Week 6 - Thingies # 13, 14, &15

The idea that you can have access to sites you have bookmarked on any computer is awesome. I spend a great deal of time either researching for a website in response to a teacher or student request or emailing the link to my school computer from home where I had it bookmarked so that I can bookmark it on my library computer. I will use del.icio.us to make it all much simpler.
"Folks" doing their own tagging can be fun but it can also be frustrating as the average blogger doesn't list a lot of tags - the kind that you would find in a well cross-referenced catalog. Guess I'm sounding like the little old library lady from Pasadena but there also seems to be a ton of junk out there that I don't want to read even with a tag I'm interested in.
As the world evolves, so must it's institutions. School libraries certainly must do all they can to change as well. Monies spent on print resources need to be turned toward subscription web services, state databases need to be championed until it happens for our students. Arbitrary fire walls need to be examined and content not words used as reasons to block sites and services. And warm and friendly is, as it has always been, technologically correct!

Week 5 - Thingie # 12

Spent some time this morning exploring Rollyo. Never even knew all these things were out there on the web. I'm trying to take them all in, one site at a time. I created a general searchroll for upper grade research but can see enormous use for all student research with teachers creating searchrolls to guide students research on any project area.

Week 5 - Thingie # 11

Now that was fun! Searched a little, found http://www.librarything.com/ and explored enough to get hooked. Joined and sent links to my more avid reader friends! Belong to two children's literature groups and I'm "watching" one on dog books. Not looking forward to listing all the books in my personal library though. Sounds an awful like what I just left behind at work for the summer! When I got to Ning, I settled for a English Springer Spaniel "network" - it only has one other member! Had trouble posting pics there too! If I get it to work, I'll post the link!

Week # 5 - Thingie 10

This was a difficult session. I tried everything I knew and then some to get an image I created at http://www.signgenerator.org/ to upload but nothing would work. I went to http://www.imagechef.com/ and in just a few minutes I had everything done except adjusting the image size. I like the idea of using customized graphics instead of depending on ones you find on the Internet. It will be especially helpful when I need signs, etc. that work with my theme in the library each year.

Thing # 4

Well, it's taken several days to explore just the tip of all things RRS. I have my own blogline now - like the news and weather service but I'm not really into reading a lot of other people's blogs. I had hoped to find a good source of children's book reviews but haven't so far. Most of my time today was taken up deskunkifying my house after a half grown skunk waddled into my house about 4:30 this morning!!! Made it all the way down the hall to the master bedroom and bath before our dogs discovered him! I think a "reader service" could be helpful for our older students while doing research for a project but at the moment they would have to use it at home as our district currently blocks all things containing the word "blog."

Thing # 3

My Favorite Day in the RES Library
Originally uploaded by ilibra16

Wow! I must have made this harder than it should have been. It took me a long time to figure out how to get the photos from Flickr to the blog. I hope when you click the My Favorite Day link that the other five pictures from our author/illustrator visit with Sandra Philipson and Jenny Campbell are accessible. Would have been grand if I had known to upload the photos in reverse order to the Flickr page I created!! Lesson learned!Lots of potential at the mashup sites for posters, etc. to use in the library!

7 1/2 Habits and Me

After reading the tutorial, I was surprised that so many of the things that have always been "me" are listed as the habits of a lifelong learner. I don't know how I got that way. Was it my mother putting a book in my hands on the potty seat, my second grade teacher praising my reading (she also told me I had to color between the lines!), some inner faith that lets me know that I can search, find, read, and assimilate new skills? I wish I knew. I would gift these 7 1/2 skills to each and every Ridgeview student if I could more than any snippet of information, math formula, or conquest date, these habits would insure their success in almost anything they attempt.
I often find I am so busy being responsible or mentoring others that I do not leave much time for play but I am trying to do better. It's an important goal for me.