FINAL PROJECT

Here are the links to my screencasts for my final project.

Miss Jones' First Grade Class Wiki and Blog

**Please excuse the quality of the screencasts. I used Screencast-o-Matic because I no longer had access to Camtasia and I noticed a big difference in quality. Some of the audio is hard to hear and understand.**

CLASS WIKI: http://ljscils598f08.pbwiki.com/FrontPage

Click here to view the screencast for my FINAL PROJECT PART 1- Miss Jones' First Grade Wiki http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cjlo3NnAF

CLASS BLOG: http://ljscils598f08final.blogspot.com/

Click here to view the screencast for my FINAL PROJECT PART 2- Miss Jones' First Grade Blog
http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cjlo0ZnAY

Everything Bad Is Good For You--Part 2

If everything "bad" is indeed good for you, what does this mean for the world of Libraries and/or Educational organizations?

Johnson states that popular culture (games, TV, film) has become more challenging and more complex over the years "enhancing our cognitive faculties, not dumbing them down". He claims that "popular culture has been growing increasingly complex over the past few decades, exercising our minds in powerful new ways." If this is true, which he provides a pretty good argument for, librarians and educators may need to start changing! Many librarians and educators believe that pop culture is not what Johnson believes it to be. They do not see the complexity of it, as I did not, until I read his book. They have to accept change and change with the times.

It amazes me how children can pick up video games or some new concept on the computer so quickly, yet teaching them other things just bores them. Teachers can learn a few things from this. There are many games that can be used for educational purposes, yet the kids don't know they are learning. Movies can also be a good source of information, while still fun to watch. These things that were once considered "bad" can actually be "good" for the learning environment...we just have to teach old dogs new tricks! However, I do believe that there can be too much of a good thing and that there has to be a balance between the old ways and the new ways.

Librarians also have to start to change with the times. Some librarians may need to realize, just like the educators, that pop culture is becoming more complex. This is why libraries are starting to have gaming tournaments. They know what the kids like and what they want to do...and...if that gets them into the library, so be it. They might actually pick up a book while they are there and check it out!

What Would I Change

I don't believe that there is much, if anything, that I would change about this class. I enjoyed all of the topics that we covered and learned a great deal. There is so much that can be done that I had no idea about before this class.

I think that my personal favorite was the screencasting. I really enjoyed learning how to do that. I also liked the week we spent on Flickr and learning how to edit photos.

If I'm being honest, the one thing that was difficult was the work load at times. I found the homework to be very time consuming, maybe moreso due to the fact that I was not a computer whiz! Also, I enjoyed commenting on other people's blogs, but felt pressured to have my blog posting done early enough so that others would not have to wait for me to do my work in order for them to finish theirs...and I didn't particularly like having to wait until the last minute to finish my homework because I was waiting on someone else, either!

Overall, I can see myself using MANY of the things that we learned in this class...and I'm NOT just saying that to get a good grade! LOL

MMO- Club Penguin

Since my computer would not support Second Life, I became part of CLUB PENGUIN. Since I have played Second Life in the past, along with other MMOs such as SIMS, I already had an idea of what they were like, so it was good to try something different. Club Penguin is a Disney MMO with many of the features of the adult MMOs only geared towards younger children. First thing that I noticed as I was trying to join was a great deal of privacy/safety features which I think is great, especially for a site that is geared towards children. As I wandered the towns I noticed some great features. Each place not only had different things to interact with, but they also had games and activities. These were fun, and, believe it or not, some of them were relatively difficult. Below is a screenshot of one of the villages I visited. Notice the different buildings you can go into.

The second screenshot is of me surfing! You can earn money by doing different tricks and stunts which you can use later to buy things.

In this final screenshot you will see me playing a game in which you are tubing in the water and have to navigate around obstacles in order to stay on your tube. Another great game to play.

Screencast of the Game DOTS

One of my favorite games since I was little is now on the computer. The game of DOTS is a very simple one in which the objective is to box in more of the board than your opponent does. The board is split into a grid pattern. Each player takes a turn drawing a line between two adjacent grid points, or dots. As players enclose an area, it changes to the color of the player that boxed in the selected area. At the end of the game, whoever has filled in the largest amount of the board is the winner.

This game is a little long and at times the video is slow due to the age of my computer, but just click below to watch and enjoy the simplicity of DOTS!


Click to play

Or if you click on this link http://blip.tv/file/1544392 it will take you directly to the video on bliptv.com!

Screencasting--Best Practices

Although I cannot say that I am a pro at screencasting, it has become easier over the weeks we have used it. I have found that the best practices include some of the following:

• Review the subject before you attempt to create a screencast
• Create a summary/"script" of your narration
• Begin recording knowing this will probably not be your final copy
• Watch your first recording, learn from your mistakes, and fix them the next time around
• Save your screencast in the correct format and name it appropriately

These are just a few of the basics that I thought should be included. I've also learned when to have multiple windows open so that I could switch to a different window because if I "clicked" on a link it would take too long to open due to the age of my computer! I also learned that certain programs work better for certain computers (due to the age of my computer, it could not support Jing)! Lastly, be sure to take the dog out before you begin screencasting...or her incessant barking will ruin the whole thing!

How to Choose a Gaming System

If I was in charge of choosing a gaming system for my library I would first evaluate "who my patrons are," who would be using the gaming system and how they would use it. Then I would begin my research by looking at other libraries and what they are using. This would give me valuable insight into what works and what doesn't...and why it doesn't work. (No need to re-invent the wheel!) I would also read blogs, talk to other librarians, and read technical reviews on the various systems. This would help me to match up my patron's needs to the various aspects that each gaming system has to offer.

After my research, I have decided to purchase the Wii for my library. Although I will be a children's librarian, the Wii could be used by any age group. Not only have I worked at a library that purchased the Wii and used it for all ages, but in looking through the programming that other libraries have had, they have used it for all ages, including seniors. Another factor that influenced my decision is the fact that the Wii can be used not only for gaming, but also for physical activity, which is a plus. The range and number of games/activities that it offers is incredible. The price, the ease of use, and the versatility of the Wii also influenced my decision, along with the fact that Wii is THE hot item to have!

Everything Bad Is Good For You

Steven Johnson, in this book, sets up a good argument for the idea that everything bad CAN BE good for you! In this argument he states that popular culture (games, TV, film) has become more challenging and more complex over the years "enhancing our cognitive faculties, not dumbing them down" (p. 12). He claims that "popular culture has been growing increasingly complex over the past few decades, exercising our minds in powerful new ways" (p. 13). He does not believe that it is just a method to "sophisticatedly deliver stupidity."

He speaks of non-literary pop culture and how it hones "different" mental skills which are just as important as the ones that you get reading from a book. He talks about how it increases manual dexterity and visual memory. Also, he discusses the difficulty of some of these games and just how hard they are. This I know is true because when I play some of these computer games, after I find the walk-throughs and the "cheats" I wonder why people think that these games can be fun. It amazes me how anyone could get through these games without help since most of them have to be completed in a specific order or you cannot advance. They are extremely analytical and very detail oriented.

Another point Johnson makes is regarding television. I found it interesting to hear his thoughts regarding today's "multi-threaded dramas" and how they relate to the television programs of the past. I had never compared the two, but once I did I was amazed to see just how intricate today's shows were. He discussed the multiple threads they contain, the flashing arrows and the social networks. Not only did he show how TV programming had changed, but he discussed how film had undergone an equivalent transformation with its visual and technological complexities.

After reading the first part of his book, Johnson made me realize that today's popular culture can really give us a rigorous mental workout!

Add the Stick-It Note Application to MySpace

Here is the flash version of my video that explains how to add the Stick-It Note application to your MySpace page.

http://blip.tv/file/1508751

How to Add an Application in MySpace

This video shows how to add the Stick-It Notes Application to your MySpace page.

Click the link below to watch the video.

http://www.screencast.com/users/ljscils598f08/folders/Default/media/22446edd-1148-4078-819a-0ce4e0a8f470
**Apologies for the lag, which slows down the video. I find MySpace to be a very slow website.

Boyd Readings

After reading Boyd's articles, I believe that libraries should realize that there are hundreds of social networking sights (SNS) that support a wide range of interests and practices. One size does NOT fit all. In the article Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship, she speaks of the shift in the organization of online communities. "While websites dedicated to communities of interest still exist and prosper, SNSs are primarily organized around people, not interests." Facebook and MySpace are the two popular ones, but other SNS were created to support niche demographics. This information will help them to decide which SNS to market themselves on if they are interested in doing so.

Another factor could be how socio-economic class differentiates which SNS a student uses. In the article Viewing American class divisions through Facebook and MySpace, Boyd discusses this. She states that "MySpace is still home for Latino/Hispanic teens, immigrant teens, "burnouts," "alternative kids," "art fags," punks, emos, goths, gangstas, queer kids, and other kids who didn't play into the dominant high school popularity paradigm." But, Facebook seems to be dominated by the primarily white "good kids whose families seem to emphasize the importance of education and going to college."

Becoming part of a social network is a way that libraries can integrate themselves into their patrons' everyday lives by promoting their library services on the patrons' social networks.
They can also learn from seeing what sites their patrons are visiting online and gain insight into their interests, needs, and wants. Another invaluable tool of these sites, according to Meredith Farkas in her book Social Software in Libraries is that these sites often "let you search for members by geographic area or by institution, making it easy to find local people." This also helps the libraries because they are then building a presence where there patrons are.

In addition marketing themselves on such sites, libraries can use this topic as a springboard to educating their patrons, both parents and children, about online safety on these SNS. They can include such things as potential privacy concerns and the safety of younger users. This can open discussions between parents and children about SNS usage "rules" and the concept of online predators.

Ning

Ning was VERY quick and easy to set up. It seems as if it has many advantages.

Some of the advantages are that with Ning you can:

• subscribe to an RSS feed
• add pictures and videos
• create blog posts and have discussions
• create groups within your network
• invite people to join an event
• broadcast messages
• add badges and widgets
• create applications that can be placed on Facebook accounts
• add different features such as a chat, music, notes, and text box features
• add web analytic software
• can import pictures from flikr

I can definitely see the advantages of using this within a work environment. By using Ning with your company you could:

• Reach everyone if company has many locations
• Centralize your information
• Create slide shows of company pictures/happenings
• Share insights, motivate employees, find support
• Advertise upcoming events
• Use to create a community for your customers or announce new items
• Customize site to meet your company's needs
• It runs on a programmable platform

Some disadvantages are:

• Staff could possibly spend excess time on site which could be a problem if using during work hours
• Some staff may not be computer savvy enough to use some features
• Consumers may not have knowledge of site or may have trouble navigating site
• Have to pay for upgrades
• It has ads
• It has limited storage

I think that, as far as I have seen, Ning looks like it would definitely be useful in the workplace. I enjoy the layout and page "skins" and it gives you some great creative options in order to customize it. It has a lot of extras that can be added, which is good and many features that people are already using elsewhere. I would like to look at this more and explore more options for its use.

Jing/Camtasia Screencasting

Here's my sob story!

I tried for over 4 hours to get JING to work and I couldn't. I uninstalled and reinstalled everything you can think of. I also changed my computer settings to no avail. I then decided I'd try another product that Steve spoke about, so I downloaded the new Camtasia. Of course, Camtasia won't let me embed the video without actually moving files and tampering with the HTML which I don't know how to do. (There might be another way, but I can't find it yet)

SO....ANYWAY....this is the best I can do for now. I put a link to my video and will continue to work on this until I figure it out. Or, until I get a reply from the troubleshooting department of Screencast.com...LOL

Click below to view the tutorial:
Long_Branch_Home_Page_Tutorial

YouTube scils598f08 Videos

What happens when you ask a cat and a ferret the same question?
Click below to find out! By jfscils598f08
This one was really funny. So typical of a cat!


Or watch it here!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRNXdehNJ8w


Here is another one of my favorites. Finger in a Box
I never saw this before, but I want to try it! Check it out!
By gcscils598f08

or watch it here!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOs6Jvxhd3A

The Silent "e" Educational Video

This video contains live footage of how to teach children about the silent "e".
When I teach my students how to read, long vowel sounds are one of the most difficult things for them to learn. The silent "e" basically makes a vowel go from saying the short sound to the long sound, or as I tell the kids, makes it say its own name. In a word, such as cake, it looks like this a_e (a dash e). I had tried using what I learned "the first one does the talking, the second one does the walking"--does anyone remember this??? But this didn't make a big enough impact on the students. I saw another teacher telling the kids about the POWER OF SILENT "E" and I saw how they responded, so I began using it. Of course, along with that goes the silliness that it entails. In selling this idea, you have to flex your biceps, like a bodybuilder, and make the bodybuilder sounds...no matter HOW silly you look! The sillier you look, the more impact it has on the kids! The kids love to show THE POWER of silent "e" and it helps them to remember when they are sounding out a word.

This was my first time using live video and it was tough. Sometimes the video looks like just still pictures, but I guess that's because I am shooting the video through my not very expensive digital camera. But I think it's not too bad for my first attempt! I won't quit my day job, which, after watching this video might actually be in jeopardy! LOL And, sorry, it's a wee bit over 2 minutes.


Click to play

You can also find this video at my blip.tv station. Just click on the following link: http://ljscils598f08.blip.tv/file/1447045/

Educational versus Entertainment Videos

My first thought was that there was NO way that educational videos stood a chance against entertainment videos. Who would want to watch something educational when they could be watching something they really wanted to watch! According to Mary Madden's Online Video report (Pew and the American Life Project), 74% of broadband users watch or download online videos. As suspected, "young adults (those ages 18-29) with Internet access are among the most voracious video viewers" (p. 10). About 76% to be exact with 49% of them watching videos on YouTube (p. 11). And, with Madden stating that "Weird Al Yankovic’s “White and Nerdy” music video is one of the most-viewed videos of all time on YouTube" (p. 19), who could refute that educational videos don't stand a chance against the entertainment videos?

But wait...we may be wrong! Madden goes on to say that "news video is the most-watched genre of video, with 37% of adult Internet users reporting some type of viewing or downloading" (p. 17) and news "is the most popular genre with every age group except for those ages 18-29" (p. 18). She also says that many people, especially older adults, do watch educational videos, such as "How-to" or "DIY" videos and other videos that provide "practical everyday tips" (p. 21). Maybe educational videos DO stand a chance after all!

After reading Madden's report, I can see that there is a need for both types of videos. Originally I thought that mostly entertainment videos were being watched as opposed to the number of educational videos. I didn't realize just how many people watched educational and news videos or that it spanned such an age range. It did not, however, surprise me to find out that the young adults were the ones who did not watch these videos as much as the other age groups. So, I do believe now that both types of videos will hold their own...or at least put up a very good fight!

Flickr Similarities and Differences

In looking over the pictures on Flickr, I noticed that we share many similarities, yet are all different in our own ways. Below is a list of what I noticed:

Similarities

Many students:

• have pets
• eat poorly on days of classes (lol)
• NEED caffeine
• rely on their laptops
• have an abundance of textbooks from classes
• travel to campus

Differences

Some students:

• are more artistic than others
• have kids
• are married
• play sports
• have travelled abroad
• are older/younger than others
• are part-time/full-time/online students

YouTube Entertainment Video of Italy

This photo video is a compilation of pictures from my vacation to Italy. In it you will see some of the places I visited. My two favorite places were the Island of Capri and Venice.
I hope you enjoy the video.



Or you can click on this link to go directly to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mX9E-oRZW0

YouTube video of Torn

This is an extremely funny video by Johan Lippowitz. He created his own "sign language" to interpret Natalie Imbruglia's song Torn. No matter how many times I watch this, it makes me laugh everytime! I think you'll enjoy it, too!



You can view the original video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5UnAo7Olhg