Action Plan

As I develop more web 2.0 services in my library, my action plan for this school year can be accomplished using two tools, my new library blog (for students and teachers) and my school’s wiki space (for teachers. )

I feel that blogging will be the best way for me to serve my students and extend the learning outside of the library. I will continue to post on a regular basis and advertise my blog to students and staff members. I feel that this is the best avenue for me to post information about upcoming library events (book fairs, author visits, reading incentives, etc.), book reviews, and lesson extension information. I want to continue to add author/illustrator blogs to my blog roll, as well as add additional blogs/sites of interest for students and teachers. I hope that by advertising the blog during lessons with students, I will gain a community of readers and contributors to my blog. If possible, I’d like to have guest bloggers and ask teachers to blog about books they love. I hope to involve students with the comments feature and begin deeper discussions about HTT titles and other books/library events. I will spend the remainder of the summer creating blog posts (posting in real time and delaying posts for later in the school year), adding gadgets to my blog, and generally creating a design I’m comfortable with. I plan to introduce the blog and its features to students and teachers during library lessons early in the school year and continue to reference it throughout the year. In regards to creating a habit of posting, I will include time in my schedule to blog and keep a notepad handy throughout the day to make notes of topic ideas as I encounter them. I will also link the blog to my Destiny homepage and Schoolwires account and advertise via the school newsletter.

In the spirit of increasing my visibility to staff members as a lifelong learner, I plan to utilize my school’s wiki space on a regular basis. I think this will be a great way to begin a new forum for sharing library and technology information with my staff members. It’s a tool that they are already accustomed to using, so I won’t be introducing “one more thing” to their already full plates. Like my blog routines discussed in the previous paragraph, I plan to spend the summer gathering ideas for posts and discussion forums and generally making the library section of the wiki space inviting. I can introduce the wiki during staff orientation and reference it throughout the year via staff agendas and/or emails. Since it is difficult to secure regularly scheduled meeting times with teachers, I’d like to use the wiki to post new sites or web 2.0 tools that I discover. My hope is that by making this a place to share and setting the example for lifelong learning, our school’s wiki will become a place where teachers feel comfortable exploring, and that this might lead to more face-to-face collaborations as we develop ways to utilize these tools with our students.

Online Productivity Tools

There are tons of fabulous (and free) online productivity tools available on the web. The hardest part is figuring out which ones are the most effective for your own needs and finding the time explore all the possibilities. I must admit that I am a bit skeptic when it comes to free things on the web. I always worry that the tools won't be accessible when I need them or that I will lose data. However, open source tools are becoming more mainstream. One tool I experimented with was Syncplicity. I viewed a brief video on You Tube and saw a great demonstration on how this tool basically eliminates the need for flash drives and external hard drives, and provides an easy way to collaborate and share files amongst group members. Amazing! Now I have another thing to try with all those minutes I save by using RSS feeds!

Online Video and File Conversion

I think You Tube is already such a popular site with most people (school folks and otherwise,) but I feel like I spend lots of time searching and getting off-track. My principal is good at finding videos to share with staff members during faculty meetings. She is really good at finding things that aren't necessarily education-based and tying them to whatever message or goal she is trying to convey. I want to explore Teacher Tube more and find a way to help my staff members mine this valuable resource for things they can actually use in their classrooms. The Lab Safety video Megan suggested is a good place to start. (And, I found a hilarious Dewey Decimal System video. I don't think I will use it with students, but it sure gave me a good laugh!)

Wikis

My understanding of wikis, like other web 2.0 tools, has evolved and deepened over the last few years. Our CFISD Librarians' Wiki was the first one I've been involved with. At first, it was hard to remember to visit the wiki on a regular basis. I tried to use the settings to notify me of updates, but just felt like my already-overflowing email inbox was being bombarded even more. I finally got into the habit of checking it frequently and felt much better about my participation in the learning community we created there. Now, I participate in several wikis and like that I can easily access the information I need no matter what group I'm working with. I like that the conversations are in the discussion forum so I can access them anytime. I also enjoy the ability to add things or update the pages whenever I need to.

I am involved in our school's wiki, but a goal of mine for this year is to participate and add to it on a regular basis. I'm thinking that this may be the vehicle to start my sharing sessions with staff members, since securing a face-to-face meeting is quite a challenge. Maybe I can post a few new ideas or tools for my staff and hope that the "anywhere, anytime" nature of wikis will spawn more face-to-face collaboration.

As I explored some of the suggested links for this topic, I found a few student wikis. I have not used wikis with students before, but I especially liked the one where students posted as if they were book characters. Is this a new lesson idea? No, but it takes a tried-and-true favorite and brings it into the 21st century. This could be a fun way to involve my students in deeper conversations about HTT books! Hmmm...

Nings

I'm glad we were able to utilize this tool with our CFISD Librarian Ning this year. Since I'm not a Facebook user (yet) I enjoyed the social aspect of this tool while focusing on topics related to our profession. Although our group is large, I felt like the ning was meaningful because it highlighted issues specific to our district. The hardest part of being active in the ning is similar to the hardest part of being active in the wiki - remembering to access the site and participate frequently. However, once I made it a habit, I found it easier to be involved and keep up with everyone's postings.

I had heard about the Texas School Librarians' Ning via a posting on the TLC Listserv but had not explored it until I was familiar with our CFISD Ning. I was pleased to see that the format was exactly the same! It was great to put faces with names that I've seen on the listserv for so many years. After spending more time on this Ning during the online course, I enjoyed the fact that although this group is much larger than our district's group, the topics are still relevant to me and it's nice to see what other folks are doing around our state. (Incidentally, this is the same reason I enjoy serving on TLA and ALA committees; it's interesting to see what ideas are being implemented and how problems are solved beyond our own world.) I am considering joining this group to continue the networking.

The Teacher Lingo ning was fascinating! It is literally a treasure chest of information for teachers. The format was very different from the previous two nings I mentioned, but it was very user-friendly. I enjoyed browsing through some of the lesson plans and reading some of the teachers' blog postings. I have this at the top of my list of things to share with my teachers when we return to school in August. I noticed that there are several groups of blogs and message forums for a variety of teaching positions within a school, but librarians are not listed as a specific topic or job position. I searched the blog section for "library" and did get a few hits. I looked through a few of them, but they weren't the types of library blogs I have seen before. Most of them looked like they were part of graduate class assignments, but this really made me think that maybe it's time for us to make our presence in other circles. Imagine the connections we could make! Maybe I'll join this group so that I can browse within this community too.

Publishing in the Digital Age

We've heard it many times before, but it truly is amazing to think about how far the publishing world has come over the last few decades. The publishing world at large is still a mystery to me, but I enjoy all the choices in format that are available to me.

As a school librarian, I enjoy lurking on the fringe of the world of children's book publishing. I have learned to rely on a variety of sources for an "insider's look" at the new books coming out for kids, including author/illustrator blogs and webpages, publisher's websites and blogs, and a variety of electronic newsletters that highlight the latest and greatest offerings. Of course, I still utilize catalogs (print and online formats) and other more traditional resources as well. I find that I have preferences for formats depending on my end goal.

One of the newest tools I have experimented with is the ability to aggregate blog posts into an easy-to-read format using RSS feeds. I tend to check my favorite blogs for updates every couple of days. I am hoping that I can save a few minutes by relying on feeds and only seeing the updates and use this precious time explore more Web 2.0 tools. I added a few blogs to my blog roll to highlight some of the resources I uncovered when practicing with Google Reader. I hope to add more during the school year and share them with my students and staff members. I would also like to spend more time learning to use Google Reader and search out other blogs related to children's literature.

Is blogging valuable?

With the blogosphere growing each day, it's hard to imagine that my new blog will make a difference. I have followed so many brilliant bloggers over the years and I feel a bit unequipped to replicate their authority. However, as I have said for so long, fear cannot stop us from blazing a new trail! This blog is not meant to be the most famous library blog. It's meant to be a communication tool that I can use with my students, staff members, and other library colleagues. It's meant to serve as an online community where readers of all ages can share thoughts, feelings, and questions. I can't wait for the interaction to begin!

I hope that this blog will function much like my previous blog, as an organizational tool for my readers and for me. It will be nice to have a central location to keep track of books read, lessons learned, and questions explored. It will be challenging to find the time to post on a regular basis, but I feel sure that once I have established a community of readers, we will naturally keep up the conversations.

A New Beginning

Although I have been blogging here since last summer, I decided to start a new blog as part of an online course I'm taking this summer. I plan to use this new blog to advertise library-related events with my students and staff members. Feel free to check out The Library Lions blog!

All Stations Distress! April 15, 1912:

The Day the Titanic Sank

by Don Brown

"The Unsinkable Ship" has a storied history and the events leading up to her unlikely end are intriguing. Many famous families from Britain and America were aboard Titanic on her maiden voyage from England to New York in 1912. The luxurious ship offered travelers the finest of amenities, including staterooms, restaurants, and a swimming pool. Although it didn't seem that anything could sink this floating palace, an iceberg proved to be an unbeatable enemy late in the night. From the misuse of life boats, to the disadvantages of the second- and third-class passengers, only 711 of the 2,200 passengers survived the sinking.

Young readers will enjoy the facts and fast-paced text about one of history's favorite mysteries.

2010-2011 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee

Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea
by Steve Jenkins

Did you know that half of the Earth is under water that is more than a mile deep? Did you know that more humans have walked on the moon than have been to the deepest part of the sea? Unbelievable, right? Travel through the various levels of the oceans and get an up-close look at some of the amazing creatures that live there.

The ocean is an ever-popular subject with readers of all ages. This nonfiction work is quite accessible for elementary-school readers and Jenkins' breathtaking artwork doubles the appeal of this book. A great resource for research and pleasure reading alike, I have no doubt that this will be a favorite among my students.

2010-2011 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee

Dying to Meet You
by Kate Klise

Although his parents have abandoned him, Seymour is happy. He lives in an old Victorian mansion with his cat and a ghost that he can only see when she allows him to. He is trying to earn enough money to buy the house from his parents when the house is unexpectedly rented out for the summer by a "has-been" author trying to overcome writer's block. At first, Seymour isn't worried because he has successfully scared away all potential buyers. Until now. Will he scare away the author? Can Olive, the ghost, help?

If you like funny ghost stories, this is the perfect book for you! I enjoyed the format of letters and news clippings format that gave this story life. I think young readers will like this fast-paced book and look forward to the next in the series. I'd better add the second book to my purchase list right now!

2010-2011 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee
2010-2011 Horned Toad Tale nominee

Home of the Brave
by Katherine Applegate

Learning to assimilate to the American way of life is thrilling, exciting, fun, and confusing all at the same time. Kek is a refugee from Sudan living with his aunt and cousin in Minnesota. He knows that his father and brother were killed in the war, but he does not know the fate of his mother. While he waits for her, he learns how to speak English, goes to school, makes a few friends, and struggles to deal with all of the unknowns. He was comfortable and knew many things in Africa. In America, he is lost.

This story of a refugee's life and struggles in a new country is touching. The text in verse is the perfect format. I liked being able to read a section, then stop to ponder the emotions Kek was dealing with in each situation. I tried to imagine myself in his shoes and feel the gravity of his situation. What a powerful way to tell the often overlooked story of any refugee and the struggles they face when arriving to our over-the-top country. I'm glad the author dared to write a book on this topic for children and I am looking forward to sharing it with my students.

2010-2011 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee

The Cabinet of Wonders

by Marie Rutkoski

A simple girl named Petra lives with her father and pet spider in a very small village filled with artisans and poor families that rely on their skills and magic to survive. Her father's magical gift of manipulating metal with his mind is amazing, but Petra wonders what magical gift she was born with. After being commissioned by the prince of Bohemia to build an astronomical clock, her father is taken to Prague where he begins his masterpiece. Many months pass and Petra's father is brought back home in the back of a horse-drawn wagon. She is stunned to see that his head is bandaged and his eyes are gone, stolen by the prince! The prince wears them as he attempts to complete the final part of the clock. Without telling her family, Petra makes a plan to travel to Prague, get a job working in the castle, and steal back her father's eyes. How can a twelve-year-old girl do this alone? Will she return to her family safe?

This powerful combination of history and fantasy is sure to have readers believing in Petra's determination and cheering her on as she attempts to avenge her father! I was completely absorbed in the story, finding myself thinking about what would happen next even when I wasn't reading! Rutkoski builds worlds and characters that are captivating, while she weaves in just enough history to make the story believable. I can't wait to read the next book in the series and share this new treasure with my students!

2010-2011 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee

That Book Woman
by Heather Henson

Cal is proud that he is the oldest boy in his family. He loves to help his Pap plow the fields and round up the sheep when they wander off. He doesn't have time to spend with his "nose in a book" like his sister, and he surely does not understand why a person would waste so much time that way. He doesn't have much use for "chicken scratch." Much to his surprise, a Book Woman comes to their house every two weeks, rain or shine, carrying a satchel full of books (treasure in his sister's eyes!) Cal is determined to figure out what motivates the Book Woman to bring books to his family through all types of weather, including bitter cold and snow.

Truly a book to be cherished by book lovers, this is the story of the Pack Horse Librarians, or Book Women, who traveled the Appalachian mountains delivering books in Kentucky during the 1930s. Written in dialect, the text draws the reader into the story. Small's illustrations are the perfect medium to capture the era. This book portrays the very reason why librarians love their jobs and would do anything to help turn book skeptics into readers!

2010-2011 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee