Policing Facebook and MySpace

Being the Media Specialist, I was crowned the computer "cop" concerning inapropriate use. This is a job I DO NOT want. I am open to ideas of how to find a middle of the road and not be the cop or the lenient pushover. Our students are ahead of us adults on proxy servers to get into the sites. We filter and then fourteen new ones spring up in its place. Being an older person, I don't get into the compulsion to do the social networking 24/7 or giving out personal information. My parents told me not to talk to strangers. Let's discuss the article concerning how schools are handling students posting items the district deems are a violation. http://wcco.com/local/facebook.drinking.pictures.2.640000.html

Update on the Library renovation project

Oh, I am so excited! We've had many meetings with the architect in charge of the Library renovation project for this summer. May 5 the Media Center will close until fall. All the Library collection materials, furniture, and computers need to be boxed up and housed elsewhere for the summer. How fabulous that a company will come in and do it all for us! The computer labs will be air-conditioned, which is a strange oddity at Central. When the temperature hits 90, we have a joke that we breathe "Central air," making the kids all groan. I do have major trepidation thinking of how to check in all the textbooks in June. The laptop and a scanner will do the trick, but where to put them remains a problem.

Collaboration with the Media Specialist

Two of our wonderful special education teachers came into the Media Center and wanted ideas of what to do for a meaningful project for the students in their classes. They wanted a foundation of tangible sources before they dove into databases. I shared various project outcomes that were unique and didn't resemble a term paper. We decided they were going to come up with a brochure on a renowned African American person, from a prescribed list so they wouldn't all grab the same name. The students had the first lesson on reference sources that contained information, how to fill out a form to cite their sources, and how to take "fast and dirty" notes on what is presented. We mapped out the brochure like a storyboard, to show them main ideas to organize each area. The next lesson will be a demonstration of the databases that are appropriate and how to gather images from google. The students also saw how to save information and send it to their spps school email account, using their username and password. When you present a lesson, buy-in from the students comes in the form of what they are interested in learning. It was cool to see them move incloser to the LCD projector so they could see what was happening!

Central High School Research Procedures Notebook

Working with our English department at Central, we NOW have continuity of how to teach students how to do research papers. A three ringed binder with all items listed was given to all teachers this year so we're all on the same page. The staff was very appreciative!

• All departments use MLA the format (bibliography, parenthetical citations, format of first page, etc.)
  
• Use of the Research Project Calculator along with the Rubric with which to grade
• The vocabulary list of words used in all three areas of research, reliable resources, and responsible use.
• The Information Literacy Standards adopted by MEMO
  
• Copies of MLA bibliographic reference template sheets our school has used for five years
• A bookmark for students to access our databases away from school with passwords
• Editing symbols for students to know what a teacher is using to edit their paper
• Examples of what is "common knowledge"
• Practice sheets on how to write a thesis statement
• What is a passive and active voice?
• What is writing in first person vs. third person?
  
• The Central plagiarism policy (printed in each of their planners) and consequences
  
• The copyright policy
  
• Examples of how to paraphrase and take notes

I will bring copies of these items to our next MILP meeting. Otherwise, I can send links to receive them in electronic format.
Leslie, the Librarian

December busy time

Oh, my goodness! So much to do and so little time! I am still having FUN, though, especially with the photo booth feature!
Leslie, the Librarian

MEMOlist serve is full of ideas

Media Specialists subscribe to several listserves, locally and nationally. Sometimes, they bog you down with WAY too many email posts. You can narrow your search area to include just high school, for instance. Here is one of the latest hits from MEMOlist (Minnesota) that I found interesting and passed it on to the staff @ Central HS. Check out the link at the bottom of this post to see great video clips available in all subjects areas.
From Leslie, the Media Specialist

From eSchoolNews "Tools for Schools" for 11/21/07:
Tue, Nov 20, 2007
Public television station WGBH opens its vault to educators
Educators who want to engage their students and add sizzle to their lessons by using video clips and interview transcripts can turn to "Open Vault," a new web site launched by Boston-based public television station WGBH. The site features video clips and interviews from WGBH programming created between 1968 and 1993, including clips of Muhammad Ali discussing his refusal to fight in Vietnam, African American students arriving at school during Boston's court-ordered desegregation, and Robert McNamara reading from a letter sent by Nikita Khrushchev to President Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Open Vault includes more than 500 streaming video clips and more than 1,000 interview transcripts in all. Users can search by keyword or browse by topic (arts, business, education, humanities, Massachusetts, science and technology, and social science) and can view data alphabetically by person and by series. In addition, resource management tools allow educators to annotate and tag records, create topical lists, and send information to students for further study or classroom discussion.
http://openvault.wgbh.org

Thankful for many things

'Tis the season to be thankful. My assistant is flying on his way right now to visit his daughter studying abroad in Israel. While I'm happy for him and his family to spend quality time together, I certainly hope he returns home safely with many happy memories. With that said, hopefully, all of you will have an enjoyable time with loved ones over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Leslie E., being introspective today