August 2008 Archives
After briefly discussing web site evaluation, I showed a class of first-year psychology students the Havidol site and asked them what they thought of it. This site is a very slick-looking promotion for a drug for the treatment of Dysphoric Social Attention Consumption Deficit Anxiety Disorder (DSACDAD) that provides a "greatly improved sense of well-being and the ability to enjoy the challenges of our high-paced culture."
None of the students really understood that this site is a hoax, although one students suggested it was a "scam" designed to take your money. The Havidol site does offer T-shirts and other items for sale, but clicking these items takes you to the web page of the artist who designed Havidol, so the site doesn't really take your money.
I then encouraged the students to go into ProQuest and do a search for Havidol, which brings up several articles describing the site and the artist who created it as a way to poke fun at the pharmaceutical industry. I hope that this exercise reinforced the notion of verifying information that seems questionable by checking other sources.
I also showed the students malepregnancy.com, a hoax site also created by an artist that many librarians have been using for years as part of web evaluation instruction. This site is so professional and convincing that you almost believe it, at the same time that you know it's impossible.
Both these sites are colorful, entertaining, and more than a little weird. Looking at the sites seemed to engage the students somewhat after a long hour or so of me talking about database searching and the other usual important but rather dry elements of library instruction. I'm not sure the students completely understood my purpose in showing them these sites, but I hope they at least came away with the idea that things, particularly things on the web, are not always what they seem to be.
None of the students really understood that this site is a hoax, although one students suggested it was a "scam" designed to take your money. The Havidol site does offer T-shirts and other items for sale, but clicking these items takes you to the web page of the artist who designed Havidol, so the site doesn't really take your money.
I then encouraged the students to go into ProQuest and do a search for Havidol, which brings up several articles describing the site and the artist who created it as a way to poke fun at the pharmaceutical industry. I hope that this exercise reinforced the notion of verifying information that seems questionable by checking other sources.
I also showed the students malepregnancy.com, a hoax site also created by an artist that many librarians have been using for years as part of web evaluation instruction. This site is so professional and convincing that you almost believe it, at the same time that you know it's impossible.
Both these sites are colorful, entertaining, and more than a little weird. Looking at the sites seemed to engage the students somewhat after a long hour or so of me talking about database searching and the other usual important but rather dry elements of library instruction. I'm not sure the students completely understood my purpose in showing them these sites, but I hope they at least came away with the idea that things, particularly things on the web, are not always what they seem to be.
During the Learning Design Summer Camp the past few days there were lots of tips about creative ways of using technology. One of the best tips I got was from Stevie in her presentation on delicious and flickr, about searching flickr for photos that have Creative Commons licenses and using the photos in teaching materials. I frequently try to incorporate visual elements in to print or web-based teaching materials, but I hadn't thought of flickr as a source.
I also got some ideas for using blogs as professional development tools. I liked Cole's suggestion about using the tags on your blog to pull together information about presentations, conferences etc. when it's time for annual evaluations. There are lots of innovative ways of using blogs, but you can also just use a blog as a blog: a record of your ideas, accomplishments, and activities that you can easily go back to and sort through. And of course blog posts can turn into future presentations, articles, discussions....
I also got some ideas for using blogs as professional development tools. I liked Cole's suggestion about using the tags on your blog to pull together information about presentations, conferences etc. when it's time for annual evaluations. There are lots of innovative ways of using blogs, but you can also just use a blog as a blog: a record of your ideas, accomplishments, and activities that you can easily go back to and sort through. And of course blog posts can turn into future presentations, articles, discussions....
One of the best programs I went to at ALA in Anaheim was on children's literature, "Beyond Frog and Toad: Transitional Books for Children." Although I am no longer a children's librarian, I'm still a part-time Education librarian, as well as a parent and children's book lover, so an indulgence in a program on one of my favorite topics seemed appropriate.
The whole notion of "transitional" books (that is, books for kids who have outgrown easy readers but are not quite ready for longer Harry-Potter style novels) is relatively new; according to one of the program presenters, Andrea Zevenbergen, a reading specialist, the first transitional book was The Stories Julian Tells, published in 1981. This book was enormously popular with the kids I worked with in a lower-income, mostly African-American neighborhood. Like many transitional books, Julian is about the everyday things kids are interested in, friends, family, school, siblings.
Transitional books are not just for kids who've recently left Frog and Toad behind. My own 9-year-old daughter, who is a fairly good reader and able to read Harry Potter, loves the Owen Foote books by Stephanie Greene. Some of her other favorites are the Time Warp Trio series by Jon Scieszka (who, incidentally, has probably done more than anyone to inspire boys to read) and Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid by Megan McDonald.
I've always been of the mind that children should (and will) read what they enjoy, regardless of whether it's considered "great literature" or whether it's for the "right" age group. I've seen kids who struggle with reading come back to the library again and again because they found an author or series that captured their imaginations.
When I tell other adults that I'm a librarian, they often tell me they don't read much, but think that they "should." Reading shouldn't be a chore that's supposed to be good for you, like eating kashi. If kids (and adults) don't love reading, maybe their reading the wrong things.
A great website for more information about transitional books is the Gryphon Award page, sponsored by the Center for Children's Books.
The Frog and Toad presentation and handouts are available on the ALA Wiki under Saturday June 28, 4 pm programs.
The whole notion of "transitional" books (that is, books for kids who have outgrown easy readers but are not quite ready for longer Harry-Potter style novels) is relatively new; according to one of the program presenters, Andrea Zevenbergen, a reading specialist, the first transitional book was The Stories Julian Tells, published in 1981. This book was enormously popular with the kids I worked with in a lower-income, mostly African-American neighborhood. Like many transitional books, Julian is about the everyday things kids are interested in, friends, family, school, siblings.
Transitional books are not just for kids who've recently left Frog and Toad behind. My own 9-year-old daughter, who is a fairly good reader and able to read Harry Potter, loves the Owen Foote books by Stephanie Greene. Some of her other favorites are the Time Warp Trio series by Jon Scieszka (who, incidentally, has probably done more than anyone to inspire boys to read) and Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid by Megan McDonald.
I've always been of the mind that children should (and will) read what they enjoy, regardless of whether it's considered "great literature" or whether it's for the "right" age group. I've seen kids who struggle with reading come back to the library again and again because they found an author or series that captured their imaginations.
When I tell other adults that I'm a librarian, they often tell me they don't read much, but think that they "should." Reading shouldn't be a chore that's supposed to be good for you, like eating kashi. If kids (and adults) don't love reading, maybe their reading the wrong things.
A great website for more information about transitional books is the Gryphon Award page, sponsored by the Center for Children's Books.
The Frog and Toad presentation and handouts are available on the ALA Wiki under Saturday June 28, 4 pm programs.
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