The Daring Librarian

(This is an example of one of my Daring School Library Edublogss postings- written in the style of Lemony Snicket for my students)  Hello dear readers, this is Gwyneth Jones - your one and only ridiculously humble Daring Librarian here with dire LATE Breaking News...that's right As Sophia (the delightfully cheerful girl above) reported on MHTV News we must share something distasteful with you.   Why? Because I recently awoke feeling a dreadful malaise and a lingering doleful fear about something I just uncovered. When I say "uncover" imagine turning over a mossy rock expecting cute wriggly earth worms and rolly polly pill bugs only to find a suspect piece of butterscotch candy wrapped in a soggy cellophane wrapper...well, read below for our news story.  Oh, and don't be angry with me OR with the smiley Sophia...we HAD to give this news  Here's the Script:   We here at #MHTVNews usually like to share uplifting and heartwarming storie...

  Welcome back dear readers! And welcome to any who are here for the first time, I'm so glad you're here ! I've got exciting news! I'm super thrilled and honored to have been invited to be a Featured Speaker at this year's Future of Education Technology Conference ! (OR #FETC !) I have a very busy schedule , speaking for 7+ hours with four presentations starting at 8am and finishing at 7:30 pm! Whew!   I know, just like Elaine on Seinfeld I use WAY too many exclamation points. Sorry, that's kinda my jam.  If you're going to the conference or just curious, visit my  # FETC Landing Wikispaces Page w/ MAPS, Wireless Passwords, my Speaking Schedule, Resources, & MORE !  This is my first time going and I've followed the resources for years on Twitter by following their hashtag. How brilliant of them to use the same hashtag all year long. No need to add a year since all Tweets are chronological anyway. On My Presenting S...

I was touched by this timeless Huffington Post article from Mr. James Perry, once mayoral candidate and the the Executive Director of the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center: "Among the most important lessons I've learned from Dr. King is the example of servant leadership. A servant leader is one who offers an inclusive vision; listens carefully to others; persuades through reason; and heals divisions while building community. It is easy to spot servant leaders. In a room where others are jockeying for attention, they are the ones listening to someone others might consider unimportant. When faced with a problem, they look for solutions that benefit everyone. When something goes wrong, they take the blame. When things go well, they share the credit. They tell everyone the same story, even when it is inconvenient or difficult. They know that they don't have all the answers, so they seek advice from others. They work hard and inspire others to do the same. ...

There are a lot of cool FREE Apps out there that can add functionality and sparkle to the number one picture and video App Instagram, but I'm going to share my favorite four! And yeah, I'm still mourning the loss of Vine . But, finding these new Apps has helped me get past the it... a little!   1. Flipagram   With Vine going away I really needed something to combine video, filters, drawing, still pics, and music all together and I found that in Flipagram !  Easy to learn & upload to Instagram with a not too obnoxious watermark.  Tech Tip: It's easier to create the video and pictures first, THEN bring them into Flipagram. Also, make sure all the still pics and/ or the videos are shot either landscape or portrait, mixing them up looks super awkward or sideways.  Read more about Flipagram: Oh Baby, Please Don't Go! including how to embed. Here's an example: #AProudRaiderNation: Former @hcpss_mhms & now @hcpss_ahs students visit....

Gratitude means thankfulness, counting your blessings, noticing simple pleasures, and acknowledging everything that you receive. Because this is the time of the year when I reflect on being thankful, I'd like to share a simple thing you can do that will help you get through the hard times in teaching. As with any profession, there are awesome days and there are difficult days. During those down days, it's good to have something to remind you why we do this thing called teaching, librarianship, & education.  It's Handy to Keep The Thanks Handy I still love a manila folder!  I keep the thank you notes from kiddos in a folder in my desk and it's labeled, Stuff from KIDS . But I also found it helpful to take a digital picture of the Thank you notes. too! Just in case of age, fire, zombies, you know....the usual. And to be able to look at them anytime I needed an emotional pick-me-up. That folder, on my Flickr gallery is called...Happy !  And Then BuzzFeed ...