Keeper of Books?

This is what a 21st century school library looks like. Check it out! 

When asked what I do, my reply is usually, "I'm a school media specialist." Then I wait. I know it's coming. Assumptions: "Oh, you're a librarian. You check out books." That's about the time I bite my tongue, smile, take a deep breath and try to explain what it is that we media specialists really do and why it is, in fact, the best job in the school.

The role of the media specialist in the 21st century has changed drastically in just the past 10 years. Hey, it's changed drastically in just the past 2 years! As technology continues to change at lightening speeds, the role of media specialist evolves and changes continually too. Long gone are the days as the keeper of the books. Much of the role of a media specialist today revolves around technology and staying current on all the latest, ever changing resources that are becoming increasingly available to the entire learning community. The 21st century media specialist has the unique role of bringing the vast array of resources (both print and digital) to teachers and students while equipping them with the training and skills needed to be effective and responsible users and sharers of information. Even with all the changes in school library media, one thing remains constant: the challenge and joy of fostering in students (and adults!) a genuine love of reading. The wise school library media specialist meets students where they are by using digital media, Web 2.0, and other new technologies to spark student interest in the old fashioned art of reading a book. 

Last spring I had the opportunity to observe Andy Plemmons, Media Specialist Extraordinare, at Barrow Elementary School in Athens, GA. Mr. Plemmons blends information literacy, new technologies and a love for reading into his media lessons in a way that sparks students' interest and makes learning fun. You can almost feel the excitement these students have about learning in Mr. Plemmon's monthly media center report. Check it out!

More than ABC

While packing for my upcoming move to NC, one of my favorite books about my favorite state caught my attention. T is for Tar Heel, a North Carolina Alphabet and other ABC state books like it (try P is for Peach, a Georgia Alphabet) draw the reader in with color, rhythm and rhyme while tucking state symbols and bits of history among the side bars of each page. While ABC books are traditionally used with younger students, their value for teaching in the content areas with older students should not be missed. Consider creating your own class's version of an ABC digital book centered around a science, history or math theme. Choose your curriculum based theme and brainstorm with students potential words to include from each letter of the alphabet. After students choose letters, allow them to work individually or in groups to research online data bases and informational books to write a brief paragraph about their letter / word and how it relates to the overall topic. Use a rubric to keep students on track while providing additional guidance during each step of the project. Consider using digital format such as a blog, digital picture book, or even a simple power point slideshow to combine each student's or group's letter page for the final product. Share the project on your class website for parents and others to enjoy. It's way more than ABC! It's collaboration, research and technology integration at it's best!

Dictation App Makes Learning Fun

Recently the English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL) teacher and I collaborated on a lesson that incorporated the use of iPads to help her students practice their English skills in a new way.

For individual practice, we used Dragon Dictation , an app that makes use of voice recognition to help you see your text after speaking it. Students were able to speak a phrase or sentence then watch as the app wrote the words on the iPad screen.

 At first we weren't sure how quickly the 1st and 2nd grade students would take to this activity but five minutes into it, we were pleasantly surprised. We heard lots of giggles when the app interpreted words differently than expected at times. Students quickly figured out that in order for the app to get it right they had to speak as clearly as possible and slow down, a task that would require intentional and careful pronunciation of words.

Overall we found the simple design of the app to be user friendly. While the voice recognition does have it's limitations, after seeing the extra attention and energy it brought to the ESOL lesson, I began to think of other uses for a dictation app in the classroom:

• Students who are still learning to write and spell could use a dictation app like Dragon Dictation to dictate short stories. It would help them get their ideas down before getting bogged down in the mechanics of writing.
• Students with special needs that find writing challenging could dictate stories or sentences using the app
• Students could take turns dictating a sentence one at a time to build a story together.
• Students could practice letter writing by dictating a letter then emailing it to their teacher or parent (the app has the option to send dictated text as text message or email).
• Students could practice reading fluency and reading with expression with the dictation app then go back into the text on the screen to edit for punctuation marks as needed.

Using Skype in the Classroom

Fakebook

Looking for a new idea for those school projects? Try Fakebook. Fakebook is sort of like an online template for educators and students. Fakebook can be used for creating a facebook-ish page to highlight a famous person or event in history. Fakebook could also be used for an innovative spin on book reports or science projects. Check it out!

Top Ten Tips for Creating Classroom Websites

Recently I spent quite a bit of time researching classroom and media center web pages from various surrounding county schools in hopes of improving my own media center web page. I wanted to find out how I could make the most use of our online presence to promote the media center and all it has to offer. As an outsider who is unfamiliar with these particular schools, I was able to test the sites' user friendliness and see if the over all layout made sense to the average user. It didn't take long before I began to notice trends among the most outstanding websites. I used this experience to make my Top Ten Tips for Creating Classroom Websites:

1. Consider your reason for having a classroom website. What information do you want to share and why? Write this down. It is your overall goal for the website and will help shape how you proceed from here.
2. Consider who will be your target audience / users for the classroom website. Parents? Students? The community? All of the above? Keep this in mind as you create and maintain your website.
3. Keep it simple! You don't need to be a web designer to make your site look good. I recommend using a website creator such as Weebly.com that is user friendly and guides you through the process. The great thing about Weebly is that it is free, easy to use and set up to help you succeed in creating a sharp looking website. 
4. Consider how you want to break up the information on your website. Use tabs and pages within the website to organize your information in a way that will make sense to your audience / users. Take a look at other class webpages for ideas that work well.
5. Images speak louder than words. Take pictures of your classroom, school events and students at work and add them to your website where appropriate. Weebly allows you to add slide shows, videos and photo galleries in a matter of minutes.
6. Leave the 1990's clip art and flashing, animated backgrounds in the 1990's. You wouldn't want your viewer's to get a headache just looking at the website. 
7. Cut the clutter. Ask coworkers, family and friends to take a look at your site before you publish it. Ask for honest feedback on what you should keep and what should be cut. Remember clean and simple is much more eye-appealing and user friendly than busy and cluttered. 
8. Set aside a regular time to update and maintain your website with current information.
9. Use it! This is your space to showcase what students are learning in the classroom. Also, think about the information that you are frequently having to copy for students or parents. Can that info be incorporated into your website for easy access?  
10. Get your student's involved! Once you feel comfortable with the overall management of your website, involve your students in certain features of your website by having them write book reviews, class blog entries, news stories, or serve as class photographers for the week.

Cool Tools for the Classroom: Voki

Voki is a free web tool that allows the user to create avatars. You can customize how your avatar looks, the background, what they say and how they say it. You can see my example on the sidebar to the right. With easy to use elements created especially for educators, Voki can be used in the classroom to grab students' attention for a new unit or to spark student creativity for sharing what they've learned. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Have students create vokis to highlight some of their research findings about animals, famous Americans, places around the world, or events in history. 
• Voki can be used to present the math word problem of the week in a way that is sure to grab students' attention. 
• Use voki in foreign language class to showcase new conversational skills. Check out Voki for Education to get started. 
• Voki can be used for book promotions or to share a joke or fun announcement in your homeroom class or next staff meeting. 

iPads to Replace Textbooks?

     "There's an app for that," my first grader says in response to his older brother's question about the constellations. Fact is, there are apps for just about everything, and if there isn't, well, just wait a couple of days. With the development of more educational apps, state legislatures and educators are paying attention. The New York Times reports that schools are embracing the iPad. There is no doubt that the iPad can be as valuable, if not more valuable, in the educational context as it is for home or business use. It's user friendliness and touch screen applications make it an ideal tool for hands-on learning for even the youngest students. While iPads aren't cheep, considering the cost of numerous printed textbooks that frequently need to be replaced due to wear and tear or outdated information, the iPad's capability to be used as an e-reader or digital textbook is appealing and might even be cost effective in the long run. It seems fitting that school districts should consider the value of iPads in the classroom, however we must ask the right questions before getting too far along in the process.

     What is the plan for introducing the iPads into the schools? How will teachers be supported through training and technical support as well as appropriate selection of apps for the iPads? Is there a commitment to continue that technical support beyond the first couple of years of implementation? (After all, technology is great... when it works and when you know how to use it most effectively.) How will they ensure that the iPads are being used effectively? Will students be allowed to take iPads home and if not, how will they access their e-textbooks from home? Also, how can the iPad be used to improve communication and collaboration among teachers and students as well as for school level and school district initiatives and core standards? The potential for iPads in schools should be embraced and spark innovation as well as careful consideration of a strategic plan for implementation, support and training. The good news is, there's probably an app for that!

Another Great Resource for Digital Storybooks: Mixbook

You may be familiar with photo books created digitally like those offered by Shutterfly and Snapfish  They are great for producing beautiful scrapbooks of your family vacation or special events. I recently discovered another one: Mixbook. Unlike the other photo book companies, Mixbook allows it's users to collaborate on a digital scrapbook without having to share the same computer. Mixbook's collaborative element paired with its user-friendliness and option for teacher-student accounts makes it a winning tool for creating group projects across content areas. Students can work independently or cooperatively using the simple storyboard to create their unique Mixbook highlighting the findings of their research or spotlighting their work for a class project. Take a look at this example of famous Americans that is featured on the Mixbook site.  You can create an educator account here.

You just can't make this stuff up... or can you?

CNN recently featured a story about Donald Leu, a University of Connecticut professor, who was able to convince students that an imaginary creature was in fact real. After directing his students to a website that features the pacific northwest tree octopus, students accepted that the creature was indeed real. Some even argued that the tree octopus was real even after he told them that it was all made up. After all, they saw photos of it on the internet, right? The University of Connecticut professor noted the need for students to be taught "online reading comprehension skills" and critical evaluation of sources. He went on to say that he did not feel the problem was necessarily a generational one, but that more critical evaluation skills are needed across generations. 

As a media specialist with experience as a classroom teacher and reading teacher, I consider the task of teaching critical evaluation and transliteracy skills (literacy skills across different forms of print and media including the internet and technology tools) one that should be shared amongst classroom teachers, special area teachers and the media specialist... with the media specialist leading the way. It is a huge task, but a manageable one if we are intentional about it.

Xtranormal

You've GOT to check this out! Need a quick commercial for a book promotion or special event at your school? Ready for a new idea to grab students' attention for a new history unit? Looking for some new creative options students can use to share what they've learned? Just want to spice up your technology skills? Check out Xtranormal. You'll be making movies in a matter of minutes... and you don't even need a video camera. If you can type, you can do this!

Humdrum vs. Heartbeat

"You see, I don't believe that libraries should be drab places where people sit in silence, and that's been the main reason for our policy of employing wild animals as librarians" ~ Monty Python


In the past two years I have visited a lot of different school library media centers (K-12) either as part of my field experience or as a substitute teacher. It always amazes me how each and every school library / media center is unique. I recently visited two very different high school media centers that were both built within a year of each other in the same county and boasted of beautiful rounded windows with lots of natural light, new materials and the latest in technology. They even had the exact same building design. But each space had it's very own feel... er... personality (if indeed a space can have its own personality).  For the purposes of this post and to avoid confusion, I'll call the first media center "Humdrum" and the second "Heartbeat." 
     Humdrum was crazy quiet throughout most of the day with little student traffic. It's stark white walls surrounded bookshelves, computers and a few tables with hard chairs. There were plenty of books and abundant workspace. It just didn't feel comfortable, like a jacket that's so tight you just can't wait to get out of it. There were no colorful book displays, no cushy furniture inviting you to sit down and stay a while. After only five minutes at Heartbeat, however, it became clear that Heartbeat is the heartbeat of the school. Students and teachers seemed to claim that space as community space. They obviously felt welcome and comfortable there as they gathered around the cozy sofas and cushy chairs. The eye-catching new book displays drew a lot of attention and started conversations. It didn't quite have the feel of Barnes and Noble but it was comfortable and welcoming. Students came in frequently before school, during lunch and between classes to check out books, work on group projects, use the computers and read magazines.
     Unfortunately, media centers like Humdrum often give media centers like Heartbeat a bad name. It is no secret that school libraries and librarians have a boring stereotype to either live up to or to prove wrong. Here's to proving them wrong! This is the 21st century! Libraries aren't what they use to be. The 21st century school library media center is an exciting place to be. It is the largest and most expensive classroom in the school. It is the center of the learning community. It is a place for reading, learning, discovering, collaborating, connecting and sharing. 

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

In Plain English

I had never heard of Google Docs until I stated graduate school. Despite it's newness to me, it quickly became as familiar as an old blanket and my number one technology tool for collaboration. Before long it became an essential tool as my classmates and I began working on collaborative units and other group projects such as the Program Development and Evaluation Plan. I continue to use Google Docs for everything from accessing documents from my smart phone to planning presentations with a colleague and even creating party invitations with long distance friends. Google Docs have become so much a part of my everyday productivity that I am surprised when someone says they've never used Google Docs. Then I remember feeling the same way only a very short time ago. The beauty of Google Docs is that it is so simple to use. I just love these little how-to videos for those of us living in the real world. So here it is. In plain English.

Hard Questions

Considering current conversations about budget cuts in education nationwide, budget committees, school board members and administrators are beginning to take a closer look at the effectiveness of school media programs. Are they worth it? Are they making a difference in the education of today's students? Can school media centers operate without a certified media specialist? Do students really need all those books with the increase in digital books and resources that are available?

These are questions that bring great concern not only to current media specialists but to recent graduates in school library media (like myself) and those seeking  employment in the field (like myself). Many media specialist are also concerned about how the drastic budget cuts will affect their media budgets. The questions aren't going away and they must be answered. Some feel threatened by these questions. I believe now more than ever that media specialists have the opportunity to prove our worth and the value of school library programs.

Consider for a moment the technology, books and other media resources that are currently in place in most schools today. I believe that the true value in these resources is in how we use them. Without a trained staff in place to teach students and teachers how to use these resources, the resources are no longer valuable to the school. When informational resources are not available, it is our students who will ultimately pay the price. If we want our students to be competitive and successful in today's global culture, we must support them by making available current information resources and teach them how to use them appropriately. We need to be teaching them how to go about inquiry, how to evaluate informational sources, how to filter the information that they need, how to synthesize that information and how to share what they find in a responsible and ethical way. We need to be teaching students how to be safe and responsible with their digital imprints and online identities. And amidst all this technology, we need to be teaching them how to access and make use of print resources.

In addition to teaching these life skills, school media programs need to encourage students to read for pleasure. It has been said that readers are leaders. Students today have so many  choices to fill their free time. Now more than ever, educators need to be intentional in our efforts to encourage students to choose to read. We need to communicate effectively through social media and in person to get them excited about reading. Our media programs should include casual book discussions, book talks and book promotions as well as blog posts and web links about new titles including a variety of genres, interests and reading levels. 

Considering the conversations surrounding the recent school budget cuts, we simply can't afford to cut school library media programming or media specialist positions. While our schools continue to have increased class sizes and higher student-teacher ratios, state and national expectations for increases in student test scores and overall quality of education continue to rise. If we expect our students to succeed, we must support them and their classroom teachers through the school library media program. 

The Land of Widgets and Moodles

I always have the craziest dreams when I'm overwhelmed. Last night I dreamed of wigdets and moodles. Sound like a sci-fi dream? Add in wordles, diigo, gizmos, avatars and everything Google and you've got a whole new virtual world. Who comes up with these names, anyway?

Overwhelmed has been the word of the week for me this past week. I attended a class called "Technology in the Modern Media Center" offered through UGA ETC. I can't brag enough about this course and the instructors. I learned so much and came away with tons of resources, tools and information that I can't wait to share. I just wish all this info would file itself neatly in my brain and get out of my dreams.

Balancing Act

The amazing thing about technology is that it really does fit in EVERY content area. Even PE standards can be integrated with technology by having students create demonstration videos for the school PE website to teach other students PE skills or by using web graphing tools to graph running distance and times, etc. 

The problem is that many teachers do not feel comfortable enough using technology in the classroom to the extent it can be used today. The high school and elementary school students today have never known life without the internet. While some students will still learn without incorporating technology into the classroom, others may tune out since we are not "speaking their language." We really need to meet the students where they are and today that includes a high tech world. That being said, technology isn't everything. Effective teachers creatively blend traditional strategies, resources and tools with new ideas and technology. Word processing tools are great but let's not forget how to write with a pen a paper once in a while too. Balance is a good thing.