Webbing/Mindmapping

Mindmapping is a graphic representation of information. It provides a visual structure to attach information to so that readers can quickly and easily access key points. Online mindmap creation tools have been around for a while and the following review of some of the more popular ones will help you see what some of your options are. I used the same information from an article about information ethics to create each map. My goal was to show what each tool has to offer and how quickly and easily mindmaps can be used to share information. I spent about 20 minutes learning how to use each site through their help offerings and about 20 minutes on each map.

Spicynodes

This tool was pretty easy to use and learn how to manipulate. I like the rotating motion as I look at the images. The information is easy to see and a few clicks brings all the details back to life. Students would like the ability to easily upload images and video to compliment their work. You can attach weblinks, pictures, and change colors to make your mind map look like you want it to look.

 Popplet

 
 This application was easy and fun to use. It was very easy to manipulate the shape and arrangement of the information. Uploading pictures was a breeze. There were a lot of options to make the final product look like I wanted it to. I could change color, shape of boxes, and location of boxes. Students would love to use this because it is intuitive and the process is easy to figure out. The was my favorite tool to map with because it is easy to use and creates a pretty product with low frustration.

Wisemapping

This is my least favorite of the three mind mapping tools I used. It was cumbersome to manipulate and didn't give many options. I had a hard time changing the look of the map and got frustrated when the different nodes tried attaching in the wrong places. Editing the text wasn't even very easy. Students would hate this because it seems very "old school" There was no place to easily upload pictures. The use of emoticon icons is very out of date for publication tools. You could share with other wisemap users but I didn't find a way to share it online. If it was there, it wasn't easy to find.


The information in this blog came from :
Bell, M. (1998). Kiss and Information Ethics. TAET Journal, Spring, 1998.

Videos and QR Codes in the Library

Videos and libraries go together like

peas and carrots,

batman and robin,

peanut butter and jelly.

Librarians have figured out that good video enhances the information supplying experience AND makes everyone’s job easier.

The following school libraries have produced some quality tools and helps for their students.

At Norman High School students get help by comparing Google docs vs. word docs . After viewing this presentation students are prepared  to use and navigate the most use software applications.

Libraries also have a lot of fun with video. Students love to see their teachers having fun, as in the video below.

In the Unquiet Library students are supported in their assignments with help from teachers and librarians. In this useful and helpful production students receive guidance and help with their senior project.

In the school they get to see their librarian around and among the “people” as she shares the library with students at lunch.

The Pikesville HS Library serves the needs of its students by giving information about course selections and how to get financial aid in future schooling efforts.  In this video, students can view a presentation on financial aid that was at an evening event.

The students here also get organization and support with the following Pimp my Binder episode. With humor and known faces, students get tips on how to be more organized.

Bonnie Branch Middle School provides a review of how to prepare proper citations.

And students can catch a glimpse of friends just having fun in the library.

QR codes are a newer addition to library services.This little scannable visual will enable library users to find more information about anything they are looking for.  Brigham Young University uses QR codes to send patrons on an audio tour of the library and it’s most important elements. Librarians are using them to help patrons go straight to the library catalog to find more relevant documents. Another library links their current events to related information to help users know what special programs are available. Users can be directed to library services like study rooms, making appointments with a research librarian. Other libraries create links to mobile website and twitter pages, contests, popular books to recommend further reading, and video trailers that relate to what patrons need.

I wanted to get my classes excited about a new book that caught my imagination. 

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures is the 2014 Newbery Award winner. According to Amazon:

It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry — and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart. From #1 New York Timesbest-selling author Kate DiCamillo comes a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters and featuring an exciting new format — a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations, all rendered in black-and-white by up-and-coming artist K. G. Campbell.

Here is a QR code to take you directly to the book trailer I made for this great new book.

I can see a lot of uses for QR codes in libraries. I'd like to encourage students to look farther than they planned with well placed codes on the shelves that will help with their research and book searches. I'd like to use videos to give information that students need and show what the library can offer them. I think it is important to be as close to the cutting edge as you can get when working with students, so I know that I will  follow, use, and try the latest technologies and formats that will help students with  their educational needs.

Blogging about blogging

Bloggity, Blog, Blog, Blog

I've had a personal family blog for about 5 years. There are about 5 people who ever read it, but it is a fun way to keep my parents updated on the comings and goings of my family since we live half a state away from each other. I found that library blogs are much more interesting than my family blog! There is just so much to see!

Blog readers are a thriving business with so many options. After looking around a bit I decided I wanted to stick with the Blogger dashboard reader mainly because I have so much invested into the resources I have on it. After 5 years, it would be quite a job to move everything over to one of the newer, more interactive readers. I did sign up for a Blog Lovin' feed, which is easy to navigate and emails me once a day with updates of the blogs I put on it. If given time I would probably make the shift into a more exciting and intricate blog reader. I looked at NewsBlur, but found my eyes blurring at the amount of information coming in. The real time feed made me a bit twitchy because I hate the feeling of being behind. I also looked at Bloglines but didn't like the look of the pages. I didn't dive very deep into the layout because it just looked too boring. I know, I know, and this from the lady who decided to stick with the original Blogger reader. It's not consistent because nothing is more boring that that, right? Well, it's comfortable, I have it set up how I like it, and sometimes change isn't on the menu. The really important thing about blogging is the blogs themselves.



My favorite library blog is Watch.Connect.Read. a blog by a librarian who has the best things to share. Mr. John Schu shares book trailers, lessons he does with his students, book release information, author interviews, and so many other neat things that this soon to be librarian hopes to incorporate into her library world.


My second favorite library blog is The Nerdy Book Club. It's not strictly library stuff. It's more about books and personal experiences and shared stories. It's great reading, inspires my teaching, and connects me with other book nerds, so in my mind, it's perfect as a library blog!


Another great library blog is The Mighty Little Librarian . This is a place full of information about all things library. Survey results from her school about how patrons perceive the library, dewey decimal updates and signage ideas, infographics, and so much more. This blog is updated regularly and is very visually pleasing.

The Adventures of Library Girl is set up in a traditional blog format and shares personal stories along with research to address the needs of many librarians. While not updated daily, it is a wonderful resource for all sorts of library stuff, and you know librarians love stuff! (As long as it is organized.)


The Busy Librarian shares lesson plans and information from an elementary librarian's perspective. Author interviews, book trailers and supplemental information all come together in a neat, appealing package here.


As I was exploring the world of library blogs I found that they are each unique to their community and provide what their readers want to see. Whether the blog is tied directly to a school and is chock full of information about their people and kids and events, or if it is more of an informational clearinghouse for what the blogger loves most in the world of libraries, I found that they are interesting, informative, and a wonderful tool to share with students and fellow educators.

I bet you are wondering about Tumblr. If not, start wondering because I know I wondered about it for quite a while. I had no idea if it was an organizer or a blog site or something else entirely. All I know is that I would see it pop up in the twitter feeds of college students and some celebrities. So I went adventuring and found something that made me step back and blink. It's a blog reader that hosts blogs and connects to other blogs, I think. I set up an account but it is still a work in progress. There is no telling how this will turn out, but I have given it a shot.  So, if you are feeling adventurous, feel free to check out my Book Stuff tumblr at http://mewillingham.tumblr.com/ . The one thing I don't need is another blog to run in addition to my studies, job, family, and social obligations, but life has a funny way of coming out differently than I plan most times.

Library services in the digital age

 Zickuhr, K, Rainie, L. Library services in the digital age, Pew Internet & American Life Project,  January 22, 2013, http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2013/01/22/Library-services/, February 3 2014. 80 pgs.

The infographic above was created to give you a brief glance at the highlights of information that were gleaned from a 2013 report about how patrons use the library and what they expect from the institution. The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project finds that many library patrons are eager to see libraries’ digital services expand, yet also feel that print books remain important in the digital age.(2) Apps for checkout, technology "petting zoos", "Redbox" style lending machines, and "Amazon" style book recommendations would be eagerly accepted according to the study's respondents. I love these ideas for how to expand a library's offerings to its community. As the feel of the library shifts from a quiet, reading only zone to an interactive information playground I am excited about what the future holds.

I was interested to learn that 91% of Americans aged 16 and older consider the library an important part of their community, and that 76% of them think libraries are important to them and their families. However, only 22% say that they know all or most of the services that their library offers. It is clear from the difference in percentages that libraries need to do more to get their services and information into the hands of the public.

The study also noted that ethnicity is a significant factor in how one views the library. African Americans and Hispanics are much more likely to rate the library and its services as very important when compared to their Anglo neighbors. This leads me to believe that libraries should take note of how to better serve these populations.

After reading and considering the data presented within this report, I am confident that libraries will be an important part of the future of our free and learned society. As technologies progress, this institution will continue to provide information, community helps, and entertainment options for all who use its vast and varied resources.

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