Thursday, April 24, 2008
Thank You, Media Clerks
We all have the same job title, but our jobs are so different. We are all valued at different levels. We all have different comfort levels with technology and digital resources. But, in this classroom, we were all learners. We were frustrated, intrigued, ready to quit, and exuberant. We laughed and cried out in joy upon mastery of new skills. We all hung in there together. And, we learned a lot. It was exciting to see everyone’s blog develop into a personal platform and a great reflective journal of our learning journey. This professional study team turned into so much more – a valuable personal learning network. The conclusion of this class is not the end, but only a jumping off point to keep learning on our own.
This is my “hats off” to all the clerks who participated and all of their hard work for 12 weeks. Thanks for the new friendships and sharing your learning journeys. I look forward to our next professional study team endeavor.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Desperate for more open windows
Also, I got an email form the Wikispaces people and I am so happy we can now play with the fonts, colors, etc. I just wish free time came with this offer.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Trouble in River City
Monday, February 25, 2008
SPRING BOOK DISPLAY IDEA
I pulled various non-fiction books about golf, baseball, track& field, and soccer, then displayed them on this table. I also found some fiction books about baseball.
"Jump into a good book" "Swing into a good book", etc.!
Just an idea for an easy display!
Ann at LYMDSR
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Flickr Editing
I found if I was in Citrix I could not download the Flickr editing program. When I closed out of Citrix I could. It is basic but it works just fine for my needs at this time.
Periodicals
What periodicals work for your library and what Library are you located in? We are weeding out a few, and adding a few new. I would like a good technology magazine for teens, and a snowboard magazine (both Middle School level). Have you had any luck on these topics where they are popular with your students, and if so what magazines are they?
Thank You!
Flip Video Camera Update
Well...we love the ease of use, the portability of the video files, the price, and all the ideas for use in the library. We plan on getting, at least, a couple more to get into the hands of teachers and students for projects. When everything works...
A word of caution: There does seem to be some issues with the Flip Video Camera software working on the district server. It won't work on the Citrix environment, either. The software actually resides in the camera, but the computer still has to recognize it when it is plugged into the USB port.
Our hero, Nick from DTS, spent a lot (a lot) of time trying to make this work for us. So far? ...well, it is still showing some errors when we plug the camera in. We'll do some more playing, editing, and investigating to make sure this is a great camera for use in the library.
Just a note: I plan on getting one for my own use. It works like a dream on a non-school computer (my laptop or home computer). When time permits (?), I'll post a sample video here for you to view. Coming soon...
Photo: Multimedia message Originally uploaded by Bud the Teacher
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Flicker Frustration
Monday, February 4, 2008
ILL Checkin
Have a great day, Ladies! Kim
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Library Learning 2.0 for Media Clerks
So far? Blogging, RSS, Technorati, Flickr, Image Generators, and lots of exploration ...a TON of learning going on; discovery, laughter, some frustration, some jubilant outcries, and some chaos. What fun.
You can visit our path and progress here. Take some time to browse, see what we are up to, visit a few blogs, and maybe even leave a comment or two.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Media Clerks Cherry Coffeecake recipe
Cherry Coffeecake Ann @LYMDSR 1/08
2 sticks oleo
1¾ cup sugar *
4 eggs, add one at a time
1½ tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp baking powder
1 can cherry pie filling
1 tsp almond extract
Cream oleo & sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla.
Add flour, salt and baking powder. Spread ¾ batter in greased 12x15 inch pan.
Add almond extract to cherry pie filling. Spread cherries over batter. Drop remaining
batter hit and miss over cherries. Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes.
Make icing: Warm 2 Tablespoons oleo and 2 Tablespoons milk until oleo melts. Add
½ tsp vanilla. Stir in 1 cup powdered sugar to make a thin icing. Drizzle over warm coffee cake. Cool. Serve!
*high altitude tip, I always reduce the sugar in any cookie or cake recipe, for every cup of sugar in a recipe...use ¾ cup sugar and ¼ cup powdered milk.
Book suggestions for 9th grade girls?
Any suggestions would be quite helpful! Ann @ LYMDSR.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
The Darkest Evening of the Year
The World Just Got a Lot Smaller
I am 54 years old and I feel like I’m just entering a new realm…again. The world continues to shrink – I am amazed that I can participate in world conversations via the Internet. My goals, this year, are to become an active participant in that world and create some personal learning networks. But, I won’t go alone. I plan on taking lots of people with me, as this is too big of a thing to keep to oneself.
Learning is my keyword for 2008. Not just my own, but I am fortunate enough to be in education – not as a teacher, but as one who can influence. Maybe that's even better.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Mission: Organziation...Simply
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/
Friday, December 21, 2007
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!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Flip Video Camera
Thursday, December 13, 2007
The Golden Compass
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.
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.)
Monday, December 10, 2007
Library Learning 2.0 for Media Clerks -- It's a Go!
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.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Oh, so completely off topic...
Monday, December 3, 2007
Blogs -- In Plain English
Thursday, November 29, 2007
"I Am Legend"
Although the science is dated, this is one of the first takes on vampirism as scientifically plausible. Robert Neville is possibly the last man on earth, surviving a plague that took every man, woman, child, and animal. His days are spent gathering food, eliminating the threat, and preparing for the onslaught and terror that comes with the night. For that terror is the undead, who want him as part of their own -- and then they want him as the threat to their very existence.
Although this is a great horror story in the classic sense, it is an interesting view of a man who is the last -- the loneliness, the apathy, the courage and ingenuity, and the fear of stepping over the grey line of insanity. All in all, a good read, a must-read for horror buffs, but definitely not for everyone.
So much to explore, so little time...
- It should clock in at around 25 professional development hours
- We will meet at Skyline High School on Wednesdays from 4-5:30 pm beginning on January 16
- We have oodles to cover, but yet I wanted to get your feedback on things you really, really, really want to cover under the Web 2.0 umbrella...or, just sit back and hang on for the ride. We will have fun exploring, learning, and expanding.
- So far...blogging, RSS, wikis, nings, social networking, photo/video applications, online productivity tools, social bookmarking, ...and brainstorm how to use these in the library.
If you know you want to participate in the PST, let me know. If you know that you cannot participate, let me know that, too. I'd like to have an idea of numbers when I turn in the application next week. I'll keep you posted as to when you can register for the PST and further details.
Friday, November 16, 2007
"The Other Boleyn Girl" Movie Trailer
Friday, November 9, 2007
More on "The Other Boleyn Girl"
First, I loved this book (thank you, Linda, for the recommendation) and I'm ready to read the next. I wasn't sure if the books were intended to be read in any particular order...so I went to the source, Philippa Gregory's website. The chonological order for Henry VIIIs Court history is: The Constant Princess, The Other Boleyn Girl, The Boleyn Inheritance, The Queen’s Fool, and The Virgin’s Lover. She has great information on her new book coming out next year, discussions on her current books, and even further research on characters!
Check out her new research on Mary Boleyn and her children. I, too, anxiously await the movie.