Well I guess that adding a link wasn't so hard after all!At least not in the post area. Maybe there is another way to display it??
Val
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Signing up for Flickr!
Today, I signed up for a Flickr account. I could use my google account to get this started so no new username or password. Thank goodness!!The first step was setting up my buddy icon. This is usually just a square with a happy face, but I decided to download one of my photos and make that my buddy icon instead. That worked fine! The next step was to set up the custom URL. So here is my URL: http://www.flickr.com/photos/valeriesb/ After that I could personalize my profile, but I chose not to at that time. That seems to be all to it.
While I was there I decided to upload some fieldtrip photos of students from previous years. That took a few minutes, but I liked how green check marks came up when they were done. I decided to give the photos titles and write a brief description on each photo. After a short break I uploaded some Halloween party photos from my class or 2006. I didn't have any problems there. I still haven't figured out how to put them in galleries or sets yet. That is a job for another day. Since I am not teaching this year I plan on sharing this site with the teacher at my school who will be doing a Power Point Presentation for the Grade 9s Leaving Ceremony. My students will want to see those photos for sure!
Till next time,
Val
p.s. guess there is some way to set up a link to this page? That's my next challenge!
While I was there I decided to upload some fieldtrip photos of students from previous years. That took a few minutes, but I liked how green check marks came up when they were done. I decided to give the photos titles and write a brief description on each photo. After a short break I uploaded some Halloween party photos from my class or 2006. I didn't have any problems there. I still haven't figured out how to put them in galleries or sets yet. That is a job for another day. Since I am not teaching this year I plan on sharing this site with the teacher at my school who will be doing a Power Point Presentation for the Grade 9s Leaving Ceremony. My students will want to see those photos for sure!
Till next time,
Val
p.s. guess there is some way to set up a link to this page? That's my next challenge!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Thoughts about Flickr before I jump in!
LIBE 477 Flickr
I am so excited about learning how to use a photo sharing website such as Flickr. Over the years I have taken pictures of my students during special events and fieldtrips and didn’t know what do to with them except print them off and make bulletin board displays. Now I have a unique way to share, learn and teach with my class!
After reading Richardson chapter 7, I learned some great ways to use this web tool.
I can put my students’ photos on the web and share with other audiences and invite other people from around the world to discuss the images. Students and teachers can annotate them and it would become a writing activity. Also, it seems that Flickr.com has a video hosting section where you can capture daily events and easily share with parents and the community. Of course it is the teacher’s responsibility to teach etiquette and safety on the internet as with any internet activity.
Richardson suggests a number of ways you can use Flickr in the classroom. Some of the ways that I plan on using them is for slide shows, illustrating poetry, teaching geography, reinforcing learning from a fieldtrip, cobbling together virtual fieldtrips, locating photos for assignments and re-teaching ideas in class.
Richardson mentioned the Creative Commons where the class can use photos and videos freely without permission from the producers. I am excited about using this feature. An activity that I would like to try is where a student goes to the Creative Commons section, types the first word that comes to them in the tag field, takes the first photo that comes to them and writes a story about it. I also like the idea of taking photos from this section and using Paint to modify or remix and then republishing them. The students would enjoy that.
Of course, fitting these activities into the curriculum may be a something to think about. Accommodating different learners and getting access to the computers is also something to work out. However, I feel this is a valuable tool to use in the classroom.
Next is the set up of my username and password! Let’s see how it goes in practice!
Wish me luck!
Val
I am so excited about learning how to use a photo sharing website such as Flickr. Over the years I have taken pictures of my students during special events and fieldtrips and didn’t know what do to with them except print them off and make bulletin board displays. Now I have a unique way to share, learn and teach with my class!
After reading Richardson chapter 7, I learned some great ways to use this web tool.
I can put my students’ photos on the web and share with other audiences and invite other people from around the world to discuss the images. Students and teachers can annotate them and it would become a writing activity. Also, it seems that Flickr.com has a video hosting section where you can capture daily events and easily share with parents and the community. Of course it is the teacher’s responsibility to teach etiquette and safety on the internet as with any internet activity.
Richardson suggests a number of ways you can use Flickr in the classroom. Some of the ways that I plan on using them is for slide shows, illustrating poetry, teaching geography, reinforcing learning from a fieldtrip, cobbling together virtual fieldtrips, locating photos for assignments and re-teaching ideas in class.
Richardson mentioned the Creative Commons where the class can use photos and videos freely without permission from the producers. I am excited about using this feature. An activity that I would like to try is where a student goes to the Creative Commons section, types the first word that comes to them in the tag field, takes the first photo that comes to them and writes a story about it. I also like the idea of taking photos from this section and using Paint to modify or remix and then republishing them. The students would enjoy that.
Of course, fitting these activities into the curriculum may be a something to think about. Accommodating different learners and getting access to the computers is also something to work out. However, I feel this is a valuable tool to use in the classroom.
Next is the set up of my username and password! Let’s see how it goes in practice!
Wish me luck!
Val
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Introductions
Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself last time. Hi, my name is Valerie Spencer-Barron. I am from Mount Pearl, Newfoundland. I have completed 6 courses towards a TL Diploma and am presently doing 4 courses online. I am on deferred salary this year and want to finish off the program in hopes of getting a TL position for next year. I did 3 courses last term and survived, so one more shouldn't be too bad! HA! I should tell you a little about me! I grew up in a fairly small community 45 minutes drive outside St. Johns. My parents were teachers and at one time my mother was the librarian at the public library. That is where I really got my first look at a good library. The library in my primary/elementary school consisted of several shelves of dusty old books. I don't even remember checking out any books from there. Anyway, over the summers we spent lots of time at the cabin in a small town near Bonavista. I don't think you want to read my whole life story so I'll jump ahead a little. I graduated from MUN in 1990 with a B.ED elementary. After that I got married and we moved to northern Ontario for a few years on a couple of indian reservations. That was quite an experience. We moved home, I substituted for a while till I got a permanent job. I have been teaching about 16 years with 8 years at my present school in the elementary level. I started doing courses in this program in the summer of 2009. I have really enjoyed them all and can't wait to finish!!
I had no difficulty in setting up this blog because I had to do a blog for another course and I already had an account! I simply had to write journal entries for that course, which was easy. I know that there is more to it this time and I know that blogs can be used for many other purposes. I am interested in exploring other ways present my ideas and how to integrate new technology into the classroom! Happy learning! Val
I had no difficulty in setting up this blog because I had to do a blog for another course and I already had an account! I simply had to write journal entries for that course, which was easy. I know that there is more to it this time and I know that blogs can be used for many other purposes. I am interested in exploring other ways present my ideas and how to integrate new technology into the classroom! Happy learning! Val
Friday, January 7, 2011
First Day Sign-up
Hello everyone!
Today I set up my blog. This is the second time I have used a blog for a course and found it much easier this time! Remembering usernames and passwords is a little hard!
Val
Today I set up my blog. This is the second time I have used a blog for a course and found it much easier this time! Remembering usernames and passwords is a little hard!
Val
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