Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Infographics Where Have You Been All My Life?!
I have found a new love. No, it's not another man, it's Infographics. I have never heard, used, seen or anything dealing with infographics. After hearing the Ted Talk and seeing how it benefits students and is another way for giving out information that may otherwise seem overwhelming. I can't wait to use this in my classroom and then when I become a librarian with my library. I'm so excited and it was fun creating one! I can't wait to use this at the beginning of the school year, with their schedule, classroom rules, and information such as that. I created one on E-books and Printed Books.
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Feeding the Reader
Feedly
I chose to use
Feedly because for one it was free and two is was connected with google. It
being connected with Google was the best because my email and my own blog are
with Google. Once I login to Google it connects to all three. It’s easier to
share and search through this website. I also find it fairly easy to navigate
through.
The reason I
chose each one of these blogs is written in their description. They each have a
different aspect that I loved. Letters to a Young Librarian gives tips on job
hunting and how to keep your library functioning. Library Displays provides
ideas of unique and eye-catching displays for the library. School Library
Journal is a book review blog that is constantly helping with book choices and
suggestions for all types of readers. The Adventures of Library Girl is all
about helping students meet academic goals as a librarian through reading.
Elementary Librarian provides insight on lesson plans and how to help your
library become more effective. I’m so excited to start using these in my own
classroom library until I get my own library!
Letters to a
Young Librarian
This blog
provides advice and tips for new or seasoned librarians who need to adapt to
the times. She also does these “Interview Posts” where it’s a series of
questions on their position, their daily routine at work, and the best advice
they ever received, so you get to see the different jobs in the library and
from various locations.
Library Displays
This blog has a
variety of library displays that are themed for holidays such as summer,
Valentine’s, Christmas, etc. However, she also has displays for other days that
promote awareness such as Zero Discrimination Day, National Poetry Day, Samoan
Language, and other displays to celebrate their native culture in New Zealand.
It also has some displays geared towards books that are movies, books that are
true stories and certain challenges such as “Read the Alphabet” where students
read a book for each letter of the alphabet in the month.
School Library
Journal
This blog gives
the latest on books, reviews, authors, and gives advice on choosing books. It
also highlights librarians, contests, libraries, award winners, and resources
for young readers. Plus it’s one of the top reliable reviews for books.
The Adventures
of Library Girl
This blog is all
geared towards benefiting the students and how we as librarians can help them. I
particularly read one article, “Five Ways School Librarians Can Meet the Needs
of Students of Poverty” where she explains how we can help students find a love
for reading and help them with reading academically.
Elementary
Librarian
This blog gives
library lesson plans and ideas for an elementary library. It may not be TEKS
aligned, however you can easily implement it. It also posts ways to collaborate
with teachers, how to work your library such as center ideas, juggling class
time and checkout, ipads and she has an “author spotlight.” She has a lot of
ideas that are easy to have in your library, I especially like the post on
Banned Books Week because it can be hard for elementary because of the age.
Because of my Feedly account I can see the posts. If you go to the actual
website then you can get free lessons.
Tumblr
Librarians are
using tumblr as a social media outlet. It’s a way to communicate through
pictures and adding comments or captions for the public. You can even attach it
to other social medias such as twitter, facebook, and Instagram. It’s a way to
advertise events, contests, and show pictures of activities going on in the
library. It also gives other librarians ideas, such as displays, lessons,
books, and activities. Librarians can even follow certain tumblr accounts, it’s
another way of communication. I created one and am super excited!
http://missvlikesbigbooks.tumblr.com/
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Twitter + Facebook + Education = Success
Twitter
Overall, these five twitter accounts were all geared towards the educator and how to help them become more of a digital educator. Many went beyond and involved pop culture into the lessons they provided. Resources such as websites, articles, videos, and books were also attached to some of the tweets as seen above. Most of the posts were technologically educational.
Kathy Schrock posts are mostly links to articles, blogs, or updates to her website. To be honest I wasn't very engaged, I like her website better.
Kathy Schrock posts are mostly links to articles, blogs, or updates to her website. To be honest I wasn't very engaged, I like her website better.
Linda Braun posts are geared all involving the youth and
how to benefit education or technology. She also posts quotes in text lingo from
certain articles that she feels are significant.
Buffy Hamilton posts are from her everyday life like the
Cavaliers, but also for teachers, students and librarian purposes. There are articles, book lists, grant
opportunities, collaboration and positive quotes.
The Daring Librarian posts are funny, about everyday life,
and reading. She also posts links to her blog and about books. She also talks
about digital citizenship providing QR codes for some lessons.
Jim Lerman posts are videos, technology products, posters,
and social media updates. It’s all about how to help the educator reflect and
encourage technology in the classroom. He’s very up to date with the latest pop
culture and education, encouraging lessons.
Facebook Pages
The Facebook pages contained pictures of student activities
done in the classroom, events going on campus, events from the public library,
updates from the library, pictures of students reading in the library, and
posts about books. Some even had coming soon books to get students excited. All
posts were from the library, has the hours, the address, the phone number, and
the website for the library. There are many advantages to this; students will
be encouraged to keep up with the library because most are always on social
media. Parents and the community will be able to stay in contact with the
library and know of events going on. Some disadvantages is that it may be hard
to keep updating the page as a librarian, with the workload at school. I also
noticed most of the libraries I came in contact with were middle school or high
school. Rarely any elementary, being an elementary librarian, it may not
benefit them as much due to some not have access.
Bloom's, Schrock and Prensky, Oh My!
Bloom’s Digital
Taxonomy
In being familiar with the Bloom’s Taxonomy and it’s verbs for
learning in the classroom, it’s very interesting to see the difference in the verbiage
in the Digital Taxonomy. To be honest I didn’t even know there was a digital taxonomy,
and find it compelling to see that many of my students have already hit the
highest thinking in creating, whereas in other aspects in learning they are
still in applying or analyzing skills. Collaboration has changed from a skill to
essential shows how far we have come in the digital world which with many media
is all about communicating.
Kathy Schrock’s
Guide to Everything
Seeing the appealing posters she provides of Bloom’s taxonomy and apps
to support are very resourceful for educators. I know I have already saved a
few to share with my colleagues, technology in the classroom is a constant, so
seeing their digital cognition will be interesting to determine versus their regular
cognitive process. She makes everything very user friendly, showing the teacher
and student roles in digital cognition.
Prensky’s
Presentation
Prensky’s Presentation on the digital native was very powerful and
moving though only five minutes long. It made me really stop and think about my
students and how I have been teaching these past seven years. Here are some
things that I felt were really important and want to continue to use as an
educator:
Children are the hearts of matter; we are preparing our students for
21st century success. As an educator ask these three questions:
Who are our students?
How do we engage them and with them?
How do we continue to engage them and with them?
They are different for what we are prepared to teach, there is more
technology and they would rather deal with that then read a book. Teachers look
at technology as a tool and digital natives look at it as a foundation because it’s
integrated in everything people do. Young people have emerged technology to
what it is today, and as educators we have to be up to date with what is going
on online because that is what the kids are all about. They don’t want to adapt
to the past, this is now the 21st century. Making education more
connected with community and what technology is now rather than how we have
learned in the past.
Prensky’s
Video on Digital Natives
Bloom’s, Kathy,
& Prensky
Prensky believes in a digital world where technology is a part of
life, whereas educators see it as a tool. Bloom’s helps educators be able to
evaluate and further student’s digital cognition. Kathy shows what the role of
a teacher and student stand within bloom’s taxonomy. They all really support
each other and are guides to help learning more engaging for students. Along
with helping educators change and become more comfortable with digital education
and become 21st century educators.
Listen to the
natives
With students being far more technologically advanced than many
educators and constantly rushing to become 21st century learners,
educators must learn to keep up.
Digital natives refer to today’s students. They are native to technology,
digital language of computers, video games and the Internet. Those of us who
are not that familiar with today’s technological advances are referred to as “digital
immigrants.” Things will be changing and students will be evolving so quickly,
but we as educators need to keep up.
Instead of shunning or stifling the new age of technological
learning, we must embrace it, no matter how uncomfortable it may be. Educators
must practice engaging students with what they are familiar and excited about
which is technology. We need to take advantage of the latest technology and
learn how to use it more effectively, this involves librarians and
administration.
In order for all this to be possible collaboration is essential,
working with your students’ needs. Working with colleagues and administration
to best provide the technological solutions to any problems that may occur.
Much of the curriculum is stifling students to proceed and advance in
today’s world. We are so glued to the past that it is keeping students from
becoming 21st century learners. Students are eager to learn with
more advanced technology and want to be challenged with that for its
interesting and engaging to them.
Beloit’s College’s
Mindset List
Beloit College lists events or things that have been on the planet
for a certain graduating class. Also some things that will make people cringe
with translations of a few expressions. It really shows how much has changed
and how they will continue to change, hopefully for the better.
My thoughts
I believe Prensky nipped it in the bud, when he said that there is a
fundamental difference between students and teachers when it comes to technology.
I as a teacher, do see technology as a tool not as an essential. I’m used to
the “old school ways” of books and notes, etc. When something goes wrong with
my computer, or I don’t understand how to do something, my little fourth grade
students help me figure it out. It’s amazing what they know and the fact that
they are always up to date with the latest fads in technology. I still don’t
have a personal IPAD; I see no need for it. My students tell me they can do
their homework on there and have showed me how. I find it fascinating that they
are able to show me how to implement the technology they are familiar with into
my educating them because it will help them actually want to do it.
Reflection
I feel it is very necessary to breakdown technology the way Bloom’s
and Kathy did. It definitely helps those educators who aren’t very familiar
with technology and the digital world. This will assist them in being able to
become more comfortable with the unfamiliar. Technology in class is seen as a
tool, whereas students see it as a part of life. It will help technology become
a part of teaching instead of a tool you use every now and then when need be. I
do not think there is a difference between Prensky, Bloom’s and Kathy, in fact
I believe they all are supporting each other for the same goal. They do break
it down in different ways, Prensky tells gives you the introduction and what
you need to do, Bloom’s breaks it down and gives your specific verbs to use,
and Kathy lets you know what role the teacher and student has in the process of
Bloom’s. Before, I would have felt that technology is a tool for learning, however
after all these articles, my views have changed. I believe this is the
foundation which we need to build for our education. We need to as educators
have students more engaged which will promote learning and keep them learning
throughout the year if we continue to keep up with it. A librarian is essential
for technology because they are the ones that provide the technology in the
classroom. Librarians can also promote and support technology in the library
and with the community that enters it. Having lessons with students and helping
them use some of the digital advances in research or other activities done in
the library also help. Collaboration is essential and an educator needs the librarian
when it comes to technology in order for it to be effective.
Refernces
Bloomin' Apps. (n.d.). Retrieved June 09, 2016, from http://www.schrockguide.net/bloomin-apps.html
Churches, A. (2009). Bloom's Digital Taxonomy.
L. (2013). Marc Prensky - Digital Natives. Retrieved June 09, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRR76Mz9NII
Prensky, M. (2005, December). Listen to the Natives. Educational Leadership, 63(4), 8-13.
The Mindset List: 2019 List. (n.d.). Retrieved June 09, 2016, from https://www.beloit.edu/mindset/2019/
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