Bringing It All Together

Together in our Personal Learning Network (PLN), we have run around the playground and we have strolled along the beach. So now let's turn our attention to enjoying the outdoors in a more formal sense. For our analogy this time, let's get involved in the hobby of birding (which by the way is the fastest growing outdoor activity in America.) More specifically, let's think about the steps that would be involved in building a birdhouse so that you, a hobbyist, could attract the kinds of birds you are most interested in watching!

You have spent part of the last couple of years or so working through Library2Play 23 Things and Library2Play2 11.5 More Things experiencing online resources that assist you and your students in the learning process. Through this Library2Play 3 adventure, you will now have an opportunity to bring the bits and pieces together in a more "formal" product that you will use at some point with your students in the upcoming semester. The product or project you create through this professional development will be the "birdhouse" that will attract your students to the learning!

This video reflects how some Things you have learned in the previous programs can be combined and used to create a student product! [yes this talks about a program, but you look at the skills!!]



Here is another example of how a group of students put a project together using similar Things you will be exploring. Take note of the music in both videos -- they CAN use the tunes because they have TRANSFORMED them -- New lyrics!!


Find more videos like this on TLNing


So the product/project you decide to create, or the "birdhouse" you decide to build, can be something that YOU will use in teaching something to your students OR a model of what you expect your students to create through the process you build here.

An even MORE important aspect of this particular professional development activity is that it will provide you with a concise guide to share with other teachers and learners in your circle of influence that are interested in doing similar things with their students. You will be able to point them to your blog where they can see the steps you went through and the kinds of questions you worked through in building your product.

Please create a new blog for Library2Play3
Because of the uniqueness of this particular learning process, a blog devoted to only the analysis of your project is critical. You will want to virtually hand over your analysis of what you did for someone else to follow. Don't you agree it would be difficult for another user to have to pick around and through other blog posts!
How to create a second blog:
1. Sign in using the same email address and password that you do for the blog you already have.
2. You should be on your Dashboard. There will be a blue link on the right that says "Create a blog."
3. Click that link and you should recognize the steps!
If it has been awhile and you are rusty on how to set up the new blog, contact the County Extension Agent

The seven Posts that you will write about the process of Library2Play3 are:

Bringing It All Together

Thing #1 Access Information
Thing #2 Evaluate Information
Thing #3 Plan, Organize and Synthesize Information
Thing #4 Create New Information
Thing #5 Share The Information

Reflection and Evaluation

You must register your blog with the Library2Play 3 County Extension Agent.
Email vaughn.branom@springbranchisd.com with:
1. Blog name/title of your blog. Remember the nature of this project calls for a new blog!
2. Your name as you are known in your blog--YOUR blog identity.
AND
3. Your blog address which will look like:



4. SBISD campus (or school district for outside hobbyists. )

Until you do this, you are not officially a participant and are not eligible for credit or certificate.

If you are a SBISD employee and wish to receive the 6 hours of professional development off-contract hours, you must be registered on PDLC. If you have problems registering on PDLC for this course, contact vaughn.branom@springbranchisd.com
The PDLC course is # 1671.13674

Come to a bird club meeting (for no extra credit) at the SBISD Media Center from 9:00-3:00 on these dates only:
Tuesday, June 22nd
Wednesday, July 7th
Thursday, July 15th
Tuesday, July 20th
The County extension agent and some ornithologists will be available for help during these come-and-go sessions. Hobbyists will help each other as well!

If you are from outside SBISD, in September, you will receive a certificate indicating the 6 hours of off-contract professional development to use in gaining any type of credit your institution may have.

For your "Bringing It All Together" post:
1. Describe the topic that your product will reflect.
2. How does that fit into the curriculum that your students will be learning in your room?
3. Are there particular TEKs/TAKs and or goals that this topic will cover.
4. How do you think presenting the topic with a technology-influenced twist will change the students reaction to the information?

Thing #1 Access Information

Ok, You have your topic that will be the basis of your project. Think about the subjects, key words, and /or tags that go with your topic.

Let's look at some sources you will want to research for information about your topic:

1. TEXT

Check your library catalog for resources that may help you.

In SBISD, you probably have used Meriwether to locate materials in the past. Have you discovered the cool, new catalog called Aquabrowser that learners can also use to locate materials from our district collections? Check out the tag cloud that comes up when you do a search for your topic.


2. SEARCH ENGINES

Do you use only Google or Yahoo for your online searches?

Pick three other search engines and see what results you get for your topic?
Ask - question format
Bling - one of the newest; online since 2009
Clusty - clusters similar things together
Dogpile - has been around for awhile
Lycos - allows preview before opening page
Maggwire - magazine articles
Topix - current news; can pinpoint your location to narrow results
Wolfram/Alpha - computation engine; online since 2009
More choices - scroll down especially for kid-friendly
Even more choices


3. DATABASES

In SBISD, online subscription databases have been available for many years as resources for information. They are located in the yellow box on the Library Resources Page. Because they are subscriptions, passwords are necessary to access the information. Look at the subscription databases that you have available and see what information you can find for your topic. Encyclopedia Britannica is an example among the subscription databases available in SBISD.

Wikipedia on the other hand, is an example of a free online database available to anyone! There are all kinds of free databases supported by institutions that can provide valuable resources for projects and products. Other examples of freely-available databases include:
American Memory
CIA Factbook
Handbook of Texas
Math Archives
MathOnline
MEDLinePlus
NASA
National Science Digital Library
PBS
PBSKids
Portal to Texas History
Smithsonian
You will find other institutional databases when you search for your topic.


4. SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

Remember, to aid in getting information for your project, you can set up a Google Alert to come to your email. By entering some tags or key words, information will come to you as often as it is updated or on a timeline you arrange. This feature is especially important for projects built around current events or news stories.

There are informational blogs on just about any subject these days. You can set up informational blogs to come to your Google Reader and get the newest information. Do you know how to do a Google Blog search to find those helpful blogs?

Click on image for a larger view.

The two social bookmarking sites delicious and diigo can also be sources for locating information for your project. They both have search boxes on their homepages that you can enter tags or key words related to your needs and results will come from the bookmarked sites others in their communities have added.
If you want to add specific web sites that you want your students to use, you can open a free account, add your choices and attach unique tags that you share with your students. That way the information you especially want them to use will come up.

Depending on the type of information you are seeking, you may find help in Nings. Information sources and samples are often added by members. You do not necessarily need to join in order to use the information, but joining is as simple as an email address. Here are some for you to consider checking:
Texas School Librarians
TeacherLibrarianNing
Classroom 2.0
21st Century Teacher-Librarians
TeacherLingo
Education Ning

YouTube is another social networking site that you can use for project information. You can add clips to your project. You may see examples of ideas for your own project.

5. VISUALS

Images are bits of information that can be important parts of your project. Keep in mind that you should use copy-right friendly images like those found in FlickrCC. Here is some help in capturing those images and images from Discovery Education to which SBISD subscribes. Check out some of these resources for copyright-friendly images (and sounds!)

This is a huge list of resources for accessing information. Different types of projects will require information from different sections of the list. It is assumed you will not gather information from all these resources. It has been constructed as a starting point for places to consider looking!

For your Thing #1 post in your blog:

1. Discuss which resources you found appropriate information for your topic.
2. When you switched to the three search engines, how did that change or not change your results? Have you considered using a different search engine with your students next year because of the exercise?
3. Where there some surprising results in researching information for your project?

Bet you have a flock of information sources!

Credits:
Searching image - Microsoft Clipart - PE03050_.wmf
Google Bog search screen - originally created by VWB using Jing
Search results screen - originally created by VWB using Jing

Thing #2 Evaluate Information

As you select information, you must decide if it is correct or appropriate information to include in your project. Print materials used in school have gone through an editorial process prior to publishing and well-established evaluation processes by librarians and other educators responsible for their selection.

This is not always true about information from web sites. The very nature of the web and the ease by which anyone can add information to the web makes evaluating online information critical.


Review these sites for criteria, sample lists, and ideas for how to "teach" evaluation skills to students.

Evaluating, Selecting, and Citing Web Sources - Flash presentation

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly Or Why It's Good to Evaluate Web Sites
This link contains several things you can use in evaluating websites.
Criteria to consider.

A Webquest about Evaluating Web Sites

Much of the information from the 2.0 world is so new or changes so rapidly that blogs are sources for the information. Here is an article that focuses mainly on how to evaluate the validity of blog information.

Below is one of many YouTube videos that may help you address website evaluation. Key words "evaluate websites" will bring up a list of other videos to consider using.


Activity for you to complete:

Use two of these forms (printable or online) to evaluate ONE of the online resources you have chosen to use in creating your project. Go through the process of finding all the information necessary to declare the site a good one for each of the two forms.

Simple checklist - printable
Evaluation form - fill out on line and print results
Kathy Schrock's elementary evaluation form. More forms
Worksheet for evaluation - printable
Evaluation Wizard - input url for online evaluation.

In your blog post for Thing #2:

1. Share the results of evaluating your selected web site. Did it measure up?
2. Were there any differences in results between the two forms you chose to use?
3. Do you have any thoughts about how to make this process a natural part of the research process for your students?


So now you should be ready to "outline" your plan!

Credits:
Visual - MS Clipart j0439824.png

Thing #3 Plan, Organize and Synthesize Your Information

You are at the point in your project where you need to bring the information you found and evaluated together and begin organizing it for the format you have selected to use.

You may create a PhotoStory or an iMovie. If you select to use PhotoStory and you want to add video, you will have to upload your PhotoStory into Windows MovieMaker. All three of these programs are loaded on the district computers.

If you choose to use a personal PC computer and do not already have access to PhotoStory or MovieMaker, they are easy to add. iMovie should already be on your personal Macbook if you have one.

Putting information in order for an online project is accomplished by using a storyboard technique. This procedure is similar to outlining a traditional written assignment. You decide what information is grouped together and what pieces come first, second, third, etc.

As an educator, you have experienced the 5-paragraph paper idea. One paragraph introduces what information you are going to share, 3 paragraphs describe in detail what information you share, and the final paragraph reminds the reader what information you just shared. This idea can be translated into a storyboard. You decide how many slides you need to use to organize and tell your story.

Read these articles for background information and ideas:
What is a Storyboard?
How Do Students Create Excellent Storyboards in Simple Steps?

Choose one of these storyboard templates below and outline your project.
Paper templates are perfectly acceptable tools to use for this activity.

Simple Storyboard on paper - book passage project from TimeforKids.com. Can be adapted for other subjects
Kids' Vid Storyboard form - online group storyboard. Must register.
Storyboard Templates - dozens of templates that can be printed
Digital Storytelling Storyboard Template
Digitales Storyboard Template For original content: template for original shot order

How about using PowerPoint screens to "storyboard" your project? Scribble your ideas in PPT screens using PPT tools like boxes and autoshapes to represent your content. Add notes with text boxes. You can easily rearrange the screens as your ideas change.

For you Thing #3 blog post:

1. Share your storyboard for your project. (If possible, digitize a paper copy.)

2. Explain which storyboard template or technique will work best with your students.

3. What benefits will there be if students use storyboards in creating projects?

Your information has been gathered, your plans drawn up...now go create!

Credits:

Plans - Microsoft Clipart IN00702_.wmf

Lightbulb - Microsoft Clipart j0441397.png

Thing #4 Create New Information

It is now time to build your project. Take your storyboard and turn it into the "real" product.

As mentioned before, you may use either PhotoStory or iMovie to create your piece.

Although PhotoStory3 can not accept video clips, you can add your completed story to Windows MovieMaker and add other video there. The program is already loaded on SBISD district computers if you choose to use it. Tutorials are available here, here and here.

If you choose to create your project in iMovie, you can add video from the Flip camera or other digital movies to your project. If you want to add YouTube video clips to your project, you will have to convert the video to the mp4 format that iMovie uses. You may already be familiar with the conversion program Zamzar and it will convert YouTube video (up to 100 MB) so it may be used in iMovie.

No two projects will be the same. The fun will be in the differences and the creativity!

Remember:
1. Use copy-friendly images and music.
If you need help locating these types of resources, look on the Curriculum Wiki .
2. Cite your resources. A slide at the end would probably be the easiest for this project, but when working with students, you may want to use another format such as a paper form.
3. Save your project in the format that allows it to be shared...and in any format that allows for editing.

After completing your project, show it to fresh eyes. Share it with a member of your PLN.

For your Thing #4 Post:

1. Briefly describe what the creation process was like. Were there bumps along the way? Did it come out like you wanted?

2.What did the "pair of fresh eyes" suggest to you about your project. What were the high points for your reviewer?

Dance a jig, shout hip-hip-hooray, pat yourself on the back!

Your "birdhouse" of a project is complete. Now go let the world see your masterpiece!



Credits:

Big Huge Labs mosaic created using Flickr Creative Commons photos

by brad.rourke, howieluvzus, Urban Woodswalker , peapodsquadmom, phoenix wolf-ray, Wonderlane, Angela K. Severn, R. Clock, nicocrisafulli, OliBac, Dendroica cerulea, dave_stone, pocketwiley

Thing #5 Share the New Information

The quickest way to share the new information you have created is uploading your project to your blog. You have done that process before.
Remember, a Photostory must be saved as a wmv file for it to upload properly. An iMovie must be an mp4 file for uploading purposes. You will use the film icon on the post box toolbar to add your project. Thing #21 in L2P should remind you how it works!

You can choose to save it in other places as well...a wiki, your page on your school's website, an institutional (public) Facebook page or something like YouTube.

YouTube is a great place for more permanent and easy-to-access storage of information. You can put all of your projects you create in one place and then share them out to different groups or venues as needed. You will always know where your stuff is!




You may have an account or channel on YouTube already as a result of #4 in Library2Play2. Check for your account or create an account, your own personal channel.

Add your completed project there and then embed it or link it in Post #5 of your blog so we all can see your good work. The advantage of having your own YouTube channel is you can park all of the videos and movies you create. Then you can use and share them out to aother format like Google Sites , or any blog or your classroom web page.


When you add your project to your YouTube channel, include as one of your tags- sbisdL2P3
That way, anyone can search using that tag and locate all the videos that were created for this project. Remember, this project was to be something you can use next semester, and hopefully, you will want to share the information.


After adding your project in your Post #5 and saving it to YouTube (or another location) for permanent storage write your Thing #5 Post:

1. What tags (other that the required sbisdL2P3) did you add to your project so that it may be searched. That includes the tags you will add to your #5 Post.

2. Who is the audience for your project? Can the project be adapted for others or other needs?

3. Describe how to find your project other than your L2P3 blog.



The project is done! Let's go see how you did.

Reflection and Evaluation

Just as you have been asked to reflect and evaluate your own work in the previous programs, you will want to reflect upon the journey you took in creating this project and all the preparation it took to achieve it.

Even more importantly, you will want to build an evaluation piece or rubric for the student-created version of whatever it is you have designed for them to do. RubiStar is one such source for creating rubrics for project-based assessments. To use it you must register for a free account. Here is a tutorial on how to create a rubric.

Here is more information on creating rubrics along with some samples and links to templates
Here is a simple checklist that may prompt you in thinking about evaluating student projects.
Kathy Schrock has information and several templates to use in creating evaluation pieces.


For your final post for Library2Play 3:

Reflect back on this paragraph from the opening screen of L2P3

An even MORE important aspect of this particular professional development activity is that it will provide you with a concise guide to share with other teachers and learners in your circle of influence that are interested in doing similar things with their students. You will be able to point them to your blog where they can see the steps you went through and the kinds of questions you worked through in building your product.

1. How did analyzing each portion of your project as you worked through it aid you in thinking about how to help students (and other teachers) create their own technology-enhanced projects.
2. How do you anticipate using your series of blog posts and the L2P3 blog itself in the future?
3. Describe one other way you anticipate helping others grow in using technology.
4. The success of the 23 Things program has been established. How did the "23 Things" format translate to this type of program that was more systematic?