Monday, April 28, 2014

Tweet Deck Chrome Extension

Are you a twitter hater? I was too until I found the Tweet Deck extension for the chrome browser!

As a quick recap, a browser is the program you use to access the internet. In our school we have two choices: Chrome or Internet Explorer (IE). Each has their strengths and weaknesses and the ability to add smaller programs to tailor them to your needs. Since our student’s 1:1 devices are Chromebooks, which only use the Chrome browser, I’m always looking for new tips and tricks to make using Chrome better for both students and teachers.

My latest fave is Tweet Deck. Tweet Deck is a free Chrome extension that allows you to monitor multiple twitter accounts and hashtags at the same time! Before I found Tweet Deck I hated Twitter. I didn’t know how to stay on top of it despite trying a dozen different iPhone apps. And trying to keep me to 140 characters or less was a learning curve too. The whole thing was confusing and overwhelming.

But with Tweet Deck I can see everything – my notifications, lists, hashtags, etc. – at a glance. With just a couple minutes a day you too can finally join the Twitterverse. In our next issue I’ll be sure to explain a bit more about Twitter and how to navigate the Chrome Web Store so you can find Tweet Deck – and other goodies – to make your life easier. Or you can of course just swing by and I’ll be happy to show you.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Do We Still Need Paper Books?

Has anyone ever asked you why we still need libraries because e-books are the wave of the future?  Or perhaps you have a golden opportunity to renovate your library and you're wondering if you really need all those books since e-books don't take up any space!  

I am 1/2 way through a $100,000 renovation myself and have been asked these questions - and many like them - multiple times.  I have come up with the following arsenal of responses and thought they might come in handy for you: 

Lead to the Normal

We need to normalize mistakes and bad hair days. Not knowing the answer to questions even though we are library workers. We need to normal...