tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36651648143827384622024-03-03T19:25:32.107-05:00JourneysExploring life and learningdianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.comBlogger565125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-36070489629310548772019-03-25T14:47:00.000-04:002019-03-25T15:05:43.703-04:00Hello AgainWow, it's been almost 5 years since <a href="http://dmcordell.blogspot.com/2014/03/whylib.html" target="_blank">my last blog posting</a>! What inspired me to begin again? Actually, it was my accountant...<br />
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In 2016, I published a book, <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Using-Images-Critical-Thinking-Skills/dp/1440835152/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=diane+cordell&qid=1553536786&s=gateway&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Using Images to Teach Critical Thinking Skills</a>. Since then, I've been collecting modest royalties and deducting professional expenses, including conference costs, on my income tax. Last year, I just traveled for personal reasons, my only relevant deduction being ALA membership renewal. I joked with my H & R Block person that I wished I could write off my upcoming trip to France. She told me I could, if it involved research for another book.<br />
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Hmmm. <a href="https://youtu.be/qZLA7lutLDM" target="_blank">The last time I saw Paris</a> was in 1968, as a 21-year-old college student. Things in my life, Paris, and the world in general, have changed a bit since then. I've decided to start blogging about my memories and, eventually, the actual trip. Perhaps I'll be inspired to write a biographical piece, or some sort of fiction, and earn those deductions. At any rate, it will be fun reminiscing!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h4 class=" meta-field photo-title " id="yui_3_16_0_1_1553538958032_27481">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Paris - Champs-Élysées (1968) by Roger W </span></h4>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://flic.kr/p/56YVvk" target="_blank"> https://flic.kr/p/56YVvk</a></span></h4>
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<br />dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-29581749685127507432014-03-29T23:28:00.000-04:002014-03-29T23:28:42.554-04:00WhylibIt started, as so many interesting projects do, with a conversation on Twitter...<br />
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John Schumacher (@MrSchuReads) started it off by commenting:<br />
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I just had to know more:</div>
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and, of course, add my own piece to the story:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUQ3KllDXHJv4AX8Eh5pknJ_p3zcEydRd2jBKzwuXs5tjofc2fWNrJlRRYj1oz31-95oMeVZuOWIKTRMKcHinGx6pJ0rVBEvwskkEKZgnP-ZxtxgWa9tIohzASEd76AHrAj9WdVIFclbY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-03-29+at+10.25.47+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUQ3KllDXHJv4AX8Eh5pknJ_p3zcEydRd2jBKzwuXs5tjofc2fWNrJlRRYj1oz31-95oMeVZuOWIKTRMKcHinGx6pJ0rVBEvwskkEKZgnP-ZxtxgWa9tIohzASEd76AHrAj9WdVIFclbY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-03-29+at+10.25.47+PM.jpg" height="64" width="400" /></a></div>
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plus additional background:</div>
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By this time, others had joined in the conversation, including Andy Plemmons (@plemmonsa), Jennifer Reed (@libraryreeder), Heather Moorefield (@actinginthelib), and Sherry Gick (@LibraryFanatic). Andy proposed that librarians <a href="http://barrowmediacenter.wordpress.com/2014/03/29/tell-your-whylib-story-for-school-library-month/" target="_blank">Tell Your #whylib Story for School Library Month</a> (April). Jennifer provided the #whylib hashtag.</div>
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So, here goes!</div>
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My path to the profession was, unsurprisingly, if you know me, not exactly a straight line. Although I grew up loving reading, books, and libraries, my first choice of a college major was Mathematics. A fascination with Algebra, solving puzzles (and devouring mysteries) did not survive advanced levels of Calculus; halfway through Freshman year, I switched to English. After thoroughly enjoying the syllabus, I graduated with a B.A. and no clear career course. </div>
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I spent two years as a social caseworker in New Rochelle, NY, then reverted to my true love and applied to C.W. Post, for admission to their MLS program. As a graduate assistant, I got to work in the university library and assist professors with research projects. It was a wonderful opportunity to sample the profession, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. After graduating, I worked in one public library as a Junior Librarian in the Children's Room, and in another covering the Reference Desk (in pre-Internet days) on holidays and weekends.</div>
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More turns in the path: my husband and I moved back upstate (Adirondack area of New York) to manage a campground. Eventually, Tim accepted a position as a graphic artist, and I successively clerked in a bookstore, worked in a child care facility, served as a special education assistant, and put in evening hours at the local community college library. When offered an opportunity to sub as a school librarian, I started the process that eventually led to my certification as a New York State teacher librarian, a position I subsequently filled until my "retirement." All of my prior experience, varied as it was, helped prepare me for the diverse demands of a K-12 school library. Although I'm not in a classroom any longer, I work part-time for CyberSmart Education Company, do some free-lance writing, and enjoy presenting at a variety of professional conferences.</div>
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The threads that tie all this together are a love of literature, a pleasure in learning, and the desire to share both of these enthusiasms with others. </div>
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#whylib? Why ever NOT!dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-83496485408159589832014-01-01T13:29:00.000-05:002014-01-01T13:29:01.162-05:00On New Year's Day<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5DWY-VmjzAPDwAeJt9rglzH4hhx4h3cMxUhqmhb4PzfEXWk1NTitqw_JCpTQ-UXdPHToV6hXI0YZeIKtd42NS46UOycJXfI32pluauAXLILkipx1c7TmqhCLm7-OJs_SXSpE0qWa6DTp/s1600/Cheers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5DWY-VmjzAPDwAeJt9rglzH4hhx4h3cMxUhqmhb4PzfEXWk1NTitqw_JCpTQ-UXdPHToV6hXI0YZeIKtd42NS46UOycJXfI32pluauAXLILkipx1c7TmqhCLm7-OJs_SXSpE0qWa6DTp/s320/Cheers.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Another Year With Thee" by dmcordell http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/11679510004/</td></tr>
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As I have done for the past few years, I've created a short slideshare with some highlights of the last 12 months. It serves as both a reminder of what I've done, and a pointer to what might lie ahead.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="356" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/29611415?rel=0" style="border-width: 1px 1px 0; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px;" width="427"> </iframe> <div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/diane/2013-my-year-in-review" target="_blank" title="2013 My Year in Review">2013 My Year in Review</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/diane" target="_blank">Diane Cordell</a></strong> </div>
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Another task for the new year is to update my blog Flickr badge generator. This is my 6th year of participation in the 365 Challenge. I find that this activity acts as a visual journal, while stretching my powers of creativity and observation. The other members of the Challenge groups post their own contributions, so there are constant examples of innovative photography from which I can learn.<br />
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The groups I belong to are <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/project_365/" target="_blank">Project 365</a>, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/366photos/" target="_blank">2014/365</a>, and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/366project/" target="_blank">365 Project</a>. To learn how to create a badge generator for any type of Flickr set, you can refer to the <a href="http://dmcordell.blogspot.com/2012/01/flickr-badge-generator.html" target="_blank">posting</a> I originally wrote in 2010.<br />
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I hope that 2014 finds all of you full of optimism and enthusiasm for the future. Have fun, take lots of photos, and Happy New Year!</div>
dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-44243505114261297202013-12-31T12:19:00.000-05:002013-12-31T12:19:46.482-05:00Intellectual Property...and PassionThis Autumn, I had the pleasure of visiting a digital photography class at Fort Ann Central School to discuss copyright, plagiarism and fair use, particularly in regard to digital images. I shared some <a href="http://navigatemaze.wikispaces.com/home" target="_blank">resources</a> with the students, then told them the story of educator <a href="http://educationaltechnology.ca/couros/2344" target="_blank">Alec Couros's experience</a> with the uncredited use of one of his original photos.<br />
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A few months later, I was blindsided by an even more egregious example of copyright violation.<br />
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As an amateur, but passionate, photographer, I take pleasure in sharing my original captures with others, via Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking venues. Except for the photos of family members, I usually attach a Creative Commons license to my work, allowing others to use individual shots with attribution.<br />
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If you are a Flickr user, you probably know that there is a mail option on the site, accessed by hovering over your icon in the top right corner of the site. I am occasionally contacted, via this mailbox, by people or organizations who wish to use my content.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCM_uaRry753mTSZpE8MdBpJeLhGvTmRSVrIOW8JlGwIrsmvUFK9UC09OGM33kAGKLMd9k2KH8od3w74b82c7JFKdN2GKod1BHhwN2R7jlfgoL2sgT58XJCgdoYXSIgIla43wZOPDhII6Q/s1600/Flickr+mail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCM_uaRry753mTSZpE8MdBpJeLhGvTmRSVrIOW8JlGwIrsmvUFK9UC09OGM33kAGKLMd9k2KH8od3w74b82c7JFKdN2GKod1BHhwN2R7jlfgoL2sgT58XJCgdoYXSIgIla43wZOPDhII6Q/s320/Flickr+mail.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Flickr mail" by dmcordell http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/11670679986/</td></tr>
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On 12/06/13, I opened this message:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cpHl52DHQoiaieuGxA9KHAvBTtTDkcbR-GcqNyW9Mf_fN3ofQ4yxjcCGL2U0wGUTBhDx1SYcTQEs2W-pFH60a_DeBkugteprrWrP8wxClB9Bv-lhpVqeAU6HnM5GKQLlE5uhm5U_jOr5/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-12-31+at+11.40.38+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cpHl52DHQoiaieuGxA9KHAvBTtTDkcbR-GcqNyW9Mf_fN3ofQ4yxjcCGL2U0wGUTBhDx1SYcTQEs2W-pFH60a_DeBkugteprrWrP8wxClB9Bv-lhpVqeAU6HnM5GKQLlE5uhm5U_jOr5/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-12-31+at+11.40.38+AM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Stolen Picture" by dmcordell http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/11670043525/</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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To backtrack just a bit... on September 13, one of my photos, There Is A Crack In Everything, was <a href="http://dmcordell.blogspot.com/2013/09/flickr-explore.html" target="_blank">selected for Flickr Explore</a>.
This is quite an honor, and means that an image gets an amazing number
of views (6,468 as of this moment). The "thief" mentioned in the above
email had posted my photograph in his/her photostream with no
attribution (evidently an ongoing practice for him/her, since others
have contacted me about their photos also being stolen).<br />
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Fortunately, Flickr has a mechanism for dealing with these types of issues. <br />
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After clicking into "Report Abuse" and "Someone is posting photos that I have taken in their Flickr account," I was redirected to the <a href="http://info.yahoo.com/copyright/us/yahoo/en-us/details.html" target="_blank">Yahoo page dealing with Copyright and Intellectual Property.</a> I followed the procedure indicated, and within a few hours, the photo was removed from the offending site. The poster had tried to disguise the theft by changing the date of the photo, but since Flickr itself had chosen the image from my photostream, such a lame tactic was doomed to failure.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnLv5kB9rIrpYNZGMh9wo1keKS-aTWCfcJQEPSyycaDaubhY0NaXFwsQ6v8ufJWt6BwEnmhz_dQRPL7U1GegMbniYDbXFrCvh2Gp5MXreabRtYTA2GAtzD6VuD9GTvtIw8W_p7px4POhn/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-12-06+at+7.28.40+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnLv5kB9rIrpYNZGMh9wo1keKS-aTWCfcJQEPSyycaDaubhY0NaXFwsQ6v8ufJWt6BwEnmhz_dQRPL7U1GegMbniYDbXFrCvh2Gp5MXreabRtYTA2GAtzD6VuD9GTvtIw8W_p7px4POhn/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-12-06+at+7.28.40+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Copyright infringement" by dmcordell http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/11670526275/</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br />
I sincerely thank the person who alerted me to this blatant theft of my original work. Monetarily, there was little or nothing at stake. But when it's your passion that is trampled upon and discounted, strong action is indicated.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Passion. It lies in all of us. Sleeping... waiting... and though
unwanted, unbidden, it will stir... open its jaws and howl. It speaks to
us... guides us. Passion rules us all. And we obey. What other choice
do we have? Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of
love... the clarity of hatred... the ecstasy of grief. It hurts
sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion, maybe
we'd know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow. Empty rooms,
shuttered and dank. Without passion, we'd be truly dead.”
-Joss Whedon</blockquote>
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dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-39921565970872160312013-11-27T11:40:00.000-05:002013-11-27T11:40:08.195-05:00The Power of WeMy first tweet, on September 29, 2007, was not exactly brimming with enthusiasm:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQ3qGjX1wBDCIGlnlxxDmb-FrIwAbTA4BJbwCF-uOikkUTyTDJkJpdQCBAz2Hlz69EZ_uhhBowGm4rViXkIeLwEiJhoIauf9iih-_GdDgGMJ7WFM4U9TxKBW_R7jb5U1fUdZgsd2hOWu0/s1600/First+Tweet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQ3qGjX1wBDCIGlnlxxDmb-FrIwAbTA4BJbwCF-uOikkUTyTDJkJpdQCBAz2Hlz69EZ_uhhBowGm4rViXkIeLwEiJhoIauf9iih-_GdDgGMJ7WFM4U9TxKBW_R7jb5U1fUdZgsd2hOWu0/s320/First+Tweet.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Fortunately, I stuck around, eventually adding other sites (Flickr, Facebook, Plurk) to my social networking neighborhood. <br />
<br />
Where my blogging has slowed down, the connections I make with professional colleagues, friends, and family are frequent and vibrant. We share resources and photos, make plans to meet, and keep in touch where physical distance precludes face-to-face interaction.<br />
<br />
I often refer to myself as an embedded librarian, but social librarian would be just as apt. Yesterday, one of my Facebook friends, <span class="entity _586o" data-fulltext="Karen Wright-Balbier" data-group="all" data-icon="null" data-select="group" data-si="true" data-text="Karen Wright-Balbier" data-type="ent:user" data-uid="100000150770678">Karen Wright-Balbier, along with her collaborators</span><span class="entity _586o" data-fulltext="Karen Wright-Balbier" data-group="all" data-icon="null" data-select="group" data-si="true" data-text="Karen Wright-Balbier" data-type="ent:user" data-uid="100000150770678"> Andrea Keller, Michael Soskil, and Dyane Smokorowski, posted a link to the <a href="http://kidwish.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Kid Wish Project</a>:</span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Greetings and welcome to our Kid Wishes 2013-14 Project where we link
Life Skills Special Needs Classrooms with Mainstream Classrooms for a
Holiday Card and New Years Wish for the World Exchange. Our hope is by
partnering students across the continent for a cultural exchange, we can
begin a dialogue of personal perspectives for global positive impact.
We would love for your classrooms to participate for our quick
turnaround adventure, make new friends, and share what wishes your
students have for 2014."</blockquote>
Andrea has also written a <a href="http://busybeeideas.blogspot.com/2013/11/kidwish-connecting-lifespecial-ed.html" target="_blank">blog posting</a> further explaining the Kid Wish Project. <br />
<br />
Since I no longer have students of my own, I volunteered to spread the word on my network. I've received some responses already, and may even get to visit a local classroom to see the project in action.<br />
<br />
While Karen, Andrea, Michael, and Dyane are connected educators, their contact lists obviously differ from mine. One voice on Twitter or Facebook is powerful. Our combined voices magnify that power to a significant degree.<br />
<br />
Social networking isn't just for idle chitchat. Used in a positive way, it can expand our horizons and enrich the lives of our students.<br />
<br />
If it's appropriate for your situation, please consider participating in <a href="http://kidwish.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Kid Wish</a>. If that isn't possible, then take a minute to spread the good word. It's a worthwhile project and a true reflection of what the upcoming holidays are really all about.<br />
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<br /><span><a href="http://twitter.com/dmcordell/statuses/301707722" rel="bookmark" target="_blank"><abbr title="2007-09-29T20:50:16+00:00"></abbr></a></span><br />
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dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-65546721421457061662013-11-26T18:03:00.000-05:002013-11-26T19:53:26.240-05:00In My Life<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAaH0bKYPeZF7Lr0-66P7FxpgMA0GynFjrXUbZJsIBQxqE9PpyeX50nVaV8zlKhkew2CdD953egCwaP31JhumA_jdyFJ4iZe7g-veyfOjryaXVBYivaUaNWzUCsK3WDACeRzyKTLiHl-uW/s1600/reflection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAaH0bKYPeZF7Lr0-66P7FxpgMA0GynFjrXUbZJsIBQxqE9PpyeX50nVaV8zlKhkew2CdD953egCwaP31JhumA_jdyFJ4iZe7g-veyfOjryaXVBYivaUaNWzUCsK3WDACeRzyKTLiHl-uW/s320/reflection.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Icy reflection" by dmcordell http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/8197019133/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The house is quiet, on the cusp of a busy Thanksgiving gathering. Time to take a moment for reflection.<br />
<br />
How is this retirement gig playing out? Well, I still attend, and give <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/diane/edit_my_uploads" target="_blank">presentations</a> at, professional conferences. I'm active in social networking, and participate in the photo-a-day 365 project (many people I meet f2f for the first time know me through <a href="http://dmcordell.blogspot.com/2013/09/flickr-explore.html" target="_blank">my photos</a>). Occasionally, I visit classrooms via <a href="http://dmcordell.blogspot.com/2012/04/pocket-poems.html" target="_blank">Skype</a> or interact with students as a collaborating teacher at my former school. My online work for <a href="http://cybersmart.org/" target="_blank">CyberSmart Education</a> is interesting and accommodates itself to my travel and family schedule.<br />
<br />
What do I value most? Top priority these days is interacting with my granddaughter. Although I was a stay-at-home mom myself, I find that I had forgotten (or maybe I was too busy to fully appreciate) the wonder of discovering the world anew with a young child. I teach her sign language and read stories; she shares her toys and her kisses and her unconditional love. We are a pair.<br />
<br />
Another source of satisfaction is functioning as as <a href="http://dmcordell.blogspot.com/2012/01/self-embedded-librarian.html" target="_blank">embedded librarian</a> for my far-flung network of friends and acquaintances. In my definition of the term, that means I find and share resources, connect people, do a bit of research on topics of interest: it's not that I have special talents, it's the fact that I have the unencumbered time that others might lack. I spent years acquiring my teaching and librarian skills, and I'm not about to turn my back on the profession that I love. Besides, I'd be terrible at shuffleboard.<br />
<br />
I am thankful for family and friends, reasonable health, travel opportunities, and a comfortable home to anchor my journeys.<br />
<br />
I remember the past. I dream of the future. I love the now. <br />
<br />
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.<br />
<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ne0VbepnmYwDiulcM8CEkFUKed3TRzaNFwOpE9IMPQ0gLYCnkCHvI-Lz3NpKcoynTrj8JjWIpUg3U725kscKRgm0Z9q046tWqfQytnb-51OZjbrz7EDI3U-8Nin855UK-eVmTEKkJTNX/s1600/playground.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ne0VbepnmYwDiulcM8CEkFUKed3TRzaNFwOpE9IMPQ0gLYCnkCHvI-Lz3NpKcoynTrj8JjWIpUg3U725kscKRgm0Z9q046tWqfQytnb-51OZjbrz7EDI3U-8Nin855UK-eVmTEKkJTNX/s320/playground.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Playground fun with Grandma" by Ellen White http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/9608127567/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-63802861373983243032013-10-02T09:34:00.000-04:002013-10-02T09:34:42.312-04:00There's Plenty of Room at the Top<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUjIDg1WTUM2sJ-yUiPdllE2bjOL19wU5RfuEzAwSNgoOz3qUtIPzxeFabLoivHMYaIcZNSDKjOlu9VO0IYk42EtFOREuhHvyguX1JkcoLicByZsW4CzsCNCg7FwVqKgUiwrYZvwhOl8E/s1600/Header_590w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUjIDg1WTUM2sJ-yUiPdllE2bjOL19wU5RfuEzAwSNgoOz3qUtIPzxeFabLoivHMYaIcZNSDKjOlu9VO0IYk42EtFOREuhHvyguX1JkcoLicByZsW4CzsCNCg7FwVqKgUiwrYZvwhOl8E/s400/Header_590w.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>summit</b>:</i> <i>the highest level or degree that can be attained; a conference or meeting of high-level leaders, usually called to shape a program of action. -<a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/summit" target="_blank">TheFreeDictionary</a></i></span><br />
<br />
Last week, I again had the pleasure of attending the<a href="http://www.slj.com/leadership-summit/" target="_blank"> SLJ (School Library Journal) Leadership Summit</a>, held this year in Austin, Texas. <br />
<br />
This gathering is purposely kept small, but it is by no means "exclusive." Teacher Librarians and their education partners need only apply before the list is filled. While attendees must cover their own travel and lodging expenses, there is no registration fee.<br />
<br />
<b>Program</b><br />
The Summit theme was "Transformation Through Effective Collaboration." Keynote speakers Annie Murphy Paul and Antero Garcia addressed this topic from their unique perspectives. <a href="http://anniemurphypaul.com/" target="_blank">Ms. Paul</a>, talking about "The Science of Interest," explored how learning works, linking the nurturing of interest to the growing of knowledge. <a href="http://colostate.academia.edu/AnteroGarcia" target="_blank">Mr. Garcia</a>'s presentation on "Participation and Collaboration as Critical Transformation" may be viewed on the <a href="http://www.slj.com/2013/10/digital-literacy/the-time-is-right-for-libraries-to-embrace-participatory-culture-slj-summit-2013/" target="_blank">SLJ website</a>.<br />
<br />
The Keynote Panel, an administrative team from <a href="http://www.vansd.org/" target="_blank">Vancouver, WA Public Schools</a>, discussed "Pivot Points and Opportunities for Teacher Librarians." A follow-up Leadership Exchange offered attendees the chance to pose questions about collaboration strategies in small breakout groups.<br />
<br />
Two additional panels viewed collaboration from other perspectives. During "Storytelling in Transition," authors and other creators examined how the art of sharing stories continues to evolve, with readers/viewers increasingly becoming part of the experience rather than passive consumers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeq4vNnB3Ingznr5pArY6K5wOWwaMNIbl3H0TQRHho2EsNv42etFO7yi4vT-uj2cpxD4fUw5vzKBw3G0obTe-__iGKG_FSG_zfMxs0ZSVnRMh1lQdbTPKzxHgRdF8cczBgF7lV2zdX-k2j/s1600/chopsticks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeq4vNnB3Ingznr5pArY6K5wOWwaMNIbl3H0TQRHho2EsNv42etFO7yi4vT-uj2cpxD4fUw5vzKBw3G0obTe-__iGKG_FSG_zfMxs0ZSVnRMh1lQdbTPKzxHgRdF8cczBgF7lV2zdX-k2j/s320/chopsticks.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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"Smart Stakeholders" featured representatives of the publishing companies that helped sponsor the Summit. Their message was that a business-librarian partnership is essential, as publishers seek to create resources that complement the needs of the students for whom they are purchased.<br />
<br />
American Library Association President, <a href="http://www.barbarastripling.org/" target="_blank">Barbara Stripling</a>, eloquently spoke about how "School Libraries Change Lives," and offered those present an opportunity to sign the<a href="http://www.ala.org/advocacy/declaration-right-libraries" target="_blank"> Declaration for the Right to Libraries</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigl-HpWbxmX6oqqNCLnIZpxoKpDWQva0wBTmuyL48M3BKXoQcI-q7MU72PBbWumk6AGAhStNpUMavEr1V4PbaE8Hz6Vww6RSqT5aWt6EcIZVSj-z6FP7kh9WTsJfivUv_H99rDInnvjodc/s1600/Joyce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigl-HpWbxmX6oqqNCLnIZpxoKpDWQva0wBTmuyL48M3BKXoQcI-q7MU72PBbWumk6AGAhStNpUMavEr1V4PbaE8Hz6Vww6RSqT5aWt6EcIZVSj-z6FP7kh9WTsJfivUv_H99rDInnvjodc/s320/Joyce.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>
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<br />
Also valuable were the Fast Learning short presentations by Beth Yoke, Carolyn Foote, Stephanie Ham, Deborah Jones, Jennifer D. LaBoon & Cindy Buchanan, and Joel Castro. <br />
<br />
<b>Vendors</b><br />
I'd like to take a moment to recognize the approach taken by the Summit's corporate sponsors, <a href="http://www.capstonepub.com/" target="_blank">Capstone</a>, <a href="http://www.brainhive.com/Pages/Home.aspx" target="_blank">Brain Hive</a>, <a href="http://www.cengage.com/search/showresults.do?N=197" target="_blank">Gale</a>, <a href="http://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/" target="_blank">Junior Library Guild</a>, <a href="https://www.lernerbooks.com/Pages/Home.aspx" target="_blank">Lerner</a>, <a href="http://www.mackin.com/corp/landing.html" target="_blank">Mackin</a>, <a href="https://www.rosenpublishing.com/" target="_blank">Rosen</a>, and <a href="http://rourkeeducationalmedia.com/" target="_blank">Rourke</a>. They gave us gifts, hosted dinners, and went out of their way to generate positive interactions. While representatives were available to answer questions about products and services, there were no hard sell tactics. They were there to thank us, and, by extension, all their library customers. It was a class act all the way.<br />
<br />
<b>Networking</b><br />
There were a<b> </b>number of people present whom I already knew, either through social networking sites or past conference interactions; others I met for the first time. As wonderful as virtual connections can be, nothing compares to a face-to-face conversation, which might veer off into unexpected, enlightening, or delightful directions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7ejoS-D-7SCNUBKbXyrNIuQQYkuZPHCX8VrWR_ysCasTjBvfuT0fKn2hRgoE5wZqTns_SGmy40aE9BSWe1qDJoAz-Z3D3LBCAtFxBsiFLUQtQHOKJzFItEm3TkmVA5gg6E88SnMY3qvN/s1600/carolyn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7ejoS-D-7SCNUBKbXyrNIuQQYkuZPHCX8VrWR_ysCasTjBvfuT0fKn2hRgoE5wZqTns_SGmy40aE9BSWe1qDJoAz-Z3D3LBCAtFxBsiFLUQtQHOKJzFItEm3TkmVA5gg6E88SnMY3qvN/s320/carolyn.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
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<b>Summit Sites</b><br />
Editorial Director, <a href="http://www.slj.com/author/rmiller/" target="_blank">Rebecca T. Miller</a>, told me that SLJ wants the Summit to fulfill many needs: to be informative, empowering, and enjoyable. Host cities are chosen as destinations that will offer opportunities for attendees to relax and explore a bit when formal events are over. Austin certainly met and exceeded that requirement. I'm sure the SLJ Summit 2014 location, St. Paul, MN, will be just as much fun to visit.<br />
<br />
I understand how difficult it can be for Teacher Librarians to get administrative approval for professional conferences. If you can only attend one program next year, you might want to consider SLJ Summit...it's a mighty "little" conference, where EVERYONE is a leader.<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
"Glorious and sublime Librarians." -Annie Murphy Paul</div>
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See these and other photos at <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/sets/72157635956685565/" target="_blank">SLJ Summit, Austin, Texas</a><br />
<br />dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-46056265341216023762013-09-24T15:16:00.000-04:002013-09-24T15:16:00.433-04:00Flickr Explore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMWIvRCCjFwniYo5UI-DPgLB-miLI-7FSd7MA0ati6em4DrwK57wkcyfz3YG_2SUMXmwUB86ujssVDQi7ZQEnSuURdNw39fdA7AhdhPZqa0cQiQcIBJWK-LQZu8230plCi1btaJQcENcQ/s1600/light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMWIvRCCjFwniYo5UI-DPgLB-miLI-7FSd7MA0ati6em4DrwK57wkcyfz3YG_2SUMXmwUB86ujssVDQi7ZQEnSuURdNw39fdA7AhdhPZqa0cQiQcIBJWK-LQZu8230plCi1btaJQcENcQ/s400/light.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"There Is A Crack In Everything" by dmcordell http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/9736748802/</td></tr>
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One of the ways that I choose to connect with others, in a visible and (I hope) meaningful way is through photography.<br />
<br />
For the past five years, I've been active in a few <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/project_365/" target="_blank">365 challenge groups</a>, posting a new photo on Flickr every day. Some of my images tell a story, others attempt to capture the beauty of nature or the uniqueness of the people with whom I interact in my daily life. These <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/collections/72157625723881600/" target="_blank">photosets</a> serve as a visual diary as well as an impromptu "course" in the art of the photograph. Seeing the work of others, having them offer praise for my more successful efforts, helps me to grow as - yes - an artist. <br />
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In addition to uploading them to Flickr, I share the images on Twitter, Facebook, and Plurk, thus broadening the reach of my offerings. On a good day, my daily photo might get 50-100 views, with possibly a few comments and/or favorites. An exceptionally striking or timely shot might draw an even larger audience. Extensive use of tagging contributes to the number of hits recorded.<br />
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Last week, I posted the above photo. I had just finished reading Louise Penny's latest Inspector Gamache novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Light-Gets-Inspector-ebook/dp/B00AQUTNIE" target="_blank">How the Light Gets In</a>, and was struck by the Leonard Cohen lyrics that inspired both the title and the plot:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Ring the bells that still can ring<br />Forget your perfect offering<br />There is a crack in everything<br />That's how the light gets in."<br />
-<a href="http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/leonardcohen/anthem.html" target="_blank">Anthem </a></blockquote>
As I tracked the history of my photo, I noticed first an upswell, then a tidal wave of interest. The numbers began to zoom: 500, 1,000 views...crazy numbers. I didn't understand some of the comments, until someone in my network asked if the image had been chosen for Flickr Explore. Therein lies the answer.<br />
<br />
<br />
According to some information that I found on the<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ironrodart/6144091654/" target="_blank"> site</a>,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"<a href="http://www.flickr.com/explore/">Explore</a> is Flickr's way of showcasing the most interesting photos within a given point in time -- usually over a 24 hour period. Flickr receives about 6,000 uploads every minute -- That's about 8.6 million photos a day! From this huge group of
images, the Flickr Interestingness algorithm<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null"> </a>chooses only 500 images to showcase for each 24-hour period. That's only one image in every 17,000!"</blockquote>
<br />
And how does Flickr define "Interestingness"?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"There are lots of elements that make something 'interesting' (or
not) on Flickr. Where the clickthroughs are coming from; who comments
on it and when; who marks it as a favorite; its tags and many more
things which are constantly changing. Interestingness changes over
time, as more and more fantastic content and stories are added to
Flickr." </blockquote>
<br />
My photo, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/9736748802/" target="_blank">There Is A Crack In Everything</a>, was selected for Explore on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/9767029855/" target="_blank">September 13</a>. So far, it has had 6,162 views and was favorited 169 times. Fourteen people, from countries around the world, have left comments. [I have seen some Explore images with over 25,000 views!]<br />
<br />
While I am proud of this photograph, I don't consider it my "best" one. It was a combination of the Interestingness factors, mentioned previously, that brought it to Flickr's attention. For a few days, I tried to follow some of the tips that supposedly increase your chances of being selected for Explore. But I found that such mindfulness took the fun out of my daily shoots. So now I'm back to setting my own agenda. If lightning strikes again, I would be gratified, certainly, but I don't take photos to win recognition; I take them to satisfy my creative urges.<br />
<br />
The most satisfying return for me is having others ask to use my images for various reasons of their own: to illustrate an article, to share in a family or genealogy newsletter, to clarify a point in a slideshow (I use a variety of CC licenses, but am quite willing to give permission for other uses, when contacted).<br />
<br />
I would highly recommend that you visit <a href="http://www.flickr.com/explore" target="_blank">Flickr Explore</a> to enjoy the mix of quirky, innovative, and hauntingly beautiful photographs displayed there. <br />
<br />
<br />
<i>“While there is perhaps a province in which the photograph can tell us
nothing more than what we see with our own eyes, there is another in
which it proves to us how little our eyes permit us to see.”
</i>-Dorothea Lange<br /> <br />
<br />
<i>“When people look at my pictures I want them to feel the way they do when they want to read a line of a poem twice.”</i>
-Robert Frank<br /> <br />
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<br />dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-32010035835141737742013-08-31T13:10:00.000-04:002013-08-31T13:12:13.177-04:00Maker Fun at the Farmers' Market<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimY0i6e3oBH4veRhThTtWqpVASfmL3qBn4O3ha_JCZiG6-e7qQGAbz4F3RPaI1gPzneeMFv-ckmwsvrNcSHXuQPapfS8YVdBGXO86xgNO1DXtcdhdijC4Aykw3cmNFVuoEFdmo3yyL3F0j/s1600/DSC_0016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimY0i6e3oBH4veRhThTtWqpVASfmL3qBn4O3ha_JCZiG6-e7qQGAbz4F3RPaI1gPzneeMFv-ckmwsvrNcSHXuQPapfS8YVdBGXO86xgNO1DXtcdhdijC4Aykw3cmNFVuoEFdmo3yyL3F0j/s320/DSC_0016.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Glens Falls Farmers' Market" by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/9635200739/" target="_blank">dmcordell</a></td></tr>
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A drizzly Saturday morning seemed like the perfect opportunity to visit our weekly Farmers' Market. I bought some fresh vegetables, homemade bread, and a molasses cookie to nibble on.<br />
<br />
In addition to produce, flowers, and baked goods, today's market featured a Maker Space. Although the volunteers in charge had never heard the term before, they were happy to embrace the concept and asked me to blog about their efforts.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXVO0nri01W129DoxSoCeQU9O6DSCXxIkqvcbW1FpBFRkzlnSV6D9b_1nXDJI75NYkRAfPrMhW2uHDGSJNKAcxiRwq0wqp8wkz5Y2mLbCNclj-kUe2u_kQiUtQacqD79o2vOo29DWlOtG/s1600/DSC_0011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXVO0nri01W129DoxSoCeQU9O6DSCXxIkqvcbW1FpBFRkzlnSV6D9b_1nXDJI75NYkRAfPrMhW2uHDGSJNKAcxiRwq0wqp8wkz5Y2mLbCNclj-kUe2u_kQiUtQacqD79o2vOo29DWlOtG/s320/DSC_0011.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Maker space" by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/9635207799/" target="_blank">dmcordell</a></td></tr>
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The activity, run by the <a href="http://warrencounty4-h.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Warren County 4-H Club</a> and <span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl"><a href="http://tricountynytransition.weebly.com/index.html" target="_blank">Tri-County Transition Town</a> (a sustainable living group), invited visitors to </span></span><span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl">create upcycled t-shirt bags. Supplies and sewing machines were available, along with free samples and printed instructions (adapted from <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/FASTEST-RECYCLED-T-SHIRT-TOTE-BAG/#step1" target="_blank">instructables</a>) for future projects. A fact sheet about plastic bags added to the educational value of the project.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjL-EWchldZ5gtLq86AGdO7OWkuYRbnBXPR7ypBX1-bpvESj7nJQQ81g1pxoVxvvt_3H8IaAXvSKuq9mbiVf29lhqsxx_3rPfFa4AAfMo_4WPaJmFvF3PVR-Dbey-PF9-agHXFrJ3i7L47/s1600/DSC_0013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjL-EWchldZ5gtLq86AGdO7OWkuYRbnBXPR7ypBX1-bpvESj7nJQQ81g1pxoVxvvt_3H8IaAXvSKuq9mbiVf29lhqsxx_3rPfFa4AAfMo_4WPaJmFvF3PVR-Dbey-PF9-agHXFrJ3i7L47/s320/DSC_0013.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Facts about plastic bags" by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/9638444142/" target="_blank">dmcordell </a></td></tr>
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<span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl"><br /></span></span>
<span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl">Crafting similar t-shirt bags would be a great classroom activity, marrying creativity with authentic learning. Students could make the bags and tuck information about recycling and environmental issues inside.</span></span><br />
<span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl"><br /></span></span>
<span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl">Coincidentally, today my Twitter feed linked me to an excellent blog posting, <a href="http://smartblogs.com/education/2013/08/20/why-the-maker-movement-matters/" target="_blank">Why the Maker Movement matters to educators</a>, by Sylvia Martinex and Gary Stager. </span></span><br />
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<span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl">Maker spaces are not exclusively about building high tech models. Gather up some t-shirts and let your students sew up a useful product with a socially-responsible twist.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqrWsWg-yCuUeqFzIYNpY0Koaza366qh0IIMHvUxEXZx29FtBHsFwGR13Q6mT9bPoDZ84256cq_KvoSpxdF0N-PUjM_6P5YUj7ip-Ygl76_y4MvUStIK7-lrA0EgVGp6dtrDTW44AibMr/s1600/DSC_0012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqrWsWg-yCuUeqFzIYNpY0Koaza366qh0IIMHvUxEXZx29FtBHsFwGR13Q6mT9bPoDZ84256cq_KvoSpxdF0N-PUjM_6P5YUj7ip-Ygl76_y4MvUStIK7-lrA0EgVGp6dtrDTW44AibMr/s320/DSC_0012.jpg" width="203" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"T-shirt bag" by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/9638444982/" target="_blank">dmcordell</a></td></tr>
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<span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl"><br /></span></span>dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-87445968973357510122013-08-16T09:36:00.001-04:002013-08-16T09:36:20.600-04:00Summer Reading<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKZf7WuYKylbGztTImJFdnjVPP61Rv6we8sWtzGqfBkVIW7MmRrK6CjNrXyZMl4WXm7xQcTi7idizsMLxiT4fncA4hduVetxh_TtaWA_qVxQAzKfigv1F_t5ebu5fFhH7TP-4YMLEnP_a/s1600/reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKZf7WuYKylbGztTImJFdnjVPP61Rv6we8sWtzGqfBkVIW7MmRrK6CjNrXyZMl4WXm7xQcTi7idizsMLxiT4fncA4hduVetxh_TtaWA_qVxQAzKfigv1F_t5ebu5fFhH7TP-4YMLEnP_a/s400/reading.jpg" width="277" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/7068829545/" target="_blank">Outside the New York Public Library</a>" by dmcordell</td></tr>
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Our local newspaper ran an <a href="http://m.poststar.com/news/local/librarian-suggests-turning-the-page-on-longtime-reading-club-winner/article_bdbebbc6-0625-11e3-b6f4-0019bb2963f4.html" target="_blank">article</a> today about a nearby public library and its summer reading program.<br />
<br />
Evidently one young man has won prizes for the last five years because of the number of books he completed as part of a reading challenge. While the children's room aide applauds this accomplishment and sees no problem in continuing the competition, her director wants to change the procedure to give every child a chance to win by entering participants' name in a random drawing.<br />
<br />
Each woman makes some valid points:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Casey [the library aide] said everyone in the club is on a level playing field because all
begin and end the same day and all have the opportunity to read as many
books as they wish...My feeling is you work, you get it. That’s just the way it is in anything." </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
An opposing viewpoint comes from Gandron, the director, "Tyler 'hogs' the contest every year and he should 'step aside.' Other kids quit because they can’t keep up." </blockquote>
<br />
I am a very fast reader. As a child, I could have easily bested my peers in this type of contest - but I read because I loved it, not for praise or prizes. When reading now, I sometimes have to consciously slow myself down, to savor language and grasp nuances.<br />
<br />
Some of my school library students devoured books, showing up many times during the week to select new titles. Others were plodders, slowly working through their reading selections. There is room in the world for both approaches to literature, especially when it comes to reading for pleasure rather than solely for information.<br />
<br />
Are reading contests beneficial to students? Would a book club be a better choice...or would that seem too "schooly"? I'd be interested in learning how other librarians approach this issue.<br />
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<br />dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-66368763634455531042013-08-13T09:55:00.000-04:002013-08-13T09:55:52.050-04:00Podstock: The Perfect Little Conference<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4VMPL2rMt74brDt2EHDVy2RTkSO_qRZD-TOWPnWTQXtmiYbxq0H1sgIHk0L5bT35OdZFW_rpjj8XufRLme_PZ9d1JlRIM7gTKjkwJRui5lJ06ZbcBDcHce4BD0AxFwXkcNOAvTp9-7wi/s1600/Podstock+Registration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4VMPL2rMt74brDt2EHDVy2RTkSO_qRZD-TOWPnWTQXtmiYbxq0H1sgIHk0L5bT35OdZFW_rpjj8XufRLme_PZ9d1JlRIM7gTKjkwJRui5lJ06ZbcBDcHce4BD0AxFwXkcNOAvTp9-7wi/s400/Podstock+Registration.jpg" width="261" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/9327540354/" target="_blank">Podstock Registration</a>" by dmcordell</td></tr>
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It's been almost a month since I<b> </b>attended my first <a href="http://podstock2013.org/" target="_blank">Podstock</a>, so I've had time to organize my thoughts and reflect a bit on the experience. <br />
<br />
<b>Expectations</b><br />
I already knew a lot about this conference from interacting on social networking sites, particularly <a href="http://www.plurk.com/" target="_blank">Plurk</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/%E2%80%8E" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Podstock is a (deliberately) small conference, averaging about 300 attendees. All of the keynotes and sessions are held at the Hotel at Old Town Conference Center, in Wichita Kansas. Because of the intimate setting, I felt reasonably sure that I'd have the opportunity to interact with a number of my online acquaintances face-to-face. The slideshow I had prepared for my presentation was uploaded and saved to my laptop, SlideShare, and a flash drive, ready to share with friends old and new.<br />
<br />
<b>Realities - The Good</b><br />
Podstock, the conference, was every bit as welcoming and interactive as I had expected. The <a href="https://www.essdack.org/" target="_blank">ESSDACK</a> staff worked tirelessly to make sure that all attendees had a positive experience. <a href="http://www.oldtownwichita.com/" target="_blank">Old Town Wichita</a>, with its historic architecture and abundance of restaurants and shops, provided the perfect setting for exploring and connecting, during meals or informal activities, like our early morning PhotoWalk.<br />
<br />
<b>Realities - The Bad</b><br />
Kansas tends to be HOT in July, so our time outdoors was limited. This wasn't unexpected, so appropriate wardrobe choice and intelligent planning resulted in a reasonably comfortable visit. My own personal disaster occurred when I nodded off in bed and spilled a sticky liquid on my laptop. This resulted in an inoperative keyboard (subsequently fixed, thanks to the Apple Genius Bar) and some pre-presentation stress. Fortunately, the ESSDACK crew provided me with a loaner computer and my flashdrive saved the day. <br />
<br />
<b>Realities - The Awesome (a partial list)</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Unconference: This was my first opportunity to connect more personally with people like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/edventures" target="_blank">John Martin</a>, a member of my Network for years - a "real" friend but not one I had met face-to-face before. Another online friend, <a href="https://twitter.com/SDSherry" target="_blank">Sherry Crofut</a>, shared her <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Glass" target="_blank">Google Glass</a>, giving us a literal and figurative peek into the future, or, at least one possibility for digital evolution. Social aspects aside, it was energizing to propose, vote on, and participate in discussions with fellow learners. I chose one conversation about Maker Spaces and another about Badges. Both were lively and thought-provoking. It was the perfect way to seque into the (slightly) more formal conference experience.</li>
<li>Opening Keynote: <a href="http://podstock2013.org/2013/01/28/mark-klassen-podstock-2013-keynote/" target="_blank">Mark Klassen</a>, a 19-year-old cinematographer, shared the story of how he used his Personal Learning Network and other online resources to learn film-making. Many of the concepts he touched upon, connectedness, passion, life-long learning, were repeated throughout the conference.</li>
<li>Sessions I attended (all were excellent): Dean Mantz & Wesley Fryer, <a href="http://podstock2013.org/2013-schedule/?subject=show_details&_year=2013&sid=180#180" target="_blank">CSI: Creative Storytelling Investigation</a>; Dan Whisler, <a href="http://podstock2013.org/2013-schedule/?subject=show_details&_year=2013&sid=186#186" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Energy 101 - KidWind & the SHS Chevy Volt Project</span></a>;
Butch Wilson, <a href="http://podstock2013.org/2013-schedule/?subject=show_details&_year=2013&sid=196#196" target="_blank">We Are Irons: Why We Asked Google to Lie to Us</a>; Ginger Lewman, <a href="http://podstock2013.org/2013-schedule/?subject=show_details&_year=2013&sid=202#202" target="_blank">PBL Conversations</a>; and a last-minute replacement presentation by Wesley Fryer on <a href="http://maps.playingwithmedia.com/visual-notetaking/" target="_blank">Visual Notetaking</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://maps.playingwithmedia.com/visual-notetaking/" target="_blank">Vendor Reception and Dance</a> - refreshments, swag, music, dancing...what's not to like!</li>
<li><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/sets/72157634706492669/" target="_blank">Podstock PhotoWalk</a>: John Martin and I led a merry group of photographers on a mini-tour of Old Town. </li>
<li>Closing Keynote: Kevin Honeycutt, <a href="http://podstock2013.org/2013-schedule/?subject=show_details&_year=2013&sid=210#210" target="_blank">Starting and Maintaining a Revolution</a>. Kevin challenged us to change the world by changing ourselves, our expectations, our approach to life and learning. It's a message that applies across the education spectrum, to teachers, yes, but also to students, administrators, parents, all stakeholders in the future.<b> </b></li>
</ul>
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
Although I got very positive feedback on my <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/mobile/diane/seeing-is-deceiving-24076036" target="_blank">presentation</a>, Seeing is Deceiving, I soon realized that Podstock is best suited for a different approach to sharing and learning. Ginger Lewman and Butch Wilson, in particular, modeled the type of loosely structured, participant-driven conversation which I hope to emulate in the future. Will I submit a proposal next year? Already working on it. Will I return to Podstock? Just try to stop me!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1tFgp1jPxKx0gq7gy0QSCKvNIVaN73RW8jXlDKDEoeJ79So64DFMBWy-hrdWFrFBe6Ql5mhUBZQSYGPUVgnOATxAyazQ2Cjh8tJqSB4PhV9yKr443obIVsV-Aohao4KOa1bAzpHryBxx/s1600/Photowalk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1tFgp1jPxKx0gq7gy0QSCKvNIVaN73RW8jXlDKDEoeJ79So64DFMBWy-hrdWFrFBe6Ql5mhUBZQSYGPUVgnOATxAyazQ2Cjh8tJqSB4PhV9yKr443obIVsV-Aohao4KOa1bAzpHryBxx/s320/Photowalk.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/9324752508/" target="_blank">Photowalk</a>" by dmcordell </td></tr>
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<b>Additional Resources</b><br />
<a href="http://seeingisdeceiving.wikispaces.com/home" target="_blank">Seeing Is Deceiving Wiki</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/477957698962830/" target="_blank">Podstock '13 Facebook Page </a><br />
<a href="http://podstock.ning.com/" target="_blank">Podstock Ning</a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/sets/72157634718705654/" target="_blank">Podstock Photoset</a><br />
<br />dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-32842015827770802482013-07-15T07:30:00.000-04:002013-07-15T07:30:25.011-04:00Podstock Photowalk<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjG3FuhdTRf8cxMW-QG2vSab1bcvz6JTH856NY6V3NaLAv9rbFryPN_RlDn2TEre_TjsGWtVuMBriitWeOvIDOVjswIPZ8WSn-KpWCtvbNKbB0e6qPesClH0jnqA9Z-__exlHjB3ypWFG/s1600/Photowalk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjG3FuhdTRf8cxMW-QG2vSab1bcvz6JTH856NY6V3NaLAv9rbFryPN_RlDn2TEre_TjsGWtVuMBriitWeOvIDOVjswIPZ8WSn-KpWCtvbNKbB0e6qPesClH0jnqA9Z-__exlHjB3ypWFG/s400/Photowalk.jpg" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/7609882056/" target="_blank">"Self-portrait"</a> by dmcordell </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm excited to be attending my first <a href="http://podstock2013.com/" target="_blank">Podstock</a> this week, in Wichita, KS. This mighty little conference brings together an eclectic mix of educators from across the country to converse, collaborate, and have fun learning.<br />
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Although I wasn't able to be there in person last year, I did participate virtually in the first Podstock Photowalk. By setting out at approximately the same time of day, and choosing a similar location (a small local city with some historic older buildings), I duplicated the feel, if not the "reality," of the experience.<br />
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<a href="http://dmcordell.blogspot.com/2012/07/photowalks-art-of-observation.html" target="_blank">Photowalk resources</a><br />
<a href="http://dmcordell.blogspot.com/2012/07/photowalk.html" target="_blank">Virtual Podstock Photowalk</a> <br />
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Here's this year's information...please join us on Friday!<br />
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<span style="color: rgb(60.000000%, 60.000000%, 60.000000%); font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 18.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Photowalk Podstock 2013
Friday, July 19
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<span style="color: rgb(60.000000%, 60.000000%, 60.000000%); font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-style: italic;">With special guest photographers: John Martin and Diane Cordell
</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(60.000000%, 60.000000%, 60.000000%); font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 18.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Overview
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">We are excited to announce our second annual Podstock PhotoWalk! This event will take
place Friday morning (July 19, 2013). We’ll be gathering to take a walk and explore the
surrounding Wichita Old Town area around the Podstock conference center. It’s a great
way to make new friends, find some hidden gems for photos, as well as stretch our legs
before/after a long day of sessions.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">We’ll gather at a Old Town Hotel Lobby and have planned stops for potential photo
opportunities, but participants are always welcome to pause and shoot as the eye desires.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">There will also be a couple of geocaches to look for along the way!
Afterward, we’ll share our photos in a Flickr group to see what magic others have captured!
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">If you’re interested in participating, keep reading for all the details!
*Virtual participants are very welcome to participate! see details below
</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(60.000000%, 60.000000%, 60.000000%); font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 18.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Support Resources
</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(6.670000%, 33.330000%, 80.000000%); font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">http://digital-photography-school.com/10-tips-for-a-great-photowalk
http://www.nctp.com/photosafari/PhotoSafari_Ver1.0.pdf great book on photo safari
</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(60.000000%, 60.000000%, 60.000000%); font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 18.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Date & Time
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">July 19, 2013
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">7am – Old Town Hotel Lobby for photography tips, geocaching information, and group picture
7:15am - begin walk<br />
8:30am-Podstock sessions start
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<span style="color: rgb(60.000000%, 60.000000%, 60.000000%); font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 18.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Photo Themes
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-style: italic;">Morning walk:
Basic Learning Blocks (colors, alphabet, numbers, etc)
Technology<br />
Panorama<br />
In Shadow / In Light<br />
Happiness is...<br />
Take a Closer Look
</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(60.000000%, 60.000000%, 60.000000%); font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 18.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Signing up
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">Just join the Podstock group and spread the word!
</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(60.000000%, 60.000000%, 60.000000%); font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 18.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Sharing your pics
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Twitter Hashtag
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">#PodstockPhotoWalk13
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Flickr tags: PodstockPhotoWalk13, Podstock13, and your theme name
</span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">(virtual participants also tag with VirtualPodstock)
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">You can also choose a theme and upload them pics4learning.com
</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(60.000000%, 60.000000%, 60.000000%); font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 18.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">*Virtual participation
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">For those who aren’t able to be at Podstock in person, but who would still like to join in on the fun
virtually, we have the Virtual Podstock PhotoWalk!
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">Here are the rules of the game:
1) Pick your own time of day (morning and evening light is awesome)
2) Go shoot your stuff!
3) Upload to the Flickr just as the rest of us will, but be sure to tag your photos with
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">“VirtualPodstock” so we can be sure to give a little extra love to your dedication and participation.
</span><br />
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dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-73714344710844933062013-04-12T13:20:00.002-04:002013-04-12T13:28:09.368-04:00Computers in Libraries<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifFPh24qLKSdVGkbZLRtVqfJLfwrs2uet-RJ_5Ufi9R4W1ulkxU76oUxYjVahq42h6vdmUulraC84J4ku3kJZZanNReDioLG3biXFwbQawWH5GM72eNHVcpkbnDdMDZulurvlsrL_82N77/s1600/cherry.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifFPh24qLKSdVGkbZLRtVqfJLfwrs2uet-RJ_5Ufi9R4W1ulkxU76oUxYjVahq42h6vdmUulraC84J4ku3kJZZanNReDioLG3biXFwbQawWH5GM72eNHVcpkbnDdMDZulurvlsrL_82N77/s400/cherry.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
<br />
This past week marked my first attendance at the <a href="http://www.infotoday.com/CIL2013/" target="_blank">Computers in Libraries </a>(CIL) conference, held yearly in Washington, DC.<br />
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The atmosphere at CIL is low-key, friendly, and inclusive. Attendees are united by a common interest in technology as it affects libraries and their users. There are five tracks, with different themes, but the keynotes are universal and tracks are open to anyone curious about the topic at hand. Cross pollination continues during breaks, at meals, or around the fire pits on the hotel terrace. Keynote videos and many presentation resources are now <a href="http://www.infotoday.com/CIL2013/Presentations.asp" target="_blank">publicly available on the CIL site</a>.<br />
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As a presenter, I was energized by the response to my topic, <a href="http://www.infotoday.com/CIL2013/session.asp?ID=E204" target="_blank">The Connected Library</a>. Fellow librarians came up to chat afterwards, and I observed some of the audience members accessing tools I had highlighted within minutes of the slideshow. Others have commented on Twitter about how they will use what I shared, the ultimate test of a presentation's relevance, particularly since my focus was on social networking.<br />
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An added bonus was the glorious weather in Washington. Many of us were able to take the time to explore a bit. My photographs of the Cherry Blossom Festival, War Memorials, and CIL itself are available in a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/sets/72157633204589218/" target="_blank">Flickr set</a>.<br />
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Would I go to CIL again? Absolutely! And next year, I plan to stay a bit longer so that I can attend more sessions and visit more local attractions.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://connectedlife.wikispaces.com/" target="_blank">The Connected Library wiki</a> <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="356" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/16758419?rel=0" style="border-width: 1px 1px 0; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="427"> </iframe> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<b> <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/diane/the-connected-life-and-the-library" target="_blank" title="The connected life and the library">The connected life and the library</a> </b> from <b><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/diane" target="_blank">Diane Cordell</a></b> </div>
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"The Cherry Blossom Festival" by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/8640772294/" target="_blank">dmcordell </a><br />
<br />dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-59495076263664389112013-03-27T20:41:00.000-04:002013-03-27T20:41:16.146-04:00National Poetry Month: Walk With Nature<i>Inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry
Month is now held every April, when schools, publishers, libraries,
booksellers, and poets throughout the United States band together to
celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture. Thousands of
organizations participate through readings, festivals, book displays,
workshops, and other events. -<a href="http://poets.org/">Poets.org</a></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
As I have done for the past few years, I've created a slideshow in honor of National Poetry Month.<br />
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My first effort, <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/diane/poems-in-words-and-images" target="_blank">Poems In Words and Images,</a> featured a combination of my own and Creative Commons photographs:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="356" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/7655971?rel=0" style="border-width: 1px 1px 0; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="427"> </iframe> <div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<strong> <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/diane/poems-in-words-and-images" target="_blank" title="Poems in words and images">Poems in words and images</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/diane" target="_blank">Diane Cordell</a></strong> </div>
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<br />
Last year, I challenged myself to only use my original images to construct <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/diane/picturing-poetry" target="_blank">Picturing Poetry</a>:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="356" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/12242703?rel=0" style="border-width: 1px 1px 0; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="427"> </iframe> <div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<strong> <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/diane/picturing-poetry" target="_blank" title="Picturing poetry">Picturing poetry</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/diane" target="_blank">Diane Cordell</a></strong> </div>
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This year, I've selected verses based on a nature theme, pairing them with photos from my Flickr photostream. I hope you enjoy <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/diane/walk-with-nature" target="_blank">Walk With Nature</a>:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="356" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/17777067?rel=0" style="border-width: 1px 1px 0; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="427"> </iframe> <div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<strong> <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/diane/walk-with-nature" target="_blank" title="Walk with nature">Walk with nature</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/diane" target="_blank">Diane Cordell</a></strong> </div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance."</i> -Carl Sandburg </div>
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dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-50333598490491233622013-03-25T10:22:00.000-04:002013-03-25T17:14:25.859-04:00All Shall Be Well<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoV9o907JuYjteqHiSGmvScRfyOK1kzQjmzol2rhNyOhsrS8Mhscd8rWr-J2CjcVtQQ8_px2lXXvdbWkNNO2UZlPym1owDioGye61f2RdDYKQ4674dOM7UvepD5qK4yIblhQ4ZHhYIhj9H/s1600/Julian-cell.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoV9o907JuYjteqHiSGmvScRfyOK1kzQjmzol2rhNyOhsrS8Mhscd8rWr-J2CjcVtQQ8_px2lXXvdbWkNNO2UZlPym1owDioGye61f2RdDYKQ4674dOM7UvepD5qK4yIblhQ4ZHhYIhj9H/s1600/Julian-cell.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/the-three-desires-of-julian-of-norwich" target="_blank">The Three Desires of Julian of Norwich</a></td></tr>
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Sometimes I do a bit a research just for the fun of it. This morning, a tweet from <a href="https://twitter.com/LizB" target="_blank">Liz Burns</a> sent me on my merry way:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMOfIrPZgUZ7IXBOCLDgs_SRWMJJ9iPN-6vo1XjkIpcMWUWsDCQZilU9AIJLQREqe4LQZwfmQosHFUBBM0PjbynY6i-VdvBq1MRSMwOZyHyCshygQdYlu5PBX53JPLjwvFC-gD45yVbpw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-03-25+at+9.17.58+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="99" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMOfIrPZgUZ7IXBOCLDgs_SRWMJJ9iPN-6vo1XjkIpcMWUWsDCQZilU9AIJLQREqe4LQZwfmQosHFUBBM0PjbynY6i-VdvBq1MRSMwOZyHyCshygQdYlu5PBX53JPLjwvFC-gD45yVbpw/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-03-25+at+9.17.58+AM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I discovered that this quote is attributed to <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08557a.htm" target="_blank">Julian of Norwich</a>, a 14th-15th century Christian mystic. Her visions while seriously ill led her to write <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revelations_of_Divine_Love" title="Revelations of Divine Love">Revelations of Divine Love</a></i> (ca. 1393), purportedly the first book composed in the English language by a woman. Despite living in a time of turmoil, punctuated by peasant revolts and outbreaks of the Black Death, Julian believed in a merciful and loving deity. She claimed that her famous "All will be well..." was spoken directly to her by God.<br />
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The lines were incorporated into T. S. Eliot's <a href="http://allspirit.co.uk/gidding.html" target="_blank">Little Gidding</a> (1941-42):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Whatever we inherit from the fortunate<br />
We have taken from the defeated<br />
What they had to leave us—a symbol:<br />
A symbol perfected in death.<br />
And all shall be well and<br />
All manner of thing shall be well<br />
By the purification of the motive<br />
In the ground of our beseeching."</blockquote>
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In more recent times, Julian's words appear in an amazing variety of song lyrics:<br />
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Pete Townshend (from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Iron_Man:_The_Musical_by_Pete_Townshend" target="_blank">The Iron Man: The Musical, 1989</a>)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aqBLFx758iE" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Anderson Peterson (from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Far_Country_%28album%29" target="_blank">The Far Country</a>, 2005)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Qqv4D-8aFHY" width="420"></iframe><br />
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A more traditional rendition by OHRWURM Folk Orchestra (c. 2012)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/I-irwWT3oYg" width="420"></iframe><br />
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And for Easter, from the Oremus Hymnal (1984)<br />
<a href="http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/a/a160.html" target="_blank">All shall be well! Lift every voice on high;"Death has no more dominion but shall die." </a><br />
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Poetry, song lyrics, even the <a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/All_Shall_Be_Well.html?id=c16swQNRC4EC" target="_blank">title of a murder mystery</a>...Julian of Norwich's words live on. Tracking down the source of this quote, and its modern manifestations, was a lovely little task for a Monday morning.<br />
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Thanks for the inspiration, Liz!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjagwsPNcDAq_Ak7bT4fgcaSaXQzgdhxmlXl8RU7kuNXzVKzyoExF_j0llkUy9XxSMcRh1_DPJSvV4lciod0say9mliGSW9jy9PiEjqB0mMAvlsUqHoqxXUOuwNRCUxMmRso3AVJytOmZ/s1600/quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjagwsPNcDAq_Ak7bT4fgcaSaXQzgdhxmlXl8RU7kuNXzVKzyoExF_j0llkUy9XxSMcRh1_DPJSvV4lciod0say9mliGSW9jy9PiEjqB0mMAvlsUqHoqxXUOuwNRCUxMmRso3AVJytOmZ/s320/quote.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"ALL SHALL BE WELL" By <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwr/4635114139/" target="_blank">Leo Reynolds</a></td></tr>
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<br />dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-10665734384945494432013-03-15T10:08:00.001-04:002013-03-16T10:11:03.234-04:00A Semi-post About Google ReaderI saw this notice on Google Reader:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_20NSmDidtyKgPSUHaUSfm0fl8uJizvY_wENZstPbsEElEe4renZtDXl1hRpKSsFbDzplGLNVEHPQqVLhCkbLK-bLZa7Y7khwwACcnUn62SlPFYbQgcitTXATXCREiCXtu06MA_iRSzL/s1600/Google+Reader.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_20NSmDidtyKgPSUHaUSfm0fl8uJizvY_wENZstPbsEElEe4renZtDXl1hRpKSsFbDzplGLNVEHPQqVLhCkbLK-bLZa7Y7khwwACcnUn62SlPFYbQgcitTXATXCREiCXtu06MA_iRSzL/s320/Google+Reader.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Through my social networks, most notably Twitter, I was already aware of the impending demise of GR. Within a relatively short time period, I saw numerous RSS aggregator options suggested, evaluated, and endorsed, all in 140 characters or less. Ultimately I chose <a href="http://www.feedly.com/" target="_blank">Feedly</a>, which seamlessly migrated my Reader content.<br />
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It is troubling when well-regarded free sites and services cease operation. I'm still angry at Picnik's termination and skittish about its "reincarnation" as <a href="http://www.ribbet.com/" target="_blank">Ribbet</a>. I've <a href="http://www.picmonkey.com/" target="_blank">moved on.</a><br />
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And although <a href="http://www.flickr.com/" target="_blank">Flickr</a> seems to be thriving, I've also taken steps to back up my photos. Some content is too precious to risk on the vagaries of chance and the Internet gods.<br />
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To be honest, the Google Reader situation is less disruptive to my online life than it would have been a few years ago. As you can see in the screenshot above, there are 1000+ unread items in my feed. Where once I religiously scanned GR daily, I now check infrequently. Most of my information, resources, and conversations flow through social networking sites these days.<br />
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I laughed at Judy's retweet today, then decided to do a sort of non-post post. Google Reader is old news in the connected life.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcumNcogQsSiVp62x1Q8uabB_lltAy_fjZwzRGiNrEBfkWI5eH5GXg31gORpizNYjxf5YBZDckq8Ymacb3Fdq8fZdBjwx1knLRKQBPU966SLkRdec0Zi3y5esl6skyY8BszjUkyHRbZ4MF/s1600/Old+news.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcumNcogQsSiVp62x1Q8uabB_lltAy_fjZwzRGiNrEBfkWI5eH5GXg31gORpizNYjxf5YBZDckq8Ymacb3Fdq8fZdBjwx1knLRKQBPU966SLkRdec0Zi3y5esl6skyY8BszjUkyHRbZ4MF/s400/Old+news.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
<i>Thanks <a href="https://twitter.com/heyjudeonline" target="_blank">Judy O'Connell</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ijclark" target="_blank">Ian Clark</a> for inspiring this post!</i>dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-90768393543475087752013-02-26T11:04:00.000-05:002013-02-26T11:04:18.131-05:00New Friends and Yearbook Tips<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu357ZdOFT1fRDdBF59fuctr9QLMJ7Bz1rbGPSaH873Tmd28Ia3Dbq_qQxrbvBEWhNvj90IAx4F4_g44Ggw_qqJYpdOW8RR95lx-da-oENW185Ym1MgINVx9klg_IWUuWHW9eI8NNnWhtx/s1600/souls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu357ZdOFT1fRDdBF59fuctr9QLMJ7Bz1rbGPSaH873Tmd28Ia3Dbq_qQxrbvBEWhNvj90IAx4F4_g44Ggw_qqJYpdOW8RR95lx-da-oENW185Ym1MgINVx9klg_IWUuWHW9eI8NNnWhtx/s320/souls.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Sympathetic souls" by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/8422737389/" target="_blank">dmcordell</a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For me, the best part of attending conferences is meeting people outside of my network. At <a href="http://dmcordell.blogspot.com/2013/01/my-educon.html" target="_blank">EduCon</a> this year, I serendipitously sat down at a table with this group of powerhouse women: <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=10185350&locale=en_US&trk=tyah2" target="_blank">Anne Collier</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/psheehy" target="_blank">Peggy Sheehy</a>, and <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=13135745&locale=en_US&trk=tyah2" target="_blank">Marianne Malmstrom</a>. Some <i>very</i> interesting conversation ensued, including Marianne's comment that she would love a few photography tips to pass along to her school yearbook committee.<br />
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I hope to Skype with these students at some point, but until then, I've created a brief slideshow for them. If anyone has further tips, please be sure to share them in the comments on my blog or on the SlideShare site.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="356" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/16781893?rel=0" style="border-width: 1px 1px 0; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="427"> </iframe> <br />
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<b> <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/diane/the-way-we-were-16781893" target="_blank" title="The way we were">The way we were</a> </b> from <b><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/diane" target="_blank">Diane Cordell</a></b> </div>
dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-47484623928484529882013-01-29T22:27:00.001-05:002013-01-29T22:35:26.467-05:00My Educon<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGFQy4WpAQ6qlDU_AxXFDdlZx57BcNONgG09tTb6GY8Nr5081vaWBdzFB0Yt-0woFoQQUVwlbWm3n4mu8Dp4BSo9vpj5CSppkAIilb_1K2KpVDl7V0Y06zEhk7je3KEHLwRTzv6Wu7brc/s1600/SLA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGFQy4WpAQ6qlDU_AxXFDdlZx57BcNONgG09tTb6GY8Nr5081vaWBdzFB0Yt-0woFoQQUVwlbWm3n4mu8Dp4BSo9vpj5CSppkAIilb_1K2KpVDl7V0Y06zEhk7je3KEHLwRTzv6Wu7brc/s400/SLA.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Science Leadership Academy" by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/8415416770/" target="_blank">dmcordell</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I just got home from that innovative, energizing, inspiring gathering known as <a href="http://educonphilly.org/" target="_blank">Educon</a>. <br />
<br />
Since I'm retired from my position as a K-12 Teacher Librarian (although I still do occasional curriculum writing for <a href="http://www.cybersmart.org/" target="_blank">CyberSmart! Education Company</a>), and I pay my own way, I can pretty much tailor the experience to suit my personal interests. I feel free to either attend sessions or sit out a time slot and chat with people, usually a blend of both.<br />
<br />
<b>A Selection of Sessions</b><br />
In <a href="http://educonphilly.org/conversations/remixeducon" target="_blank">@remixeducon</a>, I got to interact with George Mayo and Harry Costner, who had already contacted me by email to ask permission to add some of my photos to a resource they were creating. Their <a href="https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B2TrxLCqUQN0dGdBaHFMT2R6ZGM/edit" target="_blank">remixeducon folder</a> contains CC licensed pictures and video clips made by Educon participants, available for public use. An unexpected bonus was meeting <a href="http://www.visualsforchange.com/" target="_blank">Amanda Lyons</a>, who showed us examples of her visual note taking and suggested creating the Community Mural that was later hung on the second floor.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmWPTC-NIjCmLv0EWGXvDvswy_GLu7QwNPVz3hjPT3dcAlx-5Z548x5hvdVMJ86GDzv9mCAa0-MHPqmDmEcWY1lUODiiqJbZgnqt8Gj9179oaHE7vrBZVN8_ObRaUAxsDw04zOgcIFXyd/s1600/mural.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmWPTC-NIjCmLv0EWGXvDvswy_GLu7QwNPVz3hjPT3dcAlx-5Z548x5hvdVMJ86GDzv9mCAa0-MHPqmDmEcWY1lUODiiqJbZgnqt8Gj9179oaHE7vrBZVN8_ObRaUAxsDw04zOgcIFXyd/s400/mural.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Community Mural" by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/8422855297/" target="_blank">dmcordell</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I've become increasingly interested in the concept of "curation," and who better to explore it with than <a href="http://educonphilly.org/conversations/Curation:three_ways" target="_blank">Joyce Valenza</a>? She quoted from from Pierre Levy, who envisions knowledge communities where "the members of a thinking community search, inscribe, connect, consult,
explore..." In an increasingly complex information age, the ability to archive, organize and retrieve digital assets is vital. Joyce's slide presentation, and an extensive list of resources addressing this topic, can be found on her <a href="http://curation.wikispaces.com/" target="_blank">curation wiki</a>.<br />
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During John Schinker's <a href="http://educonphilly.org/conversations/Mind_the_Gap" target="_blank">Mind the Gap</a> session, a diverse group of educators tackled some difficult questions: (1) What can I do to effect change in my school? (2) How can I support
and encourage change among the other roles? (3) How can I create a sense
of urgency for change in my environment? There were, of course, no definitive solutions. There was, however, an interesting range of responses. This is the sort of interaction that I miss when working on my own, and it served to remind me that there is not a consensus regarding school reform even among forward thinkers in the education field.<br />
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<b>Close Encounters of the Best Kind</b><br />
It's no surprise to those who know me that my favorite part of any conference is interacting with people. I was happy to reunite with some old friends and make some new and promising connections. I chatted with SLA parents and student guides, trying to grasp what makes this school special in their eyes (cropping up again and again were phrases like "authentic student voice," "caring community," "project-based learning"). Conversations frequently took unexpected turns, and off-hand comments sparked interesting discussions. For example, when I flippantly remarked that students should be more like retirees, my tablemates' questions led me to articulate what makes retirement so wonderful...freedom to pursue passions, learning what & when I want to, choosing work hours that suit my personal body clock...that might also make school a better experience for students. I've already added a number of new people to my Network, so that my Educon experience won't end with the last scheduled session.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitxD4uue-idF9Ijeit00iOm5cqD0NMBE3-ast7bzakdmDOSTQD6CiyxtNavbetTDAzjJw1rpwF7jjs6xamqnYG_De5NoSaQ3qdZq0dqtxfRG2-shR6pcke1jewoTQHmC3euU2towjnzrHM/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitxD4uue-idF9Ijeit00iOm5cqD0NMBE3-ast7bzakdmDOSTQD6CiyxtNavbetTDAzjJw1rpwF7jjs6xamqnYG_De5NoSaQ3qdZq0dqtxfRG2-shR6pcke1jewoTQHmC3euU2towjnzrHM/s400/PicMonkey+Collage2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Faces of Educon" by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/8428994232/" target="_blank">dmcordell</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>P.S.</b><br />
Sometimes learning means taking chances. Because I decided to bring my iPad rather than my Mac, I had fewer options when it came to uploading and editing photos. Apart from some cropping, all of the<b> </b>pictures in my Educon <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/sets/72157632605161954/with/8428994232/" target="_blank">Flickr set</a> (except for the newly created "Faces of Educon" collage) are "raw." This was a bit scary for me, but surprisingly liberating. I used my Nikon D3000, my iPhone, even my iPad to capture images.<b> </b>Sometimes less is more.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<b>Summary</b><br />
I got to travel, take photos, engage in conversations, learn, eat, drink, and be merry. It might not have been your Educon, but it was my Educon, and I loved it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhat6H8yvdWNFne97qEu7jrCDXBQNENhv9SYVtQ2RHqHluO3QiNSZ-pwuaIc4Z0dlydZpeM6Ugaz965XxA3fczK59EzwlYJs20t8hcopMSmAYbpQcBQJXOHr6Nayje7u_isUy1yuoP7QqyY/s1600/statue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhat6H8yvdWNFne97qEu7jrCDXBQNENhv9SYVtQ2RHqHluO3QiNSZ-pwuaIc4Z0dlydZpeM6Ugaz965XxA3fczK59EzwlYJs20t8hcopMSmAYbpQcBQJXOHr6Nayje7u_isUy1yuoP7QqyY/s400/statue.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Snowy Morning in Philadelphia" by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/8420792226/" target="_blank">dmcordell</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-54054820914424697262013-01-11T10:50:00.001-05:002013-01-11T10:50:30.241-05:00Three To Try<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspRPTryJcPs4154ArgrAoqo7A75gFMSV_QMAl9Ee9YOwI18j8IgPqd9kKYY8sTlaWmpnUK2cpqvPdMBDNYA_A04HhOLSZNIyaW9SDZC48wO9jeG4vqdYxlXr6oHSsMAzk44eFApJcrBzZ/s1600/Morgan+laptop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspRPTryJcPs4154ArgrAoqo7A75gFMSV_QMAl9Ee9YOwI18j8IgPqd9kKYY8sTlaWmpnUK2cpqvPdMBDNYA_A04HhOLSZNIyaW9SDZC48wO9jeG4vqdYxlXr6oHSsMAzk44eFApJcrBzZ/s320/Morgan+laptop.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/8314515341/" target="_blank">Photo</a> by Ellen White</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The following trio of tools proved useful to me this week. Take a look and see if there's anything you might like to test drive.<br />
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<br />
#1 Many of the digital resources I use are harvested from interactions on social networking sites. A new service, <a href="https://www.rebelmouse.com/dmcordell/" target="_blank">RebelMouse</a>, aggregates personal updates, making it easy to share Facebook and Twitter content with people who don't choose to connect there.<br />
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The RebelMouse page is visually appealing, presenting content in an easily accessible format. In addition to automatically aggregating from multiple streams, RebelMouse allows the user to post supplemental content, highlight "important" items, "stick" links (a la Pinterest pinning), and <a href="https://www.rebelmouse.com/FAQ/" target="_blank">perform a host of other actions</a>. In the opinion of Technorati blogger, <a href="http://technorati.com/people/jhaughwout/" target="_blank">Jim Haughwout</a>, <i>"</i>The value is clear: If I wanted someone to <i>rapidly and easily</i> get a perspective on what interests me, I would recommend they first go to the <i>my Rebel Mouse page</i> (rather than my other of my social media pages)."<br />
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#2 Once having realized the merit of RebelMouse, I wanted to add it to contact information on my business cards. In order to do this, I turned to a familiar but still very useful tool, the <a href="http://www.the-qrcode-generator.com/" target="_blank">QR Code Generator</a>. There are a number of similar sites, but I've used this one before and find it to be quick and intuitive: paste in a URL, generate a code, then download the image and grab permalink information. Sites like <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/" target="_blank">Zazzle</a> accommodate custom business card designs, so it's easy to add the QR code to other text and images.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdeNPCJcsssNPtq6HFsetObPYO9K5eopbOiyf5BS1a0WhH_CsAL88SSfYyklTnkwu6czpGwcf6XCCefm7pNlQrN1RZXHp8zx3MTropH5fNRMNUcRyI3qSyBDuADTZpOueBuxjZGXGTjXNA/s1600/Business+card+Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdeNPCJcsssNPtq6HFsetObPYO9K5eopbOiyf5BS1a0WhH_CsAL88SSfYyklTnkwu6czpGwcf6XCCefm7pNlQrN1RZXHp8zx3MTropH5fNRMNUcRyI3qSyBDuADTZpOueBuxjZGXGTjXNA/s320/Business+card+Back.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Business card Back" by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/8369719091/" target="_blank">dmcordell</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
#3 Another tool I've recently used is an oldie but a goodie, the Flickr badge creator. A few years ago, I decide to add daily photos from the 365 Project to my blog page. Since the badge is directly linked to a specific photoset, I need to update it yearly. <a href="http://dmcordell.blogspot.com/2012/01/flickr-badge-generator.html" target="_blank">This posting</a> provides a link and further information. You can see my Flickr badge in the right sidebar, under the traffic map.<br />
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Any tools you'd like to share with me? <br />
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dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-80507397663237652782013-01-09T09:43:00.000-05:002013-01-09T09:43:03.672-05:00For the Love of Learning<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmfkwu61xGd1rm9kgaxA47Dfy4ZYc-tEo-i4SsvC9_-80I10bOD3PQgrSkSl6tQit70x_7xTAodOssk3hfaHWoxrs9GiWC4aaiW1mLV2C_Ls4XPru3O_NasF3-fwX1m-BVwK5ZEySXOqe/s1600/Learning+Strategist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmfkwu61xGd1rm9kgaxA47Dfy4ZYc-tEo-i4SsvC9_-80I10bOD3PQgrSkSl6tQit70x_7xTAodOssk3hfaHWoxrs9GiWC4aaiW1mLV2C_Ls4XPru3O_NasF3-fwX1m-BVwK5ZEySXOqe/s400/Learning+Strategist.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"First Day of My New Job..." by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/10557450@N04/8358527419/" target="_blank">theunquietlibrarian</a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Personal friend, and professional inspiration, <a href="http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Buffy Hamilton</a>, recently left her position as a high school teacher librarian to <a href="http://dmcordell.blogspot.com/2012/11/unquiet-in-cleveland.html" target="_blank">join the staff of the Cleveland Public Library</a>.<br />
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Her job title at CPL is "Learning Strategist." Not "<i>School</i> Strategist," or "<i>Library</i> Strategist" but "LEARNING Strategist," an inclusive term embracing a wide range of possibilities.<br />
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As a semi-retired, (Medicare) card carrying Senior Citizen, I'm concerned with staying mentally active and professionally involved. While doing the Sudoku and Cryptogram each morning is fun, it's hardly a spur to intellectual growth. So I'd like to adapt the Learning Strategist concept and apply it to my own life.<br />
<br />
I will try to<br />
<ul>
<li><i>make a conscious effort to leave my comfort zone</i> Volunteering to do an <a href="http://dmcordell.blogspot.com/2012/07/ignite-six-to-succeed.html" target="_blank">Ignite! presentation</a> at the ALA Annual Conference last year was a challenging, somewhat scary, but ultimately very satisfying experience which taught me a lot about presentation zen.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><i>read, analyze, and apply</i> Taking in information isn't enough; creation of new knowledge is the highest level of Bloom's Taxonomy. Lifelong learning should be authentic and relevant. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li> <i>interact with others</i> Social isolation may trigger psychological issues; it can affect any age group, but older citizens are especially vulnerable. Networking, both online and face to face, not only forestalls feelings of isolation, but also serves to deepen understanding through dialog and collaboration.</li>
</ul>
Buffy and I will be moving in different directions as we explore what it means to be a Learning Strategist. But we will continue to share our experiences and LEARN from each other.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"The excitement of learning separates youth from old age. As long as you’re learning you’re not old." </i>-Rosalyn S. Yalow </div>
dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-91354263776013963192013-01-02T10:08:00.002-05:002013-01-02T10:08:58.378-05:002012: My Year in ReviewAs the New Year begins, I like to take some time to reflect on what has gone before:<br />
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<div class="quoteText">
<i>“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”</i>
-Søren Kierkegaard </div>
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</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="356" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/15820802?rel=0" style="border-width: 1px 1px 0; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px;" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="427"> </iframe> <div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<strong> <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/diane/2012-my-year-in-review" target="_blank" title="2012 My Year in Review">2012 My Year in Review</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/diane" target="_blank">Diane Cordell</a></strong> </div>
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dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-26233195417654599462012-12-24T10:07:00.000-05:002012-12-24T10:07:43.559-05:00The Best Gifts of All<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAU6Ey_99bbJKXn3GWDJgRJwVHwXMA9zsNPuWPoD2KibY9V4lisTOSAseHFXae6ZDXByLHmgpBu8OnSSsioYmYQHjLuh3U4zpaDjXm5geCvNUeqQNsDdjujF6GMm1MtZGCULRuljjdyhbD/s1600/4201560468_b5487daf01_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAU6Ey_99bbJKXn3GWDJgRJwVHwXMA9zsNPuWPoD2KibY9V4lisTOSAseHFXae6ZDXByLHmgpBu8OnSSsioYmYQHjLuh3U4zpaDjXm5geCvNUeqQNsDdjujF6GMm1MtZGCULRuljjdyhbD/s400/4201560468_b5487daf01_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"It's a Wrap!" by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/4201560468/" target="_blank">dmcordell</a></td></tr>
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Feeling guilty about my sparse blogging output lately, I made some notes for a Christmas posting regarding meaningful gifts:<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Give them experiences</i></li>
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</i>
<li><i>Give them memories</i></li>
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<li><i>Give them your time</i></li>
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<li><i>Curate memories, not "stuff"</i></li>
</ul>
I originally thought in terms of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/7707860670/in/set-72157611570638094" target="_blank">family</a>, but yesterday I received an unexpected communication from a professional colleague that caused me to expand my focus.<br />
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Minnesota Library Media Specialist, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tami-tagtow/27/ba/287" target="_blank">Tami Tagtow</a>, contacted me on Facebook, asking for permission to <a href="http://lookatthis.areavoices.com/2012/12/23/turning-the-page/" target="_blank">re-post</a> something I had written in 2011. <a href="http://dmcordell.blogspot.com/2011/11/turning-page.html" target="_blank">Turning the Page</a> was a reflection on my participation in the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) national conference, in Minneapolis, MN. Tami paid me the very great compliment of calling my writing an "inspiration."<br />
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Tami's comments reminded me that, very often, our words and actions have positive consequences beyond what we intend. While social networking can serve as an effective means of communication, sometimes it's too quick, too facile a way to share information. Deeper thoughts often require more detailed explication. <br />
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So I would add to my list:<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Share your <b>own</b> learning experiences through reflective pieces</i></li>
<li><i>Acknowledge sources of inspiration</i></li>
</ul>
My gift to myself, and my New Year's resolution, is to resume blogging on a more regular basis.<br />
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Thank you, Tami, for the inspiration.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-L3NoIf0TC-QaX1VxfHGqJLpUKW2qdpT-2lsbSlMEyGm05RWBoVCO_K3yITiw8ppXf9qS9M7l6DmtnNo1GgXLXlMqaMIGoz6Kpf848luCi2xbR2aWgtjNHMYhgQtlwhB_W517Gj66wDmm/s1600/Tami.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-L3NoIf0TC-QaX1VxfHGqJLpUKW2qdpT-2lsbSlMEyGm05RWBoVCO_K3yITiw8ppXf9qS9M7l6DmtnNo1GgXLXlMqaMIGoz6Kpf848luCi2xbR2aWgtjNHMYhgQtlwhB_W517Gj66wDmm/s400/Tami.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Diane Cordell, Tami Tagtow in the Learning Commons" by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/6294752923/" target="_blank">dmcordell</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-66997381252880643302012-11-15T11:40:00.000-05:002012-11-15T11:48:39.607-05:00Unquiet in Cleveland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0i4eWD8GXd0J5FjaHM96nleKeon9jpXOEKFvsTkPTxlxvwJDW3HPdvW4wXY8JDRkm5yEAa3UKFhbulHGxGoB6KWm18_y6AHqAjkfciYM09DRpwkhLyIZrUy1x5og6jtvmK1a-9QqvxZS/s1600/Enchantment.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0i4eWD8GXd0J5FjaHM96nleKeon9jpXOEKFvsTkPTxlxvwJDW3HPdvW4wXY8JDRkm5yEAa3UKFhbulHGxGoB6KWm18_y6AHqAjkfciYM09DRpwkhLyIZrUy1x5og6jtvmK1a-9QqvxZS/s400/Enchantment.png" width="385" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Visualization of Buffy Hamilton's Enchantment Talk" by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/10557450@N04/6189012836/" target="_blank">theunquietlibrarian</a></span></div>
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It is with great pleasure that I congratulate my professional colleague, and personal friend, <a href="http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/about/" target="_blank">Buffy Hamilton</a> on her new position as the <a href="http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/11/k-12/cleveland-public-library-hires-buffy-hamilton-the-unquiet-librarian/" target="_blank">Cleveland Public's Learning Strategist</a>.<br />
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Some might consider this move a career change, leaving a school setting to join the staff of a public library. Yet, if you read the <a href="http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/one-chapter-ends-a-new-one-begins/" target="_blank">CPL's overview of the position</a>, you will note that the words "learning" and "teaching" figure prominently:<br />
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<i>She [Buffy Hamilton] will serve as an internal consultant to management and staff on
matters related to CPL’s mission as the “People’s University”, the
center of learning for a diverse and inclusive community. Ms. Hamilton
will champion the formation of innovative, sustainable,
library-supported communities of participatory learning throughout the
city with special attention and focus on those that address specific
deficits affecting our community. She will also work to coordinate and
design a learning and teaching agenda based on the 2012-2014 strategic
plan, and work with the new Literacy & Education Coordinator to
build an array of effective learning programs at each of CPL’s onsite
Learning Centers. As CPL’s liaison to the school systems, she will
develop strategies to support curricula through library resources and
services.</i> <br />
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This is more an expansion of her current practice than a completely new direction. Buffy has been, and will continue to be, a thought leader in the library world. Her move into the public sector is a natural progression, when you consider her interest in participatory librarianship, transliteracy, and maker spaces. She perceives opportunities - to blur the boundaries between the various library genres (school, academic, public, special) - where others see barriers.<br />
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Public and school librarians, in particular, frequently serve the same population. I would love to see more collaboration, sharing of staff, and launching of joint programs. Buffy will be uniquely placed to facilitate such services. I look forward to following her progress.<br />
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Have fun, my friend!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKgt8_mD09kEGLJpwP_FPjRUGYTGZAHgM1DI5uBr7enKsFY7Av0FfAoyySkji6rS0n6qfHxjJ6sqcsZT6rylYqMDSRV9OWAi3OJSFzlBw7LWTOFC0z-ww7GSysbBmf3wQFiXAunmB-lQ9/s1600/Diane+and+Buffy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKgt8_mD09kEGLJpwP_FPjRUGYTGZAHgM1DI5uBr7enKsFY7Av0FfAoyySkji6rS0n6qfHxjJ6sqcsZT6rylYqMDSRV9OWAi3OJSFzlBw7LWTOFC0z-ww7GSysbBmf3wQFiXAunmB-lQ9/s200/Diane+and+Buffy.jpg" width="169" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Diane Cordell and Buffy Hamilton" by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/6736570179/" target="_blank">dmcordell</a></span></div>
dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-12558421277489628682012-10-01T09:23:00.002-04:002012-10-01T09:23:23.218-04:00A Troubling Non-Conversation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghprynvf4LitRSg5XYUfGmen43-K-PdgVb_kV4ZtoY4eSRXweCfn6xgTgF0q6NSFjoXlLj1xmkCr31sUV8gqmRgQrrpt-5I2re9Vkf9Q7mKvae2fqmys5o3aVy-2wLFT0xvXoTRoGPNron/s1600/ALA-freadom-slide-780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghprynvf4LitRSg5XYUfGmen43-K-PdgVb_kV4ZtoY4eSRXweCfn6xgTgF0q6NSFjoXlLj1xmkCr31sUV8gqmRgQrrpt-5I2re9Vkf9Q7mKvae2fqmys5o3aVy-2wLFT0xvXoTRoGPNron/s400/ALA-freadom-slide-780.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Graphic from http://bannedbooksweek.org/</span></div>
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On Friday, a *new follower on Twitter wrote:<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*I have blacked out this person's user name because I don't have - and have no way to obtain - permission to quote him/her. </i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV34BzbxNuxK6-65ReEPGk6rcRfAwAb9ERVomaJ1i1_XCmXosE6_SrGcXXnu8F8Jj7LaW5QiiieLjXQsSVMLyytlD0ygkgZnFi4vW4oSsWaJ0JXZyy-Q0cFMEIphYWwUCMTfh92BnZ7Enf/s1600/FirstQuery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="81" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV34BzbxNuxK6-65ReEPGk6rcRfAwAb9ERVomaJ1i1_XCmXosE6_SrGcXXnu8F8Jj7LaW5QiiieLjXQsSVMLyytlD0ygkgZnFi4vW4oSsWaJ0JXZyy-Q0cFMEIphYWwUCMTfh92BnZ7Enf/s400/FirstQuery.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Mindful that September 30 is the first day of <a href="http://bannedbooksweek.org/" target="_blank">Banned Books Week</a>, I saw this contact as an opportunity to seize a teachable moment. My responses were intended to be as tactful as possible:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-bD3WrtOgrnfCWErs3V9yNOA74odXTZm8Gb2Esv-nNwQMDxFq3YoJLFc1CuMNfukMheuK6_9zT66uuPR1SY1BtEWU5lBUg8cQw_PKj6XXucwEM6obCnZeMDyAkZKRCctYb7E314sAKuH/s1600/Resonse1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="68" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-bD3WrtOgrnfCWErs3V9yNOA74odXTZm8Gb2Esv-nNwQMDxFq3YoJLFc1CuMNfukMheuK6_9zT66uuPR1SY1BtEWU5lBUg8cQw_PKj6XXucwEM6obCnZeMDyAkZKRCctYb7E314sAKuH/s400/Resonse1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The "conversation" did not go quite as I had hoped. The questioner had also contacted librarian <a href="http://pcsweeney.com/" target="_blank">Patrick Sweeney</a> (I have no idea why we were chosen), who was happy to have me include some of his remarks:<br />
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*<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006440465X/ref=s9_simx_gw_s0_p14_t2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=09ANWGZM3RHFAXESWD35&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846" target="_blank">Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwartz</a><br />
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When Patrick mentioned that Huckleberry Finn and the Bible are more frequently challenged than Scary Stories, our questioner not only bailed from the discussion but blocked both of us from following his/her Tweets.<br />
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I'm sorry that this person took offense at our responses. Challenging a book that is being used in a classroom or library is serious business. By limiting access to literature and information sources, we are limiting personal rights. The American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom provides a <a href="http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/aboutbannedbooks" target="_blank">general overview of the issue</a>. As I pointed out, individual school districts should have challenge policies in place and available to parents.<br />
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The fact that someone asked these questions is good. The problem lies in the refusal to engage in any type of meaningful dialog. You can't understand what you choose to condemn out of hand.<br />
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<b><i>"Everyone is in favor of free speech.
Hardly a day passes without its being extolled, but some people's idea
of it is that they are free to say what they like, but if anyone else
says anything back, that is an outrage." -Winston Churchill</i></b><br />
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<b><i><span class="details">"Every burned book enlightens the world." -</span>Ralph Waldo Emerson </i></b>dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665164814382738462.post-74130737329916481342012-09-18T10:46:00.000-04:002012-09-18T10:48:16.967-04:00TL Chat<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Some Geek Tribe members" by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/5107512000/" target="_blank">dmcordell</a></td></tr>
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Last night on Twitter, a passion of librarians - and other interested parties - participated in the first ever TL Chat.<br />
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The theme was <i>collaboration</i>, and suggestions ranged from distributing teacher orientation materials on flash drives to maintaining a staff diigo account to utilizing "bathroom ads".<br />
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In my network, TL generally signifies a Teacher Librarian. When considering collaboration, this might also be interpreted as Teachers AND Librarians, working in tandem to enrich understanding and, yes, address <a href="http://www.corestandards.org/" target="_blank">CCSS</a>. Our other natural collaborators are students, parents, administrators, and the community at large. There were numerous suggestions for including this diverse group of stakeholders. At least one principal joined in the chat; hopefully, other non-librarians will participate in future discussions.<br />
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The next TL Chat will be taking place on Monday, October 8 at 8pm ET. For those who missed the inaugural event, #tlchat tweets are archived <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AiiUOCkpzdP6dFNwd2wxcTFhRzVLSUxVSldacTBGYUE#gid=0" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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*It can be difficult to follow a chat on the Twitter site. I used <a href="http://tweetchat.com/" target="_blank">TweetChat </a>to keep up with the conversation.<br />
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<i>"Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean."</i> </div>
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-Ryunosuke Satoro </div>
dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.com0