I cannot be the only one surprised that the November conference in actually in July! If I hadn't clicked on the link, I wouldn't have known why you wanted it quickly - I thought you were just preparing ahead! To answer your question, I am attending a Reading workshop this summer and immersing myself in literacy vocabulary and concepts. I'm reading as many blogs by classroom teachers about good books as I can find. They do have a different perspective than librarians. I think elementary librarians need to know about "touchstone texts" and other buzz terms in reading.

I'll be at the November Conference, and am looking forward to hearing your speak! My best practices are driven by my RSS feed - the best ongoing professional development ever. Staff development in tech and Web 2.0 are critical, and persistent faculty outreach. Successful tools have been NoodleTools, wikis, VoiceThread, Skype and Nings. Am working with ePals to make connections supporting a One Book One School reading incentive program built around A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah. See you in Boston!

To misquote a line from Jerry Maguire: Give me the links! (Please, :-) I really want to show off great work next week.

If you want links to our library websites, mine is ccisd.esc11.net/99120618141227170/site/default.asp I don't think I have anything new for you because I have been slowly building my website based on your recommendations in your Texas Library Association presentations. My 2 most successful implementations have been Google Documents (because we don't have server space for student work) and bibme.org bibliography maker. My teachers are finally requiring bibliographies because it is so easy to do with bibme.org and the students don't mind the little extra effort it takes.

We're doing summer book book clubs using videoconferencing programs, Wiziq, and so far it has been very successful. If you're interested, I've written more at brendab.edublogs.org. Also, next year we're going to do reading challenges instead of a "reading incentive program." We've come up with a Fav Five Nonfiction book challenge, a Series Book Challenge, and A to Z Reading challenge. More on this at readingchallenges.edublogs.org

We're doing summer book book clubs using videoconferencing programs, Wiziq, and so far it has been very successful. If you're interested, I've written more at brendab.edublogs.org. Also, next year we're going to do reading challenges instead of a "reading incentive program." We've come up with a Fav Five Nonfiction book challenge, a Series Book Challenge, and A to Z Reading challenge. More on this at readingchallenges.edublogs.org

After learning about VoiceThread from you at AASL, I started recording some VoiceThread booktalks, encouraging my book club students to also, and embedding the latest one in my library webpage. I also embedded each of them in a blog to create an ongoing booktalk resource. The webpage is at www.lvusd.org/lcms/library and the blog is linked just below the embedded booktalk. I need to get more students to participate next year to make it a really worthwhile resource, but I am hoping that it's a start. (Just this morning, I sent an email to your ning about an article I wrote on this same subject. Check that email and the article for more details.)

This is not a library website but might be something of interest to you: BookGlutton.com

Yeah! This is exactly what I needed! Thank you Sue and Jane and Brenda and Sandra and Jeni and Robin! Please keep your ideas coming.

There is an elementary librarian in my district who has taken off running with Web 2.0 tools since completing our Learning 2.0 Through Play program (learning20thruplay.blogspot.com). She has links to two blogs, a podcast page and a research wiki on her library web site (www.mesquiteisd.org/library/smith)

I have used Google docs a couple of times and loved it. One time was with a second grade class. We compared the weather, particularly temperatures, at the same time on the same day in March (after reading the book "On the Same Day in March" about weather around the world) when we were studying weather and climate. The kids loved it!!

1. I host virtual office hours to help teachers (who may not know answers about resources or citing) and kids. Students can use the IM (Meebo) widget to contact me directly through the webpage (library.sasaustin.org/contactUs.php). This has proven valuable to kids—not quite on their radar but we are getting there. Probably 10% of the class uses it. 2. To promote summer reading, I posted a community reading wiki, inviting kids, teachers, and parents to submit books that others may like. See it on the home page by clicking on the photo (library.sasaustin.org). 3. I used to post collaborative assignments on web pages, but teachers would have to email me their changes. We now are using wiki technology so that the teachers can add the task and collaborate on the final results and evaluation. I add resources and how the students will present results with the teachers input. I decorate the wiki. I LOVE wikis. They are my favorite new tool. We have a private lable wiki service through wikispaces. (www.islam.sas.wikispaces.net) or (library.sasaustin.org/integratedAssignments.php) for a list of collaborative assigments. 4. To promote reading for pleasure I am hosting a photography contest the has students and faculty taking photos of themselves or other school folks reading and then decorating their photos using Flickr Toys. They will upload their entries to a wiki. Still waiting for entries… (library.sasaustin.org—click on link). Hope this helps. Wish I was there to see you and have some fun! --Barb

I should add that the assignment pages and wikis that I mentioned above are the one-stop shopping for the students after we instruct the students on all components. We don't just provide the page without the necessary instruction. Typically, the teachers introduce the topic and task and I take it from there, teaching and reviewing any skills the students need to access and use the info sources and communicate their results. I also assess any of the products resulting from my instruction such as bibliographies, notes, web evaluations, presentations (the teacher assesses the content). The assignment pages (wikis and webpages) offer rubrics, examples, and anything else students my need for further reference. It also serves parents well and those students who were absent.

Thanks, Barb! Boston will hear all about the photo contest, the cool wiki units, the IM service. You'll be even more famous!

Here is a link to my media center site: wsfcs.k12.nc.us/education/staff/staff.php?sectionid=1165. We're a NC Impact Model School for Media and Technology. We focus on integrating media and technology across the curriculum. From the media site you can access our collaboration wikis, which we use as a planning tool when we develop interdisciplinary units with teacher teams. You can also access my online consideration file form that I use to provide a place for students, teachers and parents to make requests for the collection. The Book Nook Blog link on the site houses book review blog entries written by students and staff members at our school. We've also been focusing on using digital storytelling/podcasting, problem based learning, and blogging as products to promote research and critical content reading skills. I can give you specific examples of lessons if that's helpful. Currently, I'm developing a professional learning community zone on the site and creating a new wiki zone for students using Scrapblog (www.scrapblog.com). I was inspired by your Glogster wiki, although I was hesitant to use Glogster due to a couple of images that may be inappropriate for middle schoolers. I know my students will follow the auto link and discover the content quickly. I wanted to achieve similar design results without worrying about the image content. I hope this helps.

Hi Joyce, Our district elementary librarians and teachers are using a wiki with imbedded Google docs to compile lists of books that reflect the district's character ed traits. Beth Menges created the site. So far the lists for respect and responsibility are populated. It's similar to the site I have for PYRCA Young Adult titles. Shelfari has proved to be a fun and super easy site to connect students and literature. URLs below if you're interested in taking a look. www.cvcharactered.wikispaces.com www.payoungadult.wikispaces.com