How to Test if Views of Your Embedded YouTube Videos Are Being Tallied

I got suspicious when the views on my blog post How to Embed a Facebook Post Into Your Blog kept rising 

and the YouTube video views remained the same. The video, after all, is the post.

So I decided to conduct a test, using incognito windows.

And sure enough, the embedded post views did not register. 

Check out how I conducted the test, which you can try yourself:

How to Test if Views of Your Embedded YouTube Videos Are Being Tallied

Sadly, I won't know if you viewed the demo :/ unless you view it on YouTube from here.
Did I miss something? Is this a Blogger anomaly? 
If you decide to conduct this test yourself, please let me know what you find! For example, does this happen for WordPress posts?
If this is indeed how embedded video views of YouTube videos work, the statistics lie! I hope it gets fixed soon.


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How to Embed a Facebook Post Into Your Blog

Here's a quick demo (<1min.) for embedding that Facebook post too good not to share on your blog.

Check out the original Facebook post here and the final blog post here. 

Have fun blogging! 


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Happy Blogging! My Top 5 Blog Posts of 2014 and My Favorite 6

Inspired by Alice Keeler's Top 10 Blog Posts of 2014 ( I HIGHLY recommend you add her to your MVP list!), I decided to create a list too.

These posts had the most traffic in 2014:

1. "What is the Mindset of a Maker Educator?" Resources Mentioned in Edcamp Online, Oct 25

2. 1112 Great GOOGLE CLASSROOM Tutorials by Early Access Testers, July 25

3. 10 Popular Pinterest Boards for End-of-the-Year Classroom Activity Ideas, May 5

4. 5 Tech Tools, Innumerable Possibilities -- from the Hawaii #GafeSummit, Mar 29

5. 12 16 Resource Sites for Teaching and Learning With the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Jan 25

Judging from this list, readers found my curation posts the most useful, so-o-o-o, I will be writing more about my finds in 2015!

My 6 personal favorites are:

1. Our Library's Sixth Annual Keiki Christmas Storytelling Hour -- A Winter Wonderland of Fun!, Dec 24 ( FUN! )

2. How to Password Protect a Google Form -- a Quick-Start Visual for Download, Dec 6 ( So useful! )

3. How to Schedule Appointments with Google Forms Add-On Choice Eliminator, A Tutorial by Sean Junkins, Oct 25 ( Useful as well! )

4. 4 Things I Learned from Maui's First Student-Led TEDxYouth Event, Apr 30 ( Heartfelt! )

5. 5 Tech Tools, Innumerable Possibilities -- from the Hawaii #GafeSummit, Mar 29 ( Fantastic event! )

6. For #WRAD14, A Hangout with Matthew Winner & A Student Who Didn't Learn to Read Until She Was 10, Feb 26 ( Two inspiring human beings! )


I love to learn and share (me and a million other educators)! And I've found blogging to be just the ticket -- for myself, and for others who drop in to visit my blog ( Thank you! ).

If you're thinking of blogging, JUST START!

Happy blogging!

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@mauilibrarian2
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Yes, there are quite a few exclamation marks in this post. It's an exclamation mark k!nd of day! ☺

Hand-Picked Links for Helping Students Develop Their Unique Voice Online

I'm happy to share my presentation at the Schools of the Future Conference on November 7, 2014: Helping Students Develop Their Unique Voice Online.



I hope you enjoy exploring the formal programs, web tools, and online events that I hand-picked. It's important that students consciously build a positive Internet presence, and I believe the links I collected offer a solid starting point for your research.
A big shout-out to veteran teacher, champion blogger, and Google Teacher Academy buddy +Linda Yollis, who came on our Google Rocks! Hawaii hangout a few days before the Schools of the Future conference. Linda shared her experience, tips, and techniques for student blogging, and I included some of her tips in the slide presentation. Linda added some great links to the show notes too. Thanks, Linda!
Here's the hangout:
(Pardon the little chatter about difficulties with my audio connection -- everyone else could hear Linda just fine)

If you have any must-have links to share, please add them in the comments.

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@mauilibrarian2

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5 Top Resource Blog Posts of My 2013-14 School Year -- YouTube Safety, Libraries as Maker Spaces, Plussers that Pin, Sharing Passwords, & Olympics Resources

Summer's here!

I'm reposting my top resource blog posts of the past school year, for summer learners who might have missed them the first time around. 


1. 3 Ways to Reduce Your Chances of Accidentally Bringing Up Explicit YouTube Content In Your Classroom

2. School Libraries as Maker Spaces -- A Few Resources to √ out

3. Plussers That Pin and Vice-Versa, Shared by Peg Fitzpatrick

4. Dear Students: Word to the Wise about Sharing Passwords -- a G+ Post from Google

5. 12 16 Resource Sites for Teaching and Learning With the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi

Enjoy!

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@mauilibrarian2
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Best Blogging Tips in an Infographic, from Copyblogger

I'm hanging this up on my wall!

Spoiler: Demian Farnsworth saved the best for last:

Be 

           authentic.

.

Like this infographic? Get content marketing advice that works from Copyblogger.

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@mauilibrarian2
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11 Random Facts About Me and 11 Questions -- A Blogging Challenge from Nikki Robertson

Since Nikki Robertson ROCKS, I'm accepting her challenge to participate in this Blogging Homework meme.

Gotcha, Nikki :)

But, be warned, I'm keeping the questions, generally speaking, really light :) Yes, we bloggers do like to write, but who wants to think hard during a holiday break?

The mission:

1. Acknowledge the nominating blogger.
2. Share 11 random facts about yourself.
3. Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you.
4. List 11 bloggers.
5. Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer, and let all the bloggers know they have been nominated. Don’t nominate a blogger who has nominated you.

1. Acknowledge the nominating blogger.

As mentioned above, Nikki Robertson does indeed ROCK! She's the quintessential teacher-librarian and I am always learning from her. Find out about her here and here.

2. Share 11 random facts about me:

1. My best ideas come to me when I'm brushing my teeth in the morning.
2. All I need is a 15-minute power nap and I'm good to go for hours.
3. I'm a sucker for animals, especially dogs.
4. I love to climb trees.
5. I can whistle really really loud.
6. I cannot remember jokes for telling.
7. My work is my hobby.
8. I love to wear a flower in my hair.
9. I'm a stickler for grammar.
10. I am a lover of all things Google.
11. I don't swear. Really.

3. Answer the 11 questions Nikki has created for me.

1. What is a goal you hope to accomplish from your bucket list? I'd like a completely sustainable backyard garden. I have avocados, lilikoi, bananas, mustard greens, and lichee so far and a long way to go.
   

   

   First lilikoi (passion fruit) from my vine

2. What is one goal you hope to accomplish in 2014? Take more reflective photos like this one.
   
   


3. If you could host a reality TV show, what would it be about? My reality show would be about how people's pets run their family.
   
   
   http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/212/7/c/kato_meets_guilmon_by_draw_marcelle-d59bvrt.gif


4. What is your favorite quote? The Golden Rule.


5. What is one of your personal theme songs? "Don't Worry Be Happy"


6. What are you incredibly proud of accomplishing? An open, welcoming learning environment in my library.




7. What was one of your favorite gifts? HUGS were, are, and always will be my favorite gift.


8. How have you dealt with a past failure? I made the best of it and then I moved on.


9. What is one piece of advice that has helped you throughout life? The Golden Rule.
   
   


10. What is your happiest childhood memory? Laughing uncontrollably while rolling in the grass with my best friend.


11. If you were to get a tattoo what would it be and why? I actually have thought about this and I joke about doing it someday. I would get a "J". There are three important people in my life whose names start with a "J".

11 Bloggers I Tag To Take The Blogging Challenge (several are from my beloved #GTANY12 cohort, and a couple are Maui-based)

Team Diesel at GTANY

1. Fiona Beal
2. Brent Catlett
3. Julie Greller
4. Jenny Kirsch
5. Jane Lofton
6. Lisa Parisi
7. Liza Pierce
8. Elizabeth Warrick Smith
9. Joe Wood
10. Sandra Wozniak
11. Linda Yollis

5. Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer, and let all the bloggers know they have been nominated. Don’t nominate a blogger who has nominated you.

1. What makes you happy? (Be as serious or as light as you like.)
2. Extroverted or introverted?
3. ereader or paper?
4. Favorite book? (Or your latest favorite book or one of your favorite books)
5. Mac or pc?
6. What's your favorite web-based tool?
7. Who do you admire?
8. Dogs or cats, or other, or none?
9. Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
10. What are you most proud of?
11. Why do you blog?

Whew, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, now that I've finished the challenge, I'm thinking that it was FUN!

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@mauilibrarian2
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Reflecting on 2013: The Reasons I Blog, and My Top 10 Posts

I get asked this question all of the time. Why do you blog?

I enjoy it! That's the #1 reason.

I like documenting and reflecting on what I learn, for future reference. My memory bank is sometimes unreliable. That's #2.

I like sharing what I learn with others who might benefit. #3.

We librarians teach and thrive in an open environment. Now that open environment is a whole lot bigger, and so are the rewards.

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I'm sharing my top 10 (of 54) blog posts for 2013 in the hope that more educators in the Internetverse will find something they can use.


(in chronological order)

Google+ Tip: How to Adjust the Flow of Information from your Circles -- A Snapshot

5 Scholarly Science Search Engines for the College Student's Toolbox

Innovative Chromebook Teachers in Math, Science, Social Studies and Foreign Language, Special Education, Language Arts - EducationOnAir - All in One Place

This "Libraries of the Future" Infographic Nails it!

My 10 Favorite Google Tips of the 100 Shared by @EdReach

Use this Google Custom Search Engine to Search Through 40 Sources for Curated Educational Videos

Resources for Learning about COPPA's (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) New Rules

How to Use Google Hangouts in the Classroom: Tips from Students (guest post)

School Libraries as Maker Spaces -- A Few Resources to √ Out

Plussers that Pin and Vice Versa, shared by Peg Fitzpatrick

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My blog post goal for 2014? 100 quality posts.

I think I can do it!

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@mauilibrarian2
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mauilibrarian2's 10 Nominations for the 2013 Edublogs Awards #eddies13

This is a fantastic reflective exercise for me!

I had even more fun picking my favorites this year than last.

I hope you find new people on this list who will inspire you, as they have inspired me.

Best individual blog - One of the EdCamp Movement's founders, Kristen Swanson, is in my exclusive Google+ MVP circle. Her Teachers as Technology Trailblazers blog is a must-read.

Best group blog - I agree with Larry Ferlazzo's nomination of MiddleWeb. I don't subscribe to very many email newsletters, and I really look forward to receiving SmartBrief, MiddleWeb's thrice-weekly email.

Best new blog - The Learning Pond. A new interesting voice to learn from: Grant Lichtman, who started this blog in March of 2012. Thanks to +Sean Wilson for the lead. I'm not sure if I can nominate two. If so, I would also include Jennifer Magiera's Teaching Toward Tomorrow, which is equally as good.

Best class blog - Mrs. Yollis' Classroom Blog (again). Her students are so lucky to have her.

Best ed tech / resource sharing blog - Cool Tools for 21st Century Learners. +Susan Oxnevad offers an array of visual resources, with an emphasis on Google tools. Her Google Docs for Learning Glog is pretty awesome.

Best library / librarian blog - Neverending Search. Consistently forward-looking and solidly grounded in best practices, Joyce Valenza fires me up to try new things.

Best administrator blog - Dr. Doug Green blogs every day. Here's his twitter description: "Bite-Sized Self-Development Resources for Educators and Parents/Book Summaries/Net Nuggets."

Best individual tweeter - I joined Twitter in 2010 just to follow @joycevalenza. Her tweets are jam-packed with resources and idea for all educators. She's still my #1 MVP.

Best free web tool - Google+ Hangouts. Transformative for me. You can get a good idea about how hangouts are beginning to change education at eduhangout.org.

Best educational use of audio / video / visual / podcast - EdReach hands-down. Over two dozen channels covering a variety of topics. And they have the neatest hangouts.

Best of luck to all of the nominees!

Here are a few other nomination lists to check out:

• The ASIDe Blog
• Borchardt Elementary Library
• A.T. Tipscast
• Carrie Ross
• Larry Ferlazzo
• Night Light Stories
• Pernille Ripp
• Tracy Watanabe 

 (I will add to this list up to the Dec. 1 deadline)

• Isaac Pineda
• Lotus Greene
• Gridjumper
• The Playground Advocate
• Seomra Ranga
• The Speech Bubble
• Drew Frank
• Middle Web
• Linda Yollis  

Update 11/28/13:  +Sue Waters of Edublogs created a Flipboard magazine that will contain all of the nomination blog posts. http://flip.it/ozYJS. Great idea!

Enjoy!

LJL
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@mauilibrarian2
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How to use Google Hangouts in the Classroom: Tips from Students (Guest Post)

This is a guest post by Jasmine Doan. Jasmine is a rising Junior at Seabury Hall. She is keenly interested in math, technology, and student enrichment opportunities.

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Google Hangout is not only a free educational web tool, but also a fun activity for your students to collaborate outside of the classroom.  Teachers can implement Google Hangouts to…

1. Discuss a book (using the voice feature to propose a question and the chat feature to write your responses)

2. Host a hangout (I recommend groups of 4) to practice using new vocabulary and phrases for a foreign language class

3. Use Google docs, spreadsheet or presentation feature to do peer editing for projects/essays

4. Watch Youtube videos together to spark a discussion

5. Practice oral presentations.

6. Have a test study session (using the voice feature to propose a question and the chat feature to write your responses)

Students can learn and have fun at the same time with Google Hangouts!

Jasmine and Ms. Linda Lindsay trying out some of the Effects in Hangouts

A member of my Google Hangout study group, Anna Ezzy, says “Google hangouts are great because you can have fun while studying. The best part is the stickers app. With this app, you can casually wear a mustache and snorkel gear while you work with your friends!"

Dos and Don’ts for Google Hangouts

If teachers decide to set up a Google Hangout, they should make sure that students take turns in the discussion. It is important that the students mute their microphones when others are talking to avoid interrupting their peers' train of thought.  

Personally, I think teachers should not require students to use Google Hangouts for an after school assignment because it is challenging for students to find a time to meet during the weekdays. However, Google Hangouts is a great study tool for the teachers to share with their students, especially for collaborative projects. If the teachers made an optional Google Hangout, they may spark a deeper discussion because they will attract students who need help.  The hangout can also help teachers determine which concepts their students need more clarification. 

Seabury Hall High School Math Team Google+ Community

On a side note, teachers could also create a Google Community where students can post questions. The teachers could have their students reply to their peers questions or +1 the posts if they also do not have the answer to the question. The teacher could then use this information to create a Google Hangout addressing these questions or go over these questions in class the following day. 

Google Hangouts is a great tool to implement in the classroom. Here is a link to more information on how other teachers implement Google Hangouts in their classrooms - http://bit.ly/16qAchK.

Good luck testing Google Hangouts! 

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at jdoan15@seaburyhall.org.

Enjoy!

Jasmine Doan