At my school, Marietta Center for Advanced Academics (3-5 elementary), the news production is pretty serious business. There are 8 5th-grade members of the crew who broadcast on school TV daily. The members do not have to audition though: news crew is considered a club. Each spring, the first 8 rising 5th graders who sign up for the following fall will take the first quarter's shift for the next school year. In the fall, the next 24 current 5th graders who sign up for news crew are divided up for the remaining 3 quarters.
The 8 members share jobs, rotating through each position daily. The positions are as follows: 2 anchors, 2 cameras, 1 person to type the scroll, 1 sound person, 1 person to say pledge and moment of silence, and 1 director. There are also 2 4th-grade weather reporters chosen to give the weather daily by the 4th-grade teachers. The crew broadcasts from the media center, and the media specialist produces the broadcast and writes the script. The broadcasts are short, lasting only about 5 minutes. All the preparation starts about 45 minutes before the broadcast is aired at 9:00am, start of day.
The scroll moves across the bottom of every school TV screen during the day with the current time showing. The content of the broadcast itself includes club announcements, lunch menu, special events and happenings, pledge and moment of silence, question of the week, joke of the day, and daily weather. Every Monday, the principal or the media specialist announces the top AR readers per grade and top class per grade for the prior week. There have been no interviews or special guests that I have seen this year. I would like to see more involvement or special features occur as would the media specialist. However, this is her first year and has not yet added her own special twists! Can't wait to see what she does!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Social Networking
Social Networking honestly seems to be “taking over the world”, but I don’t mean that in a bad way. Every time you turn around, someone is talking about being “friended” on Facebook or tweeting their latest activities. Students are consumed by the vast connection social networks create across countries, generations, and groups. Why not incorporate that interest into the schools? Our goal as educators is to get students involved in active learning, and what better way to do that than use what kids love most. According to the ALA’s website, “The common beliefs within the AASL’s Standards for the 21st century learner state that technology and social skills are essential to the development of 21st century students in order for them to be viable members of the working community”. Essentially, to meet the 21st century learner standards, we have got to get involved with and incorporate technology as often as possible. Web 2.0, one of the main focuses in reaching these standards, is the use of internet technologies to enhance information sharing and the creative and collaborative development of projects. This can include social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter; bookmarking sites such as Delicious and Library Thing; blogs, podcasts, wikis, etc.
Unfortunately, a lot of school systems block all social networking sites because of the “extra” communication it allows between teachers and students. After the courses I’ve already completed in this program, I have seen the benefits and the possibilities that blogs, discussion boards, and podcasts can have, and I’ve tried to incorporate them into my classroom, but the board of education says absolutely not. I haven’t been able to even get them to listen to justifications and reasons. Because of my personal experience with this, I was very interested in the ways other school systems have incorporated these into the classroom and media center. According to ALA, 41% of schools use podcast, and 29% use blogs. One good idea I found is to have 2 different accounts. For example on Facebook, a teacher can set up an account as a school employee- use school email, keep public, etc. and then have a personal account that students don’t have access to, etc. Also, there were several media specialists who run contests on the sites in order to get the students involved.
I really think social networking is a great avenue to reach students whether it be in the classroom or through the media center, but we’ve got to get our school board systems to agree and allow for a change that will create a better, more modern educational system.
Unfortunately, a lot of school systems block all social networking sites because of the “extra” communication it allows between teachers and students. After the courses I’ve already completed in this program, I have seen the benefits and the possibilities that blogs, discussion boards, and podcasts can have, and I’ve tried to incorporate them into my classroom, but the board of education says absolutely not. I haven’t been able to even get them to listen to justifications and reasons. Because of my personal experience with this, I was very interested in the ways other school systems have incorporated these into the classroom and media center. According to ALA, 41% of schools use podcast, and 29% use blogs. One good idea I found is to have 2 different accounts. For example on Facebook, a teacher can set up an account as a school employee- use school email, keep public, etc. and then have a personal account that students don’t have access to, etc. Also, there were several media specialists who run contests on the sites in order to get the students involved.
I really think social networking is a great avenue to reach students whether it be in the classroom or through the media center, but we’ve got to get our school board systems to agree and allow for a change that will create a better, more modern educational system.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Social Networking
My thinking on social networking is that it is appealing to students and the majority of our population. Who doesn't have a facebook account now??? I get friend requests from people that I would have never thought would even have a computer.
Through this class I have learned that there are more to social networking other than Facebook and Myspace. This week the building of the media center webpage blog has opened my eyes more to the benefits of such social networking tools. Library 2.0 states that social networking is designed to encourage individual expressions, self discovery, and social interaction. Social networking sites could be very beneficial in promoting the media center, as they already have the popularity among the majority of the student population.
Library 2.0 gave several good ideas for using social networking site. They are as follows:
-Social networking sites provide a new way for patrons to interact with the library.
-Social networking sites are forcing libraries to reexamine their roles and identities, and to rethink strategies toward remaining visible and valuable to users.
-Social networking sites enable libraries to "speak the language" of their patrons and to find out what they are intersted in.
-Social networking sites are a great way to "show the patrons the library".
-Social networking sites are a good way to "assess the patrons" through the use of surveys and focus groups.
-Social networking sites can be used by media specialist to interact with their patrons that are unfamiliar with the traditional research process.
-Social networking sites can be used for event promotion.
-Social networking sites can be used for outreach, educating patrons, and word of mouth.
I feel that social networking sites are the way to go to gain followers. Most schools may still be required to have a media center webpage, but they could have links from their site to the other social networking sites that they would like to use. This would then fall into the discussion of the use of filters. I know that many districts have social networking sites blocked. Social networking sites can open our options as to what is available to gain the attention of the students.
Through this class I have learned that there are more to social networking other than Facebook and Myspace. This week the building of the media center webpage blog has opened my eyes more to the benefits of such social networking tools. Library 2.0 states that social networking is designed to encourage individual expressions, self discovery, and social interaction. Social networking sites could be very beneficial in promoting the media center, as they already have the popularity among the majority of the student population.
Library 2.0 gave several good ideas for using social networking site. They are as follows:
-Social networking sites provide a new way for patrons to interact with the library.
-Social networking sites are forcing libraries to reexamine their roles and identities, and to rethink strategies toward remaining visible and valuable to users.
-Social networking sites enable libraries to "speak the language" of their patrons and to find out what they are intersted in.
-Social networking sites are a great way to "show the patrons the library".
-Social networking sites are a good way to "assess the patrons" through the use of surveys and focus groups.
-Social networking sites can be used by media specialist to interact with their patrons that are unfamiliar with the traditional research process.
-Social networking sites can be used for event promotion.
-Social networking sites can be used for outreach, educating patrons, and word of mouth.
I feel that social networking sites are the way to go to gain followers. Most schools may still be required to have a media center webpage, but they could have links from their site to the other social networking sites that they would like to use. This would then fall into the discussion of the use of filters. I know that many districts have social networking sites blocked. Social networking sites can open our options as to what is available to gain the attention of the students.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
media center webpages
In today's society, when people need information they usually head for the Internet. Instead of spending hours looking through encyclopedias or phone books for numbers to call, people can jump on the Internet and find what they need in a matter of minutes. Therefore, if a media center wants to get out information and help give students access to a variety of resources, they should create a web page. The majority of media centers have a web page, but it may not necessarily be usable and/or effective. There is no point in having a web page if it doesn't have a purpose or if it can't be navigated.
Through looking at several examples of webpages and through experience with our own media center page, I have created a list of what I think makes a great webpage and what things should be avoided. As I mentioned earlier, the page must have a purpose so all information should be meaningful and useful. It should consist of basic information such as contact information, hours of operation, etc. while also including things such as the media center handbook, resources for teachers, links to helpful sites, etc. The important thing to remember is to keep all of the information updated and present it in an easy-to-use, and easy-to-read format. One of the things I hate most about a webpage is when the links aren't up-to-date or don't work. I become interested in something a link has to offer and then have no way of accessing the information. People will quit visiting the media center webpage if links are always down or inactive.
From what I've read, I do believe that wikis could serve as a great alternative to the normal webpage. I know in our school system, blogs wouldn't work because all types of blogs are blocked, but so far, we are able to access wikis. I like the idea because it will give media specialists the ability to work on it from any location, but more importantly it will be a page that can have multiple contributors. Teachers can help keep links updated, or added to as they find helpful websites, etc. It is a whole lot easier for new information to be found when its not just one person looking for it. I also think the wiki would give a media specialist more freedom in how the page can look. Our county uses NetChalk for all web pages and to me its just boring and somewhat difficult to do. I would love to see what would happen if we started creating these wikis and using them throughout the school.
Through looking at several examples of webpages and through experience with our own media center page, I have created a list of what I think makes a great webpage and what things should be avoided. As I mentioned earlier, the page must have a purpose so all information should be meaningful and useful. It should consist of basic information such as contact information, hours of operation, etc. while also including things such as the media center handbook, resources for teachers, links to helpful sites, etc. The important thing to remember is to keep all of the information updated and present it in an easy-to-use, and easy-to-read format. One of the things I hate most about a webpage is when the links aren't up-to-date or don't work. I become interested in something a link has to offer and then have no way of accessing the information. People will quit visiting the media center webpage if links are always down or inactive.
From what I've read, I do believe that wikis could serve as a great alternative to the normal webpage. I know in our school system, blogs wouldn't work because all types of blogs are blocked, but so far, we are able to access wikis. I like the idea because it will give media specialists the ability to work on it from any location, but more importantly it will be a page that can have multiple contributors. Teachers can help keep links updated, or added to as they find helpful websites, etc. It is a whole lot easier for new information to be found when its not just one person looking for it. I also think the wiki would give a media specialist more freedom in how the page can look. Our county uses NetChalk for all web pages and to me its just boring and somewhat difficult to do. I would love to see what would happen if we started creating these wikis and using them throughout the school.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
My Thoughts on the Media Center Webpage
I feel as if the media center webpage should cater to the audience members: students, staff, and community, including, of course, the parents. Almost all of my experience with media centers has been at the elementary level, so I am comfortable considering content for this area.
For the students, there should be links to any online databases for research, such as World Book or Net Trekker, with access to login names and passwords (our SLMS sends it home on paper every semester). Links to websites listing award winning titles and nominees are important, as well as lists of books for summer reading. The parents and students would benefit from seeing a list of AR books and quizzes available at the school's media center. Naturally, if possible, there should also be a link to the library's online catalog so students, parents, and staff members can access the collection from anywhere. Are there magazines available in the media center? Which ones? A listing for these types of items that may not be present in the OPAC would be great, too.
I think that a little personal bio for each media center staff is nice to have, primarily because it makes the media specialist(s) and clerks seem more like real people! I found it interesting that on the Mabry Media Center webpage, I could not find any information on the library staff, not even their names! I feel it should be visible without a patron having to go find the school's staff directory.
For the teachers, I like the idea of lists of professional journals or links to interesting articles being made available. If the teachers would give permission, the media specialist could provide links to individual classroom blogs or webpages.
Finally, in the area of content, the webpage for the media center should have information, updated regularly, on current media center events and programs, including clubs run by the media specialist.
I hate it when I click on a link from a school's home page for the media center, and it's dead! I hate it even more when I can't find a link to the media center from the school's home page. As for aesthetics, the MC webpage should be visually appealing, but not too busy. Of course, the layout should be designed with the audience in mind: big, colorful graphics for elementary school; fewer, more mature, graphics for high school. Think of it like a presentation, and use good visual design tips similar to those given to us by Dr. Bennett. I can't stand going to a webpage with menus and links all over the place: across the top, down each side, etc. I like simplicity, personally. This media center website for an elementary school near me has a great design:
http://mediacenter.cobbk12.org/common/welcome.jsp;jsessionid=CF4DAE7B10E976E41F288819A1F9B8A1?site=162
As for websites going Web 2.0? I like the idea of blogs, but entries ought to be approved by MC staff before published. I'm still not too sure about wikis, so I'll say no to that for now. However, I think it is important to have students feel as if they are part of the school, and the SLMS allowing for comments on books or other relevant topics through blog entries are a fantastic way to include everyone.
For the students, there should be links to any online databases for research, such as World Book or Net Trekker, with access to login names and passwords (our SLMS sends it home on paper every semester). Links to websites listing award winning titles and nominees are important, as well as lists of books for summer reading. The parents and students would benefit from seeing a list of AR books and quizzes available at the school's media center. Naturally, if possible, there should also be a link to the library's online catalog so students, parents, and staff members can access the collection from anywhere. Are there magazines available in the media center? Which ones? A listing for these types of items that may not be present in the OPAC would be great, too.
I think that a little personal bio for each media center staff is nice to have, primarily because it makes the media specialist(s) and clerks seem more like real people! I found it interesting that on the Mabry Media Center webpage, I could not find any information on the library staff, not even their names! I feel it should be visible without a patron having to go find the school's staff directory.
For the teachers, I like the idea of lists of professional journals or links to interesting articles being made available. If the teachers would give permission, the media specialist could provide links to individual classroom blogs or webpages.
Finally, in the area of content, the webpage for the media center should have information, updated regularly, on current media center events and programs, including clubs run by the media specialist.
I hate it when I click on a link from a school's home page for the media center, and it's dead! I hate it even more when I can't find a link to the media center from the school's home page. As for aesthetics, the MC webpage should be visually appealing, but not too busy. Of course, the layout should be designed with the audience in mind: big, colorful graphics for elementary school; fewer, more mature, graphics for high school. Think of it like a presentation, and use good visual design tips similar to those given to us by Dr. Bennett. I can't stand going to a webpage with menus and links all over the place: across the top, down each side, etc. I like simplicity, personally. This media center website for an elementary school near me has a great design:
http://mediacenter.cobbk12.org/common/welcome.jsp;jsessionid=CF4DAE7B10E976E41F288819A1F9B8A1?site=162
As for websites going Web 2.0? I like the idea of blogs, but entries ought to be approved by MC staff before published. I'm still not too sure about wikis, so I'll say no to that for now. However, I think it is important to have students feel as if they are part of the school, and the SLMS allowing for comments on books or other relevant topics through blog entries are a fantastic way to include everyone.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Wikis
Through my classes at UWG, I have learned that Wikis can be a great educational resource. I love the fact that it can be a great organizational tool for teachers as well as students. They can also be used for a place for students to submit assignments, as well as for project spaces. I can also envision a wiki as a way to promote collaborative writing. This would allow students to receive comments and feedback from their instructors and peers. Also, wikis can be used as a place for ongoing discussions. Wikis would be a great way to organize sources all in one place. If students were working on a project they could "store" all of their resources on this wiki for easy access.
Wikis can change the focus from individual instruction to a focus on collaboration. Collaboration could also be used with students from different schools, states, or even coutries to work together on a common project. If a teacher is requiring collaboration with the students, he or she must monitor and bring up issues of authorship to make sure that the information is accurate and meaningful to the student.
After reviewing some of the wikis from the course notes, I found that some of the examples can be very hard to follow, or very busy. I am saying that there was so much information on the pages that it could be overwhelming. Maybe the information needs to me monitored and removed when it is not needed anymore or becomes out of date. Also, another drawback to wikis is that they can be updated or change by the users. Is the content ever valid? That is the question that users must ask.
Wikis can change the focus from individual instruction to a focus on collaboration. Collaboration could also be used with students from different schools, states, or even coutries to work together on a common project. If a teacher is requiring collaboration with the students, he or she must monitor and bring up issues of authorship to make sure that the information is accurate and meaningful to the student.
After reviewing some of the wikis from the course notes, I found that some of the examples can be very hard to follow, or very busy. I am saying that there was so much information on the pages that it could be overwhelming. Maybe the information needs to me monitored and removed when it is not needed anymore or becomes out of date. Also, another drawback to wikis is that they can be updated or change by the users. Is the content ever valid? That is the question that users must ask.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Wikis
After completing the readings and exploring the websites this week, I can see many different ways that wikis can be used in the media center. First of all, a wiki seems to be a great idea for a media center webpage. Basic information can be put there, but also links to helpful websites, class wikis etc. The benefit of having a wiki as a web page is that teachers can also help keep it updated. It can be a source for teachers to display student work, post new assignments with links to different documents of websites, form groups for discussion/collaboration, etc. It can also be used as a digital form of a Professional Collection. One of the struggles of the media center is keeping an updated professional collection and getting teachers to use it. I think a wiki would be a great solution. Teachers could access the wiki from any computer (home or school), and it can be easily and collaboratively updated. As a media specialist comes across new articles, they can be linked to the wiki, and as individual teachers come across new articles, great websites, etc. they can add them to the wiki.
Wikis can also be used in the classroom. One idea that I really liked is to use wikis as student portfolios. As our county is focusing on Standards-Based Education, there is focus on displaying student work and providing feedback. Students can upload certain work to the wiki and it is on display for a much larger group of people. The work can also be used as examples for future projects.
As great as wikis sound, there is a drawback- the fact that it can be edited by pretty much anyone. One of the most famous examples of a wiki is Wikipedia. When students do research they are automatically drawn to the Wikipedia site because it seems to have information on every subject. Unfortunately, because it is a wiki, how accurate is the information? Our high school and many colleges prohibit the use of Wikipedia as a source in papers and projects because of the lack of validity of the site. Wikipedia is a large source of information but there isn’t a guarantee as to how accurate it is. The same can be true with any wiki. There is always a chance that information can be changed or deleted, even if done accidentally.
Wikis can also be used in the classroom. One idea that I really liked is to use wikis as student portfolios. As our county is focusing on Standards-Based Education, there is focus on displaying student work and providing feedback. Students can upload certain work to the wiki and it is on display for a much larger group of people. The work can also be used as examples for future projects.
As great as wikis sound, there is a drawback- the fact that it can be edited by pretty much anyone. One of the most famous examples of a wiki is Wikipedia. When students do research they are automatically drawn to the Wikipedia site because it seems to have information on every subject. Unfortunately, because it is a wiki, how accurate is the information? Our high school and many colleges prohibit the use of Wikipedia as a source in papers and projects because of the lack of validity of the site. Wikipedia is a large source of information but there isn’t a guarantee as to how accurate it is. The same can be true with any wiki. There is always a chance that information can be changed or deleted, even if done accidentally.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Podcasting_Case
Although I have personally done very little with a podcasting, I would be more than willing to assist a teacher that approached me to start a podcast. The first thing I would do would be to relate to the teacher the amount of exposure I have had to podcasting. I would explain that I have been following music podcasts for years, but I have only just recently created a podcast of my own while pursing my media specialist certification. The first step I would take would be to discuss with the teacher what the intended use of the podcast is in order to get an idea about format. For example, does the teacher want their podcast to be audio only, pictures with audio, or audio with video? Additionally, how does the teacher plan on linking their podcast to a personal blog, class webpage, school website, or does the teacher want to burn it to a CD for distribution? The answer to all of these questions would help to guide my research for resources.
In an effort to get this teacher started immediately, I would introduce them to Camtasia, the software that I use for my podcast, and provide them with a copy of the powerpoint tutorial that my professor had created. Although Camtasia is a relatively expensive fee based software, it will allow the teacher to sign up for a free 30-day trial. This trial period will give the teacher immediate access to Camtasia and the powerpoint should provide enough training to assist with their learning curve. Furthermore, because I have used Camtasia before, I should be able to lend support and answer any questions the teacher may have. I would then explain to the teacher that I would use the next 30 days to research various options and software that could be utilized for podcasting that would not require such a costly financial investment as Camtasia, such as Audacity.
As a media specialist, I would be more than willing to help out any teacher that came to me with a question. Even if the question involves material that I am unfamiliar with, I would still try to assist the teacher by researching the topic or directing them to a more experienced individual. By taking the time to research any given technology topic or sitting in while the technology support persons trains the teacher I am not increasing my own personal technology knowledge, but I am also increasing the amount of technology support I am able to lend the students and staff of my school. With the recent budget cuts in education the technological role of the media specialist has increased greatly. As a result, many schools consider the media specialist the first line of defense when dealing with instructional technology questions. Since technology should be introduced into a lesson whenever possible, the media specialist can provide instruction to all teachers by designing and implementing an in-service that demonstrates how to thoroughly use an instructional technology.
The uses for podcasts within my school are nearly infinite. Media specialist at all grade levels could utilize podcasts. If the media specialist is servicing an elementary school, they can link podcasts of them reading popular or themed books to the media center blog for viewing both within the classroom and at home. At the middle to high school level, the school library media specialist can assist teachers in creating a “real-life” project involving technology by engaging students in creating their own podcasts as an alternative to the standard PowerPoint. Additionally, the media specialist can create a podcast as a method of implementing an in-service that could be accessed through the media center webpage at all hours. Teachers at all grade levels could utilize podcasts linked to their classroom blog as a way of introducing a new unit to both the students and parents alike. In my opinion, this is a recent technology that has not yet been completely tapped of it’s instructional capabilities.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Podcasting
If a teacher were to approach me about developing a podcast for his class, I would readily admit that I don’t have any experience in the development of podcasting, but that I do have experience with using tools to create audio files, which is a great starting point. I would be willing to help the teacher start a podcast by finding out what I can about the process and steps involved. Additionally, he and I should meet to decide what format he wants the podcast; in other words, does he want a blog set up on the class webpage or school website, does he want the files simply to be attachments on these pages, or does he only want to record the files for download to a CD?
As the media specialist, I feel I should be the primary person staff and students come to for help with technology needs, and if I am unfamiliar with the request, I should definitely offer to find out so I can not only learn, but also take the burden from the teacher. Teachers don’t always have time to learn more about technology that can enhance the classroom experience. By educating my self about podcasting, I not only help myself, but also the staff and students at my school. Once this particular project has been designed, implemented, and completed to the satisfaction of this teacher and his students, I want to develop an in-service to teach other staff members how to utilize podcasting for their classroom needs.
For the media center, I think podcasting could be a fun tool for promoting books and the media program. Podcasts could be available on the media center blog or webpage that discuss new books, popular series or other series with similar themes to popular titles, award nominees, and teacher and administrator favorites. The media staff at my current school is instrumental in the success of the school’s tech and science fairs – podcasts could be used to introduce projects to judges and visitors, and recordings of winners and runners-up could be posted to the school’s website after the events. In the classroom, podcasts could be developed around assignments and projects, and students could design podcasts of themselves reading a book for students in younger grades to help demonstrate good fluency. The possibilities are endless for classroom use.
As the media specialist, I feel I should be the primary person staff and students come to for help with technology needs, and if I am unfamiliar with the request, I should definitely offer to find out so I can not only learn, but also take the burden from the teacher. Teachers don’t always have time to learn more about technology that can enhance the classroom experience. By educating my self about podcasting, I not only help myself, but also the staff and students at my school. Once this particular project has been designed, implemented, and completed to the satisfaction of this teacher and his students, I want to develop an in-service to teach other staff members how to utilize podcasting for their classroom needs.
For the media center, I think podcasting could be a fun tool for promoting books and the media program. Podcasts could be available on the media center blog or webpage that discuss new books, popular series or other series with similar themes to popular titles, award nominees, and teacher and administrator favorites. The media staff at my current school is instrumental in the success of the school’s tech and science fairs – podcasts could be used to introduce projects to judges and visitors, and recordings of winners and runners-up could be posted to the school’s website after the events. In the classroom, podcasts could be developed around assignments and projects, and students could design podcasts of themselves reading a book for students in younger grades to help demonstrate good fluency. The possibilities are endless for classroom use.
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