open the door…

Those who were unable to attend the ASLA Conference this week may like to check this twitterfountain for the tweets and photos posted to flicker.

An archive of tweets from the conference attendees is also available via twapperkeeper

Update: This morning’s post was put up in haste – before I left for the unconference. Thanks to Kathryn Greenhill (libsmatter) for this great example integrating technology at libcampperth09

Unfortunately only one java script will run on this blog so I have deleted the twitterfountain for the LibCampPerth2009 [It can still be viewed on The LibrariansMatter blog and a number of other places on the web]

Enjoy the show – wherever you are.

Visit Librariansmatter for Kathryn’s CoverIt Live window or the LibraryCampPerth2009 wiki where session notes, photos and videos will be uploaded as they become available.

education.au have released two new reports – just in time for the holiday break (over here in the West)

• 21st Century Learning Spaces provides an overview of what are the characteristics of new learning and learning spaces in the 21st century.

• Web 2.0 site blocking in schools briefly describes Web 2.0 in terms of opportunities for teaching and learning and places site blocking in context within an overall framework that includes cyber-safety and 21st century learning.

Thanks to the education.au team for providing an Australian perspective on technology in education issues.

Graphic novels seem to be ‘flavour of the month’.

I have just finished reading a very impressive review of ‘Alice in Sunderland’ by Bryan Talbot – Thanks to Joy Lawn

As part of my background research I found a Google book about Bryan. I usually restrict myself to Full View books but even though this one was Limited View (ie the ENTIRE book is not available on-line) this one was so good I added it to my library anyway.

And here it is embedded in this post…

Now I just need to figure out how to stop the script embedding books I have previously featured !

Any suggestions?
Note Added 11/4/09 - this site http://code.google.com/apis/books/docs/preview-wizard.html provides more customized scripts

Thanks to Vicki Davis aka CoolCatTeacher for this link.

The second task for the EdNA Blogging Course poses the following questions:

• Why do you blog with your students? What are your intentions? Have your intentions changed over time?
• Draw on your experiences both good and bad of student blogging. What have you done to overcome obstacles?
• Point to some other blogs of note either of students blogging or about students blogging. Would you recommend any particular blogs for others to read?
• Do you have any tips or tricks to share with educators just starting out or wanting to start a blog with their students?

These are great starter questions and I advise teachers who are blogging to drop by the Blogging Course to read the advice of experienced blogging teachers. Unfortunately I am no longer in a classroom and haven’t blogged with students since 2007 but am hoping that will change in the near future.

A couple of contacts who review for Fiction Focus, a publication reviewing Young Adult fiction resources for teachers and librarians, have asked for a ‘voice’ for their students – somewhere they can publish their thoughts about the books they like (or don’t like), to share their opinions with a world-wide audience. I am hoping I can get through the ‘red-tape’ of Acceptable Use Policies, Intellectual Property, online privacy … and negotiate the technology hurdles of access rights and permissions … and can get Principals and parents at the schools to agree to trial a student group blog.

Watch this space for further developments

… and just because I can … here’s a short video from Rachel Boyd in New Zealand about blogging with kids.

Google Earth 5.0 launched on Feb 2nd. (I think)  As the post title says this a quick list of resources that will help you find out more about Google Earth 5.0 so you can share it with colleagues and students.

To get started, download Google Earth 5.

Now if you put a tick next to the ‘Oceans’ layer in the Google Earth software you can get your feet wet.

Check out

• The Google Ocean promotional video on YouTube.
• What’s New in Google Earth 5.0 on YouTube.
  
• Google Earth User Guide.
• PC Advisor: We uncover Google’s mysteries of the deep by Tom Spring.

Also useful:

• The Google Earth Gallery – use the links on the left of the screen to locate these specific categories
  
  Popular
  Educational
  Travel
  Fun
  Sky
  Ocean
  New

As I said … a quick post but I hope it’s enough to get you started