pafa.net Rotating Header Image

Schools

Digital Storytelling as Advocacy – TechSoup Contest

Jan 12th, 2011
by pollyalida.
No comments yet

TechSoup’s Digital Storytelling Event

Are you up for a fun challenge? One that will help you showcase your organization’s mission and work? What a great opportunity to create a compelling advocacy piece for your library and to learn more about digital tools you can use to share your “story” with your community.

The TechSoup Digital Storytelling Event kicks off tomorrow (Thursday January 13) with a free webinar: How To Tell Your Story. A second free webinar, Tools for Digital Storytelling, is scheduled for January 20.

The Digital Storytelling Challenge also begins tomorrow and runs through January 31.

The Challenge

What’s your digital story? by Wesley Fryer, on Flickr
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic License by Wesley Fryer

Participants will have several weeks (January 13 – January 31) to create a 60 second video 5-panel picture story, showcasing their mission and work. No production or storytelling experience is necessary. TechSoup is here to help through free webinars tools and strategies for creating your digital story, featuring leading nonprofit, media, and communications experts, as well as an event discussion forum where you can ask any questions as you go about creating your story. The deadline to submit your entry is January 31, 2011 at 5 PM Pacific.

Oh and did I mention PRIZES?

I’ve just signed up for the webinars and looking forward to sharing the tips and ideas I learn with the Digital Storytelling class we’re holding at the Champlain Valley School Library System in Plattsburgh later this month.

School Library Tech Camp – March 2010

Mar 26th, 2010
by pollyalida.
1 comment

Last weekend, 30+ school librarians & classroom teachers gathered at the Hotel Thayer at West Point for 2 days of Tech Camp! After a bit of a rocky start due to problems with the hotel’s wireless network (which the ever resourceful Danielle handily solved!), we were off to the races.

Tech camp is a two day immersion in technology tools and and an opportunity to explore ideas for integrating technology into the curriculum.  The sessions offer school librarians (and classroom teachers) (more…)

Got a terrific school library web site?

Dec 3rd, 2009
by pollyalida.
1 comment

Got a terrific school library web site? Does your site need a pick me up? Or a complete make-over? Get some inspiration from your colleagues web sites and share your own great examples on the new SchoolLibraryWebSites wiki spearheaded by Joyce Valenza (Pointing to effective practice, join the wiki!)

The wiki has examples of:

  • Elementary, Middle School & High School web sites
  • Pathfinders
  • Book & Reading Promotion Ideas
  • … and so much more!

Also a handy-dandy list of school library bloggers and tweeters! So if you’re looking for a few new blogs to follow or want a ready made group of school library colleagues to connect with on twitter, you’re in business!

Emerging Mobile Technologies for K-12 Classrooms – Chat session, Sep. 3, 11 AM

Aug 27th, 2009
by pollyalida.
No comments yet

gadgetsThis looks like it will be an interesting discussion of mobile technologies in schools.  Join in the free chat session at the Education Week website.  No special software required.

Because of their low cost and ubiquity, an increasing number of educators are considering the use of mobile devices, such as cellphones, netbooks, GPS systems, digital recorders, and MP3 players, in the classroom. When harnessed properly, supporters say, these devices can open up new educational opportunities for students. But some critics feel such devices are more of a distraction or annoyance than a learning tool. Our guests will discuss which mobile technologies are best for the classroom, when they should or should not be used, and which emerging mobile technologies will have a significant impact on K-12 education.

(via: Mobile Libraries)

(image courtesy limowreck666)

Teacher Training Videos

Apr 27th, 2009
by pollyalida.
4 comments

I love it when I find a great new resource, only to realize that I bookmarked it in delicious account months ago! So much for my memory. In any case, here’s one of those resources that I re-learned about today. :-)

Teacher Training Videos “were created for teachers to help them to incorporate technology into their teaching.” These screencasts step you through how to use a wide range of desktop & web based tools and include ideas for using them in educational settings.

Tools covered include: delicious, Bubblr, YouTube, RSS, SecondLife, iTunes, Twitter, BlackBoard, Photoshop, PowerPoint and many many more. And there’s a special section of screencast for ELT/ESL. I could spend all day watching these and learning about new tools and new tips for ones I’m already familiar with.

Teachers & Students & Facebook?

Mar 17th, 2009
by pollyalida.
No comments yet

photo by inju

If you’re a teacher/librarian, do you friend your students on Facebook? MySpace? twitter? flickr? Do you communicate via email? IM? Texting? Is Facebook different than other tools for some reason?  As educators do we have the responsibility for teaching smart/safe online behavior in ALL possible contexts? Does setting up a separate account for your teacher persona solve the problems? Does your school district have a policy? Should they? Or are we trying to control what can’t be controlled?  Will all this worry and fretting seem quaint in 5 years? (1?) Have you avoided the issue by not using Facebook and other ‘social’ tools?

There are some great discussions going on around these issues on Doug Johnson’s and Dean Shareski’s blogs.

Whether you have a strong opinion on the issues or not, take a few minutes to read the various points of view expressed in these posts and comments. And add your voice to the discussions!

← Earlier Posts