Minor Musings

Books, Reading, Etc.

• Interesting article asking How can we redefine the book? Where does the “book” stop and the “application” begin?. On the other hand, if it’s an app like this Discworld Mapp… And SassyLibrarian ponders what Untraditional Book Formats Mean for Digital Collections.
• Nicholas Carr worries about the death of deep reading (not sure CCSS will change this, even though it tries to)
• A must read: Barbra Fister on curation and discovery
• Worried about using an e-reader because of the distraction factor? Unclutterer has a guide to low-distraction readers.

School Life

• I’ve never been convinced that iPads are The Answer, but ZIS’ iPads in the Classroom program might change my mine
• As I’ve been going through my E-Learning and Online Teaching coursework, I’ve wondered about the role of the library.  Turns out, CHE has been thinking about libraries and MOOCs.
• A new addition to the self-defense arsenal: your smartphone.
• How can school libraries learn from these 20 Great Public Library Websites or the 100 Libraries to Follow on Twitter?

Tech Related

• When we insist on social media in schools, let’s not forget most of  these (mostly very understandable) 8 Reasons Behind Social Media Ban in Schools and be a little more understanding of those that don’t/can’t.
• Looking for new tools to use or explore over the summer break? Easel.ly, MindNode, Infogr.am and Swipe might be the answer.  So might one of Joyce’s recommended interactive video tools. Or you could use Bamboo DiRT to find something.

Finding Commons Ground

Is it an information commons or a knowledge commons or a learning commons?  That’s less a question than what one exactly is: does adding a makerspace to your library mean that you’re now a “commons”?  What about redesigning to include collaborative spaces?

The other week I attended a HVLA meeting where two librarians discussed what their schools are doing.  Sarah Couri is the new librarian at the new upper school division of Grace Church School, and Susan Harris is the librarian at Harvey School.  Sarah’s had some input into the design of the new space, and is growing the program as the division grows (right now they have only a 9th grade); Susan’s library is in a long-term (since the 70s) temporary space and her school is redesigning and rethinking the space and the program.  Both spoke about the challenges they’re facing, particularly vis-a-vis administrative insight into the idea of a [something] commons and how the technology department and library department interact.

Minor Musings

Books, Reading, Etc.

• I’m loving the Three Things to Read, Watch and Use blog – what a great idea to get students and teachers to share theirs
• Jessamyn got a Kindle and has some interesting ideas about how to use it (and change it).

School Life

Tech Related

• Google’s How to Stay Safe Online information (something we need to share with teachers and students) via @harbeckc
• On the Day of Digital Learning, the NYTimes ran a piece asking Who Are You Online? great food for thought.
• While this list of 20 Great Public Library Websites is about public libraries, there are ideas we in K-12 can emulate
• Carolyn Foote’s Apps for Libraries slides. ’nuff said.

Minor Musings

Thanksgiving edition: various websites, apps and links that have caught my attention over the past few months.

Books, Reading, Etc.

• Are you in LinkedIn?  I was just pointed to the Plain Language Advocates (great debate on the one or two spaces after a period issue!)
• Apparently, according to The Atlantic, there’s a new term for readers, cross-unders (those of us who read YA books but aren’t YA ourselves).  When I look at their list of Types of Readers, I fit several categories but that’s the one I resent. No one called me a “cross-over” reader when I was a teen and reading adult books, so please don’t insult me now by saying I’m a cross-over reader. (Thanks to LizB for the wrap-up).
• The beauty of Penguin Books.  ’nuff said.
• Considering getting an e-reader for your kids? What Parents Need to Know.
• I use BookCollector, but if you haven’t cataloged your collection, Book Crawler looks nice (see on the #Alan12 feed)

School Life

• This article reports on a study that posits that K-8 schools are better at preparing students than the K-4/5-8 model, and that we should close middle schools.
• And what about colleges preparing students for higher education?

Tech, Tools and Other Stuff

• Rather than carry a large second wallet filled with loyalty cards, I’m using KeyRing (note: I don’t get the ‘rewards’ or ‘deals’, but it’s a great way to lessen wallet load!)
• Have you thought about personal archiving?  Watch the LoC’s Mike Ashenfelder’s presentation.
• If you weren’t affected by Superstorm Sandy, this Hertiage Preservation App may be really helpful for future planning. And if you were affected it may help now.
• Not sure how this fits with Twitter’s rules, but MyTweetMag is pretty nifty. (via Joyce)
• What a neat publishing/curation tool: Yumpu.  So many educational uses.  And for presentations/self-directed learning, try MentorMob.

And finally, because it’s Thanksgiving, step away from your keyboard and take a cyberbreak.

Remember the Link

Here are a few links I loved over the past few weeks.  They’re worth checking out:

• Google Graveyard, Meet Microsoft’s Morgue http://t.co/DIqBnXg5 (very interesting look at what both companies have tried & given up on)
• iPads more fragile than expected and other lessons from first year of Zeeland high schools’ iPad program http://t.co/IPI5YdOL
• What happens to all those old video games stuck on floppy disks http://t.co/NHEjuwCd (ties right into my thinking about the importance of personal online archiving)
• Professors Put Textbooks Online to Reduce Costs: http://t.co/nv31EkNZ
• Copyright reform needs to happen: a DPLA would be such a great research help! http://t.co/iVDPPYHS
• 12 Essential Social Media Cheat Sheets  http://t.co/AIW9iXLG (particularly useful as you while away the remaining summer vacation)
• Not every student has a smart/cell phone: http://t.co/30YLJXDT (what is your school doing about this?)
• What does Khan Academy need? http://t.co/LQL9CwXw
• My Education in Home Schooling http://t.co/fE5m7EBB (very good points re: one-size-fits-all schooling – how can schools combat this problem?)

Minor Musings

In which I attempt to clear my GoogleReader…

Wish I had more time to implement these ideas for a more relevant library… getting some help with creating things like this would be a good start (and I think I know some students to ask!)  Another thing to integrate into our website: Book Trailers

While this might not be every tablet worth knowing about it’s certainly a start… I’m still waiting for an iPad/netbook combo that makes producing and consuming information easy … and it’s good to know that not everyone is on the iPad bandwagon (E-Tech has given hers up)

More to think about in terms of how we prepare our students for college And thanks to Doug for sharing this pdf on the lifelong role of libraries

There was a kerfluffle over Netflix and it got me thinking.  We have a subscription for our teachers, but I also have a Movie USA License and I think between the two we’re covered.  My rationale is that sometimes teachers need to preview a film before making the decision to use it (or ask us to purchase it).

We use Noodletools at Hackley, despite my students preference for EasyBib (why?  because you can add an ISBN or an URL and get the metadata in much the same way Zotero works).  Buffy posted a few reflections on the citation issue, which made me think about a conversation I had with the creator of Noodletools, in which he argued against EasyBib because the accuracy wasn’t quite there (so when our students get to college and use Zotero, they’re in trouble?).  I agree with Buffy et al.: citation shouldn’t be the be-all and end-all, the goal should be that of pointing people to additional/credited information.  As Aravis said, “why can’t I just say… Google it?”

Thanks to Sassy Librarian, I’ve got two new screencase tools to play with: Screencastle and Screenr (Jing just isn’t doing it for me).

Minor Musings

All year (it seems) I’ve been collecting blog posts and tweets and in an effort to declutter my inboxes, I’m going to just post links them with perhaps a couple of words of “why I saved this”.  Feel free to add commentary and links of your own:

• Doug Johnson’s series of posts on budgeting.  He’s only done three so far, but the Internet v. Books and Budgeting for Lean Times are going to be read and reread as I prepare AY2011′s budget!  (I’ll also be evaluating the school’s ROI)
• From across the pond, The Librain’s take on Flipping This Library is serious food for thought.
• YALSA’s series of posts entitled Dollars and Sense.  As a member of YALSA (I’m on the Strategic Plan Committee and I’m presenting at the ALAMW YALSA Institute), keeping on top of what my public library colleagues are facing is important.  I’d also argue vice-versa, as school budgets (see Doug’s posts!) get cut.  Can you say partnership?
• Gwyneth Jones’ list of Twitter applications you Must Have/Use. Some of my faves? Twitterfeed and TwitterDigest.
• I read Buffy’s Carrots post just after having had a conversation with a colleague.  She was so excited about some of the ideas I had for bringing technology into her class… but “I don’t have time to revamp the project right now”… but “I don’t know when I can play with this to see if it could work”.  Time to think about carrots that will make that comment a thing of the past. (my suggestion?  let’s play now and plan for next year) Imagine how something like The Alice Project could change students’ experience of learning.
• Two guides worth a second (and third and fourth) look: Using Web 2.0 in Libraries and Improving Libraries for Learners. (via iLibrarian)
• End of the Year/Decade Lists: 10 Ways Social Media Will Change in 2010, Scholastic’s 10 Big Ideas in Education, 5 K-12 Technology Trends in 2010,
• Share this to your department chairs (I did, back in July when it first came out): Not Enough Time in the Library and How College Students Look for Information. (E-Tech does a good roundup of the implications)
• What’s a Library? Linda Braun, Beth Friese, LizB, StephenB, Peter Godwin
• Yes, change hurts but it is not an option.  Thinking about the implications of “web 2.0″ on our profession is also not an option.
• Collection Development issues: what do we buy?  what format?  In this day of limited budgets, knowing our readers’ preferences is critical.
• I’ve been railing against the terms “Web 2.0″ and “21st Century Skills” for a while.  It’s nice to know I’m not the only one.  Not sure that Information and Digital Literacies is any better, but it’s a start.
• Britannica Forum did a wonderful series on multitasking (on the other hand, Bob’s High School Curriculum seems a bit too Dead White Male for current trends)
• Digital Literacy – what are we doing about it?  E-tech’s summary of her presentation at Blended Librarian Online Learning Community is a must read. On the other hand, it may be a myth.
• I loved Scot McLeod’s presentation at NECC earlier this year, and now it’s online for those that weren’t there.

My PLN

Time to share: here are some of the professional places I go for inspiration on how to do my job better (pedagogically and programatically). These are not the “usual suspect” sites, but other, less known blogs:

• Students 2.0. Few posts, but written by students reflecting on education, all that is 2.0 and how it affect them.
• Information Literacy Meets Library 2.0. Self-explanatory.
• Not So Distant Future. Interesting ideas on how technology and new tools can help move libraries forward.
• The Librarian Edge. Thinking about, and working through, many of the same issues I am (we all are?).
• The Librain. From the UK, but still dealing with the same stuff we’re dealing with here in the US (strength in numbers, right?)
• The Unquiet Librarian. Great ideas – all relatively doable without much muss/fuss. Plus some great thinking about what it all means to be a school librarian today.
• Archipelago. Always thought-provoking posts about how best to use these new tools, from someone trying to figure it all out.
• E-Tech. I’ve mentioned Elyssa before – if you’re not reading what she’s up to at Penn State, you’re missing out.

At last!

According to the completely objective and nuanced source, Annoyed Librarian, I learned about Google Highbrow. I agree, it’s about time!

While the article doesn’t state the beta release date, my guess is sometime around the First Day, Fourth Month next year.

Good educational fun

This past week I taught two sections of our sixth grade about “bogus” websites. Some sites were real (like the one I blogged about earlier) and some were clearly fake.

The first class met on April 2, so I started the lesson talking about pranks and hoaxes (like Google’s Wake-Up Kit) and moved on to why you need to check the authority and bias of a site. I talked about how some “bad” sites (like the MLK one) can actually be valuable for research purposes, particularly if you want to talk about disinformation and hate. The second class met on Friday, the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s assassination, so we started there and ended up with the really funny stuff.

Some of the sites we looked at made the students laugh (eg, the Tree Octopus site), others grossed them out (GenPets, anyone?). We looked at PETA’s response to the BonsaiKitten site, and talked about how people – intelligent adults, presumably – could just as easily get fooled by a website as a middle school student. Finally, I showed them Snopes and we played with a couple of urban myths.

There was a lot of chatter and I’m sure that some of the students will only remember the really gross or exceptionally silly, but I know that a few will remember the bigger lesson and start thinking more critically about their searches and what they find when the “just Google it”. Some librarians may set the bar higher and want all their captive darlings to get it and start using their new information (or skills), but I’m realistic. For middle school, a few is fine.