do u twttr?

Yes I purposefully scripted that title. You see, there is a whole different social networking tool out there–actually it’s been out there for some time. I’ve been lurking for quite a while now, and have only recently joined the conversation. What is twitter? It’s a place where you can create an online community of your network. How is it different? You cannot “hog” the discussion board. You see, Twitter limits you to 140 characters. So those who know me well know that I am ever so challenged by that limit. What do you get from Twitter? I have learned of cool new tools, live streaming events, challenges and questions my network faces or asks, and more. I have decided as of today Twitter is my absolute favorite networking tool.

I did not always feel that way. Twitter, just like any other web 2.0 or social networking tool, and can be one that is abused or used in malicious ways. But I do have a degree of control because I don’t have to have anyone in my network who is not contributing. I can invite people to be twitter friends, and they accept me or just allow me to see their twits. There is a safety feature too, where you can have your twits really secure, meaning only those you have approved read your material ever. Last, Twitter will have no meaning unless you invite and become a part of other twitter networks. There are MANY school library media specialists and educators using it daily.

But just to give you a taste of what I have learned this morning:
-Chris Craft (of Columbia, SC) is attending the Okra Strut today
-Will Richardson is on EdTech Talk this morning in a live stream of an opening Keynote somewhere, and even interacted with Twitter during the session
-Many of my twitter friends are on a Cubs high (the Cubs must be doing well)
-Media Specialist Kim Cofino spent her evening in the city of Bangkok, and was preparing to go to bed
…I could go on, but my network of friends won’t mean a whole lot to you. My purpose for writing this today though, is to encourage SCASL members to join in the fray of Twitter. If you like the SCASL List, You will love Twitter. Come on folks, join twitter. In twitter, search for me–Cathyjo. Let’s start a conversation limited by 140 characters. I PROMISE you will be amazed.

What to do:
Visit http://twitter.com
Create a profile (you can be as specific or general as you want–some folks use strange names, like Steve Dembo from Discovery Education Network uses the profile name “Teach42,” so named after his blog; Chris Craft of Columbia, SC uses “Crafty184″ that matches his email from gmail, Carolyn Foote, Austin Texas School LMS uses “technolibrary,” and classroom teacher Clarence Fischer in my list uses “Glassbead” as a profile name. You can reveal as little or as much as you want, information-wise.)
-Once you have joined, log into Twitter, and search for contacts. ADD ME right away! In Twitter, I am “Cathyjo.” (I wanted to use cnelson, but it wasn’t available.)

Still undecided? Want to see what other educators get from Twitter? Visit Discovery Education Network Leader Steve Dembo’s post, or read fellow school librarian Carolyn Foote’s post to see how they use it and what it does for them. I have even blogged on this powerful tool before over on my blog, TechnoTuesday.

COME ON SCASL–Join me in TWITTER. I’m lovin’ it! Take a peek at my Twitter page…

Banned Books Week: Sept. 29 – Oct. 6

  2007 Banned Books Week
Ahoy! Treasure Your Freedom to Read and Get Hooked on a Banned Book

Visit ALA Banned Books Week Site for more info.

SC’s EdTech October 24-26

SC EdTech offers content and activities that span all areas of educational technology with diverse workshops, presentations, speakers, exhibitors, and recognition events. SCASL is a sponsor of this annual conference. There will be strands that certainly address information literacy, and a number of sessions are actually being presented by fellow LMS’s and folks who directly impact our libraries, including:

Martha Alewine, SC Department of Education
Frank Baker, Author, Web Master of Media Literacy Clearinghouse
David Bell, Media Coordinator, Horry County Schools
Mary Dorkewitz , Media Specialist, Charleston County School District
Andrea Thorpe, SCETV
MaryAnn Sansonetti, Richland One Schools, Discovery Education Network
Barbara Zinkovich, Media Specialist, Lexington/Richalnd 5
Dean Byrd, SCETV, StreamlineSC
Karei Swift, Follett Library Resources
Myra Elvington, Copresentation of LMS & Tech Coach, Spartanburg 3 School District
Donna Thompson, SCETV, StreamlineSC
Amy Duernberger, DISCUS, SC State Library
Carole McGrath, Media Specialist, Hampton 1 School District, 2007-2008 SCASL Media Specialist of the Year
Donna Teuber, Information Technology Specialist, SCASL WebMaster, Discovery Education Network
Cathy Nelson, Media Specialist, Horry County Schools

Make plans today to join us in Myrtle Beach for the 10th Annual SC Edtech Conference. Help us with e-transcripts and hosting registration and information desks too! Visit the SCEdtech Wiki (password edtech to edit and add your name) to select a spot to help out. There are great networking opportunities at this conference, and volunteering guarantees your seat in popular sessions.

David Loertscher – an expert in the field of school librarianship

Please let me clarify something. My post regarding David Loertscher and David Warlick was primarily about how a webcast can draw me away from gurus like David Loertscher, and not to be misunderstood. I’ve followed David Loertscher through the years, and he adds value and has given excellent guidance on implementing a solid school library program that supports student learning. My favorite David L. presentation is from his book Ban the Bird Units! He has been in SC in recent years at our annual SCASL conference, and is well known among the SC school librarians. Doug Johnson said very positive things about David Loertscher and the presentation given in Second Life Wednesday Night, and I am glad I was able to use his post about the presentation since I did opt for the Women of Web webcast instead of ISTE’s David Loertscher presentation in Second Life. David Loertscher is right on top of current trends as you can see with his three spaces for students.

Doug Johnson states it best here:

…David Loertscher has remained a constant source of inspiration and ideas in the field of school librarianship through out my career. He’s an amazing guy…

Thank you Doug for sharing the information from a presentation I had a hard time leaving as I made my way over to the Women of Web 2.0 webcast.

Cathy Nelson

David Warlick or David Loertscher

Yesterday I was in a dilemma about what evening professional development event I wanted to participate in. I had read weeks ago that Second Life planned a presentation event in conjunction with ISTE featuring David Loertscher, library media guru and professor at San Jose State. I had also heard that David Warlick would be a guest on a weekly webcast i join, Women of Web 2.0. So at 9pm last night I was truly a multitasking person, pulling up both, and trying both at the same time. As I waited for David Loertscher to begin, I am standing there in SL thinking how eerie it feels to be in a virtual world, and how I was NEVER really a gamer, and didn’t know if I would EVER develop a comfort zone for this. I actually stood, too, b/c I could NOT make my avatar sit down. Seats were rapidly filling. But the other part of my computer was iTunes (as well as a chat window), and the folks were shrieking with laughter and very obviously having a great time. The conversation was LIVELY and fun, and I kept going back so I could follow the chat. The ladies and their guests always bring in the conversations happening in the chat, and last night was no less. I was incorrect about the guests though. David Warlick is going to visit soon, but last night was a show focusing on using social networks and new presentation tools. It was mentioned that WOW2.0 was competing with an ISTE event in SL, but the chatroom had a record crowd–in the upper 30s. The guests were Darren Draper of Blog “Drapes Takes,” 5th grade teacher Dean Meyer, and Steve Hargadon of blog fame, Ning fame, and best, Edublogger Con fame form NECC 2007.

What a WISE decision I made. Even though I was mildly disappointed that it wasn’t David Warlick, it was still very powerful conversations about new, free (mostly opensource) presentation tools, like Elluminate, FlashMeeting, Google Presentations, and others, and how these tools have enabled us to have meaningful professional development with tools designed not only to share, but also involve and interact with participants. Many of the new tools have a chat feature enabled, and sometimes the presenter can even incorporate the back channeled conversations right into their presentations. How awesome. We also talked of the power of social networks and social networking, reliving just a bit of the power that came from EdubloggerCon (which i attended and participated in at NECC Atlanta 2007!!)

Doug Johnson of Blue Skunk Blog fame had blogged yesterday about how he planned to attend the David Loertscher presentation in SL. So I emailed him and shared about my quandry–which one to choose? He emailed me back today, noting that he went to the SL presentation, and it seemed to me he was mildly disappointed that David Loertscher was only there apparently in handout form, as his assistant conducted the presentation. The content was good, but available as a pdf handout download. (NOTE: You can get good summary as well as Doug’s take and thought provoking questions from this SL presentation in a post on his blog today.)

So with this information I now am SO GLAD I choose Women of Web 2.0. It was well worth the hour I spent online in this chatroom as I listened to the guests and hostesses carry the program. Best of all, I was NOT alone in my choice. Reports are that the chatroom had record numbers, and included in the chatroom were some really big experts like David Jakes, Miguel Ghulin, and LMS’s Joyce Valenza, Carloyn Foote, and Lisa Durff. (Great minds think alike, and apparently meet up in the same chatrooms!) My friends, it is a wonderful opportunity to network with educators who have a similar interests in students and education. Here is quoted text from their site that tells what it is:

WOW 2.0 is for all who are using the tools of the internet whether it be in a classroom setting, leading seminars, authoring books, maintaining blogs or wikis, or just enjoying the tools of the internet in an educational and exciting way.

WOW2 is brought to you by Cheryl Oakes, Jennifer Wagner, Sharon Peters, & Vicki Davis, four women who not only love using the tools of the Internet but also love sharing the tools with others…Each Tuesday night’s chat is great fun and we invite you to join in the conversation via the chat room.

One last note. I asked Jennifer Wagner when David Warlick will be there. They are trying to have him mid October, which for the show translates to Tuesday night, October 16, from 9-10PM. I promise if you come any Tuesday night you won’t be disappointed.

Beyond Books: Media Literacy

If you don’t believe media literacy is gaining importance, take a look–Canada does. This is NEW and from the Pearson (Educational publisher) website…and their textbooks (in Canada) now include media literacy. Check it out.
http://www.pearsoned.ca/school/LanguageArts/intheloop/media/intheloop_issue6.pdf
Written by a respected Canadian media educator.

What about information literacy?

I read with interest a post to LM_Net a query from San Bernadino, California looking for suggestions to respond to a neighboring school re-shelving the entire library collection to reading levels for the reading program instead of Dewey order. Apparently a literacy coach has been charged with running the media center, and the decision was made to serve the school better by doing away with Dewey and shelving books according to their level. Now I am not such a stickler to think that a library cannot be successful if its resources are not shelved in Dewey order, but it does beg some questions:

Will the school end the use of investment in opacs? Circulation programs were really the turning point in bringing technology into most libraries, before the introduction of reading programs. Of course they have not been the end all-be all to what makes a library program successful, but they were a catalyst to our use of technology, promotion of subscription databases of refereed information, our investment into various electronic programs, and electronic equipment, and yes, even equipment management—everything suddenly had a barcode and was scannable.)

How will patrons find the books and resources that match their curriculum standards or research needs?? If the existing OPAC is kept, will the location field be adjusted to list reading level instead of dewey class?

What becomes of the materials that do not have a quiz? Will they be shelved instead by maybe Lexile level? Is it fair to ignore all the various leveling programs for material not having an AR or RC level? What about videos? What about assorted computer programs? What about my CD collection of National Geographic?

What will become of the reference collection?

Who is teaching students core concepts about research, information literacy, and ethical use of information, as outlined in Information Power? I’m all for implementing programs that promote reading and increase circulations stats, but not at the sacrifice of our library information literacy standards.

Is this a balanced library program?

I have many objections to this decision, and don’t think my school library is in any danger of this happening where I work. I will admit, however, that I have read with interest about libraries that have transformed their shelving system to resemble the “book store” approach. I have some of the same questions about this set up too, but I mildly have a fascination with the approach. From all I’ve read, these libraries (public, at that) are having extreme success, and the circulation stats have skyrocketed. But I’m still skeptical that a school library can adequately serve student achievement with this approach. And the bottom line in schools is student achievement.

“Richmon Open Bookstore Display.” Pesky Library’s Photostream. 14 October 2006. 15 September 2007

Conference Update

We are speeding through September and the next thing you know, it will be October! There’s already Halloween and CHRISTMAS stuff out in the stores!!!

Don’t let time go by too quickly…make sure you pay your SCASL membership dues by October 1 so that you will get member rates at conference as well as all the other goodies your SCASL membership gives you (MCM, the listserv, etc.)!

Speaking of conference, I’ve got an update!
You already know that Annette Lamb, Larry Johnson, Eloise Greenfield, Jaime Adoff, and Alan Katz are coming…but, did you know that Michelle Knudson (author of Library Lion) is coming? How about Ruth Cox Clark, book talker extraordinaire and blogger (http://madchatterya.blogspot.com/)?!

Plan to join us March 12-14, 2008 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center~you won’t be disappointed!!

More to come…
Valerie Byrd Fort

What about Discus?

NOTE: Cross Posted from TechnoTuesday
I know a lot of professionals get paid to create logos and such for just about everything, and that probably includes the Discus logo too. Have you seen the new logo? It’s really cool and pretty. It needed an update, and I like it too. Now I need to find my brochures and pages that contain that home access login and password and update their looks too–and include the new logo. My hope is that at first glance of the logo students will know and understand there is a place of solid information that can help them get their school work done.

Recently at EdTech Talk, the program Teachers Teaching Teachers had a one-hour show three weeks in a row about how to improve student research strategies using database subscriptions. A lot of what was discussed centered around the complexity of searching with the tools, and why students want to first use Google. I think when I make my brochure and handouts, I will include a Discus logo like I’ve never seen before. Of course I’ll use the one the state is using too, but I think in order for kids to make the connection that this can be their first choice for information, it needs to have that look if not feel of Google. So I google-ized a log0 (wonder if I’ll get in trouble?) and I’m thinking about using it on my material too. When I get my own webspace–I’m waiting on the district who is transitioning out of what they use now to something new–I may use the googlized logo too. What better way to help kids make that connection?

Just in case you weren’t aware, Discus now has a community log in too. There is a discussion board, and a place to network (so very web 2.0 of them) and I am not 100% sure, but it may be open to students too. Go check it out!