DebD at Ustach

2007-11-08T09:40:00.000-08:00

Week 6-Tagging

2007-08-16T10:06:00.000-07:00

Well, this is a bit overwhelming. Tagging is a useful tool but I find that if I stay simple, using one or two programs at a time I can keep track of things. I still like using my bookmark function in my Yahoo mail best. I guess I don't surf as much as others.
I also read some of the articles on Library 2.o. As I see it the trick is teaching my students to use the web 2.0 tools that will make their searches better and give them the resources to find what they want. It is hard to move Middle Schoolers away from the glitzy and fun to the informational. That goes for print as well as web. I need to shift my teaching to include the web as well. Of course that requires time and with NCLB less and less teachers are wanting to give up class time to come to the library for research lessons. The ever-present challenge to lure teachers into the library can be discouraging sometimes.
So we start a new year at my school. I have a lot of enthusiasm and am excited to start.
On the home front the summer has had fun and trial. My boy, who lives in L.A. had emergency appendix surgery and then got and infection. So we were very worried about him. He is much better and healing well I am happy to report.
This weekend is the last of the Oklahoma performances. We have had lots of sold-out nights and that is very exciting. The teenagers in the cast have been playing around with a parody of the show and have called it "Oklahomies". We should see some of it at the cast party and that should be very interesting.
School starts soon and I am gearing up. I hope you all are having fun at the end of your summer.
Deb

Week 5 Playing around

2007-07-12T12:13:00.000-07:00

Greetings,
This week I explored Image Chef and made an image for a friend. If I can figure out how to put it here I will. Then I went to Ning and joined a middle school library group. That was fun but what what was more fun was being sucked into a website that had a lot of library logos you could put on t-shirts and coffee mugs. This was Cafepress.com. Just look for the library catagories and see how many ideas they have.
Ok back to Ning. I saw some blogs there that had interesting information and I will go back to see what else they have. Frankly I don't have enough time to go visit every blog I have signed up for. I am hoping that I can get there once in a while and maybe ask questions of the group when I have the need. It was easy to sign up and I have it book marked.
I looked at Rollyo and signed up there. I can see the use for creating a website specific search engine for my students. This seems to me to be the same as the Google for Teachers specific search engine. I would probably use that one first. Let me know if I am wrong about this.

On the summer vacation end of things musical that I am working on is coming along. We don't have enough time to work on it. (this is the lament every time we do a production) But the cast and crew are great and I am enjoying the challenge. We are off to the LA area for a Baby baptism of my nephew and that will be fun. Most of the family will be there.
We also went down to LA to see "Wicked" it was terrific. I would like to see it again if it comes up to our area in the future. Both kids are well. So life just perks on.
See you next blog
Deb

Week 4 RSS feeds

2007-06-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

Greetings All,

Well, I have now figured out the basics of RSS feeds. The big thing I discovered is that I have that function in my Yahoo mail account. So after I did the Google thing and looked at them there I have transferred the feeds I like to my Yahoo page. Now I don't have to open any other window, it is all there in front of me as I do my daily email stuff.

On to what I found. I really like Unshelved. It has a lot of great cartoons that I think I could use with my middle schoolers. Maybe just like quick shot before I do booktalks or a lesson.

The sky is not the limit!! I also found the School Library Journal feed.

I like the local news station feed. Lots of interesting stuff there.

Next is Braingle. Brain teasers and puzzles. I don't often manage to figure out the puzzles without help but I like it.

So now on to the weekend. I have rehearsal for "Oklahoma" all morning tomorrow. Lots of dancing and singing!! 'Yeow"!!!!!!

Week 4 RSS feeds

2007-06-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

This post has taken most of the afternoon because I lost the ability to post. But I have found it now and I will be on to looking at RSS feeds. But not today. I will think about Rss feeds tomorrow, because of course, tomorrow is another day.

Week 4 RSS feeds

2007-06-25T14:21:00.000-07:00

Ok fans, here is the new deal. I had to recreate my blog because the old one didn't work any more. I couldn't post on it. Hopefully this will work and I can continue on from here.
RSS feeds, hmmm, Ok I am going to go try to do the project now. Be back in a bit with the results