Stellman the Librarian

This week we explored 11 apps and their potential uses in a school setting. Here are the apps and some ideas for implementation in the classroom... Flikr: Students can retell a classic tale in approximately 10 modern images sourced via Creative Commons. BigHugeLabs: Students can easily design book covers, billboards and art to accompany assigned books. They could also use MapMaker feature to track a book character’s journey around the world. Timeline: Library Media Specialist uses Timeline to track events in the library throughout the year. Can also jazz it up for school consumption so others can plan around it. NOTE: Classmates recommend: Sutori Glogster: The modern-day poster. Book reports, science projects, geography lessons... Zamzar: Students could scan primary sources as a PDF, and with Zamzar, save them as Word documents, and then incorporate into the next musical sensation that is based on primary sources.   SurveyMonkey: Library Media Specialist uses ...

This week was spent exploring tools on the Internet (it was also spent being vomited on, scrambling at work, and dropping off a sobbing 3-year-old at preschool, but that's material for another blog) that will be useful in a school library. Here are some of my discoveries: RSS Feeds First...do I finally understand RSS feeds?? AFTER LIKE 10 YEARS OF PRETENDING TO UNDERSTAND?! RSS in Plain English  by Lee LeFever is possibly the funniest tutorial I've ever seen. I don't recall 2007 that clearly, but I *know* there was powerpoint. So I love how this guy took a super low-tech approach to explaining something (a bit) high-tech. I've understood that an RSS feed compiles news/blog entries for you, and sends them to...a spot. I think the big disconnect for me is that I enjoy visiting the blogs that I frequent. I like the design elements. I like the possibility of exploration and discovery. Perchance, it's time to admit that I love wasting time.  Eek. That's a t...

In the thrilling YA novel Dread Nation (Ireland, 2019), there was a quote that went something like, “You never feel more mean than in the moment before you decide to stop being mean.” Replace “mean” with “dumb” and you get an idea of how I’ve felt this week. This class has been SO HUMBLING thus far, and we just finished week 2. I had no idea how many technologies were floating around out there. And I’m pretty tuned in — or so I thought. In Joyce Valenza’s article “Fully Loaded,” she listed so many tech tools that she made my head spin. Here are just a few of the tools that Valenza refers to or that I’ve learned about this week that piqued my interest… Digital storytelling tools: Animoto ; Vyond (formerly GoAnimate) ; VoiceThread , FlipGrid Organizations: International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)   Organizational tools: Diigo ; Evernote ; Symbaloo ; Libguide , EdShelf I also found a Common Sense Media page that listed a bunch of educational blogging t...

This week marks the beginning of a new course — LBS 850: Emerging Tech for Libraries. I'm fairly current and comfortable on general emerging technologies, but the focus on librarianship & education will be a new one. So I expect to learn A LOT over the next 16 weeks! Without further ado, here are my TOP TEN TIPS! (And stay tuned for a post at the end of the semester on the same topic ...what will have changed? Will anything have stayed the same?!) These technologies are tools to supplement your instruction, not replace it. Much as a great saucepan does not replace the need for a chef, an online solution doesn't take away the need for you — an excellent teacher. Meet often with your LMS to chat about curriculum and ask if they have technology integration suggestions that would enhance or expand your lessons. If you’re new to technology, take a shallow dive into the pool. For example, lurk on twitter educational chats to see what it's like. Did you learn anything...

This week we put on our Nancy Drew hats and did some investigating: what do REAL teens REALLY like? In case anyone has some preconceived notions about teens liking "fluff" — those notions can be  forgotten immediately. Today's teens are interested in social justice, anti-bullying, and more. Judging by these books, I think the future is in good hands.  Yousafzai, Malala. (2013.) I Am Malala. New York City, New York: Little, Brown and Company. Plot summary: Malala Yousafzai bravely fought for her right to an education under Taliban rule. As a result, when she was 15, someone tried to execute her — by shooting her in the head. Despite all odds, Malala survived, and has become an international symbol of human rights, and a speaker at the U.N. Where I found it: A friend’s teen daughter recommended I am Malala, as it is her favorite book. Why I chose it: Malala is many things, including brave, eloquent, and the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner. She is a role ...

This week's focus was on "Nutritious books" - books that are non-fiction or historical in nature, and can be used for instruction in the classroom. There's somehow a world of exciting and instructional books out there - but here are just four. Swanson, James L. (2009.) Chasing Lincoln’s Killer. New York City, New York: Scholastic Press. Plot Summary: This story, which is built upon primary resources, details the desperate 12-day hunt for Abraham Lincoln’s killer, John Wilkes Booth. Chasing Lincoln’s Killer is a YA adaption of Swanson’s bestselling book Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer . Where I found it: I read an excerpt of the book on NPR.org and then found the book at the Thayer Public Library in Braintree.  Why I chose it: Many students visit Washington, D.C., as part of a school group at some point during their high school career. In addition to providing a wealth of information on John Wilkes Booth and the conspiracy to murder Presiden...

This week's focus is on "What Teens Like: Geeky Books, Science Fiction and Fantasy." Well, sign me up, because I enjoy these things too! Some of my favorite books and short stories as a teen dealt with other worlds/alternate realities ( The Giver , The Lottery ), fantastic situations ( The Most Dangerous Game ) and possibilities ( Einstein's Dreams ). I'm excited to see that the tradition continues with today's teens. GEEKY BOOKS (said with love) De La Peña, Matt. (2019.) Superman: Dawnbreaker . New York City, New York: Random House. Plot Summary: Superman: Dawnbreaker is the fourth book in the wildly popular DC Icons series. This story, which addresses the struggles of immigrants, covers Superman’s youth and the development of his powers while battling evil in his hometown of Smallville.  Where I found it: I found this on the recommendation of Christina Dufour, the Teen Room Librarian at Thayer Public Library in Braintree. Why I chose it: ...