Advocacy of the library is important and key in keeping a successful program. After careful consideration and reading of material I have come up with the following four ways I could work on advocating the library in the next school year.
1. Create a Wiki for the library:
I would create a Wiki for the library that advertises the services offered by the library. There would be pages promoting the Gateway Awards and new books received in the library. In addition I would create a page for each of the teachers. On this page we could link projects which have been worked on collaboratively by the classroom teacher and me. The project information would include a description of the project along with attachments of any papers which go with the project. In addition any tutorials would be embedded which could be useful while creating the project. For example if the project is created in Windows MovieMaker any tutorials could be embedded about the use of MovieMaker. All of the teacher pages would also contain a list of resources which specifically pertain to their classes. This wiki would also contain a schedule of what teachers have signed up to use the library each day during each class period.
To create this Wiki I would need to setup a Wiki and potentially Jing. I would use Jing to create any tutorials needed for the projects. These tutorials could be made by myself, or students. This wiki would be linked to the main library website and be for students, teachers, administration and parents. By having all of the information out there on the website anyone in the school can find out what is going on in the library and see how busy it can be.
The inspiration for this project came from: http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/advocating-with-more-dimension-to-your-monthly-reports/
2. 30-Second Spot on the Weekly Newscast
The Mass Media class is responsible for creating a weekly newscast and I would approach the teacher about doing a 30-second spot on the library each week. This spot could contain book talks for new books or the Gateway nominee books. It could promote other resources and services the library provides. Other options for this section could be profiling projects occurring in the library and using photos taken of students working. This would get the library and its services in the minds of both students and teachers each week. In addition a link to the newscast is put on the website so parents would also see what is going on in the library.
To create this I would need the cooperation of the Mass Media Teacher and the students who were willing to work on this project weekly.
The inspiration for this project came from: http://vimeo.com/28690609 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuZSfvHHMr4&feature=player_embedded
3. Weekly Blog
I would use a blogging website to create a weekly blog for the library. This blog would include information on the library happenings for the week. Things such as the frequency the library is in use during the week, projects I have helped with, any trouble-shooting I had to do for the technology and more. Basically I would keep a written description of anything that occurred that week in the library. This would be a good way to showcase all that is done as a Library Media Specialist.
To create this blog I would use a free blog website such as Blogger. The blog would be linked to the Library Wiki and be more for administration, teachers and parents. Students are not as likely to want to read a blog about what happens in the library.
The inspiration for this project came from: http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/advocating-with-more-dimension-to-your-monthly-reports/
4. Monthly Department Promotions
I would have a monthly promotional meeting for each department. During this meeting I would provide snacks and showcase library resources which could be beneficial in their classes. Information such as databases which would have useful information, website ideas, and any new books that apply to their classes. In addition I would demonstrate free online resources which could be used for class projects such as Animoto and Glogster. I could also preview any iPad apps which would be applicable to their classes. When scheduling these meetings I would schedule them starting with the departments that use the library least first. Some departments spend little, if any time in the library. I would hope to encourage them to utilize the libraries resources too. So I would start with the Fine Arts, Vocational, Math and Physical Education departments before scheduling the English, History and Science departments. I would invite the school administration to each of these meetings.
To have the meetings I would need to gather the materials I hope to show the departments. I would also need links to any tutorials that could come in useful and of course I can’t forget the snacks. These meetings would reach teachers and administration.
The inspiration for this project came from: http://bctf.ca/bctla/pub/documents/libraryprogram/50%20Ways%20To%20Love%20Your%20Library_cwalter_fall08.pdf
http://www.ocmboces.org/tfiles/folder1461/Concord%20Carlisle.pdf
Then I also considered the following question:
What do I do that no one else in the building does?
As a librarian I keep up with the latest new technologies and resources available for free to our students and teachers. I assess the resources and then share them with the teachers most likely to benefit from their use in the classroom. While providing the resources to the teachers I give them hits, tips and a basic tutorial in how the resource is used. There are plenty of amazing free resources which have untold classroom applications that teachers just don’t know about yet. They go to conferences about teaching their subject, but not necessarily introducing the new technologies. Applications such as Animoto, Prezi, and Glogster are just a few of the resources out there for use. Also Google provides tons of great options which teachers and students should be educated on.
I also work closely with the teachers to ensure we have resources which align with their curriculum and ensure its success. My expertise in research and the library resources will be beneficial to the teachers. Yes, classroom teachers can instruct their students in research, but I will have a better knowledge of the collection and be able to help students locate their resources more quickly.
In addition I strive to find outside funding options for the library. Current budgets are extremely tight and the library is unlikely to get additional funding from within the district. One way to improve the resources available to the library is to look for grants and private donations for the library. Who else will have the time or inclination to do this?
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
Hype, Homecoming and Mount Rushmore
Another crazy week! Homecoming week is such a blast, especially when you’re a class sponsor and the students aren’t feeling any school spirit. I supervised float building and they actually told me they don’t care what it looks like as long as we can get it finished before 6 pm.
In between these adventures I took the time to catch up on the LM_NET. A few interesting things popped up. On October 3 Aviva Adler posted the responses she had received from people giving tips for books needed in an out of date high school library. There were some good ideas for this librarian such as getting input from the faculty who teach the subjects which really need to be beefed up. This way the new books will fit in with the ideas of the curriculum. Another poster said they put the catalogs out and see what students would be interested in. This is an interesting idea – though I see the value in asking students, you want to purchase stuff they’d like.
On October 1 Alice Yucht shared the link to an article about discovering if someone has been quoted correctly or not. I’ve never really stopped to consider until now how often people are misquoted and this article made me consider that. Maybe it’ll make you think too:
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/features/edu/Misquotes--Searching-for-Authenticity-Online.html
If you’re looking for information to help teach students about cybersafety and copyright issues Marcia Dressel posted some websites on October 3. All three websites looked to have good information and one even had a couple of quizzes which can be taken online.
I’ve noticed I keep getting drawn back to the Books on the Nightstand podcast. This week was no different. I listened to the September 27 episode which was #148 and entitled “Your Literary Mount Rushmore.” The first part of the podcast was discussing the difference between hype and buzz. With all of the books which are pushed so much anymore is it really worth it? Are they going to be worth the hype? It was decided in the podcast that the difference between hype and buzz is that hype is manufactured and buzz is genuine enthusiasm. Hype can start out as buzz but the buzz takes on a life of its own and the powers that be decide to really push and manufacture the excitement. There are so many books which have huge hype and I wonder at the truth of it. Twilight was huge and still is due to the movies, but at first the books were what people were talking about. I think this is an excellent example of something that starts out with buzz that becomes hype. I finally read them when a couple of students brought their copies to me to read. I figure if they are going to go to that much trouble I need to actually read the book. I’m sure I’ll get some flak for this, but honestly they were only okay. After the first it seemed so awkward and like she was just pushing to get more books out of the series and ride the hype. Another one that started with buzz that turned into hype would be the Harry Potter books. I remember them first coming out and hearing everyone talking about them. I finally had to go to the public library and check the first out and from there I was hooked. I was the perfect age for them when the series started and I couldn’t give them up. The ultimate question is, when is it too early to start hearing about a book?
The next section of the pod cast was inspired by a message from a listener who asked; “who would you put on your literary Mount Rushmore?” The entire time they were discussing their own lists I was trying to think of mine. My first and it seemed most obvious choice was J.K. Rowling, she wrote an amazing series which helped get so many back into reading and books. After that it got harder because there are just so many authors I love. Do I stick to children’s/young adult authors? Do I just go with my favorites? There were no parameters because that leaves the question up to everyone’s own interpretation. I must continue to think of my Mount Rushmore and I’ll get back to you on that.
Doug Johnson’s Blue Skunk Blog never fails to amuse me in some way. His Blog on October 6th, “Thank You Mr. Jobs,” was his response to the death of Steve Jobs. I was amused at his description of the Apple II he was chosen to learn how to use in 1982, which I have seen these in pictures I will admit I’ve never had to use one because well, I wasn’t even alive yet. Now I do remember the later models with the floppy disks we had to change to finish the Oregon Trail. To me the computer has just always been there, sure they’ve become more common throughout the years, but I grew up learning how to use them. I can definitely say they are faster now than when I was a kid. I can’t imagine the life before computers really. I do see how much they benefit our students who struggle to write neatly. There have been times I’ve had to ask, now what does this say and often they have no clue either. I do have a deep appreciation for the innovations of Steve Jobs and the impact he has had on the world.
Next I moved on and read the ALA TechSource blog; “Librarian, Robot,” by Kate Sheehan. Posted on October 4th. It brings up the question of a librarian being replaced by a robot. It is a scary thought that our jobs can be easily replaced on day by a machine. The computer comes close sometimes with automated checkout stations. I do picture in my head robots moving around and putting books back on the shelves, answering patron questions and helping location information. When this world comes I also picture robots asking for the information because well, if a robot can do the job of a librarian surely we’ll all have our own personal librarian to do those tasks we don’t want to do. The blog wasn’t so much about robots completely taking over the job, but taking over those tasks that could be automated so librarians can spend more time on interacting with patrons.
I also enjoy checking out the Adult Books 4 Teens blog and seeing what books are being recommended each day. On October 6th the book Word Hero by Jay Heinrichs was featured in a posting by Angela Carstensen. This book sounds like it would be a great addition to any speech teacher’s classroom library. It helps teach how to use things such as onomatopoeia, alliteration, hyperbole and other tricks of speech.
Empowering Learners talks about “Staffing” and “The Learning Space.” The biggest consideration with Staffing is that each school library must have a certified school librarian to manage the program. There may be other aides, but one staff member must be certified. It seems some schools are trying to get around that anymore. With the budget cuts some have looked at the library and said, why do we need someone certified there when anyone can checkout and shelve books? Part of our job as a librarian is advocating why we are important and why the school needs us. The library should also have both virtual and physical space for students and teachers. The section promotes flexible scheduling so the library is open to use all day. It also promotes having digital resources which are available off campus such as databases which can be accessed from home.
Woolls comments on “Managing Personnel” in the library. Very little focus is put on managing other personnel in the library during the degree programs because often school librarians run the Media Center on their own. As a librarian you need to be able to train your staff, this can include the teachers in your building. With the ever changing technologies the classroom teachers may not have the time to keep up with what’s new, while as the librarian you are expected to. In this era librarians are expected to be a leader in the school because of how they deal with technology. As the media specialist it is our role to help put the new technologies with the teachers and student s who can best use them. It is important to note how staff will be evaluated so the media specialist can be prepared. As a library media specialist we are required to interact with the administration slightly more than regular classroom teachers sometimes. We have the library budget to present and maintain along with getting the approval for the programs we hope to develop. When getting along with teachers it is important to know what they expect from you. Dealing with students just requires being friendly and able to help them locate the books and information they are hoping to find.
Back to my Literary Mount Rushmore, since I started with J.K. Rowling I decided to stick with children’s/YA authors. My final list is J.K. Rowling, Ann Rinaldi, Laura Ingalls Wilder and Gary Paulson.
Oh yeah, and we did get our float for homecoming finished by 6pm for my students!
In between these adventures I took the time to catch up on the LM_NET. A few interesting things popped up. On October 3 Aviva Adler posted the responses she had received from people giving tips for books needed in an out of date high school library. There were some good ideas for this librarian such as getting input from the faculty who teach the subjects which really need to be beefed up. This way the new books will fit in with the ideas of the curriculum. Another poster said they put the catalogs out and see what students would be interested in. This is an interesting idea – though I see the value in asking students, you want to purchase stuff they’d like.
On October 1 Alice Yucht shared the link to an article about discovering if someone has been quoted correctly or not. I’ve never really stopped to consider until now how often people are misquoted and this article made me consider that. Maybe it’ll make you think too:
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/features/edu/Misquotes--Searching-for-Authenticity-Online.html
If you’re looking for information to help teach students about cybersafety and copyright issues Marcia Dressel posted some websites on October 3. All three websites looked to have good information and one even had a couple of quizzes which can be taken online.
I’ve noticed I keep getting drawn back to the Books on the Nightstand podcast. This week was no different. I listened to the September 27 episode which was #148 and entitled “Your Literary Mount Rushmore.” The first part of the podcast was discussing the difference between hype and buzz. With all of the books which are pushed so much anymore is it really worth it? Are they going to be worth the hype? It was decided in the podcast that the difference between hype and buzz is that hype is manufactured and buzz is genuine enthusiasm. Hype can start out as buzz but the buzz takes on a life of its own and the powers that be decide to really push and manufacture the excitement. There are so many books which have huge hype and I wonder at the truth of it. Twilight was huge and still is due to the movies, but at first the books were what people were talking about. I think this is an excellent example of something that starts out with buzz that becomes hype. I finally read them when a couple of students brought their copies to me to read. I figure if they are going to go to that much trouble I need to actually read the book. I’m sure I’ll get some flak for this, but honestly they were only okay. After the first it seemed so awkward and like she was just pushing to get more books out of the series and ride the hype. Another one that started with buzz that turned into hype would be the Harry Potter books. I remember them first coming out and hearing everyone talking about them. I finally had to go to the public library and check the first out and from there I was hooked. I was the perfect age for them when the series started and I couldn’t give them up. The ultimate question is, when is it too early to start hearing about a book?
The next section of the pod cast was inspired by a message from a listener who asked; “who would you put on your literary Mount Rushmore?” The entire time they were discussing their own lists I was trying to think of mine. My first and it seemed most obvious choice was J.K. Rowling, she wrote an amazing series which helped get so many back into reading and books. After that it got harder because there are just so many authors I love. Do I stick to children’s/young adult authors? Do I just go with my favorites? There were no parameters because that leaves the question up to everyone’s own interpretation. I must continue to think of my Mount Rushmore and I’ll get back to you on that.
Doug Johnson’s Blue Skunk Blog never fails to amuse me in some way. His Blog on October 6th, “Thank You Mr. Jobs,” was his response to the death of Steve Jobs. I was amused at his description of the Apple II he was chosen to learn how to use in 1982, which I have seen these in pictures I will admit I’ve never had to use one because well, I wasn’t even alive yet. Now I do remember the later models with the floppy disks we had to change to finish the Oregon Trail. To me the computer has just always been there, sure they’ve become more common throughout the years, but I grew up learning how to use them. I can definitely say they are faster now than when I was a kid. I can’t imagine the life before computers really. I do see how much they benefit our students who struggle to write neatly. There have been times I’ve had to ask, now what does this say and often they have no clue either. I do have a deep appreciation for the innovations of Steve Jobs and the impact he has had on the world.
Next I moved on and read the ALA TechSource blog; “Librarian, Robot,” by Kate Sheehan. Posted on October 4th. It brings up the question of a librarian being replaced by a robot. It is a scary thought that our jobs can be easily replaced on day by a machine. The computer comes close sometimes with automated checkout stations. I do picture in my head robots moving around and putting books back on the shelves, answering patron questions and helping location information. When this world comes I also picture robots asking for the information because well, if a robot can do the job of a librarian surely we’ll all have our own personal librarian to do those tasks we don’t want to do. The blog wasn’t so much about robots completely taking over the job, but taking over those tasks that could be automated so librarians can spend more time on interacting with patrons.
I also enjoy checking out the Adult Books 4 Teens blog and seeing what books are being recommended each day. On October 6th the book Word Hero by Jay Heinrichs was featured in a posting by Angela Carstensen. This book sounds like it would be a great addition to any speech teacher’s classroom library. It helps teach how to use things such as onomatopoeia, alliteration, hyperbole and other tricks of speech.
Empowering Learners talks about “Staffing” and “The Learning Space.” The biggest consideration with Staffing is that each school library must have a certified school librarian to manage the program. There may be other aides, but one staff member must be certified. It seems some schools are trying to get around that anymore. With the budget cuts some have looked at the library and said, why do we need someone certified there when anyone can checkout and shelve books? Part of our job as a librarian is advocating why we are important and why the school needs us. The library should also have both virtual and physical space for students and teachers. The section promotes flexible scheduling so the library is open to use all day. It also promotes having digital resources which are available off campus such as databases which can be accessed from home.
Woolls comments on “Managing Personnel” in the library. Very little focus is put on managing other personnel in the library during the degree programs because often school librarians run the Media Center on their own. As a librarian you need to be able to train your staff, this can include the teachers in your building. With the ever changing technologies the classroom teachers may not have the time to keep up with what’s new, while as the librarian you are expected to. In this era librarians are expected to be a leader in the school because of how they deal with technology. As the media specialist it is our role to help put the new technologies with the teachers and student s who can best use them. It is important to note how staff will be evaluated so the media specialist can be prepared. As a library media specialist we are required to interact with the administration slightly more than regular classroom teachers sometimes. We have the library budget to present and maintain along with getting the approval for the programs we hope to develop. When getting along with teachers it is important to know what they expect from you. Dealing with students just requires being friendly and able to help them locate the books and information they are hoping to find.
Back to my Literary Mount Rushmore, since I started with J.K. Rowling I decided to stick with children’s/YA authors. My final list is J.K. Rowling, Ann Rinaldi, Laura Ingalls Wilder and Gary Paulson.
Oh yeah, and we did get our float for homecoming finished by 6pm for my students!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Have some fun with new books to make it easier to get through that evil word.
What a week! It just seems like crazy things keep happening and I still have this homework to do. It somehow just never really goes away! I know it’ll all be worth it when I get the degree.
While checking out the new posts on LM_NET I found some very interesting ones on September 19. One included hints and tips for maintaining consistency in the cataloging. From reading it sounds like keeping consistency in the cataloging can be as much of a challenge for librarians as it was for me when I took cataloging. Some librarians will leave a manual for the next librarian which I hope I’m lucky enough to find when I get a library position. The post originated from Molly Smith a student in SLM. Another posting I found was from Victoria Blackshear looking for lesson plans for middle school library media specialists. Some of the lesson plans and websites suggested would be useful to bookmark. I even saw a couple of resources I’ve used before such as Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators and Read-Write-Think. Other links were new to me and had some good information. The third and possibly most interesting post I found was one detailing the new features of Facebook and a tool which can be used to hack Facebook profiles which was posted by Gary Price. This is information which everyone needs to know, not just librarians. I have included the link for the article about the hacking tool for Facebook: http://www.securitynewsdaily.com/facebook-hacking-tool-clones-friends-steals-profiles--1152/
From the LM_NET I went on to reading a few blogs. The first blog entry I read was the blog entry from “A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy” by Liz B posted on September 21st. The subject of the blog was the amount of LGBT characters in YA books. A pair of authors made the claim an agent offered to sign them if they would remove the sexual orientation of a gay character. Of course the publisher has a different view, but less than one percent of young adult books published have LGBT characters. While this is an uncomfortable topic for many people, librarians should be open enough to realize there is a niche for literature with LGBT characters.
Next I checked out what was new on the blog “The Cloud Reads – Adult Books 4 Teens.” The most recently reviewed book was entitled Secrets of the Wolves by Angela Carstensen, posted on September 22. This book sounds very interesting in that it is written completely from the point of view of a wolf. The author did an intense amount of research to make this as realistic as possible. I’m very curious to see how the book plays out. I was also interested to note that the book would even be suitable for younger, middle school age readers. It’s not often you find a book written for adults which can be also appropriate for middle school students.
To found out my blogs for the week I stopped on the blog “NeverEndingSearch.” The entry for September 22 was very intriguing. It’s promoting a new website www.readit1st.com. The website promotes reading the book before watching the movie as often as possible. I found one statistic very interesting in that 5 of the top 10 movies of 2010 were based on movies. It really does seem like more and more books are made into movies. I’m always ready to compare the book and movie and hope the movie is not lacking. Seldom do I actually like the movie more than the book. There are movies I refuse to watch after one viewing because of how much they ruined the story when it became a movie. I was amused to see the vlog of the creator of Readit1st. He seems to think very quickly, but I definitely like the idea of reading the book before watching the movie whenever possible.
I can’t help but love the podcast “Books on the Nightstand.” It’s such fun to hear about all of the books coming out and hearing reviews and tips. The posting from September 20 had a huge list of graphic novels for the newbie to graphic novels. This is a format I have very little experience with. I keep telling myself to read more, but part of me feels like it’s cheating. I realize graphic novels are a very legitimate piece of literature and it is not cheating to read one instead of a more traditional book. There are some amazing sounding graphic novels out there and one of these days I really will check one out of the library. Of course there is Maus which is about WWII and has cats as the Nazi’s and mice as the Jewish which is an ever popular point of discussion with a couple of my classes. In the extensive list given I did find a couple that I plan to look for the next time I go to the library such as the series Fables about what would happen if fairy tales and fables came to life and Camelot 3000 which is set in the future and Merlin and Arthur have come back and fight to protect earth from aliens.
Graphic novels were not the only topic of the podcast, I actually first chose it to find out what classic children’s books were turning 50. I think the book on the list that shocked me the most was A Wrinkle in Time. I had just never realized that book was quite that old. All 4 of the books listed to bring back memories such as The Phantom Tollbooth, A Snowy Day and James and the Giant Peach. Each book I read while a child. I also remember the movie for James and the Giant Peach.
Other books talked about in the blog were The Night Circus and Just My Type. The entire time I was listening to the review and summary of The Night Circus I couldn’t help but think about Water for Elephants. The only reason for the comparison was that they both take place in a circus. Just My Type sounds like the perfect book for a graphic design nerd. Not that there’s anything wrong with being a nerd of any sort, the book is about fonts and how they are created and used, and why some are used more than others. Not something just anyone would pick up.
Budgets: What a fun topic. I put this off till last because some of my students think it’s an evil word in Personal Finance. Well, budgeting is an ever present word with the economy being the way it is. It is not just the library that has to worry about budget. Empowering Learners promotes finding creative ways to make the budget stretch like using free web-based applications and open source software. It also points out the necessity of keeping the administration in the loop on what is occurring in the library so the importance is not forgotten in the shuffle.
At the very beginning of the chapter Wools points out that the amount of money allocated to the library affects if the library will survive or disappear. The library is competing with teachers, sports and other school organizations for funding. Some states mandate a minimum which can be spent in the library and that makes it more difficult for librarians to have an impact on what money they get. It is important to know what the fiscal year for the district is so all materials can be purchased by the correct date. To enlarge the program often a librarian must write a proposal to expand the library in some way. The proposal could contain a statement of needs, goals, objectives, plan of action, an evaluation plan, information about facilities and other resources available. It is important to be detailed when writing the proposal. Budget is a key component of the plan. Often if a program is approved comes down to dollars, how much will it cost? When costs are too high often a program is cut back or not approved at all. Oh, the joys of a budget.
Whew, what a week. There was some fun stuff like new books to read. Scary stuff such as the ability to hack Facebook so easily. Then came the depressing thoughts of budgets. That evil, bad word we all must face in the library media center and our own lives.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
A Book Review and More
How has education changed seems to be a small thread running through my selections for this week. From a podcast about becoming global citizens and a comparison of the education system to the manufacturing system it’s been a thoughtful week.
To start off with reading some of the LM_NET postings I found one I was surprised to see. Michelle Levy had posted to the listserve looking for ideas for teaching Keyboarding to Middle School students (9/7). I was surprised to see this come across my librarian listserve. I’m used to seeing Keyboarding ideas coming across the business teacher listserve I belong to – but I expect it there. Looking through the list I did see a couple of resources to save for when I need to work on keyboarding skills with my students.
Next I read a list of resources for teaching about 9/11 posted by Linda Slacum (8/31). This is such a big topic with the 10th anniversary of that date coming up so soon. We were having a discussion at lunch today actually about what we remembered from that day. All of the teachers can remember what it felt like and was to see and realize exactly what had happened that day. Our students today have no clue – while they may have been alive on 9/11/2001, they were not old enough to really remember the day. Because of this lack of knowledge it is important we teach kids what happened that day and how the world reacted.
Then finally I came across a posting by Heidi Lewis which contained a list of Dystopian books similar to Hunger Games and Uglies (8/31) I have always liked Dystopian books and so do many of our high school students. It handy to have a list put together right there on similar books. It is good to see that many of the books are already in my school’s library.
How do you raise successful global citizens was the topic of a very thought provoking podcast I found. The podcast was Bit by Bit: Show 125 from August 23, 2011 by Bob Sprankle. In fact after an introduction this podcast is the recording of a discussion on the topic from the previous day with author Homa Sabet Tavangar, the author of Growing Up Global. The focus was about everyone having a story which connects to the world. No matter if you never leave the city you were born in, somehow with today’s society you are connected to the world. Kids play video games with other kids from another country, it’s as easy as typing some words to find someone to chat with online. Somehow we need to teach our children how very Global our society has become. Again there was a connection to how society has changed our connection to the world since 9/11. Just the act of flying someplace is radically different – body scans and taking off shoes. One line from the podcast really stood out to me though: “you can build the walls, but you can’t keep ideas out.” This is so true – countries try to build walls and keep ideas out, but in this global society it is impossible. Look at the revolutions which have been told in real-time through the use of mediums such as Facebook and Twitter. The podcast really made me think about how you need to take a larger view than just yourself, we all leave a mark on the global society.
The blog A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy had a review written by Liz B. posted on 9/8/2011 of the book The Girl of Fire and Thorns. After reading the review I’m really intrigued by the book. I want to know more about Elise, the girl who is a princess and chosen. This has provided her with a privileged existence to this point. The book has strong themes of taking responsibility for ones actions and a healthy respect of religion.
The next two blogs I read can be looked at together. The blog 2 cents Worth by David Warlick on 9/8 entitled “We Don’t Trust What We Can’t See . . .” and Doug Johnson’s Blue Skunk Blog posted on 9/7/2011 entitled “Mass Customization in Education” have a similar theme. David Warlick approaches the topic of the decline in confidence of the education system. When public schools are compare with other groups they come in 6th in confidence level. Warlick’s theory is that we trust what we can see, we can see the military presence and our doctors, but it is more difficult to see the face of education. Maybe the inability to see the face of education has something to do with Doug Johnson’s blog entry about customizing education. Seth Godin and Ken Robinson believe the model we use to teach students is too industrial; they believe all children should have individualized education. Johnson’s argument is that individualized education for all students would be ideal but is not an economic reality. The individualized education of all students would be extremely costly and is not feasible. This is not to say every teacher just ignores creativity and just teaches by route. We are encouraged to use differentiated instruction, but with a room of 25 students, you can only differentiate so much. So perhaps if Godin and Robinson were listened to and education became individualized for each and every student the confidence in the education system would increase because the shortage of teachers we already have would just multiply.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
From Copyright to Interviews
A whole world of knowledge can be found online if you just know where to look. For example you can find others searching for the same answers to copyright questions you may have, find librarians debating the use of Kindle’s in the library, get ideas to prove that you as a LMS are vital to the school, find an untold number of book reviews, interviews with authors and much more.
When looking at the LM_NET postings I found a few of interest. The first one was from Becky Schallar and it was a copyright question, specifically student use of images found online. This is of particular interest to me as a Desktop Publishing teacher. The final consensus was images found online may be used in an educational setting as long as there is a limited audience and proper citation. For example my students could use photographs found online for their travel brochures as long as they have proper citations because only myself and their classmates will see the work. If anything is to be posted online or distributed we would need to get permission from the author.
The second point of interest was Carol Van Brocklin, a librarian in the Philippines who is questioning the use of Kindle’s in the library. So far there had been no responses to Van Brocklin’s question but she shared what information she had found out. Amazon is talking about going to a 1:1 ratio of one Kindle to one account which means books could not be shared among devices. She did find that right now though it is still 1:6 so one account can be attached to six Kindles.
Finally I found a posting by Toni Koontz. In this posting she gives ideas for staying organized and keeping track of all that is done as a Library Media Specialist throughout the school year so a through end of the year report can be given to the principal.
Moving on to a different type of knowledge I went to reading blogs. The first blog I read was Adult Books 4 Teens. This is something I would have been interested in when I was younger because sometimes teen books were written below my reading level so I found them boring. Just checking back over the entries for the end of the week was enlightening. One book was about sexual exploitation in the US, another was hugely science fiction and the third was a graphic novel about eating disorders. Lucille by Ludovic Debeurme is the graphic novel in question. I had never considered how a graphic novel about a subject such as eating disorders could be so impactful. With the graphic novel readers are forced to see the damage to a person’s body an eating disorder can cause.
From there I switched gears and looked at the ALA TechSource blog and read up on their opinion of what Smartphone internet usage means for libraries. The first point is libraries must make sure their webpages are compatible with Smartphones. The second is libraries need to prove they provide the only access to high speed internet for many people. I know from experience if I want to get on the internet when I visit my parents I have to make my dad take me to his work after hours or go to the library since my parents can only get dial-up internet at home. After so much time spent with high speed I just cannot do dial-up anymore!
Next I went to read Doug Johnson’s Blue Skunk Blog and today’s entry made me smile. He was talking about the changing mindset of librarians and teachers entering those fields. Some of his points I had to add my own opinion to. Under the “Librarian’s entering the field today” heading with number 1, I have never typed a catalog card but do still remember learning how to use one and thinking they were cool back in elementary school. Going to 6, I will never purchase filmstrips, but will still have the fond memories of them in my 8th grade history class (mind you this was in 1998-1999 so they were pretty old even then). Then my personal favorite on his librarians list is 8, I will never check out the floppy disks of games but I still maintain Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego and Oregon Trail were the best games ever. Now when it comes to his list “Teachers entering the profession” I heartily disagree with his points 2 and 7. Number 2 says these teachers will never keep a paper gradebook, my school still requires a hardcopy along with the online grades in case something happens. Then number 7 says all teachers have a phone and voicemail in their classroom. I think there are 4 teachers in the building with a phone in their classroom.
When choosing podcasts to listen to (I really wanted to listen to the Teen Podcast from Seattle Public Libraries entitled “Harry and the Potters” which was teens playing music inspired by the Harry Potter books, but I wasn’t sure if it qualified as educational) I decided to go for the NPR: Books Podcast entitled “New Teen Novels, Terry Pratchett, Vampires, Werewolves and More dated August 18, 2011 and the Books on the Night Stand (BOTNS) episode 143 dated August 23, 2011. Both podcasts contained some book reviews.
The BOTNS began with an interesting innovation coming from a small publisher, Melville House Publishing, the hybrid book. This publisher is publishing books with a QR code (those square symbols you scan with your Smartphone) which takes the reader to “illuminations” which help fill in the backstory of the plot. It is likened to DVD extras for a book. Following this several new to paperback books were introduced one of which The Language of Flowers was also talked about in the Adult Books 4 Teens blog.
The NPR podcast began with 5 new young adult books worth reading either as a teen or even an adult. They included:
· Flip by Martin Bedford
· Delirium by Lauren Oliver
· 10 Miles Past Normal by Francis O’Roark Dowell
· Trapped by Michael Northup
· Karma by Cathy Ostlere
This section was followed by an interview with Terry Pratchett discussing his views on doctor assisted suicide, a review of The Family Fang (also included in the Adult Books for Teens) an interview with the author of Thick as Thieves and an interview with a close friend of LA Banks who recently passed away from cancer. This was probably my favorite part because I had read some of her books and enjoyed them. She was writing about vampires and werewolves before the days of Twilight and True Blood.
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