#1 Tip for Building Community

Wordle by Balboa Park Learning Institute, Flikr

This week we are tasked with building an authentic community.  This is no small task.   In collaboration with classmate "Scholarship Life"  http://yao88219.blogspot.com/, we are creating a Blackboard organization for Dr. Dennen's research group, PhD students at various points in their program.

Today, we presented our draft organization for feedback in a face-to-face meeting.  Nodding heads affirmed the need for the online community.  Comments will result in our revising a few interface elements.

The experience leads me to my #1 tip for building community:

To effectively build community, build it with community, not simply for the community.

I could not image all the features the group would prefer on my own.  There truly is power in collective thinking.  Please, post other community building tips.  We need your brilliance as well.

Why Do You Blog? Survey Results & Gadget Comparison

The results are in...

Are you surprised at the results?  I find them very interesting.  More people seek to inform yet a close second is to personally explore the author's thoughts.  I would have expected some responses for "to entertain my audience" and "to connect with like-minded folks."  No one chose to fill in the blank under "other."

How do the gadgets compare?
In this poll, I used the POWr Poll gadget.  In the previous poll, I used Blogger's Poll gadget.  Each has benefits and weaknesses.

With the Blogger gadget, respondents can choose multiple answers.  There are several different poll options in POWr Poll that are not available in Blogger, (see right), but none allow multiple answers to be tabulated separately.  During our discussion forum, you wished you could choose 2 or 3 answers.  I agree!

The radio poll, which I used, only allows one answer.  If you choose multiple checkboxes, all of the responses are grouped together.  For example "To inform my audience, to entertain my audience, Because its required for this class."  Only responses with that exact mix will tabulate together.  Blogger does not have an option for respondents to type in a response for "other."

Blogger does not allow the author to edit the poll once the first response has been tallied.  POWr Poll allows editing at any time.  In addition, formatting of the poll can be personalized in POWr Poll, including: font size, type, and color; background.

When my first responses came into POWr  Poll, the responses were presented in both a table form, downloadable as a .cvs, and in pie graph.  However, the pie graph view was not available when I closed the poll.  Blogger only allowed the responses to be viewed in the blog itself.  Readers can see their cumulative responses immediately, a feature not available in POWr Poll.

Blogger results disappear when the poll is taken down, whereas POWrPoll is available in a separate website and can be accessed indefinitely, as you post and remove numerous polls.

One cool feature of POWr poll is the chat feature.  While I was designing the poll, a chat box opened from the company asking if I needed help.  I asked about the multiple checkboxes issue, and the operator confirmed the situation I described above.  I like having help readily available via chat.

Overall, I prefer POWr Poll but there are some glitches that they need to address.  If you have another poll gadget for blogs that you prefer, please share with us.

The digital natives are restless... Observations in an elementary school.

Charles Crook (2012) states after interviewing 13 and 15 year old students about their Web 2.0 use,

"While there is no questioning the scale of young people's engagement with the internet, evidence suggests that engagement is biased towards consumption rather than production."

I find similar results with my 5th grade Florida students. For the last four years, my seven 5th grade classes participate in a survey about their social media use.  The tide seems to be shifting for some students from simple consumption toward greater communication and production.  Web 2.0 use with my 5th graders, ages 10-12, seems to favor gaming and mobile device situations.

Here are the survey responses from three classes, March 2015, answering the question, "How do you communicate online?"   One class is labeled "gifted," another "ESE inclusion," and the last "Dual Language Spanish Immersion."  To check an item on the survey, students must have published or activity engaged in the medium, not simply having consumed another's publications or experiences.

Media with 50% or greater respondents are marked with a red check.  The surveys are not identical because each class drafts their own surveys, providing personal examples.

Crook, C. (2012).  The digital native in context: Tensions associated with importing Web 2.0 practices into the school setting.  Oxford Review of Education, 38 (1). 63-80.

Tech Tip: Power Point for Non-Traditional Uses

All you techies probably know this...

But Power Point is awesome for so many uses other than presentations.  This is for kids and grown-ups alike.

I've given these tech tips to many classroom teachers and you'd be surprised at the number of joyful faces in the room.

If you teach K-12 kids, these tips are invaluable.  Yes, all of the functions I'm going to describe can be accomplished with sophisticated programs, like Adobe Photoshop or Final Cut.   I like to use one tool, Power Point, so kids become really familiar with the features.  It helps them make much better presentations.

1.  Group elements to make a jpeg
Do you ever wish you could label your blog image or put the source right on the picture?  It's a snap in Power Point.

Add all of your elements to a power point slide.  Select all, (ctrl+a).  Right click or menu item: format picture - group.  Then right click and save as a picture.

Kids love this!  Look at the grouped image I made for the directions:

2.  Make awesome titles for videos
Most basic video editing software has lame options for the video titles.  But you can make a really cool title in power point, save the whole slide as a jpeg, and insert that into the video editor.  

Here is a sample title one kid made opening his stop animation video. 

3.  Easy animated elements for video
Couple an animated slide with a video capturing program for easy video elements. Here are two examples.  The first is from the intro video I use for my school's news show.  The second was by kids advertising an upcoming "McDonald's Night" event.

Fakebook: A Bad Review

While I love the concept of Fakebook, the site is fraught with so many issues that I would not recommend it for classroom use.

First the good:

Fakebook allows users to create fake profiles, similar to Facebook, for book characters or historical figures.  Users can add wallpaper, a profile picture, and a limited profile.

In the "friends" section, the user can add profile picture of another user and insert it.

The most important section is the "posts" where the user can post events to his own timeline.  Others can post to that timeline as well, or like and comment on original posts.

The uses:
Students in a group could each choose book characters or people in an historical event.  Each student would then create one character's profile, friend each other, and post on each other's pages to recreate the storyline.

So what's the problem?
The biggest problem is the ads.  They dominate the page.  The proportion of ads to content is unacceptable for student tools.  Even worse, twice in just a few minutes, pop-up ads covered the page.  Pop-up ads should NEVER occur on any instructional tool.  

You can purchase the software through Classroomtools.net for approximately $25, but the other problems with the site would stop me from doing so.

First, there is no place to attribute the images that are used in the wallpaper and profile.

The wallpaper section does not auto-fit an uploaded picture leaving an ugly blue box.

Anyone can post on a profile's timeline.  They should only be able to comment or like.

Notice the "jolly roger" post.  That happened because even if you are on your own site, you have to enter your profile name when you post.  Otherwise, some random profile is attributed to the post.

The software just seems archaic for this day and age.  Perhaps they will improve and then I support the use of Fakebook.

What do you like to read about in blogs? Survey Results

Thank you to the 18 folks who responded to my blog survey: What do you like to read about in blogs?  

The results and the comments are interesting.  I hope you find the results helpful as I do as we craft our remaining dozen blogs.

Here are a few observations:

• More people like to read about Tech Tips & Cool Websites than any other topic.  I'm not very surprised at this result but I'm going to make an effort to include tech tips in the next three weeks.

• The second highest response is personal stories.  Now this result surprises me.  So I tried a personal story in my last blog.  I must not be a good storyteller because nobody commented on my blog.  :)  But I will say, Toastmasters and Michael Hyatt, blog writer extraordinaire, both recommend starting all content with a short personal story.  Guess I have work to do.

• "Something else" received three votes... I think.  I'll talk about errors later.  In our discussion forum, Amy recommended that options should include "Higher Ed."  You are totally right.  

Errors and reflections:

I have to admit that I'm sort of guessing on two of the results:  Tech Tips and Something Else.  That's because the numbers are cut off in the Blogger "Poll" gadget so I can't read them well.  But I've been watching the results grow over the past week and can see some of the pixels of the numbers in question, so I made my best guess.  

Samantha recommended mixing up your blog content, "You never know what might spark an idea in someone."  Good point!

In our discussion board we debated whether we write for an audience or write for yourself.  It was interesting to hear different views.  I automatically think I should write my blog for my audience.  Gregory, Sally, and Joshua all write to find their voice or to start a "conversation."  Interesting!  Topic for a new poll.  

Another weakness of the gadget is the lack of an "other" textbox for submitting ideas.  Most surveys include this feature.  I'm going to try a new gadget.

I really enjoyed our discussions.  Please continue the discussion here by commenting.

Finally,  try out the new poll...

that takes all your recommendations into consideration.  This time I used PowrPoll.  Vote and check back in next week's blog to see how well the tool works. 

"What is your purpose in writing your blog?"

Librarians Will Die... A Personal Story

"If instructional designers are not seen as essential to the e-learning development process, we will see decreases in demand and renumeration that will threaten the continued existence, or at least squash the potential of our field. - Be invaluable or your job will be eliminated"  
Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology, Reiser, 2014

Great. It seems I have jumped from one tenuous career into another.

Library media specialist to instructional designer - two jobs with two things in common:

• People have to ask me what it means...  and my response requires a long explanation.

• The future of the career is dependent on others' perceptions.

Futurists declare libraries are a thing of the past.  Every library I have been in is bustling. Libraries as an institution don't concern me.

The situation is different for school libraries.  Principals and sometimes whole districts trade off the school library position for another position, like a reading coach.  The school library is left in the hands of a clerk or volunteer.

Being a school librarian is more than the books.

So was my position ever threatened?  HECK NO!

"Why not?" you may ask.

Because, dear reader, I attack the problem head on.   The important phrase in the opening quote is

"are not seen as essential"

Perception is everything.  In a school, I get my fingers in everything.  The best way to infiltrate the camp is to offer your time to help in key areas.

In my case, I offered to teach standards often left untaught, to support big programs to make sure every child was motivated, and to help with leadership initiatives like professional development, scheduling, and textbooks.

Wait, I don't have time!  If you don't have a job, you'll have too much time.  So just accept that you have to start with grunt work.  If you want to endear yourself, give your time!

Next, market the heck out of whatever you do.

I brand every program I design, I have professional signs made, I collaborate to make sure programs aren't a "one man show,"  I survey, advertise how survey results made specific change, actively cultivate buy-in... keep chocolate in my office.

I've done two presentations to school librarians on how to market themselves.  Here is a handout from the latest presentation if you are curious.  The quick 9 slide presentation highlights universal truths that business marketers know.  School Library Advocacy through Marketing.

Now, how can I parlay this wisdom to instructional design solidarity?

Please post your ideas.  I'm a tabula rasa.  Share your wisdom.

Image:  Frying pan into the fire by Fredsharples  https://www.flickr.com/photos/ballena/2509766302

Reflections on Community: Edmodo vs. LinkedIn

I have been following two communities related to my interest in crafting professional development.  Edmodo and LinkedIn couldn't be more different.


The Edmodo "Professional Development" group is comprised of 178,000 teachers around the world.  The LinkedIn "Organization Development Professional Group" is comprised of 11,300 business executives and agents of change in what appears to be mostly North America and Europe.

One sits in my comfort zone and one is uncomfortably "good for me."  Can you guess which?

I feel very confident posting and replying in Edmodo, although the topics rarely relate to my interest of leading professional development.  The group name was misleading.  The topics focus on teaching, tech tips, and cool websites.  Still, I got many great leads on digital production.  I also feel as though my posts were beneficial to others, based on their replies and likes.  The authors are just teachers who post links, questions, and suggestions.  Everyone is welcome.

The LinkedIn group is way out of my league, so I lurk.  The topics focus heavily on leadership, management, and coaching which directly relate to my professional development interest.  The authors are generally well-established, professional writers. The LinkedIn posts will benefit my career no matter which direction it takes.

Which community will I continue?  I'm more likely to continue the LinkedIn community.  I want to change my career and this community will keep me immersed in the lingo and latest trends.  Edmodo keeps me immersed in my former K-12 teaching career and I want to break out.

Edmodo: Social Media Teaches Digital Citizenship

The best way to teach digital etiquette, one component of digital citizenship, is to have kids do it, make mistakes, and learn in a safe environment.

Enter Edmodo.

You may have heard of Edmodo.  It's a closed social network that can be used with students or for professional development.  Most teachers use Edmodo with a small classroom to support traditional subjects like science and math.

I am a school librarian.  Digital citizenship is my subject.  So I teach my subject with a tool that is my subject.  How cool is that?

Each year all third grade students participate in this unit.  This is no small undertaking. 150 students post in my class, in their homerooms, and at home when they wish... they love it and truly internalize the concepts.

Here is a list of activities that comprise the unit.  At the bottom of this blog is a screen shot.  Feel free to take any of these activities out-of-context for use in other capacities.

• Sign the life skills agreement, shown on the right.

• Create a profile.  I have students use a real photograph because I want them to feel accountable for their posts.  Record parent code.  Earn the "Participant" badge.

• Watch Brain Pop Video "Digital Etiquette" and take 10 question quiz.   

• Type a note to me that your profile is complete, with a personal pictures and all questions answered: way you like to learn, favorite quote, future career.  Earn the "Respectful Notes" badge.

• Participate in poll, top right.

• Watch Common Craft video "Protecting Your Reputation Online" and post to the group with a unique idea:  "What can you do to protect your reputation online?"

• Pass a 3 question quiz, on right.

• Find a favorite picture with Google Images "free to use or share."  Post the picture with a question and credit.  See screen shots below. 

• Reply, like, and share others' posts.  Earn "Digital Citizenship" badge.

The picture posting is the crux of the whole unit and the favorite part.  When their picture is posted and cited correctly, students can freely view their friends' posts and comment.  Or they can post more pictures with questions.  With 150 kids, quite a lot of discussion ensues.  They LOVE sharing their pictures and posting to friends.  These posts are where I help students fine tune their digital etiquette.  

Here is a sample post.  The post may seem simple, but remember, these kids are 8 and 9.  Think of all the tech skills and digital citizenship they exhibited!

I hope you enjoyed.  

Cheers!

Michelle - LeaderLibrarian

5 Tips to Make Videos People Will Sit Through

Do you flip the classroom?  Post instructional videos?  Teach distance learning?  Support product purchases?

Here are some research-based 

video tips everyone can use!  

Yes, research-based.  At the bottom of this blog I'll tell you about the research of 6.9 million videos views.  You can't argue with that kind of data!

Although some of the tips may not apply to you, everyone who makes video can learn something.

Tip 1:  Shorter videos are more engaging  
Regardless of how long a video is, the vast majority viewers leave a video after 3-6 minutes.  So if you want them to watch the whole video, shoot for a 3-6 minute duration.

In addition, 56% of viewers participated in a problem attempt when videos were 0-3 minutes.  These rates dropped to 31% for videos 12 minutes or longer.

Maybe you don't want your viewer to complete a problem.  You want your viewer to click on a new page, buy, comment, or like your video.  The clicking behavior is the same.  You want your viewers engaged!

Tip 2:  A talking head is more engaging than pure content
Break up your power point slides or screen captures with you talking directly to the camera.  This technique personalizes the content.  It also speeds up the tempo.

Tip 3:  A close-up view is more engaging than a distant view
Do you pay closer attention when you are in an advisor's office or in a room filled with people?

Research finds the same attention applies to video.  Film your stars close-up.  In fact, when close-ups of the instructor were used in addition to content, the viewers stayed in the video up to 9 minutes, lengthening that magic "6 minute"mark in tip 1.

Tip 4:  Khan-style tutorials are more engaging
Think of this as the cocktail napkin technique.  Handwriting stokes capture your audiences attention better than power point slides.  The cocktail napkin technique, or white board technique, has been well-documented.  So grab a tablet and map out your directions and ideas like you were sitting down with a friend.

Tip 5: Preproduction improves engagement
Videos designed to be videos far outperform videos that are shot without thought to filming.  What does preproduction mean?  Plan.  Chunk the content.  Enumerate.  Don't just let the thoughts flow.  Organize!

What is this research I'm talking about?

The first four edX MOOCs were the source of this video data, 6.9 million video views.  Though you nor I aren't likely to be creating video for MOOCs, viewer behavior is critical for everyone.  The MOOC environment is beneficial because participation is voluntary.  Viewers watch what they want, for how long they want, and participate in follow-up problems they want.

Check out the full article.
Guo, P., Kim, J., & Rubin, R.  (2014).  How video production affects student engagement: An empirical study of MOOC videos.  The article is available freely at:  https://www.edx.org/blog/how-mooc-video-production-affects

Miss Know-it-all... What do I really need to know about copyright?

Hey, don't call me a know-it-all... copyright is my job - sort of.  And every citizen in the world needs to know the basics.  If you keep reading, I'll make it easy for you.

I'm a school librarian.  It is my job to teach digital citizenship to students and teachers.  That's how it began.  And then...

I had a HUGE ah-ha moment.  Everything I thought I knew about copyright was turned on its head.



Ever hear "10% or 30 seconds, whichever is less?"  Bull crap!  Are you as shocked as I was?

University of Florida contracted me to create an instructional video on copyright for their digital collection. Copyright lawyer, Christine Fruin, answered all my questions.

"Christine, which media can I show in my class?  Copyrighted movies like Disney?

"Michelle, it depends.  Use the four factors test."

"Christine, which music can kids use in their projects?  Popular music?"

"Michelle, it depends.  Use the four factors test."

"Christine, can I share my power points that have copyrighted pictures with other teachers?"

"Michelle, it depends.  Use the four factors test." 

Clear as mud.  The four factors is really what happens in court.  It's how all copyright issues are resolved.  Here is a one-page slide you can reference or a questionnaire that Christine made that can guide you. So I researched extensively and found...

It get much easier!  The Center for Media and Social Impact gathered hundreds of subject matter experts and lawyers and created best practice guidelines on many topics, including:

• Media Literacy - my focus.  Any educational use of any type of media.
• Academic and Research Libraries
• OpenCourseWare
• Online Video
• Journalism
• Scholarly Research in Communication 

"The world needs to know this," I shouted at the top of my lungs.

So I set about educating everyone I could. I presented 1/2 day and full day workshops in Palm Beach County, Orange County, Santa Rosa County, Miami-Dade County, Escambia County, and Gulf County.  I have presented webinars through three organizations that reach roughly 60% of Florida.  Here is a simplified handout from a workshop.

At the same time, I was diligently implementing the guidelines in all my instructional materials and in all my lessons with kids.  And I was talking to teachers about their scenarios.

So, Miss Know-it-all, how can you talk about copyright?

I adopted it, lived it, loved it.

In the end, nobody can definitively tell you if your use of copyrighted materials is just.

YOU have to make your own informed decision.

Be informed and do not overly restrict yourself.  You probably have more rights than you realize.

3 Ways ISTL Will Change Your Life

Two years ago, I knew I needed a change.  I had been an elementary school librarian for 16 years and had created some of the most remarkable programs the district had seen.  My school loved me, my kids loved me, people e-mailed me for advice, shadowed me and contracted me to teach them.  I was a "node of expertise" that people sought.

I thought, "Okay, done this.  Now what?"  So I started looking for a new position in the district. 

I applied for a high school position, which I didn't get.  Initially disappointed, I realized this horizontal change would simply be more of the same.  Work with kids (cool), design great programs (fun but demanding on my personal time), and make the same pay, (not enough to live comfortably in South Florida). 

In library media world, I applied for a Specialist 1 position, which I also did not get but that's cool - the person who got it is amazing.  But still, working 12 months a year instead of my 196 days for less pay per hour - not appealing.

The only way "up" is through the admin track, which I do not want.  Being an assistant principal and principal just does not seem like fun.  

There was simply no place vertical for me to go.  

In a fit of frustration, I looked into PhD programs.  And stumbled on ISTL - Instructional Systems and Technology Learning,  What the heck is that?  I still don't quite know how to answer, but I do know what I want to do... I think.

So, how will ISTL change your life?

1. ISTL allows you to break the chains of your career - Unlike any degree I researched, ISTL is "gender neutral."  You don't have to stay chained to K-12 education, or higher ed, or for whatever your previous education qualified you.  Instructional designers are needed EVERYWHERE: business, military, government.  Subject Matter Experts mean you don't need to know the industry... more chains.  You need to know learning.

2.  ISTL teaches you how to participate in the digital world.  Ok, we all should research Web 2.0 communication and just do it.  But, many of us need a swift kick in the a**.   In the last 8 weeks I have learned Web 2.0 skills that put me in contact with experts so I can break those chains.  I also have learned how I can capitalize on the library media knowledge and network I currently possess.

3.  ISTL is multinational.  If you think education is dominated by females, you should attend a school librarian conference.  We are mostly white, middle aged, females, from Florida... with a love for technology.  (Please don't be offended).  I LOVE how ISTL is comprised of people from around the world, who post comments from China, Spain, every state in the US. I needed a good dose of globalism.

I don't usually write blogs this long.  Thank you for sticking with me as I reflect on my "Choice to take a chance that will change my life!"

All images courtesy of Creative Commons Licenses:

Quote:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/deeplifequotes/7086260149

Chain:  https://pixabay.com/en/chain-broken-link-freedom-297842/

Web 2.0:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/bensheldon/212159782/

Global:  https://pixabay.com/en/globe-earth-world-globalization-86244/

How Do You Teach Social Media to Kids? A Proven Project

Hi all you K-12 teachers... and those of you who are just curious.

You know social media is prevalent for our digital native kids.  Do we just hope that parents are teaching our budding society about what social media is... the safety... the ethics?  HECK NO!

As you know, I teach kids.  I grappled with how to teach social media in a relatively short time frame without being the "sage on the stage."  Frankly, my kids know more than me.  So, I make them the teachers.

Here is a project I created and used with 125 fifth grade students per year for the past 4 years.  The kids love it!

This blog is an overview - not a lesson plan.  My model is linked below because I don't have releases from the kids to publish their projects on YouTube.  It's not as great as some of the kid vids, sorry.

TIP:  Always, always model every digital project.  Don't be afraid.  You learn, too.  It's okay for the kids to do better than you.

GRADE LEVELS:  5-8

• Survey Their Knowledge - Create a live survey with the kids in Survey Monkey.  Brainstorm all the social media they can think of: topics and 3 examples of each.  

• Immediacy is critical to motivation.  Launch the survey and have the kids participate during that class period. View the results.  I used a shared folder on the desktop to distribute the link to multiple computers.  

Try out this copy of a real survey made by kids.  I'll publish your results in another blog.  It's completely anonymous.  Only check items if you have personally published; it does not count if you only view other people's work.  Social Media Survey - Try It Out

• Draft a Topic Question:  Group kids by a social media they all have tried and at least one person has published to.  Groups then draft a focus question:
• Easy:  What is ____________?
• Medium:  How or why questions that you know from experience
• Hard:  Requires additional research from authoritative sources

• Plan and Storyboard:  The plan includes a kid-created definition and two details.  Research if necessary. Then the kids storyboard and collect "Free to Use or Share" images via Google Images and record all sources on a Word Document.

• "Flip" Your Instruction:  Using images and voice over, students create an instructional video on their social media topic.   Break the directions into 3 parts and use Camtasia to film the directions.  Groups watch each video and follow the steps.  

• Videos provide instruction "at the point of need."  Groups progress through video production at different rates.  Kids will never remember your whole group instruction when they get to the computer.

• Videos allow students to pause and follow each step, or to re-watch as needed.  

• Videos free the teacher to circulate and help groups.  

• Learning technology from YouTube videos in an important life skill.

• View, Rate, and Celebrate:  Watch all student videos for an overview of social media.  Groups rate each video on content, communication, and creativity via a Kahoot survey on ipads.

That's it.  Enjoy!  One of these days I'll publish all the handouts and videos I made for this project.  Stay tuned to LeaderLibrarian...

Blog Like a Marketer

"Mom, knower of all things worth knowing... what words of wisdom would you give in crafting an engaging blog."

"Chell, its not about the content.  Pay attention to your layout!"

My mom is a master copy writer, just like James Patterson.  And like James Patterson, her copy sells... big time.



What can us bloggers learn from copywriters?

Make your writing easy to skim.  Use headings and lots of white space.  Put blank lines in between paragraphs.  Give the eye a place to rest and a place to focus.

Write in short chunks.  Dense copy is boring.  You don't want your blog to look like a white paper.  Paragraphs should never be longer than six lines, and even that is too long.

Write for a 5th grader.  "What?  Don't we want our intelligence to shine?"  "Nobody will know how intelligent you are if they don't read what you have to say."  Use short sentences; avoid obscure vocabulary.

These same words of wisdom apply to your e-mails, Facebook posts, newsletters, anything you want people to read.  Captive your audience.

... Mom,  did I do it right?

50 Ways to Tell a Story

Here is a huge shout out to Alan Levine for his webpage and workshops on digital publication tools:
https://50ways.wikispaces.com/

I have shown his video in many of my presentations about digital tools in education.  Notice as you watch the video that the tool for that segment is titled on the page.  So instead of telling you about the tools, his video is made using the tools.  Granted, the video is several years old, but tools are constantly being added to the web and as Alan emphasizes, "Let me be clear that while the tools are shiny and cool, this is more about the craft of telling stories."

Where does this fit into the grand scheme of education?  If you are in the K-12 realm, here are a few Common Core standards you accomplish by using digital production tools.  If you are in Florida, the standards are the same, they just have a different numbering system.

“Use Technology”  Writing/WHST Standard 6

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

“Use Digital Media”  Speaking and Listening Standard 5

Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.

So let loose and enter the playground of digital tools.  Better yet, invite your students into your sandbox.  You'll be amazing the amount of reading, writing, and research kids will do when they get to publish their ideas in digital media.

Reflections on the Social Media Juggling Act

As I mentioned in my first ever blog post earlier this week, I am new to social media.  Due to an amazing class, Web 2.0, eme6414 with Vanessa Dennan, I am launching like a crash test dummy into the modern world.  This week, I:

• Blogger - Started this blog
• Twitter - Sent my first tweet and explored Twitter searches
• Social Networks- Updated my Facebook and LinkedIn accounts and have been activity participating
• Communities - Decided to follow professional development communities in LinkedIn and Edmodo 

So how do I feel after the first week?

I am very concerned about the amount of time social media requires to stay current. Hootsuite helps a lot, but it doesn't appear to get feeds from Edmodo and the reddit feed is quirky.  Until I iron out the kinks, I am still going to need to have several tabs open to monitor everything.

I am grateful this class is pushing me to establish efficiency procedures for social media.  Stay posted as I share those tips in the next few weeks.  I would love to hear your comments as well.

Stay "In Touch,"
Michelle

Think Like a Freak

Great book:  Think Like a Freak by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

Ok - So I'm listening to this book, not actually reading it.  But I highly recommend it for all you in social media land.  My favorite part directly relates to media scams.

Why would anyone be so stupid as to try to elicit money through obviously shady "Nigerian 419 Scam?"  Why don't the scammers get smart and write e-mails that are more crafty, less blatant?

The answer:  it cuts down on costs.  If 100 people reply to the e-mail but only 1 actually sends money, or bank account information, time and energy are lost with the 99 people through repeated contacts.  But if only that one fool, the one who actually is going to fall for the scam, is the only one who replies to the e-mail, now the return on investment is very good indeed.  The authors call this self-weeding.

How can we use self-weeding in our social media?  Would we want to?  I'd love to hear your applications of self-weeding.

Pictures in Blogs - Are they okay?

We want to grab attention...

We want to emphasize our thoughts with visual aids...

How can we ensure that we respect a picture designer's intellectual property?  

Here is a good overview of fair use and copyright. 

 http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/copyright-fair-use-and-how-it-works-for-online-images/

The most important question that Sara Hawkins raises in her post is:

#2: Why are you using the image? If it is “…for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research…” you’re on the right track.

If you’re just using the image to pretty up a post, then think twice; or better yet, get permission or buy a stock image.

So do my images above qualify for fair use or are they just pretty?  They are eye candy.  Can I use them?  Yes - because I changed the license settings in Bing.  

The same option is available in Google Images.  Granted, the results are very limited compared to an open search.  So as you create digital content, please consider licensing it through Creative Commons so we can share your work.  We want to respect your intellectual property and also help proliferate your great ideas.

http://creativecommons.org/choose/

Images from:

http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/200/9/8/Eyes_See_You_5_by_ScrapBee.png

http://i.stack.imgur.com/c6ECF.png

Web 2.0 Learning Curve

Thank goodness for this class Web 2.0 that is pushing me out of my comfort zone into the 21st century.  I have now taken my first steps onto the blog learning curve and am officially "clueless."  I have set up this blog and am following other blogs via Hootsuite.

These two baby steps have been fraught with stumbles.  For example, I wrestled with whether I should link to my standard e-mail address or with a dedicated e-mail address.  How do I get images into this blog directly with the Hootsuite Hootlet app?  Why can't I follow WordPress pages like I can follow Blogger pages just fine.  

I expect to progress to the "Naively Confident" stage over the next six weeks and then will continue this journey on my own.  Thank you "Web 2.0" for pushing me in the pool; I swear I'll learn to swim.
Image from:  https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YQQsaDSob9iqxpm_TwlRYtxz3g7fe3GUHT3ZLS5vJm-EpWC358EoR2vSJa90qAuJszVLoUgoaBqJKoTP6I8EEq644c8DOv2o3wRJAKvYjZmcESdcip_L7Pqn1CuzDZibq0AN3eu8NMKE/s1600/Learning-Curve.png