Wikis_and_Blogs


 * Springnote**

The web address is http://www.springnote.com/

Springnote is an online notebook based on wikis, since all the content is user generated. You can use springnote to create your own personal notebook, or to create a group notebook. It provides individuals and groups with the opportunity to create and collaborate online. The personal notebook gives the user privacy, but they can create pages to share as well. The group notebook allows different users access to the same pages so they can share information. There can be more than one page, and pages can be grouped according to what the user needs, like school work, hobbies, things to do for your job, etc.. Included in the site organization are things like calendars, to do list, vocabulary lists, and so on. A user can upload RSS feeds, images, video, and see if there were any recent visitors to their page. They can export in HTML or print directly from their notebook. The user can also join group notebooks that have been made public to find others with shared interests.

In the Library, a teacher may ask the librarian to collaborate on a class research assignment. An example group notebook could be to use the Springnote notebook pages for an American Literature class. The teacher may want the students to research individual American writers and give a presentation. The parameters include finding a certain number of resources, a final essay, a sample of his work to be presented, and an evaluation of the American writer and his contribution to literature. In addition, the teacher may want a group evaluation. Working with the librarian, group notebooks are set up in Springnote. A notebook page with all the teacher's established requirements are there for all students to see. Student groups are given names and individual students are given IDs. Although some sites are provided by the teacher, the students are encourages to share their research sites with the others in their group so that they may collaborate on which site is the best to get the information they need. (This helps them learn to evaluate web sites). Students write their ideas on individual pages and communicate these ideas with their group. As they write, one student may decide that fellow group member is not writing correctly, and may provide notes for editing. Students also suggest which work is the best to present and make a short video of the play, poem, or story. They may upload this into their notebooks. As the groups finish their projects and essays, they can make them public or view each groups' work through the main teacher's pages, since she/her can cut and paste information from the groups' notebooks into her class pages.


 * Carmen Santos**




 * KIDBLOG**

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Kidblog is suggested for use as a simplified and private blogging tool that is age and ability appropriate for elementary and middle school children. Kidblog’s settings are supposed to be kid friendly, not a lot of personalization, just a straightforward blogging space, with comments and access totally controlled by the blog’s administrator. This technology has been used in an educational setting as a publishing tool for works (e.g. personal narrative and expository writing) that have been drafted, revised, and edited, and are ready to be shown as a finished product which peers are able to read and make comments on.

A new idea for incorporating this technology into the library could be to create a blog consisting of book reviews, specifically for Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List books (for those outside of Texas, this is a yearly award decided between 20 excellent fiction and nonfiction books, written by an author who lives or resides in the United States, and voted on by students who have read five or more of these 20 books). Students would be encouraged to write peer readable book reviews of Master List books, in order to encourage others to read and participate in this program. Others would be able to chime in with comments or questions on the blog posts, to create discussion. Prizes for writing certain numbers of blog entries could range from pencils to bookmarks, certificates to copies of the books themselves. From experience I know that children love to participate in the Bluebonnet program, and this would be an excellent way to extend their participation and get others involved.


 * Ryan Cannon**




 * Tumblr**

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Tumblr is an easy to use blog format; it is best described as a cross between tweeting and blogging. You can follow other blogs with only one click and all of the blogs you follow are listed on your dashbaord (in a format similar to twitter). One of the best Tumblr blogs I have seen is [|writingprompts.tumblr.com]. You can also have a whole class each create a Tumblr account and follow each other to work collaboratively on projects. As the teacher you can repost anything your students post that is important or interesting. You can also use it to easily make announcements to the whole class.

Tumblr would be great to use in a school library. I would use it to promote library-sponsored events and to have students work collaboratively on a project. Having a virtual book club would be a great way to utilize the networking aspect of Tumblr and might encourage students who are quieter to share their thoughts and opinions. It would also be a great way to connect students and adults in the community.


 * Sarah Mazur**
 * HelloKids.com**
 * HelloKids.com**

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HelloKids is a website that allows kids to create a blog. Kids must have their parents email address and permission before they can sign up for the website. Kids can create a blog that shows ownership to their blog site. The website allows the kids to also play different games, draw pictures, coloring pages, write in a diary form blog, watch videos, and read. Kids can read their friends posts and share stories about their day or perhaps share a picture they took and put it on their blog.

HelloKids is a great way to introduce blogging to kids. Kids use HelloKids to communicate with fellow kids and teachers. The kids discuss what happened with their day and ask educational questions that begin a discussion thread for kids to talk about in and outside of the classroom. The school library can take this opportunity to have a BLOG Night and help parents and their children create a blog. Parents will get an opportunity to see what their students learned through library and computer class. Teachers could open their rooms up to parents too. Many schools have computer labs, so the BLOG Night would actually be a blast. In the classroom the teacher can have some kids on the computer blogging what they learned in class and the other kids are able to write down their thoughts and share with the class. In order to use HelloKids parents must provide the username and password to the teacher and student so they can use the website at school.


 * Phyllis Anizan**


 * Edublogs.org**


 * Edublogs.org**



Edublogs is a wonderful resource that can be used by teachers, librarians and students. There are multiple uses found in this particular website: forums, wikis and blogs. One of the benefits of using this specific website in school is that it focuses only on education making it a perfect place to browse, interact and discuss topics dealt with in school. It also blocks all adult content, which can give teachers and librarians ease of mind when allowing students to use it. There are a lot of options available to the students; they can follow classmates blogs, add to wikis, or discuss a topic set up by a teacher.

The site also gives the ability to upload podcasts and videos, allowing tutorials, information, reviews of events, etc. to be posted. This allows students and teachers to be creative in their communication with one another and with their targeted community.

For teachers, there are other benefits available, such as the ability to exchange ideas with other teachers as well as lessons, rubrics, and classroom management techniques. This allows for worldwide communication from numerous teachers, which leads to more creativity, varied classroom instruction, and creates a place of support for teachers. Students and teachers are not the only people who can take advantage of this website. This would be a wonderful place for librarians to use as well. Librarians can talk to others in their profession to get recommendations for new books, ask questions that may pop up, and read about new theories and practices within the profession. The website can also be used by librarians to assist students and teachers. Creating blogs to discuss good reads, uploading podcasts with tutorials on how to use the library resources, posting book trailer videos promoting books, and including updates about what’s going on in the library would all be great ways to utilize this website within the library. The space created by the librarian can also be shared with parents and administrators so that they are fully aware of the resources that the library has to offer and can become participants in the use of the facilities as well.


 * Allyssa Loya**

=**.com **=

www.teenreads.com www.kidsreads.com

Teen Reads and Kids Reads are the ultimate information station for young adult literature and children's books. You can read reviews on books. You can search the site by title, author, genre, and date. You can read interviews about authors. The sites offer monthly features and contests for readers. The sites have a question of the day and voting polls. Teen Reads has a blog where you can contribute to book discussions. You can even subscribe to their monthly newsletters. These two sites alone offer just so much information. They are great to look for books for yourself or the classroom. You can suggest the sites to parents so they can find books for the kids. You can even suggest the site to students to find something they want to read. If you want to know what books are now in paperback its on the site. If you want to know what books are being made into movies its on the site. Take a browse of these two sites and I promise you will fall in love.

This is a great site to have available to library goers to browse. They could help people/ students in choosing books that are right for them, or If someone needs to find books on certain subjects or genre. Teachers can browse these sites to create reading lists for students. These sites can also help librarians keep up to date about new and upcoming books. The sites can even help you choose books when it comes time to order new books for your library.

Marisol Perez ___

=ClassChatter=

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www.classchatter.com allows teachers and students to create personal, group, and assignment blogs. With the Personal Blog feature students can allow their classmates or just their teachers to view their blogs. The Topical (Group) Blog allows students and teachers to join hands and share discussions as a group. The Assignment Blog presents assignments and grades through private settings and allows the teacher to add comments for the student to read. The most important feature of this blogging website is that it allows the students' identity to remain confidential - and it's easy to use. This site also has an awesome feature which allows teachers to send e-mail within the website and not through personal e-mail.

Within the description, I used "teacher" a lot. Hence, I can envision librarians using this with different clubs (book club, kindle club, or tech club), for grade level classes when research is involved, or even with teachers. Teachers, students, and librarians can collaborate ideas and new discoveries within this website.

Meena Benavente

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 * NASA Kid’s Club **

====NASA Kid’s Club is a blog and game site for kids. The blog has the latest news in Space and Aeronautics in a kid-friendly version. It also directs users to videos of rocket launches, interviews with astronauts and videos relating to space topics. In a school library setting, this site can be used as an informational guide for students seeking information. It can also be used as tool to communicate with others that have the same interests and also a place to play educational games. ====

====I would use this site as an additional resource for information and a place to play educational games. The computers that are available for the students to use in the library would have an icon so they can easily access this site. I would recommend this site to students interested in space research. The availability of this resource would be: before and after school, and during school hours. ====