Some last conference observations June 30, 2007
Posted by Debbie Stafford in : NECC2007 , 1 comment so farSome more conference observations
In a few sessions everyone was asked to talk to their neighbor on the current question. Everytime we did this the sound went way up. I know that we have all observed this, but it is worth reminding people that when you interact during a learning session, the sound does go up.
Overheard on an escalator “software program that will call into a student’s home with a wake up call” good for chronically tardy students. I currently shudder at this. When and where will this all end up? Are the schools now to be totally responsible for students or is there point at which our responsibility ends?
All over the conference Web 2.0 was being discussed, highlighted, demonstrated, encouraged and touted. We were urged to push for our students to be able to use these tools. Yet in the daily leader, I read a full page (or almost full page) ad from a vendor who “promises” they can keep students out of myspace.
I hope other attendees will respond with comments on my postings or even add a session I did not attend. If you will do so as a comment to this post, I will move it to a new posting.
I also hope others had an easier time that I did leaving the converence. First problem, my box that I was having the Kinko’s hold for me disappeared. If you happend to have picked up a box with Stafford written on in, full of some conference stuff, please contact me as I especially would like to have the two ISTE books I bought that were in the box.
Second problem, my flight was cancelled so I spent another day in Atlanta – which did allow me to go to the Coca Cola museum.
Posted by Debbie Stafford
NECC2007
Re-imagine, Rejuvenate, Renew: Beyond Library Media Specialist 2.0 June 30, 2007
Posted by Debbie Stafford in : NECC2007 , add a commentMy last workshop was;
Re-imagine, Rejuvenate, Renew: Beyond Library Media Specialist 2.0
Annette Lamb
I chose this one because I thought it was going to be another big picture session and because I had heard of Annette Lamb. I was not disappointed. This presenter is a high energy presenter, something hard to do when your session is the very last session of the conference!
We began with the challenge; how have we changed preceptions of what a zoo is? One focus of the “new” zoo is to reintroduce animals to the wild. Dr. Lamb hypothesized that it is the same with studnets, that we need to “reintriduce them to the wild” ie outside.
Dr. Lamb gave us a set of 3 Rs Reflect, Rethink, React in order to Redefine education of students and rejuvenate learning spaces. Along with this we discussed some of the web 2.0 type tools available, especially looking at the fact that they are available anywhere for can be individualized.
One program in particular was highlighted librarything. This online tool allows users to enter books in their “library”, tag these books, see how others tagged the book, share and do so many other web2.0 type things. Students can experience a community, practice social networking skills and engage in literature. I had already heard of librarything and have an account but had not delved into some of the other possibilities. I think that on my new library website I will make a link to librarything and push some of my teachers to use this site.
Posted by Debbie Stafford
NECC2007
Teach Web Design using Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 June 30, 2007
Posted by Debbie Stafford in : NECC2007 , add a commentWednesday’s third session was;
Teach Web Design using Macromedia Dreamweaver 8
Jan Marrelli www.lvp.com
While this was a commercially sponsored session I still found it to be useful. While we have had webpages up for years now, and with the “web 2.0″ hype, one might think that webpages was passe. However, the room was full! I wonder if sometimes we forget that some of the older “technologies” are still new to some people and that everyone can use a refresher.
One of my goals for next school year is to totally revamp by school library’s webpage. While this session was billed as focusing on using dreamweaver, the session actually focused more on basics of good design for any kind of online publishing.
Posted by Debbie Stafford
NECC2007
From Web Consumer to Producer: Student-Created Virtual Exhibits June 30, 2007
Posted by Debbie Stafford in : NECC2007 , 1 comment so farMy second session on Wednesday was;
From Web Consumer to Producer: Student-Created Virtual Exhibits
Mark Hofer, websites and programs mentioned can be found on this wiki which the presenter encouraged people to add to;
exhibits.wikispaces.com,
I enjoyed this session very much. Like the previous session, the focus was equally on the WHY of using Virtual Exhibits as well as the HOW. Mr. Hofer shared some of the reasons that virtual exhibits, however, they are do contribute to student learning;
- They are a combiniation of learning styles and media styles
- They can be shared online privately or publically
- They can be used to have students demnonstrate mastery
- They counter the “narrowing of the curriculum”
Mr. Hofer also emphasized that these virtual exhibits can be very simple, short, one skill demonstration projects to a virtual museum project. He showed some simple math demonstrations using programs incorporated with smart boards, to powerpoint presentations to video presentations, to Wiki sites. I was especially interested in the wiki examples as they support some of the efforts I have been doing the past year in my district.
I do have one other example I would like to share with Mr. Hofer, one on the book Turn Homeward Hannalea
Posted by Debbie Stafford
NECC2007
Beyond Testing: Projects that Nurture Creativity June 30, 2007
Posted by Debbie Stafford in : NECC2007 , add a commentMy Wednesday sessions were a mixture of big picture and more specific how tos.
My first session Wednesday morning;
Beyond Testing: Projects that Nurture Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Collaboration presented by
Peggy Healy Stearns websites mentioned www.peggyhealystearns.com and
While the focus of this session was on elementary, as librarian I still felt it was a worthwhile session.During the first part of the session the focus was on why students needed Project Based Learning experiences. The bullet points supporting PBL were;
- Information Explosion
- Global Competition
- Job Skills
along with specific job skills;
- Professionalism
- Community
- Team Work
- Critical Thinking
- Problem Solving
I especially liked the focus not on the technology itself but on the how and whys that technolgy can make teaching these skills easier and why sometimes students still need tape, scissors, glue and crayons.
The second part of the session focused on a few “open ended” tools that would support elementary students in dealing with mapping, and communities. These tools were all developed by Ms Stearns, however she was not pushing them because they were hers and gave other ideas for programs student could use. View her website to see more about these tools.
In looking at these mapping, community projects were the point was made that mapping activities are great activities for geography and mapping skills are in demand for jobs and that mapping actitivities are great for learning about other cultures.
I will be able to take these ideas away and “slip them in” when working with my high school teachers.
Posted by Debbie Stafford
NECC2007
Book awards– but not us? June 28, 2007
Posted by ayucht in : Hot Topics , 5commentsAccording to the AASL Mission statement, school librarians “prepare students for life-long learning, informed decision-making, a love of reading, and the use of information technologies.” That “love of reading” factor was a major topic of discussion at both the AASL Executive Board and Affiliate Assembly meetings just held.
Consider: the Newbery, Caldecott, Siebert, Printz, and now the new Odyssey Award for AudioBook Excellence, are each sponsored by either ALSC and/or YALSA.
Is not AASL also a ‘youth services’ division of ALA?
So why — if fostering reading for both learning and personal pleasure is such an important part of our professional responsibilities — do AASL members have to join (and pay dues to) yet another division in order to serve on any book awards committees?
The Good, Bad, and Ugly June 26, 2007
Posted by Debbie Stafford in : NECC2007 , 1 comment so farAfter thinking all morning and into the afternoon about the big picture, for my last session today I chose a more down to earth, how to type session; The Good, Bad and Ugly: Taking Digital Pictures Effectively presented by Leslie Fisher. WOW!
I learned so much crammed into one hour session. I had my camera out trying out some of the things Leslie pointed out and I was not the only one. Leslie gave a list of common mistakes and how to work around each one, these ranged from lighting problems, to focus problems to composition problems and finally to some common editing tricks. I would LOVE to have Leslie at my school for a session. Her website is lesliefisher.com
Now I am headed back to the hotel room with my bag of collectibles from the Vendor floor and will go in search of sustinence.
Posted by Debbie Stafford
NECC2007
The Vendor Floor June 26, 2007
Posted by Debbie Stafford in : NECC2007 , 1 comment so farOk, I did really truly mean to go to two different workshops after the forum. But I didn’t. Instead I did the vendor floor. But I also got to talk to a friend who I don’t usually get to see and talk to face to face. So I walked the vendor floor and had lunch and the two of us discussed the vendor floor among other topics.
Observations about the vendor area (my observations not necessarily those of my friend);
The vendor book listed 13 vendors in the category Library Automation. Interesting but only TWO were truly library automation (probably because the rest were all at ALA). But it was interesting to see what other companies were considered by “someone” to be library automation. Several network monitoring companies, several video by demand type companies, some equipment (not scanners) companies and several overall student management systems.
EVERYONE has a product that is “aligned with state standards”. What does that really truly mean? How hard is it to align a software product with state standards? I am feeling that this term means nothing.
The more flashy, colorful, animated the product the more it was a product focused on drill or electronic worksheets.
There were actual books out on the floor and I discovered a new vendor line that I want to pursue. Wiley Technology Publishing has a line Jossey Bass and I saw several items that I know my teachers would like to have in our professional collection. A catalog has been promised to me via mail.
Anyone else comment on observations of the vendor floor either from ALA or from NECC?
Posted by Debbie Stafford
NECC2007
SIGMS Forum June 26, 2007
Posted by Debbie Stafford in : NECC2007 , add a commentSIGMS had three high visibility activities at NECC. Peggy Milam Creighton really deserves kudos for pushing this events at NECC.
The first was a the first ever NECC Library Crawl where participants visited the Georgia Archives, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and the newly renovated library at Georgia Tech University. This even was a preconference event.
The Second was the 21st Cebntury Media Center that Lisa mentioned in her post in which abotu 500 attendees visited and that a number of vendors were very willing to support.
The Third was today, the SIGMS forum “The Changing Landscape of the 21st Century School Information Center. Both this session and the Library Crawl were sellouts and this one was a full BIG room. Panelists for the forum were; David Warlick, Doug Johnson, Joyce Valenza, Lisa Perez, Larry Johnson and Alice Yucht. Moderator was Brian Kenney, editor of School Library Journal.
Focus was on the 21st Century School Information Center and the panelists talked on these areas; The role of the librarian – including the new tools and technologies we shoud embrace, and the skills our 21st century students will need.
I don’t feel that I have room or can do justice to each persons presentation but the one that really did stick with me the most was Alice Yucht who said that students will need a “new” set of 3Rs; Reasoning (what if, how now), Reconnoitering (finding my way), and Responsibility (who me?). BTW, Alice did have to spell Reconnoitering for the room.
The second idea that stuck with me concerned a question from the audience “How do I do all that or what do I need to focus on?” In thinking about it the rest of the day my answer is to continute to focus on the what that students are doing, working on collaboration regardless of whether we are using the latest tool and focusing on one to two technologies that I see as a good starting point. With that in mind I will continue to focus on the use of Wikis and pocasting at my school.
Please, if you were also at this session, add your comments as to what stuck with you from the session.
Posted by Debbie Stafford
NECC2007 n07s877
SIG MS business meeting June 26, 2007
Posted by Debbie Stafford in : NECC2007 , add a commentMy last “session” of the day was the SIG MS business meeting. One major part of the discussion concerned the SIG MS listserv. Many there were intersted to find that the listserv is still functioning. Many participants have not been receiving listserv messages.
As the new communication chair I will work on making the listserv a vehicle for communication. With that I went onto the iste site to see why I am one of the people not receiving messages. Peggy mentioned that some people had dropped off when ISTE made some changes.
I found that by going to ISTE, then logging in and going to my profile, then to email lists the box by SIGMS Discussion was not marked.
If you are an ISTE member and also are not receiving listserv messages, you might want to check this out.
Posted by Debbie Stafford
NECC2007
