Talking up Books with Book Trailers (Blogging Beyond 23 Things: The First Post!)

In one last push to get kids reading and books in their hands during the testing season, I scheduled some time to booktalk with a few classes - But I want to try something new!

Book Trailers!

Movie trailers for some of the summer movie blockbusters are starting to emerge on television, building anticipation and excitement for the upcoming movies. I think Book Trailers could do the same thing for books.

I first came across these brief book commercials several months ago. Now some of the features that I have explored with 23 Things on a Stick are starting to mesh together as I seek new and interesting ways to keep things fresh for students.

So, when I start promoting books with 7th and 8th graders this week, I am going to introduce a few books in this new format. Here are a few that I was able to find on YouTube and TeacherTube and might try using.

Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

From RandomBooks on YouTube (Even publishers appear to be catching onto this one!)

Among the Hidden, by Margaret Peterson Haddix

From momsmeatloaf on TeacherTube

Maybe next year my students will be creating their own Book Trailers!

In One Sentence (Thing 23)

Rather than being satisfied and stagnant in our use of the Internet, 23 Things is a Web 2.0 journey and an adventure into what the Internet could be, pushing us to open the doors to new possibilities.

A Never Ending Journey... (Thing 22)

Exploring the previous 21 things has been an exciting journey.

There are new tools that I will be using on a daily basis for productivity and just keeping current on the issues and news that matter to me. There are also tools that I believe can be used with teachers and students to extend learning beyond the school day and even within the school day in new and engaging ways.

Some ways that I have already made a Web 2.0 transformation include:

1. I have made bloglines one of my "home" pages when I log on to my computer at home. It is a centralized way of keeping up with my fellow bloggers and other personal interests.

2. I have integrated "Shelfari" into my school website. Students can now view the bookcovers of "New Arrivals" to the school library.

3. I have also integrated some RSS feeds / Podcasts into my school page. Students can listen to an always changing list of podcasts by Nancy Keane as she promotes a wide assortment of books.

4. Not to mention all the blogging and accompanied reflection that is taking place as I encounter new Web 2.0 tools and resources...

Some Web 2.0 tools that are at the top of my list for futher exploration and use in my personal and professional life include (in no particular order):

1. Mashups, Widgets, Flash Cards...FUN! I really see some great opportunities to create attention grabbing learning tools for students with with slide shows, online flash/study cards, and more. It is certainly more engaging to a generation of users with short attention spans and a high interest in technology...

2. I see lots of opportunities in collaborative learning with Wikis. It is often about finding the teacher who is open and adventurous enough to take the leap to new technologies. But, I think that it this is a worthwhile challenge.

3. Podcasts are definitely on this list as well. I hope to start the school year next year with orientation materials that can serve students and teachers "just in time." It doesn't always make sense to put through an orientation filled with applicable information that is totally off in its timing. Orientation materials "on demand" would serve staff and students would be wonderful!

So...Moving Forward...

Perusing the blogosphere, I really see the value in reading the comments, experiences, and reflections of my 23 things colleagues. I hope that this blog will continue (or I will be inspired to start something new). It is as simple as reflecting on the success or failure of trying something new on the web. Or, reflecting on the thoughts and ideas that fill my reading on the web, news, or professional readings. So, easy...right... So tune in for more!

I may just go through these 23 things one more time and find lots that I missed on the first journey through...

Extending the Network (Thing 21)

MySpace and Facebook are the primary social networking tools that engage the students that I am working with at school. Other than keeping a contact with my young family members, there was nothing to draw me into the social networking world that these tools created.

I like the focused, interest based, social network. There is an instant connection to the other members of the social network whether I join a group that is focused on 23 Things on Ning, or book discussion on Gather.

I tend to be a bit of a "lurker" in social networks.

Observe.
Observe some more.
Participate.
Pose Questions.

I was excited to explore the Classroom 2.0 social network in Ning. There were many different groups that I joined, including one exploring audio tools in education. I am very interested in hearing more from other educators integrating iPods and Podcasts into their classroom.


Visit Classroom 2.0

I think it is like joining a lot of other types of groups in the "real" world figuring out the social norms within this virtual community. With a good feel for the people and issues that are coming together within the community, it is comfortable and meaningful to participate.

This could be fun!!!!!

In Everyone's Face (Thing 20)

Social networking is the tool of the Internet that everyone loves and loves to fear. There are lots of reasons to caution users of these tools and remind them of the reality that the Internet is a public place. Sharing your thoughts, pictures, experiences, etc. on these social networks is like sharing yourself with the world.

I've been a MySpace user, keeping off the radar to most of the MySpace social network. It has been a nice way to keep updated on the lives of some of my family members who I don't see all that often, or who have moved across the country. I especially love logging in to see the picture updates of their young children as they grow so quickly between visits. Having a MySpace account has been very useful as a teacher as well. I have been able to become familiar with some of the features of this tool, have conversations with staff, students, and parents about how to adjust settings and monitor their children.

I decided to create a Facebook account for this challenge and explore some of the differences between these two social networks.

At first I was a bit annoyed with the difficulties that I faced in finding friends on the Facebook network...then I thought about how this might actually be nice for me as I still want to reside under the radar. I liked that I could join in some professional organizations and become a fan to the Hennepin County Library. I also became a member of a Maximum Ride fan group, and one of my favorite young adult book series.

I was able to add a search box for the Hennepin County Library Catalog. This quickly turns my own facebook page into a tool that aids in productivity while also connecting me to people and communities.

I don't know that one can argue the numbers if facebook is growing more rapidly in membershipo than other social networking tools on the Internet. However, I did not feel any great "aHah!" moment with facebook that makes me feel that this is going to change my life. There are so many other Internet tools out there to facilitate community, so I don't see this becoming a significant part of my Web 2.0 repertoire. I will keep my eye on my organizations and memberships with Facebook - and maybe something will change........

A New Voice on the Internet...Podcasts (Thing 19)

I think that podcasts have a fabulous future on the Internet. They are an exemplary Web 2.0 Educational Tool. They are easy to create and transform communication and interaction on the Internet. They can be downloaded and brought into the offline world and I believe that they are on the edge of transforming education with their ability to extend learning beyond the school day to more people. They invite people to reflect and respond as they are often combined with blogs and other Web 2.0 tools.

I subscribe to a few podcasts and track them in iTunes, and I really enjoyed finding some new podcast directories to locate a few new podcasts. One of these included Teacher 2.0. I found it in the PodcastAlley.com (I also liked the Yahoo directory), and after listening to a few podcasts that I liked, I found their homepage:

http://thecleversheep.libsyn.com/

Other podcasts that I have found in the past and really liked include:
Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tricks for Better Writing
Nancy Keane's Booktalks Quick and Simple
The Cougar Bookcast (MN Middle School Students create "bookcasts")

Now to test my own podcast creativity, I have hopes to create some podcast orientation materials for next year!

Educated on YouTube (Thing 18)

I have not used YouTube often, but it was a fabulous educational tool as I began exploring bridal flower arrangements last fall. I had offered to creat a bridal bouquet for my cousin who was married in December, and I had never done this before. Rather than paying for a course, I cozied up to my computer and watched YouTube videos with instructions on creating a bridal bouquet. I'm not sure if I will ever do it for such an important event again, because it just took a lot of time, but I think it turned out all right...see for yourself.



Extending student learning with this Web 2.0 tool is a definite possibility, but it is one that requires careful consideration and instruction in Internet ethics and safety. It is also a fabulous opportunity to carefully share the work of students extending learning with others in the community.

YouTube Captures Wikis...(Thing 10) (Thing 18)

I am finally revisiting wikis from "Thing 10," sort of...



This Wikipedia time lapse video in YouTube reflects the interactive and collaborative nature that defines many Web 2.0 tools. The event is the Virginia Tech Tragedy and the time lapse represents how people now define what is relevant on the web and in the news. The wiki illustrates this process, while the YouTube video illustrates the expressive product of people refusing to let others define and what is important to them in this world.

Together these tools reflect the powerful evolution of the web and our society together.

ELM...New Tools for You! (Thing 17)

ELM (Electronic Library for Minnesota) breaks down barriers to information thanks to funding from our Minnesota legislators.

Balancing the wide-open free web with the invisibility of databases is the challenge with students. And, I imagine it is a challenge with high school students and even college students as much as it is a challenge with their introduction to them in junior high - perhaps in different ways.

Meshing together what is great in Web 2.0 with the productivity of database research, makes them more relevant to research in this era. And while I don't see a significant change to working with my beginning researchers, I can see myself taking advantage of these resources and helping teachers utilize them.



RSS Heaven
in just about all these databases...
Keeping up with current issues is a constant challenge, and RSS tools are up to this challenge. The RSS feeds and readers are one of my favorite Web 2.0 tools and search results feeding into my RSS reader are capeable of keeping me on the information edge with what is relevant with carefully crafted searches. More than tracking my personal interests, I can track the interests of colleagues to provide them with up to date inforamtion that they may not find the time to locate themselves.

One of the best things is the ability to gather results from multiple databases into one location through an RSS reader. I find this to be much more useful than creating the personal research homepages within individual databases.

Personal Research Homepages
While I didn't find the personal research homepages to be anything special at this point, I am intrigued by some of the advanced search features that are available with this individualized login. I used the "Visual Search" in Ebsco. It took some getting used to, but I think that I like the idea of seeing the results built within subject-heading strands.

While these ELM productivity tools, may not appeal to my personal work style, they may be appealing to many staff in my building. I can see a need to check back on these tools as they evolve with Web 2.0.

Playing with Purpose... (Thing 15, Part 3)

I came across an game online today created with partnerships between Unicef, Global Kid Leaders, and an online game design company, Gamelab.

The game is Ayiti: The Cost of Life and simulates the struggles of a family to survive in a life of poverty. This experience, based on the struggles of families in rural Haiti, is a game that allows you to make the educational, employment, and purchasing decisions for a family while trying to earn money, create educational opportunities, keep healthy, and maintain happiness.





Students are experiencing the struggles and decision making of a family faced with poverty. There are opportunities for discussion and enhanced understanding. This is an example of a game that is played with purpose.

Student 2.0 Tools? I don't think so... (Thing 16)

Research Project Calculator? Or, Assignment Calculator?

Great in theory! But, not so practical for the students I know.

It is a rare student that is self-motivated enough or focused enough to take advantage of these tools. I found the organization to be comprehensive and detailed, but completely overwhelming at a glance, and even more overwhelming when I when deeper into the text heavy pages of these organizational tools. I believe that these tools are good Teaching 2.0 tools rather than Student 2.0 tools.

As I collaborate and plan with teachers in my school on research projects, these are valuable reference tools for organizing research and assignments. They almost work as rubrics or "check-in" tools for teachers in designing and assignment or research project. However, teachers want to be able to personalize and simplify the tools for their students, and these tools don't have that.

I definitely think that many of the resources in the Teacher Support Materials section will find their way into my repertoire of research tools and resources. Fabulous graphic organizers!

Owning an Island.....Can it be tropical!?!? (Thing 15, Part 2)

While I wasn't confident in logging into the Second Life world on my home computer, I did explore the growing role of Second Life in the education world.

The idea of owning an island in Second Life like many universities are now doing, is quite tantalizing.

I wonder how it is working. How many students are participants in these second life educational environments? What are the demographics for these populations? And, looking at the expense, what are the pieces of the educational Second Life experience that can be utilized or modified for a different sort of web environment?

There is much to learn......

The Puzzle Struggle... (Thing 15, Part 1)

Getting started with games - this was a struggle. I couldn't get Puzzle Pirates up and running on my home computer the first day I tried. It seemed to be unavailable. I did come back to try it again and after about 10-15 minutes waiting for the game to launch - I found myself learning some of the duties of being on a pirate ship and then walked around the island exploring some of the shops, although my was purposefully not very interactive with other players as I just tried to figure out how to navigate first.

If I were to go at it again, I think that I would build on this by talking with existing players in figuring out the game. The missions or games that I played were not all that involved - and I really found myself a bit bored. Additionally, I thought that the educational application of this particular game was pretty meager as a curricular enhancement. I believe there are other activities with more educational impact for students in comparison to this particular online game.
While I was less than satisfied with Puzzle Pirates, I certainly believe that there are other educational games or simulation experiences to enhance curriculum and instruction. I was excited to listen to podcasts, view videos on You Tube, read articles, etc. that illustrated the growing potential of Second Life experiences to the education of students today and tomorrow.

There is a lot of discussion out there on how we can extend our services and educational experiences beyond the school day for our students. Second Life and other Internet games have the potential to create these learning experiences in a way that is natural and native to the lives our children and teenagers today.