Mission: Organziation...Simply

As I sit here pondering why my clock has been geared up to hyper-speed, my plans for the last week of the break are to set myself up to finally be organized (after the jaunt to Vegas, of course). My solution to chaos, in the past, has been to take on "one more thing" -- somehow thinking that the added pressure will force me into increased productivity. It has generally worked in the past, but I'm finding that my energy and creativity reserves are dangerously compromised anymore. My goal is to simplify; do less and, hopefully, do it better. ...at home and in the library.

This year I am going to set up a new planner system. I have stumbled upon a great, new resource to help jumpstart my organization mission -- I hope that you will find it useful, too.

In this marvelous world of evolution to open-source productivity tools, this is exactly what I need for the New Year. There's tools for everything from health, work, and creativity, all the way to special projects, scrapbooking, time management, and technology.

The D*I*Y Planner is a system of do-it-yourself, printable forms in several different sizes and layouts for professional and personal use. This system was created and is maintained by Douglas Johnston, and it is released under the terms of a Creative Commons Non-Commercial No-Derivatives License.

Here's to a new year of productivity (and simplification)!

Photo attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/akearns72/2143598133/

Happy, Happy, Happy Break!

I hope you all have a happy and restful break with family and friends. I'm so looking forward to reading, watching basketball, and playing with new tech toys -- and, spending Christmas with my kids. Bliss.

Hm-m-m...on the reading table for the break:

• The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz
• Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
• A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel H. Pink
• The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory
• The Book of Lost Things: A Novel by John Connolly
• The World Without Us by Alan Weisman

I'm so looking forward to spending Wednesdays with all of you doing our PST when we return in 2008. It will be a good time. Merry Christmas to all!

Flip Video Camera

We just ordered a Flip Video Camera for the library. Luckily, I'll be able to try it over the break and practice using it. According to the description on Amazon, it sounds great. Ideas for use? ...video for blogs, presentations, student creations for projects, direct play to TV, website video, library marketing video. It could be a relatively inexpensive, easy-to-use alternative to the video cameras for student use. It is self-contained, with it's own software, USB arm, and boasts easy uploading, editing, sharing, and archiving. I'll keep you posted as to what we think...

There's also a query on Flickr for reviews from people using the Flip as well as several reviews on Amazon.

The Golden Compass

I'm sure that you have just about heard enough on The Golden Compass controversy. The exchanges continue and several libraries still are removing the series from their shelves. Sad, sad, sad... and, you know that most have not even read the book. If they did, they would know that the Authority was not God, only posing as God. I did want to share this article from the Christian Science Monitor regarding the decision by adults, authority figures (no pun intended), or religious organizations making the blanket decision that the series is inappropriate:

What these topics and messages don't do is spark the kind of rigorous, open-minded questioning that defines truly mature thought. They're group-think in disguise. That is to say, they're still what adults – those arbiters of publishing for children – have, collectively, deemed "appropriate." And sadly, what's appropriate" often sidesteps that which can't just be conveyed as information – the deep intellectual, ethical, and spiritual issues that require children to be thoughtful participants in a dialogue, not just empty vessels waiting to be filled.
Meanwhile, Pullman compels his young readers to do the edgiest thing of all, which is to think for themselves.

Please read the entire article, it's excellent.

Another incredible resourse on the topic is Scott Westerfeld's blog, Westerblog. If you want to read some thoughtful and serious comments by kids, spend some time on his posts about The Golden Compass. Great stuff. Probably the most important point is this: that the trilogy is NOT about killing God.

But how do I know this rumor isn’t true? Well, unlike rumors about what happened at someone’s party or who kissed whom, everything in His Dark Material is written down, and you can read it to find out exactly what happens. So if you go to page 188 of the US mass market paperback of Amber Spyglass, you’ll discover that Pullman’s Authority is not the creator. He’s not god. Ogunwe says so in the following words, “It shocked some of us, too, to learn that the Authority was not the creator.”
Case closed. The Authority is a fraud. He’s a liar, just like the people who started the rumor that in His Dark Materials the characters “kill god.” In a funny way, those people are trying to pull off the same kind of trick as the Authority. Okay, they’re not exactly playing god, but they are lying to control what you read, which affects what you think, and what you believe. They are frauds. (Or VERY sloppy readers.)

Strong words? Perhaps. But, notice the exchange of comments from kids. Westerfeld is treating the kids as if their opinions are valid and as if they are intelligent enough to form their own opinions. What a concept!

Library Learning 2.0 for Media Clerks -- It's a Go!

Alright ladies, get ready. The PST is approved. You can register at any time at the Office of Professional Development site.

We are going to have a great time exploring, experimenting, and producing great content starting in January. There is an extensive lineup of fun things to discover, but there are so many more; we will just be looking at the tip of the iceberg.

As a teaser, I'll be posting some things that Helene Blowers, the creator of the "23 Things' program suggested to prepare for our journey.

Don't feel obligated to spend much, if any, time on these. You just may find them interesting and a helpful introduction to our PST. One of the first assignments suggested in the "23 Things" project is to listen to the online tutorial Seven and 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners. Enjoy!

The ONE thing that we always can control is our own learning journey. As someone (a-hem)comfortably over the big 5-0, the new things 'out there' continue to amaze me. If you have never read Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, grab it off your library shelf and spend an afternoon reading it. Don't let the simplicity of the story get in the way of the monumental parable. Whether or not we like where we are right now, we can always put everything we have into it and learn all there is to learn while are on our journey for our own treasure.

To review any of our past posts on the PST and '23 Things', just go to the Professional Study Team topic category on the side bar.

Oh, so completely off topic...

...but so incredible. I'm a very (very) frustrated guitar player -- I haven't quite decided if I'm inspired or if I should donate my guitar to some worthy recipient. I found this video on YouTube sometime ago and saved it...just found it again and thought I'd share it with you. It's more than 7 minutes long, but even watching just a few moments will amaze you. I think we can still view YouTube videos on Citrix -- I believe they are only blocked on the student computers.

Blogs -- In Plain English

Here's a great 3-min. video from Common Craft on blogging. I thought it may be one more tool in your tech-belt for explaining and/or using blogs.