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.

Teaching at Fresno Pacific University again

I am teaching yet another section of this same library technology course for Fresno Pacific University. The evolution has been amazing. When we brought the course online, it was a two-unit one. It is now four units and chock full of technology that students will need throughout the program. In addition to the technology, it is also an orientation to the program.

We are already seeing success from students who instead of going to the instructor automatically know which technology to use, where to post assignments (on their wiki), and how the course is structured.

It has been an interesting progression to watch the program grow. Initially, I was supposed to teach one course and then teach it again when it came around to being my turn. I have now taught it, I believe, four semesters in a row. The online program has become quite successful to say the least.

My life is never dull...

I have a meeting this afternoon. Interesting stuff afoot. I will let you know more when I know more.

Have you submitted?

I submitted my proposal today to do a presentation at the CSLA Conference in November. Some of you may remember that last year I did a presentation on how to build a successful library career and was able to get some heavy hitters from California's library world to participate. Being that it was on a Sunday morning, I was quite pleased with the size of the audience.

This year I am presenting on how to create an online course in Moodle for your library service students. This past year I developed just such a course that my district is now piloting at some of the secondary schools. My hope is that more will come onboard in the fall.

I hope that others will consider submitting proposals on the amazing things that you do at your schools and in your libraries.

Library fines and you!

I made the decision today to no longer collect late fines on books. While I understand that at some schools, this works well, it has not for me. Some of my reasons for stopping are:

1. My very large district moved to Destiny and I don't want to have to deal with .30 fines coming back to me because we now have a union catalog. Shoot, I don't even want to deal with .30 fines at my own school!
2. It does not increase the likelihood of books coming back. It has seemed to do the opposite. Students have said, after finally returning a book, that they didn't want to return it because they owed a fine. Remember that I am at a middle school (where thought processes can be interesting).
3. For some time now, I have followed the discussion of fines on CALIBk12 and I have decided that I prefer the no-fine argument.
4. Fines keep students from checking out new books. Yes, I could change that part of the policy, but, again, I have had students say that they can't check out a book because they owe money (but have already returned the book). Even when I tell them otherwise, this is of great concern.

And, yes, I know the argument in the other direction. I am not saying that it is wrong. What I am saying is that this is solely a site-based decision and, based on my site/library, it seems to make sense. I figure that I will evaluate the process in spring 2010 to see if it has made sense.