Podcasting

First I want to say that Brian Cooley is an excellent speaker and instructor. He is pleasant to listen to, and he made it sound simple to make a podcast.

I could use podcasting as a method to connect with students, parents or teachers at the school in which I am a librarian. All kinds of things could be covered in a podcast I would record. Some could be instructional, some could be informational. They could have to do with library/reading related topics, or be for more general school topics, such as upcoming events.

It would be really fun to host student podcasts. I could do a class or workshop on making them, or just be available to help a student during their study hall, or after school. It would be a great way of getting students into the library.

Brooke

Thoughts on Education Change

Jennifer and Stacey,

You said:
“As Dr. Ruth said in 663 if you can connect with one teacher others may soon follow”.

Connecting with one teacher will also help you relax some, because you're not totally alone in the school. If you're more relaxed, then you'll be more effective, and will better demonstrate the strengths of the tool you are trying to incorporate.

You also said:
“…when we get past the limited mind set of standardized testing & NCLB…”

You used "when"! That's good. You have a lot of faith...we need that attitude to make good changes. It can be discouraging, wanting change, and dealing with a machine as big as the NYS Education Department.

Students uploading to iTunes U

Baker College in Michigan has developed a method of using iTunes U more interactively. At Baker College the Speech classes are taught digitally, and they have developed a module which combines the Blackboard Learning System and iTunes U to upload video recordings of students' presentations. The students can edit their presentations until they feel they have gotten it right, before the final upload. This access to iTunes U is limited to students in certain classes, and for a set period of time. The instructor can access the student's work, but other students cannot access it unless the professor requires and requests this set-up. This module that combines Blackboard and iTunes U is available free from the college. Following is a link to this interesting article:


http://blog.mlive.com/wmbr/2007/11/baker_uses_itunes_service.html

Brooke

Gaming in the Educational Setting

I have gotten really excited about using computer video games in the educational setting. In my gut I know that with gaming we can recapture some disengaged students' interest, and help them see success at school. The initial learning curve and research time will be large at first for Teachers and Librarians, but it could transform the educational setting, redefining it for some students from drudgery to inspiration. We need to tread lightly at first, as the skeptics will be many. Slow going wins the race..., with lots of direction and collaboration with teachers.

PBS on iTunes U

This PC World article gives us the good news that PBS now has content on iTunes U, which includes K-12 teacher’s resources. They have available content in Earth and Space Science and Engineering and Global History. They also have series available, including Ken Burns' The War and The Jewish Americans; and QUEST: Science and Nature.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,142033/article.html

Brooke

LibraryThing and Flickr

I'm excited about possibly using LibraryThing in the school library. I love how it opens up the possibilities of connecting with a good book. I think that it also has possibilities for being used enthusiastically by students. Flickr doesn't seem as useful for the SMC setting, but I think it does have some possibilities. These two sites put me in an exploratory mood!

iTunes U link

I neglected to include the link to iTunes U with my previous posting. Here it is:

http://www.apple.com/education/itunesu_mobilelearning/itunesu.html If you go to this site, you will see the list of content available, each item with a thumbnail photo attached.

While I'm on here, I think I'll include a few more tidbits that I learned from that Washington Post article (washingtonpost.com, The Education Review Magazine, Sunday, November 4, 2007 issue, pg w22. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/31/AR2007103102521_2.html Retrieved 2/9/08, 2:05 pm) .

iTunes U was initially launched in the Spring of 2007. The subject matter and quality of the recordings vary greatly. Some professors just video tape their normal class, which, in general, doesn't come across real well on an ipod. When a normal class is recorded, many variables in the environment cannot be controlled, such as a student discussing something with the professor that is not pertinent to the course content. Some professors actually practice their lecture a few times before recording it, and it is not recorded during an actual class, but just for ipod viewing. In this instance the instructor might write larger on a board than they would in a normal class, and talk directly to the camera. These lectures come across very well, and are very popular with viewers. Some of the content is audio only, which is said to be harder to follow.

Earlier today the clock on my blog was approximately 3 hours off, in case the time posted has any importance to any of you. I last posted at about 2:30 PM, and it was stamped something like 10 or 11:38 AM. I'll try to figure out if I can fix it. If I'm lucky it will fix itself!

Brooke

iTunes U

iTunes U

“iTunes U” is a section of iTunes in which you can download college courses, campus speeches, and other events for free. As of November 2007, 28 colleges were participating. Neither the college nor the professor gets paid for providing the content to iTunes. Users do not get college credit for listening to, or viewing iTunes U content. Colleges view it as a free promotional tool, and a public service.

(washingtonpost.com, The Education Review Magazine, Sunday, November 4, 2007 issue, pg w22. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/31/AR2007103102521_2.html Retrieved 2/9/08, 2:05 pm)

February 9, 2008 2:38 PM

About me

Hello! I live in the Northeast corner of New York State , near/in the Adirondack Mountains (depending upon the season). I have lived in Florida, North Carolina, Hawaii, California, and Washington State. I enjoy hiking, swimming, reading, listening to music, and singing, among all kinds of other activities as they come along.

I have undergraduate degrees in Art and Psychology. I have a Master of Science degree in Clinical/Counseling Psychology, and have Certification in School Counseling. I am currently working part time as a School Counselor, and part time as a School Librarian. I am currently enrolled in a Master of Science in Library and Information Science program, and will be certified as a Library Media Specialist when I am through. I love libraries and research, and look forward to helping students love (or at least enjoy) them as much as I do.

First real post

Hello, and welcome to my first-ever blog. In the next 5 weeks I will share with you everything I learn about iTunesU . I hope it will be as interesting (cutting-edge!) to you as it will be for me. This whole thing is so much fun (like swimming underwater at night!).

Today is a snow day, so I will not be going to my fieldwork school. I will, however, meet my former fieldwork supervisor later, at the local university. She teaches a library skills class there once a week, and I want to 1) observe her teaching and 2) learn about this library. I am an alum of this university, and I haven't been in this library for more than a decade. I'm certain that there are lots of changes.

Later!