ALA09
June 24th, 2009
Check back here for further information for ALA 2009.
Marla McGhee & Barbara Jansen in Second Life - 5/19/09
May 20th, 2009
On Tuesday, May 19, 2009, Marla McGhee and Barbara Jansen served as guest facilitators for the AASL-ISTE SIGMS learning community meeting. Their program was entitled “Keeping School Libraries Relevant in the Age of Accountability.” They identified four emerging issues related to this topic: (1) unintended consequences of the accountability system, (2) how the new AASL standards can best integrate with strategies for accountability, (3) culturally responsive practices and collections, and (4) issues surrounding the use of Web 2.0 tools in the schools. This last issue generated quite a bit of discussion, as attendees shared their concern about the blockage of many Web 2.0 tools in their schools’ networks. They also shared various successes in using Web 2.0 technologies. Librarians attending the meeting came from all parts of the USA and even South Korea, teaching all K-12 grade levels. We look forward to continued discussion about these important issues. See the Flickr pics.
Will Richardson - 4/21/09
April 21st, 2009
On Tuesday, April 21, 2009, Will Richardson guest facilitated the AASL-ISTE SIGMS librarian learning community meeting in Second Life. The topic of conversation was “Googled Well: Helping our Kids Lead Transparent Lives”. This well-attended meeting focused on a conversation about the teacher’s role in helping students to be aware about their online presences. The idea was discussed that students can embrace, impact, and manage the way that they appear online. They can network with others and share ideas. Schools can show leadership by providing transparency in their own websites. Teachers can demonstrate good online management by modeling transparency and documenting their own learning processes. Librarians also play an important role in their schools by assuming roles of technological leadership and collaborating with teachers to design assignments that promote transparency in learning. See the Flickr pics. See Will’s Weblogged website. View Will’s slide presentation.
Jon Mueller in Second Life - 3/19/09
March 28th, 2009
On Thursday, March 19th, Jon Mueller served as the guest facilitator for the AASL-ISTE SIGMS Learning Community. The title of his program was “Assessing Critical Skills”. Attendees discussed the role that school librarians can play in assessment and how that assessment can be conducted most effectively. Also, we looked at how school librarians can help students develop critical thinking skills. See the Authentic Assessment Toolbox website.
St. Pat’s Party - 3/12/09
March 17th, 2009
On Thursday, March 12, the Chicago Public Schools Department of Libraries hosted a St. Patrick’s Day party in Second Life on our sim. The party featured a live DJ playing Celtic and blues songs. Approximately 85 people attended from the education and library communities. Many came with their avatars dressed in green for the occasion. There were virtual refreshments, including an Irish feast. As in real life, the Chicago River was dyed green. A highlight of the party was an Irish trivia scavenger hunt that led partygoers around the sim looking for pots of gold while they sought the answers to the party quiz. Adding to the festivities, many also wore a special bracelet that animated their avatars to dance an Irish jig. Members of the AASL and ISTE SIGMS attended and this event was the ISTE Social for the week. While the event was couched in the terms of a party, it was also an opportunity for educators from around the world to network in an inviting setting. See the Flickr pics.
Chris Smith - AASL-ISTE SIGMS Mtg - 2/26/09
March 8th, 2009
On Thursday, February 26th, Chris Smith led the AASL-ISTE SIGMS Learning Community in a discussion on the topic “Keeping Current in a Global Environment”. Chris joined us from his home in Thailand. Chris is the organizer of “The Education Project Asia” (http://www.shambles.net) and an internationally known speaker on the use of Web 2.0 technologies. See his ePortfolio at http://www.shambles.net/csmith and his personal learning network at http://www.shambles.net/csmith/pln. He is Shamblesguru Voom in Second Life.
Chris shared information about various Web 2.0 tools that can be used by librarians to connect with each other and to provide additional resouces for their patrons. Meeting attendees came from an international forum. A highlight was when a librarian at a circulation desk in Hong Kong shared information about her professional community of librarians in Asia.
See Chris’s blog. See Flickr pics of the event.
Mike Eisenberg in SL - 1/20/09
January 25th, 2009
On Tuesday, January 20, Mike Eisenberg met with the AASL-ISTE SIGMS Learning Community. In a program entitled “The Crisis Facing School Libraries and Librarians”, Mike led about 35 participants in a discussion about the status of school librarianship as a profession. Some important ideas that were discussed included staying involved with students and teachers, avoiding isolation, and prioritizing working with students rather than engaging in time-consuming clerical tasks. The group also discussed the librarian’s role as a teacher of information literacy skills. Teaching should be aligned to the school’s curriculum and educational goals. Assessment should be an ongoing part of the librarian’s program. The group also debated the level of priority that should be given to such tasks as maintaining the library automation system. See the Flickr pics.
David Warlick - 12/9/08
December 20th, 2008
David Warlick was the guest facilitator at the December AASL-ISTE SIGMS Virtual Learning Community meeting on Tuesday, December 9th. His topic was “Cultivating a Personal Learning Network”. Almost 50 persons attended this rapid-paced discussion about various technologies that educators use to communicate with others about information of common interest. David made the point that, with modern technology, people are much more connected by similar ideas rather than geographical or organizational ties. (See the concept map.) (See David’s website “The Landmark Project“) (See David’s blog)
Attendees talked about specific ways that they are currently building their own personal learning networks. In addition to Second Life, they spoke about various social networking sites they use, social bookmarking tools, photo and video sharing sites, nings, wikis, blogs, and microblogs. The conversation was enhanced by the collective experiences for the learning community, as new resources were mentioned by various members. (See the event Flickr pics.)
ALA MIG Meeting - Nov 4, 2008
December 7th, 2008
On November 4, 2008, a committee from the American Library Association Member Interest Group “Virtual Communities and Libraries” met to plan upcoming events. We discussed ways that we can represent the upcoming Mid-Winter Conference within Second Life. Many great suggestions were made for Second Life and, also, a face-to-face meeting for those going to the conference in Denver in January. I plan to explore ways that AASL can virtually be represented in Second Life during the conference.
AASL-ISTE SIGMS Winter Shopping Spree
December 7th, 2008
On Wednesday, Dec 3, 2008, the AASL-ISTE SIGMS Learning Community met for a “Winter Shopping Spree/Extreme Avatar Makeover” event. Attendees received dozens of free virtual items. Then, groups formed to go on shopping excursions to free areas. Shoppers also received notecards full of landmarks to other stores where they can continue to select free and purchased items. This event was held by special request from learning community members who wanted to explore ways to customize and improve the appearance of their avatars. Learning Community Flickr pictures.
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