mauilibrarian2 in Olinda

Innovative Chromebook Teachers in Math, Science, Social Studies and Foreign Language, Special Education, Language Arts - EducationOnAir - All in One Place

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Sat, 11 May 2013 16:08:00 +0000

Dear Faculty,

Google's Education on Air series this week featured innovative teachers who use Chromebooks in the various subjects: Math, Science, Social Studies and Foreign Language, Special Education, and Language Arts.

The coolest thing about the ideas presented is that they can be used on any device. So you don't need a Chromebook to play.

Each hangout is about an hour long.

Yes, I know this time of the year is crazy BUSY, so I recommend bookmarking this post for when you're trolling for ideas this summer.

Mathematics

Science

Social Studies and Foreign Language

Special Education

Language Arts

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@mauilibrarian2
G+

See: #profdev on Twitter / #profdev on G+

Acer C7 Chromebook: Quick Impressions

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Thu, 02 May 2013 20:56:00 +0000

(image credit)

Testing out the Acer C7 Chromebook today, and here are my quick impressions:

Pluses

320 GB hard drive
Price: $199
Quick-loading
Many ports: Three USB ports, 1 HDMI, 1 VGA, ethernet
Upgradeable
Display easier on eyes than Samsung
Only a light touch needed for the touchpad

Minuses

Only 4 hours of battery life
Heavy: 3 lbs.
Keyboard a little flimsy. F8 mute button does not toggle.
Two finger scrolling is too slow

Online reviews

Added 05/03/13:

Forums

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@mauilibrarian2

5 Scholarly Science Search Engines for the College Student's Toolbox

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 21:04:00 +0000

The other day, a college student related to me that his college professor advised him that he needs to use more scholarly resources for his science research project.

"What do you recommend?", he asked.

I love this kind of question!

Here are five science search engines I think should be in every college (and high school) student's research toolbox:

The search engine Scirus. "With over 545 million scientific items indexed at last count, it allows researchers to search for not only journal content but also scientists' homepages, courseware, pre-print server material, patents and institutional repository and website information."

Google Scholar. "Provides a search of scholarly literature across many disciplines and sources, including theses, books, abstracts and articles" (search tips)

Science.gov. USA.gov for Science - Government Science Portal. "Science.gov searches over 55 databases and over 2100 selected websites from 13 federal agencies, offering 200 million pages of authoritative U.S. government science information including research and development results."

Science.govgreat free widgetsWidgetboxMore info

WorldWideScience. "A global science gateway comprised of national and international scientific databases and portals."

WorldWideScience.orggreat free widgetsWidgetboxMore info

The National Science Digital Library. "Serving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education". This resource is geared for teachers, but students can tap into this goldmine too!

What would you add to this list?

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@mauilibrarian2

Image: http://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2012/04/02/13/31/chemical-24497_640.png

Google+ Tip: How to Adjust the Flow of Information from your Circles -- A Snapshot

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 21:32:00 +0000

I just created this Skitch snapshot for our faculty, to show them how to adjust the flow of information from the Google+ circles they created, and I thought others might find the shot useful as well. Feel free to download and share it.

Here are the steps in writing:

1. Go to Home.
2. Choose the Circle (which you've already created) you want to adjust.
3. Circle members will appear on the right.
4. Adjust the post stream and notifications as you wish.

Decide whether you want posts to show in your Home stream.
Notice that 'Amount of posts' shown in home stream is on a sliding scale of Fewer / Standard / More.
If you decide NOT to check 'Get notified about new posts', notifications will appear only at the upper right.

5. If you decide to check 'Get notified about new posts', you will receive email notification as well.

The set-up shown above is for maximum I-don't-want-to-miss-a-thing flow of information.

Learning about Google+ is FUN.

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@mauilibrarian2

The theme was eBooks and these are my favorite tweets from #tlchat April 15, 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 02:59:00 +0000

The topic tonight for the monthly #tlchat was:

EBooks: Advice, Resources, Recommendations, Marketing, etc.
and these are my favorite tweets:

I love how @buffyjhamilton shared so freely her saga w/ebooks on her blog theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/category/kindl… #tlchat #ebooks
— Nikki D Robertson (@NikkiDRobertson) April 16, 2013

My eBooks page: cybraryman.com/ebooks.html #tlchat
— Jerry Blumengarten (@cybraryman1) April 16, 2013

@joycevalenza @jkhealy4 We feature #ebooks on our TV Production class daily news show #tlchat
— Nikki D Robertson (@NikkiDRobertson) April 16, 2013

@carolynstarkey has a gr8 livebinder full of ebook resources livebinders.com/play/play_or_e… #tlchat
— Nikki D Robertson (@NikkiDRobertson) April 16, 2013

Me Genius 250 free books for kids with read along technology - highlights & audio #tlchat meegenius.com
— Nikki D Robertson (@NikkiDRobertson) April 16, 2013

If funding is a problem why not curate your own list of free ereader sites 4 students & staff? pinterest.com/ahslibrary/ebo… #tlchat
— Nikki D Robertson (@NikkiDRobertson) April 16, 2013

School Library Journal (my "go to" source) articles about ebooks: slj.com/category/ebook… #tlchat #ebooks
— Nikki D Robertson (@NikkiDRobertson) April 16, 2013

#tlchat check out @robincicchetti blog: concordcarlislelibrary.blogspot.com & Learning Commons website: libguides.colonial.net/homeRobin is AMAZING! @cehslc
— Jonathan R. Werner (@MaineSchoolTech) April 16, 2013

My eBookReaders page: cybraryman.com/ereaders.html #tlchat
— Jerry Blumengarten (@cybraryman1) April 16, 2013

Haven't spent money on eBooks yet: Here's what I've done so far: eBooks LibGuide ow.ly/k5O2s #tlchat
— Linda Lindsay (@mauilibrarian2) April 16, 2013

@lisamellen Science of reading Screen v. Paper reading scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id… #tlchat
— Michelle Luhtala (@mluhtala) April 16, 2013

Webinar 4/24 5PM ET "eContent: Is eContent Redefining Instruction?" feat. interview w/ @infomancy REGISTER ow.ly/jTSqE #tlchat
— Michelle Luhtala (@mluhtala) April 16, 2013

@nikkidrobertson: What about audiobooks when purchasing ebooks? booksshouldbefree.com/genre/Children #tlchat Just started w/ @follettlibrary
— Michelle Luhtala (@mluhtala) April 16, 2013

MT:love that a student made the screencast!!Haven't spent $ on eBooks yet:have made: eBooks LibGuide ow.ly/k5O2s #tlchat
— Marcia Dressel (@MarciaDressel) April 16, 2013

My ebook success The Unpretentious Librarian unpretentiouslibrarian.blogspot.com/?spref=tw #tlchat
— Sue Fitzgerald (@sue_fitz) April 16, 2013

Has anyone tried Big Universe: reading, creating & sharing online children's books #tlchat biguniverse.com
— Nikki D Robertson (@NikkiDRobertson) April 16, 2013

Should we be thinking of mashing up etexts with classroom teachers? #tlchat #ebook
— Joyce Valenza (@joycevalenza) April 16, 2013

Storyline Online - from the Screen Actors Guild (SAG): storylineonline.netGr8 4 the classroom or online! #tlchat
— Nikki D Robertson (@NikkiDRobertson) April 16, 2013

#tlchat OneClick audio is "Recorded Books" brand with zillions of titles & great loan policies. bit.ly/11jCHRT @cehslc Minimal probs
— Jonathan R. Werner (@MaineSchoolTech) April 16, 2013

B4 buying buying we need to ask, will ebooks allow kids to dig deeper & create new understanding/content? If not, what is the point? #tlchat
— Library Girl (@jenniferlagarde) April 16, 2013

RT @gglibrarian: @harbeckc @jenniferlagarde amen for one universal format & direct downloads w/out software to install! #tlchat
— Charity Harbeck (@harbeckc) April 16, 2013

My presentation handout for Free eBooks bit.ly/ZwUVeY #tlchat #tlelem
— Lori June (@LibraryLoriJune) April 16, 2013

Jennifer Gladkowski’s SlideShare reviews the history & options of ebooks slideshare.net/toriifan1/e-bo… #tlchat
— Nikki D Robertson (@NikkiDRobertson) April 16, 2013

6 concerning trends re: econtent collection development thedigitalshift.com/2013/02/ebooks… #tlchat
— Michelle Luhtala (@mluhtala) April 16, 2013

Much discussion about Overdrive pros and cons on LM_Net. Can ck archives #tlchat
— Deb Schiano (@debschi) April 16, 2013

Even though I went w/OverDrive still concerned about ownership, publishers, continued cost,etc. Lots of BIG ?'s w/ebooks #tlchat
— Nikki D Robertson (@NikkiDRobertson) April 16, 2013

Here's the full archive done so beautifully in Evernote, by Nikki Robertson:

TLChat 4/15/2013

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@mauilibrarian2

How to Make Sure You're Sharing a Google Doc With the Right People

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:38:00 +0000

That little 'Change' link at the bottom of the Google doc share box? I didn't know about it. And, well, it's important!

You definitely want to decide whether the people you share with have the capability of adding people or changing permissions.

Colleague Moka Brown, who shares docs with her science students using Doctopus, pointed out that little link during a Middle School faculty presentation yesterday. Thanks, Moka!

Here's a 1-minute screencast I did to demonstrate:

(Yes, those are chickens crowing in the background ☺)

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@mauilibrarian2

How to Archive Tweets Using TweetChat and Google Drive (and How to Find Educational Chats to Follow)

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:22:00 +0000

I love my PLN! I learned about archiving Twitter Chats ala Tweetchat and Google Drive from Brent Catlett. I met Brett at the Google Teacher Academy in New York and I've been learning from him ever since. Thanks, Brent!
Why Tweetchat and Google Drive?

It's so easy to set up!
You can store all of your chat archives in one spot, Google Drive.

Here's a 7-step recap of what I covered in the 3-minute screencast tutorial above.
1. Use any browser. I recommend using Chrome because it integrates nicely with Google Drive.
2. Go to TweetChat just before the chat begins.
3. Type in the chat you want to follow. You do not have to be signed in to TweetChat.

4. Leave the chat window open for the length of the chat. You can participate in the chat as usual.

5. When the chat is over, print the chat archive as a PDF, and name the chat as you wish. I recommend adding a date to your title.

6. Upload the PDF to your Google Drive. Do not convert the PDF to a Google Doc.

7. Share the Google Doc link. Make it either public or unlisted.

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How does one find educational chats to follow, and when do the chats meet?

Check out the incredibly useful Google Calendar below. It was created by Sarah Kaiser, based on Jerry Blumengarten's Educational Chats page. Thank you, Sarah and Jerry!

Here's Sarah's post about the calendar: Google Calendar of Twitter Chats and Jerry's Educational Chats on Twitter page.

Jerry, aka the Cybrary Man, is a Rock Star in my PLN. I could go on and on about him. Jerry is part of the #edchat team and I've hung out with him on Google+ Hangouts. The man is the quintessential educator.

Want to add the Twitter Chats for Education calendar to your Google Calendar? Go here.

Good luck finding and archiving your favorite tweet chat, and nurturing your PLN!

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@mauilibrarian2

P. S. What are my favorite chats? These are the chats I love and follow: #tlchat for teacher-librarians, #edchat, and #titletalk.

What are your favorite educational chats?

Dear Santa Google, All I Want for Christmas is Google Reader Back

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:36:00 +0000

Dear Santa Google,

Is there anything we can say or do to change your mind?

Christmas in July! -- Now wouldn't it be something if on July 1st, instead of closing Google Reader, you announced that you will continue to support it? I know it's not a total pipe dream because you listened to the people and kept Appointment Slots.

Please don't be swayed by those who have no clue as to what the fuss is all about.

"Get over it." they murmur. Insensitive.

"You'll adjust." they say. I don't want to adjust.

"Change is inevitable -- get used to it." Change is a constant in the edtech world. I am very used to change.

"That is so last week." Ummm, as if devastated has a time limit?

Santa Google, what would it take to convince you to keep Reader?

Have you seen the articles? This one (which I found on Google Reader) is my favorite:

Killing Google Reader is like killing the bees: we'll all be worse off

What about the petitions?

1. Google: Keep Google Reader Running

2. Keep Google Reader

I'm guessing that if you yourself decided to set up an official spot for individuals to persuade you to keep Google Reader, that spot would be flooded with responses.

Won't you please please reconsider?

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@mauilibrarian2

P. S. I will always be your undying fan. :)

Finding Copyright-Friendly Animated Gifs for Student Presentations

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:02:00 +0000

Google just announced today that they've added an animation filter to their image searches. Perfect for our students' presentations, I thought.

Here's a little 3-minute tutorial I created for our students that demonstrates how they can use a combined Creative Commons and Google Image search to find copyright-friendly animated gifs. The importance of attribution is covered.

And I'll be sure to remind our students to check out our Copyright and Creative Commons LibGuide for more resources.

And thanks to Google for adding this fantastic new feature!

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@mauilibrarian2

Update: Google also added a 'Transparent' option, under Color. Even better!

Social Media and the School Librarian - #ISTE13 #SIGMS Please discuss!

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 22:04:00 +0000

Reader Alert: this is a very specific post aimed at media specialists who are members of the SIGMS group of the ISTE 2013 Conference Ning.

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If you are a school librarian who’s attending ISTE this year (wish I could go!), please consider joining the Conference Ning and SIGMS. If you’re already a member, you can join the March Madness discussion! (There’s a small but sweet prize involved if you join the discussion, for you contest lovers. Scroll to the bottom to see what it’s about.)

This is a cross-post of the topic I just submitted to the ISTE SIGMS forum.

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SIGMS March Madness Topic 3: Media and the School Librarian

The research confirms what we already knew: social media is very much a part of our students’ lives.

See Commonsense Media - 2012 Infographic:
Social Media, Social Life: How Teens View Their Digital Lives

Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, Tumbler, and YouTube are the top social media networking sites du jour, and teens frequent all of them, to one degree or another.

YALSA recognizes that social media facilitates learning in schools and libraries. Teens & Social Media in School & Public Libraries: A Toolkit for Librarians & Library Workers is a 12-page document that outlines in detail the different ways school librarians can promote the positive uses of school media in the classroom.

But each school community is unique. What may work for one school may not work in another.

Please feel free to answer any or all of the questions below.

What is your role in regard to the use of social media at your school? Are you an advisor? Trainer of teachers? Digital citizenship guide? Embedder of social media lessons in projects? Policy maker? Some or all of these? Other? Are you personally a member of social media circles?

Is there anything in particular that you have discovered in regard to students’ use of social media either at your school or in the greater community that surprises you, inspires you, encourages you, or discourages you?

Do you have advice for media specialists who want to get started incorporating social media in their school and might be having a hard time deciding what exactly is needed?

Feel free to add any thoughts on questions not posed above (a few sentences would suffice and links would be nice but not required), and thanks for sharing!

P. S. You might win this book for participating in this discussion.

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Other March Madness topics:

Topic 1: Visual Literacy and the School Librarian, posted by Maureen Sanders-Brunner
Topic 2: Technology Digital & Income Divides Still Exist, posted by Lisa Perez

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@mauilibrarian2

My Top Three Choices for Lesson Plans for History and Social Studies Teachers

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 16:02:00 +0000

Did you know about these 3 GREAT places to find lesson plan ideas for History and Social Studies? They're my favorite!

EDSITEment from the NEH - History and Social Studies

Smithsonian's History Explorer

Lesson Plans: The Learning Network - NY Times

I'm recommending them to our teachers and adding them to the For Teachers box of our Upper School History and Social Studies LibGuide.

What are your favorite go-to places for lesson plans?

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@mauilibrarian2

7 Things I Learned in Google's Advanced Power Searching Class

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 21:49:00 +0000

Yes, this class was definitely more challenging than the first!

Full disclosure: I didn't do all of the challenges. They were recommended, but not required. I did, however, watch all of the video tutorials.

These are some of the cool things I learned:

1. I learned that I can put double-quotes (what I usually refer to as quotation marks) around a single word so that the results will bring up only that word, not recommended synonyms or localized results. Another way to achieve the same result is to use verbatim mode.

Here's the video that explains both concepts:

2. This was the first time I had heard the term triangulation used in relation to Google searches.

“Intentionally look for diversity and variety in your search results.”

Dan Russell said this and I will use this quote in my information literacy classes.

Here's the video about comparing multiple sources:

3. I learned so many more details about how Google Trends works.

One can search worldwide or by country.
The U. S. regional look is awesome; it details how people are searching across the country.
There are 4 different kinds of searches: web, image, news, and product.
One can compare search terms, locations, and time ranges.
One can search by categories.

Of course, I just had to try a web search of "libraries" for the last twelve months, in all categories, searched for in the United States. "Libraries" is definitely an often-searched topic!

There are umpteen ways to find out what people are searching for, and you can embed the information on a website, just as I have done here.

Imagine what these statistics would add to a student's research. What a rich primary resource!

4. I can sign in to access my web history.

5. I can do a search of state courts in Google Scholar. I chose to do a search of Hawaii courts on the topic of wind energy and was rewarded with 14 results. WOW! Primary source heaven!

6. I already knew that I could use the finite number range operator #..# but I did not know that if I don't want to specify the upper range, this is what I would type: #..

7. The last thing I learned was so awesome!

Challenge Number 6 was to find out "Where in the World?". I'm thrilled to say I completed this challenge, and learned all about the Norway Book Boat, a Floating Library. (All library services are free in Norway -- they get it!)

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

What did I love about this class?

1. There were lots of opportunities in Hangouts to ask questions, up to the last day.

2. Collaboration with other students was encouraged.

3. I liked having a choice of certificate challenges because I could not get the answer to the first one! It took me less than five minutes to complete the second one. I think my previous experience selling on eBay gave me an edge. :)

4. There were 36,000 taking this class, yet the teacher seemed really close and reachable. Here's Dan Russell's reflection about the class: Teaching the Advanced Power Searching with Google MOOC. Dan writes that only 10% completed the course, which he notes is a usual percentage for MOOCs. Interesting! I would love to know the reasons for the low number.

Suggestions?

1. Perhaps it could be made clearer that the challenges are highly recommended but not required.

2. The same as the last time: more please!

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@mauilibrarian2

Takeaways from #tlchat #sschat combo convo "Student Collaboration, Research Skills and Tech Integration"

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:02:00 +0000

Yes, this was a very special collaboration indeed, between #TLChat and #SSChat (teacher-librarians and social studies teachers).

My main takeaway too-good-not-to-share from TLChat's Virtual Cafe's "Student Collaboration, Research Skills, and Tech Integration" was presenter Ron Peck's slideshare. Thanks, Ron!

Tlc chat 2 from Ron Peck

Due to technical problems, I didn't get on until the Cafe was over half over. But these links mentioned are the ones that I'm definitely going to check out:

Celly @ school - "a platform of tools that enhances school communication" - Text reminders, study groups, field trips, SMS polling, clicker

Nikki Robertson's Pinterest board: Social Studies Sites

The Library of Congress Veterans History Project

World War Two Global Connections Project

Melissa Seideman's Not Another History Teacher blog

Thanks to The Daring Librarian Gwyneth Jones for her leadership in setting up this great collaboration!

[Check out the archives of the event here.]

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@mauilibrarian2

10 Google+ Communities I'm Recommending to Our Faculty

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 20:19:00 +0000

Here are ten Google+ communities I'll be recommending that our teachers check out.

1. STEM on Google+ - "Feel free to post into the appropriate section by selecting from the drop-down 'share' menu."(8399 members as of 1/25/13)

2. Music Producers - Gear, Techniques, Tips, Tricks & Advice (258 members as of 1/25/13)

3. Film Professionals Network - Community of filmmakers from all parts of the world (203 members, 1/25/13)

4. Mathematics - A community of mathematicians, students, and mathematics enthusiasts (23,424, 1/25/13)

5. Science on G+ - "About Science! All of it from Biology to Robotics to Space exploration!" (30557, 1/27/13)

6. School Technology Leadership - "This is an open space for anyone who's interested in effective technology leadership in P-12 schools. Please share widely and contribute as desired!" (633, 1/27/13)

7. Animal Lovers (33038, 1/27/13)

8. The Global Education Conference and Network - "For educators interested in connecting their classrooms to the world." (235, 1/27/13)

9. MOOC - Massive Open Online Courses. "A community of learners, for learners, by learners. A place to talk, share, and discover the best free online courses." (771, 1/27/13)

10. Google Apps for Education - "Education in the 21st Century!" (1857, 1/27/13)

I'll be adding more here as an addendum to my What Can You DO with Google+ Hangouts? website.

You, of course, will have your own choices. But perhaps some of these will end up on your list.

Check them out!

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@mauilibrarian2

You'll Never Print Again -- Love this infographic!

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 15:32:00 +0000

Love this infographic, sent to me by Allison of Education News!

The data comes from an infographic in the Digital Reader, and that infographic's data comes from Student Monitor.

I recommend our students always check the sources of an infographic to determine its authority before they look at it. I pronounce this one a keeper.

The chart is geared for college students and adults, especially the price comparison reference to Grey Goose. The inclusion of this particular data would be a great opening for a discussion with my students about choosing data to match their target audience.

Thanks, Allison, for this creative commons gem that you helped create. I'll be sharing it freely.

Never Print again, from educationnews.org
(◕‿◕✿) @mauilibrarian2

Learning about Coursera -- a MOOC worth exploring

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 23:41:00 +0000

Andrew Ng, Stanford University computer science professor, is the co-founder of Coursera, a for-profit company that partners with colleges and universities to provide free MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses).

It's hard to believe that the company only started up in April! Stanford Professors Launch Coursera With $16M From Kleiner Perkins and NEA.

The list of participating colleges and universities is impressive -- thirty-three as of this date.

"Brilliant!" I thought as I listened to Andrew on the Google+ EducationOnAir
Re-think College: Discussing Cost, Expanding Access, Harnessing Technology, and Student Success.

Here's his bio.

Who can take a Coursera course? Anyone over 18. And students 13 and above can take the courses with parental permission.

The variety of courses and topics is impressive. Here are the 210 offerings for 2013.

And here's the Coursera team.

Coursera co-founder Daphne Koller speaks about "What we're learning from online education" on TED. Food for thought.

The company has already encountered controversy: Minnesota Gives Coursera the Boot, Citing Decades-Old Law.

How would Coursera make money? Check out: Inside the Coursera Contract: How an Upstart Company Might Profit From Free Courses.

Here are the nitty-gritty FAQs about Coursera, if you're ready for details.

Coursera isn't the only MOOC organization to consider, of course. Here are three excellent ones I recommend exploring:

MIT OpenCourseWare

Udacity

EdX, a partnership between MIT and Harvard

Coursetalk is an online community that helps you to identify the best MOOCs, and the three organizations above (in addition to Coursera) have the best reviews so far. Coursetalk is a very handy site indeed.

Yes, I know there will be more MOOCs in our future, and No, I'm confident that online learning will never be as rich socially and culturally as "face-to-face" with our teachers. But what an amazing opportunity to learn for all of us!

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@mauilibrarian2

Must-See Creative Commons Visuals Infographic

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 15:46:00 +0000

Just found this fantastic infographic, courtesy of a Mashable article.

Pinned it and embedded it in our Copyright and Creative Commons LibGuide.

This is nitty-gritty must-have information for serious researchers!

Source: mashable.com via Linda on Pinterest

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@mauilibrarian2

It's All About Empathy -- An RSA Animate on the Power of Outrospection

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 15:22:00 +0000

My librarian friend from another island came to visit yesterday and mentioned how her school places emphasis on empathy.

And this morning this appeared on my radar screen. ... It's now my new favorite RSA Animate!

I love the idea of living empathy museums!

This is definitely worth a watch if you have 10 minutes to spare.

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@mauilibrarian2

mauilibrarian2's Nominations for the 2012 Edublog Awards #eddies12

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 19:34:00 +0000

My nominations for the 2012 EduBlogs Awards are all about being inspired and helped throughout this year.

I highly recommend and nominate:

Best group blog - Hawaii Book Blog (soon to be Hawaii Reads). Yes, I know it's a local blog, but Misty-Lynn and Alex give me hope for the future. Every state should have young people like these to carry on and spread the love of books and reading.

Best class blog - Mrs. Yollis' Classroom Blog. Linda Yollis' seamless use of blogs to have her 2nd and 3rd grade students reach out globally is so inspiring.

Best ed tech / resource sharing blog - Educational Technology and Mobile Learning. Med Kharbach does an excellent job of curating edtech tools. I consult this blog every day!

Best teacher blog - Teaching Like It's 2999. I met Jennie Magiera at #GTANY and she is an educator on fire! She is forward-thinking and so enthusiastic -- a mover and shaker, IMO.

Best library / librarian blog - A Media Specialist's Guide to the Internet. Every time Julie Greller (cybrarian77) comes out with a list of resources, I'm all eyes and ears. She has a real knack for finding the crème de la crème.

Best administrator blog: A Principal's Reflections. Eric Sheninger's opinions are always thought-provoking. Creativity and Why It Matters is today's gem.

Best individual tweeter @AuntyTech. Donna Baumbach leverages the power of her tweets by using twylah.com and rebelmouse. She's a frequent contributor to #TLChat. Her tweets are so useful!

Best twitter hashtag #TLChat. This is my bread-and-butter go-to hashtag for educational resources that rock. I access it via paper.li.

Best free web tool - Google Apps for Education. This ubiquitous, dynamic set of tools provides a solid online workplace for students to organize, create, collaborate, and publish. Empowering.

Best educational use of audio / video / visual / podcast - TeacherCast. The brainchild of Jeffrey Bradbury, this network produces volumes of quality content. The variety of educational experts on the show is astonishing.

Best open PD / unconference / webinar series - Google EducationOnAir. This is a very well put together program by The Giant. The offerings are practical and Google+ Hangouts is such a fun way to participate. The topper is the Past Recordings archive, assuring us that we won't miss a thing. More, please!

Best educational use of a social network - iPad Education Dreams. This Facebook group makes everyone an administrator (you can request to be invited). Created by Josh Reppun, this burgeoning group is a stellar example of how people who are passionate about an educational topic come together and generously provide support for one another.

Best mobile app - TripIt. This handy little free app was recommended to my by a colleague this summer at #ISTE12 and I have been using it ever since. Takes the worry out of travel plans.

Lifetime achievement - Jerry Blumengarten, the one and only cybraryman. My hero, 'nuff said.

What about you? Who or what inspired you this year?

Nominations are open until November 26, and here's a quick link to the form.

(◕‿◕✿)
@mauilibrarian2

Four Ways to Keep Track of Who Uses eReaders

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 06:52:00 +0000

Interested in who uses eReaders? Here are four ways to keep track:

1. Read reports and surveys of research organizations.

Check out these reports from Pew Research

A Snapshot of E-Reader and Tablet Owners, January 2012
The rise of e-reading, April 2012
Younger Americans' Reading and Library Habits, October 2012

Here's a Harris Poll of 2,056 adults: No Surprise, eReader Use Continues to Grow.

If you're really serious about knowing about the status of the ereader industry, you can fork over $4500.00 (!) for International Data Corporation's Worldwide and U. S. eReader 2012-2016 Forecast which covers statistics for Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo Inc., Pandigital Inc., and Sony.

If you want to pay less ($635.00) check out the eBooks and eReaders: 2012 report by Research and Markets.

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2. Look for infographics on the subject.

Here are a couple of infographics for your review, courtesy of The Digital Reader:

(It would be interesting to know more about the demographics of this survey conducted by spectos.com.)

http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2012/07/27/ebooks-and-ereaders-survey-infographic/#.UKc21eOe-jJ

This infographic uses data from Pew, businesstocommunity.com and Gizmodo.

http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2012/06/01/the-trend-of-e-reading-infographic/#.UKc2deOe-jI

Pinterest is the mother lode of infographics, of course. Here's my favorite board:

Ben Macklin's ebook and ereader stats and charts

(53 pins as of this writing)

As with all infographics, be sure to read the fine print at the bottom to determine the authoritativeness of the data source(s).

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3. Monitor up-to-the-minute developments and trends via blogs and Twitter.

I recommend adding these sites/blogs to your reader (I use Google Reader);

Pew Internet Libraries
Publishers Weekly's digital content and ebooks section
The Digital Reader
ereadingtrends
Digital Book World
Personanondata
Publishing Trends
The digital publishing section of goodereader.com
Publishing Perspectives

If you're a Twitter user, I've created a short Digital Publishing list. I invite you to subscribe.

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4. If you're interested in how ereading affects libraries, follow these three great resources.

No Shelf Required
eBooks, eReaders, and Libraries on scoop.it, curated by Buffy J. Hamilton
The Digital Shift (Library Journal, School Library Journal)

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And there you have it, four ways to keep up with what's happening with ereaders! This is by no means a comprehensive list. Please comment below if you have suggestions.

To my dear author friend who asked me to do some investigative work on ereaders, I hope this helps! The state of the digital publishing industry is a subject in which I'm keenly interested. I learned a lot writing this article!

Happy reading!

(◕‿◕✿)
@mauilibrarian2

(Cross-posted in my SEABURY READS blog)

We're Having a Mock Presidential Election at our School!

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 03:59:00 +0000

Democracy in action! So exciting!

Mrs. Middleton's U. S. History classes are in charge of conducting a school-wide mock presidential election on Tuesday.

Click on the cartoon below to get to our Elections LibGuide. You can learn all about the presidential candidates, the issues, and how the electoral college works.

Voting will take place during both lunches, and students will have a choice between a written or electronic ballot (courtesy of Google forms). There will be 3 separate groups: upper school students, middle school students, and faculty.

And to the adults: be sure to vote on Tuesday, if you haven't already!

(◕‿◕✿)
@mauilibrarian2

P. S. Thanks to students Dylan West-Vonn Sonn and Taka Tsutsui for creating the very cool electronic ballots!

Considering iPads for your high school Geometry classroom?

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 22:47:00 +0000

http://www.texample.net/media/tikz/examples/PNG/polars-tangents-conic.png

Considering iPads for your high school Geometry classroom?

Here are some options:

Got only one iPad for the classroom?

Try Geometry Sketchpad Explorer for iPad - The Geometer's Sketchpad Resource Center

Want to use iPads with smart board technology?

Check out what one California district did.

Got a BYOD classroom?

How about Geometry Pad, a personal assistant, for iPad and Android tablets.

Considering games?

This looks like fun: Super Hexagon (99 cents)

And if you're going "all in", here are two possibilities:

Geometry iPad apps - more than an online textbook -- for your school or district

Geometry Classroom for iPad on the iTunes App Store

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Any more to add to this list?

(◕‿◕✿)
@mauilibrarian2

Google+ Hangouts: A Brief Reunion with Google Certified Teachers on a Monday Morning

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 14:51:00 +0000

When fellow Google Certified Teacher Tanya Avrath invited 46 from the #GTANY cohort to drop in for five minutes to help her show the power of PLNs (professional learning networks) to her class, I was happy to accept.

It sounded like fun!

The time of day was a little problematic. I was supposed to be checking in my advisees and leading them to the reflection pond area of our campus, for a school-wide assembly.

What to do?

I should bring my laptop along with me outside, I decided, and go from there. I figured other GTANYers would enjoy the scenery.

The Hangout turned out great! Much to my delight, our Headmaster Mr. Joe Schmidt came over to see what I was doing and ended up inviting the group for a gathering on campus. Summer is a good time, he mused.

Photo by Ned Simonds

The group included a principal from Illinois, two educators from Ohio -- a district administrator and an ed tech specialist, a teacher-librarian from Maryland, an ed tech specialist from New York, two professionals from New Jersey -- a Google lead learner and a director of curriculum and technology, and two classroom teachers from California. And of course, Tanya, who's an educational technology teacher in Quebec. Many others wanted to join in, but couldn't because of schedule conflicts.

This was so easy! All that was needed was a Gmail account, set up of a Google+ account, and download of a plug-in. Up to 10 people can participate at one time, and if the Hangout link is shared or the event is made public, anyone can view and enjoy.

If the Hangout had been a show-and-tell, I would have included the group in the beautiful Hawaiian canoe blessing ceremony that took place in front of Cooper House, with the entire student body witnessing. It was a heart-filling event.

Are there more Hangouts in my future? Most definitely.

Would I recommend them? Whole-heartedly!

(◕‿◕✿) @mauilibrarian2

Five Take-Aways from the Google Teacher Academy

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 21:44:00 +0000

Yes, of course there are more than five things I took away from the Google Teacher Academy!

This little list is just a pupu* to start.

1. Let's jump right to the Grand Prize (yes, I sometimes do eat dessert first!). The email invitation at the end of the training to become a member of the very active Google Certified Teachers Group assures me that the awesome learning I experienced at the Google Teacher Academy will continue. I've already consulted the archives a couple of times to answer Google-related questions, and the word is that group members are quick to respond to questions. I've elected to subscribe to the daily digest, and I definitely will be tapping into this mother lode of knowledge often.

2. I discovered that the Chrome Web Store is jammed packed with useful apps and extensions to automate tasks.

A couple of free extensions mentioned by Sean Beavers and Eric Curts grabbed my attention:

Awesome Screenshot, to "capture the whole page or any portion, annotate it with rectangles, circles, arrows, lines and text, one-click upload to share."

Anesidora, still in beta, is an unofficial Pandora player that you can play right in your Chrome browser.

I'll be shopping for free web apps and extensions at the Chrome Web Store often.

3. I found out that Google Docs Integration with Edmodo (often called Facebook for Education) has been available since March. This opens up exciting collaboration and networking possibilities that I'd like to explore, for our Google Apps for Education (GAFE) school. (One of our teachers had expressed interest in trying Edmodo, before the Academy.)

Fellow GCT, New York librarian Brendan Breen, has had experience with Edmodo, and he offered to help me set up an experimental Edmodo group, using Google+ Hangouts. Thank you, Brendan!

4 of the 5 school librarians at GTA

4. The Data Liberation Front site is a central location for information on how to move your data in and out of Google products.

How cool is it that I found out about this site at the Academy? Love the transparency.

5. I was blown away by the in-person presentation by Kern Kelly's students of Nokomis Regional High in Central Maine. Their Tech Sherpa group has just started a live online technical support program that's available for the world every Tuesday at 3:00 EST. So inspiring!

Yes, there's more ... stay tuned!

(◕‿◕✿) @mauilibrarian2

*appetizer, in Hawaiian

Dear Faculty, What Would You Like Me to Ask Google?

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Lindsay) — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 01:27:00 +0000

Dear Faculty,

Is there anything you would like me to ask the folks at the Google Teacher Academy next week?

Someone already gave me a question to ask:

"The Google Site search could use improvement in my opinion. If I do a keyword search to find a site, I get way more than I need. Are tags the only solution, or is Google planning something new?"

Please use the Google form below to submit your question. Your anonymity is assured. You can, of course, choose to identify yourself so that I can follow up with you personally.

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(◕‿◕✿) @mauilibrarian2