Thing #19

I could waste SO MUCH time looking at everything listed in these awards! My first reaction . . . thank you for organizing everything so nicely. :)

For personal reasons I love MyHeritage and all of the cooking sites listed.

I was looking at LuLu a site where you can publish your own books and it reminded me of Bookemon. This is a really cool site that allows you to upload your own content to make books that can then be printed and purchased. Bookemon is cool because it automatically creates a book widget and allows for you to read the "book" online. Content is easy to upload, you can transfer a word document page by page. Thinking as the history teacher my classes could work together to create a book about all the people we study in the year. Each student would be responsible for one person, write one page report, add it to the book. If we wanted a printed copy could be purchased and kept in the classroom as a study tool. Art teachers could scan in student work and keep a portfolio for each year. Students could submit book reviews and create a reference book on what's in the library. 

We started a cookbook at my school . . haven't add that many recipes, but it gives you an idea of how the online viewing works. 

Make books online at Bookemon

Thing #18

OpenOffice or Google Docs . . . . I went with GoogleDocs because I like that you don't have to download anything. I've been using Google Docs for personal stuff for a couple years. I love being able to have access to documents on any internet computer (even in Katy now that the firewall has changed a little).

When training for marathons my husband keeps record in a GDocs document. That way even if we go out of town for the weekend he can access it and track his progress. The best part is that you stop e-mailing documents back and forth to yourself. How many times have you worked on something at home, emailed it to school, only to e-mail a newer version home again? Then you waste time trying to figure out which copy is the most updated.

This is great for students because they can smooth the transition of working at school to working at home. I'm so glad that Katy now has access to Google Docs. I also enjoy the share feature allowing multiple people to edit the same document. My sister and I were trying to plan a wedding shower and it made our lives so much easier to share a document and each update as we wet.

You do have to have an account with Google which is the only "drawback."But if it's creating an account versus downloading OpenOffice I would go with creating an account.

Thing #17

I hadn't heard of Rollyo before but I really like the concept. Sometimes you  know a couple good websites to gather information from and this allows you to create custom search, searching your chosen sites. Just playing around trying to figure it out I creating a search-roll for knitting patterns. I have a couple sites I usually go to looking for patterns but I always have to spend time searching each one. Now I can go to one place and search several all at the same time. This would be great in the library if you have students working on a research project. The librarian I currently work with always creates a list of suggested websites for students doing research. She could make a search-roll including those sites and send students there. I've been told that you can create custom Google searches before, but I'm liking this better. And for some reason I am really craving a fruit by the foot. . . .

My rollyo profile.

Thing #16

Ahh wikis. Wikis are GREAT. We started a class wiki earlier this year and it has been a great asset to our class. The students have really taken charge in posting class information and updating our info. It has been helpful for the parents as well because they can clearly see what is happening in class.
In my class I give students the opportunity to pretest and test out of upcoming units. If a student can pretest with 90 or above they have the option of then completing an alternate independent study project. We created an independent study wiki for those students to ask questions and post their finished products.
As a school the staff created a wiki where our principal can post updated information, articles she enjoys, and lots of other stuff.
My husband and I even have a "family" wiki. It's great that both of us can update it from any computer. We make our weekly menus (and sometimes link to recipes), shopping lists, and to do lists. Very helpful. Surely there will be something new and better by the time we have kids but I'm thinking if I had kids I would have section for each child to keep track of schedules, and other needs.

These are all made using PBworks, and I love that just last week they introduced nesting folders. Now you can have a folder in a folder! I think this will really help with organization and make it easier to navigate.

Our family wiki is members only :) but below are links for all the others I mentioned.

Class Wiki
Independent Study Wiki
WCJH Wiki 

Gary Paulsen THIS SUNDAY

GARY PAULSEN

Presentation by Paulsen followed by meet the author, book sale and signing!

Sunday
April 18, 2010
3 pm

Pershing Middle School Auditorium
3838 Blue Bonnet at Stella Link

Free and open to the public

PLEASE NOTE: Gary Paulsen will personalize an unlimited number of copies of Woods Runner and Lawn Boy Returns purchased at the event. Gary will sign (not personalize) one backlist title brought from home and up to three purchased at the event.

Inprint Houston will be hosting Gary Paulsen this Sunday for FREE!

text taken from Inprinthouston.org, click on anything above to go to the site. 

Thing #15

Library 2.0 . . . this ones tough. It means so many different things to so many people. To me it's an interactive library that utilizes many different online tools. Online book clubs, a library blog, the skies the limit. It's hard to put it into a box and define.  To a temporary place in time gives great ideas on what the future holds. And A Vision of Students Today is almost frightening to watch. I see the truth behind it, but to say students will have jobs that aren't even created that's frightening. Away from the "iceburgs" is very thought provoking as well. We need to go to our students and make ourselves available to them.
I'm working towards classroom 2.0 with many new things we have begun this year. I see how it putting information "out there" actually draws students in. It's something that will constantly be evolving but isn't that what we are supposed to do? Change and grow as our students and world change and grow.

Teen Book Convention

Check it out . . . .

Teen Book Convention

This Saturday - Alief Taylor High School