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.