Minor Musings

Summer is a great time to binge watch while digitally organizing/reorganizing/decluttering, isn’t it? So here’s what I’ve bookmarked and saved over the past few months.

Books, Reading, etc.

• B&N’s Teen Readers blog has a great list of their favorite summer reads and NYPL has a list of great YA reads (runs to make sure we have them on our shelves). Meanwhile, Ernie thinks about the white canon our students are asked to read in school.
• From NYPL: a great reading challenge. While I can’t comment on my current reading for the Alex Awards, I can say I’m meeting this challenge! You?
• We’ve been weeding the collection and getting great print and digital replacements. Here are more thoughts on the process from another weeder.

School Life

• Thinking this summer about The Power of Nonneutral Librarianship and my library’s role in our school’s life.
• Asking students to interact with Wikipedia may lead to greater understanding of how it works. Here’s one assignment I’d love to try.
• What skills do students need in the 21st century? IMVHO, they’ve always needed most of these skills, it’s just the tools and pedagogy that changed.

Tech Stuff

• I’ve been a huge RSS user for years and, since the demise of Google Reader, I’ve been using Feedbin (try it!). Here’s how to find/create an RSS feed for any site.
• The more I think about privacy, the more I know that you have to unsubscribe carefully. Here’s one way to protect yourself. And perhaps think about online shopping and privacy.
• The 23Things movement hasn’t slowed. Might be something to update and try again. Use Twitter? Try TwitLamp to see your timeline.

Miscellany

• I’ve been doing a mixture of a bullet journal/general notebook for the past few years, starting a new book every July 1. This post on To Do Lists is making me think about how I’m doing this, both digitally and in print.
• Apropos of the above, the idea of blocking off an entire Friday afternoon to plan makes me miss my days back in the corporate world.

The Very Overdue #AISLNO17 Post (part 3)

My goal: to blog all the PD I’ve done this year before the academic year ends. In eight five four days. Get ready!

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Day Two: E-Books

The best presentation advice: start on time, end early, feed participants.

This is an area we explored gently over the past few years (both at Milton and Porter’s) and haven’t gotten much buy-in for, so I was interested to see what other schools were/are doing.  There’s so much to think about, and as one person said, we need to suck it up: things are evolving (as they did from film to VHS to DVD to streaming).  Here’s my question/problem: my students, based on a survey I did at Porter’s that got a 33% response, prefer print for fiction.  Why?  Because it’s an escape from the screen, providing a more immersive/less interrupted experience.  So… there’s that.  I might do a survey of Milton’s students and faculty, particularly as Overdrive is pushing a consortium for the local independent schools.  The Massachusetts ebook program is difficult, particularly since it only allows for one book/reader!

We agreed that there are So.Many.Platforms. ABC-CLIO, Amazon (might need to circulate Kindles), Destiny Discover (which only works with Destiny, so that’s out), EBSCO, GVRL, OUP and Salem Press for NF; Overdrive, Axis360 are for Fic.  The big question is how do you support all of them, including train people in their use because it’s not “one size fits all” for platforms!  Promoting them is also an issue, because discovery isn’t as obvious as it is for print (you can’t easily browse a shelf) you need to add MARC records to the catalog.  Another way to promote is to put links everywhere, in all Resource Guides, on pamphlets, etc. You could also let students know that Snapchat reads QR codes and include those codes in book displays or on the inside cover of a reference book.

Day Two: Personal Librarian Program (CD McLean and Katie Archambault)

Another “we need to try this at MPOW” idea, which may or may not work given our size population.  But still… They got the idea after reading The Personal Librarian (there’s also this one), which further enhances the idea of library as “third space” (see a theme?  Doug and Claudette both talked about this!).  It’s important to get Admissions, Communications and the Dean of Students on board before starting, particularly since you can start talking about the program on revisit days.

Other ideas?  Create a “what is a personal librarian?” video and “get to know your librarian” videos… Tasty Tuesdays (send a surprise gift of treats to a random class)… send emails to all incoming students, detailing how the program works and connecting it to the work they’ll be doing.  CD sends a letter, a follow-up letter, is a presence during orientation retreats and promotes library tours by “their” librarian.  Make sure the program is seen as two-fold, promoting reading and research.  Asking teachers if you can embed is great – digital embedding means you can drop resources into the class page (be it WhippleHill, GClassroom, Schoology, Moodle, or whatever your school uses), pushing databases, print books and critical websites.  Encourage 1:1 consultations with both faculty and students, adding a link to your sig. file for setting up an appointment.  What about YouTube videos personalizing the experience?  New Book lunches?  Having students sign up for Reading Recommendation and then do video/email outreach.  Constantly promote services and resources.

We were reminded that it’s important to do an annual debrief, to collect statistics and to keep up with alumni.  Equally important is that we don’t have to do it all: the same program doesn’t need to exist for 9, 10, 11 and 12th grade!  You can push heavily into 9th, less in 10th and 11th, and they’ll still remember to come in in 12th.

Another way to be personal?  Get college matriculation information and create a presentation highlighting the college libraries to students (eg, “If you’re going to Bates, you’ll find….”).  Do outreach to those librarians so your students are known.  (kudos to Elizabeth Nelson for this!)

Day Two: Booktalking

This is so easy to do with LS/MS students, but US?  Sigh.  So here are some great ideas we’re going to try in AY18 to try to get our overworked, overscheduled, overstressed students to read more fiction:

• Ask-a-Question
• PW’s First Sentence List
• Use these Book Reports
• TeachingBooks.net
• Checking Pinterest for trailers and displays
• Getting teens to create posts
• Using Typorama, Adobe Spark, Thinglink and Canva
• Creating “booktalks to go” for students to take with them

Whew!  One conference down… two (NEAISL and ACRLNE) to go…

 

Minor Musings

Winter hit.  More accurately, a winter cold hit.  And wouldn’t let go.  But luckily things are back to normal and I’m able to enjoy our Spring Break (two+ weeks in March, unlike public schools nearby that get a week in February and a week in April).  There’s the AISL conference in NOLA later this week and a Faculty Forum when we return – stay tuned for things learned from the amazing people at AISL as well as the library department’s Fake News presentation for my colleagues.  Until then…

Books, Reading, etc.

• Serving on book award committees and keeping an eye on various best selling lists, I’ve always wondered.  Now I know what makes a best seller.
• Food for thought: Angie’s Towards A Less Normative Future in Library Services to Children & Teens
• If you like Litographs, you’ll love these star charts!
• The artwork of these manuscripts is stunning.  Thanks BL for sharing.
• What happens when you read a book?

School Life

• What about creating something similar for your school or community using local archives and oral histories?
• Creative Commons now has an image search!
• Love the “sounds of learning” in your library?  This is food for thought (and a plea for quiet spaces).
• A new way to look at 21st century pedagogy.
• For the visual learners among us: a guide to statistics.
• It’s research season for many of us.  The OUP has some thoughts about using quotations. And LJ lists great “ready reference” websites and apps we should all use.

Tech Stuff

• If you’re a fan of Chrome and use Amazon, check out this extension, which shows whether the book you’re about to pay money for is available for free in your local library!
• Colorized photos from the 1800s?  Definitely changes how you see people and events. (ht: David)
• Note to Self’s Privacy Paradox challenge (and tip sheet). And according to this quiz, I’m a minimalist in terms of social media.  Do you need to unplug?
• FeedFlip from MIT – get out of your Twitter bubble.
• Librarian tested & approved apps. Flippity looks like fun, too.

Miscellany

• In honor of our mid-March storm, an interactive guide to Boston’s museums (for those don’t leave home “field” trips).  Or maybe take this Southern Literary Trip, do a virtual museum tour, go around the world in 80 models, take a tour of where penicillin was discovered or plan to visit some secret libraries.  Best: Honey, I Shrunk Myself (into a prayer bead).
• This course looks interesting.
• These miniatures make me happy.

Not paperless – paperMORE

I’ve been hearing about the “paperless” office (and, by extension, paperless school) for nearly 40 years. Doug even talks about it in his recent The Next Big Thing(s) post.

To which I say, HA!

Here’s the reality: we’re using more paper.  Vast quantities of more.

Example?  Teachers are encouraged to create a syllabus and post it online (in addition to adding assignments to the LMS, but that presents problems for those trying to plan forward as those only go assignment by assignment without providing an overview).  So, they post it as a .doc or .pdf, or include it in a class online folder.  So far, so good.  But… many students want to see it in paper, or to add teacher comments about assignments.  So they print it out.  Then they lose that copy.  Solution?  Print another copy.  Etc..

Example? Teachers find an article, essay, short story or something similar and (as with the syllabus) post it online so students can read it for class discussion.  Guess what?  Yep.  Multiple printings.

We have a print management system at Milton.  And it works… sort of.  The problem comes when the student doesn’t see the document in their print queue immediately, assumes it never got there (there’s a delay, sometimes of about five minutes) and sends it again.  Rather than deleting the duplicate, they Print All.  Or it takes forever to actually download and print, so they leave and print elsewhere (we had a 100+ page document print that way).

At my last school, students would send a document to print and when it didn’t, send again.  All too frequently, the printer had run out of paper.

Back in the Dark Ages, when I was in school, we got one copy.  One.  And we took care not to lose it because there was no way to get another one (copiers were scarce, so often it meant hand copying the original).  I suspect that if you looked at school paper budgets over time – even the past decade, as more schools have gone to laptop or tablets for everyone – you’ll see an increase.

The reality is that students don’t want to read on their screen (for longer pieces) or it’s cumbersome to access the document/information.  Teachers, encouraged by their schools, post more and more because, hey, it’s online and they’re not printing.  But that just moves the cost of paper and tone and time onto families and students.

I’m not recommending a return to those Dark Ages.  But let’s not fool ourselves into thinking that we’ll ever be paperless in the way Doug means – paperLESS would be nice,  PaperSAME perhaps achievable.

Minor Musings

Wow.  It’s been a year since I did one of these!  I’ve been squirreling away links and things to share, and using Schoology at work to share them with my team.  Now, here’s some sharing with you…

Books, Reading, etc.

• This is the time of year when I make a list and check it twice: what great books from the previous year slipped under my radar?  Here’s YA Interrobang’s list. And this of “what to read in each of life’s decades“.  And one on Native voices.  Did I miss any of 2015’s great translations? (yes, probably) For Rory Gilmore fans, a list of her past 9 years reads.
• Why the library shouldn’t be all things to all people.
• Important reading for all, especially English teachers: The Reading Rules We Would Never Follow As Adult Readers.  Amen.

School Life

• With “fake news” and “post-truth” being topics of conversation/angst, here’s a great list of ideas and resources. And then there’s this article and Hoaxy. And this graphic:

View post on imgur.com

• Many schools (including mine) spend a lot of time talking about privilege.  That phrasing bothers me, and when I read this in IHE about using “advantage” rather than “privilege” I wondered how we can convince others to change their phrasing.
• What a great idea for a local history project for students (also, helps the community) – linking graves to historical society information.
• Not all information wants to be free.  Something we’re thinking about regarding student work (newspaper, etc.) and our archives.

Tech Stuff

• Some interesting ways to reenvision the to do list.
• If you use your phone for notes (and who doesn’t?) consider Bear.
• Did using computers lower China’s PISA score?  What are the implications for the US?
• It’s the new year.  Perhaps add one of these tech blogs to your feed?
• What do you know about the TOS for your apps and related content?  Probably not enough.
• A great graphic of the ISTE Standards.  Is there one for ACRL and AASL?

Etcetera

• Thought-provoking post about deciding if traveling for PD has a good ROI.  Networking isn’t covered, but should have been.
• This is the second school I’ve worked at that touts the presence of Harkness tables, yet no one has been trained in the method.  I suspect that many schools are in the same position.  So here is one way “to Harkness” (hint: it’s not about the table!!)
• Why streaming music (I may be one of the few who refuses to) is going to harm music creation.

Minor Musings

Some things to think about while I digest ALA Midwinter and hiring new staff…

Books, Reading, etc.

• While I’d love to teach this exact class, since I’m on the Alex Committee for the next couple of years it might be possible to figure out a way to create something similar with those books.
• More Shakespeare thinking (this time from JSTOR and the Folger)
• This year we’ve been working with the 6th grade English class and creating book recommendation materials.  Here’s an idea. And another one for increasing vacation reading from Katie: bring the books to the kids.
• Don’t you love year end lists for personal and professional collection development?  I do.  Here’s stuff from The Hub, Semicolon

School Life

• We have a Senior Transitions class at MPOW.  Maybe this could be part of it?  And even though we don’t have AP classes, perhaps we could get the Senior Projects to look like the AP Capstone.  I’ve been thinking about Courtney’s VAASL presentation, too.  More to come about that.
  
• The library is part of the school’s Big Master Plan for renovation (reality: 5+ years from now) but it’s never too early to think about getting student input, particularly since we’re considering some small steps towards a better space.  Buffy’s summation is a great place to start.  And then there’s signage/branding via Courtney.

Tech Stuff

• Joyce points out the great AP Archive is now online.  Bookmark it. Then bookmark these Old Maps.
• Do you recommend podcasts?  Here are some to start with.
• Privacy check up time: Google and Facebook.

Etcetera

• Time to remind our seniors (and younger students) how to get involved in the political process.

Minor Musings

The past couple of months have been filled with work stuff and some interesting (read: thought provoking) professional development.  As I digest all of that and distill into posts, here’s a round-up of other things catching my eye.

Books, Reading, etc.

• As we teach/talk about diversity, maybe Shakespeare teachers should talk about his views of different religions?
• Maybe something those themed English classes could do?
• Still waiting for the interrobang, but until then, this history of punctuation will do.
• The most read book (by HS seniors) around the country? Check out this map.
• Beth’s Flash Booktalks are inspirational (for me, at least), plus more RA goodness from Angie M, the NYPL (also here) and Miss Print
• Just because: A.A. Milne reads Winnie-the-Pooh

School Life

• With the election coming ever closer, and the bubbles we live in growing smaller, maybe the WaPo’s Internet Debunker shouldn’t quit (or we need to do a better job teaching students how to do this for themselves with tools like Domain Researcher)
• At MPOW we’re creating new evaluations for our classes; maybe we should pause and consider this.
• With 2016 college acceptance season upon us, this is a must share with seniors.

Tech Stuff

• My drawing ability is not good enough for this but if you can Sketch (like my colleague Mark), it’s a great tool for summation of ideas/sessions or an interesting way to have students “talk” about a book or concept.  And then there’s Classeur…
• Wondering how we can promote this type of archive: British Library’s public domain images or the Met’s downloadable art books
• In 2016 I’ll be talking with our Dean of Students about ways to increase digital literacy in students and faculty.  This infographic may help. We’ll also talk about managing your online presence and share these statistics.
• My history teachers love primary sources (like this archive).  These tools are going to help during Research Season.  And maybe in a year we can work on collaborating on teaching this!
• Google Operators – necessary to know and use to effectively search.
• I love Evernote, but if you’re on the fence between Evernote and OneNote…

Etcetera

• Carol Dweck on how her research is misused
• Is your school talking about equality and diversity? Read this.

Minor Musings

Books, Reading, etc.

• As part of a major push to create a strong YA section in our library, we’re looking at diverse authors/characters and great NF to get us there.  Also loving this list of hybrid books and this list of women in translation.
• There are adult books that reference children’s lit – another To Get for MPOW? or just something for me to read?
• Yes, folks, there are words missing from dictionaries.

School Life

• We’re rethinking what the library is and should be, which in part means a culture change, and thinking about the website UX.  But what if we could completely rethink school? or the CMS?
• Something to share during National Coming Out Week or Anti-Bullying Month.
• Great way to talk about copyright and creative commons (something that should be done by all teachers, not just the librarians!)
• Every school I’ve worked in talks about an Honor Code or Integrity Policy – this poster should be helpful for students trying to figure it out.
• We should make “dare to suck” every school’s motto!

Tech Stuff

• MFPOW was 1:1 iPad, and MPOW is considering going 1:1 Chrome.  Time to learn from others!
• Last week GDrive had problems, but we’re a GAFE school so I guess I should learn more about Keep.  And since we also use Schoology, there’s more to learn.  Plus, obviously, decluttering my Evernote usage.
• These 10 social media tips aren’t just good for students.  And while you’re at it, look at A Cookie for Your Big Data (because yes, Facebook is stalking you) Scary stuff.

Etcetera

• So many standards to think about, and now there are International School Library Guidelines to put in the mix.
• I’ve worked in places that claim to be “all digital” – but this is a more nuanced view.
• Maybe add this to your Election 16 resources? (or not…)

Minor Musings

Still digitally decluttering…

Books, Reading, etc.

• One challenge at MPOW is getting the middle school students into the library (time, distance, lack of discrete space are issues).  So we’re thinking about the pop-up library.

School Life

• Speed Friending in the Library?  Sounds like the perfect start-of-school activity!
• Hoping I can emulate Buffy’s work with my students. Or Ethan’s. Particularly since we know colleges are still requiring research (and five page papers). A little design thinking might help. And maybe not this year, but next?
• I’m fond of this sign, but this one would work, too.

Tech Stuff

• This was done with sixth graders, but could easily scale to any middle or upper school class.
• This is of Allentown, but imagine creating a history or English class project (I know I’ve suggested this before… hoping this year a teacher takes me up on it!).  And how cool it would be to integrate the Newseum into your resources? or a Digital Timeline?
• MPOW is a GAFE/Schoology school, and Videonot.es looks like it would be a great tool to use!
• Right now, we’re BYOD (so have computer labs) – Doug has great ideas about 1:1.
• This list of tools is a great starter toolkit!
• It’s the start of a new school year.  Why not declutter your laptop before things get crazy?

Etcetera

• I’m not looking for a new job, and one might argue that this blog serves as a portfolio, but that doesn’t mean that Katie’s portfolio advice will go to waste.  Go and do likewise.
• Looking for a different conference to attend?  Maybe the First Year Experience is for you. Or maybe the LibraryTechnology conference.

And, as always, Will Richardson has some great ideas about trends we should be watching.  Something to ponder as the school year starts.

Minor Musings

Books, Reading, Etc..

• I’ve done something similar with Google Maps, but this?  The Obsessively Detailed Map is truly obsessively detailed.  Ideas for additional “value added content”? TSU has some great Immersive Experience ideas.
• This might just be my new favorite book blog: Oh, the Books! (via)
• The Book Riot Quarterly box might be a good way to get students excited about reading.  BookOpolis looks to be a good way to introduce younger students to online reviewing/reading communities.

School Life

• Something to get students thinking and talking about race: the Race Card Project.  Then think about developing Collective Cultural Competencies.
• We talk a lot about curriculum maps – maybe try a visual version?

Tech Stuff

• How do teens use social media? Additional thoughts…
• Just for fun, Oxford’s illustrated history of social media
• Using GoogleDrive? These tips might help. And check out these 18 Epic Productivity Apps (I already use a few – need to think about the others)
• How to reach students and parents? Perhaps with Remind.
• Thx Infovore for these data visualization tools: Social Explorer, Policy Map, and On The Map
• Even though I use Evernote a lot, I’m thinking of using Transpose to store other digital content.  Anyone using it yet?

Etcetera…

• It’s always interesting to see where you fall politically when you take a relatively blind test – this Pew survey seems reasonably accurate.
• And people wonder why I nap.  Sleep helps your brain.
• As I start my new job, it’s important to work at How to Fail Successfully.
• If you’re traveling to London, check out these apps and places to read.  And take me with you.

Most important: 120 days until Christmas.  Shop now. Avoid the rush.