The Adventures of a Children's Librarian

I wanted to do a top ten list of the things that I learned in this class over the summer:

(10)  RSS feeds. Yes, I didn't know how to do it and now I do. Joy!!
(9) How to use google docs in order to collaborate with others.
(8) How to Tweet!
(7) How to use Audacity.
(6) Posting podcasts and listening to them. I absolutely adore Story Nory.
(5)  I learned about wikis and how to post on them.
(4) Blog safety. This was an important part of my final paper.
(3) One word and three syllables: del.icio.us. I now have my own bookmarked links that I can refer to from any computer.
(2) Text messaging (a real biggy).
(1) Using new technology in the library to inspire creativity and participation from students.

Copyright has always been an issue in all schools at one point or another. I remember being in high school and having my biology teacher attack one of the students for "plagiarism" in front of the entire class. I wouldn't have gone about it in that kind of way. I guess I tend to assume that most students and teachers are pretty much unaware of what they are doing in terms of copyright infringement, so what does that exactly say about school systems...

Obviously they have a lot of work to do.

I come from a time where plagiarizing from the web was just in its infancy (yes, I went to school in the early 90s). I'm sure hundreds of students went undetected because teachers were just hearing about this thing called "The Internet." But, now that we are fully aware of the problems that come hand and hand with having the Internet as a source of information, what can be done about it? Of course the answer is education and this is exactly where school librarians can come into play.

School librarians are indispensable when it comes to teaching students and teachers about what sources to use and how to use them appropriately. In other words, it is the school librarians responsibility to show the school community what databases should be used for research papers. Pathfinders for class projects will also lead students to sources that have been screened by librarians and teachers. Of course this seems rather controlling, but how can we keep track of where students are getting their information? Education is key and if students are not aware of what is available to them in the library, they are more likely to wander around on the Internet or take the first available site that turns up after a Google search.

School librarians should also teach teachers and students about plagiarism and how to avoid it. The librarian could have courses specifically designed to show incoming students, such as freshmen in high school, about how to quote sources or cite their information properly. This would certainly help librarians become a necessity to a school...and who knows, maybe this will lead to a curriculum framework for school libraries. :-)

After making such a big deal about texting and even venting about last week on Skype, I've given in and started texting with my friends. A couple of them texted me on Thursday night and I started texting back via my phone. I'm not used to it yet, but I actually responded back instead of calling, which took a lot of restraint on my part. They were surprised that I didn't complain and tell them to just call me. I have to say that I'm really used to writing long sentences, but I had to be so brief and concise because it took me 10 minutes to write just a couple of sentences.

So, what has this led me to...

It's completely possible for me to use text messaging in the library and classroom. I shouldn't be so scared or against making it "easy" for my students to learn or communicate with me. Maybe it's not such a bad idea to use text messaging to remind students that their book is due or that their reserve materials are ready. Here are some other ideas on how to use text messaging in the school library:

-Telling students about various events in the library, such as author visits.
-Informing students of new materials in the library. There were a lot of kids who were thrilled that the new Harry Potter had arrived in our library and that it would be out on the shelf on Monday, so why not let them know with a text..."HARRY IS HERE!!"
-Maybe we could teach students about the Dewey Decimal System by creating a Dewey hunt in the library using cell phones and text messages with clues as to how to locate items using Dewey.
-Asking students to text you the main point of a book during a book club meeting.

There are plenty of other ideas out there and these are just a few that I thought of off of the top of my head.  One of my favorite ideas is learning a foreign language or English as a second language by using text messaging. Here's a posting about the use of texting in such a learning situation....

http://joedale.typepad.com/integrating_ict_into_the_/2007/02/textmessaging_a.html

What a great idea! :-)

As I begin my Innovation in the LMC project, I want to put down my thoughts about what technologies I would like to incorporate into the school library once I have set up shop. I definitely want to set up a blog that can help build book clubs in each grade, especially upper grades in the elementary school. I've seen a couple of  book club blogs and I really like them.

 http://www.childlitbookclub.blogspot.com/

http://thebookblogger.com/sfbc/

http://bbcb.blogspot.com/

I haven't seen too many that involve elementary schools and students, so I think my program will be quite unique. I think this will be a way of gaining more participation since children that may be shy about participating in person can join via the Internet.  Children will be able to post comments on the blog (comments will be screened by the librarian) concerning what they have read. The librarian would also be able to post questions on the blog that the students can think about while they are reading the selected text. Students may also submit a review or they can do a podcast book review, which can then be posted on the blog as well. The book club will reach a new level when kids are able to see their opinions about the book posted online. It will also give parents a chance to see what their children are reading and perhaps read along and examine the text as well.

The best part about the blog is that the librarian can post links to other useful sites that may have to do with the text that the kids are reading. For example, students may be reading The Chronicles of Narnia, so the librarian can put up a link that leads to a recipe for Turkish Delight. Crafts and recipe links as well as websites that may contain further information about a particular topic will be of interest to students in the book club. Another example would be when students are reading a story about the Salem Witch Trials, the librarian could post links about the real history of the witch trials. The links to various informitive websites are meant to further the interest of the participants of the book club and to also get them to further explore the book's content.

I think that using a blog is rather easy to do because the software is usually available online for free, so it will not cost the school any additional money to install it. A simple training workshop for teachers, students and parents can also be provided by the school librarian. For the most part, I think everyone will be able to learn how to blog and enjoy the experience. The librarian must also provide information about Internet safety and tell the students not to post any personal information online. I found a pretty nifty FTC safety tips page that all parents and children should read.

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/tech/tec14.shtm

After reading many of the articles for my LIS460, I've itching to write down all the ideas that I want to incorporate into my own future school library. So, I'm going to list of few ideas before they escape me. These could all serve as great first year tips.

(1) E-mail teachers each day with helpful links to websites that have to do with their subjects. This would not only show that there is technology out that they can use, but it would also show that the librarian has more to offer than just shelving picture books. The daily e-mail will also help remind teachers that the librarian is available for collaboration with new resources and ideas that perhaps the teaching staff has not seen or heard of before.
(2) Create a blog. The librarian should update the blog on a daily or weekly basis. The link should be available to the principal, teaching staff, students and other movers and shakers in the school community. The librarian should let everyone know that it is an integral part of the school and that things are going on! For example, the librarian could post podcasts with student book reviews or photos from a recent author visit. Links to various useful homework websites or special links to school projects could also be put up on the blog. The blog should be useful to users and be kept up to date.
(3) Invite teachers and staff to technology nights. Show teachers and others how to use flickr, livejournal, google docs or how to create a podcast. They'll learn something new, which will help them collaborate on projects with the librarian. It will also be a fun way to socialize on a weeknight with maybe some snacks.
(4) Circulate a Google docs amongst teachers for book recommendations when ordering books for the following school year.
(5) Ask parent volunteers if they have any skills that they might be willing to contribute to the library. For example, there might be a tech guru that could help you out with some of the workshops that you could offer to teachers and students. Perhaps one the parents is artistic and could paint a mural in the library. Ask for help on the blog or the school's website.
(6) http:// www.gubb.net. A great site, where you can make to-do-lists. It gets busy in the library and this will help any first year teacher librarian organize his or her priorities.
(7) Have students and teachers create and share de.li.cious. accounts. This will help keep track of useful websites used for student and teacher projects. Students and teachers can share their sites and teachers can use them the following for another class if the sites are still relevant.
(8) Breathe. Try not to take things too seriously.
(9) Accomplish as much as you can during your first year, but remember that you probably won't be able to get your library running the way you want it for another two years.
(10) Create an RSS feed from relevant sites, such as School Library Journal and read the feeds each day in order to keep up with library news, helpful tips, and new book releases.

These are only a few tips that I've picked up on, but they're all extremely useful and I fully intend on using them. What do you think? Add any that you can think of. :-)

I've been thinking a lot about podcasts and how to incorporate them into a school library setting. Before LIS460, I had used Audacity to record a couple of Babysitters Club books. Yes, I know it's illegal, but unfortunately there are not enough books on CD for people that are blind, especially if those books are out of print. I decided to do a friend a favor and record the books that she had requested.  At first, I thought Audacity would be hard to use, but surprise, surprise, it turned out to be fun and easy. Maybe I like hearing my own voice even though it does sound like I have a head cold all the time.  Cutting out the "ahs" and "ums" left me feeling satisfied with my handy work and adding the music was a lot easier than I imgained it would be. The only problem that I really ran into was finding the music that I wanted.  I'm sure there's plenty of music available out there, but most require you to ask for permission or pay for the use of it, and to be quite frank, I was one of those people that went on that Napster craze all those years ago and I don't like paying for music or asking for permission. I know, I know, it sounds horrible, but I'm pretty lazy.

I'm getting really off track here.  Plus, I'm talking about illegal activities, which could probably get me into a boat load of trouble, so please dont' report me.

Anyway, while doing my project for LIS460, I got a chance to see what makes a good podcast and a bad one.  Good podcasts have enthusiastic people with content that is organized and somewhat entertaining. Bad podcasts have flat voices that drone on and on. Actually, I think I tended not to focus on the content if the people sounded as if they would rather be doing anything else other than podcasting. So, how does one build excitement for podcasting in a school or a school library for that matter?  I guess you really need to give your students guidelines, but also some room to improvise. If they need to do a podcast maybe they can choose the topic that interests them the most. For example, in the library you could have students review their favorite book and then post it on the library's blog. I wouldn't force them to post about a book that they were required to read for a history class.

Another way of using a podcast within a school library setting is to have students create stories and have them perform them on a podcast or perhaps the librarian could give weekly updates as to what is going on in the library, such as author visits or upcoming book releases. Perhaps the librarian can tell parents and students about an emerging technology and how to use it in the library, such as the smartboard and its uses. When I think about what podcasts can do for a school library, I can't wait to try it out in my very own. :-)

Hello,
This journal will cover a variety of topics including: children's literature, school libraries and issues that are covered in my LIS 460 class. I must remind everyone that comments are welcomed, but please refrain from being insulting. Remember that these are purely my thoughts and opinions, so don't take anything too personally. Feel free to friend me. I hope that I can be lively and entertaining even if you're not a librarian.