#syracuseischool

[inomniaparatus3]

This video was made for my IST 611 class at Syracuse. It's fictionalized (because I obviously don't work in a library yet) but the message is still important: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and as someone whose mother had breast cancer, I want this disease GONE. The Relay For Life is a fun way to raise money for a good cause, and a great way to get kids interested and participating in charitable events. 

As for the technical side: I don't usually vlog for a reason, and it took me 20 takes to get to this result. But I found the more I did it, the more confident I became. I still, frustratingly, forgot what I had planned on saying about 80% of the time, but my tone of voice, how I positioned myself, etc, definitely improved with each take. I'm a little disappointed you can see the shelf behind me, but that's what I get for using an iPad, a flex-light, and my bedroom wall as a backdrop.  I had fun with this, and I look forward to trying editing sometime soon. I think that will make my life easier because I can just take out the parts I don't like! 

[inomniaparatus3]

Why I love blogs

As long as I’ve had access to the internet, I’ve had a blog. For those of you who were into it, the name Xanga might ring a bell. It was my first (embarrassing) attempt at blogging, one that sparked a 13 year tradition.

I also moved on to the blogging option on MySpace, then created an account on LiveJournal (on which I still post semi-regularly) and I have now migrated here, to tumblr, which I foresee as my final resting place.

The reason blogs are so great is that they give people, like a 12 year old girl who felt she had no voice otherwise, a platform to share ideas, trials and tribulations, and, sometimes, ridiculously funny videos. 

Since this is a tumblr about my adventures in library school, I’m going to shift focus for a second here: why and how can a blog be a good tool for the library? Well, it really depends on how and by whom it is being used.

If it’s a personal blog maintained by library staff, it can be used to announce exciting new programs and opportunities available at the library or as a sounding board for teachers, parents and the librarian to talk and collaborate. However, and I like this idea much better, if you allow others to contribute, like students, parents, fellow staff members, etc, it can be a great way to showcase students’ creative abilities, read post about things that matter to the community, and foster a place where everyone feels like they have a say in what happens.

A blog is also a great tool to address AASL 21st Century Learner standards. It can be a great place to practice the inquiry process, demonstrate ethical internet behavior, and share and organize knowledge and information. I just re-read most of the AASL standards and, depending on how one uses the blog, it can address most of the standards in one way or another. Content area standards can also be met using blogs, and many teachers already use them as a resource.

To wrap up a fairly long spiel: Blogs are a great tool for not only the individual, but for creating PLNs that will help students and staff grow. 

Pictures taken from:

American Library Association. (n.d.). Retrieved September 23, 2014, from http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards-guidelines/learning-standards

Xanga 2.0 is Here! (n.d.). Retrieved September 23, 2014, from xanga.com