Now what?

It was nice to get the congratulatory messages from the SLL2.0 cheerleader squad on finishing the course. I really have appreciated the encouraging words throughout the process.

But what now? Where do I go? It was nice to have some with the map in their hands, someone who could be the GPS voice telling me to turn here and that there's a rest stop there.

I decided to take a look at the folks who have also completed the experience to see what others have discovered along the way and what I can use.

My first stop was at http://slimlibrary.blogspot.com/ . I was pleased to see an entry about Voice Thread. I have just heard about this tool through our district technology wizard who is holding a workshop on it this month. Of course I travelled to the Voice Thread site to explore (http://voicethread.com/ ) and after spending some time there my mind started racing with ways I could use this in the library.

One of my challenges as the Library Media Technician is being in two places at once. I immediately thought that I could use this to create a lesson a teacher could use in the lab while I was in the library. It's the next best thing to cloning yourself!

I also thought about the research reports our fifth graders do each year. I have seen great students who are well prepared but, who fall apart when they do a power point presentation. Voice thread would allow them to record their presentation.

I have a child in kindergarten this year. What could his teacher do with voice thread? Well, they have been studying sunflowers and painting beautiful pictures of them. (This is the one he brought home today!) She could scan the paintings and then record the children telling about sunflowers.

First graders at my school learn a poem a week. Take a picture of a different child each week and have him/her recite the poem. It would make an amazing Open House presentation.

In the library I can invite students to create digital book reviews and use them as commercials when classes visit.

Now I can hardly wait for the Voice Thread inservice. My mind is still racing. Thank you, Slim Library ( http://slimlibrary.blogspot.com/ ) for this find!