The Power of Social Media and When to Back Off

Social media is a both a godsend and a distraction. The other day, I read on Mashable about the photo that went viral when someone took a picture of the plane that crashed into the Hudson River shortly after leaving from a NY airport. Perhaps you remember that day, and if you do, it is probably attributable to the media and perhaps this iconic photo, which I feel free to post given it has already been all over the Internet and is merely a screen capture from the Mashable article. I also offer a screen capture of the tweet from the person who took the photo. But most of all, direct you to the story on Mashable which touts Twitter and social media, but also concludes by urging us to also sometimes get off of social media and talk to one another face-to-face. The post also reminds us to protect ourselves online and that anything we post online is public.

Read the article here: "I Took the Iconic 'Miracle of the Hudson' Photo."

http://on.mash.to/1dzuOis

http://on.mash.to/1dzuOis

If you took the time to read the Mashable article on social media, I would love to hear what you have to say. Post a reply. 

The Power of Images on Your Blog Posts

Image: my niece Lauren

Yes, images add interest, but they also help to convey your message. We all know the saying, "A Picture is Worth a 1,000 Words."

So, here are 3 posts about why you should use images and where and how to find images, as well as an infographic about copyright infringement myths, which relates to the use of found material on the Internet.

• Why You Should Add Images to Your Blog Posts
• 5 Places to Find Images for Your Blog Posts (2 of these are my favorite: your own photos and Flickr)
• 5 Places to Find Free Images

Another place to find images is Pic4Learning, but still Flickr remains my favorite. Just use the Advanced Search feature on Flickr, and you should be set. Open an account to store your own photos in Sets and save the photos you find in Collections. You will then be organized when you need to grab that photo you found months ago or stored ages ago.

I used to recommend PhotoPin, an easy-to-use site, but  once you enter a search term, often you are brought right to Flickr.

Now, here is the infographic, which clears up several myths about copyright infringement. The  infographic has been circulating on various social networks, so you might have seen it already.

by floydworx.
Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.

Where do you go to find images for blogs, websites, and other uses? What do you tell students about where to find images to use in their own work?

Do you agree that blog posts and websites benefit from images?

Wordle, Tagxedo, and now WordFoto

WordFoto is an app that I just learned about that functions like Wordle and Tagxedo.  If you have tried these tools and like what they do, you might even like WordFoto more. It configures both words and photos. Here is an example a colleague, Denise Krebs shared. After she created the WordFoto, she uploaded it to Flickr, where I was able to grab the embed code for the image and attribution.




cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by mrsdkrebs

Here are two others Denise created.



cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by mrsdkrebs



cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by mrsdkrebs

This last one was based on the poem, "And sweetest—in the Gale—is heard—"

Here is another one that she created, and offers this description of it:

"Children's Literature is Central to Children's Literacy

Read to a child. It will build literacy.

This photo, "Child Reading, by Dihl et Guerhard Manufactory (Boston, MA)," was taken by takomabibelot on Flickr, shared with CC BY 2.0 license. I edited it with WordFoto on my husband's iPod." [http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdkrebs/5913123665/in/set-72157628988824805/]

cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by mrsdkrebs

To learn about WordFoto visit the site and the gallery of examples available at the site.

Here is a direct link to the app at the Apple Store, where it is priced at $1.99

To learn more about Denise Krebs, a junior high school teacher, I am including a video her students created about the concept of the Genius Hour, an exciting approach to student learning that a host of teachers have begun to implement in their classrooms.

Literacy Shed

Stuck at home with our snowstorm, I'm on Twitter, Google+, reading class blogs, and just surfing around. One of my Twitter friends, tweeted out about this exciting resource that fits with our course, Integrating Technology and Literacy. The site's title, Literacy Shed, caught my eye, so I started exploring, and invite you to, also. Take a look at what the site offers, and let us know if the site sparks ideas for your teaching or in general. Without further ado, link to the site; just click on the image.

Okay, I know you can get lost in exploring the site, but come back here to post a comment to share what you find and like.

Need Photos for Your Blog Posts

Check Flickr's Creative Commons to find photos you can freely use on your blog according to the licensing restrictions. Some are free to use unaltered, whereas other can be altered. For most you need to attribute the source, and Flickr makes this easy. If you already have a Flickr account, and want to stockpile photos to use in the future, you can save them as favorites or in a gallery. You don't need a Flickr account, however, if you just want to grab some photos occasionally. Simply use the Flickr Creative Commons to get what you want on as needed basis.

Recently. Flickr wrote a post celebrating the 5th Anniversary of its Flickr Commons. Check the post for information on how to use the Commons to find photos. Here is an example of a photo I found there today that struck me of interest simply because it's eye catching. I used the embed code to place both the photo and attribution easily into this blog post.

 

cc licensed ( ) flickr photo shared by National Maritime Museum

Here is a photo that I found that spoke to my teaching philosophy especially when bringing technology into the classroom.

cc licensed ( BY NC SA ) flickr photo shared by gcouros

Here is what the attribution boxes look like in Flickr for photos that can be shared with attribution. You have two choices.

• Method 1: copy the embed code (Attribution HTML), which will copy both the picture and the attribution into HTML screen (see the html option in the Blogger toolbar) 
• Method 2: Copy the attribution information (Attribution Text), which you can then simply copy in your blog after you have inserted the photo that you have downloaded and inserted. 

Illustrations below: Attribution (HTML) or Attribution (text)

Animoto: Quick Way to Create Video from Images

What is Animoto and What Does It Do?

Animoto is a popular Web 2.0 tool for making movies from collected images. These images can be photos or pictures located online. The images are collected and then uploaded into Animoto. Once uploaded, the series of images can be rearranged and specific ones can be deleted.

Music from the site can be selected to play in the background. In addition, depending upon the final template chosen to create the movie, text can be added. However, text can be added in only a limited way, and with some templates, text can only be added at the beginning or end of the show.

Once your presentation is completed and saved, Animoto will create a "mix," automatically making the movie for you. An email will let you know when the mix is completed. You will click on the link and be able to view your new "movie."

Within your Animoto account, you can store the movies you create and access them from there. You can also embed your Animoto "movie" into your blog, which is a good idea, as you will have easy access to it and others can write comments in your blog about your movie.

Animoto: Big Buddies with Kindergarteners

Here is an example of an Animoto created by a kindergarten teacher featuring activities in her classroom based on a Big Buddies project. The project used photographs that were uploaded to Animoto. Music was then selected. The final "mix" is the video: To learn more about the project, after viewing the video, click on the link to the teacher's blog.


 I found this example on kindergarten teacher Marie Knee's blog The KinderKids' Blog 

Animoto to Capture Scenery or For Geography Lesson

Here's one of the first Animoto displays I created. The photos are from a trip I took to Costa Rico. I used Animoto as a fast way to show others photos from the trip. Given the incredible geography of the country, I also realized this kind of movie could be integrated into a geography study of countries in Central America, or even a science lesson on flora or fauna. Did you know the national flower of Costa Rico is the orchid, which grows in the wild? Did you know that Costa Rico has more species of birds than the US and Canada combined though the country is no larger than the state of West Virginia? Did you know Costa Rico has no military? The government instead uses its funds for protection of the environment and to promote ecotourism. Did you know that the typography of Costa Rico is largely shaped by volcanoes, which are still active today?

As you view this Animoto, you will see I still need to edit it to remove some of the photos. That is easy to do: I just need to go back into my Animoto account, open the video, edit it, and then save it for another "mix."



Animoto to Teach an Elementary School Math Lesson on Geometry

Recently, I learned of an Animoto a 1st-2nd grade teacher created with her students to reinforce what they were learning about geometric shapes. Aviva Dunster, the teacher, offered this information on her class blog:

"This afternoon, we went on a Shape Hunt around the school. Students had to find and photograph different shapes. Here’s a short Animoto slideshow with some of the photographs. What shapes do you see in these photographs? What are some of the properties of these shapes? What other objects do you know that are the same shapes?"

Here's the Animoto the class created. 

Animoto to Teach Social Studies: Commercials of Historic Figures

Here is a link to find a series of Social Studies "Commercials" on Historic Figures that students created for a class project. You'll find 8 examples using the link.

I embedded one to tempt you use the link, to see more. Notice how the teacher conveniently created a table of contents to find the examples: Social Studies "Commercials" on Historic Figures


Make your own photo slideshow at Animoto.

Animoto to Teach Social Studies Lesson in 1st Grade Classroom

On her Education 584 blog, Roseanne Field has created a blog posting that includes several Animoto Videos her students created to complement the social studies curriculum. Check her blog posting. There you will also see one that two children created for their mother in celebration of her birthday.

Now that you have seen a bunch of Animoto videos, surely you have ideas for using Animoto in the classroom or for other professional needs. Share those ideas with us, posting a comment. What are some ideas you have for using Animoto in the classroom, for professional purposes, or personal enjoyment? What is the next Animoto you plan to create? Discuss your ideas for using Animoto in the comment section.

Before signing up for your own Animoto account, be sure to use the code you have for creating a free account, which is good for approximately six months.