Martin_MyHistro

= The MyHistro Mashup- A Technology Presentation by Nick Martin =
 * [[image:myhistrologo.JPG link="@http://www.myhistro.com"]] || [[image:https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/141_519867030532_4984_n.jpg width="175" height="238"]] ||

You can click on the MyHistro logo above to go directly to the website, but why don't you kick up your feet, stay a while, and watch this wiki presentation first! By watching the series of videos in this wiki, you will learn in what year the picture above was taken!

**Why did I choose MyHistro?**

Hello classmates! The topic that I chose for my presentation is the website MyHistro. While searching for a presentation topic, I was interested in finding a website where students could create original digital content by combining different forms of multimedia, including images and videos, and be able to share their work with other students or a much larger audience. I was also looking for a website that would appeal to teachers and students across a wide range of grade levels and could be implemented in multiple subject disciplines. In addition, I was looking for a website that would help students learn something a little different than what they might be able to do performing the same task without technology. The website that I found that met all of these criteria is MyHistro!


 * What is MyHistro? **


 * First, what is a mashup?** Wikipedia defines a mashup as a web page, or web application, that uses content from more than one source to create a single new service displayed in a single graphical interface. In other words, mashups allow web developers and web users to redevelop and recreate content to make information more personal and more user-friendly.

MyHistro is a "mashup" where students can create dynamic interactive timelines or stories by combining text, images, and video clips. On the MyHistro website, timelines are called __Stories__. Each Story consists of a series of events that are linked together. Students can make their own Stories, or they can collaborate with other students on a group project. Students can share their completed Stories either online or offline. Before getting started, students can get ideas by searching thousands of other Stories created by students and ordinary people from around the world! Students can create their own personal Stories or build Stories about themes or events in history.

However, the really cool part of creating Stories in MyHistro is the ** integration with Google Maps **. When students create new events in their Stories, they must include the name of the event, the date of the event, and a brief description of the event. The other **required element** of creating an event is that students **must "geotag" the actual location of the event on a Google Map!** The MyHistro website will not let students add a new event to their Stories without indicating its location. Google Maps becomes an integrated part of the Stories that students create. Students can search for names of cities and other places when creating their events. As students add more events to their stories, more "geotags" are added to the Google Map. Once students have completed their Stories, they can play their Stories from the website and travel from one event to another using Google Maps.

MyHistro was recently named as one of the 2013 Best Websites for Teaching and Learning by the American Association of School Librarians. The AASL recognized the website for its digital storytelling capabilities. Here is a link to the website (which contains links to lists of Best Websites from previous years back to 2009):

American Association of School Librarians Best Websites for Teaching and Learning 2013


 * Where can I get MyHistro? **

The best part of MyHistro is that it is ** completely free! ** Students and teachers just have to set up an account. MyHistro is also available as an ** iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch app **. This app is available in the iTunes Store, and it is a ** free download! ** MyHistro can also be integrated as an app in Edmodo. The app is called **MyHistro Extended**, and according to the MyHistro website, teachers can use this app to create quizzes and other forms of assessment using timelines already uploaded to the site or the ones that students create. This app is available from the Edmodo store, and it costs $9.00 a year. More information about MyHistro Extended can be found here.


 * Video #1 - Creating a New Account **

====media type="custom" key="23983800" Direct Link to Video ====


 * Note:** After creating this video, I learned that if students use Edmodo, students can have the same username and password for MyHistro and Edmodo.


 * Video #2 - Adding Classmates (Friends) to Student Accounts **

media type="custom" key="23984590"  Direct Link to Video


 * Video #3 - Creating the First Event **

media type="custom" key="23985032" Direct Link to Video


 * Correction:** When adding multiple authors, students only have to add their classmates' names. Students don't have to add their own name.


 * Video #4 - Creating a New Story and Playing a New Story **

media type="custom" key="23986200" Direct Link to Video


 * Note:** Since this is not shown in the video, stories can be set to either public or private. You have to click on "Tags, Privacy, Comments" when creating the story. Here is a screenshot that shows this: How to Set Privacy Settings


 * Video #5 - Editing Events and Sharing Stories Online and Offline **

media type="custom" key="23986436" <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Direct Link to Video


 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">Video #6 - Accepting Invitations to be Co-Authors **
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Note: **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">During this video, I tried editing an event as a co-author of a story. However, I received an error message stating that I did not have the right permissions. I have e-mailed the website, and I will keep you updated if I receive a response about this issue. Therefore, I would recommend that students complete individual projects at this time. I did not state this in the video, but even though I could not edit the story, I could still play it and post comments. Here is a screenshot that shows this: Sample Comment

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">media type="custom" key="23996262" <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Direct Link to Video


 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5;">Video #7 - Introduction to the MyHistro iPad App **


 * media type="custom" key="23996332" Direct Link to Video || **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Slid.es Presentation about the MyHistro iPad App **

Click on the Slid.es logo below to view this presentation. The only difference between this presentation and the video is that it does not have the audio that I recorded. However, all of the screen capture images are the same.

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 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5;">Example of MyHistro Stories **

This is the embedded version of the story that I created in the video segments using MyHistro.

media type="custom" key="23986548"
This is the PDF version of the story that I created in the video segments using MyHistro.


 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">Content Uses of this Technology **

MyHistro can be used across different grade levels and subject areas, especially middle school and high school students. While it is probably more geared toward language arts and social studies, MyHistro can be used to tell any kind of story for any class. One of the questions in the Discussion board asks how MyHistro could be used in a class other than language arts and social studies. Some of the skills that students can develop when using MyHistro to create stories include the following:
 * Organizing events in a timeline
 * Communicating with others through writing
 * Increasing knowledge of __local, national and world geography__ by locating places using Google Maps and geotagging
 * Using appropriate images and/or videos to add meaning to events (and possible citing where students found images and/or videos)
 * Managing image and video files (saving files in the right format with relevant names for easy access)
 * Taking feedback from other students and applying that feedback to improve their work


 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5;">Pedagogical Considerations **

MyHistro can be applied to all of the "Four C's" of 21st Century Teaching and Learning.
 * Communication - Students write about personal experiences or historical events and share their knowledge with others by posting their work to the website.
 * Creativity - Students have the freedom to choose the text, images, and/or videos that demonstrate what they have learned or accurately portray personal experiences.
 * Collaboration - Students can share their stories with "friends" and provide feedback.
 * Critical Thinking - Students can search stories that have already been created and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses in communicating information to a public audience. Students can evaluate how well the text, images, and/or video clips add to their understanding of an event.

Most students, especially middle school and high school students, would be familiar with the process of inviting friends and accepting notifications in MyHistro, since this process is very similar to Facebook. Students would also be familiar with the concept of posting comments about their classmates' stories online.

MyHistro also addresses privacy issues by giving story creators the option of making their stories public or private and the option of whether or not users can add comments.

In the 2008 article //An Exploration of Mashups and their Potential Educational Uses// by Min Liu, et al., the authors describe the challenges of using mashups in educational settings, including copyright issues with content taken from the web, changes in the accuracy of data, and the appropriate of the content that is available on the web. In spite of these challenges, the authors argue that some mashups have exciting possibilities to help students develop new skills. Here is two quotes that I like from the article:

"Although not all mashups have obvious educational value, the creativity of teachers and students, the high levels of user-generated content, and the ability to visually render data make some mashups especially suitable for use in educational contexts."

"Mashups offer new, alternative, and hybridized ways of viewing and manipulating...content. Instead of simplifying, mashups often help manage complex data by embedding it within rich representational environments that have the potential to support holistic understandings of a topic or concept."

Source: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Liu, M., Horton, L., Olmanson, J., & Wang, P. (2008). An exploration of mashups and their potential educational uses. //Computers in the Schools//, 25(3-4), 243-258.


 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5;">Connections to NETS and Common Core Standards **

MyHistro aligns with the NETS-T standards of Designing and Developing Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Modeling Digital Citizenship. Teachers are able to incorporate this digital tool to promote student learning and creativity and promote responsible social interactions.

MyHistro aligns with the NETS-S standards for Creativity and Innovation, Communication and Collaboration, and Research and Information Fluency. Students can create original works that express themselves, interact and collaborate with peers, share information with a larger audience by publishing their work using digital media, and organize information in a logical fashion using a variety of sources and media.

MyHistro has the following alignment connections with the **Common Core State Standards** for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies: 7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
 * Anchor Standards for Reading - Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

Anchor Standards for Writing - Text Types and Purposes 3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

Anchor Standards for Writing - Production and distribution of Writing 6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

Anchor Standards for Writing - Research to Build and Present Knowledge 8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism. || ||
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5;">Additional Resources **


 * Journal Article about Mashups <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> - **a PDF copy of the article cited above under Pedagogical Considerations


 * More Information about MyHistro Extended Option ** - a post from the MyHistro WordPress Blog


 * Presentation about MyHistro ** - a Prezi about MyHistro from the website EdShelf


 * Six Multimedia Timeline Creation Tools for Students <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> - **an article from Free Technology for Teachers written by Richard Byrne