Games and One Big Room

My column about why we ought to have games in schools is now posted at Education World. (if it sounds somewhat familiar, it's a polished version of comments from earlier Blue Skunk entries.)

Because of the conversation about filtering and intellectual freedom, I re-read my columns "One Big Room" which appeared earlier at Education World in 2006 and Maintaining Intellectual Freedom in a Filtered World that was in Leading & Learning, 2005. Amazing - both still seem to make sense to me. And had less "rant" about them.

I did read a remark somewhere that a tech director felt he would be fired if any student in his district accessed inappropriate materials on the Internet. Hmmm, I feel a blog entry formulating...

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At the Minnesota state library/tech conference (MEMO) at a beautiful resort near Brainerd.

Looking forward to hearing the always stimulating Jamie McKenzie's keynote and it is nice to get caught up with AASL President Sara Kelly Johns who is visiting our conference.

I have only one breakout session to give so I get to listen and learn most of today and tomorrow from my fellow Minnesotans!

Nice to know someone is making money

Imagine my surprise to run across the website above when looking for the publication date of one my old articles.  Australian Amanda Cedaro (The Warrior Librarian) has been upset for sometime about publishers reselling her articles without compensation, but I hadn't given her much time, quite frankly. Maybe I shoulda.

What makes finding the article above especially ironic is that as a KQ volunteer author I did not get paid to write it in the first place. I wonder if ALA is getting a kick-back from British Library Direct? Could a portion of anything ALA makes on my stuff go to reducing my dues at least?

Just an FYI - nearly everything I've written (270+ items now) is available under a CC license on my "other" website. Including the article above. 

Update on the website move

As of the first of July, I have transferred, formatted and linked, 118 articles, columns, ethics scenarios and workshop descriptions to my "writing blog." And the end is nowhere in sight. Good grief.

But one nice thing about moving is that your stumble on old treasures now and then. Check out Pikku Myy’s updated lyrics to Tom Paxton’s 60’s song "What Did You Learn in School Today?" Here is a sample verse:

What did you learn in school today, dear little girl of mine?
What did you learn in school today, dear little girl of mine?
It matters what my parents earn
I'll get better grades with cash to burn
If I don't speak English I can't be smart
And no more music and no more art
And that's what I learned in school today
That's what I learned in school