I am the media specialist at Toccoa Elementary and we do not do a TV broadcast. I have only been there for one year but I have taught at the school for 8 years prior and we have never had a broadcast. I do plan to start a broadcast next year. We are going to film it using the digital video camera and imovie and we plan on doing it once a month. It will be more like a newsbreak than a morning show. I want to use a different grade each month to make the broadcast. I have not worked out all of the kinks but hopefully we will be up and making some type of effort by next school year.
We do have a close circuit system in the library. We use this to show items that need to be seen school-wide, such as fund raisers, PTO news, etc. Teachers also show videos on it that need to be seen by the whole group or by a set of teachers. During this year's presidential elections we aired commercials by both candidates that the kids produced and filmed. The close circuit is also used to show videos school-wide on special occassions and holidays. The teachers have access to all channels.
Our school loves United Streaming. Teachers pull from this resource on a daily basis. I have also downloaded a couple of videos onto the ipods. This has been a huge hit and teachers are asking for more. United Streaming is a great resource to have if you use Promethean or Smart boards in the classrooms.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Social Networks and Considerations for Their Use in Schools
Because I am a member of Facebook, along with my husband and oldest son, I see advantages and disadvantages with using them in schools. I thoroughly enjoyed the reading this week, as it gave me new considerations to think about concerning this neat tool. Let me also mention that I am not in the school system now. My Facebook account is a personal account and I use it for connecting with friends and for posting photos and links that I find interesting. I would say that I am a marginal user---I check it daily, but do not post my “goings on” every day. Many of my out of state friends, high school and college friends have joined Facebook in the past year and I have enjoyed “seeing” them again!
The main reason that I was drawn to FB as a social tool was because my high school son was using it quite often and it made me nervous. During a class last summer, we were asked to do instructional learning modules for teachers for 3 pieces of technology and I chose FB as one of these tools. I started my account and learned all that I could about its instructional purposes before I started using it as a social networking tool. I was surprised at how much I liked it and how much I thought (and still think) that it could benefit the classroom. I was very interested in the interview with Danah Boyd in School Library Journal in which she found that students use these sites for connecting with friends, not for meeting new people. This has certainly been my experience. I also believe that she is right on about the need for librarians to promote and know the difference between old media and new media. We can also provide for guidance in the use of these services.
The use of these social networking sites for classroom activities has fascinated me but after reading about the use of blocking these sites at school, there may be no way to really embrace their use for now. One of the activities that I used on my learning module was the use of groups to promote understanding of classroom topics. You can set the groups to be by invitation only so that only your classes can view the questions or materials that you post there. You can put pictures, links to readings or music, many resources to connect with the classroom material. One idea mentioned in the reading was that students could make FB pages for characters in literature---how cool is that?!
The resources that were made available this week in the way of promoting ethical and safe use of social networking sites were tremendous! I bookmarked almost all of them because I do feel a responsibility to teach this information to not only students and teachers, but to provide this to parents. I think that by using these resources in a positive way, we as media specialists can help de-bunk some of the myths related to these sites. One of the statistics provided by the Pew Institute in the reading was the 55% of all 14-18 year olds are using these social networking sites. It is my strong belief that we need to know them, use them and teach about them in our 21st century media centers.
The main reason that I was drawn to FB as a social tool was because my high school son was using it quite often and it made me nervous. During a class last summer, we were asked to do instructional learning modules for teachers for 3 pieces of technology and I chose FB as one of these tools. I started my account and learned all that I could about its instructional purposes before I started using it as a social networking tool. I was surprised at how much I liked it and how much I thought (and still think) that it could benefit the classroom. I was very interested in the interview with Danah Boyd in School Library Journal in which she found that students use these sites for connecting with friends, not for meeting new people. This has certainly been my experience. I also believe that she is right on about the need for librarians to promote and know the difference between old media and new media. We can also provide for guidance in the use of these services.
The use of these social networking sites for classroom activities has fascinated me but after reading about the use of blocking these sites at school, there may be no way to really embrace their use for now. One of the activities that I used on my learning module was the use of groups to promote understanding of classroom topics. You can set the groups to be by invitation only so that only your classes can view the questions or materials that you post there. You can put pictures, links to readings or music, many resources to connect with the classroom material. One idea mentioned in the reading was that students could make FB pages for characters in literature---how cool is that?!
The resources that were made available this week in the way of promoting ethical and safe use of social networking sites were tremendous! I bookmarked almost all of them because I do feel a responsibility to teach this information to not only students and teachers, but to provide this to parents. I think that by using these resources in a positive way, we as media specialists can help de-bunk some of the myths related to these sites. One of the statistics provided by the Pew Institute in the reading was the 55% of all 14-18 year olds are using these social networking sites. It is my strong belief that we need to know them, use them and teach about them in our 21st century media centers.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Social Networking
What can be said about the nation’s new craze – social networking? Is it good, bad or indifferent? Although there are many different types of social networking, the premise is still the same, get or keep in contact with your friends, and become friends through friends.
One of the main attractions of engaging in social networking as a media specialist is that it is something the students think is exciting. Creating something that students want to use is the key. It is much more beneficial to develop a tool that may be considered somewhat controversial that students will use, rather than developing something that fits the status quo that students will not use. One of the goals of the media specialist is ultimately to provide useful information to students. If students are willing to go to Facebook, why not create a Facebook page for the media center. This can provide students with current information, tips and tools that can be used as they work on their assignments at home.
One criticism of using social networking tools within the media center is the open-access nature of the sites. Although the media specialist and the teachers teach students about internet safety, students often feel invincible and they don’t really understand the nature of those out to harm them. The problem exists only because one has to have a site to view a site. Therefore, students who may not be into social networking may create a page in order to view the media center and other teacher’s sites. If students don’t choose correct settings or if they just allow anyone to be their “friend” then predators or others intending to do harm have access to whatever personal information the student has published.
While the open access issue is very serious, continuous counseling about internet safety can help make social networking a very valuable teaching tool. The real thing to watch out for is addiction! Although I, and many of my friends and colleagues, said that we would not take part in the social networking craze, a single glimpse can cause anyone to become enraptured in the vast amount of data available. Students need to be reminded that social networking is not a substitute for actual personal interaction. (Some teachers will need to be reminded of this as well. Giggle, Giggle)
I do believe the benefits to using social networking outweigh the drawbacks. Media specialists in schools that do not have funding for a web site can definitely benefit from having spaces on social networking sites. I would say that perhaps a wiki may give them same advantage without the negative stigma currently carried by some social networking sites. Both types of sites have one similar potential drawback which is the opportunity for anyone to make comments that are public.
One of the main attractions of engaging in social networking as a media specialist is that it is something the students think is exciting. Creating something that students want to use is the key. It is much more beneficial to develop a tool that may be considered somewhat controversial that students will use, rather than developing something that fits the status quo that students will not use. One of the goals of the media specialist is ultimately to provide useful information to students. If students are willing to go to Facebook, why not create a Facebook page for the media center. This can provide students with current information, tips and tools that can be used as they work on their assignments at home.
One criticism of using social networking tools within the media center is the open-access nature of the sites. Although the media specialist and the teachers teach students about internet safety, students often feel invincible and they don’t really understand the nature of those out to harm them. The problem exists only because one has to have a site to view a site. Therefore, students who may not be into social networking may create a page in order to view the media center and other teacher’s sites. If students don’t choose correct settings or if they just allow anyone to be their “friend” then predators or others intending to do harm have access to whatever personal information the student has published.
While the open access issue is very serious, continuous counseling about internet safety can help make social networking a very valuable teaching tool. The real thing to watch out for is addiction! Although I, and many of my friends and colleagues, said that we would not take part in the social networking craze, a single glimpse can cause anyone to become enraptured in the vast amount of data available. Students need to be reminded that social networking is not a substitute for actual personal interaction. (Some teachers will need to be reminded of this as well. Giggle, Giggle)
I do believe the benefits to using social networking outweigh the drawbacks. Media specialists in schools that do not have funding for a web site can definitely benefit from having spaces on social networking sites. I would say that perhaps a wiki may give them same advantage without the negative stigma currently carried by some social networking sites. Both types of sites have one similar potential drawback which is the opportunity for anyone to make comments that are public.
Monday, March 23, 2009
I am now in the process of creating a new web page for my media center b/c we are using a new product. I have been looking at web pages for other school trying to decide what I want to put on our new site. So, far I have seen hundreds of different ideas that all seem to be relevant to the school that they are representing. The real task comes in dividing what is important to your school and what is not. I have come up with several things that I think must be included on an elementary site. First, I think that you have to make it appealing to kids so that they will choose to come and check it out. Second, the parents have to come to the site and find it worthwhile or they will not waste their valuable time. Thirdly, it has to promote the media center in a positive way to those outsiders who may visit just because of curiosity. Having four kids of my on, I realize that cool graphics, interaction, and awesome games are the hooks that I need to get kids involved. The website has to be modern and competitive with the sites that they are already using. Old layouts with teddy bears and apples is not going to cut it in today's high tech kids. Use a theme that is catchy and build around that. This gets the kids into the site. For example, a fear factor theme would get kids interested. This part of the site could be for kids only that way when parents and others visit you could still be presented as professional. The kids only section needs to contain games that the kids can play (not lame word games). Scholastic, Game Ranch, Funbrain, and author websites offer good, clean, and even some educational games. They also need a place where they can interact with each other. A blog with an organized topic would be a great place for kids to review books, discuss topics, and present their ideas. The kids area would also be a great place to offer book reviews and promotions. Kids also need a calendar feature so that they can keep up with whats happening at school. The parent portion needs to include links to their kids' homeroom teachers, a calendar feature, and helpful website links. (i.e. homework helpers, book reviews, movie reviews, kids clean websites etc., a parent blog would also give parents a place to express their views. I also think that a ask the librarian section would be a nice touch. All of this needs to be presented in an organized and professional way. Anytime that we can put our best foot forward for the media center we should take the opportunity.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Web Sites
The number 1 "don't" of any web site (for me) is a flashing graphic. If there is any kind of moving or flashing I immediately leave the web site. The flashing and/or moving graphic is annoying and gives me a headache if I try to read the web site for more than a couple of minutes. The other "don'ts" are:
2. small font
3. too much text
4. too many graphics
5. links that don't work
6. outdated information
7. inaccurate information
8. not enough information
9. web site is disorganized
10. web site is not user friendly
The top ten "do's" that I would have in my design if I had a web site for the media center are:
1. Have the basic information that is listed in our textbook such as e-mail address, library phone #, hours, webmaster contact information, etc.
2. The media center policies and procedures
3. calendar/schedule
4. OPAC
5. Items that are new to the media center
6. Links to useful websites for teachers and students
7. Library news that is updated weekly
8. links to reference sources/homework help
9. Copyright information
10. Links to child appropriate search engines
11. (sorry, I had to add one more)--The website is child friendly with graphics and larger size font.
I found the web site information in our textbook helpful-especially how that had each step prioritized. My goal is to have a web site set up for my media center by the start of the next school year. I'm glad that we have studied this topic and I now have resources to help with the design of my site. The county I work in offers teachers and other staff the option of having a web page that is linked to the school's web site. It is a template with some freedom to modify it. This is probably what I will use since creating web sites is new to me.
I will also be looking at options such as wikis and blogs.
2. small font
3. too much text
4. too many graphics
5. links that don't work
6. outdated information
7. inaccurate information
8. not enough information
9. web site is disorganized
10. web site is not user friendly
The top ten "do's" that I would have in my design if I had a web site for the media center are:
1. Have the basic information that is listed in our textbook such as e-mail address, library phone #, hours, webmaster contact information, etc.
2. The media center policies and procedures
3. calendar/schedule
4. OPAC
5. Items that are new to the media center
6. Links to useful websites for teachers and students
7. Library news that is updated weekly
8. links to reference sources/homework help
9. Copyright information
10. Links to child appropriate search engines
11. (sorry, I had to add one more)--The website is child friendly with graphics and larger size font.
I found the web site information in our textbook helpful-especially how that had each step prioritized. My goal is to have a web site set up for my media center by the start of the next school year. I'm glad that we have studied this topic and I now have resources to help with the design of my site. The county I work in offers teachers and other staff the option of having a web page that is linked to the school's web site. It is a template with some freedom to modify it. This is probably what I will use since creating web sites is new to me.
I will also be looking at options such as wikis and blogs.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
To Wiki or Not to Wiki?
Wiki in Hawaiian means “quick”. Keeping this in mind, it is useful to think of a media center wiki as a quick resource for users to find information needed for any number of tasks that they may be assigned to. In the article Wikis in the K12 Classroom, the author points out that wikis can be used for “pedagogical, administrative and social goals.” I think that although a wiki can be used for all of these goals, it is important to have a goal in mind in creating a wiki. In Boeninger’s article in Library 2.0, he asserts that the media specialists needs to have a specific reason for creating a wiki before investing in the time and energy and possibly money to create one. If the blog or webpage is working, then you may not try a wiki just because everyone else is doing it. There needs to be a rationale for it. However, with that said, I could see an immediate benefit to using a wiki for a media center.
First, a wiki can usually be searched. This is extremely helpful to the student and teacher shareholders that may be looking for specific content. As the content on the wiki grows, this becomes more and more valuable. According to Boeninger’s article, some of the wiki software available can also give statistics about which information is being looked at most often. This would be helpful in terms of letting the LMS know if more content may be needed on certain topics and if content needs to be dropped.
Second, a wiki can be used as a collaboration tool if it is marketed in the right way to teachers and students. If a media specialist is asked to get materials together for a unit of study, then all of that content could be loaded onto the wiki---booklists with call numbers, websites (pathfinders), videos, etc. Adding the teacher’s resources for the unit would make the wiki invaluable to the student working at home or in the media center on projects. It is one-stop shopping! In collaboration with the teacher, the materials can be added to or culled. The teacher could also add discussion questions that students could respond to on the wiki. The Decatur HS and Westwood School wikis did a fabulous job of integrating student and teacher materials onto the sites. As with any technology, teachers would have to be provided with in-service or some kind of buy in to the technology….it is up to the LMS to make that happen on a school wide basis. Student buy in may be easier because the LMS could use the wiki during lessons in the media center.
Third, if the wiki succeeds in getting shareholders to participate, the wiki becomes a tool that connects the school community in a unique way. Because everyone has the capability to add to it (parents, administrators, counselors, teachers and students), the wiki can promote communication among all of these groups. Again, I think that the LMS would have to be vigilant in getting contributors to join in! I thought that the Apalachee HS wiki used great resources to promote its use---the connection to the news both local and national was a nice touch. In addition, the incorporation of the links to Library Thing and the introduction to the media center video were nice touches.
Again, having a reason to start a wiki is vitally important. If there is no reason, then the wiki is technology for technology’s sake—no benefit. The links and material need to be checked often. Make sure that everything works! The entries also need to be updated…don’t let it just sit there and have entries a year apart. Encourage the wiki’s use!
First, a wiki can usually be searched. This is extremely helpful to the student and teacher shareholders that may be looking for specific content. As the content on the wiki grows, this becomes more and more valuable. According to Boeninger’s article, some of the wiki software available can also give statistics about which information is being looked at most often. This would be helpful in terms of letting the LMS know if more content may be needed on certain topics and if content needs to be dropped.
Second, a wiki can be used as a collaboration tool if it is marketed in the right way to teachers and students. If a media specialist is asked to get materials together for a unit of study, then all of that content could be loaded onto the wiki---booklists with call numbers, websites (pathfinders), videos, etc. Adding the teacher’s resources for the unit would make the wiki invaluable to the student working at home or in the media center on projects. It is one-stop shopping! In collaboration with the teacher, the materials can be added to or culled. The teacher could also add discussion questions that students could respond to on the wiki. The Decatur HS and Westwood School wikis did a fabulous job of integrating student and teacher materials onto the sites. As with any technology, teachers would have to be provided with in-service or some kind of buy in to the technology….it is up to the LMS to make that happen on a school wide basis. Student buy in may be easier because the LMS could use the wiki during lessons in the media center.
Third, if the wiki succeeds in getting shareholders to participate, the wiki becomes a tool that connects the school community in a unique way. Because everyone has the capability to add to it (parents, administrators, counselors, teachers and students), the wiki can promote communication among all of these groups. Again, I think that the LMS would have to be vigilant in getting contributors to join in! I thought that the Apalachee HS wiki used great resources to promote its use---the connection to the news both local and national was a nice touch. In addition, the incorporation of the links to Library Thing and the introduction to the media center video were nice touches.
Again, having a reason to start a wiki is vitally important. If there is no reason, then the wiki is technology for technology’s sake—no benefit. The links and material need to be checked often. Make sure that everything works! The entries also need to be updated…don’t let it just sit there and have entries a year apart. Encourage the wiki’s use!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Wow! Wow! Wiki's!
Although I have heard of Wiki's for sometime, and have even participated in a workshop about preparing them, I have never realized the full power of the Wiki until now. In order to prepare this blog, along with reading and checking out the recommended wiki's, I created one with my fiance' for his class. I discovered that they are extremely easy to put together which is fantastic, especially in the busy world of library media specialists.
The wiki should be able to facilitate meeting the needs of many potential school users. I would like to see a media center with a wiki that provides information everyone can access in addition to providing a forum where people can meet and discuss important and exciting topics. The wiki can be a catalyst for collaboration if used to solicit input and ideas from people. A simple way to encourage collaboration is a bi-weekly or monthly book chat. Using a wiki rather than a face-to-face meeting allows many more students to participate, especially if there are a lot of students who participate in several after- or before-school activities.
Another way to encourage collaboration within the media center wiki is to have a discussion page to solicit ideas for materials to include in the collection. This discussion page could have links to several online selection tools. Members of the school community could review the tools and make suggestions through the wiki. This provides an enormous benefit to the media specialist and the media committee. If there are enough suggestions, they can be reviewed for need against the selection criteria and the selection committee has one step eliminated. They may not have to go searching for materials themselves. Additionally, the collection represents the true pulse of the learning community.
After I spent time getting to know and understand wiki's I found so many positive uses that it was hard to consider the possibility of any drawbacks. However, after I returned to reality, I realized that a couple of important drawbacks do exist. For instance, students without internet access at home would not be able to use this tool as an integral part of their education. (Although, in my observation, these same students seem to have no trouble maintaining the most accurate play list on their mp3 players.) Another drawback that I noticed only with my limited exposure to wiki's is that some sites require payment in order to limit who may edit the wiki. I am not sure how confident I can be that students will not add information that they think is funny or inappropriate just for the fun of it.
Overall, I have been impressed with the opportunity to create a place online that provides wide access to a variety of information that does not require a huge time investment. A wiki space offers teachers and media specialists to provide information and develop a collaborative environment across a number of topics. Creating a collaborative environment requires disseminating information and then asking for feedback from the wiki community. A media specialist can use this technology to avoid re-inventing the wheel or continually disseminating the same popular information repeatedly.
The wiki should be able to facilitate meeting the needs of many potential school users. I would like to see a media center with a wiki that provides information everyone can access in addition to providing a forum where people can meet and discuss important and exciting topics. The wiki can be a catalyst for collaboration if used to solicit input and ideas from people. A simple way to encourage collaboration is a bi-weekly or monthly book chat. Using a wiki rather than a face-to-face meeting allows many more students to participate, especially if there are a lot of students who participate in several after- or before-school activities.
Another way to encourage collaboration within the media center wiki is to have a discussion page to solicit ideas for materials to include in the collection. This discussion page could have links to several online selection tools. Members of the school community could review the tools and make suggestions through the wiki. This provides an enormous benefit to the media specialist and the media committee. If there are enough suggestions, they can be reviewed for need against the selection criteria and the selection committee has one step eliminated. They may not have to go searching for materials themselves. Additionally, the collection represents the true pulse of the learning community.
After I spent time getting to know and understand wiki's I found so many positive uses that it was hard to consider the possibility of any drawbacks. However, after I returned to reality, I realized that a couple of important drawbacks do exist. For instance, students without internet access at home would not be able to use this tool as an integral part of their education. (Although, in my observation, these same students seem to have no trouble maintaining the most accurate play list on their mp3 players.) Another drawback that I noticed only with my limited exposure to wiki's is that some sites require payment in order to limit who may edit the wiki. I am not sure how confident I can be that students will not add information that they think is funny or inappropriate just for the fun of it.
Overall, I have been impressed with the opportunity to create a place online that provides wide access to a variety of information that does not require a huge time investment. A wiki space offers teachers and media specialists to provide information and develop a collaborative environment across a number of topics. Creating a collaborative environment requires disseminating information and then asking for feedback from the wiki community. A media specialist can use this technology to avoid re-inventing the wheel or continually disseminating the same popular information repeatedly.
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