The Daring Librarian

Brilliant Blog Posting - Really a Must Read for Conference Planners! --- and here are my thoughts: Brilliant! Thank you for this!!!…..Reliable, fast, and consistent Interweb access at conferences has been a source of constant consternation. Since NECC in Atlanta, AASL Pittsburgh, to NECC DC and AASL Charlotte (and other conferences in between)…Internet access has been frustrating! Aunty Tech aka Donna Baumbach compiled a free virtual AASL with links to the archive of Tweets here: http://write4.net/1P8 If you want to see the reactions RT also I blogged about my experiences at AASL Charlotte and access was a sore point! I also really resent having to pay upwards of $15 a day for Internet access in high end conference hotels…How come the Comfort Inn and the Hampton Inn can provide free Internet but the Sheraton and the Browns Palace can or will not?? I AM going to ISTE 10 in Denver….& I’m really psyched about it! But I do have concerns about accessibility because tho...

Part 1 of a 3 part series I'm proud to say today's blog is being posted on the front page of ISTEconnects ! It's going to be a series in 3 parts. Click here for the link to the full posting - by the way, I'm having problems bringing this up in Firefox!...maybe it's just me but it works dandy for chrome & safari....weird! Oh and here's a BONUS! "If there's one form of entertainment that perfectly encapsulates the first decade of the century, it's the viral video - as our attention spans shrink, we want our laughs in shorter and shorter doses."

Edublogs awards – Thanks! OMG! This is better than getting flowers at work! "Thank you so much to all of the people who took the time to vote for Library Media Tech Musings and other blogs that were nominated in the 2009 edublogs awards. The category of Best Library/Librarian blog was taken out by the wonderful, gorgeous, amazing and my personal goddess & guru Joyce Valenza and her extremely useful “ Never ending search ” blog. The amazingly cool Australian Bright Ideas blog was fortunate to be awarded “First runner up.” And I got third runner up! Whoohoo! I was totally psyched just to be nominated and share the stage with gurus and amazing educational technology professionals that I have followed & admired for years! All of the blogs and wikis nominated were of an extremely high standard and the shortlists provide an excellent way to find great blogs to follow. Best wishes for the season and hope you have a safe and happy time. Thank you to all the readers of the blo...

New Video featuring That sexy Steampunk clank Sir Bolt and his hot redheaded admirer Cecily! Cecily Confesses her True Feelings!

Finding the best flip style pocket video camera has been never ending search of mine for years. I started with the Small Wonder vs. the Flip and ended up as a Flip grrl - see my wiki for more ! But even though I've been very monogamous with the Flip I've had my eyes open for an upgrade... The Mino was a step up with the sleek smaller size and the rechargeable lithium battery....but I still wanted MORE! Ahhh yes, the perfect school pocket video cam - one that kids & teachers can take on field trips, use for vlogging, TV Studio production, school special events, classroom presentations and for quick multimedia production. Not necessarily the best of the best in quality but tough and easy to use and I think we're getting close! Before I start my tech search criteria I have to come clean about something ....I have an unrepentant tech crush on über cool media specialist and SLJ "Test Drive" columnist Jeffrey Hastings ... He has been my gadget guru for years. I ...

Photo Credit: Second Life Jokadia Island "You can now vote for your favorite education-related blogs — voting for the 2009 Edublogs Awards is open until December 16th. Here you can learn details of the voting, see all the nominees, and begin voting at The 2009 Edublog Awards ! You can see who I nominated at My Nominations For The Edublog Awards 2009 . I was SO honored to be nominated in the Best Library/Librarian Blog category (thank you to Shelly Terrell and all of you who nominated me!), but the really important thing about these awards is that they provide an opportunity for everybody to learn about great blogs and other resources out there that can be helpful to our teaching. There’s an “embarrassment of riches” in the education blogosphere!" Ok, let me fess up....the above text totally snagged & adapted from the super duper fabulous ed tech blogger Mr. Larry Ferlazzo !! And yes! i did nominate him and he's AMAZING! I know i should be all low key and cool about ...

Live Thursday! Library Media Marketing Through Easy Animation: ISTE SIGMS FREE Webinar GoAnimate.com : Live Long & Animate! by gwyneth " Media Marketing Through Easy Animation " Thursday, December 10 at 8pm EST/7pm EST/6pm MST/5pm PST Presenter: Gwyneth Anne Bronwynne Jones Promoting your library media center and program has never been easier. Using quick, free, and easy animation studios teacher librarians can create engaging videos to market their media center, databases, research resources, special programs, and their love of reading to students, teachers, and the community. Combining easy animation with a wiki, website, or a blog your message will captivate your audience and reach beyond the brick and mortar walls of your school. Watch this Xtranormal animation to get a "taste" of the webinar. Library Media Marketing Through Easy Animation Directions to join the SIGMS webinar event 1. Check that your computer is set up for Adobe Connect by visiting Adobe Co...

from the Caledon Oxbridge University Wiki : "Caledon Oxbridge was originally founded as a collaboration between NCI and the Independent State of Caledon . It provides a complete Second Life tutorial for new residents. Based on the theme of an old English university, the Orientation is spread over six "Colleges", each covering a different area of the Second Life interface and world: Avatar Motion, Camera Controls, Communications, Search & Inventory, Avatar Customization, and Money & Commmerce. The tutorial experience includes not only traditional orientation posters, but also interactive exercises, free full avatars, and prizes. Caledon Oxbridge also incorporates three "Residence Halls", offering a short term apartment and prim allotment to new players, and a branch of the Caledon Library." Here's an introductory video about Caledon Oxbridge University! Visit in-world! Here's the SLURL (you will need to already be a member of Secon...

Pointing to Effective Practice, Join the Wiki! Joyce Valenza, in her SLJ NeverEndingSearch Blog, writes that we need to share out loud! " One of the big issues in our field is that we do not have a clear way to point to effective practice. What does our best stuff look like? Considering our relatively new ability to share so much of our programs online, this should not be a problem. So, let's start collecting and sharing out loud. " Sometimes when re-vamping or starting a school library blog, website, or project it would be nice to see what others have done to get a fresh outlook and a new perspective! Join in! For more, read the rest of her blog and join the newly re-purposed School Library Websites Wiki! If you haven't joined Wikispaces before you will have to do that first, then click Join this Wiki and once we get your join wiki request we'll add you right away!

The Edublog Nominations are open! It's time to recognize those people in our PLN who have made a difference. Those who have touched our minds (and sometimes our hearts) and taught us something in this past year. Even recognize those blogs that have been our GO TO blog resource since blogging started. I was VERY flattered, surprised, & thrilled when i found out that none other than the amazing Shelly Terrell nominated this blog for the Library/Librarian category . At first i thought she was meaning my school blog which i started in 06 but it's this blog!...still a bloggy toddler created after NECC09 this summer when i decided i needed an outlet to talk about my opinions about being a teacher librarian and a technology educator in the 21st century and show helps, cheat sheets, and links to resources. Oh and yes, i showed my Mum! Nominations: Close Tuesday 8 December! Voting: Ends Wednesday 16 December! Award Ceremony: Friday 18 December! Nominations are now open… read ...

Baratunde Thurston speaking at the Web 2.0 conference about social media, the use of hashtags memes, and the power of community consensus. But sometimes the community can be mean & spiteful. That is why i am upset at what happened to Danah Boyd at that self same conference. It was a snafu where I really feel that those in charge of the technology & planning of the Web 2.0 conference really let down their speakers. Apparently Danah had a new talk she wrote for the conference, she regularly uses notes for her talks that she reads from her laptop that she uses as a teleprompter. But for some reason the Web 2.0 people said she couldn't have that laptop for her presentation so she had to use paper (!!??!!)...they also didn't tell her to the last min that the Twitter backchannel was going to be fed & displayed 10+ feet high behind her and when her talk went south...people started tweeting MEAN. Blood in the water and the sharks were biting and people started laughing ...

As seen through the talented eye of Master Loki Elliott His work, as always, fills me with wonder and awe, yet this time, a sad panging regret that i was unable to attend the grandeur. Another amazing artist, but this one with heavy glass plates and exploding flash powders - Mr. PJ Trenton shares his images from this momentous event. One may also read more in the The Aetheric Log : the Primgraph . Another talented photographer is Mr. Wildstar Beaumont - who also participated and won in several categories during the glorious event. The next two photos show just a hint of his many talents. Though it is with a heavy regretful heart that I missed this spectacular event...the coordination of many including our own Miss Breezy Carver and our City's Maceholder, Aeleous Cleanslate The above two photos by Miss Bookworm Henrichs . These images... both still and moving refelect the sound and beauty of what happens with regularity in the realm of New Babbage, Second Life. The snow will come s...

NEW! ISTE SIGMS Webinar Promoting your library media center and program has never been easier. Using quick, free, and easy animation studios teacher librarians can create engaging videos to market their media center, databases, research resources, special programs, and their love of reading to students, teachers, and the community. Combining easy animation with a wiki, website, or a blog your message will captivate your audience and reach beyond the brick and mortar walls of your school. Join us Dec 10th at 8pm! Details on where to tune in coming soon! If you can't see the video above go to my Xtranormal Channel or just click below! LOL

Can't watch the above Video because YouTube is blocked? Try viewing it on my Xtranomal channel or umm just click below! LOL. Well, I made my reservations for ISTE10 Denver! What was once NECC is now called ISTE. Because the conference is now not National but International! This has always been the LARGEST Ed Tech conference in the World..upwards of 18,000 people attend! Seriously, people come from Australia, South Africa, and the UK to attend this so it makes sense that the name is changed. I'm very excited to be going and to be a part of the Learning Tools Smackdown again! As Sir Bolt said, rooms are going FAST! Why not give it a try?! If you've experienced AASL or ALA and you liked it but wished they had more Web 2.0 tools or had more of a cutting edge Ed Tech slant, then give ISTE10 a try! I'm booky for sure, but i'm also webby! I would never give up going to an AASL conference...but since they're every other year i try and make the ISTE conference on the...

From Joyce Valenza's SLJ Blog Joyce & Buffy ask us to evaluate and " to begin a very open conversation about what we loved and didn't so much love about our experience in Charlotte ." Answering the questions...evaluating the conference...starting a conversation about how we do things now... how we could do things next time, and how COOL things could be if we break out of the usual conference box is, IMHO, necessary. and please...don't ask me to translate that or type that again.. This was my third AASL...Pittsburgh, Reno, & Charlotte. The first AASL blew my mind..saw Francey Harris and she inspired me by her AWEsome Library Blog & presentation to start my own ! Joyce Valenza inspired me to stretch beyond my walls and to communicate and create a conversation with my kids AND my community, use my databases more vigorously, and showed me so many cool geeky things/sites! AND..from Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Reno, Washington, DC i feel like i've been sta...