Week 10

I feel like I'm playing "catch up." I've had so many things happen at work that I haven't had a chance to keep up with this class. My grade level has been changed. My office space is being moved. I've had to spend a lot of time training two people to work on a class that they don't want to do.

I'm trying the Yahoo avatar again. I tried downloading this time, so I hope it will stay. IT STAYED!!!

I'm feeling guilty because I haven't had time to follow the RSS feeds that I set up. It's just too much information right at the moment. Finally got to Google Reader today to catch up on RSS info.

I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate these things (that I've learned) into an elementary lesson.

Online Productivity tools - Week 9

I have a Google Docs account. So far, I've used it to edit a shared multimedia presentation. I thought about using it for the library handbook, but felt the handbook was to personal for our district. I thought about shared editing of the curriculum scope and sequence, but again too much personal information.

If I was going to continue in the Middle School next year, I would explore using this with my students.

I have looked at Library Thing and Good Reads. I like the concept and love the fancy book covers on the shelf concept. I have to be honest and say that I don't want to catalog my books at home. (I like them messy and unorganized.) I'm also not fond of the fact that the sites link to book sellers. I don't feel that we should be encouraging one vendor over another - just to get glitzy images.

More Wikis - Week 7

I had been thinking about Wikis since the PSLA conference on May 2. I had the opportunity to hear Gale Junion-Metz speak about them. I also tried some of the wikis she mentioned (after I downloaded her presentation from the conference wiki.) I liked this wiki
Benson School Library Wiki and really enjoyed the Bart Simpson approach to this one.
Penfield HS Library Wiki I enjoyed the audio book reviews here Lower School Library Wiki

Blogs, Wikis and Avatars

Sorry that I haven't been keeping up my blog. Things have been moving very quickly. I see my avatar (from Yahoo) has disappeared. I guess I need to double check the link again.

I have created a wiki within one of my Moodle classes, but it doesn't have the functionality that I would like. I haven't had a chance to play with wikis for a couple of weeks.

Week 6- Del.icio.us

I've had a del.icio.us account for a while. I stopped using it because it became more trouble than it was worth. All of the sites that I had bookmarked, had to be re-bookmarked and tagged. I think that I would like to transfer my bookmarked sites to a wiki. It will be easier to maintain.

Week 5 - Online Image generators

I wasn't able to get my Yahoo avatar to export, but I've found a new image generator in Voki. I just need to be able to get the voice going and export it.



Got it!

Week 4 - RSS feeds

Today, I created a Google Reader account to collect RSS feeds. I took the library group and, after reading some of the entries, I narrowed my selection to: Information wants to be free; Librarians' Internet; Library Stuff, Tame the Web; Stephen's Lighthouse and the Shifted Librarian. I'm not entirely sure that these meet my needs, but need time to evaluate them.

I can see a school library using RSS feeds to introduce new books; notify teachers of new materials. A public library might be able to notify about overdues or holds

Week 3 - Flickr

Here's a link to a picture of a beautiful flower that I found in flikr http://www.flickr.com/photos/chitrasudar/3449810132/ The photo is called asteroid as was taken by a photographer in India. His name is sudarshan vijayaraghavan.

I loved the colors and the clarity. It reminded me of spring.

Week 2 - issues

I created my blog and my avatar, but can't figure out how to save/export the avatar. (I have to work on this piece at home.)

Week 2 - Blog - Decisions, decisions

I've been reading a number of books lately, trying to decide whether they are appropriate for inclusion in the library collection. How do you decide which title will reach someone? Be more useful? Fill that void in someone's reading life?

As part of this course, we are to reflect on steps from the 7 1/2 steps that are the easiest and are the most difficult for us. The step that is most difficult for me is 7 1/2 - Play. I almost never get a chance to do anything fun (my school work and my home work keep my time filled.)

I think that the step that is easiest is 3, in which you look at problems as challenges. As a library/media specialist, you just apply that problem-solving "mode" to any problem.