Screen freeze day

So, today I decide it is time to get back into blogging.  I’ve been out of town at National History Day and then on a study trip to Philadelphia with our Teaching American History grant.  I wanted to highlight the School Library Learning 2.0 (or SLL2.0) which is the school library version of 23 Things and the great blogs being created. 

After reading through various posts, I decide what I wanted to post and my computer freezes…I get the message “the amount of available memory on your computer is critically low.”  I had just updated all my podcasts and almost maxed out the computer memory!  

Then, I head to the gym with my ipod.  Part way through listening to some of the NECC 2007 podcasts, my ipod freezes.  (Learned that the ipod doesn’t run so well without the battery charged!) Don’t you just love days like this??

School Library Learning 2.0 continues!

I have been following a number of the California School Library Learning 2.0 blogs.  We have all learned how important it is to tag things in certain ways so we can find each other.

CSLA2.0 blogger points out:  “Tagging your blog makes it easier to search. If this were a commercial blog I would want my blog to come up in as many search engines and blog searchers as possible.”

Bibliomaniac observes that: “All these millions of young people looking for the meaning of life, posting their khaki lives of heartache. They seem so hopeless, it makes me ask; Has Social Networking become the Soma of the 21st century? “

Some great videos have been created by these participants.  Take a look at “What a book can do for you” and “thank you video” from Bibliomaniac.

The Curriculum Connections Wiki we are using for SLL2.0 continues to grow.  One idea shared by Randy DeJong suggested creating a magazine picture to introduce a new unit or book.

There are now over 100 people participating in SLL2.0.  There is still time for you to join!

National History Day success

National History Day has just concluded and I’m happy to share that two projects, which I coached, placed first in the nation! First, eighth grader Taylor Sakamoto won first place for her historical paper about four generations of Japanese American women in her family. Her great grandmother was a picture bride who arrived in California to be married.

The second first place finishers were Chelsea Gonzales and Kimi Ibello for their group documentary about Chiune Sugihara who was a Japanese diplomat stationed in Europe who rescued Jews during the Holocaust. Their award included $5000 from the History Channel.

The National History Day contest takes place at the University of Maryland each year in June. Our local Fresno Bee included a brief article about the results.

Here is a picture of the winners and the coaches (yours truly is on the far left).

To National History Day

I am headed to National History Day at the University of Maryland, College Park.  This has been an annual event for the past 14 years as myself, along with the other three coaches have taken different groups of students to national each year.  This year, we have 14 students with 6 different projects in grades 7-12 who won their state competition (At Alta Sierra Intermediate and Buchanan High School here in Clovis).  Our goal is always to be in the top 3 in the nation so we can walk across the stage at the awards ceremony!  I’ll report the daily events of our team.

You can watch the webcast of the awards ceremony here.

23 Things launches in ca

Our School Library Learning 2.0 (sll2.0) team has launched our version of 23 things in California.  There is a team of about eight of us who are being the “virtual cheerleaders” to read the postings of a certain number of people.

I’m happy to be connected and learning along with these great librarians – I think they are all in California.  I encourage you to stop by and post a note of encouragement as well.  Probably the most interesting posting I’ve read so far is from Melinda at BiblioSmile who writes:

“I am still unsure about how this course works. I suppose it all unfolds as I do the various tasks.”

Boy, isn’t that the truth!  Learning takes time and, it is over time, that the learning and knowedge occurs.

Others I am following include:

• Alexa @ CSLA

• An Open  Book

• BiblioSmile

• Bibliobabus

• Bibliomaniac

• Book Reader

• Bookapalooza!

• Check it Out!

• Chicken Scratches

You’re welcome to join us – just head over to: SLL2.0!