Drop Box

Dropbox is an online storage tool that allows files to be saved via the internet connection. After creating an account, I am able to load files from various computer devices. These can later be syncronised so they remain updated. Its a great way to transfer files without using USB devices. I'm looking forward to sharing this tool with students at school who frequently loose their thumb drives ... and homework.
DropBox Video

eBooks and Audio books

Project Gutenburg provides access to free downloads of ebooks and audio ebooks.

The selection is limited due to copyright laws as they can only include titles where copyright no longer applies. However it is an excellent site to access classics from authors such as Austin and Stevenson.

The audio versions also add to usefuleness as they can be listened to on Mp3.

I am investigating ebooks for future addition to our library collection as this is where some of our readers prefer to access literature.

Online Video

I have use used You Tube sites to locate Book Trailers that promote Young Adult Fiction.

 These are used in literature lessons and are included in our library web blog.

Book Trailers.net / young adult

Stolen by Lucy Christopher / young adult fiction

Publisher Video Sites

       Author Video Index by Scholastic

• Carl Hiaasen author of Flush
• Gordan Korman author of Swindle



Teacher Tube Videos:

Our goal at TeacherTube.com is to provide an online community for sharing instructional teacher videos. Upload your lesson plan videos or watch student ...

Pay Attention highlights the changing learning styles of students as they use technology in their every day lives.
Technology Fear factor in Eduaction: something for educators to consider...
 

And just for fun...

Rowan Atkinson  .... always good value...

especially when teamed with John Cleese





Podcasts

• iTunes provides the most commonly used access to podcasts. Once free downloaded software is installed it is possible to access music, movies, TV shows, games and apps for iPhones/iPad/iPods to purchase and download onto PCs.
• Podcastalley.com provides a directory to wide variety of podcasts on various topics. There is a key word search option and abstract of titles in search result provides a brief description of content.
• MyPodcast.com directory organises podcasts under general topic headings which makes browsing easier to manage. These headings include: Arts; Business; Education; Games & Hobbies; Government & Organisations; Health; Religion & Spirituality; Science & Medicine; Society & Culture; Sport & Recreation; Technology.
• Education Podcast Network is a directory designed

       " to bring together into one place, the wide range of podcast programming that may be helpful to teachers looking for content to teach with and about, and to explore issues of teaching and learning in the 21st century. "

I selected OPAL podcast from their list. After browsing the list I decided to add it as a RSS feed to Google Reader.

• Linking for Learning has a home page that describes many facets of using podcasts in the educational setting. I believe it to be worthwhile to add this as a bookmark to delicious.com account.
• ABC - Radio National Podcasts directory has podcasts orgainised under the ABC program from which they originated. I selected Life & Times and The Book Show for which I created a RSS feed as I would find it interesting to download some of the titles to listen to in the car on the way to work.

It would be interesting to look at Podcasting for myself however the first link provided does not work.
The second link How to Podcast gives seemingly simple step to creating a podcast. I'd like to attempt to do this in the future. If it is easy enough to do it would be beneficial for creating resources for students within the classroom to follow instructions or to read along with.

# 19 Rollyo ... create personal search engine

Rollyo is easy to navigate and offers some useful options.
I like the way I can create a specific list of web resources that I can send to teachers and students as well as creating a link on the Library blog.
It would be a great alternative to having students using Google searches only to locate information.
It also offers a widget to place on web pages. This will be easy to explain to students so they can refer to it as a research source at the start of a unit.
As the search lists develop it would be a great way to share resources within school community and other teacher librarians.

#18 Wikis ... Hawiian for "QUICK"

Meredith Farkas's article promotes the use of wikis as a means  of opening up web design to the less "tech-savvy" people within the library community. As wikis requires only basis computer skills and no need for html language knowledge, most staff and patrons would be comfortable using this tool. Her recommendations for use include:

• Subject guides where patrons could add new sites as well as delete dead sites.
• Annotating Catalogue by patrons adding reviews about books.
• Community wiki where users shared advise about everyday issues.
• Intranet tool where school community could post important information that would be ongoing, rather than relying on emails. Tagging would aid the organisation of these posts.

My students use Wikipedia as their first option when researching information. They enjoy its quickness and the simple language used. However, it is essential to that the Information Literacy program emphasises the disadvantages as well. I recommend that students use Wikipedia as a starting place, but then refer to online  data bases where the information has been verified by experts.

Wikis: A Beginner's Look would be an excellent resource for teacher and staff training.
Library Success wiki provides a forum where librarians can share their expertise and advise.
Wikis in education is a wiki where educators can share tips about using wikis ... includes Ad-free education wikis.
Educational wikis provides information about how to use wikis in schools.

The school sample wiki shows also how membership can be restricted to school community only.
These wikis were great to get ideas from and it would be good to see Australian schools develop more. My school is currently looking at this Web2.0 option.

# 17 Delicious... social bookmarking

I had registered with Delicious about 12 months ago while at a course with other teacher librarians. It was a good way to share websites. However I had lost momentum using it. It would be a great place to add some of the web resources I have discovered doing this course. The best application I can think of for the classroom would to be as a recommended resources list for students taking a specific research task. This would be most suitable to secondary students and would also encourage them to use their school email accounts that they tend to forget. Adding other people to my network is a simple process and would broaden the web resources offered. Adding the add-ons to the toolbar will make it easier to add websites as I find them. I am motivated to utilize this tool.