Multimedia Seeds: Course Materials: Email Archives

photograph of Larry Johnson Welcome to e-class! The Course Website contains all the resources for the course. Go to the Course Materials section to read the Syllabus, then explore the Calendar, Requirements and Checklist.

When you're ready to begin, work your way through the Course Guide. The guide is divided into three CourseQuests containing the required readings, assignments, and projects.

The course focuses on audio and video materials, collections, collection management, collection production, and collection use.

NOTE: If you are enrolled in this class, you should be receiving these messages emailed directly to you. If that is not the case, email your instructor larrjoh@gmail.com

S621 Update - March 25, 2009
Hello everyone,

Spring break has come and gone, and we are well into completing Project 2.

ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK
Online reading on Collection Use:
1) Overview http://eduscapes.com/seeds/use/index.html
2) Effective Use of Audio and Video http://eduscapes.com/seeds/use/use1.html
3) Media Literacy http://eduscapes.com/seeds/use/literacy.html
4) Media Literacy: Media, Children, and Society http://eduscapes.com/seeds/use/tvprocons.html
5) Collection Use: Learning with Audio and Video http://eduscapes.com/seeds/use/learning.html
6) Collection Use: Learning: Audio, Video, and the Differentiated Classroom http://eduscapes.com/seeds/use/different.html
7) Collection Use: Learning: Books and Movies in the Classroom http://eduscapes.com/seeds/use/bookmovie.html
8) Collection Use: Learning: WebQuests and Lesson Plans http://eduscapes.com/seeds/use/webquest.html
Recently several updates were completed . . . especially on #4 above for Media Literacy: Media, Children, and Society but smaller, needed changes were done ot a few other pages.

Posting of your Sprout9 posting is due next Monday - - along with a reply / response for Sprout8 (due Monday of this week).

Project 2 - - it should be posted for peer review also by next Monday, March 30th.

YALSA's FABULOUS FILMS FOR YOUNG ADULTS
Each year, the Fabulous Films for Young Adults committee selects a list of films around a theme that will appeal to young adults in a variety of library settings. Titles will be selected to appeal to young adults with varied tastes and interests. See this year's and previous years selections: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/fabfilms/fabfilms.cfm

BOOKS INTO MOVIES
These resources recently came to my attention; I will add them to our course materials.

Anyone Like Movies Based Off Books? - Message board discussion at TeenLine
http://teenlineonline.org/teens/boards/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7091

Based on the Book
http://www.basedonthebook.com/

Based on the Book from Mid-Continent Public Library
http://www.mcpl.lib.mo.us/readers/movies/
A compilation of over 1,250 books, novels, short stories, and plays that have been made into motion pictures.

Books into Movies from KidsReads
http://www.kidsreads.com/features/books2movies.asp

Books into Movies at Teenreads
http://www.teenreads.com/features/books2movies.asp

Middle School Comparison Paper: Books Turned Into Movies Make Nice Compare and Contrast Papers by K. Hayden (Dec. 2008) at Suite101
http://middlehighschool.suite101.com/article.cfm/middle_school_comparison_paper#ixzz0ApQ4vNGL

Young Adult Books Made to Movies - List from Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library
http://www.nassaulibrary.org/hewlett/yamovies.html

ONLINE TIME-LAPSE VIDEOS
Wired Science recently posted their choices for 'Top 10 Time-Lapse Videos Show Nature at Work'
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/03/tenlapse.html

I'm currently working on scoring your Project1 Mediagraphies.

Back with you soon,

Larry

S621 Update - March 13, 2009
Hello everyone,

I have enjoyed reading and scoring more of your work this past week. In your sprout postings, discussion ranged from issues with converter boxes to concerns about closed captioning and HDMI, many of you pointed out interesting issues with changes in television technology and accessibility. I will be continuing to catchup through the next several day.

QUIZ1
The scores for the first quiz will be posted to the Oncourse gradebook later today (just have a few more to score - 5 pts. total, each item counted 1/2 pt). The quizzes are the main way that I know if your are reading and understanding the concepts and ideas in the assigned readings. In scoring your answers there is no partial or partly correct answer; you either got full credit or missed it. I looked to see if you could identify the important question components - - that is what was being asked; then succinctly provide a definitive response (brief, correct answer that goes to the core issue(s)). This rules out 'talking around the issue'; in other words you must identify and accurately explain the important aspect(s) questioned.

Quiz2 will be of a similar nature but will only cover the assigned readings after this first quiz.

ECONOMIC STIMULUS FUNDING AND MORE
The ALA Washington Office and specifically Melanie Anderson have put together data and information on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) that is relevant to school library media specialists. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 101 (Economic Stimulus Funding)
http://www.ala.org/knowyourstimulus

There are opportunities for school libraries to benefit from the legislation. Read the attached documents (above link); then make contact with your school officials outlining specific ways that libraries can benefit from the ARRA funding. It is essential that you lead the effort to help school officials understand that investing in funding for libraries benefits all students. The library program lead by a certified school library media specialist creates students who are skilled in 21st Century competencies and life-long learners.

And other news from ALA - - this is about grant funding. If you're overwhelmed by the federal funding, how about an ALA grant? Go to Libraries, Literacy and Gaming Grant at http://librarygamingtoolkit.org/rfp/

SCHOOL PEOPLE
If you're currently the media specialist in a school setting, please help AASL with the following survey.

AASL’s "School Libraries Count!" longitudinal survey has been extended one week! Your participation is vital to ensuring an accurate reflection of nation-wide school library media programs. The survey may be accessed directly at http://www.aaslsurvey.org

ASSIGNMENTS
Stay on schedule with the readings and assignments using the calendar http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/calendar.html and working through the CouseGuide:

Finishing up Guide 2: Collection Management http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/guide2.html (Sprout 8)
Working on Guide 3: Collection Production http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/guide3.html (Project 2)

Do not forget that those reply / responses are due one week after the initial postings.

SPRING BREAK
Some of you are probably saying 'what Spring Break'; others may already be on your way! I will be working through the Spring Break week so I can answer any questions that come up (know that some of you will be working too). Have a great weekend and week.

Larry

S621 Update - March 3, 2009
Hello everyone,

I've got lots of grading to complete - I'm way behind. And I thank you for you extended patience. I am working on grading and will work through the following days to catch up with your progress. Currently scoring the online quiz (5 pts. total) and will post results and also send out a brief note when those are complete. After that I will move to your Project 1: Mediagraphy and more Sprout discussions. That will probably keep me occupied through this next week.

ASSIGNMENTS
This week, you are to read information about management online:

Media Center Management and Promotion http://eduscapes.com/seeds/management/manage1.html
Acquiring, Cataloging, and Processing Materials http://eduscapes.com/seeds/management/cataloging.html
Vendors, Distributors, and Suppliers http://eduscapes.com/seeds/management/vendors.html
Housing and Circulating Materials http://eduscapes.com/seeds/management/housing.html
Reserving, Maintaining, and Weeding Materials http://eduscapes.com/seeds/management/weed.html
Promoting Materials http://eduscapes.com/seeds/management/promote.html
Collection Evaluation http://eduscapes.com/seeds/management/cd4.html

These are the main pages at the course website; remember that in some instances there are additional webpages connected to these main ones.

Sprout 7 will be due next week; Sprout 6 was to be posted / completed yesterday. The reply / responses to Sprout 5 are also to be completed. And your final version of Project 1was due yesterday. Now that you have your Mediagraphy completed, it's time to turn attention to Project 2, the Collection Production Project. Find out more at http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/guide3.html#p2.

This second major project (20 pts.) is very different from the first; it is more flexible. It allows you to shape more of its content to best fit your professional needs. However everyone should have a project that involves them personally in the production of audio and/or video material. There are several different possibilities for types and levels of media production. You may come up with ideas that are not on the project outlne. For example, someone might develop a creative demonstration project involving podcasts http://reviews.digitaltrends.com/guide/31/how-to-make-a-podcast. My suggestion is to select a project that involves new learning, that stretches your knowledge and abilities, and can be fitted to meet class requirements. If the project can also meet an on-the-job need, the work will be even more relevant. Begin any project with an identified purpose and audience. It should be based / aimed at meeting a recognized need(s). As the project is submitted, it is a good idea to include those planning elements along with a statement of your role(s)/ tasks completed and the learning / experience(s) gained in the production process. Be sure to totally describe the project. If it's a group effort, throughly identify the team and your individual contribution(s).

Reminder that the focus for the class is on audio and video; therefore my focus will be on the audio and video produced segments of your project. Also quality will outweigh quantity. For example, a well-planned and created video clip might be better than a longer program; dependent on how it is to be used, what's it pupose, and the type audience it is to reach.

Finally there are lots of online help for audio and video production. But the key is to find something that fits your needs and matches to your ability. And if you need to bounce a project idea off someone, just take time to email me . . . I will get back to you as soon as possible. If my response is not helpful or not understood, come back again . . . make sure I was 'listening right' (8-).

Finally a quick reminder that inserting audio or video segment into PowerPoint will NOT meet requirements for this Project 2 assignment.

USEFUL RESOURCE
Creative Commons Podcasting Legal Guide http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Podcasting_Legal_Guide
This is a useful and informative guide to the legalities of podcasting, but as it mentions, "This Guide provides general information about legal topics but it is not a complete discussion of all legal issues that arise in relation to podcasting nor is it a substitute for legal advice."

Finally, you can get more ideas for digital projects from places like Digital School Collection Teacher Resources at Adobe http://www.adobe.com/education/instruction/adsc/ and Listen Up http://www.listenup.org/

Adapt the ideas there even though some are written for a younger audience, others written for teachers, and you don't necessarily have to use an Adobe software. There are an almost unlimited number of project possibilities. You may want to incorporate one of the media hosting sites for part of your work; i.e., TeacherTube, YouTube, etc. - - there are lots of possiblities and no need to pay for space. Pick a task that fits your needs, if possible create a product that you can use, and pick a project that stretches your abilities / that causes you to learn a new and useful skill.

Another Idea - Consider creating a PSA (Public Service Announcement) for a library or a library program / initiative. Again you can find lots of online help:
(A) Public Service Announcements at Apple Learning Interchange http://edcommunity.apple.com/ali/story.php?itemID=195
(B Public Service Announcements: How Can We Make Them Effective?
http://www.thcu.ca/infoandresources/publications/Atkins_Effective_PSAs_ContentFeb01_Format_aug.03.pdf

Reminder that both podcasts and PSAs can be created as digital audio or video products.

Also remember that both the Mac and PC systems usually come with video editing software; iMovie (Mac) and Windows MovieMaker (PC)

Find more ideas, resources and help with audio and video at (Sites from another IUPUI webcourse):
High Tech Tools: Sounds http://eduscapes.com/hightech/tools/sounds/index.htm
High Tech Tools: Video http://eduscapes.com/hightech/tools/video/index.htm

If you have an idea and are unsure, email me and I will give you my opinion / reaction.

TEEN TECH WEEK
According to 2005 study by Harris Interactive, 86% of youth aged 8-18 have a computer in their home, and 74% have Internet access in their home. On average, 8-18 year olds spend 6 hours and 21 minutes per day using media (including TV, video/DVDs/movies, video games, audio media, computers and print media). Furthermore, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 71% of teens report that the Internet is their primary source for completing school projects. Yet multiple studies have shown that the majority of teens lack the critical thinking skills and technical expertise to use the Internet and other electronic resources effectively. Teens need to know that the library is a trusted resource for accessing information and that librarians are the experts who can help them develop the skills they need to use electronic resources effectively and efficiently.

Celebrate YALSA's (Young Adult Library Services Association, an ALA 3rd annual Teen Tech Week, March 8-14.

Participating teens will be tuning in at the library. They join thousands of other libraries and schools across the country who are celebrating this year’s theme, "Press Play @ Your Library®.” Teen Tech Week is a national initiative aimed at teens, their parents, educators and other concerned adults. The purpose of the initiative is to ensure that teens are competent and ethical users of technologies, especially those that are offered through libraries such as DVDs, databases, audiobooks, and videogames. Teen Tech Week encourages teens to use libraries' nonprint resources for education and recreation, and to recognize that librarians are qualified, trusted professionals in the field of information technology.

Learn more at http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/teentechweek/ttw09/home.cfm

NAACP TOP 100 FILMS OF THE CENTURY
f you are interested in expanding a collection of multicultural films, or want to be better prepared to recommend solid film choices to learners and teachers, the NAACP's Top 100 Films of the Century: 1909--2009 is a must visit. http://www.naacptop100.com/

Back with you later,
Larry

S621 Update - February 20, 2009
Hey everyone,

The online resources for this class are limitless; new ones crop up all the time. Relatively new is an online video site: FORA.tv http://fora.tv/. The site has videos to support discourse and discussions on some interesting political, social and cultural issues, and enables viewers to join the conversation. I can see teachers using one of the videos as a springboard to a lesson - - motivating student interest in debating issues, current events . . .

PROJECT 1
Your draft of Project 1 (15 total points) is to be posted for peer review next week (due Monday). During the rest of this week, everyone is to examine and provide feedback to each other. Revisions and improvements are to be made. Yout Project 1 final version is to be posted; due on Monday, March 2nd.

Answers to common questions about Project 1:
1. What are the project requirements? http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/guide1.html#p1. Scoring of your work is based and closely follows the listed content criteria.
2. Do I need a special program to write the mediagraphy?
Create / develop an online site; can be a webpage / website, can be a Googlesite or other similar websharing location, and can be a Wikipage(s).
3. Is there an exact format I should use?
There is no required format. Just be sure to include the elements discussed on the Project 1 requirements. Make your completed document a public, professional work. Attend to its appearance and uniformity. A simple but elegant visual design is recommended.
4. What if I can't find a review for one of the items I want to include?
If you have difficulty finding a review (Don't forget to use the databases available online through the library) on something you really like, just write and identify your own review statement. Make it brief (2 or 3 lines at most). Other ways to include a review: if citing a written review, identify the source and include brief quotation or paraphrase the most important component. If you are including and online review, cite the source and provide an active link. But reminder that items are to be reviewed.
5. Remember peer review is a required part of the course. Provide useful feedback to your classmates and help each other improve the final versions. Has to be more than just positive feedback; need to make constructive suggestions on content, design, etc.

Get your project online for the class by next Monday midnight. Post a brief introduction and correct link to the project at the appropriate Oncourse section. Be sure to check and make sure that the link works - that others have access to your site. Review and provide useful suggestions to one or more classmate's project(s). Use the feedback given on your product; consider the suggestions and decide if any would improve your work. Revise if needed and have your final version online by the following Monday.

MARC RECORD FOR PROJECT 1
Although many of the students in this class have interests in public/academic libraries, I realize that some class members may not have had experience with the MARC record system.

Think of a MARC record as a single record in a library catalog database. Or if you like to cook, it's like a single recipe in a recipe file. In the case of media materials collection, it's the information about a single CD, DVD, or other media item.

A MARC record is the acronym for MAchine-Readable Cataloging. The MARC record system was designed by the Library of Congress in the late 1960s in order to allow libraries to convert their card catalogs into a digital format. MARC records are the system which computers exchange and interpret bibliographic information. MARC data elements make up the foundation of most of today's library catalogs.

This portion of the activity requires that you include a MARC record for an audio or video material used in your Mediagraphy (Project 1). Actually you are not expected to necessarily create a MARC record, just find one for an item and use it into the project. Begin to identify some of the elements, gain a sense of the "look and feel" of these items.

You can search for a MARC record online by entering the title of a media program and adding "MARC" into the search engine. Or you might try searching within a online library catalog such as the Library of Congress http://catalog.loc.gov/.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ROOT 1 QUIZ
(These instructions are NOT at the test location)
You’re in charge of the “Technology Online Assistance Desk”. Digital Reference Services are becoming an important skill in today’s libraries. Whether you’re helping a patron with their new DVD player or a high school student with a video production, the reference questions librarians face go beyond books. You may also want to help other educators or librarians become more familiar with technology.

From: AudOVidOPerson@lib.center.com
To: Technology Online Assistance Desk
Subject: Techie Questions
I'm thinking about adding audio and video materials to my library, but I've got some questions about what formats are best. There's also lots of "techie lingo". Here are my questions:

Although a good reference librarian might ask a number of clarifying questions, you’ll be stuck with addressing the statement provided. Some questions will require three levels of understanding. The first level will be basic information, the second level will be application of the information, and the third level will require synthesis and evaluation. Other questions will just require simple questions. Please keep the answers very short!

At Oncourse, look for "Original Test and Survey" on the left menu index. Enter and select "Quiz 1" and complete. There are ten questions. Root 1 will be available at Oncourse beginning Saturday (tomorrow) until next Thursday midnight. Don't forget it! There is no makeup if missed.

Note: Total points available from this Root#1 is 5; however, Oncourse cannot calculate a half of a point for an item. Therefore your scores will be recalulated to reflect 1/2 pt. for each item. Your response must be totally correct for the score, no further partial points awarded.

OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE
As we continue through the course, there may be times that you need to use a graphics package like PhotoShop to manipulate a photo or image. For example if you want to remove a white background that is framed around a graphic to make it match a color background on a webpage, you can use PhotoShop to convert the image to a transparent GIF. Or you may need to edit or resize a photo - - generally we edit down in size rather than stretch or distort the image up in size. You can change the image resolution to 72 dpi (dots per inch), the optimum resolution for web display. Again a graphics program is needed.

All of us have free access to the relatively expensive PhotoShop software, but you should also know that there is a reliable Open Source product that works well: GIMP http://www.gimp.org/

Audacity is a great sound editing program that can be used to record and edit audio clips http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

To learn more about these and many other Open Source software programs, visit our online article: Freedom or Nightmare? The Implications of Open Source Software http://eduscapes.com/sessions/freedom/ Also read the June 2006 InfoTech Article for Teacher Librarian: Open Source Software in School Libraries (Online database access requires login); 33(5), 55-57.
http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.ulib.iupui.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=21337000

SPROUT POSTINGS
This past weekend, I've enjoyed reading and scoring a few more of your Forum postings. I get a general sense that a few are just meeting the requirements and not delving too deeply into the course materials - really hoping that most of you join into a class community, bringing the best thoughts and information to the forefront. Online classes, traditional classes can only be as good as the participants; in other words, I believe that it is you the students who truly make the 'class.' We're getting there.

CLASSROOM USE OF VIDEOS CHALLENGED
Recent events in Missoula, Montana bring forward issues about academic freedom and censorship. Read about it:

Moore, M. (Feb. 8, 2009). Missoula Schools in Video Flap. Missoulian Online
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2009/02/08/news/local/news02.txt

To read the views of a Hellgate High School senior and the editorials editor for the school newspaper, go to her recent blog posting:
Beard, Ana (Feb. 11, 2009). My First School Board Meeting. 4&20 Blackbirds: A Journal of Montana Politics and Culture
http://4and20blackbirds.wordpress.com/2009/02/11/a-students-response-to-censorship/

NY TIMES ARTICLES ON SCHOOL LIBRARIES
A recent series of 3 articles in the NYTimes focused on school libraries (Currently under budget fire in most states). One can look at them in different ways; a little pessimism comes out in my reaction to cellphone & computers in the Christopher Columbus example for In Web Age, Library Job Gets Update http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/16/books/16libr.html?hp. I think that for the age of learners, the example does not employ the needed level of discrimination or rigor. However having been quoted in a few newspaper articles over my career years, I rejoice that the newspaper did a series that provides a largely positive view of school libraries.

Scanning through some of the comments to the articles yields (as they always do) the varied viewpoints of the public. Example: #22 http://community.nytimes.com/article/comments/2009/02/16/books/16libr.html?permid=22#comment22. Has some half truths such as the 70s and books on the paranormal - - I was a beginning SLMS and I remember that those and other mysterious topics and phenomena were very popular with junior high students (ghosts, alternative world / parallel universe, alien life, psychic powers, etc. - many of the same topics in their updated form are popular today). But the books and media in our collection generally presented the content in a tone of skeptical inquiry rather than as totally true phenomenon. Believe that this writer forgets that today. Also a clear mistake to believe that a foil-wrapped fuse works; NO, it does temporarily allow electrical current to flow through the circuit; however, I would contend that the actual fuse no longer works as the fire protection device.

I also read comment # 24 http://community.nytimes.com/article/comments/2009/02/16/books/16libr.html?permid=24#comment24 from a school board member in WA state.

More pertinent to the focus of this class is the article (one of the three in the series):
Using Video Games as Bait to Hook Readers http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/06/books/06games.html?ref=books.

CLOSED CAPTIONING IDEA
This excerpt comes from B. Moline's posting in another online course - pertains to closed captioning:
"Another interesting point that reminds me of something I heard in a meeting with the special ed department recently. We were meeting with a parent and a student about the student's progress. The student, a senior, still needed to pass ISTEP in order to graduate. The discussion turned to ways we could encourage him to read. The special education coordinator suggested turning on the closed captioning on the television while he watched in the evening. What a genious idea! Kids are so "into" television shows and while the images shoot across the screen and the characters speak - a kid with some reading struggles could actually be picking up literacy skills while watching TV. Is this "visual literacy"? Maybe the most pure form...in a weird way, I guess."

Have a good week; always contact me if anything is confusing or you do not understand.
Larry

S621 Update - February 10, 2009
Hey Gang,

We are speeding along coursewise. I hope that things are going well for you in this Multimedia Seeds course.

PROJECT ONE - MEDIAGRAPHY
In case you need a little more clarification about Project 1: the Mediagraphy

By Monday, Feb. 23rd, your mediagraphy is to be shared with all class members. Discuss and share your work with each other via Oncourse; help everyone to improve and make their projects outstanding. This is not a competition, but rather a collaborative process aimed at formative evaluation. Pick one Garden Patch section for Project One and share your work with classmates. In this peer review process each of you is to respond to at least one classmate's project posting with comments, suggestions, added ideas, information, and examples. For responses and review of projects, you don't have to restrict yourself to one Garden Patch.

This project (actually all three of the projects in this class) are to be prepared as public / presentation documents. They must be made accessible to the class somewhere on the Web - and linked to a posting in the Oncourse Garden Patch.

The minimum requirements (15 possible points) for project one are listed at http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/guide1.html#p1. Remember that the emphasis in this course is placed on digital audio and digital video materials (Sorry to be redundant here). Print materials can be included, but they do not make up for any missing nonprint components. You may incorporate a wide range of nonprint resources from audio and video cassettes to websites, DVDs, and other materials - but attend to meeting and exceeding the criteria listed for this assignment.

Reinforcement:
* All quality projects / products begin with an introduction that includes an accurate statement of purpose that is usually backed up by identified needs.
* Each media item included in your mediagraphy should be annotated/described. I do not have a strict form for how this should be done or what should be included (Mediagraphy website does provide suggestions & sample projects provide several varied patterns). As much as possible, make the content and manner in which it is presented consistent for all media material - print and nonprint.
* Mediagraphy should have fifteen (15) or more nonprint materials. A packaged item ; i.e., multimedia kit, video series, etc. are counted as one item.
* View this as a mediagraphy for collection development / expansion; therefore, include a vendor price.
* Include review information for each item. Identify the review source and link to online reviews. Provide brief excerpt of any print reviews used. If no review is available, you may write your own - identify yourself as the reviewer.
* There is a required MARC record for one nonprint item. I do not expect you to catalog the item or to have completed the cataloging course. I do want you to look at a MARC record and begin to get ideas about how it is like and different from other material formats. More about MARC records next week.

ASSIGNMENTS
This week's assigned readings begin with management of audio and video collections and proceeds on to collectin development. Refer to the course guide and / or calendar for specific assignments.

Posting of your Sprout 3 discussions and response / replies for Sprout 2 were due on Monday, Feb. 9th. Sprout 4 posting is due next Monday.

MORE 'BOUT AUDIOBOOKS
My experiences listening to audiobooks parallels that of some class members. Several years ago, I commuted five-hours round trip for graduate classes. Pop-music radio stations just began to sound all-to-much the same. My limited personal music collection was beginning to bore me. So I first tried listening to audiobooks.

At first the format was uncomfortable; it seemed not to fit. I believe that I had to learn or relearn (may have been the case) to actively listen and concentrate on the material - - and also attend to safely driving the vehicle at the same time. I sometimes even pulled off the road to change a CD. It had been decades since I personally listened to anyone read to me for an extended time period. My mind wandered, I lost my place and experienced many of the same responses as some of you. It took several listening hours before a "break-through" positively changed the experience for me. Maybe it was the right material - - the right book, narrator, or version, at the right time and location.

Students and library users of all ages who have little experience listening to audio materials are probably similar. They have their preferences and varied abilities and may prefer select types of materials. They may require a learning period to grasp and adapt to the format. In addition, listening is an important component of a school reading program and of learning. Audiobooks provide an excellent resource for listening comprehension activities.

AIME MEDIA FAIR 2009
Each year the Association for Indiana Media Educators (AIME) holds its annual Media Fair. Susan Okey is this years Director for the events and is seeking volunteers to help as judges of student work submitted.

Please consider serving as a project judge. Students will submit their digital projects by March 2, 2009. Judging without the students being present will take place in the Media Center at Pike Freshman Center on March 14, 2009. Directions will be sent out to all volunteers.

Beginning at 9:00 a.m., a light breakfast and juice/coffee will be served. Judging will finish when all the projects are evaluated (Last year that ended about 1:00 p.m.). Lunch will be served. Check the web site for more information http://www.ilfonline.org/Programs/mediafair.htm.

A Media Fair celebration will be held at Pike High School Media Center April 18, 2009 9:00 a.m. -12:00 noon.

Having served as a Media Fair judge and later as director in another state's competition, I would share that this is an excellent opportunity to participate and learn - I have always been impressed by the creative and innovative applications and products that students produce.

Susan extends her thanks in advance and you can contact her by email at okeys@ips.k12.in.us

Susan Okey
AIME Media Fair Director, 2009
Rousseau McClellan # 91
Indianapolis Public Schools
5111 Evanston Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46205
317-226-4291 (phone)
317-226-4544 (fax)

BLOG TALK RADIO (Internet Talk Radio)
BlogTalkRadio http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ is the social radio network that allows users to connect quickly and directly with their audience. Using an ordinary telephone and computer hosts can create free, live, call-in talk shows with unlimited participants that are automatically archived and made available as podcasts. No software download is required. Listeners can subscribe to shows via RSS into iTunes and other feed readers. The network has produced thousands of episodes since it launched in August of 2006.

FILM ON THE FLY
Janet English of KOCE-TV (PBS affiliate) in Orange County, CA recently organized the 'Film on the Fly' video challenge. Early in the day, she sent out a text message to everyone who signed up with the prompt: “Everything changed - when the box mysteriously arrived at my doorstep.” The challenge was to then grab their cell phone and create a short video story (2 minutes or less) based on that prompt, recorded entirely on the cell phone. You can see the creative video results over at their group ning http://filmonthefly.ning.com/. The next Film on the Fly is going to be on March 14 - - PI Day! Sign up at http://www.koce.org/filmonthefly/.

Remember if you are having problems, be sure and communicate. I'm here to help, but first I need know . . .

Have a good week.
Larry

S621 Update - February 6, 2009
Hello,

Groundhog Day has come and gone - - and the Winter weather continues - - except here in south central Utah. Here we are still having 40 and 50 degree weather. May see some more snow soon - - hope so! Here in the mountain desert location, we need the water.

I have really enjoyed reading through all your Sprout postings - still working on Sprout2s. There are many good ideas and lots of information, experiences, and opinions shared.

One of the intended goals for a few of the activities early in this class is to cause each of you to consider your own experiences with nonprint material formats. That is why you were exposed to the historic ideas of "format bias" and media librarianship and asked directly about audiobooks, MP3s, and the like. These are not questions where there is one right answer or any response is better than another. You were asked to reflect on your own understandings and feelings because during this class, we will continue to focus on digital audio and digital video formats. But I don't think that we can or should separate these formats apart from others. I personally view all media formats as being a sort of "delivery wagon" (Richard Clark http://www.indiana.edu/~idt/bookreviews/documents/LeAnne_learningfrommedia.htm) for ideas, information, and emotions. Historically, people once relied on stories - - that were passed on generation by generation, many in song and poetry. When movable type and the printing press were invented, I'm sure some people criticized this fast-spreading book technology for its displacement of those oral traditions and their detriment to memory, knowledge, storytelling art, etc.

I hope that you identify and recognize your own preferences and biases. During the remainder of the course, try to keep an open mind, perhaps revisit some format options and try some "new things." Most of my professional life has been spent working in positions weighted toward responsibility for nonprint media. Therefore, I often question situations (libraries, schools, etc.) where information packaged in an audio or video format is treated differently than print materials; i.e., use restricted, checkout denied, etc. Some reasons for treating nonprint differently do not always hold up to scrutiny. Even when theft / loss are the issue, a close examination of both print and nonprint materials should be used to back up any policy / practice decisions. For example, books are taken / stolen from libraries and many cost as much or more than a DVD or audiobook.

A bit more of my own opinion and perspective; format bias does still linger. Some people see the Internet as competition or as foe to a library or it's mission. Remember, I see the technology as more like a "delivery truck." And my next thoughts are what can any new bread or ice cream truck do, how can we use it, what are it's strengths and weaknesses, is it feasible, etc.? Finally I love reading books, but I have long recognized that we readers are a small minority . . . years ago when I first started teaching I was amazed to discover that most of my fellow teachers, once they were out of school, did not read all that much. More on a recent survey of adult literacy can be found at Literary Reading in Dramatic Decline, According to National Endowment for the Arts Survey (July 2004) http://www.nea.gov/news/news04/ReadingAtRisk.html. Finally support for libraries of all types cannot be taken for granted. In Indiana and most other states even with former first lady Laura Bush's support, the weight of library impact studies, and "No Child Left Behind"; library and school library media positions are being axed every year. Libraries and their communities continue to evolve.

Scores for your Sprout 1 postings and replies are at Oncourse in the Gradebook.

Feeling Lost in the Course
I hope not! However, I want to be sure that you are navigating within the course materials and the assigned activities. Note that the articles and/or websites linked within the assignment are meant to focus, but not limit your discussions. They are also supported by the assigned readings - course materials. I recommend that you complete the readings before you complete the activities.

PROJECT 1 - MEDIAGRAPHY
You should begin or already be working on your Project 1 Mediagraphy
http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/guide1.html#p1

Be sure to allow enough time for your peer reviews. Get it posted to Oncourse for the class by Feb. 23rd. Points will be lost if you do not get that peer review process completed in the allotted time frame.

READING ASSIGNMENTS
In addition to the mediagraphy and sprout discussion postings, this weeks online readings focus on video collections of all types. Check the calendar and Course Guide for specifics:
http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/guide1.html
http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/calendar.html

Be sure to continue to email me with questions, concerns, and difficulties encountered.

Have a great weekend,
Larry

S621 Update - January 31, 2009 - Webspace for Projects
Hello everyone,

Pardon the duplicate information for some, but want to be sure that everyone has read revised instructions taken from Requirements page http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/require.html regarding webspace housing of your course products / projects.

Throughout the semester, you will be sharing your projects with the class and with the virtual community. This means that you will need to have an online space that you can submit and store your final work.

Remember this is not a competition, all projects are graded with the same criteria checklist (the minimum criteria are identified in the assignment for each task). You will share your projects and get feedback from classmates before submitting to your instructor. Classmates can help identify typos and missing elements that can impact your grade. In examining the projects of others, you may discover techniques that could enhance and improve your own products. At the very least, you will gain lots of practical ideas and information in your review of other student's work.

Rather than relying on university space, it's a good idea to start developing a long-term storage space on the Web for your assignment. Think in terms of an entry / index page that can be extended to include added pages for all your projects. You may also want to create separate pages for other classes. This could easily be expended to become a part of your professional portfolio.

Project One: Ask that you Not submit your Mediagraphy as a Word or PowerPoint document. Reasoning is that the finished projects often involve / contain graphic images and URL links to online resources. Also the size and scope of the project is such that both MSWord documents and PowerPoint presentations are often clunky, cumbersome;their formatting and layouts can easily be impaired. This impacts the usefulness of the finished product. PowerPoint documents work best as a presentation element rather than as a standalone document. The Mediagraphy is meant to be 'public' project being shared at large with a library community. Prepare it for a global audience. Therefore think in terms of setting up a webpage a a fre service such as Google Sites or a Wiki spaces. Concentrate on the content of the mediagraphy and develop a clean, professional website. You may use the easy-to-follow templates provided by Google or Wiki technologies.

Here are the links to free webspace, setup and use your site for all three projects:

1) Google Sites http://sites.google.com/

2) Wikispaces http://www.wikispaces.com/

Make sure that you select the free and basic services. Explore the help or tutorials that each site provides: Tours at Wiki and Learn More at Google Sites. There are other free online hosting sites that may also work to host your work; sites such as Weebly and BraveNet. You may have knowledge or experience of other such shairing sites; if they will work for you that is fine. I have experience with the two recommended above.

3) Another option for some students is use of own personal webspace or website from a work location. If you have access to a webserver and the expertise to create / upload your own materials - - that is fine too.

Once a final project is uploaded and checked to see that it displays properly to the public, you can then 'post' a brief introduction and link to its location at the correct Oncourse Forum section. The instructor will follow that posting to core your work.

S621 Update - January 29, 2009
Throughout the semester, you will be sharing your projects with the class and with the virtual community. This means that you will need to have an online space that you can submit and store your final work.

Remember this is not a competition, all projects are graded with the same criteria checklist (the minimum criteria are identified in the assignment for each task). You will share your projects and get feedback from classmates before submitting to your instructor. Classmates can help identify typos and missing elements that can impact your grade. In examining the projects of others, you may discover techniques that could enhance and improve your own products. At the very least, You will gain lots of practical ideas and information in your review of other student's work.

Rather than relying on university space, it's a good idea to start developing a long-term storage space on the Web for your assignment. Think in terms of an entry / index page that can be exttended to include added pages for all your projects. You may also want to create separate pages for other classes. This could easily be expended to become a part of your professional portfolio.

Project One: Ask that you Not submit your Mediagraphy as a Word or PowerPoint document. Reasoning is that the finished projects often involve / contain graphic images and URL links to online resources. Also the size and scope of the project is such that both MSWord documents and PowerPoint presentations are often clunky, cumbersome;their formatting and layouts can easily be impaired. This impacts the usefulness of the finished product. PowerPoint documents work best as a presentation element rather than as a standalone document. The Mediagraphy is meant to be 'public' project being shared at large with a library community. Prepare it for a global audience. Therefore think in terms of setting up a webpage a a fre service such as Google Sites or a Wiki spaces. Concentrate on the content of the mediagraphy and develop a clean, professional website. You may use the easy-to-follow templates provided by Google or Wiki technologies.

Here are the links to free webspace, setup and use your site for all three projects:

1) Google Sites http://sites.google.com/

2) Wikispaces http://www.wikispaces.com/

This information has been place on the Requirements page for the course. http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/require.html

S621 Update - January 27, 2009
Hello Everyone,

This is the time in the course, where I begin to see some direction, get a certain "sense" of knowing you from your Oncourse Forum interactions, and gain insights from your contributions. Some of you may need support during the semester. However, many of you will be very independent. I'll continue to send updates. But as long as I see you posting things on the forums and meeting deadlines, I won't bug you individually.

I hope that by now, you are getting a good feel for the way the web-class class operates. Overall directions are found in the Course Materials sections; give attention to directions / guides given in the syllabus, calendar, and requirements pages. Then proceed through the course following the course guides.

DUE DATES
The 'authority' for assignment due dates is the course calendar http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/calendar.html If you are working through the course guides (now proceeding through the guidepage: Audio and Video Collections http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/guide1.html

Sprout 1 was due Tuesday Jan 20th. Reply / response for Sprout 1 is due one week later - that's today. Sprout 2 is due on Monday, Feb 2nd.

FILM, TELEVISION AND MUSIC AWARDS
Spring semester is a season for awards. First the People's Choice followed shortly by the Golden Globes. Sunday night was the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards. The latter is the only televised awards show to exclusively honor performers, presenting thirteen awards for acting in film and television.

People's Choice Choice http://www.pcavote.com/pca/show/nominees/
Golden Globes http://www.goldenglobes.org/
Screen Actors Guild http://www.sagawards.org/

Grammy (Feb. 8th) http://www.grammy.com/
The Oscars (Feb. 22nd) http://www.oscar.com/

You may not follow these type of awards closely, but the results do have some bearing for libraries that house audio and video collections.

ALSC 2009 YOUTH MEDIA AWARDS ANNOUNCED
Monday, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and ALA announced winners of the Youth Media Awards awards; these include the awards for audiobook (Odyssey Awards) and children's video excellence (Carnegie Medal). These two websites provide more detail about the awards:

American Library Association announces literary award winners
http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2009/january2009/ymawrap.cfm

2009 ALSC Award Winners
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/2009medawardwin.cfm

PROJECT 1 - MEDIAGRAPHY
Some of you are beginning to think and discuss possible topics for your Project 1 http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/guide1.html#p1

Be sure to examine several of the projects from previous classes. Don't select the same topics. Also look at the different ways in which students presented their work. Some of them do not have all the required components to get the full score; however, most have some stellar content sections. You may get some useful ideas for your Mediagraphy project http://eduscapes.com/seeds/collections/mediagraphy.html

I am currently reworking the project sharing section for this assignment. In general, I am changing requirements to ask that you NOT submit this as a Word or PowerPoint document. Reasoning is that the finished projects involve / contain graphic images and URL links to online resources. Also the size and scope of the project is such that MSWord documents and PowerPoint presentations are sometimes clunky, cumbersome; formatting and layouts can easily be murky. This impacts the usefulness of the finished product. And PowerPoint works best as a presentation software rather than as a standalone document. The Mediagraphy is meant to be 'public' project that could potentially be shared at large with a library community. Prepare them for a global audience. Therefore think in terms of setting up a webpage at Google (now Google Sites), or a Wiki spaces. For this we will concentrate on the content, and you can use the easy-to-follow templates provided by Google or Wiki technologies (free, no cost sharing sites). I will post the new instructions within the course materials (at both the Requirements page and the Mediagraphy assignment section) and will email everyone the instructions.

Of course if any of you already have your own webspace or can use space at a work location, that will be fine.

For right now, you can get started with identifying your topic. If you are anxious to begin collecting data and information, that can be gathered onto a text document, ready for transfer to the final form.

BEST AUDIOBOOKS OF 2007
Mid-January of each year, Library Journal publishes a list of Best Audiobooks. Their team of reviewers help make the choices; here's this year's list of Best Audiobooks for 2008:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6625156.html

Audible (now owned by Amazon) also publishes a more extensive and categorized list of best audiobooks; visit their Best of 2008 Audiobooks:
http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/template/int/landing.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&pac=Best+of+2008

Editors at AudioFile Magazine also recommend must hear audiobooks - - their Best of 2008 can be found at http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/best_of_2008.html. They also select the Best Voices of 2008 and 'Golden Voices' http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/gvpages/index.shtml

And each year the Audio Publishers Association (June) announce their annual Audies Awards recognizing distinction in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment. http://www.theaudies.com/

All of these are useful resources in finding and selecting new materials.

ASSIGNMENTS
This week's readings wrap up the focus on audio and audio collections. Follow the course guide and / or the calendar for the specific webpages.

SCORING SPROUT POSTINGS
I am working on finishing grading the postings and replies for Sprout 1: Media Librarianship? and will catch any reply postings made later today.

To gain the full point available for a reply, the posting must be more than agreement or positive feedback to the original ideas. That type of encouraging communication is welcomed, and you may post as many comments as you wish. However for full score at least one needs to extend additional ideas, information, examples, or provide new insights and information about the topic.

One more general reminder - continue to focus your discussions on issues, ideas, examples directly related to audio and video materials. You're doing a great job so far, I look forward to continuing to read your online discussions.

Each of you should make time to skim through all forum postings and assignments, gaining a general sense of the ideas and information encountered. If you encounter totally new concepts, you can then decide if you need to invest added time to explore the topic and gain a better understanding. Your collective class contributions in those discussions extend the material content and associated ideas of the course far beyond the required readings and activities - - making this class more relevant and valuable.

Also continue to contact me with any and all questions, concerns, and difficulties and discrepancies encountered.

Have a great week,
Larry

S621 Update - January 22, 2009
Hi Gang,

I've enjoyed reading your introductions posted at Oncourse. I hope that you have had time to skim those too so that you gain some measure of the wide scope of experiences and interests represented in the class.

COURSE GUIDE
The sequential Course Guides have been setup to direct you through the course. http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/courseguide.html Read and follow them carefully.

At first, some students are overwhelmed by all of the links. Keep in mind that the Course Guide connects to the course readings and provides the guidelines for all the requirements. Use the Course Checklist http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/checklist.html and the Calendar http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/calendar.html to be sure you've completed the required assignments.

If you are on track and on schedule, you should have worked your way through all activities in the first section: Getting Started http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/guide0.html and are progressing on with Audio and Video Collections http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/guide1.html

COURSE GRADING
In my scoring, I start with the criteria that is contained within each assignment. Remind that an A grade is reserved for outstanding work / achievement throughout a course. Grades are based on the SLIS grading policy; meeting the designated course expectations warrants a B. Only those who exceed those expectations should receive a higher grade.

NEED TO PRINTOUT
Last time this semester - but for those who are still printing out articles to read, could it be resistance to change? Like all acquired tastes, one has to invest some time and effort to change. Just remember a few carrots, you are saving paper, ink and printer life. Many of us have been accustomed to reading print materials throughout most of our lives.

SPROUT DISCUSSIONS
As you move through the Course Guides, you'll notice a number of different Sprout Discussion assignments. You are to post these activities in the appropriate Forum section at Oncourse. You'll also need to respond to another student's posting for each activity. This past week, you should have completed Sprout 1.

Followup with at least one reply to another student's posting. For the full credit, your reply / response must provide additional information, ideas, examples related to the original posting. Responses in the arena of "I like", "I agree", "I will use" etc. related to whatever was posted will not gain any credit - even though positive feedback is encouraged and welcomed. Rather for the full score, you need to extend the original Sprout discussion with substantive additions. Your reply / response is due within one more week from the original Hutmate posting; in other wods replies for Sprout 1 need to be posted on or before Monday, January 21st.

If for any reason, you cannot complete an assignment on time - - you need to make me aware and give your best reason. If you see a conflict between the class and your schedule, it is best to work ahead rather than have to 'catch up' later. However when something unexpected arises, make sure that you keep me appraised of the situation. Normally, work submitted late receives a reduced score.

ASSIGNMENT
This week, you should be following the Course Gude 1: Audio and Video Collections (Completing the first section of the guide; check the calendar for details) http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/guide1.html Sprout 2 will be due next Monday.

Have a great week. Always contact me with any questions and concerns.
Larry

Getting Started - January 13, 2009
Hello everyone,

Yesterday morning, it was time to get this class going! However on this end, that was not to be - first for the first time in a long time (few years), our Internet satellite system was down. Currently, this is our only connection to the Internet. In the few hours take for the problem to be corrected, we began experiencing high wind gusts and were unable to raise the satellite antenna. The front swept through into the evening hours, winds increased, and I am now just getting back online to provide you with startup instructions. It's time to get going! Thanks for your patience.

FIRST INSTRUCTION
Read these emailed update messages carefully. Suggest you keep them in a mail folder.

I see a few familiar 'faces' (guess that would be names) on the roster and also several people new to me. Maybe I should introduce myself, at least provide a little more information directly related to this course. In the past, I've been both a middle school and high school teacher, a school library media specialist, an instructional media administrator at a community college and university, and now teach online courses for IUPUI SLIS. I've been doing web-development since sometime in the 90s, but really geared up in 1998 with the development of our (wife, Annette Lamb - also teaches IUPUI Web courses) popular educational website http://eduscapes.com (eduScapes has now grown to a 'family' of websites with a few distinct URLs, but all under the eduScapes umbrella: 42eXplore, Escrapbooking). Today eduScapes gets 8 to 10 million hits, more than 1/2 million visitors, and usually over 80 million KBytes downloaded each month; really haven't checked it since early last Fall.

I know that we usually have a wide variety of students in this course; persons interested in public libraries, school libraries, academic libraries, and special libraries of all types. I look forward to learning more about you! I enjoy teaching online courses and exploring the world around us. I'm a relatively new kind of professor. I usually teach one or two classes each semester at IUPUI, but I don't live in Indiana. For the last decade, wife Annette and I have lived all over North America, traveling in our motorhome - - living and working on-the-road as full-time RVers. Our motorhome has a satellite Internet system mounted on the roof, and we usually have three or more laptops connected. Since last Spring 2008, we have been relatively stable. We are in south central Utah and within a few weeks of moving into our newly constructed mountain (7,300 ft. elevation) home. And in a week or so the phone company will connect our DSL line, so high winds or not - - in the near future, we should be online. We are looking forward to that.

Just a little more information about our location. Our homesite and current parking location for the motorhome is a few miles from Teasdale, UT. If you look for that on a map, it is west of Capitol Reef National Park. This is one of the most rural segments in the continental U.S.; the entire Wayne county only has about 2,500 residents. Main reason is that only 3 percent of the land is privately owned; the remaining land is either national park, national forest or BLM lands. We are in a sub-alpine area on a shoulder of Boulder Mountain, and our property is adjacent to the Dixie National Forest. We have lots of wildlife, and beautiful views on all sides including down our small valley to the nearby red-rock canyonlands. Nearby Torrey, UT is the eastern starting point of scenic highway 12 that travels over part of Boulder Mtn., thru Grand Escalante National Monument and on to Bryce and Zion National Parks to the southwest. In the other eastern direction, one can travel thru Capitol Reef and then on to Canyonlands, Arches National Parks, and the town of Moab. Those are just the attractions that are within a two to four hours. You may have a small sense of why we 'flatlanders' from the Midwest have fallen in love with the area. We are not the only ones attracted to here; from April to October the area is loaded with tourists from all over the World, but right now if it were not for the contractors who come daily - - we would be alone most of the time. Oh yes, we have plenty of supplies because we could easily get snowed in . . . almost did in early December. But right now we are experiencing a rare warmup for several day, thats why the winds are hitting. If interested we have lots more information and photos at:
http://www.eduscapes.com/lamb/
http://eduscapes.com/teasdale/threecreeks/index.htm

I will be sending out these periodic emails about every week to keep you up-to-date on things you should be doing for class and due dates. I'll also throw in some personal stuff occasionally, but will try not to bore you with too much of that (like I just did). I prefer to use my personal email for class interactions rather than Oncourse, larrjoh@gmail.com As a backup, you can use ljohnso@iupui.edu - - that mail is forwarded to my gmail server.

There are no required face-to-face or scheduled chat sessions for this course. Many students enjoy taking an online course because they don't have to be in a particular place at a particular time. HOWEVER, this means that you're responsible for making your own personal schedule in order to meet the course requirements on time. Some people find that this the most difficult part of the course. You need self-discipline to be successful in distance learning.

There is no required textbook for the class; all the materials will be provided through the course website and via email.

My job is to help you successfully complete this course. I spend much of my time at or close to a computer hooked directly to the Internet, so I'm happy to hold personal email discussions whenever you feel the need to talk. So anytime that you have questions or a problem, email me - - I'll get back with you as soon as possible.

ASSIGNMENTS
You can get started; the the class (calendar-pace) is in place - ready-to-go (Course Guide). As several of you have found already, Oncourse is ready for you to enter and make your introductions (follow the instructions at the Requirements page followed by Course Guide. If something doesn't work or look quite right - let me know.

Start with these links:
Entry page for L552 website http://eduscapes.com/seeds/index.html
Open Course Materials http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/index.html
Explore the Syllabus, Calendar, Requirements, and Resources
Syllabus http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/syllabus.html
Requirements http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/require.html
Resources http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/bib.html

Then follow the instructions setup in the Course Guide; begin with http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/courseguide.html

RECOMMENDATION
I strongly recommend that the only page that you print out be the Checklist. I would not print-out course materials for reading; it's takes a lot of time and paper (money spent) plus you cannot grab the connected resources in this hypertext Web environment. Those are resources through which you should browse, looking for key information and ideas related to the course content. If you need to print out directions for specific assignments, wait to do that at the exact time you are beginning to work on that assignment. Online resources are not static, links checked today sometimes disappear. Good rule of thumb on a rotten link: First hit the reload, then try again after some time has elapsed (Occasionally you just run into a site downtime for maintenance).

There is a Search engine on the eduScapes website http://eduscapes.com/search.htm It's a direct link on the first page at eduScapes.com.

I had better go now and remember - - if you are having trouble or something does not make sense: email me,

Back with you soon,
Larry

Pre-Class Warmup - January 10, 2009
Hello everyone,

We are about ready to get started; in fact there are a few activities setup for those who want to get going in the class. You do not have to start on these today, but just in case you have time and want to ease into the class . . . Here are a few ideas for consideration:

1) Check your profile at Oncourse; update your information and add a photo or icon image if not already there.
2) Explore the beginning section of the Course Guide Intro: Getting Started
http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/guide0.html
3) Complete one or all of the Pre-Class Warm Up activities found at the Course Guide (Optional activities found near top of the webpage).
http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/guide0.html
3) Introduce Yourself in the Forums section at Oncourse - first thread under General Discussion.
Option: You may also want to comment on your experience with the 'Pre-Class Warm Up' item(s).

Do not proceed into the "Getting Started' section of the Course Guide; I have a few tweaks to upload within materials for that section before next Monday.

Have a great weekend and back with you soon,

Larry

Preparing for the Course Strart - January 5, 2009
Hello Everyone,

I am still waiting to hear from a couple of persons enrolled; that's to be expected. We still have a few days before this class officially starts.

Let me know if there are any changes needed for your email; I have no problem sending to two different addresses - just want to be sure that you receive all communications.

Trust that everyone had a good holiday break. Some of you probably aren't ready to think about this class, but others may be anxious to get going. This web-course officially starts January 12th.

There are no required textbooks for the course, all readings are online. The entry point for the course materials is at http://eduscapes.com/seeds/index.html

I am currently working on updating the online materials - - making some needed changes in assignments, and adding / editing content information - - so don't lock in on the course content. Don't print out pages; I'm not sure that that is a good idea anytime and sure is a waste of ink and paper. The website will be there. The syllabus and calendar have been updated. But the materials update / revision process will extend into the coming weekend. I will get back in touch with more startup information in a few days.

EMAILED UPDATES
I will be sending out periodic emails to everyone to try and keep you up-to-date on assignments, due dates, and what's-going-on for the class. Sometimes I will throw in a bit of personal information: i.e., where my wife and I are currently calling home, what we are doing etc. For the last decade, we have followed a somewhat unique lifestyle - - we were full-time RVers living in a motorhome with our satellite Internet system keeping us connected. However this last summer and fall, we have been located in rural, southern Utah and been involved in the construction of a traditional house. That process is in its final steps and we should be moving into the new home in a few weeks. Currently still living in the motorhome that is parked in the driveway - our property is on the slopes of Boulder Mountain (7,300 ft elevation), near the towns of Teasdale and Torrey (we are talking small towns here) and just a few miles from Capitol Reef National Park. You can see photos of the construction process, follow our travelogues for the last ten years, explore the landscape here, and learn a little more about us at http://www.eduscapes.com/lamb/. Feel free to share some of your life with me also, especially since we do not meet face-to-face. I will place an archive of these emails online at the course website, so that you can always check on them later.

The best and quickest way to contact me is my personal email at larrjoh@gmail.com. I check my e-mail regularly. If you email me via Oncourse or my IUPUI address, it will be forwarded to me.

NO SYNCHRONOUS MEETINGS
We will not meet face-to-face or have scheduled sessions for this class. That's one advantage of an online course; you do not have to be in a particular location at a given time. Once all the materials are in place, you can access any hour of the day and day of the week. However this does mean that you are responsible for scheduling your own time to meet the course requirements. You may find that this is the most difficult part of the course. Each course is different (This is one of several online courses that I teach) but all require discipline and commitment.

Also mentioned earlier, there are no required textbooks for this course, but there are lots of online materials and reading assignments.

Back with you soon . . .
Larry

Larry Johnson, PhD
Indiana University at Indianapolis (IUPUI)
larrjoh@gmail.com
ljohnso@iupui.edu
http://eduscapes.com

Archives of Emailed Messages S621 Audio and Video Sources - Spring 2009

Archives of Emailed Messages
S621 Audio and Video Sources - Spring 2009