New Paths in Library Advocacy: Reflections on the NC Teaching Fellows Jr. Conference

Today I had the amazing opportunity to work with some of my state's most valuable resources: new teachers.  The students in the classes I taught today were (roughly) one year away from completing their teacher education program as part of the NC Teaching Fellows Program.  (An aside, our legislature voted to zero out funding for Teaching Fellows this year - a travesty you can learn more about here). 

I've been nervous and excited about these presentations for weeks now.  Nervous because it always feels a little strange to play to an audience outside of libraryland and excited because I often wish my own teacher education program had offered the opportunity learn from and about school library media specialists and how they could help me (as a classroom teacher) and my students. To this day, although (in general) I feel like my own teacher education program perpared me fairly well for what I would experience in the classroom, I don't think I'm alone in the lamenting the lack of emphasis on the instructional team I would NEED to be a part of in order to truly provide my students with everything they would need. Indeed, I can't remember anyone talking to me about the school librarian and what he/she could do for me (my kids).

And so, to be honest, I couldn't wait to get in the room with these eager, fresh faced, soon to be teachers - if for no other reason that I felt I had a golden opportunity to fill a gap for them that was not, until much, much later, filled for me.   Advocacy is a topic that seems to be on the tip of every school librarian's tongue these days.  To that end, while I think many of us are becoming quite savvy when it comes to sharing what we do with those who have the power to impact our budgets and positions, I fear we may be missing the boat when it comes to embedding ourselves in education of the next generation of teachers/admininistrators.

In the end, however, I can't help but think that I got just as much (if not more) out of the experience than they did.  While I feel the sessions went well and I received great feedback afterwards, between the two of us, I feel like the big winner. Not only were the students funny and smart, they asked great questions, were willing to try new things and were filled with that new teacher spark - the perfect mixture of idealism, optimism and the unstoppable drive to make a difference. Ah... if only I could bottle that spark.  I'd keep most of it in a special, glass case labeled "In Case of Emergency." The rest I'd load into a one of the supersoaker squirt guns and take aim at those people we ALL work with who really need a good soaking. But I digress.  Even without the bottle (and squirtgun), I couldn't help but feel nostalgic being around them. Nostaligic and inspired.  As much as I hope I was able to help shape the image that these "youngsters" (I nearly cried when the second section informed me they were not alive when I was in middle school) will have of school librarians when they land in their first classrooms, the shape of my world was changed too by their contagious energy and endless enthusiasm - just a little of which rubbed off on me.

The following are my presentations from today's sessions.  As always, everything posted here is free for you to use, share and make better.

 

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It’s a Small World After All – Developing Personal Learning Networks for Students AND Teachers Using 21st Century Techno on Prezi

PS: Thanks so much to everyone who contributed to these presentations!  Your input proved invaluable!  Here's some proof: 

Future teacher:  "Will this symbaloo be available after this session?"
Me:  "Yes. It will be available forever."
FT:  "Really???"
Me:  "Yes."
FT:  "Really???"
Me:  "Yes."
FT:  "Thank you! Thank you! Oh Thank you!"

Sharing the Power of Books with New Teachers (With Your Help!)

cc image from http://ow.ly/5APci

In a few short weeks I have the tremendous honor of presenting to a group of soon-to-be-teachers who are a part of the NC Teaching Fellows Program. I'm super excited because not only does this provide me with an opportunity to take my message outside the echo chamber of library land, but it also gives me a chance to broaden new teachers' understanding of how school librarians can, and should, be their instructional partners. I like the idea of school librarians being a part of the inservice training of new teachers and, (dare I hope?), new principals.   Of course, I'll post more about these presentations as they take place, but for now, think of this post as a plea for help.

One of my presentations is called Bibliotherapy 2.0 - Using eBooks (and print ones too!) to Reach and Teach Diverse Student Populations. Given the recent hoopla surrounding YA Lit and its, according to some, inherently dark message, I'm really looking forward to showing new teachers how putting the right book in a young person's hand can, literally, change their lives. (And how eReaders afford teachers/librarians the chance to create personalized libraries for students). Anyway, for this presentation, I'm compiling a bibliography of titles that could be used to help students work through problems, conflicts, etc.

This is where you come in.

While I like to think I have a pretty good working knowledge of childrens/young adult literature, (and I've certainly got lots of ideas) I've spent my whole career in middle school (plus one really short stint in high school early on), so I'm afraid my perspective is just a bit skewed.

So... will you help me compile this bibliography for new teachers?

Essentially, I'm looking for recommendations of books that you believe have the potential to help kids/young adults work through problems, issue, conflicts, etc. If you can help me, please leave your recommendations in the comments including (if you can) the title, author, issue dealt with and what age group you think it's appropriate for. An example might be: Cut by Patricia McCormick: Deals with self mutilation; I recommend it for grades 7-12. 

Thanks you so much for helping me help these new teachers (help their students)!

Holy Bodacious Barcodes: Using QR Codes to Extend Learning and Promote a Love of Reading

QR Codes are one of those subjects that I’ve been meaning to write about forever. To be honest, I was something of a QR Code skeptic when they were first brought to my attention last fall. To begin with, I struggled with how to make such things work in my school – where we are decidedly lacking in handheld devices and where students are not allowed to use their own smart phones during the instructional day. More importantly, however, while I couldn’t deny the QR Code’s inherent “cool factor,” the link between these 2 dimensional barcodes and student learning was to me, fuzzy at best. Then, as is so often the case, a few cosmic dominos fell - in just the right order - to make me a QR Code believer.

First, a math teacher at my school (a dear friend, muse and teaching partner extraordinaire who REALLY needs a bigger online presence), bounded into the library one day, commandeered my computer and said, “you have to see THIS!” (“This” being Steven Anderson’s post on creating a desktop QR Code station). Immediately, the wheels upstairs started to turn and it wasn’t long before I had a machine or two, some webcams and all the extension cords I would need for a QR Code revolution. The only thing missing was a REASON to do it.

That reason came a day or so later when I learned that our library had received a $6,000 grant to purchase art (visual, performance, decorative, etc) related print materials. One of the requirements of the grant was that I provide evidence of marketing the new materials to students in an innovative way – enter QR Codes! In the end, (though I didn’t plan this way) linking my QR Code experiment to a single project turned out to be incredibly beneficial.

First, it provided me with an obvious hook with which to tempt and recruit teacher collaboration. Art + technology and the offer of snacks brought several people to the table. Then, once I explained that all they needed to do was grab a stack of books and help me find some resources to either pique student interest or extend their learning, a party was born.

Secondly, it helped focus the scope of the project. Believe me, once you start creating QR Codes, it’s hard to stop. Dreaming up book + resource mash-ups for the purpose of student enrichment is positively addictive, so having a specific goal and focus helped keep me on task.

And, finally, when we were finished adorning the art books with barcode bling, it was easy to collect some data regarding what, if any, these little square labels had on students at my school. I was able to compare circ stats of books on the same/similar topics, but that were not branded with a QR Code to those that were. Surprise, surprise: those WITH the QR Codes were showed a great deal more love than those without. (About 40% more as a matter of fact). HOWEVER, the first time I saw a group of students huddled around the computer taking a 360’ tour of the Sistine Chapel that was linked (via QR Code) to a book on Michelangelo, (which they then fought to check out), I knew we’d hit on something big.

And I wasn’t the only one who knew it.

Soon students and teachers were clamoring to contribute to the QR Code fun. By the end of the year, we literally had thousands of books that are linked to additional resources via QR Code. These links include student created works like podcasts, Glogs, video book trailers, etc., but also consist of really neat resources that I’ve either stumbled across or, more frequently, that teachers/students have brought to my attention.

In fact, I started receiving so many student/teacher book+resource mash-up suggestions that I created a special bookmark to help me keep track of them. (Students take the bookmark when they checkout the book and put it in the suggestion box when they return it).

And to me, this is where the rubber hits the road when it comes to QR Codes (or any technology for that matter). I simply LOVE the idea of kids spending time in the library, exploring new ideas and checking out new material based on the opportunity for inquiry provided by the QR Code. However, when this activity is followed by a reading experience that is informed by the student’s desire to find more, new and BETTER resources to be linked to the title their reading, well… that’s when QR Codes make the switch from just being a fun fad or cool gadget to a meaningful tool that can not only extend learning but also help cultivate a love of reading in our students. 

Nuts and Bolts:
Here’s the desktop QR Code Reader I use. Again, big smooches to Steven Anderson for leading the way.
Here’s the QR Code Generator that I use. I know there are a billion others, but this is the one I landed on and I like the different options it provides.
And finally, Here's the tutorial I created and posted throughout the library for students. Obviously, it is heavily influenced by (though greatly inferior to) those created by Gwyneth Jones.  As always, anything I have posted here is free for you to use, share and make better. And what's not to love about that?

QR Code Tutorial

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When the Crazies Come Knocking, Will You Be Ready?

"Interrogation" cc  images from http://ow.ly/4UG6x

I first became aware of "The Disgraceful Interrogation of L.A. School Librarians" when Neil Gaiman tweeted the link along with the note "this makes my blood boil."  Within hours, my twitter and facebook feeds were full of responses, one of my favorites having to do with how clearly the crime rate in LA must have dropped to something less than miniscule proportions.  How else can you explain school librarians being interrogated like criminals?  Anyway, soon I was led to this blog post that recounts the experience in LA first hand followed by this letter to the editor in my local paper (from a former principal!) which (although unrelated) basically says fixing my state's fiscal woes is easy because we don't need school librarians (or guidance counselors or nurses!) anyway.

Needless to say, it's been a rough week for educators, and for school librarians in particular.  And lots of (really smart) people have been writing about it to express their outrage and frustration.  Unfortunately, however, while this is an extreme example to be sure, it's only one in a long line of beatings that all educators are currently taking from lawmakers and a populous who want to balance state checkbooks without taking any of the blame for mismanaging the funds.  I hate to say it, but I think this is only the beginning of such "interrogations."  While, hopefully, most of us will not be dragged down into a basement and forced to prove our worth under hot, and really unflattering, florescent lights - rest assured, we WILL be asked to prove our worth.

I guess the question we have to ask ourselves now is: can we?

Now is the time of year when many in libraryland start thinking about end of year reports.  And gosh, there's lots of really cool examples out there that showcase the work that goes on in our libraries.   This year,  however, as I put these numbers together, I will be thinking a lot about how to draw the line between the data I've collected and student learning. This year, whatever form(s) my report takes, its ultimate purpose will be to prove that my work is a) the solution to the problems that keep my principal and superintendent up at night b) directly linked to student achievement and c) an indispensable part of our school culture and mission.  More than ever, I think these reports need to take the extra step of bridging the gap between simply presenting the facts and linking those facts to student achievement.

Along those same lines, if you're anything like me, then this time of year also leads to endless prognostications about how I'll do things "next year."  It's funny, but I can remember, being told my first year teaching "not to worry," that after five years I'd "get my groove" - which in this case meant that after 5 years, I'd have a cadre of resources at my fingertips and I would no longer have to create new things every year.  Unfortunately, if that's the definition of getting one's groove, I've yet to achieve this zen like state.  Rather, I'm the kind of teacher who is constantly reinventing the wheel.  No matter how successful or enjoyable or impactful a program/project/collaboration may be, I seem to always be able to think of ways to make it better.  And this year is no exception.

Even as I start gathering together the fruits of this year's labor, I am overcome with thoughts of how I will collect data next year.  I'll be writing about this in more depth later, but for now I think it's well worth mentioning that if I am lucky enough to still have a job next year, I'll be taking extra care to ensure that I collect data that spotlights the impact of my work.  Not only because it's the right thing to do, but because when my seat in the basement is ready, I want to make sure I'm prepared.

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.

Thank You, Justin Bieber Fans!

Although I didn’t watch the Grammy’s the other night, I heard on NPR the next day about how a bunch of crazed Justin Bieber fans, angered by the fact that the Bieb didn’t win best new artist, edited the Wikipedia page of Esperanza Spalding – a relatively unknown jazz singer who took home the coveted trophy instead.   The edits ranged from the silly (like changing her middle name to quesadilla) to the more serious (such as stating that she stole the award and should “go die in a hole!”) 

As luck would have it, the next morning a teacher at my school mentioned the event to me stating, “See?  This is why students can’t use Wikipedia as a source!”

Queue Library Girl!

CC image from: http://ow.ly/3X8C8

The first time I work with a group of students doing research, I like to tell them a story.  It goes a little like this…

Once upon a time, when I was in the 6^th grade, (and dinosaurs were roaming the earth), I was assigned a research paper on Romania.  At that time, I went to a small school that didn’t have a library, and since I was required to reference at least one book, (that wasn’t an encyclopedia), in my paper, I had to go in search of information at my local public library.  That said, when I got to the public library, their one and only book on Romania was lost, so they had to borrow one from another branch.  When it finally arrived, it was a dusty volume published in 1948.  However, since it was my only option, I had to use it.  At this point, I remind students that although I am ancient, I was in the 6^th grade in the mid 1980’s.  Therefore, the chances of all the information in my circa 1948 resource being accurate were pretty slim.   

Instead of a happy ending, this story leads us to a series of questions:

•   My first step in the research process was to go to the public library, since my school didn’t have a library of its own; if they were assigned a research paper on Romania today, what would their first step be??  (Answer: Google Romania).
•   In my story, how many sources was I able to find and how long did it take me to find them?  (Answer: 1 source in approximately 2 weeks) 

Then we Google Romania.

•  In their story, how many sources do they find and how long does it take?  (Answer: millions in about 5 seconds!)
• What problem did I face as a researcher?  (Answer:  In addition to finding a place to park my T-Rex in the school parking lot, finding even a single source on Romania was tough).
•  In contrast, what problem do they face as researchers?  (Answer:  finding the best sources among millions and millions that appear after just a quick search.)

And then we begin the work of figuring out how to tell the difference between a good source and a bad one.

Incidents like the one involving Bieber fever provide educators in general, but librarians in particular, with a golden opportunity to discuss how information works while armed with a timely and relevant example.  But before we do that, we need to ask ourselves some important questions, because to be frank, how our students use information has implications that are far more important than the grade they get on their next research assignment.  Regardless of what sources of information students are allowed to use at school, the reality is that today’s young people increasingly turn to blogs, wikis and social networks for answers to all of life’s questions:  be they academic or personal.  Given that, we MUST ask ourselves:  are we helping our students cultivate the skills they need to evaluate all of the information that they encounter in their digital lives?  Instead of just forbidding students to use Wikipedia, are we instead teaching them to evaluate ALL information for relevancy, reliability and bias? Rather than just blocking and ignoring social networks like Facebook, are we helping our students understand the possible consequences of their digital footprints while also showing them how to be responsible online citizens?  What’s more, (and perhaps most significant), do we as educators, (who did not, for the most part, grow up in a digital world), even possess these important skills ourselves?

Frequently, I fear, the answer is no.

Unfortunately, the knee jerk reaction of banning Wikipedia, (and other social media websites), is one I hear offered all too often by classroom teachers, tech facilitators and, yes, even librarians facing the inevitable frustrations that accompany research in the digital age.  I’m not claiming I know why this happens, but I suspect it’s because a) it’s just easier to say “you can’t use that site” than it is to teach students how to evaluate information and b) it keeps us, their teachers, from having to address the gaps in our own knowledge and skills in this area.  Either way, this response does nothing to prepare students for life in the web 2.0 world. 

To that end, I’ve spent much of the last couple of days talking about the Justin Bieber/Esperanza Spalding wiki-war with as many teachers/students who will listen.  I’ve found it that it has opened the door to the kinds of discussions we should already be having with our students. 

The bottom line is this:  today’s students will never again face the dilemma I did as a 6^th grader.  Never again will students find themselves in an information wasteland, forced to settle for one, grossly out of date, resource simply because it’s the only one available.  Rather, our student researchers face a whole new set of more complex problems that are not addressed by forbidding the use of certain types of websites.  After all, what happens when we’re not around to prevent them from turning to Wikipedia for answers to life’s more serious questions, (like how to prevent pregnancy, how HIV is transferred from one person to another or how to find help for someone with an eating disorder, etc), when we haven’t taught them how to tell the difference between good info and bad? 

-----

Psssst:  Since I mentioned NPR in this post, I thought I'd also gently nudge you here in the hopes that if you care about public broadcasting, you'll make your voice heard.

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!