tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post6701835176774984950..comments2023-11-02T00:52:14.853-07:00Comments on Teacher Librarians: Bridging Theory and Practice: Blog Interaction with Joyce Valenza - Mon. Oct 29 to Wed. Oct 31, 2007Annette Lambhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07150717459280380525noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-42653837055886787252007-11-01T04:13:00.000-07:002007-11-01T04:13:00.000-07:00S671--Thank you for welcoming me into your class. ...S671--Thank you for welcoming me into your class. I enjoyed the conversation and I can feel your enthusiasm. You have chosen a wonderfully dynamic field of practice. Go out there and inspire your faculties and your learners with your talents!<BR/><BR/>joyceJoyceValenzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00707735963513537796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-36596444261841308222007-11-01T04:11:00.000-07:002007-11-01T04:11:00.000-07:00Hi Lora,You are an information professional. The ...Hi Lora,<BR/>You are an information professional. The information landscape is largely (hugely) digitized. How could you possibly do a relevant job without technology? Do your teachers not want to prepare learners for a new information and communication landscape? Show them sample library websites and information fluency lessons. You may be an animal they've never seen before!JoyceValenzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00707735963513537796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-45331799615108580772007-10-31T20:08:00.000-07:002007-10-31T20:08:00.000-07:00HiJoyce!You've relayed such impressive information...HiJoyce!<BR/>You've relayed such impressive information already- it's hard to know what to discuss!<BR/><BR/>I have been facing a particular challeneg I'd like your insight on. Until about 1 week ago, my middle school library had no computers. As a new, enthusiastic MS with a supportive principal, I managed to get him to agree to purchase 4 computers.<BR/><BR/>They are along a wallin the corner and the shelves we removed to make space held 1. videos that are rarely used, but we relocated, and 2. yearbooks which we relocated and consolidated.<BR/>A teacher came to me soon after and complained that she hoped I wasn't "moving away from the library concept." <BR/>Many teachers seem to think that the prescence of computers in the library is ridiculous because we have 1 computer lab. (nevermind that it is always full and booked!)<BR/><BR/>My question is : How would you go about convincing these teachers that computers are an essential component of a modern school library? How do you convince the naysayers?<BR/><BR/>Do you feel your efforts are well supported by staff and administration? I saw someone asked about the adminstration supporting blogging, but in general do you feel your initiatives are well received and, if yes, how did you introduce new or innovative ideas?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-13435163979728615822007-10-31T19:55:00.000-07:002007-10-31T19:55:00.000-07:00Thank you Joyce for all of your help!Jill Schriner...Thank you Joyce for all of your help!<BR/><BR/>Jill SchrinerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-82815969841483700812007-10-31T15:34:00.000-07:002007-10-31T15:34:00.000-07:00Katie,It is strange that in the last two years not...Katie,<BR/>It is strange that in the last two years not a single parent has objected to our 2.0 activities. We do have that letter explaining the value of these activities in learning. Perhaps "the shoe will drop" sometime soon, but we'll create alternative projects for those learners if that happens.JoyceValenzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00707735963513537796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-76658149595127460512007-10-31T15:00:00.000-07:002007-10-31T15:00:00.000-07:00Sounds like a neat inservice. I took a look at th...Sounds like a neat inservice. I took a look at the induction workshop. What a great set of resources. I imagine the teachers enjoy the opportunity to go back and solidify understanding. Do you ever have parents that do not want their child to participate in the online applications?Mommyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13938557749213619417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-65872135501084928572007-10-31T12:53:00.000-07:002007-10-31T12:53:00.000-07:00Thank you Joyce for the links and helpful informat...Thank you Joyce for the links and helpful information. As a new media specialist, it is hard to know where to start with creating websites and pathfinders that will benefit the teachers and students. One of my struggles is always to know how much control/responsibility to give to the students and how much I need to maintain myself. <BR/><BR/>I have really enjoyed visiting your website. It is definitely something to aspire to. I have already shared the link with a few of my teachers and I hope that before long I will have a website that offers at least a few of the things that yours does. <BR/><BR/>Thanks again for your advice!<BR/><BR/>Mitch LawsonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-45959835548007154422007-10-31T07:08:00.000-07:002007-10-31T07:08:00.000-07:00Hi Jill,I don't think I'd have young children blog...Hi Jill,<BR/>I don't think I'd have young children blog, but a class blog might reinforce writing, analysis, and storytelling skills. The beauty of all of this is AUDIENCE. Take a look at Duck Diaries http://duckdiaries.edublogs.org/<BR/>and the Trout Blog http://www.mcdsblogs.org/trout<BR/>As for wikis, imagine a vocabulary wiktionary for a second grade class, using images and definitions developed by the class.JoyceValenzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00707735963513537796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-43979734655152810222007-10-31T02:59:00.000-07:002007-10-31T02:59:00.000-07:00Hi Brooke,There are a number of lit circle blog mo...Hi Brooke,<BR/>There are a number of lit circle blog models. (Here are some examples from last year: http://mrsmccaslin06.wikispaces.com/Literature_Circles) For fifth graders spend a good deal of time working on setting up categories. We use LearnerBlogs.org for student blogs. <BR/>We've had a few questions about time. Our teachers like the trade-offs. Having the assessment made easier by having everything in one place and by being able to easily gather stuff by category, also by involving others (me included) in the assessment. The time is not really different. We've merely shifted the space. With me and the tech integrator, Ken, helping, our teachers are not attempting the new stuff alone.JoyceValenzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00707735963513537796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-21017175879318628822007-10-31T02:53:00.000-07:002007-10-31T02:53:00.000-07:00Hi Melissa,These are the new tools for information...Hi Melissa,<BR/>These are the new tools for information access and communication. It is our responsibility to ensure equitable access and to let learners know that there are powerful ways to use these tools to build knowledge. So we cannot accept "no" as an answer, especially when the folks who say "no" are not educators. We must begin to point to effective practice in the use of blogs and wikis and podcasts. Admins need to see how these tools can and might be used. We have a letter explaining 2.0 activities to parents. <BR/><BR/>Change does not happen overnight, but librarians cannot sit still while the information landscape evolves.JoyceValenzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00707735963513537796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-26667335041555165272007-10-30T19:09:00.000-07:002007-10-30T19:09:00.000-07:00Hello Joyce, I actually saw your school website la...Hello Joyce, <BR/>I actually saw your school website last spring--it was nominated for an 'award' in my information architecture class. I have even recommended it to others on a library blog. <BR/>My question concerns wiki's/blogging and filtering. I know from other classes that many parts of the web are blocked by these filters. This often includes wiki's and blogs because they are 'social networking sites'. Do you have filters at your school? If so, how do you deal with accessing these site? Do you allow students to see all blogs? What do you filter? <BR/>Thanks!<BR/>MelissaMelissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02284117389200916287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-22161317896480607612007-10-30T18:56:00.000-07:002007-10-30T18:56:00.000-07:00Joyce,In regards to blogging, what grade would you...Joyce,<BR/><BR/>In regards to blogging, what grade would you feel comfortable introducing blogging? As young as kindergarten, or would you wait until students have had a little experience with computers and the internet. <BR/><BR/>Also, in the school I teach at, there is an Amish family that does not allow their children to get on the internet. How would you suggest to accomodate these students while still teaching the same skills as the rest of the class? <BR/><BR/>Thanks again for your time!<BR/><BR/>Jill SchrinerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-27828804319037201392007-10-30T17:17:00.000-07:002007-10-30T17:17:00.000-07:00Joyce,Hi there! Thank you so much for blogging wit...Joyce,<BR/>Hi there! Thank you so much for blogging with us. I have learned so much already.<BR/><BR/>You mentioned in an earlier post that you use BLOGS for lit. circles. I have been using lit. circles with my 5th graders for a while now and I think they would really enjoy a new format, especially on the computer. How do the students go about participating in lit. circles through Blogging? <BR/><BR/>BrookeBrookehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00044975542739140422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-85502662471066392962007-10-30T17:12:00.000-07:002007-10-30T17:12:00.000-07:00Hi, again.Alice M. had a good list of questions th...Hi, again.<BR/>Alice M. had a good list of questions that I am interested in hearing your answers to, and others have asked about you interesting web page. Who drew the art for it?<BR/><BR/>What can we do about outsourcing? A teacher friend with a new masters degree in computers recently applied at another school system for computer tech and supervision position. However, that system chose to outsource the position to a non-educational firm. Often, techies do not understand what a teacher really needs, or deals with from day-to-day. Any thoughts?<BR/><BR/>Thank you for the web sources you have listed, too. I plan to check some of these out.<BR/>Bev M.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-60972528775792165372007-10-30T17:09:00.000-07:002007-10-30T17:09:00.000-07:00Hello Joyce:I agree with everyone! Your website a...Hello Joyce:<BR/>I agree with everyone! Your website and its links are very addicting! It is hard to find a good place to stop...<BR/>I feel kind of silly asking this very basic question after seeing and reading what you and the teachers accomplish at your school, but I promised I'd work on this - <BR/>Very few of the teachers I work with have class webpages yet, but some want an easy way to link the websites they want students to have access to. Rather than placing them on the desktop, couldn't we create a basic page (uniform within the school) with their name, email address and links they want and have that page as their homepage when the students open internet explorer or netscape. Or would it be easier to have the library page as the homepage with links to the class pages. We need to start someplace. Do you have any suggestions? (again, we are all just beginning!). By the way, we are k - 6 schools.<BR/>Thank you for sharing so much with us already.<BR/>Cindy CarpenterAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-51118037899344826542007-10-30T17:02:00.000-07:002007-10-30T17:02:00.000-07:00Hi, Joyce. I enjoyed listening to the podcast you ...Hi, Joyce. <BR/>I enjoyed listening to the podcast you made in June at NECC. (I atttended NECC in Atlanta around 2000.) You are certainly an enthuastic speaker!<BR/>As an older, experienced classroom teacher, I have a personal question. How do you manage to have a personal life with all of these computer activities? I saw in one of your blog responses that you have a daughter. <BR/>I guess I do not understand when the students actually do all of this blogging, and when you or the teachers respond. Is any of it done during school hours, or does it take place mostly at night? When can teachers monitor this, and still have a normal life outside of their job? <BR/>I think it would be difficult to get teachers to buy into this if it takes even more time than the extra hours teachers spend grading and planning as it is.<BR/>Thanks, Bev M.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-74820218644995637602007-10-30T15:20:00.000-07:002007-10-30T15:20:00.000-07:00Hi Mitch,My dissertation was a content analysis of...Hi Mitch,<BR/>My dissertation was a content analysis of library websites. The results were meant to guide practitioners in determining features they might include. I did a few blog posts on the subject, perhaps they might help.<BR/>http://joycevalenza.edublogs.org/2007/05/19/effective-school-library-websites-about-the-study/<BR/>http://joycevalenza.edublogs.org/2007/05/26/from-my-study-how-are-school-library-sites-changing/<BR/>http://joycevalenza.edublogs.org/2007/05/25/school-library-websites-characteristics/JoyceValenzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00707735963513537796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-83964313694959717372007-10-30T13:14:00.000-07:002007-10-30T13:14:00.000-07:00Joyce,Your website is amazing. In fact I started ...Joyce,<BR/><BR/>Your website is amazing. In fact I started exploring it and some of the links you have posted in this blog and before I knew it much of my day was gone. Thank you so much for sharing.<BR/><BR/>I would really like your suggestions and tips on where to begin with a library webpage. What software would you suggest? Are there templates that will make this process faster and easier?<BR/><BR/>My second question has to do with pathfinders. Pathfinders are something I really want to include on my page. How often do you check the links to make sure they are still active? Do you allow teachers and students to add links to the pathfinder or is this only done by you? When you are creating one how many links do you feel are the minimum to have for it to be usable?<BR/><BR/>Thank you,<BR/>Mitch LawsonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-31070878669078615902007-10-30T11:32:00.000-07:002007-10-30T11:32:00.000-07:00Joyce,Thank you for the information. What a great ...Joyce,<BR/><BR/>Thank you for the information. What a great way to encourage participation with teachers sharing their successes and their ideas for changes.<BR/><BR/>It seems you have a system of get to it and get it done... So, you are not only generating involvement but are keeping your own practices moving forward.<BR/><BR/>Again thank you for sharing,<BR/> <BR/>Alice M.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-12094796642927066892007-10-30T09:30:00.000-07:002007-10-30T09:30:00.000-07:00Hi Jill, In terms of the real-world, we've been pl...Hi Jill, <BR/>In terms of the real-world, we've been playing with Internet2 and Skype through which we've brought in outside experts and authors and professors and musicians. Don't know much about Tandberg machines. The possibilities for connections are now only limited by our imaginations. Think of your curriculum and consider the classes, museums, people who would expand the learning. Then Skype them--with or without cams.JoyceValenzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00707735963513537796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-8998686977126982752007-10-30T08:51:00.000-07:002007-10-30T08:51:00.000-07:00Hi Katie,We handle staff training in several ways ...Hi Katie,<BR/>We handle staff training in several ways on several fronts. Working with my colleague Ken, our new tech integrator, we take a full day with all the new teachers. This year's induction wiki is here: http://inductionworkshop.wikispaces.com/<BR/>Many times I will create the frame for the teacher myself and completely lower the curve and have the teacher focus on content instruction. Next Tuesday, we are having an inservice where the teachers now using 2.0 apps are presenting their successes and those things they'd do differently next time around. We want to leadership and enthusiasm to come from other voices too. We want the testimony to come from voices like their own as well as theirs. I work veryJoyceValenzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00707735963513537796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-48198386151049375642007-10-30T04:36:00.000-07:002007-10-30T04:36:00.000-07:00Hi Joyce - I've enjoyed looking through your site ...Hi Joyce - <BR/><BR/>I've enjoyed looking through your site and reading your manifesto. I'm curious about the interaction between your technological innovations and the teaching staff. I'm assuming that, particularly at the beginning of this process, the technology reached further than many instructors' experiences. Do you find you have to spend time training individuals about using newer tools in order for them to be used and useful to the staff and students? How do you handle this?Mommyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13938557749213619417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-67549632602525891282007-10-30T03:00:00.000-07:002007-10-30T03:00:00.000-07:00Alice,As for traditional lessons vs. lessons with ...Alice,<BR/>As for traditional lessons vs. lessons with tech, I think what we aim for is integration of those traditional skills into new ICT opportunities. For instance, if you look at some of our students research blogs, you'll see them working through and reflecting on the research process. The lit circle blogs are all about analysis. All our writing wikis are essentially about synthesis and collaboration.JoyceValenzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00707735963513537796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-53582040516212724882007-10-30T02:57:00.000-07:002007-10-30T02:57:00.000-07:00About Virtual Libraries. There are so many approac...About Virtual Libraries. There are so many approaches! Check out this little tour: http://schoollibrarywebsites.wikispaces.com/<BR/>My favorites? Northfield Mount Hermon and Newton North. (Click on Examples of Effective Practice)JoyceValenzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00707735963513537796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15551042.post-5999507663062354652007-10-29T18:24:00.000-07:002007-10-29T18:24:00.000-07:00Thanks for your thought Joyce. I would love to se...Thanks for your thought Joyce. I would love to see our school move to using blogs and wikis as a tool for students to become more "media-rich". Do you also participate in classroom real world experiences using web cams, distance ed, or a tandberg machine? That is one aspect of technology that I have recently become very interested in integrating into my curriculum.<BR/>Jill FausnaughAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com