When Life Hands You A Lemon...

Lots of state library associations sponsor kid-lit book awards – that is to say book honors that are decided by readers, as opposed to a panel of bespectacled judges.  I love these awards because they open up lots of discussion among students (and teachers) about why certain books are nominated and what criteria should be used to pick the “best” out of the list our little readers have to choose from.  Often, to get teachers involved in the promotion of these books, I create curriculum and multimedia materials for each book.  I also compile existing resources to share with students.  This year, I am really excited because a high interest, moderate reading level work of urban fiction made the list:  A Boy Called Twister by Anne Schraff (who is responsible for several of the books in the incredibly popular Bluford High Series).   This is great for some of my students who don’t see themselves as readers or who are intimidated by the 600 page Harry Potters of the world.

But here’s the rub: in comparison to most of the other “big name” titles on this year’s list, Twister is a small book and there’s just not a lot of resources out there.  No fun webpages with interactive games, no interviews with the author and no book trailers.  So… we decided to make one. 

Here’s how it went:

I started by passing our one copy of the book to a few students who I thought would enjoy it - saying that I had an idea for a movie that I wanted them to star in.  Soon, other students were clamoring to be a part of it.   I only had 2 rules for my budding movie stars:  1) I needed permission from their parents to share the finished product on the interwebs  and 2) each student had to actually read the book.  It wasn’t long before I had a small, but mighty, group of 8 students ready to for duty.

Our pre-production meetings occurred during our 20 “enrichment” period at the very beginning of the day.  After getting off the bus, students grabbed breakfast in the cafeteria and met me in the library where we talked about the book, created a list of all the details we felt were important to include in our trailer and then cobbled together a VERY rough story board. 

“Shooting” occurred at the same time.  Often students were taking sips of orange juice or downing a blueberry muffin between takes, but we managed to shoot every scene and take every picture in a 2 week period.  Early on, the crew decided they wanted their movie to be primarily in black and white and to consist of both still and video shots.  Every picture and every video segment was blocked, directed and/or shot by a student. 

Our post-production regiment (which happened mostly during lunch/recess or whenever I could find a few minutes with the kids) utilized (all but one) free resources, including Picnik for photo editing, Windows Movie Maker and Pinnacle Studios (our one paid for resource) for video production and YouTube and Wix for online hosting.  Although I did the video editing, students edited 99% of the photos and sat with me as I stitched together the video, giving me strict instructions as to the order of the footage and their vision for the finished product.  Then they chose a teacher to narrate the script - which they wrote.  Finally, we talked about where/how to host it and licensing their work under creative commons so that others could use and share it.  (Then I burned them each a DVD to take home).

To say that I *love* the finished product is an understatement.  I am so proud of these students and what they have accomplished – and not simply because many of them are struggling readers, but because what they’ve created is just plain good.  I’m proud to share it with others and look forward to future projects with my new crew of book trailer creating READERS. 

I have to be honest, this has been a tough week for me professionally.  But these kids have reminded me of why I do what I do.  Connecting kids with books, helping them discover new interests and talents, and teaching them that along with the privileges and benefits of the connected world we live in comes also the responsibility to contribute (positively) to it – these are heady and intimidating responsibilities.  But they are also joyful and incredibly rewarding.

Enjoy!   

Our eReader Adventure Part 4: Taking the Plunge - AGAIN!

Today we took a big step in our journey with eReaders as a tool for impacting student learning - we purchased 35 more! 

This time, we went with the Sony PRS 350SC Touch.  To be honest, we've been very happy with our Nooks.  Almost a whole school year in and we haven't had one technical glitch.  Not one.   Don't get me wrong, we've had our fair share of bumps in the road, but none of them have been the result of the devices themselves.  Rather, we've experienced growing pains - the kind that always accompany having to adapt policies and procedures that have been in place for a long, long time.  In the end, we'll be better for all the teeth gnashing, but getting there can be messy.

That said, turning the page on a new chapter of this journey reminded me that there's still plenty of reflecting and adapting left to do when it comes to our Nook program.  

In the beginning, I was most fussed about the fact that we couldn’t send our new toys home with students.   Since that time, I’ve done some research on our policy, asked a few questions to smart people know more than I do and decided it wasn’t a battle I was going to win – so I didn't fight it.

Even so, despite having to readjust my thinking regarding how we would use them, the Nooks have proven to be an incredibly impactful device for students at my school.  What’s more, the way they’ve been integrated, almost seamlessly, into classroom instruction has made not being able to send them home seem like a small obstacle.  Besides, I’ve been busy figuring a million other things out. 

 

So far, I’d have to say that the two biggest lessons that I have learned in regard to eReaders are:

1.  We (schools) are not Amazon/Barnes&Noble’s target audience.  Their purchasing systems are NOT set up for libraries and they will not adjust their policies for us.
2. It’s vital to work with your finance department to set up purchasing policies BEFORE you start buying eBooks.  You will need the bean counters to be on your side, so you might as well talk to them before you hit a wall – believe me, I learned this the hard way! 

The bottom line is that depending on your system’s finance rules, you have 3 choices when purchasing eBooks:

1.  Credit card:  This is the vendor’s preferred method.  Our system is allowing me to set up a separate library e-procurement card specifically for eBooks next year, but this has disadvantages too as, typically, the cards are only good for a set amount of time and are deactivated in early spring, so if you want to make purchases after that, you need a back up plan.
2. Gift cards:  This also has disadvantages.  Our system does not allow us to purchase gift cards with state monies, however, we received some gift cards as well, gifts and were able to purchase others with money from fundraisers, grants, etc.  Unfortunately, vendors require that you a) have a credit card on file when using gift cards online for eBook purchases AND b) that your credit card has enough money available to pay for the amount you are spending on the gift card, or they will not let you use the gift card online.  I know, that seems crazy, but it’s true and believe me, I fought it all the way to the top. (See lesson one from above).  So… once your school credit card is out of $$$ or has expired for the year, you cannot make eBook purchases - even if you have a million dollars in gift cards.  (Oi.  Just reliving this makes my brain hurt!)
3. Purchase Orders:   This is tricky too.  Because eBooks are purchased as individual titles and some vendors bill each book as a separate sale, it’s tough to use a PO unless it’s open.  To be honest, I haven’t had a lot of success in using POs to purchase eBooks, but I’m working with our finance department to clear these waters for next year.  Baby steps, right?

Of course, while the pure commerce aspect of purchasing eBooks has proven challenging, in the end it’s kind of the least important part of the purchasing process.  In the beginning, I thought about how to purchase eBooks in the same way I do print titles, but that soon proved to be, frankly, inappropriate.  Sure, it’s important to look at reviews and think about how a title fits in with your overall collection, but there’s more to consider when working with this digital content.  

One of the great joys of putting eReaders into little hands has been the ability to customize the reading experience specifically for that student. Because ebooks are relatively inexpensive, it’s possible to make the emotional, social and academic needs of the individual student your primary concern when purchasing titles.  Even as I type that out, I’m touched by how powerful it is.   It's like being able to give each child their own library.  Amazing.

Anyway, one of my goals for this summer is to finalize some collection development policies for our eReaders, but for now I’m thinking far less about how a title fits into my collection or how it impacts my stats and am instead spending much, much more time thinking about the student who will be reading it.  

It’s funny.  But in addition to today’s eReader purchase, this seems to have been the week for eReader questions and discussion around my school, district and state.  These discussions are incredibly helpful to me as they force me to consider (and reconsider) the hows and whys of the decisions I make.  With that, I’ll close with my response to a question from my good friend John Downs who is working on a grant to bring eReaders to his school.  After discussing many of the things I’ve mentioned in this post, he simply asked: “was it worth it?”  To my way of thinking, the fact that I didn’t pause to consider my answer before sharing it says a lot. Maybe even more than the answer itself.    

The fact is, in many ways this is uncharted territory, so there’s bound to be bumps in the road. However, I love the way students can interact w/text via the eReader (highlighting/annotating/etc – those things simply cannot be done via a print book that the school owns).  More importantly, I’ve come to value the ability to create customized reading experiences, that not only combine fiction and non-fiction texts, but that also (and more significantly) are tailored to the individual student needs.  To me, these benefits far outweigh the challenges.

So… what’s next for us?   

Because our new Sony eReaders don’t have internet access, we’re going to be able to circulate them through our library as I originally intended with our Nooks.  This is exciting and scary because, frankly, it means starting over and rethinking some of our new (and yet somehow now old) procedures. On the eve of our first eReader pilot I was anxious and eager to see how these new devices would impact the young readers I work with every day.  It's nice to have those same nervous butterflies in my stomach again - especially now that their accompanied by the comfort of having a little experience under my belt.

more postcards

via Valikabu

I was busy cleaning my shoes then suddenly, the doorbell rang. Hours prior, I was just literally wondering if Ill be receiving a mail this week maybe because most of the time, mails arrive during this wee hours in the afternoon or im just bored or i dunno and then there was the mailman outside with a small chunky envelope clasped in his hand. The people from Prestel Publications , once again ,sent me loads of postcards . I already received 3 cards from last month and i never expected them to be sending out more. and i mean MORE. like i can use it for a candidacy campaign. Thank you so much. Thank you...and yes, im still not over with this excitement ahaha. forgive me.

Let's read : Facehunter

the fairest of them all

Here are some of my favorite people captured by Yvan Rodic for his book - FACEHUNTER. I wish he'll release another book featuring people in avant garde clothes!

Scratching The Resolution Itch

As the sun sets on another year, it's only natural to reflect on what's transpired over the last 12 months and to then look ahead to the 12 on the horizon. Indeed, many of the blogs I read are currently sporting New Year's Resolution posts and it's been inspiring to read what others are reaching for in 2011. It is in that spirit of healthy self refection and in knowing that, as someone "of a certain age," writing things down is always a safe bet, that I too started making a list of professional goals for the coming year.

For me, 2010 has been a year of extreme professional growth. Even though the connections I've made have been almost entirely virtual, I feel more connected to my colleagues than ever before.  What's more, these connections keep me constantly striving to do and be more. These days, it seems like not a day goes by when I don't find myself inspired to try something new or to push myself one step further. I love that feeling, but there are things about it that make me nervous too.

Being something of a librarian newbie, (this is only my 5th year in the library, after 10 years in the classroom), sometimes I worry about leaping before really looking - that is to say, diving into to new programs/projects without fully exploring the *why* of it.  This is compounded by the fact that, more often than I care to admit, the time I need, post lesson, to truly reflect on student learning is simply not there.(I'm hearing Mr. Schu's Metacognition song in my head even as I type this).  If nothing else, I am desperate to be purposeful in my practice.  Even if I can't be as formally reflective as I'd like to be, I *can* act with intention.

And so, here I am, with a goal setting itch that needs to be scratched. 

The Goal	The Why
1.  Explore/begin using Evernote & Diigo: I know there are plenty of high schools that have integrated both of these tools as a part of their instructional programs, but I'm unaware of middle school examples. That said, I'd like to take the Evernote plunge PERSONALLY and implement it as a cloud replacement for MS OneNote (which has, sadly, gone from life changing to increasingly clunky as of late) but also as a research tool for my students.	I feel that one of my strengths as a librarian is teaching students how to locate and evaluate resources - particularly those online. However, I also know that I am weaker at showing them how to stitch all of of the information they find together together into a useful, ever evolving tapestry of resources. I believe (hope!) a tools like Evernote & Diigo might help me help my students collect and organize information.  This has been on my radar for awhile, but 2011 feels like the year to do it!
2. Increase visibility/validity of library Facebook Page: I've already taken the plunge and created a facebook page for our library, but in 2011 I'd like to see the followers increase to 450 (half our students population) and I'm committed to updating the page at least once per week.	I'll admit the why of this goal is partly selfish. I believe strongly that this kind of promotion and branding of our library will be an essential part of our survival as we head into budget talks this year. However, I'm also committed to connecting with students in the digital world where they already live and to proving that social media can be a force for good in education.
3. Complete 365 Photo-A-Day Project:  As a part of our library's FB page, I'd like to start a photo a day project (Diane Cordell Style) to include as part of the FB feed. Some of the photos may be personal, but I'm planning to make those taken on "school days" in particular related to the library so that they can become a feed for students to access.	There are so many opportunities for me to enhance the connections I make with students via digital images. As I'm planning to have students both access and contribute to the feed, I'm hopeful that this project will provide another avenue for students to feel connected to the library, its resources and to me.
4.  Explore/Implement QR Code program:  Truly, I need a whole other blog post to talk about how excited I am about QR Codes, (thank you, Gwyneth Jones and Steven Anderson - and thank you Ryan Redd for showing me the way) but I plan to integrate them into NUMEROUS collaborative projects *and* as a means of transforming my library into a creation station - (more on this later).	Following Joyce Valenza's assertion that the library is a place to learn and create, I believe QR Codes will provide my students with a creative, innovative means of sharing their digital, "library-made," creations. I can't wait!
5.  Continue to grow Nook program, explore other options for student use, grow Nook wiki: Project Nook will continue in 2011. As they cannot be checked out in my district, my work will be focused on their continued integration into content area instruction.  Further, I want to grow the Nook wiki to include student and teacher reflection videos.	I believe our Nooks provide the perfect opportunity for students to engage in open choice reading. Following Donalyn Miller's example in The Book Whisperer, it's my goal to both encourage and actively collaborate in literature projects that afford students the opportunity to choose what they read. Frankly, this will require a shift in thinking for some of our teachers, but I'm ready to "direct the Rider, motivate the Elephant, and shape the Path" in order to make this a reality.
6.  Continue to grow "You Might be a 21st Century Librarian in NHCS" wiki: I have the specific goal of increasing participation in my district's "You Might Be A 21st Century Librarian" wiki to 80% by the end of the school year. I will also add pages for links to artifacts (with a nod to Kathy Kaldenberg for the idea!)	Like many districts around the country, ours is facing even deeper cuts into budget and personnel next year, I believe our wiki will provide us with a means of focusing our instructional efforts and provide documentation of our "value added" for shareholders. Plus, I love reading about what others are doing and implementing some of those same ideas with my own students.
7.  Continue to grow/promote Gators Read Everywhere Project: I have the specific goal of increasing participation in my Gator's Read Everywhere Project to 250 students with at least 10 classes having used instructionally - by the end of the school year.	I love this project and want so much to see it grow in 2011. I started the map because I truly believe that the Gators Read map is the perfect marriage of 21st century skills, reading promotion and connecting the library to the learning that goes on in every class.I feel there's so much potential in this project, I just need to stoke the fires a bit.
8. Help Develop and grow a long distance Collaborative Book Club:  I wish to implement a collaborative book club with at least one other librarian and his/her students in 2011.	I have learned so much by connecting with others from around the world, I can only believe that the same would be true for my students. Plus, collaborating with other libraries from around the country/world would provide my students with another opportunity to use tools like wikis, blogs and skype as a part of the book club process.
9.  Maintain and update Library Girl blog with more frequency: I have the specific goal of updating this blog once per week.	This blog provides me with a platform for reflection. It's a place when I can think about my own learning (queue Mr. Schu again). I believe this makes me better at what I do. At least, I hope so. :)
10.  Write monthly "Professionally Reading" column:   I have the specific goal of contributing one review, of a professional resource, to our district's employee newsletter - our district PR officer has named this column "Professionally Reading w/Jennifer LaGarde"	I often joke that I never read books for anyone over 4ft tall. This project gives me an excuse to step out of the world of YA fiction and read some of the professional titles that I've been longing to dig into, but that I keep putting off!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaah.  That feels better. :)

Happy New Year, everyone!

Our Nook Adventure Part III

The Good:
First off, I want to say that the vast majority of what we've experienced with our eReaders has been good.  Great even.  We've yet to have to return a unit or even call for technical support. While our students are, indeed, being careful, the Nooks themselves seem to be hearty little devices capable of withstanding frequent, prolonged use. The battery life has been more than adequate and the screens are easy to read - both inside and out. (Yes, I tested this!)

But what's been *really* exciting is the ways in which our students have been able to interact with texts.

Providing students with the opportunity to choose their own books to read empowers and encourages them.  It strengthens their self confidence, rewards their interests, and promotes a positive attitude toward reading by valuing the reader and giving him or her a level of control.  Readers without power to make their own choices are unmotivated.- Donalyn Miller in The Book Whisperer: Awakening The Inner Reader in Every Child

Picture stolen shamelessly from Christy James

As we've discovered, eReaders are the perfect vehicle for independent reading initiatives.  Currently, a 7th grade class at our school is using the Nooks for a unit on "choices."  In this instance, the teacher provided the students with a list of titles that fit the theme and students were able to select the titles that most appealed to them - once assigned a Nook, students found that it was customized just for them - containing all the titles that they requested. (Incidentally, the Nook does allow you to "archive" titles that are not in use through your B&N account.  Theoretically, you could "hide" titles that were purchased for use in other classes so that students only saw the content you wanted them to.)

I love this use of the Nooks because, let's face it, whatever excitement students may feel as a result of the gadget itself is bound to wear off quickly.  Without the element of self-selection, once the cool factor is gone, students are left with nothing more than just a book that someone else is forcing them to read -- and we all know how motivating that is. This student-propelled learning continues as they discover how easy it is for them to annotate texts, access related online materials and build their own document library of related resources.  In all my years in public education, I'm not sure I've ever witnessed a more authentic reading experience. What's more, it would have been next to impossible using traditional pen and ink books.

The Bad:
Honestly, the worst part about this experience has been that school purchasing/finance policies are still playing catch-up with the technology.  Like most districts, we are not allowed to purchase gift cards with state funds which leaves us with one option:  using our school credit card to make eBook purchases  - which is fine, except that we have to remove all credit card information from the Nook accounts after each purchase (which isn't a huge obstacle, just time consuming).  Another monkey wrench has been that our school system limits the number of credit card purchases that can be made in a month, which can be sticky because B&N bills each individual eBook as a separate transaction - this is something I learned the hard way.

In the end, most of these things are just minor irritants when compared to the learning that is taking place.  Further, if I were a betting girl, I'd put my money on the chances of school systems all around the country adjusting their policies to account for these new devices. That said, truly, I'm not complaining.  We're making it work. What's more, I believe these processes will continue to become more efficient as time goes on. (However, if others have already found a more efficient way to purchase eBooks for school system devices, I'm eager to hear about them!)

The Unknown:
Currently, we're among those districts whose interpretation of CIPA prevents us from sending our Nooks home.  (See Buffy Hamilton's post on CIPA and Kindles in the Unquiet Library).  Again, I think we'll see the day when CIPA and other laws are amended to address mobile devices of all stripes - (who knows, there may even be a whole new acronym for us to contend with).  In the meantime, however, the question stands:  how do we incorporate new publishing and/or mobile, hand-held devices into our library programs while still adhering to laws aimed to protect students accessing the internet at school? I don't know the answer.  And I'm not the only one.

Other questions I have relate to the devices themselves and their continued evolution. As eReaders become the gadget du jour, it will be interesting to see if/how the publishing world reacts.  Even though we only have the traditional black/white Nooks at our school, the new color version offers some pretty interesting/exciting features including interactive texts (currently only available in children's titles), far more extensive magazine/periodical subscriptions, as well as the inclusion of 3rd party apps.  For the moment, the color Nook offers only a smattering of these apps, but a Nook App Marketplace is in the works, which opens these devices up to all sorts of possibilities.

These developments leave me both excited and wary.

While I'm most definitely a "gadget girl," at the end of the day, I'm really more of a "right gadget for the right learning goals girl" -- even though that's not nearly as catchy.  For now, the Nook is proving to be the right gadget for the reading goals we've established for our students.  I'm anxious to see if the evolution of the eReader will translate to an even greater impact on student learning.

Next up:
Student/teacher reactions to the Nooks.  Or, I finally hush up and let some other people talk. :)
Stay tuned!

Let's Read

jumu-jujiin si ADRIAN! taray! =p









the rei kawakubo fan , Shan Shan


she has the most VOGUE- worthy editorial blog photos









my fave Tahti








french photographer Clement Louis who i had a chance to chat on fb.haha

he said im cute ><













adrian cano. my fellow chictopian

As promised ,id share a lil sneak peak of the book -STYLE DIARIES. i scoured the bookstores around manille, and i havent found a single one yet. I was supposed to do this post yesterday but i found out that mom brought it to school , covered it with plastic cover and showed the book to her c0- librarians, teachers , janitors , security guards i knew way way back in elementary and high school. Thats a mother for you. They thought I had my nose done. i was a mushroom back then.

As for the book, its a actually a great idea. Yes yes yes... you might say that its just a book with bloggers and their pictures on it however its a rather beautful and sensible compilation. We always read Susie Bubble or Jane Aldridge 24/7 online , but its nicer to see them compiled.. clasped in a thick glossy book. Its like invading the summarized version of their lives . I realized after reading the style diaries of each one of the bloggers, more than half of them including me are surprisingly shy. Like we have issues regarding esteem. Thats why maybe through style , clothes, fashion or whatever, they have acquired that unusual power for them to inspire people and later on discover their niche that is their own lil self and nothing else.

Thank you again STYLEDIARIES. I would never think of myself being put in a book . Not in a million years ..but this world is full of mystery.

happy Wednesday everyone! =p