This book is a great resource for any librarian new to the field or any veteran looking for a good reference book. It is written so it can easily be read from start to finish or provide guidance as needed. The book is split up into 5 parts or sections, each dealing with a different aspect of the job.
The first section focuses on Information Tools. The chapters in this section layout the basic principles of what you need as far as hardware and software when buying computers. The third section gives a great overview of Networks and how they work. While many of us do not do the purchasing of computers, or the running of the network, it is important to understand each component so that you can make suggestions for your library.
The second section in the book focuses on Information Resources. This was my favorite section. The chapter on the Internet is unbeatable. It discusses using the internet as an informational tool, and gives great resources for website evaluation to use with students.
The third section deals with going from the library to the classroom, focusing on equipment being loaned to classrooms, and support that may need to be given when using that equipment.
The fourth section deals with the Administration aspect of the librarian. Automation systems, student computers, security systems, and technology plans are outlined in this section. The chapter on technology plans provides a great outline for writing and maintaining your school library's technology plan.
The last section deals with using technology when teaching. The chapter on PD is a great resource when planning a presentation for staff. The next chapter discusses handouts for students and staff to promote the libraru and its uses. The last chapter is on Web 2.0, while it is touched on throughout the book, I wish this section of the book was longer. There are so many ways to use Web 2.0, I wish this chapter took a more in depth look at that.
Overall this book is a great resource for any librarian to have. Store it on your shelf for future reference, or read the entire book cover to cover. It provides great information that all librarians, new or not, need to know.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Cell Phones in Schools
For me this quote from the article "I don't need your network (or your comuter, or your tech plan, or your...) posted on the weblogg-ed blog, pretty much sums it up for me, "So I am asking. When do we stop trying to fight the inevitable and start thinking about trying to embrace it."
As a Teacher Librarian my number one complaint is that our building does not have enough computer/internet access for the number of students we have. This could easily be remedied by allowing students to use their phones as a tool in the classroom. Most of them do this anyway, when the teacher has their back turned. Don't you think if we stopped forcing them to hide their phones away and use them out in the open we would gain more control over how they are used at school?
No question there are challenges to this way of thinking, like what about the students who don't have cell phones, or all the kids will do is play games on their phones. While these ideas have merit they also have solutions. Solutions that we as educators should be working on, instead of focusing on how we can continue to keep cell phones out of the classroom. We need to embrace the fact that cell phones are here to stay, and use this to the advantage of our student's education.
So instead of fighting this notion of cell phones in the classroom we need to embrace it. If we would work half as hard on developing ways the cell phone could be used in the classroom, as we do banishing it from our rooms, we could have a pretty mighty tool at our fingertips.
As a Teacher Librarian my number one complaint is that our building does not have enough computer/internet access for the number of students we have. This could easily be remedied by allowing students to use their phones as a tool in the classroom. Most of them do this anyway, when the teacher has their back turned. Don't you think if we stopped forcing them to hide their phones away and use them out in the open we would gain more control over how they are used at school?
No question there are challenges to this way of thinking, like what about the students who don't have cell phones, or all the kids will do is play games on their phones. While these ideas have merit they also have solutions. Solutions that we as educators should be working on, instead of focusing on how we can continue to keep cell phones out of the classroom. We need to embrace the fact that cell phones are here to stay, and use this to the advantage of our student's education.
So instead of fighting this notion of cell phones in the classroom we need to embrace it. If we would work half as hard on developing ways the cell phone could be used in the classroom, as we do banishing it from our rooms, we could have a pretty mighty tool at our fingertips.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Xtranormal
Xtranormal is a new video making tool. You can create a cartoon like video for free, just by typing in a script you want your characters to say. You can customize their movements, facial expressions, voices, and much more with the click of your mouse. You can add music and change the background too. Xtranormal lets you choose your characters, once you do that it is simple. Type what you want them to say, customize all the effects and voices, and view. When you have it the way you want it, create the movie. This lets you download the movie and save it. You can view many movies that have been made using xtranormal on youtube! It is a fun way to use creativity to create a movie.
Quiz Star Review
Quiz Star is created by the same company as rubistar and is a program for teachers to create quizzes online. Once you create a quiz, you can create a class to take the quiz. Students in the class can log onto the quiz and take it. It then grades your quizzes and lets you view the results online. Quiz star has just recently become a free service to educators!
Glogster Review
Glogster is an online poster maker for students. Teachers can create a classroom with up to 100 free student accounts at edu.glogster.com. Students then sign up under their teacher's accounts and create a glog, a mix between a blog, and poster. Glogster has a huge selection of backgrounds and clipart for students to choose from. They can also upload video and pictures to their glog. Glogster can be used as a get to know you project, where students write about themselves, or an educational poster, where students display particular information they have learned in a creative way. As the teacher you can view your students progress on their glogs at any time.
Animoto Review
Animoto is a great online movie making tool for students and teachers. As an educator you can sign up for a refferal code and get full length video making for you and your students for free. What animoto does, is takes pictures and/or video clips, (you can choose from animoto's gallery or upload them from the computer), that you choose and put in order and mixes them with music for a professional looking video. You can add text to your video as well. You choose your music the same way you choose your pictures and videos, either upload or from their collection. Once you choose all the elements of your video you hit create. It takes about 10 minutes to create your video and you can watch it immediately. You then have the option to download, or email it to others for viewing. Animoto is a great tool for making book trailers, or any other video project you do in your classrooms. www.animoto.com.
Rubistar Review
Rubistar is an online tool that helps teachers at any level create a customized rubric. You can choose from rubrics that are already made, or you can make a rubric customized to the exact project you are grading. Rubistar makes it easy to choose categories and customize each and every rubric you make. You can also save your rubrics to go back and edit them later.
4teachers.org Review
The 4teachers.org website is a great resource for teachers wanting to integrate technology into their classroom. It includes a blog at blog.4teachers.org with weekly topics discussed. Features of 4teachers.org include; professional development, online games, portals on youtube and teachertube, and many links to websites to help with the integration of technology into your classroom. It offers teachers online tools and resources that can be easily integrated into what you are already teaching. Not only do they offer resources for you to use with students, they also offer many tools to help with teaching such as, online calendars, rubrics, and assessment tools.
4teachers.org offers a family of tools at your fingertips. These are links to programs they have found for teachers that will be helpful in every aspect of teaching. These tools include; quizstar, rubistar, academic skill builders, persuade star, classroom architect, equity, trackstar, assign-a-day, casa notes, PBL checklists, teacher tacklebox, web poster wizard, note star, think tank, and kids vid.
They also affer some greate resources for helping those teachers who are just getting started using technology in their classes. These are under the integrating technology link at the top and include links to use policies and safety, resources in spanish, success stories, and technology.
4teachers.org is a great resource for any teacher wanting to, or who is already integrating technology into their current practices
4teachers.org offers a family of tools at your fingertips. These are links to programs they have found for teachers that will be helpful in every aspect of teaching. These tools include; quizstar, rubistar, academic skill builders, persuade star, classroom architect, equity, trackstar, assign-a-day, casa notes, PBL checklists, teacher tacklebox, web poster wizard, note star, think tank, and kids vid.
They also affer some greate resources for helping those teachers who are just getting started using technology in their classes. These are under the integrating technology link at the top and include links to use policies and safety, resources in spanish, success stories, and technology.
4teachers.org is a great resource for any teacher wanting to, or who is already integrating technology into their current practices
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