Webbing/Mindmapping

I created free accounts on three mindmapping tools and used them to create a web over the information I read in a journal article entitled K.I.S.S. and Information Ethics by Mary Ann Bell.  The three internet tools I examined are Spicynodes, Popplet, and Wisemapping.  All of them are useful for brainstorming, notetaking, and teaching, but they have different looks and different attributes.

The first tool I looked at was Spicynodes at www.spicynodes.org.  This tool was easy to figure out, but as I branched out I was not able to see my web in its entirety.  The cool thing about it, however, was that as you clicked on one of the major branches, it became animated and opened before your eyes to show you the spreadout of branches (or embedded nodes) from that area. Click on the link to go to my web or view below. http://www.spicynodes.org/oembed/url=http%3A//www.spicynodes.org/db/nodemap/&id=cf9de6cca411466a1e3e4c86ec18d3c9&nodemapID=492481&width=640&height=360


The free account has sixteen styles to choose from.  Once you choose your title and style, you are able to begin editing your content in an outline format.  As you type in your nodes, you can add or drag them to whichever level they belong. You are not able to see what it will look like until you save and go to preview.  Then you will be able to see the cool animation.  The preview shows only the center and first branches.  To see more you must click on a branch, which will then animate and open up to reveal more. You can also choose a full screen view and rotate it around with the mouse.  Really cool!

The next tool I tried is Popplet at www.popplet.com.  Popplet is bright and colorful with many options for choosing and changing colors.  The node boxes may be dragged around and rearranged.  I  found this necessary as my viewing screen soon became overcrowded with overlapping text boxes.  You are able to add flickr, YouTube, or google maps as content. I found this tool's look to be a bit hard to follow and overcrowded, especially if you want more than one level of branching. I was able to zoom in or out to see less or more.  Click on this link to go to my web.
http://popplet.com/app/#/1676766

I changed color boxes so that you can see the levels of organization, but it's still hard to follow.  I like Spicynode's organizational features, but I like that you can see everything on Popplet's view.

The third tool is played with is Wisemapping at www.wisemapping.com.  At first I didn't like it because I thought I could just jump in and figure it out without any tutorial since I had done that with the other two.  I projected a blank screen in my class where the students were going to brainstorm ideas for a writing prompt. It started out okay, but then I had trouble when I tried to move or rearrange text as I added information.  Sometimes I would lose the linking line and sometimes the text just stubbornly wouldn't move.  I was using the tool bar across the top of the screen.  After class I watched a tutorial on YouTube which revealed a list of shortcuts.  I found that I could maneuver easily using the Enter key and the Insert key.  This tool allows you to add pictures from a pull-down box.  I like this feature.  Also, as in Popplet, I can see everything in my viewing field. You can click, hold, and drag to move individual items or the entire mind map around.


Notice how you can change the colors and shapes of the text boxes (or have no boxes at all).  I added a picture of a computer screen to the Information Ethics box, a paper/pencil to the Ethics box, a thumbs-up to the Morality box, and a light bulb to the Reflection box.  I changed the text color for the farthest branches of organization. Like Popplet, it has a zoom bar which allows you to see everything or see part of it up close. I used a dotted arrow to show that Ethics is very closely related to Morality. Click on the link to go to my web: https://app.wisemapping.com/c/maps/184203/edit.

As you can see, all three tools organize in the same way: from the center outward.  This is more visually comprehensible than traditional notetaking or even traditional outline formats.  They are fun because you can create and amend them as you go, and students become part of the process.  Of the three, I will probably use Wisemapping the most because of its ease of use and ease of view.  I think it's pretty, too.  But if I want to impress other teachers in a meeting with a web that has been previously prepared, I will probably use Spicynodes with its spicy animation!

Source:
Bell, M. (1998). Kiss and Information Ethics. TAET Journal, Spring, 1998.

Videos and QR Codes in the Library

I viewed YouTube videos from the following school libraries: The Norman High School Library, The Unquiet Library, Pikesville High School Library, and BBMS Media Center.

I was looking for videos that would be helpful for students. 

One of my 8^th grade ESL classes watched the videos for Norman High School.  Even though there were many tutorial videos, such as How to Access, Use, and Share Google documents, my students thought the one which shared library information was the most useful.  Maybe this is because they will be entering high school next year and will need to know information such as this to survive the beginning of school.  
This is also the video they liked the most.

Another of my classes watched some of the videos from The Unquiet Library.  There were several video tutorials related to Creative Commons Licensing of images and Advanced Flickr search which were useful to me and would certainly benefit students.   
My students thought they would like the student-created Greek Mythology videos best, though one of them was hard to hear and often too dark to see clearly.  Another was filmed at Target with much background noise.  (I critically noticed that the students were all reading from scripts.)  The one they liked the best, however, was student-created The Importance of Choice for Igniting Student Passion.   A young woman tells about her photograph project to show the effects PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

A very helpful video from the Pikeville High School Library collection was about course advisement.  It served to help students ascertain that they were meeting all of their graduation requirements.   
Students will probably like watching The Panther’s Library Shakes the best because it’s silly.  
 I personally enjoyed the reflection of student Ye Jin. 

After watching BBMS Media’s Channel, I wished I had shown all these to my students, but we ran out of time.  The 8^th grade slideshow would be enjoyed by the students at that school, but since we don’t know them, it was just okay.  At our school, we make an 8^th grade movie at the end of each school year, but don’t post it on YouTube.  The Overdue Book videos were GREAT!!!  And so creative.  My personal favorite was  Twilight Overdue,
  
but my students really liked One Direction.  (I wonder why?)   
Probably the most helpful would be the MLA Citation Review.  It’s easy to forget the exact order and punctuation required if you haven’t done citations lately.

When I have a library I will have students create some Overdue Book videos like the students did at BBMS.  Maybe we will have a competition, with the top ones posted on our school page.  Though the tutorials are a bit boring to watch, they are helpful, especially for those who are visual learners.  I will make a video of Everything You Need to Know About the Library, as Norman High School did.  I would like to include book trailers, both professional and ones that I make using Animoto.

I made my first book trailer today.  I chose the book Beauty Queens by Libba Bray, not so much because I loved the book, but because I thought it might be fun to portray it and incite interest in teen girls. 

The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras.  But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.  What’s a beauty queen to do?  Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program – or wrestle snakes to the ground?  Get a perfect tan – or learn to run wild?  And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?  Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness.  Your tour guide?  None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine.  The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again.

After writing a short script, I spent a lot of time looking for photos to use.  I used Google Images, finding ones that were labeled for reuse under Usage Rights.  I chose a beach background under the category of travel in Animoto, since the story takes place on a deserted tropical island.  The background music portrays the stressful situation the girls find themselves in...especially when sexy pirates show up and they haven’t been able to shave their legs for weeks.  Scan the QR Code to view the trailer. 

In my library I will use QR Codes to link to book trailers, author interviews, and book reviews.  I found some good ideas on Pinterest and created a QR Code board.  There is information for parents to scan as well as lists of DVDs, magazines, and much more.

Follow Ruthanne Cassidy's board QR Codes in the Library on Pinterest.

Blogs and Blog Readers

BLOG READERS

I researched several blog readers: Bloglines, NewsBlur, Digg Reader, G2Reader, Taptu, Bloglovin', and Feedly, looking at the web pages of each and reading reviews and comparisons posted on the internet.  The majority of the reviews I read talked about the demise of Google Reader (7/01/2013) and which RSS feeds would transfer Google Reader over with ease.  Since I have never used Google Reader, this was not one of my concerns. 

Bloglines (also available for iPhone) was described in a review as easy to use and organize, with individual news items able to be clipped, emailed, and blogged.  However, the feed item display cannot be customized and it doesn’t offer smart playlists.

NewsBlur (also available for iPhone, iPad) will sync 64 feeds in the free account.  Premium service is $24/year.  Its feeds are grouped by folders and it allows nested groups.  It has two views: a list view of continuous stream of full articles and a split view presenting an adjustable list of articles with a full article view at the top.  However, NewsBlur offers no search feature.

Digg Reader is described as simple and elegant.  But you cannot sign up with a username and password; a connection to Google is required.  It does not support OPML file uploads and offers no way to search your feeds.

G2Reader is a simple, cleanly designed reader that does support OPML uploads.  It lets you enter keywords in the setting so that they appear highlighted any time they show up in your feed content.

Taptu’s interface design is portrayed as vibrant and sexy, with mobile apps.  However, the reviews also say that the service has kinks that need to be ironed out, and that it cannot upload OPML files.

The two Blog Readers that stand out in my investigations are Feedly and Bloglovin'. Many reviews I read tout Feedly because it is a good alternative for those who knew and loved Good Reader and the transition is rather seamless.   It is easy to navigate, displays links to Facebook and Twitter, has a 3-pane view, and is able to be customized with themes and category views.  It is pretty, if that is important to you.  However, it requires installation of a browser extension or plug-in for each browser you use and doesn’t support Internet Explorer 8.  A Google account is required.  Feedly may actually be the better organizer since its lets you drag and drop to create new categories and is easy to customize.  Though many reviewers found Feedly to be best overall, I think it was because it was most like Google Reader.  Feedly transfers folders from Google Reader, where Bloglovin' only transfers blogs. 

Bloglovin'

Feedly

             

 Since I'm not a mourner of Google Reader, I actually chose to sign on to Bloglovin'. It works on my computer, iPhone, and iPad.  It seems to be more simple and efficient.  You don’t have to click back and forth to read and comment on different blogs.  It is easy to search and add blogs and you can add a Bloglovin’ button to connect with Readers.  A number appears at the top of an unread post from the feed, it opens in a new tab that takes you to the actual post on the website.  When you have read the post, you click “next post” on the Bloglovin’ bar and it moves you to the next blog.  The blogs are more spaced out than in Feedly and so you don’t feel cramped.  While Feedly might be better-looking, Bloglovin is more practical. (Plus, it made me hungry for McDonald’s.  I’m lovin’ it!)

BLOGS I FOLLOWED

1. In Tumblr.com, I chose to follow Chapel Hill High School Library’s blog at  http://librarytiger-blog.tumblr.com/.  Their latest post shows book covers of class Algonquin books in honor of Black History Month.  They also have many pages of pictures from the past in recognition of Black History Month.   Their post is used for book recommendations, book/movie trailers, quotes, and photos of school events.  I chose to follow it because they post to the blog just about daily and highlight many books.  They include many photos, animations, and video clips which are visually pleasing.

2. I found The Adventures of Library Girl through a Google search and added it to my blog reader.  The information is relevant and timely. This is definitely one I will return to regularly. http://www.bloglovin.com/link/blog?blog=2944817&link=aHR0cDovL2xpYi1naXJsLmJsb2dzcG90LmNvbS8yMDExLzA5L215LWN1cC1hbmQtY2VpbGluZy1ydW5uZXRoLW92ZXIuaHRtbD9zaG93Q29tbWVudD0xMzE1NDAyOTE1MTA5I2M1MjA4MzU4MzQwNTEyNDg5MDMz&frame=1&frame_type=b. 

The latest post talks about the importance of first impressions and how every wall, shelf, and bulletin board is an opportunity to show evidence of how library work matters.  

In another post, information and statistics were provided about schools adopting 1:1/BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Programs and the Teacher Librarian’s role.  It’s all about information sharing, not book collecting.  On December 29^th, she posted eleven questions about libraries that can be used for professional resolutions:

1.             How will you make a difference for students?

2.             How will you make your work the answer to the priorities/problems that keep your principal up at night?

3.             How will you use student data to make instructional and programmatic decisions?

4.             How will you measure success?

5.             How will you connect the dots between your work and student learning?

6.             How will you share this data with your administrators and community? 

7.             How will you ensure your diverse population sees themselves in your space (as well as in your collection)?

8.             How will you dispel negative/outdated library stereotypes?

9.             How will you grow your PLN?

10.           How will you help strengthen our profession by sharing your work beyond the walls of your school?

11.           How will you make sure everyone who walks into the library sees a focus on students (instead of stuff)?

In my favorite post she says, “It's time for all of us to ask ourselves some tough questions relating to the focus of our work and the impact it has on kids.  It's not enough to just work hard.  It's not enough to be exhausted at the end of the day.  The hours we spend with children must matter.  The work we do on behalf of students must result in measurable outcomes.”

Perception Flowchart

3. I chose School Library Journal RSS Feeds because it has useful information for school librarians, including news, highlighted books, and pertinent articles for both the library and the classroom.  http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6341825.  I found it by searching for school library blogs in Bloglovin’.  The posts are plentiful and informative.

4. A Media Specialist’s Guide to the Internet was found using the Find Blogs tab in Bloglovin’.  It lists options I might like based on previous choices.  https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3338385  This blog is great because right away I watched a posted touching video about the Mayan peoples who had no access to information, but were having their eyes opened through book donations and the arrival of the internet.  Then I found an older post that listed 22 sites to use if you teach research skills. http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?post=2334178175&group=0&frame_type=b&blog=3338385&link=aHR0cDovL21lZGlhc3BlY2lhbGlzdHNndWlkZS5ibG9nc3BvdC5jb20vMjAxNC8wMi9taWRkbGUtc2Nob29sLWFuZC1oaWdoLXNjaG9vbC10ZWFjaGVyLmh0bWw&frame=1&click=0&user=0.
These sites may prove invaluable if you are helping someone do research, evaluate research sites, learn about copyright and fair use, avoid plagiarism, or cite sources.  Perhaps the best post I found, however, was titled Top Ten. http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?post=2329507521&group=0&frame_type=b&blog=3338385&link=aHR0cDovL21lZGlhc3BlY2lhbGlzdHNndWlkZS5ibG9nc3BvdC5jb20vMjAxNC8wMi9uZXctdG8tdGhpcy1ibG9nLWhlcmUtYXJlLXRvcC0xMC1wb3N0cy5odG1s&frame=1&click=0&user=0. 

It lists and links great free resources for K-12 teachers and school librarian/media specialists. I clicked on a link titled 64 Sites for Digital Storytelling Tools and Information.  It lists information about digital storytelling and online tools that I can’t wait to explore and try out.  I am overwhelmed by the media sources listed under the various tabs: Authors, ESL, Free, Free EBooks, Grades K-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Graphics, History, Infographics, Language Arts, New Teachers, PE and Health, Reference, Science, Teacher-Librarians, and Web 2.0 Tools.  What a great source of information!
It lists and links great free resources for K-12 teachers and school librarian/media specialists. I clicked on a link titled 64 Sites for Digital Storytelling Tools and Information.  It lists information about digital storytelling and online tools that I can’t wait to explore and try out.  I am overwhelmed by the media sources listed under the various tabs: Authors, ESL, Free, Free EBooks, Grades K-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Graphics, History, Infographics, Language Arts, New Teachers, PE and Health, Reference, Science, Teacher-Librarians, and Web 2.0 Tools.  What a great source of information!

5. I decided to follow Library Displays, https://www.bloglovin.com/feed/blog/3835629, because I’m going to need all the help and ideas I can get when I become a librarian.  The post shows lots of book displays and posters.  Here is a great idea for a Valentine display.

Love Matches in the Library

6. Okay, just when I was about to submit this blog, I found this great middle school blog I want to share.  It is by Goldenview Middle School at http://goldenviewlibrary.blogspot.com/.    They have streaming photos of student artwork, colorful picture-links to database trials, ASD Reading Games with colorful graphics, library happenings with many photos, step-by-step instructions for searching Google Images by usage rights, District Bookmark Winners, and so much more.  I was amazed that a middle school could have such a rich blog!

Infographics on Teens and Mobile Apps Privacy

Teens and Mobile Apps Privacy

Madden, M. & Lenhart, A. (2013). Teens and mobile apps privacy. Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from: http://www.pewinternet.org/Press-Releases/2013/Teens-and-Mobile-Apps-Privacy.aspx

As an 8^th grade teacher at a lower income school, I am continually amazed at the technological devices that teens pull out of their pockets and backpacks.  They often have better phones and tablets than I have, and they know how to use them better, too.  I just got my first iPhone this Christmas, though my husband grimaced at the price and the data plan required.

I chose to read an article on teens and how they feel about privacy, access of information, and location tracking features.  To tell the truth, I was a bit surprised that teens even think about these things.  I assumed that they were naïve, willingly divulged personal information, and clicked OK or ALLOW to every query presented.  However, it seems that many teens are concerned with privacy, often taking steps to uninstall or avoid all together applications that collect personal information they don’t wish to have known.  Girls, in particular, tend to turn off location tracking devices.  Maybe their parents have drilled them about internet safety or maybe they just don’t want their parents keeping tabs on them.

The easel.ly infographic below gives a summary of the information I learned.

Which teens (of the 58%) are downloading apps?  I was a bit surprised to find that boys who own mobile devices are more prone to download an app than are girls.  Not surprising is that teens who have wealthier parents are more likely than those living in poorer households to download an app.  The article states that there doesn’t seem to be much difference based on a parent’s education level, race, or ethnicity.  The piktochart.com infographic below depicts this information.

Teens say that they mainly download social media and game apps, and primarily the free ones.  Even though more than half of all teens between 12-17 years old who have a smart phone or tablet have downloaded apps, more than half of these app users have avoided particular apps due to worries about sharing personal information and location.

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Tools for Organizing and Managing Tasks

TASK MANAGERS

I created accounts in Wunderlist, Remember the Milk, Work Flowy, and Scribbless and played around with each.  These are free task managers that create lists and tasks.  There are tutorials on YouTube for each of these.  I watched the tutorials, but was eager to try the apps out for myself. 

A. Remember the Milk (www.rememberthemilk.com) has preset lists for inbox, personal, work, sent, and study, but you can also create others as you see fit.  Under each list you add a new task.  The features that set this application apart are that you can choose a due date for each task, repeat it (yearly, monthly, weekly, etc.), prioritize it by color codes, and then choose to be reminded of a task by e-mail, Skype, mobile device, etc.  A search box is included to look for already assigned tasks.  You can choose to share your list with others.  The site urges you to upgrade to a Pro account for $25/year.

B. WorkFlowy (www.workflowy.com) is very simple in design and easy to use.  You are able to indent and unindent in an outline format.  You can control visibility by clicking on bullet points, thus hiding extraneous data and cleaning up your viewing field.  Hovering over items opens up options such as edit and share.  Because this is a web application, it is available to use on all of your web devices.  It also has keyboard shortcuts available.  It is simple and plain, without any bells or whistles.

C. Scribbless (www.scribbless.com) is also simple and very easy to use to create, organize, and share lists.  Items can be dragged or thrown away.  You have easy icons for printing or e-mailing your lists, which can be made public or private.

D. Wunderlist (www.wunderlist.com) is made for iPhone, iPad, Windows, Mac, and Android and it syncs between your devices.  You are able to create lists, add items to lists, and assign due dates to items. You can assign tasks to teammates and collaborate on projects.  There is an Assigned to Me Smart List.  It is distinctive in that you can customize the background, “star” things to make them prominent, drag items around to change the order, and check off a box when they have been completed.  Checked items make a clicking sound as they move below to a completed list.  You can choose how to see your tasks: overview or minified view.  A browser extension can be installed to help with research or saving wish list items.  The browser extension is available for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari and can be used to save content from the Web, such as articles and videos.  The Add to Wunderlist button will appear next to the navigator bar.

I showed each of these to my 8^th grade English classes.  Most of them liked Wunderlist best, as did I.  One thing they liked was the ability to change the background, much like on a computer.  They also liked the effect of checking an item done and having it move to a new location.  It was pretty easy to use without any training.  We made a pretend grocery list with each student contributing an item to buy.  Those who were too slow to respond were given something embarrassing like diarrhea medicine or pimple cream as their item.

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We did an imaginary walk through Walmart, checking off items as we found them.

Afterwards, I asked them to think of ways they might be able to use this in high school.  They suggested a homework/assignment list, a school supply list, tasks in a group assignment, or a Want to Read list.  I love the idea of checking off items in a Want to Read list!  You would have a record of what you haven’t yet read and what you have.  Before you check them off, you could add notes about what you liked or didn’t like about the book.

EVERNOTE

Evernote (www.evernote.com) is a free application for your computer and smart phone which captures and stores emails, web articles, photos and images, maps, voice memos, and even handwritten notes.  All you have to do is install this app on your computer or smart phone, so that all your notes will be available on any device you use.  A free account has 40 MB monthly upload allowance.  The interface is divided into three parts.  The left side shows Notebooks, Tags, Attributes, Saved Searches, Trash, and Advertisements.  The center part shows all the notes you have created and an option to sort them, and the right side shows the full note that you have selected from the center of the interface.

It is easy to retrieve information stored with this software.  Evernote has an information retrieving algorithm inspired by Google Search.  You can assign Tags to every note so that when you search using Tags, it will only show the notes associated with that Tag.  Or you can stack similar kinds of notes and make a notebook in Evernote.  You can take clear pictures of writing.

How can students use Evernote?  Here are some ways:

1. Take notes in class.  Evernote keeps every class note in a single application, making it easy to scan through several days’ worth of notes the night before a test.  Students or teachers can take a picture of notes on whiteboards. Take a picture of your handwritten notes and paste into Evernote.

2. Go paperless. Use a scanner or your phone’s camera to digitize your syllabi, project descriptions, and graded papers.

3. Manage your activities. Set up different notebooks in Evernote to give these activities their own space, like a filing cabinet you carry with you.

4. Record important lectures.  You can record audio notes on your phone or iPad right in Evernote.

5. Organize your research.  Evernote makes it easy to drop links, PDFs, charts, and books scans into a single, searchable notebook.  Web clipper is a browser extension that helps you save web pages, web page text, or web images directly from web browsers.

PINTEREST

I first discovered Pinterest when a fellow teacher who loves to try new recipes began using it to hunt for recipes and pin the ones she would like to try.  I pinned a few recipes myself, but am not all that excited about cooking.  I played around with it and set up a few boards with pictures of things that interest me, such as Brilliant, Misunderstood People. 
<a data-pin-do="embedBoard" href="http://www.pinterest.com/rutnbub/brilliant-misunderstood-people/">Follow Ruthanne Cassidy's board Brilliant Misunderstood People on Pinterest.</a>
<!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page -->
<script type="text/javascript" async src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js"></script>

Follow Ruthanne Cassidy's board Brilliant Misunderstood People on Pinterest.

As a teacher and future librarian, I began to think about how to use it in the classroom and how students can use it to assist with their assignments and projects.  Here are some possibilities:

1. Make a research board.  Find articles and photos to post on the board.

2. Make a wish list of books you would like to read.  You can post pictures of the book covers obtained from Amazon, Goodreads, B&N, or anywhere else on the Web.  Your family and friends can then look at your board when they are getting you a gift.  After you receive a book, you can then edit your board, taking off some and adding others.

3. Make a college planning board with information and photos of colleges that you are interested in checking out or applying to.

4. Many projects can be presented attractively this way.  At our school students in the Skills for Living Class have an assignment that projects the costs of having a baby, including the first year of its life.  Students must calculate prenatal care, hospital care, baby clothes, formula, daycare, etc.  The board could display photos, tables, and notes.

5. Students could create an All About Me poster to introduce themselves to their classmates.  ESL students could post a map of their country, pictures from their home and culture, and other interesting facts.  The posters could then be displayed all at once, or on a special Student of the Week/Month display.

Tweets from Education Technology Gurus, Part II

The Daring Librarian, @GwynethJones, shares Top Ten Most Beautiful Places to Read Books. http://www.educationbash.com/top-10-most-beautiful-places-to-read-books/. The vintage looking libraries call to me.  It makes me think of Professor Higgins' library in My Fair Lady.  There is something quite charming about stacks of old books in stages of disarray. I love looking at these photos and dreaming of idling some hours in such quaint settings.

10 Most Beautiful Places to Read Books| @scoopit http://t.co/LGpqEnMR4g #LibraryPr0n
— The Daring Librarian (@GwynethJones) January 21, 2014

Jim Lerman, @jimlerman, tweets that Google Search has added an easy way to search for images that have reuse rights.

Google Search has finally added a simple way to search for images that have reuse rights! http://t.co/EEuHcVtLvB
— Jim Lerman (@jimlerman) January 16, 2014

This is so useful to me.  As an ESL teacher, I use tons of images to make vocabulary and reading comprehensible.  It's so frustrating to have to try again and again to copy an image to use on a test or in a lesson.  Here's what you do:  First of all enter your search keyword, then click on Images. You will then see Search tools. Select this and it reveals Usage Rights with a drop down menu. The default is ‘not filtered by licence’. You can then choose one of four further options:

• labelled for reuse
• labelled for commercial reuse
• labelled for reuse with modification
• labelled for commercial reuse with modification

Check the best match and you will then only see the images that have those rights.

Kathy Schrock, @kathyschrock, really is a tech guru! It is hard to pick a favorite tweet.  She, like Jim Lerman, tweets about finding usage rights for Google Images.  But here is one of my favorites that she tweeted: 

New online tool for making infographics, presos & banner ads. http://t.co/6mRkFjuaF0 pic.twitter.com/OKD9NdYzSq
— Kathy Schrock (@kathyschrock) January 14, 2014

It is a free app that helps you create visual presentations with animations, banner ads, charts and graphs, etc. It is an all-in-one cloud based tool.  Very cool!

Tweets from Education Technology Gurus

Linda Braun, @lbraun2000, tweets a link on 5 Reasons You Should be Teaching Digital Citizenship.

5 Reasons You Should Be Teaching Digital Citizenship #lis460 http://t.co/p0XlykvScD
— Linda W Braun (@lbraun2000) January 22, 2014

The article describes cyberbullying and reckless use of digital communication as being rampant among teens.  This could be due to cruel exploiters, parents who fail to set boundaries, lack of education and discussion in schools, or a combination.   We can teach students to be proactive and mindful of how they deploy their devices.


Tony Vincent, @tonyvincent, had a lot of tweets about something called Stick Around.  He actually created it.  I clicked on one of the links and it took me to an iPad app called Stick Around by Tony Vincent and MorrisCooke, a way to play, design, and share sorting and labeling puzzles. Teachers can make puzzles for students to practice content by dragging stickers from a tray to their correct spots on a background before the time runs out.

@joedale Have you had the chance to try Stick Around yet? http://t.co/5PsE4PMu71 :-)
— Tony Vincent (@tonyvincent) January 11, 2014

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stick-around-by-tony-vincent/id557949353?ign-mpt=uo%3D4
It's called Stick Around because it helps make learning stick.

Buffy Hamilton, @buffyjhamilton, has a lot of tweets about her mother, who is undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer.  But she also tweeted enthusiastically about Write Around Text Activities and linked photos of students doing the activity.  I enjoyed seeing their engagement; everyone was on task.

Getting ready to start the next session of write-around text in about 25 minutes. So many insights from the students today!
— Buffy Hamilton (@buffyjhamilton) January 17, 2014

Photos from today's write-around texts---will probably do two blog posts on today's activities. Awesome day! http://t.co/bo23BWGPbK
— Buffy Hamilton (@buffyjhamilton) January 17, 2014