Your Friendly Librarian

Wiffiti: Backchanneling in the Classroom

2012-02-28T07:05:00.000-05:00

Can you use Twitter in the classroom without using Twitter?

Of course you can. Sort of...

An English teacher at my school wanted to have his 9th graders participate in a collaborative activity similar to backchanneling at a conference. His plan was to show a short video clip from the novel they're studying while also displaying a Twitter-like stream next to it where students could comment.

We wanted the stream-like function of Twitter, without requiring students to sign up for Twitter. So we searched for something similar. I sent him a few virtual bulletin board ideas like Wallwisher where students could post their comments. He experimented for awhile, but those tools weren't quite right.

Then we found the perfect solution in Wiffiti! The name seems to be a cross between wifi and graffiti. Apparently this tool has been around a while, but many schools don't allow cell phone use, so perhaps that's why I hadn't heard about it before.

After signing up, you can include an image for the background on your screen. When Wiffiti sets up your page, it displays the text number and code needed to send messages right at the top. Then your students simply whip out their phones and go. If your students are like ours, they'll be so excited to have their phones out in class that they may get slightly distracted. So before you begin, you may want to go over some ground rules.

Another aspect to consider if you will be using this tool for backchanneling is that you don't want this to be the first time the students are seeing or hearing new material. Even though kids today seem to be experts at multi-tasking, the brain experts still maintain that we can only concentrate on one thing at a time. Tweeting (or text messaging) while listening to something for the first time is distracting. This group of students had already read the speech, so they were ready to watch it and make comments.

One interesting aspect is that the "tweets" will appear anonymously, but rather than a generic "student" naming scheme, Wiffiti randomly generates a name based on color and animal. So, you'll see names like DurianSiren8, Emeraldbanana3 or GooseberryToad5. Yep. And the messages bounce around the screen, which makes it extra fun!

Here's a sneak peek at what the screen looked like in our classroom. The left screen is the Wiffiti screen and the right screen is the video clip the students were responding to. (Sorry for the lines - I shot this through the door, so I wouldn't interrupt the class.)

How did it go?
The Pros:
The students said they had a lot of fun. Some students appreciated the anonymity. I heard that one student who wouldn't normally speak up in class had no problem at all coming out of her shell in this format.

There isn't another effective way to comment while listening to speech, unless you continue to hit pause and then you lose the overall effect. So, this is a great way to learn about rhetorical skills.

The Cons:
It was a little glitchy. Some students said that they had sent a messages that didn't appear on the screen. It could be that traffic was especially high that day. Wiffiti was just majorly advertised at a tech convention a day or so before that. Also, they are working on a major upgrade in a few weeks, so perhaps that is a factor?

Overall, I think this tool has a lot of potential. Here are a few other ways where Wiffiti would be useful in the classroom:

Brainstorming a topic. This is a great way to contribute honest ideas while remaining anonymous
Quick/short math problems - perhaps a review before a test
Collaboration storytelling - students add to the story with each message
The board could even be left up an entire class period and be used for observations throughout an experiment or lesson

I'm curious to see how other teachers are using Wiffiti in the classroom. Shoot me any great ideas. Let's hope the upgrade they're planning makes it an even better tool.

If You Build it, Will They Come? Building a Mobile Library App

2012-02-10T10:26:00.000-05:00

Curious about building a library mobile app so you can reach your users where they are? (Especially if they're teens.) Well, it's certainly worth a shot, especially if it's free or really reasonably priced. So, where to begin? There are many ways to build an app, with some being more complicated than others. Here are a few options for you:

LIBGUIDES:
The first way is using LibGuides Mobile Site builder. Since there are so many librarians using LibGuides, it might be the easiest way to get into the mobile market. It's how I built mine. It's super easy to configure, and you can add 10 main menus on the page, with an option for many sub-menus. You can also customize the color and you can insert whatever icons you want to make it visually appealing.

I also like it because of the seamless integration with LibGuides. The LibGuides site already displays in a mobile format, so the mobile site and the LG site are seamlessly integrated.

You have a choice of inserting a redirect in your main library website that directs to your mobile site. Or you can simply advertise the mobile website URL in a QR code or a link on your main website. So, if you aren't the webmaster of your school or library, then you can still use this option.

WEBMOBI is another choice. It has a free option and several upgraded pay versions. You have complete control over the design and it works well with pictures and videos. It's looks a little more involved than the LG option, but that also gives you more freedom on the design.

If you've downloaded the ALA Conference app, you'll be familiar with BOOPSIE. Public and Academic libraries are using Boopsie because of its seamless integration with Overdrive and library catalogs. You can read more about it here. It's not free, but it looks to have all the options you could want in a mobile app builder. This is a "proper" mobile app where you go to the app store and download it, not simply a redirect.

Finally, our world wouldn't be complete if Google didn't also have a mobile site option. You don't have to use the Google Sites for your full size website, it's a standalone product. Here's the link to check out all it can do. I'm not sure how savvy it is for libraries, so I'm curious to see if anyone implements a mobile site via Google. Although, from my experience with Google Sites, it will be pretty easy to build.

After doing a cursory search, you'll notice that there are a ton of options our there for building your mobile site. Your first question should be, "What will my users want to do on the go?"

Will they be browsing the catalog or reserving books online?
Will they be doing research on the go?
Should you have your database mobile apps in a super easy place to find?

Since we have some mobile ebook options coming up in the near future, I'll be thinking about how to make that tool front and center on our mobile app.

Will they come?
I'll be asking my students for feedback. We'll be surveying them in the next few weeks to see if we're missing something or if the design is faulty in some way. They'll be sure and let us know. So, will they use the mobile app? To be continued...

If you build a mobile site, share it with me. I'm curious how other libraries and patrons will be using today's new "on the go" services.

ISAS Conference - The Sparks of Inspiration

2012-02-04T09:35:00.001-05:00

Photo credit

I love when a conference truly inspires teachers. This was my first Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS) conference, and it was inspirational. The quality of speakers was top notch. The lineup included:

I learned something substantial from each of them. I agree totally with the 5 C's of essential skills that Pat Basset detailed as needed for the 21st century, which are critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, character and the bonus “Sixth C” recently added: cosmopolitanism (cross-cultural competency).

Heidi Hayes Jacobs dazzled everyone with Web 2.0 tools, while giving us a resources to go back to to find more of them at the Curriculum 21 Clearinghouse. A takeaway like that is golden.

After having read Disrupting Class a while back, it was nice to be reintroduced to the concepts in person by Michael Horn. Student motivation was his key concept. He made great points about blended learning, and I agree that it will be a crucial way to keep kids motivated in the future.

I will definitely be revisiting the 4 levels of fitness that Tony Schwartz told us about. (Physical, Emotional, Mental and the Human Spirit). He explained that we need to live life fully engaged "as a sprinter, not a marathoner." This means we need and must take renewal breaks. Most of the attendees I spoke with took that piece of his talk to heart.

David Eagleman was fascinating in his presentation about the brain. Lately there has been a lot of literature about how our brains form new pathways when we have new experiences and new learning. It was great to hear more about that firsthand from a scientist. I loved his analogy about how our conscious mind is really only a tiny part of our brain function. He said "our conscious mind is only a broom closet in the mansion of our brains." Most of our brain activity happens "under the hood." Fascinating stuff! Multiple forms of creativity in education helps students become problem solvers of the future.

Also, he mentioned an interview he watched with Isaac Asmiov in the early 90's where Asmiov envisioned the future of learning. He predicted that there would be a big, huge central computer with all the world's knowledge and that each student would plug into it from their home. In this world, students could choose their own learning path. They could begin where they wanted and follow the path that excited them. It would be more authentic learning, since it followed the path they were passionate about.

Eagleman said that today's kids are doing more "just in time" learning, as opposed to how we learned growing up, which is called "just in case" learning. For example, I had to learn Calculus, just in case I needed it. (I haven't, by the way) He gave an example of a teen getting a flat tire on his bike. The teen would simply whip out his phone and Google how to fix it. That is the best "in context" learning possible, which is how we want kids to learn, so it sticks with them. Finally, he ended with stating that yes, kids do learn differently today, but it's not necessarily a bad thing - just different.

My biggest paradigm shift came when the final speaker Jane McGonigal spoke about video games. Going into it, I remember thinking that gaming in schools is great, but how exactly do you implement something like that? Well, I was in for a big surprise. I have been wondering about the research on kids and video games for a while. I haven't seen much. I had lots of questions.

McGonigal said that "Gaming can make a better world." Huh? Of course we were wondering about that. Here is her Ted talk, if you want the full scoop. Meanwhile, I'll summarize my favorite bits below.

Gamers become more creative, not just while gaming, but out in their real world too. They bring a lot of the positive aspects of gaming to their lives. I did not know that. Also, gamers bring that hero complex of wanting to save the world into real life too. They begin to look for ways to make that big impact that they make in the games in their actual lives. The flip side is that when kids come into school they become incredibly let down in a traditional "boring" classroom, after having spent time in a vibrant, action-packed game environment.

But here's the most exciting part of her presentation. Gamers are solving real world problems. In the example below from DISCOVER MAGAZINE , you can read how scientists struggled for over a decade on an AIDS research problem, then they decided to hand it over to the gamers. It took the gamers only three weeks so solve the problem. Yep.

McGonigal asserts that we can continue solving the world's problems with gaming.

I was glad to find out about the positive traits that are developed and honed by playing hours and hours of video games. This fascinates mes. Perhaps having a son who likes to spend hours and hours on video games made it more personal for me. But in reality Jane pointed out that the statistics show ALL kids boys and girls are now playing hours and hours of video games. So we need to all be interested in what this is doing to children.

There is so much more on this topic than I can spell out here. Go to Jane McGonigal's site for more. She also has a book called REALITY IS BROKEN.

New Google Docs Presentation Features

2012-01-24T19:13:00.004-05:00

Many people don't use the presentation software in GoogleDocs, because, frankly, it doesn't have a lot of cool features. Well, guess what? Google has listened to us and added some clamored after features in this latest update.

First of all - more themes to choose from:

Second, you can now LINK to other slides in your presentation. (yay!) I was wishing for this feature myself. The workaround was cumbersome, at best.

What I like best about Google Presentations is that I can embed a slideshow in a LibGuide or other website. Then I can make changes as needed in GoogleDocs and the embed updates smoothly. There's no need to re-upload each time, which is super cool.

There are many more changes in Google Docs, so check it out:

Google Docs - What's new? via kwout

Inspiration for Fierceness!

2012-01-14T10:15:00.000-05:00

I am just busting with inspiration right now! I have three big projects to complete in this three day weekend. I'm collaborating with several teachers, and I have some projects of my own to grow my new library program. At first I was going to post about a few great articles I've read this week that have inspired me, but I came across this post from a year ago, that I just re-read. It's required re-reading for all Teacher Librarians, IMHO:

2011: The year to be FIERCE « NeverEndingSearch via kwout

My favorite parts are
"It's okay to be BETA, Train Thyself, and You Can't Punch this Clock"

2011: The year to be FIERCE « NeverEndingSearch via kwout

Anyone who knows me, knows that I have always told librarians who were struggling with learning the enormous amount of new tools out there to just start. Start learning on your own - one at a time. If you want to be indispensable to your school, do it. Begin with tools and technology that your students can use on current projects they already do to make them better. Then move on to learning tools that you can see will help with newer more authentic, creative projects. Pick things that make your teacher's lives easier AND that make student learning better - that's always a great way to help.

Sometimes when you read something great, you're not in the position to act on it. I wasn't in a position to act as fierce as my insides wanted to at this time last year. But now, I am. I will go forth and be fierce!
You should too! Thanks Joyce for articulating in detail how I felt but couldn't put into words.

(and Fierce)

Project Gutenberg

2011-12-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

We live in amazing times. A person could be stuck waiting at the doctor's office or the DMV and realize that they didn't bring anything to read (the horror!). That sticky old People magazine on the waiting room table isn't appealing at all. Well, it only takes a few clicks and that person could be reading Shakespeare, Ayn Rand or Dracula. For free!

Project Gutenberg - free ebooks via kwout

Have you heard about the free eBooks on Project Gutenberg? Well, guess what? They also have a mobile site. Scan the QR code to check it out.

What I really love about Project Gutenberg is the wide variety of file formats. They include files for PC, Android, Kindle, ePub, HTML (which works on mobile devices), and simple text format.

Obviously, we won't be able to get brand newly published books this way. They are able to provide about 36,000 books that have expired copyrights. Plus they link to many other sources that include about 100,000 more free eBooks. You'd be surprised at how many you'll find that you'd like to read.

I really love the layout of the mobile site. It's really nice and easy to navigate.

Have fun searching for free eBooks!

Edublog Awards Voting

2011-12-05T19:08:00.001-05:00

Voting is open for the annual Edublog Awards! Click below to check out the ballots or to vote. I love finding colleagues on the ballot! I also enjoy going through the ballots every year to discover new bloggers and people to follow on Twitter. Have fun!

Check out the Complete 2011 Edublog Awards Nominations shortlist | The Edublog Awards via kwout

Vote Here | The Edublog Awards via kwout

The Petition Tornado

2011-11-30T10:03:00.001-05:00

Photo Courtesy of wwarby

Wow! Who knew librarians could be so controversial?

If you haven’t followed this petition dialogue, let me give you a little background. Check out this post by Buffy Hamilton and this post by Doug Johnson. The hubbub is in regards to a White House petition. The petition was located here, but has now expired. According to the website, if a petition secures the required number of signatures, the president will consider the issue. Here’s the nugget from the petition that has everyone talking:

“Any school receiving Federal funds should be required to have a credentialed School Librarian on staff full time with a library that contains a minimum of 18 books per student. Failure to have a school library open to all students and/or failure to have a credentialed School Librarian to run that library should be punishable by a immediate withdrawal of all Federal monies.”

Of course this sounds like a no-brainer at first, right? But after giving it some thought....

Here are my two issues with the petition:

First, I have a problem with the knee jerk reaction to call on the federal government to solve local problems. We’ve seen time and time again that a federal mandate doesn’t solve problems, but create many more (NCLB). How can someone in Washington DC really have any idea what works best for a school hundreds of miles away. Each state, each city, heck even each county has its own set of issues related to schools. Shouldn’t the school districts and towns decide what’s best for them, not the bureaucrats in DC?

Okay, so maybe your local districts have issues. You can solve those by means that are appropriate for your students. But some districts are doing just fine. Perhaps they don’t require federal intervention, thank you very much. And if you can’t do what you need to in your own district. Go somewhere else. That’s the great thing about having 50 different states. We have such a variety of places to live our lives.

Second, mandates are too closely related to tenure for me. I know this will make a lot of people mad. But teacher tenure isn’t always a good thing. I’ve heard teachers say, “What can they do, fire me? I’m tenured.” Yes, I’ve heard that exact phrase. That phrase does not inspire confidence in me that a person like that will continue to learn, grow, and make learning better for their students.

In regards to librarians, I’m going to say something that you don’t hear spoken aloud too often in library circles. Librarians have a lot of freedom in the sense that they can choose to create a vibrant exciting program or they can do the bare minimum to get by. (or anywhere in between)

Each library program is a direct reflection of the librarian. Libraries vary widely in schools. Librarians have a huge spectrum of services they can offer. Teachers and administrators base their opinions of the position of librarian based solely on what their librarian is doing. It’s every single librarian's job to advocate for themselves by showing their administrators, teachers, and communities what they can offer and why they should keep their jobs.

Doug said it perfectly here:
“I have absolutely no doubt that most librarians who figure out how their programs can support their schools' goals and develop a strong communication and advocacy program will not just survive, but thrive. Might some good librarians' positions be cut? Of course. But over all, those who remain will be great. And students will be the beneficiary.”

Finally, If you are advocating and you do all you can to create a thriving program and yet your school or organization still decides to cut you. Don’t talk it personally. There are many other schools or organizations where you will be appreciated. Maybe that’s harsh. But I would suggest you read Linchpin by Seth Godin. Be creative and make yourself indispensable.

Our Nook Adventure: Part 2 - Set up

2011-11-20T10:09:00.001-05:00

Famous last words: ”I think I’ve figured it out...”

Now that I’ve configured the Nooks, I realize that my original plan of listing by the book title, rather than the Nook was misguided. Although, to be fair, all of my questions weren’t yet answered when I made that plan. I didn’t realize how the un-managed account would work. Since I have less than the 25 required for a Barnes & Noble managed account, I am managing the Nooks myself.

It’s all about how you register the Nooks. I had planned to only have 1 copy of each title. I had a bright idea of having genre Nooks. We’d have the science fiction Nook, the fantasy Nook, the realistic fiction Nook - you get the idea.

Then I began registering the Nooks. I realized I had two choices. This was explained to me by the very helpful digital rep at Barnes & Noble. You can register up to 6 Nooks at a time per email account set up on BN.com. So, he told me, you can group 5 of your Nooks with 2 different emails. Or, you can open up 10 different BN accounts. He said it was my choice. Um, well, obviously 10 BN accounts would be cumbersome, to say the least, so I went with 2.

I opened up the BN accounts to began registering the 2 groups of 5 Nooks. By the way, I had purchased a BN gift card to attach to the accounts to buy eBooks. Even with a gift card, you must also have a backup credit card. This is causing some concern for some schools. If your school has a school credit card, that works great. But my BN customer service rep had a great idea and suggested I purchase one of those VISA gift cards for a small amount and that will register as a credit card. There’s always the option of using your personal credit card as a back up. Most people don’t want to do that. Don’t worry, though, because you can password protect the Nooks, so no one can purchase from the store on the Nooks. We did password protect our Nooks. They can't even download samples, which is great!

At this point, I was still planning to put the books I wanted on each Nook. (according to the genre groups). I had already purchased a few free books to experiment with. As I registered the first group of 5, I realized that those free books were popping up on all the Nooks in that group. I went online to investigate in my BN account. There is no way to send specific books to specific Nooks. There is a way to do this with Kindles, but that’s another story. When I noticed this, I called my BN digital rep again to double check. Nope, there is no way to do that unless you have the managed account. Well, we’re aren’t planning to buy 15 more Nooks anytime soon, so not an option. Although, for other schools, you may want to note that they will count all of the Nooks in your building to add up to the 25. And it can be several months later. If you only have 10 now, but buy up to 25 later, then you can move to the managed account,

Anyway, I verified with my BN rep that I could not send books to specific Nooks, and that it was okay to have the books I purchased go to all 5 Nooks in a group. Basically, I have no choice but to do it that way. Note that my original plan was to have 1 copy of a book on a Nook, not 1 copy of a book on 5 Nooks.

Here’s where the “I think I have it figured out part...” was jinxed.
I could not catalog the eBooks by titles as originally planned, nor could I group by genre. Here’s what I ended up doing, which I think worked out just great in the end.

I have group 1 (Nooks 1-5) and group 2 (Nooks 6-10). In our catalog, I created two different titles in our library catalog; we use Destiny. In the first title record, I included all of the titles and authors of the books in that group in the “contents” Marc tag. I did the same with the second title. Then I added copies to each title. I used Nook 1, Nook 2, Nook 2, etc. as call numbers, rather than FIC or Equipment. This makes it clean and easy to know which Nooks are checked out and which Nooks are available. Plus, a patron can request a hold on a Nook and they’ll know which group of titles they’re requesting.

I love all the aspects of how the cataloging worked out, except for one thing. Since I only put the titles and authors in the contents, patrons can only find them in the catalog by doing an “everything” or keyword search. If you look Hunger Games up by title, the Nooks won’t come up. I suppose I could add the titles and authors under that section in the record, but it was going to get pretty cumbersome with 20 titles. Right now, it’s pretty simple to add new titles in the contents section, as I buy more titles. So, we’ll see in time. Since I also have an annotated listing of titles at the circulation desk, as well as on my eBook LibGuide, I’m not too worried about it.

Back to the BN account and how to load the books. I have our gift card attached to both BN accounts. I go into one account and purchase the titles I want and they’re sent automatically to all 5 Nooks in that group. Even if the Nooks are in patron hands, the books will appear, so you don’t have to tell it to fetch it or anything. They’ll just pop up.

What I like about having the same titles on all Nooks in a group: It’s easy for circulation. Right now several people want the new Steve Jobs book, so up to 5 people can be reading that.

What I don’t like about having the same titles on all Nooks in a group: Bookmarking. If one person makes a bookmark, all people in that group see the bookmark. Yep. That was interesting to figure out. I think it could actually be fun. Students can “race” each other to finish a book. I see possibilities there.

For now, it’s working great. I love handing someone they Nook and having them realize that they can read any of the 15 or 20 books on the it. If they begin one and don’t like it, they can choose another. Or maybe they’re a fast reader, so having a little library over the Thanksgiving break is awesome! My goal in the beginning was to increase reading for pleasure, since we have such busy students, who don’t read as much when they get into the upper school. I’m hoping to hook in students who wouldn’t otherwise pick up a fiction book.

We’ll see. I’ll know more as I conduct post reading surveys and get feedback from students and faculty. If the groupings don’t work as well as we’d like, then we’ll revise.

Please feel free to ask me more questions, if you’re interested in setting up eReaders in your school or library. I have research on Kindles too. Also, I'd be happy to show you our agreement forms and other documents I created. Or you can visit our LibGuide here. And if you'd like to know more about the BN Managed Account program, Buffy spells it out nicely here.

What to do with those ole' Kindle books lying around...

2011-11-03T11:54:00.002-04:00

So, you've had your Kindle a while and you have all those great books organized into collections on your device. You can just leave them there and peruse them once in a while. Or you can lend them...well, only to other people who have Kindles. Maybe you don't have that many friends who have Kindles. What if there was a way to connect you - Kindle Owner, with lots of other Kindle Owners? What if you could have a sort of "swap meet" with them.

Good news! There is. It's called Lendle. (Thanks to Carolyn Foote for the tip) After opening an account (it's free, of course), you give the names of the titles you own. There's a easy way to see which of your books are lendable.

If you go to your Kindle Library on Amazon, hover your mouse over the "actions" bubble. If it gives you an option to "loan this title," then that's a book you want to add to your Lendle account. The more books you add, the more you're able to borrow from others.

The terms are simple and fair. You're able to loan a book only once. And you can only borrow if you have books available to lend. They don't want the community poached by people who only borrow and never contribute. It makes sense and I really like it so far.

Also, there is a way to earn credits if you loan a lot of books. If you earn enough, you can get credit with Amazon, where I supposed you'd buy more books! That's not really why I signed up. I like the idea of yet one more place where I can borrow books. So...between my own school library, my public library, eBooks on Overdrive, Lendle, and Amazon, I should be able to meet all my needs!

I hope you find it helpful!

Wow! Just as I was about to post this, I see that Amazon is also getting into the lending game with Amazon Prime members getting to borrow. Pretty amazing stuff!

Amazon.com: Kindle Owners' Lending Library via kwout

Our Nook Adventure: Part 1

2011-11-02T12:22:00.000-04:00

I just picked up a set of 10 Nooks to circulate in my school library. I've read a lot about how other librarians are managing this new, ever-changing endeavor of circulating eBooks & eReaders. So, I've had time to brainstorm and plan.

I think I've figured out how to manage them...

I plan to catalog the Nook eBook and then make the call number designate that the book is on a Nook. My original plan was to catalog the Nook as equipment and add in the record which book or books were on the Nook. But after thinking about how we are using the Nooks, I realized a few things:

~I'm not circulating them as equipment, because that sort of implies that the Nook is a piece of equipment for them to "do things" with, like add & remove books. I compare it to the old days when we circulated VCRs for people to play different media.
~I'm circulating a book, albeit in a new-fangled format. However, it's still a book.

I realize that librarians have different situations that work for them, and some have less (or no) flexibility with their cataloging, especially those in a district. Fortunately, I have the flexibility to catalog the Nooks in the way that I want to work for our students. I think focusing on the book will work for my students.

I will also place "Nook eReader" somewhere in the record, so that if a student wants to search for just for the Nooks, he or she can do that, as well.

In addition, I'm following the suggestion of Buffy Hamilton and keeping a hard copy list of which Nooks have which eBooks on them at any given time. Some students may prefer to just come and ask. But I'd like to make it known to those students who may be perusing the catalog, as well.

As for behind the scenes, I have have a file folder for each Nook (also an idea from Buffy), where I'm listing which book(s) is on each Nook.

This is the blueprint so far, but I still have questions. And I'm sure I'll make changes and adjustments as we go along. But I'm thrilled to finally get started with the eReaders.

I'll update as we go this year. Let the journey begin!

A Flipped Classroom in Action

2011-10-29T09:36:00.002-04:00

Photo credit jnpoulos

I love it when I hear about something so exciting that it makes me want to go back in the classroom to try it. I first heard about "flipping classrooms" at the beginning of the school year. However, since I came to a new school this year, I was inundated with new information and couldn’t pay much attention back then. Fortunately, I heard it described in more detail yesterday by Steve Hegwood, a teacher at our school. The more I heard, the more fascinated I became.

What is a Flipped Classroom?

In the traditional setting, a teacher will lecture/present a lesson during class and assign homework for the student to practice and learn the material at home. Students are passive while in class and active at home doing the practice/homework. Furthermore, while a student is practicing something like math or chemistry at home on their own, they’re more likely to have questions. But no one is there to help. To make matters worse, sometimes a student practices something incorrectly over and over and it becomes “cemented” in their brain wrong.

But a flipped classroom is the exact opposite. A teacher records the lecture/lesson for students to watch on video for homework. Then the students come to class the next day having already heard the lecture/lesson, so they’re ready to practice what they learned. And the teacher is there to help and to discuss their learning. So, the passive portion of learning is at home and the active portion is at school with the expert on hand.

This is makes so much sense that I wonder why we didn’t begin this ages ago!

The idea was pioneered by two teachers in Colorado who began with simply videoing their lessons because so many students were absent. Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams say they began for selfish reasons, because of the time it takes to “catch up” students who are absent. After they began posting their lessons online, the feedback was tremendous. Not only were absent students benefiting, but other students who were present for the first lecture began re-watching the lectures on video. Also, students found them helpful in reviewing for tests. Their journey is detailed here at The Flipped Class Blog.

Back to my school where teacher Steve Hegwood began flipping his classroom at the beginning of the school year. I got a summary from Steve at a faculty meeting, but I wanted to learn more about how he and his students were doing with this approach, so I asked him. He graciously agreed to be interviewed.

How did you hear about flipping classrooms?
After attending the November Learning BLC conference in Boston for two consecutive years, I was poking around on the Internet looking for ideas of practical applications of technology to enhance student learning (one thing I despise is the trend in the implementation of technology for technology’s sake – you wouldn’t buy a hammer and then go looking for nails to hit). I stumbled across the vodcasting.ning.com community site last December or January. I attended the conference in June.

Were students intrigued or hesitant at the beginning of the year?
If I could go back and change how I presented the approach to the students I would. Sometimes more information is not better. I was very excited about what I had planned for my classes so I spelled out every detail on the first day of school. For the most part my explanation was met with blank stares and looks of terror. To the students, it was as if I was about to take everything that they had grown accustomed to over the last 10 years of their education and throw it out the window. They all became very defensive and I could no longer convince them that I wasn’t changing anything other than where they would be listening to lectures.

How do they feel about watching videos for homework?
Initially they were not to sure about it – they thought I was crazy. Their biggest apprehensions were centered on the inability to ask questions. Now that they realize that many of the questions they would normally ask early in a traditional lecture are usually answered later in the same lecture, many have developed the patience to wait until the end to see if they still have questions. Even when I take time in class for a traditional lecture I find that I am being interrupted much less frequently than in the past. I also encourage them to write down their questions as they watch and then ask when they return to class. They also love the fact that the videos have “pause” and “rewind” buttons the average teacher doesn’t have.

How are they doing with the in-class work? Do they like having you there for their practice time?
As I was slowly implementing the approach, providing a mix of video and traditional lectures, the early apprehension quickly faded as students began asking me if they could have another “work day” and wanting to know when the next videos would be posted. The students are finding that the homework is much “easier” when they have someone present who can explain how to work through problems instead of relying only on their own class notes.

Overall, how do you think the process benefits student learning? The questions that are being asked in class are much more advanced than what I am used to receiving from my first year students – many of the questions are what I might expect early in the year from my AP Chemistry students. Average test scores have increased by 6 to 10 percentage points. Not only are scores higher than in the past, but the students seem to have a better appreciation for and understanding of the material.

Since I write about technology here, perhaps you can tell us what software you use to record your slideshows?
I am using Camtasia Studio 7.1 to record and produce the videos. I host them on a Moodle site that I maintain myself. So far, my videos have been voiceovers of my working my way through PowerPoint presentations.

And the name of the nifty gadget you use to make your marks on the screen?
While making the recordings of my PowerPoint presentations, I occasionally use a Wacom Intuos 4 tablet to make handwritten annotations throughout the presentation. The Intuos 4 is Wacom’s midrange tablet, but they make a wide range of tablets from the entry level Bamboo to a series of professional grade tablets. As a technophile myself, this is a personal item that I already happened to have, but there are a number of similar products on the market. Interactive whiteboards are also great for this.

If a teacher is interested in learning more, do you have a website to refer them to?
I would strongly recommend that anyone wanting information visit, and consider joining, the vodcasting.ning.com community site and start sifting through the wealth of information and ask questions.

Wow, so much to think about. Thanks so much! I love to share innovative teaching ideas that enhance students learning. I’ll be interested to see how the year progresses. I'll do a status update at the end of the year.

Here is the link for the first time flippers group at the vodcasting ning that Steve mentioned:
Check it out!

First Time Flippers - Teacher Vodcasting and Flipped Classroom Network via kwout

Need Inspiration?

2011-10-23T09:25:00.001-04:00

If you need a big, giant bucket of inspiration, check out the just published Ebook:

SCHOOL LIBRARIES: What's Now, What's Next, What's Yet to Come

It's a collection of 100 essays written by respected librarians, teachers, publishers, and library vendors on the subject of School Libraries. It was edited by Kristin Fontichiaro and Buffy Hamilton. Foreword by R. David Lankes. Photographs by Diane Cordell."

The authors were asked to write about the future of libraries and librarians. Where are we headed? Where should we be headed? The topics range from learning, teaching, multiple literacies, collection development, the digital and the physical library, collaboration and professional learning. Each essay beings personal experience to the learning happening in school libraries. Each has a different, but inspiring perspective. This is a must read for every school librarian! And, it's FREE. Go for it!

Smashwords - School Libraries: What's Now, What's Next, What's Yet to Come - A book by Kristin Fontichiaro via kwout

Curation and Storytelling

2011-10-10T14:14:00.000-04:00

I've been following the curation trend recently. At the same time, I've been pondering the importance of storytelling in every aspect of our culture. So when I came across Storify, which is sort of a combination of the two, I was thrilled at the possibilities! What a cool way to take an event or trend and make your own story. Watch the video below:

Storify demo from Burt Herman on Vimeo.

Now look at an example of a story someone created about Al Davis, who just passed away:

I could embed the whole thing here, but it's really long, so click here to see it.

This is a really cool way to tell a story in your own way using multi-media and social networking. But it's also collaborative storytelling, because it's telling a story with input from everyday people who may be at the event, people who may be involved in some way, or maybe just people who have ideas and opinions and your topic/event.

You'll see on the dashboard that you can choose which networks to pull information from. You can access Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, Google, and RSS feeds, etc. When you find something pertinent, you drag & drop it into your stream. You can add your own text, reorder the items and more to tell the story you want to tell.

In the classroom, this is a great way for students to document an event - whether it's a natural disaster, an election primary, or the hub-bub surrounding the long-anticipated movie opening.

The ideas are limitless!

Library Lending for Your Kindle is finally HERE!

2011-09-23T21:11:00.001-04:00

When I heard that Amazon was working with Overdrive to allow us to check out Kindle formatted books, I thought it was too good to be true. We could borrow e-books? Awesome!

Well, the day has finally arrived, my friends! If your public library is using Overdrive, and most of them are, you can now check out books for your Kindle!

I did a little test run to see how easy it is. First of all, when you go to your library website, it will tell you to go to your digital media catalog to search for e-books. My advice to make searching easier is to click on "advanced search" and under "format," select Kindle. This will ensure that when you find something you want, it'll be in Kindle format. Not all books are available at this time in e-book format.

Once you make a selection and put it in your digital cart, then check out. You will be sent to Amazon to download the book. There are two ways to get the book on your Kindle.

~If you have a Wi-Fi Kindle, then it will be delivered wireless when you sync
~If you have 4G, then it will be downloaded to your computer and you just drag it to your Kindle with your USB

Either way - still easier than using Overdrive. You don't have to download and use Overdrive, which may be a little confusing for some people. (I actually gave up on Overdrive for audio books, because the book kept disappearing every time I wanted to add more music to my ipod.) The process when smoothly through Amazon, which is a familiar process, since you already have a Kindle.

Also, it was really easy to return the book. You go to your "Manage Your Kindle" in your Amazon account. You'll see your library book there in your list, and you just click on "actions" and select "return book." The reason this is important is that you can only check out a certain number of e-books at at time. If you finish them all early, then you're stuck waiting for the checkout period to be over, unless you can return them early.

Another part I really like is that you know right away if a book is available. If a library only has only 3 copies of an e-book, then it can only loan out 3 copies at a time. So, it's nice to know if you'll be able to download the book right away or if you will have to hold it.

Yay for library e-books! Now go check out some books.

How To Use Images & Photos Legally

2011-09-04T13:05:00.001-04:00

Someone asked a question on Google+ today that sparked this post. She asked if using images from Google was okay in her own blog because they were in the public domain. Just because I'm a librarian and know that there are several misconceptions in that question, doesn't mean that other bloggers understand the ins & outs of copyright, public domain, and how to use images legally. So, I thought I'd do a post about how to legally use photos and images on the Internet.

Usually the first thing I tell people, especially students creating multi-media projects, is to take your own photos. Then you never have to worry about copyright. But not everyone is a photog, so here is another idea.

My favorite place to get photos that are high quality and legal is Flickr Creative Commons.

This is a photo sharing site where creative people put their work up for us to use. There is an enormous variety of pictures! Anything you're looking for you will probably find. Actually, sometimes the photos themselves inspire me to go a different way on my project or article.

Here's the catch, at the bare minimum, you have to give attribution to the owner.

You can choose which type of license to search right from the the homepage:

http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/

Attrubution License means you simply have to credit the owner. The other licenses have different guidelines, and those are briefly described right on the home page.

Flickr: Creative Commons via kwout

So, all you have to do is follow the guidelines for each image you use, give attribution and it's that simple. You will find the most unique, creative photos on Flickr that you really won't see anywhere else. You can also open an account and upload your own photos. Who knows, if people like your work, then maybe your photos will start popping up in other people's blogs!

In addition, I have a listing on the sidebar of this blog called "Photo/Image Sources for Presentation or Instruction," which includes some great places for high quality photos. Finally, if you really want even more high quality photos, you can pay to use royalty free photos from sites like iStockPhoto. They do have stunning photos, but you have to pay for most of them.

Oops, I guess I didn't really answer the question at the beginning of the post:

Can you use photos from Google images, because they're in the public domain?

First of all, Google images are not the "public domain." I think people mistakenly think because something is "out there" that it's in the public domain. It's not. The public domain is when the copyright has run out on a piece of work. Or it's published purposely for public use. For example, for the most part, you can use Microsoft clip-art without worrying about copyright.

Google is merely a search engine. It pulls picture from all over the web. So, when you find a picture there, it is your responsibility to find out if you can use that picture. That can be cumbersome, which is why I recommend Flickr Creative Commons. Remember - don't just go to Flickr and assume you can use those pictures. Go to the Flickr Creative Commons site and do your search from there. You can double check the guidelines on a picture by looking to the right sidebar for this:

Click on that to double check what you need to do to use a photo.

Hopefully this helps you decide how and when to use other people's photos and images!

So I'm in, Now What? Google Plus Resources Round-Up

2011-07-28T12:19:00.013-04:00

Now that I've used it longer, I wanted to tell you more about Google+ than I did in my original post. This is a round up of a few of the sources out there that are helpful to new people. There is a ton of it out there, so I really had to narrow it down to the most helpful.

OVERVIEWS
My first pick is this visual orientation from Saidur Cy Hossain. When you click on the link, scroll down until you see this picture below. Click on that to begin the slideshow.

Saidur (Cy) Hossain - Google via kwout

Next, Mashable is always a great place to start, so check out their Complete Guide here.

PHASE TWO - CUSTOMIZATION
Once you're in and get used to using it, you'll want some of the cool extensions that make Google+ even EASIER to use. Especially when it hits you that you now have at least THREE networks to manage. To keep from going insane, you may want the extension that imports your Twitter and FB feeds into Google+. I found that one on this list - The Mother of ALL Google+ Resource List. It's great and you'll want to browse the list. But if you want the one to have all your feeds in one place, go here Start Google Plus. That handy extension was designed by Zane Claes and he continually tweaks it to keep it working smoothly.

Okay, so now you're in and you're really getting good, maybe you're ready to move to "power user." PCWorld has the list for you: 40 Google+ Tips and Tricks for Power Users.

EDUCATIONAL USES
Finally, I'm really intrigued by the idea of using Google+ in Education. The ability to send information to select groups in a way that can't be done in Facebook is interesting. Also, this opens a way to communicate with students in a social network setting without all the dangers/inappropriateness inherent in "friending" them on Facebook. I haven't seen a ton written about this yet, but I have found two articles that address how we might use it in education:

Google Plus and the Future of Sharing Educational Resources | Hack Education via kwout

The GPlus Info: How GPlus Can Become The Social Network For Education via kwout

Of course, my list of educational resources for Google+ wouldn't be complete without the inclusion of Steven Anderson's (aka @web20classroom) LiveBinders collection located here.

Personally, my favorite parts of G+ so far:

1. Privacy - Sending posts to only certain groups. This REALLY works. In the beginning I thought you could still go to someone's profile and see all of their posts there regardless of where they sent them. Not true. It's true privacy. If you send to only certain people, only they get to see it. That was revolutionary for me! You can also post a message to just one person by directing the post to just them.

2. Functionality - Sending posts that I really want to delve into later directly to Evernote. Seeing my Twitter and Facebook stream within, so I don't have to leave. All of the customization and extensions! (And these are improving every single day)

3. Creativity - The wide diversity of people and inspiration I get on a daily basis. The conversations feel more meaningful too, because you're connecting with people based on your common interests. But don't worry, there are plenty of goofy animated GIFs of cats doing silly stuff too.

Finally, I have even more links that I've bookmarked in my Diigo, so click my Google+ tag to see many more!

Happy Plussing!

*Updated 8/2/11

Google Plus Initial Thoughts

2011-07-13T13:35:00.010-04:00

Some beginning thoughts on Google+.

First, it's overwhelming, since you can add people to your circles without them adding you back, like Facebook. So, connecting with interesting people is easy. But then you have a ton of great stuff to read, so hence the overwhelming part. I'm finding myself wanting to be there more than Twitter, Facebook or anywhere else. Others are too. It actually has a name: the Google+Diet. People are avoiding all other social places and staying on Google+ only to see how it goes. People are also dropping Facebook altogther and leaving little Google+ icons as their profile picture on FB.

Secondly, it's overwhelming because of the sheer amount of information being written about Google+. People are comparing it to Facebook, sharing great tips about how to use it technically, how to use it as a network and how to protect your privacy. I've been using it for a while just flying by the seat of my pants, and bookmarking all of the articles & tips. Now I'm just beginning to dig into the information to learn more.

But I have already found things to share about it.

*The HANGOUTS feature is promising for sure. It's their version of video chatting. But you can have a group. This would be great for social hanging out, but also for webinars, meetings and other gatherings. You can make them private, of course. The video toggles with the main person speaking, while the others are at the bottom in view in smaller screens. Before you ask, yes you can "mute" your video screen if you don't want to be seen. I realize we have Skype and other tools like this, but this is really super easy to use, so I feel like it will get more use.

*CIRCLES are a great way to distribute your posts. You can group whoever you want however you want. So if you're posting about a family vacation that you know only a small groups like "friends and family" want to see, then you post it to them. If you're posting about a project at work, then maybe only your "work" friends want to hear about that. As Mike Elgan puts it:

Elgan: Declare independence... from Facebook! - Computerworld via kwout

Exactly! This is my favorite part of Google+. Everyone you know doesn't want to hear everything about you and what you're doing. What you might share with your high school BFF isn't the same information you'll share with your colleague or college professor. Here is a little pic of how you can drag & drop people into circles. The animations and visuals are all top notch.

*As a librarian, TAGGING holds a special place in my heart. Trying to search for an old post in FB can be cumbersome at best. People are beginning to use tags in Google+. This would make it more like Twitter in that aspect. With the power of the Google search engine behind it, I can only imagine that this feature will improve.

Overall, people are saying that it has the best bits of FB and Twitter rolled into one. I have to agree. I'm also really toying with the idea of blogging there. (In addition to circles, you can make a post public)

I found two reasons why I like this idea. (and it's called a BloG+ post - a blog that originated and is located only in G+, I just found out!)

1. Ability to do lengthier posts than with Twitter or Facebook, but easier than going to a different platform.

2. Directing the post to an already built-in audience. (or make it PUBLIC for non Google+ members)

Overall, Google+ has my attention.

A few more links for you to learn about Google+
A nice overview Ryan Bretag
A cheat sheet from Mashable
Great Visual Start-Up guide by Saidur Hossain (click on the photo to scroll through)

When John Scalzi won over ALL librarians, aka ALA Sci-Fi Panel

2011-06-30T18:06:00.001-04:00

It's taken me a while to begin posting about ALA, because so much is still floating around in my head waiting to be coalesced into cogent thought! I may be posting more, but I'll begin with this post about the Sci-Fi panel I attended on Saturday night.

One theme I noticed throughout the conference was what I'll call "why choose - why can't we have both new technology and old?" The first time I noticed the theme was in regards to E-books and paper books. I noticed several librarians and authors were asked about their preference of E-Books over traditional paper books. Many times the questioner will pose the question in this format "Do you prefer E-books or paper books?" I've actually been asked that myself. Or sometimes the questions is asked like this, "how long before E-books take over?"

LITA/TOR Sci-Fi Panel*

I was pleased when most librarians and authors said, "I like both." Or "Why does one have to survive without the other, can't we enjoy both?" I agree. I think they each have their own purpose. My favorite answer to that might be Carrie Vaughn, who was asked at the panel which she preferred answered, "Whatever my readers want." She went on to say that as long as her books are around and being read that she really didn't care the format. (That may not be word for word - I'm going my memory here, forgive me.) I think that really is a great attitude. Rather than worry about the format, the worry should be about whether or not the books are being read, right? The panel is pictured above and included (from left to right) David Weber, Bill Willingham, Orson Scott Card, John Scalzi, Jim Ottaviani, Carrie Vaughn, and Gail Carriger.

They each spoke about the future of Information Technology. Some weaved in the effects of science fiction on technology, while others just spoke about the topic in their own way. It was funny how one author mentioned that we cannot predict what new technologies will emerge and that Sci-Fi has always been wrong. I disagree with that some, and apparently so does John Scalzi. He told a little story about how he remembered reading about something where pointing to a line of text would bring up whole other pages of text in one of Orson Scott Card's books in the late 80's. So like 5 years later when hyperlinks were invented, he said, "Hey! They stole that idea from Orson Scott Card!!"

Of course, I had to show off my picture with OSC!

Going back to the question about E-books versus paper books, an important question came up about preservation. First of all, one person argued that paper books may actually hold up longer, becaue digital books require a format to read them. Will we really be using the same technologies thousands of years from now to be able to read a Kindle or Nook book? Whereas, we certainly can still read a book written on scrolls from hundreds of years ago, right? Although, there are translations involved. Gail Carriger said that she actually likes books going into digital format, because she felt that her books being in the digital world gave them a longer life. The book would always be there. (You know because once something's online, it's there forever).

This discussion lead to the biggest question of all regarding the future of books: Are books preserved over thousands of years because they're beloved or are they beloved because they were preserved (over other books that happened to not get preserved)? Good question.

It was a fun, though-provoking panel! I'll leave you with my favorite part - John Scalzi posed the question, "If an alien came down to earth and wanted to know more about the planet, who would we send him too?" He went through all of the wrong choices (A scientist - no because he'd want to probe him, The government - no because they'd want to use him as leverage against enemies, etc.) Then he said, of course the obvious choice is a Librarian. Where else would the alien go where he would be asked first and foremost, "What do you want to know?" (instead of the other way around)
He concluded by saying, "Librarian's are the human interface to the universe of knowledge." Wow!
(Yes, cursing myself for not getting a picture with John Scalzi!)

*The official title of the panel discussion presented by LITA and TOR Books was: Looking at the present and future of Information Science and Information Technology through the eyes of a panel of science fiction and fantasy authors. Imagine the possibilities, explore the realities, think about the consequences.

What will Higher Education Look Like in the Future?

2011-06-20T13:00:00.000-04:00

Higher Education has major competition today with the organizations like the Kahn Academy and Ted Talks providing so much information for free. Plus, tons of other options that aren't free, but are much cheaper than a college course, such as The Great Courses. It makes you wonder how college will compete. It's no longer the only route to a first class education. A motivated person could educate themselves pretty well.

So, what will higher education look like in the future? What will it do to warrant the high tuition, especially for those who don't require it for their careers. Perhaps a major trend in higher education will be less lectures and more independent learning, collaboration and idea generation.

Check out this brilliant video I found at Mindshift, which is a continual source of inspiration for me. On one hand, students have instant access to all kinds of information (rather than memorizing stuff). On the other hand, we are debating the quality of that available information, and that is a fantastic! I believe all of this bodes very well for discovery learning and critical thinking skills. Look at all of the ways today's technology can make education creative and exciting! I know many K-12 teachers and librarians who are leading the way using our new tools. I hope that college level educators are also redesigning and using the valuable new tools available to keep young adults excited about learning and creating.

Summertime: To Work or Not to Work?

2011-06-13T11:25:00.001-04:00

Me on my hammock!

Fellow Librarians and Teachers, how much do you work over the summer? Usually in June, I'm packing, moving and unpacking, so I don't get a lot of work done. However, thankfully, I didn't move this summer. Naturally, I wondered how much school work I would get to accomplish in June without being preoccupied by moving. So far, that would be....none. I'm enjoying the first few weeks of relaxation. (I don't really count reading as work, and I've definitely read several novels so far.) By work I mean: reading library journals/blogs/news and writing about aforementioned journals/blog/news, along with other research.

Usually I do all of this with verve and joy, since I love it. However, I've taken a needed break this last week. And I feel like continuing that break a little longer, and I'm wondering why I feel a little guilty. Alas, I couldn't help but wonder, how much do you fellow librarians and teachers want to work over the summer? Some of you set goals, and you know who you are, but do some of you just go with the flow and relax? How much do you remove yourself from the education/library stream of information online and not feel too guilty? Tell me how much you're "working" this summer?

Autograph my Kindle?

2011-05-14T08:56:00.000-04:00

Since I'll be seeing some of my favorite authors at ALA this summer, I began to look at which books I would have them autograph. Then I panicked and remembered that many of the books I read were on my Kindle. Would I have to purchase additional, hardback copies?

Then I looked at my Kindle and pondered a way for them to sign it...maybe the inside cover? No, that's suede and wouldn't work. The inside back cover...that's leather. Hmmm, why not the back of my Kindle?

I took it out to take a peek. You know, that's an awful lot of shiny, smoothness just waiting to be Sharpied!

Yes, that's my solution. I will have the authors sign the back of my Kindle!

Wow! I thought, "I'm a Genius!!" Uhh, no. Actually, believe it or not, I'm not the first one to come up with this idea. After talking to a few friends, I realized that people have been doing this for a while. Anyway, I still think it's a cool idea. (example of what it looks like - crossing my fingers that each author won't use that much space!)

Questions for you, my readers:
How many autographs do you think I can get on there? And would you use the back of your Kindle/Nook/SonyReader for this? Surely a little Sharpie won't hurt it, right?

Other Options:
If you don't want to "deface" your E-Reader like I plan to do, here are a few other options for you:
ShoutOgraph - Seems like a lot of steps for the author & involves Twitter
Some authors are having E-Book signings!
Another option that involves taking a picture and using bluetooth (sounds complicated).

I'm sure the market will come up with many options for signing soon enough, due to the popularity of E-Books. Until then, I will have a variety of Sharpie colors on hand for authors to fill up the back of my Kindle! (pictures to follow in early July!)

What is the Purpose of School? Let's Back Away from the Trees and Look at the Forest

2011-05-08T17:29:00.003-04:00

What is the purpose of school anyway? Rote memorization is almost totally unnecessary, since we can look up formulas, mathematical conversions and the capital of Zimbabwe with a few clicks on any Internet connected device. So, shouldn't we be teaching kids to think, rather than to regurgitate back what they've "learned." Seth Godin makes a pretty good list about high school:

Seth's Blog: What's high school for? via kwout

I love this list! If only it could be this simple. If only we didn't have a huge bureaucratic machine that prevents teachers from simple teaching what today's students need.

I'm not saying that a lot of these things aren't being taught. I've definitely seen several of these items in some schools. I've seen project based learning work extremely well in middle school. I've seen collaboration work quite well in other schools. In today's society, we rarely work alone. We need to be able work with people in groups or in other types of collaboration.

I also think teaching students to question is important, rather than just regurgitating information. This is going on in some classrooms, too. I've read some great posts about questioning lately.

Elizabeth Eastman at River Oaks Elementary (wonderful, thoughtful blog) wrote a great about questioning with how to implement strategies, particularly in elementary:

L.I.T. (Literacy, Inquiry &Tech.) @ ROE: Questions via kwout

Also, I really love this from Joe Bower, who consistently writes thoughtful posts at For the Love of Learning:

for the love of learning: Rethink Lesson Planning via kwout

Teaching students to be inquisitive, to ask questions, to construct their own learning. Wow! That's what we really need. I know this is happening in some classrooms. But what if we were able to develop "standards" that were more open-ended and less about specific facts that students have memorized. I'm not sure there is a way to measure students thinking ability. I know that the new state standardized test in Texas is trying to do that. But I still think standardized testing is biased towards kids who are good test takers. And that whole system is inherently flawed because teachers have to begin teaching kids how to test, rather than teaching them to think.

What if we stopped looking just at the line-item standards (the trees) and ask ourselves what the overall mission of school is today? Then we can focus in on what types of teaching will get us to that goal. Rather than just looking at the standards and how they aren't rigorous enough compared to other countries. Because if all of our kids were taught to question and think critically, we wouldn't have to worry about other countries.

Just a thought.

Anatomy of a Librarian Infographic

2011-05-04T19:43:00.001-04:00

Interesting...I like the Right Brain/Left Brain part. Being a librarian does entail equal parts analytical and creativity, for sure!

++ Click to Enlarge Image ++

Via:Master-Degree-Online.com

Genre Shelving ~ Confused about the debate

2011-04-10T19:02:00.000-04:00

image credit juhansonin

I've read a lot about shelving fiction according to genres lately. I've read that it really increases circulation and makes it easier for students to find books. One question I have? Why am I seeing the "Dewey or Don't we" question? Libraries are still shelving the Non-fiction by Dewey. We've never shelved Fiction by Dewey anyway. We pull the fiction out of "literature" and place it in alphabetical order by the author. Now, if we want to further divide that section by genre, I suppose that makes sense. But why are we arguing over whether we're using Dewey or not? Just curious...