Week 8, Thing 19

I took the tour at the Library Thing homepage, read many of the comments left there, read the Short Introduction and the comments from the Librarian in Black. All were helpful. Wish I had understood Library Thing better last year when a friend asked about a system for cataloging the hundreds of books willed to her parish by its late pastor! I built an account and I my list of 5 books, but didn't see any links to comments. My titles, predictably, were popular. I have no clue how to post a link to it. Maybe it's brain melt or maybe the fact that so many people have so much time to catalog their personal libraries. Maybe someday...

Week 8, Thing 18

I created the zoho account using my yahoo email address, produced a document and saved it, but I have no idea where to. It wasn't on my desktop nor in My Documents on the computer. This was frustrating.

I liked the googlesites tutorial better, but then I didn't try to make it work!

I read the zoho benefits doc.

The idea of having students build a database of up to 200 books in their home doesn't really serve the purpose of giving students visiting the library a real tool. This more properly belongs in an advanced computer tools class or a subject teacher's classroom.

Week 7, Thing 16

I really spent alot of time today prowling wiki sites on the net, between, of course, the duties of a "domestic goddess". Today, that means interviewing painters! The wikis were more fun. I checked out articles on weeding (great advice! I hadn't though of approaching the task on a one shelf/one week basis. It really makes sense, though, and avoids the dreaded task looming over one's head ad infinitum. While shelf reading before school started this year, I realized our collection of painstaking collected science project books were more than a decade of 2 old. How is it that I lost track of how long I've been at this profession now?? I built the collection for a teacher who vigorously pursued Junior Scientist contestants and mentored them to success, but when she moved on no one else required class science projects with the level of sophistication she did. Sigh...At least now they're weeded and not taking up space...languishing, even. You can tell I was an English teacher before I morphed into a librarian. Anyway, the article on weeding has inspired me to take on the task MONDAY!!

I also visited the cite on producing reviews for worldcat and wondered whether those reviews by librarians could be used as lit crit for students in our Senior World Lit survey class who often select very recent titles by new world authors, some of which haven't hit Gale yet. There were some that were sophisticated enough and content rich enough to suffice. Hope my teacher agrees!

I have been working with the principal of our elementary school whose library has fallen on hard times. Many of the grants listed on the librarian's wiki will offer her hope of rebuilding more easily. She asked my 90+ Sister who spent 3 years putting records in to our Follett software to consider spending this past summer bringing their library back to life. Oh, the tale she told when she returned from visiting their "library" with its need for a card cat weeding if not an online catalog building, space shared by the Spanish teacher, stored non-library items , depleted collection pillaged by students waiting for school to start (no circ system!), lack of a librarian!! and offered her thoughts on the importance of defining an appropriate purpose for the library before beginning collection assessment.

Another Sister who runs an after school program for children in our township's historic but now beleaguered Mooncrest area can benefit when I share what I've learned about grants that will help build their mini library into a real presence in the community's life. Many residents have no way to get to our township library. Too far to walk, no bus line, etc. What an impact grants can have there in building life long learners there!

I also spent some time on the Flat Classroom site and was impressed with what was accomplished there. I especially liked the use of the videos with students testifying to the impact of the net on their lifes and the interview with the super hacker whose name escapes me right now being interviewed by the late, great Ed Bradley. The impact of the ethical/unethical choices made by users of technology clearly illustrates the nature of the 2 edged sword that technology has always been and still is.

Literary circles offer a golden opportunity for students to interact with each other and their parents virtually without the intimidation of the need to express oneself extemporaneously in a classroom. The opportunity to work with students from another culture through the net is another unique use of wikis.

Week 5 Thing 12

I checked out rollyo, but I prefer to have students search subject guides and create their own set of sources. When teachers make a research assignment, I create a research strategy explaining where to go to find sources for the kind of information they need. I use hyperlinks to some subject guide websites, remind students that Webpath Express lives on our Follett page and give them web addresses and passwords for nettrekker and for Librarians' Internet Index (I know that name's not right (or maybe it is!, but my brain is melting again and I'll assume you know what I mean:)) I also direct students to our online catalog to search for print sources. I post the strategies on my blog. My students are high school students and should be encouraged to apply their brains to the problem of resources with encouragement and general direction.

I played around with people search. Couldn't find my college flame. sigh...Already quite familiar with IPL, Project Gutenberg. checked out the SJ Library roll. Created search roll on health but didn't publish as at one point directions said to post link to blog and another said posting was optional.

I can see where this function would be helpful in a research strategy document

Week 5, Thing 10

I just noticed today the tip list on the right side of the Web 2.0 page. What a great idea! Sorry I missed it earlier, but I can still benefit from the tips.

I stumbled across the Trading Card Maker and can't wait to show it to my 9th Grade American History teacher. He does a project where students create a trading card for a World War II or later figure. He has a wonderful web page and blog for students and currently does this project with students using am 8 x 10 sheet of paper to represent the trading card. Students must find and download picture of the figure and describe his contribution to American history. I'm sure he'll be glad to hear about this application as he really encourages tech tools use in his classes.

I'm so glad I found it!! I love to share ideas with teachers and help them make their rich classrooms even richer!

This is a great tech tool!

Week 4 , Thing 9

Eeks! yet another surprise! I opened my blog to post this entry when what to my ever wondering eyes should appear but a message about migrating to google. At least that's what I think it was.

I'll deal with that later. I took a breath and managed to avoid panicking, crash and burning, etc. I got some info on adding gadgets, but won't deal with that now.

I need to post about my adventures in RSS land. I thought the introductory material was impressively both detailed and easy to navigate. I added some feeds to my Yahoo account and hope someday to read them!

Life has been even wilder and crazier than usual. Trying to do this course, which I thought would be easier in summer, has proven to be a challenge. Still, I'm thrilled to be doing it and even if I don't finish by October 1, it will have been worthwhile and I'll have done my best to rise to the challenges.

Must run now to take on Week 5 and see what wonders it will hold.

Week 3 Thing 3 Flicker

I explored the Flicker site and have decided to begin the school year with a "How I spent my summer vacation" photo essay using photos taken with my new, first digital camera, shown on my new digital photo frame. I've been enjoying taking pictures of the bunny that's taken up residence in my garden, the nuthatch mom that hatched her babies in a planter next to my front door, and my "pet" chipmunk, pictures of my new grandson Lucas with his Grandpa, Mom and Dad, months 1 and 2, and trips to Tennessee where we hope to retire, Michigan visiting the cabin on Torch Lake we haven't seen in 12 years and college friends who live in nearby Traverse City and camping in Carlisle near Hershey, PA, in our new-to-us RV. My hope is that it will be a conversation starter when students first visit the library and help to personalize me to them so that they will be more comfortable coming to me for help.

I already have a series of photos of my library, but can't remember where I stored them. In any event, I'd rather do something new than repeat what I already have...somewhere.