Curation, collection and connection with Scoop.it

I came across Scoop.it in its Beta days, and played to see what it could offer.

Now, after playing with it for a few months, I see it as a tool for not only collecting posts on the latest on the web, but also as a great source for sharing collective knowledge.

To begin, I used the inbuilt curation tools (which are based on the keywords and descriptions you give your topic) to collect websites and comments on my chosen topics. Later on, I used Scoop.it as I browsed the web and came across sites relevant to topics I was investigating.

My latest discovery is that you can search what others are curating, and easily link to their collections, to get another perspective. Knowing colleagues’ Scoops is of course another way to gain insight…

So why ‘scoop.it’?

• to collect web pages to a central visual location
• to gain automatically generated suggestions, relevant (sometimes) to your interests
• to pick the brain of other curators (both friends and strangers)
• use a random search to see what others are doing

How to

1. Login to http://www.scoop.it
2. Dashboard allows you to create a topic (make it as specific as you can). Include keywords to generate suggestions.
3. To collect your own ‘scoops’, you need to download the bookmarklet (to your favourites list or favourites bar). This allows you to Scoop.it when you are on a relevant page to your topic with just a click. (Make sure you scoop to the right topic, if you have more than one.) You can select an image from the page, add a comment or edit in any way you want before your scoop is added.
4. Once added, you can also play with where you want the latest scoop to be displayed, and move your scoops around to suit.

Another incredibly valuable part of Scoop.it, is the ability to search and follow the scoops of others. Sharing your addresses on Twitter and other social networks allow others to see what you are curating, and vice versa. You can also search for a topic you might be thinking about, and select from suggested titles. Once you ‘follow’ a topic, notifications of additions can be delivered to your designated email address, daily, weekly, or not at all.

Currently, there is a limit of 5 topics which you can generate on a free account. (To generate more, you need to delete an old one, or upgrade for a fee.) Since the data generated should of itself be fresh, new and current, this may not be a bad thing – so maybe view it as a ephemeral exercise, requiring comnstant renewal, regeneration or removal.

Much of the value of Scoop.it actually lies in what your fellow researchers have unearthed, and valued within their own specialities. Scoop.it is yet another social networking tool well worth looking into.

(I will update this page soon with suggestions from colleagues about using Scoop.it in an educational setting – so check back soon! or make a suggestion in your comment…)

Examples

From Teacher Librarians:

Apps for Learning (Tania Sheko)

Boys and Reading (Heather Stapleton)

BYOD BYOT @ School (Leanne Windsor)

Ebooks in Libraries (Carmel Galvin)

Exploring Visual Arts  (Marita Thomson)

Differentiated Teaching (Anne Weaver)

Graphic Novels in the Classroom (Di Laycock)

Perspectives on eBooks

Web 2.0 Tools for English teachers

From other practitioners (some in education)

Attention (Howard Rheingold)

Design for Students (Leanne McLean)

Geography Education (Seth Dixon)

Social Media, Technology and Design (Alex Butler)

Social Networking for Information Professionals (Judy O’Connell)

Technology to Educate (Jason Baughman)

Testing e-books

Well, I have just finished my first e-book – from start to finish. I have tried before – using a Kobo, testing out Kindle for PC, even reading on my iPhone, but today’s the first time I have finished a book.

Mahtab’s Story by Libby Gleeson was read on my iPad, using the Overdrive app. I found it quite comfortable on the eyesight (though a little bit cumbersome to cuddle up to in bed). Lighting was not an issue – it seemed to be fine in a number of different lights. And changing pages was far better than I’ve found in the Kobo experience.

I borrowed the book through another school library as a test run – thanks, Therese; which was a relatively easy experience once I had set up the programs to be able to read it. I have the book on my iPad and my laptop, and could have set up on my phone, or an iPod (if I hadn’t lost mine). Looks like all would work as easily, depending on your eyesight!

Having also read using Kindle for PC on both my phone and laptop, I would also like to comment on the ability the Kindle app gives to sync across any media you use. It allows you to read the same book and keep track. I was amazed when testing book on my PC, and then opening it on my phone, and being able to pick up at the exact spot I left when last reading it. (I haven’t tested this on Overdrive).

I was given a Kobo as a gift, which gave me the chance to also test this, which I have on a few flights. It feels great, is light and provides the opportunity to have lots of books with you when you travel – except you have to switch it off well before you land (unlike a book which you can read until the seatbelt light goes off! But the same as any digital device…) It isn’t as easy or fast in changing pages as the iPad, but is easy to adapt to, and is clear in displaying which books you have, and where you are at with them.

It’s been an interesting exercise, though I confess to still really enjoying the tactile enjoyment of reading physical books. However, I can see the benefits we can gain from e-books (particularly when it comes to borrowing from a library – automatic returns, no overdue problems!). These also include:

• Weight saving (imagine textbooks all on your iPad, iPod or mp3 device!)
• Access for more than one person at a time (no waiting for books to be returned)
• Appeal to the net generation
• Multiple uses for your digital device
• Ability with some to annotate texts
• Immediate access (no waiting for books to be delivered)

To Kindle or not to Kindle?

Well, after some deliberation, I have finally decided to trial Kindle. At this stage, it is only ‘Kindle for PC’ (and phone), not an actual Kindle, but worth trialling since these are free.

To do so is relatively easy for those who already have an Amazon account. A simple ‘Kindle for PC’ query in Google gave the direct Amazon page, and a quick click on the Download button started the process. I saved the file (to have available for other PCs) and then ran the application file from my desktop.

I now have Kindle for PC on my home desktop computer, my laptop and was easily able to get the app for my phone (and it doesn’t have to be an iPhone either).

Since I use the one Amazon account for all, I can also retrieve my ebooks from any of these devices – it even recognises what page I last read! For instance, I began a book on my desktop PC, and then read further on my phone – then when I opened it again on the PC, it asked if I wanted to go to the furthest page read on my phone!

The interface is quite attractive and shows your books in your chosen order (Recent, Title or Author). The hardest thing to do at this stage is to decide which ebook!! There are lots of freebies, though mainly classics (which are fine) but there are lots of pulp fiction to weed through too. And like any online book store, there are ‘featured’ and ‘popular’ titles, along with ‘recommendations especially for you’.

Don’t think of ebooks being purely fiction either. Non-fiction titles are also available  - Yvonne has spoken of the speed with which some of her professional reading needs were met - in the blink of an eye, when she simply couldn’t wait for an Amazon delivery form overseas. And imagine how light school bags could be with etexts (if and when the distributors get on board)!!

The whole download process (for both the program and the books) was relatively quick and painless, giving lots of time to get into reading straight away. It’s certainly worth trying before buying an ereader (Kindle or otherwise) – but I’d better go now – I have even more books to read (though the piles aren’t as obvious)!

Comment back?

# Have you tried ebooks? What did you think of them? What reader have you liked best?

##What are some of the titles you started with? or found most valuable?

 

More on free audiobook downloads…

How to…

In order to take advantage of this offer the steps are:

1.Download the software (Overdrive Media Console) to manage the audio files.

2. Join the Audiobook Community – a simple signup with email address and password required.

3. Then from the Audiobook Community select the free download of the audiobook you are interested in (2 available each week). Click on Download XXXX Now! 

4. These can be transferred later to other locations (e.g. iTunes) using the OMC software.

This will be directed into your Overdrive Media Console and available from there for listening (though some downloads take a while). There are a few more titles yet to come for Australian audiences, so why not give it a trial?

Note: full instructions are available on the Audiobook Community site.

Free audiobooks

Just a quick post linking to another TLs blog (Hi! Marita) to let you know about the availability of some free audiobooks.

I am going to trial this – though at the moment, it’s taking a while to download ‘the Power of One’ – one of this week’s freebies. It does involve downloading a program to manage the download of the books, and as yet I haven’t tested what they be loaded onto, but that will come.

Marita has more detail on her website, and the instructions on OverDrive Media Console are userfriendly, too. Why not give it a go and let others know how it works for you?

Is it a Wonder (wheel)? What about ‘Clusty’?

One of the newer tools Google has developed, Wonder Wheel, has taken on the idea of clustering results of searches into related groups. This is a great tool which enables the breakdown of a broad search into more and more specific keywords, and can assist in the refinement of searches. (But not the only one – see below.)

To use Wonder Wheel, you begin with your search term at Google. Once this is entered, you have to select ‘show options’ on the left, and move down to select the option ‘Wonder wheel’. This will then display a visual of related topics, which can help to narrow your search. You can continue to dig down into these topics, as they become more specific to your needs, or click back out to where you began. This is demonstrated in the short video clip below:

 

New idea? well, not really…

The idea of grouping related search terms is not new, however, and was used in the past by the search engine, Mooter. (Did Google buy this out?) It is also still used by the search engine, Clusty, which has a few other options which may also be of interest to those wishing to refine their searches.

A comparison of ‘Wonder wheel’ and ‘Clusty’:

(Note: these are part-page images, both display lists of sites on the search page as well)

1.’Cloning’ search on Wonder wheel…

2. ‘Cloning’ search on Clusty provides a clustering or grouping of related terms, which can also help you to dig down further. The + sign indicates a folder which can be opened, the number tells how many hits within the group.

3. A further option in Clusty allows is to select results from a particular type of site (click on ‘sites’ tab, and select ‘edu’):

So, there are other options available to help refine a search for more specific information, or to help brainstorm an idea to more specific keywords and concepts. The choice is yours.

Contrasting comments on Wonderwheel:

1. “You can follow each connection in the Wonder Wheel, which then sprouts its own set of spokes. I quickly lost my place. I’ve seen other tools like this before and can say, unequivocally, I never get anything out of them. Please, Google, don’t waste our time with this stuff.” From: 12 technologies I hate, http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2349277,00.asp (N.B. This writer does not like graphic search tools.)

2. An alternate point of view: “I honestly believe this will take some of the “getting lost in the web” problems all students face and also help teachers to guide students through a more successful search. With any luck, even students as young as third grade will be able to start making successful Google searches with the Wonder Wheel.” From: Google Features That Make Teachers’ Lives Easier Part 2 – Wonder Wheel and Timeline, http://tinyurl.com/yjw84yc

More about Wallwisher

Now that some have tried out Wallwisher with classes, a few reflections:

1. When saving your wall, give it a logical address (rather than accepting the default, which is just random numbers and letters – hard to remember or recognise.)
2. Do you have somewhere to provide students with  easy access to the link? (e.g. an ecampus site?)
3. Perhaps, begin with the wall ‘open’ while you work with the class. This will provide instantaneous feedback during classtime, (they will see their posts straight away), then change the settings to moderate after class (JIC).
4. Check that students can access Web 2.0 sites like Wallwisher (trial it with a student logging in – teachers’ access may be different!). If ‘no’, seek out IT staff to allow access, as filters may automatically block some sites.
5. Remember, it is the tool, not the purpose of the lesson – and you may need a backup plan if the site is blocked for some reason – so, what is the aim of the activity? and how might you do it without technology?
6. Share your reflections – the good and the bad – with others. Comment here!!

ToonDoo – Create your own graphic ‘novel’ and more

Here’s some information and links to enable you to find out about the web 2.0 tool ToonDoo, which Steve mentioned recently. As he stated, it’s a creative tool used to make comic strips – which could have multiple uses in the classroom. And like many web 2.0 tools it’s easy to use.

How?

1. Sign up at: www.toondoo.com

2. Register with a username, password and  email address, then login to get started.

Creating ToonDoos involves selecting templates for the frame you wish to use, characters, speech bubbles, backgrounds, props and shapes – all of which can be found when you are logged in, by clicking on the ToonDoo pencil. After this, the fun begins as you click and drag your selection into place. There are many tools which allow you to modify the different components – ask the students to help you work these as they seem to intuitively know how to play with such things!

The Slideshare (How to Create a ToonDoo) below runs through the ToonDoo process:

Once you have created a ToonDoo, you can choose how you wish to publish – you have the choice to make it public or private, and it is possible to use a ‘safe’ filter when searching the gallery with students. It is also possible with the clipping tool in Vista or Windows 7 to clip and save the image created, or simply publish the ToonDoo to a blog.

Educational comment on ToonDoo

Bright Ideas Blog. http://slav.globalteacher.org.au/2008/12/18/toondoo/ This blog post by the School Library Association of Victoria outlines the ToonDoo tool, and suggests uses such as book reviews, writing Haiku poetryand summarising historical events. This site provided the link to the Slideshare shown above.

Marcinek, Andrew. ToonDoo is too cool for school. http://www.classroom20.com/forum/topics/toon-doo-is-cool-for-school Andrew provides suggestions for use, including English – translating a passage from Hamlet, Maths, special ed and History examples. “This post is going to focus on a website that all teachers can utilize in his or her classroom immediately and it is very easy to use. The site is called “Toon Doo”. Toon Doo is a free open application that allows anyone to create a comic strip.”

# Please add any suggested uses that you have found for this tool as a comment below, and share your classroom experience.

Wallwisher – online post-it notes

Do away with butcherpaper. Allow kids to make comment individually. Manage ideas from many. Wallwisher can help you do this.

Try it to capture ideas from a PD session. Use it to track you own thoughts (like a brainstorm/mindmap). Or a simple activity to share opinions of a class group, allowing everyone a chance to ‘speak’ .

The process is simple – just type in your name and email address, then start your wall.

You have the option to:

• keep it private (for personal use)
• share with others via email invite, or address link
• moderate sticky notes (comments) – wise for class use

It’s a simple but fun tool, which teachers across the globe are already using: see ‘Sixteen interesting ways to use Wallwisher in the classroom’ , a collation of ideas, intitiated by Tom Barrett at Google Docs.

If you want to try Wallwisher, then visit: http://wallwisher.com/wall/books4you and add your sticky note to my wall, ‘Read any good books lately?’ or have a play on another: http://wallwisher.com/wall/titlestobuy.

Some teachers have already used this in the past (though it is still in Beta mode), or looked at it recently and said:

I used it in a class activity with Year 9 last year…. Once we ironed that out it worked really well.  The only drawback is in-class computer access.  Thanks for reminding me – I will use it with Year 8 History SOON!!! (Anne)

Looks very interesting. I guess it’s another form of wiki. (Cameron)

Here’s another  wall to preview,  ‘What’s so great about Smartboards’ - a collection of comments about use in the classroom.

## When you have had a chance to play, and maybe thought of some ideas, please share them here in your comments. Or make a wall for others to comment (email the link to friends and colleagues.) Or share your success/failure trialling some of the 16 Things shared by Tom Barrett and others.

 

bibme – a bibliography maker

Since bibliographies remain a challenging task for many students, it is great to have a Web 2.0 tool to help them (and us) manage a little better. One I have trialled recently is bibme.

bibme is a free automatic bibliography generator that supports several formatting styles. It is fast and easy and accesses a number of different database sources (like Amazon) for its information. The automatic option is fast and easy and even operates using an ISBN (that is, the unique code identfiying individual resources). even without a hit from Amazon, you can complete a manual entry and BibMe formats in the style you have selected.

Simply go to bibme.org and enter in either the title, ISBN, or author of the publication, select the media you are looking for (i.e. book, journal, film etc.) and search. You are able to check, and edit the entry where there are slight variations in the result, and this can be added to your bibliography.

There are different formats to be chosen (unfortunately, no Harvard, but APA is close). The list grows in an ordered fashion and can be copied to another document. It is easy, however, to register and then be able to save the result for download to  Word or other document type. It is also easy to go back to edit (or add) to the list saved to your account.

While this is different to our preferred Harvard style guide, it offers consistency and a quick recording of all references as you or the student proceeds in research. Manual entry is also possible for resources which are new or unusual, and which don’t come up on the automatic search.

Why not give it a trial and comment on how it worked for you?