Thing 23 ~ Reflect

...digital ethnography hypermedia anthropology...

Those were the tags for the del.icio.us hyperlink at 2.57 minutes of the video. When I first viewed the video, I thought that was a new field of study. Maybe it is. Maybe they are just tags. Maybe it is a combination.

Whatever way it is, it was an ah-ha moment for me. Anthropology. Of course! Who we are. Why we are the way we are. Those were things I wanted to know. Those were some of the Big Ideas that influenced my undergraduate study.

WOW! How does one begin to even conceptualize how to conceptualize how to begin?!

The video was illuminating (and fast paced to say the least!) and even a tad scary. Teaching the machine? Ooo...umm...maybe I've seen/read/heard of too many futuristic/distopia/sci fi things (and that's not all that many). Yikes! Minority Report seems benign in comparison to what I was thinking as the video progressed.

...digital ethnography hypermedia anthropology...

It's exciting. But, it also is a path to the unknown. That can be exciting and a bit scary.

How interesting to come full circle as I reflect on Newington's 23 Things. Complex Simplicity. To see just how much, I went back to see what I originally said about this experience and the name I chose. What I found was that, after our computer was fixed, I forgot to add my initial thoughts to that blog entry. Here they are.

The LONG Overdue Part 2 of Thing 2

I guess, technologically speaking, I was exceptionally busy starting in 2006! Every time I attempted to do something related to this lesson, I hit a hurdle. It was the same one: when I tried to create the necessary accounts, I kept getting the same error message. It was always some variation of: that username is unavailable. Umm…kdinfinities? Seriously? It took too long for me to realize it was unavailable because I already have those usernames on those websites! I created many of the accounts when I was in grad school.

Security…I’ve heard it is not a good idea to use the same password over and over again. Well, thank goodness I did not heed that warning. Capitalize a letter here, reverse the numbers there…just a few minor tweaks, and I figured out how to get into all of my old accounts. As if I wasn’t already skipping down memory lane, I got a jolt from my blogger.com profile. My maiden name!

Now, the Avatar aspect of Thing 2 was definitely new to me. How cool!!! I agree with other posts that the options could be sorted more effectively. I also wish I could add more pets or have some more flexibility with clothing, but overall, I’m impressed. What a neat way to personalize my blog without posting photos!

The title of my blog, “Complex Simplicity,” seems to encompass the myriad of experiences in my own life as well as in the classroom. I feel the title fits the complexity of seemingly simple concepts/tasks/etc as well as the discoveries of balance/closure/etc within the seemingly complex. For example, I was introduced to the Plain English videos during those Canter courses. Therefore applying the blogging element was simple, right. Yes. But…

…my mind tapped into the buzzing it was doing during those courses. Suddenly, I found myself thinking at a pace with which I could not keep up.

At the time, I was not entirely done with my thoughts. Yet, even now, for me, it extenuates my reflection from above...How interesting to come full circle as I reflect on Newington's 23 Things. Complex Simplicity.

Simply complex. Complexly simple. Simple complexity. Complex simplicity.

Instead of getting myself engulfed in that circular conundrum, allow me to jump right away to the big "take aways" from this experience. DON'T FORGET YOUR USERNAMES AND PASSWORDS! There were over 10 created (or reinstated) for this PD.

No, but really. My big take-aways are embedded throughout this blog. Some are too immense to even be limited to the word "big." My next step is to take another step. Then another and another. Throughout my explorations, experiments, excitement, and expirations, I will keep 23 Things in mind. I will also keep it at hand; I intend to reference these "Things" and refresh my memory when needed. In fact, I'll put the link right here. Cheers to me for "Us/ing" the machine.

http://newington23things.blogspot.com/

Thing 22 ~ Edit a Wiki

I edited the Newington 23 Wiki. Here is what I said.

I am ecstatic about wiki's. They seem more collaborative than blogs and more accessible than cloud computing. I can't stop my mind from POPPING out ideas! Here are just a few...For the technical information focus of "Reading for Life," I can have kids read and then create how-to manuals online.For any number of concepts, the kids could explain it to one another online. It would reinforce their own learning. It would also give them a place to get clarification for concepts that challenge them. I am unsure if I would start anew each year or see how subtly or dynamically students edit one another's text year to year.I also look forward to times my colleagues and I can use wikis as an effective way to communicate, especially on group authored documents. Similarly, school clubs and organizations can use wikis as a way to be as productive as possible between meetings.And on and on and on... ~Karen PearcePS: Thanks to all of the above contributions. Pop. Pop! POP!

I am VERY excited to create my Wiki! Here's the thing, though. I already created one. I think it was at the beginning of the summer last year. I loved the idea but wasn't well versed enough to run with it.

I went to Wikispaces. I figured out my account email and then my username. I've gone through the process to reset my password twice. For some unknown reason, I am still redirected to the sign-in page each time I try to get into my account. Argh.

UPDATE: I created a brand new account.

UPDATE: I am SOOO aggrevated!!! Every time I try to do ANYTHING, the site asks me to sign in. It's saying it is my account, yet I can't do ANYTHING! Once I sign in and try to do something, it asks me to sign in again. My Argh from above has escalated into an ARGH!

Thing 21 ~ Wikis

Wiki How!!! I was amused, informed, entertained, awed, and inspired!

My first how-to was Be Polite at School. It got me thinking about how my students, even before we are ready to publish our own, could enjoy these entries. Then I read Say Goodbye to Elementary School. Aww!

I clicked on both of those almost randomly; they jumped out as I scanned the education and communication category. Clearly seeing the value of this site, I read the list carefully. I found Create New Beginnings for Yourself on Your First Day of Middle School. I'll let that one speak for itself.

I think Send a Message in a Bottle may be the springboard I use for my class. It's simplicity is a good baby steps approach. Our "Reading for Life" focus in our 1st unit in LA includes reading and writing manuals. I now know exactly how to "hook" my students!

Another huge thanks to Newington 23! I'm so psyched to get in touch with my other LA colleagues!

Umm...maybe I should wait until I am not trying to finish these "Things" before the deadline. That aside, I don't think, at 8:00 on a Friday night, they would share my enthusiasm.

Thing 20 ~ eBooks

Although many looked interesting, the first site that jumped out at me was at #1 of the top 10 eBooks sites. Gutenberg Project Top 100! I found out about this site in the spring from Nicole Kuca, our stellar Media Center Specialist. I found Brothers Grimm tales that enriched our unit on fairytales.

Here was how I fared with other sites.

I haven't found much yet on BookYards. I originally chose that one because it mentioned educational materials.

Frugal Reader was only a GoDaddy webpage with sponsored links. Boo hoo.

Word Public Library seems to be pretty cool.

Ahhh...Google Books. I found titles there that I enjoy personally, my students read regularly, and my daughter may someday seek. I was primarily exploring the Family and Relationships section, but I bet the others are as valuable.

I poked around the NHS eBooks and am impressed with the collection so far. Salem Literature interests me the most.

Overall, it was pretty cool seeing some young adult literature on Google Books. In addition to telling my students about it, I can do a screencast to show them how to access the books. When choosing texts for instruction, read-a-louds, or activities, I can try to find one from this or similar sites. The kids can see it on the screen during class or anytime/place they have access. Maybe an option for students without SSR books can log onto the computer and read from there. If I were to have small groups of students working on different novels, I would no longer need to worry about chasing down enough copies of books. They could work online.

Hmm...When I starting writing that last paragraph, my thoughts were brief and basic. As I wrote, more and more opportunities to use eBooks kept popping up. Pop. Pop! POP!

Thing 19 ~ Screencasting

Why is screencasting called VODcasting? Yes, I am a huge fan of "Word Study," so I suppose the V = Video, and therefore it means video on demand. Am I right? Hmm...

I found out about screen capturing a couple of years ago and thought it was AMAZING! I am thrilled about screencasting!

Of the three Thing 19 program suggestions, here are my thoughts.

Screencastle: I did not want to download anything else. Also, when I attempted to view something on their site, I got an error message. Therefore...no.

Screencast-o-matic: This was almost my choice primarily because of the ability to add notes that the viewer can see in addition to the video. There also seemed to be a few more options/accessories with that format. I did not like the idea of the watermark, however. Therefore...no.

Screenr: Thing 19 demo used this system, and that was a good enough reason for me. Therefore...yes.

Or so I thought. I had glitches with Screenr for over an hour. (In fact, I just checked its status, and it is still loading. During that time, I experimented with Screencast-o-matic, produced my video, and uploaded it onto YouTube.

Therefore...YES to Screencast-o-matic!

I did a brief screencast on how to format a Word document. I started by emphasizing saving the document. I ended the same way...perhaps a little overboard. :-) The middle portion of the video walks students through the steps of very basic things they need to be able to do when typing an assignment: using the correct heading, selecting text that is appropriate in font and size, adjusting margins, double-spacing, etc.

Once I "got" it, this process was incredibly easy! I wrote out my steps ahead of time and will work towards narrating my screencasts. I think my mini-productions will be powerful resources for my students. Whether it is the basics or more intricate concepts, I have no doubt my students will also see the value of screencasts.

PS: Your Newington 23 Screencasts are ABOVE and beyond that of the link you gave us. I found the comments to and from the science professor interesting and valuable. His screencast, however, was nowhere near as efficient and effective as those from this course. Thanks!

Thing 18 ~ Podcasting

Once again, there is real-world/authentic/21st-century example of why we include "Word Study" in our curriculum. Podcast = ipod + broadcast

I also like how pod = personal on demand. Suddenly, a very techie term becomes simplified and even common sense. I wonder, though: were other media outlets (ex: Comcast's "On Demand") the chicken or the egg? Either way, I am surprised podcasts have only been around since 2004.

I see how vodcasts and v-casts got their names, but why are not just called videos? Is there some kind of distinction? Is it because you can subscribe to them?

Thoughts on Thing 18 Suggested Podcast Sites

NPR Podcast Directory: I've visted this site in the past to listen to past episodes of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. I looked into subscribing but decided I wanted to avoid what seemed like another way to clutter my life and strangle what sparce moments of free time I have left.

Educational Podcast Directory: I like this one better in theory than actual substance. I listened to a few podcasts of "An Idiom a Day." I also tried many student links and was disappointed that so many did not work. I did find a few, though, enjoyed them, and got ideas for this year.

A positive of my Educational Podcast Directory experience was that I saw "RSS" and could not remember what it meant. I went to the Common Craft website and watched the video on it. It was during this time that I realized that I did not know their expertise extended into so many other genres. I was very interested in many topics and am considering subscribing to them. I could not figure out, however, how to receive it other than have it Tweeted to me.

Podcast.com and all of their visuals and choices (especially news!) seemed overwhelming to me. To be 100% honest, I prefer satirical news programs such as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Podcast.com did not have that particular show, but I follwed my interest and checked out Comedy Central's website. There was an option to subscribe to the show but not to selective segments such as the opening news stories. Hmm...as I write, I am thinking I can still subscribe but just listen to the beginning. Duh!

But, again, how much more "clutter" do I need/want in my life?

As for PodcastAlley.com, what's an aggregator, and why have I been fine so far without it?

For the application of Thing 18, I chose Common Craft's explanation video for podcasting. Before beginning any project with my students and podcasting, I would use this video. I believe it will simultaneously tap into their background knowledge as well as give them a comprehensive view of the technology we will be using.

Thing 17 ~ Presentation Tools

Perhaps I was not savvy enough with Zoho, but after playing around with both sites, I prefer Slideshare.

I am embedding 3 presentations on the Five Themes of Geography. I intend to combine the best of each into one simplistic yet comprehensive, interactive, and engaging presentation.

The Polar Bear one is specific to 7th grade. I like how it asks "Who cares?" and then answers it. Both the 2nd and 3rd presentations have valuable photos. The white one doesn't have enough depth or rigor, though, and the blue one is the opposite: too text heavy.

All three have sparked ideas in my mind such as having students find images, chunks of books/magazines/blogs/etc., movies, and so on that demonstrate the distinctiveness of each of the five themes.

In the most recent SMART Board PD, I started building a Notebook based on the Five Themes. I will weave these findings into that and hopefully create a stellar mini-unit.

PS: Diigo was exceptionally helpful when I was previewing presentations. I bookmarked ones I liked and went back just now to choose the three above listed.

5 Themes of Geography

View more presentations from JimmyJackson182.

Five Themes of Geography

View more presentations from jbartley.

Themes of Geography

View more presentations from spensley.