Amy in the Library

EDLD 5366 Graphic Design Week 4 Webpages

2012-02-14T11:40:00.000-06:00

This project at first appeared overwhelming. Although there were some frustrations and annoyances, I found this group project challenging. There was a sense of accomplishment when finishing that was very uplifting. https://sites.google.com/site/edld5366groupwebsite/home

EDLD 5366 Week 3 Stykz Animation

2012-02-03T08:01:00.000-06:00

EDLD 5366 Week 1 Ancient Manuscript : The Book of Kells

2012-01-23T11:00:00.000-06:00

The Book of Kells

Before selecting The Book of Kells for my ancient manuscript choice in the assignment, I viewed many beautiful and harmonic selections. A Bible from Ethiopia and the Libson Hebrew Bible used bold colors and were ornate and impressive. The Book of Kells however, was the manuscript that most impressed me. This was due to its significance of symmetry, symbolic meaning and pleasing elements of contrast,repetition, alignment and proximity.

The method used to emphasize the importance of the writing was that the initial letter in each gospel is illustrated. A full page is bestowed for the illustration of this word. Bold colors and strokes are used on these pages showing repetition as well as contrast. Repetition is also seen in the numerous Celtic knots and dots used along with the intertwined bodies of animals used to illustrated this ancient manuscript. The lettering is formal and rounded and appears to be similar to calligraphy which gives contrast to the white page and colorful artwork.The alignment of the lettering seems almost measured it looks so perfect. The proximity of the text in relation to the illustration is close enough not to confuse the reader and be pleasing and intriguing to the reader.

The Book of Kells contained mesmerizing design and symbolism. The manuscript was artistic, colorful and pleasing to the eye. The bold colors and ornate design gives one the feeling that the manuscript is distinct and monumental.

EDLD 5301 Week 5 Reflection of Course

2011-12-14T19:06:00.000-06:00

I have gained an abundance of information and knowledge in this course. When I first opened assignment on Week 1, I was shocked at how lost I felt. The books, video lectures, blogs, discussions and assignments have been instrumental during this course. Additionally these forums have been vital for my current action research on OverDrive Media. Without the time to work through the thought process, interviews, feedback and drafts, I could never have completed a fluid action research project that I felt comfortable moving forward on.

The week we viewed video lectures on action research had a tremendous impact on my learning. I was originally overwhelmed by the myriad of information shared by the gentlemen on action research. I found myself watching each video two to three times absorbed in the wealth of information they were sharing. It was through watching these videos I understood the practicality of action research as well as the impact action research can have on a school district, its campuses and student achievement.

The books for this class, “Leading with Passion & Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher” by Nancy F. Dana along with “Examining What We Do to Improve Our Schools: 8 Steps from Analysis to Action” by Sandra Harris et al both embodied an abundance of information about action research. Although both texts shared a wealth of knowledge the Harris text was more practical and easier for me to follow in the actual structure of action research. The Harris text proposes eight steps in a school improvement action research plan. Both texts discuss the importance of reflection; however, the Harris text has the questions at the end of each step. These are listed as either “Tools” or “Reflection Questions.” This provided the reader with a systematic avenue to reflection along with characterizing all steps involved in action research.

The discussion board for this course contributed to a thought provoking exchange of relevant ideas. I enjoyed that these discussions were reflective in nature and not just interpretation of textbook information. The blog reflections and action research plans were enlightening. Although I did not always comment, I appreciated the varied material and the insight I received from reading different blogs.

Transforming into a true educational leader of a school is not an overnight undertaking. To me this class was not only about research but molding us into true educational leaders for our school. Using the strategies and processes taught to us in this class will strengthen professional development and performance. This class has given me tools to inspire teachers and students to continue learning. I am also invigorated to use these tools in continuing my professional growth using reflection and collaborating with others.

Week 4 Reflection - Meeting with Site Supervisor & Agreed Upon Action Research Plan

2011-12-10T17:40:00.000-06:00

My site supervisor has repeatedly told me he supported my project but admits to not being overly tech savvy and actually loving what he calls “real books”. He is older and close to retirement but very supportive of my endeavors and has reiterated that he will support and help me the best he can. After reviewing my plan he thought it was quite good and that the process of events was fluid and showed a natural progression of each step that is to be undertaken. He agrees that using my district librarians as a resource and a part of my evaluations is very important since collaboration is very important when conducting action research. I was cautioned to make sure that I follow the timelines I had given as well as to make sure I had allowed adequate time to accomplish each task. He believes they will be able to better help me discover areas of concern and help me to in tweaking my plan during the process. My site supervisor very much liked that I discussed using food/ chocolate with the teachers to help get cooperation with surveys and interviews. He is hopeful that more students will use OverDrive Media with school Nooks and iPads. He encouraged me to continue the promotion of this initiative and training with both staff and students. This campus is new this year and teachers are from across the district. He noted that these different personalities would influence the types of literature that students would be interested in. Looking at the timelines that I allotted in my plan, I still believe these are adequate. I will keep a close eye on these timelines and make adjustments later if I see they are necessary. I agreed that every campus seems to develop their own personality and that is also reflected in books and in this case eBooks. We both agreed that since this campus was new and in its infancy this was a prime time to explore OverDrive Media and the types of books desired by both staff and students. My site supervisor and I both agree that this plan can provide some good data on OverDrive that can potentially benefit the district as a whole.

Action Research Plan

2011-12-06T19:45:00.000-06:00

Action Planning Template
Goal: To expand the usage of OverDrive Media and construct the eBook collection with the types of eBooks (MP3/EPUB) and genres most utilized by users.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Create Part 1 Survey for staff and students	Amy Clark	Dec. 1, 2011 to Jan. 16, 2012	Computer, printer and paper	Professional peer evaluation with other district librarians and self evaluation by Amy Clark along with Personal Reflection Journal
Pass out and collect surveys to all staff along with 4^th & 5^th grade students	Amy Clark and 4^th and 5^th grade teachers	Jan. 17, 2012 to Feb. 3, 2012	Surveys and pencil/pen	Staff and students completing the survey, professional peer evaluation with other district librarians and self evaluation by Amy Clark along with Personal Reflection Journal
Analyze surveys and create control group of those staff along with 4^th & 5^th grade students who use OverDrive Media	Amy Clark	Feb. 6, 2012 to March 2, 2012	Surveys completed by staff and students along with computer with internet access to OverDrive Media Management to set up control group	Professional peer evaluation with other district librarians and self evaluation by Amy Clark along with Personal Reflection Journal
Create a Part 2 Survey with checkout preference and suggestions	Amy Clark	March 5, 2012 to May 18, 2012	Computer, printer and paper	Professional peer evaluation with other district librarians and self evaluation by Amy Clark along with Personal Reflection Journal
Collect data from OverDrive Management on control group of staff and 4^th & 5^th grade students on types of eBooks check out (MP3/EPUB and genres)	Amy Clark	Collect data from March, April, and May during the time period of May 21-25, 2012	Computer with internet access to OverDrive Media Management statistics	Professional peer evaluation with other district librarians and self evaluation by Amy Clark along with Personal Reflection Journal
Pass out Part 2 Survey to control group of staff and 4^th and 5^th grade students	Amy Clark and 4^th and 5^th grade teachers	May 21, 2012 to May 25, 2012	Surveys, and pencil/pen	Staff and students completing the survey, professional peer evaluation with other district librarians and self evaluation by Amy Clark along with Personal Reflection Journal
Personal interview with staff of their views of OverDrive Media	Amy Clark	May 21, 2012 to June 15, 2012	Notes taking materials for interview (use either iPad or paper)	Professional peer evaluation with other district librarians and self evaluation by Amy Clark along with Personal Reflection Journal
Analyze data from Part 2 Surveys and statistics and data from OverDrive Media Management of the control group along with literature review to compliment findings	Amy Clark	June 1, 2012 to June 30, 2012	Data from Part 2 Survey from control group and data of usage from control group utilizing OverDrive Media Management statistics.	Professional peer evaluation with other district librarians and self evaluation by Amy Clark along with Personal Reflection Journal
Complete action research report	Amy Clark	July 1, 2012 To July 31, 2012	All surveys and data used in the project starting in January 2012 until May 25, 2012	Professional peer evaluation by other district librarians, Personal Reflection Journal by Amy Clark and professors of Lamar University
Share report with fellow district librarians, site supervisor and technology department	Amy Clark	August 1, 2012 to August 31, 2012	Completed action research project	Professional peer evaluation by district librarians, site supervisor and technology department

Format based on Tool 7.1 from Examining What We

Do to Improve Our Schools

(Harris, Edmonson, and Combs, 2010)

Week 3 Reflection

2011-12-04T10:34:00.000-06:00

I discovered it was beneficial to put down a timeline for my action research plan and to study the scope and sequence that my inquiry will require. After looking at my first draft, I realized some things needed to be changed and added. This reflection was extremely valuable. I am sure that my continued reflection may also give me areas to examine to improve upon my plan.

OverDrive Action Research Plan

2011-12-04T10:31:00.000-06:00

Action Planning Template

Goal: To expand the usage of OverDrive Media and construct the eBook collection with the types of eBooks (MP3/EPUB) and genres most utilized by users.

Action Steps(s): Person(s) Responsible: Timeline: Start/End Needed Resources Evaluation
1. Create Part 1 Survey for staff and students

Amy Clark Dec. 1, 2011
to
Jan. 16, 2012 Computer, printer and paper Professional peer evaluation with other district librarians and self evaluation by Amy Clark along with Personal Reflection Journal

2. Pass out and collect surveys to all staff along with 4th & 5th grade students

Amy Clark and 4th and 5th grade teachers

Jan. 17, 2012
to
Feb. 3, 2012
Surveys and pencil/pen
Staff and students completing the survey, professional peer evaluation with other district librarians and self evaluation by Amy Clark along with Personal Reflection Journal

3. Analyze surveys and create control group of those staff along with 4th & 5th grade students who use OverDrive Media

Amy Clark
Feb. 6, 2012
to
March 2, 2012
Surveys completed by staff and students along with computer with internet access to OverDrive Media Management to set up control group
Professional peer evaluation with other district librarians and self evaluation by Amy Clark along with Personal Reflection Journal

4. Create a Part 2 Survey with checkout preference and suggestions

Amy Clark
March 5, 2012
to
May 18, 2012
Computer, printer and paper
Professional peer evaluation with other district librarians and self evaluation by Amy Clark along with Personal Reflection Journal
5. Collect data from OverDrive Management on control group of staff and 4th & 5th grade students on types of eBooks check out (MP3/EPUB and genres)

Amy Clark
Collect data from March, April, and May during the time period of May 21-25, 2012
Computer with internet access to OverDrive Media Management statistics
Professional peer evaluation with other district librarians and self evaluation by Amy Clark along with Personal Reflection Journal
6. Pass out Part 2 Survey to control group of staff and 4th and 5th grade students
Amy Clark and 4th and 5th grade teachers
May 21, 2012
to
May 25, 2012
Surveys, and pencil/pen Staff and students completing the survey, professional peer evaluation with other district librarians and self evaluation by Amy Clark along with Personal Reflection Journal
7. Personal interview with staff of their views of OverDrive Media
Amy Clark May 21, 2012
to
June 15, 2012 Notes taking materials for interview (use either iPad or paper) Professional peer evaluation with other district librarians and self evaluation by Amy Clark along with Personal Reflection Journal
8. Analyze data from Part 2 Surveys and statistics and data from OverDrive Media Management of the control group along with literature review to compliment findings
Amy Clark
June 1, 2012
to
June 30, 2012
Data from Part 2 Survey from control group and data of usage from control group utilizing OverDrive Media Management statistics.
Professional peer evaluation with other district librarians and self evaluation by Amy Clark along with Personal Reflection Journal
9. Complete action research report

Amy Clark July 1, 2012
To
July 31, 2012 All surveys and data used in the project starting in January 2012 until May 25, 2012 Professional peer evaluation by other district librarians, Personal Reflection Journal by Amy Clark and professors of Lamar University
10. Share report with fellow district librarians, site supervisor and technology department
Amy Clark
August 1, 2012
to
August 31, 2012
Completed action research project
Professional peer evaluation by district librarians, site supervisor and technology department

2011-11-27T15:16:00.000-06:00

EDLD 5301 - Week 2 Reflection

Last week I was feeling lost and unsure of the direction for my action research project to follow. Truthfully, I was still unsure about action research! This week the readings and the interviews opened my eyes and I felt more prepared to move forward. Dr. Lewis' video interview stated that the topic must be relatable to the person doing the research. This statement had an impact and directed my thinking when I was working on the areas of 9 passions part of this weeks assignment. As my supervisor and I discussed topics for my research, they were all relatable to me and my current assignment. However, the topic that I chose, OverDrive Media, I have a passion for. That passion will drive my rigor with this action research project.

2011-11-19T16:31:00.000-06:00

What I have learned about action research….

Action research is responsive to the needs of the educational leader “in the trenches”. It is more flexible than other methods of research and the process is gradual. The questions and interpretations at the beginning of action research can later be challenged or refined so the research does not need to be abandoned if the data leads in a different direction. The researcher is an active participant. They cyclic process allows the participant(s) to learn from experiences along with allowing a continual reflection process. What impresses me most is that action research allows the educator to explore concerns in his applicable situation and through reflection and action practical solutions as well as improvements are discovered.
I have a small bit of experience with action research through being on a campus leadership team where our topic of inquiry was improvement of student discipline in common areas of the school. As discussed earlier, action research is a gradual process and we are continuing to reflect and refine a year later. I am excited about using action research to help me in the area of collection development in my libraries. I have chosen eBooks for my topic of inquiry in this class. I plan on taking action research to my group of district librarians which is a small group of six. I plan to facilitate our group forming our own professional learning community (PLC) and use action research to improve practices in our libraries.

How Educational Leaders Might Use Blogs

Educational blogs can be used as professional journals where feedback from colleagues could be useful along with insightful. Blogs can reach your inner group; being those educators you know, as well as, far away by a more diverse group. This can serve as a springboard for further discussion as well as for collaboration. Blogging can also be beneficial to update teachers/staff within a professional learning community. The readers of blogs can insert themselves and share by commenting on blog posts. Blogs can also serve as a reflective tool to observe how similar concerns or situations have been solved and these strategies can be revisited. Blogging encompasses 21st century learning and provides a resource for experiences, reflections and even actions to be shared with a larger professional community.

2009-11-30T08:10:00.001-06:00

Amy Clark STaR Chart

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Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020 Teaching and Learning

2009-11-24T17:53:00.000-06:00

The Teaching and Learning area of the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology has a broad vision that impacts learners of the 21st century. The No Child Left Behind legislation required that all students be technology literate by the 8th grade. Curriculum alignment and opportunities for educators to visit and observe effective classroom technology is essential for educators to be prepared for 21st century learners and classrooms.

Students must must have 24/7 technology tools and resources to be global learners. The learners must also be given real world problems and the opportunity to solve those problems collaboratively. Educators must follow research based plans and goals to increase student achievement.

Analyzing four elementary campuses in my district, I discovered that 50% of the elementary schools were at the Developing Technology standard. In looking at the 07-08 statewide standard summary the majority of campuses show to be in the Developing Technology level of progress. Therefore I believe the trend In the area of Teaching and Learning is at the Developing Technology level, but making strides of quickly moving to the Advanced Technology level.

To reach the Target Technology level it will take work and commitment by not only school districts, but from teachers along with funding by the state. It is my opinion that the state and local district must provide laptops for each student to have on demand access in order for the Target Technology level to be reached. It is also of my opinion that teachers will need more training and /or experience to reach the technology comfort level to have the ability to seamlessly integrate technology into all core areas of education. This goal of reaching the Target Technology level is achievable and in sight with the cooperation of all stakeholders.

Thing 23 - The End

2009-08-04T11:47:00.000-05:00

The ending of this course it only the beginning for what I will be able to do this school year!
I am so excited about everything that I have learned and have had the opportunity to play with this summer. From my summer experience I will be able to continue to "play" and share these wonderful experiences with both fellow professionals and students.

1. My favorite discoveries have been photostory and rollyo. I had heard people say how easy photostory was but I was skeptical...not any more! Being a librarian on multiple campuses and working on research units for different grade levels and school I find rollyo to be user friendly and very practical. I am very excited about including these two discoveries into my school year. Personally I have really enjoyed the rss feeds. I don't know that I will use this as much professionally as I will on a personal level.

2. This class has provided me the opportunity to stretch my wings with technology in a very practical and comfortable setting. I found being able to work on my own time frame to be very helpful and non -intimidating which is very comforting in learning new things. As a life long learning goals continue, I can see that I will look back on this program and recognize how instrumental it was on my growth in technology.

3. I was unexpectedly surprised when rollyo was my choice over delicious. I had used delicious before and was familiar with it. Therefore I went into rollyo thinking I would never really use it. However once I started playing and exploring rollyo I quickly discovered this was my choice! I was amazed that I switched my way of thinking and will only be using rollyo this year.

4. Library2play was a very pleasant educational experience. When I did have trouble with uploading my photostory a comment was quickly posted to help me. I never found myself in a panic that I couldn't make something work. I knew that the support I needed was available.

5. I would LOVE to take part in another discovery program like this. I especially enjoyed it being over the summer where I actually had time and didn't feel rushed. This has been a wonderful opportunity.

6. This learning experience has been like the heartbeat of technology.

Thing 22 - Nings

2009-07-29T15:45:00.000-05:00

Maybe I am on technology overload and everyone just needs to find their own niche. I found Nings to be very similar to wikis and blogs which today seem to be easier for my mind to grasp. I think for students who are open to more technology and ways to communicate with others Nings would be good. I do like the idea of trying to tie them into educational formats, but then again that could be done with Blogs or Wikis. As an elementary librarian I really see Nings being used more in the middle to upper grades. I can see myself exposing Nings to fellow teachers and students and let them run with it if they chose to. I think as librarians it is our job to expose students and teachers to many different formats. Just like books of different genres and we all have our favorites technology is the same way. But just because we don't care for a certain format doesn't mean we shouldn't try it and even share it. Who knows, maybe it is like your taste buds and some technology can be an acquired taste!

Thing 21 Podcasts and Vidcasts

2009-07-29T13:56:00.000-05:00

I have heard about photostory and had never used it. NOW I am so excited and my mind is racing with all the things I can do with it. I'm also thinking about how the students will enjoy using this for book report and or various projects. Photostory is very user friendly even for the novice!

I have a friend who lives in California who went and took pictures of all the Michael Jackson tributes after he died. I asked if I could share these photos with everyone and of course the answer was yes. I hope that everyone will enjoy this.

I have tried for 2 hours to post my photostory. I keep getting a message that I've listed below. The only customer support I have found is to post a question which I have done. I think my brain is fried today so I am going to move on and try this tomorrow. I am going to go ahead and post this to keep things in order and will come back and edit...hopefully getting my photostory uploaded! Aarrrrggg

Sorry, there was an error uploading your video. Please contact support and include the following information:
Blog Id:2378420211455348434Video Id:edeb014a0828e5f3

Thing 20

2009-07-26T21:14:00.000-05:00

Of course, I am familiar with Youtube. I think this is every teens favorite site! I know at the elementary level we are not able to access Youtbube. I heard of Teachertube this springs but hadn't looked until today. Constitution Day is a subject that is wanted one day a year. I have a few books that of course teachers have to share. I have used United Streaming in the past but Teachertube will be a great resource to use.

Thing 19 - Web 2.0 Awards

2009-07-26T20:29:00.000-05:00

I had to go to something fun first....music! Of the listed music sites I liked Last the best. I liked the free downloads and videos to watch. I have a friend who owns a radio station and I asked him his view on the sites listed...Last and Pandora. He told m that most station owners are not big fans of these sites since they prefer for people to be going to their websites and use the streaming.

I became familar with Urban Spoon this spring. My group at TLA didn't want to eat anywhere we could eat back home. One of the librarians was familiar with Urban Spoon and it was fun. I was in LA this summer and also had fun using Urban Spoon . I think Urban Spoon is a great source for people traveling as well as for those who like to try new foods and or restuarants

I was interested in self publishing and checked out Lulu. My mother self published a geneology book my grandmother had written before she died. This book is a family treasure. I would like to take the stories from my mother and other family members to publish for my family. The cost is not absorbadent being $500 to about $1,500. Obviously this cost would be prohibative in most school settings.

Thing 18 - Online Productivity

2009-07-23T15:05:00.000-05:00

I started using Google Docs this last school year. I go to multiple campuses and work with another librarian. I like that we can not only share but collaborate on a project. Using Google Docs is great resource when you travel from computer to computer and work with different people on a regular basis like I do as a traveling librarian. Sometimes we have had difficulties getting google documents to print the way that they preview, but overall I really like using it. In fact getting other teachers to use Google Docs is something I am planning on encouraging this year.

I was not familiar with Open Office but found it exciting. I think there are many students and adults who could benefit from this free resource. There are many that do not have the resources to purchase microsoft office. I like the templates that are readily available with Open Office. This will be a benficial site to share with many to be able to use wherever they are....work or home! I'm sure there are probably some drawbacks to Open Office although I have not played with it enough to find them. But as with any software or freeware there are pros and cons.

Thing 17 - Rollyo

2009-07-23T14:35:00.000-05:00

I like the idea of creating you own search engine. I was more familiar with Delicious so in the beginning I was lost. I enjoyed watching the video of how to use Rollyo. It was very helpful! After watching the video it was very simple for me to go in and create. I realized that being on different campuses I could have search engines for each campus since I am always doing something different. This is something I will play around with more. I think I can see me becoming a Rollyo user!
http://rollyo.com/index.html

Thing 16 - Wikis

2009-07-23T02:15:00.000-05:00

Wikis - oh how my group of librarians have tried to get this going! We have been so overwhelmed with many more campuses than librarians it just hasn't happened! I like the community wiki. A community wiki would be a great way for a campus to communicate with the librarian about what they have going on in the classroom and to work on collaboration. I also like the idea of a group of librarians being able to use a wiki to share information about books as well as lessons. I would personally love to have a wiki to share with my multiple campuses to use for research lessons. Wikis will help me be able present and share information with not only fellow librarians but also with teachers, students and the principal.

Thing 15 - Library 2.0

2009-07-23T01:55:00.000-05:00

I love my profession! Education is constantly changing, but I believe that librarians are some of the few that acutally embrace change and are ready to accept and learn new things. We don't like being in the dark ages we love continually learning and sharing all the new experiences with others, be it teachers, students or parents. I loved it when I read that Librarian 2.0 listens! We listen to the teachers and the students. We understand how to incorporate what is going on in the classroom to learning that will be relevant to students. We also understand that playing around with new technology is the best way to learn it. So many times others don't want to allow that "play" time. But that time to just play with something new and allow ourselves and others to mess up and try again until we get it! We celebrate those attempts that may be looked as failures by others because we know those unsuccessful attempts will turn into success after enough time is given to keep at that new concept / technology. Teachers are much more fearful of those unsuccessful attempts at newer technology than students. It is that fear that keeps many teachers from branching out and making learning relevant to today's students. The only way to become proficient with the ever changing and new technology is to play! So as Librarian 2.0 we get to reach our hand out to teachers and let them know it is alright to not be successful the first few times they try something. Students aren't afraid to try and part of our job is to bring the teacher and student together in their learning and making it relevant to them and to this generation it is with technology!

Thing 14 - Technorati

2009-07-23T01:36:00.000-05:00

What a great way to find specific blogs on specific subjects. I liked being able to narrow the search by using tags. This advanced search was very helpful. I found the date and time reference of current post a wonderful asset. This would be helpful and a time saver when looking for newer and relevant posts on a topic.

I wasn't surprised that I didn't follow many of the popular blogs. I always liked the "hole in the wall" type stores and restaurants and I guess blogs are the same way! I couldn't resist and had to search MJ (Michael Jackson). Yes, there were an overload of blogs! There were a little over 141,000 blogs on Michael. I have to admit it was fun! Something I would not have done during the school year! But it is fun to learn about things on a personal / fun level! I will be more likely to remember.

#13 - Tagging

2009-07-23T01:14:00.000-05:00

Over the years of having multiple campuses I have simply saved websites to the network at school so I could access them on my different campuses. I became familiar with Delicious a couple of years ago. This last school year I really took a look at this site and realized how helpful this could be to me and also save huge amounts of time. With three campuses last year I didn't even have time to "play" with this site. I am planning on moving everything over to Delicious here in the next few weeks.

I can see where having an account for students / schools to use would be helpful for research or lessons. This is a great way to organize that would save time for me as a librarian, but also for students and teachers! Tagging reminds me of a card catalog for websites!

When I went to Magnolia it was under construction and I couldn't play with it. The Furl came up diigo and that was interesting. However other than Delicious I found Digg to be the most user friendly and the easiest to use. Digg is a tagging site that I can see recommending and sharing with professionals and students.

Thing 12 - Commenting

2009-07-23T00:56:00.001-05:00

I really enjoy reading varioius blogs. I find it heps me to broaden my views. However, like many, I am a lurker. I hesitate leaving comments. I think this is because I feel my comments won't be useful or enjoyable to anyone.l I know if I will try to leave short and relevant comments I might actually create a dialogue...wouldn't that be fun!

I have a friend in California who is an avid blogger. He is also an author ready to bloom! I think blogging helps him in his writing. I follower his blog and find it interesting on what he chooses to write about..just about everything from politics, architecture and sports. Even though I have known this friend for years and feel comfortable commenting...I don't. As I continue to follow his blog, I am going to force myself to leave comments and see what happens. I will keep them short and relevant.

I also have a video blog that I follow of a musician/singer. This is quite fun! If you have never heard of Imogene Heap...you need to follow her!
http://vodpod.com/watch/876748-imogen-heap

#11 - LibraryThing

2009-07-23T00:48:00.000-05:00

This site is awesome and I will be using it. I like the ability to be able to keep a list of books going and be able to access it from my phone when I am at a bookstore! The ability to join an online book club with those that share your interests could be fun! Everyone in your club can share at their convenience! This site will be good to find information on new boks and authors. Readers are given a wonderful opportunity to share comments on the message boards with those that share their interests. This site provides something for all avid readers of all ages!

Thing 10 - Online Image Generator

2009-07-23T00:27:00.000-05:00

My kids and I had fun tonight with the comic strip generator. As you can see from what I created above, I had some fun! I liked that this was free and you didn't have to register to use any of these images that you were going to post. I also like ImageChef.com. I think teachers and students will use this. There are many things students and teachers can use fron online image generators to be creative and have fun. Who says students can't have fun with learning. Poetry is always popular in the spring after TAKS. I can see students and teachers being open to using poetry images.

Thing 9 - Blog Search

2009-07-22T23:58:00.000-05:00

I didn't really find Edublogs very helpful because it seemed to be just a voting on blogs that individuals find useful. Bloglines was intersting to look at, but there were WAY too many results. Although I enjoyed looking through them, I can't imagine having the time during the school year to actually find that much time to browse. If I had the time I think it would take too long to sort through to find something specific to use at school. I can see using this site as a recommendation to those professionals that simply have the time (no children) to just browse and enjoy browsing., I found the Technorati was easy to use and was easy to self direct myself through. This is a blog search I can actually see my using and recommending to my friends and fellow professionals.

Thing 8

2009-06-18T15:15:00.000-05:00

I love the idea of the RSS and readers! I can see where this will save me so much time. Instead of me going to the blogs....they come to me and at my convenience! I can see where this is going to save me so much time and help me grow professionally. I can see where the RSS and readers can also be enjoyable just for personal interests and followings of those things.

I think for me I need to set up a reader for my personal interests. This way I will keep my personal and professional separate. What I like about the idea of the RSS and readers is that I have one location to go to when the time is right for me! I can see where the idea of creating folders to help me keep things organized will also be helpful. I am also thinking that I should set aside time once or twice a week when I go and take the time to catch up on the blogs that I have subscribed to. In doing this I will devote a specific time to professional growth. Of course doing this for my personal interest blogs will be much easier.

I think sharing the usage of RSS and readers with others at school will also help in their professional growth. It can also be used as a huge time saver. Once teachers have practiced this on their own I think they will be much more open to setting up a classroom blog or grade level blog and then these could easily followed. So much of new technology I feel is getting a comfort level. I believe, at least for me, that once I have achieved that level on a personal basis it is easy for me to share it with others. I think this will be the same for teachers. I know after this summer I will feel comfortable sharing this new tool with fellow educators. I already have an idea of a few teachers that I am going to really work with as soon as school starts. I am hoping that I will then be able to persuade them to try this blogging and google reader as a classroom project. I even think about pulling a few students out of each class at each grade level and starting something myself so the teachers can see how easy it is!!!

I think lifelong learning is all about keeping your mind open to new and different ideas. Not being afraid to try new things and even to mess up is a part of being open minded to new ideas. None of us try without messing up in some particular way. I think as we take these new ideas to our fellow educators and let them know that is okay to feel like they can mess up and it isn't the end of the world. In keeping a sense of humor along with an upbeat spirit, I think I can get many of my fellow professionals to attempt blogging and using google reader to follow blogs.

Thing 7 - Google

2009-06-15T10:51:00.000-05:00

I already had an igoogle and was using this a little but not to the fullest extent that I could.
I am a librarian for several elementary schools and also work with other librarians in my district. This year we used google documents a little but we had difficulties sometimes opening them up. It could be because we didn't use the email address for sharing. Today I created a document for computer usage at one of my campuses in google documents and then shared it with a fellow elementary librarian in my district. We have also used this for other documents like "Reading Off Your Fine" and Bluebonnet ideas that we have. This makes it very simple to share and we can even make it where we could change the documents to make it a work in progress between the two of us.

I also created a google calendar. Again, I travel campuses...this year it has been three different campuses but next year will only be two campuses! YEAH!! For right now my calendar is very boring with mainly personal stuff but a few school / library items. I can see how this tool can be very valuable to my group of librarians. Most of us travel and have many things on our agenda and it is hard to keep up with. Using the calendar and sharing it with our group will make it much easier to keep up with each other and what we are doing. What is also cool is you can only allow those you share this with to only view certain items....like school not personal.

I also put a couple of pictures in the Picasa Web Album but I'm not sure if others can view them. I'm still going to work on that. Again, this is another great way to share what is going on from campus to campus with others. It would be a great way to share pictures when putting together a district powerpoint or some other type of document or brochure.

I can see how Google will play a much larger role next year with me professionally. I am sure with our growing number of librarians in the district we can use this format to share as well as stay in touch with what each other is doing. Using new formats is just a matter of practice and trial and error. That is one reason why practicing with these different formats and ideas over the summer is a good way to start. At least for me, I don't have all the pressures of the school year and so my frustration level is low and I am enjoying experimenting!

Thing 6

2009-06-10T10:26:00.000-05:00

Don't know what happened here....I uploaded the wrong picture and I can't seem to get it out!

I loved playing around with the mashups. It was a lot of fun. I can see how this could be used to really get the students interested in being creative. Wouldn't it be fun to use the trading cards for book characters! Students could create them to help promote their favorite books! I can see using the calendar as well especially since I am a traveling librarian. I couldn't get the pictures to upload using Flickr but I will keep playing with it. This is all opening an entire new and fun world!!

Thing 5

2009-06-10T08:11:00.000-05:00

I enjoyed looking at the pictures on Flickr. Animal pictures are always some of my favorite. I am a huge dog lover! This picture I though showed a playfulness between two pets. It looked like they were both having fun.

Flickr was easy to browse and look for pictures. Saving a pictures was also very simple. This blog also had simple access to being able to upload the picture that I chose.

Thing 3 Setting up a blog

2009-06-08T14:16:00.000-05:00

Setting up a blog was easy. Anyone who is not tech savy could easily follow directions to set up a blog and avatar. It is fun being able to choose something fun for your avatar. Doing something like this where very few people actually know you makes it easy to have a fun or even outragous avatar! For those people who don't know you having a fun avatar helps them get an insight to your personality.

Thing 2 - Lifelong Learning

2009-06-05T14:33:00.000-05:00

Lifelong learning allows individuals to stay current in their career and the world around them. It also is a way of connecting to younger generations. Lifelong learning also keeps the mind active and creative juices flowing. Learning new things can also boost self esteem and self reliance. As a librarian lifelong learning will allow me to keep up with those librarians fresh out of school as well as with those students who are already current in many of the new technologies that are up and coming.

In lifelong learning the most difficult thing for me is setting a specific goal. My goals are usually too broad and then I easily get off task. I have to make myself select a specific goal so I am unable to veer off in a different direction or get distracted. The easiest thing for me as a lifelong learner is to teach others. That comes very natural to me. I am an outgoing people type person and enjoy working with other. I am always happy to work with others teaching them and demonstrating new ideas as well as mentoring others.