Prezi - Definitely different!

I have been playing with Prezi.com for my Portfolio Presentation and it is definitely different.  I have to admit that there were several moments when I closed it down and started to open up PowerPoint, but I really wanted to try something new.  Sometimes, it has a mind of its own and it doesn't want to show the screen shot you have worked so hard on it displaying.  I downloaded the app on my iPad.  It is kinda neat, but I wouldn't use it to present with unless I had zero links. I hate the fact that you can't hyperlink!  You have to put the entire link on there and it looks kinda ugly.  I will have to try it again with a presentation that doesn't have so many links involved.  I used a lot of links in this presentation because I hate it when we have in-services and all I get to see are screenshots and we never actually get to see the site.  How am I suppose to learn about using my SmartBoard from a PowerPoint with a bunch of screenshots in it?  I learned a lot more when I was able to see the actual program opened and could see others using it.

It does have a new and modern feel to it that I think my students would love!  It also works well with YouTube videos.

Here is my Presentation on 6 technology tools.  Let me know what you think?
If it says it doesn't exist, try this link:
 http://prezi.com/6y7x3-mxgjyn/copy-of-classroom-technology/?auth_key=a08f6c1aa1693b043caf3be79aa10014000d6817

I don't know why it likes to say it doesn't exist sometimes.  Very frustrating!  It may be a server issue.  Sometimes it will work better in Chrome than Explorer or FireFox.

1 Day to Go!

As I sit here and work on my presentation project and final reflection, I am using one of my favorite tools to make a video for my husband for our 6th wedding anniversary.  You have got to love Animoto!

Final Week: Reflection & Final Projects

I am busy working on my final presentation project for a library conference on new technology.  I have discovered Glogster while playing around with Voki again.  I created this pinboard with my 6 tools I want to present on.  Of course, now Glogster is going to be one of them.  I am also learning how to use Prezi to present.  It is fun, a little crazy.  I am taking screenshots and adding speaker notes in OneNote.  Well, I will add more later as the week moves on and I progress toward the finish line!  Tonight I have to take a short break to go to see Batman for 678.  I have put off my movie observation and need to go take notes on the teens in the theatre.  Fun times!!

LIBS602 Week 6: Presentation Tools

1st Website:http://popplet.com/
I had to make myself stop playing with this site, so I could move on to my other 2 and work on the rest of our assignments.  This would be great in the library or classroom for brainstorming, collaboration, and even presentations.  I made one that shows my family.  I know it is rare, but I actually come from a family of 10.  My parents wanted a large family when they got married and I have 4 brothers and 5 sisters.  We are all very close and I always get asked what it is like coming from such a large family.  It is awesome!  You automatically have 9 best friends.  I can not imagine what it would be like without them.  This would be a fun way to start the year off as an icebreaker if students each created a popplet about themselves and you can even add images.  I will definitely be using this site during the school year!

Website 2: https://jux.com/

It took me some time to play with this one and figure out what it does, but I finally figured out that it is another way to blog.  Students and teachers can create images (like my son above) and lists (like the one here of some of my favorite books).  They can also create articles, upload videos, and make slideshows and share them through twitter, email, or Facebook.  People can follow them on the site and they can embed it into other blogs or websites.  In the classroom or library this site could be used as a way to journal or to present projects.  Also, teachers and librarians could use it to advertise popular books and share new classroom project and library resources and events.

Website #3: http://www.arkive.org/

Wow!  This site would be great in the Science classroom!  There are games, lesson plans, videos, images, and more.  The students in our lesson plan we worked on earlier this semester would have loved using this as they researched classification.  The site has an extensive collection of research on different species.  You can research them by classification, location, conservation status and more.  I would definitely recommend this to science teachers to use in daily lessons and for research projects.  As the librarian, I could use this as a resource for teacher and students and for lessons where I collaborate with the teacher.  Awesome site!

Week 5: On Campus Days

Had a blast this week at ODU meeting all of my classmates, learning about geocaching, booktalking, and making a fun video!  Thanks to my sisters for driving down and helping with the video.  My video on how to use goodreads starred my baby sister Kelsi.  She is so cute!  I mentioned geocaching to her and she told me about how her Earth Science teacher used it.

The booktalking was fun.  The avatars were interesting and took sometime to get used to, but it was an new experience and the first time I have officially done a booktalk.  I did three books, but only got through two.  I wish I had moved Monster to the middle since I had two girl books and one boy book.  One of the avatars really wanted a boy book.  Now I know and knowing is half the battle=)

I enjoyed the special presentation of all of the technology available for students with disabilities.  I even went home and researched the amazing and indestructible laptop for my son.  He is only 3 and it makes me nervous whenever we play games on sprout using my laptop with all of my library work on it.  I am thinking a hardier computer may be a better fit for him to learn on.

I also enjoyed our skype visits from our classmate and the librarian talking about ALA and AASL.  I actually went straight home and joined both and am working on VAASL.  I look forward to becoming an active member of the library community!  While searching I saw that there is a conference on transliteracy in October and I am trying to figure out how I can budget it in.  I loved learning about transliteracy and think it is such a relevant topic to us as educators and school librarians.  We need to jump head first into the modern age of technology and embrace it!

I love skype and use it all of the time at home since I have a brother who lives in California.  We even skyped him into Thanksgiving last year=)

I thought the QR codes were a great way to have us introduce ourselves.  A wonderful icebreaker!  Perfect for a setting where phones are allowed and service is available.  Both of these things would be a problem in my classroom during school.  However, after school the rules change and it could work for an after school or evening activity.  Maybe  a great way to start off the first book club meeting=)

It was definitely a very busy and informative week!  After exploring the different devices, it made me love my IPad even more.  My IPad is my bestfriend!  My favorite part of the week was definitely the videos!

Animoto and my Matched by Ally Condie Trailer

I just finished this book trailer for my LIB 678 class on the book Matched by Ally Condie.  I wanted to share it and continue practicing embedding videos on my blog.  Now I just have to figure out how to get it on my library website.  It is not proving to be as easy!
I used Animoto and it was pretty simple.  I just wish I had more control over it.  You put everything in order and click produce.  That is it!  Pretty easy!  However, I couldn't put texts and pictures on the same screen.  Maybe that feature is available with the paid subscription? 

LIB 602 Week 4: Digital Storytelling

 

I just finished trying out Yodio.  I took me a minute to figure it out.  It is so simple that it is complicated.  I wanted to be able to record one long message and have it play over several pictures, but I have not figured that out yet.  You have to create a different audio track for each picture.  You will probably notice that in my video.  I like the set-up, but will have to better prepare my script in the future for which lines go with which pictures.  I used my phone to record all of the audio tracks.  My drama students create radio shows and this would work if they called in their lines.  Also, students could post book reviews to the library website.  I may even have my sisters play around with it and pretend to be my students and add some book reviews to my site we are creating for class.

I am playing around with Animoto and am trying to use it for a book trailer.  As part of exploring, I made a video with pictures of my boys!  I just love looking at their adorable faces!!

I love cupcakes! by knkeegan on Storybird OK, so I am not going to be a children's author one day=(This site is a lot of fun and would work great in a classroom when working on creative writing.