Assignment #3 - Website Creation

Assignment 3 - Website Creation

LIBE 645 - Professor Cho

Maria Victoria Lou

Website - Hudson Road Elementary Library (http://hudsonroadmocklibrary.weebly.com/)

Final Reflection

Planning Stage - I initially wanted to delve right into creating the site without a plan, to be quite honest!  However, that didn't go over very well - as I ended up spending too much time thinking of what my next step would be.  The easiest part of this whole thing was that, through this course, I have seen enough versions of library websites to have a general idea on how I'm going to layout mine.  Below was my preliminary site taxonomy sketch, which I envisioned my site would follow.

I then looked into what our district supports, as far as online programs for creating a website is concerned.  I went this route because, if in case I ended up liking what I've created in the end, I might actually propose the site to our Principal/TL to be approved and maintained OR create my own personal website using the same program.  As it turned out, the teachers in our district who currently have a website made using Outlook are being encouraged to re-create them on Weebly.  I immediately signed-up and experimented with Weebly one late afternoon, and by the next morning, I had all the basic components of my site all in place!  Weebly is an incredibly easy web creator to use.  It had several very chic and professional-looking themes, lots of formatting options and features (i.e., map, slideshow, contact form), and it's FREE!

Theme - Like I mentioned earlier, designing your site on Weebly is fairly straightforward.  But still, it was not without its hiccups!  I initially chose a whimsical and colorful theme, which I thought was a good fit for an elementary school.  However, its template only allowed for four tabs on the menu bar, and all others will be categorized under one tab labeled "More".  I didn't really like this because I want all my main tabs to be visible to the user.  My next (and final) choice was a more elegant-looking theme, and one that reminds me of a quiet reading area in one of our local libraries here, with the three lights on top of a long wooden bench.   This particular theme had all the major features that I like, including the font styles, image positioning options, and the background color (I just love brown!).  I chose gray for majority of my font color, instead of the standard black, because it gives out a softer feel to reading.  I chose different colors to emphasize titles and main terms within paragraphs of text, except for green because that is the color of all my links.  A couple of this theme's limitations included the letter "L" looking like a lower case instead of an upper case on my title ("library") because of the font style, and that it doesn't keep the text formatting when I copy/paste between pages (I had to re-format everything).

Pages - Once I started adding pages to my site, I knew right away I had to draw-up a new taxonomy.  First of all, I wanted to change "Welcome" to "Home" because I don't really plan to have a welcome message on my "Welcome" page, and "Home" is the standard term for most sites' opening page.  Secondly, I initially planned to have the contact information (address, phone, map) on the Home page, but after having discovered the Contact Form feature of Weebly, I decided to have them on a separate page.  I also realized during my initial planning stage that the items I was going to include in the "Students" and "Teachers" pages on my original taxonomy were too many and too redundant.  I then thought hard on what I could use to replace these two tabs (see below for the rationale behind my choosing "Reading Strategies" and "Research Tools").  Finally, I got rid of the Parents' tab because I figured that they will pick from the site themselves the components that they need, without me having to have them all available under one tab.  Overall, I have to be very "picky" on what I choose to make into main tabs/pages because Weebly only allows for 4-6 on the menu bar.  All the other pages that I have on my site provide supplementary information, so I have them set-up as sub-links (i.e., book exchange schedule, updates, catalogue).  The images I chose for my site were at a minimum because I don't want to simply litter it with random clipart images and pictures for "cuteness" purposes.  Instead, I chose to use pictures that relate to the page they are on, and I used mostly pictures of real students/places with the exception of website links and those ones on my Homepage.  The final format of my website taxonomy follows a flat hierarchy - wherein I have my 6 main headers (on the menu bar) and everything else are just your sub-components (i.e., updates, mission statements, policies, book exchange scheduleds, etc.).  All information can be accessed using a 1-2 clicks, and (almost) each page look identical to each other.  The navigation bar appears on every page, and all clickable text are green in color.

Home Page - I wanted my Home Page to not be cluttered with images and links, which often leave them confused and unsure on what to click first.  Instead, I have EVERYTHING I've covered on my site (from staff info, resources, reading/research strategies to library updates, catalogue, library updates) accessible to the user right from the Homepage, but in an organized fashion with all the related information grouped into separate links.

Staff Page - I thought it was important for me to tell the readers more in-depth information about their TLs than simply stating our names on the page.  Since we don't have our own classrooms, we very rarely have the chance to have conversations with the students at our school in a more personal level.

Resources - This page took quite a bit of time to complete, given all the images and links I had to upload and set-up.  Under "Print Materials", I included three sub-links and had to set-up separate pages for those as well.  Choosing the online databases and online sites for E-books was pretty easy because this course has exposed me to many examples.  One important discovery I had in setting up this page was my finding an online database on award winning books.  It's an extremely exhaustive database, which even allows you to search for award winning books from various countries!  Lastly, I had the most fun collecting entries for the "Student Recommended Books" page because the students I interviewed had the most interesting things to say, and they were very excited to be asked about their favorite books.  Before I finalized this page, I made sure that all the links work!

Reading Strategies - Although not a common part of a library website, I think it makes sense for a TL to provide some information on reading strategies to its site users.  The two sites I used as reference provide a more in-depth look at this topic, which teachers at the primary and intermediate levels will find incredibly useful in their teaching.

Research Tools - Apart from providing site users with useful online database links, I decided to add a blurb on the importance of reading and understanding informational text.  I found that as classroom teacher and previous TL, students often struggle with reading and decoding non-fiction materials.  I'm hoping that the teachers who visit this part of the site will first go over the strategies I have laid-out on the page with their students before delving into the different online sites.

Contact Us - I like this part of the site because it's very multifunctional.  I like how site users can use this form to make comments about the site or the components of the library itself.  It can also be used to make book recommendations, etc. as there never seems to be enough time to chat with their TL on the books they recently read.

Challenges/Moving Forward - Overall, I was pleased with how my site turned out after everything was set in place.  I would have liked to include video clips, blogs, and pathfinders on my site, but all these take time to put together.  As well, I didn't include a Search field because it costs money to do so.  I also want to look more into the policy behind using clipart on one's site because I know some images have a royalty fee or copyrights attached to them.  Creating this website required a lot of time, but the whole process - from gathering of information to designing and revising the site - has been a truly valuable one.  I've decided to propose this site to our Principal and our TL, and hopefully they will approve it and take the time to maintain it and keep the links/information updated.

End of Module 2 / Class - Final Reflection (for this blog, but not for life)!

The course is done, but my learning is just beginning! Like I said in my earlier blog, I never once thought that there would be that much relevant information on reference materials for one to make a full course on it ... Boy, was I wrong! I learned so much about reference materials (and the like), enough for me to know that I shouldn't take them for granted.

It is from the heart when I say that I am grateful for this course. Eventhough I was the least bit interested in taking it (after I found out what it was all about), it was one that I learned the most from. I think this course is not just useful to TLs, but also to classroom teachers. Now that I have chosen to leave my TL position and become a full time classroom teacher, I feel like I am now armed with so much useful information that I can use in my teaching and share with my colleagues. I can't wait to check out the different online databases that our district subscribes to, which I never knew about and never got a chance to explore. I'm eager to have a look at the maps that are available in our library and start integrating them in my teaching. Finally, I'm extremely excited to visit all the sites provided by our classmates and see which ones I can bookmark and share with colleagues.

Thank you Anne for teaching this course and for all your thoughtful comments about our work. Thank you fellow learners for sharing your knowledge and expertise via the discussion forum. Lastly, thank you my children for being so patient with your mom (me!) especially when I had to give up many of our play and cuddle times, so I can do my course readings and assignments. Now that the course is over, we can play play play and play ... well, at least until my two courses start again in Sept!

Lesson 10 - Bibliographies, Biographies and Directories (Periodical Indexes)

If one is to explore the list of UBC Online Indexes and Databases, you will find an extensive list of options that are available for use. I like using EBSCO because ...
1. It is linked to several database collections, which yield results that are relevant to my field of study (i.e., Academic Search Complete, Library Info Science and Tech Abstracts, EBSCO Animals, Canadian/Teacher Ref Center, ERIC)
2. It often provides full text of the articles that I need, so I can easily view them online.
3. I can can alter my search in a variety of ways.
4. Many school districts subscribe to it, so students can access it as well.
5. I can do my article search from home, instead of having to personally go to a library (the way it used to be done years ago).

When I wasn't at all that comfortable yet in using EBSCO, I was easily getting frustrated with the site. I felt I had to be very specific with my keywords before it yielded relevant results. I was constantly losing connection and had to retype all my parameters to re-start my search, although I think the problem was more with my internet connection than it being a problem with the database. Just the same, I am indebted to this type of search engine because it gives me access to countless set of information which I find, not only relevant to me as a student, but also as a teacher.

Lesson 9 - Maps, Atlases and other Geographical Sources (Maps)

Geography has never been an interest of mine. This is unfortunate because I know that there are much to learn just from simply looking and reading maps, for instance. This is perhaps that case why I have inadvertedly ignored the atlas/map section of our library. Although I am fully aware where they are situated in the library, I am not certain of their circulation status and whether or not they need updating. If it wasn't for Riedling's evaluation criteria, I wouldn't know what to do with them otherwise.

I did, however, make an honest effort in evaluating a geographical source from the links that were provided to us. Much as a I have never been a fun of maps, I find myself using Mapquest (and the portable travel map) quite a bit when figuring out how to get to a certain place. There are so many things I find useful about the Mapquest site. You can ...
1. Search for both Canadian and US locations
2. Search for both driving and walking options
3. Add a stop to your originally searched route or reverse your search (from the destination and back)
4. Alter the unit of measure (i.e., miles to km and vice versa)
5. Search for commonly used ammenities and places of interest (i.e., schools, hospitals, gas stations, restaurants) by a touch of a button (e.g., icons are available), within your driving/walking route
6. Print (to bring with you as you drive), save (for later use) and send (if your travelling as a group, for instance) your search results
7. Change your originally searched route to a shorter one
8. View the map in various ways (i.e., satellite, 360 view, normal map view)
and the best one of all ...
9. Change the site to Mapquest Atlas, which is just an engaging and interactive.

Mapquest is such a useful site for even the least computer savy user. It's very user-friendly and not overwhelming at all.

Lesson 8 - Indexes, Abstracts and Full Text Databases (World Book Online)

Given all the online topics of discussions in our reference course, I have to say that this one on databases is what excited me the most! I'm extremely pleased with the amount of information that I obtained from having had the opportunity to explore the different databases that our district subscribes to. Unfortunately, I only had the chance to explore one - but fortunately, I chose what I think is the best one - World Book Online!

What an incredible resource WBO is! There's certainly something for everyone. It has many features which I know my students and I will benefit from.
1. WB Online is more superior to WB Print in the sense that it allows for various students to research on the same topic at any given time, without having to wait for the resource to be available.
2. It comes in three versions which cater to users of different reading levels.
3. All versions can be accessed from the same site. This eliminates the need to purchase different sets of WB for their library for the students and teachers use.
4. Its multi-media function is definitely very engaging - it has sound capability, very visually appealing, and it allows for its users to make data input (i.e., article search, interactive maps).
5. The site's content is constantly being updated and made relevant.
6. There are helpline and online tutorial guides, which first time users can access so as to help them navigate the system.

and the list goes on ...

In this day and age when people, particularly our young students, are becoming more and more technologically involved, online databases are similarly increasing in use and popularity. They are highly accessible from school and home (provided that internet is not down) , user-friendly and is free to access (through our school districts). They are different types of databases and it's just a matter of figuring out which one would best meet our needs.

Lesson 6 - General and Specialized Encyclopedias (Wikipedia)

Quite honestly, I know very little about Wikipedia prior to taking this course. I have used it a couple of times before, but I never questioned the validity of its content because the information I got was accurate and complete. I didn't realize until after I've read my classmates posts on this topic in our online discussion forum how controversial of a research source it is.

Now that I know what I know about Wikipedia, the question now is ... should I allow my students to use Wikipedia as a research source? My response is ... why not? I used (and will continue to use) it! My reaction is as such because when doing research, I ALWAYS require my students to use multi-sourcing. This way, a lot (if not all) of the discrepancies and inaccuracies will likely surface, and we (as a class) can make the corrections ourelves.

In reading my classmates' posts on Wikipedia, I found that they all basically revolved around this notion. Familiarize our students with the different features of Wikipedia (including the history tab, which I myself just recently learned about), discuss with them the pros and cons of using it as a research source, educate them on how to use it wisely and responsibly, and lastly ... evaluate their work based on how effectively they managed to incorporate their researched information into the overall content of their work.

End of Module 1 - Reflection

Wow ... end of Module 1 already! I sure didn't expect to learn that much in such a short period of time. Much like Brooke Lowden in our class (as per her blog posting entitled "Terms and Definitions"), I registered for this course thinking that it was an IT (Info Tech) class for whatever reason. I have to admit, there was a bit of disappointment on my part when I realized that it wasn't. Funny thing was, I meant to register for an IT course because I was wanting to re-create a website for our school library (which from what I heard, was part of the assessment piece in the IT course). As it turned out, we'll be doing something similar in this class, such as this blog. All was good after that :)

Learning about the reference section of a school library is new to me. I say that because hardly anyone really talks about "that" part of the library anymore. Of course, this is not to say that I don't use it with my students, but I didn't realize how vast the topic is that a 3-credit course can be solely dedicated to talking about just that. Joanne McLarty (based on her blog entry entitled "Module 1 is done!") and I share a somewhat similar initial reaction to the course ... the fact that prior to taking it, we hadn't really spent that much time thinking about the reference section of our libraries. All I know is that it exists and that I need to use it more often because based on my past experience as a student, the reference section of a library houses some of the most valuable sources of information.

I particularly like Riedling's textbook entitled Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist. It's a perfect complement to an online course that is jam packed with information. It clearly explains and gives pertinent information and examples on all topics that we have been discussing in class. More importantly, the wording of the content is easy to understand and Riedling's approach when explaining a concept is easy to follow.

The course in itself has taught (and continues to) teach me so much about reference terminology, collection, sources and services, as well as that of the research process. Some of my new learning that I can clearly identify are ...

1. Additional reference terminologies such as gazetteers, reference interview, national/trade/universal bibliography, and the two acronyms: NUC and OCLC

2. Various research models, which I didn't even know had their own particular names - In the past, I have just been formulating my own steps to conducting research, with the assessment piece in the end. With my new learning in tow, I now have several "proven" models to refer to, which will help me make the research process even more efficient.

3. Selection criteria for evaluating reference materials - This part of the course is where I learned the most. Sadly (and a bit ironic, actually), SD#23 does not have a district-wide policy on resource selection and weeding. What TL's purchase and discard from its selection are decided upon on a school-by-school basis, and I have to say it's extremely difficult for fairly new TL's such as myself to take on such a huge responsibility. When I had to do it in the past, I mostly went by what other TL's, teachers and some students advised me to buy, and the rest of my purchases were based on pure instinct. Having individual TL's GUESS on what to purchase and weed off their library, instead of having them follow a set standard at least as a guideline, is perhaps not advisable. Particularly in district like ours wherein there is a high turnover of TL's and for everytime a new TL is hired that year, a whole new set of policies are set for that particular school. Hardly any kind of consistency is achieved.

Sooooooo, what else do I want to learn in this course? I can't really say because, like I said before, learning about reference materials is all so new to me. What I can say for sure is that I am extremely eager to learn more and that I'm enjoying every minute of it.