Well, here I am in Philadelphia, attending my first ALA conference. They may kick me out of the ALA for saying this, but I'm a bit disappointed. I was excited, planning to attend great workshops and learn heaps. Turns out, it's 95% committee meetings! ugh! Though I will say it's incredibly cool that we drive right by Independence Hall on the way to the conference center. And apparently the Liberty Bell is only a block or so from my hotel, so I must see that.
I did attend an interesting workshop yesterday on presenting fun library orientations. I'll blog about that next. And I'm going to a committee meeting this afternoon on best practices in video, with, I think, a nod to copyright. I'll definitely let you know about that, too.
I'm now off to tour the exhibits and talk to the 3M vendor about security systems!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Wikia Goes Live
A brand new search engine just entered the fray. Wikia, the brain-child of Jimmy Wales (of Wikipedia fame) uses an open-source concept similar to the famed online encyclopedia. Rather than the opaque and somewhat suspect algorithms used by Google, et al (which can be 'enhanced' by a hefty outlay of corporate cash), Wikia relies on user feedback to generate reliable, authoritative hits.
Obviously, as they're on day one, the results aren't the best. I ran a trial search for an upcoming 7th grade project on desertification in Africa, and only found a few useful sites on the second or third page. On the plus side, it only generated 476 hits--far less daunting than the 770,ooo on Google!
However, as more people use it and supply feedback, the results should improve exponentially.
One nifty feature the site provides is a mini-article at the top of each search page, fully editable, allowing users to add information. Again, most of the searches I used didn't generate an article, as they hadn't been created yet. The site proclaims the primary purpose of the article will be to provide definitions, "disambiguations," photos and a 'see also' reference.
I doubt I'll be sending students to this any time soon, but it's definitely worth keeping an eye on!
Obviously, as they're on day one, the results aren't the best. I ran a trial search for an upcoming 7th grade project on desertification in Africa, and only found a few useful sites on the second or third page. On the plus side, it only generated 476 hits--far less daunting than the 770,ooo on Google!
However, as more people use it and supply feedback, the results should improve exponentially.
One nifty feature the site provides is a mini-article at the top of each search page, fully editable, allowing users to add information. Again, most of the searches I used didn't generate an article, as they hadn't been created yet. The site proclaims the primary purpose of the article will be to provide definitions, "disambiguations," photos and a 'see also' reference.
I doubt I'll be sending students to this any time soon, but it's definitely worth keeping an eye on!
Friday, January 4, 2008
Video Resource Collection
How's that for a catchy title?
Happiest of New Year's to all! I've posted this video resource link before, but I've bee working on updating the collection, mostly because I'll be teaching a film studies course next semester, in addition to running the library. I'm probably nuts, but I'm looking forward to it. While the class will be partly a traditional film studies class (i.e. analyzing movies), I'm most excited about the production part--students will use what they learn in analyzing actual films as they work to create their own.
Either one of these is a semester in itself, so how combining both will work, I have no idea. It's an adventure! I'm also hoping this will start the school on a long trend towards building media study/production more thoroughly into the curriculum, as students show what they learn through producing PSA's, shorts, documentaries, etc.
With all that in mind, I've worked on upgrading the collection of video resources for the class. I found some wonderful tutorials, student media sites, etc. So take a look, and let me know of anything I haven't found yet!
Happiest of New Year's to all! I've posted this video resource link before, but I've bee working on updating the collection, mostly because I'll be teaching a film studies course next semester, in addition to running the library. I'm probably nuts, but I'm looking forward to it. While the class will be partly a traditional film studies class (i.e. analyzing movies), I'm most excited about the production part--students will use what they learn in analyzing actual films as they work to create their own.
Either one of these is a semester in itself, so how combining both will work, I have no idea. It's an adventure! I'm also hoping this will start the school on a long trend towards building media study/production more thoroughly into the curriculum, as students show what they learn through producing PSA's, shorts, documentaries, etc.
With all that in mind, I've worked on upgrading the collection of video resources for the class. I found some wonderful tutorials, student media sites, etc. So take a look, and let me know of anything I haven't found yet!
Monday, December 24, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Not Exactly the Meyers-Briggs, but....
Who doesn't love internet personality quizzes? I'm really a sucker for them, and here are two fun ones friends sent me over the past few days.
The first, from Blue Pyramid, after a very short quiz tells you which book you're most like. I'm a bit worried that I turn out to be a book on war....one I've never heard of, at that (see below). I'll have to visit the library and read the book. Which is a great advantage to this little quiz--it might get people to read a book they haven't read yet!
As pre-hype for the movie of the Golden Compass, visit the official website and take this quick test to see who your daemon is. You can even send the final link to friends, they can take a quiz about you, and possibly change your daemon, if they have more insight into your character than you do!
The first, from Blue Pyramid, after a very short quiz tells you which book you're most like. I'm a bit worried that I turn out to be a book on war....one I've never heard of, at that (see below). I'll have to visit the library and read the book. Which is a great advantage to this little quiz--it might get people to read a book they haven't read yet!
As pre-hype for the movie of the Golden Compass, visit the official website and take this quick test to see who your daemon is. You can even send the final link to friends, they can take a quiz about you, and possibly change your daemon, if they have more insight into your character than you do!
You're The Guns of August!
by Barbara Tuchman
Though you're interested in war, what you really want to know is what
causes war. You're out to expose imperialism, militarism, and nationalism for what they
really are. Nevertheless, you're always living in the past and have a hard time dealing
with what's going on today. You're also far more focused on Europe than anywhere else in
the world. A fitting motto for you might be "Guns do kill, but so can
diplomats."
Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Habitable Planet
Annenberg has a wonderful online course I happened across today. Called "The Habitable Planet: A Systems Approach to Environmental Science" the site bills itself as "a multimedia course for high school teachers and adult learners interested in studying environmental science," with a PDF textbook, links to videos and other interactive content. Topics cover everything from ecosystems to climate change to energy challenges. Great resource for anyone teaching about the environment!
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Gossip Girls and Ethical Dilemmas
I despise the Gossip Girls series. When we read the first one in my Young Adult novels class last spring, few other works inspired such heated controversy. (Well, my friend, Jill, had quite the rant on Ella Enchanted, but there you go....) I was right there in the middle of the fray, expounding on how the book, appalling values aside, exemplified everything that's wrong with publishing today.
I could
vividly visualize a statistical analyzer adding up columns and figures, creating a "formula" for writing best-selling teen series. These books, I harrumphed, are not about good story-telling, they're about titillation and sensationalism--the Harold Robbins (or National Enquirer) of the teen set.
"I will never," I declared, "buy these books for my library." When others took me to task, asking how I would defend such a choice logically, I retorted I could simply claim better uses for limited funds. Simple. Utterly defensible.
Who knew about book donations?
So now I have two of the books sitting in my "to be processed pile," the product of a generous parent. They sit there, mocking me. Until three classes of 7th graders came in this week to find books for a required reading assignment, I had checked out all of six books since school started. I know these would FLY off the shelves, and one part of me says, 'Hey, if kids are reading, can it be a bad thing?"
But I'm not one of those people who thinks any reading is good reading. There are textual equivalents to Entertainment Tonight and Jerry Springer, and I'd rather have my students watch a quality program on TV than read a piece of trash.
Nor am I a series book snob. I've read--and continue to read and enjoy--many a series. Those past librarians who sneered at Nancy Drew and the like did their patrons a real disservice. Librarian are not the arbiters of taste and culture.
And yet....these books offend me on so many levels. If I were a public librarian, this would be a no-brainer. They'd go on the shelves, because who am I to decide what the public can or cannot read? As a school librarian, however, I have a different set of responsibilities. Maybe it's the ex-English teacher in me, but there are plenty of equally entertaining, less hollow books out there to read. If they want Gossip Girls, go to the public library.
So they sit. And mock.
One of these days, I'll have to decide.
I could
vividly visualize a statistical analyzer adding up columns and figures, creating a "formula" for writing best-selling teen series. These books, I harrumphed, are not about good story-telling, they're about titillation and sensationalism--the Harold Robbins (or National Enquirer) of the teen set."I will never," I declared, "buy these books for my library." When others took me to task, asking how I would defend such a choice logically, I retorted I could simply claim better uses for limited funds. Simple. Utterly defensible.
Who knew about book donations?
So now I have two of the books sitting in my "to be processed pile," the product of a generous parent. They sit there, mocking me. Until three classes of 7th graders came in this week to find books for a required reading assignment, I had checked out all of six books since school started. I know these would FLY off the shelves, and one part of me says, 'Hey, if kids are reading, can it be a bad thing?"
But I'm not one of those people who thinks any reading is good reading. There are textual equivalents to Entertainment Tonight and Jerry Springer, and I'd rather have my students watch a quality program on TV than read a piece of trash.
Nor am I a series book snob. I've read--and continue to read and enjoy--many a series. Those past librarians who sneered at Nancy Drew and the like did their patrons a real disservice. Librarian are not the arbiters of taste and culture.
And yet....these books offend me on so many levels. If I were a public librarian, this would be a no-brainer. They'd go on the shelves, because who am I to decide what the public can or cannot read? As a school librarian, however, I have a different set of responsibilities. Maybe it's the ex-English teacher in me, but there are plenty of equally entertaining, less hollow books out there to read. If they want Gossip Girls, go to the public library.
So they sit. And mock.
One of these days, I'll have to decide.
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