Google Reader Assignment

Elementary Librarian by Joycelyn is my favorite blog from the reading assignment. Joycelyn is an elementary librarian who writes a blog offering timely and practical advice. I found her blog on April 7, 2013, titled "Are Librarians Still Necessary?",  to be very reassuring when it comes to the future need of school libraries and librarians. Her advocacy for the relevance and necessity of school libraries/librarians helped me see how valuable I can still be in this technological world. She addressed my concern about eBooks replacing traditional print materials. Joycelyn quoted a statistic from Library Research Service Website, that only 23% of Americans read an eBook in the past year. Showing that there is still a desire for traditional books. A great infographic she shared at School Libraries and Student Achievement shows the correlation of school libraries and student achievement on standardized reading test scores. This is a great tool to advocate for keeping school libraries and librarians. Elementary Librarian also shares book reviews, curriculum ideas and for a cost you can purchase Joycelyn's detailed lesson plans. This is a blog I will keep up with after the course is over.

I have never read or subscribed to blogs before this assignment. I found that in my busy daily life it was difficult to find time to sit down and read the blogs. However, I did find that it is nice to have "go to" professional advice for questions  concerning what I am experiencing in my library. For example, a couple of weeks ago the librarians in my district met to discuss implementing Follett's Destiny circulation system and concerns with circulating eBooks. I searched Google Reader for blogs that reviewed Destiny from actual users of the program. I was prepared to share some practical information with our librarians. I now have a great resource tool at my fingertips.

Another blog that I enjoyed reading was TeachesTech.info this is a blog by Mark Hess, a technology coordinator. His blog re-posts information that he finds useful and is a great place to find information on all types of educational technology tools. For example, I found his blog "50 Ideas for iPads in the Classroom" posted April 21, 2013, to be a very good resource for the use of iPads in the classroom.

Week 6: Mobile Apps for the Library

"The adoption of mobile technology alters the traditional relationships between libraries and their users" (Vollmer, 2010).

This quote from Timothy Vollmer's article Libraries and Mobile Technology: An Introduction to Public Policy Considerations, June 2010, really made me think about the future role of librarians. "Research suggests that in 2009 there were nearly 250 million wireless data-capable devices in use in the United States. There were 4.6 billion mobile cellular subscriptions worldwide which represents two thirds of the world's population" (Vollmer, 2010).

Last year was the first year we allowed students to use iPads/tablets in the classroom. Students bring their own device and they are used strictly for reading during SSR time. Smartphones and iPods are not allowed. Next year with our 1:1 initiative, students will have their own MacBook Air and a whole new world of of educational technology will open up to our school district. This week's blog assignment has helped me feel more prepared to use the laptops and to suggest apps and lessons that teachers can use.

Accelerated Reader is a major part of the reading program at my school. The first app I will suggest the students download on their new laptops or on their iPads/tablets will be the A.R. Student App located at http://www.renlearn.com/ar/mobile.aspx . This app will allow students to take A.R. tests at their seats eliminating the need for signing up for the class desktop. Students can also look up books to find out the reading levels and points.

I currently do not have a way to circulate eBooks and honestly have not researched any information on their use in schools until recently. At a district librarian's meeting, the librarians discussed, at the request of our technology director, considering a new circulation system. One of the features of this new system is eBook circulation. I know eBooks are on the way.   I am so excited about the eBook app I found called Brain Hive http://www.brainhive.com/Pages/Home.aspx . Brain Hive is a site for K-12 libraries who would like to have access to a large collection of  eBooks that you can circulate with no upfront cost. Students can pay one dollar per checkout. It has a great informational video  at http://www.brainhive.com/Pages/Video.aspx.  It looks like it will be librarian friendly and students can create book lists or start book clubs. I highly recommend looking at this app if you are considering eBooks. I can't wait to share this app with the other librarians in my district. I also found a child friendly eBook app called MeeGenius http://www.meegenius.com .  It has special school and library accounts available. MeeGenius is very colorful and will appeal to younger students.

USA Factbook https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/usa-factbook-free/id305888083 is a free app by ADS Software Group, Inc. it is available for download at iTunes. It features facts and descriptions for all fifty states and basic facts about the country. It has good customer ratings. I can use this app with my research unit on the Fifty States. In the past, I used traditional encyclopedias with this unit. I will now add this app to my lesson plan in addition to the traditional resources.

The social studies teachers at my school will love History: Maps of the World App https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/history-maps-of-world/id303282377 by Seungbin Cho.  Our teachers  teach the Western Hemisphere and come to the library frequently for research projects. This app provides 178 historical maps along with current maps. It can show students how boarders have changed over time.

I liked Larry Ferlazzo's  Websites of the Day Blog that I found on Google Reader http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2013/03/21/nice-ipad-resources/ . His Nice - iPad Resources has good pros and cons for iPad use in the classroom.

Resources:
Vollmer, Timothy. (2010). "Libraries and Mobile Technology: An Introduction to Public Policy
                Considerations".  ALA Office for Information Technology Policy, 3. Retrieved
                April 25, 2013 from www.ala.org.catalog.wblib.org/offices/sites/ala.org.offices/files/
                content/oitp/publications/policybriefs/mobiledevices.pdf

Technology in Action

As the library/media specialist at my school, I am aware of diffrent types of instructional software and I am occasionally asked my opinion about their uses. I feel that I am more knowledgable about the equipment because I am frequently called upon to help troubleshoot problems that arise with set-up, etc.

I do not use a a lot of instructional software myself in the library. Most of my experience is with the software teachers at my school use and honestly that is not much. As I was reading the assigned chapters, I did get lots of ideas of how I could incorporate more technology into my library lessons. I sometimes have to fight the "old librarian" in me that loves to "look up" information in books.

Here is my evaluation of the different types of instructional software:

• Drill and Practice software allows students to practice skills and receive immediate feedback. Teachers should select software that allows students to have control over the pace, and has accurate and appropriate feedback. This is the type of software I am most familiar with. I found Quarter Mile Math by Rocky Mountain Learning Systems  http://www.rmlearning.com.  I would use this software for practice of basic math facts. It allows you to adjust the difficulty for individual students appealing to all ability levels.
• Tutorial software is a type of software that can be used as an all encompassing product that can be used as a teaching tool. I personally don't think it should be used in place of a teacher unless a teacher is not available for that subject. The branching type seems to be the best. I would use this software to enhance or supplement curriculum. MathTutor Educational Software is one I found that looked like it met all the guidelines. http://www.mathtutor.com/math-educational-software.html  
• Simulation software teaches students either how to do something or about something. Simulations need to be very clear with what they want the students to learn and have good documentation. I have helped the gifted teacher and students with  a forensic unit this year. They used www.library.thinkquest.org/040ct/00206/interactive.htm .   Another site I found is http://sciencespot.net/Pages/classforsci.html .  This was great for our students because we did not have access to a forensics lab or the sophisticated equipment needed to preform the experiments.
• Instructional Gaming software is similar to drill and practice but it adds an element of competition and is governed by rules. It also lends itself to more group participation. Students like instructional gaming because they are mentally challenging and entertaining. The instructional games that I have used are free library skill games at http://www.quia.com/shared/library_science/. These teacher made games have worked well reinforcing library skills.
• Problem Solving software focuses on an individual type of problem stated in a lesson or unit. One  type of problem solving software focuses on practice and breaking down problems. Some focus on prerequisite skills for solving a larger problem that students are led to discover. I have not used problem solving software. In a web search, I found reviews of  problem solving skills software at http://www.superkids.com/aweb/pages/reviews/problem/. I liked Nancy Drew: Curse of Blackwood Manor. My students love mysteries and still read Nancy Drew books. 
• Integrated Learning Systems are all encompassing and are sold to use on a network or they are web based. ILS's are usually more expensive and are usually purchased to used by an entire school or district.  An Integrated Learning System can include all the above types of software. It can also be used by teachers for managing results into reports that can be valuable for accountability. http://www.pearsonschool.com/index.cfm?locator=PS1364&PMDBSUBCATEGORYID=&PMDBSITEID=2781&PMDBSUBSOLUTIONID=&PMDBSOLUTIONID=6724&PMDBSUBJECTAREAID=&PMDBCATEGORYID=3289&PMDbProgramID=79602  This site sells the Common Core software that integrates with the Common Core program that our language arts teachers are using.

http://www.speedofcreativity.org This link is to a blog by Dr.Wesley Fryer he reviews software and gives practical advice.

To Click or Not to Click...?

When I saw that one of the topics we could address in this weeks blog was the use of student response systems or "clickers",  I thought this is one I can really get on my soap box about.  When my oldest daughter was a junior at Ole Miss, the biology department's policy was that all students had to buy a clicker and that all tests were taken by SRS.  To make a long story short, she was accused of cheating by the professor in her Human A&P class, who was not even in the room at the time the test was given. My daughter, who had an "A" in the class, went to the professor for clarification of the charges. She found out that another student in the class was also accused of cheating. After an investigation, the other student admitted to finishing the test outside the classroom where she could look up the answers and click them in. My daughter had walked out of the class about the same time. A graduate student had seen the girl clicking in answers and reported it to the professor.  The professor's argument was that because my daughter had a five minute time between two answers and that it corresponded to the time stamp of the cheating incident that she was also somehow involved.  He could not be convinced, because he was positive that electronic evidence was unmistakable, that he was mistaken. My daughter, being the the conscincious  student that she is and knowing she was right, made a case for her innocence and brought it before the discipline committee.  She had her grade restored and more importantly her good name.  This incident left an unfavorable impression on me when it came to the use of clickers in my school. For several years, when asked my option, I was not supportive of their use.  Our math department was given sets of clickers to go along with a new math program that was purchased and my first response was ugh her we go. However, I have now been somewhat won over. I saw the teachers using the SRS's correctly and I saw the benefits they were having on the student's learning.  When properly  supervised, they can be useful in giving teachers and students instant feedback and increase participation. Students who are reluctant to speak out or raise their hand in class can also benefit.
My suggestion to teachers, and how I would use clickers in the classroom myself, would be for clickers to be used for reinforcement and review of skills. I would not give a test using SRS.  My school district emphasizes using higher depth of knowledge questions on tests and encourages writing out answers in complete sentences. Clickers should not take the place of teacher supervised learning or testing.


This is a great overview of SRS's and their use:  Overview
How to use clickers in the classroom

  SRS Pros and Cons Blog

My Journey With Technology

I began my teaching career in 1985. While reading the information in chapter one about the history of technology education, I have discovered that I have taken this journey with the developing stages of technological growth in education. The popular technology used in my small town school district in the mid 1980's was the self-advancing, sound filmstrip projector and VHS videos.

I vividly remember the first three computers, Apple IIe's, and a box of floppy disks that were brought to my library. These computers were checked-out to teachers for use in their classrooms to reinforce their objectivist learning theories.

The next "big thing" for me was the Accelerated Reader program which was purchased to give relevance to the new stand alone desktop computers purchased by the P.T.A. My day was filled with loading floppy disks into each computer and printing "points" reports.

In the late 1990's my school was finally networked and I could download A.R. tests from one computer onto the server. I managed this technology as the media specialist without much real knowledge of how it all really "worked".  I had a lot of talks with technical support. With networking, came the worldwide web. Up until this point our computer programs were used mainly for reinforcement and reward. The internet opened up the possibility of new productivity such as research, word processing, multimedia projects, and class demonstrations. 

In the early 2000's, our district began to adopt a new educational theory. While studying chapter two, I recognized the shift to the construtivist learning theory, specifically the Multiple Intelligence model.

The last five years have brought about more technology advances at my school. We now have available most of the types of technology facilities mentioned in chapter one of our textbook. We also use technology in all aspects of our educational experience. Teachers are becoming more comfortable and open to new ideas in technology. Next year we will implement a 1:1 technology program. One laptop or tablet for each student and teacher in our district.

My favorite technology at the moment is the Smartboard. As a librarian, I see the advantages of interaction for the students and the productivity for the teachers. Best part - NO more overhead projectors, T.V's or VCR/DVD players. Smartboards also reinforces my district's philosophy of Multiple Intelligences as a learning theory.

http://kerimae.wikispaces.com/Lesson+Plan+for+Multiple+Intelligences
Google Reader Google Reader link

http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=1698
Link to lessons for the SmartBoard