About “Cool Tools for School”

?? New York State School Library Systems are sponsoring this online learning opportunity that will help you keep up (and catch up!) with many of the web-based services and networking tools that abound online today and explore how they can be used in a K12 setting.

Topics

We’ll cover topics from blogs to online communities to media sites to online learning and much more! Each topic or “thing” will include

• an introduction
• some tips and ideas about how the tools can be used in school libraries, education and for personal use
• a short activity for you to complete.

There will also be plenty of opportunity for you to connect with other colleagues around the state. All this without having to leave your desk!

This project is also a self-discovery program which encourages you to take control of your own learning and help you develop your lifelong learning skills through exploration and play. There will be no classes or formal workshops offered to support this program. Instead, participants are encouraged to work together and share with each other their discoveries, techniques and “how to’s” both in-person and through their blogs.

Why bother?

• Learn how to use tech tools that will help your students succeed.
• Help students learn to use the tools more effectively.
• Build awareness of tools that you can draw on when a need arises.
• Learn new tech tools that can help you at work and at home.
• Become more comfortable exploring new tools on your own.
• Take leadership in your school community by sharing your knowledge and skills.

Participating School Library Systems & SLS Directors:

(This list is subject to change. Double check with your SLS admin to make sure your region is participating.)

• Capital Region BOCES – Tia Felock
• DCMO: Delaware Chenango Madison Otsego BOCES –  Sue LeBlanc
• Dutchess County BOCES – Rebecca Gerald
• GST: Schuyler Steuben Chemung Tioga Allegany (GST) BOCES – Stephanie Wilson
• Monroe 1 BOCES – Katie Bertrand
• Oneida/Herkimer BOCES – Pat Skelly
• Oswego County SLS – Marla Yudin
• Questar III – Jen Cannell
• Rochester City School District – Colleen Sadowski
• St. Lawrence-Lewis  BOCES –  Kelly Wilson
• Sullivan County BOCES – Lynn Miller
• Ulster County BOCES – Danielle Yeomans
• WSWHE BOCES – J’aime Pfeiffer

Big Huge Thanks

The project is based on many of the other Learning 2.0/23 Things projects that other libraries and library systems have shared. Particular debt is owed to the following projects:

• 23 Things Kansas – Statewide program in Kansas (special thanks to Heather Braum in particular for cheerfully answering my endless questions)
• 23 Things on a Stick – Minnesota’s statewide program
• 23 Things Cambridge – University of Cambridge Libraries program.
• SLJ Learning 2.0 – Program run by Michael Stephens for School Library Journal
• and of course, Helene Blower’s original 23 Things project at Charlotte Mecklenberg (NC) Library

Like the work of all the other Learning 2.0 projects, the content here is also available for others to use and build upon. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.