My time as a Peer Mentor is now over. The final deadline for all coursework was last week, so all grading is done. No more weekly emails out to my students, no more responding to questions about the assignments, no more contacting students with work still left to do, no more leaving encouraging feedback on submissions. There was a lot of work involved--3 units' worth in a mere two months. And I'm sorry to see it end.
It was a packed seven weeks. In addition to helping run the course site and dealing with day-to-day grading and issues, I also hosted a webinar that discussed school and non-school resources SLIS students may find helpful and interesting and put together a screencast about the basics of Skype. I got very comfortable with different types of presentation and collaboration technologies, both of which will help in any position I go into (especially since I would love to get involved with any library-offered instruction programs).
All of the Peer Mentors were asked to write a reflection about the experience. Here is a brief excerpt from mine:
It’s hard to pinpoint one thing I’m proudest of. I think I was able to accomplish a lot, and I’m proud of it all. I think my greatest accomplishment was not something I created, but something I did: giving the new students a positive first SLIS experience. I’ve enjoyed my program so much and have gotten so much out of it that I wanted to help them get the same experience. To me, making their first impression of SLIS and the program a good one was the best reward and biggest accomplishment.
I also was able to create a list of what I've done as a Peer Mentor that supports some of the competencies for program completion. It seems that I have three competencies well in hand, which I didn't realize until I wrote the reflection. For those of you that may be in the same program, I would recommend doing a reflection after each class that lists the competencies of that class and the work you did to support those competencies. I would have most of my e-portfolio work done already if I had been doing that with each class. I'm not sure if any of my 203 students are reading this, but if so I recommend that you start doing this now! Especially you M, since you asked the question about e-Portfolios.
I also discovered a desire within myself to continue helping SLIS students, even after I graduate. Being a Peer Mentor has made me feel more connected to my fellow students and the program at large than anything else I have done, and I want to continue giving back to the department and the students. I'm hoping that there are opportunities for me to stay involved. I would recommend the Peer Mentor program to anyone who wants to take something other than regular classes. I learned a lot about myself and what I can do (and what I like to do), and I had a lot of fun doing it.
This post ends the focus on topics new students may find useful. With the end of my time as a Peer Mentor, my blog can return to other topics, recipes, and what I get into in my spare time.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Crock Pot Roast
Last week, Scooter asked to give more input on our dinners. Before then, I had been choosing what to cook and simply got him to let me know what kind of meat he wanted to have. He wanted to be more involved, so now our Friday night routine includes a recipe review with both of us looking over and choosing together what to have for meals--a dinner democracy.
This recipe is one that he and I picked out because the cook time was perfect for us since we're gone all day, involves not much in the way of prep time which is something I like, and features a roast that he really was in the mood for (he was looking for a "meat and potatoes" kind of meal, which this one is--literally). So here is a yummy pot roast recipe that you can fix in the morning and forget until dinnertime. Note that you will need a medium oval or large crock pot for this recipe.
What you'll need:
4-lb. boneless chuck roast
salt and pepper to taste
4 large carrots
4 large potatoes
1 onion*
2 bay leaves
3 c. water
1/2 c. cider vinegar
What you'll need to do:
1. Put the roast into your crock pot and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Peel and quarter the potatoes and add them to the crock pot.
3. Peel the carrots and cut them into 2-3 inch pieces.
4. Peel and cut the onion into large chunks.
5. Add the vegetables and bay leaves into the crock pot.
6. Pour in the water and vinegar, cover, and cook on LOW 6-8 hours.
*The original recipe calls for a yellow onion, but Scooter and I prefer red onion. Either will work, or you can use the onion you prefer.
After it's done, you can remove the meat and veggies and cook down the remaining juice in a pot. You can also add butter and flour to make a gravy or simply leave it as a kind of au jus. Serve with bread to help soak up all the good sauce.
This recipe is one that he and I picked out because the cook time was perfect for us since we're gone all day, involves not much in the way of prep time which is something I like, and features a roast that he really was in the mood for (he was looking for a "meat and potatoes" kind of meal, which this one is--literally). So here is a yummy pot roast recipe that you can fix in the morning and forget until dinnertime. Note that you will need a medium oval or large crock pot for this recipe.
What you'll need:
4-lb. boneless chuck roast
salt and pepper to taste
4 large carrots
4 large potatoes
1 onion*
2 bay leaves
3 c. water
1/2 c. cider vinegar
What you'll need to do:
1. Put the roast into your crock pot and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Peel and quarter the potatoes and add them to the crock pot.
3. Peel the carrots and cut them into 2-3 inch pieces.
4. Peel and cut the onion into large chunks.
5. Add the vegetables and bay leaves into the crock pot.
6. Pour in the water and vinegar, cover, and cook on LOW 6-8 hours.
*The original recipe calls for a yellow onion, but Scooter and I prefer red onion. Either will work, or you can use the onion you prefer.
After it's done, you can remove the meat and veggies and cook down the remaining juice in a pot. You can also add butter and flour to make a gravy or simply leave it as a kind of au jus. Serve with bread to help soak up all the good sauce.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
King Library
Because I am in a distance program (everything is online), us students learn to rely on the online resources (databases, tutorials, etc.) and sources (articles, e-books, etc.) that our campus library offers for information and research. There is a lot available, and so far I haven't found myself struggling to find information in order to complete the papers, projects, and other assignments required in my courses. Anything that I needed to use physical resources for was accomplished by visiting my local public library branch. This is certainly a good thing, and has saved me from much hair-tearing.
But this really is no surprise. In order for any program (or any school) to be accredited, there need to be adequate resources available for students to perform the work required by the program (or school) for successful completion. I know, because I have looked over the accreditation criteria when I was working as part of a departmental committee on the program's self-assessment in preparation for SLIS's ALA re-accreditation next year. ACCSC, the organization that oversees the accreditation for the trade school where I work requires the same thing (funny enough, we're also preparing for a re-accreditation scheduled for next year). And the idea is logical; you can't require students to do things for a given program if you don't provide them with the (re)sources that will allow them to accomplish the assigned work.
So where am I going with this? Well, in my advanced reference class our first assignment was to answer a question made up by a classmate and provide them with both sources (print and other types) that would help them get the information they need to answer the question and some ideas on where to go to find more information. My question was from a classmate posing as a freshman college student looking to find information on Pompeii and Herculaneum. My professor told us that we could recommend print sources based on the available online information about them (such as in a catalog entry). Since the question I chose to work on was supposed to be from a college freshman (no college/university specified), I decided to use the academic library that I have access to--King Library. And because I could conceivably visit the library to look at print sources since I live within driving distance (rather than relying on the online catalog information which can be spotty), I did. This prompted my first ever on-site visit to my campus library.
Yes, I know. I'm able to travel to campus, and yet it took over three years before stepping foot in the library I know so well virtually. After visiting, I'm sorry that it took so long for me to go there. It's well worth going just to see it (if you're in to "library sightseeing"--yes, I am a library nerd). To give you a little background, King Library is not only the academic library for SJSU, it's also a branch of the San Jose Public Library system. So residents that go to SJPL can also get access to all that King Library has to offer. Lucky them! The building is a newer modern-looking building housing seven floors of resources for patrons (my undergrad campus library that I worked in was only a mere four floors and a basement). Escalators can take patrons beween the first four floors. There is one entire floor dedicated to reference sources. The first-floor circulation desk had a large counter on the wall above it; I couldn't figure out what the number stood for and there was no notation as to what it could be, but it was steadily climbing. The children's and teen areas looked interesting and I wanted to explore a bit; sadly, I was a woman with a mission on my visit so I couldn't linger and look around as much as I wanted to.
One thing that threw me off as I was looking for sources was that some of the collection is classified under the Dewey Decimal Classification system and the other part of the collection is classified under the Library of Congress Classification system. It took a minute to realize that the former is part of San Jose Public Library's collection, and the latter is the collection owned by SJSU. They must be able to keep it all straight, but I would find such a situation confusing. I can only imagine how much of a nightmare it would be to keep the different budgets straight.
To all SLIS students: if you're ever in the area and can visit King Library, take the opportunity to do so. It's fun being able to see the place from whence all our resources come, and I enjoyed seeing what a combination public/academic library looks like.
But this really is no surprise. In order for any program (or any school) to be accredited, there need to be adequate resources available for students to perform the work required by the program (or school) for successful completion. I know, because I have looked over the accreditation criteria when I was working as part of a departmental committee on the program's self-assessment in preparation for SLIS's ALA re-accreditation next year. ACCSC, the organization that oversees the accreditation for the trade school where I work requires the same thing (funny enough, we're also preparing for a re-accreditation scheduled for next year). And the idea is logical; you can't require students to do things for a given program if you don't provide them with the (re)sources that will allow them to accomplish the assigned work.
So where am I going with this? Well, in my advanced reference class our first assignment was to answer a question made up by a classmate and provide them with both sources (print and other types) that would help them get the information they need to answer the question and some ideas on where to go to find more information. My question was from a classmate posing as a freshman college student looking to find information on Pompeii and Herculaneum. My professor told us that we could recommend print sources based on the available online information about them (such as in a catalog entry). Since the question I chose to work on was supposed to be from a college freshman (no college/university specified), I decided to use the academic library that I have access to--King Library. And because I could conceivably visit the library to look at print sources since I live within driving distance (rather than relying on the online catalog information which can be spotty), I did. This prompted my first ever on-site visit to my campus library.
Yes, I know. I'm able to travel to campus, and yet it took over three years before stepping foot in the library I know so well virtually. After visiting, I'm sorry that it took so long for me to go there. It's well worth going just to see it (if you're in to "library sightseeing"--yes, I am a library nerd). To give you a little background, King Library is not only the academic library for SJSU, it's also a branch of the San Jose Public Library system. So residents that go to SJPL can also get access to all that King Library has to offer. Lucky them! The building is a newer modern-looking building housing seven floors of resources for patrons (my undergrad campus library that I worked in was only a mere four floors and a basement). Escalators can take patrons beween the first four floors. There is one entire floor dedicated to reference sources. The first-floor circulation desk had a large counter on the wall above it; I couldn't figure out what the number stood for and there was no notation as to what it could be, but it was steadily climbing. The children's and teen areas looked interesting and I wanted to explore a bit; sadly, I was a woman with a mission on my visit so I couldn't linger and look around as much as I wanted to.
One thing that threw me off as I was looking for sources was that some of the collection is classified under the Dewey Decimal Classification system and the other part of the collection is classified under the Library of Congress Classification system. It took a minute to realize that the former is part of San Jose Public Library's collection, and the latter is the collection owned by SJSU. They must be able to keep it all straight, but I would find such a situation confusing. I can only imagine how much of a nightmare it would be to keep the different budgets straight.
To all SLIS students: if you're ever in the area and can visit King Library, take the opportunity to do so. It's fun being able to see the place from whence all our resources come, and I enjoyed seeing what a combination public/academic library looks like.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Is it too early to think about my E-Portfolio?
One of my students asked if I could talk about the e-portfolio. It is one of the two options students can choose as their culminating work to satisfy our MLIS requirements. I'm actually impressed that she's starting to think about it now, and I think it's a great question. So even though I did already respond in private email, I want to share what I discussed here as well for other students. So the answer to the title of this post is a definite no! Starting to plan now means you will be prepared when your time to work on your e-portfolio comes around.
First off, the e-portfolio must satisfy all the Core Competencies for the program; there are currently 15, A-O. One thing students can do to plan for meeting all the competencies is to check out which offered classes meet each of the competencies. You can do that here. Each student's academic advisor can also help plan out classes to take if a student isn't sure which electives to enroll for. Just a side note that students may be able to use additional experience outside their MLIS course to help satisfy the Core Competencies.
SLIS also provides an extensive e-portfolio handbook that has detailed information about the e-portfolio requirements and how to meet them. I encourage anyone thinking about the e-portfolio (no matter where in the program you are) to check it out since this will give you a really good idea of what to expect. Each student will be assigned an e-portfolio advisor when they enroll in LIBR 289 in MySJSU in their last semester; this person will not necessarily be the same as their academic advisor and in fact will likely be someone different. This person will guide students through the e-portfolio process, review their work, and give advice on what to improve as they work through supporting each competency with their work.
Students can complete their e-portfolio through the D2L e-portfolio platform or through another platform that they and their e-portfolio advisor agree on. I have heard of e-portfolios completed on a student-made website, for example. Students can enroll in the D2L e-portfolio site by following the instructions in this guide; they don't need to be taking LIBR 289 to do so. This gives students a way to check out the e-portfolio interface provided by SLIS, and they can start uploading their work as they go.
So now that all this information has been thrown at you, what should you do now? My recommendations--aside from reviewing any e-portfolio information you can--would be to make sure and collect your work as you progress through your program and assign it to a competency. I've kept final drafts for all of my work over the course of my program, and I have copies on my laptop, my thumb drive, and in my D2L e-portfolio platform (that's another thing--back up your work!!!!). I also created a folder for LIBR 289 and created subfolders for each competency (A-O). I've put copies of my final drafts into the competency's folder that I feel each one satisfies. To help figure this out, each class (and sometimes each assignment) lists the competency that it satisfies on its greensheet. I've also gone so far as to create a document that lists each competency and notes each of the classes I've taken that fulfill it underneath. This gives me a great visual to see which competencies I have securely under my belt. Doing so actually helped me to plan which two classes I would take this semester (I was in need of some competency K work).
The e-portfolio is a big project, and one that ideally you want to plan for during your whole program. Organizing as you go will mean that your work is easily accessible and less chaotic when it comes time to put it all together!
First off, the e-portfolio must satisfy all the Core Competencies for the program; there are currently 15, A-O. One thing students can do to plan for meeting all the competencies is to check out which offered classes meet each of the competencies. You can do that here. Each student's academic advisor can also help plan out classes to take if a student isn't sure which electives to enroll for. Just a side note that students may be able to use additional experience outside their MLIS course to help satisfy the Core Competencies.
SLIS also provides an extensive e-portfolio handbook that has detailed information about the e-portfolio requirements and how to meet them. I encourage anyone thinking about the e-portfolio (no matter where in the program you are) to check it out since this will give you a really good idea of what to expect. Each student will be assigned an e-portfolio advisor when they enroll in LIBR 289 in MySJSU in their last semester; this person will not necessarily be the same as their academic advisor and in fact will likely be someone different. This person will guide students through the e-portfolio process, review their work, and give advice on what to improve as they work through supporting each competency with their work.
Students can complete their e-portfolio through the D2L e-portfolio platform or through another platform that they and their e-portfolio advisor agree on. I have heard of e-portfolios completed on a student-made website, for example. Students can enroll in the D2L e-portfolio site by following the instructions in this guide; they don't need to be taking LIBR 289 to do so. This gives students a way to check out the e-portfolio interface provided by SLIS, and they can start uploading their work as they go.
So now that all this information has been thrown at you, what should you do now? My recommendations--aside from reviewing any e-portfolio information you can--would be to make sure and collect your work as you progress through your program and assign it to a competency. I've kept final drafts for all of my work over the course of my program, and I have copies on my laptop, my thumb drive, and in my D2L e-portfolio platform (that's another thing--back up your work!!!!). I also created a folder for LIBR 289 and created subfolders for each competency (A-O). I've put copies of my final drafts into the competency's folder that I feel each one satisfies. To help figure this out, each class (and sometimes each assignment) lists the competency that it satisfies on its greensheet. I've also gone so far as to create a document that lists each competency and notes each of the classes I've taken that fulfill it underneath. This gives me a great visual to see which competencies I have securely under my belt. Doing so actually helped me to plan which two classes I would take this semester (I was in need of some competency K work).
The e-portfolio is a big project, and one that ideally you want to plan for during your whole program. Organizing as you go will mean that your work is easily accessible and less chaotic when it comes time to put it all together!
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Easy Beef Recipe for Your Crockpot
Now that I have a bigger kitchen to work in, I've been doing a lot more cooking lately, even during the week. Planning my meals has become part of my weekend routine, and I've been cracking more of my recipe books open to choose what Scooter and I will have for our dinners. Last night's dinner was a recipe I've had my eye on for about a week and a half, and the original came from my Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly cook book. Here's a hearty and healthy beef stew.
What you'll need:
1 c. uncooked wild rice
1 c. celery, chopped (about 1 1/2 - 2 stalks)
1 c. carrots, chopped (about 2 medium carrots)
2 4-oz. cans mushrooms, drained
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 c. slivered almonds
3 beef bouillon cubes
salt and pepper to taste
2 lbs. boneless round steak
1 Tbs. Worcester sauce
3 c. water
What you'll need to do:
1. Rinse and drain the wild rice, then put it into the bottom of a 5-quart+ crock pot.
2. Add the celery, carrots, mushrooms, onion, almonds, bouillon cubes, and salt and pepper.
3. Cut the steak into bite-sized pieces and place in the crock pot on top.
4. Add the Worcester sauce and water.
5. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.*
*If you forget to prepare it in time to allow for normal cooking time, you can also cook on low for 2 hours, then cook 2 hours on high.
This was actually a lot tastier than I thought it would be. The wild rice has a great texture, and the beef bouillon and Worcestor sauce add great flavor. Scooter wants to try this recipe and substitute some of the water for Guinness to add even more rich flavor.
I hope you enjoy it too!
What you'll need:
1 c. uncooked wild rice
1 c. celery, chopped (about 1 1/2 - 2 stalks)
1 c. carrots, chopped (about 2 medium carrots)
2 4-oz. cans mushrooms, drained
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 c. slivered almonds
3 beef bouillon cubes
salt and pepper to taste
2 lbs. boneless round steak
1 Tbs. Worcester sauce
3 c. water
What you'll need to do:
1. Rinse and drain the wild rice, then put it into the bottom of a 5-quart+ crock pot.
2. Add the celery, carrots, mushrooms, onion, almonds, bouillon cubes, and salt and pepper.
3. Cut the steak into bite-sized pieces and place in the crock pot on top.
4. Add the Worcester sauce and water.
5. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.*
*If you forget to prepare it in time to allow for normal cooking time, you can also cook on low for 2 hours, then cook 2 hours on high.
This was actually a lot tastier than I thought it would be. The wild rice has a great texture, and the beef bouillon and Worcestor sauce add great flavor. Scooter wants to try this recipe and substitute some of the water for Guinness to add even more rich flavor.
I hope you enjoy it too!
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