Coffee with a Librarian

Coffee with a Librarian

     What a whirlwind four weeks.  I almost cannot believe it is over in just 24 short hours.  During this summer course I have gained confidence in my ability to be an incredible librarian.  I have so many ideas running through my mind and am anxious to put them into action.  I almost don't know where to start.  

     One of my favorite assignments was using Animoto and QR codes to create book trailers.  I had a blast putting mine together and have a vision of creating book trailers that will not only be on the library website but running on a slideshow in the library.  I would love to see posters around the school with the QR codes on them ready for students to snap and be taken into a new book.  I also already started using ToonDoo with my summer school students and was so pleased to see them excited about creating summaries over the books we had read using this new technology app.  This is one technology activity that will be utilized immensely. 

     I have always been an organized person and love to connect with others and by joining an online book community I can keep track of my reading while getting recommendations from others.  The creation of this blog has also opened my eyes to the possibilities of connecting with other librarians around the world.  I am going to do my absolute best to keep this blog up and help the staff at my district begin theirs.  

     It is hard to believe that half of my masters degree is already complete.  I know that in the blink of an eye I will be walking across the stage and getting ready to be the 21st century librarian I have always been destined to be!

Teens, Kindness, and Cruelty on Social Network Sites

Smith, A., Lenhart, A., Madden, M., Purcell, K., Zickuhr, K., & Rainie, L. (2011, November 9). Teens, Kindness, and Cruelty on Social Network Sites: How American teens navigate the new world of digitized citizenship. . Retrieved June 25, 2014, from http://www.pewinternet.org/files/old-media//Files/Reports/2011/PIP_Teens_Kindness_Cruelty_SNS_Report_Nov_2011_FINAL_110711.pdf

Teens, Kindness, and Cruelty on Social Network Sites

      Growing up is hard and no matter the decades that pass or the century we enter it doesn't get any easier for each new generation of children.  In fact I think we could all argue that growing up may even be harder these days with the addition of technology.  In the article it states that 95% of teens are online and 80% of those teens are using social media.  This can be a positive contribution to life by providing children with new ways to connect, be creative, or come out of their shell more.  The downside is that social media can become a negative aspect in children lives if and when it is not used properly. 

        I was not shocked when I read that 88% of teens have witnessed some form of bullying, harassment, or cruelty on social media sites.  I was definitely baffled when only 15% said that they had been a target of this type of behavior on social media sites.  With so many having seen negative behavior you would think that the number who have been a victim would be higher.  Further down in the article they state that the highest percentage of bullying is still face to face.  

      All of this makes me wonder about the parents and what is being done to help lesson the amount of negative behavior on social media.  The teens surveyed did state that their parents are their top source for advice on using the internet and dealing with bullying, harassment, or cruelty.  I was also amazed at how many parents, 80%, are friends with their teens on social media.  

     I feel that the most important thing to do is to continue educating our youth on appropriate internet/social media behavior.  It is a start when I read that teens are already thinking about their reputation and how putting comments on the internet can affect it.  

page count 86 (+158)= 244

The Future of Libraries

Rainie, L. (Director) (2014, April 10). The Future of Libraries: 7 Questions Librarians Need to Answer. Texas Library's Association Annual Conference. Lecture conducted from , Retrieved June 21st, 2014, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/04/10/the-future-of-libraries/

The Future of Libraries     

  This presentation was done by Lee Rainie during the TLA annual conference.  It is one of the most relevant and important topics to discuss these days.  With the emergence of technology almost every aspect of our lives has to be reevaluated and adapted from how we handle our money to the presents we buy for our family and friends.  Libraries are not safe from this emergence and if we want our libraries to continue to thrive and meet the needs of our communities then we must look into the future and be prepared.  
       Rainie's presentation reinforced that a high percentage of people consider libraries to be important to the community and family.  They see libraries as a way to give us all a chance, an even playing field almost.  It is comforting to know that when everything in our society seems so instantaneous the value in libraries is still immense.  One key factor that I found interesting was that libraries cannot stay focused on just being a collection but more on being a creation.  I think back to my public education days and many times I would go to the library and research and then go home to create my actual project.  It would have been great if I could have created the project right there in the library.  This change would add great depth to the function of a library.  A few other changes suggested by Rainie is the need for libraries to coordinate with schools more, begin early literacy programs, have access to more e-books, create comfortable spaces, and designate specific areas for the different services provided. All of these will increase the use and the outlook that libraries are staying current and relevant.
      I loved the ideas that Rainie received when surveying people about what they would like to see in a library.  Two of my favorites are putting in a technology "petting zoo" for patrons to try out the new stuff and to put up kiosks, like redbox, around town where they can "rent" a book without having to go to the library. I am excited to be a part of the library world and to help it transform into something even more wonderful!

Page count 44 (+ 114)= 158

Screencasts

 We have all been down that road where we just need someone to show us how to do it; how to fix the leak, how to fold paper into cute origami birds, how to add animation to our power points, etc... Well creating screencasts has gotten easier!  There are numerous screencast apps that allow you to do this to help others out.  Education is one area where screencasts are being made on a daily basis.  Teachers and librarians are able to create screencasts that show students how to select a book, how to add images into a power point, or how they want the assignment process to go.  I have looked at two different screencast creation sites, Screen-o-matic.com and screenr.com. In all honesty I feel that both screencast creators are great.  There are very few differences between the two. If I had to choose one, screen-o-matic would be my pick only because it lets you stop the video and restart it without having to go back to the main page and delte the screencast you just did. Check out the two screencasts I created using these apps.

1. Screen-o-matic
I created a screencast showing students the basics of using Animoto.com to create easy and creative book trailers.  Screen-o-matic was simple to use to do this.  I simply hit record button, sized the recording frame around what I wanted in the picture, and voila! I was off and running.  I really loved how screen-o-matic would count down from 3 before the recording started.  This made sure that I did not lose my first few words to preemptive recording.  Saving my screencast and then embeding or linking it was also easy with only a few clicks. I give it 5 stars out of 5 stars!



2. Screenr.com:  For this screencast I showed my students how to add animation to their power point presentations.  I found this app to be quite simple to use.  I only wished it let me record for longer than 5 minutes!

Instagram and Vine

       Long gone are the days of polaroid pictures and waiting days, even weeks, to get your film developed and shriek with excitement over your latest adventure.  In the 21st century pictures and photo sharing are instantaneous especially with the development of social media.  Instagram is one social media site that allows you to share your photos with only a few taps on the screen.  Instagram also allows you to share your photos via other social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.  Instagram is a great asset to any classroom no matter the age.

You can use Instagram to:
1. showcase student work
2. highlight your students of the week
3. edit photos to use as writing prompts
4. make reading recommendation
5. even create collages of the great memories from the school year.

Here are a few of my Instagram pictures:



   Vine is another social media tool that makes the creation of and sharing videos at the snap of our fingers.  Once you create your FREE vine account all you do is tap the screen and you can create a 6 second video.  What is so great about Vine videos is that they can be anything you want them to be. You can blend different shots of your video together to create quick easy glimpses into your life!

Here are a few ways you could implement Vine into your classroom or library today!
1. Teach students about making an inference or prediction.
2. Have students recreate scences from a novel.
3. Create picture displays for teaching vocabulary.
4. Quick and easy hooks when beginning a new unit.

Check out my son on Vine!

Cartoons and Comics

From Garfield to Ziggy to Tom and Jerry, cartoons and comics are a love for all ages.  There are cartoons and comics for every age, subject, or topic.  As educators we sometimes struggle with trying to keep the necessary concepts and skills we must and need to teach relevant and exciting.  Cartoons and comics are a great way to revamp pretty much any lesson for any grade for any subject.  Below I have tried out three different cartoon/comic digital tools. Check them out and see the wonderful ways you can start incorporating them into your students curriculum.

1. Toondoo.com


The comic strip above is a summary of the childrens classic story, The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf. I used the summary strategy of Somebody, Wanted, But, So...

Toondoo is a fantastic site for creating cartoons and comics. You do need to register first, but it is free and quick! Out of the three I evaluated I was the most impressed with Toondoo. It is extremely animated and easy to follow and manipulate. There is an immense amount of images, characters, props, etc. for input. The steps for uploading your own images for addition into your cartoon/comic are simple and easy to follow. The only drawback I felt there was, was the limited amount of movements each character could be put in. The movements are pre-determined by the site. I do not feel though that the limited amount of movements truly hindered the creation of my cartoon/comic.


2. Pixton.com












This comic strip was created for a social studies lesson on King George and the taxation of the colonists.  It is also another way to summarize information.

Pixton is a cartoon/comic digital tool that is very high tech and allows you to do so many things with your creations.  I truly enjoyed working from this site, but feel that it is definitely harder to navigate.  There are tons of options and with so many options comes frustration.  It is definitely a cartoon/comic creator that takes more patience.  It is not one that will work for the first experiencers or if you are needing to create a quick cartoon. I can see the potential this site has for students thinking about entering into graphic art or into some kind of illustrated field. 


3. makebeliefscomix.com

This is a free site as well and does not require any kind of log in.  It is an extremely user friendly and easy site to navigate and create your comics.  What makes this my least likely choice is that there are very few options when creating your strip.  You can not change the color of the characters, rotate the characters around, and the selection for images is very limited.  You also can not save your image on-line.  You can either print out your creation or email it to yourself or someone else to view, after that it disappears from the site.  This would be great for my kindergarten son but not for the older students.  Here is the link to my cartoon on makebeliefscomix.com:  http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/?comix_id=61081270C1333890



I had a blast creating my cartoons and cant wait to begin implementing it into my classroom and library.  I think I will use ToonDoo the most often to complete the creation of comics and cartoons.  My students all have school email addresses so it would be easy for them to create an account.  Comic strips can help enhance the curriculum and instruction by giving students a creative way to summarize information, draw conclusions and make inferences, show what happens in a science experiment, and give great reviews on books read.  If you have other ideas and suggestions as to how comic strips can be used in the classroom and library please share!!

Online Book Communities

         A community is simple terms are a variety of people coming together for a specific cause.  We have professional learning communities, neighborhood communities, communities for single parents, the list goes on and on.  One type of community that has been flourishing since the advances in technology are online book communities.  Online book communities give people from all areas and walks of life a chance to share what they are reading, review books they have read, and find new books to read.  In this digital age there are more online book communities than one knows what to do with.  I have become a member of 5 different online book communities and will share my thoughts and feelings about each one with you.  My hope is that this will allow you to make a choice and join an online book community today.

       One of the most widely used book communities is Goodreads.com.  I have always been a fan of using Goodreads when considering to purchase a new book or using a book in the classroom.  The reviews for the most part are well thought out and really aid in my selections.  The Goodreads book community takes a little practice and wandering around to get started but once you have it, it is fantastic.  Goodreads allows you to create as many shelves as you want to organize your books.  It makes a plethora of recommendations based off of books you have already read.  This is one of my favorite aspects of Goodreads.  I do feel that Goodreads is definitely more geared to the adult reader and is not too user friendly for a teen.

The second book community I joined was librarything.com.  Librarything has every component that Goodreads does but is definitely more difficult to use.  One of my biggest disappointments with this book community is the blandness of the profile page.  It seemed way more basic than Goodreads and just did not appeal to me as much.  I did like the easy search box in the top right corner that allows someone to search through my books to see if I have read, reviewed, or recommended a specific book or author.

My next book community is shelfari.com.  Shelfari is a great community that takes no time to set up.  I love the way your added books sit on a customized shelf (mine is rosewood) across the top part of your profile page.  It is an extremely easy way to scroll through the books someone is reading or has read.  My only quaff is that adding other shelves is not as easy as it is on other sites.  With that said, Shelfari is one of the most appealing to look at.

My last online book community happens to be my favorite, Booklikes.com!  Booklikes has it all.  It is user friendly and has great visual appeal.  As you can see in the image below the graphic design is simple but gives you all of the most relevant information.  I love that it shows each book cover and just by scrolling over it you can see the most prevalent information about the book.  On the left side is the listing of your created shelves and how many books fall in each category.  I plan on using Booklikes from here on out and have even gotten my mother to join me in this book community.

 

BONUS

I also created an account at Biblionasium.com.  This is a wonderful site that is for teachers.  Teachers can set up an account at Biblionasium and add books that are favorites of theirs, required readings, and recommendations.  Once they have done this, they then add their students into the class group.  Students can now get onto Biblionasium and become active in the online book community.  Once students have read books off of any of the categories they can post their own reviews of the book.  This is a great way to get students actively thinking about what they are reading.  In addition parents can also access the site and stay on top of what books their child should be reading or are great ideas too read.  

Podcasts!

Podcasting is a blend of iPod and broadcasting.  It is a type of digital media that consists of audio, video, or PDF files that are streamed and shared online.  Podcasts can help stimulate learning by giving students another creative means and can help open more lines of communication.

Podcasts in the classroom can allow a teacher to record lessons, homework tips, or clarifications on assignments to name just a few.  This makes learning "on the go" as students can even access the podcasts from home.  Teachers can even feel more comfortable when having to be out for a day by creating a podcast for their lesson and having the substitute play the podcast for the class.

Librarians can use podcasts to break down and give detailed information about the various digital tools students can use.  They can create screen podcasts that guide students through computer programs.  Librarians can create podcasts to recommend books to students and all introduce students to different genres of literature.

Podcasts are a great way to enhance learning and increase student motivation.  Check out my first podcast on fantasy literature!

Videos and QR Codes in the Library

Who doesn't want to be a movie star or television star? Admit it, we have all had our yearnings for at least 15 minutes of fame.  Librarians can really take advantage of this and use videos in the library for a multitude of purposes.  Videos can show book trailers, library reminders, or contest announcements. By creating videos that direct students on how to use specific computer programs or digital tools you save yourself time from having to repeat the instructions constantly and also give the students another resource.  By using videos, librarians will make a connection with their students and intrigue them to keep coming back and checking out what new videos the library has that day.  Here are some incredible video examples from various library channels on YouTube.  The first set of videos are all ones that will be the most helpful to students.  These 4 videos range from directions on creating power point presentations, to MLA citations, to the social section of the library's web page, and as specific as course advisement for the upcoming school year.






                         


Now the next four videos are from the same library channels but are great examples of videos your library could create that students would love the best. All four of these videos are either created by students, show how the students are involved in the library, or reach them on their level by incorporating trendy items in.







 After viewing these I took it upon myself to create my own video book trailer.  This was a much harder task than I anticipated it being.  I think that is because I had too many ideas and could not implement all of them in one video!  I knew exactly which book I wanted to create a trailer for.  I have just finished a youth fiction book titled, The Bully Book by Eric Kahn Gale.  This was Eric's first time writing a book and I feel he nailed it!

Just looking at the cover sends goosebumps over my skin!  

Synopsis: The rules governing middle school are often a mystery, but for Eric Haskins, they’re a mystery he needs to solve, and fast. He’s a normal, average kid, until sixth grade starts. For some inexplicable reason, the class bully and his pack make Eric the Grunt. Even his best friend since first grade turns on him. Eric can’t figure out why he’s the Grunt until he hears about the Bully Book, a cryptic guide that teaches you how to “make trouble without getting in trouble, rule the school and be the man” and how to select the Grunt-the kid who will become the lowest of the low. 

Eric Haskins may be this year’s Grunt for now, but he’s determined not to stay at the bottom of the social ladder forever. Hilarious and compelling, The Bully Book is a must-read for every tween, tween parent, librarian and educator!

I invite you to enjoy watching the book trailer I created.  Just scan the following QR code and you will be directed right to it! 

QR codes are another great way to bring excitement into your library and take you further into the 21st century.  You can create QR codes for the book trailer videos you create and hang them all around the school.  While students are waiting in line to get lunch they can scan a code and learn about a fantastic new book.  You can also create QR codes for daily library or author trivia.  Students can scan the code from an email sent out or by going into the library and scanning the QR code at the trivia display.  There are countless ways to bring QR codes into your everyday world of libraries.  With all these new digital tools, being a librarian is an amazing journey!

Essential Bloggers

With so much social media around us it can be hard to keep up with it all.  I remember when my purse would be at least 20 pounds because of the date book I kept in there plus my address book and i definitely needed another notepad for my grocery lists….. But with the creation of social media and our constantly heightened high performing technology gadgets my purse has been lightened!  Our cell phones and the web allow us to keep everything we need all nice and neat and organized in a small compact device.  As I have begun blogging and reading other blogs that pertain to my career and personality I was finding that keeping all the URL address straight was a real hassle.  What is a girl supposed to do??

Well that is why I have to say I chose Blogger to be my blog reader.  It just made sense!  I use blogspot for my personal blog and with that it allows me to add the URL's of my favorite blogs to follow and keeps them all on one page.  I just have to click the title and it automatically pulls up the latest blogs from their site.  If I find something that really piques my interest I can click on the web address and I am transported directly to their blog.  I did browse other blog readers such as Tumbir, Feedly, and Bloglovin' but felt the blogger was just the most practical.  I mean I already had a gmail email address plus am a Google plus member so Blogger fit in very nicely.  I sign in with one username and password and have access to so much!

Here are a few of my favorite blogs to follow.  I highly recommend you browse each of these.  I am sure you will love each one just as much as I do!

The first one is called Wanderings! I just love that title.  Don't we all find ourselves wandering from time to time?  This blog has been created by a retired librarian looking to keep her knowledge of technology up to date, impart her librarian wisdom on the current librarians, and to give her a space to express herself.  Her blog is very well organized and the tabs at the top help keep you in the right direction.  Check it out at:  wanderings.edublogs.org

The next one is fabulous and makes me excited to dive into the world of children's literature even more.  Cozy up and Read is festive blog that focuses on early childhood education and promoting early literacy.  You are given a plethora of new ideas for book talks, trailers, and even soundtracks to play while reading a book out loud.  Check this blog out at: http://cozyupandread.blogspot.com

This blog is one that I have found extremely useful and insightful as I have been researching technology and its effect on libraries.  Musings about Librarianship is a blog that highlights recent and important articles dealing with the effects our world is having on the library.  It also gives grey tips for improving your own library. Check it out at: http://musingsaboutlibrarianship.blogspot.com

Librarian by Day is a fantastic straight forward blog.  Bobbi Newman says exactly what she is thinking and finds intriguing articles to highlight in her blog.  She is very focused on bridging the technology divide between libraries and patrons.  She is creative and inventive with her ideas for bringing the library world to greater success.  Check her blog out at: http://librarianbyday.net

My final blog suggestion for you today is In the Library with the Lead Pipe.  Fantastic title right?! This blog is high on my list because it is not just one author but seven!  It gives a well rounded amount of information and highlights every aspect of the librarian world.  It is also highly commented on which gives me access to even more thoughts on relevant topics these days.  Check it out at: http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org

Digital Tools: Good or Bad for Writing?

Purcell, K., Buchanan, J., & Friedrich, L. (2013, July 16). The Impact of Digital Tools on Student Writing      
    and How Writing is Taught in Schools. . Retrieved June 8, 2014, from         
    http://www.pewinternet.org/files/old-       
    media//Files/Reports/2013/PIP_NWP%20Writing%20and%20Tech.pdf


As I sit at my dining room with papers spread all around I begin to wonder if I will see the words, "U", "4-ever", or "luv" ever spelled correctly again!  For those of you who have not guessed it yet, I am an ELAR teacher.  Yes, I do love my job and I find it extremely gratifying but what I do seem to be annoyed with and what makes me want to run down the street screaming is the amount of "texting" language that has made its way into the personal narratives my students have turned in for me to read and grade.  

The digital era has made our lives easier and more accessible but has it harmed us and our future generations?  I read through research that was done by the National Writing Project and PEW Research Center on how digital tools have impacted our student writing.  I must say I felt that they were right on target with most of their findings.  I honestly would have fit in with the majority of the educators they randomly chose to survey and conduct focus groups with. They found that the majority of teachers thought that digital tools such as texting, social media, or blogging are having positive impacts on our students writing.  I was ready to stomp my feet and point my finger at this point in the article but soon found myself shaking my head in agreement.  I had never really thought about it but they pointed out that kids today technically write more than I ever did (and no I am not that old)!  We did not have cell phones for texting or face timing, emails, blogs, wikis, Twitter, or Facebook.  We had good old paper, pencil, and the U.S. Postal Service.  Our students write everyday and sometimes all day long.  It just happens to be shorter and more precise than what we remember.

Below are some key points of pro's and con's that digital tools have had on our students writing. 




easel.ly

 You can see by the graph that the pro's truly outweigh the con's.  Improving spelling and getting students to slow down on work are small tasks compared to the benefits digital tools are giving our students.  They are sharing their writing, their personal thoughts and feelings, and their beliefs more openly and creatively.  This is a huge achievement and I personally feel that we need to embrace it and push it along more.  I did find it interesting that ELAR teachers were the ones that were the least bothered by the informal writing creeping into the formal writing.  Science and History teachers being the ones most bothered.  I thought they would be more okay with shorthand and truncated.

The biggest issue I see with the new technology writing tools is the possibility for plagiarism and violations of the Fair Use Act to increase.  This is another easy fix to me, spend more time teaching about these two topics and then TRUST your students to make the correct choice. Writing effectively is an essential skill.  We want our students to be able to think deeply, synthesize information, and express themselves confidently and completely.  If digital tools will aid in this then I do not see any reason to limit or ignore their use at all.

Total pages: 114

Home Tweet Home: Twitter for a Librarian's World

 

In the 21st century, technology has become more than just a fad or a craze, its well life itself.  With technology comes the bombardment of social media.  Twitter is one of these "new" social media sites.  You may wonder why the quotes around the word new, Twitter popped onto the Internet as a social media site in March of 2006 but has only in the past few years become such a trend.  Twitter is in essence a microblogging site.  It allows people to post their thoughts in 140 characters or less. It allows you to embed links to articles and videos and of course to "follow" other people.  It is a way to catch a glimpse of someones life.

In my world of education twitter is especially helpful in keeping up with the bigger names in education, technology, library science, etc... For the people that I do not have the privilege of interacting on a face to face or even a personal level with I can stay up to date about their advancements and opinions in my career.  Below are some of my favorite tweets from 6 big names in education.

The first person I want to highlight is Linda Braun, twitter handle @lbraun2000.  She posted the following tweet,  

To Create Real Change, Leadership Is More Important Than Authority http://t.co/RGzaGBT3v1
— Linda W Braun (@lbraun2000) June 2, 2014

This was a great article to bring focus on.  It illuminates the fact that just because you are given the authority, you are the person in charge, or that you have the responsibilities that does not make you a leader.  A leader is defined by what you do with your authority or power.

Tony Vincent, Twitter handle @tonyvincent, is another interesting person to follow.  Tony is a whirlwind in the technology world. This is an extremely helpful tweet posted the other day,

Tip Tuesday! Here’s a bunch of things you can do with Google: Find a card you like and flip it over to learn more → http://t.co/8hwwSWCY2o
— Tony Vincent (@tonyvincent) May 20, 2014

With technology changing from one split second to the next, this tweet of Tony's really gives us a simple guide to follow for using many of the new functions that Google allows.

Buffy Hamilton, Twitter handle @buffyjhamilton, is one to follow for a hodge podge of tweets.  You get to see her human and personal side and also her passion for literacy.  The following tweet was one that Buffy reposted  and if she had not reposted it I probably would never have read the inspiring story.

#ConnectedLearning Personal Story: educator Danielle Filipiak (@flipster33) - http://t.co/hFCqT1DGJf by @hrheingold
— #ConnectedLearning (@TheCLAlliance) May 27, 2014

The Daring Librarian or aka @GwynethJones, spices up my twitter feed.  She has a great knack in choosing how and what she tweets.  One of my favorite tweets from her lately is one that she actually retweeted.  I must say that if she had not retweeted this then I would never have stumbled upon it and her retweet brought me another person to follow on twitter, Larry Fitzgerald.

“What every parent needs to know about video games: a crash course” http://t.co/sUOMuoB1VF
— Larry Ferlazzo (@Larryferlazzo) June 2, 2014

This is a well thought out and designed article about video games and how they effect our kids.  Being a parent myself of a four year old, who yes loves his iPad and Playstation, video games came be overwhelming to myself.  Lets just say that at the wonderful age of 32, I still haven't gotten Mario to beat King Coopa and save the princess in level 10-4!   I have already sent this article to my principal as a resource to extend to our student's families.

Jim Lerman, Twitter handle @jimlerman, brings up some very discussion worthy tweets.  One that my fiancee and I discussed for hours this evening was about colleges updating and changing the degrees.  We discussed how one of the primary goals of K-12 education is assisting our students become 21st Century Learners but then they go to college and a lot of the degrees have not been revamped to match our 21st century careers. I suggest everyone read the article and research some more.

Why We Need to Update the College Degree http://t.co/3G6Ky36OdA
— Jim Lerman (@jimlerman) May 31, 2014

My final twitter acknowledgement goes to Kathy Schrock, Twitter handle @kathyschrock. Kathy is one busy lady and never fails to tweet about a new Web 2.0 app that she has figured out the best ways to integrate into the classroom.  The following is a tweet from Kathy about a new interactive whiteboard tool that can be used in so many more ways than just the smartboards hanging on classroom walls can. check it out and see how you can use Pixiclip in your classroom!

PixiClip for Teaching and Learning http://t.co/mSThkw7OXF
— Kathy Schrock (@kathyschrock) May 23, 2014

Libraries-To Facebook or Not to Facebook?

   

Facebook main page:  http://www.facebook.com

      Facebook splashed into our lives in February of 2004 and nothing has been the same since.  We all remember MySpace and AOL instant messenger but neither of those made as big of an impact as Facebook has.  Facebook is a social media website that allows people to connect with friends and family.  Your brother, aunt, or second cousin half removed that all live hundreds of miles away are now at the ends of your fingertips.  Yes, we could always call them before or write a letter but Facebook has given us the ability to send a quick message in seconds.  Facebook gives us the ability to share our thoughts, feelings, pictures, videos, and life changing news to masses with the click of a button.  As Facebook continues to merge into our everyday social lives, we are beginning to see Facebook being used to conduct and promote business. This brings me to my question of the day, "Libraries- To Facebook or Not to Facebook?"

   I began my search for answers by browsing through a few public school library Facebook pages.  I wanted to see exactly what they were using Facebook for.  My first school was Avon Middle High School Library in Avon, Massachusetts.  As you scroll through their page you see numerous photos highlighting students around the school and in the library.  You also see posts that remind students of upcoming events and questions of the day.  They highlight authors and spotlight recommendations for new books.  For those that are tech savvy they post links to new apps that are educational.  They even give out homework tips.  This facebook page seemed very well put together and updated quite frequently.  By the number of likes on the posts and even comments it is evident that Avon Middle High School puts their Facebook page to good use. 

I then ventured into the Facebook page of Oak Park and River Forest High School in Oak Park, Illinois.  There page was simple and honestly, did not impress me much.  It seems that the majority of their page was for posting the link to their on-line newsletter.  There were some photos and mentions of events happening around the community but the overall use of the Facebook page was very limited.  I wish I could meet the librarian and discuss what her initial goal of creating the page was.

The final page I browsed through was truly impressive.  The Thomas Downey High School Library in Modesto, California Facebook page is a fabulous example of how Facebook can enhance a library.  There are masses of photos from students to new books displays to the dust jackets on recommended books.  They have links to all kinds of apps, reminders of news not just from the library but the entire school, and links to articles about new book news.  What made me smile the most was seeing a post for the Dewey # of the week.  This post featured a Dewey Call number and what students could find under that number.  Students had commented on this post with a book they had read that came from that section.  This Facebook page is by far superior to the others.

With all of this being said and done Facebook can really bring an added advantage or benefit to a public school library.  Yes, there are logistics with creating a Facebook page for your library, Who is going to be responsible for keeping it updated? How will you handle students that don't use the page respectfully? but all in all those are issues that can be resolved with an organized plan. Facebook, simply put, is a direct and FREE (who doesn't like free!) way to connect and communicate with the school and outside community.  Facebook lets you be where your students are and isn't that one of the most important facets to reaching our youth of today?