Multimedia Seeds: Course Materials: Email Archives

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 Multimedia Seeds Update - March 19, 2008
Hello gang,

Spring break has come and gone. You say you did not get a break! Well we are moving through the course - way past half way. I'm still grading mediagraphies; finish up in day or two. So far the ones I have completed looked pretty good. Keep up the great work.

ASSIGNMENTS
Sprout 9 posting and Sprout 8 replies were due last Monday; Sprout 10 and 9 replies due next Monday.

This wraps up the bulk of the online reading for the course (course designed so those assignments occur during first two-thirds of the class, leaving the remaining time for the final Root quiz, the remaining Sprout postings, and your completion of the two major projects. Remember that your work must be outstanding, superlative for full score.

Project two http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/guide3.html#p2 is due in a couple of weeks.

CONNECTING BOOKS TO VIDEO GAMESAs some of you discussed, many public and school libraries have developed video game collections. An article in Booklist provides ideas and a bibliography for connecting books with video games. Read Czarnecki, K. (1 Mar. 2007). Books for Teen Gamers. Booklist; 103(13), 78-9. Access article online via the IUPUI Library at: http://search.epnet.com.proxy.ulib.iupui.edu/login.aspx?=f5h&an=24428652 (login to access article; link to PDF at bottom left of entry page)

BEST ONLINE SITE FOR DOCUMENTARIES
DIGG listed this as one of the top ten articles this week: The Best Places to Watch Documentary Movies Online
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/the-best-places-to-watch-documentary-movies-online/

Note: This weekend, we will be on the road and away from our computers for much of the time. That's Saturday, Sunday, and part of Monday. Still, you should email me with questions and concerns. I will check email as soon as possible those days.

Have a great week; use your time well.
Larry

S621 Multimedia Seeds Update - March 1, 2008
Hey everyone,

I've got lots of grading to complete - I'm behind. I'll post the scores to the quiz first at Oncourse (5 pts. total), then move to your Project 1 and more Sprout discussions. But that will probably keep me occupied through next week.

ASSIGNMENTS
This past week, in addition to completing a final version of the Mediagraphy Project 1, you were to read online the information about management:

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

Sprout 8 is also due on Monday, March 3rd.

These are the main pages at the course website; remember that in some instances there are additional webpages connected to these main ones. Sprout 9 will be due the first Monday, March 17th, after the break.

Finally 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://mrmayo.typepad.com/podcasts/ 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.

Another useful site:
(3) 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 Adobe Digital Kids Club http://www.adobe.com/education/digkids/ and Listen Up http://www.listenup.org/

Adapt the ideas there even though written for a younger audience, also written for teachers and you don't necessarily have to use an Adobe software. There are an almost unlimited number of project possibilities. 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). 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.

DID YOU SEE THE NEWS?
February 19th marked the end of a format war: Sony's Blu-ray versus Toshiba's HD DVD.

Both of these formats were high definition optical discs. After Wal-Mart opted for Blu-Ray over HD DVD the preceding day, Toshiba decided to end the contest. Learn more at Official: HD DVD Dead and Buried, Format War is Over
http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/19/official-hd-dvd-dead-and-buried-format-war-is-over/

Reminiscent of the first time that cassette videotape recorders hit the market; first the Betamax format followed shortly by the VHS recorders. This happened before some of you can remember, but I was working for Urbana Schools (IL) as a media specialist. Betamax was clearly the higher quality format. It was also more expensive. VHS recording eventually won over the market.

The good news is simply that Blue Ray is the new DVD standard. For those who already purchased a HD-DVD player, the bad news is that they are on the losing side. And prices are plummeting for the remaining discs and players that are in stores already.

LISTS OF THE BEST FROM BOOKLIST
Booklist recently published their lists of best in a number of relevant media formats:

Notable Children's Recordings: 2008 http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=show_product&pid=2620297
Selected Audiobooks for Young Adults: 2008 http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=show_product&pid=2558747
Selected DVDs and Videos for Young Adults: 2008 http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=show_product&pid=2553741
Notable Videos for Adults: 2008 http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=show_product&pid=2553738

FREE DOWNLOAD OF ANIMATED DIGITAL VERSION OF HORTON HEARS A WHO!
This offer is available through March; sorry but it is only available to teachers - - provided by the National Education Association's Read Across America program. Learn more at http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6536378.html?rssid=190

Back with you later,
Larry

S621 Multimedia Seeds Update - February 19, 2008
Hey everyone,

The online resources for this class are limitless; new ones crop up all the time. Not necessarily brand new, but relatively new to me 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 this 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, February 25th.

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?
No, you may use Microsoft Word - even though it's a little clunky for images, etc. Copy any web addresses directly from your web browser and paste them into Word, they'll turn into links automatically (Check them). Or, you can write it in HTML or a web development software program if you prefer.
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.
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. 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. What if I mess up?
I won't let anyone fail... so let me know if you have concerns. I'm happy to do a quick preview if you're concerned about your direction. I will not completely examine or evaluate, but I will provide feedback based upon a "quick glance."
6. Remember peer review are a required part of the course. Provide useful feedback to your classmates and help each other improve the final versions.

MARC RECORD FOR PROJECT 1
Although many of the students in this class have interests in public/school/academic libraries, I realize that several 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 an AV 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 from Feb. 21 to the 26th. Don't forget it!

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.

If you do not have access to the relatively expensive PhotoShop software, 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 recored and edit audio clips http://eduscapes.com/sessions/freedom/

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.epnet.com.proxy.ulib.iupui.edu/login.aspx? . . . uid&db=f5h&an=21337000

SPROUT POSTINGS
This past weekend, I've enjoyed catching up on grading 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.

This excerpt comes from B. Moline's recent 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 Multimedia Seeds Update - February 11, 2008
Hey Gang,

We are speeding along coursewise. I hope that things are going well for you in this Multimedia Seeds course. Remember if you are having problems, be sure and communicate. I'm here to help, but first I need know . . .

ASSIGNMENTS
Online readings:
(1) Management: Issues in Audio and Video Collection Development http://eduscapes.com/seeds/management/issues.html
This index links to four main sections:
(2) Management: Issues: Censorship, Challenges, and Reconsideration http://eduscapes.com/seeds/management/censor.html
(3) Management: Issues: Rating Systems, Labels, and Permission Slips http://eduscapes.com/seeds/management/censor2.html
(4) Management: Issues: Copyright and Licensing Issues http://eduscapes.com/seeds/management/copy.html
(5) Management: Issues: Video Permission Form http://eduscapes.com/seeds/management/permit.html

Also work on completing the next Sprout posting, number six, that is due next Monday, February 18th. Your replies to Sprout 5 are also to be completed in that timeframe. http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/guide2.html#s6

ROOT 1 QUIZ
Just a little 'heads up' about the upcoming Root 1 quiz - - this is an open-computer task that is administered through Oncourse. It will cover all your assigned readings and work through and including this week. The Root1 quiz is online and ready to go - but will not be opened to you until Thursday, Feb. 21st and it will close midnight Tuesday, Feb. 26th. Remember to select the BEST ANSWER for each.

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 (Actually in those days, it was a cassette tape). 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.

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

By next Monday, Feb. 18th, 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. They can incorporate MS Word and/or pdf documents, html documents (websites), and can / will (especially for Project 2) include digitized audio and/or video components. I will provide more guidance for Project 2 - Collection Production in an upcoming update email; but today, just a few more reminders / guidelines for Project 1.

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.

REMINDER
In your postings to Oncourse - - when you cite an online article or website, remember to provide an active link to the location. Doing this just makes it convenient for anyone interested in exploring to quickly go to that information source. Again, let me know if there's anything I can do to help!

I purposely did not mention much about the weather because I have been monitoring some of the chilling / make that freezing conditions back in the Midwest. You may not want to hear about it, but Annette and I are thinking Winter is largely over in TX (8-). However we are currently away from the motorhome conducting some staff development workshops and are experiencing some of that freezing cold and snow and ice that hit parts of Indiana. BRRRRRH! We fly back to Austin on Thursday.

Have a good week,
Larry

S621 Multimedia Seeds Update - February 4, 2008
Hello all,

Groundhog Day has come and gone - - and the Winter weather is 'bout over . . . at least here in Texas.

I have really enjoyed reading through all your Sprout 1 and 2 postings - now on to the next set. There are many good ideas and lots of information, experiences, and opinions shared. Again I encourage all of you to at least skim through everyone postings. We can learn so much more from our entire class community. Some of you are 'there' already.

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 videotape.

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 its 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 its 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 Laura Bush's support, the weight of library impact studies, and "No Child Left Behind"; school library media positions are being axed every year. Libraries and their communities continue to evolve.

DISCOVERED BROKEN / DEAD LINKS
Today a student pointed out broken links in the Oncourse Forum Sprout 4 instructions. These were checked shortly before class began but that is not my major concern; online resources (as a group) always have some degree of dynamic shift. One of the links was to an article within IUPUI Libraries online databases and the new location was quickly corrected. Changes were made to the course guide (could not be made to the forum without creating some confusion) My main CONCERN is that only one person raised a question?

IT'S MEDIA AWARDS SEASON
Recently at the (American Library Association) ALA Midwinter Conference, a number of awards were announced including:

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) selected its 2008 list of Notable Children's Videos. These videos for children 14 years of age and younger were judged on their quality, respect for children's intelligence and imagination, and their exemplary reflection and encouragement of the interests of children. http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2008/january2008/ncv08.htm

ALSC's Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video was awarded to the production of Jump In!: Freestyle Edition, a Disney DVD (originally aired on the Disney Channel)
http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/carnegiemedal/carnegiemedal.htm

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) announced the 2008 Odyssey Award Winners. This new award is for 'Excellence in Audiobook Production' is given to the producer of the best audiobook for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States.
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/odyssey/2008odyssey.cfm

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:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6515837.html

Audible (now owned by Amazon) also publishes a more extensive and categorized list of best audiobooks; visit their Best of 2007 Audiobooks:
http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/ . . . c=Best+of+2007

Editors at AudioFile Magazine also recommend must hear audiobooks - - their Best of 2007 can be found at http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/best_of_2007.html

And each year the Audio Publishers Association (June) announce their annual Audies Awards recognizing distinction in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment. Audiofile has an online listing of The Audies® 2007 Winners & Finalists:
http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/2007audies.html

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

GAMING INDUSTRY REPORT
For recent statistics on the video game industry, read Growth of Gaming in 2007 Far Outpaces Movies, Music by Eric Bangeman (January 24, 2008). http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080124-growth-of-gaming-in-2007-far-outpaces-movies-music.html

PROJECT TWO
It's never too early to think about Project 2 - - maybe do some pre-planning, brainstorming. This project requires you to produce a digital audio or video product. Possibilities are endless, but this also requires that you make your work public. You could create an audio or video podcast. Find a few ideas at http://blog.schoollibrarymedia.com/ . . .-make-a-tour-of-your-schools-neighborhood/ Or in the video arena, you might host a production on a video-sharing site like YouTube or TeacherTube http://www.teachertube.com/ Another video sharing site is SchoolTube http://www.schooltube.com/ but one might not be able to get through the approval process in a short time period; still it is a resource of which you should be aware. You can also find many clips out there to spark ideas . . . such as the fun and creative community college production titled 'Tour the Library' at YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHljR4LYmOA

Time to close this communication, be sure to continue to email me with questions, concerns, and difficulties encountered.

PROJECT 1 - MEDIAGRAPHY
The Project 1 Mediagraphy should be posted for the peer review process in a few weeks (Feb. 18th) and your final version will be due on Monday, February 25th. 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, then focus on the Root quiz. Points will be lost if you do not get that peer review process completed in the allotted time frame.

ASSIGNMENTS
This week, the readings begin with Audio and Video Collection Management.
First set / group at Course Guide 2 http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/guide2.html
Complete Sprout 5 (Due Monday Feb 11th) http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/guide2.html#s5

Have a great week,
Larry

S621 Multimedia Seeds Update - January 29, 2008
Hello,

Hope that everything is going well and you are caught-up and on-track with the course schedule (calendar). Just a few reminders:

ONLINE READING
This week, the readings begin with video and move on to video collections. If you are working your way through the course guide, this begins on Guide 1 (near bottom of the page and if you are not following the Course Guide, you are missing those Listen Up! audio clips (8-)):

Also remember that Sprout 4 http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/guide1.html#s4 is due next Monday, Feb 4th.

POSTING / SHARING OF ASSIGNMENTS & PROJECTS
Even if you find a different instruction somewhere in the course materials, everyone is to find a public location for sharing all work; i.e., the Mediagraphy (Project 1) that is due Feb. 25 and the other projects. Do not use Geocities; Googlepages (iGoogle) or Oncourse space is preferable. Difference: Oncourse will host your work as long as you are a student; Google will keep your site as long as you wish.

If you would like to use Oncourse space, startup instructions are on the Requirements page of course materials.

For Google, it's okay to use the entry page that 'they' make for you. Just create a link on that page to your other course material / web pages.

Or you can ignore the sample page 'they' make entirely. In that instance, DO NOT use the Create a new page button. If you have a webpage ready in html format, you can use the UPLOAD STUFF option on the right side of the Google Site Manager to upload web pages you make. Here are specific step-by-step instructions for that process (two docs - different formats / identical content):

Directions for Using Google Pages (Word doc) http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/google.doc
Directions for Using Google Pages (PDF doc) http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/google.pdf

LINK ROT
As you work through the readings, I know that you will encounter links that no longer work or links that are forwarded to a new location / URL. If you find some of those or other errors, email me the URL of the bad link and the webpage where it is located witin in our course materials. I'm not being lazy, but with the size of our website those problems are sometimes difficult to run down. Appreciate your help.

FYI
John Ellison (author of couple of articles in Sprout 1) is on the faculty and still teaching at the University of Buffalo, The State University of New York http://informatics.buffalo.edu/faculty/ellison/

Have a great week and as always, if there's anything that you do not understand - email me. I'll get back to you as soon as possible, usually within hours.
Larry

S621 Multimedia Seeds Update - January 22, 2008
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
Some of you found an error in the materials related to Sprout 2 and when it is due. Sprout 2 was indeed supposed to be due today, Tuesday, Jan. 22nd (Monday holiday). However in the course materials, there is mention of two weeks? - - that is a mistake, uncaught from the old course structure when this assignment was in different position / place.

Sprout 1 was due Monday Jan 14th. Reply for Sprout 1 is due on Jan. 22nd.

The discrepancy also alluded to a 'frog' - last Spring this course was restructured. It used to have frogs, toads, and friends activities. Today you have Sprouts - that's an improvement (8-), don't you think?

You can have some added days with no penalty, but for the future / remainder of the course the 'authority' for assignment due dates is the course calendar http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/calendar.html

Keep a close watch on the dates that assignments are due, but again if you need a few extra days to catch this one up (Sprout 2), no problem - - hopefully you will have no problems getting back 'on track' with the calendar for remaining assignments.

I will correct the course materials. If you see other conflicts in the materials, do check and let me know.

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

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

Sprout 3 is due next Monday, Jan. 28th.

And 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 (Doing that now).

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

Have a great week,
Larry

S621 Multimedia Seeds Update - January 14, 2008
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

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.

Don't panic if you do not have this week's posting completed today. You do not need to email me! Rather quickly work to catch that up in the next few days, and then follow the guides carefully throughout the remainder of the course.

But in the future 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

S621 Multimedia Seeds Update - January 7, 2008
Hello gang,

It's time to get this class 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 the 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. Annette and I live all over North America, traveling in our motorhome (We are nearing the end of our ninth year of living and working on-the-road as full-time RVers). Last fall, we were in southern Utah and then Santa Fe, New Mexico. We moved to Texas Hill Country in November for some warmer weather. Ahh but you don't want to here that it was in the low 70s today. But good things sometimes have a bad side; this is the height of the pollen season for mountain cedars here (junipers), and I have found that I am susceptible. Locals tell us that this is the worst its been in years (because of all the rains), and that lucky me, you can get this year after year.

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. Providing me with the URL of the webpage with the problem is extra helpful and fully appreciated.

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 Course Guide http://eduscapes.com/seeds/course/courseguide.html

RECCOMMENDATION
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).

If you do that and the link still doesn't work, email me the URL of the bad link and the webpage where it is located witin in our course materials. I'm not being lazy, but with the size of our website those problems are sometimes difficult to run down. Appreciate your help. 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. And before I leave you, see if you can avoid that paper printing thing as much as possible (8-)!

Here are some non-graded activities. We can't all go on an exotic vacation, but we can have some fun! Consider one or more of the following activities.

Idea 1: 'Easter eggs' are hidden features on DVDs. Go to (1) The Easter Egg Archive: Movies http://www.eeggs.com/tree/1360.html (2) DVD Easter Eggs & Hidden Secrets http://www.movieweb.com/dvd/eggs/ or (3) Hidden Features: Easter Eggs http://www.dvdreview.com/eastereggs/ at DVD Review. Watch one of the suggested DVDs and find the Easter Eggs!

Idea 2: Go to I Listen to Books http://www.ilistentobooks.com/home.asp People give their audiobooks away similiar to the BookCrossing.com idea. Try it!

Idea 3: Go to Librarians in the Movies: An Annotated Filmograph http://emp.byui.edu/raishm/films/introduction.html Watch one of the movies that contains a librarian. How was the librarian portrayed? If you were editing the script, would you have made changes? Why or why not?

Idea 4: Brainstorm all the book-movie combinations you've read and seen. Read a book and watch the matching movie. Which did you like better?

Idea 5: Pick your favorite television theme song at Open Directory Project: Theme Songs http://dmoz.org/Arts/Television/Theme_Songs/

Question: Why didn't I punctuate some of the above sentences properly (missing commas and periods)?

These activities are optional. They are not to be turned in to me. They are just things to be considered and possibly acted on . . . but are for yourself.

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

Preparing for the Course Strart - December 31, 2007
Hello Everyone,

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

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

Trust that everyone is having a good holiday break. Many 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 8th.

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. We live a somewhat unique lifestyle - - we are full-time RVers living in a motorhome with our satellite Internet system keeping us connected. You can learn a little more about this lifestyle 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 (Note; my old escapees mail server that I have used for about a decade is to cease existing soon, please update your records accordingly). I check my e-mail regularly. If you email me via Oncourse or my IUPUI address, it will be forwarded to me.

Still working on updating the Seeds website at eduScapes and putting things into place at Oncourse - - so no need to go there yet. I should be finishing up in the next few days and will email you all with a 'get started' update message. That will contain specific information about how to use the course materials and how the class operates.

NO SYNCHRONOUS MEETINGS
As I mentioned, 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.

There is no required textbook for this course, but there are lots of online materials and reading assignments.

Back with you soon; happy New Year . . .
Larry

P.S. Emailing you today from the Hill Country of Texas near Austin.

Larry Johnson

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

Course Materials: Archives of Emailed Update Messages S621 Audio and Video Sources - Spring 2008

Course Materials: Archives of Emailed Update Messages
S621 Audio and Video Sources - Spring 2008