May 21, 2008 Plan for school "C"

I am going to incorporate as much "Library 2.0" into my schools as possible. Many of the items are found on this blog in earlier posts. I hope to procure Mr. J. Moon's help, with collaboration and implementation.
Things to do for next year:

• Electronic lockers for students
• Individual wikis for students
• Revolving classroom libraries
• Boolean training for students and teachers
• Young Authors Workshop for students: Writers workshop, Publishing, Book binding
• Web evaluation
• Website construction
• Internet safety
• Internet searching
• Reading circles
• "I" searches
• keyboarding
• kindergarten

In addition, I would like to update our collection development policy and add ebooks to our collection.

Week of May 26, 2008

Spanish

One of my schools is primarily Hispanic. We have 95% Hispanic with English as a second language, and 92% free breakfast and lunch. This has been our last year as a "Reading First" school. Administration at our site is moving us in a "Bilingual" school direction. There have been no formal announcements, however, I am able to read the "unspoken" sign posts. Those who are proactive will not be caught, when the shift happens.

I personally have decided to work even harder on my Spanish. I have a subscription to Rosetta Stone, which has been a life saver. The program is everything they say it is. I am surprised that I am able to manipulate the vocabulary as quickly as I'm able. I am planning on an hour a day throughout the summer, and to continue through the next year.

My plan is not to advertise my learning a second language. It is simply to do it. This new skill should enrich my interaction with my students and their families, and help me gain additional understanding of their individual needs.

5/13/08 Finished- time to fly

This has been a very rewarding experience. Now it is time to decide what to do with this blog. I am thinking ... I am thinking I will continue to use it to not only to explore new 2.0 tools, but also, my new 2.0 librarian challenges. With budgets being cut, teachers receiving pink slips, and libraries being closed, we are working in difficult times. My mission, if I choose to accept it, is to maneuver through all of these obstacles and come out on the other side with a better program, a better library, and be a better librarian. I hope to bring some of my fellow librarians along with me.



Right now, I need a time for refection and a plan.



There are several challenges that are facing me right now. The first is that another school has been added to my schedule for next year. The second is my hours are being cut by a half day a week. The third is the use of Spanish as the primary language at one of my schools.



Two schools per week:



Hours being cut:

The schedule needs to reflect students' needs, teachers' prep needs, and workability for me. In the past, it seems only the classroom teacher's needs were addressed. There is a good reason why, as librarians, we don't think it is the most beneficial or in the best interest of the students, to see fourth and fifth graders as the "last prep" at the end of a day or week.



Spanish:

Spanish as the primary language at one of my schools and creeping in that direction at my second school. The handwriting is on the wall. In order to survive I need to become more proficient in Spanish for the betterment of myself as a librarian with my patrons, but also for survival in my position at both sites.



The Plan:

How can I make these new transitions seamless, without losing any substance? I have a few ideas swimming in my head.



The first is my Cambridge Library Portal website. I am thinking that it will be necessary to change it to reflect both school sites, with the least amount of tinkering. That is to say, make it "generic" enough to satisfy both sites, but at the same time make it site specific to accommodate the "uniqueness" of both sites.



I need to change the name. I have thought about my options, and I think I am going to call it "The School Library Portal." Just making this one change, means I will need to change all of my website pathfinders to reflect this new name.



Site specific links will have to be changed. I can either eliminate all site specific, or I can double link, which means adding additional pages. An example might be... Site B students click here ...or...Site C students click here.

test doc. for Elem. Librarians

Hi Elementary School Librarians,

I am using the new zoho.com writer. This is a test doc., so there may or may not be some funny stuff going on. I think this would be great for us to use.

• No new software.
• Able to edit from any computer. wow, this is cool kt
• No need to have a USB to carry docs.

I am going to try and upload a picture, post to my library blog and send this to you all via email.

 

Karen Tukua

tukuak@mdusd.k12.ca.us

Week 9: #20, #21, #22, #23

Podcasts, Video & downloadable Audio


#20 YouTube

I opened an account. I looked at some swim technique videos. I am a US Masters Swimmer, so I am always interested in anything on the topic. What I found interesting was the mini lessons available on YouTube. Even though several of them were in Chinese, I still found them informative, because swimming competitively stays the same regardless of language barriers.

I opened an account with TeacherTube too. I looked at some of the videos for classrooms. Most of them seemed to be for secondary schools. I need more time to discover and reflect. Since everything seems to be blocked by our districts filters, I find it difficult to envision the possibilities.

#21 Podcasts

Podcasts are not just for computers now or ipods. All you need is an PC. I have listened to podcasts through the TeacherLibrarian Ning with Joyce Velenzia.

#22 eBooks and Audio ebooks
http://www.worldebookfair.com/
This is a website that offers ebook downloads. There is a small fee of $8.95 per year. I personally am a member of Mobipocket. I have a virtual library of books I have purchased. I am able to download them as many times as I wish. I have an ebook reader on my computer and I also have mobipocket on my palm. This allows me to download books onto my palm and read them "on the run." At first I was skeptical, but now I prefer the electronic version as apposed to the paper version. I am able to bookmark, make notes, look up words, draw pictures or sketches, all within the framework of my handheld device. I have read all of Dan Brown's books, some of James Patterson's books and many others. I am currently reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Many of the books that are out of copyright are available in ebook form. What a wonderful way to experience books. My favorite feature is the automatic scroll. I set the scroll speed, and go. I never have to turn a page again.
Ebooks are not practical at this time for my library, because most of our students do not have access to computers other then in our school library.

Audio Books are great for traveling and for students with learning disabilities. I have experienced many audio books in my car. I have an hour commute to school each day. What a fun way to pass the time hearing a story read by one of my favorite authors or a hired actor. The only problem is when you are listening with another family member, and they don't want you to listen unless they are with you to hear too. That is how good these books are. Lots of fun!!


#23 Summarize your thoughts about this program

I found this program to be very helpful with understanding and implementing many of the new technologies available for personal and library use. There are two main challenges I see facing us now.

The first is filtering. Our biggest challenge, as I see it is to get a buy in from our districts TIS departments. There are too many web sites that are blocked for various reasons. Our district has a third party, who filters content, without knowledge of the educational possibilities the filtered websites could offer our students and teachers. With technology changing so quickly our students need to have the opportunity to explore, experience, and practice with the different tools available, so they can produce authentic work and become productive contributors in the business world. Employers are looking for people with experience in manipulating electronic technologies, so they can compete with their competition. Until we, as librarians, have more control over web content, I see our students and teachers the ones to suffer.

Our second challenge, is educating ourselves in the use of the Internet, the web, the deep web and their tools. This program gave me the opportunity to explore many of these new tools, and implement them in an authentic way. I have already given an in service to our districts librarians
in the use of some of these tools and websites. The librarians have agreed to start with the "23 Things" and work to gather exploring and experiencing Library 2.0. This next year should prove to be a step forward for our librarians, as they begin to take center stage, becoming the technology leaders of their schools. What an exciting time to be a librarian.
Thank you

Week 8: #18 & #19

#18 Online productivity tools:
Benefits:
1. Not having to worry about software programs from one computer to another.
2. Collaboration - multiple users can collaborate and edit the same file.
3. Can use the same file and convert documents to multiple file types; html, pdf.
4. Can use to author and publish to my own blog.

Word Processors:

Zoho Writer
http://writer.zoho.com/jsp/home.jsp?serviceurl=%2Findex.do

1. I opened a free account
Documents are available online from any computer. You can have your docs off line also.
Formatting Options:
Bold, italicize, underline, set back ground color & color your words, link to a web page, set margins, use cool smileys and do much more. Use the same keyboard shortcuts as with any other word processing application for accessing these functions.

No Searching Within Menus:
Most functions are available at a click, thanks to the friendly toolbar. And for the super user in you, a few extra features are accessible with just an extra click.

Spell Check:
What's a word processor without a spell checker? Zoho Writer's does all the dirty spell checking work for you so that you needn't worry about whether it's receive or recieve.

Insert Pictures
Tags and Folders
Post to your blog
Can add comments for review or collaboration
Add Bullets
Insert Tables
Share Documents - Just read and/or write
View, or edit last 25 documents off line. Changes made offline will remain, with online version is switched on.
Integration with other zoho applications.

I was so surprised to see that this is a complete system with email, planner, meetings, wiki, chat, notebook, show, sheet... What fun this is going to be.

2. I created a test document, just to see how it works. I also sent my document as an email to our library email at Mt. Diablo Unified on 4/25/08.

WOW!

3. I looked at the Welcome to Zoho Writer documet created by Helene Blowers and edited by Jean Herriges. I posted a reply. I am anxious to try this online word processor. I shared it with my colleagues yesterday at our elementary school librarians' meeting.
Google Docs
https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=writely&passive=true&continue=http%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2F&ltmpl=WR_tmp_2_lfty&nui=1

#19 LibraryThing

See week #6

Also, catalogued and put widgets in my library at LibraryThing. I think this will be very helpful, as far as putting all the books I personally own online. There are many times I go to the book store and buy a book that sounds interesting, only to get home and realize I already own the the book, and I've already read it.

Week 7, #16 & # 17

#16 Wikis and ways libraries are using them.

"A wiki is a collaborative website and authoring tool that allows users to easily add, remove and edit content."
Wikipedia is the largest online open-community encyclopedia. It is also the most well known.

Benefits:
"Anyone (registered or unregistered, if unrestricted) can add, edit or delete content.
Tracking tools within wikis allow you to easily keep up on what been changed and by whom.
Earlier versions of a page can be rolled back and viewed when needed.
Users do not need to know HTML in order to apply styles to text or add and edit content. In most cases simple syntax structure is used."

I looked at SJCPL Subject Guides - pathfinder wiki - St. Joseph County Public Library system.
http://www.libraryforlife.org/subjectguides/index.php/How_to_use_the_Subject_Guides

On the pathfinder, they are very explicit on how, to, what, where. Very useful information for the beginner.

Book Lovers Wiki - Princeton Public Library http://booklovers.pdwiki.com/Princeton%20Public%20Library

A Wiki setup for book reviews. When you read good book and want to share, post a review on their wiki and it will be published in their catalog wiki style.

Library Success: A best practices wiki http://libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Main_Page

A wiki is a quick-to-build, easy-to-edit website on which all information can be edited, changed, or rewritten by the users or members of the site. It can be used for collaboration, projects, exchanging ideas, and pooling knowledge. The word comes from the Hawaiian phrase "wiki-wiki", which means to do something fast. WikiWikiWeb was the first wiki developed by software developers for sharing trends in the business. It is still maintained.

Wikipedia is an "open-source" encyclopedia, where anyone can add, or edit information on a variety of subjects. Wikipedia should not be used as cited source, only a starting place.

Wikis: A Beginner's Look: Harnessing the Collective Intelligence - Computers in Libraries by Meredith Gorran Farkas, Norwich University

http://meredith.wolfwater.com/cil06/

#17 entry to the Learning 2.0 SandBox wiki

SandBox is a term used to describe a part of a website that is used for play.

http://calcurriculum/pbwiki.com/SandBox

I found PacManv2.6 Popout and play. Yes, it is really PacMan. The problem is I don't know what keys operate what. Could be fun to play around with.

California 2.0 Curriculum Connections: a companion to School Library Learning 2.0

link to California Curriculum Content Standards

"Working together using this wiki-your curriculum connection ideas welcome!"

http://calcurriculum.pdwiki.com/

Wikis

1. I read California 2.0 Curriculum Connections: The beauty of a wiki is the collaboration towards a common goal. There were many ideas--56 of them. From there, I read the article by Joyce Valenzia.

Valenza, Joyce (2007). "Ten reasons why your next pathfinder should be a wiki." Joyce Valenza's neverending search blog. 06 June 2007. School Library Journal Online. 17 Jul 2007 http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1340000334/post/1620010962.html

2. I'm thinking of adding a wiki to the homepage of our OPAC for research projects.

I serve on Joyce's 2.0 Task Force through AASL, and I have been able to contribute only a small portion, because this is all new. I am finally feeling better about my ability to perform and participate in the 2.0 Web world. Thanks CSLA

pdwiki: Learn How to PBwiki!

http://pdwiki.com/videos/

http://pbwikicentral.pbwiki.com/PBwikiTips

3. I visited CSLA 2 Team and Friends wiki - csla2007wiki

It was fun to see most of the participants from the summer 2007 fun represented in Avatar format.

Week 6, #15

Perspectives on Web 2.0, Library 2.0 and the future of libraries:

1) Away from the "icebergs" Three icebergs we are headed for as we "row our library boat into the Web 2.0 environment-
1. The "just in case" collection, where we had something on everything. This is a waste of resources. 2. The user friendly interface and one touch programs instead of all the teaching to use the resources. We don't have time to train everyone. 3. The "come to us' model has to change. We need to push our services and resources to the patron into their preferred environment;. Web. If we want libraries to survive, we have to be willing to change how we do business. We can not wait for the "big ship of our profession" to do this, we need to start with one library at a time. "one little boat -at a time."

2) To more powerful ways to cooperate: Build new services with Web 2.0 technologies-
OCLC mission "harnessing collective intelligence." We need to use the Web as our platform "to reach out to the entire web, to the edges and not just the center. This is critical for the success of the library community in a networked world." OCLC is accomplishing this by their Open WorldCat and Web space.2. This summer they will be introducing their new search box, that can be used with any Web browser to search WorldCat. Another feature is Collect user intelligence. This allows everyone to contribute their expertise the collection. Currently it is closed to subscribers of OCLC, but they are developing "social" services to allow non-cataloging library professionals. Services include tagging, list creation and sharing, citation management, personal cataloging. The most important feature is "every significant Internet application to date has been backed by a specialized database." This will allow OCLC to keep up with all of the new digitized titles. The new features OCLC is adding to Open WorldCat and Web 2.0 will help libraries to collaborate in "new and powerful ways."

3. Into a new world of librarianship; sharpen these skills for Librarian 2.0
The library is human and Librarian 2.0 is the "strategy guide." Traits include: planning is based on user wants and needs; new technologies and services making the library transparent. Librarian 2.0 embraces Web 2.0 tools, including Instant messaging, Weblogs, wikis and mashes up content to build websites. Librarian 2.0 controls technolust. Will the technology improve user needs and wants? No technology just to be "cool." Librarian 2.0 makes good, yet fast decisions. The librarian brings things to the table, such as journal articles and studies to planning sessions and decision making. Librarian 2.0 is a trend spotter seeking out information and news that will affect library users and their needs. Librarian 2.0 gets content and how users access, consume and create content. Librarian 2.0 listens to users and staff, celebrating successes and failures, learning from both. Librarian 2.0 gives staff time to play and experiment and "never stops dreaming about the best library services."

Thoughts:
Librarian 2.0 is a must, if we want to survive as a profession. With all of the new technologies, tools and available, it is our mission to learn and apply all that Librarian 2.0 has to offer in order to keep up with our users needs and wants. The library must become transparent, pushing out to our patrons, giving them access to all of their needs and wants regardless of whether they are in the library or sitting home. We must revisit how we develop our library collections, and whether they are cost effective. As librarians, we can not wait for direction, we must start immediately, one library at a time.

Week 6, #14 Technorati, tags

technorati is the "leading search tool and authority for blogs."

discovery exercise:
1. Technorati Keyword Search for "School Library Learning 2.0
a. Blog posts:
wow, 1,322 results for "School library 2.0" All different languages, blogs, photos and videos.
Results: 52 blogs about School Library 2.0
26 results for "school library 2.0"
b. tags
Results: When I looked at "school Library 2.0" and followed one of the posts from "Library2Play" I noticed that there are 19 posts tagged to Library2Play
c. Blog Dirctory
Results:
I was unable to type in "School library 2.0" In the dirctory it was labeled "web 2.0"

LibraryThing
http://ww.librarything.com/
I wonder why there is only two w's in the url?
I joined Librarything

2. explore popular blog, searches and tags: interesting or surprising results...


3. create blog post about discoveries

4. Thoughts about tagging : a simple category name
There are two ways: 1) blog supports categories and RSS/Atom feeds, use category system.
2) tag post by using special httm on bottom of post.
[tagname]
two word tags should be joined with a +
Don't have to link to Technorati
a. advantages: "A simple way to categorize books according to how you think of them, not how some library official does." LibraryThing
Example would be Patricia Cornwell: I would tag her books forensic science, mystery, murder, favorites.
b. disadvantages: When there are too many books, LC is preferable.
Side note: works referes to all forms of the same piece. Example: Alice in Wonderland- hardback, softback, movie, video, edition, etc. They are all considered one work.

Week 5, exercise #12

Roll your own search tools with Rollyo

1. I took a look at Public Domain e-books Search
http://rollyo.com/
jane eyre + Public Domain eBooks: Rollyo
I discovered that I can download free audio books of Jane Eyre, along with ebooks and notes.
2. http://rollyo.com/byblos/rare_book_library_search/
rare book search
3. http://rollyo.com/ericrolph/free_photos/
free photos
4. http://rollyo.com/kizuki-sama/quick_quotes_search
quick quotes: If wishes were horses... A list of sites opened that not only completed the the quote, but also expaned and added other words and thoughts. Interesting. German Proverbs-
WorldofQuotes.com
5. http://rollyo.com/explore.html
Here the searchrolls are divided into four sections:
Searchrolls of Note: metal music; textpattern; boutique search; guitar tablature...
Most Popular: the big anser deck; the searchsearch; string theory; mac search...
Recently added: casodex_bicalutamide; buy flagyl; flagyl online; flagyl medicine...
High Rollers: CJR Daily; FRONTLINE/World; resourceshelf; the Gothamist...

Week 6, exercise #13

1. I was unable to view the del.icio.us tutorial. The link was not working, and when I went to del.icio.us I could not find the tutorial.
At AASL last October, I attended a session presented by Dan Fuller from SLIS on del.icio.us
I set up my own account at that time. I have 4 favorits. I find the site a wee bit confusing, because many of the posts are written in another language.

Week 6, exercise #13

Discovery Exercise:

1. View the 12 minute Del.icio.us tutorial.

I was unable to view the 112 minute tutorial. It would not play

When I was at AASL, I took a workshop on Del.icio.us from Daniel Fuller dfuller@slis.sjsu.edu

We were given a bookmark with all kinds of cool stuff on it from Del.icio.us

I set up my own account at that time and added an RSS feed.

2. I explored thumbalizr - a website thumbnail creater. I made a thumbnail of my library portal just to see what would happen. Some of the things I have on my original webpage did not show up on the thumbnail, however, it is still pretty cool.
I am trying to figuer out how to upload the thumbnail to here. It says it is a jpg. This can't upload. "Unsupported image type speified thumbs_jpg.mht" must be JPEG or GIF.

Week 5, exercise #11

discovery exercises:

4. Join a Ning network.
I joined Joyce Valenza's TeacherLibrarianNetwork.
http://teacherlibrarian.ning.com

I joined three different groups:
a. AASL 2.0 Task Force
b. Elementary School Librarians
c. More things: Applying 2.0 tools

I have made posts to the taskforce, sharing Winter 2.0 Fun
5. Travel IQ
http://www.travelpod.com/traveler-iq/game1?f235=938e
WOW! At least I got the right country. I was off on the cities.
What a great teaching tool. I am going to add a link on my website.

Week 5, exercise #11

What is a Wiki? A wiki is a way to collaborate with a group.

I set my Wiki up at http://librarykaren.pbwiki.com/

I am using pbwiki: peanutbutter wiki. I first learned about this at the national AASL conference in Reno this past October.
I have had a few technical problems.

When I set-up my wiki and invited friends, I was confused when they they received my own email. Then I figured it out. If I wanted them to participate, I was to send them the URL and the password. It seems a little confusing. Anyway, I finally got it to work.

Week 5, exercise #10

I tried another kind of picture. This is all just practice, but lots of fun too.