Encouraging and supporting diversity in the media center is about recognizing that there are other cultures, perspectives, abilities, values, and opinions other than our own. However, rather than trying to define what diversity is, we can be more effective as media specialists by simply listening to the people we serve.
If given a chance, our stakeholders will express their ideas and interests regarding the media center’s uses and resources. This can be accomplished through informal conversations with students and staff or needs assessments can be conducted to gather information about the needs, wants, and ideas of our stakeholders. If we truly value their feedback and are responsive to them, the media center will reflect much of the diversity that is already present in our community and nation.
In addition to this, the media specialist has the opportunity to intentionally mold the look and shape of the collection. I believe it is a professional responsibility of the media specialist to recognize and address weaknesses and deficits in the collection regarding certain subjects, topics, and genres. However, he must be careful not to overly assert his personal bias. He can also make a conscious effort to respect holidays and observances of people from many different cultures and religious backgrounds by incorporating their celebrations into media center activities. Fortunately, tools and resources that jobbers provide take some of the burden and judgment off of the media specialist. An OPAC such as Destiny is capable of recognizing weaknesses in the collection electronically and jobbers such as Follett can provide recommendations for resources that will provide a greater balance to the collection. Also, when a media specialist makes an effort to include award winning books and technology into the media center, these resources already tend to reflect diverse viewpoints and life stories because they are voted on by large groups of people, selected by panels, or put into place to recognize a particular community or culture of people. For example, the following link is capable of steering a media specialist to some award winning titles that would bring diverse perspectives into the media center:
http://libguides.utoledo.edu/content.php?pid=70654&sid=523405
In my media center, I see that our media specialist is very responsive to the community the school serves. However, it has not always been this way. For example, the demographics of the school have changed dramatically in the last ten years. ESL students currently represent almost 50% of our school’s population. Under the past librarian, this was not always the case. Therefore, the resources present in the media center were no longer responsive to the current school community. However, our current media specialist has made an effort to ensure that the resources are diverse enough to meet the needs and address the interests of our current students. The numbers of bilingual texts are increasing, and many of the newer titles include a wider range of cultural and religious topics.
Fortunately, during this shift in culture, our school has also been blessed with some great technology resources. Thanks to an interactive white boards and LED projector in every classroom, limitless and diverse resources are made available through the internet to every student. This enables the teacher or media specialist to specifically adapt and diversify resources according to a 15 -25 student micro-community. Thanks to developments like this and efforts from media specialists to respond to the needs and wants of the communities they serve, our schools can become more diverse places of learning than ever.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
21st Century Storytelling
There is nothing better than a good story. A story that has you sitting on the edge of your seat, or stirs emotions in yu will capture your attention and stay with you for a long time. Take a good story and add music, images, and video and you have 21st Century storytelling at it's best. When you take history, math, science, art, music, or any subject and put a story with it, it grabs your attention and keeps you wanting more. Our goal as educators should be to capture our student's attention and keep them wanting more! Digital Storytelling lends itself to this....
According to The University of Houston, Digital Storytelling is defined as, "the practice of using computer based tools to tell stories". Digital stories usually contain several forms of multimedia. Digital stories can contain images, video, audio, music, and text.
An awesome place to learn how to incorporate Digital Storytelling into your curriculum is the University of Houston, The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling website: http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/index.html . This website offers many features to learn about digital storytelling and to help you get started. Listed below are some of the features of this website:
According to The University of Houston, Digital Storytelling is defined as, "the practice of using computer based tools to tell stories". Digital stories usually contain several forms of multimedia. Digital stories can contain images, video, audio, music, and text.
An awesome place to learn how to incorporate Digital Storytelling into your curriculum is the University of Houston, The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling website: http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/index.html . This website offers many features to learn about digital storytelling and to help you get started. Listed below are some of the features of this website:
- Examples of DS in many subject areas (you can view several examples of Digital Stories)
- Software: gives you access to links to some popular software programs that can be used to support your Digital Storyellling. According to this website, many of the software options may be obtained for free or for an inexpensive cost.
- Essentials: Under this heading you will find 7 elements to DS. Educational uses, goals and objectives, copyright laws associated with DS, and microsoft DS e-book.
- Create: this feature gives tutorials for gow to get started with DS. It gives step by step instructions to walk you through all the steps for DS. It also explains how to do storyboarding.
- Evaluate: This feature aligns DS with National Standards. It gives links to the stnandards. It also has a link to Rubistar. http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php
- Web 2.0: This feature has links to articles tha tyou can read about DS and how to effectively use it in the classroom. One beneficail article that I found to be helpful was, "Digital Storytelling Find its Place in the Classroom". http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/jan02/banaszewski.htm
This feature also had links to royalty free media and public domain sites. I found this very helpful as I was researching to find items for my resource kit.
Another thing that I found beneficial on this website is that you can use anything on this website for educational purposes. It really made me think about how I could use it to educate other teachers on the possibilities that are out there for DS. This website will answer most your questions about DS. It is a must have link for any media center. There are downloadable powerpoints that can be used for educational purposes. With the resources and information available from this website, there are an endless amount of possiblities.
As I researche DS, I discovered many great ideas and ways to use DS for instructional purposes. Below are a few ideas that I found:
- Teachers can use DS to hook students, they can use it to promote discussion on a particular subject, they can use it as a way to make difficult content more understandable, they can use it to incorporate multimedia into the classroom.
- DS is an effective learning tool tha tcan be used by teachers to teach "research skills, writing skills, organization skills, technology skills, interview skills, interpersonal skills, problem solving skills, and assessment skills" (University of Houston).
Not only is it educational, it is so much fun for students to create something that they will take pride in. This is a technology that we as educators need to find time to use in our classrooms and with our students. Before i began this class, I knew nothing about DS. I am simply Amazed at this technology and how we can utilize it. I am also amazed at the resources available to help us out. It makes it so easy for us. DS is something I want to begin with my students and I would also like to educate teachers in my building on the possibilities that are out there with this technology.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
ebooks & Digital Storytelling
There was a time I thought I’d never stop buying CD’s. Why would I want a song from I-tunes when I would be forced to forgo an entire CD including liner notes and a case to proudly display with my vast music collection? Yet a few years later, I now can’t see the point of purchasing a CD. With music, I have evolved; but with books, I am still behind the technology curve a little! The new wave of storytelling comes in many formats, from ebooks and self published tales on the internet, to short stories told through digital storytelling.
A Brief Reflection on Ebooks
We could probably all agree that one of the best ways to prepare a child for an education is to read to them and with them. We could also probably agree that many students arrive at kindergarten with little to no experience with books. This is the beauty of ebooks. Ebooks can be used by teachers to allow students to read along, showing word to sound relationships in a meaningful, current, and entertaining format. My school uses ebooks on Tumblebooks in the computer lab and in the classroom and elementary students of all ages enjoy them. We also use them for lessons about vocabulary, story elements, and for examples of rich language.
Tips for Digital Storytelling
Digital storytelling, however, is so much more than just eBooks. Teachers and media specialists can find tons of resources online that offer historical viewpoints, life lessons, interesting narratives that support learning objectives. We can also design our own stories to use in class or help students develop their own stories.
As you continue to create your own digital story over the next few weeks, The University of Houston offers seven tips to keep in mind. They first suggest having a solid point of view in your story. Next, to generate interest, creators should begin with an intriguing question that will be answered by the end of the story. Their third tip relates to connecting with your audience. I think this is done through honesty, realism, and putting some emotion into the piece. Their fourth tip, using your voice, does not mean recording narration. It’s the same as I tell my students so often when teaching writing: use your voice, make your story sound like you are the one telling it. Are you funny? Thoughtful? Stay true to how you would tell the story to your friends. Don’t be afraid to let your personality show. (Sound like Writing 101 so far?)
The fifth element is the power of the soundtrack which of course means adding music or sounds to enhance your story. This element matches so well to the third tip because music connects us all and certainly evokes emotion from the listener. The sixth facet may remind you of a family relative that extends a Sunday prayer much past what is necessary, leaving your mind drifting to the decreasing temperature of the hot meal that awaits you. With today’s “Now” generation, it is imperative to not overkill the story. We all loathe hearing someone talk in circles who does not get to the point because we lose interest. Which leads me to wrapping up this blog with the last suggestion: Pacing. Keep your story stead; don’t go too fast or too slow.
All of these suggestions seem right in line with traditional storytelling. Hopefully these tips remind you that the basics of traditional storytelling can be applied to the latest way to get a meaningful message to your students.
As for me, I’ll keep thinking about purchasing a Kindle…well, one day.
A Brief Reflection on Ebooks
We could probably all agree that one of the best ways to prepare a child for an education is to read to them and with them. We could also probably agree that many students arrive at kindergarten with little to no experience with books. This is the beauty of ebooks. Ebooks can be used by teachers to allow students to read along, showing word to sound relationships in a meaningful, current, and entertaining format. My school uses ebooks on Tumblebooks in the computer lab and in the classroom and elementary students of all ages enjoy them. We also use them for lessons about vocabulary, story elements, and for examples of rich language.
Tips for Digital Storytelling
Digital storytelling, however, is so much more than just eBooks. Teachers and media specialists can find tons of resources online that offer historical viewpoints, life lessons, interesting narratives that support learning objectives. We can also design our own stories to use in class or help students develop their own stories.
As you continue to create your own digital story over the next few weeks, The University of Houston offers seven tips to keep in mind. They first suggest having a solid point of view in your story. Next, to generate interest, creators should begin with an intriguing question that will be answered by the end of the story. Their third tip relates to connecting with your audience. I think this is done through honesty, realism, and putting some emotion into the piece. Their fourth tip, using your voice, does not mean recording narration. It’s the same as I tell my students so often when teaching writing: use your voice, make your story sound like you are the one telling it. Are you funny? Thoughtful? Stay true to how you would tell the story to your friends. Don’t be afraid to let your personality show. (Sound like Writing 101 so far?)
The fifth element is the power of the soundtrack which of course means adding music or sounds to enhance your story. This element matches so well to the third tip because music connects us all and certainly evokes emotion from the listener. The sixth facet may remind you of a family relative that extends a Sunday prayer much past what is necessary, leaving your mind drifting to the decreasing temperature of the hot meal that awaits you. With today’s “Now” generation, it is imperative to not overkill the story. We all loathe hearing someone talk in circles who does not get to the point because we lose interest. Which leads me to wrapping up this blog with the last suggestion: Pacing. Keep your story stead; don’t go too fast or too slow.
All of these suggestions seem right in line with traditional storytelling. Hopefully these tips remind you that the basics of traditional storytelling can be applied to the latest way to get a meaningful message to your students.
As for me, I’ll keep thinking about purchasing a Kindle…well, one day.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Tech Training: My thoughts
The school I am employed at has a staff meeting each Tuesday and offers professional development opportunities on in-service days designated by the district each year. Currently, our staff most frequently utilizes interactive whiteboards and LED projectors in instruction. This equipment is available in each classroom and is utilized daily, and teachers demonstrate familiarity and confidence using these tools. Skills related to other hardware, software, and online resources vary greatly. Some of the staff has taken initiative to develop presentations incorporating technology for others to view at meetings and special events, but the rest of the staff seem to keep their knowledge to themselves or lack confidence regarding advanced skills.
Although this is my first year at Belmont Hills Elementary, it appears that in the 2009-2010 school year that professional development regarding technology skills was not an area receiving the highest priority. However, I do believe my school places importance on professional development. As we serve an over 36% limited English proficient student population, developing ESL certified staff was a goal that understandably received greater attention. When professional development regarding technology skills has been offered, it has occurred during the school’s weekly Tuesday meeting, during an in-service day provided by the district, or through a course/workshop offering provided outside of our local school by the district. Typically these trainings introduce staff to a new skill or resources that will benefit instruction. In my experiences with trainings such as these, there is rarely time provided for follow-up or sharing of skills. Typically, when the day of training is over, there is little evaluating or assessing the skills of those who have attended.
Although I would not suggest testing teachers on what they have learned, I do think a follow-up meeting or forum to share experiences, tips, and frustrations after training would be beneficial. I would also suggest providing technology in-service opportunities in a way that allows a teacher to manage his own time. Everybody comes to a training at a different skill level regarding technology. In whole group situations, those who are more advanced often have their time wasted reviewing skills they have already mastered. Therefore, a self-paced tutorial type of training would be better. This will allow staff to work at a pace he is comfortable with and allow for maximum efficiency- possibly saving hours in a day for some participants. Self-guided/paced instruction can allow for the same amount of accountability and assistance as whole group training sessions offer. If a teacher chooses, he can do a self-paced in-service requirement in the comfort of his own home or in the evenings. This will free up hours at a time that are better used organizing materials or planning lessons in the classroom. Feedback and accountability can be provided by moderators who assess contributions to blogs or Wikis regarding the training. Participants could collaborate during the training via blogs or Wikis, and provide or post examples of his contributions and efforts when he finishes the training. Although this type of training experience might never fully replace whole group training sessions, I believe this is the direction districts need to head towards to develop tech skills among staff.
Although this is my first year at Belmont Hills Elementary, it appears that in the 2009-2010 school year that professional development regarding technology skills was not an area receiving the highest priority. However, I do believe my school places importance on professional development. As we serve an over 36% limited English proficient student population, developing ESL certified staff was a goal that understandably received greater attention. When professional development regarding technology skills has been offered, it has occurred during the school’s weekly Tuesday meeting, during an in-service day provided by the district, or through a course/workshop offering provided outside of our local school by the district. Typically these trainings introduce staff to a new skill or resources that will benefit instruction. In my experiences with trainings such as these, there is rarely time provided for follow-up or sharing of skills. Typically, when the day of training is over, there is little evaluating or assessing the skills of those who have attended.
Although I would not suggest testing teachers on what they have learned, I do think a follow-up meeting or forum to share experiences, tips, and frustrations after training would be beneficial. I would also suggest providing technology in-service opportunities in a way that allows a teacher to manage his own time. Everybody comes to a training at a different skill level regarding technology. In whole group situations, those who are more advanced often have their time wasted reviewing skills they have already mastered. Therefore, a self-paced tutorial type of training would be better. This will allow staff to work at a pace he is comfortable with and allow for maximum efficiency- possibly saving hours in a day for some participants. Self-guided/paced instruction can allow for the same amount of accountability and assistance as whole group training sessions offer. If a teacher chooses, he can do a self-paced in-service requirement in the comfort of his own home or in the evenings. This will free up hours at a time that are better used organizing materials or planning lessons in the classroom. Feedback and accountability can be provided by moderators who assess contributions to blogs or Wikis regarding the training. Participants could collaborate during the training via blogs or Wikis, and provide or post examples of his contributions and efforts when he finishes the training. Although this type of training experience might never fully replace whole group training sessions, I believe this is the direction districts need to head towards to develop tech skills among staff.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
State of the Union: Technology Training in My ES and Beyond
Technology skills of my faculty vary from person to person, according to their previous experience with the technology and whether or not they have access to different kinds of technology (for instance, one teacher only has a tape player which she uses to play Mozart on; if she had speakers on her PC, she could play a CD on there; also, some teachers have ActivBoards in their classrooms and projectors, while other teachers just have an overhead projector and no promise of a whiteboard in sight).
There used to be ways that we could do tech training; with our former technology person for county, she would email out tech training opportunities that could be done over the Internet, either independently for free (websites that provided training modules) or through RESA. Currently, we have no methods of getting technology training from either the school library media specialist or the technology department of the county office. The primary reason that the media specialist does not offer technology training is because she is drowning in troubleshooting the technology that we do have. The online process to get help from the technology specialists is so involved and takes such a long time for response (although our county has been trying to address concerns of timeliness in regard to similar requests) that the media specialist often finds it is easier to just try to help them herself (her errant grad student might lend a hand, on occasion).
How would I provide tech staff development? Wellllll…..I would start, as I did in last semester’s class, and as Jurkowski (2006) details on page 188, with giving a needs analysis (and “wants” analysis) of the staff members through a simple survey like on www.surveymonkey.com (thanks, Cole!). After reviewing the information, especially any comments made by teachers (I find that the comments that are made separately from answering the questions on 5 point scales and the like are the most telling responses), I would begin to map out a plan for tech staff development.
The order of trainings might have to do with current resources and the ability to borrow resources as well. For instance, if teachers responded that they would be interested in learning more about podcasting, wikis, and using their active whiteboards, I would start by making a quick inventory of all the equipment that would be necessary to actually teach the lesson or lessons (making sure that I could borrow a whiteboard, for instance, or hold the training in someone’s classroom, if my media center did not have a whiteboard), putting things in motion to borrow something from a RESA or GLTC that might be useful, if needed. Then, I would start developing the materials with which to hold the prof learning (a wiki, blog, or other online environment; a few key handouts or brochures so the teachers could have something tangible to carry with them, etc.), checking to see whether or not the teachers could earn a PLU from their contact hours (in person and/or online) with me, as that might be a big draw.
With materials in hand, I would then create my adult lesson plan for teaching this material, being sure all my course materials were relevant and as interesting as possible and that course completion would indicate the ability to act on the new knowledge. Then, I would publicize the training event(s), visiting the planning periods of as many grades/departments as I could, to encourage teachers to attend. I agree with the Jurkowski text that gives additional information as to implementation and follow-up (especially the evaluative aspect—if teachers thought it stunk up the place, I want to know so I can change and do better next time).
As for “Do’s and Don’ts” of Technology Training:
• DO:
o ask for teacher opinion of training;
o get your principal involved (even if it is just to approve your course);
o plan fun activities and inject humor in the training whenever possible;
o keep records of all trainings, formal and informal (Jurkowski 2006);
o Customize your trainings to be of interest to both beginners and more advanced technology whizzes—if this means you will need to enlist help from other teachers/staff, do it!
• DON’T:
o make like a tree and leave after the in-service—make yourself available to teachers indefinitely for questions, follow-ups, and ideas for new trainings;
o do a session all in one or two days—break it up so the teachers have multiple opportunities to perform the tasks, ask questions, and stay interested;
o disregard teacher comments, either in person or on surveys—they may drive future professional learning opportunities.
Let’s be honest. Some of us are better at technologically-related tasks than others. Also, some of us are quite gifted when it comes to teaching youngsters, but put a room full of adults in front of us and we freeze. In order to fulfill even the most basic idea of Principle 8 in Information Power, which discusses the need for professional development among most stakeholders (including the media specialist him/herself), we must be willing to at least dip our toes into the pool of technology training, which might at first be the creation of instruction and tip sheets that will remain with items like projectors, digital cameras and docking stations, and digital video cameras [Jurkowski (2006) really has it going on with this topic]. Nobody is saying that we have to start out with a grand series of professional learning courses that will result in 3 PLUs for all involved teachers. There are many different levels of involvement and participation, but the point (I think) of this blog is to realize that we have a long way to go, baby. And, that is true no matter whether you currently provide some training to teachers in your media center or whether you are a humble grad student with an eye toward graduation and that SLMS who is retiring in a year.
So…where are you coming from? And, where are you going to go?
There used to be ways that we could do tech training; with our former technology person for county, she would email out tech training opportunities that could be done over the Internet, either independently for free (websites that provided training modules) or through RESA. Currently, we have no methods of getting technology training from either the school library media specialist or the technology department of the county office. The primary reason that the media specialist does not offer technology training is because she is drowning in troubleshooting the technology that we do have. The online process to get help from the technology specialists is so involved and takes such a long time for response (although our county has been trying to address concerns of timeliness in regard to similar requests) that the media specialist often finds it is easier to just try to help them herself (her errant grad student might lend a hand, on occasion).
How would I provide tech staff development? Wellllll…..I would start, as I did in last semester’s class, and as Jurkowski (2006) details on page 188, with giving a needs analysis (and “wants” analysis) of the staff members through a simple survey like on www.surveymonkey.com (thanks, Cole!). After reviewing the information, especially any comments made by teachers (I find that the comments that are made separately from answering the questions on 5 point scales and the like are the most telling responses), I would begin to map out a plan for tech staff development.
The order of trainings might have to do with current resources and the ability to borrow resources as well. For instance, if teachers responded that they would be interested in learning more about podcasting, wikis, and using their active whiteboards, I would start by making a quick inventory of all the equipment that would be necessary to actually teach the lesson or lessons (making sure that I could borrow a whiteboard, for instance, or hold the training in someone’s classroom, if my media center did not have a whiteboard), putting things in motion to borrow something from a RESA or GLTC that might be useful, if needed. Then, I would start developing the materials with which to hold the prof learning (a wiki, blog, or other online environment; a few key handouts or brochures so the teachers could have something tangible to carry with them, etc.), checking to see whether or not the teachers could earn a PLU from their contact hours (in person and/or online) with me, as that might be a big draw.
With materials in hand, I would then create my adult lesson plan for teaching this material, being sure all my course materials were relevant and as interesting as possible and that course completion would indicate the ability to act on the new knowledge. Then, I would publicize the training event(s), visiting the planning periods of as many grades/departments as I could, to encourage teachers to attend. I agree with the Jurkowski text that gives additional information as to implementation and follow-up (especially the evaluative aspect—if teachers thought it stunk up the place, I want to know so I can change and do better next time).
As for “Do’s and Don’ts” of Technology Training:
• DO:
o ask for teacher opinion of training;
o get your principal involved (even if it is just to approve your course);
o plan fun activities and inject humor in the training whenever possible;
o keep records of all trainings, formal and informal (Jurkowski 2006);
o Customize your trainings to be of interest to both beginners and more advanced technology whizzes—if this means you will need to enlist help from other teachers/staff, do it!
• DON’T:
o make like a tree and leave after the in-service—make yourself available to teachers indefinitely for questions, follow-ups, and ideas for new trainings;
o do a session all in one or two days—break it up so the teachers have multiple opportunities to perform the tasks, ask questions, and stay interested;
o disregard teacher comments, either in person or on surveys—they may drive future professional learning opportunities.
Let’s be honest. Some of us are better at technologically-related tasks than others. Also, some of us are quite gifted when it comes to teaching youngsters, but put a room full of adults in front of us and we freeze. In order to fulfill even the most basic idea of Principle 8 in Information Power, which discusses the need for professional development among most stakeholders (including the media specialist him/herself), we must be willing to at least dip our toes into the pool of technology training, which might at first be the creation of instruction and tip sheets that will remain with items like projectors, digital cameras and docking stations, and digital video cameras [Jurkowski (2006) really has it going on with this topic]. Nobody is saying that we have to start out with a grand series of professional learning courses that will result in 3 PLUs for all involved teachers. There are many different levels of involvement and participation, but the point (I think) of this blog is to realize that we have a long way to go, baby. And, that is true no matter whether you currently provide some training to teachers in your media center or whether you are a humble grad student with an eye toward graduation and that SLMS who is retiring in a year.
So…where are you coming from? And, where are you going to go?
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Video Distribution/GPB Resources
Our school utilizes a closed circuit cable system to distribute video productions throughout the school building. This system is rarely utilized for purposes other than the school news. The school news is not broadcasted live through this system. The CCTV broadcast includes students announcing upcoming school events and conducting the pledge of allegiance. Typically, the broadcast does not exceed a few minutes. Because this broadcast is recorded and not a live production, no last minute changes or additions can be part of the broadcast after it is filmed. The school uses the traditional PA system for this purpose. As the school news Bear Club only meets once a week, the student news program is only broadcast once a week over our school’s closed circuit video distribution system. This takes place on Friday mornings. The entire third grade and a few special education classrooms are housed in trailers; therefore, they do not have access to the closed circuit televisions that the school news is broadcasted through. However, to make the news available for the portable classrooms, a copy of the production is posted in a folder each week on our school’s shared drive. These classrooms are reminded to play the news on the shared drive through an additional announcement over the PA system on Friday mornings.
The GPB Education website is an excellent source for teachers and students to access. Teachers benefit from the diverse and appealing resources that allow them to quickly build lessons or supplement instruction. There are a variety of educational games, videos, and cartoons that address ESL students, foreign languages, math skills by grade level and many other academic areas. The resources are colorful and of high interest to elementary aged students as many familiar and popular cartoon characters present academic content in a fun audio-visual and interactive format. There are dozens of videos and games available that can be used to enrich instruction and appeal to a variety of learning styles.
The website also provides a “Read More” section that features audio and pictures of many great books for children. These stories could be shown on interactive white boards and are read by famous Georgians such as celebrities, athletes, and politicians. I was also pleased to see that these audio visual ebooks are all available in both Spanish and English languages since my school has a very large ESL student population. There are even music videos available that address social skills and responsibility. All together this is a resource that is too valuable to go unnoticed or unutilized.
Another extremely valuable resource includes the “Raising Readers” section of the site. This tool includes PBS Kids Island. It allows students to build a character, and he or she can play a variety of reading games with this character. The games are interactive and include rewards for success such as tickets to earn a free video or game. Parents and teachers can access this account and assess the progress of the student. There is also news available on the website regarding current events. This is a safe way for teachers to provide students with information about state, national, and world news. Finally, the announcement section provides great information regarding webinars and upcoming events that provide professional development and educational opportunities for students, teachers, and families.
The GPB Education website is an excellent source for teachers and students to access. Teachers benefit from the diverse and appealing resources that allow them to quickly build lessons or supplement instruction. There are a variety of educational games, videos, and cartoons that address ESL students, foreign languages, math skills by grade level and many other academic areas. The resources are colorful and of high interest to elementary aged students as many familiar and popular cartoon characters present academic content in a fun audio-visual and interactive format. There are dozens of videos and games available that can be used to enrich instruction and appeal to a variety of learning styles.
The website also provides a “Read More” section that features audio and pictures of many great books for children. These stories could be shown on interactive white boards and are read by famous Georgians such as celebrities, athletes, and politicians. I was also pleased to see that these audio visual ebooks are all available in both Spanish and English languages since my school has a very large ESL student population. There are even music videos available that address social skills and responsibility. All together this is a resource that is too valuable to go unnoticed or unutilized.
Another extremely valuable resource includes the “Raising Readers” section of the site. This tool includes PBS Kids Island. It allows students to build a character, and he or she can play a variety of reading games with this character. The games are interactive and include rewards for success such as tickets to earn a free video or game. Parents and teachers can access this account and assess the progress of the student. There is also news available on the website regarding current events. This is a safe way for teachers to provide students with information about state, national, and world news. Finally, the announcement section provides great information regarding webinars and upcoming events that provide professional development and educational opportunities for students, teachers, and families.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Video Distribution and GPB Broadcasting
Our school has a video distribution system. It is used so that several classes can view the same video/DVD at the same time. Teachers may request to use the video distribution system to show videos and DVD’s. Teachers must complete a video/DVD request form that must have prior approval from administration. The video/DVD must have instructional purpose. The request form must be submitted with lesson plans.
Another purpose of the video distribution system is to broadcast information to the entire school or sometimes different grade levels at the same time. The media center has used the video distribution system to broadcast upcoming book fairs. Also, our school started an anti-bullying campaign this year. The distribution system has been used to show the DVD that came with the anti-bullying campaign curriculum. Students watched the DVD during homeroom then took a pledge to not take part in bullying and to report bullying when they see it going on.
Teachers can not control the distribution system in our school. When they are ready to begin a DVD/video, they must call the media center, and the media specialist will begin the video/DVD. We do not have school TV news in our school, therefore the distribution system is not used for this purpose. The video distribution system in our school has the capability to broadcast two different things at the same time on different channels. That is the extent of our distribution system and what it is used for. Announcements are made over the intercom.
According to Georgia Public Broadcasting, “Georgia Public Broadcasting's education service is Georgia's electronically delivered classroom for all Georgia learners, and Georgia educators' source for top-quality multiple media educational products and services. With a network of 2,428 satellite dishes, GPB broadcasts educational video programming to every public school, regional library, adult technical education center, youth development center, and public college and university in Georgia, serving over 115,000 teachers and approximately 1.6 million students across the state via satellite, the web and open-air broadcasts.” http://www.gpb.org/about
GPB is an amazing place to go to find just about anything you need. The resources are unlimited. The ranges of categories are unbelievable. It starts with pre-k and extends to education for adults. I went in and found awesome educational games for children. I found resources and lesson plans for teachers. I found videos for all subject areas.
They have podcast available to upload for free. The podcasts cover a variety of topics. I found a lot of Georgia History and Biographies. There are websites to go to from GPB that are very educational. Some of the websites I viewed were rich with history.
I visited the WWII Oral History Project. I found a website that was rich with history of WWII accounts of men and women from Georgia whose lives were affected by the war. It was an awesome place to use to teach WWII history with a real life effect. http://www.gpb.org/wwii
When I went to Georgia Stories, another place that is rich with history and information about Georgia, I found that GPB has correlated GPS Standards with the content. This is another wonderful attribute to using this resource. http://www.gpb.org/georgiastories
This resource offers a host of services for teachers and students. A person could spend hours here and never see it all. The easiest way that I found to find what you want on this website is to do a search. I searched several different topics and found something on every topic I searched. I searched math, science, social studies, technology, and other topics. I never came up empty handed. This resource is invaluable with information for educators and students. I have been on it before, however, I have never investigated it as thoroughly as I have this week. If you have not checked it out, check it out now. You will be pleased with what you find. It has something for everyone!
Another purpose of the video distribution system is to broadcast information to the entire school or sometimes different grade levels at the same time. The media center has used the video distribution system to broadcast upcoming book fairs. Also, our school started an anti-bullying campaign this year. The distribution system has been used to show the DVD that came with the anti-bullying campaign curriculum. Students watched the DVD during homeroom then took a pledge to not take part in bullying and to report bullying when they see it going on.
Teachers can not control the distribution system in our school. When they are ready to begin a DVD/video, they must call the media center, and the media specialist will begin the video/DVD. We do not have school TV news in our school, therefore the distribution system is not used for this purpose. The video distribution system in our school has the capability to broadcast two different things at the same time on different channels. That is the extent of our distribution system and what it is used for. Announcements are made over the intercom.
According to Georgia Public Broadcasting, “Georgia Public Broadcasting's education service is Georgia's electronically delivered classroom for all Georgia learners, and Georgia educators' source for top-quality multiple media educational products and services. With a network of 2,428 satellite dishes, GPB broadcasts educational video programming to every public school, regional library, adult technical education center, youth development center, and public college and university in Georgia, serving over 115,000 teachers and approximately 1.6 million students across the state via satellite, the web and open-air broadcasts.” http://www.gpb.org/about
GPB is an amazing place to go to find just about anything you need. The resources are unlimited. The ranges of categories are unbelievable. It starts with pre-k and extends to education for adults. I went in and found awesome educational games for children. I found resources and lesson plans for teachers. I found videos for all subject areas.
They have podcast available to upload for free. The podcasts cover a variety of topics. I found a lot of Georgia History and Biographies. There are websites to go to from GPB that are very educational. Some of the websites I viewed were rich with history.
I visited the WWII Oral History Project. I found a website that was rich with history of WWII accounts of men and women from Georgia whose lives were affected by the war. It was an awesome place to use to teach WWII history with a real life effect. http://www.gpb.org/wwii
When I went to Georgia Stories, another place that is rich with history and information about Georgia, I found that GPB has correlated GPS Standards with the content. This is another wonderful attribute to using this resource. http://www.gpb.org/georgiastories
This resource offers a host of services for teachers and students. A person could spend hours here and never see it all. The easiest way that I found to find what you want on this website is to do a search. I searched several different topics and found something on every topic I searched. I searched math, science, social studies, technology, and other topics. I never came up empty handed. This resource is invaluable with information for educators and students. I have been on it before, however, I have never investigated it as thoroughly as I have this week. If you have not checked it out, check it out now. You will be pleased with what you find. It has something for everyone!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
School TV News--Do I Have What it Takes?
Upon “thoroughly explor[ing]” the Pleasant grove KNN web page, in addition to the “Tiger News” web pages, I have come to the conclusion that, as with so many things in life, talent only takes you so far in the media center. I am speaking of talents in regard to public speaking, technological savvy, creativity, compassion for one’s fellow human being, and other areas, and I am only half kidding.
As a media specialist, one is expected to be a chameleon, an actor, an errant piece of duct tape that fixes it all. So, to simply rest on one’s laurels and do things that play to your strengths (for me, that might include keeping a blog or Facebook page, envisioning and implementing interesting reading incentives, collaborating with willing teachers (!), and putting up interesting book displays in the media center) is never enough, and will never be enough.
Now, before the current batch of practicing media specialists blast me on this one, I realize full well that your cup already runneth over. There is very little resting, on laurels or otherwise, for you, and the pile of equipment to troubleshoot and books to mend only grows. This also does not take into account the myriad and oddball ways that administrators want you to prove your worth. What I am trying (successfully?) to say is that one cannot pick and choose activities and so forth with one’s talents in mind—because to be a proficient (not to mention exemplary) media specialist, it is necessary to be a bit of an expert in everything. Being talented is wonderful—but sometimes it take pure-D determination, perseverance, and lots of boring practice before you can be the media specialist that you dream of being.
Case in point: school TV news broadcasts. The elementary school that I am currently working in has no news broadcast. It does, however, have hundreds of dollars worth of equipment under a counter in the network room, gathering dust, because the items were purchased prior to the current media specialist and were never used—although the manuals have all mysteriously disappeared for each piece of alien equipment. There is also a fake microphone (which is interesting, paired with what I assume to be the audio mixer J). For this equipment to be used, items which was important enough to warrant cataloging and training a paraprofessional at the time (she has since forgotten everything she knew about the equipment, since she never put it to practical use), the current media specialist will have to expand her knowledge of the equipment and how to use it—no small task. (These acts will help her to begin to approach the “Shoestring” broadcast.)Then, she might approach a teacher or group to begin thinking about supervising the broadcasts, devote a corner of the media center to the endeavor, and possibly oversee part or all of the news programs herself. She would have to step out of her comfort zone to learn and attempt new things, sacrificing time that could be used to perform the daily duties that she is under constant pressure to complete. She could not rely on her talents alone, among which are the ability to multitask to the nth degree, eat lunch and check kids out at the same time, collaborate with teachers at every grade level with incredible results, and smooth the ruffled feathers of one teacher or another when parity of technology comes into question, although her talents would certainly be used.
In another school, a high school, the media specialist reported to me that there is a daily news broadcast that is supported by $40,000 worth of equipment. It is produced by the drama teacher and drama students only, but the show is burned onto DVD and brought to the media center every day so the media specialist can play it for the school over the ActivBoard (can’t wait to see this when I volunteer over there over Spring Break!). She states that she doesn’t really have anything to do with it, except for playing it, but the news broadcast apparently does not fulfill its intended purpose (that caused Board members to give $40,000 towards its inception) and she anticipates that she will be asked to take the reins on the project soon. Again, this media specialist will have to go beyond her talents, current depth and breadth of knowledge, and maybe even her store of patience.
These stories just seems to illustrate so strongly to me how talent is overrated. This doesn’t only apply to school TV news, although my interviews with the media specialists concerning this topic brought the idea home to me. I look forward to encountering something complicated, frustrating, involving, and highly rewarding, like a news broadcast, in my future media center, as I struggle when I don't quite have "what it takes" to perform the task at hand.
Or, maybe I’ll cut myself some slack and start small by producing some video clips for next February’s Black History Month student contributions.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
School TV News
To this day my husband’s favorite part of high school was his mass media class. He had little enthusiasm for school in his younger days, but loved making videos and producing the morning announcements. Today, there is no shortage of TV news examples, just go to YouTube and search, “School News Broadcast.” You’ll get over 2,000 hits from elementary to high schools producing their own news, and while some are immature in nature, most of the productions are quite professional and elaborate. Watching all these videos reminded me that while my elementary school is fabulous in so many ways, we are far behind the times in school news broadcasts. We are the only elementary school in our district that still does announcements only over the intercom system! Over the years, I have inquired about our major lacking in this area, only to be questioned, “Are you volunteering?” While that sounds sarcastic, the message is clearly that being in charge of a school broadcast is a big deal and very time consuming. With all the daily responsibilities a media specialist has, she needs excellent organization skills and a little help to get this job done.
Luckily, one of my full days in a media center was spent in a school that produces TV news daily. I called up media specialist, Sharon Schilling, to find out some of her thoughts on her broadcasting endeavors. She has certainly learned by trial and error. First, she learned quickly that the anchors could change often, but the technicians running the equipment could not. It takes a lot of time to teach elementary students how to run sound equipment, Power Points with the scrolling news for the anchors, video transitions, and cameras. Her news is quite a production, but the students do almost all of it. Sharon said one of her biggest problems was school staff turning in announcements at the last minute. She said they do not understand that the Power Points for the anchors to read are completed the night before so they are ready in the morning. If someone runs up right before news begins, there is not time to add a slide to the PowerPoint and the young anchors that rotate weekly cannot improvise. She tries to combat this problem by reminding staff about announcements and procedures through periodic emails. Another problem Sharon faces is when students are late for school. The text for the news to be read is set up by a color coded system. If someone doesn’t show up on time, Sharon has to quickly find someone to read that part. She tries to lessen this issue by requesting that teachers choose student anchors who have excellent attendance.
I really like that Sharon has found a way for all grades to participate. Even by the end of the year, a few kindergarteners will be ready. The school principal makes a live appearance every morning. I don’t think all principals would be up for that, but I loved the idea! The students (uh, the good students) rarely get to see their busy principals and this is one way they can see them daily and hear what is important to them.
Since I don’t have broadcast news at my school, I loved getting to see this daily event. I could easily see how much there was to it (and how much I would have to learn in order to succeed at such an endeavor), and the behind-the-scenes-fifth graders were amazing to watch. If you are going to begin a morning announcement broadcast at the elementary level, my best observation to share is to develop a format and a procedure, so this daily task is not too difficult to keep up.
Luckily, one of my full days in a media center was spent in a school that produces TV news daily. I called up media specialist, Sharon Schilling, to find out some of her thoughts on her broadcasting endeavors. She has certainly learned by trial and error. First, she learned quickly that the anchors could change often, but the technicians running the equipment could not. It takes a lot of time to teach elementary students how to run sound equipment, Power Points with the scrolling news for the anchors, video transitions, and cameras. Her news is quite a production, but the students do almost all of it. Sharon said one of her biggest problems was school staff turning in announcements at the last minute. She said they do not understand that the Power Points for the anchors to read are completed the night before so they are ready in the morning. If someone runs up right before news begins, there is not time to add a slide to the PowerPoint and the young anchors that rotate weekly cannot improvise. She tries to combat this problem by reminding staff about announcements and procedures through periodic emails. Another problem Sharon faces is when students are late for school. The text for the news to be read is set up by a color coded system. If someone doesn’t show up on time, Sharon has to quickly find someone to read that part. She tries to lessen this issue by requesting that teachers choose student anchors who have excellent attendance.
I really like that Sharon has found a way for all grades to participate. Even by the end of the year, a few kindergarteners will be ready. The school principal makes a live appearance every morning. I don’t think all principals would be up for that, but I loved the idea! The students (uh, the good students) rarely get to see their busy principals and this is one way they can see them daily and hear what is important to them.
Since I don’t have broadcast news at my school, I loved getting to see this daily event. I could easily see how much there was to it (and how much I would have to learn in order to succeed at such an endeavor), and the behind-the-scenes-fifth graders were amazing to watch. If you are going to begin a morning announcement broadcast at the elementary level, my best observation to share is to develop a format and a procedure, so this daily task is not too difficult to keep up.
Social Networking
If we are to stay current and move to keep our students in the 21st Century, we must learn how to integrate social networking into our curriculum and embrace it. Students are already using social networking sites to socialize and connect with people that they have common interest with. It is something that comes second nature to them. As educators, we must meet them where they are and move them forward. To do this, we must connect to what they already know. It only makes sense that if they already "know" social networking, why not use the way they communicate to communicate the information that we are trying to get them to embrace.
According to the article, AASL's second longitudinal survey reveals school' acceptance of social networking tools: In a study conducted by the AASL, "preliminary findings show that elementary, middle, and high schools are using social networking tools to prepare students for the 21st century. The common beliefs within AASL's "Standards for the 21st Century Learner", state that technology and social skills are essential to the development of 21st Century students in order for them to be viable members of the working community".
After reading this article, it has become more evident to me that wew are doing our students a disservice by not using this technology to help them to connect to classmates with common goals and interests.
One of the big concerns with social networking is the concern about the safety of the students. There are social networking sites that educators can use to make private for students only. There also are several sites out there that teach internet safety and specifically address social networking safety. If you have not checked any out yet, a great place to start is:
NS Teens Post to be private: Awesome website to teach teens about social networking safety.
http://www.nsteens.org/videos/social-networking/
Get Net Wise: This website teaches parents and students how to make networking sites safe by setting privacy settings. It is a great resource for educating on the dangers of social networking and how to be safe while social networking.
http://www.kids.getnetwise.org/safetyguide/technology/socialnetworking
ikeepsafe.org: This website is an educational website that gives the basics of social networking. It explains what it is and how to use it safely and effectively. This would be a great link for a media center to use so that parents can access and be educated about how to use social networking and how to set their child's social networking space to be private.
http://www.ikeepsafe.org/PRC/videotutorials/myspace/index.html
Here ares some examples of how social networking can be used:
A Facebook account could be set up to keep parents, students, and teachers updated on what is going on in the media center or the classroom. Many of our parents and students hold Facebook accounts already. So this would be an easy way to connect with them. They could easily see what is going on in the media center/ classroom. It is quick an easy to connect in a place like Facebook.
The media center or classroom could have a blog so that studens could have book talks, classroom discussions on certain topics, and be able to showcase some of their art work, writing, and other creative expressions.. When students know they are writing for purpose, and it it going to be seen by others, they will develop pride in what they produce. Having students give feedback to others writing is also a great way to get students to interact and read what others are writing about. It opens their minds to explore ideas of other people.
According to the article, AASL's second longitudinal survey reveals school' acceptance of social networking tools: In a study conducted by the AASL, "preliminary findings show that elementary, middle, and high schools are using social networking tools to prepare students for the 21st century. The common beliefs within AASL's "Standards for the 21st Century Learner", state that technology and social skills are essential to the development of 21st Century students in order for them to be viable members of the working community".
After reading this article, it has become more evident to me that wew are doing our students a disservice by not using this technology to help them to connect to classmates with common goals and interests.
One of the big concerns with social networking is the concern about the safety of the students. There are social networking sites that educators can use to make private for students only. There also are several sites out there that teach internet safety and specifically address social networking safety. If you have not checked any out yet, a great place to start is:
NS Teens Post to be private: Awesome website to teach teens about social networking safety.
http://www.nsteens.org/videos/social-networking/
Get Net Wise: This website teaches parents and students how to make networking sites safe by setting privacy settings. It is a great resource for educating on the dangers of social networking and how to be safe while social networking.
http://www.kids.getnetwise.org/safetyguide/technology/socialnetworking
ikeepsafe.org: This website is an educational website that gives the basics of social networking. It explains what it is and how to use it safely and effectively. This would be a great link for a media center to use so that parents can access and be educated about how to use social networking and how to set their child's social networking space to be private.
http://www.ikeepsafe.org/PRC/videotutorials/myspace/index.html
Here ares some examples of how social networking can be used:
A Facebook account could be set up to keep parents, students, and teachers updated on what is going on in the media center or the classroom. Many of our parents and students hold Facebook accounts already. So this would be an easy way to connect with them. They could easily see what is going on in the media center/ classroom. It is quick an easy to connect in a place like Facebook.
The media center or classroom could have a blog so that studens could have book talks, classroom discussions on certain topics, and be able to showcase some of their art work, writing, and other creative expressions.. When students know they are writing for purpose, and it it going to be seen by others, they will develop pride in what they produce. Having students give feedback to others writing is also a great way to get students to interact and read what others are writing about. It opens their minds to explore ideas of other people.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Web Pages and Wikis and Wordpress, oh, my....
All style and no substance….this is something that one would never hear about me as a person, in part because I have very little style. :-) But, I do understand the value of and the need for substance, both in persons and in media center web pages.
As I am not a particularly visually-spatially gifted individual, I have benefited much from reading about what constitutes good design (of web pages, presentations, etc.). Now that I know what to look for, that aspect of it will be much easier for me to address. However, I still think, as I always have, that how something LOOKS is not nearly as important as what it communicates. Still, the tension between visual appeal and content will never decrease when it comes to web pages, much as I might dream otherwise. I will focus on the desired content for media center web pages in this blog post, as it seems to be what I am better able to discuss and explain in an intelligent manner.
I absolutely enjoyed David Warlick’s article, “Building Websites That Work for Your Media Center” (January/February 2005). It not only had some common-sense ideas about site design (which were much appreciated), but the article brought out some important points about the media center’s webpage supporting the daily goals and mission of the media center. For instance, most of us consider the media webpage to be a place where students can link to GALILEO, educational games, and …..yawn. (Sorry, I fell asleep. And, if I did, so did the students and their parents.) Let’s face it, for some parents, that is old news, and it is news that could be gotten from other locations than the media center web page. In terms of research, GALILEO is very important, but if the critical goals of the media center include parent involvement, I agree—you have to capture their attention and let them know that there is information here that is of use to them that is different and current and relatable. For most of the parents in my particular district, GALILEO, although a gold mine of a resource, might not be the way to make that “relatable” connection—at least, not at first—and it certainly would not want to be the only connection to home that the media center tried to make. So, this article presents the media specialist with a challenge—how is your web page reflecting and supporting the goals that you have envisioned for your students, school, and media center?
I absolutely love how Mr. Harvey, the media specialist from North Elementary School in Noblesville, Indiana, has made his Virtual Library Media Center to clearly reflect his goals for the media center. One can tell very easily that he considers parents to be of great importance, as he went to the trouble of creating a Facebook page for them to communicate items of interest from the media center in January of this year; he also includes some quality links to literacy information published by the school. Seeing that he made a Facebook page (with 60 fans!), it is clear that he is trying to meet some parents where they are in their lives—they are fooling around on the computer, chatting with old friends, and they can read all about the happenings of the media center in a few sentences or less. Near the top of the page, he has links to the wiki pages that directly relate to ALL of the subject areas of the teaching professionals in his school. No snobbery here—Mr. Harvey has included wiki pages for art, music, and P.E., where others (perhaps myself included) might have only had the forethought to include grade-level pages, leaving the enrichment teachers out in the cold. Long story short, this media specialist has some special things going on, and he uses Web 2.0 tools, including wikis and social networking sites, to make his web page a wonderful, interactive resource for most all stakeholders. He even reinforces the importance of libraries with his links to the local public library, the state library, and the Library of Congress—such a small thing that says a lot about the beliefs of the media center. Connectedness is a theme on this page, as it should be on all pages, I would argue.
The blog on Wordpress for the Unquiet Library (Creekview HS) is so much more incredible than their webpage connected to the school. I think that anybody who frequents (or has even visited, period) the web pages surrounding the school is probably hip to that, and that makes me think…doesn’t the library’s web page need to be the hip, awesome web page anyway? If I am supposed to be a harbinger of technological awesomeness, then the web page that I create (or blog, or wiki, or whatever) will be held up for scrutiny by people who want to know the technological pulse of the school. One might wonder, then, how having an “awesome” web page would directly relate to the goals of the media center. As Warlick’s article mentioned, there are certain media that can be included on a web page simply for fun that might detract, in the end, from the message of the page, and there are media, like the slideshows on the North Elementary Media Center web page and Ms. Hamilton’s Wordpress blog, that exemplify how students are being involved, what materials and resources there are to support teaching and learning, and that show the relevance of the library in the life of the school.
Something that was also mentioned in the Warlick article was being constrained by certain rules and regulations of the county or school in regard to the media center web page. Yes, just like the rest of us, Ms. Hamilton of Creekview HS is bound by certain rules on her webpage connected to the school, but she has also gotten permission for and taken the time to create an incredible resource for her parents, students, and fellow teaching professionals through her Wordpress account. The library is portrayed as it should be….an interesting, happening, relaxing, informative place that can be whatever you want or need it to be and also encourages YOU to be whatever or whoever you wish to be. I don’t particularly know that having the library give you a “warm, fuzzy feeling” is a goal for the media center at Creekview High School, but I think that Ms. Hamilton does not underestimate the power of a good reputation among some of your harshest critics and most important stakeholders—students. With her cool displays, comfortable setting, and fun activities (Wii at lunch? Wow!), Ms. Hamilton begins to build relationships with a variety of students and sets the stage for further use of technology to assist in learning and researching.
I look forward to creating my own media center online contact point (whether through a web page, wiki, or blog) so that I can communicate the goals for my school and its media center therein.
As I am not a particularly visually-spatially gifted individual, I have benefited much from reading about what constitutes good design (of web pages, presentations, etc.). Now that I know what to look for, that aspect of it will be much easier for me to address. However, I still think, as I always have, that how something LOOKS is not nearly as important as what it communicates. Still, the tension between visual appeal and content will never decrease when it comes to web pages, much as I might dream otherwise. I will focus on the desired content for media center web pages in this blog post, as it seems to be what I am better able to discuss and explain in an intelligent manner.
I absolutely enjoyed David Warlick’s article, “Building Websites That Work for Your Media Center” (January/February 2005). It not only had some common-sense ideas about site design (which were much appreciated), but the article brought out some important points about the media center’s webpage supporting the daily goals and mission of the media center. For instance, most of us consider the media webpage to be a place where students can link to GALILEO, educational games, and …..yawn. (Sorry, I fell asleep. And, if I did, so did the students and their parents.) Let’s face it, for some parents, that is old news, and it is news that could be gotten from other locations than the media center web page. In terms of research, GALILEO is very important, but if the critical goals of the media center include parent involvement, I agree—you have to capture their attention and let them know that there is information here that is of use to them that is different and current and relatable. For most of the parents in my particular district, GALILEO, although a gold mine of a resource, might not be the way to make that “relatable” connection—at least, not at first—and it certainly would not want to be the only connection to home that the media center tried to make. So, this article presents the media specialist with a challenge—how is your web page reflecting and supporting the goals that you have envisioned for your students, school, and media center?
I absolutely love how Mr. Harvey, the media specialist from North Elementary School in Noblesville, Indiana, has made his Virtual Library Media Center to clearly reflect his goals for the media center. One can tell very easily that he considers parents to be of great importance, as he went to the trouble of creating a Facebook page for them to communicate items of interest from the media center in January of this year; he also includes some quality links to literacy information published by the school. Seeing that he made a Facebook page (with 60 fans!), it is clear that he is trying to meet some parents where they are in their lives—they are fooling around on the computer, chatting with old friends, and they can read all about the happenings of the media center in a few sentences or less. Near the top of the page, he has links to the wiki pages that directly relate to ALL of the subject areas of the teaching professionals in his school. No snobbery here—Mr. Harvey has included wiki pages for art, music, and P.E., where others (perhaps myself included) might have only had the forethought to include grade-level pages, leaving the enrichment teachers out in the cold. Long story short, this media specialist has some special things going on, and he uses Web 2.0 tools, including wikis and social networking sites, to make his web page a wonderful, interactive resource for most all stakeholders. He even reinforces the importance of libraries with his links to the local public library, the state library, and the Library of Congress—such a small thing that says a lot about the beliefs of the media center. Connectedness is a theme on this page, as it should be on all pages, I would argue.
The blog on Wordpress for the Unquiet Library (Creekview HS) is so much more incredible than their webpage connected to the school. I think that anybody who frequents (or has even visited, period) the web pages surrounding the school is probably hip to that, and that makes me think…doesn’t the library’s web page need to be the hip, awesome web page anyway? If I am supposed to be a harbinger of technological awesomeness, then the web page that I create (or blog, or wiki, or whatever) will be held up for scrutiny by people who want to know the technological pulse of the school. One might wonder, then, how having an “awesome” web page would directly relate to the goals of the media center. As Warlick’s article mentioned, there are certain media that can be included on a web page simply for fun that might detract, in the end, from the message of the page, and there are media, like the slideshows on the North Elementary Media Center web page and Ms. Hamilton’s Wordpress blog, that exemplify how students are being involved, what materials and resources there are to support teaching and learning, and that show the relevance of the library in the life of the school.
Something that was also mentioned in the Warlick article was being constrained by certain rules and regulations of the county or school in regard to the media center web page. Yes, just like the rest of us, Ms. Hamilton of Creekview HS is bound by certain rules on her webpage connected to the school, but she has also gotten permission for and taken the time to create an incredible resource for her parents, students, and fellow teaching professionals through her Wordpress account. The library is portrayed as it should be….an interesting, happening, relaxing, informative place that can be whatever you want or need it to be and also encourages YOU to be whatever or whoever you wish to be. I don’t particularly know that having the library give you a “warm, fuzzy feeling” is a goal for the media center at Creekview High School, but I think that Ms. Hamilton does not underestimate the power of a good reputation among some of your harshest critics and most important stakeholders—students. With her cool displays, comfortable setting, and fun activities (Wii at lunch? Wow!), Ms. Hamilton begins to build relationships with a variety of students and sets the stage for further use of technology to assist in learning and researching.
I look forward to creating my own media center online contact point (whether through a web page, wiki, or blog) so that I can communicate the goals for my school and its media center therein.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Media Center Websites
So I’ve thought and thought about what to blog about for media center web sites. Sure, I could tell you how valuable they are as a communication tool, but you already know that. I could tell you some good design tips, but if you have ever made a PowerPoint, you know the basic ideas of making a page organized, clean (I prefer the term crisp), and easy to navigate. I could tell you what not to do, but it would be easier to show you: Super Bad Website!
There is no lack of ideas on what to include on this invaluable tool; our text already gave us tons of suggestions and even categorized them from needed information to fun additions. I could show you some really awesome websites, but the truth is, after hours of surfing award winning media programs, Dr. Bennett and Dr. Cooper have already posted the best of the best.
If you happen to want more, here is a good one: Connersville Middle School.
This website from CMS in Indiana is very simple, but contains everything! I really liked the one school, one book program (See Watsons – One Book link) and how they displayed the school project.
So what else is there to say? Well, believe it or not, I actually found an article that made me say, “Ah-ha! Well, I didn’t know THAT!” You can read the full article, “Web Design That Won’t Get You Into Trouble,” by Shirley Duglin Kennedy...or you can save time and read my summary.
Did you know that there are some legal issues with web pages? Obviously, there is the copyright topic. Our professors have been stressing this matter since our first class. Some of us can remember thinking, “What’s the big deal? No one will ever see what I give my students!” But when considering a website, it all becomes clear when everyone can see it. Kennedy suggests not taking any photo or clipart that is not specifically listed as free because you don’t know where the picture originally came from. You also can’t change a picture through editing and then call it your own.
Ok, so that was just a reminder. But did you ever think that linking to a page could get you in trouble? Kennedy says that Ticketmaster sued Microsoft because a city guide website linked to an internal part of the Ticketmaster site. This allowed visitors to go straight to the event listings and skip the main page…the page with the advertisements! (If you want to know what Microsoft had to do with this, you can read the legalities here: Ticketmaster v. Microsoft.
Kennedy goes on to tell us about a public library that posted a link to the local newspapers, but declined a request from a private alternative newspaper to also have a link. The library did not have a concrete policy on this though, so in the end the courts ruled that library’s web site was not “viewpoint neutral.”
Kennedy has a great suggestion that I think we should take to heart. We have all worked on our media center policy manuals, but we don’t have a section for our policies regarding our websites. Just as we have a selection policy for educational resources, we may want to write a policy for our website as well. School systems can be nervous enough about all these new web 2.0 tools and having a policy in place before you begin your website (and all those awesome tools) could save aches and pains down the road.
There is no lack of ideas on what to include on this invaluable tool; our text already gave us tons of suggestions and even categorized them from needed information to fun additions. I could show you some really awesome websites, but the truth is, after hours of surfing award winning media programs, Dr. Bennett and Dr. Cooper have already posted the best of the best.
If you happen to want more, here is a good one: Connersville Middle School.
This website from CMS in Indiana is very simple, but contains everything! I really liked the one school, one book program (See Watsons – One Book link) and how they displayed the school project.
So what else is there to say? Well, believe it or not, I actually found an article that made me say, “Ah-ha! Well, I didn’t know THAT!” You can read the full article, “Web Design That Won’t Get You Into Trouble,” by Shirley Duglin Kennedy...or you can save time and read my summary.
Did you know that there are some legal issues with web pages? Obviously, there is the copyright topic. Our professors have been stressing this matter since our first class. Some of us can remember thinking, “What’s the big deal? No one will ever see what I give my students!” But when considering a website, it all becomes clear when everyone can see it. Kennedy suggests not taking any photo or clipart that is not specifically listed as free because you don’t know where the picture originally came from. You also can’t change a picture through editing and then call it your own.
Ok, so that was just a reminder. But did you ever think that linking to a page could get you in trouble? Kennedy says that Ticketmaster sued Microsoft because a city guide website linked to an internal part of the Ticketmaster site. This allowed visitors to go straight to the event listings and skip the main page…the page with the advertisements! (If you want to know what Microsoft had to do with this, you can read the legalities here: Ticketmaster v. Microsoft.
Kennedy goes on to tell us about a public library that posted a link to the local newspapers, but declined a request from a private alternative newspaper to also have a link. The library did not have a concrete policy on this though, so in the end the courts ruled that library’s web site was not “viewpoint neutral.”
Kennedy has a great suggestion that I think we should take to heart. We have all worked on our media center policy manuals, but we don’t have a section for our policies regarding our websites. Just as we have a selection policy for educational resources, we may want to write a policy for our website as well. School systems can be nervous enough about all these new web 2.0 tools and having a policy in place before you begin your website (and all those awesome tools) could save aches and pains down the road.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Why Wiki?
The first time I heard of the “evils” of Wikipedia, I must admit, I didn’t get it. How could my beloved site that had all the answers cause harm to researchers? After all, teachers didn’t have to worry anymore about those inquisitive kids asking random questions about what would happen to all our electronics if sun spots became static. Wikipedia meant never having to say, “I don’t know!” again. But here I was with my media specialist and she was taking away my beloved site... “Unreliable!” she declared, “Inaccuracies, missing citations...anyone, anyone can write anything!”
So if anyone has the potential to vandalize your hard work, add erroneous information, or spam your site, why not just get a webpage where one person is in charge and the information is protected from change? Wikis focus on a group sharing, collecting, and collaborating rather than individual composition. Some tasks need just that. On a wiki, it is easy for educators to collaborate on lesson plans; students can collaborate on science fair projects, writing, or problem solving, while educators can work alongside students in literature circles. Since wikis are a webpage, sounds, movies, and pictures can also be added by contributors. Go to http://www.huffenglish.com/?p=112 and http://themzunguboy.wetpaint.com/ to view some wikis in action. Check out one of the best wikis I found at http://soar2newheights.wikispaces.com/ and see how this teacher is sharing her students’ work in action. Take note that this page is protected, demonstrating that a wiki can in fact be protected if you don’t want to leave it open to the world.
My school is currently going through its five year SACS review. Numerous documents must be developed cooperatively between teachers, administrators, parents, and staff. I can’t help but thinking of all the advantages a wiki has in this situation. Our weekly meetings sure would be more effective (not to mention shorter) if we could collaborate throughout the week, discussing our assigned questions, completing surveys, and adding documentation.
Principals want their media specialists to collaborate and this is a perfect resource to encourage just that. Wikis would allow media specialists to work alongside teachers in planning instruction, assessments, or online displays for student work. Media specialists frequently teach others about the newest technology through in-services and wikis are a convenient way for people to participate.
If you have visited some of the popular wikis, you might have noticed they haven’t been updated in months or even years. If you decide to create your own wiki, don’t let it turn into yet another storage site. Have a specific purpose and a specific audience. Know how long you expect to use the wiki. If you are using one in your media center, think about wiping the slate clean each year (or every other year). Keep what you like, but make sure information is fresh and relevant to ensure people will keep coming to share thoughts, problem solve, and collaborate on group projects.
Thankfully, I’ve learned a lot since those early wiki days. Wikis are great even if they aren’t perfect for every situatio... and I’ll never leave them behind entirely. After all, how else could I keep up with Lost without reading the world’s thoughts on Lostpedia?
So if anyone has the potential to vandalize your hard work, add erroneous information, or spam your site, why not just get a webpage where one person is in charge and the information is protected from change? Wikis focus on a group sharing, collecting, and collaborating rather than individual composition. Some tasks need just that. On a wiki, it is easy for educators to collaborate on lesson plans; students can collaborate on science fair projects, writing, or problem solving, while educators can work alongside students in literature circles. Since wikis are a webpage, sounds, movies, and pictures can also be added by contributors. Go to http://www.huffenglish.com/?p=112 and http://themzunguboy.wetpaint.com/ to view some wikis in action. Check out one of the best wikis I found at http://soar2newheights.wikispaces.com/ and see how this teacher is sharing her students’ work in action. Take note that this page is protected, demonstrating that a wiki can in fact be protected if you don’t want to leave it open to the world.
My school is currently going through its five year SACS review. Numerous documents must be developed cooperatively between teachers, administrators, parents, and staff. I can’t help but thinking of all the advantages a wiki has in this situation. Our weekly meetings sure would be more effective (not to mention shorter) if we could collaborate throughout the week, discussing our assigned questions, completing surveys, and adding documentation.
Principals want their media specialists to collaborate and this is a perfect resource to encourage just that. Wikis would allow media specialists to work alongside teachers in planning instruction, assessments, or online displays for student work. Media specialists frequently teach others about the newest technology through in-services and wikis are a convenient way for people to participate.
If you have visited some of the popular wikis, you might have noticed they haven’t been updated in months or even years. If you decide to create your own wiki, don’t let it turn into yet another storage site. Have a specific purpose and a specific audience. Know how long you expect to use the wiki. If you are using one in your media center, think about wiping the slate clean each year (or every other year). Keep what you like, but make sure information is fresh and relevant to ensure people will keep coming to share thoughts, problem solve, and collaborate on group projects.
Thankfully, I’ve learned a lot since those early wiki days. Wikis are great even if they aren’t perfect for every situatio... and I’ll never leave them behind entirely. After all, how else could I keep up with Lost without reading the world’s thoughts on Lostpedia?
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Podcasts: My Role and My Thoughts
This is a video, obtained from www.teachertube.com, that more thoroughly and expertly explains podcasting than I could ever hope to. This is in the first set of training materials that I would offer to a questing teacher, the other things being links to pages such as the following, with simple definitions:http://www.ehow.com/how_5116110_make-podcast.html
Speaking to the blogging prompt given by our class, my first step after hearing the teacher’s concerns about beginning a podcast for his class would be to gather the necessary equipment. At my current school, it is just simply not there. So, I would need to procure a USB microphone and download the appropriate software (Audacity would be the clear choice, due to quality of the software as well as its cost), either to the teacher’s computer or to one or more of the computers in my media center. Financially speaking, it might be possible to ask the front office or search within my own budget to purchase these items, but I would also be willing to seek out other sources of funding, such as local grants and/or sponsorships from businesses. (I might even want to wait a bit to monitor if the success of the teacher would be followed by an increase in other requests of the same ilk, so that I could seek funding for multiple pieces of equipment.)
I would also ask the teacher if he would be willing to give me a week or so to test the podcasting waters myself, to ensure that any information I gave him would be current and able to be replicated successfully. It wouldn’t do to rely on information I had obtained during Master’s classes (ahem, Erin) a few semesters ago, only to be providing broken links and a general feeling of frustration. After experiencing success (or success on the heels of failure), I would then return to the teacher and offer to give him a tutorial so that he could begin the podcasts with assistance, progressing to independence as soon as possible.
The reasoning behind my choosing this course of action is because I feel all teacher requests are valuable; I am to serve the students of the school, but I also have a duty to serve the teachers and to be a leader in areas directly relevant to the education of teachers and students. If I don’t know much about podcasting, it falls to me to learn more so that I can pass on that knowledge in a “train the trainer” fashion that is so popular in school systems today (the difference being that I would be training myself in order to train another....whew). Also, my time is too valuable and spread among too many different teachers and students for a single teacher to depend heavily on me for an activity that he initiated and wishes to continue; if, truly, the podcasts are of value (and my instructions and support was sufficient), the teacher will be intrinsically motivated to continue doing the podcasts on his own rather than marching up to the media center with ten students and begging me to help him record "just one more" podcast. :-) Moreover, there simply isn’t enough time (or motivation) in the schedule of the average technology specialist to take for mini-lessons on technology integration, so the only contact person in the school (and perhaps the school system) for inquiries such as this is me.
In terms of ways that podcasting could be integrated into my current teaching situation, I am in LOVE with the thought, posted on the first Podcasting 101 article from Kristin Fontichiaro, of using a podcast to pre-record an audio version to supplement a written test; so many of my students desperately need the help, but they are reluctant to come to the back table or come to my classroom for a little peace and quiet while we read aloud (even though the other students clamor to get my attention so I might “decide” to call them, too). It is simply too embarrassing for them, even if the reality is that nobody really even cares who is being read to. However, when those same students, some of whose handwriting is too awful to complete assignments with, are given a small word processor to type their writing work samples on, they feel important and independent, fielding questions from peers without disabilities on when it will be “their turn” to use the word processor.
Another idea I got from searching through the provided resources is creating a media center wiki upon which podcasts, RSS feeds, and the like might be posted to create a safe place for students to encounter these applications. I liked seeing the Twitter feeds and YouTube links for book-related information on the Beverly Elementary Media Center wiki—the students are interested in and want to understand more about these types of tools, and to present them in a protected sort of online environment seems appropriate until the students are of an age where they are more equipped to navigate these tools intelligently.
I look forward to all replies to this blog post.Erin Dorman (a.k.a. the Masked Librarian....)
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