BP5_2010052_Web2.0_Tools

(Erik Holvig - Tram Rushing By. Freiburg, Germany)

Panoramio is a website dedicated to hosting photos of the world. It has a unique relationship with Google, where paired, you can view Google Maps/Google Earth with embedded Panoramio images. The reason I chose this as my second Web 2.0 tool to review is because it is simply awesome.

When I first started using this website, the photos I uploaded were visible in Google Earth within a few days. Now, because of the popularity of the site, it takes substantially longer, but it is worth the wait. The ability to tag photos, create networks of users, meet new members, and collaborate is amazing. I have received comments on my photos from users around the world. I have also made comments on others' photos thanking them for giving me an insight to a place I was considering

visiting.

The way a website gro

ws, develops, evolves, and functions is truly remarkable. I have seen the changes appear on Googl

e Earth, which is now hosting millions upon millions of photos uploaded (and carefully screened) by users all over the world. There are nearly no places on Earth that someone, somewhere has not photographed. The world is becoming smaller. Web 2.0 programs and platforms like Panoramio ar

e making it this way.

Feel free to visit my page at:

http://www.panoramio.com/user/norwayerik

Panoramio has a blog section, where users can discuss travel, photo equipment and techniques or miscellaneous topics of interest. I see many potential classroom uses for Panoramio, and encourage everyone to take a closer look.

BP3_2010051_GoogleReader

(Photo by Erik Holvig - Lake Pleasant, NY 2008)

Google Reader is something I have heard of, but never took the time to investigate until now. I am impressed with how easy it is to sort through the unbelievable amount of repetitive news that we are bombarded with daily. I like to keep track of what's going on in the technology, video and general news world, and Google Reader allows me to skip right to the topics that are relevant to me.

1. CNET - I chose CNET as one of my RSS feeds because according to their website, it features "tech products reviews, news, price comparisons, free software, daily videos, and podcasts." All of these are great for me, as I am a video production teacher. Since I am in charge of ordering new hardware and software for my department, it is nice to see reviews, and especially price comparisons for products that I am considering.

2. Engadget - I love Engadget because they always feature "leaks", or speculative articles about sightings of new products. For me as a tech educator, I feel that it is important to stay informed of the latest in tech trends and new products. I always enjoy seeing spy shots of not-yet-released products that someone took while in the factory or something strange like that!

3. Videomaker Content - Obviously, the name tells you why I have listed this as one of my feeds. Featuring new trends in video production, cutting edge equipment reviews and more, this is one feed that directly feeds into what I need to know and be aware of in my field.

4. Wired News - Many cools articles and feeds come from Wired. I can aways find something new and interesting, whether it is a car, movie or camera review, or the latest on a new video game, Wired is great. It has that edgy feel, and features stories that you just can't find in the mainstream media outlets. I can bring in new and innovative ideas to my class on a regular basis with information I've found in Wired.

5. Final Cut Message Board - Since I teach Final Cut Pro at school, finding this RSS feed has been a lifesaver. There are daily tips, best practices, and reviews that are relevant, and appropriate for classroom use. I didn't know that this feed existed, but this assignment has opened my eyes to many vital sources that will improve my ability to teach some difficult concepts.

Overall, I feel that the feeds that I have decided to include on my Google Reader page are perfect for me and my teaching career. I always want to improve my teaching, and I'm confident that the feeds I have included will definitely be a big help to my journey.

BP4_2010051_DiscoveringWeb2.0Tools

In last month's TMD class, I did some poking around on Vimeo.com®, and found that it is a nice alternative to the ad-littered landscape of Youtube®. This past week, I discussed using Vimeo with my classes and we agreed that creating a class Vimeo page was a neat idea.

I hope to add many student videos to the webpage in the near future. However, there are some privacy issues that we need to address before it can come to fruition. Through my thorough research of Vimeo as a Web 2.0 tool, I am convinced that it will be a worthwhile crusade.

As Vimeo is more geared toward original content (and not cluttered with copyrighted material, music videos and TV shows like Youtube), it is the perfect fir for use in the classroom. There is a 500mb per week size limit that is imposed on free accounts, but with proper video compression this is not really a huge issue. With a paid account though, there is no "cue" for uploading material to the site, it appears right away. If the budget allows, I may look into a paid account, which will also increase the size limitations we are bound to. With the paid account, we can actually ad HD videos and are not restricted to the ten minute limit that Youtube has.

In 2009, a blogger on BrightHub.com named "PapaJohn", said that "I fear that sharing the link to www.vimeo.com will add pressure on them to handle more uploads and possibly, maybe not today, become so successful that they’ll also need to scale back the service. The website and those who run it have all the hallmarks of high quality." Luckily, the scaling back he mentioned hasn't happened. in fact, since then the service has gotten better, upping the free upload limit from 250mb per week to 500mb.

Vimeo's ease of use is great for students. It literally took me one minute to create an account. I had our first video uploaded within three minutes. You can find our class Vimeo page at:

http://www.vimeo.com/hhstv

I'm excited to really begin adding student-created videos so we can begin sharing our work with the families, friends and other teachers of our students.

References

PapaJohn. (2009, August 7). Free online video hosts... Vimeo [Online forum message]. Retrieved from http://www.brighthub.com/‌multimedia/‌video/‌articles/‌1409.aspx

BP2_2010051_EducationalUsesOfBlogs

"Because blogs are connected, they can foster the development of a learning community" (Downes, 2009). When things, people, or ideas are not connected, they can end up like the rusty old truck in the woods... they fester, and eventually die. Ideas need to be shared, and through sharing comes innovation and progress. Ideas are built upon, something I have found first-hand with my "critical friends" and group project teams at Full Sail.

Blogs are a wonderful tool for the classroom. I am fortunate to have a decent amount of experience using them. The school where I teach is actively using Moodle ® and MoodleDocs, where teachers can create assignments, allow student work submission, and create interactive blogs to communicate with their classes.

Interestingly, I have heard some people refer to Instant Messaging, or even text messaging as "Microblogging", because essentially they take on the format of blogs. They are limited to under 200 words in most cases, and provide updates just like a web blog would.

In 2006, Charles Nelson wrote that, "Blogging creates networks of learning that promotes reading, writing, and critical thinking." The critical thinking piece is key to why I believe that blogs are valuable in the classroom. Any time you can get your students to think outside of the box and use their artistic abilities to create interesting blogs, they will benefit and excel.

Allowing students to add a section to their blog that includes their own artwork, music, or other item of interest can really make the process enjoyable and more relevant for them. Tools like Blogger, and iWeb allow the addition of several media types that will ensure individuality and creativity are preserved.

References

Downes, S. (2009, April 13). Blogs in Education. In Half an Hour. Retrieved May 4, 2010, from http://halfanhour.blogspot.com/‌2009/‌04/‌blogs-in-education.html

Nelson, C. (2006, June 19). How to use blogs in the classroom. In Explorations in learning. Retrieved May 6, 2010, from http://secondlanguagewriting.com/‌explorations/‌Archives/‌2006/‌Jun/‌HowtoUseBlogsintheClassr.html

BP1_2010051_iGoogleScreenShots

Here are my iGoogle homepage screenshots.

I like to use my own photos for everything that I create.

I just feel that it gives me an avenue to share my photos,

and it makes documenting my sources easy! I hope you

enjoy...