Oh, nooooo! Science Daily reports alarming possibilities for our friend 'roos Down Under:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081015120734.htm#
Tell me again why some folks don't believe that human activities can affect global climate changes?? Even if our individual choices make infinitesimal differences, those teeny-tiny bits do add up!
end of sermon.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Sunday, cloudy Sunday
I know I am not in East Texas when I can sit on a patio this August 2nd with splashing fountains, scampering squirrels (very brave ones, at that), and twittering birds nearby, checking my e-mail... and have to wear a sweater at 10 a.m. I do look forward to exploring Berkeley today (chocolate!), realizing that the trek back to Clark Kerr Campus will undoubtedly be uphill all the way!
After this wonderful week of IASL, might I be back in oven-hot places, perhaps surrounded by squirrelly dealings, gossip birds, and recirculating pools of words that might or might not be relevant information? Nah, of course not... but everything will be uphill all the way, as it always is this time of year.
After this wonderful week of IASL, might I be back in oven-hot places, perhaps surrounded by squirrelly dealings, gossip birds, and recirculating pools of words that might or might not be relevant information? Nah, of course not... but everything will be uphill all the way, as it always is this time of year.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
in Berkeley - cool breezes!
Nice flights from Austin to Oakland, and my luggage arrived when I did. I picked up Stephenie Meyer's new book Breaking Dawn at the Houston Airport - wow! Four hours and 751 pages later... no spoilers here - read it yourself!
Lovely breezes here in the conference center Clark Kerr at UC Berkeley - good thing, since these buildings aren't generally air-conditioned. Blue skies, lovely grounds with big trees, pretty fountains... photos later.
Just sightseeing until Sunday evening's IASL kickoff dinner. Touring the Scharffen Berger chocolate factory tomorrow!!
Lovely breezes here in the conference center Clark Kerr at UC Berkeley - good thing, since these buildings aren't generally air-conditioned. Blue skies, lovely grounds with big trees, pretty fountains... photos later.
Just sightseeing until Sunday evening's IASL kickoff dinner. Touring the Scharffen Berger chocolate factory tomorrow!!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Thing #23 - My thoughts about the 23 Things
Wow, wow, and oh wow! I learned so much in a relatively compressed amount of time, but spent much more than 18 hours exploring along the way. Our district requires that we earn continuing ed hours every summer, and this has been the most relevant and usable course that I have taken!
Finally, I have a blog, I know how to use RSSfeeds, and I have done my first podcast!
This course has given me Web 2.o tools for my lifelong learning toolbox, tools that I can also use to help my students, so that we can sip judiciously from the firehose of information, entertainment, and general hoo-hah that is the Internet.
I enjoyed being able to do the 23 Things course during the summer; it would not have been as much fun to try and accomplish the Things in the evenings during the school year.
I'll be ready for the next level of Library 23 Things next summer ... thanks again, SBISD and the Kickball Captains!
Finally, I have a blog, I know how to use RSSfeeds, and I have done my first podcast!
This course has given me Web 2.o tools for my lifelong learning toolbox, tools that I can also use to help my students, so that we can sip judiciously from the firehose of information, entertainment, and general hoo-hah that is the Internet.
I enjoyed being able to do the 23 Things course during the summer; it would not have been as much fun to try and accomplish the Things in the evenings during the school year.
I'll be ready for the next level of Library 23 Things next summer ... thanks again, SBISD and the Kickball Captains!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Thing #22 - Nings
Yeah, I signed up for Texas School Librarian Ning a good while ago, but just keep forgetting to check in and add content! Of course, it was TX school librarian extraordinaire Shonda Brisco (soon to OSU as professor!) who started this Ning. And other heavy-hitters in our realm, like Naomi Bates of Northeast, Carol Simpson from UNT-SLIS, and VWB and Dr BB of Spring Branch are on this Ning, too.
A ning can be of much more manageable size than the biggies, but you do have to get to 'critical mass' - either of members with a little to say or a few with quality content to contribute - before a ning would be truly useful.
Perhaps a ning could be used in school for teachers to communicate with one another in group way instead of interminable rounds of e-mail to answer a convoluted question. Hopefully our district would be okay with unblocking a given, work-related ning, even though other blogging and social networks are off-limits from school computers.
A ning can be of much more manageable size than the biggies, but you do have to get to 'critical mass' - either of members with a little to say or a few with quality content to contribute - before a ning would be truly useful.
Perhaps a ning could be used in school for teachers to communicate with one another in group way instead of interminable rounds of e-mail to answer a convoluted question. Hopefully our district would be okay with unblocking a given, work-related ning, even though other blogging and social networks are off-limits from school computers.
Thing #21 - Podcasts and audiobooks
Hmmm... I missed the part about needing a mike for this course, so had to borrow one and record under less-than-ideal conditions.
http://media.switchpod.com//users/katyroo/sciencedaily.mp3
I can certainly see the possibilities of these technologies for school use. Teachers could record explanations of particular math processes or chemical changes, for example, and have those podcasts/vidcasts available for students to access at any time, either for new learning or for review/remediation.
Of course, the book review/teaser is now ubiquitous, so it would be important to find a solidly memorable 'voice' for such recordings, rather than just contribute more tossaway content to a crowded field. And also be sure NOT to give away the endings of the books, as the example podcast did, without telling the listener/viewer that it's a "spoiler" - why would I want to read the book if I know the ending??
http://media.switchpod.com//users/katyroo/sciencedaily.mp3
I can certainly see the possibilities of these technologies for school use. Teachers could record explanations of particular math processes or chemical changes, for example, and have those podcasts/vidcasts available for students to access at any time, either for new learning or for review/remediation.
Of course, the book review/teaser is now ubiquitous, so it would be important to find a solidly memorable 'voice' for such recordings, rather than just contribute more tossaway content to a crowded field. And also be sure NOT to give away the endings of the books, as the example podcast did, without telling the listener/viewer that it's a "spoiler" - why would I want to read the book if I know the ending??
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