Librarian…and Teacher and Storyteller

So last week I got a couple blasts from the past…with a twist.

For pretty much all of high school and then some, I participated in my local library’s Teen Writer’s Workshop and Teen Writer’s Forum. I loved it! I love to write, and I loved going to the Workshop and Forum to devote time just for that and to make friends. Every year, I would anxiously watch the library calendar for when the next one would be, and I would be the first one to sign up. Sadly, the Forum eventually faded away due to lack of participants and changing facilitators, but the Workshop has remained to this day. And last week, I co-facilitated it.

My favorite part was probably the lesson planning. What can I say, I’m an idea person. I loved going through my old notebooks, remembering the fond times and thinking of what worked and what other people would enjoy. It was also an interesting experience in considering others’ feelings–I might see one activity that I loved but no one else enjoyed or vice versa. When I discussed these with my co-facilitator, I mentioned these issues. It was also thrilling to bring in new activities and hear her exclaim, “Oh, I love that idea!” It was a little difficult, though, because we were opposites in our teaching styles. I like a set routine. She likes a lot of flexibility. I’m very serious, while she’s playful and friendly. I prefer the written word, while she’s an expert in oral storytelling. Still, this combination worked in a way–at the end, she said it was a good experience for her, as it taught her to have a firmer schedule, while it taught me to be more flexible. I know it helped with our group, as some teens were definitely more comfortable telling stories while others preferred writing them.

I brought several writing prompts, including one I’ve used in my fanfiction (yes, it’s a guilty pleasure): writing stories based on songs. I brought in a couple CDs, my co-facilitator did the same, we played a song from each–keeping a good variety of genres–had the teens listen to them, and write a story based on one of them. One teen wrote a story based on one of the songs I chose, and what a thrill when she read her story and started crying because the song moved her so much.  That was definitely a moment I won’t forget.

I’m sure many teachers will agree with my favorite and least favorite aspects of teaching: the kids. A couple of the kids were so sweet and so serious about writing. They wrote diligently, read their works proudly, had suggestions for activities. Other kids, however, talked throughout the free writing, wrote poems that made fun of others, made suggestions for musical chairs and other children’s games rather than writing activities. If I could teach just those serious kids, I’d love it. But you have to take the bad with the good, and those “bad” kids might later end up being your favorite. I know one of them, in a moment of introspection, wrote a beautiful prose about the ocean, and his personality was so friendly and outgoing, it was hard to find his talkativeness annoying. Oh, and he called me “Miss Martika.” That was kind of cool.

I said a couple blasts from the past, so here’s the other one: in middle school, I was bitten by the acting bug. I loved acting–no, I LOVED it. Life is so complicated, it was wonderful to finally have a script, to know exactly what was going to happen. And, a surprise to all, I was really good at it. I would get up there and become absorbed into the role, so that people later came up and complicated me on how believable I was. Acting fell to the side when I got into high school, and discovered the joys of seniority–that is, all the good parts went to the seniors and the freshman, even the ones who were far better than any of the older kids, were relegated to the backstage. But I never forgot that thrill of being onstage, that feeling of coming home.

I found that feeling again last week, when I helped out at the Storyteller’s Festival. I had been meaning to check out the festival for years, but something had always come up. I wasn’t going to miss out this year, not when I was actually interning at the library! Let me tell you, I will never miss it again–the Gemini twins and their incorporation of music into their performance, Karen Czarnik and her expressions…it’s more that a story, it’s an experience, one that will make you sad that oral storytelling is such a lost art anymore.

Or is it? Helping out with the Story Slam, I got a chance to work on a story to perform myself. And I loved it. It tied right into acting, except I was acting out a story from my life, by myself. I had a script, I was using my voice and mannerisms to tell my story, to make people think and feel. I made them laugh, I told my story. At the end of the workshop, the leader, a professional storyteller, approached me and said that I could do this, I could make a life of this. I’ll be the first to admit, my self-esteem is pretty lacking. Hearing this praise–and hearing it in the form of the laughter as I spoke and the silent attentiveness–and feeling that rush of getting words out correctly, well, it was that coming-home feeling all over again.

Which makes me wonder–was this all a blast from the past…or a preview of the future?

Kindles and iPads and Nooks, Oh My!

At my job, I’ve had the opportunity to play with pretty much every type of eReader out there–iPad, Kindle, Kindle Fire, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Nook, Sony eReader…. Not being a huge fan of eReaders, I have to admit, I would buy one of these. Which one? Well, here’s my analysis–keep in mind that I didn’t do an in-depth study of any of them, and maybe my opinions would change if I did, but this is what I think so far:

Sony eReader

Yes, it’s simple. But that makes it easy. The picture is clear, and there’s actually page numbers (my biggest grief with the Kindle). Downloading eBooks was easy. There’s not much else you can do with it, but it’s ease and the similarity to “real” books makes it a good transition for newcomers to eBooks.

Nook

Similar to the Sony eReader, but it can do more–while it can’t play music and videos, it can go online. Still fairly basic, but more advanced, so I’d say it’s the next step after the Sony eReader.

Kindle and Kindle Fire

The initial Kindle is very basic–you can go online, but it’s slow and drains the battery ridiculously fast. Again, good for newcomers, but I’d prefer the Sony eReader. I have yet to see a Kindle with actual page numbers, and the Sony eReader had a better image. Downloading books, the Kindle has its problems (slow speed, draining battery…) but the content manager option allows access to all Kindle content, a pretty useful option. As for the Kindle Fire…well, I hesitate to rate it, as I have to believe it’s not that problematic on a regular basis, or else they would never sell. While it had internet access, it took forever to do anything, including downloading books. I do like the way the books are set up, but that was pretty much the only thing I liked.

Samsung Galaxy and iPad

My definite favorite! Internet access, ability to download music and movies, fairly easy to use…plus there’s a camera (with an awesome panoramic option that allows a 180 degree image). It comes loaded with a good amount of apps, including a memo pad and task manager. The Galaxy, at least (not sure about the iPad) can also serve as a WiFi spot and download from other computers–okay, that’s cool! The two tablets seem pretty comparable, but since the Samsung is about half the price, that’s my choice.

Why is knowledge of these important? Because they are popular! My library has started offering classes in eReaders, and they have been packed with a variety of people (as opposed to the attempts at gaming I mentioned in my last post). In one class I sat in on, I was constantly hearing excited exclamations, and several used their new skills to look up eReaders to buy (for the classes, people could bring their own eReaders or use the library’s). My little sister, who is rarely seen reading a book, was fascinated by mine–and mine is very basic–and even used it to read (gasp!) and to read The Scarlet Letter. Seeing as she’s not quite twelve, not sure how much she was enjoying that book, but she loved reading on the eReader, and the look-up, highlight, and bookmark options were extremely useful to her–she had ADHD and learning difficulties, so being able to look-up difficult words, mark her place, and keep her place for when her attention wanders was immensely useful, and something that made the reading experience all the more pleasurable. Though she loves touch screens, I would hesitate to get her the iPad, Kindle Fire, or Galaxy, as the many options would probably be too tempting and lead to less reading than…well, everything else. But seeing how excited she was getting about READING, a hundred dollars or so to get a basic eReader for her? Would totally be worth it. That alone would make me a convert of eReaders.

P.S. I know this is a pretty brief overview, so please feel free to post your own experiences with eReaders! I would love to hear further opinions.

DotSUB

My brother and I like to watch TV with the captions on. It’s just easier to follow for us, especially when the voices drop or the actors mumble. Sometimes, though there are no captions. You watch something online, or even on the TV, and you have to really listen.

Well, DotSUB.com makes it a little easier. First you search for a video. Once you have your results, you can sort by relevance, most transcribed, length, and more. Here’s the cool part: the videos have a subtitle option. Not only that, but many even have a language option. If the video doesn’t have your language, well, you can sign in and translate it yourself! This is an incredibly useful tool that not only appeals to those who have auditory processing problems, but also helps to break down the language barrier when it comes to sharing videos. I only wish that other sites had similar options.

Doodle It!

I remember back in my SI 501 class trying to find a time when the whole group could meet. Not easy. And Google didn’t make it much better. It’s no secret that I am no fan of Google–it is clunky and more complicated than it should be. Not to mention, it doesn’t matter what computer I’m on, it takes forever and I have problems navigating it.

If only I’d known about Doodle.com. It is so easy to set up, doesn’t take any time at all. You can see at a glance what time’s are available for a meeting, how long it will take, who can make each time. You can click Yes or No on each available time to confirm whether you can make it or not–and the color will change, to green if you say Yes or pink if you say No, or it will stay blue if you don’t confirm one way or another. Holidays are listed and colored in gray for easy notice. You can view your schedule in a calendar view or table, which lists the available times and how many people can make each one. In addition, comments can be posted at the bottom. It’s sleek yet simple, the perfect online scheduler.

Take note, 501.

A facet of the jewel of Flint

Growing up in Flint, all I wanted to do was get out of there!

My senior year of undergrad, though, something changed. I began to see the city for what it could be rather than what it is portrayed as. I went to an ArtWalk. I started going to a local church. I explored the Farmer’s Market more thoroughly than before. In short, I realized how much I would miss it.

We have such a bad reputation that even those of us living in it feel there is no room for hope. That’s part of the reason I want to return to Flint and work there–to show people that, yes, we have our bad points, we might even be 90% in the gutter…but there’s still that 10% that shines, and that means that there is hope. I want to help to make people aware of this 10% and to work to make Flint a place we can truly be proud of. Because it can happen.

This blog, in addition to being a portfolio for my work as a library studies student and librarian, is also a tribute to my hometown. I combined these two in a recent assignment, where I observed people shopping at the Flint Farmer’s Market. The Market is part of that 10% that shines. I have been to many farmer’s markets, including well-to-do Ann Arbor’s market, and I still believe that Flint’s is the best. This is not just hometown bias, either. Go to the market and look around–you’ll see what I mean. If not, here’s my paper–I’m working on finding a Web 2.0 tool to render my drawing of the market more beautifully, but until then, here is what I have. I hope it makes you think twice about what you know about Flint.

observations

however…

Tags

library skills, social-media, technology

I have also checked out Delicious.com, and I do really enjoy that. It’s kind of like facebook or pinterest, but different. I know, how informative. You see, like Facebook and Pinterest, you can follow people. But you’re not following friends’ news or pictures. You’re following topics. For example, I just followed a “stack” of book blogs. Somebody gathered together a couple of blogs on books, and I subscribed to this person. When they add another blog to this stack, I’ll know. Until then, I can go to “My Stacks,” click on this stack, and quickly go to any of the blogs this person has posted. Pretty cool–I don’t have to go looking for the blogs myself! Even better, you can search by overall topic like “Education” or for a specific topic, like “books.” If you run a search, you get both stacks and individual links. You can create your own stacks, too.

So I’m learning these in order to improve teaching and library skills. How do I use a fun site like this? Well, say a class is doing a project on the Underground Railroad. I can do a search on this topic to find different links and stacks that already exist and point my students there. It makes research a lot easier, and while some of the sources will undoubtedly be of the same quality as Wikipedia, others may be real gems–I can see links to cnn.com and National Geographic. Students can also create their own stacks to share with their classmates. It also brings together fun and classical works, making it easy to see how knowledge can be fun. Maybe they’re not all that into literature, but when they see “Teaching Graphic Novels” next to “Create Art with Words,” they might think differently and creatively about the subject.

And like I said, if nothing else, it sure is a fun site!

http://www.delicious.com

Bloglines

As promised, I’m working on learning more Web 2.0 tools. This week, I’m looking at bloglines.com. I’m iffy about it, to be honest. I like that I can quickly glance at various blogs–I have one tab for gluten-free, giving me a ton of recipes right at the front. I also like the easy access to the more popular news sites. However, I can’t figure out how to narrow it down–how do I make it so I get only GoogleNews items on autism, for example? I’m intrigued enough to keep working at it, though, and I can see it’s purpose for some items. We’ll see how I feel about later…

bloglines.com

Taking my knowledge beyond the classroom

So I had an interview with my (hopeful) summer internship yesterday. As I left, they gave me a copy of their report to the community. I figured it’d be a bunch of numbers that I’d have no interest in, but figured I should at least skim it to get some knowledge about the library.

Actually, it was fascinating. I even ended up grabbing a marker to highlight some points. Maybe it’s because I was consciously thinking about how I’d fit into their plans and programs. Maybe it was because it gave me a chance to really think specifically about how to implement what I’m learning.

My favorite point was the idea of the library being “the community’s living room.” How true is that! Like the living room, it’s where everyone gathers together. It’s where the whole home centers on, the heart of the place. It’s where activity happens, where living happens. It’s where everyone belongs, not just one person.

Then there was the (I thought) startling fact that 20% of the library’s card holders have never checked out a book. They come to the library for the technology. This shows just how important technology is. I wonder how this applies to other areas, such as programs. The library, after all, is a place full of activity and programs. Even if you’ve never checked out a book, maybe you’ve been to one of these programs. Granted, you don’t usually need a library card to attend, but it might be interesting to see the correlation.

Several schools have closed in my hometown in the recent years, emphasizing the importance of public institutions in the provision of technology, homework help, and other support. For example, less schools means that there are probably more students in each school, making for crowded classrooms and less one-on-one support. The library can fill these gaps, offering a place for overlooked students to come for help. This also reminds me of Teaching With Poverty in Mind. During the summer, students lose so much information, they actually end up further behind than when they left school–so the first few weeks or months are spent just catching up to where they were! What if libraries offered a free summer school? We could even bring student-teachers in to tutor, perhaps for credit rather than payment. Teaching resources–computers, textbooks–would be right there. It’s an idea. Likewise, realizing the importance of the arts, we could have free music or art courses for students who can’t afford to go to the Institute of Art or the Institute of Music. Again, students or retired teachers could volunteer their time, perhaps we could get donations for instruments, and it could run year-round rather than just in the summer. Anything to get kids learning, and to provide equal access opportunities for all!

I also really realized the point of collaboration. My library (it’s totally MY library!) is located within the “Cultural Center.” Less than a mile away is the Institute of Arts, the Institute of Music, the Sloan Museum, the Farmer’s Market…think of the potential collaboration here! In particular, I was thinking how we could use unsold produce from the Farmer’s Market to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to low-income families; we could host a community potluck or cooking classes based on what’s in season at the market; in a summer tutoring program, we could easily have field trips to the museum. There is such potential.

Funding’s an issue. Like I said, we could use student volunteers for a variety of activities. I remember working through a program that connected students with summer jobs in the fields they were interested in. I wanted to be a teacher…so I was placed as an office assistant in a local university, where I spent the day doing a little typing and reading out of boredom. How much more beneficial it would’ve been for me to be helping out in the summer reading program, or reading to kids, or tutoring! Collaboration again comes into play–working with the Farmer’s Market for cooking demonstrations, partnering with the local museums for guest lectures or tutoring, maybe we could even host a Bookfair 2.0! Or we could have free events–with all the new game stations coming out, maybe we could ask for donations and host video game tournaments; maybe we could take old prom or wedding dresses that nobody uses after the once, take some donated CDs and host a prom for those who can’t afford to pay the big bucks for tickets, dresses, and limos. A little creativity and collaboration could go miles. The thing is, in an impoverished area, the library takes a major hit and loses funding…but it is here where the library is the most needed.

I have no idea how practical any of these are. But that’s why I’m in library school. That’s why I really want to intern here. I’ve got a passion and love for my hometown. I want to help it to shine again. I have ideas, and I want to put them into practice, or to learn how to make them possible to put into practice. Fingers crossed that I get the internship, that I learn a lot, and that I help make a difference–or even that someone else comes along and does it better.

“Technology’s becoming a big thing–well, it already IS a big thing!”

Yes, it is. I’ll admit it, when I first learned how very technology-based U of M was, I was more than a little scared. We joke about how I can break the Internet. I had the same laptop for five years. Yeah, I’m a little old-school.

But now I’m being pushed to learn more technology, and a recent assignment has shown me how fun this could be. (This assignment is posted in my “Poverty in the Library” blog entry.) When my teacher said to use a Web 2.0 tool, I had no idea where to start. So I Googled it. Wow, are there a lot of tools, and some are a blast to play with! A favorite is the Museum Box, though I still can’t figure out how to post it for viewing, or if that’s even possible outside of a classroom. I decided I’d have to learn more about these…when I had the time.

Then I had my internship interview today, and they reiterated the importance of learning technology skills. I really want this internship. So instead of learning “when I have the time,” I’m going to make the time. I have a not-so-New Year’s resolution: use one new Web 2.0 tool a week. I don’t have to become an expert in any or all of them, just get familiar with what’s out there. At that rate, by the time summer rolls around, by the time graduation comes, I should be a force to be reckoned with!

A couple sites I’m going to for ideas are below–if anyone’s actually reading this and has any further suggestions, I’m open to them. I love to learn, after all!

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/edtools.html

http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com/Presentation+Tools

You can take the girl out of Flint…

What can I say? Flint has its problems, but it’s my home. That’s part of the reason why, when I heard we had to complete an internship, I wanted to return to my home library, the Flint Public Library. But there are other reasons besides it just being home:

When I walk into the downtown comic book store, they remember my name, even though it’s been years since I went in. That never happened to me in Ann Arbor or Ypsilanti. Maybe because when you’re in the foxhole of the recession, everyone’s your war buddy.

When I went to an interview at the library today, I was recognized as having been there for the programs before–and whenever I’ve gone in on other occassions, I’ve been recognized as well, even though I’ve changed so much since I was a child.

For one of my projects, I have to observe a location, and I chose the Farmer’s Market. I have to say, havnig seen several Farmer’s Markets, I still think ours is one of the best in the nation. That view was reaffirmed today as I observed–several people came up and chatted with me like we were friends, one lady took time off during her break to help other customers, everywhere I heard “Hey, there! It’s been awhile since we saw each other!” and everywhere I saw people lingering in front of stalls, not just shopping, but reconnecting.

Yes, Flint has its problems. Maybe even more so than other cities. But it’s not all bad, and it’s nothing that can’t be overcome, and I’ll stick up for it anyday.

http://www.mlive.com/opinion/flint/index.ssf/2011/06/letter_many_reasons_to_stay_in.html