The Reason for F2F?

I scooped this from my aggregator and quickly added Jeff Utecht to my De.lici.ous network. He asks some pretty powerful questions about why we need f2f learning and what changes we should maybe make to our teaching to engage students. Check it out...The Thinking Stick

Voice Threads

Found this fun little tool and am expermenting with it. Voice Threads is a way to put media and voice together quickly and easily. Try it: www.voicethread.com

Invest in a Girl

Not only does this video have meaning it is a wonderful example of digital storytelling!

Check this out. From Ewan McIntosh in the UK.

The Girl Effect:

Delight in Education

Stephen Heppell wants to make education a little more "delightful" now I see this poster on Richard Millwood's blog. I think the British education system is onto something! I want to make education delightful, how about you??

Great Media Studies Resource!

OK here is this band from Manchester UK. They needed to make a video but couldn't afford it so instead they perform in front of video surveillance cameras around the city and then petition the government to access the tapes which they then edit into a music video. Talk about creative rebellion! Work the system boys!! This was from David Warlick's Blog.

It's a good song...here is the video:

Virtual School Society Conference

OK David Warlick is live blogging a conference in BC and it's where I would love to be right now. He posted an really interesting discussion yesterday about implementing social networks and the features of them. The presenter talks about the features of social networks using an interesting diagram.

Social Networks are all about:

Identity,
Presence,
Relationships,
Conversations,
Groups,
Reputation The diagram shows how 3 different networks play on these relationships.

Imagine how powerful these tools could be for learning if school districts could get past the fear and unblock them. We need to educate the educators so that we can use such tools wisely in learning environments.

Smith, Gene. “Social Software Building Blocks.” [Weblog nForm] 4 Apr 2007. nForm User

Experience. 23 Apr 2008 http://nform.ca/publications/social-software-building-block.

ANIMOTO

OK here is such a cool little tool that students and teachers can access online with very little knowledge of IT Animoto is a web based video/slideshow creation tool that can be used for many purposes. Check it out, give it a shot and tell me what you think. This was posted on Ewan McGregor's Edublog and it is a wonderful thing. Thanks Mr. McGregor!

Be Really Afraid

Stephen Heppell was a keynote speaker at the recent OLA Superconference. He was innovative, entertaining and charming to listen to. He also shared some wonderful examples of teaching and learning with technology without using fancy equipment. The video clips he shared of student projects for BAFTA called Be Very Afraid are fabulous examples of how technology can enrich learning for teachers and students. They are also a testament to teachers who are passionate about their practice.

Here is the link: http://www.heppell.net/bva2/

I wonder how I can encourage more teachers to get connected to learning with IT to use something from these strategies???

Will Richardson and Passion Based Learning

I've just been listening to blogger and technorati Will Richardson in an online conference about re-envisioning education and he makes some good points about how we have to begin changing education. First, we have to embrace change rather than fear it. Second, we have to reach beyond school walls to our students and understand that they are familiar with accessing information 24/7. Third, we have to understand that people will pursue their learning if they are impassioned.

My question is....how do librarians tap into that passion, provide guidance and direction to students who are ready to go down that road????

Blogging for Gold.....

I am a Teacher Librarian in a High School north of Toronto. I am very interested in learning about how other TL's around Ontario, Canada, N. America and beyond are integrating educational technologies and social software of web 2.0 into their teaching in the library environment.

I am very interested in podcasting and the possibilities for creating interesting and authentic learning for students. Here is a web site that was built by myself and some colleagues:

http://www3.telus.net/public/burtb/podcastunit/index.html

It was an assignment for a course towards my Masters Degree in Educational Technology. I plan to use it with a grade 12 class this semester. Feel free to use the site, feedback is welcome.