Newspaper for Twitter

Paper.li is a site that creates a daily newspaper for links shared on Twitter by user/s, list, or #tag.

Now I don't have to feel like I'm missing anything when I'm not logged into Twitter. I created my own Twitter newspaper and I receive an email with the link to today's paper. Paper.li collects the links, photos, and videos, then categorizes the information into subjects. Just a few are shown on the front page for each subject with the option of viewing all.

Look at mine for an example. Here are some others that I also like: #tlchat Daily (teacher librarian chat); #edchat Daily; and #edtech Daily.

Hiatus OVER

It's been awhile!!!

I've been using Twitter, attending webinars, and reading, not sharing or writing.

My plan is to restart the blog and make sure that the post are short and to the point.

Fighting the Filter

I'm not a member of ISTE, however, I am a member of the ISTE-SIGMS, a support group for school librarians and others "who are working to promote the use of instructional technologies to enhance student learning." (Find out more about ISTE-SIGMS below.)

The first activity of 2010 was a webinar, "Fighting the Filter" presented by Buffy Hamilton, The Unquiet Librarian. Ms. Hamilton's presentation included 13 different strategies to remove the "roadblock of fear," ways to challenge and change filtering policies.

1. Establish a conversation with the decision makers in control. Gather your documentation in support of access to web-based information and send it to those decision makers and cc your principal.
2. Ensure that filtering policies and procedures are in writing. Volunteer to serve on any filtering policy committee.
3. Collect examples of effective instructional practice to include with documentation when arguing for the use of a specific resource or tool.
4. Develop a plan for the use of that resource and how it will be implemented.
5. Develop a plan for addressing the potential challenges.
6. Advocate for intellectual freedom and equity of access to information.
7. Become transparent - show why/how the resource makes a difference.
8. Advocate for the digital citizenship which 21st century students will need.
9. Remind decision makers that students need guided instruction to learn how to use the resource effectively.
10. Enable students to voice their needs to decision makers.
11. Collect qualitative and quantitative data to support your story of the effective use of the resource.
12. Tie your argument to performance standards, i.e. AASL, NET-S, and district/building goals.
13. Let students learn how to be their own filter.

KEEPING TRYING AND BE PERSISTENT!

In addition to Ms. Hamilton's presentation there was a back channel also happening. Much conversation and sharing took place with Ms. Hamilton and among the attendees. A great suggestion that one attendee voiced was changing AcceptableUsePolicy to ResponsibleUsePolicy.

Ms. Hamilton has gathered various resources including the slides used in her presentation at ISTE-SIGMS Filtering Issues Webinar LibGuides. She also shared bookmarks from her Delicious account here.

If you are not a member of ISTE-SIGMS go to the ISTE Community ning and sign up and then participate in the discussion in the Media Specialists SIG group. See the sigms home's schedule of upcoming activities.

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The Eddies

Nominations for your favorite blogs close on Tuesday, December 8. Be sure to read about the two step process of nominating:

1. Write a blog post with links to The Edublog Awards Homepage and the sites/blogs you nominate.
2. Use the form on the Edublog Awards homepage to send the link to your blog post.
   

Voting ends Wednesday, December 16.

Awards announced Friday, December 18.

Here are my nominations in a few of the categories:

Best individual blog: apophenia by danah boyd

Best individual tweeter: @ShellTerrell (Shelly A. Terrell)

Best group blog: School Library Journal's Battle of the Kids Books

Best resource sharing blog: Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne

Most influential blog post: Things That Keep Us Up at Night by Joyce Valenza & Doug Johnson

Most influential series of tweets and/or Best educational use of a social networking service: #edchat on Twitter by Shelly Terrell, Tom Whitby, Steven Anderson, and Jerry Swiatek, who archives the Twitter #edchat discussions.

Best librarian blog: Not So Distant Future by Carolyn Foote

Best educational wiki: Springfield Township Virtual Library by Joyce Valenza


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K12 Online Conference 2009

It's almost here!!! The K12Online Conference 2009.

THE DATES of the 2009 K-12 Online Conference: For the past three years, K12Online has taken place in late October. This year, the conference will be held the second and third weeks of December, just prior to the holidays. Week one will be December 7 – 11, 2009, and week two will be December 14 – 18, 2009.

THEME & STRANDS for 2009: This year's theme is “Bridging the Divide” and the four strands, two each week, will be "Getting Started", "Week in the Classroom", "Kicking It Up a Notch", and "Leading the Change". New this year will be “LAN Party” live events on the Saturday following each week of the regular conference in partnership with EdTechTalk.

During the FIRST WEEK Joyce Valenza will keynote the "Getting Started" strand with presentations that will focus on specific, free tools for newcomers. Konrad Glogowski will keynote the "Leading the Change" strand, which will both showcase successful strategies as well as amplify critical issues which must be addressed for innovative learning methods to be adopted by teachers, librarians, and administrators on a more widespread basis.

The "Week in the Classroom" strand during the SECOND WEEK will be keynoted by Rachel Boyd with presentations that will explore how teachers and students are tangibly bridging divides between instructors, learners, classrooms, content, and experts outside the traditional classroom. Diego Leal will keynote the "Kicking it Up a Notch" strand with presentations that will explore innovative ways Web 2.0 tools can be blended together to help students create, collaborate, and share the knowledge safely on the global stage of the Internet. (I was totally surprised to find out that I have been following Mr. Leal on Twitter where he is known as @qadmon.)

There will be 50+ presentations, not counting the keynotes. And, every single one will be available 24/7 as soon as each is published. They will be shared online in a downloadable format and released simultaneously via the conference blog, the conference Twitter account, and the conference audio and video podcast channels.

You can participate in the PRECONFERENCE keynote by Kim Cofino. Find out more here.

K12 Online 2009 will be a great way to begin your professional development. So don't miss out.

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