Method 10 Wikis

We have started to use Pbworks at my school.  The teachers set up a page when they are collaborating between other schools for a video conference session.  Using PBworks has helped organized the lessons and has kept the email accounts from getting overloaded. Wikis are a great collaboration tool.

I create Pathfinders for the subjects/classes when them come to the library for research. I create them electronically and then make copies for the students.  The only problem, the pathfinders are left all over the library.  When I return to school after the Thanksgiving Holidays I am going to meet with my ITS to help me create a Pathfinder Wiki for the various research topics.

Method 9 Chating

I completed my Masters through TWU totally online.  In one of the courses the Professor openned up the Chat room part of the Blackboard.  I found that I couldn't type fast enough to keep up with the conversation. It almost felt as though I was in a huge party room with 1,000 people talking at once and I was trying to follow each of the different conversations and respond to the questions. I guess I am old school and really did not enjoy the chat room.

The ITS at my school where I am the librarian uses Sykpe between the computer labs, but she is giving directions to the students and I don't think really carrying on a conversation. 

Again being a public school librarian limits me to what I am allowed to use.  Instantance messaging  is another Web 2.0 tool that has not yet broken into the public school venue.

Method 8 Social Networking

I remeber watching The Net with Sandra Bullock. Sandra played a computer "geek" (apologzie for the lack of a better term). Her whole life was online and in the process of her job (which was to find weaknesses in other computer programs) her idenity was stolen. Everything from where she shopped, to how often she purchased items online was known.  The Net was made in the late 80's early 90's. Are we there with the Social Networking sites and Twitter?  Or is our information out on the web even without a Facebook, MySpace or Twitter account?

 In order for our district to receive funds for technology, we have to teach our students an internet safety course.  We stress the importance of not placing any personal information on their facebook page. But even if you don't place anything personal on Facebook, there are websites that will bring up personal information by just searching a name. So is anything private anymore, we would like to believe so but in reality I don't think so. I even mention my concerns to my son about a webpage he had created for a fundraising event.  Every personal item was mentioned. His name, university, what he was studying and the name of his faternity. When I voice by concerns, his response was "if someone wants to find me they can with or without the personal information." 

I have my own Facebook page and I am probably not the greatest at keeping it up.  I really don't care if one is having pot roast for dinner or not.  I can see the potential in having a professional page to help promote the library and I have become a "fan" of the Library of  Congress page and the Library development page.  By becoming a fan of the two pages I am now connected with librarians across the country and through out the world.  I would like to create a Facebook page for my library, however; my library is a pubic school and all social networking sites are blocked by the filter.  Perhaps in time this will change but until then I will have to promote my the library the "old fashion way" by talking to parents and students face to face.

Method 7 Delicious

I have to admit that I am having, again way too much fun, with delicious.  I have started putting together websites that will benefit my Social Studies and Science teachers.  With Science fair coming up I have found sites that will give the students ideas and a jumping off point to their projects. We have a campus webpage and within that webpage I have my library page.  I have placed a link to my delicious site under Teacher resources.  I will then let the teachers know that this site is available for their use.

Method 6 You Tube

As with most school districts, You Tube is blocked by the filter. Teacher tube; however, is available for the teachers and durning a Electronic Resource training that I gave, I directed our teachers to Teacher Tube. I have an account but I haven't added any videos to Teacher Tube. My intentions were to add some book trailers of this year's Lone Stars, but like most "good intentions" it has yet to happen.

I found You tube to be fun. Yet as I was searching and watching some of the videos, I came away with the impression that people were very "proud" of the self-made videos. I shook my head in wondernment as to why anyone would think others would want to watch them, but we do.

One video on teacher tube gave me a chuckle. It was based on the "Top ten list" and it was entitled the "Top ten things they don't teach you in college" about teaching.

But I really enjoyed Mr. Bean in the library and I have added the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyDY0hiMZy8

Library of Ephesus-Method 5

greece beginnings 032
Originally uploaded by aegrobe1

I chose this picture because this was the 4th largest library in the ancient world. The library was located Ephesus. Interesting story behind this library. Located in the library was a tunnel that went to the Temple of Diana. The gentlemen of the time period would tell their wife that they were going to the "library" and then go through the tunnel to the Temple. It gave new meaning to the pharse " I am going to the library."

The ITS and myself are working with the 7th grade ELA students with movie maker. Since Google images is blocked at our school, we direct the students to Flickr, and (Yes we have them cite the source) but are we violating copyright? I agree with the blog article in respect that perhaps it is time to revisit the copyright laws in order to incorporate the new technology.

I have posted my personal photos on Flickr and also Shutterfly. I am so glad that I did. If I hadn't when my hard drived crashed I would have lost all the photos from my Greece trip this summer, including the one that I posted

My son's faternity did a cross country bike ride this summer, and daily their pictures were posted to flickr. It was really wonderful to be able to go through the posting and see the daily activites.

With advent of photosharing, blogging, and google docs our world has truly become "a small, small world."

Method 4 RSS feeds

What fun it was to search for different sites. I have to admit that I had way too much fun with this method. I truly believe it is important to laugh and to laugh loudly, so on that end I subscribed to Unshelved. Librarians really have a "wicked" sense of humor.

I have to admit that I am a huge Twilight fan. So of course I had to subscribe to a Twilight site.

But eventually the educator came out, I subscribed to the Life Science feed. This will be beneficial to the Science teachers at my school.

It would be really awesome if the teachers would be able to add RSS feeds to the district webpage, but I don't think this will happen anytime soon