Copyright is definitely a topic that is "hot" and "touchy". As a librarian, I feel it is my right to educate both teachers and students on the important on not infringing on others' work. Teachers have been provided with training and a poster to put up in their classrooms. As students come to research, they are reminded not to plagiarize and to give credit where credit is due!
The Creative Commons website is great! I also loved the Disney video which gives the explaination of a copyrighted work. It is one I will definitely use with my students.
I cannot believe that I have finally made through the 23 things! It has been a worthwhile journey, as I have learned so much!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Week 9: Thing 22: EBOOKS AND AUDIO EBOOKS
I do have some experience with ebooks and audio ebooks, as our school library has subscribed to some of them. I do enjoy them, especially if it is a book where I will be teaching from. This year, I have ordered ebooks for our language arts teachers--these books are short and very colorful.
I still cannot fully get used to reading abook online for pleasure. Even throughout my coursework, I had to print out all of my articles so that I could highlight, and make notes. I couldn't get used to scrolling down or moving my task bar sideways. I know that technology is gearing toward ebooks, but I feel that there is nothing like "cuddling with a good book" at night or any time!
I do love the idea that a book is available at a click of a button, as it is done through the World ebook Fair, which was amazing!!! I still do prefer going to visit my local library and checking out a good book!!!
I still cannot fully get used to reading abook online for pleasure. Even throughout my coursework, I had to print out all of my articles so that I could highlight, and make notes. I couldn't get used to scrolling down or moving my task bar sideways. I know that technology is gearing toward ebooks, but I feel that there is nothing like "cuddling with a good book" at night or any time!
I do love the idea that a book is available at a click of a button, as it is done through the World ebook Fair, which was amazing!!! I still do prefer going to visit my local library and checking out a good book!!!
Week 9: Thing 21: Podcasts
I chose to add "librarygeeks" from the PodcastAlley because I feel that it will keep me updated on what's going on with the librarian world. As I added the podcast to my Bloglines account, i went back and visited some of my feeds, which includes "Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? " and of course, I was laughing out loud at the pictures and sayings...I really needed a laugh this weekend! It's been a stressful one!
WEEK 9: THING 20: YOUTUBE
I chose this video because I thought it was so appropriate to what I am learning in this Web 2.0 course. It was such a hilarious video, but it did hit on the many points. I will have the chorus of this song stuck in my head for a while! I have used YouTube to use for one of the lessons I taught at the library which incorporated science...Steve Spangler has awesome video demonstrations of all of his science experiements. I have also been a member of TeacherTube for about a year and enjoy viewing its videos. Most of our students are familiar with You Tube(some more than me!)and recognized the site right away when I showed them the video of the Geyser experiment.
WEEK 8: THING 19: LIBRARYTHING
My account is: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/lauraglz
I must say that the books I chose were popular, with the Twilight Saga Series taking the most popularity votes...I was not at all suprised. I added the books that are my favorites, mainly children's books, as I am a huge fan of them! I love that under each title, other book recommendations are given, you are able to see other people's reviews and thoughts about the particular book, and that you are also able to contribute in posting a review of your own!
I was suprised that "The five people you meet in heaven" only got 3 1/2 stars. I read it this Christmas break and was in tears most of the book!
I must say that the books I chose were popular, with the Twilight Saga Series taking the most popularity votes...I was not at all suprised. I added the books that are my favorites, mainly children's books, as I am a huge fan of them! I love that under each title, other book recommendations are given, you are able to see other people's reviews and thoughts about the particular book, and that you are also able to contribute in posting a review of your own!
I was suprised that "The five people you meet in heaven" only got 3 1/2 stars. I read it this Christmas break and was in tears most of the book!
WEEK 8: THING 18: ONLINE PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS
Online productivity tools are great to use for many reasons. I loved learning about Zoho Writer, the online word processor! It is amazing that I can actually create documents online and if I go to any computer, my document is right there for me to continue working on. It is also helpful in that others can go and read it to help with corrections, etc. My friends and I while in college were always sending each other our papers to help with proof reading, but with Zoho Writer, they can just go online and do this! Where was Zoho when I needed it???? lol.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Week 7: THING 17: SANDBOX ENTRY
I love the idea of a wiki for librarians. The wiki I engaged in was the image generators and award winners because so far this has been the most fun "thing" I've had to do. I love reading all the posts of other people's experience and/or ideas of how to use them.
Again, wikis can be used for so many things...dialogue between students and teachers, projects, research, and so much more!
Again, wikis can be used for so many things...dialogue between students and teachers, projects, research, and so much more!
Week 7: THING 16: WIKIS
I have actually have had the opportunity to work with wikis while taking courses towards my master's degree in library science. It was very useful when conducting research with a group in which the students were from different cities. We were able to post our discussions, thoughts, and plans together. The wiki was very helpful in keeping the group organized and by the end, our research paper was a wonderful end result.
In the middle school library, the wiki would be very helpful, especially for discussion amongst the students and teacher/librarian. Many times, students have difficulty with a specific subject and can post their concerns on the wiki. Both teacher/librarian and students can dialog and share their ideas and understanding about specific subjects. As a librarian, I would love to have a wiki to involve students to discuss the various books they are reading. I loved looking through the "BookLoversWiki" as it had links to various genres. This is an excellent way to have students involved, especially since they are so technology savvy. This wiki is one that I would love to set up at the library I work at...I know that the students would be so very engaged!! What power there is in such technology!
In the middle school library, the wiki would be very helpful, especially for discussion amongst the students and teacher/librarian. Many times, students have difficulty with a specific subject and can post their concerns on the wiki. Both teacher/librarian and students can dialog and share their ideas and understanding about specific subjects. As a librarian, I would love to have a wiki to involve students to discuss the various books they are reading. I loved looking through the "BookLoversWiki" as it had links to various genres. This is an excellent way to have students involved, especially since they are so technology savvy. This wiki is one that I would love to set up at the library I work at...I know that the students would be so very engaged!! What power there is in such technology!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Week 6: Thing 15: Read a few perspectivs on Web 2.0, Library 2.0, and furture of libraries
"Away from the Icebergs"
This article spoke a lot of truth about where libraries are today and the mentality we must have as librarians. I took a few mental notes of each of the three "icebergs" the author described:
1. Just in case books- I was amazed at the percentage of book circulations this particular library had dropped in the last couple of years. The author made a great point in asking why we continue to purchase books that we know partons will not check out if they have a wealth of information in reliable online resources. In our middle school library I have noticed that students really do not check out books from most of the non-fiction section unless it comes from the 700's (graphic novels, comic books, art). I recently received a large shipment of books and have them out on a display cart; the fiction and graphic novels are the first to be checked out, but our new science and social studies books have, for the most part, been sitting there. Students show not much interest unless they are working on a project and even then, they would prefer to go to "Nettrekker" or Google for their information.
1. Just in case books- I was amazed at the percentage of book circulations this particular library had dropped in the last couple of years. The author made a great point in asking why we continue to purchase books that we know partons will not check out if they have a wealth of information in reliable online resources. In our middle school library I have noticed that students really do not check out books from most of the non-fiction section unless it comes from the 700's (graphic novels, comic books, art). I recently received a large shipment of books and have them out on a display cart; the fiction and graphic novels are the first to be checked out, but our new science and social studies books have, for the most part, been sitting there. Students show not much interest unless they are working on a project and even then, they would prefer to go to "Nettrekker" or Google for their information.
2. Reliance on User Ed. - I also strongly agree that if we want our patrons to be serviced effectively, there should be more staff on board. In our library it is only myself and my librarian assistant. We not only service students through regular classroom visits, but we have walk-ins throughout the entire day. There will be weeks where over 1,000 students would have walked through that door, and many for research purposes...at times it gets a bit overwhelming trying to service everyone at the same time. I truly believe our role would be more effective if there were more trained employees to aid in servicing students at the library.
Library Web 2.0 is to me...no better word to describe it, but WONDERFUL! It is an emmense amount of resources in an instant, at a turn on of the computer! These tools can be very useful in promoting the library in many ways. Because this is the way of the future, I truly believe that librarians need to jump on the bandwagon and learn as much as they can about these wonderful tools that are available and ready to be used and accessed by everyone! I am jumping in with both feet!!!
Week 6: Thing 14: Explore Technorati
Technorati is awesome! There are so many features, it seems like it's endless. There are so many possibilities with the Web, that I am taken a back! Technorati is just another site that has opened my eyes even more at the wealth of information that can be provided at the click of a mouse.
The other programs we have been learning about week by week, such as Flickr, have been so amazing...the possibilities are endless! Tagging is great because it helps one stay organzied, helps as a tool for personal reference; important things are tagged, such as photos, websites, blogs, articles, etc.
The other programs we have been learning about week by week, such as Flickr, have been so amazing...the possibilities are endless! Tagging is great because it helps one stay organzied, helps as a tool for personal reference; important things are tagged, such as photos, websites, blogs, articles, etc.
Week 6: Thing 13: Learn about Tagging and Del.icio.us
I am very familiar with tagging as I have had the chance to do so before with online pictures.
I also did enjoy looking through the Del.icio.us tutorial and Del.icio.us account. I think that I could create a Del.icio.us account for my school library to use as a reference tool for students to use. Students would be able to easily access information and jump from topic to topic because of the toolbar on the side that provides related topics, top tags, etc. If a teacher is working on a specific topic, I could easily bookmark websites, online articles, etc. that would provide a wealth of information...or should I say, reputable/valid information. Too many times students are lost in their searching without any direction or guidance. This would provide a venue for students to begin their research effectively!
I also did enjoy looking through the Del.icio.us tutorial and Del.icio.us account. I think that I could create a Del.icio.us account for my school library to use as a reference tool for students to use. Students would be able to easily access information and jump from topic to topic because of the toolbar on the side that provides related topics, top tags, etc. If a teacher is working on a specific topic, I could easily bookmark websites, online articles, etc. that would provide a wealth of information...or should I say, reputable/valid information. Too many times students are lost in their searching without any direction or guidance. This would provide a venue for students to begin their research effectively!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Week 5: Thing 12:Roll your own search tool with Rollyo
Here is my Rollyo link: http://www.rollyo.com/lauraglz1/
I think my middle school students would love the rollyo tool. Although I have our online resources posted to our school webpage as well as our library webpage, it would be different and more attractive for students to click to the rollyo and access the online resources this way. It is also a great way to teach students to categorize their favorite websites accordingly.
I think my middle school students would love the rollyo tool. Although I have our online resources posted to our school webpage as well as our library webpage, it would be different and more attractive for students to click to the rollyo and access the online resources this way. It is also a great way to teach students to categorize their favorite websites accordingly.
Week 5: Thing 11: Explore Web 2.0 Award List
I decided to browse through the short list of the Award winners and quickly went to the link "Books." I loved both Lulu and biblio.com. Both are very different.
I loved Lulu because you are able to create your own photobook, calendar, etc. My little sister published a photo book for my parents this Christmas and they absolutely loved it so much that they were in tears. It was a beautiful gift! I dont think that I would use the "sell" on this site but I did find it very useful. It would be awesome to be able to create a calendar for our school.
I loved biblio because it was easy to navigate through the website. There are many ways to search, there are many good suggestions, andI know that I would be able to come to this site to browse for books that I am considering to purchase for the school library.
I loved Lulu because you are able to create your own photobook, calendar, etc. My little sister published a photo book for my parents this Christmas and they absolutely loved it so much that they were in tears. It was a beautiful gift! I dont think that I would use the "sell" on this site but I did find it very useful. It would be awesome to be able to create a calendar for our school.
I loved biblio because it was easy to navigate through the website. There are many ways to search, there are many good suggestions, andI know that I would be able to come to this site to browse for books that I am considering to purchase for the school library.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Week 5: Thing 10: Play around with online image generators
Like with all the other "toys" I love online image generators because there is so much you can do! From magazines, to license plates, to catchy imaging to capture your own messages...it is amazing! I have already added the sites to my favorites and have added this image to my library page. I would love to have the opportunity to teach my students how to create their own image generators and have them use their creativity to come up with library promotions. This is a great idea to implement during National Library Week, Read Across America, etc. Contests would be ideal! I created this image generator on: http://www.imagechef.com/
Week 4: Thing 9: Locate a few useful school library related blogs/newsfeeds
I think that most of the search tools posted on the esc blog were very user-friendly. I liked that google had the feeds in categories and most of them had "top 100" feeds. The one I didn't find so user-friendly was "Syndric8.com. Its format was quite confusing and not as appealing as the others. I also do not think that I would have much use for BlogPulse Tools: Conversation Trackers. Although it looks interesting, I do not see myself spending much time using this tool.
Week 4: Thing 8: Set up own Blogline newsreader account
This activity was new to me. I learned a lot about RSS; subscribing to it personally is very useful because there are many subscriptions out there that would help my professional growth. There are many feeds about libraries and different issues. I truly loved one that has nothing to do with librarianism. It was one that had funny pictures and sayings about cats. Ever since I was a child I have had cats, so I thought it was adorable and a must to add to my list.
At the school library, this would be very useful to add feeds that are beneficial for our students such as current news, even itunes, which are so popular now a days. It is just another venue to take our students through for growth during this age of technology!
At the school library, this would be very useful to add feeds that are beneficial for our students such as current news, even itunes, which are so popular now a days. It is just another venue to take our students through for growth during this age of technology!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
WEEK 3: Thing #7: Technology interests
I love all kinds of technology because you can have so much fun with it! I love podcasting and will be working with students this week on uploading book talks through our library website. What I love is that I can add music to the background and create different moods, depending on the book description.
I also love the use of computers as a form of communication. I remember as a teenager, sending mail to friends out of town, which I must admit, sometimes do miss, but now, it's so easy to log into either my email or group site (i.e. facebook) and not only find out how my family and friends are doing, but see their pictures at the click of a button! This is very useful now that I have a new nephew who lives too far away for me to go visit every weekend. If I miss him growing up, all my sister has to do is upload pictures and poof, there he is!
I also love the use of computers as a form of communication. I remember as a teenager, sending mail to friends out of town, which I must admit, sometimes do miss, but now, it's so easy to log into either my email or group site (i.e. facebook) and not only find out how my family and friends are doing, but see their pictures at the click of a button! This is very useful now that I have a new nephew who lives too far away for me to go visit every weekend. If I miss him growing up, all my sister has to do is upload pictures and poof, there he is!
WEEK 3: Thing #6: Flickr mashups and 3rd party sites
I loved this activity! I had no clue that there were so many awesome sites that allow one to create their own posters, collages, trading cards, and so many more things!!! I am truly amazed!
I have just discovered such valuable tools to use with the students-to share with teachers so that they can implement technology in their lessons! If I was having fun creating my own trading card, I can just imagine how much more fun my middle school students will have!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Week 3: Thing #5. Explore Flickr
esc1library
Originally uploaded by lauragonzalezlibrary
Trying to upload this picture up to my blog took a little longer than I had imagined. I did play around with the uploading of pictures in the blog site itself, but wanted to challenge myself a little bit...something I learned during Week 1!!!! I wanted to push myself to try something new and not give up on myself...we will see how it goes!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE READING...
Students, which is your favorite book and why? Tell us about it!
WEEK 1: THING 2: READ BLOG AND FIND OUT ABOUT THE PROGRAM
I truly thing that this program is going to help me enhance the services provided to my middle school students. I am so excited and ready to go!
Week 2: THING #4: REGISTER YOUR BLOG with REGION ONE
I have had some experiencing in registering for a blog through a couple of my courses taken at UNT. It's great to be able to add your own personal touch to your blog! This step is complete!
WEEK 1: THING 1- LIFE LONG LEARNING
I truly enjoyed reading the pointers about life long learning. I have always said that one should never stop learning, but always yearn to learn new things, not be afraid to go through different experiences, no matter how old or how young. I am really looking forward to the art of blogging!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Week 2: tHING 3: Create your own blog and avatar and then post about it.
Creating my avatar was very interesting and fun. It is something I think my middle school students would love to create! There are so many options to choose from! As far as my blog, for the library, I would love to start blogging about books that students are reading because it would be awesome to know what they think about them. I know that would be very successful and get other students to read those books!
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