Week 3 Reaction Post - Publishing 1

A short video on my reflections and thoughts on where to publish for my action research project.

BP17_2009111-Bookmarks

My delicious url. Bookmarks you can take with you on any computer, anywhere! Just bookmark your favorite sites, and you can access them from any computer at any time, you just have to log in. It's very cool! Check it out, here's my link:

http://delicious.com/tl5blue

BP16_20091028_iGoogleScreenshots

BP15_20091018_RMA2

Sketchfu commercial made with Screenflow and iMovie.

Check out my commercial for Sketchfu, an awesome drawing and sharing service that is totally, 100% free!

If you are an art teacher like I am, you will LOVE this service! Check it out here on my blog, and feel free to comment or give feedback on my movie....

and enjoy Sketchfu!

BP13_20091017_Web2.0_ResponseAHNing

The following is a repost of Aimee's post about Ning social network. Aimee does a great job explaining the basics of Ning, along with a personal review of the application.

I used Ning for an assignment for my last course at FSU, and I see the purpose it would serve for networks like businesses and schools. Recently, our district had an issue with a school dance where students and staff were divided over their "rights." While some parents, students, staff and community members communicated on Facebook, a network like Ning would have been a better choice because it would be specific to that particular issue. Then when the issue died down, so would that page on Ning. It would be valuable for the page to dissipate or dissolve as the issue did the same, so that there wouldn't be any leftover correspondence that could re-stir hard feelings.

So Ning is helpful because it is a more streamlined and more individual application than one like Facebook or Myspace. So check out Aimee's review of Ning and then check out the application itself! You may just find it useful!

BP2_2009102_Web 2.0_Ning
Andreessen, M. and Gina Blanchini. (2004) Ning. www.ning.com


Holcombe, A. [owner of photo] (2009) Ning in Education, retrieved October 11, 2009 from http://education.ning.com/


Ning is basically an online networking platform, much like Facebook, that allows for a more slected group of followers and directed topic of discussion. I would best describe by blending the following ingredients together: a standard personal informational website (such as a school website), a form for open discussion amongst members, and Facebook-style social networking and grouping. Whereas Facebook is one humongous overall network, Ning is more closed and specified based on the creator's needs and desired topic(s) of focus.

My school has just started the implementation of teacher websites where students can go for information and find homework...etc. However, with my higher level of technology awareness, I am feeling the need to create a Ning network specified just for my classes. I appreciate many features that Ning offers for educators, but one of my favorites is how students join the network and then can respond to questions, videos, articles, or anything that was posted by the administrator of the site.

I imagine a high school Language course where the content progresses with each grade level. The seniors or AP class (experts in the content) could be the administrators- the ones researching and creating the content; while the lower class(es) could learn from and respond to the content. The teacher would then move from educator to facilitator of education.... the title that the standards-based school model would support. The teacher would then monitor (and grade) all of the student activity and direct learning through forum questions.

Some might argue, 'why not just use Facebook?' My thought is that Facebook has a purely social context in which it is typically used. I find that all too often students do not understand how to interact formally in an environment that they only know as informal. I also do not want the liability that comes in knowing the personal lives of students, which is typically shared on Facebook. Furthermore, Ning can be a fully secured environment controlled by the administrator. No one could join and see & participate in discussion without being approved as a member.

For these reasons and beyond, I see Ning to be a powerful and professional social tool to create a more secure link between schools, homes, and the world that surrounds us all.
POSTED BY AIMEE AT 1:41 PM 0 COMMENTS

BP12_20091015_Web2.0Review6_Masher

Ok, all, here's the deal. I made a commercial for Animoto because I loved the idea of the service very much. And it is a great service. However, I may have to revise my stance on the best video making feature I've found so far in my Web 2.0 tools search.

Just today I found a service called Masher, and I am super psyched about this service! It uses a similar platform to Animoto, but has one difference that I am ecstatic about....it does not have a restrictive size limit like Animoto. For teacher users, this a one fabulous fact. After all, how much content can you squeeze into 60 seconds or less? For my Animoto commercial, I had a hard time fitting everything I wanted to say into the 60 second format, which is the challenge faced by ad execs every day. I, however, am not in the advertising business, although this service will allow me to use some of the best elements of advertising in my educational endeavors.

Masher uses a super simple format to allow users to create cool content with pictures, videos, and music. The service even includes a database of such resources for users to add to their content, and there are no "premium" services to entice users. It's pure and simply a free service meant to be used by the general public so they can create fun, rich media "mashups."

The great thing about a service like this is that besides being user friendly, there is no download needed, and no software to buy. Everything you need to create educational media is included in the website format, so long as you sign up for an account. That's it, and not a lot of information is needed to sign up.

The lack of expense, download, and time restrictions make this video creation service my new favorite for the classroom. While I love the super user friendly service of iMovie, my district does not have a Mac lab, so iMovie is not an option for my students, or for myself if I leave my laptop at home. And while a part of me would like to take my Mac to school to use, another part of me is scared to ruin my favorite new piece of equipment. So I'd rather use the computers I have at my schools, which I should work in conjunction with the technology I'll import to those specific computers. So that way I have piece of mind that my content is there for my use.

So, there it is, a revision in my assertion about video creation Web 2.0 tools. Try Masher for the ability to add more time to your presentations, you aren't likely to regret it!

www.masher.com

BP11_20091015_WebTools5_Sketchfu

Alright, so I know my last post concerned a web drawing tool for use for the art classroom. Here I am going to blog about a similar, yet at the same time, very different web drawing tool. I am also going to compare and contrast the two tools a bit.

In my last post, I sang the praises of ArtRage2. While that tool is terrific, I found another free online drawing tool that may trump AR2 in some ways.

Sketchfu is an online web tool and service where you may start a drawing immediately, without even signing up for anything. If you want to "publish" your drawing later, you will want to sign up, but all you have to enter is a sign in name, a valid email address, and a password. What you get in exchange is a really cool drawing tool with a built in movie like feature that plays back exactly what you drew, line for line. (Hopefully I will be able to upload my finished pic to my blog as well as the video portion.)

The process of playing back your video after creating a quick little mini art work is the best part of Sketchfu. Besides the ability to create your own drawings, the service also includes features like Browse drawings, Browse people (and you can create a profile), and "Best of Sketchfu,"where the highest rated drawings are posted. That's another neat thing about Sketchfu. You have the ability to publish your creations to the site right away, which allows other viewers to find your work, comment on it, and even rate it!

Other great features include the ability to name your creations, the ability to link directly to other services like Blogger, Facebook and Myspace, direct RSS feeds, ability to email content, and so much more! You can customize the speed of your drawing play in the drawing window.

And if you like to collaborate, you can even allow others to add to your drawing! (Or turn that feature off if you so desire.)

The actual drawing ability is limited, unless you own a drawing tablet (I do not!), so compared to ArtRage2, the drawing is not as smooth. However, you don't feel limited in Sketchfu like you do in AR2, because there are no "extras" dangled in front of you for the small sum of $25. There are no pay options in Sketchfu, making it an awesome deal for the classroom. (No whining from students....why can't I add glitter, Mrs. Lunsford? Answer....because it costs Twenty-five dollars!)

I could see using Sketchfu as a teaching tool, a collaborative tool, or as a "free draw" tool. The only drawback is that the students might want to sign up for the service. I could get around that by having kids only sign in under one school created name. And no posting without my approval. The kids could use naming conventions such as Title_Name, so I could identify the students work under our school sign in.

I'm really excited about this tool! If you are an art teacher, surely check out Sketchfu.com, it is AWESOME and so very, very much fun!

http://sketchfu.com/drawing/388073-eye-yi-yi-