Great refresher for teachers, librarians and parents on how to teach cyber-safety. Time to pull back from the scare tactics and focus on the facts. Scaring kids from drugs and sex hasn't worked since the '50s and scaring them about cyber-bullying isn't working today. It's time to treat kids like adults, give them the facts and the concerns, and assist them in finding safe and honorable choices.
Does this mean I have to loosen the reins on my own children's digital lives? Jury will remain out on this one . . .
Larry Magid, co-director of Connect Safely.org created another slide show a while back that is more detailed and explanatory and perhaps suitable for middle school students.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Explosion of Expression
Welcome to the Grand Illusion . . . Not exactly sure why but these Styx lyrics popped into my head when I finally realized I was going to give myself permission to write again. My fingers are twitching I am so excited!
Yes, gave myself permission. I am behind on some projects that I really need to get done and I have stopped myself every time I tried to express my thoughts here with the admonition that I should be using my time wisely to get my projects done. Months have gone by and that strategy has not worked and so today I am giving in and will look for new motivation on those other fronts.
I have had a great summer with the family. We enjoyed several weeks at the lake and a couple other roadtrips to add a little spice. I worked a little and played Mr. Mom as my wife embarked on a new career. Perhaps most enjoyable, we actually made time to do a few projects around our own house this summer.
I had one great interview for a secondary position. It would have been a great job for me and, though it meant cutting lake time short I was very excited. Turns out over 60 people applied including five with professional library experience. Of the 60, eight were interviewed and three called back to teach a lesson. It sounds as if I was a strong second choice but was edged out by one of the more experienced candidates.
My strengths, according to the interviewer who notified me of the results were my knowledge of technology but more importantly, my understanding that technology is not the answer without a strong curricular link. He said my answers that focused on a scaffolded approach to teaching 21st Century Skills and preparation of students for life beyond high school with regards to research and presentation were very impressive.
Alas, summer is over and the job did not come my way but I am blessed that I have such a fantastic venue to continue to learn and grow as an educator and librarian. Our team, two librarians, two clerks, and myself returned intact to greet a new year in a freshly painted and exciting library. The computers are warmed up and the books dusted and we are ready to go!
Perhaps it is a line later in the song, "deep inside we're all the same," that made this song relevant to me today. Though I am technically still a Teaching Assistant, in my mind this year I am a librarian and plan to conduct myself as one at every opportunity.
Yes, gave myself permission. I am behind on some projects that I really need to get done and I have stopped myself every time I tried to express my thoughts here with the admonition that I should be using my time wisely to get my projects done. Months have gone by and that strategy has not worked and so today I am giving in and will look for new motivation on those other fronts.
I have had a great summer with the family. We enjoyed several weeks at the lake and a couple other roadtrips to add a little spice. I worked a little and played Mr. Mom as my wife embarked on a new career. Perhaps most enjoyable, we actually made time to do a few projects around our own house this summer.
I had one great interview for a secondary position. It would have been a great job for me and, though it meant cutting lake time short I was very excited. Turns out over 60 people applied including five with professional library experience. Of the 60, eight were interviewed and three called back to teach a lesson. It sounds as if I was a strong second choice but was edged out by one of the more experienced candidates.
My strengths, according to the interviewer who notified me of the results were my knowledge of technology but more importantly, my understanding that technology is not the answer without a strong curricular link. He said my answers that focused on a scaffolded approach to teaching 21st Century Skills and preparation of students for life beyond high school with regards to research and presentation were very impressive.
Alas, summer is over and the job did not come my way but I am blessed that I have such a fantastic venue to continue to learn and grow as an educator and librarian. Our team, two librarians, two clerks, and myself returned intact to greet a new year in a freshly painted and exciting library. The computers are warmed up and the books dusted and we are ready to go!
Perhaps it is a line later in the song, "deep inside we're all the same," that made this song relevant to me today. Though I am technically still a Teaching Assistant, in my mind this year I am a librarian and plan to conduct myself as one at every opportunity.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Marketing opportunities abound !!
My son is running to replace himself as treasurer of his school student council - a job he thoroughly enjoyed last year. While assisting him to prepare his speech we addressed the age-old sales technique of putting the product in the buyer's hands. I suggested that he exchange, "if you vote for me," for a more powerful, "as your treasurer," to begin a paragraph.
As librarians, we need to constantly assert our facilities and services in many, many ways. Like a good salesperson, we need to constantly be "on" and ready to sell our product in a way that motivates our ever-changing audience. Our sales must be a blend of great service, great timing, and a measure of initiative toward self-promotion.
Today, I motivated several patrons to "love" the services I offered and the library I represent. I was motivated to post this entry, however, by another librarian's motivated and motivating self-promotion of the Rochester Public Library over the weekend on a local radio, call-in, talk show and the buzz it created on our list-serve.
Linda Cruttenden from the Rochester Regional Library Council explained and complemented another Linda, from RPL, "I was listening to the Jim Salmon Home Repair Clinic on WHAM1180 this weekend, when he suggested that a caller consult a particular reference book for his/her answer. The next caller was “Linda from RPL” who let the listeners know that RPL was ready to help, and that the reference book could be found at the downtown branch!!"
As librarians, we need to constantly assert our facilities and services in many, many ways. Like a good salesperson, we need to constantly be "on" and ready to sell our product in a way that motivates our ever-changing audience. Our sales must be a blend of great service, great timing, and a measure of initiative toward self-promotion.
Today, I motivated several patrons to "love" the services I offered and the library I represent. I was motivated to post this entry, however, by another librarian's motivated and motivating self-promotion of the Rochester Public Library over the weekend on a local radio, call-in, talk show and the buzz it created on our list-serve.
Linda Cruttenden from the Rochester Regional Library Council explained and complemented another Linda, from RPL, "I was listening to the Jim Salmon Home Repair Clinic on WHAM1180 this weekend, when he suggested that a caller consult a particular reference book for his/her answer. The next caller was “Linda from RPL” who let the listeners know that RPL was ready to help, and that the reference book could be found at the downtown branch!!"
"After her call, Mr. Salmon mentioned that he 'never thought of the library any more' and that he appreciated Linda’s call. Congratulations to Linda for helping the listeners, and getting some good promotion done for RPL’s libraries!" Librarian responses on our listserve included Coleen Hopkins from SUNY Geneseo, "Great work Linda and shame on Jim Salmon, he is missing a major resource for himself and his listeners," and Wendy Stephany from Byron-Bergen Middle School, "That's a great example of taking the opportunity to remind people that the library is there and willing to do anything to help."
Certainly, we all thank Linda from RPL for being in the right place and doing the right thing to "sell" our facilities and services, but the real question is, do we step up and do the right thing when we have the opportunities? Perhaps we don't all have the gumption or the opportunity to garner FREE radio advertising, but what do we do to guarantee our jobs in the 21st century?
I miss many opportunities and many days, should probably be beaten senseless by my own words, but today I enjoyed some successes. Like Linda's success, I will share and celebrate these here and now, but the goal and focus needs to be to find a way to replicate library marketing success every day. Today I . . .
Certainly, we all thank Linda from RPL for being in the right place and doing the right thing to "sell" our facilities and services, but the real question is, do we step up and do the right thing when we have the opportunities? Perhaps we don't all have the gumption or the opportunity to garner FREE radio advertising, but what do we do to guarantee our jobs in the 21st century?
I miss many opportunities and many days, should probably be beaten senseless by my own words, but today I enjoyed some successes. Like Linda's success, I will share and celebrate these here and now, but the goal and focus needs to be to find a way to replicate library marketing success every day. Today I . . .
- Helped a teacher convert an unreadable file to one she could use with the Zamzar file conversion Website. I "made [her] day!" I am confident she will come back the next time she has a problem.
- I got unruly, beginning-of-school-year, not-yet-ready computers to work for vast majority of students in classes increasing teacher confidence in our available technology.
- I offered suggestions that were accepted and appreciated to a group of teachers that are collaborating to develop a new research assignment. These suggestions will lead to increased research and synthesis by students completing this project.
- I delivered a cart of books that another teacher and I had discussed to support a project her classes are completing.
- And my favorite, when overhearing a student comment that she "found the perfect article but [she was] not going to pay for it," I asked if I could help. When the article happened to be from our local newspaper, available through a database purchased by our local library, I showed her how to log on using my library card number. When the article popped up she commented, "You can do that with a library card? I'm gonna have to get one of those."
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Better powerpoints = Better presentations
Juggling many classes and assignments, I have been bouncing between the K12 Online Conference 2008, with presentations on the uses of and thoughts about media in the classroom, and my own need to create a professional development piece for teachers using a "high quality" Powerpoint presentation. All this plus two other classes, a sick family, and a job that occasionally requires my attention . . .
The K12 Conference is fantastic, blending the thoughts and experiences of librarians and educators around the world through the use of many different media tools. It has been amazing to me to see all the different ways that librarians and other presenters have packaged their information. Presentations typically only last 20 minutes so it is not too large a commitment at one time. The sessions are all independent of each other and will be available online "forever".
Beginning with these k12 presentations, though, which I will not link to individually here, I serendipitously found myself on Slideshare and TeacherTube -- two more great resources. I discovered several insightful presentations discussing .ppt techniques that I found helpful in developing my own presentation.
This self-directed slide show discusses the failure of traditional "template design" .ppt presentations and offers simple creative suggestions for improvement.
Rowan Manahan from Dublin, Ireland is a talented speaker, consultant, and trainer. He offers more info and suggestions in other slideshare presentations he has developed and on his blog.
After too long, trying to re-create my search, I am posting only one .ppt hints presentation here because I seem to be unable to locate others that I used. I did just discover a presentation that I have not viewed yet (45 minutes) on How to create a great PowerPoint without breaking the law. Ok, as a new blogger this brings up a great question. What can I post to this site?
For my presentation, I found a great photo of an iceberg all over the internet, including on a number of different blogs. It even popped up a couple times in a creative commons search but something didn't feel right. I finally traced it back to a photographer named Ralph Clevenger who had his site locked to cut & paste and displayed a very clear copyright warning. The many reproductions I saw on blogs and websites were all copyright violations. Is it a violation to post someone elses video on my blog? I should probably already know this but alas, I'll have to get back to you on that . . .
The K12 Conference is fantastic, blending the thoughts and experiences of librarians and educators around the world through the use of many different media tools. It has been amazing to me to see all the different ways that librarians and other presenters have packaged their information. Presentations typically only last 20 minutes so it is not too large a commitment at one time. The sessions are all independent of each other and will be available online "forever".
Beginning with these k12 presentations, though, which I will not link to individually here, I serendipitously found myself on Slideshare and TeacherTube -- two more great resources. I discovered several insightful presentations discussing .ppt techniques that I found helpful in developing my own presentation.
This self-directed slide show discusses the failure of traditional "template design" .ppt presentations and offers simple creative suggestions for improvement.
Rowan Manahan from Dublin, Ireland is a talented speaker, consultant, and trainer. He offers more info and suggestions in other slideshare presentations he has developed and on his blog.
After too long, trying to re-create my search, I am posting only one .ppt hints presentation here because I seem to be unable to locate others that I used. I did just discover a presentation that I have not viewed yet (45 minutes) on How to create a great PowerPoint without breaking the law. Ok, as a new blogger this brings up a great question. What can I post to this site?
For my presentation, I found a great photo of an iceberg all over the internet, including on a number of different blogs. It even popped up a couple times in a creative commons search but something didn't feel right. I finally traced it back to a photographer named Ralph Clevenger who had his site locked to cut & paste and displayed a very clear copyright warning. The many reproductions I saw on blogs and websites were all copyright violations. Is it a violation to post someone elses video on my blog? I should probably already know this but alas, I'll have to get back to you on that . . .
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Better Pedagogy
Did I mention that I am taking three classes this semester? Met my family a few days ago and needed introductions. Talked to my Dad on the phone and commented on the amount of content output we had to create in this program as compared to the graduate programs he used to take. Not sure if it is the fact that our focus is information literacy or if this is how graduate school is taught today.
Focus this week in another class was how to teach an information literacy lesson that connects with the students, fostering “creative, reflective, and critical habits.” After reading Heidi Jacobs article, “Information and Reflective Pedagogical Praxis” (2008), it is apparent that many of us revert to a forced or “banking model” of education instead of striving for a more constructionist or conversational method.
To interest students in information literacy, we must first forget the theoretical. Many students tend to be disinterested outside of preferred topics (e.g. sports) or ones they see as threats against their personal interests or liberties (e.g. dress code). To implement an effective lesson, we must first engage students. Perhaps a conversation about past searches for information would work as an icebreaker for a lesson on search strategies. This conversation would also act as an assessment tool regarding current levels of expertise and a starting point for the lesson.
Instead of preaching the benefits of database research, perhaps the lesson should begin with discussion about acceptable and unacceptable sources for various types of information from an assortment of print sources displayed in the class – various magazines, journals, newspapers, phone books, encyclopedias, non-fiction and fiction books, student term papers, yearbooks, etc. As the group analyzes these sources in the real world, they may develop a greater understanding of sources in the virtual world.
The lesson could continue with group development of search strategies to find information students had struggled with in the past. By involving the group, discovery of alternate keywords might grow almost like a game instead of an individual drudgery. Discussing and having students demonstrate databases that they use regularly may eliminate some of the confusion and frustration regarding leased databases. Students seem to be well aware of TVGuide, imdb, Amazon, imeem, NFL.com, ESPN.com, WhitePages, and others.
So many librarians focus on the mechanics – how to use a database. The majority of students will figure the mechanics out very quickly if we can convince them that the answers to the question can be found more easily here than on the web. This lesson needs to be the focus of our “instruction”.
Concluding with a game of stump-the-librarian may be helpful in reinforcing successful strategies. Rules could allow group or individual work by students, students and librarian choosing topics alternately, and winners based upon group evaluation of source quality.
Jacobs, H.L.M. (2008, May). Information and Reflective Pedagogical Praxis. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 34, 256-262.
Focus this week in another class was how to teach an information literacy lesson that connects with the students, fostering “creative, reflective, and critical habits.” After reading Heidi Jacobs article, “Information and Reflective Pedagogical Praxis” (2008), it is apparent that many of us revert to a forced or “banking model” of education instead of striving for a more constructionist or conversational method.
To interest students in information literacy, we must first forget the theoretical. Many students tend to be disinterested outside of preferred topics (e.g. sports) or ones they see as threats against their personal interests or liberties (e.g. dress code). To implement an effective lesson, we must first engage students. Perhaps a conversation about past searches for information would work as an icebreaker for a lesson on search strategies. This conversation would also act as an assessment tool regarding current levels of expertise and a starting point for the lesson.
Instead of preaching the benefits of database research, perhaps the lesson should begin with discussion about acceptable and unacceptable sources for various types of information from an assortment of print sources displayed in the class – various magazines, journals, newspapers, phone books, encyclopedias, non-fiction and fiction books, student term papers, yearbooks, etc. As the group analyzes these sources in the real world, they may develop a greater understanding of sources in the virtual world.
The lesson could continue with group development of search strategies to find information students had struggled with in the past. By involving the group, discovery of alternate keywords might grow almost like a game instead of an individual drudgery. Discussing and having students demonstrate databases that they use regularly may eliminate some of the confusion and frustration regarding leased databases. Students seem to be well aware of TVGuide, imdb, Amazon, imeem, NFL.com, ESPN.com, WhitePages, and others.
So many librarians focus on the mechanics – how to use a database. The majority of students will figure the mechanics out very quickly if we can convince them that the answers to the question can be found more easily here than on the web. This lesson needs to be the focus of our “instruction”.
Concluding with a game of stump-the-librarian may be helpful in reinforcing successful strategies. Rules could allow group or individual work by students, students and librarian choosing topics alternately, and winners based upon group evaluation of source quality.
Jacobs, H.L.M. (2008, May). Information and Reflective Pedagogical Praxis. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 34, 256-262.
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