Thoughts From The Book Diva....

Welcome Back!

2011-08-30T09:51:00.000-05:00

To all my Ney kids and parents, welcome back to school! I had a slow start this year. This week is actually my first full week for library. The students at Ney are coming to me regularly starting this week. I am excited that first grade through fourth will begin checking out books this week, too. Kindergarten will wait until later this fall. Please remember to email me or post on this blog if you have any questions or would like book suggestions. I look forward to visiting with you!

Reflection Island

2011-07-21T21:49:00.002-05:00

1. What were your favorite discoveries or excursions on this learning journey?

I would have to say that I have two favorites: Skype Island and Excursion Island. I really liked learning more about Skype so that I can start seriously considering using it in the library. I already knew a little about it, but I have not actually ever used it. This class sort of "forced me" to stop, research it, and consider how I might use it in the library.
On Excursion Island I absolutely loved that you posted the sites that are all neatly organized and list so MANY of the web 2.0 tools that we could possibly be using. Last year we learned about some of them, but I don't really remember you posting sites that links to so many and organized so that we can find what we might be interested in.

2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?

As I get older I have learned that technology is growing and changing faster than we can keep up with it. If we are not in the game, learning and using it regularly we are going to be left behind. That's why I like this type of class so much. We get to do this in the summer at our own pace. We can take the time to really dig deep and learn things that help us personally as well as professionally. I especially love that I am able to show my 12 year old new and exciting things that can be done on the web. Usually it is her showing me. I even think as parents it is important for us to be informed and using all the things that our kids are using, but that is a totally different subject. I won't get on that soapbox! Ha!

3. Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?

I have tons of take-aways! I guess I would say that I am most surprised by how many tools I can take back and share with my teachers!
4. What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?

I really like the format! I am not sure that I would suggest changing anything. I did really like when you added the followers on your blog. I know it sounds silly, but when I see others pressing forward and moving ahead of me, it makes me get busy, too!
I really think that both years have been very organized and well put together. I also feel like this class is so much more beneficial than going and sitting in a class and focusing on one topic. We learn so much more this way. I know we are actually spending more time too, it just doesn't feel like it. I hope you are able to keep finding new things to add so that we can do this each year. I love it! Thanks for all your hard work!

Excursion Island

2011-07-21T20:58:00.004-05:00

First of all, let me say, Excursion Island is not for the ADD at heart! :) Oh my goodness! I spent two days playing around with these tools! I couldn't get off the computer! I finally had to MAKE myself stop to do this post. So, here we go....

For your Excursion Island post first reflect on the Horizon Report. What do you see as the most important emerging technology that will influence schools?

After skimming the report, I would say the most upcoming would be the Mobiles section. Everything we do these days is becoming interconnected. I was reading the other day about Apple's new Cloud app. It is going to intertwine the iphone, ipad, ipod, and computers. For example, when you take a picture with your iphone, it will automatically go to all your other devices and then store on itunes. It is becoming so that EVERYTHING we do is somehow connected to the internet. And since this is the case, we expect to have service WHEREVER and WHENEVER we go. Not just any service, either. We want reliable, fast service that will allow us to do whatever it is we need to get done.

Take some day trips into the Web 2.0 websites. Choose one to really explore. Why did you choose that one? What turned you off to the others? What are some of the Web 2.0 tools that you will try next year and why?

I spent the most time on Cool Tools for Schools. That site is just absolutely amazing. It is layers and layers of tools and information. I wouldn't say that the others turned me off necessarily, I just felt like this one was organzied very consisely and clearly. I could easily get around it and tell what I was looking at. I added it to my Delicious account so that I can go back when this class is over and play some more. I have a list of some of the tools I plan on sharing with the teachers on my campus. I still have not done the Wordle tool within one of my lessons, so I am planning on doing that. Some of the tools I plan on sharing are Smories, Study Jams, Createagraph, and Classtools.net.

Take a look at some of the fun tools. Play! Do you see any application for these in your classroom?

There were so many that were applicable to the classroom. I am overwhelmed by it all! I personally see applications with the createagraph tool. There were several times last year that I wanted to use a Venn diagram to compare/contrast books. I was really wanting to do that with my Starboard. I never could afford to purchase Kidspiration. WEll, now I can get it for FREE with createagraph! I played around with it and it is very easy to use!

Do you know of any other tools you can share with everyone? Put a link to the website in your post.
Here are links to the three I love the most:
http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/
http://classtools.net/education-games-php/venn_intro/
http://www.smories.com/

What do you think of the SlideShare tool? Would you share it with teachers and administrators?

Oh my goodness, yes! This should really open up some space on Harold. Many times that is where my teachers and adminstrators put their powerpoints so they can share with their team.

What would the applications be for your teachers?

Easier way to share, share, share!

Trying again...

2011-07-19T16:05:00.000-05:00

Glitterfy.com - Summer Glitter Graphics

Happy Summer!

2011-07-19T16:02:00.001-05:00

I am just playing with some of the new web 2.0 tools I am learning about!

Search Island

2011-07-19T15:43:00.002-05:00

I was totally amazed at all of the different options for searching. I knew about some, but others were brand new. I love, love, love that there are specific search engines for multimedia, blogs, and podcasts. These sites will definitely save lots of time!
I really like the blinkx site. I found myself needing videos last year to put into presentations for teachers AND students. I would usually try YouTube, but the things you get from that site aren't always of quality.
I do not think that there are any that I would throw back. You NEVER know when you need specific things. So, I would definitely keep all of these on hand. In fact, I did add a link to this site on my delicious account so that I will always have these on hand.

Skype Island

2011-07-19T15:18:00.002-05:00

I love the idea of Skypeing with an author! I am especially interested in this since I know our budgets will be cut heavily this year. I appreciate all the lists of authors who are willing to visit with schools using Skype. I have not researched the authors in depth to decide which one I might like to use, but I plan to do that more this summer.
I have been burned before with virtual discussions. The worst time was when Scholastic offered a special virtual visit with Mrs. Frizzle. I created a login and then prepared all of our technology so that I could broadcast the virtual presentation. I thought this might be best so that we were not all trying to log in at the same time and bogging down the internet on our campus. Then at the specific time, I had all the teachers stop and tune in to our broadcast. Well, big surprise, it NEVER would work. I also never figured out why. This was very frustrating to all of us and very embarrassing for me!
For this reason I think that my first few experiences with Skype need to be in a controlled small group environment. I am just very nervous about involving a large group until I decide whether or not this will work for me. So, I think I would like to choose an author and book then host a book club to read this particular book. Once we have finished the book and discussed it among our book club, I would like to invite the author to Skype with the group about his/her book. I just think that I would be much more comfortable in this small environment.
As far as what it would take, I think I have almost all that I need. I would just need my laptop projected onto a screen, Skype loaded on the laptop, a microphone, and a webcam (which I don't have but could easily get).
If this book club session goes well I would also like to share this with our faculty. Probably the best way to share with my teachers would be to invite them to one of the sessions and/or have the kids involved talk to them about the experience.

Libro Island- School Library Journal

2011-07-13T20:59:00.002-05:00

When I first started my job at Ney, this magazine came to my library. I really enjoyed reading through it. I would also use it to read book reviews and make decisions on my purchasing. However, with budget cuts over the past couple of years this magazine was one that I had to cut. Sadly, the subscription cost is very high! I am so embarrassed to say that I did not know that this website was available! Oh my gosh! For the past few years I have gone without using this magazine and it's valuable reviews when all along it was available to me free online. I am very thankful that this has been pointed out to us. I feel so goofy overlooking it.

I would have to say that my favorite part of this one is the book reviews. I can't wait to save the link to this site on my desktop so that I can access it for book reviews at anytime!

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/csp/cms/sites/SLJ/Reviews/PreToGrade4/index.csp

Libro Island- AASL

2011-07-13T20:23:00.002-05:00

Once again, didn't even know this existed. And once again, all I can say is, WOW!!! I love it!! All the sudden I feel like I am having brain overload over here! I am finding so many cool things that I am afraid I won't remember it all to go back and play around with.

At first when I saw this site, I was disappointed that it was ANOTHER ALA site. I was wondering how ALA could have so many companion sites and not have overlapping information that is the same on all of them. I am pleasantly surprised that this is not the case. Each companion site holds it's own information. I am so excited at all the stuff I am finding!!!

I like the lesson plans section found at: http://aasl.jesandco.org/
However, I am sad to say that there is very little for the elementary librarians. I do think those of you who service the older students will find lessons that you may be able to use. It seems like I am always looking for new, fresh, and exciting lessons to implement. I was hoping this might be the place, but there wasn't too much for me.

Best of all, though is the section on the Top 25 websites for teaching and learning.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/bestlist/bestwebsites.cfm
Oh my! This part of the website is AWESOME!!! There are 25 web 2.0 tools listed here that teachers can use to teach their classes. My mind is spinning! I can see this being a yearlong professional development opportunity at my school. We could pick a few of these tools to learn and explore each week throughout the school year. I plan on sharing this idea with my principal to see if this is something I can do for my teachers to give them new, exciting tools to use with their teaching! Can you tell I am excited???

Libro Island- ALSC site

2011-07-13T19:54:00.003-05:00

Wow! I have used the ALA site in the past and not once did I ever realize they had an entirely seperate portion dedicated to the Children's Library! I really like this site!
My absolute favorite section of the site is the portion that focuses on a list of great websites for kids! I don't know how many times I have teachers as well as parents ask me for good sites for their kids. I LOVE that this is a one-stop place to find valuable sites! I can't wait to share this with my teachers.
http://www.ala.org/gwstemplate.cfm?section=greatwebsites&template=/cfapps/gws/default.cfm

I also really like that this site dedicates sections to educators and parents. The educator portion would be valuable for teachers to use when looking for good book lists and also suggested websites.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/audiencemenus/educators.cfm

The parent section has a lot of valuable information! They can find everything from information on the Caldecott and Newberry awards to resources in helping their child to read and even information on navigating the net with their child. I plan on posting a link to this portion of the site on my own website!
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/audiencemenus/parents.cfm

Libro Island- YALSA site

2011-07-13T19:40:00.002-05:00

This site is focused on the Librarian that services the teenage reader. This really doesn't apply to me, but I still found a few interesting things to pass on. I noticed several papers had been posted on hot library issues as they relate to teens. These could be used when arguing these points to an administrator. These were all found in the Professional Development Center portion of the site.

I also found under this section a subsection labeled, Toolkits. While browsing around this section I found a few things that the high school librarian might possibly use. For example, I found a premade pamphlet on Social Networking that could be used by the High School Librarian while teaching online social networking safety. All of this can be located at:
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/profdev/professionaldevelopment.cfm#resources

Libro Island- ALA site

2011-07-13T19:25:00.002-05:00

I usually end up using this site several times during the year. Typically I will use it to access lists of award-winning books such as the Caldecott list, Newberry list, and the Coretta Scott Kind award list. I really like that all these (and more) can be located in one general spot: http://www.ala.org/ala/awardsgrants/index.cfm

After playing around on the site I found that I like the section on Reccomended Print and Media. This part of the site has several different lists of suggested books. It is seperated into various categories like young adult, early childhood, etc. I really like to review lists like this when doing my ordering so that I can make sure I am buying what is deemed good literature by a respectable site such as ALA's. http://www.ala.org/template.cfm?template=/CFApps/awards_info/browse.cfm&FilePublishTitle=Awards,%20Grants%20and%20Scholarships&stype=R

I also like the online professional learning opportunties that are offered on this site. I looked through them and some looked really good. Of course many of the courses I was interested in cost money (which is something none of us has), but it is nice to know that the opportunities are available.
http://www.ala.org/ala/onlinelearning/index.cfm

Libro Island- VOYA site

2011-07-12T18:00:00.002-05:00

I am not a huge fan of this website. I feel like it is too busy and my self-diagnosed ADD will not allow me to focus on any one item. I am also not sure that it is as relevant for me being an elementary librarian. However, I did give it a try and looked around. I would say that my favorite gem from this site would be the book lists for middle school readers. I plan to refer back to these when my seventh grader "just can't find anything good to read". The top shelf fiction book list from 2010 can be found at: http://www.voya.com/2011/06/14/top-shelf-fiction-for-middle-school-readers-2010/

Libro Island-Part One TXLA site

2011-07-12T17:43:00.002-05:00

I use the Tx Library Association's website throughout the school year. Typically I use it to get information on the current year's Bluebonnet list. This is my go-to spot to get the list, get the annotated bibliography on each book, and sometimes purchase products, such as bookmarks for the kids related to the current year's list. Here is the link to access that information: http://www.txla.org/TBA

The new "gem" that I found on this site is a list of librarian blogs. I especially am interested in the early childhood blog. I will admit I rarely have time to sit down and read a blog, but when I do, this is one I would like to take a look at. :)
You can find this list at: http://www.txla.org/member-blogs

Blogger's Island- Part Two

2011-06-24T12:16:00.002-05:00

I chose this video because it breaks 21st century learning into three easy steps. I really like the author's ideas for creating a 21st century learning classroom. It would be so awesome if we could share this with administrators and have them "buy in" to this idea. Then, as a year-long theme we could focus on moving each classroom and the entire school towards this 21st century learning style!

Blogger's Island- Part One

2011-06-24T11:32:00.002-05:00

I think the video is dead on about teaching. Our world is changing and we as teachers must change with it. The old way of teaching, standing in front of students and writing on a board or overhead, is not reaching kids. The new generation of students is more connected to their world and they have adapted to a completely hands-on form of learning. This, of course, means that we are going to have to adapt to how they learn. I believe it affects my teaching tremendously. Each time we sit down to create lesson plans, hands-on, technology-integration MUST be at the forefront of our minds. Our students need to be actively engaged, not just to keep their attention, but to also prepare them for the world that lies ahead.

Of all the verbs listed in the video I think I can identify most with the word, advocate. I have felt so much pressure over the past year to be an advocate for the library program. Interestingly, I feel this pressure from ALL angles. I have felt like I need to advocate to students, parents, fellow teachers, and especially to administrators and school board members. It has placed a lot of stress on me and the way I perform my job, but I feel like it is absolutely necessary!

Through the Eyes of a Child

2011-03-03T13:27:00.003-06:00

This year I have been slow getting my Pre K group of kids to check out. This has been a challenging year for me and I was not sure I was ready to take another challenge on. Well, last week I bit the bullet and allowed both Pre K classes to check out for the first time. I am not sure why I was so nervous. They were wonderful! It is so amazing to see their eyes light up when they hear that they will get to check out a book and take it home! Then to see them struggle with the tough decision of which book to take home, it's just so precious! Times like this remind me of why I became a librarian!

Author Visit

2011-02-16T15:43:00.003-06:00

Thanks to author, Chris Espinosa for visiting Ney today! The kids had a super time and learned a lot! I am always amazed at how the authors that make school visits are able to maintain such a high energy level throughout the whole day.

For any fellow librarians....if you are looking for an educational, entertaining and affordable author...Chris Espinosa is your man!

Congrats go to Katelyn!!

2011-02-11T15:20:00.001-06:00

Congratulations to Katelyn in third grade at Ney! She was our top Bluebonnet reader for this year! She read twelve Bluebonnet books! As a reward, she and I (Mrs. Roland) went to lunch at Chick-fil-A! We had a wonderful time! She even got to miss some of her school day! Wouldn't that be cool if you were a part of this???? Well, you can be!! Just start getting ready for Bluebonnet reading club for next year. All third and fourth grade will be eligible to read books from the list and earn prizes like this! I am already looking for to it!

My Ney friends need to post comments below and let me know what other prizes you would like to see given for Library contests. I want to hear your ideas!!

Busy Times Are Coming!!

2011-02-11T15:17:00.001-06:00

Wow! Time has flown by! I have not been very active on this blog site. I am hoping that I will be able to catch up on it and stay that way for the rest of the year. Here are some highlights of what the kids at Ney can look forward to in the coming weeks:
*Author Visit- Author Chris Espinosa aka Uncle Chris is coming on February 16th
*Ice Cream Social- February 18th
*Spring Break (wooo hoo)- March 14th- 18th
*Book Fair- March 28th- April 1st

November Already??

2010-11-04T13:20:00.002-05:00

I really can't believe that it is already November! This year has really flown by. I think the years go faster as I get older. :)

School is off and running. I even have all my responsibilities and programs in place. The Knightly News is off to a great start, the Bluebonnet Reading Program has been kicked off for third and fourth grade, AND Kinder kids are already checking out books!

I am proud to announce that we had an amazing Book Fair! Thank you first of all to all of the wonderful volunteers who showed up to help me. I am CERTAIN that I would not have made it without each of you! Thanks also to all of the students and parents who came and shopped at the Book Fair. Thanks to you, our school will be able to afford a wonderful author visit this year (more details coming).

Well, I guess everyone needs to hang on tight because it looks like Christmas is right around the corner! I better start saving money!

School is in session!

2010-09-20T12:45:00.001-05:00

Well, it has gotten off to a great start! This year I am sad to say that I will be running the library on my own. My fearless assistant Book Diva, Donna Allen, has decided to retire. I have been busy recruiting volunteers to help me in the library. So far I have had a great turn out! I think I have someone signed up for every day. If you would like to volunteer or know someone who would, please email me!

Week 9: Final thoughts

2010-08-05T01:39:00.002-05:00

1.I like completing this professional development on a self-paced schedule (even though I procrastinated until the bitter end :) ). I really like the web resources that I learned about.
2.My least favorite thing was learning about PhotoStory. I like the program, but I was already familiar with it.
3.This journey has caused me to rethink how I will incorporate technology into the library curriculum. I've always used technology in the library, but I enjoyed learning some fresh ideas to use.
4.THe biggest surprise was the wealth of information on Read-Write-Think.
5.I will most likely use the Google Lit Trip site.
6.This was one of the most useful professional development classes I have attended!
7.The only suggestion would be to keep adding new and improved Web 2.0 tools.

Week 8: Atomic Learning

2010-08-05T01:34:00.002-05:00

I searched for projects that would be fitting for the younger kids (PreK-2). I found one on creating a PowerPoint on the life cycle of a frog. I think this would be a good one to try next year. I know first grade does life cycles. I could also use the idea of creating a PowerPoint, but maybe on a different topic (like, their favorite book that they have read so far).

One problem would be getting access to the lab during the times that I have the specific class I am working with. I would also have trouble finding the time to do this since I only see each class thirty minutes a week and part of that time has to be for check out.

To make it successful I would first have to use the mobile lab. i would also need "buy-in" from the teacher so that she woud allow me extra time with her kids. I would also need the teacher to work with me in implementing the lesson. We all know that two adults in a room full of kids with computers is much more effective than just one adult.

Week Seven- Classroom Projects

2010-08-05T00:05:00.002-05:00

1. Read-Write-Think: Wow! This site has so much to offer! I am surprised that I have never heard of it! I plan on using this one to find some lessons that I could use to collaborate with some of our teachers on my campus. I think I could find some great library/classroom connection lessons.

2. Kid Pix Delux: I love that Atomic Learning has suggested lessons for using Kid Pix. The kids at our school love this program! It would be so cool to find lessons that teach the TEKS while utilizing this program that kids are already familiar with and enjoy using.

3.Wordle: I explained in my previous post how I have used this in the past and how I would like to use this next year.

4.TerraClues is so interesting! I love how it incorporates technology/social studies/literature! I know the kids would love this site! I am thinking it would be best for the older kids, though.

At our school the teachers are responsible for coming up with the computer lab lessons and teaching them. This year I plan on creating a "pilot program" with Kinder to cover the technology TEKS. I was planning on using Learning.com as well as some lessons found on the Temple ISD site. I definitely plan on utilizing some of these sites to add information to what I already have planned. These will be especially helpful when I start moving abover Kinder to some of the older grades.

Week Six- Classroom Aids

2010-08-04T23:51:00.002-05:00

I really think I could use all of these sites in some way! These were all amazing sites!
1. The math manipulatives site is one of those "Man-I-Wish-I-Had-That-When-I-Taught-First-Grade sites! What an AWESOME way for any math teacher to incorporate technology into their math lesson. I plan on using this site by sharing it with my math teachers on campus.

2.Kid Zone- I would like to use this site for my video broadcasting. I am always looking for interesting little tidbits of information to share for the morning broadcast to keep things fresh. I especially like the mind bender section!

3.Google Lit Trips- OK,this one is pretty obvious! I love this site! How awesome it would be to use this when we cover some of the literature posted on this site. I also think it would be so fun to create one with the kids at my school!

4.Scribble maps-This year I did the Flat Stanley project with my second graders. This would be an awesome site to have them visit and place markers down on each place that Stanley has visited. Then, we could print these maps out and the kids would have something tangible to look at and take home to show their parents! So awesome!

5.Word Sift-I can't wait to share this one with our fourth grade teachers. I think they will love this one! I think it would be wonderful to use in the curriculum when they teach Word Choice.

A site that I have used personally and would like to use in the library is: www.wordle.net . I think this site would be great to use after reading a novel together with some of the older kids. It would be great to create a wordle on the character traits of a main character in a story.
These wordles also make AMAZING parent gifts. I made one for my husband for Father's Day last year and he loved it!

Week Five- Wikis

2010-08-04T23:27:00.002-05:00

1. I can think of a few different ways to use Wikis in my library. The best example I can give is when working on any sort of collaborative project with my fellow teachers. There have been many times when I have a document that I will email to several teachers (maybe an entire grade level) for them to look over and make changes. The hardest thing is to go back and forth between all the emails that start coming back in to me. Many of the teachers will suggest the same changes or add other items that then need to be discussed amongst the other members. What usually happens is a paper trail nightmare. I end up forgetting who has seen what portion of the project and who has suggested changes that have not already been made.

2. Wikis and blogs are quite different in my opinion. A blog is a place for you to express yourself publicly and allow others to comment on your posts. The original content of the blog can't be altered by others. A Wiki on the other hand is a collaborative document that is created as a means of collaboration within a group. A Wiki (if it is unrestricted) is a working document that is "in progress". Other members are allowed to read, edit, add, and delete information in order to participate in the discussion. I think Wikis are best in a collaborative situation while blogs work best for communication without the NEED for collaboration.

3. I would like to use Wikis this year to avoid having so many unnecessary meetings with the teachers on my campus. At the beginning of the year I am planning on "tweaking" our campus AR plan. Rather than trying to convince the AR committee to find a time that works for all of us to meet and discuss my proposed changes, I will create a Wiki to accomplish this task. I would like to import the current plan into a document in my Wiki. Then, I would send it out to the AR committee and have them read through the changes I have made, and add their own ideas and/or comments. I really think this will save so much time!

Week Four- Discovery Streaming

2010-08-04T23:21:00.002-05:00

I did not know that Discovery Education offered so many other things for teachers. I have always been aware of the videos that this site has to offer. I recently found the teacher section and played around on it. I love the writing prompt tool. We used it recently in Tech Rep Boot Camp. I can't wait to share it with our fourth grade teachers. I really think they will like it and find it as a useful way to integrate technology into their writing curriculum. I know the fourth grade kids really get tired of writing. I believe that using the computer to accomplish this task would freshen things up for the kids and make them feel as if it is not just another pen and paper task that we are asking them to do.

Week Four- YouTube Web 2.0 video

2010-08-04T23:17:00.001-05:00

I found this video on YouTube. I really like it a lot. I think it would be good to show our faculty to "kick start" the school year and build motivation for integrating technology into the classroom.

Week Four: Photostory

2010-08-04T18:37:00.002-05:00

Here is a Photostory project that I created for use in my library. It is a book review done by my daughter:

Week Three-Google

2010-06-24T13:33:00.003-05:00

Last year was the first time I had really studied Google. I was amazed at all the features it has to offer. My two favorites are Google Reader and Google Earth.

Google Reader is something I use to keep up with all of the blogs I try to follow. It saves me so much time. Rather than going to each blog and opening up each one everyday to check for new postings, now I can have all of that information in one place on Google Reader. I love this feature! I have divided all of my blogs into specific folders: library blogs, just for fun,friends, and news.

Google Earth is another tool that I have recently used in the library. I went to the Technology conference this past year and went to a session on how to use Google Earth in your lessons. I incorporated it last year with my second grade library kids. We started by reading Flat Stanley. Then, I had each student create a Flat Stanley and I asked them to mail it to someone they know that does not live in Lake Jackson. As the Flat Stanleys came back to us, I would mark where they had been in a Google Earth file that I had created. As the second graders came to library we would show the Flat Stanley pictures and then find on the Google Earth map where each Stanley had visited. The kids loved it so much! In fact, they wanted to show it to their parents, so I had to learn how to create a kmz file (not hard at all) and post that on my library website. By doing so, the kids could access the Stanley map from home! This was especially cool because many of the places were historical landmarks (like our state capital)and Google Earth had actual pictures of the places that the kids could see! So fun! It was like we went on a field trip each library day!

I will try to copy that kmz file into this blog for you to see! Stay tuned!

Week Two-Setting up my blog

2010-06-23T08:45:00.002-05:00

Thank goodness I can use my blog from last year. I remember the process of setting it up to be a little long. I am so glad to hear that our district is going to allow us to use these blogs in the classroom next year. It was very frustrating to set this up last summer only to be told we were blocked from using this site at school. I hope to find ways to incorporate my blog into what I do in the library next year. I would also like to use it for teachers. I hope all of my Ney friends are learning lots on this adventure and enjoying what they learn! I was so thrilled to actually receive a facebook message from one of my self-proclaimed, "Non-techno teacher". There is hope out there! If this friend of mine is on Facebook, the world just may be coming to an end! Love you, Billie!

Week One-Setting Sail

2010-06-23T08:42:00.002-05:00

I am officially behind everyone. I totally forgot about the first face to face session, so now I am registered to attend tomorrow. This morning I am without my children, so I decided to start this journey in the peace and quiet of my home. I am glad that these first two weeks seem to be a repeat of what I did last year that way I am not quite as behind as I first thought. I appreciate Michelle for setting this up for us. It is nice to get my professional development hours while lying in bed in my zebra print pj's.

Thing #21- Adding Photostory to my blog

2009-08-06T00:23:00.002-05:00

Here is my Photostory project. I have my fingers crossed that this is successful!

Thing #23- Summarizing my thoughts

2009-07-29T23:41:00.002-05:00

Here are my thoughts about the 23 Things program:
First of all, I would like to say, "THANK YOU" to everyone involved in creating this program. It was so beneficial to me. This is the first time in a long time that I have ended a professional development workshop feeling like I learned something that was truly valuable to me as a librarian! I am so thankful that although my district is not part of Spring Branch, we were allowed to join in the fun anyway! Now to summarize:
1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
I would have to say that my absolute favorite thing was setting up the blog. When I set it up I felt so successful, like I had really accomplished something worthwhile! I like that I have this blog ready to go for use later with my students, teachers, and parents.
I also really enjoyed the mashups. I had so much fun playing with all of them! Finally, I would have to say that the discovery of Delicious has made my life so much easier!
2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
Like I stated before, I finally feel like I have learned something of true value. With technology changing so quickly it is so easy to fall behind the latest and greatest things out there. I love that I have brought myself closer to becoming a real "techie". :) I am finally able to share things with my "tech-guru" sister that she did not know! That makes me feel great!
3. Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
I think the most unexpected outcome for me has been my comfort level with all of this new stuff. When we started I was very apprehensive about setting up a blog and learning all of the 2.0 tools. Surprisingly, I was able to accomplish each task without too much trouble. Of course, I still haven't posted the Photostory. Maybe I shouldn't say that yet?? :)
4. What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
I would like to see this continue past just the basic 23 Things. Other than that, I can't really add much. I felt like the whole program was well organized and thought-out. I rarely had difficulty getting any of the links to work. It all ran very smoothly for me!
5. If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate?
In a heartbeat!!! I am crossing my fingers for more! In my opinion there is no better way than this to learn new things as well as earn professional development credits!
6. How would you describe your learning experience in ONE WORD or in ONE SENTENCE, so we could use your words to promote 23 Things learning activities?
The most productive, fun, and interesting way I could've spent my "spare" time in the summer!!!

Thing #22- Ning

2009-07-29T23:35:00.005-05:00

My favorite Ning was the Teacher Librarian Network. I even signed up for it! I can think of many ways to use this site. One thing that comes to mind right off the bat is when a teacher comes to me asking for titles that will coordinate with a topic she is teaching. Many times I get stuck after two or three suggestions. There have been sometimes that I couldn't think of anything! I like that once I am a member of this site I can post a question and see who has ideas to share.

In one of my earlier posts I was talking about setting up a social networking group with fellow librarians on Facebook. Now I see that that would be unnecessary! This is already set up and ready to go! I really plan on using this Thing!

Thing #21-Podcast and Videocasting

2009-07-29T23:35:00.002-05:00

I am going to come back to this Thing when I come up with an idea to post.

Thing #20- You Tube and Teacher Tube

2009-07-29T22:34:00.004-05:00

On You Tube I searched for Children's book reviews. At first I was thinking it would be fun to play a review or two before checkout with each class. However, the book review I found here was really geared towared parents. I really like that idea too! Many times parents don't know how to talk about the books their kids are reading. I think it would be beneficial to post a video such as this on my website at school for parent use.

I also wanted to try embedding a video from Teacher Tube. The following video is just a "funny" one that I thought might be fun for beginning of the year staff develeopment.

I only have one question about all the video embedding...can we assume that if the link to embed is listed, then we are free to embed the video? If not, where do we look to make sure we are not embedding something that is a copyright violation?

Thing #19- Web 2.0 Awards List

2009-07-29T21:57:00.002-05:00

When I saw Facebook on this list, I knew I had finally found my "excuse" to try it. My husband and I have both said many times that we should set up accounts on Facebook, but we never stopped to do it. Tonight we took the plunge! Oh my gosh! We have had so much fun. I think the best thing about it for me was watching him reconnect with long lost buddies. He is from North Texas and has lost touch with many of his high school friends. Tonight he reconnected with many of them! This has been so awesome! I want to "play" on my own account more, but I am not allowing myself that privilege until I have completed my 23 Things. :) Got to have priorities...ha!
As far as how Facebook relates to me as a librarian, I think I might have to "stretch" it a little bit. Of course the special part to Facebook is the social networking that can be done. In the work setting this would be beneficial to network with other librarians. I am not sure that I would go so far as to say that I would use this with students since I am an elementary librarian and elementary age kids shouldn't (in my opinion) have Facebook accounts. I think I would have to say that I would most likely use this site to network with peers for ideas and upcoming events, author visits, etc.

Thing # 18- Online Productivity Tools

2009-07-29T17:02:00.002-05:00

For this exercise I looked at both Open Office and Google Docs. At first I could not understand why someone who has access to the Microsoft Office package would need these tools. However, I now see that the big benefit for me would be that I could have access to the document I am working on from any computer. I like the idea of placing the document in Google Docs for other teachers who are collaborating with me on something to see and edit. Here are my feelings on each of the programs:

Open Office: It took awhile to download. When it did finally download it put a lot of stuff on my computer. I realize this is necessary to run the program, but it still aggravated me a little. :) It is an easy program to work, though. I think the big disadvantage for my campus would be that it has to be downloaded. However, I do agree that if we did not have Office on our computers already, downloading for FREE would be and advantage rather than a disadvantage.

Google Docs: I think I prefer this one! There is no download needed. One small disadvantage would be that I would have to make sure that the teachers I am working with have a Google account and get training (though not much needed) on how to use this tool. This training would just take time, but this small amount of time would pay off when we collobarate on a paper through Google Docs rather than emailing back and forth.

Thing #17- Rollyo

2009-07-29T16:22:00.002-05:00

I really like Rollyo. My favorite part about this site is that it will limit the number of results that our kids will get when doing an assigned search. For my custom Rollyo search I chose to do a search on Inventors. This is a collaborative unit I have done with a third grade teacher on my campus. The first time we did this unit we just searched for inventors under yahoo. You can imagine the number of results that gave us! For this exercise I called my search, Roland3rd. I used the following sites: The History channel, The Discovery channel, and Enchanted Learning.

The only thing I do not really like about this site is the paid advertisement sites that are dispersed throughout the results. Even though they are highlighted and we can teach kids to "ignore" those particular sites, I still think it is distracting.

Thing #16-Wikis

2009-07-21T23:02:00.003-05:00

I am still hesitant with the whole Wiki thing. Call me a control freak! I am learning as I get older that I do lean towards that personality trait (disorder...haha). I try to not let myself become closed-minded, though. I also understand that I will never truly know if I like something until I get out there and try it. So, my plan is to try using a Wiki with the teachers on my campus first. Many times throughout the year I need their input on something I am planning for the school/grade level. I get so frustrated with the back and forth email thing. I would like to try using a Wiki for this collaborative planning. If this goes well, I could see myself venturing out to using a Wiki with the kids.

Thing #15- Web 2.0 and Libraries 2.0

2009-07-19T00:55:00.003-05:00

Web 2.0 and more specifically, Libraries 2.0 means one thing to me....change! I read and enjoyed the article, Away from Icebergs. It really made me think. Things are changing so rapidly. The kids that we have in our schools today do not learn in the same way we did when we were in school. Today's students know so much about technology, but they will need to know even more. It is our job to take what we are learning this summer and begin to incorporate it into our libraries and schools. We need to equip our students with the knowledge of how to find resources on the web and how to use them effectively.

I am so glad I am involved in this class. I really needed something like this to be a wake up call for me to start shifting my way of thinking. It is definitely time to change!

Technorati claim

2009-07-19T00:19:00.001-05:00

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Thing #14-Technorati

2009-07-19T00:01:00.003-05:00

I enjoyed seeing the video from the people at Technorati. It was interesting to see how this site came about and what it takes for the people there to keep up with what is going on on the web. It is amazing. It blows my mind how fast the world of blogging is growing.

Technorati is useful in that, like the video stated, you can see what real world people are thinking about topics of interest. I like that it sifts out all the "other stuff" and only provides the blogs about what we are searching for. It was interesting to see the difference in results that were yielded when we searched in different areas; blogs, blog posts, and tags. It made quite a difference in the number of results as well as the kind of information found.

I am becoming a believer in tagging. It makes so much more sense to me and it is easier to use than folders and such. I think it must be closer to my way of thinking/organizing.

Thing #13- Delicious

2009-07-18T23:21:00.002-05:00

I first heard of delicious from a fellow librarian, LeeAnn. When she introduced it us I thought it was really cool, but like most things, I never followed up with it. I think that is why I love this class so much! It makes me accountable for learning about these things and then DOING them. My first thought was how hard it would be to get all my bookmarks into Delicious. To my surprise, it was so easy. I appreciated that they even imported them for you. I went back and made tags for each of my old bookmarks and now it is all organized.

I can see this as a useful tool in all aspects of my life. I will definitely use this personally. I now can have my bookmarks at my fingertips no matter where I am. I can also think of ways to use this professionally. I can see our group of librarians getting together and creating a place to save our bookmarks so that we can all see and use them. I am also envisioning setting up a username for the teachers at my school. I am always emailing them with new websites I come across. Now I can put them all in one spot and they can see all of them, not just the sites I found specifically for their grade level. As far as the kids go, I can use this during our research lessons! It would also be cool to add a username for sites that I find just for kids. I could link it to my website and they could check out the suggested sites from there! So much easier than typing it all in on the links section of my website!

Thing #12- Commenting

2009-07-17T22:28:00.002-05:00

I have a confession to make. I am one of the lurkers that some of these bloggers referred to. I love to read everyon's blogs, but I rarely comment. Now here is the interesting thing, I always check my blog for comments. Comments make me happy! Comments make me feel like I am valued in my profession. I have a blog for my students at school. It is linked to my library website. I have been so disappointed this summer that my kids have not been using the blog. In fact, the lack of comments has made me quit posting. During the year I practically get "giddy" when the kids start dialoging on my blog. So, I need to dig deep and find out, why am I not commenting on my friends' blogs??

The two points that I found most interesting were:

Blue Skunk's comment that stated comments cause the blog experience to be more of a dialog than a sermon. How true that is! We learn so much more through the dialog than just sitting back (like I do) and taking it all in.
On Information Wants to Be Free I like how she explains that our comments enourage others to share their comments. Then, in turn we have a dialog! It is so simple really! Now I just need to do it!

Thing #11- Library Thing

2009-07-17T01:26:00.002-05:00

I have fallen in love! Library Thing is amazing! I find myself getting stuck not knowing what I should read next. Like so many of you, I am a working mom with a hectic schedule. When I finally get time to read a book, I want it to be a book that I will absolutely love. I don't have time to waste reading mediocre books. Library Thing is going to solve this problem for me. I know I won't have time to input my personal collection, but if I start now loading the titles I have read recently, then I will always have current recommendations for what to read next. I plan on sharing this with all of my book-loving girlfriends. I can see us becoming addicted.

I felt like the site was very easy to use. I even played around and visited some of the groups with similiar interests. I really enjoyed reading some of the group member reviews. I am proud to say that I played around and even created a widget of books that I have read recently and added it to my blog! Take a look! I love to see/hear what my librarian friends are reading, so I hope some of you do the same on your blogs.

This site would be useful as a tool on our school blogs. I would love to add a widget for recommended titles and also for titles that we have read together in the library. I think both students and parents would find this useful!

Thing #10- Image Generators

2009-07-17T00:22:00.008-05:00

Wow! I just spent so much time playing around on these sites! It is so much fun! I can't wait to share this with my friends and especially my ten year old. I can see her imagination running wild. Here are a few of my creations:

I made this word image using Wordle. I can really see the kids using this poster to try and guess some titles that each author wrote. I also think it would look really nice in the library.
I made the framed picture of my girls using Image Chef. Loved this site! You can do many more things, too.
The smiley face image was created from Smiley Generator. What I liked most about this one is that it was cute, quick, and easy. I can see myself using this alot on either my library website or my newsletters to teachers/parents.
The SpongeBob poster came from Comic Strip Generator. I picked this one because so many kids are totally turned on by SpongeBob (I am not a big fan, but it's about the kids, right?)
Last but not least, I created the wanted sign by using two different sites. I found the photo in the Creative Commons portion of Flickr. I saved and uploaded it to the sign generator to make the wanted poster.

I think the uses for these sites in the library are endless. I created the images you see here for a variety of uses. I can also see the kids using these sites to make book posters, comic strips about their favorite book/character, frames around their pictures for research papers, etc etc. The list could go on and on!

Library Mommas

2009-07-16T22:37:00.003-05:00

I thought some of you might enjoy this little funny that happened to me today....

Today I received a text from a friend of mine. She was telling me that she and her family were in Florida for the Softball World Series (for the little girls). Anyway, her daughter's team is doing very well and has a shot at playing for the championship. In the midst of the conversation I was asking questions about how this whole thing works (since I am not a softball mom). I pointed out to my friend that she must be able to tell that I am not a "softball momma". She texted back telling me that her son (who just finished first grade at my school), said that I may not be a "softball momma", but I AM a "library momma". I thought that was so cute! Cheers to all you other "Library Mommas" out there! :)

Thing 9- Useful Library Blogs

2009-07-16T22:26:00.002-05:00

Ok. I am really at a loss for the right words here. Let me say, first of all, that I do enjoy blogging and reading others' blogs. I can see the benefit of being interconnected with everyone and I love that we can all learn and grow from sharing information with each other. However, I can see where this blogging thing could get me bogged down really fast. I get so caught up in reading all the information. Before I know it, time has flown by and I am extremely off task! Thank goodness for the Goggle Reader. I can keep it all managed and in one place. But, this looking for blogs to add to my reader is overwhelming me. Anyone else feel the same way??

When searching for blogs to add to my list I liked Technorati the best. I like that the site is easy to use and very "clean" (by this I mean, not cluttered with things that get me off task). I must be ADD! I also liked using the Edublog award winners site. It is much easier to choose from the best of the best than to have to go searching through thousands of blogs on your own.

As far as the most confusing, I would have to refer back to the ADD thing. I did not like using Topix.net or Syndic8.com. Both of these sites had too much information for me to focus. I am sure they are easy to use, but they are just too busy for my attention deficit mind.

Thing #8- RSS Feeds

2009-07-13T00:21:00.003-05:00

I have to admit that when I saw that my next "thing" to learn was RSS Feeds, I put it off for many, many days. The only experience I had previously with RSS was with EBSCO training my district provided a few years ago. In that training we learned how to subsribe to the RSS for some of our favorite journals. It was cool at first. However, soon these journals started arriving in my inbox and I never had time to read them.

I was pleased to see that this time my experience was different. Once I decided to dig in, I really liked what I saw. I love how the Google Reader puts everything together in one place. This really helped me! I also love the list view. With the list I am able to see tidbits of what is out there and then decided whether or not to take the time to read it.

I will use the Google reader in my personal and professional life. I put a mixture of personal/professional interests in my reader. Hopefully now when I log on to the reader I can get a quick overview of what is new from both aspects of my life. This is going to save me so much time!!! No more clicking on all the various sites and waiting for the pages to load! It is now all at our fingertips! Yay!

Thing #7- Exploring Google Tools

2009-06-25T23:20:00.002-05:00

I was surprised to see how many different things you can do with Google. I was familiar with a few. I already knew about Google Earth and iGoogle. I clicked around on all of the tools and tried to familiarize myself with them all. I like the calendar option, but I already use a calendar in Outlook.

I decided to focus on Google Advanced Search and Atomic Learning. In the advanced search part of Google I loved looking for powerpoints that are already made that go with my curriculum. I searched specifically for library rules powerpoints and found all kinds of neat stuff. Here is a link to a Jeopardy game that goes along with the library rules theme. I would have to tweek this a little to match my personal library rules, but it is awesome to have this already made!

Atomic Learning is awesome! I wish my district had a subscription to this. My campus is always discussing and looking for ways to get reluctant technology users to become comfortable with technolgy and to use it in their classrooms. This site would do both! I love that teachers can become familiar with programs and then they have ideas at their fingertips for incorporating it into their lessons. This is so awesome!

Thing #6- Mashups

2009-06-25T13:25:00.002-05:00

At first I had a hard time seeing how the mashup sites would work for me in the library. However, my interest really perked up when I came across the trading cards site! I can think of so many ideas to use this site.

I also love the Mosaic pictures! Wow! I can't wait to put my Disney World pictures into a cool mosaic.

Thing #5- Using Flikr in the library

2009-06-25T12:43:00.003-05:00

I went to Flikr and searched for nursery rhymes. I found this picture of Humpty Dumpty. I think it would be cute to share with the kids. It is made with food.

Thing #3-Setting up blog and avatar

2009-06-25T09:07:00.000-05:00

I found setting up my blog pretty easy. I have a blog for my library website at school and it all pretty much worked the same way.

I enjoyed creating the avatar. I reminds me of setting up a Mii on my kid's Wii. The hardest part about that was uploading it. I sought out my sister (our family tech-guru) and she showed me how to save as a jpeg and upload it that way.

I have looked at a few other blogs. I have not yet posted any comments or questions.

Thing #2- The hardest lifelong learning habit

2009-06-23T15:34:00.000-05:00

The hardest lifelong learning habit for me is #4, having confidence in myself as a competent, effective learner. I have discovered that whenever I run into a technology problem if I slow down and give it time I can solve the problem. However, when I think I have figured out how to solve the problem, I start to doubt myself. Most of the time I will seek out by email or a phone call one of my fellow librarians to see how they have solved similiar problems. Most of the time I find that I had figured it out correctly on my own, I just did not have confidence in myself.

Thing #2- Easiest Lifelong Learning Habit

2009-06-23T15:28:00.000-05:00

The easiest lifelong learning habit for me is #6, Using Technology to my Advantage. I do not claim to be a "super-techie" librarian, but I do love technology and love to use it. I find myself turning to technology to simplify all areas of my life. The latest example of this would be a few weeks ago. I was packing my family for our trip to Disney World. I had already ironed my husband's shirts and did NOT want to re-iron them once we reached our resort. So, I went on YouTube and found a video I remembered seeing on how to best fold knit shirts. I watched it a few times, and quickly learned how to fold the shirts so that they would make the trip without getting messed up in the suitcases.

OK...did I mention I can be a little anal in some areas of my life??? :)