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Keeping up with tools is an ongoing pursuit because of the amazing turn-around (or turnover) of web tools.  Some are designed for the classroom, and those that aren't can be harnessed and adapted to use in the classroom, with the right amount of ingenuity.  Today, instead of talking about web tools, I'm going to direct you to three great sites instead.

1. wikiHow: http://www.wikihow.com
This site has saved me from wasting time trying to find out information from technology to making scones.  You put in a topic, and more often than not, wikiHow will have a step-by-step tutorial (along with images) to get you to the end.  What I like about this site is that it isn't as bulky as Youtube, where trying to find out information can sometimes be like pulling a tooth.  How many of us out there besides me gets frustrated with the length of time to watch it, only to find out that it's not the actual information you may need.  And to top if off, I have to wait for adverts to pop in at the beginning...You can avoid ALL of that unnecessary waste of time by using wikiHow.  Try it...you may find it's your first go to when you need a quick answer


2. Top 100 Tools for Learning 2014:  http://c4lpt.co.uk/top100tools/
I typed this in to search for new tools to try and lo and behold!  The Brits have uploaded their top tools list!  What's so great about this list is that it's a compilation of tools voted on by over 1,000 learning professionals from over 60 countries.  That's what I call global collaboration!!  You may know several of them, you may know a few.  It doesn't matter which side you may rest on, it's the fact that these ARE amazing tools and ones educators should get to know on a more personal level


3. Discovery Education Web 2.0 Tools:  http://web2014.discoveryeducation.com/web20tools.cfm
We all know the amazing abilities Discovery Education has had on education for years.  The best part of Discovery Education is that it is constantly evolving right alongside the classroom to provide seamless integration.  This particular site is all about web tools but in different categories:  
 Presentation tools
Video tools
Mobile tools
Community tools
Related links
Each of these categories only have three or four sites except Related links, which has more, but that's MORE than a mouthful for anyone who wants to use them individually or in a mash-up (using two or more tools to create a product).

So when you have some time (break is just around the corner!!) hop on over to these sites and stay awhile...you'll love what you see :)

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By José van Dijck

In 2006, there appeared to be a remarkable consensus among Internet gurus, activists, bloggers, and academics about the promise of Web 2.0 that users would attain more power than they ever had in the era of mass media. Rapidly growing platforms like Facebook (2004), YouTube (2005), and Twitter (2006) facilitated users’ desire to make connections and exchange self-generated content. The belief in social media as technologies of a new “participatory” culture was echoed by habitual tools-turned-into-verbs: buttons for liking, trending, following, sharing, trending, et cetera. They articulated a feeling of connectedness and collectivity, strongly resonating the belief that social media enhanced the democratic input of individuals and communities. According to some, Web 2.0 and its ensuing range of platforms formed a unique chance to return the “public sphere” — a sphere that had come to be polluted by commercial media conglomerates — back in the hands of ordinary citizens.

Eight years after the apex of techno-utopian celebration, a number of large platforms have come to dominate a social media ecosystem vastly different from when the platforms just started to evolve. It’s time for a reality check. What did social media do for the public — users like you — and for the ideal of a more democratic public space? Do they indeed promote connectedness and participation in community-driven activities or are they rather engines of connectivity, driven by automated algorithms and invisible business models?  Online socializing, as it now seems, is inimically mediated by a techno-economic logic anchored in the principles of popularity and winner-takes-all principles that enhance the pervasive logic of mass media instead of offering alternatives.

Most contemporary social media giants once started out as informal platforms for networking or “friending” (Facebook), for exchanging user-generated content (YouTube), or for participating in opinionated discussions (Twitter). It was generally assumed that in the new social media space, all users were equal. However, platforms’ algorithms measured relevance and importance in terms of popularity rankings, which subsequently formed the quantifiable basis of data-driven interactivity wrapped in “social” rhetoric such as following, trending, or sharing. In this platform-mediated ecosystem, sponsored and professionally generated content soon received a lot more attention than user-generated content. Platforms like YouTube and Facebook gradually changed their interfaces to yield business models that were staked in two basic variables: attention and user data. By 2012, once informal social traffic between users had become fully formalized, automated, and commoditized by platforms owned and exploited by fast growing corporate giants. Although each of these platforms nurses its own proprietary mechanisms, they are staked in the same values or principles: popularity, hierarchical ranking, quick growth, large traffic volumes, fast turnovers, and personalized recommendations. A like is not a retweet, but most algorithms are underpinned by the norms of popularity and fast-trending topics.

The cultivation of online sociality is increasingly dominated by four major chains of platforms: Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon. These chains share some operational principles even if they differ on some ideological premises (open versus closed systems). Some consider social media platforms as alternatives to the old mass media, praising their potential to empower individual users who can contribute their own opinions or content to a media universe that was before pretty much closed to amateurs. Although we should not underestimate this newly acquired power of the web as a publishing medium for all, it is hard to keep up the tenet that social media are alternatives to mass media. Over the past few years, it has become increasingly obvious that the logics of mass media and social media are intimately intertwined. Not just on the level of platforms mechanics and content (tweets have become the equivalent of soundbites) but also on the level of user dynamics and business models; YouTube-Google now collaborates with many former foes from Hollywood to turn their platform into the gateway to the entertainment universe. Newspapers and television stations are inevitably integrated in the ecosystem of connective media where the mechanisms of data-driven user traffic determines who and what gets most attention, hence drawing customers and eyeballs.

This new connective media system has reshaped the power relationships between platform owners and users, not only in terms of who may steer information but also who controls the vast amount of user data that rushes through the combined platforms every day. What are the larger political and social concerns behind deceptively simple interfaces and celebrated user-convenient tools? Where in 2006 the notion of user power still seemed unproblematic, the relationship between users and owners of social media platforms is now contentious and embattled. In the wake of the growing monopolization of niches (Facebook for social networking, Google for search, Twitter for microblogging) it is important to redefine and reappraise the meaning of “social,” “public,” “community,” and “nonprofit.” The ecosystem of connective media has no separate spaces for the “public”; it is a nirvana of interoperability which major players argue for deregulation and which imposes American neoliberal conditions on a global space where boundaries are considered disruptions of user convenience. Common public values, such as independence, trust, or equal opportunities, are ready for reassessment if they need to survive in an environment that is defined by social media logic.

José van Dijck is a professor of Comparative Media Studies at the University of Amsterdam; her latest book, The Culture of Connectivity: A Critical History of Social Media has just been published by Oxford University Press (2013).

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Image credit: 3D little human character X9 in a Network, holding Tablet Computer. People series. Image by jojje9999, iStockphoto.

The post Social media and the culture of connectivity appeared first on OUPblog.

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I wish Google Docs had an embed button, but nope...they give you a link to share :)  So here's the presentation from TCEA.  Enjoy!
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-wHb5Nsjhy0MGJIUDVBSmlRWWs/edit?usp=sharing

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Yesterday, I was searching for a website I used last year to create an online button/logo and couldn't for the life of me remember what it was.  So I used the good ole standby website Delicious.  And I was virtually slapped in the face....

There used to be a time when I was excited about the newest and best out there, using the programs and huge creativity of people's minds to share web 2.0 content and how it could be utilized.  But then the inevitable happened - I began to focus on what could be used in the classroom and library and the edges got blurry.  No longer did I need to know more, I needed to use more of what I already knew!

And the pool of web content and tools for the classroom began to grow stagnant.  It was a slow and gradual process until I looked down one day and saw the green and realized I needed some chlorine....fast!  My Delicious pool is getting green!!

So, what are those websites I focused on to create that stagnancy?  You know them....Prezi, Animoto, Voicethread, Glogster, Wix, Weebly.  The bookends of excellent educational technology, as well they should be.  They've earned the right to be there.  But what do I have between those bookends that I can pull from and train, teach and expand student engagement and teacher knowledge? 

So I went  to get the best of the best for web tools, and here are some sites I'll be using that showcase those sites on the cusp of grandeur:

AASL Top Twenty Five Best Websites:
http://www.ala.org/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/bestlist/bestwebsitestop25

Larry Ferlazzo's Best Web Apps in 2012:
http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2012/07/10/the-best-web-2-0-applications-for-education-in-2012-%E2%80%94-so-far/

Digital Goonies: Creative, outside of the box thinkers on web tools:
http://digitalgoonies.com/

I need to fill in the bookends with new ideas and technologies to pull, learn and teach the campus I work with so I don't have to sit and watch the millionth Animoto or the two millionth Prezi....know what I mean?

And thank you Kristin Fontinchiaro for reminding me:  It's about focus and balance, not about creativity and a project done.  Educational technology should showcase the learning, not the product.

Sites I'm really enjoying right now?  Tripline, Symbaloo, Jux, Haiku Deck....:)
And yeah, I'm reading some good YA novels too!! 

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I guess it's been about a year and a half (maybe more) since I created the livebinders for book trailer resources.  But one thing I have found out, especially with students, is that they tend to open up the link directly within the livebinder, which gives them an incorrect URL when crediting images.  So, they have to open livebinders, open another tab, copy and paste, then go back and forth...BORING!

And so I created a Symbaloo that has most of the link I created with livebinders, but it set up so much more elegantly because of its simplicity.  So, if you'd like to share this with others, please do.  Also know that this is not only for book trailers in the library world, but also online projects for ANY class a student may take that asks them for virtual projects.  The perma link is:
http://www.symbaloo.com/mix/booktrailerresources

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I'm not new to the whole social media network.  It's just that I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the redundancy that can potentially happen when you have so many different networks you're using.  Of course, Youtube and Schooltube hold exclusively video, so it just makes sense that's where I put my book trailers.  But then there's the ubiquitous task of what I put on my blog versus what I post on Twitter.  Right now all of my book reviews are on my blog, but should I also post links to my Twitter account?  And technology...most of the cool things I find online and share are found on my Twitter account, but do I post them on my blog?

This is the conundrum.  Finding two very distinct platforms, I feel like I should treat them like sisters - give each of them loving attention while understanding the different personalities they are.  They both have some of the same friends, but they also have different friends they play with (friends = followers).  I ask myself, "If I find the same information on Twitter, why should I follow on Blogger...or vice versa.  It's that ugly redundant head poking it's way into the twisted wires of technology.

 So, for now, I have decided to keep them separated.  I know how cramped it can be when sisters begin to share a room.  Believe me, I had to share with TWO! : )

So, if you want to follow my posts on  Twitter, please do!  I just posted two fabulously amazing sites a few minutes ago on twitter (@yabooksandmore).  And if you like what I post on Blogger, I sure do appreciate ya'll!!  Any every now and again, I'll have to just post the same thing on both.  I already do this in tandem with my book trailers.  So check it out and follow if you'd like.

 It could be too much YABAM (YABooksAndMore)  ....WOW!!  That sounds like a PERFECT onomatopoeia word!!  ie, I need a trailer/book review to put in a booktalk...YABAM!!!  hahahaha!!  Testing days make me giddy at the end of the day, forgive my punchiness :)
See you online!

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Throughout this semester, I've been tooling around on the internet intermittently (try saying that three times in a row!) and found some wonderful new sites, some beta sites and  others your may know about already.  I thought I'd share them with you so if you get bored during the holidays, or if there's snow on the ground but your internet still works, these may be some things you'd like to incorporate into your transliteral world of co-teaching for the greater good of students, who seem to know more about social media than educational media online.

New Sites for Sore Eyes:
1. Projeqt - http://www.projeqt.com/ 
     This is a site du jour, where you can create the most visually beautiful presentations I've ever seen.  They call themselves the creative storytelling platform, and most certainly can be!  Find one of two themes you like, and start creating with your words and images.  Add sounds, RSS, twitter feeds, video and more.  Recommended that you watch the video tutorial first

2. Jux - http://www.jux.com/
Beautiful presentations can be made here using a variety of settings to create a unique slideshow.  Create and mash together from six different templates from slide show, to video, to a top 10 list.  The images you place in your presentation will stretch throughout the entire slide...that's the only caveat to this site

3. Tripline - http://www.tripline.net/
This could be such a powerful tool for all curricular levels.  You map out a trip, and add details and the trip becomes interactive.  Includes nice music you won't have to download.  Think of the possibilities with this one!  This is also an app for iphone. 

4. Stixy - http://www.stxy.com/
This is an alternative to glogster - not as showy, but that's what makes this a quality site.  You can add photos, notes, documents (ie Word, Excel PDF), a to-do list and a calendar.  Website addresses become links.  Easy to use with younger students, but the simple template makes it pleasing. 

5. Popplet - http://www.popplet.com/
This bulletin-board type site is set to show off your creations from photos of a project to creating a flowchart of ideas that sync together.  You can use this alone or ask others to create with you.  The user can organize each "popple" by height, width, columnar or vertical as well as use multiple links to map each popple created.  Choose colors, add links and images....this is a great tool that can be used with ease. 

Two others I'm demo-ing:
9Slides - http://www.9slides.com/  Right now, it's in the beta stage and I'm on the list to test it, but haven't been successful is creating one yet.  In short, this is a mashup of video and powerpoint.  Looks to have potential

Masher - http://www.masher.com/  Another interesting video creation site online.  Easy to use, it mimics moviemaker. 

So, here are some virtual jingle treats for you.  Enjoy!!

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A couple months ago I started seeing images that had the words “via Pinterest” on my friends’ Facebook news feeds. It took about a week ‘til my curiosity was piqued enough to find out what Pinterest was. Once I found out what it was, I requested an invite. Once I received a Pinterest account, I [...]

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One of the fantastic sessions I attended at NCTE was called “Beyond Classroom Walls: Honoring Voices of Young Readers.”  It was led by Julie Johnson of Raising Readers and Writers, Katie Keier of Catching Readers, and Cathy Mere of Reflect and Refine.  Let me start by saying that all three of these women are the [...]

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My friend June Yazel and I are putting together a workshop called: Tackling Technology in a Writer’s World. We are planning two different versions, one for elementary teachers and another for content area secondary teachers. Although similar, the secondary version will focus more on research and informational writing while the elementary version will focus more [...]

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Today both the brick-and-mortar and virtual worlds rely on social media and networking.

But, what is social media?

Social media includes such things as user-created video, audio, text or multimedia you put online and share on the World Wide Web in a social environment, like a blog, wiki or video site such as YouTube. You might also describe social media as any form of Internet publication or Web site that allows a number of individuals to communicate with each other in or around whatever content is on the website.

Social Media Videos

Video #1 - Social Media in Plain English

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Video #2 - Social Media Revolution by Eric Qualman (June/2011)

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Video #3 - Social Networking Sites Used as Outreach Tools by Libraries

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Video #4 - Social Bookmarking in Plain English

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Video #5 - Social Bookmarking: Making the Web Work for You

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Video #6 - Do Libraries Need a Social Media Policy?

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Video #7 - Giganews: How to Access Newsgroups

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Video #8 - Listservs

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Sqworl for this presentation, with thumbnails and links to all tools discussed.

Using the Tools

 

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Web 2.0 is sometimes called the interactive web. As you might imagine, that means it's important for librarians to explore the many opportunities Web 2.0 offers for them to engage their patrons and provide the types of services that will attract new library users.

Here's a great 2007 slideshare that introduces you to the history of Web 2.0:

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Below is a selection of videos that introduce some of the most popular Web 2.0 applications.

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Video #1 - A Librarian's Web 2.0 Manifesto

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Video #2 -- Web 1.0 to 2.0 to 3.0

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Video #3 - Blogs in Plain English

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Video #4 - Wikis in Plain English