Try www.shelfari.com, won't you?

Hi MILI's, Regarding Thing 13: Social networking.

Let's be Shelfari.com friends. That's what I'm telling bookgroup buddies, friends who live in an alternate bookgroup world, my too-far-away sisters, and the reading teacher at the high school. Her Shelfari page has the books her students can chose to read. Next year she says all the students will keep their reading logs on Shelfari. 

The good thing is it's as little or as lots as you want. Keep track of what you've been reading. Someone's always asking, "Read anything good lately?" I can only remember the last two months of good books. Shelfari remembers. Rate the books, keep a list of what you're going to read next and it'll be online at your library, not a list lost in your wallet. By the way, it's two great Dane dogs better than Fuzzster, a way for pets to connect??? Connect to what? How uncomfortable it is for cats to sleep on your keyboard??? They've gone too far.

PodCapture Podcasting with Novak's

What a blast today was, our first attempt at podcasting! The kids are pretty composed and respectable, but the teachers? Novak and I intruded and screamed like 5 year olds in front of the camera, and there are no apologies for that. 

Using PodCapture (Applications folder, Utilities folder has PodCapture), and getting Michael Williams, ITS, to set up our system, we got all the kids usernames entered so they'd have access. The kids make a podcast, "publish" it, and an email with the link is sent to the teacher's email boxes to preview it and laugh like we're watching the most popular UTube video, "Charlie Bit Me". Today was day one, working on logging in and mechanics of podcasting. The lesson and standards happen Thursday. Can't wait for more fun.

Animoto: Create a cool slideshow

I hate blogging. What are you thinking while you read my stupid diary-like entries? The writing pressure is  like writing a Christmas letter. Blaahhhck.

Of the things we're talking about, my students aren't using yet; like blogging, wikis, del.i.cious. They're using uTube, FaceBook and text messaging. Some of the ways to with their tools is digital photos so here's a couple ideas.

Get a digital photo album for the library and ask students to pose for pictures with books they have read. Or it could be books in our library they've liked and would recommend. Students come in and see themselves with a book in their hands. Instead of a digital photo album, just use the old eMacs or the display board in the entryway.

Animoto: www.animoto.com. The end of slideshows. Upload digital photos. Of what? Of the front of a new library book, of a website link (enlarged and a photo taken of it), of students working (on task), of the cool media specialist. Add any text that should go in between the slides. Put the slides in order. Prioritize them so the most important or cute ones stay up longer. Submit it and wait for it to be turned into a blazingly cool non-slideshow. 30 second of razzle-dazzle. Upload it to your school website. Over and out!