This is going to be neat!

This week things have really come together for my website, and it's exciting to see it taking shape. It's kind of taking on a life of it's own during this creative process, and it's interesting to see the focus sharpening to a resource for teachers. I think I have some great resources to really help teachers. That's a great feeling. This summer when I began my core classes I wasn't really sure how to go about helping teachers, especially since I don't have an educational background. But I'm learning so many skills I can utilitze to assist them. I'm loving this!

I'm glad we had some time in Live Classroom to present. I hadn't done that before and I'm really grateful whenever I'm exposed to a new skill. The best part about it though was seeing my classmates websites. They have some terrific ideas and resources, and I jotted several links down quick to add to a listing I keep of great websites that could be of help to teachers. I really admire the professionalism and dedication of my classmates, and I aspire to their greatness. I wish I could tell the world how terrific teachers are, they just don't get the credit they so richly deserve.

A little progress...

Today's lesson did help me take a few steps toward utilizing databases more effectively. I've found GALILEO to be very frustrating in the past, and the EBSCO video did help with a few tips for more effective search techniques. Honestly, it still is a little exasperating sometimes, but it's much better than when I started this term.

One unexpected perk of these searches is I'm finding tons of professional development material. I'm collecting just as much of that as I am resources for my website. I also think the focus of my website is changing. It is becoming a tool for teachers, not kids. Hope that is okay!

It's a Big World Out There!

Wow! I never knew there were so many ways to search the Web. So cool! I'm really grateful to have this info, it will be invaluable in my library. I was amazed that after I spent hours searching, I still found a terrific site that hadn't come up before. It really makes you wonder how that could be, and how much info I've been missing all this time! Plus it's great to be able to really zero in on what you want - such a time saver. Now I have so much stuff bookmarked, it's going to be hard to narrow down the best of the best!

Great Searches

This week I really enjoyed learning internet search techniques from Deb at the reference desk in Odum. She's a whiz, and she's nice, too. I'm really getting the knack of refined searching. Man, the time it saves! Loving it. During my searches, I also began to refine my website ideas. I'm developing a tutorial on Destiny for teachers at an elementary school (I thought I would be doing a tutorial on their OPAC). So, to keep the content relevant, I will focus the research skills page toward teachers, and teaching research skills. I found some great sites in my searches, and I'm excited to get started.