Social Bookmarking

To Tag or not to Tag?







Reflections on the Process of Learning About the Tool

Social Bookmarking? When I saw this on the assignment page I had no clue what it was and thought, how can I use a bookmark on a computer? and how can bookmarking be social?

Yes, I had no clue. And I wasn't alone. Friends and co-workers seemed to have no clue also which made me feel better. The Common Craft video Social Bookmarking in Plain English and the Social Bookmarking:Ideal Guide for Beginners helped to clear up the fog.


Basically, social bookmarking is an online method of storing, organizing, searching and sharing chosen web pages. It lets users store links they like and share them with others.
Did you know there are about 125 social bookmarking sites?! I found that Del.icio.us was the most frequently discussed social bookmarking site, discussed in several articles such as Tags Help Make Libraries Delicious and Cool Tools: Best of Social Bookmarking . Will Richardson discusses both Diigo and del.icio.us but claims that delicious is his personal favourite because it is simple to use and great for sharing links.
I also read about Webnotes as discussed in What's Next for Social Bookmarking but it seems to be specifically designed for libraries and I wanted to be able to use it for both personal and professional reasons. I like the broader aspects of delicious better.
So I chose to sign up with delicious and start bookmarking. The sign-up process was quick and painless and after installing it to my computer, I was directed to the Getting Started page with instructions about the add-on, how to save, browse, and use the toolbar. This page was really useful in helping me as a beginner. I like the cute little toolbar buttons that popped up on my computer, too.




Discussion of the Tool in Terms of My Own Personal Learning



May the bookmarking process begin!




I will admit, I became a little overexcited after I installed those cute little toolbar buttons. I love organization, which is part of the reason why being a librarian is my calling. This new knowledge was great. Instead of relying on my Favourites toolbar (which, believe me, is way too full), I could just click the button and easily store each site by KEYWORD and TAG! Very exciting for me. I have so many random websites in emails that I have saved or in files somewhere that I often want to access but can't remember where they are. I think social bookmarking must have been invented by a virgo, as we seem to be a little obsessive about organization. Anything that organizes the chaotic read/write web must be a good thing.
Websites such as Thunder Bay Public Library’s site (and this blog!) have delicious tag clouds so that topics can be accessed with a click.

While researching this new tool I came across 2 new words:
Metadata and Folksonomy. The first time I saw them I stared at them blankly but I now know what they mean:
Metadata is used to describe tags and descriptions of your websites in social bookmarking sites.
Folksonomy uses metadata to create a shared classification system, such as social bookmarking sites.

For those of you that like learning new words, here's one more:
Adjuvant(n): a person or thing that aids or helps. This was my Word of the Day.
I have to say, I have found social bookmarking to be an adjuvant in my personal learning!

Some of the advantages of social bookmarking that I have discovered are:

1) Making connections through the development of a collaborative community
2) Having access to other peoples resources in a shared setting
3) Learning other perspectives and insights around your topic
4) Developing organizational skills
5) Filtering research to include sites that are relevant to your topic
6) Easy to learn how to use and to access your bookmarks

7 Things You Should Know About Social Bookmarking also discusses reasons to be involved with social bookmarking: "This process allows like-minded individuals to find one another and create new communities of users that continue to influence the ongoing evolution of folksonomies and common tags for resources. Using a folksonomy-based tool for research lets you take advantage of the insights of other users to find information related to the topic you are researching, even in areas that aren’t obviously connected to the primary topic."

Though it may not be for everyone, this tool is definitely for me at this stage in my life. I was able to begin to create a network of interesting and useful websites and will continue to add to my tags with many more sites of interest.



Discussion of the Tool in Terms of Teaching and Learning





TAG - You're it!






I have website addresses stored in files from Professional Development days, in emails from other librarians, and on scraps of paper on my bulletin board (not to mention my enormous, unorganized favourites folder on my computer).
Now, I can take all of these websites that are useful for teaching and tag them in my delicious account.

I have already started the process: I made a tag titled "authors" which has sites for children's authors and books, I have a "research" tag including useful research sites, a "teaching" tag for broader aspects of the profession, and more. I think I would mostly use social bookmarking (at least at first) for my own professional resources. My plan is to create a tag for every topic that I am teaching - I have started with "ecosystems" for now and have found some great sites with ideas to use with my class.

I would like to introduce this to my fellow staff members as I think some of them would really appreciate this concept of collaboration.
I would also like to introduce this to my grade 6/7 students. I would begin by bookmarking some sites for them to research. I like Will Richardson's idea of having the student's name as my tag and writing them a personal comment like he does: "Meredith, this is a great site to use in your research. Check out the site on Africa. Mr. R."
If I was using the tool this way, I would be sure to mark my bookmark privacy setting as 'private.' If I wasn't interested in the social aspect for some of my bookmarking, I could also set up some Google Bookmarks on my iGoogle page, which is another way to ensure privacy.

I could also set up groups for different grade levels (eg. grade 6 and grade 7) or different levels of learners. There is potential for struggling learners to be set up with highlighted, simplified sites and for gifted students to be able to search out and bookmark their own sites.
I think delicious could also be useful for novel studies, with tags set up by book titles.
Librarians could use it to tag by genre or type of book (eg. mystery or classics). They could even create a digital dewey decimal system for cataloguing books online.
I came across a site called librarything.com which is a site to connect socially around the books you read. I tested it out and it passed with flying colours. I like how you can search books by title (eg. Twilight) or keyword (eg. vampires) and there are book ratings, discussions and suggestions of similar books recommended by members. Also being able to see the book jacket itself was great for a visual person like me.

Overall, this has been a beneficial learning experience for me and will be very useful in my personal life and in my professional life. TAG - you're it! Now get tagging!

Video Sharing

Reflections on the Process of Learning About the Tool

The photo above symbolizes my journey into the videosharing world in two ways:

Firstly, for me, learning how to use this tool and what to use it for is like learning how to ride a bicycle. Practice is needed, you may need someone to hold the seat at first but once the confidence is built, you are on your way! The journey may have bumps along the way and you may be ready to give up several times but once you reach your destination, the success you feel is worth it. Nothing like crossing that finish line!

Secondly, the wheel is the main focus of the picture. I have come to realize that with the videosharing technologies available to us, there is no need to re-invent the wheel. There are a plethora of resources at our fingertips. We can access video clips on any topic we are teaching and bring them to the classroom.

Along my journey I explored three main videosharing sites: YouTube, TeacherTube and VideoTube. There are several other sites as well, some of them listed on John P.'s One Man's Blog . However, for the purpose of this blog, I will be mostly focussing on the most popular videosharing site, YouTube. Tune in to my YouTube channel.
Before getting in depth with YouTube, though, I first stopped off at Animoto. I used Animoto to create my own video, using short clips that I had downloaded. However, I tried to upload from my computer and could not find my video files. After several attempts and some research I discovered that the clips must each be five seconds or less or they will not be found. So I chose to create a short video clip instead using images from my trip to Fiji. It was easy to add music and create the video (it made me think this would be a great way for students to produce their own short videos). I then exported my video to YouTube.
I learned the hard way that you have to make sure that you are the last person to sign in to YouTube on your computer or else your videos created on Animoto will be uploaded to the other user’s account. In my case, it was my fiancé, TJ, who was the last user so according to YouTube he is now the creator of the video. However, I selected the video as a favourite so it can still be viewed on my account and is also embedded here:




I also tried uploading a video that I made directly from my computer to YouTube. It is a clip from the beach in Australia this summer:





Before this process, I had viewed a couple of videos on YouTube that were sent to me via email. However, I had never even searched for a particular topic before. Now I can search by subject, select videos as favourites, and make comments. Signing up and personalizing my account was easy.

On my journey I also learned about copyright guidelines and the idea of Fair Use which is the justification for copyright works. I discovered that if a video clip is for education (eg. showing in class or on a secure website) it is most likely considered to be Fair Use. If I am unsure, however, I now know that I can hop on the 'copyright metro' and check the guidelines using this interactive guide to using copyrighted media.

The idea of embedding was also new to me and it was surprising to learn how easy it is to just copy and paste the code into my blog. In the article The Incredible, Embeddable Web, Notess discusses embedding and sites such as SlideShare, where uploaded presentations can be embedded, commented on and rated. I discovered that a Power Point presentation could be embedded into my blog or wiki.


Discussion of the Tool in Terms of My Own Personal Learning










Standing at YouTube's front entrance (the most recent videos page) I was overwhelmed at first. Where will this door take me? I thought as I looked at each image and title. After viewing some random clips, I realized that I wanted and needed a purpose for my searching. It can be very distracting being lead through so many different doors. I needed to narrow down my search to include only the rooms that were useful to me.
So I went to visit Elizabeth Gilbert as she discussed her book Eat Pray Love, which I am currently reading for the second time.
I then opened a door that led to exercising the brain with faster thinking through coloured words.

With my stepson in tow I then paid a visit to JBugz, his future breakdance instructor. This eased any anxiety he had about going to his first class next week. Now he is eager to get started and wants to learn to dance just like JBugz!
As you can see from the videos I created and embedded in the previous section, I have discovered the realm of possibilities that are available to me as a Web 2.0 learner. I am excited to be opening so many new doors!


Discussion of the Tool in Terms of Teaching and Learning











There are many concerns around allowing students to have access to YouTube. Just like using a pencil, students can use it for good or for bad. They can use a pencil to write with or they can use it to poke someone with. We have to teach them the appropriate way to use the tool. Sometimes the pencil may be used for entertainment, doodling pictures or writing notes to friends and sometimes it is used for educational purposes, such as writing a story or a poem. Students must know how and when to use the pencil for learning.

There are endless opportunities for use in the classroom. Once they are taught media literacy standards, students could view and critique videos. Using videosharing is also creative way for students to display what they have learned. They could create interviews, online radio shows, presentations or book talks.
As a teacher, I could record important parts of my lessons for students as a review or for those students who missed a lesson.
The educational relevance of YouTube is discussed in an article I found called YouTube Comes to the Classroom. Adam and Mowers state that "YouTube provides a platform for students to be content creators, not just content viewers. Just knowing that someone out there is listening is enough motivation for them to speak out. It is our job to help students discover their voice. While YouTube does contain inappropriate material, it also offers real gems for educators."
I came across a site with some of these gems called 100 best YouTube videos for teachers, broken down into the headings of History, Science, Language Arts, Inspiration, Classroom Management, How-Tos and Guides, Technology and Humour. Also take a look at this article listing some useful YouTube clips for teachers to use in teaching history and social studies.

While exploring TeacherTube , I found a video clip that I can use with my grade 6/7 science class. I am currently teaching them about ecosystems and I found that this video clip (embedded below) effectively shows the interactions and interdependance of living and non-living things.



This process has allowed me to further my learning not only as a life long learner but as a parent and a teacher as well.


Sources

Adam, A., & Mowers, H. (2007, January). YouTube Comes to the Classroom. School Library Journal, 53(1), 22-22. Retrieved September 24, 2009, from Professional Development Collection database.

Notess, G.R. (2007, September/October). The Incredible, Embeddable Web. Online; School Library Journal, Vol.31 Issue 5, p.43-46.

Photo Sharing

Reflections on the Process of Learning About Photo Sharing

My experience with photo sharing before doing this assignment was limited to my Facebook account. I have added several photo albums so knew how to upload pictures. I had even been 'tagged' in some pictures from way back in elementary school! However this was as far as my photo sharing experience went...until now. The Common Craft video (Online Photo Sharing in Plain English) helped me see how putting photos online keeps them safe, organized and easy to find and share. It is a scary thought to think that I could lose all of my pictures to a fire or computer crash!
While doing some internet searching on online photo sharing, I discovered that some sites (such as http://www.toptenreviews.com/) claim that Photobucket is the most popular and most highly rated photo sharing site. However, I chose to use Flickr because this was the site discussed in the course textbooks, I had heard more about it and was not far behind in the ratings. Check out this link to my photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lkwillia

I found Flickr to be user friendly and easy to store, share, search and organize pictures. I identified where some of my photos were taken using geotagging which was a new concept to me. This feature allowed me to add tags to my photos that show coordinates from Google maps linked to Google Earth. This way people can see where in the world my pictures came from. I also discovered that I could link 'fd's Flickr Toys' to my Flickr account to create magazine covers, posters, frames, etc and was curious about this. However I found that part of their agreement states that by authorizing this link, you'll allow Flickr Toys to "upload, edit and replace photos and videos in your account." Therefore, I decided against adding this feature until I can be sure that my account will be safe. I also found out that by using 'Creative Commons,' you can add or search photos with various types of copyright licences.

I came across a website that provides an intro on how to use Flickr:

http://benbishop.me.uk/software/how-to-flickr-into/

Here is a blog site with uses for the classroom:

http://jakespeak.blogspot.com/2006/03/classroom-uses-of-flickr.html




Discussion of Photo Sharing in Terms of My Own Personal Learning

The process of using photo sharing has greatly enhanced my personal learning with the Web 2.0 tool. I now not only have my own Flickr account but can upload photos, tag them into subject areas, change account settings, geotag the photos, link to an RSS feed or blog, use search parameters and comment on other members' photos. These skills are valuable to me on my journey to become more literate with technology.

Photo sharing is important to me as a learner, a parent, a friend and a relative. To be able to share photos back and forth with loved ones is a useful and enjoyable way for me to keep in touch. It allows me to share my special events with others that perhaps live out of town and would not have the opportunity to see pictures in person. For example, this summer I went on a trip to Fiji and Australia and was also a bridesmaid in my sister's and my friend's weddings. Photo sharing has allowed me to share my photographs with others that were either a part of my summer experiences or are interested in seeing how amazing those places were. Best of all, it is free and easy to keep track of my pictures.

I think it is important for us to become comfortable using these online networking sites personally before we put them into use professionally. We need to have the confidence to use Flickr, for example, on our own before we use it with our students. By 'playing' on these sites we can not only become more efficient but we can find more and more opportunities for their use in our teaching.



Discussion of Photo Sharing in Terms of Teaching and Learning

I have come across many ideas for the use of photo sharing in the classroom. This tool could be useful in making learning relevant and fun for our students, who are increasingly becoming digital learners. Students could use Flickr to create visual stories, illustrate their work, make connections or interpretations, write a news story, or use the annotation tool to label parts of a diagram, map or model. They could create slideshows or presentations or document field trips, school-wide events and projects. Teachers can photostream pictures to the class homepage on their school website or teach how to use add-on tools to create book covers or posters.
There is opportunity to keep in touch with current events or supplement research. When a class or student is studying a particular topic, they can subscribe to an RSS feed and automatically receive new pictures about that topic and view recent comments made about the pictures. I would also like to use this feature in my own learning.

Another benefit is the potential for collaborative learning. There are groups on Flickr for teachers collaborating their ideas regarding the uses of Flickr in the classroom. One group called Gotham Schools has displayed artistic shots of their school and has documented some of the projects they have done:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/gothamschools/

Before using Flickr with our students, however, we need to consider privacy settings. The site allows us to decide the size of community we are involved with, allowing for public or private viewing. To allow for the highest level of security, we could restrict access to photos by creating a login for our class and selecting "invited" members only. We would also need to teach our students how to use the site effectively and appropriately. It is exciting to realize the potential of photo sharing and Flickr for enhancing both our teaching and our learning.

My Blog Intro...

Welcome to my very first blog!

I am excited to be entering into this whole new world of technology! Before this Web 2.0 course, I had an account on Facebook, had used YouTube and had heard of the photosharing site Flikr but didn't know anything about RSS feeds, blogs, podcasts, nings, trailfires and the other new forms of digital literacy that we are encountering. It seems that there is so much to know and is somewhat overwhelming at first but I am learning as I go.
I think that I will find the learning to be relevant and useful to me both personally and professionally. Some questions that I am inquiring about are:
1) Would blogging be useful for teaching elementary students while considering security and ease of use?
2) How would I most effectively set up a wiki for an elementary class?
3) As a librarian, what effects should the shift toward digital literacy have on my practices?

I look forward to learning the answers to these and my many other questions. Also looking forward to blogging with you all!