#15 Library 2.0 & The Future of Libraries

I am very proud to be in a district that strives to stay "with the times." The video, A Vision of Students Today, really struck a cord.


Not only do we need to continue to make our libraries stay current and integrate technology, we also need to make sure that happens in the classroom. I agree that we must strive to make "the library a social and emotionally engaging center for learning and experience." (See the article, "Into a new world of librarianship" by Michael Stephens at http://www.oclc.org/nextspace/002/3.htm). We no longer expect to see children quietly reading in the library, nor do we expect students to sit quietly in rows, where the teacher stands in front of the room and blabs all day. Rather, we expect to see students actively engaged, self determined in their learning, working and talking with peers. Using technology in both the classroom and libraries alike is the perfect way to accomplish such goals. Students want to show what they know--often surpassing the knowledge of the teacher. There are people who are stuck in the past (just look at the "experts" running the State Board of Education (S.B.O.E.) who have doomed children to revisit the 1960's--what a nightmare!) Libraries are not just collections of documents and books, they are conversations, they are convocations of people, ideas, and artifacts in dynamic exchange. Libraries are not merely in communities, they are communities: they preserve and promote community memories; they provide mentors not only for the exploration of stored memory, but also for the creation of new artifacts of memory (taken from Dr. Wendy Schultz's article, "To a temporary place in time."

#14 Technorati

Technorati is neat because it saves time when searching for blogs. It's interesting to see "What's percolating on blogs right now" (found on the main page), but I'm not sure how much I'll use Technorati personally. I will continue to read other people's blogs to look for ways to use this in the classroom. Right now, I don't have any ideas.

#13 Delighted with Del.icio.us

Wow! Another great time saver! I've been using the old way of bookmarking for so long, tagging seemed like it was going to be overwhelming. However, after I got going, I was instantly hooked! I'm now tagging everything. And I love del.icio.us . The icons are easy to use and helpful.
I then tried learning a little bit more about Furl and Ma.gnolia. I didn't quite understand the difference between the three sites. However, I stumbled upon Bruce's post (see Bruce's 23 Project: Thing 13 Tagging and Discovering Del.icio.us) and the article he recommended: Furl and Del.icio.us: Almost Perfect Together. They were very helpful! I see I still have a lot more to learn....

#12 Blogging with Style

When I first started out as a blogger, I felt isolated and disconnected from the rest of the world (I felt like I was talking to myself). After reading Cool Cat's post, How to Comment Like a King (or Queen!), the point about writing a meaningful comment resonated with me. What do I have to say that's important? Who am I in this whole blogging world? Those are just some of the questions that popped into my mind when I began (and they still arise from time to time). But after awhile (after the newness has worn off a little), I'm discovering how addicting this all can be. I have begun to feel the power of writing to an audience. By interacting with others, I have also gained new ideas and insights. So, while lurking is o.k., I'm beginning to understand the importance of leaving comments from time to time--especially when I feel I have something worthwhile to say (and sometimes even when I don't). And I don't know about everyone else, but I feel compelled to write back to someone after he or she have left a comment. After all, if someone took the time to write a comment, the least I can do is to respond back. While searching around, I stumbled upon this older (slightly different) version of the article above: Ten Blogging Habits that Win by Cool Cat. There are two different things mentioned I find important. First, it mentions the fact the title of each post is important. I know it's the first thing I look for when reading other people's blogs (and also something I know I can improve upon). Second, it mentions the importance of incorporating pictures into your posts. Makes sense! While I do not recommend PhotoBucket (as mentioned in the article), I agree that including pictures makes the reading even more enjoyable. I just haven't quite figured out the best way to do that (besides using flickr or piscasa--neither one helps much here). If anyone knows of a good place to start, please let me know! In the meantime, guess I'm off to lurk (and comment) on other's people's blogs. How fun!

#11 Library Thing

I absolutely love this site! Simply wonderful! What a neat way to share books you are reading. Students could easily create blogs and post their book items. It would be a great way to share "Must Reads" and book reviews. I added several books and then posted My Library on my blog. It took me awhile to figure out how to add a widget, but now it's there! Viola!
For anyone whose interested in adding their own Shelfari bookcase, go to http://www.shelfari.com/ or click on "Get Your Own Shelf" below the bookcase (it will guide you through the steps). It's fast and easy! Try it out today!

#10 Comic Strips Rock

If only this were true!! As we all know, educators do not get 3 months of vacation. Oh, well! You would think I'd learn by now and just STOP checking my e-mail. These laptops are both a blessing and a curse. :)

But making this comic strip was super fun. I really liked the Custom Sign Generator. I can see students really getting into designing their own magazine cover, trading card, or scrapbook page. Students could use these with all content areas!

#9 RSS and Newsreaders continued

I found the Google Reader Search to be the easiest to use although I also liked Google Blog Search . I tried others such as Technorati and Edublogs' award winners but didn't have much luck finding any new feeds. I intend to continue to search other's blogs to see what types of feeds others found helpful/interesting. So, the search continues....

#8 RSS and Newsreaders

What do I like about RSS feeds and Newsreaders? Just about everything! It will definitely save time and it's fun and easy to use. I put a quick link on my homepage and now I can see new information instantly. I subscribed to various education sites (such as Open Education and The New York Times Book Reviews) and then added some others just for fun. I will now be able to keep track of the latest books, movies, recipes, and more. I also subscribed to SBISD EdTech and A Library By Any Other Name.

#7 Google Tools

After playing around with Google Calendar, I sent it to my husband. Now he is going to make a calendar of his own so that we can synchronize our schedules. How neat! I found Google Calendar very user friendly and will definitely use it from now on.

I also made my own web page. This is certainly the best thing so far. I liked how you can add gadgets and move things around.

#6 Mosiac Mashups

I tried using different tools, my favorite being the Mosiac Maker. I can see using this with family pictures. Because I do not have family pictures uploaded on my laptop, I chose to do a mosiac using various butterfly pictures. Younger children could do this, perhaps making a mosiac that shows the lifecyle of butterflies, using a different layout. I also used the Trading Card Maker, Flickr Color Pickr, Motivator and Movie Posters. I think I will have students use one of these Flickr toys to present projects that are integrated with Science. I think it would be best to have students take their own pictures so that they can download the photographs as I found the pictures on Flickr to be limiting.

#5 Flickr Fun

I just fell in love with this picture! It definitely makes you want to be there. This picture is of Auckland's North Shore. Simply Beautiful!

Here's a note from Chris: the sets of stairs to this beach (which is located in the middle of the cliff) is the only way to get here. They're so steep I almost had a heart attack climbing back up!

#3 My Avatar

Creating an avatar was super cool! It will be cool to read other people's blogs. I will definitely continue this journey tomorrow. How fun! That is, minus the sometimes slow navigation :)

#2 Lifelong Learning

Gosh! Where do I start? I find it hard to choose just one strength and weakness to focus on since the 7 1/2 habits are all interrelated. The easiest habits for me are: beginning with the end in mind, accepting responsibility for my own learning, and creating my own toolbox. I have always believed that we are in charge of our own lives. I tend to be very goal driven and independent (although I like to receive input from others). I am a very big believer in accepting responsibility--not only for one's own learning--but in everything we do. Nothing gets accomplished when the blame is shifted or excused away. And of course, we can always, and should, strive to do better--everything can be improved upon.
The hardest habits for me are viewing problems as challenges and playing. Sometimes--OK, most of the time--I take life too seriously. I don't like to encounter problems (face it--who does?). I can get easily frustrated at times and often find myself wanting to just throw in the towel. Of course, that rarely happens. Once I have time to contemplate the problem and thinking about possible solutions, I feel better. I would like to work on viewing problems as challenges. The thing that really resonated with me was "don't say it or think it unless you want it to become true." I think that just might become my new motto!