Image by Tulane Public Relations. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.
Many librarians assist patrons, often students, with research. As you know, it is important to take into consideration the varied skill-set for each patron and the types of resources available. In the article,Tacit Knowledge and the Student Researcher, author Barbara Fister identifies practical approaches to library instruction from the perspective of today’s researchers. Some ideas discussed in this Insider Higher Ed article (June 2013) includes:
News verses opinions
The value of a table of contents and indexes
The relationship between articles and journals
Finding facts
Tip: For those librarians that have been in the field for many years, Fister reminds us that accessing some materials has changed over time, which may not be common knowledge for all researchers.
Image by Krossbow. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licencing.
Just for fun, CMLE features a series by TEDEd called, Mysteries of Vernacular. This original educator’s series, consists of more than 20 video lessons pertaining to popular words such as x-ray, fizzle, gorgeous, etc. The origin of a word’s history, evolution, and application is tracked through a short, professionally animated, video.
Who is TEDEd?
“TED-Ed’s commitment is to creating lessons worth sharing as an extension of TED’s mission of spreading great ideas…” Click here to read more.
Tip: Consider using these videos in a flipped classroom lesson.
This week, CMLE’s Recommended Ed Tech Tool is Quixey (beta site.) Quixey is a free, clean, easy-to-use, and uncluttered website that allows users to conduct quick, functional searches for apps. It stills gives you (the end user) the option to search for an app by name, with the added flexibility to also identify a list of apps by specific tasks and functions.
How does it work?
This site uses a proprietary, algorithmic based system to gather data from the web found in blogs, tweets, articles, product descriptions, and even reviews. This information is used to generate a profile for each app. At Quixey’s homepage, a large single search box appears in the middle of the screen. You can enter a task you would like an app to preform, such as reading. Then, a list is created based on the app’s profile along with a brief product description, the cost (if any), and current reviews.
Additional functions:
Search by mobile device (Android, iPad, Windows Phone, etc.), desktop (Mac or Windows), or browser (Chrome, Firefox, etc.)
View currently trending apps, top picks, and games.
Browse by category (play, work, live, or learn.)
View samples of apps with screen shots.
Sorted apps in list form, by image, or price.
Connect using an existing Facebook account (not required). This will allow you to save and sync your bookmarks (favorite or interesting apps) to multiple devices.
Why does this matter?
It is easy to become overwhelmed. The market for app development has been growing exponentially since 2008. According to About.com (October 2013), there were 775,000 apps available for download in the iTunes Store in January 2013. Approximately 300,000 of these apps were native to iPad devices. AppBrain (October 2013) estimated app development each month, peeking in June of this year, with approximately 57,000 new apps.
Image by sidduz. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.
Would you like help selecting the best devices for a specific grade level?
If your school services various devices, or if you are thinking about purchasing additional devices, this article may help. Edudemic posted a brief review of the following four technologies, 1) OS, 2) Netbook, 3) Notebook, and 4) Tablet. Author David Matheson provides a brief overview with pros and cons of each type of device. Then, he links these uses to the general tasks needed at various grade levels. Click here to read the full article, How to Pick the Best Devices for Your Grade Level (August 2013.)
Image by keterha. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.
Regardless of the type of library you work in, librarians are almost always a member of a team. Lets face it, at some point in our careers, we all have had that one person who continually takes credit for other people’s work. That one person, who makes decisions without thinking through the ramifications of that singular action. Or, that one person who disengages, leaving you to jungle even more pieces to the puzzle. Finding ways to build positive relationships are essential.
What most people don’t realize is that the key to success starts (and may even end) with themselves. For example; How a person talk themselves through less than ideal situations, is important. And, that mindset is mirrored in their interactions with colleagues and/or patrons.
How can you bring light to a difficult circumstance, group, work environment, etc?
This week, CMLE is highlighting a post by INC which lists 17 Ways To Be Happier at Work (March 2013.) Just for fun, try one thing this week to see if it helped change your perspective at work.
Note: As an eternal optimist, who hopes for a long life filled with learning, I am partial to # 17.
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