests and connecting with others who share those interests. As this technology grows in popularity and becomes easier and faster to use, both teachers and students will find new and interesting ways to use this technology for wider communication of ideas and as an outlet for personal expression.

The Scenario section discusses Evan, a distance learning student who begins vlogging as a means of communicating with his fellow students about his educational experience. Since distance education is often criticized for being impersonal, do you think Evan has hit on a possible solution? Do you think vlogging is something that can help people create more personal connections and do you think vlogging with your professors and fellow distance-learning students would enhance your distance-learning experience?

Reference:
Educause Learning Initiative. (2005, August). Seven things you should know about…Videoblogging. Retrieved April 17, 2008 from the ELI Web site: http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7005.pdf

Public Library Vodcasting

Here’s another example of how libraries are using vodcasts. The Orange County Library System is using vodcasts to show clips from library programs and events such as author visits, booktalks, etc. This is a great way to show what is going on at the library and to entice area residents to attend upcoming events. Each event is posted as a podcast and as a vodcast. Since the vodcasts take some time to open I have attached an example of one here. This is a clip from a visit by author Rosalie Turner who spoke about Freedom Bound, her historical novel about Anna Kingsley, a slave who later became a slave owner herself.

Are any of the public libraries in your area doing anything like this? If so, please share some examples. If not, what kinds of vodcasts would you like to see from your local public library?

Library Vodcast Tutorials

As vodcasting grows in popularity, libraries of every type are incorporating this technology into their repertoire of services. One great way in which libraries are incorporating vodcasting is by providing tutorials/training on how users can better access library collections. Users may have questions on anything from how to plan a search for a research paper to how to find a specific journal or newspaper article. Now, instead of either having to ask the librarian at the front desk or navigating blindly wasting precious time, users can access a vodcast which can provide them the answers they need in relative minimal time. One example of such tutorial vodcasts can be found at the University of Aberdeen Library & Historic Collections website. This site offers vodcasts on a variety of topics from accessing resources from off-campus, to navigating the library catalogue, to finding information on a research topic. Check this page out and tell me what you think of it. Scroll down the page and click on the m4v or .htm link to view the vodcast of your choice.

Though this is an example of an academic library’s use of vodcasts, do you think a similar application would be useful in the K-12 environment? If so, would you use vodcasting in the same way/for the same purpose or would you apply the technology differently? How so?

Also, can you envision such vodcasting tutorials replacing the face-to-face reference interview? If so, would you see this as a positive or negative change? Please explain your answer.

Cyber Security Education

This week we were asked to read an article entitled Teaching Children Cyber Security and Ethics produced by the Cyber Security Industry Alliance (2005). This article addresses many of the potential dangers our children face in the online world today such as phishing, spam, identity theft, etc., and poses the question “Who does the teaching?” Should parents take on this responsibility? Should teachers be responsible for designing a cyber security curriculum? The CSIA contends that these attempts would only lead to spotty results. Instead, national effort should be made to educate children about cyber security and safety, with parents and teachers playing critical roles in achieving the overall goal. Simply having this responsibility placed on teachers within the K-12 environment would not be the most effective measure to addressing this problem. Students, and the public in general, would be made much more aware of the problems of cyber security and the potential solutions if there were a nationally sponsored cyber awareness program.

I very much agree that cyber awareness among children is a critical need. Children now grow up in a multimedia world and have access to people and information in ways that children didn’t have twenty years ago. The implications of this are that people and information which may be inappropriate and even dangerous for our children may also reach them unless precautions are taken and children are taught how to protect themselves. “Just as we teach our children ‘right from wrong’ in the physical world, we must ensure that the same lessons are taught in the cyber world as well” (CSIA, 2005).

Do you see a need for a national cyber security awareness program? If so, what aspects of this program would you like to see put in place (i.e. legislation, advertising campaigns, training, national curriculum standards, etc.)?

References:
Cyber Security Industry Alliance. (2005, July). Teaching Children Cyber Security and Ethics. www.csialliance.org.

Google Video

Last week I posted some information on how to create a vodcast. Let’s say that you are a TL and want to provide your students access to a vodcast you created about activities that are going to be going on in the LMC next month. How might you make your vodcast available to students? One easy (and free) way is to upload your vodcast to Google Video. Google Video Uploader allows you to create an account and upload video files of any length or size as long as you own the rights to the materials you upload. Placing your vodcast in Google Video allows users to search for and view online the videos you create. Searching for videos is easy too. Simply type a search term into the search box and Google Video searches its archive for relevant results. Just for fun I typed in ‘Northern Exposure’ which is one of my favorite tv shows of all time and got 414 results including the title opening and various clips from some of the show’s best episodes. Try searching a favorite topic of yours and see what you find. Would you use Google Video for uploading your own vodcasts (personal or school-related)? Do you foresee any potential problems having students search for videos using this site?

Educational Vodcasting

Attached here is a brochure advertising the Educational Vodcasting Workshop scheduled for August 4-6, 2008. The event will teach participants how to make vodcasts, how to use them in a variety of educational settings, and how to manage vodcasts. The brochure seeks to promote the use of vodcasting in schools by giving examples of its potential uses such as:
· Providing more class time for hands-on learning by making the vodcast part of a student’s homework
· Allowing access to daily class materials via iPod, phone, computer or DVD for students who miss class
· The ability for students to replay content whenever, wherever, and as often as needed
Upon reviewing this brochure, as a TL, would a workshop like this be useful to you if your school agreed to send you? Do you think the pro-vodcast points given above are valid? Why or why not?

How to Make a Vodcast

Vlogging and vodcasting are new concepts for me. I’ve never created either one so my initial question was how would someone with no prior knowledge create a vodcast? Vodstock.com is a great resource for getting started. The “How to make…” page will tell you what equipment you need and give you an overview of the creative process along with additional links with helpful tips and guidance.

Feel free to explore this page. There is a lot of information here. The page contains tutorials, video podcast and vlog directories as well as links to a variety of vodcasts arranged by category. Here’s a tip though…if you browse for vodcasts click on “Keyword” and look for your category. Something’s not working correctly with the “Browse” function.

Teacher and Student Uses of Vlogging

Many teachers and students are beginning to use vlogging/vodcasting in classrooms in many new and creative ways. TeacherTube.com was created in March 2007 as a resource which provides an online community for sharing instructional videos. Attached here is a link to a vlog posted by Mr. Bosch, a middle school Science teacher. Mr. Bosch maintains a blog about what his students are doing in class but created this video blog in order to show a clip of his students working on a particular class project. The students are working on gathering information on characteristics of various ecosystems and are sharing the results of their work by creating their own vodcasts, which Mr. Bosch will post to his own website for viewing.

Mr. Bosch illustrates one great way for teachers and students to use vlogging and vodcasts to communicate information and to share student projects. As teachers/teacher librarians, we can use vlogging/vodcasts to communicate information about what our students are working on and what they are learning in the LMC. We can also use this tool to provide students a new and different forum through which they can communicate directly about what they are studying, what their interests are, etc. Do you see vlogging/vodcasting as a useful tool in the K-12 setting? Do you see other ways in which this capability might be used in schools or in the LMC specifically?

Blogging on Vlogging

What is a Vlog? What is a Vodcast? According to this website a vlog (which is also known as a vodcast, vidblog, vodblog, video podcast, vcatch, among other terms) is simply internet television. Vlogging/Vodcasting has taken us a long way from text only communication. Not long ago all we had was text and maybe a few static images. With the social advancement of the web we developed blogs, which you are all well aware of by now because, surprise, you are using one right now! But blogs didn’t provide sound or video. Then the MP3 entered the mix, allowing for sound and music on the internet. Finally, with broadband internet we were able to watch videos, and this is when vlogging (which some still refer to as video diaries) came on the scene. Vodcasting is considered to be the video version of podcasting, hence the name since VOD stands for “video on demand.” Bottom line, it’s all television; it’s just on a computer screen instead of your TV. In the weeks to come we will explore the potential applications of this technological capability in the K-12 setting.

Multimedia Storytelling Lesson Strategy

Over the past few weeks we have been discussing the many aspects and benefits of using Digital Storytelling in the K-12 environment. We have explored possible classroom applications for this technology and have looked at the various tools used in creating digital stories. Wouldn't it also be useful to have a digital storytelling lesson plan outline? In January 2002 a new series premiered on PBS called American Family - Journey of Dreams. This series tells the dramatic story of a Latino family living in America today. As a part of it promotion of this series, PBS is also encouraging students to tell the story of their own families through multimedia storytelling, which includes digital storytelling as well. Through this website, PBS provides a Teacher's Guide which includes objectives, materials, a detailed procedure, and assessment recommendations for a multimedia storytelling lesson plan. This guide is based upon the American Family project, but it is general enough to be used with any topic you wish your students to explore.

Would you use this guide in creating your own digital storytelling lesson plan? If not, why? If so, what aspects of the lesson plan do you think would be most useful to you and why?

Bookshare.org

Bookshare.org is an example of an assistive technology which is designed to help people with visual and other print disabilities gain access to books and periodicals that they might otherwise not be able to use. All one needs to do to gain access is to log on, provide Bookshare.org with proof of a print disability, and pay a modest membership fee. Schools can gain access to Bookshare.org for students with print disabilities without paying a yearly fee.

In our class discussions this week people have made many good points about the potential benefits of incorporating Bookshare.org into our LMCs. I have to agree that this is an assistive technology that I would want to make a part of my LMC and would work to make sure students with visual or print disabilities had the opportunity and training to use the resource to its fullest extent. Some people have mentioned that this resource might also be beneficial for students who are not labeled with a particular disability but who still have trouble (for various possible reasons) reading print materials. I would be very cautious about this. Bookshare.org makes its purpose, of serving people with visual and print disabilities, very plain. Whereas some benefit may be gained by any student, I would use Bookshare.org only with students who have a designated need. There may be other reasons why students without an identified disability are having trouble reading and Bookshare.org may not address their specific needs, but instead may only mask the problem for a while. I would make an effort to seek out another tool that might be better suited to help such students. Also, in using this resource with students who do not have an identified disability, the school may lose its rights to this resource which would come at the expense of those students who do have an identified visual or print disability.

Sorry that was so long. If you think I'm completely off the mark here, let me know.

Assistive Technology is a Must!

This week's discussion has centered on Assistive Technology, or technology designed to be accessible by people with disabilities. This is a very interesting and important topic and I'm glad that we are devoting at least some class time to this topic. The article provided in class, Accessible Technology Can Help Colleges and Universities Remove Barriers to Education by Oblinger and Ruby (n.d.), contends that, depending on its design, "information technology can either be a blessing or a curse" for people with disabilities. Students with disabilities must be given access to learning through information technologies, just as other students are. Otherwise, as the rest of the world moves forward in its technological capabilities and understanding, people with disabilities will be left farther and farther behind. Assistive technology is an important part of finding a solution to this problem.

An interesting analogy is made in this article which helps explain that assistive technologies are not only beneficial to people with disabilities but may be beneficial to all. Just as curb cuts in sidewalks have helped people in wheelchairs, they have also helped people riding bicycles and pushing strollers. The same is true of assistive techonologies. If information technologies are designed to be more accessible for those with disabilities, they will also be more accessible and beneficial to all potential users.

People with disabilities have so much to offer the world. Given the right tools, access, and opportunities, their contributions to the workforce and to society in general can be so valuable. They see the world through a different perspective and with a different understanding than others do. It is in the best interest of us all therefore, to give people with disabilities every chance to learn and grow. Assistive technologies offer such an opportunity.

Digital Storytelling Top Ten

In case you still need convincing, attached are the "Top Ten Reasons for Implementing Storytelling" according to Dr. Gail N. Herman, Educational Consultant and "Organic Storyteller." Though these items are not necessarily specific to digital storytelling, they certainly still apply regardless of the technology applied. Digital storytelling can add further depth to this list. For example, if storytelling encourages creativity, would not digital storytelling also encourage greater creativity through the application of pictures and videos students might use to tell their stories? How else might digital storytelling add even greater depth to these benefits?

Discovery Educator

The Digital Storytelling blog provided by the Discovery Educator Network is one of the few blogs I have found devoted completely to digital storytelling. New postings are added regularly to this blog and great information on K-12 video contests, digital storytelling conferences and festivals, as well as information on harware and software capabilities/updates are included here. One post from January 16th advertises a contest called "Video All-Star" in which K-12 students and teachers are encouraged to create a 2-3 minute video about why digital learning tools are so important to them and to their school. Prizes are given to the best entries including a new laptop and Adobe Digital School Collection software licenses for the school.

In examining this blog and the information provided in the various posts, is this something you would keep an eye on as a TL who is incorporating digital storytelling into your library activities? Would you find the information useful? Why or why not?

One Teacher's Experience

Tom Banaszewski is an Educator/Multimedia Author at Maria Hastings School in Lexington, MA. In this article http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/jan02/banaszewski.htm he explains his own journey in teaching fourth and fifth graders how to create their own digital stories through the Place Project. Students begin by selecting a topic. The only requirement is that it must be about a particular place that holds meaning for them. He explains how students are encouraged to develop their topics and how those topics are then translated into visual images; either drawings that the students make themselves or locate on the computer. He also goes through the process of instructing the technological aspects of the project and the time considerations that must be made for a class of 24 students.

Through this article it is easy to see the wealth of learning experiences each student achieves while having fun developing their own digital story. Students reflect on the importance of a special place in their lives, develop their thoughts into a story, exercise their writing abilities, share their writing and ideas with their fellow students, express their thoughts both orally and visually, while at the same time learning a new technological application. What aspects of Tom Banaszewski's digital storytelling project do you find most valuable for students?

Composition Tools

In Brianna's comment from last week she asked about the tools and software needed to create a digital story so I thought I would include information on this for this week's post. The Digital Storytelling link which I provided last week has an FAQ section that addresses this issue and can be found at http://electronicportfolios.org/digistory/tools.html. This page gives a list of audio, image, and video editors (if you intend to include video) and lists them according to cost and ease-of-use. Software requirements for Microsoft OS X and Windows XP are provided. Some of the image editors can get quite pricey. Needed harware includes a microphone and mixer or a USB microphone (which can range from $90 to $170 or more depending on brand specifications). You would also need a digital camera or scanner and a digital video camera (again, only if you plan to include video in your digital story). Depending on a school's budget and the tools they may already have in place, this could be a great investment. Would you, as a TL, argue to spend the money to make digital storytelling capability part of your library?

What is Digital Storytelling?

Digital Storytelling is the modern expression of the ancient art of storytelling. Digital stories derive their power by weaving images, music, narrative and voice together, thereby giving deep dimension and vivid color to characters, situations, experiences, and insights. - Digital Storytelling Association

The above quote was taken from a comprehensive website on digital storytelling http://electronicportfolios.org/digistory/. This website includes examples as to the many ways in which digital storytelling is utilized in Education, provides tools for creating and publishing digital stories, as well as international digital storytelling resources.

In my own words, a digital story is a short (usually five minutes or less) digital video clip which includes voice narration of a story accompanied by illustrations and/or still images and background music to add tone and feeling to the story. To see a digital story (less than 3 minutes in length) about how to make a digital story, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LknwS15wSx8.

Week 4 Intro Post

Hello blogging group members.
My name is Elise Morford. I am originally from Asheville, NC. I have an undergrad degree in American History and a minor in PoliSci with a concentration in Education from Appalachian State University. If you keep up with college football at all this is the school that beat Michigan last season in one of the biggest upsets in history.

After graduating I decided I wanted to see the world a little before settling down so I joined the Navy and became an Intelligence Officer. I was on active duty in the Navy for five years, during which time I was stationed in Corpus Christi, TX, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and San Diego, CA. I also met my husband in the Navy and after a few years of moving around we decided to rejoin civilian life. Now we live in Westernville, NY just north of Rome. We are expecting our first child (a girl) in a few weeks. We also have two cats, a black cat named Cosmo and an orange cat appropriately named O.C. (short for orange cat).

I have never blogged before so I am looking forward to this experience and to talking with you over the semester. My first topic is Digital Storytelling, followed by Vlogging (Vodcasting) so I will try to find some interesting and informative information for you on these topics in the coming weeks.

Learning to Blog

This is great! I've never blogged before, let alone create my own. This is just an initial post to test the waters and say hello.
Welcome to my blog!
Elise