Made some pages on my wiki. I haven't got my class of students (my 2 daughters) to contribute yet so I may have to enlist a few cousins etc. I can somehow see a lot more potential for wikis in a classroom situation. Nice big project in history or geography (even my area of maths - history of various mathematicians) with each student having their area of research etc. I need to check on the restrictions of editing though. Wouldn't want student A to edit the work of student B in an unkind manner. Am I being cynical? Have I taught for too long?
This week I am going to learn how to upload a photo slide show into my blog - with the help of my new teacher. This could be an interesting exercise. I will now google 'picasso web albums'
Next day. Thanks to Alun. As you can see - I have managed it! Now to recall the steps before I forget.
- I got on to picasaweb.google.com and made up an account. Read that I could upload software for the picasa albums which basically collects all photos on one's hard drive. As our computer is very slow and old, I didn't want to do that.
- Instead, one can upload 5 photos at a time directly into picasaweb without any extra software - so I chose that option and uploaded 5 photos with ease
- It then looked like I could create a slide show by selecting my album and creating a link on the righthand side. Had to copy some code to embed in my site. Arriving back at my blog, I couldn't see where to embed the code so began another search (maybe this will be useful on my wiki)
- Answer was to select "layout" in my blog, then "insert a slideshow", then select my picasaweb album by providing my account details.
"Too easy" as Australians would say.
Hi Joan, First thing I noticed was you great slideshow of pics and then I read how you uploaded it from picasaweb. I'll have to look into it, but not sure if it is possible on a mac. Like yourself, I am exploring Blogs and Wikis and can see the benefit for them in education. At the University of the Sunshine Coast, we have a Blog and Wiki tool in our Blackboard LMS and our Educational Technology team have only just started a Wiki as part of a Training Site called Train Station. It is a very useful place for resources. We call it The Blackboard Support wiki and it provides a one-stop location for sharing information, experiences and best practices between staff creating online learning materials and delivering distance learning.
ReplyDeleteI think I can contribute a lot of resources from this course.
cheers Sondra
Shows you how much I know about blogging, but my comment above is linked to an old blog that I have deleted as I chose the wrong account to comment as. Anyway, just thought I'd let you know. Let's hope this one is right.
ReplyDelete:)
Well done, Joan. I have enjoyed reading your reflections on the course. I am as yet undecided whether to keep using my old blog or start a new one just for the course???
ReplyDeleteCheers
Kathryn
Hi Joan
ReplyDeleteI finally got around updating my blog and realised you were listed as one of my followers. the least i could do is comment on your posts.
I don't know if you find it as hard as i do to keep up with the blogging and making sure it is all up to date (maybe i am more technophobic than i thought).
I felt the debate went well and we just need to wait for a result now.
I am glad the instructions about how to upload pictures onto blogger helped you (it took ages when i did it). It is very confusing and as i mentioned in my post it would be really hard to teach to students. It also would be extremely time consuming as they would need to create so many different accounts that need to interact with each other.
Cheers for now
Al
Hi Al, Sondra (THE team), Kathryn,
ReplyDeleteIn response to your postings above. Sondra - could you explain the Blackboard LMS and what it can do. I notice that we have a blog facility under our profiles on the Studydesk, but I couldn't see the point of 2 blogs, so didn't go there.
Kathryn - I seem to remember your blog - home-schooling your children. Absolutely delightful and a lovely record of your family. You have a gift for writing if I have the right person.
Al. Thanks very much for the slideshow info - you did all the hard work. For School kids, the first thing would be to instruct them to create their own blog. Second step - sign up for a picasaweb.google account and upload 5 photos there. Third step - back to their blog and insert slideshow. Could be managed and the way kids go these days, they wont see it as difficult. I think that us oldies will always be perceived as technophobic by our students, so as teachers we must just be enthusiastic to learn from them.
Funny about the follower bit Al. I noticed that YOU were a follower of mine and thought "hey, how did he do that?", so I respondedi kind. So, I will now become a follower of Kathryn and Sondra. Doesn't notify one of new postings though, which I thought it might. Perhaps we need to create RSS feeds for that. Shall we try?
Bye
Joan