Thursday, December 17, 2009

Two Best Readings of the Semester

By far my favorite text this semester was Courtney's Library 2.0 and Beyond. I enjoyed the collection of articles. It was a refreshing departure from a banal text. I also appreciated that the information was current and provided a concrete ideas and websites for reference.

The two chapters I most enjoyed were chapter 4, Podcasting for Libraries by Chris Kretz and Mashups and Web Services by Weic Schnell. The primary reason I have selected these two is because they were my introduction to the topics of podcasting and mashups. In each article I made many notes and stars in the margins.

Kretz's article provided a comprehensive history of podcasting along with instructions on how to get started with podcasting. This is just what I needed. It also provided many examples of library podcasts for booktalking and teen services. I visited many of these sites and marked a few on my Delicious. I also signed up a for a few feeds as a result of this article. Lastly, and importantly Kretz introduced me to the term "podsafe music" and the legal issues surrounding this medium of communication.

Schnell's article was also largely informative. API, SOA and geotagging were all new concepts to me. Combining complex online systems like Google Maps with others to create new content is exciting. The possibilities are endless and stand to make an impact on how libraries interact in an online environment. I admit to not completely understanding all the technical lingo connecting to computer programming, but I certainly understand more then I once did.

I am glad I had the oppotunity to explore this text. I will definitely be keeping this it for future reference.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Flip Camera - Web 2.0 Presentation

It's also a breeze to upload Flip videos to your blog, wiki or other social networking site. Although it is a bit time consumming.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Week #15 - Module #5 - Curriculum & Evaluation

The holiday season is upon me and in an effort to stay ahead of the game I am posting a bit early.

What one thing did you learn, and what will you do differently as a result?
The two things that stand out in my mind as a result of these exercises are first that it is always time to teach students about differently abled individuals and not just when one is in the classroom. Demonstrating sensitivity and always expecting compassion are life lessons that extend beyond school walls. I think research project on various disabilities is a great way to expose middle school students to the the reasons for disabilities and challenge them to find ways that differently abled individuals can prosper in the world The second conept that will stay with me is the idea of universal design.

Do you plan to recommend this tutorial? If so, please elaborate.
I would gladly recommend this tutorial to my principal. It would serve as terrific professional development exercise. Educators need reminders that there are tools out to there to assist them in teaching students with disabilities. My eyes were certainly opened to how technology can assist in the classroom.

Do you plan to read or recommend some of the Recommended Reading books or add them to your collection?
Gladly, my collection already has some of the listed titles, but I will definitely review it when it comes time to order new items for the collection.

Will you link our LibraryThing list to your blog?
Surely. Here is the link to readings that contain characters with disabilities.

If you have a book recommendation or have read one of the books that does not include a review, please send us your own review so we can share it.
I posted a review for the book Petey by Ben Michelson. I wish it were more detailed. I read it some time ago, though. Nevertheless, it was a powerful read and I remember the feeling it left me moreso than the plot details.