More On Blogging

   There are more reasons for using blogs in your library or classroom.  A blog provides more communication between students , teachers, and even the  community.

    Blogging is a tool for online storage and students can compare notes on a certain topic, or book.     Comments can be made , annotations of books read, and insights on group projects can be given. Pod casts can be put in blogs, photos, and videos can add student interest.  All this adds up to students wanting to be included in the blogs work.

     One of the first things to do  before starting a class blog or student blogs is to get permission form the school board, administration and parents.  This is especially true if you want students to have their own blogs.
     .The benefits of blogging can be seen as students progress in their posts on the blogs.  Peer editing is a great tool to help students improve many writing skills. Posting comments, and writing posts , students are motivated to be writers and readers.  They begin top care about spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

    A library blog is a great way to introduce the students and staff of your school to the world of blogging.  Think about the advantages and how it will help you library and  your readers.

    

Technology Tools- Early!

  I am posting this not  on Wednesday because I wanted to get to tell you early in case you didn't know or remember about Children's Book Week!   It is being held this year from May 13-19. ( Next Week). How will you be celebrating?
  If you want information or ideas about what it is and what to do, check out their sites at www.bookweekonline.com.
  Children's book week is a time to celebrate books and reading in schools, pubic libraries, and book stores. Their theme is Cover to Cover , Coast to Coast and Every Child a Reader.

   During this w eek , the announcement of winner of the  Children and Teens Book Awards. This  is a national book awards programs whee the winning titles are selected( voted on) on by readers of all ages. Voting is open from March 19th to May 9th) So there is still time to vote if you do it this week!
  From the website , you can download both the poster and the bookmark. There is also a Digital Toolkit which you can find a badge to put on your blog or website. There are also stickers you can use for children and students who participated in the vote.
  Alkso check out the many ideas for activities that can help you plan  the celebrations for the week.
Next year the Children's Book Week will be held  from May 12-18!

Why Should you Blog?

     As a school librarian and educator , you should seriously consider blogging. Why? By blogging, you stay connected to both educators and students. A blog specific to your library is a great way to advocate and promote the power of the library and its services and programs.
     By blogging, posting, photos (  365 Project- see May 1, 2013) , videos, and slide shows you can show library life, student work and projects, and what activities / programs that are going on at your library.

     Hopefully, students and staff will be reading the blog and writing/responding to different posts. Invite students and staff to do guest post on research, project's, web tool,  or books they have read. By hosting the students works , more and more students, staff, parents, and the community will be seeing what is happening at your library.
    
    Blogging builds a connected community of readers and learners. Bogs are used  by many as a literacy and learning tool: read posts, write comments, and access useful information. In the contents of theses activities, many skill can be learned and reinforced.

    Blogs open us the world to students allowing them to share and motivating their  writing to new levels and letting them voice their opinions.
 So start your blogs and get your students and staff involved!

Wired Wednesday- Technology Tools

     365 Project is a fun way to record your year in the library and share the experience with other educators, students, and  your community.  365 Project is a photography project , where you take one photo each of the day . The photo can really be on any theme. So what you are doing is a daily photo journal.

     You can use this photo journal to show what you are doing in your library programs. This will also serve as a memory tool of all that you have done and accomplished during the year in the library.

     It is easy to create an account and it is free.  Then you can upload your photo's, and do one each day.   The images are easily shared on Facebook, your library page,  your blog, or through the 365 site.

    This is a great tool when it time for your yearly report, or if  your administration wants to know how you have positively impacted student achievement and learning.  It also serves  to keep you and  your students motivated and interested  in the library happenings.

Library Advisory Committee 4/28

  As the librarian, you ultimately are in charge of library organization, and management. You are the major decision maker in policies and also purchasing. That is what part of our training is about.

    You may however want to think about having a library advisory group.  A library advisory group gives other members of your staff and patrons a voice in what material and programs are provided by the library.  This group would also let both staff and  patrons become more aware of library operations, services, and day to day activities and tasks.!

     During my years at the public library, I had a teen advisory group( I was in charge of Children 's Library Programs).   It was a small group . They gave me some great ideas of what books teens were reading and what activities teen s would the library to have provided,   They produced a monthly newsletter of book reviews, and articles that they wrote.  The group gave a voice to the teens that I served.
  
    Depending on your administration, board, teachers, and students , you may want to think about staring a group and include a representative of people you work with and for. They will serve as a sounding board and  also provide input on issues ( Challenged books, programs, policies, purchases, and other items.)

Organizing Your Office - Part 5

   Note Books for  Organizing


     I am a big fan of using three ring binders for organizing papers and materials needed on a day to day basis.  Every years I devised a plan book that goes along with y schedule for the year.. It is put in my main notebook which I use every day/ In this same notebook I keep a variety of papers and other items that I refer to on a daily basis.

    Another note book has records for ILL ( Inter library loans) and magazine/periodical records.  A large note book - which will soon be divided into two notebooks- is the common core standards.  In another note book I have my library curriculum for the different grade levels that I teach. A project I would like to do is put all lessons and worksheets for each grade level into a three ring binder, probably by grade level

    A current  large project is the yearly budget and the work  that goes with it.  This is in another labeled  binder. I keep handy the last years binder  to refer to.

     All my binders are labeled on the spine and of course on the front. I use tab dividers when I need too to keep all papers in the proper subject/ topic area. My binders are next to my work/circulation desk.  They can be pulled out and items found at a moments notice.  This binder system keeps me organized and my desk neat!

Wired Wednesday

    Microsoft Photo Story is an free site that lets you create  photo presentations  to save as a video file.  It is easy to use with a step by step tutorial to help you  make your stories/ presentations.
   It is as easy as dragging  the photos/ illustrations that you want in the order that you want them.
There are easy editing tools that allow you to change the size, fix the colors and other ways to fix your photos. 
  You can check the slide show and also put in as many photos as you want.
   You can also make a sound track- have not figured that out yet! But I am guessing it will not be difficult.   The story is saved in WVM format  .
    I can see this being using by teachers to teach many subject areas. I can also see students using this to create their own stories , using either photos or their own illustrations. It will be a great tool to encourage students to write , edit, and produce their own stories!


Microsoft Photo Story 3