Go Green!

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.

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?

Thing 14: Library Thing

I might be a closet cataloger...just don't ask me for all the details. I just like the sorting and arranging piece!

I started a Library Thing a while back - I think Brook Berg started this for me with a MEMOlist post. I am mostly discovering through these 23 Things, that the "social" aspect of reading others comments is not something I'm real hip on, as an ongoing thing. When I need a book recommendation or book talk info/ideas, then I like to read some comments. But I don't really care what others think about most books in my "collection."




It is interesting to consider using a tool like this to house a small library's catalog. That has me thinking more widely for the potential uses here. I wonder how it might work as a catalog of the book talks I have given during the year.

Thing 16: RPC & Assignment Calculator

These are excellent resources for upper secondary and higher-ed students. I am the free-flowing, artsy (aka last minute/procrastinating) type, so it feels very structured and deadline-y to me. I don't like it on a visceral level, but I often seek after it to help me see just how far behind I'm falling. I would love to be the type that can do just a few minutes (hours) each day, rather than a full on push at the end. But alas... (note the date and time on these final blog entries compared to the deadline for FABULOUS PRIZES). (There is a great Calvin and Hobbes cartoon that I had years ago about only working to a deadline - anyone have a copy??)

I would like to start introducing these tools to my 6th graders, maybe even 5th graders. I would like the teachers to begin backing off on how much they personally harp on students to meet deadlines, and refer them to the computerized outline in their packets (where did that folder go?). It would be a good external timeline that students could refer to, and perhaps access from home.

Again, I like the idea...maybe I should start even younger...maybe that would have saved me... (look - a butterfly!)

Thing 17: ELM

#1 - I set up a search alert with no problem. After reading so many comments throughout these 23 Things about schools blocking so many of these sites/activities, I am so thankful for the policies in the Osseo District (279) that are so minimal in the area of blocking!! I accessed ELM though the district's virtual media center and there was no "proxy" getting in the way. My PLC is working with reading strategies, so that was my search in Academic Search Premier. I added it to my Google Reader. (the great and powerful Google!)



#2 & #3 - I am not yet sure why I would want to have my own web page - especially one that seems static (needs to be downloaded and is only available from wherever I saved it), like the one I created in Academic Search Premier through the Page Composer. Perhaps this makes all the links live and available no matter where I am. But I think other tools like Google Reader and the Google "office" tools are more what I would move toward first. I'm open to suggestions, though.



#4 - When I tried to access NetLibrary through my district webpage, I could get to a log in screen, but was unsure how to log in. When I went in through the Hennepin County Library page, which I use regularly, I was immediately logged in, barcode validated, ready to search. As the LMS, it might be good for me to know how to access this stuff! (As a new LMS, I haven't yet been taught all this, or asked all the right questions yet!)

OK, so at first I was skeptical, cuz I just wasn't figuring it out! But now that I found a source on reading and made a note and saw how easy it was to access when I went back to it, I'm warming up to the idea. A teacher could save various content for younger students or older students could use this to organize their notes and sources for a paper. I will try using this for my PLC and for topics teachers ask for help on.

Thing 21: Other social networks

I like Ning - it is like Facebook for grown ups who want a little more than a twittered comment on the current happenings in your friends lives. It does require more input from the user, but that is also the beauty - you can set it up any way you like. I am starting to like the running list of updates as well - at first that seemed so random and it bugged me.

It seems like Ning would be a good collaboration tool. I see that someone has suggested using it as an online bookclub site. I am curious how this would work with (pre)teens. What are the security features offered by the site? My principal is pretty leary of the whole online world with our elementary students (I would like to use it with students 3rd grade and up - and perhaps even 2nd grade - it might inspire them to work on their keyboard skills to have a "real" project going.)

Thing13: Productivity Tools

I already have an iGoogle home page...that now has six tabs of stuf I mostly ignore. I did help my daughter set up a home page that she just loves. All her quirky interests on one page - horoscope, virtual aquarium, penguins that follow your mouse, idiot test, daily Disney character of the day, question to ponder....real productive right? I do have a "Library Stuff" tab, and it does have several blogs, but I now tend to scan those via my Google Reader. I added a moon phase gadget to help me prepare for those full moon days at school. I also added the Hennepin County Library catalog search which is a wonderful feature. That would be a great gadget for all libraries to create and make available (also in mobile phone format).

I tried adding the countdown feature, but it was not accepted. I have used TimeandDate.com in the past to countdown the insanity of taking two graduate classes on top of student teaching. It was kind of amazing to watch the days tick on by. I did add a countdown widget to my iGoogle page until the last day of school on June 6th. With all the current stress of budget cuts ($16 million worth), 54 days seems too long.

Remember the Milk was the most interesting list tool for me. I like the look and how it can easily be accessed on iGoogle or your mobile phone.

Thing 12: Do you Digg?

I am feeling completely overwhelmed! All this news that I am "missing" out on...or not. I will confess that I have placed myself in a news-free bubble for the most part. There is just too much horrible stuff out there - and of course, that is all you hear about on the news. So with that perspective, maybe these sites could help me to hear about some wonderful news for a change. But my perusal tonight seemed to just offer up more of the same nauseating pile of excess and fear. And then to read everyones commentary...just more prattle.

OK, am I just in a bad mood tonight or what?

I don't see much use for these sites in my current role as elementary LMS, other than fodder for lunch room discussion or being seen as a cool teacher in the know. I can definitely see how it would be practical to scan them daily before your shift on the public library reference desk, just as the narrative for this thing suggested that librarians previously did with newspapers.

For me personally, these are productivity detractors. I could easily get lost in the latest Hollywood insanity or in my quest to find something redeeming that happened in the world today.

Thing 11: Tagging and Del.icio.us

I like the flexibility of tagging - how you can "file" the thing in several "folders." I am longing for more and more of this flexibility as I try to manage the flood of information that comes at me daily in my job. I think it works great on a personal level, but trying to search for information this way could be quite confusing and misleading (no hits or too many, not so specific ones). Funny, I don't often tag my blogs. It's usually too hard for me to think of all the options I could use.

I think I set up a del.icio.us account awhile back, but that, like RSS feeds, was something I just have no time to keep up with. I do like the idea of having my favorites available to me at all times. The social aspect of del.icio.us, with lots of people tagging is interesting.

PageKeeper looks super interesting! But I wonder if my teachers would actually use it. They might use it personally, to create links that they would use in the classroom, instead of having it on their IE favorites page.

Thing 20: Facebook and MySpace

You can now find me on either Facebook or MySpace! I created a MySpace page awhile ago, but I don't think I remember the password. I just set up a Facebook page today so I could be another friend for my sister in law, Carolynn Kimmes, who set up a page to advertise her business selling her mother's amazing caramels (shameless plug for Edna's Caramels!! They are truly the best!) I found a friend request waiting for me from someone I actually knew! And I found a couple other friends. Who knew 30/40-somethings were interested in Facebook!

It is really easy to use and I think it's a nice twist that you can only see the profiles of your friends. That would make it "safer" for student use. My days-away-from-12-years-old daughter is disappointed that she has to wait one more whole year (and two days). She even said out loud to her librarian mother "Or I could lie about my age." Seems this is a prevalent practice among pre-teens.

Thing 9: Online Collaboration Tools

Random thoughts:

• Using Zoho/Google Docs will help save our server space.
• Teachers can easily comment on students' work in progress.
• Zoho notebook could be a great way to gather information for a large research project such as history day and keep all your web sources in one place for easy access.
• ALL STUDENTS NEED TO HAVE A COMPUTER 24/7!!
• How does this change how teachers teach? ARE TEACHERS READY FOR THIS CHANGE???
• Great tools for a writing team!!
• Could this mean the end to the 5-minute staff meeting? Please, no more meetings for things that could be handled more efficiently by other means. (Oh, wait...staff don't even read their email, how will they be persuaded to check their Zoho account?) Again...did I say that out loud?
• Have I mentioned that I LOVE these new tools? Have I mentioned that I am FRUSTRATED by how reluctant people are to embrace them?

I love the idea of not having to email documents back and forth to myself. I am a little leary about formatting and what the document will look like if I print it out in a different location from where I created it. I would like to try creating and presenting a slideshow completely off one of these two sites. That will be my challenge to myself next time I need to do a presentation. (Maybe about the excellent Literacy Leadership in the 21st Century workshop I just attended!)

Kitty Clock

I found this on Jim's blog (one of the finishers). My parents had this clock when I was little. I loved it. I wonder if it still works and if it's still around. My parents never throw anything away.

Thing 8: Share

I tried uploading a video on Creative Commons (which just fascinates me!) from SlideShare and it said it had posted successfully...but no video on my page. Curious. I thought it was lost in cyberspace. But I actually have three blogs on my Blogger account, and this morning I found it posted to the first blog in my list. I believe it was in Flickr that you were able to choose which blog to post to, so I'd like to see that in SlideShare.

You can click on the link above to view the video I was hoping to post here.

I just added my Dino World library event pictures in a Flick cube on the sidebar. I was hoping to simply be able to upload it to blogger through the Picture Trail site, which at first it didn't look like you could. I had to click on get code, then it showed the multitude of options for auto-posting. Thankfully, this one magically appeared on the correct blog, since it did not ask which one to post to. I think I had this blog open, which may have had something to do with it, but then I wasn't logged in like I thought I was, so I'm not really sure. I'm sticking with my "magic" theory - it works with elementary students...and staff (for now...). I loved that there was an option to post it to the sidebar. That was helpful and a nice choice to offer.

I do wonder about using photos in the public school setting. A teacher was using another Web 2.0 site, Animoto, and my district tech person pointed out that even though the pictures were not made public, she was concerned about them even living out on someone else's server over which we have no control. Good point. How careful do we need to be in protecting our children? Through how many layers do we need to peel to protect them and ourselves? Curious.

Thing 7: Web 2.0 Communication Tools

Email: I'm drowning in electrons! But,I am getting better at "use then lose" with my email. I am trying to go through the current day's inbox and sent items to delete all unnecessary items. I also have a "sent items to keep" folder (which I just accessed yesterday and last week) for stuff I'm not ready to throw away. I really think this information management is an important thing we need to teach staff to do/share tips and tricks (not that they have any time to read them).

IM: I have done this mainly with family members through Gmail's chat feature. In my job as an LMS, I am moving around so much, that IM isn't really any faster than my email, which I always check whenever I have a spare few minutes at my desk. I have tried the IM/chat type reference with the Hennepin County Library as part of one of my MLIS classes, and I did really like how well that worked. That would be a fun way to do the reference desk for me, since it is almost real-time, but I would have a minute to collect my thoughts or do a "street shout-out" (supposing I would have a co-worker nearby).

SMS: I have trouble envisioning the use of text messaging in a school library, especially elementary, setting. High school...yeah, maybe, colleges - for sure! Our district currently bans cell phones in class. Also, it would seem to "require" someone to sit at a computer, or have a phone attached to them at all times. Since school librarians are also teachers, it would be hard to be teaching and have text messages coming in the whole time. I don't think I'll be texting other teachers any time soon...mostly I don't want them to know my cell phone number! :)

Web Conferencing: I really like webinars! I like being able to sit at my desk with my (Caribou)coffee, run out to help a student if needed, then come back and continue with the lesson. I am definitely a life-long learner! I have learned about CultureGrams and I first heard of PBWiki over a webinar. Very fun! I also like that they are usually free of charge! And no rush hour traffic!

Thing 6: Trading Card

Dino World Trading Card, originally uploaded by sallychka.

Oh, this was fun! I can see so many fun ways to use this in the classroom! Getting to know people, creating your own game...across all subject areas! I can't wait to share this with my staff (sometime after this week when report cards are due!)

See my name in letters: Sally.

Thing 5: Still More Flickr Fun

Thing 5: Even More Flickr Fun

John & Dariya Warhol, originally uploaded by sallychka.

This would be fun to use with student photos to create report covers or classroom newsletters or yearbooks. Library promo pieces would also be a good use for this.

Thing 5: More Flickr Fun

My creation, originally uploaded by sallychka.

Dariya and I attended the Harry Potter midnight release party for book 7. She was Luna Lovegood and I'm Mrs. Weasley.

Making a photo into a jigsaw puzzle was SUPER EASY! I have used puzzles with Kindergarten to teach mouse skills - now I will try making my own puzzles (not of students) and putting them on our school website to avoid all the ads that I have found on the puzzle sites. Except that I just noticed that I can't actually move the pieces around. Anyone know how to make the pieces move or a different program to make moveable pieces?

Flickr photo

Isla Mujeres April 2007 054, originally uploaded by sallychka.

Here we are/were!

Interesting that the photo did not load from the web address on the Flickr page when I tried to upload the photo while in Blogger. I did really like the Blog This feature in Flickr. It was very easy to set up and use.

Thing 4: Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24257630@N05/2302545693/

Several co-workers (OK, two) are heading to Cancun for Spring Break in a few weeks, so I am reliving our time there last year.

Flickr was VERY easy to use to upload pictures and tag/describe them. I have never used a photo hosting service other than the Kodak gallery at target.com to upload photos for printing. As for the public aspect of this, I was a little concerned about putting pictures of my daughter on the web and I did choose not to add a photo of me with a certain type of Mexican beverage because of all the publicity of teachers and their photos affecting their jobs.

I loved how the St. Ben/John's library's used Flickr with their bookshelf. That would be fun to do!

Random aside 1

This is super excellent! Excellent arguments and questions to ponder (as always).

http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2008/2/16/have-we-met-the-enemy.html

Thing 2: Library 2.0

I love a good quote:
L2 is going to require a great deal of inter-departmental integration. In order to be adept at navigating L2 waters, the old fiefdoms need to disappear. L2 requires drastic and sweeping changes to our internal cultures and will require some form of institutional enlightenment.
<http://www.blyberg.net/2006/01/09/11-reasons-why-library-20-exists-and-matters/>
Retrieved 2.17.08

I wonder what this will mean for school libraries? What do our "fiefdoms" look like? What sort of "institutional enlightenment" do we need? What have we already experienced? How will our new district CTO seek to bring this about?

One thing I would like to see is a wider use of creative commons for LMS/teacher lesson plans. We can't learn 23 new things every quarter AND write amazing, interactive SMARTboard lessons AND reshelve 2 - 3,000 books a month AND ....

As for "inter-departmental integration" - we need to have what teachers want and teachers need to want what we can offer. Both sides need to expect win-win, and not just complain that the computer lab is always full. (did I say that out loud? and in public??)

Thing 3: RSS

I was really hopeful that I would be able to add a button to my toolbar to add content directly to my Google Reader. But alas, it appears that particular capability is still in labor and delivery.

But I found the next best thing to quickly add content to my Google Reader! In Google Reader, click on "manage subscriptions" at the bottom of your list of subscriptions. Click on the "Goodies" tab at the top. Scroll to the bottom to "Subscribe as you surf" and it will give you a link that you can add to your bookmarks/favorites. It says you can drag it but that didn't work for me. I had to right click on the link, then choose "Add to Favorites." It said it might be unsafe, but I thought I'd go for it. The word "subscribe" is now one of my favorites. You then go to a blog you want to add to Google Reader and click on this favorite and it opens Google Reader. You need to choose to subscribe and then the blog is added! I also used "manage subscriptions" to create folders since I was starting to get quite a number of items in there. I will be adding all my fellow LMS's blogs so I can see who is adding new stuff for this challenge. (I am now watching you! :)

I really like it that I don't have to visit each web page individually and that I can see the opening blubs of the posts. I can quickly scan through to see what I want to read. Some of my feeds include friends, church, fellow LMSs, technology info, grant info... It is nice to have one place to go to check up on all the different areas of my life.

Thing 2: Web 2.0

Some quotes for thought from http://www.oclc.org/nextspace/002/1.htm (2.14.08):

The Web moves from simply being sites and search engines to a shared network space that drives work, research, education, entertainment and social activities—essentially everything people do. You and your mobile and nonmobile devices—PDA, MP3, laptop, cell phone, camera, PC, TV, etc.—are always online, connected to one another and to the Web.

3 Icebergs: The “just in case” collection, Reliance on user education, The “come to us” model of library service. "The post-print era." As a Web 2.0 reality continues to emerge and develop, our patrons will expect access to everything – digital collections of journals, books, blogs, podcasts, etc. You think they can’t have everything? Think again. This may be our great opportunity.

"Librarian 2.0"
Where were these discussions held and these skills taught in my MLIS program???

Adopt Web features The features of Amazon and Google of interest to students and scholars ought to be incorporated into the services libraries make available. Libraries should welcome the submission of reviews, assignment of keywords (“tagging”), addition of scholarly commentary, and other forms of user participation.

Library 4.0 revives the old image of a country house library, and renovates it: from a retreat, a sanctuary, a pampered experience with information—subtle thoughts, fine words, exquisite brandy, smooth coffee, aromatic cigar, smell of leather, rustle of pages—to the dream economy’s library, the LIBRARY: a WiFREE space, a retreat from technohustle, with comfortable chairs, quiet, good light, coffee and single malt. You know, the library. I’ll meet you there.



pick up here: http://www.oclc.org/nextspace/002/advocacy.htm

Thing 10: Wikis

I am really into wikis lately. I set one up today on Wikispaces to facilitate some group work with my PLC (professional learning community). It is called "Making Reading Our Business" as we are using the book "Reading is our Business" by Sharon Grimes to guide us. We are working on connecting reading strategies. We are all very excited about what we are learning, so feel free to check us out at . Our consensus is that we feel more like "real" teachers - and the teachers in our buildings are beginning to see us that way as well. Wikispaces is giving away 100,000 free wikis to educators - the basic wiki is always free, but they are giving away their full access, paid version free to educators.



I have also used PBWiki to set up a family recipe collection. Feel free to check it out and steal all my secret family recipes. :) One thing my mom discovered on her Mac is that you have to use Firefox to have easy, full access to all the features. It looks like they are working to make Safari fully compatible in their next release.

Thing 1 - take 2: getting started

OK - I am probably just going to do this blogging part here, because I am tired of trying to figure out edublogs. It didn't seem to be that different from Blogger, and I really wanted to try something new...and I loved my cute background with pink tulips... But since this is the main vehicle for my showing my learnings, I decided to fall back on the familiar. Something about this needs to be "easy" and if I have any chance of doing this on a regular basis, this needs to be the easy part. And I already have my avatar on the side bar! (That was the final straw for edublogs - they even had a blog post about adding a picture to the sidebar and I just couldn't figure it out!)

I really like how easy it is to make additions to your blog in Blogger. I have added all my district "friends" and it was very quick and easy to do. It was very easy to add my avatar - and I didn't have to read a "how-to" 15 times and still not get it to work. I really liked my template/background in Edublogs, so it would be nice to have more options for that in Blogger.

Have I mentioned how much I love my avatar?! It's funny how excited I get about this, when as someone commented, "What do you actually DO with an avatar??" But I love my red suit and my white cat...get it? A library CAT?! Cool!