Rollyo Search Engine Experience

Visiting http://rollyo.com/ was quite the adventure. I tried getting to this website several different times over a period of a few days. I tried three different computers and different web browsers, such as Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Chrome, to no avail. I also e-mailed Anne about it a few times, saying it didn’t work for me and asking if she could access it successfully. During class on Tuesday, I discovered that I was not the only one in our class who was not able to get to this website. That was a relief. So, in the end I was not able to access this website because of maintenance at the site.

 If I were to create a Rollyo search engine, I would call it Exploration and I would have my category be Education. To begin, I would include the following links in my Rollyo search engine:
      -http://www.wikipedia.org/
      -http://news.hjnews.com/
      -http://www.time.com/time/
As a librarian in a school setting, I would likely add other links that would help students with more specific assignments.

LibraryThing Experience

What is LibraryThing and what can I use it for?

Exploring LibraryThing was actually quite fun. Last semester JaDene had us set up an account, so I had already explored LibraryThing a little bit. I was able to further explore this site and see what it was all about. LibraryThing is a cataloging and social networking sight where book lovers can add books to their collection, search their collection, sort books into different collections create new collections, edit information about the books, print a copy of their catalog, write reviews, and apply tags. LibraryThing gives quality facts about books. Each book pages shows members who have that particular book and their opinions of the book, as well as tags, reviews, and links to conversations about a book. A person with a LibraryThing account can write information about him or herself, which can be open for the public eye or kept private. In a person’s profile, he or she can list favorite authors, favorite bookstores, or favorite libraries; leave comments for other members; and see the interesting data about other people’s books. There are also “Talks” or discussion groups where people discuss different topics and books. LibraryThing also has a page where people can find out about different bookstores, libraries, and book festivals in their areas. Such activities as author readings, author signings, author discussions and other events are posted so a person can see what is going on locally. I think it is neat that a LibraryThing widget can be added to a blog so people can see what I am reading. Some other interesting things about LibraryThing are that a person can access it on a phone and a person can receive pre-published books for free if they read them and write reviews for them.

LibraryThing Uses

While observing at a high school this week, I asked the school librarian if she had ever thought of using LibraryThing in her library. She asked me how a librarian could use LibraryThing in a school setting. I proceeded to explain to her that in LibraryThing, there are book reviews. When someone looks at a review for a particular book, LibraryThing will recommend books that are similar to that one. A librarian could use this feature to help students and teachers find books.  A librarian could also find out about local events, such as book signings or author readings or discussions to advertise to students.  Additionally, the librarian could also help organize “book club discussions” for students via the “Talks” discussion feature. A librarian could add a LibraryThing widget to a library blog to make recommendations about books.

If students had their own LibraryThing accounts, they could read book reviews and see what sort of books they wanted to read. Also, they could see book recommendations that are similar to the books they are considering. It is also a way that students can link to their friends and see what different people are reading. They could join discussion groups about books or topics of interest.

Teachers could also use this site. They could write their own book reviews, which students, parents, or other teachers could read in LibraryThing. Teachers could use LibraryThing for book reviews and book recommendations while collaborating, perhaps via the discussion feature, with other teachers. They could also become aware of local events, which they could recommend to students when such activities tie into the curriculum.

LibraryThing for Libraries

I have not looked too far into this, but there is also a LibraryThing for Libraries that enhances Online Public Access Catalogs (OPAC).  Such things as tags, reviews, similar books, and lexile measurements can be added directly into an OPAC to help patrons as they search for materials.

Image Generator

Skype

I found setting up a Skype account to be an interesting experience. Before taking this class, I already knew that Skype existed, but I had never used it before. My grandparents are in the process of setting up a Skype account as well. I hope that I can share with them what I learn about Skype. While setting up my account, I learned that talking Skype number to Skype number is free. Instant messaging is free as well; but calling to a land line, cell phone, or even text messaging costs money.

As a librarian, I could use Skype in a variety of ways:

1.  Author visits via Skype

As a school librarian, I think it would be extremely fun and exciting to use Skype to talk with authors. The kids would love it and it would be a new experience for them as well. To Skype with an author would definitely be cheaper than an in-person visit, and it could still be a fun and unique experience for everyone involved. Prices vary, but they can range from free for a twenty minute session to $300 for an hour to visit with an author. These visits are also more convenient for authors. There are websites with lists of authors who are willing to use Skype to do author visits.

 I learned from Kate Messner’s site that using Skype to do author visits is more practical for her, an author as well as middle school English teacher. She can do a Skype author visit from school for about half an hour before school. Then when her homeroom class comes in, she turns off her laptop. This is more realistic for Kate because she doesn’t have time to travel to do author visits because she has to teach; Skype makes it possible to do virtual author visits and the kids love it! Since it is cheaper, perhaps students will benefit from more author visits. Using Skype to video-conference with an author not only gives students a chance to meet an author, but it gets them excited about reading, which we, as librarians, promote, so this is great.

There are a few problems with Skype author visits though. There is not as much interpersonal interaction. Also, glitches, such as losing connection, can take place when we are relying on technology. Additionally, some schools have certain privacy issues that do not allow for Skype to be used.

2. Skype in the classroom

There are many different ways that Skype can be used in the classroom. Here are some ideas I got from the link 50 Awesome Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom: history lectures, guest lecturers, virtual fieldtrips, after-school help, learning how to illustrate, interviews, classmate joining the classroom from home, foreign culture lessons, conference with parents, and teacher collaboration. In addition to using some of these ideas in the library, I could suggest them to teachers to help enhance their teaching through Skype technology.

3. Skype a reference librarian

In one library there is a kiosk where people can Skype with a librarian. The kiosk has a webcam that allows them to immediately hook up with a librarian and get their questions answered. Using Skype to talk with a reference librarian seems most beneficial in a long-distance situation, but it could possibly be done from an elementary, middle, or high school classroom or computer lab. It might be just as easy to walk down to the library and talk with the librarian though.

Wikis

~Wikis are fascinating. They can be used by a variety of different people for many different purposes. Wikis are a great way for many people to work together to create something or organize a group activity.  It was fun exploring the links on week 4 of the learning2.0 blog.

~I explored several different wikis. In the process, I learned that wikis are easy to create and navigate. Depending on how the settings are arranged, different people can be allowed to edit or not edit a page as well. Attaching links on a wiki page can be helpful. I also learned that wikis are great ways for people to work together, especially in long distance situations.

~As I explored several different wikis, I discovered that there was one wiki in particular that I liked, the Kearns High Library Wiki. I loved how this wiki had great links for both teachers and students, which included the following:

      --Great links with help for teachers:

            -Grade books

            -Canvas

            -Microsoft office/outlook

            -Googledocs

            -And more…

      --Great links for students:

            -Citation machine

            -Information sources, such as Pioneer website

            -Club information

            -Literature information

            -Big6 research skills information

I especially liked that the librarian also gave a way to contact her electronically if students or teachers needed additional help. I learned that the librarian did not create all the sites she linked to, but rather took advantage of the myriad of helps that exist on the Internet and provided links to those.

~I learned more about how different people use wikis as I explored several wikis from the Wikispaces Best Educational Wikis for 2010 blog link. I explored Metasaga, which is a wiki where people who have traveled to similar places share their experiences; Celebr8U&MeDigitally, which is a wiki where two teachers from different countries communicate and allow their students to communicate; and Wissahickson School District’s eToolBox, which is a school’s virtual toolbox.

~Wikipedia is one of the most famous wikis, and I find myself using it often, even though it has a reputation of being unreliable. It can be used as a secondary source and to get an idea, although another source would be more reliable for getting more information about a topic.  I understand that it is becoming more reliable, and I love that people post citations for information sources so that people can check the reliability and accuracy of the information.

~After exploring several different wikis, I discovered that it is important to have information stated clearly. I also like the idea of having great links, such as the ones at the Kearns High wiki, to help both teachers and students. I realize it is a good idea, as the school librarian, to have my contact information on the wiki in case teachers or students need an explanation or clarification beyond what they find at the links provided.

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This is my favorite author Marcia Lynn McClure and me at a book signing I went to last spring.

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The North Logan Library