Comments on: School library blog – stay in or go out? http://tsheko.wordpress.com/2009/05/25/school-library-blog-stay-in-or-go-out/ The fringed curtains of thine eye advance, and say what thou seest yond - Shakespeare, ‘The tempest’ Sat, 05 Dec 2009 11:37:02 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Still kicking. « Brave new world http://tsheko.wordpress.com/2009/05/25/school-library-blog-stay-in-or-go-out/#comment-1081 Still kicking. « Brave new world Mon, 20 Jul 2009 09:56:26 +0000 http://tsheko.wordpress.com/?p=2303#comment-1081 [...] less cosmic achievements, like the Recurring External Blog Saga which you  may have read about here and here. Unlike Armstrong, and more like Prometheus, unable to move forward, having been chained [...] [...] less cosmic achievements, like the Recurring External Blog Saga which you  may have read about here and here. Unlike Armstrong, and more like Prometheus, unable to move forward, having been chained [...]

]]> By: Reflecting again (still) « Brave new world http://tsheko.wordpress.com/2009/05/25/school-library-blog-stay-in-or-go-out/#comment-1078 Reflecting again (still) « Brave new world Sun, 19 Jul 2009 02:45:56 +0000 http://tsheko.wordpress.com/?p=2303#comment-1078 [...] underestimate small victories, such as the approval for an external fiction blog (read here and here).  On the whole, though, it’s often resulted in friends, family, colleagues casting a critical [...] [...] underestimate small victories, such as the approval for an external fiction blog (read here and here).  On the whole, though, it’s often resulted in friends, family, colleagues casting a critical [...]

]]> By: tsheko http://tsheko.wordpress.com/2009/05/25/school-library-blog-stay-in-or-go-out/#comment-897 tsheko Mon, 01 Jun 2009 06:44:25 +0000 http://tsheko.wordpress.com/?p=2303#comment-897 How about that, Heather! Don't you love that when it happens. Shows you how beneficial networking can be. Thanks for your links. Separate blogs for staff and students, hmmmm.... How did you go with convincing the network manager about the educational value of the ning? How about that, Heather! Don’t you love that when it happens. Shows you how beneficial networking can be. Thanks for your links. Separate blogs for staff and students, hmmmm…. How did you go with convincing the network manager about the educational value of the ning?

]]> By: Heather Bailie http://tsheko.wordpress.com/2009/05/25/school-library-blog-stay-in-or-go-out/#comment-895 Heather Bailie Mon, 01 Jun 2009 04:56:10 +0000 http://tsheko.wordpress.com/?p=2303#comment-895 Talk about timely. Today the network manager asked me why I want a ning for the year 12's instead of using the intranet!! Having only just caught up with your post and the discussion it generated I was well armed with reasons! On the reading blogs...well yes and no. We (as in my library team) manage two reading blogs, one for staff (http://mpscrc.globalteacher.org.au) and one for students (http://mpscgreatreads.globalstudent.org.au) but both are languishing in the face of too many other things. But I have plans for them both and will let you know when they acquire some fresh content. Talk about timely. Today the network manager asked me why I want a ning for the year 12’s instead of using the intranet!! Having only just caught up with your post and the discussion it generated I was well armed with reasons!
On the reading blogs…well yes and no. We (as in my library team) manage two reading blogs, one for staff (http://mpscrc.globalteacher.org.au) and one for students (http://mpscgreatreads.globalstudent.org.au) but both are languishing in the face of too many other things. But I have plans for them both and will let you know when they acquire some fresh content.

]]> By: tsheko http://tsheko.wordpress.com/2009/05/25/school-library-blog-stay-in-or-go-out/#comment-893 tsheko Sun, 31 May 2009 22:33:36 +0000 http://tsheko.wordpress.com/?p=2303#comment-893 Thanks for your interesting observations, Heather. It's true, people have no idea how many, many hours we spend on all these things, and when they don't work, frustration mounts. And since the switch, I've made some interesting connections with other teachers and teacher librarians. It all adds another dimension to the teaching and learning experiences at school. Do you write a reading blog? (sorry to demonstrate my ignorance). We could share material! Thanks for your interesting observations, Heather. It’s true, people have no idea how many, many hours we spend on all these things, and when they don’t work, frustration mounts. And since the switch, I’ve made some interesting connections with other teachers and teacher librarians. It all adds another dimension to the teaching and learning experiences at school.
Do you write a reading blog? (sorry to demonstrate my ignorance). We could share material!

]]> By: Heather Bailie http://tsheko.wordpress.com/2009/05/25/school-library-blog-stay-in-or-go-out/#comment-889 Heather Bailie Sun, 31 May 2009 12:40:41 +0000 http://tsheko.wordpress.com/?p=2303#comment-889 Hi Tania, Wow, what a huge response to an interesting issue. We have a sharepoint setup at my school. It's ok for some things but very clunky for others. Our network manager always tells me this or that is easy to do but when I come to try it usually isn't (and I'm no dummy when it comes to this stuff). For example, a teacher who has the responsibility of collating nominations for awards for students came to me about setting up something online. Within minutes I had a suitable google form ready for her but she was keen for it to be safely housed within the confines of our school network. Three months later I have figured out (almost) how to create the form using MS Infopath but despite a couple of conversations with said network manager about how easy it is it still isn't actually functioning. I've heard about the blog feature of sharepoint but not acutally seen it in practice. I think the bottom line is that a wordpress/edublogs/globalteacher blog is easy and intuitive to use (as is a wikispace or pbworks wiki or a ning) whereas the (not quite) equivalent on sharepoint is unfriendly, not so pretty and completely not intuitive. You've made the right decision! Heather Hi Tania,
Wow, what a huge response to an interesting issue.
We have a sharepoint setup at my school. It’s ok for some things but very clunky for others. Our network manager always tells me this or that is easy to do but when I come to try it usually isn’t (and I’m no dummy when it comes to this stuff). For example, a teacher who has the responsibility of collating nominations for awards for students came to me about setting up something online. Within minutes I had a suitable google form ready for her but she was keen for it to be safely housed within the confines of our school network. Three months later I have figured out (almost) how to create the form using MS Infopath but despite a couple of conversations with said network manager about how easy it is it still isn’t actually functioning.
I’ve heard about the blog feature of sharepoint but not acutally seen it in practice. I think the bottom line is that a wordpress/edublogs/globalteacher blog is easy and intuitive to use (as is a wikispace or pbworks wiki or a ning) whereas the (not quite) equivalent on sharepoint is unfriendly, not so pretty and completely not intuitive.
You’ve made the right decision!
Heather

]]> By: tsheko http://tsheko.wordpress.com/2009/05/25/school-library-blog-stay-in-or-go-out/#comment-883 tsheko Sat, 30 May 2009 23:10:16 +0000 http://tsheko.wordpress.com/?p=2303#comment-883 Sean, what you've done with your students is brilliant; I've known that for a while. I'm guessing your students are later adolescents, because I'm not sure that younger students could reflect so well? Or could they? I'd love to be a fly on the wall and watch the interaction between you and them which obviously goes on in between. What is your secret? Sean, what you’ve done with your students is brilliant; I’ve known that for a while. I’m guessing your students are later adolescents, because I’m not sure that younger students could reflect so well? Or could they? I’d love to be a fly on the wall and watch the interaction between you and them which obviously goes on in between. What is your secret?

]]> By: Sean Nash http://tsheko.wordpress.com/2009/05/25/school-library-blog-stay-in-or-go-out/#comment-882 Sean Nash Sat, 30 May 2009 16:39:44 +0000 http://tsheko.wordpress.com/?p=2303#comment-882 I don't know Sharepoint, but I don't want to either. Nothing against that product/service... but philosophically believe in removing barriers as opposed to building walls when it comes to supporting the academic endeavors of students and teachers. It seems that my students feel similarly: http://mwsu-bio101.ning.com/forum/topics/virtual-classroom-reflection Sean I don’t know Sharepoint, but I don’t want to either. Nothing against that product/service… but philosophically believe in removing barriers as opposed to building walls when it comes to supporting the academic endeavors of students and teachers.

It seems that my students feel similarly: http://mwsu-bio101.ning.com/forum/topics/virtual-classroom-reflection

Sean

]]> By: tsheko http://tsheko.wordpress.com/2009/05/25/school-library-blog-stay-in-or-go-out/#comment-876 tsheko Fri, 29 May 2009 04:39:05 +0000 http://tsheko.wordpress.com/?p=2303#comment-876 Thanks for your comments! Thanks for your comments!

]]> By: tsheko http://tsheko.wordpress.com/2009/05/25/school-library-blog-stay-in-or-go-out/#comment-875 tsheko Thu, 28 May 2009 23:27:45 +0000 http://tsheko.wordpress.com/?p=2303#comment-875 Good points, Susan. It does negate the whole idea of being open and part of a larger conversation. I think the fear needs to be addressed, and I think it's irresponsible to ignore it. By the way, thanks for dropping by; now I'll add your reading review blog to my fiction blog list. I've discovered interesting people and work during the course of this conversation. Good points, Susan. It does negate the whole idea of being open and part of a larger conversation. I think the fear needs to be addressed, and I think it’s irresponsible to ignore it. By the way, thanks for dropping by; now I’ll add your reading review blog to my fiction blog list. I’ve discovered interesting people and work during the course of this conversation.

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