InfoTeacher

I have created a rubric that can be used for Podcasts of Digital Stories.  I think I am going to jump in head first with a class next week turning their stories into Podcasts. They already have the stories finished, and have created their own pictures, so some of what is in the rubric is a little obsolete. Hopefully they will still catch on as their stories are evaluated. This rubric will help them as they are evaluated on the technology/media side of things. Rubric was created with Rubistar Rubric Maker (they are great, and already have suggestions for categories for podcasts; this rubric was created the simple way — just using the suggested content of categores chosen from the pull down list).

I was going to upload an Excel Spreadsheet but can’t see how to attache a file (except video, audo, image etc), and I can’t even see how to paste a table in here (still figuring out Word Press after using Google Blogger for 2 years).  Email me if you would like to see it until I figure our how WordPress uploads Excel.

Tags: 21st Century Learning

Obviously I haven’t posted — been trying software tricks at night from seminars I’ve been in each day. Fought with Windows Moviemaker last night for a long while wishing it worked like garageband. Went to another eminar today and saw more tricks from garageband — I’m amazed and really wishing Windows had something remotely similar. I’m about to sit through a Fundamentals of Moviemaker seminar — a change from my original plan — just because I finally figured it can’t be that bad. I must be the one who is unable to teach myself. I know Moviemaker doesn’t do nearly what the Mac does (whether it be garageband or imovie or what . . . ), but it must be a little better than what I’ve taught myself. So, I’m going to sit through this seminar and try to learn what they teach. The instructor was here when I came in and asked me why I attended. I mentioned wanting to get kids podcasting and wished we had something like garageband. He didn’t say (as I’d hoped), “you can do more with Moviemaker than you realize.”  What he said was, “I can tell you about a product called JOURNALIST IN A BOX that lets a Windows guy do just about the same thing as the Mac guys. I’m not to encouraged. I was hoping with Moviemaker we could get remotely close — since I don’t want to have to buy more software (with budget constraints, plus all of the district bells and whistles needed to get software for the school) but use what we already have!

I’ll be blogging the TIE conference this week to post my thoughts and network with other library/information teacher bloggers. Today is the CASL preconference to TIE. Sitting listening to introductions right now, and looking forward to learning.

In my adulthood the nature of what information is has radically changed, and it isn't finished. This makes me wonder how to communicate this to my students. More than ever they must be information literate.

I thought I had better link to the catalyst that has moved me to begin this blog.  First a little background.

I had the idea of blogging in mind for some time. Relating exactly how that was going to make me a better teacher, I couldn’t put into words. Then, along comes the ideas of wikis — which, if one can get past the technical and safety issues involved, seems to me to have the most potential for use with students for learning. I’m in the middle of trying to figure out how to jump in to the the 21st century when a colleague, Patti Donovan, sends and article entitled “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants” (link to the article, here, or link to part 2, entitled, “Do They Really Think Differently?” here; both articles found on Marc Prensky’s web site; note also, his blog is available, here).

So the article Patti sends is so intruguing and interesting that I am convinced that I have not kept up with my professional obligations.  So, I decide to start blogging. I surveyed my district colleagues to see who might be interested in forming a community of bloggers to help us stay current, share insights, to dream about what can be done, to learn together, and eventually recruit more teachers to use technology in ways that it shoud be used to help students learn in the 21st Century. All the teachers I have invited so far are those who responded that they are interested.

Then, an interesting thing happens. The Colorado Department of Education sends information about class on Blogs, Wikis and Nings. I decide to attend, and out of that class I decided to form this blog.

The district may be forming blogs with the official imprimatur, but until that happens this space will be my community of learners. For those of you who find this place, please join in and let’s learn and share together. It’s exciting to teach in the 21st Century.

To me blogging is a way to journal and learn. I am actually not very good at self reflection, but blogging gives me some opportunity. I will set for myself a goal: to post one blog per week at a minimum. These posts will be ideas, successes, victories, opportunities related to the teaching of information/technology to students. I thinks I’ll wait to set up categories as I journal and learn.

These posts will be of little or no use unless I am joined by others. So, today I have invited other Teacher Librarians from my school district to view my blog as well as to create their own. I hope this small beginning grows into a place we can all share, all learn and grow together.

Bereshith is a transliteration of the first word of the Hebrew Bible   בְּרֵאשִׁית  .      It’s translated, “In the Beginning.” So, this is the beginning of edublogging for me.