Teaching online through the summer

I am spending the week in Morro Bay and, yet, I am also teaching a course. I like teaching online. I really do. It also helps that I have a really good group of students this session (although, in point of fact, I get many good groups of students from Fresno Pacific University).

EXCLUSIVE - New Moon Official Trailer

Yep. If you are a Twilighter, you need to watch this trailer for the upcoming New Moon.

Join me in Ontario!

I just made my hotel reservations for CSLA 2009 in Ontario, California. Don't you think it's time you did, too.

CSLA 2009

This morning I discovered that my proposal to present at CSLA 2009 in Ontario had been accepted. The title: "Teacher Your Library Aides Online: Develop an online course in Moodle."

I am pleased that it was accepted. The presentation is an out-growth of a course that I developed for my district that is now being piloted at a number of schools and of a presentation that I gave at our local CUE Conference.

I will be talking about free ways to be able to design such courses. I don't envision this course as the sole way that you teach library service students, but as a supplement to what you normally do. For me, some days I have vast amounts of work for the students and other days, less so. On those other days, it gives the students an opportunity to improve their skills.

Also and importantly, it gives you a quantifiable way to grade the students.

When push comes to shove...

When push comes to shove, I am a teacher librarian.

I discovered that today. Over the last few weeks, I had been offered a district-level position at my place of employment. There are people who work their entire careers to get such a thing. It sounds good in theory. My reality? It was not a library position. Yes, it is in something where I have experience and I would likely have appreciated the job in many ways.

It would have been more of a time commitment. Significantly and noticeably more. I still have three children at home (11, 15, 17). And, as I have noticed time and again, particularly recently, each with their own unique needs.

Also and importantly, I have a job that I love. I enjoy going to school every day. I like being with students. I like playing with technology. I love being in the library. For the first time, so I have been told, my school has a true library program. I am making a difference.

And that is why I'll stay.