Technology

Technology is extremely overwhelming but undeniably one of the most important parts of the library. With all of the new technology that comes out every year, I’m sure many would find it difficult to keep up with the changes. But continuing to build our technological education is necessary. With this building of knowledge we can share information with our school. Every school I’ve visited, the librarian hosted regular webinars, maintained a blog, or even hosted YouTube tutorials on different aspects of the library.

One librarian shared that teachers would continue to ask the same questions over and over, or in some cases not bother to ask at all. In the case of the latter, they would just give up on stick to whatever older method of technology they were accustomed to. So as we learn, a media specialist’s education is the start of a domino effect. What we learn is passed to teachers, what teachers learn is passed to students.

“Educators, of all people, understand the need for lifelong learning. Continuing education in multiple forms ensures that we keep up with changes in information literacy, with technology in the school library, and with other aspects of libraries and schools.”

For a point of reference, in the last 25 years we've seen the VHS tape, DVD, Blu Ray, Digital Download, and so on. We've seen print books to eBooks, cds to mp3s. All of the changes have also effected how we as media specialist run and organize our libraries. If we choose to get stuck in one era of technology we slow down the progress of the media center. While we may eventually leave our media center, technology is here to stay.

Sadly, we must continue to prove the importance of our media centers. I’ve witness a lack of support from teachers and administration during my time volunteering. There seems to be the question of “what purpose does the media center serve?” I believe one of the best ways to “show off” our purpose is to keep our media center and ourselves as technology relevant as possible. This would involve continuing classes, creating tutorials, furthering our education.  

(Just to add a bit about copyright) When I think of copyright what first comes to mind is Napster, Metallica, and threats of lawsuits from the RIAA. Copyright goes so much further than just music and the little warning at the beginning of movies. Copyright extends to almost every form of media (outside of public domain). In our libraries, we must be sure to highlight rules on copyright in our policies and procedures handbooks.  

Video Distribution system, GPB and WPCE School news!

In our school we have a distribution system that is a basic closed circuit system with one working channel for showing any DVD/VHS videos.  We use it every morning to broadcast our morning news.  Over the last couple of years the system has gone from 4 working channels that teachers could use the phone system to dial up their video, down to one, where the media specialist has to start and stop when needed.  The county is currently remolding and upgrading existing systems but that takes time.  We are on the "list" to get a new distribution upgrade but couldn't tell you when that will happen exactly.  I recently visited another elementary media center where there news crew set up was much more state of the art than ours.  There was more equipment that dealt with the audio and visual aspects of producing the news.  There was even a green screen for producing different action/background segments.  I did ask whether they could report from different locations and they did not have that capability but the media specialist had done this before when she worked in the middle school setting.  She also takes her news crew kids on a field trip to the CNN center each year, how cool is that!  They can actually see first hand how it all works in a professional news setting.  What a great way to expose students who are interested in a future that deals with broadcasting.  

Georgia Public Broadcasting is also used with our students for additional educational resources.  Teachers are encouraged at the beginning of the school year to set up their own account with GPB so that they can have access in their classrooms to United Streaming and Discovery Education.  I know firsthand as a kindergarten teacher I loved all the free videos they provide that went directly with what we were learning and the additional lessons and resources provided.  Great resource for the school and it's free!  

Being a new media specialist I had to ask about how the news was done in the past and start from there.  I decided to hold "auditions" for any fifth graders that wanted to participate and using a rubric I scored them according to what I was looking for in a news member.  I ended up with 30 kids that rotate each week and I have an alternate for each week, in case someone is unable to do their job.  We have done fairly well this year, not too many hiccups.  We cover the basics such as our school mission statement, moment of silence, pledge, Star Spangle Banner and any additional announcements.  I have tried to liven things up with mini skits and props when we can use them, along with fun music for school wide themes.  This year students, teachers and myself have all worked together on the news but I would eventually like to see it move in a more student centered direction to let their creative sides shine!

Put some spark into your staff development

We all know that technology is exploding, and changing by the minute. While it may seem impossible to keep up with all of the latest and greatest gadgets, gizmos, and apps, imagine how hard it would be to keep up with it all, while trying to teach full time! If you think about it for a minute, it is easy to imagine how frustrating it can be for teachers to try to figure out new tools and apps, and how to incorporate them into lessons and still meet state standards.
Enter the knowledgeable and enthusiastic media specialist that we all soon hope to be! If you are anticipating sharing all of the new tech that you have learned, what better way than through staff development? Here is our big chance to show off what we know, and truly make a difference in the school.
Of course we need to be sure that all of the staff is familiar with all that our media center has to offer in the way of services, programs, and resources. We also need to help all students and faculty "brush up" on their knowledge of copyright laws. But where we can really dazzle the teachers and administrators is with all of the learning apps and tools we have learned about.
The first step, of course, is finding out what the teachers are already familiar with, and what tools they use with students. A lot of this information will be easy to detect in day to day interactions. A simple survey of what the teachers use, and what they would like to learn can also be helpful. As our readings pointed out, however, we must keep in mind that there will be many teachers who don't know what is out there, and what they would like to learn.
My mentor says that she has volunteered to teach many of the in-service opportunities at her school. She has helped teachers to understand and use Edmodo, Turn it in.com, Alternates to Accelerated Reader, and Discovery Streaming. She has also trained many on how to use Twitter, Feedly, Flipboard, and blogs. She recommends that teachers have choices, and that some tutorials be self-directed.
Personally, I would love to get teachers and students signed up to LibraryThing, and have them recommend their favorite books with teachers and friends. I'd like to have an in-service on creating podcasts, and think that would be a great presentation tool for students at all levels. I think that every teacher should have a webpage, and creating one through Weebly or Glogster would be another good training opportunity. And of course, I don't think that we can ever have enough training on using SmartBoards, they have so many different components, that most of us don't even begin to tap into what they can do.
Whatever the topic, we must be sure that the audience is interested, and has plenty of hands on practice. A tip sheet for future reference is always helpful, and you should be prepared for follow up questions as teachers test out their new skills. Remember to ask for evalutation/feedback to make improvements for your next workshop. And most importantly; don't forget to stock up on chocolate and small prizes to keep the mood fun and light, and to keep everyone alert and happy!

Video Distribution and Georgia Public Broadcasting Resources

In the district where I am a media specialist there are 6 schools.  I interviewed the media specialist at all the schools in my county, including myself, to find out what they have going on in their schools in the form of video distribution systems.  There are 2 primary schools in my district that house pre-k through 2^nd grade and neither one of those schools have a video distribution system.  One of the media specialists even told me, “This has been a battle for many years between many principals and technology directors and me.  I’ve finally waved the white flag.”  There are 2 elementary schools in my district that have students in 3^rd-5^th grades.  One of them is where I work.  We both have video distribution systems and they are both simply just a closed circuit cable system.  Both the system here and at the other school work.  I use my closed circuit system every morning because we do a live television broadcast each day and the teachers simply turn their televisions or VCRs, if they are hooked to a SmartBoard, to channel 4 to watch the daily show.  The other elementary school said theirs was never used anymore because all of the rooms have SmartBoards.  Teachers do not have input or control over the distribution system and our system is not digital.  The middle school in my district has a closed circuit system that works, but only in the classrooms that have a working television.  For the most part, they use it to send out Channel One.  In the past they have used it for movies, student made videos, and character education commercials. They do not have cable or satellite TV access.  The high school had a video distribution system but it is no longer in use.  It was a very basic system that had a satellite receiver and went out to everyone or no one.  They could not select particular classrooms to distribute to.  It was a closed circuit cable system that she would run VHS tapes out to the classrooms. 

Five of the six schools in my district use Georgia Public Broadcasting Resources and Discovery Education’s United Streaming.  It was clear across the board that the majority of these resources are used for science and social studies curriculum.  If you have not looked into GPB’s resources I highly recommend them.  They are aligned to CCGPS and offer interesting and fun video clips.  They do a clip each day called “Today in Georgia History” that highlights an important event in our state’s past.  There is also a digital library portion, it is no longer supported, but the assets that were available through the library are still available, just nothing new is being put out.   

Social Media: Taking the good with the bad

Social media can be a truly terrifying experience. When I first started using Facebook as a freshman in college, I definitely saw more bad than good experiences. Imagine a dorm hall full of problems, and then on top of that the problems are then broadcast and videotaped for the world to see. Through these experiences I witnessed, I learned the good, the bad , and the ugly of social media.

With that said, I think using social networking in schools is an excellent idea.  

According to the article, “AASL's second longitudinal survey reveals schools’ acceptance of social networking tools”, 53% of elementary, middle and high schools use some sort of collaborative instructional tool, 41% use podcast, and 29% use blogs for instructional purposes.

Through our readings, we see the importance of collaborations. Social media makes collaborating with teachers and students easy and to the point. For example, using Twitter is a great way to advertise special events in the library and spread the word quickly. It takes little to no effort to retweet something to all of your followers. Social media creates a sort ripple effect for us.

I will add as a potential con, social media (and really the internet in general) can be a breeding ground for bullying and just inappropriate behavior. If you do make the choice to include social media in your library program you must be sure to monitor frequently.

With that said, I am not in a school so I am not sure how popular social networking is at schools. 

Please someone fill me in. 

I will say that we would have to be careful with posting pictures and things of that nature. There are so many instances of… let’s say…inappropriate situations.

 According to the article, “Secure Social Networking”, there are many sites that provide a safe haven for students. The many sites listed are excellent resources for teachers and librarians on how to stay informed about social media dangers. Because of the public access with social networking, diligence is necessary.

The only social media sites I've noticed are Facebook pages and Flickr accounts for specific school organizations (basketball team, FBLA, etc.) and I’m not sure who operates these pages. 

Metz, G. (2008). Secure social networking . School Library Journal , 54(7), 18.
http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2008/june2008/AASLsurvey.cfm

Fear Free Social Networking?

I remember when my boys first started using MySpace when they were in middle school. It was a new phenomenon, and wildly popular with middle schoolers. Both my boys got in over their heads with strangers getting on their sites and posting negative and false info. It was pretty scary to my husband and I, and we ended up making them delete their spaces. There was also some trouble with students posting inappropriate comments about school faculty.

Then along came Facebook, and that made much more sense because you had to allow people to be friends, and to post on your wall. That helped, but my boys still have zillions of friends that they can’t possibly know. However, since the early days of Facebook and MySpace, we have learned a lot. We know a lot more about privacy, and about the susceptibility when you accept people as friends.

I think it is clear that social networking is here to stay. (as per the AASL article which says it is widely accepted by public and private schools.)The question is, should we allow it in schools? I can understand why some might be leery of social networking in schools, but I think with explicit instructions for students and teachers, it is a great tool. Teachers should be reminded not to “friend” students or parents on their personal accounts, but should make separate accounts that will be used for school exclusively. Again, students of all ages are getting on social networks, why not teach them how to be responsible members of a network?

 I think forums like LibraryThing would be a great tool for allowing students and teachers to share what books they are reading, have read, and like (or don’t like). This is a great way to get book ideas, and to get to know each other (without getting too personal). I know that many schools have started using Edmondo, a facebook-like forum just for their school. I have not had personal experience with this, but I think it is a great idea. I also think that libraries of all kinds (school and public) should use every venue possible to entice patrons to read, find new books and authors, and be aware of nonfiction resources. Whether that be via facebook, twitter, LibraryThing, or any other venue, I think they are worth pursuing. Once set up, they shouldn’t be too much strain on time, and the benefits may far surpass the small sacrifice of minutes.

Media Center Web Pages- Keeping Your Patrons Informed

Bethany McCaghren

Jurkowski states in his book Technology and the School Library, “rather than asking whether the library should or should have a site or not (as was the case a decade ago), the questions today are about how to organize the existing sites, what features to include, and how to keep it updated, considering all of the other important tasks the average librarian must handle daily.”  Keeping an updated media center website is another component that has been added to the job description of the school library media specialist.  One of the most important things to consider when creating or revamping your media center website is who will be using and accessing the site.  We have to keep our patrons informed and offer links and information that they will find useful.  Jurkowski offers the advice of sketching out the design of your website before you sit down to create it so you do not have to go back later and make major changes.  He also brings up the point of remembering the Americans with Disabilities Act by using alternate text, clear colors, and closed captioning if you use video or sound clips.

One excellent example of a media center website comes from North Elementary in Noblesville, Indiana.  This school won the National School Library Media Program Award in 2007.  This school uses Schoolwires as its host.  Schoolwires designs and hosts websites specifically for K-12 schools.  North Elementary has a virtual library on their web site that is open 24/7 for teachers and students access online resources.  The media specialists name is Mr. Harvey and he has included grade level resources, library catalogs, and databases that can be accessed through his school’s media center website.  Milton Middle School is also a great example of a media center website.  I believe that this website was created and is maintained directly by the media specialist, Miss Zweifel.  She has listed her media center policies, web resources, and links to choosing books that might interest readers, among other things.  The third example of a media center website is right here in Georgia at Creekview High School.  I was able to hear two of their media specialists present at the Georgia Educational Technology Conference.  They do a great job of incorporating LibGuides.  LibGuides create online guides on any topic or subject. 

I would want to put information on the media center website such as, the Reading Bowl, links to the Georgia, Caldecott, and Newbery book award winners and nominees and when the book fair was going to take place.  It is also a nice touch to have pictures on your website of projects that students have created that have been displayed in the media center.  I would also like to include a “May I Recommend” section and have pictures of students and teachers with books they would recommend to others to read.  You should also include links that students and teachers could access from home.  I would include links to databases for research or study sites to get students ready for standardized testing.  Your hours of operation, media center calendar, and policies and procedures should also be on your website.  I would check and update my site once a week or every two weeks because nothing frustrates me more than an out of date website or links that no longer work.

 

Jurkowski, Odin L. Technology and the school library : A comprehensive guide for media specialists and other educators. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press, 2010. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Retreived from Web February 22, 2014.

North Elementary School Media Center Website http://www.noblesvilleschools.org/domain/491=

Milton Middle School Media Center Website http://www.milton.k12.wi.us/schools/mms/website/library/MMS_LMC/Welcome.html

Creekview High School Media Center Website https://sites.google.com/site/theunquietlibrary/home

 

 

 

Wikis

According to Vanderbilt University’s Center for Teaching, a wiki is “a collaborative tool that allows students to contribute and modify one or more pages of course related materials.”

I’ve only been familiar with wikis since entering into this program. Looking back I now notice different schools and clubs that utilized them early only, but I’ve never had any real hands on experience. 

Viewing the Cobb County Library Media Wiki, I was amazed at how thorough and organized the wiki was. For media specialist, it’s vital to not only stay organized but to also have common information easily available to patrons. On their site I simply look to the right and see “Reading Promotion Programs”, “Volunteer Information”, and Common Core information. For this school, their wiki provides a great deal of information that parents or students would have needed to search or call for.

Taking into account my personal group experience and reading the other articles, the collaborative aspect of wikis makes them a powerful tool in the media center. For one of my group projects last semester we used a wiki among four people and found it very successful for collaborating. Among our group members, any information seen that was incorrect or needed to be edited was easily corrected by another group member. If someone didn’t have access to the wiki, you could quickly send your information to another team member and they would post it. These are all very basic examples, but at its core wikis are one of the best collaborative tools available to us.

Speaking of collaboration, we learn so much about the importance of collaboration and how difficult it can be for media specialist to get feedback. I had no idea going into this program how hard a media specialist has it when trying to get on one accord with teachers and faculty.

To quote “7 things you should know about…Wikis”:

“…wikis allow faculty and students to engage in collaborative activities that might not be possible in a classroom. Their flexibility will encourage broader adoption-by both students and faculty.”

In the same breath, one set back I find with wikis is in giving access to multiple people and having the risk of untrue information being published to the public. Look no further than one of the most known and read wikis…Wikipedia!

A teacher told our class during undergraduate that if you want to use Wikipedia as source you might as well ask 10 random people off the street. Everyone has access to this information, and with that has the access to change the information. While I do think that Wikipedia can offer a great starting point for some topics, it also shows how poorly information can be managed.

I believe keeping wikis heavily monitored and updated weekly (if necessary) will keep it from becoming a storage locker of information. Someone should definitely be put in place to monitor all wiki activity. I imagine that someone being in charge of keeping the information accurate and cut down on the useless information that may be present.

- http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/wikis/
- http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7004.pdf
- https://cobbk12-org.campuspack.net/Groups/CI_Library_Media_Education_-_Spinks/Cobb_Library_Media_Wiki

Wiki wiki wikis!

Anyone who has done a search on the internet has surely encountered Wikipedia. Even the youngest of students are familiar with Wikipedia, yet most have been warned by their teachers that the information found in Wikipedia may or may not be accurate. At one time, it was a scary thought to realize that anyone, yes anyone, could get on Wikipedia, and alter the information found there. However, the longer Wikipedia has been around, the more we realize that its information is often accurate. In fact, I would be presumptuous enough to say that it is rare to find misinformation within its parameters. How can this be? I believe that the answer is simple. So many people visit Wikipedia, that even if someone did enter faulty information into its database, it would not be long before someone came along and corrected or updated that information.

Wikipedia was created back in 2001, so it has been available for about thirteen years. Though certainly the most well-known wiki in existence, it is definitely not the only wiki floating around in cyberspace for us to discover and even edit. So what exactly is a wiki?

The concept of a wiki is simple, yet very effective.  A wiki is a place where people can collaborate online at different times, or simultaneously. They are relatively simple to use, and can be accessed anywhere that there is an internet connection. I like the definition that Educause Learning Initiative gives wikis in its article, 7 Things You Should Know About Wikis. They state that a wiki is “a database created by a group rather than an individual”, which is a great way to look at one.

Many schools and universities are using wikis as creative ways for students to build community within a class, encourage cooperative learning, and allow students to use higher order thinking skills. Many media centers are using wikis to keep their patrons “in the know” about what is going on in their school, community, and the world, as well as to where and how to find information about a variety of topics.

I have two concerns about wikis. First, it does appear that many wikis are simply storehouses of information, which was not really the original intent of the wiki. Second, when first created, wikis were touted for their “user friendliness” and simplicity. However, since 2001, technology has exploded, and web 2.0 tools seem to appear on a daily basis. There are so many venues for creating websites collaboratively, that I think wikis are almost outdated. Many other tools seem easier to manipulate than wikis, and there are several tools that are much more graphic and design friendly. Weeblys, for instance, can be created individually, or collaboratively, and are very user friendly, and are much more appealing, in my opinion.

While I do not think that anything will come close to rivaling Wikipedia anytime soon, I do fear that wikis are going to be left by the wayside as we embrace new tools for working collaboratively and sharing information. Yes, keeping up is a challenge, but isn’t it exhilarating to be a part of the exploding world of technology? 

Great Things come in Podcasts!

I never really gave a thought to podcasts and how they work until I started my media specialist journey.  There are so many wonderful uses for podcasts in the classroom and school setting.  The article by media specialist Kristin Fontichiaro, opened a whole new world of ideas for me to share with my peers and students at school.  Besides being fun to produce, podcasts can build a child's oral fluency, which in turn carries over to building a stronger writing voice.  I don't think I have ever found a student who doesn't enjoy hearing their own voice recorded and to have the opportunity to create something fantastic with added sounds and music is only a plus. 

Another great aspect of using podcasts is that the software is virtually free for most computer users.  There are some adjustments for mac users, such as different software and microphones but they have a great software call Garage band that has its own set of cool features for the user.  There is even a free site called Gabcast, that offers help to those with limited computer access and want to record a podcast.  A quick phone call is all it takes to turn your voice into a link that can be posted in a blog or other space for everyone to hear.

The uses are limitless!  Some of my favorite ideas were creating audio tours for a bookfair to highlight new and exciting books or a tour for a new visitor to your school.  You could save your podcast and use it on an MP3 player for the students or visitor to listen to.  The school news is one of my responsibilities as the media specialist but think how cool it would be to have the kids to record a "live at the scene" segment for their peers to enjoy or interview special guests on career day to share later with classes.  Adding a podcast to the school's website is a also great way to highlight different events and gives the kids a great sense of ownership in what they are accomplishing.

Follow the link to read more from media specialist Kristin Fontichiaro on podcasts in the classroom
http://ts.isil.westga.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=24038030&site=ehost-live

Podcasting

Bethany McCaghren

Podcasts are a useful and creative way to deliver information in school classrooms and media centers.  I have never made a podcast to use at the school I work at but after reading Kristin Fontichiaro’s article Podcasting 101, I am convinced that this is something my students could do at school.  The elementary school I work at hosts 3^rd-5^th grades and I listened to many podcasts made by students as young as kindergarten on Willowdale Elementary School’s Radio WillowWeb web page.  (The web address to this wonderful resource is listed at the end.)  The students at this elementary school made podcasts covering everything from the 2010 Winter Olympic Games to The Constitution.  They had also added background music and sound effects that made their podcasts attention grabbing. 

Podcasting 101 pointed out how cost efficient it is to create and use podcasts in schools.  All you need to create your own podcast is a microphone/headphone set and free software, such as Audacity or if you are a Mac user you can use Apple’s GarageBand.  The first use for podcasting that came to my mind as I was researching and reviewing my resources took me back to the time when I was a classroom teacher.  It never failed that when I was in the middle of explaining a lesson or giving instructions I would be interrupted by the intercom for school announcements.  One great way to use podcasts in your school would be to have a group of students come to the media center in the morning and pre-record the announcements and email the podcast out to teachers so they could play the announcements at a time that was convenient for them. 

Another useful way to incorporate podcasts in the media center would be through book talks.  As a media specialist, you could do a podcast of book talks to get your students interested in reading certain books.  You could also allow your students to choose a book and record a book talk podcast that they could share with other students to get them excited about a book they found interesting.  Often times students will choose to read a book based off of peer reviews.  You could also use podcasts in the media center to do author studies or literature circles and share them with other students or teachers.  Podcast 101 also brought up the suggestion of using a podcast to do an audio tour to walk students through a book fair by pointing out the highlights of the fair that could be uploaded onto mP3 players or iPods. 

Podcasts are a great tool that you should definitely look into if you find yourself tiring of the same old way that information is being presented to your students.  It allows the students to become involved in the learning process and helps them become more technologically savvy as they work with the software and add their own personal touches.

Willowdale Elementary School’s WillowWeb can be accessed at this address:

http://mps.wes.schoolfusion.us/modules/cms/pages.phtml?sessionid=cc17faa3b4b3cc4b4356056651b975f8&pageid=115312&sessionid=cc17faa3b4b3cc4b4356056651b975f8