The Unquiet Librarian

Are you wondering how to use cool new web 2.0 tools, especially blogs, in your classroom?  Are you looking for inspiration or quality examples of how to use blogs in educational settings?  Surf over and look at the nominees for the 2007 Edublog Awards!  Edublogs, a blogging site owned by Wordpress, is designed especially for educators.   Although Edublogs is “blocked” here in our district, you can override the filter by clicking the “continue” button if you wish to browse these blogs at school.  Better yet, set aside a few hours to enjoy some hot chocolate on the sofa while you explore these outstanding and exceptional blogs!  Drum roll please……and the nominees are:

1. Best individual blog

2. Best group blog

3. Best new blog

4. Best resource sharing blog

5. Most influential blog post

6. Best teacher blog

7. Best librarian / library blog

8. Best educational tech support blog

9. Best elearning / corporate education blog

10. Best educational use of audio

11. Best educational use of video / visual

12. Best educational wiki

13. Best educational use of a social networking service

14. Best educational use of a virtual world

In the spirit of super librarian Joyce Valenza, I will be rolling out a new learning initiative for our students and our faculty, http://theunquietlibrary23things.edublogs.org.  Our program, which is modeled on the dazzling array of 43/23 Things library sponsored programs across the United States, is designed to help our patrons learn about exciting Web 2.0 technologies and tools that can increase productivity and improve student achievement.  Mrs. Fleet, another super-librarian, will be my partner in this venture as we work to help all of our patrons become lifelong learners!

Of course, the intrinsic thrill of learning is the primary reason for participating in this self-paced program, but we will also be offering prizes to patrons who complete our program.  Stay tuned as we launch our http://theunquietlibrary23things.edublogs.org/program in November 2007!

Buffy Hamilton