This has a literary reference & reminds me of my 4 yr commute to Weatherford from the metro area. And is from one of my favorite web comics....
Monday, March 16, 2009
A quick distraction until vacation
I'll write more come Wednesday (yeah! vacation) - but here's a quick laugh.
This has a literary reference & reminds me of my 4 yr commute to Weatherford from the metro area. And is from one of my favorite web comics....
This has a literary reference & reminds me of my 4 yr commute to Weatherford from the metro area. And is from one of my favorite web comics....
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
A Message from OLA
THE OKLAHOMA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION URGES
STANDING UP FOR OKLAHOMA’S SCHOOL LIBRARIES
Oklahoma’s school library programs support student learning across all subjects and all grade levels. And, at this time, Oklahoma’s school libraries need YOUR SUPPORT. This need for support comes from Senate Bill 834, which seeks to convert all Oklahoma school districts into charter districts at the rate of at least 20% annually as of September 2010 and to allow for all districts to be designated “charter” through annual lotteries by September 2014. Each charter district added will be exempted from the requirement to have school libraries and certified school library media specialists.
Please urge your community and legislators to support Oklahoma school libraries. To support school libraries is to support:
Literacy in Oklahoma.
Reading is promoted by having access to books. Reading books leads to improved reading skills, better writing, a larger vocabulary, better grammar, and more knowledge. Access to books at school is especially important in a state with vast open spaces between public libraries and with a large population at or below poverty levels.
School libraries provide for a wide range of interests on a wide range of topics and promote reading across the curriculum.
Literacy as a 21st Century Skill
School libraries help all students to learn deeply (beyond memorization) and to use information in meaningful ways, thus, contributing to critical reading, effective writing, and project-based learning.
Technological Literacy
Young people need to be able to use information technologies, applying the information to their understanding and knowledge and to solving real problems. School libraries provide Internet access, instruction, and supervision. Technology skills are especially important to young people who lack access to broadband and to a computer. Technological skills are critical to Oklahoma’s current and future workforce.
Collaboration between School Librarians and Teachers
School Librarians can provide teachers with reference services, access to resources (in all formats) for student learning, and a partnership for inquiry learning, the foundation for motivating students and for preparation for higher education.
An Improved School Climate
The school library is a safe, productive space where young people can be comfortable and can find information at the level and detail suitable to their ages, interests, and needs, where good relationships can be fostered among students, parents, teachers, and the community, and where the librarian is the teacher who best understands the scope of the curriculum and the resources at hand and who best knows each student.
To exempt Oklahoma’s public schools from the requirement to provide a school library program is to fail Oklahoma students and also to fail Oklahoma taxpayers who deserve to have the best preparation of the future workforce of the state.
STANDING UP FOR OKLAHOMA’S SCHOOL LIBRARIES
Oklahoma’s school library programs support student learning across all subjects and all grade levels. And, at this time, Oklahoma’s school libraries need YOUR SUPPORT. This need for support comes from Senate Bill 834, which seeks to convert all Oklahoma school districts into charter districts at the rate of at least 20% annually as of September 2010 and to allow for all districts to be designated “charter” through annual lotteries by September 2014. Each charter district added will be exempted from the requirement to have school libraries and certified school library media specialists.
Please urge your community and legislators to support Oklahoma school libraries. To support school libraries is to support:
Literacy in Oklahoma.
Reading is promoted by having access to books. Reading books leads to improved reading skills, better writing, a larger vocabulary, better grammar, and more knowledge. Access to books at school is especially important in a state with vast open spaces between public libraries and with a large population at or below poverty levels.
School libraries provide for a wide range of interests on a wide range of topics and promote reading across the curriculum.
Literacy as a 21st Century Skill
School libraries help all students to learn deeply (beyond memorization) and to use information in meaningful ways, thus, contributing to critical reading, effective writing, and project-based learning.
Technological Literacy
Young people need to be able to use information technologies, applying the information to their understanding and knowledge and to solving real problems. School libraries provide Internet access, instruction, and supervision. Technology skills are especially important to young people who lack access to broadband and to a computer. Technological skills are critical to Oklahoma’s current and future workforce.
Collaboration between School Librarians and Teachers
School Librarians can provide teachers with reference services, access to resources (in all formats) for student learning, and a partnership for inquiry learning, the foundation for motivating students and for preparation for higher education.
An Improved School Climate
The school library is a safe, productive space where young people can be comfortable and can find information at the level and detail suitable to their ages, interests, and needs, where good relationships can be fostered among students, parents, teachers, and the community, and where the librarian is the teacher who best understands the scope of the curriculum and the resources at hand and who best knows each student.
To exempt Oklahoma’s public schools from the requirement to provide a school library program is to fail Oklahoma students and also to fail Oklahoma taxpayers who deserve to have the best preparation of the future workforce of the state.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Quick cool software find
After having my little one turn on sticky keys and filter keys on my computer this weekend (and being temporarily shut out of typing the letter R and a few other things) - while she was playing Tux Paint - I saw this Kid-Key-Lock on LifeHacker and thought, "OH! that would be great for my home computer!"
Of course it may also help your public machines as well - I mean what better way to keep want-to-be script kiddies from trying to mess with your public machines than to shut down the ability to use certain keyboard short cuts. Of course that could also impact the playing of runescape. ;-)
You could, for instance, use Kid-Key-Lock to lock out system key combinations to prevent your little ones (or your own little fingers) accidentally booting out of a game or important app again. Alternately, you can lock the keyboard to just let in letters, numbers, or spaces to help a young typist learn the basics. The mouse can be locked with a similar range of finesse, with individual buttons, the scroll wheel, and double clicking allowed or halted. Kid-Key-Lock is freeware, Windows only.
Of course it may also help your public machines as well - I mean what better way to keep want-to-be script kiddies from trying to mess with your public machines than to shut down the ability to use certain keyboard short cuts. Of course that could also impact the playing of runescape. ;-)
Monday, February 16, 2009
Kathy Goff on Creativity
2nd break out session - Dr. Goff - research in adult creativity http://brainsavvy.com/
Creativity stimulates the brain (good brain health)
Cross lateral exercise - point right index, stick left thumb up (switch faster faster faster)
Creativity types:
Fluency - ability to come up with lots of ideas (e.g. brainstorming) true brainstorming session has no judging - there are no stupid ideas they all go up
Flexible - people who can think from other point of views
Originality - come up with something for the 1st time
Elaboration - detail person to fill in the spaces
You need all types for the creativity process.
You know yourself by knowing your creativity.
tips on being creative:
-look for the 2nd right answer
-play with the wording to see if the answer changes
-challenge the rules you use to govern your day to day activities
-cultivate your imagination with items that will have positive outcomes
Creativity stimulates the brain (good brain health)
Cross lateral exercise - point right index, stick left thumb up (switch faster faster faster)
Creativity types:
Fluency - ability to come up with lots of ideas (e.g. brainstorming) true brainstorming session has no judging - there are no stupid ideas they all go up
Flexible - people who can think from other point of views
Originality - come up with something for the 1st time
Elaboration - detail person to fill in the spaces
You need all types for the creativity process.
You know yourself by knowing your creativity.
tips on being creative:
-look for the 2nd right answer
-play with the wording to see if the answer changes
-challenge the rules you use to govern your day to day activities
-cultivate your imagination with items that will have positive outcomes
Break out session - Pat Wagner part deux
Question from audience:
Do ppl substitute drama for a feeling of importance?
Answer:
People are psychopharmaceutically addicted to conflict. At times of threat natural pain killers make us numb - When we create/interact drama it's an endorphin cocktail to our system and makes us stupid. You become oblivious to how your behavior impacts other people.
Need to develop skills to diffuse the drama.
Think of it this way - How can we make the day better for someone else?
Most good adults tend themselves lower scores than they deserve on self evaluations...
Don't allow employees to emotionally blackmail other employees - it greatly impacts productivity
A lack of resources, including time and personnel, is a symptom of choices we are making.
Decide - do you want the projects to be Cheap - Fast or Good? Actually it's a ratio that needs to be determined so standards can be set.
Do ppl substitute drama for a feeling of importance?
Answer:
People are psychopharmaceutically addicted to conflict. At times of threat natural pain killers make us numb - When we create/interact drama it's an endorphin cocktail to our system and makes us stupid. You become oblivious to how your behavior impacts other people.
Need to develop skills to diffuse the drama.
Think of it this way - How can we make the day better for someone else?
Most good adults tend themselves lower scores than they deserve on self evaluations...
Don't allow employees to emotionally blackmail other employees - it greatly impacts productivity
A lack of resources, including time and personnel, is a symptom of choices we are making.
Decide - do you want the projects to be Cheap - Fast or Good? Actually it's a ratio that needs to be determined so standards can be set.
Staff Day 2009
Every year the Pioneer Library System has a day long staff development workshop. Today we are at the Moore Norman Technology Center S. Penn Campus. Our keynote speaker today will be Pat Wagner and she'll e speaking on "Do it better with less stress".
I'll blog bits of her presentation - so you can benefit from her wealth of wisdom/experience.
9:30 am - Presentation of awards, years of service, and certifications for PLS staff. Large crew of awardees. Check out the PLS website later for specific names.
10:17 am - Pat being introduced
10:20 am - if you don't like the person you are sitting next to - now is a good time to move
10:21 am - stress comes from: changes in technology, economy (even though Oklahoma is doing pretty well) - patron's losing a lot, expectations from communities on what we do,
10:30 am - Who's good at managing workplace stress? - ppl are good @ increasing the perceived benefits for themselves & others by being more resourceful. They are perceived as flexible b/c they know how to find or create more during the challenge of change.
10:42 am - Moods & feuds are self indulgent
10:50 am - everything you do you are "auditioning" - successful negotiation is making it easy for the other person to say, Yes.
it's all about the lives of the library users we serve
11:12 am - Don't fall in to the mighty mouse syndrome
if the plan is in your head there is no plan!
11:32 am - Good communication is give and seek - give to the other person and seek from the other person.
break - good eats for lunch -
I'll blog bits of her presentation - so you can benefit from her wealth of wisdom/experience.
9:30 am - Presentation of awards, years of service, and certifications for PLS staff. Large crew of awardees. Check out the PLS website later for specific names.
10:17 am - Pat being introduced
10:20 am - if you don't like the person you are sitting next to - now is a good time to move
10:21 am - stress comes from: changes in technology, economy (even though Oklahoma is doing pretty well) - patron's losing a lot, expectations from communities on what we do,
10:30 am - Who's good at managing workplace stress? - ppl are good @ increasing the perceived benefits for themselves & others by being more resourceful. They are perceived as flexible b/c they know how to find or create more during the challenge of change.
10:42 am - Moods & feuds are self indulgent
10:50 am - everything you do you are "auditioning" - successful negotiation is making it easy for the other person to say, Yes.
it's all about the lives of the library users we serve
11:12 am - Don't fall in to the mighty mouse syndrome
if the plan is in your head there is no plan!
11:32 am - Good communication is give and seek - give to the other person and seek from the other person.
break - good eats for lunch -
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