Inservice Day

So much planning over the summer in preparation of my inservice with the Geography teachers of our school district only to be told that I would only have half a day with them. Dilema, what to cover in half the time that would really stick with them.
Of course I introduced them to all of the databases made available through the DKC package as well as resources available through Region one. Unitedstreaming was a big hit, especially with all of the new teachers. Everyone had an opportunity, thanks to our Computers on Wheels, COW, to work with their own laptop and search for video clips and work on a short powerpoint presentation with an embeded video clip.
Animoto was a huge hit. The teachers loved it. So much positive feedback and they were coming up with many ways to use it with their students. Many of them signed up for Animoto for Educators and hopefully are using it as the year progresses. I created a video to share with them to give them an idea how they might use Animoto with their classes.

ESC Thing #23, Week 9

To sum everything up:
1. My favorite sites are del.icio.us, all the image generators and LibraryThing.
2. This program has made me realize that we can never stop learning. Just when you think you have mastered something you realize how much more there is to learn.
3. What was unexpected for me was how much I learned and how much I enjoyed the program.
4. For me, the format was perfect. Self-paced and very non-threatening. Offering the program over the summer was a great idea.
5. If another discovery program was offered in the future similar to this one, I would definitely participate. How about Web 2.0 part II?
6. The more I learned during this experience the more I realized how much more I had to learn.Technology is a great thing.

ESC Thing #22, Week 9

I must have a defective gene somewhere because I just don't enjoy the idea of downloading a book. Nothing is as comforting for me as wrapping myself in a quilt and reading. It's not just about the comfort, its the smell of the book, the feel of that book in my hands as I turn the page that completes the experience for me.

That does not mean that e-books do not have a place in our libraries. Our school subscribes to some e-books and they are used by our students for research purposes mainly. I really think that some of our students would enjoy these sites as a resource for cliff-notes, or reading class sets assigned from home.