Rejoice!

Oh, Glory Glory, Praise Praise!

Thank You, Lord! Thank you for the kind advice from my cohort 7 classmates, especially Dana, Allison and Wendy, who guided me to FINALLY being able to load my images and links on my webpage! Yippee and yahoo!

Now that I have been able to submit my work, I can get excited for our vacation and get some R and R before I begin the insanity of a new school year!

I know one thing for sure -- I am going to be more patient than ever with kids who don't "get it," because I sure didn't "get" a lot of this technology! Thank heavens for helpful classmates and understanding professors and TAs! Woo hoo!

Ocean City, here we come! I can finally read Harry Potter 7!

When networks don't help :(

This morning I cried into my coffee cup when I read this article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette: http://www.pittsburghpostgazette.com/pg/07212/805648-55.stm

The gist of the story: a 13 year old girl shot and killed her father. Apparently, the girl's mother and her neighbors knew the father had been sexually and physically abusing the girl for years. The mother was unsuccessful in wresting custody from the father, and the neighbors apparently said NOTHING to the authorities, even though one neighbor was quoted as saying, "The whole street knew about it. . .He abused them both. Some nights I would hear her screaming, 'No Daddy No'".

WHY DIDN'T THE NEIGHBORS HELP HER? WHY? According to the article, the abuse had been happening since the girl was 7 -- now she is 13 and has murdered her father. I just can't understand how people could let those terrible things happen to a child and never step in.

What's the use of being connected, of living in a neighborhood, if people ignore the horrors that they see? I feel so sick and sad. All of the lofty ideals of networks we've been studying seem dashed by this pitiful example of the selfishness of humanity.

As an educator, it is my legal responsibility to report suspected child abuse or suspected substance abuse by the student. I can be held liable in a court of law if I neglect to report abuse.

But even if I weren't an educator, if I heard a child being abused, I wouldn't just sit idly by and let it happen.

irony?

I find it ironic that I am a peer mentor to 2 new folks in Cohort 7.5 and yet I am still struggling with CSS and images in my webpage. I surely won't be able to be a technology mentor for these ladies!
But hopefully my honesty about my own techno-stupidity will be comforting to them. When it's laugh or cry, better to laugh, right?

Networks -- they're everywhere!

Each Sunday I scan the television guide that comes along with my Pittsburgh Post Gazette. I got into this habit when I started teaching -- I like to be at least aware of what's on, even though I rarely watch it -- so that I can have a reasonable entrance point of conversation with my students. (They aren't usually fans of the Food Network like me!)

Coming up this week is a reality program airing on ABC called "Six Degrees of Martina McBride". Slated to air from 9-11 PM on Monday, July 30, here's the description by PPG TV writer Rob Owen, "If you want to make it in showbiz, it helps to know someone -- or, in the case of this special, know someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows Martina McBride. Using the old "six degrees" formula that says we're all connected through six or fewer people, six aspiring singers try to establish a link to the country music star. A record deal awaits the one who can do it -- and outsing the competition."

I wonder if Milgram would applaud this, or if he'd be sickened by it?

It just cracks me up the way that these concepts keep popping up all around me. Maybe it's a sign that I'm in the right program! :)

teen technology addiction

According to today's broadcast of TeenKidsNews on ABC, psychotherapist Alice Fortinberry believes that today's teens spend too much time communicating via email or text messages instead of face to face communication. Fortinberry postulates that the constant barrage of messages is contributing to an increasing rate of ADHD among young people.

The TeenKidsNews anchor, Felipe, advocated reducing text messaging in favor of more face-to-face communication.

As a teacher, I have been frustrated by the lack of courtesy in my students' emails. Maybe I'm "old school," but I always include a salutation in my emails, and I try to be direct but polite. Yet I constantly get one-sentence demands from students asking for a grade update or for help on an assignment. Sadly, often this behavior is the same in person -- kids seem to have no qualms interrupting me when I'm speaking with another student or teacher, or even when I'm in the middle of a lesson. I've always felt that part of my job as an educator is to assist students in developing life skills so that they can be active, responsible citizens. The lack of manners I see in some of my students is worrisome, indeed. Of course, many kids are polite and respectful, but it seems that the rude ones stand out in my memory!

Networks!

I am enjoying the crazy intersection of theory and life. Our readings in The Laws of the Web and Linked dealt with the concept of social networks. Milgram's experiment and the entertaining Kevin Bacon game demonstrate the truly connective nature of our world.

Last night, I experienced my own funny "network" moment. My husband and I attended a dinner party at the home of a former co-worker of mine. Meghan was an intern in our school for a year and served a year for a colleague's maternity leave -- and then she landed a job in a different district. We've stayed in touch and get together every few months. There were sixteen people at the party. I expected to know only the hosts and my co-worker Todd and his girlfriend Melanie.

However, to my surprise and delight, I discovered connections to other party guests! Mike and Gina and their newborn son were in attendance. I grew up two streets away from Mike and went all through school with him. We even belonged to the same church. Mike's wife Gina grew up with Meghan, the hostess!

Another party guest, Don, teaches with Meghan. He and his wife Beth used to live in our townhouse complex! We recognized them as soon as they walked in to the party and had fun talking about our neighbors and local hot spots.

As we laughed about what a small world it is, I told the guests that I'd have something fun to add to my blog. They agreed that it is always fun when you see a real connection to a concept you're studying.

I figure since Meghan and her husband hosted the party, they are "connectors" in the way Barabasi and Gladwell define them: "people with an extraordinary knack of making friends and acquaintances. . .an extremely important component of our social network. They create trends and fashions, make important deals, spread fads, or help launch a restaurant" (55-56). Meghan is always on the cutting edge of fashion, and since she is a high school teacher, she wields lots of influence. Their home is beautifully decorated in contemporary style: rich, saturated colors and gorgeous art adorn the walls; funnky furniture and accessories make the home trendy and fun. Her husband Mike is a realtor, and he sells commercial and residential properties all over the area. They have connections with people in many different fields and age levels.
Groovy!

Ah, the '80s

As I've been working on laundry, looking at the hot topic presentation and taking care of the dog tonight, in the background I had the Fox Movie Channel, which tonight featured one of my favorite '80s movies: Romancing the Stone. It's cheesy, it's hokey, it's cute, it's Micheal Douglas, way before Catherine Zeta-Jones and his facelift.

And Kathleen Turner was soooo beautiful! She actually looked like a woman! You know, a woman. With real curves. No silicone in sight! Real hair! Real hips! GORGEOUS! And Michael Douglas didn't seem to mind.

Oh, I miss the '80s.

the end (of summer) is near!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

The back to school ads have begun. I only have a few short weeks to get ready!

I have lots of work to finish for my Pitt classes! And I have lots of work to do to get ready for school! And I didn't succeed in those summer fitness goals! AAAAAA!

I finally have started working on the curriculum revisions for my American Literature and Composition course. My co-teaching partner, Tom, and I are focusing on differentiated instruction this year. We want to make the course accessible and rigorous for learners of all ability levels.

I'm looking forward to working with our school librarian and media specialist, Christy, to improve the research component of the course. I want to incorporate book talks for the two new outside reading selections, increase training on the evaluation of websites and databases and focus on teaching research as a process.

As my supervisor says, education is one of the few professions that offer a clean start every new school year. Like Anne Shirley's mentor, Miss Stacey, told Anne in the LM Montgomery books, "Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it!"

developing dropsy?

I fear that the prolonged periods of time sitting in front of my computer this summer are beginning to wield negative effects upon my coordination. In the past three days I have dropped many items. Some, like my purse, keys, cereal box -- didn't cause any problems. But that Corelle bowl and (oh God!) my coffeepot carafe shattered in about seventy zillion pieces (each!) and I was afraid that Fawn would get a sliver in one of her paws, so I swept the floor repeatedly. I was never exactly graceful before, in fact I never grew out of that "awkward phase" of bumping into stuff -- but I wasn't such a Butterfingers!

The crushing weight of despair

I used to think that I was a relatively intelligent person. But after a week of failing to succeed at simple tasks such as embedding images into my webpage, I am feeling crushed by the despair.
I keep reading the discussion board suggestions, and I try them, but something is always missing. I go in and out of Kompozer and FileZilla, but my updates don't publish.
Oh Lord, why am I stupid?

Trapped by Journals!

I was shocked and dismayed to hear of the struggles of three local libraries in the face of exorbitant and abusive journal subscription prices. Representatives from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, The University of Pittsburgh/UPMC Health Systems Library and the Carnegie Mellon Library explained that the rapid rise of scholarly journal publications has resulted in a reduced offering of titles for libraries. It seems that libraries are at the mercy of despotic journals which insist on demanding obscene prices for yearly subscriptions. Since annual budgets are never enough, most libraries must reduce the journal subscriptions.
It made me so mad to think about the abusive treatment the libraries are enduring -- and even madder that it seems impossible to combat. Yet the ladies who spoke with us remained steadfastly commmitted to their jobs, and committed to finding alternative sources of funding.

Representatives create excitement in new cohort of library learners Part II

In addition to Ms. Kenney, we Fast Trackers heard from Denise Callahan, Director of the PPG Library; Mary Grace Kelley, school librarian for the Keystone Oaks middle school, and Connie Salvayon, director of libraries for CCAC.
It was so exciting to hear about the real-work experiences of these women. Ms. Callahan explained that her background in Chemistry equipped her for specialized research with PPG scientists. Since I've spent my career in education, I truly enjoyed hearing about librarianship in a corporate setting.

Ms. Kelley's inspiring story of how she turned a paltry $1200 yearly budget into $35,000 with the help of parent organazations and community fundraisers was absolutely amazing. Ms. Kelley clearly loves her job -- her genuine enthusiasm shone through as she shared her experiences with us.

Ms Salvayon offered helpful tips on the types of skills up and coming librarians need to develop in order to compete in the job market. I know that the Fast Trackers appreciated this candor!

Representatives create excitement in new cohort of library learners Part I

This morning, Cohort 7 was treated to two fabulous panel discussions featuring representatives from the library profession. I left feeling really invigorated and excited about the future.

Ms. Jo Ellen Kenney spoke with us about her career as a public librarian (with a brief period spent in schools). The head director of the Carnegie Library of McKeesport, Ms. Kenney was wonderfully warm and real. She had a bold sense of humor and was very straightforward in acknowledging the challenges of public librarianship along with the joys. She emphasized the importance of knowing, understanding and respecting the culture and history of the community and of committing to serving the population. Recently, one of Ms. Kenney's branches was shut down in conjunction with the closing of the Duquesne school district -- but luckily, regional leaders have fought to reinstate the branch.
I was moved by Ms. Kenney's obvious passion and commitment to her patrons and to the library profession. Her honesty and genuineness truly impressed me. Ms. Kenney's representation of "the real world" of libraries was an eye-opening and inspiring experience.

cooperation!

Today was full of cooperation :)
Our True Gods of Sound and Stone group discussed the future of libraries this morning. It was great to hear and see everyone live instead of in our postings on the DB!
This afternoon, I worked with my small group to plan our presentation on website evaluation. We are really developing some camaraderie!

all about the SLCP

Today I enjoyed a delicious lunch provided by Dr. Biagini for all of the school library Fast Trackers. We shared the experiences which led us to train as school librarians. Several of us have teaching backgrounds: Kristin C, Laura, Kristin F, Michelle, Ellen and I are all currently teaching in classroom. Allison and Amy are currently school librarians. Shahnyn, Erika and Dana have worked in public libraries, and Lauren is ready for a big change from her finance job. It was invigorating to hear everyone's excitement about this program of study. Dr. Biagini invited one of her former students, an elementary school librarian in Atlanta, Georgia, to speak with us about her Fast Track experience and her first year in the school library. Ann told us that the teachers in her school are having mixed reactions to moving to a flexible, instead of a fixed, library schedule, but that she is truly happy with her job.
I am so glad that we have this week on campus. Now that I can associate faces with names, I feel like much more of a real community of learners. Our school library group is a little smaller, so we'll really get a chance to get to know each other well!

Another gatekeeper by the wayside?

The Tuesday, July 10 edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette featured an article by Boston Globe columnist Matthew Gilbert about the plummeting power of MTV. According to Gilbert, programs such as youtube, myspace and itunes have replaced the cultural cache MTV once yielded. "Pop and its spectacles are playing at a computer near you. . . MTV seems to have grown too passive, or too smug, to even reckon with those obvious obstacles." Gilbert explains that the "viral video" phenomenon once the exclusive terrain of MTV directors and video editors is now utilized by teenages with imacs.

MTV used to be the "gatekeeper" of what was cool. New music artists got their starts with world premier videos and interviews on Total Request Live (TRL). The concept of the reality show began with the first season of The Real World in New York. If you wanted to be culturally literate in the tenth grade, you needed to watch MTV.

But apparently, in 2007, the democracy engendered by P2P networks has allowed young people to declare for themselves who is "cool". Therefore, the mighty MTV has been displaced.

This seems similar to the conversation we've had all semester about the idea of the librarian as gatekeeper. In our class conversation today, Dr. Tomer asked us if we perceived librarians as conservative in professional practice. While several classmates mentioned examples of colleagues reluctant to embrace new technology or new pedagogy about information delivery, other classmates spoke of librarians eager to adopt new policies to better serve their patrons. While Mike suggested that generational differences might be to blame for the difference in approach, Eric felt that the deep seated fear of new methods was rooted in the fear that the role of the librarian may become obsolete in the technology driven culture.

Some people do seem to feel that librarians aren't necessary anymore. Recently, at a neighborhood picnic, I mentioned my new studies in the Fast Track program. One of my neighbors said (not unkindly, "Why do we even need librarians? Anything I need, I get it on the web." When I stated that librarians help patrons to sift through the mountains of information and manage what they find, he said, "I don't buy that."
(Since it was a friendly gathering of neighbors and since I'm very new to the profession, I didn't push the issue.)

But there are probably lots of folks out there like my neighbor, Justin. Librarians need to utilize all of the technology and media outlets available to send the message "We're here and you need us!" And as Ms. Mahoney told our cohort today, "we're available live in person, on the phone, through email, or through instant messaging!"

Gilbert, Matthew. (2007, July 10). "Once essential, a lame MTV no longer calls cultural tune." pp. C-6.

Getting to know you. . .

One of my favorite songs from musical theater is "Getting to Know You" from The King and I. I've been humming it all day, because this morning cohort 7 engaged in a fun icebreaker activity. I discovered that:
Sree, Kathleen, Laraine and I are all singers
Amy and I both have degrees from Slippery Rock University
Sarah and I both spent time studying in the UK
Consuelo, Erin and I share Irish heritage
Lydia and I both enjoy Indian cuisine
Ryan and I are Dickinson graduates
Jewel and I both love being aunts
As our on campus week continues, I will look forward to
"all the beautiful and new things I'm learning about you day by day!"

Great introduction to library services

This morning, Ms. Elizabeth Mahoney led our cohort through an introduction to library services. Ms. Mahoney stated that sometimes library science students are afraid to ask questions for fear that their competency in the discipline will be doubted. She reassured us that we are expected to ask questions so that we can learn! As a teacher, I say these kinds of things to my students -- so why was I reluctant to consult the reference librarian at Hillman last week? I guess that there's a little awkward middle schooler in all of us!

PA libraries may lose funding

I shared this article from the Saturday, July 14 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette with my True Gods of Sound and Stone group.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07195/801514-74.stm

The Keystone Park and Recreation Fund usually spends 4% of its annual budget on library expansion and repair projects. Last year that 4% = $4 million.

Due to the recent budget woes, the state Senate has proposed to transfer $40 million of the Keystone Fund's budget to cleanup of hazardous waste, which would result in a loss of $1.6 million for library funding. While such clean-up is surely necessary, perhaps the funds for it could be obtained from another source so that the usual recipients of Keystone monies are not adversely affected.

In an editorial printed by the PG staff on the same day as Hoover's article, http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07195/801593-192.stm
the editors decry the plans to reduce the Keystone Fund's budget and suggest that State Rep. Kate Harper's plan, to take $40 million from the $650 million surplus, is a better option.

It seems that whether public, academic or school, libraries must fight tooth and nail to secure funding!

exciting first day on campus!

Wow! Yesterday was an exciting first day on campus with my fellow Cohort 7 members. I really enjoyed meeting people and putting faces with the names from the discussion board.
I found the Cohort 6 presentation very comforting -- it's great to know that I'm not the only one who is finding the technology learning curve rather steep! :) It was great to see how close the Cohort 6 members have become in their time together. As a definite "people person", I've had a little trouble figuring out the "rules" of online learning. I'm so happy that this week I'll get to forge positive working relationships with my classmates. Understanding the people behind the DB postings will really make class feel more like a community.
I was nervous yesterday, and I think others were, too. It made me chuckle that a group of wannabe librarians was sitting rather quietly in the Crawford building, waiting for the program to begin! :) Hopefully we will all get over our "awkward" jitters as the week progresses.
I was also excited to see Dr. Alman and Dr. Tomer "in the flesh" after the Coursecasts. Dr. Biagini gave a terrific historical perspective on library studies at Pitt and even on the Pittsburgh community.
I attended Dr. Biagini's dinner at Ali Baba -- what a delectable meal! I was very pleased to get to meet Rhonda and Jennifer, two of my Funding group collaborators, and Allison, one of my True Gods group members. Cindy, Erika, Jennifer M, Sree and Catherine were also at the dinner. We had fun discussing the new Harry Potter book and our eagerness (or lack of eagerness, for Erika) to read The Deathly Hallows!
I feel excited having been through our first day on campus and look forward to another great day!