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.