09.28.09 vlogs & final project

Okay, creating my "get to know dixie" vlog wasn't physically difficult, but the first 5 minutes of the 7 will put you to sleep. I think that as I worked with the camera/laptop, I grew more comfortable. I admit I did some retakes because I am a RAMBLER and started talking about stuff that was ridiculous. So I stopped, deleted (love the sound of it blowing up in iMovie), and reshot. I did some editing stuff I learned in 2004 M.Ed classes, so it was fun to put that prior knowledge to use. I am particularly proud of my addition of "Danke Schoen" youtube video/audio recored using iMovie for my ending. For a first use of using my i-sight technology, I am satisfied, but after viewing other vlogs this weekend, I will say, that I would prefer standing, moving and cutting to different information. Having the camera on me total time, sitting down was a challenge. I felt it made me less creative and my voice was too mellow; it wasn't really reflective of my personality until I got to the cookbook section. 

Because I like to bake, I went to youtube to search for vlogs on baking. I watched Sarah's School of Baking . I found her style annoying at first, but after watching three vlogs, she grew on me. I even began to enjoy the banter between her camera person, her mother, and Amy. She starts each vlog with a quote, fact or random attention getter (her bargain hat/gloves) and then launches into her baking item for the "show". It is in her own kitchen and from what I can tell, she specializes in recipes for those who are vegans or have food allergies. She has a midwestern dialect and a quirky sense of humor. Perhaps I enjoy her because she reminds me of me in the classroom--active, humorous, and a bit goofy.  I think she is addressing a vegan audience, those who thumb their noses at vegan recipes, and those who want healthy baking options. Her editing style is just go with the flow; hit start and then end, whatever happens in between happens. The mood is casual and easy going and there is a sarcastic, pop-culture tone to it. It takes place in her personal kitchen with a handheld camera. Her mom using ends the vlogs eating the baked good while Sarah runs the camera. Cute would also sum this vlog series up.

I keep switching around on my final project. I'd actually like to try to complete the project with my students before our course finishes in December. It is more likely that I will follow through with the project, too. I am SUPER excited about using flickR with writing. In the past, I have posted 50 images from art, sculpture, magazine ads, paintings, postcards on a wall. Students will select one and freewrite about it. I've also played music in languages or instrumental that is "odd" and not naturally understandable. Students have to use the tone/mood/voice/beat and rhythm to visualize what is happening in the text. They then create a free verse poem from the image or song. But as I was reading about FlickR options, I was thinking of reversing it. Students choose a poem that they are usually required to memorize, but instead, they focus on truly "performing" the poem by recording the audio of it and set it to music they create (no lyrics, as the poem is the lyrics) or visually represent it with images they take or pull from flickR.  Evaluation would be on using line breaks or enjambments, punctuation, inflection, and incorporating the mood/tone into their voice and visual/audio selections. It would have to FIT together. 

I am also interested in a group-written research paper on a controversial topic. My students will write an individual persuasive research paper on a human rights topic in January and having research skills and basic writing format practiced before the whopper of a paper makes a difference. Grading 143 of practice papers (usually awful) is a nightmare. So having students work in 3 or 4 would make my job a BIT easier. So I am still working it out. 

Therefore, I am not ready to bubble map yet. 

09.22.09 posting

Quick venting: The last week I have students using the same old excuses, "my printer isn't working, we ran out of ink, I left my flashdrive at home," etc. It is only the third week of school! I have had SOOOO many frustrations using our district site, Moodle, that I am leery of asking students to upload their documents. Hence, I am considering using Ning and Google.'s blogger to allow real wiki options and blog time without spinning. Richardson's chapter two makes it sound so simple! I currently use Google to house my classroom site, again to avoid the frustrations of uber-clicking to add a document or update a homework page, so why not?!

Enough of the ranting: this week's posting...

I thought I was done with databases after my methods to writing a thesis class, but I teach research paper writing, and to avoid the google overload, I model those same databases for my eighth grade students. We look at EBSCO, Opposing Viewpoints, ERIC, Facts.com, Issues and Controversies @FACTS.com, InfoTracKids and InfoTracStudents. Our school site only has access to so many of these databases, but the Hennipen County Library system does have licenses to these; all a student needs is the barcode number on their personal HCLIB card to access the world. My issue with most of these DB's is that they are way above a 13- or 14-year old reading level. My higher readers can struggle through them, but my lower and many on-grade-level readers struggle. 

The search categories or keywords depend on the student's topic. All topics are related to a human right's issue locally, nationally or globally. We teach the use of narrowing a search using better fitting key words and use of scanning. I would LOVE to use the delicious site and tagging so students can share sites or articles they find and get updates for them with RSS feeds, too. That will be new to my teaching this year. One more reason to get them working blog options.

As for determining validity and/or credibility, we discuss the types of dot extensions (e.g., com, edu, gov, net) and looking for who sponsors the site, when it was last updated and finding similar information in more than one location. Blogging as a source option brings credibility into play. Is it an opinion and therefore because it is on the Internet a valid source? No. I have bookmarked some sites that I can use, beyond the hard core reviewed sources, using delicious (globaissues.org/humanrights.org) to supplement and find some lower reading level options. 

I realize there are a TON of blogs out there that deal with topics I am interested in, thought I was too busy to use, but the youtube video did make it seem feasible to spend just 10 minutes a day on it. I can manage that. So I have begun adding teen book review sites, poetry sites and research sites. I think that at this time, I will only use delicious, not diigio, to keep myself sane. I am becoming overwhelmed with id/pw creation and which is which. 

I think the way I have taught database and search method use will be of a higher quality than I describe above. By finding websites that utilize the students' overall topic (human rights), I/we can find specific blogs or sites that drill into their main topic (e.g., women's rights in Afghanistan or clean water availability in South America, etc.). I think the way I teach validity and credibility will remain the same with the exception of blogging ownership. I also think that source options will be greater using RSS, delicious, tagging and sharing of this through their classroom blog.  If students can better find and read the sources, they will be more engaged and less frustrated. Being able to share sources beyond our class will also be useful and keep the kids connected. 

Set up and hello to Amy Lou

Hello Amylou12! Just set up a new one to make sure I remembered the process flow. Heading to CO and will post my blog response by class time Tuesday. Won't be there, as I will be waxing poetically of the amazing curricula I will teach to the parents of my 143 eager 12-year olds. No need to take notes, as I can always listen to Rick's podcast. ;-)