Happy New Year! In this morning's Houston Chronicle, taking up much of page D-1, is an article entitled "Blogging for a few extra bucks. " http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/5409461.html
This guy blogs about cheap lunches in midtown Manhattan and advertisers pay him for every reader who clicks in. He's not getting rich, but he's taken a weekend trip to the Caribbean off of his profit.
He spends about 2 hours a day blogging about his passion (local food) and has found new friends.
The article goes on to say that 39 % of Internet users, or 57 million American adults, read blogs. and that figure is a year old. Where have I been?
Monday, December 31, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
Back to Thing # 5 and Flickr
Got me one of them digital cameras for Christmas. Yeah, I already had one, but it's one of those less expensive ones that don't do much, expecially in the zoom category. And try catching a child, especially my 4 year old grand daughter, with the digital equivilant of a Brownie Star Flash!
I still have to be careful. I had to replace my first digital after a field day at school. They just don't bounce well.
The new one hangs around my neck, right on top of my chest. The princess was not amused when she flew up to hug me at the playground and found my camera with her head! Such the drama queen!
So, now, Flickr starts to make a little more sense in the usefulness department. Just from pictures of the princess opening presents I can fill an album!
So, back to playing.
I still have to be careful. I had to replace my first digital after a field day at school. They just don't bounce well.
The new one hangs around my neck, right on top of my chest. The princess was not amused when she flew up to hug me at the playground and found my camera with her head! Such the drama queen!
So, now, Flickr starts to make a little more sense in the usefulness department. Just from pictures of the princess opening presents I can fill an album!
So, back to playing.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Thing # 6 Mashups and other things
This is getting even more overwhelming. All of this wonderful technology assumes you have enough style and imagination to arrange things. I can't arrange the drawer at my work station!
But, If I can figure out how to go a little farther, wouldn't it be fun to give out Author Trading cards?
I picked RL Stine as my first attempt because my kids really like him. One of the bios off of Talking Books touts him as the best-selling children's author of all time.
Now I have to see if I can put multiple cards on one sheet of cardstock.
Another idea would be to make a card for each of my AR 50 point readers.
I think I could learn to use Mosaic Maker as a way to display pictures of The Princess, also known as She Who Must be Obeyed. We may have to look at that a little more.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Gifts to Librarians
The Houston Chronicle recently ran an article (not talking about my school!) about how some parents are getting carried away with gifts to the teachers at this time of year. Yawn. Some are even setting up a gift registry. Double Yawn. I got a beautiful tie and a big jug of Christmas cookies. I wear the tie proudly and am almost through with the cookies.
I got other gifts this year far more important than anything a parent could afford. I get hand-drawn Christmas cards from kids who cannot spell Christmas or librarian, sometimes with leftover Halloween candy taped (not glued) to the paper. I get flying gang tackles (hugs) from 6 year-olds as I attempt to walk the hallways, all the time.
My best gift this year was a thank you note, written in Spanish, in various colors, and translated by a teacher. In the note the student, a recent arrival to our shores, thanks her invisible mentor for the money that allowed her to join her classmates at the book fair. In it she also says it is nice that someone cares about her. If you are not tearing up right now, put in Charlie Brown's Christmas instead of Nightmare before Christmas.
We librarians have an opportunity not given to most teachers. We can touch all the students, for good or for bad. Let's hope when we look back on it all, we can say we made the library a haven, rather than hell.
Last year we built a railroad over non-fiction. It was a lot of work for this sometime hobbyist. Many a weekend was spent cutting lumber for bridge supports. We now have a train (are you familiar with garden railroads, LGB, #1 guage?) that runs on an oval of track 14 feet by 7 feet and crosses four different types of bridges. OK, a Bridge to Exemplary was our school theme last year (fine by me, I like bridges), but it still stands, and it is still fun. The kids earn time at the controls through reading success. Sometimes, especially while shelving the 400 b00ks a day, I run the train just because I can.
If you want to put a value on the train, picture this: Two second-grade girls, taking a break from being library helpers, sitting on top of a non-fiction counter (please, no mail, I don't usually let them sit there) with the remote control in their hands, with grins bigger than the Union Pacific! OK, so we have now had a conversation about not throwing the train into reverse while it has a full head of steam up, but you know, there are no cynics at the helm of a powerful locomotive, and sometimes just having fun in the library is OK.
So, now, back I go into the Internet to learn about things I never knew existed, but am told I cannot live without. Who knows?
I got other gifts this year far more important than anything a parent could afford. I get hand-drawn Christmas cards from kids who cannot spell Christmas or librarian, sometimes with leftover Halloween candy taped (not glued) to the paper. I get flying gang tackles (hugs) from 6 year-olds as I attempt to walk the hallways, all the time.
My best gift this year was a thank you note, written in Spanish, in various colors, and translated by a teacher. In the note the student, a recent arrival to our shores, thanks her invisible mentor for the money that allowed her to join her classmates at the book fair. In it she also says it is nice that someone cares about her. If you are not tearing up right now, put in Charlie Brown's Christmas instead of Nightmare before Christmas.
We librarians have an opportunity not given to most teachers. We can touch all the students, for good or for bad. Let's hope when we look back on it all, we can say we made the library a haven, rather than hell.
Last year we built a railroad over non-fiction. It was a lot of work for this sometime hobbyist. Many a weekend was spent cutting lumber for bridge supports. We now have a train (are you familiar with garden railroads, LGB, #1 guage?) that runs on an oval of track 14 feet by 7 feet and crosses four different types of bridges. OK, a Bridge to Exemplary was our school theme last year (fine by me, I like bridges), but it still stands, and it is still fun. The kids earn time at the controls through reading success. Sometimes, especially while shelving the 400 b00ks a day, I run the train just because I can.
If you want to put a value on the train, picture this: Two second-grade girls, taking a break from being library helpers, sitting on top of a non-fiction counter (please, no mail, I don't usually let them sit there) with the remote control in their hands, with grins bigger than the Union Pacific! OK, so we have now had a conversation about not throwing the train into reverse while it has a full head of steam up, but you know, there are no cynics at the helm of a powerful locomotive, and sometimes just having fun in the library is OK.
So, now, back I go into the Internet to learn about things I never knew existed, but am told I cannot live without. Who knows?
Thing # 5 Flickr
OK, now here is a thing that truly overwhelms me. Put all your digital photos on the web and let up to 20 million of your closest friends have access.
I can see some applications for my school right now. We have a photography class after school. If everyone uploads their pictures each week to one group in Flickr, then all can access, comment, share, without having to worry about whether they are on the same laptop as last week.
The tag function could quickly get out of hand. This starts to sound like marc records, where you can attach up to 50 tags to each photo, supposedly helping you categorize and organize. One gentleman (who definitely needs help) uploads a picture of every tie he wears to work, tagged by which day he wore it so he won't repeat too often.
I remember some years ago when the little woman and I set out to take pictures of every courthouse (254 active ones) in Texas. For some reason we did not keep a journal as we traveled, so the longer it took the little lady to organize the photos at home into a scrapbook, the less we remembered about the photos. Most are still in shoe boxes. Maybe this is a strong argument for taking a laptop on vacation with you.
But this vast ability to upload every picture taken in the world, and in some groups, share it with absolutely everybody, just makes my head swim. I will still need organizational skills and a sense of balance, color, and arrangement in order to use this "vacuum cleaner" of a storage device.
Now, when they make a digital camera with a voice module where you can add tags as you take the picture, count me in. Click. "picture of Austin County Courthouse, notice the bell in disrepair." Maybe that would help.
Before I join a library group and share pictures, I would have to answer concerns about posting pictures of my students on the net. My library looks so antiseptic without the kids. Of course, you probably are already pointing out that there is a child on my main page. Yeah, go figure.
I can see some applications for my school right now. We have a photography class after school. If everyone uploads their pictures each week to one group in Flickr, then all can access, comment, share, without having to worry about whether they are on the same laptop as last week.
The tag function could quickly get out of hand. This starts to sound like marc records, where you can attach up to 50 tags to each photo, supposedly helping you categorize and organize. One gentleman (who definitely needs help) uploads a picture of every tie he wears to work, tagged by which day he wore it so he won't repeat too often.
I remember some years ago when the little woman and I set out to take pictures of every courthouse (254 active ones) in Texas. For some reason we did not keep a journal as we traveled, so the longer it took the little lady to organize the photos at home into a scrapbook, the less we remembered about the photos. Most are still in shoe boxes. Maybe this is a strong argument for taking a laptop on vacation with you.
But this vast ability to upload every picture taken in the world, and in some groups, share it with absolutely everybody, just makes my head swim. I will still need organizational skills and a sense of balance, color, and arrangement in order to use this "vacuum cleaner" of a storage device.
Now, when they make a digital camera with a voice module where you can add tags as you take the picture, count me in. Click. "picture of Austin County Courthouse, notice the bell in disrepair." Maybe that would help.
Before I join a library group and share pictures, I would have to answer concerns about posting pictures of my students on the net. My library looks so antiseptic without the kids. Of course, you probably are already pointing out that there is a child on my main page. Yeah, go figure.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Thing # 4 Register the Blog
OK, then. We are registered. Sometimes we need to just follow directions. Don't think too hard, it will cause headaches. Once I quit thinking so hard, Things # 3 and 4, were easy.
Our Granddaughter is coming over this afternoon to stay the night, so I may not get much farther this weekend.
Our Granddaughter is coming over this afternoon to stay the night, so I may not get much farther this weekend.
Thing # 3: Create the Blog
Actually, I created the blog last night, but I am trying to follow the idea of one post per thing #.
OK, it can be done. I'm a little leary about some of the settings, but it works.
I do not care for any of the avatar choices I have seen so far, so I have not yet created one. The avatar world seems to assume that no one is fat, or over 25 years old. So, we will stick with Goat for the time being.
OK, it can be done. I'm a little leary about some of the settings, but it works.
I do not care for any of the avatar choices I have seen so far, so I have not yet created one. The avatar world seems to assume that no one is fat, or over 25 years old. So, we will stick with Goat for the time being.
Thing # 2
Comment on the 7 1/2
I think I can easily deal with most of the 7 1/2 habits. I am taking responsibility for my own learning right now, and this is part of the most difficult habit, using technology to my advantage. I have had many arguments with my boss and mentor over technology, since I am so swamped with the low-tech aspects of my job that I cannot usually see the utility of going after method for which I cannot currently see a use.
My first school library job came open because the incumbent did not want to learn all of the technology that had just come to the school in 1998 with the installation of T1 lines and library automation. The automation package was sitting on the counter when I came to school the first day, literally. It took us 6 weeks to get it fully installed. My techie and I learned by doing. This is how I learn. By doing. Theory means very little to me, and I will not learn it until you can show me how whatever you have will benefit my students, my teachers, or me.
I started to show a young autistic child how to manipulate an e-book the other day. He pushed me aside and took over the computer. And I mean he literally pushed me from my seat. All he needed was someone to show him the technology. He already knew he wanted it.
Now the final one - have fun. My current favorite author (this month) is Jarrett Krosoczka, author and illustrator of Punk Farm. I shared his book with my kids, adding the rock music from http://www.punkfarm.com/. This makes for a loud, wild story time, but my primary goal is to show that reading really is a contact sport. Picture a 55 year old, overweight librarian jumping up and down, playing air guitar and drums. Goat, the bass player in the book, is next to this missive, as my photo.
The really cool thing about Punk Farm, is I am using it as an incentive. Classes who want to experience the sequel, Punk Farm on Tour, must earn 100 Accelerated Reader points since December 1. We are seeing great progress, and are having fun at the same time.
But my biggest challenge will be to incorporate some of this technology. I have to see another purpose besides just using another technology.
We shall see.
I think I can easily deal with most of the 7 1/2 habits. I am taking responsibility for my own learning right now, and this is part of the most difficult habit, using technology to my advantage. I have had many arguments with my boss and mentor over technology, since I am so swamped with the low-tech aspects of my job that I cannot usually see the utility of going after method for which I cannot currently see a use.
My first school library job came open because the incumbent did not want to learn all of the technology that had just come to the school in 1998 with the installation of T1 lines and library automation. The automation package was sitting on the counter when I came to school the first day, literally. It took us 6 weeks to get it fully installed. My techie and I learned by doing. This is how I learn. By doing. Theory means very little to me, and I will not learn it until you can show me how whatever you have will benefit my students, my teachers, or me.
I started to show a young autistic child how to manipulate an e-book the other day. He pushed me aside and took over the computer. And I mean he literally pushed me from my seat. All he needed was someone to show him the technology. He already knew he wanted it.
Now the final one - have fun. My current favorite author (this month) is Jarrett Krosoczka, author and illustrator of Punk Farm. I shared his book with my kids, adding the rock music from http://www.punkfarm.com/. This makes for a loud, wild story time, but my primary goal is to show that reading really is a contact sport. Picture a 55 year old, overweight librarian jumping up and down, playing air guitar and drums. Goat, the bass player in the book, is next to this missive, as my photo.
The really cool thing about Punk Farm, is I am using it as an incentive. Classes who want to experience the sequel, Punk Farm on Tour, must earn 100 Accelerated Reader points since December 1. We are seeing great progress, and are having fun at the same time.
But my biggest challenge will be to incorporate some of this technology. I have to see another purpose besides just using another technology.
We shall see.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Thing # 1
OK, I read a little more of the instructions. I need to comment on each thing.
I think this little adventure, Library2Play, will be fun. Just remember that I still own a typewriter, which may give you an idea of where I usually am with technology!
Most of the other things are talking about stuff that might as well be in Urdu, it's way outside of my understanding. But, I can be taught.
Stand by for Thing # 2
I think this little adventure, Library2Play, will be fun. Just remember that I still own a typewriter, which may give you an idea of where I usually am with technology!
Most of the other things are talking about stuff that might as well be in Urdu, it's way outside of my understanding. But, I can be taught.
Stand by for Thing # 2
First Posting
Well, I did it! Got myself a blog. Not necessarily willingly, but nonetheless, I got me a blog.
Our district has invited us to dabble in some new ways to share information. I miss the spiral notebook, but here goes.
You noticed the train. Early each year I bring the train to school and offer "The Little Engine that Could" to Kindergarten. We have emphasized the letter "T" when the curriculum did that. Now-a-days we work on "I can", also "Si Puedo" for the majority of my students.
Did you know that once you let a five year old ride a train in the library, you just became her favorite person?
Things are not real quiet in this library. Part of that is me. I am not real quiet. The other part is the misguided architect who thought it would be fun to build a library without walls, but with a high, live ceiling. Eight hallways open into this library. I really am the Man in the Middle. All halls really do lead to the library!
When I can find a decent picture of it, I will show the railroad that operates over non-fiction. Students can earn time at the controls by reading.
Our district has invited us to dabble in some new ways to share information. I miss the spiral notebook, but here goes.
You noticed the train. Early each year I bring the train to school and offer "The Little Engine that Could" to Kindergarten. We have emphasized the letter "T" when the curriculum did that. Now-a-days we work on "I can", also "Si Puedo" for the majority of my students.
Did you know that once you let a five year old ride a train in the library, you just became her favorite person?
Things are not real quiet in this library. Part of that is me. I am not real quiet. The other part is the misguided architect who thought it would be fun to build a library without walls, but with a high, live ceiling. Eight hallways open into this library. I really am the Man in the Middle. All halls really do lead to the library!
When I can find a decent picture of it, I will show the railroad that operates over non-fiction. Students can earn time at the controls by reading.
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