Thing 20…

In my library, students are most interested in series books. Although they like to listen to audiobooks as a classroom activity, most students still prefer to read the book along with the audio.

I think the Book 2.0 tools enhance reading by offering guidance which generates more enthusiasm and increases circulation of books.

I visited the following sites:

Reading Trials ----database is too limited
BookLamp ---too limited
What Should I Read Next? --- Much more comprehensive and useful
What’s Next---was not current
Overbooked ---offered nothing for children
Reading Group Choices---Fun! Offered wine and music pairings for book discussion group activities
Lookybook---has folded

Thing 19....


I’m a member of Flixster, Playlist, Shelfari, and Bake Space. I prefer these because they are artistic/creative and I can see what others have recommended as well as choose my own favorite movies, music, books, and food.

I enjoy reading the recipes found in Bake Space, and I’m certain I will use those later. In fact, I plan to make a carrot cake this weekend for a friend’s birthday, and I found a recipe with pineapple and coconut. I can count on the feedback/comments/reviews from others when I select the recipes to use.

I use Playlist to make my own list as well as listen to others. Flixster helps me decide on movies, and Shelfari is a place where I can showcase my favorite books.

Thing 18....

I set up a Facebook account just to see how it's done. Once I got on there, I identified my high school and graduation date, and suddenly I saw many former classmates and others from about 100 mile radius. I can see why it’s one of the fastest growing social networks, but I prefer more privacy, and I didn't want to keep the account active, so I deactivated it.

I didn’t set up a Myspace account, but I do visit it frequently for music sites. I don’t really like the format for libraries; it seems too busy and other sites serve the same purpose.

Thing 17…

I listened to podcasts of all genres, but I found it tedious to pinpoint a favorite. I definitely found Podcast.com to be the easiest directory to use, followed by Podcastalley.com and Educational Podcast Directory. I didn’t care for Yahoo Podcasts. I liked iTunesU the best, but I was unable to access because only universities may apply. I would use podcasting to record booktalks and link the podcasts to the media center website.

Thing 16...

I utilize You Tube more frequently than Google Video, although both are great video search sites. I especially like the "videos being watched right now" feature of You Tube because I'm curious about what others are currently viewing. Both sites have featured videos and recommended choices.

I chose Corinne Bailey Rae because I like her as a recording artist, and I chose the song Girl Put Your Records On because that's what I do when I get home every evening, when I get up in the morning, and when I drive. I listen to music as therapy, I guess. And this song talks about putting your hair down and being yourself.

Corinne is from England, and I first discovered her one day while listening to AOL. My daughter was living in England at the time, and I sent her a link to the concert. She called to tell me that she had been listening to the same song that day while sipping tea with friends in an English garden courtyard.

Yes, I can see the value of video on the media center website, however I'm not sure about You Tube or Google Video. I need more information and discussion on that.

Thing 15....


Rollyo is free, so I registered and created a short searchroll. It was simple to do; I just decided on the subject of music, and then I chose a couple of websites that are representative of my favorites.

The sites I chose are the ones the searchroll will use to search for information.

Once my searchroll had been created, I was given the option to keep it private, or to allow other people to use it. I decided to put the searchroll onto my blog. I just cut and pasted the HTML that was provided, and it posted immediately.

How would we use it at school? Well, if a teacher had a very specific subject area in mind, we could create a rollyo which may facilitate quality control and reliable, authentic research.

Thing 14…

I played around with igoogle for a start page, but I use aol and I prefer it. With the latest version of aol, I can make similar choices and I like the format. I made a countdown to summer and posted it on the blog. I also made a link to lifehacker because I want to revisit it.

Yes, I found the calendar and list sites to be helpful both at home and at school. I created a google calendar for both monthly and weekly events. It was very simple to navigate; I toggled back and forth between tabs with ease.

I’d like to explore the use of PDF converters for student use more thoroughly.