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 * Welcome to the wiki for SL5912. Since this is a closed wiki, you can view the wiki but are not able to add any information until you receive an invitation to join, and I, as the originator of this wiki, accept your invitation. Email the field experience coordinator (khayward105@comcast.net) when you are ready to post your comments about the Springfield Township High School Virtual Library and you will receive an email invitation to join this wiki and will be able to add your thoughts. Click on Edit This Page on the top menu bar, and be sure and click on the** **Save button when you have finished.**

The Springfield Township High School Library website is certainly different. I like the website’s “portal” graphic interface but from there, it appears somewhat similar to a traditional library.

I am very curious how the library is able to keep the wiki portion up to date and free of errors, when it would appear that anyone could edit the content.

Since one of my goals is to increase the flexibility, use and aesthetics of the Prairie Library site I am going to spend some time on Google casting about for some ideas on content design and layout. Tallying website statistics may yield the need to create a flexible site allowing new information to be posted continuously to engage an audience (maybe???). -Mark Marker

In a word, IMPRESSIVE! As a visual learner and a lover of bold color, the cover page is quite enticing. It’s like a game in which you can enter different areas. Once again, I am reminded of a word I learned in one of Laura’s classes: Edutainment. This site has all of the educational and informational pieces yet is entertaining to peruse. I was impressed with the database set-up/navigation, by subject. The research guide was also informative and useful. This virtual library contained more that the average library website/web page, including teacher links, usually found on the school website. As a website novice (never set up one on my own), I am certainly not one to judge this site and target areas of improvement. I could not open the online library, Alexandria. Could this be because the school is not in session or perhaps I need some sort of password? I am curious as to HOW the librarian set this all up. I would love further instruction. Did she create the cartoonish graphics? Was there some sort of template used? How much can we “borrow” without plagiarizing her talents? Highly creative! I could have spent much more time visiting the various areas. In fact, I plan to share this with my teacher-librarian colleagues. -Gay Shellhorn



What an amazing library site! It is incredibly colorful and full of interesting things. I can definitely see how a student would find it fun to check out and use. It is visually appealing and includes an amazing amount of information: all the databases, the library information, the links to websites, etc. It must have taken these librarians a lot of time and energy to put it together. That said, it is also a little overwhelming. I wonder if there would be a way to highlight the information that students would use the most, or the links they should focus on. I realize that this could be different with each assignment, but the site is a little hard to navigate because it contains SO MUCH information, so many pictures and words/phrases, etc. Perhaps one just needs to get used to it to learn how to navigate it better. I will definitely bookmark this site and use it as a reference in the future. Charlotte Brooks Mind boggling website. I can't imagine a more comprehensive library site. Not to mention all the publications and podcasts she's done. She must sleep at the library. I was amazed at the database resources, the policy information, and the research support. Its a one stop shop for almost any student. Something like that should be universalized for all students to have access to all those resources. Perhaps in her spare time she could create a federally funded program to do just that. Likewise the free open source resources were pretty thorough. I like how she organized databases by subject as well as having them listed with the catalogs. The overall presentatio is so inviting and fun that it makes the quantity of resources less intimidating. Also appreciate all the online lessons. Now I recognize her from ning. I wonder how often she is updating and adding and if she has supprt for the site besides herself. Allan Cutler Joyce Valenza has created a complete comprehensive website that benefits students in high school as well as students like us, working towards our endorsements or masters in school librarianship. I spent by time perusing the links that related to teacher-librarians, 21st century learning, and information literacy. I wish I would have found this resource earlier in my program. I have already bookmarked it and plan to return often for information as well as a plethora of ideas. Kristen McCann

I was really impressed with the Springfield Township High School Virtual Library. It seemed much cooler than the physical space I viewed. The whole thing was so thorough and I think student would easily be able to navigate using the icons. The things I liked most was the turnitin.com link right on the front page. More and more teachers are requiring students to use it and so it is useful to put it in an easy to find spot and creates a reason for students to visit the virtual library. Joanna Zoll 

Joyce Valenza’s virtual library has been an inspiration to me since I first discovered it a year ago. It is not only useful to her school community, but to schools across the world. The home page is attractive, simple, a doorway to oh-so-many resources, and a wonderful example of what we can do for our own students and colleagues. The underlying resources are multi-layered and yet easy to navigate. I like her idea of changing the pathfinders into wikis that can be edited or added to by the academic community. An area of improvement relates to the multiplicity of links. Because they have not been graded in any way the number of possibilities can be overwhelming for a ‘newbie’ or someone with little time. I would suggest that the best resources on a topic be identified, for practice on something that works well, with the other resources for in-depth experimentation or research. Linda Glynn

I have been a big fan of Joyce Valenza's since my Foundations class. I am actually reading //[|Super Searchers Go To School]// and Valenza is the author, she conducts all the interviews in the book. This book is a must have for all 21st Century Librarians! I digress...imagine that... I love The Springfield Township High School virtual library. I booked marked it ages ago and refer to it constantly. I especially like the "pathfinders" section. I am have been struggling with the best way to list all the websites I find that are tied to specific curriculum. I started a Teacher Finds Webliography but it is cumbersome to maintain as a list in Google sites. I like the way Joyce has these pathfinders linked under specific curriculum appealing icons. They are easy to locate and navigate.

The other reason I appreciate this site is that Joyce is using it to not only help extend library access beyond brink and mortar hours, but she is also using the site to educate patrons and students to new concepts and ideas that are shaping 21st Century libraries. Her discussion on [|information literacy] vs computer literacy (they are not the same thing) are absolutey essential discussions for the librarian to have with patrons and administrators. --Zoe P. Midler (ZPM)

====This virtual library is one of the most comprehensive library websites that I have seen. It is also visually captivating (Joyce Valenza's daughter drew the homepage picture). The site appeals to all ages; it includes fun links for teens like avatar makers and educational games, as well as collaborative communities for faculty and parents. The only hindrance to the layout is that I had to spend time examining the picture and reading all the link titles to figure out where to find the information I was seeking. It is not immediately obvious because the site does not have a standard design. - Sara Channabasappa ====

What a fantastic site! Searching each tab on the home page--amazing. I could not believe all that she has put on her site. I enjoyed looking at each link and then trying to look at a few links beyond that. I think it would take quite a bit of time to exhaust all of the sites she has linked to her home page. I was wondering how long it took to build the page, but I am thinking that it must be a work in progress--continual. I am wondering if one should try to recreate this for their own school or if it would be best to just use what she has created as the sites transcend Joyce Valenza's school. I will be happy to visit this site again for my own personal use and for ideas for others. Becky Cox  I was very impressed with Joyce Valenza's website. In fact, I used some of the links on PowerPoint Reform Tools for a presentation I made last Friday. Like Sara, I was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information on the page. I like the straightforward links below better than the links over the page-probably a reflection of my linear personality style :-). However, I can see how a website like this would really appeal to today's teens. For myself, I will continue exploring it for ideas for my library and my school.-Melanie Jaramillo

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I have been on Joyce Valenza's site before and have found much helpful information and interesting links to try on the site. It is so visually appealing and has a vast amount of information for all ages. I can be an info-aholic and I have gotten lost on this site exploring all it has to offer. I also am very linear and like my links to be simple and straightforward and organized. I think the site could benefit by grouping the links or tabs under more general headings so they can be quickly found. This site serves a a great model for what we can do someday with our library websites. I thank Joyce Valenza for breaking the ground in this area.=====

--Katy Fluitt
I could spend days just looking at everything on this site. It was a bit overwhelming at first, but I found it visually appealing at the same time. I really liked that she had each page set up as a wiki. This must make adding to the site and having additional contributors so easy. The research guide was very informative and detailed (I'm taking my Reference class right now and seeing a good example of a research guide was really helpful). I liked the "librarian stuff" link and plan to go back and explore it more in the future. My favorite link was the Pathfinders. There were so many interesting things to see and I spent way too much time browsing. Overall I really liked the site and can't even imagine how much time and effort has gone into developing it, not to mention maintaining it. If I was in a hurry this site would not help me much until I got more familiar with it. - Arlene Gregersen

Wow! I cannot believe all the information found here! I was a bit overwhelmed with all the information available. I know I could get lost in there for at least a day just trying to see everything! I plan to share this site with the librarian at the high school in my district. This is the second full year the high school has issued each student a lap top. A site like Springfield's would be a great way to keep everything together. I think the turn it in page would be very helpful. I was so impressed with the formatting links, research links....just wow!!! I am saving and sharing this site!-Donna Sabala


 * I really liked the whole web site. What an amazing compilation of sources and information. I wish my library website was even a fraction of what that one is. I love the home page. It was bright and colorful and kids like things like that, so I am sure it draws them in once they open it. The resourses for students in the student links section and in the Research Guide were amazing. I loved the virtual tour of the library and I think it is a really warm, inviting, well organized place. I am betting that it is the hub of the school hands down. The teachers also have a lot resources at their fingertips. As a former classroom teacher, I know how valuable that truly is.

I think that the librarians at Springfield have done a masterful job in creating a school library that is not only virtually, visually and asthetically appealing, it is also full of valuable resources and tools (both print and electronic) that significantly support high levels of student success.

Karen Olson **

The virtual library blew me away. I had never been to Joyce Valenza's virtual library and I found myself getting deeper and deeper into her virtual world. I was almost overwhelmed with the possibilities on how I could use it with my school and with my fellow teachers. I like her suggestions about changing existing pathfinder into wikis. I did find a few dead links, but that did not stop me from pursuing other paths. I do think students will find the navigation easy by using the icons. The multi-layers provided extra information right at my finger tips and I kept going for more and more. I do believe some people might find too much information can be mind boggling and shut down if they do not find what they want within the first few minutes of their search. We are in a society where immediate information is 3 clicks away and we expect it to be there. I plan to visit frequently and explore! I am duly impressed! Shirley Sullivan

I first took some time to browse the Web site and went into the links for student. I found that this reference section was great for students! There were specific categories for students to look in such as; Middle Ages, planets, ww1, mythology and even specific teacher’s assignments. I also found the mission statement to be very powerful, “the Web site allows us to open our library—its customized instruction and its services to users 24/7.” A perfect 21st century statement! I did not particularly find the library staff link that helpful. It was set up as a wiki but there was no other parts of the wiki step up besides the photos being posted. The librarians at Springfield Township are so qualified I would like to see a bio on each one. The high school Web site left me wondering how much work went into to this and, how did they create it?- Theresa Drafts

It's amazing to me what Joyce Valenza has created and I just hope she had a lot of help or a lot of time, or both! The endless links to great information are fascinating and require time to update and add to. I wonder how much time she or someone spends on the site, itself. Just curious! I guess I just wish I had that kind of time! I will revisit this site again and again. I really like the graphic interface - it makes it appealing and easy to use, especially for students. It's a great "idea" resource for us as we create or add to our own library web sites. Mary Schwartz

I am in total agreement with everyone else. Joyce Valenza has created an amazing web site and, like others, I wish that I had discovered this page earlier in my degree program. I love the colorful and engaging graphics that she has used and how she has linked other sites to this page. I am going to have to sit and investigate all of the teacher/librarian links she has provided. There is such an enormous amount of information on this page. I wonder if it gets overwhelming for people checking out the site? Does Joyce or her staff keep up with all of the conversations going on in the wikis and blogs? I am so new to technology and it seems to be moving at light speed. As soon as I think I have it figured out, it changes. Joyce seems so up-to-date with it all that I think I will keep track of this web site for current trends!

I really enjoyed this. Not only is it well designed but fairly simple and would be easy to create the same idea without getting into advanced and expensive web design. The organization of the text links at the bottom is a little loose and seem to be add-ons which didn’t quite fit into the categories above. It is SO much great information and so it could benefit from a bit more clear structure. The more comprehensive the information, the more time needs to be spent on providing clear navigation. It would be great if the graphical art navigation of the home page continued on into the categories and subcategories. Jared Shucha  I am in awe of all the hard work and inspiration that went into the Springfield Township Virtual Library website! I loved the inviting home page, and found that looking at the illustrations made navigating a new site a lot less intimidating than looking at a list of links. I enjoyed seeing actual photographs of the library and the physical resources it offers (like small-group meeting space, PC labs, drop-in use computers, and a cozy reading corner) and loved the plethora of resources available for kids and teachers. One weakness (if I need to find one) would be that there are not descriptions of what you will find when you go to many of the links. For example, when I looked at the teacher links, there was an impressive collection of links, but there was no description written below each link to explain what resources those links offered. It’s a small detail, but one that might save a lot of time for teachers searching for resources when they are short on time to explore sites based just on the websites’ names. On this same note, while there were graphics to accompany student links, they too missed more complete descriptions. These would be helpful to students and parents when they do work from home. ~Susie Gray

Like all of you, I am impressed and so happy to be able to add this web site to my growing list of “must have” resources. From the creative and interesting splash screen to the many levels of links to important sources of information, this site has it all. There are a few sites that I have flagged as important “go-to” locations for all kinds of information. This is near the top of the list.

I have wanted to do some work with pathfinders. I think pathfinders are an excellent way to collaborate with teachers. So, I was happy to see the many examples included here. The examples are from a wide range of topics and provide easily copied formats.

A site like this one is a real find. It’s a whole library in and of itself!
 * Suzanne Riches **

This was a very powerful website. The information on the site is so abundant that it was hard to track everything I was looking at. I think that many students would be going back to it on a regular basis as the visual appeal is all over the place. The amount of time and energy into this site needs to be applauded and revered as it is a ton of work. I did have one criticism and that would be is it to much for the students. Is it so much in a little place that it can be come either overwhelming or just simply to complex for some to navigate? I saw a few people with the idea of highlighting what was needed. I wonder if something like a web quest would help the students find the information they need or to just get used to the flow of the web site? I would have to spend some time to see if that is needed or even the case but feeling overwhelmed may be a problem for some students. Jason Wooldridge  This is a great use of digital space! I would have loved to have access to my high school media center in this way. It fits our 21st century learner to a T. I found that the site was easy to navigate even though it is designed for the visual learner. I started my exploration with the library mission. This is a solid mission statement that speaks to both the school's physical and virtual library. I especially like the tag line, "The virtual library is always open!" I can imagine that many students would access the virtual library databases from home to conduct searches for school work. I like that at the bottom of the homepage there are many links for both students and adults. It's clear that Joyce has a good understanding of who is looking at her site and what they are hoping to find. One thing that could be improved is site navigation once you are two to three pages deep. I often found myself stuck without a link back to the homepage. It's also a little strange that the homepage is heavily tailored to the visual navigator, but many of the linked pages are not. I suppose this is probably due to the time it would take to set up each page and the web service the media center is using. Jessica Mandrioli

I loved Joyce Valenza’s library page but at the same time, it drove me crazy! There was just so much on it. I was reminded of the libraries that I have visited that are really full and cluttered! I think I prefer them to be more “organized” and streamlined! I appreciated that the links that are probably not used quite as much were clearly listed below the colorful virtual library. But there were so many of them that I was overwhelmed. When I looked at Information Literacy, I enjoyed reading through her research model and all of the accompanying links to more information. My favorites were the links that were located in the “library”. The links for students were amazing in volume and in the way that they were grouped by subject matter. The databases were also pretty accessible and there were so many for students to use. Nancy Milliken

===//I made notes so I would be able to write this, but wasn't able to get in immediately and now they don't seem to make as much sense. I am impressed with all that Joyce Valenza has been able to squeeze into her wiki and that she did some of the illustrations. The strengths I noticed were the General Info, Citation area,tour, link to 'Our District' 'Our Staff" the Mission Statement, Reference page and NoodleTools link, and virtual for Students page wiki. The two things that I noticed that weren't positive was the 'New New' was out of date and that the page was 'busy.' I'm sure students love it because they really tend to make their own presentations and MySpace pages busy as well. For me it is just overwhelming and I can't decide where to start. There is much valuable information in the site and I imagine that students and teachers are able to find what they need in it.//===

//JoDell Stevenson//
I agree that this site does have a lot of information, and I like the artistic bent, but at the same time there seems to be an overload in some aspects. For example, there are around 45 links below the page, without much organization. Some kind of grouping would help navigate the page. The links for students was much more user-friendly with icons identifying the different links. The teach-page on the other hand was again a long list of links. I do agree that our students' lives have become more busy, but there is something to be said for making content comprehensible. In our current technologically-rich era, sometimes it seems more-is-more, but I would argue that simplifying might make the site more effective. Still, with this critique I am impressed that Joyce finds the time to create and maintain the site. I am definitely bookmarking it for future reference. --Jon Georgitis

Joyce Valenza’s website is very visually appealing. I felt like the design fit the audience (mostly students). It also does give some idea of what personality of Joyce. The amount of information on the website was overwhelming at times. On the links for students page I believe there is a lot of information there to address teacher curriculum needs and as resources for students. This may be a bit much unless you are a students and know what links are there and for what purposes. I do believe the website does and excellent job of makeing the library seem like and interesting and exciting place to be. The open source link was personally excellent for me since I didn't realize all the stuff available. The sheer amount of links and information on the site is impressive. It is also impressive one has the time to maintain the site and I will also bookmark it for future reference. Kim Walter

First of all, I am glad that I came back to this wikipage because I thought that I had posted to it quite a while ago. For some reason...probably my own lack of tech knowledge...it didn't seem to work. Anyway, I really enjoyed Joyce Valenza's website. I was amazed at the use of graphics. It is a very visually appealing site. I am definitely a visual person and I liked the use of a picture to lead the user to information. I agree with some others that there is so much information included on the page that it is easy to become overwhelmed. Maybe creating links to pages with specific information would cut down on this feeling? I also wonder how much time it takes to maintain a site as comprehensive as this...I'm sure Joyce has this down to a science. Overall, I am very impressed and have bookmarked this site to go back and use as a reference later. As a rookie librarian, finding these sites are like finding a gold mine! Trecia Garrick

I think that Springfield Township High School library has a very comprehensive website. Mainly, I like how the resources are organized. I always think that it is a good idea to have links specific to students and links specific to teachers. I think that both link categories offer some really great resources to be used by students and instructors. The "Open Source Docs" are really cool, too. I especially like that she includes a link to Google Docs, something I use very frequently to keep me organized. I also like that college resources are included, because many high school students spend their final years of school contemplating what to do next.

I do have some concerns about the layout, though. I am currently in Multimedia Authoring and we are discussing the elements of a good website and there are some violations, here. First of all the picture, while I appreciate that it appeals to high school aged students, is very busy. I don't know if it is because I am an adult, but I have to spend some time searching to find what I want. Additionally, something needs to be done about the "bundle" or maybe I should say "jungle" of links at the bottom of the page. I realize that if all of these links are added to the graphic interface it would be even more jumbled, but something should be done to neaten them up a bit.

--Josh Shipman

I also loved the the amount of information and visual appeal of this website. I browsed around a few pages, and there really is a lot of information. Although there is so much I like about the website, while I looking through it, I realized that collection pages of information isn't quite enough to make a good library webpage - information needs to be organized in such a way that it is accessible to students and teachers and not quite so overwhelming. Also, sometimes creating a new page is preferable to having a long page to scroll down.

I like how she uses a variety of ways to organize her pages - she doesn't just have her website, but she also uses a wiki and links to other websites and she has really cute pictures on Flickr (although I wasn't quite sure if they were actually hers or not). Overall, I think it is a great website to explore, and it should certainly be appealing to many users. Chelaine Hoffer

//**I have previewed, perused, read and thoroughly dug through this website, it is fantastic. I actually used her site as a model for my new library website. I recruited our art teacher to draw a picture of a library with a librarian in it, and we scanned it into DreamWeaver. I have since be updated webpage links to go to from each picture. Joyce Valenza is inspiring, and I hope to someday have my site as comprehensive as hers. If you would like to see what I have done so far, go to**// [|//**http://www.rockytop.adams12.org/library/**//] //**and see what I have done so far. It's nothing like the Sprinfield Township site, but it's a start.

I also use her site when looking for sites to add to my page, especially the sites for teachers and librarians. I don't know how she finds the time to locate all of these great websites.... she has been a great role model for me. Melissa Plane**//

<span style="color: #165502; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> Wow. A brick and mortar library would be hard pressed to provide the same resources as Joyce Valenza's virtual library. I like the Magic School Bus-esque illustration on the library home page with all the associated links. Each of those links also has a page full of resources and links to more pages! The illustrated overview is clear, intuitive and fun to use. The illustration draws the user in (especially important for high school students) - she has created an inviting environment virtually.

There is so much information available it is almost overwhelming. I found the list of links below the illustration comprehensive but visually busy. I have the same observation for the Pathfinders page. Lots of great information, fun visuals, but everything is all over the place. It might be a little more user friendly to have the pathfinders arranged either alphabetically or by subject area.

She has covered practically every area we have addressed throughout this program: teaching and learning, literacy support, program administration, ET/IL standards, integration of technology. I want to be like her when I grow up! --Gail Bonner

> Springfield Township High School Virtual Library > > I very much enjoyed looking into this virtual library and see many > practical uses. It is very user friendly and responsive to high school > students needs. It has most everything that is needed to help students > become competent information gatherers and users. The research help, > citation help, databases, catalog, and other tools are very well put > and accessible to all. I wonder how much this is used versus actually > going into the library. I see all the practical benefits, but I hope > that this doesn't replace the need to enter the library for personal > use. > <span style="color: #9900ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #9900ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #800080; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> I absolutely love this site! It is easy to maneuver around and visually inviting - not overwhelming at all. It seems the management aspect isn't all that bad either - the only concern I would have would be the number of wikis she has connected to it, but I think that might make it even easier to organize. I am now working in Jeffco and wish there would be a way for us to do something like this... but I have only been able to do the minimum on my page. I especially like how the student page had pictures to the links and not just the titles. What a great way to model how technology can be a benefit and how to incorporate it seamlessly! - Heidi Floyd <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">

This was truly amazing. I read some of the previous posters comments and can see why some people felt that it was a bit overwhelming, but I think that students of this generation are used to overestimation and can deal with how much information is there. Some special ed students might have difficulty; for example, those with ADHD have problem with overstimulation, and thus, this site may be a bit condensed for them. but, I loved it, and I think a lot of kids who are growing up with technology and are used to sites with a great deal of content will be able to navigate it easier then perhaps some people are giving them credit for. Its also a great, user friendly way for accessing library tools at home, because I did find it easy to navigate, especially with such cute graphics. -Lauren Ely