For Whom the Bell Told: MA Bell's Blog About Librarianship and Technology

Do I Write Like a Guy???

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:54:00 +0000

I just tried out Gender Genie, for which the maker created an algorythm that analyzes a writing sample and tells whether the author is male or female. I used a blog entry first and then an opening to a recent article. Both times Genie said the stuff was WRITTEN BY A MALE!!! Both times!

http://bookblog.net/gender/genie.php

I think the GUY who wrote the algorythm is sexist! Reason being words that are said to be "male" vs "female." Personal pronouns are judged to be "female," for example. Creepy! Bleh!

UPDATE: OK I wrote this several days ago. Then I did read a little more about it online and found it was actually more for fun than for real, and that the creator agreed it had no more accuracy than flipping a coin. But, he added, it was a fun approach for people to take to analyzing their writing. I am now officially forgiving him. Give it a try and see what you get. One blogger cautioned not to use this tool to help you pick out potential dates if you are picky about gender.

Oh and one more thing...this time about me. When I was told I "write like a guy," I had a teeny bit of a good feeling. As if that were a COMPLIMENT. The same thing happened to my daughter recently when a fellow musician told her she "played guitar like a man." She was playing slide at the time. She admitted feeling a little bit good about that, too. So there is sexism out there regarding the creative arts, and I am not immune myself.

Does Internet Communication Reduce Face to Face Contacts? Nah and Double Nah!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 20:47:00 +0000

I have been thinking today about one cliche that absolutely does not hold true for me. Several years ago there was a lot of hoo hah about how the Internet isolates people. The premise was that people were online all the time rather than communicating ftf (face to face), that the art of conversation was dying, that cell phones and computers were turning people into cocooning hermits, yadda yadda. Not so for me! And I bet it isn't true for you either. My experience the last two days is a case in point. Yesterday my dear old dog, Ringo, got sick. Something he ate, I thought, and told myself he would get better like he had always done before. But no, not this time. As the afternoon wore on, he just got worse, My vet does not keep weekend hours but I talked with someone about the emergency clinic in the next town. By the time I got back to Ringo from that call, he was gone. Since losing my husband to cancer and since my daughter lives in Oregon, my household has been just me and the guys, furry guys, for a number of years. I still have my fearless cat Willie, who is intrepid despite only having 3 good legs, and my new guy, a 2 year old lab/cur mix named Son. Still when Ringo was gone I had no one to talk to. That is a lonely feeling. After getting him to the emergency clinic to be dispatched for cremation, I returned to a dark house. I did not really feel like talking to anyone other than my daughter, and turned down an offer for a late supper. After a while I posted to Facebook about my sad news and in no time I had over 20 messages, some from friends and students who knew my old pal, and some from people I have never even met ftf. While surfing the net during the day as I tried to gauge the severity of Ringo's symptoms, I found a number of support groups for people who have lost beloved pets. I don't think I will sign on with one of those, but have in the past benefited from groups supporting caregivers for cancer patients and also for one helping people struggle through the doctoral dissertation process. So if you ask me, the Internet HELPS rather than hinders communication. I feel very fortunate for all my friends, both virtual and real-time. So much for the silliness that online communication detracts from face-to-face. They are two different things entirely, and often one augments the other.

Whackamole and Wild Dogs Redux

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:05:00 +0000

I have been thinking about whackamole and wild dogs for several days now. These two disparate mental pictures symbolize stress for me. Years ago when my life felt about 95% out of control, I enjoyed going to pizza restaurants with my young daughter and playing whackamole, that game where you have a mallet and every time a head pops up you whack it soundly. I found this activity very satisfying because I named the heads after various projects and also named some after people who I thought were making my life miserable (Take THAT Mr.Ex!).

Another analogy for having too many irons in the fire is the perception that I am being pursued by wild dogs who are snapping and slathering at my heels. These dogs bear the names of projects with due dates closing in on me. The last several days have been devoted to battling these dogs. Today, though, I started thinking about the last time I felt this way. I was pretty sure I even blogged on the topic before. So I just now looked up my previous whackamole/wild dog account and it was dated December 4, 2008! That means one year ago to the very week I was in the same spot! Well, I got through with everything then and I will get through it this time! I hope.

This time the the biggest dog is named IMLS, as in Institute of Museum and Library Services. I am working on our department's third grant...the first two were awarded in 2007 and 2009. Now we are going for a third. No matter how much thought and work has gone into the early stages, the last days of preparing a grant for submission are tedious and hectic. Today I assembled all the documents, with the help of our grants office. They are now on the way to be examined and signed. Am I breathing a sigh of relief? Well, not really. But I am hoping to do so day after tomorrow, my target day for submitting, all of one week prior to the due date.

The next dog is one I wrote about last year at this time...Belltones. Yep, I had a column due this week just like last year. This bad boy has been beaten back again. I sent off my latest column about an hour ago. For this, I CAN breathe a sigh of relief. But Ol' Beller will be back in late January since my next due date is the first week of February.

The third dog is named Digital Native. I was invited to write a chapter for a book about digital natives. I have already had two drafts exchanged with my longsuffering editor, and am hoping to finish up final revisions within days. Then there are two other dogs gaining on me. One is called Portfolio. Our graduates create a portfolio for a final project, and their creations are due today. Which leads me to the last dog, named Grading. I must do my part in grading all portfolios as well as grade all remaining work of students in my Fall 2009 classes. Will I prevail? Will I whack down all the heads and fight off all the snarling dogs? Well I did it last year! Hope springs eternal.

Remembering Dani

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:45:00 +0000

I have gotten myself to the place where I vowed never to go, that of letting my blog languish. The way I do this to myself is that I get very busy and miss my internal deadlines. Then I feel guilty and tell myself that if I AM going to post something, it had better be significant to make up for the missed/lost time. Then I postpone because I cannot come up with a topic that makes up for my absence. But I am doing more here than just renewing my commitment to my blog...I am keeping my promise to start back with a very important post. For weeks I have been thinking about writing another bittersweet entry in which I remember a former student who was taken far too soon in life. So this blog is about Dani Faulk.

From the first session of the first class I taught with Dani, I recognized her as an exceptional student. She already possessed the confidence and ability that I seek to impart in students regarding technology. She was one of those students who would need extra freedom in order for her to develop her abilities. She did not take the easy route of doing assignments by putting to work what she already knew, but went beyond to learn new skills and explore new ideas. In short, she was the sort of student who was a natural for graduate studies without needing an explanation of what that means. Other qualities that made her special were her enthusiasm and her willingness to share. She was a leader in classes, and often took the role of encourager with students who were not so readily adept. Her sense of humor shone through in many of her assignments. In particular I remember a final project she did for the class I teach called Internet for librarians. She chose to explain “Netiqutte” to her staff and students. She created a powerpoint, which at that time was the tool assigned, and in her slides she used her Nancy Pearl, Library Action Figure doll. She knew, as do all my students, that Nancy is something of a doppelganger for me. In each slide, she would recommend “do's” and “don'ts” with Nancy delivering the admonitions. For the “don'ts” she armed Nancy with a little AK47 swiped from one of her sons. I loved the assignment and wished aloud for guns for my own Nancy. Within a few days, I received a greeting card with the guns enclosed. That was Dani, going beyond the expected in generosity as well as in her work.

I know her students loved her. I know in the short years after she finished her MLS she inspsired a lot of kids to read and helped a lot of people learn how to learn. What I don't know is why she had to leave us so soon.

Digital Natives: Wonderful WONDERFUL Video!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:24:00 +0000

Recently I posted an entry here and also to the Classroom 2.0 Ning about digital natives. (http://drmabell.blogspot.com/2009/09/what-do-kids-really-know.html). I got several very nice responses at the ning and one more here. My question was...what do kids know, and also what do the NOT know? My contention is that they do indeed have an affinity for technology that "digital immigrants" do not have. Also they do have a fearlessness and desire to use tech at school. BUT they lack important other information including how to search efficiently, how to evaluate material, and how to be safe and smart online.

Here is a video that was shared along with some other response over at Classroom 2.0, and super thanks to Doug Valentine for sharing:
http://www.schooltube.com/video/41261/Hope-for-Technology-A-conversation-with-Digital-Natives

To view the whole conversation, go here:

http://www.classroom20.com/forum/topics/what-do-kids-really-know

I would love to have more conversation/comments, either here or at the Ning. One thing that has not been addressed is the concern I have that part of what kids do NOT know is how to be safe and smart online. We need to be teaching that much more, I contend.

Timely piece to share: "People of Color" by Linda Herring Behrend

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:10:00 +0000

One cool thing about Facebook is that you reconnect with many people. My daughter had a wonderful English teacher in high school for a couple of AP classes. They happened to share the last name, Herring. When Linda moved away, I lost track of her but then Emily found her former mentor on FB. It is nice to know she is happy and doing well. Here is a piece she wrote this week. that I think contains a message we can all appreciate:

PEOPLE OF COLOR

People without color,
Those pale souls so colored by blood,
Stains of that un-Civil War,
A war over a workforce:
The abuse of human muscle lashed by the un-human colorless.

Almost 150 years hence, some still wish for plantation ‘splendor,’
Scarlet stained blood of ones of color.
Lily white hands stained by the scarlet savagery of slavery.

Centuries later, the stains remain,
Re-bloodied by each act of savagery.

The colorless pray for a heaven unavailable to them
So bloodied by the bane of slavery.

Until all are of color, the color of kindness and kinship.
Until that day…

Thank you, Linda, for allowing me to share this here. Emily and I remain among your most fervent fans!

Collection with Great Flash Displays of Pictures and Documents

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 01:36:00 +0000

Last week I went looking for a site that I want to use in an upcoming presentation about visual literacy. I thought it was a museum site, and I remembered a page with lots of graphics that were beautifully presented. When you clicked on one, you would get basic information and from there you could click again and get more detail if you wished. Sadly I had not tagged the site and could not remember how to find it. I thought it was a museum in either Washington DC or New York but the places I checked, while having great websites, were not the one I wanted. I even wondered if I had imagined the site! Finally I posted to Texas Library Connection (TLC) and Library Media Specialists Network (LM_NET) asking for help finding this resource. I got some wonderful responses, but on the first day, no one offered the one I remembered. The next morning, though, my hopes were fulfilled. Here is my posting with the good news:

I KNEW someone would find this site for me! I HAD FAITH that I was not completely crazy in remembering it. Somehow I failed to tag it. The site is...drumroll...National Archives' Digital Vaults/National Archives Experience. The URL: http://www.digitalvaults.org/
I know I said museum, but to me that is a type of museum...and I said art, and it is more like prints...but even with those miscues, I got my site. Thanks to everyone for suggestions, many of which were also great ones. Bottom line, most major museums have a compelling flash display for their online images. Here is THE SITE and thanks to Mary Beth Huba, from Benold Middle School, Georgetown, TX! And Mary Beth, I don't know if you got my personal thanks but I did send. It was rejected once by the district spam filter. That's me, your trusty spam mailer! Cheers, mabell

If you have not visited this site, take time to go. I looked at a lot of other great locations but this one is still my favorite.

Wordle for George H.W.Bush's Address to School Children

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:40:00 +0000

CLICK IMAGE TO SEE MORE CLEARLY...It seems to me that comparing/contrasting the two speeches would be a great activity for secondary students, and maybe for some other folks also...

Wordle for Obama Education Speech

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:21:00 +0000


BLURRY TEXT!! Click on image for clearer view...



CLICK ON IMAGE TO GET BETTER RESOLUTION AT WORDLE SITE. Like me, it is randomized and scattered.

Do you see any controversial words???

Site 'O Day: Educational Origami

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:26:00 +0000

URL: http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/

Educational Origami is a wiki that is chock full of information for educators who want to use technology in classrooms, labs, and libraries. It is where I link up to the free book, Bloom's Digital Taxonomy, by Andrew Churches, and this wiki is his site. There is so much great information here that I do not feel I can adequately describe it other than to say...just go look! Kudos to Mr. Churches for his generosity in sharing this site and the entire book he has written! The book is well worth downloading and is very up-to-date with references to tools we should all know about NOW.

What's on When?

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:54:00 +0000

I have tons of sites at my Delicious page, including many tagged "Share." These are sites I love and want to remember to share with students and colleagues...but I never share them! Too busy. So my latest resolve is to post one every day (OK almost every day) with a SHORT description. Here is one I have been meaning to mark and close, that has been sitting open for a procrastinating week. It is called What's on Where, and is a travel site to let you know what is going on in cities and countries all over the world. I looked up NYC because I am planning to take a student group back there this coming June. Sadly I will miss the Salsa Congress and the Brooklyn Book Festival but the museums will still be there and going strong. Closer to our date the site will be even more relevant.If you travel a lot, or want to plan a trip, this is a great tool to add to your collection. Enjoy!

PS My embarrassingly disorganized Delicious links are at: http://delicious.com/drmaryannbell
Oh and...I also have a tag called "revisit" for sites I want to visit again because they are so cool. I never get around to that either. But I know one of these days I can!

What do kids really know?

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:18:00 +0000

My question is...what do kids really know about technology and the Internet? I just posted this over at Classroom 2.0 and thought I would post here too. I admit to being a little nervous about posting to Classroom 2.0 because I am largely inactive there and feel very much a newby. Hoping for discussion from whatever venue I can exploit. Here is my query:

I am aware there has been a great discussion on this topic. It is called "Are They Really Digital Natives?? But no one has visited/responded in nearly a year. I would love some more recent discussion on the topic. Yes, I am writing an article and looking for quotes, and will hope to garner some plus permission to use. But I am also really concerned about this. Too often, I fear, some educators assume kids know a lot more than is the case about technology and the Internet. They assume kids don't need too much instruction or direction because as "digital natives" they already know all that they need to know. I think this opinion is likely to be held by adults who really need to learn more about the technologies for themselves. I think the comments in the other discussion of this topic are still true as 2009 winds down and we look towards 2010. Kids know how to text, have love affairs with their phones, are adept at social media, and are often gadget freaks. But do they know how to search? How to evaluate websites? How to use applications that are directed toward learning and productivity as well as those popular for social networking. I think I will post a survey about this via SurveyMonkey but right now am being so bold is to reintroduce the topic here. I should add that while I have been a Classroom 2.0 member for a long time, I have not ever posted a discussion before. I have been more of a drop in/drop out member. This is due to heavy demands on my time that keep me doing things I MUST do and wishing for more times for environments like this. So I am boldly going where I have not gone before and hoping some of you will be interested in reviving this topic. Thanks in advance,

Memories of a Great Lady, Dr. Janelle Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 22:49:00 +0000

This afternoon I attended a memorial gathering for Dr. Janelle Paris, former professor at Sam Houston State University. She had been in poor health for several years, and died in June. Those in attendance were members of her church family, friends and neighbors, and members of the Department of Library Science at SHSU. Many people spoke fondly of Jan, but she will always be Dr. Paris for me. I had three classes with her back in the 1980's, Literature for Children, Library Administration, and Library Programming. They were all wonderful, and the programming class in particular influenced me. Because of this class, I became a librarian who placed a high value on special events, promotional activities, contests, and efforts to encourage everyone at my school to love books and enjoy visiting the library. At the gathering there was a table covered with written tributes to her from people who remembered her.

Dr. Paris did a lot for faculty and students at Sam Houston State University, and she continues that service through a bequest by which future students will receive scholarship money to assist them with their studies. But her reach went much further than that. It was Dr. Janelle Paris who led the campaign to have a state book award for children's literature. Like many state awards, the annual honor is given to a book chosen by boys and girls in Texas who choose from an annual list of outstanding titles. Because of her leadership, youngsters throughout the state and beyond its borders are encouraged to read widely and compare books in order to pick their choice each year. Information about this year's list, activities to accompany the reading of the books, and how to participate in the voting process can be found at http://www.txla.org/groups/tba/

I hope that this year as librarians, parents, and teachers introduce the list to youngsters, they will take a minute to remember Dr. Paris, who loved children, loved books, and loved bringing them together. Her legacy will live on through the award, through the Janelle Paris Library at the First Methodist Church in Huntsville, TX, and through the Janelle Paris Memorial Scholarship to be awarded annually at Sam Houston State University. Thanks, Dr. Paris, for all you did for me.

Passing of Ted Kennedy and Video to View

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:56:00 +0000

Yes, I am being political again. I do recommend this video, so that is the technology part of this entry, that we can have such resources readily at hand these days: http://bit.ly/v8yzY
It does not show a man that deserves the vilification that I fear will be forthcoming after his death last night. I know some foes will bring up his past mistakes and maybe express happiness that there is one less health care vote in the Senate. The video shows a man speaking from the heart. I hope all thinking Americans can view it and evaluate it on its face. I was struck by the story of his son and the clinical trial treatment that he received. Maybe that is what saved this youngster, who is of course alive and well today. Maybe not. But it gave him and his family hope at a tough time. Meanwhile, other participants had to drop the treatment after the trial funding terminated. This reminded me of my husband Ron's situation. He was lucky to have good health insurance when he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He was also lucky to have a boss who kept him on the payroll as long as possible so he would not lose that coverage. He worried every single day about losing that coverage when it would run out if he lived long enough. At one point during treatment, he was offered a chance to participate in a clinical trial. There was NO CHARGE for this treatment, which simply offered the combination of two drugs already proved effective. The question was whether they had increased value if offered together. Ron knew that his time was limited but this offer gave him hope on two fronts. First, we hoped it would give him a little more time. Second, and this meant a lot to him, he would be able to help others. He was greatly buoyed up by these two ideas. But when we went in to start the treatment, we learned his insurance company would not allow it. "How can this be?" we asked...it is FREE! We were told that the company had a strict policy to not allow any clinical trials, ever. If he participated, he would lose all present and future coverage. Of course he dropped out. The doctor in charge said sadly that this happens all too often with insurance companies. The result is, aside from denying patients immediate hope, that there is less opportunity to further research about treatment of grave diseases. Alas. Ron was not normally a cynical guy, but on this occasion he said, "Well, I guess they are just afraid I might live a little longer and cost them a little more money." He died four months later. To those who decry health care reform...you might want to check with your insurer and ask about your ability to participate in a clinical trial if you ever want to. Do you know if you will be allowed?

Dynamite Speaker: Kozhi Makai

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 01:49:00 +0000

Confession time: I was not 100% enthusiastic about hauling out on a Saturday afternoon for an on-campus event, much as I do love the university where I teach. Normally I am more than ready to don my regalia for occasions, since it is incredibly beautiful. I have lovely robes in Baylor University's colors, green and gold. But I was tired, it was hot, and I was strongly tempted to stay home. BUT I was happy to be in the company of my colleagues and, once we got lined up and the music started, I was happy to be there. I was even happier to be in attendance when the speaker began his remarks. This posting is to praise our remarkable speaker, Dr. Kozhi Makai. Here is his website: http://www.kozhimakai.com/
He gave an inspiring address to incoming freshmen at our university, and it is a tribute to him that he had their rapt attention. I am glad I went! Oh and, best wishes to all brand new Bearkats!

For Shame!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 21:47:00 +0000

I don't have a way to tie this in with technology, but maybe with librarianship and certainly with education and educators in general. It troubles me that people are disrupting town hall meetings in our country by shouting and heckling to the point that the meetings really cannot proceed. This bothers me on many levels, and yes, I am in favor of health care and insurance reform, but I think I would oppose the shouting regardless of which side was acting out. Right now I am thinking about how this reflects behavior upon these people's educations and their respect for intelligent discourse. And more than that, I am concerned about the terrible example it sets for boys and girls. Political conservatives often are proponents of such "value based" educational movements as zero tolerance for misbehavior, strict adherence to school rules, school uniforms, etc. They love to talk about "back to basics" and teaching respect and strong moral values at school. Do these people feel that they are setting positive examples for their children and grandchildren when they shout and scream at speakers at political gatherings? I worked in public schools for 25 years--10 in the classroom and 15 in school libraries. One thing I tried to teach was proper audience behavior when students were given the opportunity to hear guest authors and other speakers. How would we react if students thought they could shout down an author?

When I was growing up, I was a high school debater. I even went to the state meet, where we were soundly and fairly defeated in the first round. This shows my age, but my senior year the debate topic was medicare. I was for it. My partner and best friend was against. But we learned to debate both sides. We also learned not to make any kind of statement or argument unless we could back it up with references. I did more research as a debater than I did for any other school experience. My friend and I did not get angry with one another because we disagreed on the topic. Our parents were friends, and their personal views mirrored ours. Susan's dad was a dentist and a Republican, and my dad was Chairman of the Democratic Party in our Texas county. These differences did not in any way mean we could not all be very close. If I were to call Susan today, I suspect she would be against health care reform, or at least the versions advanced by Democrats. But we could still have a friendly conversation. Where has that spirit gone? How can these disruptive people feel good about themselves when they think about the terrible example they are displaying for boys and girls? It makes me sad to see this rudeness be glorified as "free speech" or "patriotism." Alas and for shame.

Best Advice I Ever Had...How About You?

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:40:00 +0000

This link was making the rounds yesterday and I did enjoy reading what people said. I think the question was really what was the best and the worst advice you ever received? Here is the link. Most responders are from the business or entertainment world.

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fortune/0804/gallery.bestadvice.fortune/23.html

One thing I thought was striking was the number of people who named their parents. This serves as a reminder to us as parents of the immense influence we have on our children. Here are my bests and worst:

BEST: My parents always taught me to do my best, and modeled this ideal in their own lives. One thing in particular I remember is that my dad would offer me counsel when I failed to measure up to my own standards, maybe making a "B" instead of an "A" in a class. He would say, "Did you do your best?" When I replied yes, he would say, "Then stop worrying! What more could you have done?" I still remind myself of his words today when I "mess up" in trying to perform perfectly in a demanding job.

WORST: My folks were products of their times, and marked by the depression. When I was ready for college, I was told, "You can be a teacher, a secretary, or a nurse. Those are your options. Which will it be?" Today I am glad that we offer young women a much broader range of choices. Actually, becoming a teacher was a happy choice for me, but it would have been exciting and interesting to at least consider other options. My mother had an amazing ability to see into the future though. Maybe she was just putting things in those terms because her intuition told her I should be a teacher. I am happy with my life's work, in any case.

How about you? I would love responses!

Keeping Up With Technology

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:01:00 +0000

I am a fine one to talk about keeping up. Here I am woefully overdue to update my blog, despite the fact that I have any number of entries stored in my head. The trip I was anticipating in my previous posting is now a kaleidoscope of wonderful memories. Re-entry was a bit of a challenge, and kept me scrambling all last week. So here I am showing up late for my own party again. I did post last week to several sharing sites asking for tips on keeping up with technology. I asked my tweets and also posted to LM_Net, TLC, and EDTECH. I will post again, but want to share my number one best response, which to my great pride was sent by a former student. Jamie Camp, now librarian at Benfer Elementary in Klein ISD, TX, sent this wonderful missive. Thanks so much, Jamie!

"I try to keep up with tech trends in several ways:
*twitter--you have to build a useful network first though. Start by following some of the well-known tech or library people, like you, Joyce Valenza, David Warlick, Scott McLeod, Wes Fryer--and by looking at their communities, you come to great people like Keisa Williams or Melissa Techmann, Lisa Thumann or Liz Davis. Drop the people that don't tweet, or that tweet too much about stuff that you don't need to know! And tweet back to your community too! It's ok to lurk for awhile, but if you continue only lurking, you're missing a huge resource that could be helping you with your particular interests/projects!

*RSS-if you don't really understand RSS or don't know how to use an aggregator to collect blogs, podcasts, searches, videos of interest to you, this is one of the MOST important tools you should concentrate on! Learn to use Google Reader and/or iTunes! They are invaluable and pretty easy, with lots of tutorials available on their site, CommonCraft youtube, etc.

*podcasts--I've been addicted for years! Especially helpful in this area is the EdTechTalk community. EdTechWeekly is a GREAT source of new info each week. All of the shows that are supported by this community are top-notch. This is really an amazing group of people.

*Social networks: Learn central--this is a community founded by Steve Hargadon, as is another great ning community called Classroom2.0 . The live portion of this site has all sorts of videos and elluminate sessions archived here .
*Delicious is a bookmarking site, which is wildly handy in itself, but the really powerful part of it is the SOCIAL part! Here you can not only store your bookmarks "in the cloud," the tagging feature allows you to see what other people have found too! You can subscribe to a certain tag string or to a certain user. This is very powerful.

*Blogs- Daily, I read several blogs. I intentionally make it part of my day because there is sooo much to be learned out there. Twitter has killed off a few blogs, but there are still some amazing people writing, reflecting and connecting thru blogs. I find new ones all the time, through reading other people's blogs. I drop blogs when I find that they don't meet my interests or needs. Choose a few and read them daily for awhile. Decide how many and which ones meet your needs! Here are my never-miss-them blogs in my Google Reader: Joyce Valenza's NeverEndingSearch, David Warlick's 2Cents Worth and ConnectLearning, Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog, Dr. Bell's For Whom the Bell Told, Richard Byrne's Free Technology 4 Teachers (this one is FANTASTIC for new links/tools for teachers, and it's quick to read) and Bob Sprankle's Bit by Bit."

I should add that you can follow Jamie more closely in her two wonderful blogs:

DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT...

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 22:56:00 +0000

The first time I went to London was in 2002, and I was "shadowing" one of my heroes, Dr. Bonnie Thorne, who was actually leading the travel study group. I carried my beloved 35 mm camera and an extra telephoto lens. That was the only "gadget" I took. My cell phone would have been useless and it never occurred to me to carry my laptop. We DID have computer access at the dorm in Regent's College where we stayed. Things are much different now, though. Here is a list of must-have items for travel:

Netbook--Asus eee computer
Kindle2
iPhone (of course!)
Casio Exilim camera (brand new)
Wireless modem

These items go with me everywhere, now that I think of it, whether it is for a couple of nights with Dad in the Texas Hill Country or on an international trek. The only thing that varies is which/how many computers. I will probably take my big MacBookPro if I am driving, for instance. How about you? What are your must-haves???

NANCY PEARL DOLLS KEEP STIFF UPPER LIPS DURING ELBOW SURGERIES!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 21:21:00 +0000

NANCY PEARL REMAINS STOIC THROUGH TRICKY ELBOW SURGERY!

THE HAPPY AFTER-SHOT IS BELOW

IN THIS BEFORE SHOT YOU CAN SEE BOTH APPENDAGES PAINFULLY SEVERED AND WAITING FOR REATTACHMENT THE NANCY ON THE LEFT IS A LITTLE PALE, BUT OTHERWISE THEY MAINTAIN THEIR CHEERFUL STIFF UPPER LIPS.

Whenever I pack for an upcoming trip, I seek out my little traveling buddies, my Nancy Pearl dolls. Nancy goes wherever I go and has her picture waaaaay too often. She has been to London twice, Ireland, Mexico, East Coast, West Cost, Washington DC, all over Texas, road tripping through the South, Miami, and many more exciting places. It is necessary for me to travel with more than one, because I tend to leave them behind. One floated away in London, bobbing along in Regent's Canal. Another went AWOL after a photo op with the naked cowboy in Times Square. Others have disappeared in Dublin and in Portland, OR. So I take several dolls along. When I did inventory this morning, I made a distressing discovery. A couple of Nancys were terribly maimed. They had both lost arms at the elbow, one missing a right and the other missing the left. The one missing the shushing arm was particularly upset, but wouldn't you know, they both had characteristically stiff upper lips. Since I have packed, unpacked, and packed again and done any number of other over-the-top travel prep things (washing shoes! gluing shoes back together!), I decided I had time to perform surgery on my little buddies. I used wire and pliers, and even with these crude instruments, my little amigas remained serene and still through their procedures. I am happy to report that both operations went well and the Nancys will have a restful evening nestled in my bag. Tomorrow they will be almost good as new!

Nerdy July 4th

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:17:00 +0000

I guess it says a lot about my nerd quotient that I am online and looking up words July 4th. No homemade ice cream for me, though I did have watermelon for breakfast. I am spending the day packing and grading, so that I can be ready for my upcoming BIG TRIP to Toronto and Chicago, leaving early Monday morning. Anyway, as I was working away, I received an obsequious email. The missive sent me searching for the right word to describe it and that adjective popped up out of the murky recesses of my reading-but-not-speaking vocabulary. This was interesting to me because I can say with fair certainty that I have never used the word before, either in writing or in speech. I wasn't sure how to even spell it but got close enough to get myself to an online dictionary where I could verify that it was the perfect word (YES!) and also hear the pronunciation. Now I plan to use it a lot! Interestingly the email was not from a student, but from someone else I know. Anyway, this little experience turned into a 30 minute detour into territory far afield from grading or packing. Here are two more things I found out:

I really like the online Merriam-Webster Dictionary for a quick reference and good, clear pronounciation: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/
I LOVE THIS AD!!! It was on the dictionary page but I located it via YouTube so I could share it for sure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN2y2WN9bSo
Not only that but the Duluth Trading Co. has a rabid fan base (though obviously not among beavers) and all sorts of fun links about its ads. Just Google and see! Plus if you Google today you get to see another great holiday graphic!
Oh and...lots of people other than plumbers would do well to wear Duluth's Long Tail T-shirts! Check out the plumber's butt ad as well...

Happy 4th everybody! Have some cabrito and ice cream for me!

Sunday Paper

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 20:13:00 +0000

I slept way too late this morning. But I woke up feeling rested, a huge benefit. I was really looking forward to a nice cup of coffee on the porch and a leisurely browse through my Sunday paper. But then, I stepped out into my front yard and...no Sunday paper! Not finding it gave me a sharp pain in my planning center. I am very ritualistic about my Sunday paper, and not having one has in the past forced me into my car early in the day to find a copy. Not today though. I just shrugged, picked up a copy of Knowledge Quest and enjoyed my coffee with that. To know what a shift this is for me, you would have to understand to what degree I have been a newsprint junkie. Not only do I equate having a newspaper with having a good day, I have for years been quite ritualistic about how I read. First I go through the front section, next come editorials, and so on. Thus for me to shrug off not receiving my paper fix, and on a Sunday at that, is a fairly dramatic shift. It makes me wonder...If I am able to have such a nice day without my paper, will there come a day when I no longer subscribe? What does it portend for newspapers that a loyal devotee like me no longer misses having a paper badly enough to go beyond my front walk to get one? What will become of newspapers?

Insect Nostalgia

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:24:00 +0000

I am really supposed to be working on an article about Internet tagging right now, according to my list of things to do today. But in the course of writing I made reference to my childhood ambition to be an entomologist. I was a serious insect collector. I had the long pins, the mounting boards (I made mine from cigar boxes with cork bottoms), the field guides, etc. The way I classified my poor dead subjects was by little rectangles of paper which were skewered high on a pin before the specimin was mounted. Upon these little slips I wrote in tiny print the common name, scientific name, and other information. Looking back at this I can make a couple of observations:

I was learning about any number of things at the same time.
I was using an early form of tagging, which today's online kids are much more likely to enjoy.

Following along with my distracting activities, I am waxing nostalgic about the beetles of my childhood. I used to see those big black bumbling beetles in my back yard all the time: rhinocerous beetles, stag beetles, and others of similar ilk. Where have they gone? I have not seen one in years, and fear they will never again be as common as they once were. I wonder if any readers have seen my long lost friends? Oh, and here is the website that got me started:
Goliathus.com: Beetle Gallery: http://www.goliathus.com/en/gallery.php
I found it by searcing tags at delicious. Oh! Tags! Gotta get back to work! But have you seen any wonderful beetles lately??

Change Lanes!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Mon, 18 May 2009 03:22:00 +0000

If you were driving down TX 290 just out of Giddings this afternoon, you saw a crazy looking lady with a dog on a leash waving cars over out of the far right lane. A wonderfully kind man was changing my flat tire. He was fast and good thing because there is no shoulder along there and people were whizzing by like we were already roadkill. I have a bad way of putting myself out front when something like this happens. I used to be the one to step in on fights in junior high hallways, even girl fights, and I was determined to wave people over so this nice man would not get flattened. But why did this have to be so hard? People in the center lane refused to let outside laners over, and people on the right side were not about to slow down. So next time you are cruising along and you see a poor soul stranded by the side of the road, do the decent thing and change lanes, for Pete's sake! You don't have to stop and help, though you could make a call to authorities if the situation warrants. I can understand why one would not want to stop for a stranger though it is hard to see how I and my aged dog could look dangerous. But think a thought. Move over. If you hit something, Mr/Ms impatient motorist, it could mess up your car and really slow you down. Stop the honking and give some space! Geez. End of Rant.

Oh and...what does this have to do with librarianship or technology? Well, at times like this I still do feel grateful for my cell phone. What did we ever do without them? Not only was I able to call roadside assistance, but I could also call ahead so my dad would not worry when I ran late. Idella IPhone proves her worth again!

BYRD ID's BIRD!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann) — Thu, 14 May 2009 01:55:00 +0000

I just had the most fun day-brightener I can think of! I was vegging out in my chair and checking email while watching Maddow on MSNBC. I found a message from a former student. She had wondered if I ever was able to indentify the little bird that I rescued about a month ago. Right now I cannot even remember where I posted his picture, but not here because I just looked. He had flown into a window on our campus and was sitting on the porch right in front of the building. I was afraid a campus cat would get him. I enlisted two student workers, and we scooped birdie into a roomy cardboard box. I had to go to a meeting, but I told them that if he were to start stirring around, they should take him outside and see if he would just fly away. He did, they did, and off he went! I posted his picture because I could not figure out what kind of bird he was, but never go a definitive ID. Just now I got an email from a former student with the last name of Byrd, who never met a reference question she didn't like. She sent the picture to her sister, who had studied ornithology in college. Sis emailed her prof, and we got an ID: He is a yellow breasted chat! Here is a link and his picture is up above. Maybe someone can tell me why the pic is sideways when it was right on my computer. Anyway, you can see that he was very brilliantly colored and quite lovely. Bless his little heart, he was just migrating though. I hope after his traumatic experience he reached his destination. Here is one of many locations where you can read more about him. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-breasted_Chat/id
For those of you who are nature freaks as am I, here is another link, with better pics. http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/342/_/Yellow-breasted_Chat.aspx
If you scroll down a bit, you see a great pic of a puffed up chat who looks just like my little guy.
PS Tech tidbit: Coincidentally, before even getting the email I downloaded the iPhone app with bird calls. It is fun to play if you have a cat in the house.