Thing 36: Create a Resource Guide

Completing this assignment is timely for me, as I considered ways to curate the ideas I share and present to the teachers & schools I support.  I chose Listly as my curation tool, and love how simple it is to use! In the free version, users have the ability to create up to 3 lists in a week, and have the option of adding text, links, photos, videos, audio, placemarks, csv files and more!  It's similar to Twitter or other Social Media sites in that users can add friends, follow others, and vote up other lists. Another great feature is the Bookmarklet feature via the Chrome extension that allows users to add immediately to their Listly lists!  I am hoping to share this with my teachers and administrators as a resource for information, but also as a way to educate them on digital curation. LOVE!

Thing 04: Digital Storytelling 2017

Adobe Spark Page allows users to create professional digital stories using video content and graphics. It's  extremely simple to use and I was especially pleased with the collages that I could create using multiple photos.  Uploading/sharing was a cinch!  Here's an example of a Page I created for School #46 after digitally documenting their Spring School Expo.  

I also used Adobe Video to create a presentation of student research on famous African Americans. Though the app allows you to adjust the volume of video content, it's difficult to hear the students in this one (and they even used microphones!).  I also wasn't able to figure out how to adjust transition times or text animation.  Any insights on this are appreciated!  Like Adobe Page, the app is very intuitive and allows users to create polished videos in no time!

Take 2 on Thing 3: Twitter & Other Online Communities

Twitter Advanced Search:
Use this to locate posts with specific words, phrases or hashtags.  Also, search accounts based on the person who posted or mentions someone specific in a post.  Can even search posts by location! Using the location criteria I found lots of updates on the Buffalo Bills!  Advanced searches could be useful in the classroom for obtaining information that is real-time, location-based, posted within a particular date range or by a specific individual.

Twitter Widgets

• Profile - Embed your tweets to appear in your blog or on your website.  Click here to link to view a running list of my Tweets.
• Search - Create a search that updates real time that appears in your blog or on your site.  Here's mine!
• Other widgets - TwitStamp allows you to update your Twitter status to sites that accept images; Twitter Widget allows you to adjust the background of your blog to the Twitter post you embed; Twoxit Widget provides the code for you to embed on your site for users to update their own Twitter status.

Using widgets on a school or classroom site would make the user experience more focused, without the user even realizing!  School community members could link directly to real-time, pertinent Tweets that highlight the positive.

Everything Guide
A super duper resource that provides guidance on topics ranging from creating a Twitter bio and posting, to searching and managing who you follow or who follows you.  Critical tools for educators can be found here to become more efficient in communication, time management, and constituent engagement.