A librarian is always surrounded by facts and fiction, whether on the shelves, online or in the world around her. It's her challenge and her joy to revel in the fantasies and stories that enrich our hearts and souls and to cut out the fallacies and dead ends to get to the truth. This blog is about a personal and professional search for both truth and fiction and how to tell the difference.
Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.
Mary Oliver
Friday, February 27, 2009
Ideas--as wide as Lake Superior!
As I was reading reactions to Obama's speech to Congress and to the nation in Atlantic Monthly, I followed a link to an interesting but controversial blog "Divided We Stand United We Fall". The thing that I found intriguing was his concept for linking different blogs and news articles about the event through lines in a song for a musical. He thought Obama's speech was full of "razzle dazzle", thus....Chicago! I could see this being adapted for classroom use. Take the powerful lyrics from "the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
Superior, they say, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early.
Student researchers could find appropriate links for the history of the Chippewa, the origins of the name, "Gitche Gumee" and the history of shipwrecks in Lake Superior. Or, the teacher could embed links to websites that students would access through the lyrics. A pre-activity could include listening to the song and developing research topics or questions to be answered. What more do you need to know to understand what happened on that November day? What happened before? What has happened since? What are other disasters that have been immortalized in song, and why?
The use of music to connect to students and create meaningful content and context is amazing.
Some how I got from a podium in Washington D.C. to the depths of Lake Superior. The Internet allows our intellects to wander far and wide!
www.flickr.com/photos/52532834@N00/233759577
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Hysterically Historical Librarians
"The charm of history and its enigmatic lesson consist in the fact that, from age to age, nothing changes and yet everything is completely different." Aldous Huxley
My friend and colleague, Kari, send me this link to a 1947-vintage movie about librarianship as a career. It is always worthwhile to visit our past, so we can more effectively understand our present and create our future.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Blogging as Professional Practice
I am finding myself blogging more regularly now. It is becoming more a part of my practice.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Do You Have a Favorite Book?
You're Watership Down!
by Richard Adams
Though many think of you as a bit young, even childish, you're
actually incredibly deep and complex. You show people the need to rethink their
assumptions, and confront them on everything from how they think to where they
build their houses. You might be one of the greatest people of all time. You'd
be recognized as such if you weren't always talking about talking rabbits.
Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Be Alert to Google Alerts!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Time Flies...whether you're having fun or not!
What to blog about in the middle of February, when my driveway is a skating rink and an opposum is snacking out of our birdfeeder by the front door? Sometimes nature should take precedence over technology, but far too often I spend the hours of daylight and darkness staring at a computer screen. The Web 2.0 world has captured our collective imagination and people are finding amazing ways to create and connect. I have recently joined "goodreads"...a place to record the books you've read and connect with other readers. It's great! It's something I've wanted to have. I have hopes of recording all the books I own. Despite this enthusiasm, I don't have the time or energy to fully engage with this site because: Our family is also on Geni, a genealogy site...also wonderful and exciting. And, I just found out about Glogster, a site for making posters...I have lots of photos to load on Flickr and modify in Picnik...I just have to try to make a movie on xtranormal.com...and catch up with friends on Facebook. I'm suffering from an overload of wonderful!
After spending a whole Sunday answering e-mails and emerging with 275 emails still to go, it sometimes seems that technology has taken over my life. I think I need to spend time with the 'possums!