Sunday, May 4, 2008

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Book talk podcasts

Frenzied Media posted podcasts of Nancy Keane's Book Talks Quick and Simple on her school media webpage. Too cool!


http://www.nancykeane.com/rss.xml

Thing 23: el FIN

I gained at least one closer "ally" in my district - go OLB!! I think we should do something to help the others take/make the time to go through this.

I would definitely do this again. Since my job will only be 0.8 next year, I guess I might have a little more time....

"Vision-enhancing" - I can see beyond the social/popular uses of these tools to ways they can be used practically in my elementary school library.

Thing 22: Keeping Up

I am so glad that hours and hours on YouTube and looking for podcasts counts as "improving my skills!" And I agree that it is critical for us to keep up with the things our patrons need and use. This is how we will stay relevant in the 21st Century. We must be the guides in this evolution!


I hearby give myself the gift of time to continue keeping up my blog and learning and growing in the world of Web 2.0 and beyond! I will actually READ my RSS feeds in Google Reader. I will delete those feeds that are not particularly helpful (or quickly skim for the cream and move on). I will continue to seek out the new things my students are "in" to and look for ways to use those things in the classroom and media center.


I vow to keep paying attention.






















http://www.educause.edu/section_params/resources/learning_spaces/ch6fig1_web.jpg

Thing 19: Podcasts

Since I am working in a large metro school district, with 20+ media specialists district-wide, I think it would be fun for us to create podcasts (either together or separately) of book talks and other techy "how-tos" that we could then share between ourselves, as well as putting out there for the rest of the state (world?) to use/borrow. (Same goes for Thing 18 - videos.)

I listened to the "Live from MEMO" podcast from the St. Cloud State podcast page. They were sharing the books and technology they were currently using in their library media centers. It would be interesting (and time-saving) for us to share the things we are doing day in and day out with other LMSs. It always comes down to the issue of time, but thankfully we are flexibly scheduled in Osseo, so we could build in the time (theoretically...).

OK, I'm sounding like a broken record, but again, I feel like I have so many things that I could/should listen to, watch, read, reflect on, respond to.... AGGGGGHHHHH!!!! Maybe it's just because I recently finished graduate school and I need summer to come yesterday!! I guess I need to focus on how to narrow the flow down to just the pieces I can use TODAY (in essence) and let the rest just flow on by.

The MINITEX podcasts look interesting - I am linking them here for future listening (and for you, dear reader!!). The interview with the Perpich Center looks especially interesting based on the questions included for reflection along with the podcast.

I think I will start looking for those sites that seems most relevant and subscribe to a couple over the summer and see what sticks.

Thing 18: YouTube

My brother just shared this video in his Google Reader - do I get extra points for using two things in one?



I haven't really gotten into YouTube before, other than the random funny email that gets shared around the district. It has seemed like another giant pile of information to wade through. My daughter is again dismayed that she has another 325+ days before she can create an account. She has some older friends who have videos posted and she loves it.



Now this gets my creativity flowing! It would be fun to create a video for my library orientation, or the various how-to's (setting up technology) or other promo pieces for the media center or the grade levels.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Thing 15: Libraries and Games

As I wait for Puzzle Pirates to download, I wonder if students are able (and if they already have)downloaded this on school computers? I found students playing Moon Base last week for Friday Fun - what (I could see) they were doing was pretty innocuous, but it definitely had potential for misuse...or at least global chat. (Yikes!) That, and they had to click on a pop-up saying they were older than 13 - I don't think so.

But I digress... Puzzle Pirates took several minutes to download. My poor laptop already needs brain surgery, and then I keep loading things like this on it! Poor baby! I always like creating my own characters online - a techy version of paper dolls and coloring pages. I like that the avatar can walk easily on it's own, versus Second Life where you need to learn to walk and fly. This is a pretty straightforward game. I liked the Bilging game, but could see my students quickly becoming bored with it. It was fun to begin exploring the island. I did see that this game was for 13+.

I would like to offer this sort of gaming experience in my media center, but with all the students being under 13 - it is really difficult. I am also struggling with this at home with my DD who just turned 12. She is truly mature enough and savvy enough to navigate the gaming world and the YouTube and the Facebook world...I know not all are...but the world is becoming more technology oriented. How long do we keep holding students back in the name of protecting them? I don't mind so much at work as the "in loco parentis" - but what about when I am just the loco parent?