We are in the fourth quarter - 32 days of school remaining. I finished all the paper work for the spring book fair. It was a great success. In addition to getting some books for the library, we also purchased a book for each of the elementary students. We will give them out at the Award Ceremony on the last day of school. It will be a good start to their summer reading.
Finished the quiz bowl events. Our upperclassmen team finished second in our conference tournament. The second team of all freshmen made a respectable showing. The middle school teams did well. They had some tough competition since this is the first year for 13 of the 14 members. Also half our members are sixth graders. I am hoping to get some more events lined up for next.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
CPD 23 - Branding
I have mixed feeling about this topic and my online presence or presences may be more accurate. This blog started as part of the learning experience of Nebraska Learns 2.0. I was learning what mark I wanted to make on the internet. And I wasn't ready to make a big mark. So my original postings etc were rather anonymous. I was never the one that walked up to strangers and introduced myself so doing it online was was even more difficult. I still do a lot more reading than posting.
This blog is mostly the educational side of me (formal and informal). I do not post much about my family - they all have Facebook and can do that on their own. I post some about my work, but I also have a school library webpage that I am revamping this summer. The branding for the webpage I want to keep focused on the school, not on me. I have put my mark on the school library, but it was there before me and will be there after I leave, so it needs to have its own mark, related to the school.
I did the Google search and did not appear until page 5 in a listing for Library Camp Nebraska III. There is an author with the same name and spelling. Because of her I am hard to find by name. Good and bad. I have not read any of her book so I can't say whether I would like or dislike being mixed up for her.
Ramblings of a lone, but not lonely, school librarian on the Nebraska prairie. My subtitle says it. I am isolated by location and calling, but don't let it isolate me as a person. The internet is doing this in more ways than the phone calls and letter writing did in the past. (To be honest I still do both when the need arises.) I guess for the time being I am content to be the little fish in the big pond knowing the big fish are there to listen when I have something to say or if help if I decide to make a bigger splash.
This blog is mostly the educational side of me (formal and informal). I do not post much about my family - they all have Facebook and can do that on their own. I post some about my work, but I also have a school library webpage that I am revamping this summer. The branding for the webpage I want to keep focused on the school, not on me. I have put my mark on the school library, but it was there before me and will be there after I leave, so it needs to have its own mark, related to the school.
I did the Google search and did not appear until page 5 in a listing for Library Camp Nebraska III. There is an author with the same name and spelling. Because of her I am hard to find by name. Good and bad. I have not read any of her book so I can't say whether I would like or dislike being mixed up for her.
Ramblings of a lone, but not lonely, school librarian on the Nebraska prairie. My subtitle says it. I am isolated by location and calling, but don't let it isolate me as a person. The internet is doing this in more ways than the phone calls and letter writing did in the past. (To be honest I still do both when the need arises.) I guess for the time being I am content to be the little fish in the big pond knowing the big fish are there to listen when I have something to say or if help if I decide to make a bigger splash.
Monday, June 20, 2011
My opening blog - CPD23
This is my second 23 things. I am not a consistent blogger. I used it for Nebraska Learns 23 Things then didn't do much. I did some of the Nebraska Library Commission things between #23 and #43, and blogged about the reorganization project at my library over last summer. Hadn't done much until I began a Masters Program through Lesley University. This last class had us blogging about the various projects we worked on.
I need to use my blog to reflect on what I am doing. Even if it is only once a week. When you are a sole librarian it is difficult to not feel isolated and blogging is one way to make connections. I enjoy reading several blogs, but don't often comment back. Questions like "Who would care to read about my unexciting life?" "Are others interested in my comments?" have held me back.
Where is my career? It is at beginnings and endings. I began as a classroom teacher, stayed home and raised a family and did many of the volunteer activities that go along with that. I pursued other lines of work, but decided that education was where I belonged. After subbing I was offered a position as a school library, became certified, and love it. I am working on a Masters in Education, Technology in Education and hope to put a lot of it into practice before I quit teaching for good.
(Do we ever stop learning and teaching?) CPD23 will be another avenue for learning. Learning and sharing. Learning in different way.
I need to use my blog to reflect on what I am doing. Even if it is only once a week. When you are a sole librarian it is difficult to not feel isolated and blogging is one way to make connections. I enjoy reading several blogs, but don't often comment back. Questions like "Who would care to read about my unexciting life?" "Are others interested in my comments?" have held me back.
Where is my career? It is at beginnings and endings. I began as a classroom teacher, stayed home and raised a family and did many of the volunteer activities that go along with that. I pursued other lines of work, but decided that education was where I belonged. After subbing I was offered a position as a school library, became certified, and love it. I am working on a Masters in Education, Technology in Education and hope to put a lot of it into practice before I quit teaching for good.
(Do we ever stop learning and teaching?) CPD23 will be another avenue for learning. Learning and sharing. Learning in different way.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Webpage Design
I "completed" the pages for classes and had about twice as many ideas for more pages. Most of the pages are links for students. I concentrated on the Elementary level because the students are just looking for a game or activity to do and this resource will do their looking (and screening) for them. Some of these sites the students have used in school. This is a place for them to come when they are at home and can't remember how to get to the site. I also like to have the links to the sites that Kindergarten and First use in school rather than have them type out the URL - it just save a lot of time. The next step is teaching them to use bookmarks.
I gave the URL to the tech guy at school. He would like to revamp our school website. I don't know how this new page will fit into that revision.
I went to SpiderScribe to start laying out my website because I knew it was going to get crazy. I wanted to be careful not to go too deep or have a menu that was too long.
As the next year progresses I want to put use it as an example for other teachers. One teacher already has all his assignments on his webpage. I think this is a great resource for students and parents. I want to be able to use my page to show other teachers how easy it for them to do the same thing. This is a way to increase the connection and communication between parents, teachers, students, and school.
One thing that is very interesting is how personal and different each webpage can be when using a drag and drop programs with a limited number of options. It causes you to spend more thinking on content and less on the mechanics.
I gave the URL to the tech guy at school. He would like to revamp our school website. I don't know how this new page will fit into that revision.
As the next year progresses I want to put use it as an example for other teachers. One teacher already has all his assignments on his webpage. I think this is a great resource for students and parents. I want to be able to use my page to show other teachers how easy it for them to do the same thing. This is a way to increase the connection and communication between parents, teachers, students, and school.
One thing that is very interesting is how personal and different each webpage can be when using a drag and drop programs with a limited number of options. It causes you to spend more thinking on content and less on the mechanics.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Lesley 6008 - Texting
Our policy is no phones between first bell and last bell. I know the students have them and usually keep them in a pocket or bag. I also know students use their phones during school. Phone use in class can be a distraction, but so are other activities. I have heard of teachers who have a box on the desk and collect phones at the beginning of class and release them at the end.
Some parents and students view having a phone as a safety issue or a convenient way to reach each other. Our school is very small and there is usually not a problem getting in contact with a student or parent by using the office phone.
I can see both sides of the issue. I won't push for open use of phones by students, however I can see educational uses for phones in the classroom. The pollevery site, looking up information on the internet (if students have a data plan), teachers texting assignments or reminders to students. I don't know how many students have phones and what plans they have. There may be a question of equitable access or maybe not.
I found that using texting for discussing a topic was very cumbersome. Short messages are fine, but a discussion with various points of view and requiring lengthy conversations is better done face to face or at least with a phone call.
Some parents and students view having a phone as a safety issue or a convenient way to reach each other. Our school is very small and there is usually not a problem getting in contact with a student or parent by using the office phone.
I can see both sides of the issue. I won't push for open use of phones by students, however I can see educational uses for phones in the classroom. The pollevery site, looking up information on the internet (if students have a data plan), teachers texting assignments or reminders to students. I don't know how many students have phones and what plans they have. There may be a question of equitable access or maybe not.
I found that using texting for discussing a topic was very cumbersome. Short messages are fine, but a discussion with various points of view and requiring lengthy conversations is better done face to face or at least with a phone call.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Ending and Beginning
Finished the school year, but I still have some clean up chores to do. Then in June I will work a month with summer school. I will supervise the online students. Eight MS and HS students with a variety of classes. Spend the past week teaching Bible School. Had the youngest ones and we had a great time.
This weekend is party time. The oldest grandson turned 14 - BBQ celebration with family and friends. Looks like it will be a good day for being outside. Spring is so unpredictable. We already had a baseball game rained out in the first inning and a softball game postponed. I will also go to a bridal shower for my youngest who is getting married in August. Sunday the second grandson is confirmed and we will again celebrate with BBQ and family and friends.
After all this celebration it will be time to start the summer projects. I want to get a garden in this year. Fresh vegetables and some cutting flowers. Big enough for our needs but not so big I get overwhelmed with weed pulling (not a task I enjoy).
I am continuing my Masters program. There are a number of posts about the resources I looked at and worked with over the past month. The big project is setting up a webpage. I have a couple ideas for this project, will have to see which is most workable.
This weekend is party time. The oldest grandson turned 14 - BBQ celebration with family and friends. Looks like it will be a good day for being outside. Spring is so unpredictable. We already had a baseball game rained out in the first inning and a softball game postponed. I will also go to a bridal shower for my youngest who is getting married in August. Sunday the second grandson is confirmed and we will again celebrate with BBQ and family and friends.
After all this celebration it will be time to start the summer projects. I want to get a garden in this year. Fresh vegetables and some cutting flowers. Big enough for our needs but not so big I get overwhelmed with weed pulling (not a task I enjoy).
I am continuing my Masters program. There are a number of posts about the resources I looked at and worked with over the past month. The big project is setting up a webpage. I have a couple ideas for this project, will have to see which is most workable.
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