Joyce Valenza-
My favorite presenter was most definitely Joyce Valenza. I loved all of the projects that she presented. My favorite was having the students use wikis to create their own textbooks. I agree that many schools have outdated textbooks. The world is constantly changing and textbooks are pretty pricey, so this is a wonderful way to keep up with today's events without replacing the books! I also like how Joyce focused on making the learning and research process meaningful to the students.
David Loertscher -
David focused on the theory of the learning commons. He broke it into physical space as well as virtual space. I liked how he said that the learning commons should be a giant conversation. That statement made me picture several groups of students collaborating, not only in their groups, but between groups too. I also really liked when he said that collaborative groups can "produce a product that none can do individually." I jotted down the many different uses of a learning commons. I think that it should definitely be used as much by teachers as by students. Loertscher mentioned PLCs and professional development as a way to teachers to utilize the learning commons.
Doug Johnson -
Doug listed five ways to create a "galaxy" of bright stars. When discussing clear language and terminology, he mentioned social networking and suggested that it be called educational networking and social learning. I like that terminology. In my opinion, it sounds better for use in school. Doug also talked about empowering staff. I think this is a large obstacle in many schools. You have to get the staff on board before the students can get on board and get excited. I really liked the quote, "Unless it empowers the teacher, the teacher won't use it to empower students." That is a quote that I would like to use in the future in presentations to the staff. Doug had many resources for collaborative writing. A couple I have tried in my classroom before. For example, after I introduced Moodle to my students I had them begging to write and use Moodle! Doug mentioned Google Docs several times, and I made a note to look further into it.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Article Reflections - 6/29
I loved Jacquie Henry's plan in "Book Budgets - Hanging On to What is Yours". She must have learned from mistakes to protect her library budget. I did not know that this was possible. She fills out three "Do Not Exceed" purchase orders at the beginning of the year, so in the eyes of the budget office, her money is already spent. I also liked the categories she breaks the orders down into: replacements and updates for outdated books, non-fiction books to support curriculum, and literature and fiction to support English, Language Arts, and Reading.
Doug Johnson gives great suggestions for creating an outcome driven budget proposal in his blog post "Budgeting for Mean, Lean Time Part 5". He says that good, outcome driven budgets have three components: goals - the effect a funded program has on student learning, specificity - exactly how much you want and exactly how you will spend it, and assessment - how you will be able to tell the the money helped the program to meet its goals. Doug also says to use local needs and objectives because they will have a larger impact.
In "Help Sweep Up the Budget Dust," Doug Johnson discusses that end of the school year money that is sometimes left over. I agree, many times you can get what you want at the end of the year. Administrators tend to be frugal throughout the year, which often leads to the leftover, the "budget dust".
In "Zero-Sum Budgets and Technology," Johnson gives suggestions for getting money when there really isn't much money left to get. He talks about the outcome driven plan and its components. He also suggests describing the consequences of an under-funded program. How will this impact technology users? Use examples from the school. He also says that others need to understand "maintenance" when it comes to technology. Without yearly maintenance, the technology will decline. He also suggests using an advisory committee. Rally support from parents, students, and teachers. As a group, your voice will be louder. The last thing that Johnson suggests is to serve in school and professional leadership roles. Go to meetings for various committees, serve on boards, join professional organizations. The more you do, the more your voice will be heard.
We are in tough times, especially when it comes to schools and budgets. I know that the administration at my school is terrified for the 2012-2013 school year when budgets are slated to be slashed. They are even talking about cutting a library position. The high school librarian would serve the high school 3 days a week and the middle school the other 2 days. Budget cuts make administrators take drastic measures.
Doug Johnson gives great suggestions for creating an outcome driven budget proposal in his blog post "Budgeting for Mean, Lean Time Part 5". He says that good, outcome driven budgets have three components: goals - the effect a funded program has on student learning, specificity - exactly how much you want and exactly how you will spend it, and assessment - how you will be able to tell the the money helped the program to meet its goals. Doug also says to use local needs and objectives because they will have a larger impact.
In "Help Sweep Up the Budget Dust," Doug Johnson discusses that end of the school year money that is sometimes left over. I agree, many times you can get what you want at the end of the year. Administrators tend to be frugal throughout the year, which often leads to the leftover, the "budget dust".
In "Zero-Sum Budgets and Technology," Johnson gives suggestions for getting money when there really isn't much money left to get. He talks about the outcome driven plan and its components. He also suggests describing the consequences of an under-funded program. How will this impact technology users? Use examples from the school. He also says that others need to understand "maintenance" when it comes to technology. Without yearly maintenance, the technology will decline. He also suggests using an advisory committee. Rally support from parents, students, and teachers. As a group, your voice will be louder. The last thing that Johnson suggests is to serve in school and professional leadership roles. Go to meetings for various committees, serve on boards, join professional organizations. The more you do, the more your voice will be heard.
We are in tough times, especially when it comes to schools and budgets. I know that the administration at my school is terrified for the 2012-2013 school year when budgets are slated to be slashed. They are even talking about cutting a library position. The high school librarian would serve the high school 3 days a week and the middle school the other 2 days. Budget cuts make administrators take drastic measures.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Reading Reflections - 6/28
Empowering Learners - Chapter 3 - Budget
Empowering Learners - Budget
Empowering Learners addresses the importance of the budget to the library program. The program must have sufficient funds to progress. If the money is not there, progression would be pretty much impossible. It is the duty of the librarian to show the progress being made to those who control the budget. The librarian must present a detailed analysis of how a well-funded library program impacts everyone in a positive way. The way to show progress is in an action plan with goals and objectives clearly defined.
Woolls - Chapter 9 - Managing the Budget
Although budgets are distributed by the district administration, they are generally dictated by the state, in our case, DESE. Funding is usually set up to be allocated based on the number of pupils. Woolls states that states may mandate a minimum amount that is allocated to library.
When working with a budget, the fiscal year is very important to keep in mind. I know that in my district, the fiscal year runs from July 1 - June 30. I know this because I was just visiting the administration building last week and everyone was hard at work on the budget. Woolls stressed the importance of the LMS working with the person in charge of the budget to make sure that all orders and invoices are correct. She also mentioned that many districts may not allow any order to be submitted within a certain amount of time before the end of the fiscal year.
Writing specifications is important for a couple of different reasons. The specifications make the school district and the library media specialist look credible to vendors, but also to make sure that orders are completed correctly.
Running a library is quite costly, and it is not easy to estimate the cost. Librarians generally move up on the salary schedule each year, therefore, the cost to employ the librarian rises each year. This also depends on the type of degree that the LMS obtains. A LMS with a Bachelor's will not make as much money as his/her counterpart with a Master's. One cost that never occurred to me was the cost of equipment use. Woolls said to estimate about $1.00 per hour of usage. Then you have the cost of materials. This is estimated by the cost of the replacements, which are always on the rise. Library money must be used effectively and the library takes a loss when the librarian's time is not used to collaborate with teachers, but spent on clerical tasks. I see this happening in my school quite a bit. Our librarian is constantly being pulled to complete tasks that have nothing to do with the library, like make a new early dismissal bell schedule.
A very important task of the librarian is to write proposals to expand programs. Proposals must be carefully thought out and documented and then presented. Wools states that proposals should include: a statement of needs and of goals and objectives, a plan of action or activities and procedures, an evaluation plan, comments about facilities and other resources available, and a carefully planned budget (Woolls, 153). The statement of needs must present a strong case for need. Woolls suggests comparing your library to one from a similar school district. And like all arguments, it is best to be supported. Rally support from the library patrons (students and teachers) to reiterate the need.
A carefully planned out design is a must. It is also extremely important to plan for evaluation. Woolls suggests even contacting others, such as those in test and measurement offices at colleges or state agencies, to help plan how to evaluate.
Librarians should be prepared to share the plans with the general public. The proposal should also include what local resources are available, this means describing the facilities.
The budget for the project must be put together item by item. Woolls mentions that there are two areas that may cause hiccups; fringe benefits and overhead. Fringe benefits include salary statistics and overhead is the use of staff, equipment, and facilities that will be specifically included in the proposal (Woolls, 158).
Budgets and proposals take a lot of hard work. In my opinion, this will be the most difficult part of running a library.
Empowering Learners - Budget
Empowering Learners addresses the importance of the budget to the library program. The program must have sufficient funds to progress. If the money is not there, progression would be pretty much impossible. It is the duty of the librarian to show the progress being made to those who control the budget. The librarian must present a detailed analysis of how a well-funded library program impacts everyone in a positive way. The way to show progress is in an action plan with goals and objectives clearly defined.
Woolls - Chapter 9 - Managing the Budget
Although budgets are distributed by the district administration, they are generally dictated by the state, in our case, DESE. Funding is usually set up to be allocated based on the number of pupils. Woolls states that states may mandate a minimum amount that is allocated to library.
When working with a budget, the fiscal year is very important to keep in mind. I know that in my district, the fiscal year runs from July 1 - June 30. I know this because I was just visiting the administration building last week and everyone was hard at work on the budget. Woolls stressed the importance of the LMS working with the person in charge of the budget to make sure that all orders and invoices are correct. She also mentioned that many districts may not allow any order to be submitted within a certain amount of time before the end of the fiscal year.
Writing specifications is important for a couple of different reasons. The specifications make the school district and the library media specialist look credible to vendors, but also to make sure that orders are completed correctly.
Running a library is quite costly, and it is not easy to estimate the cost. Librarians generally move up on the salary schedule each year, therefore, the cost to employ the librarian rises each year. This also depends on the type of degree that the LMS obtains. A LMS with a Bachelor's will not make as much money as his/her counterpart with a Master's. One cost that never occurred to me was the cost of equipment use. Woolls said to estimate about $1.00 per hour of usage. Then you have the cost of materials. This is estimated by the cost of the replacements, which are always on the rise. Library money must be used effectively and the library takes a loss when the librarian's time is not used to collaborate with teachers, but spent on clerical tasks. I see this happening in my school quite a bit. Our librarian is constantly being pulled to complete tasks that have nothing to do with the library, like make a new early dismissal bell schedule.
A very important task of the librarian is to write proposals to expand programs. Proposals must be carefully thought out and documented and then presented. Wools states that proposals should include: a statement of needs and of goals and objectives, a plan of action or activities and procedures, an evaluation plan, comments about facilities and other resources available, and a carefully planned budget (Woolls, 153). The statement of needs must present a strong case for need. Woolls suggests comparing your library to one from a similar school district. And like all arguments, it is best to be supported. Rally support from the library patrons (students and teachers) to reiterate the need.
A carefully planned out design is a must. It is also extremely important to plan for evaluation. Woolls suggests even contacting others, such as those in test and measurement offices at colleges or state agencies, to help plan how to evaluate.
Librarians should be prepared to share the plans with the general public. The proposal should also include what local resources are available, this means describing the facilities.
The budget for the project must be put together item by item. Woolls mentions that there are two areas that may cause hiccups; fringe benefits and overhead. Fringe benefits include salary statistics and overhead is the use of staff, equipment, and facilities that will be specifically included in the proposal (Woolls, 158).
Budgets and proposals take a lot of hard work. In my opinion, this will be the most difficult part of running a library.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Library Design Project
The library that I chose to renovate is John F. Hodge High School Library in St. James, MO. This is the high school in the district in which I teach. The library serves about 450-500 students. The library is staffed by one full-time librarian only.
This particular library has been neglected for several years, which made it extremely hard for me to narrow down the areas of renovation. This library is set to undergo major changes this year, as the librarian that has been running it is no longer in the district, and the librarian from the middle school is moving over to the high school. Side note, I happened to be teaching summer school and had my class in the library and I designed this plan, so that did help to be able to look around and gather ideas!
Areas of renovation/innovation:
1. The Library Classroom – This classroom has so much potential. It already has windows into the library, much like the library in McHold’s video. Right now the classroom is being used as nothing more than a computer lab. Computers already line two of the walls in the room, which is great, but I would add tables that are easily moved and rearranged. This would make the classroom very versatile to suit any group that needs to use it. I would also add a Smart Board. Our district is lucky enough to have Smart Boards in nearly every classroom, so it makes sense that there would be one in this classroom that would be readily available to anyone, students or staff, who needs to use it. This would be the perfect room to go to give a presentation or just to collaborate in peace and quiet. This addresses the concept of a learning commons by providing a place for a variety of collaborative activities.
2. The Equipment Storage closet – I understand that the equipment needs a place to be housed, however, I don’t feel like a closet of this size is necessary. I think it could easily be used as both a closet, but also a video production/editing room. My goal in this area is to provide a space for students to branch out with their use of technology. Right now, the only video production area is for the school tv station, and it is not for use by non-Tiger TV students. This would give everyone else an opportunity to use the technology. This addresses the concept of a learning commons by providing the technology and the space for collaboration.
3. Fiction section/Periodicals – Right now, the periodicals are on display in the middle of the fiction section. I wouldn’t move them far, but just move them against a wall to clear space to add comfortable seating. There are no couches or comfy chairs in the library at this time, which adds to its uninviting feel. My goal is to add the varied seating to make it a more comfortable and inviting place for students (or staff) to hang out and read or work on projects. Learning centers are supposed to be an inviting place and the hub of the school, the varied seating helps to make it just that. Side note – I would eventually want to add even more varied seating, but there are some space problems, so that would definitely take some creativity!
4. New Book Display/Teacher Resource area – Right now, the reference section takes up more space than it really needs to and there is some wasted space. I would take this wasted space and do two things with it: create a place to display new library acquisitions and create a place for teachers to share resources. I would make an attractive table or rack to display the new books. These can be books for all categories, not just the new fiction. There could also be a poster or sign listing the new materials purchased, so that even if the item is check out, the students know that it is now in circulation. For the teacher resource area, this could include professional books and even literature sets. It could include all of those training manuals that we receive from various workshops. It could also be a place for teachers to check out manipulative. The materials from this section would be gathered from the teachers. The elementary in my district is doing something like this in a room separate from the library. Teachers send their resources (that they don’t use on a daily basis) to the room so they are available and useful to all.
Design Project
This particular library has been neglected for several years, which made it extremely hard for me to narrow down the areas of renovation. This library is set to undergo major changes this year, as the librarian that has been running it is no longer in the district, and the librarian from the middle school is moving over to the high school. Side note, I happened to be teaching summer school and had my class in the library and I designed this plan, so that did help to be able to look around and gather ideas!
Areas of renovation/innovation:
1. The Library Classroom – This classroom has so much potential. It already has windows into the library, much like the library in McHold’s video. Right now the classroom is being used as nothing more than a computer lab. Computers already line two of the walls in the room, which is great, but I would add tables that are easily moved and rearranged. This would make the classroom very versatile to suit any group that needs to use it. I would also add a Smart Board. Our district is lucky enough to have Smart Boards in nearly every classroom, so it makes sense that there would be one in this classroom that would be readily available to anyone, students or staff, who needs to use it. This would be the perfect room to go to give a presentation or just to collaborate in peace and quiet. This addresses the concept of a learning commons by providing a place for a variety of collaborative activities.
2. The Equipment Storage closet – I understand that the equipment needs a place to be housed, however, I don’t feel like a closet of this size is necessary. I think it could easily be used as both a closet, but also a video production/editing room. My goal in this area is to provide a space for students to branch out with their use of technology. Right now, the only video production area is for the school tv station, and it is not for use by non-Tiger TV students. This would give everyone else an opportunity to use the technology. This addresses the concept of a learning commons by providing the technology and the space for collaboration.
3. Fiction section/Periodicals – Right now, the periodicals are on display in the middle of the fiction section. I wouldn’t move them far, but just move them against a wall to clear space to add comfortable seating. There are no couches or comfy chairs in the library at this time, which adds to its uninviting feel. My goal is to add the varied seating to make it a more comfortable and inviting place for students (or staff) to hang out and read or work on projects. Learning centers are supposed to be an inviting place and the hub of the school, the varied seating helps to make it just that. Side note – I would eventually want to add even more varied seating, but there are some space problems, so that would definitely take some creativity!
4. New Book Display/Teacher Resource area – Right now, the reference section takes up more space than it really needs to and there is some wasted space. I would take this wasted space and do two things with it: create a place to display new library acquisitions and create a place for teachers to share resources. I would make an attractive table or rack to display the new books. These can be books for all categories, not just the new fiction. There could also be a poster or sign listing the new materials purchased, so that even if the item is check out, the students know that it is now in circulation. For the teacher resource area, this could include professional books and even literature sets. It could include all of those training manuals that we receive from various workshops. It could also be a place for teachers to check out manipulative. The materials from this section would be gathered from the teachers. The elementary in my district is doing something like this in a room separate from the library. Teachers send their resources (that they don’t use on a daily basis) to the room so they are available and useful to all.
Design Project
Friday, June 24, 2011
Blog Posts - 6/24
On the School Library Media Blog I read about a site called "My Fakewall" where students can create faux Facebook pages for historical figures or literary figures. This site looks really fun and I think I can definitely use this in my classroom!
Also at the School Library Media Blog, I was directed to the NY Times website where I read an article about informational texts and the Common Core State Standards. This was of interest to me because I have spent my last three days in a workshop about the transition to the CCSS. One of the main questions that kept coming up was "what can I do now?" The representative from DESE told us that right now one of the most important things to do is to provide our students with more informational text and teach them to understand it. The first couple days of the workshop left me feeling very overwhelmed, but on the last day we were able to sit down and devise a plan and figure out exactly where to start and how to present it to the rest of our faculty without overwhelming them.
I visited Buffy Hamilton's blog, The Unquiet Librarian, and I saw that she won the Salem Press Library Blog Award. She listed several other library blogs in this posting and she had them separated by category. I added a few of the blogs that she listed to my Google Reader.
On Joyce Valenza's blog, Never Ending Search, I ran across a post called "Why Cite" about citing sources. The posting included a video of a skit. Valenza said that she plans on using this at orientation for 9th graders, and I think that would be a wonderful idea. Students really struggle with citing sources. I have several ideas about how to work on this issue when I become a librarian.
Free Technology For Teachers has a post about how to use Google Bookmarks. I have heard/read about online bookmarking, but I am not too familiar with it. The slideshow on the posting walks you through how to use it and it seems like it is something that is fairly simple. I think this would be a great way for teachers to share sites that they have found to be resourceful. Librarians could do the same. And I think that it looks user-friendly enough that even the teachers that are not so tech savvy could use it without frustration.
Also at the School Library Media Blog, I was directed to the NY Times website where I read an article about informational texts and the Common Core State Standards. This was of interest to me because I have spent my last three days in a workshop about the transition to the CCSS. One of the main questions that kept coming up was "what can I do now?" The representative from DESE told us that right now one of the most important things to do is to provide our students with more informational text and teach them to understand it. The first couple days of the workshop left me feeling very overwhelmed, but on the last day we were able to sit down and devise a plan and figure out exactly where to start and how to present it to the rest of our faculty without overwhelming them.
I visited Buffy Hamilton's blog, The Unquiet Librarian, and I saw that she won the Salem Press Library Blog Award. She listed several other library blogs in this posting and she had them separated by category. I added a few of the blogs that she listed to my Google Reader.
On Joyce Valenza's blog, Never Ending Search, I ran across a post called "Why Cite" about citing sources. The posting included a video of a skit. Valenza said that she plans on using this at orientation for 9th graders, and I think that would be a wonderful idea. Students really struggle with citing sources. I have several ideas about how to work on this issue when I become a librarian.
Free Technology For Teachers has a post about how to use Google Bookmarks. I have heard/read about online bookmarking, but I am not too familiar with it. The slideshow on the posting walks you through how to use it and it seems like it is something that is fairly simple. I think this would be a great way for teachers to share sites that they have found to be resourceful. Librarians could do the same. And I think that it looks user-friendly enough that even the teachers that are not so tech savvy could use it without frustration.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
What Does a Learning Commons Look Like?
I spent quite a bit of time researching what a learning commons looks like on the web. I did notice that many links I clicked on led me to college/university learning commons. They were still useful to get a feel for what a learning commons should look like, but I would like to see more examples in K-12 schools. I guess I just need to search harder. I did find several, but I thought it was mainly colleges.
Based on what I found, I think the learning commons should include:
Room for collaboration - The learning commons is all about collaboration and groups. The facility must be designed to accommodate collaborative learning. Students need room to learn!
Technology - Various forms of technology are essential to the learning commons. Students (and teachers) must have access to computers, as well as video cameras, digital camera, sound equipment, e-readers, and so much more. The learning commons does not have a focus on books like the traditional library. Doug Johnson's video did a good job providing examples of technology in the learning commons.
No sound restrictions - Learning commons will have to get noisy. As a teacher, I struggle with letting my students get noisy in my classroom. I like quiet, but I know that the best learning takes place when it gets noisy because that means there are learning conversations taking place.
Varied seating - Tables, diner-style seating, couches and comfy chairs... all of these may be present in the learning commons. This helps make the facility inviting. Beaufort Elementary shows examples of the different types of seating that can be offered.
Flexibility - The learning commons needs to be flexible and work for everyone - teachers and students, and even community members. Does it offer areas for collaboration along with area for independent work? Does it offer many types of resources that would be appealing to all of the clientele?
Works Cited:
Johnson, Doug "Libraries Past - Libraries Future." YouTube. 25 Mar 2010. Web. 22 June 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K-4ZF0x5ic
Sinclair, Bryan. “Commons 2.0: Library Spaces Designed for Collaborative Learning.” Educause Quarterly. 30.4 (2007). Web. 22 June 2011. http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/Commons20LibrarySpacesDesigned/162265
“The 21st Century Media Center – The Learning Commons.” Beaufort Elementary School. Web. 22 June 2011. http://bes.beaufortsc.schoolfusion.us/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=190190&sessionid=
Based on what I found, I think the learning commons should include:
Room for collaboration - The learning commons is all about collaboration and groups. The facility must be designed to accommodate collaborative learning. Students need room to learn!
Technology - Various forms of technology are essential to the learning commons. Students (and teachers) must have access to computers, as well as video cameras, digital camera, sound equipment, e-readers, and so much more. The learning commons does not have a focus on books like the traditional library. Doug Johnson's video did a good job providing examples of technology in the learning commons.
No sound restrictions - Learning commons will have to get noisy. As a teacher, I struggle with letting my students get noisy in my classroom. I like quiet, but I know that the best learning takes place when it gets noisy because that means there are learning conversations taking place.
Varied seating - Tables, diner-style seating, couches and comfy chairs... all of these may be present in the learning commons. This helps make the facility inviting. Beaufort Elementary shows examples of the different types of seating that can be offered.
Flexibility - The learning commons needs to be flexible and work for everyone - teachers and students, and even community members. Does it offer areas for collaboration along with area for independent work? Does it offer many types of resources that would be appealing to all of the clientele?
Works Cited:
Johnson, Doug "Libraries Past - Libraries Future." YouTube. 25 Mar 2010. Web. 22 June 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K-4ZF0x5ic
Sinclair, Bryan. “Commons 2.0: Library Spaces Designed for Collaborative Learning.” Educause Quarterly. 30.4 (2007). Web. 22 June 2011. http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/Commons20LibrarySpacesDesigned/162265
“The 21st Century Media Center – The Learning Commons.” Beaufort Elementary School. Web. 22 June 2011. http://bes.beaufortsc.schoolfusion.us/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=190190&sessionid=
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Article Reflections - 6/22
The article "Best Practices - School Library Design" seems to take on the engineering side of library design. Lighting is not something that I would have thought about right away, but it makes sense to take this into consideration when planning a library. Now that I think about it, the lack of lighting in my school library kind of bothers me. It is in the interior of the building, so there are no windows and the lighting is not especially bright. I also wouldn't have thought about the electrical outlets, but again, that definitely makes sense because of all of the technology.I think an open space is important to be able to provide plenty of space for groups to work and for learning to take place.
The next article, "Library Design - Flexibility and the Future" is all about keeping the layout of the library flexible as possible. I love that the electrical outlets in Dakota Meadows Media Center, the school in the picture, are in the floor. In my school, the electrical outlets are either located on the wall or the techs installed power poles that go from floor to ceiling. I power poles give you a little more flexibility than wall outlets, but they still make it difficult to arrange the computers. I somewhat disagree with Johnson about not planning for technologies that do not yet exist. I think that you have to plan ahead to an extent. Don't go overboard, but still be prepared for the changes that will inevitably come.
As I was reading Doug Johnson's article, "Theory Into Practice - Rolf Erikson on Third Place Libraries," I was thinking that the new Chelmsford library sounds like a dream library! I am glad that Rolf Erikson mentioned that not all libraries have that much space to work with because that it very true, especially in smaller schools. The first school I worked in had a library that was not much bigger than a regular classroom! That doesn't provide a lot of space for changes!
The next link contained many links to existing libraries. I really enjoyed looking at the photos and reading about the existing libraries. I did notice some similarities - most of the libraries had plenty of tables and varied types of seating. Many of them also had comfy chairs. Another thing I noticed in several libraries and fell in love with was the diner-style seating. I can imagine that would be a hit with the students! I loved the window seating in the Allen Centre library! What a wonderful area for kids! I also really loved the "Once Upon a Time" entrance at the Brentwood, TN library. However, it looked like there were mainly shelves and not a lot of open space. I was also shocked by the drastic changes to the Chelmsford library! I mentioned before that this library seems like a dream library, and the pictures didn't let me down! I was shocked to see all of the gates that were there before the remodel! No wonder the students didn't want to visit! The libraries in the School Libraries Project reminded me of bookstores. They all looked so neat and put together.
Reading these articles made me anxious to get into a library!
The next article, "Library Design - Flexibility and the Future" is all about keeping the layout of the library flexible as possible. I love that the electrical outlets in Dakota Meadows Media Center, the school in the picture, are in the floor. In my school, the electrical outlets are either located on the wall or the techs installed power poles that go from floor to ceiling. I power poles give you a little more flexibility than wall outlets, but they still make it difficult to arrange the computers. I somewhat disagree with Johnson about not planning for technologies that do not yet exist. I think that you have to plan ahead to an extent. Don't go overboard, but still be prepared for the changes that will inevitably come.
As I was reading Doug Johnson's article, "Theory Into Practice - Rolf Erikson on Third Place Libraries," I was thinking that the new Chelmsford library sounds like a dream library! I am glad that Rolf Erikson mentioned that not all libraries have that much space to work with because that it very true, especially in smaller schools. The first school I worked in had a library that was not much bigger than a regular classroom! That doesn't provide a lot of space for changes!
The next link contained many links to existing libraries. I really enjoyed looking at the photos and reading about the existing libraries. I did notice some similarities - most of the libraries had plenty of tables and varied types of seating. Many of them also had comfy chairs. Another thing I noticed in several libraries and fell in love with was the diner-style seating. I can imagine that would be a hit with the students! I loved the window seating in the Allen Centre library! What a wonderful area for kids! I also really loved the "Once Upon a Time" entrance at the Brentwood, TN library. However, it looked like there were mainly shelves and not a lot of open space. I was also shocked by the drastic changes to the Chelmsford library! I mentioned before that this library seems like a dream library, and the pictures didn't let me down! I was shocked to see all of the gates that were there before the remodel! No wonder the students didn't want to visit! The libraries in the School Libraries Project reminded me of bookstores. They all looked so neat and put together.
Reading these articles made me anxious to get into a library!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Reading Reflections - 6/21
Empowering Learners - Chapter 3
There is a lot that goes into building a learning environment in a library, from staffing to the space to the budget and more! I think that there is definitely a misconception where librarians are concerned. Many people think that all they do is check out books, but there is so much more to it! In the Learning Space section, I expected to read only about how the actual library was set up. I was wrong for making that assumption. The virtual space plays a very important role in the learning environment. I was always (and sometimes still am) the type of student that waited until the last minute to do anything, therefore, I was always scrambling to that research paper, or whatever the assignment may be, done at home the night before it is due. That is why the virtual space is necessary - to make the library available 24/7. Speaking of 24/7, I made note of the "ask a librarian 24/7" that was mentioned in the reading.
The budget is one aspect of library administration that is intimidating to me. I'm not sure why it intimidates me, maybe because that is the part that the administrators pay the most attention to and scrutinize?
I also like the fact that Professional Development is mentioned. Librarians do need to stay current with the trends in education in order to effectively collaborate with the rest of the staff. I am taking in the middle of taking a workshop on the Common Core State Standards and I think something like that would greatly benefit the librarian.
Chapter 6 - Managing the Facilities
This chapter allowed me to think about how I would set up my library, as well as how I think the existing libraries at my school could be changed. Renovating a library is pretty expensive, but it must be done periodically to stay up-to-date. It also made me think about the libraries at all three schools I've been at and think about if they could hold 10% of the student body, like Woolls suggests.
Using the graph paper to plan out the library is a good idea. However, I'm the type of person that needs to move the furniture around to decide if it will work or not. When my friend became the elementary librarian, I remember her and I clearing the shelves and moving them, and moving some more until we found something that she liked! I'm afraid that is what I will be like as well!
Woolls said that the success of the media center depends on the staff and the collection, yet the ambiance of the facility sets the stage. I agree that the media center must be an inviting place for both students and staff.
Chapter 7 - Managing Personnel
In my school district, the only library that has a paraprofessional is the elementary library. I have seen firsthand that managing the library staff can be quite a challenge. It makes is all the more challenging when the librarian is new and the para has been around for several years. Evaluating and correcting the library staff is a vital part of the job though, to ensure that the library runs the way it should in order to be useful.
I agree with Woolls that it will be easier to manage the teachers as long as the librarian puts as few restrictions on the library as possible. It does make for a crabby teaching staff when the library is not available or when many restrictions are put in place.
Managing the students in the library is very similar to managing students in the classroom. Let the students know from the beginning what is expected from them while visiting the library. I loved the quote from the principal on page 122, "Good teaching is hard work, only bad teaching is easy." Such a true statement!
There is a lot that goes into building a learning environment in a library, from staffing to the space to the budget and more! I think that there is definitely a misconception where librarians are concerned. Many people think that all they do is check out books, but there is so much more to it! In the Learning Space section, I expected to read only about how the actual library was set up. I was wrong for making that assumption. The virtual space plays a very important role in the learning environment. I was always (and sometimes still am) the type of student that waited until the last minute to do anything, therefore, I was always scrambling to that research paper, or whatever the assignment may be, done at home the night before it is due. That is why the virtual space is necessary - to make the library available 24/7. Speaking of 24/7, I made note of the "ask a librarian 24/7" that was mentioned in the reading.
The budget is one aspect of library administration that is intimidating to me. I'm not sure why it intimidates me, maybe because that is the part that the administrators pay the most attention to and scrutinize?
I also like the fact that Professional Development is mentioned. Librarians do need to stay current with the trends in education in order to effectively collaborate with the rest of the staff. I am taking in the middle of taking a workshop on the Common Core State Standards and I think something like that would greatly benefit the librarian.
Chapter 6 - Managing the Facilities
This chapter allowed me to think about how I would set up my library, as well as how I think the existing libraries at my school could be changed. Renovating a library is pretty expensive, but it must be done periodically to stay up-to-date. It also made me think about the libraries at all three schools I've been at and think about if they could hold 10% of the student body, like Woolls suggests.
Using the graph paper to plan out the library is a good idea. However, I'm the type of person that needs to move the furniture around to decide if it will work or not. When my friend became the elementary librarian, I remember her and I clearing the shelves and moving them, and moving some more until we found something that she liked! I'm afraid that is what I will be like as well!
Woolls said that the success of the media center depends on the staff and the collection, yet the ambiance of the facility sets the stage. I agree that the media center must be an inviting place for both students and staff.
Chapter 7 - Managing Personnel
In my school district, the only library that has a paraprofessional is the elementary library. I have seen firsthand that managing the library staff can be quite a challenge. It makes is all the more challenging when the librarian is new and the para has been around for several years. Evaluating and correcting the library staff is a vital part of the job though, to ensure that the library runs the way it should in order to be useful.
I agree with Woolls that it will be easier to manage the teachers as long as the librarian puts as few restrictions on the library as possible. It does make for a crabby teaching staff when the library is not available or when many restrictions are put in place.
Managing the students in the library is very similar to managing students in the classroom. Let the students know from the beginning what is expected from them while visiting the library. I loved the quote from the principal on page 122, "Good teaching is hard work, only bad teaching is easy." Such a true statement!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Blog Posts - 6/17
The first blog post that I would like to write about is from the School Library Media Blog. The post is titled "How Are You Preparing for Common Core?" When I saw this in my Google Reader I was immediately drawn to it because I am enrolled in a course for three days next week given by RPDC on how to transition to the Common Core Standards. This is something that I'm anxious to learn more about, yet nervous about it as well. I have looked at the expectations for the Common Core Standards and in my opinion, they are pretty high! I do think that a common nationwide curriculum is necessary. I will be sure to let everyone know how the course goes next week!
I was reading the Free Technology For Teachers blog and there was a post about a site called "Class Blogs". This is a blogsite specifically for teachers and students. I have been thinking quite a bit lately about how I can incorporate blogging in my reading class and I think this site is a wonderful opportunity. I signed up to be sent a an access code for an invitation to use the site!
When I was browsing through the recent postings on Free Technology For Teachers I came across another post that caught my attention. I love using technology in my classroom. I have been fortunate enough to always have at least 10 student computers in my classroom, which makes it so convenient to use technology. I have to say, if I had to go to a computer lab, or check out laptops every time I wanted to use technology, I probably wouldn't incorporate it near as often as I do. I also feel some pressure to lead the way in incorporating technology in the classroom because my eMINTS trainer (now our assistant superintendent) is always talking about the great things I do. I don't really look at them that way, I just look at them as a way to better engage the students and make learning fun, but it does make me strive to live up to her perception! Anyway, I came across the post titled "77 Web Resources for Teachers to Try This Summer". Several resources on the list are familiar to me, but many are not. I am looking forward to exploring some of them this summer and perhaps trying some out in my classroom!
The Adventures of Library Girl blog posted about her summer reading list that has grown longer than she'll be able to complete. I am glad that I am not the only one that does this! I have a stack of books sitting on a shelf in my spare bedroom that have been waiting for summer to be read. I also have several titles on my Kindle waiting to be read. Many of these titles were ones that I intended to read while on maternity leave this past winter. Have I picked up any of them yet? Nope. With two classes, teaching summer school, and having an infant, where can I find the time to read for pleasure? Maybe once July comes and summer school (as a teacher and as a student) wraps up, then I'll find some time to read! In the meantime, I'll keep dusting them off and I'll keep carrying my Kindle around in my purse, just in case I have a free few minutes!
While I was visiting The Adventures of Library Girl, I also enjoyed reading her post titled "When Life Hands You a Lemon..." I, too, promote the state readers' award nominees and sometimes you do come across a title that doesn't have much publicity to go along with it. What a wonderful idea to make a book trailer! I think that is a great way to get students engaged and excited about reading!
I'm doing one extra today because I had already written about 5 blog posts when I came across Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog posting titled "Not your mother's library school"! The change in libraries forces a change in library schools. We must be prepared for the technology and the collaboration and the library as a learning commons. When I first chose to pursue my degree in LIS, my husband kept teasing me that all I was going to learn about was the Dewey Decimal System. Believe me, I am constantly sharing how much more there is to is than that! Librarians must lead the way in web 2.0, so no, it is not your mother's library school! :)
I was reading the Free Technology For Teachers blog and there was a post about a site called "Class Blogs". This is a blogsite specifically for teachers and students. I have been thinking quite a bit lately about how I can incorporate blogging in my reading class and I think this site is a wonderful opportunity. I signed up to be sent a an access code for an invitation to use the site!
When I was browsing through the recent postings on Free Technology For Teachers I came across another post that caught my attention. I love using technology in my classroom. I have been fortunate enough to always have at least 10 student computers in my classroom, which makes it so convenient to use technology. I have to say, if I had to go to a computer lab, or check out laptops every time I wanted to use technology, I probably wouldn't incorporate it near as often as I do. I also feel some pressure to lead the way in incorporating technology in the classroom because my eMINTS trainer (now our assistant superintendent) is always talking about the great things I do. I don't really look at them that way, I just look at them as a way to better engage the students and make learning fun, but it does make me strive to live up to her perception! Anyway, I came across the post titled "77 Web Resources for Teachers to Try This Summer". Several resources on the list are familiar to me, but many are not. I am looking forward to exploring some of them this summer and perhaps trying some out in my classroom!
The Adventures of Library Girl blog posted about her summer reading list that has grown longer than she'll be able to complete. I am glad that I am not the only one that does this! I have a stack of books sitting on a shelf in my spare bedroom that have been waiting for summer to be read. I also have several titles on my Kindle waiting to be read. Many of these titles were ones that I intended to read while on maternity leave this past winter. Have I picked up any of them yet? Nope. With two classes, teaching summer school, and having an infant, where can I find the time to read for pleasure? Maybe once July comes and summer school (as a teacher and as a student) wraps up, then I'll find some time to read! In the meantime, I'll keep dusting them off and I'll keep carrying my Kindle around in my purse, just in case I have a free few minutes!
While I was visiting The Adventures of Library Girl, I also enjoyed reading her post titled "When Life Hands You a Lemon..." I, too, promote the state readers' award nominees and sometimes you do come across a title that doesn't have much publicity to go along with it. What a wonderful idea to make a book trailer! I think that is a great way to get students engaged and excited about reading!
I'm doing one extra today because I had already written about 5 blog posts when I came across Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog posting titled "Not your mother's library school"! The change in libraries forces a change in library schools. We must be prepared for the technology and the collaboration and the library as a learning commons. When I first chose to pursue my degree in LIS, my husband kept teasing me that all I was going to learn about was the Dewey Decimal System. Believe me, I am constantly sharing how much more there is to is than that! Librarians must lead the way in web 2.0, so no, it is not your mother's library school! :)
Thursday, June 16, 2011
"What philosophical and attitudinal changes need to take place on the part of the person running the library in order to create a learning commons?"
The role of librarians has shifted and with that, attitudes and ideas must shift as well. The librarian is no longer just the person who manages the library, but now one that plays an integral role in the education of students by collaborating with teachers. Buffy Hamilton writes, "Until we are integrated into our school’s department or interdisciplinary teams, I feel we cannot realize our full potential as sponsors of transliteracy and information specialists who can facilitate and support powerful learning experiences with teachers and students." I fully agree with her. I mentioned during Skype the other evening (actually, it may have been during the 5250 Skype session)that when we meet in our PLC groups every other week, our librarian gets "stuck" with the PE/Art/Social Studies group. That makes no sense to me. But to the administration, those are the areas that aren't as important because they are not MAP tested. I do believe that Social Studies is tested in middle school, at 8th grade maybe? But our school has really put Social Studies on the back burner - but that's another blog posting, don't let me get started on that! But, what good does the librarian do with that PLC group? Yes, she can collaborate with Social Studies, but wouldn't it make sense for her to meet with Communication Arts? What I'm saying is, to me, that is proof that her position is not one of value in my building. Also, there is no assistant principal in my building, so many of those duties get thrown off on her, I guess because she is viewed as having extra time to do other stuff. Again, don't let me get started on that!
I agree with Jennifer LaGarde in "A Long Look in the Mirror" that it is the librarian's duty to make others aware of how we impact students' learning. If not, we walk about with a target on our backs and will be one of the first places that will be cut when it comes to the budget. Advocacy is an essential part of the job and the survival of libraries depends on it.
I agree with Jennifer LaGarde in "A Long Look in the Mirror" that it is the librarian's duty to make others aware of how we impact students' learning. If not, we walk about with a target on our backs and will be one of the first places that will be cut when it comes to the budget. Advocacy is an essential part of the job and the survival of libraries depends on it.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Article Reflections - 6/15
The first article, The Teacher-Librarian as a Literacy Leader, focused on the many roles of the librarian and what librarians can do to keep up with the many changes today. I agree with Braxton that the highest priority should be to get students and teachers into the library because what good is a library with no patrons? I think that the library must be an inviting place for students, as well as teachers. For example, we are holding our middle school summer school in he high school building this summer. I had my class in the library this week and as I sat there, I was looking around at the tall shelves of books and the bare walls and I was thinking about all of these articles that I have been reading recently and about what I could do to that library to make it more inviting! I don't think that I am alone in these thoughts from what I have heard from high school students and teachers and their perception of the library in that building. Don't get me wrong, the library offers a great deal of technology, and even a space to work with groups, but it is FAR from the inviting learning commons that we have been reading about.
The rules outlined next article, Effectively Influencing Decision-Makers, are, in my opinion, rules that professionals in all professions should live by. When referring to the library media center, I think that rule 3 says it all, "Focus on the contribution to the larger good-- not just the achievement of your objectives." (Goldsmith). As the library media specialist, it is your duty to "sell" your library to the administration and nothing will sell it better than evidence of the library contributing to the larger good -- the school, especially student achievement.
The next article, Transparency=Leadership, is one that I do not fully agree with. Will Richardson believes that educators need to lead transparent lives in order to tell "whether or not they are learners" and "whether or not they are leaders of learners." My feelings on this issue are divided. I do agree that teachers are role models and that students need to understand the importance of being "Googled well", but I also think that just because a teacher, or any other professional does not show up in Google, it does not mean that they are not a learner or not a leader of learners. One of the comments on this article said it well, "Yes, it is convenient to find someone’s digital footprint online and be able to make some informed judgement as to whether they are, as you put it, a 'learner' or 'leader of learners', but many (most?) are still demonstrating those attributes in ways that are not yet being digitized." As an educator, I don't think I lead a very transparent life. To check it out, I went to Google and typed in my name. I was thinking that my webpage that I created for my classroom would come up, but it didn't. The only thing that popped up on the first page was a link the my spellingcity.com profile. Several pages later, I ran across a blog that I attempted to start a couple of years ago (that I actually thought I deleted)! So, from Googling my name and the lack of results, is it an accurate assumption that I am not a learner or a leader of learners? No, that is not an accurate assumption. Now, I do think that we need to encourage our students to leave digital footprints... and good ones, especially in the social networking world.
The articles for today's assignment really did get me thinking, from everything from "How inviting are the libraries I'm familiar with" to "Maybe I DO need to work on becoming well-Googled?"
The rules outlined next article, Effectively Influencing Decision-Makers, are, in my opinion, rules that professionals in all professions should live by. When referring to the library media center, I think that rule 3 says it all, "Focus on the contribution to the larger good-- not just the achievement of your objectives." (Goldsmith). As the library media specialist, it is your duty to "sell" your library to the administration and nothing will sell it better than evidence of the library contributing to the larger good -- the school, especially student achievement.
The next article, Transparency=Leadership, is one that I do not fully agree with. Will Richardson believes that educators need to lead transparent lives in order to tell "whether or not they are learners" and "whether or not they are leaders of learners." My feelings on this issue are divided. I do agree that teachers are role models and that students need to understand the importance of being "Googled well", but I also think that just because a teacher, or any other professional does not show up in Google, it does not mean that they are not a learner or not a leader of learners. One of the comments on this article said it well, "Yes, it is convenient to find someone’s digital footprint online and be able to make some informed judgement as to whether they are, as you put it, a 'learner' or 'leader of learners', but many (most?) are still demonstrating those attributes in ways that are not yet being digitized." As an educator, I don't think I lead a very transparent life. To check it out, I went to Google and typed in my name. I was thinking that my webpage that I created for my classroom would come up, but it didn't. The only thing that popped up on the first page was a link the my spellingcity.com profile. Several pages later, I ran across a blog that I attempted to start a couple of years ago (that I actually thought I deleted)! So, from Googling my name and the lack of results, is it an accurate assumption that I am not a learner or a leader of learners? No, that is not an accurate assumption. Now, I do think that we need to encourage our students to leave digital footprints... and good ones, especially in the social networking world.
The articles for today's assignment really did get me thinking, from everything from "How inviting are the libraries I'm familiar with" to "Maybe I DO need to work on becoming well-Googled?"
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Reflection for Empowering Learners: Chapter 4 and Woolls Chapters 12 and 14
Chapter 4 - Empowering Learning Through Leadership
The job of the library media specialist is an important one in such a time of change. I agree that communication is key. The lms must be able to communicate well in order to build the strong relationships needed for advancement. I also agree that the librarian does not get enough credit for his/her role in student achievement. This is something that I have always noticed, but then again, I have a vested interest in the field.
Chapter 12 - Advocacy and the Media Center
Until recently, I never realized how much work a lms must put into advocacy. The circle does make sense though: media center staff sells services to teachers who sell resources and information to students (Woolls, 190) and having the teachers and students stand behind the media center will make it less likely to be targeted for cuts.
I think that the library staff must be helpful and positive, or it can definitely turn students (and teachers) away. Before I moved to the middle school I was at the elementary building in my district. The library aide in the elementary library had been employed there for many years. (Becky, I think you know where I'm going with this!) She tended to be very grumpy when students or teachers would visit the library. Her attitude portrayed the library, which the librarian worked very hard on, in a negative light to many of the students and staff. There were even a couple teachers that refused to bring their class for class visits because of this. Luckily, when the librarian went to the administration with her concerns about her aide, they were supportive and placed her elsewhere in the building. The aide knew the library inside and out and had a wealth of knowledge, but what good is that when no one wants to use it?
I think that an easy and inexpensive way to market the media center is to display new materials. This could be as simple as a "new books" display or shelf or even a bulletin board to advertise the new materials, which could be books or other forms of media. The librarian in my building has a rack near the circulation desk that she uses to display new purchases. For many students, as well as teachers, it is the first place they look upon entering the library.
I think that marketing the services offered primarily over the collection is a prime example of where libraries are headed. This goes with the Learning Commons concept.
In my reading classroom, I offer a pretty extensive library for my students. I never thought about it competing with the school library until reading this chapter. However, if my students have a choice between checking out a book from my classroom and checking out a book from the library, most times they will choose the library! Even if it is the same book!
Until reading this chapter, I never realized how many steps there are involved in marketing the library.
Chapter 14 - Cooperation, Networking, and Social Networking
While reading this chapter, I kept thinking about my eMINTS training. Relevancy/accuracy of information is an extremely critical piece to using technology in the classroom and the library. Most of our staff, starting at the elementary level, is trained in eMINTS, so the students become familiar with using technology in the classroom at a young age. This is extremely helpful to already have this knowledge by the time they reach my classroom.
I feel like I an generally pretty tech savvy, but I'm not going to lie, I had no clue what a wiki was until I took Dr. Antrim's Foundations class! Now that I'm becoming more familiar with how wikis work, I have several ideas for using a class wiki that I may try out next year! The same with podcasts. I don't think I have ever listened to a podcast, but I was thinking about how wonderful it would have been to be able to make a podcast of our read aloud while I was on maternity leave this past year. It would have been a wonderful way to still be "there" while I was away from my classroom for 3 months!
I really enjoyed this chapter because it really inspired me to try out several new things in my classroom.
The job of the library media specialist is an important one in such a time of change. I agree that communication is key. The lms must be able to communicate well in order to build the strong relationships needed for advancement. I also agree that the librarian does not get enough credit for his/her role in student achievement. This is something that I have always noticed, but then again, I have a vested interest in the field.
Chapter 12 - Advocacy and the Media Center
Until recently, I never realized how much work a lms must put into advocacy. The circle does make sense though: media center staff sells services to teachers who sell resources and information to students (Woolls, 190) and having the teachers and students stand behind the media center will make it less likely to be targeted for cuts.
I think that the library staff must be helpful and positive, or it can definitely turn students (and teachers) away. Before I moved to the middle school I was at the elementary building in my district. The library aide in the elementary library had been employed there for many years. (Becky, I think you know where I'm going with this!) She tended to be very grumpy when students or teachers would visit the library. Her attitude portrayed the library, which the librarian worked very hard on, in a negative light to many of the students and staff. There were even a couple teachers that refused to bring their class for class visits because of this. Luckily, when the librarian went to the administration with her concerns about her aide, they were supportive and placed her elsewhere in the building. The aide knew the library inside and out and had a wealth of knowledge, but what good is that when no one wants to use it?
I think that an easy and inexpensive way to market the media center is to display new materials. This could be as simple as a "new books" display or shelf or even a bulletin board to advertise the new materials, which could be books or other forms of media. The librarian in my building has a rack near the circulation desk that she uses to display new purchases. For many students, as well as teachers, it is the first place they look upon entering the library.
I think that marketing the services offered primarily over the collection is a prime example of where libraries are headed. This goes with the Learning Commons concept.
In my reading classroom, I offer a pretty extensive library for my students. I never thought about it competing with the school library until reading this chapter. However, if my students have a choice between checking out a book from my classroom and checking out a book from the library, most times they will choose the library! Even if it is the same book!
Until reading this chapter, I never realized how many steps there are involved in marketing the library.
Chapter 14 - Cooperation, Networking, and Social Networking
While reading this chapter, I kept thinking about my eMINTS training. Relevancy/accuracy of information is an extremely critical piece to using technology in the classroom and the library. Most of our staff, starting at the elementary level, is trained in eMINTS, so the students become familiar with using technology in the classroom at a young age. This is extremely helpful to already have this knowledge by the time they reach my classroom.
I feel like I an generally pretty tech savvy, but I'm not going to lie, I had no clue what a wiki was until I took Dr. Antrim's Foundations class! Now that I'm becoming more familiar with how wikis work, I have several ideas for using a class wiki that I may try out next year! The same with podcasts. I don't think I have ever listened to a podcast, but I was thinking about how wonderful it would have been to be able to make a podcast of our read aloud while I was on maternity leave this past year. It would have been a wonderful way to still be "there" while I was away from my classroom for 3 months!
I really enjoyed this chapter because it really inspired me to try out several new things in my classroom.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Blog Posts - 6/10
The first article I read was one that was recommended by Professor Pentlin on the Discussion Board (it actually may have been on the board for the other class I'm enrolled in). The article, "Darkness Too Visible", was from the Wall Street Journal's Bookshelf. It talked about how many YA books focus on very dark topics. This is something that I have noticed as well. Now, I did (although I vowed not to) jump on the vampire bandwagon, but I feel like many popular titles focus on much darker realities. The first series that comes to mind is the Crank series by Ellen Hopkins. I first became familiar with this series when my husband's teenage cousin asked for the books for Christmas. Her mother didn't know anything about them, so she asked if I had heard of them and what I thought. I researched the titles and I was very disturbed by some of the topics. I passed on what I had found on the books and I'm not sure what the mother decided for her daughter. I have also noticed some of the students at my school reading these books. They are not available in our school library, but still popular amongst the middle school girls. The article even mentions one of the most popular books of the year, The Hunger Games. As much as I loved this series, there really was quite a bit or violence and gore. The whole idea is violent, put 12 teens in an arena until all but one is living. In my opinion, the darkness trend is just that, a trend. As long as the readers can differentiate between fiction and reality, I don't necessarily see a problem with the darkness.
The next blog posting that I read actually was a response to the article I wrote about above. This post, "YA Saves, But..." is from the Bib 2.0 blog. The author wrote about the article and the huge backlash that has come from it. I totally agree with what was said. Instead of banning these dark books, just be sure to have the conversation about fiction and reality. This author even brought up the fact that the wildly popular Twilight series revolves around a teenage girl willing to die for her boyfriend. It's funny because when I hear people raise concerns about the series, it is always because of the vampires, not because a girl gives up her life for her boyfriend. I also liked what she said about how this backlash does prove that devoted readers do still exist! (Side note - the author is this blog kept referring to Gossip Girl and how she despises them. This made me giggle because Gossip Girl is one of my guilty pleasures! I've enjoyed the books for years and now even the tv show! My husband always gives me a hard time about it!)
Another blog post I read was titled "The FBI Opens Its Vault". The FBI opened an electronic reading room featuring over 3,000 documents. This is where the future librarian and former history teacher in me come together. What a wonderful resource for research!
The next blog I went is called The Social Networking Librarian. The post that got my attention was called "21 Things that Will Disappear from Education in the Next 10 Years". This post was actually written in response to a post on another site. The author addressed five items from the list. One item listed that really stood out to me was paperbacks. I have mixed feelings about this. I understand that e-readers are all the rage right now, in fact, I own one myself. However, there is just something about books that I cannot seem to let go of! My in-laws wanted to get me a Kindle for Christmas last year, but I told them I didn't want one. They asked me again on my birthday, and my answer was still no. Then this past Christmas I finally gave in, and I have to admit, I do really enjoy it. I like that if I'm going on a trip I don't have to load an extra bag down with books to take. And I like that I seem to read even faster on the Kindle. On the other hand, I don't like that I can't go to the library and check out books. I mean, I guess I still could, but not for the Kindle. I do miss turning actual pages, so I try to mix it up - a couple of e-books, then a couple of real books.
The final blog I visited was Free Technology for Teachers. The title of the blog alone is what drew me to it. I love using technology in my classroom and of course I love free resources! I liked the review that Richard Byrne wrote about the note-taking apps. I see so many uses for this in a classroom. Cell phones are not allowed out of lockers in my school because of misuse, but I think it would be great to be able to use them for something beneficial such as this.
The next blog posting that I read actually was a response to the article I wrote about above. This post, "YA Saves, But..." is from the Bib 2.0 blog. The author wrote about the article and the huge backlash that has come from it. I totally agree with what was said. Instead of banning these dark books, just be sure to have the conversation about fiction and reality. This author even brought up the fact that the wildly popular Twilight series revolves around a teenage girl willing to die for her boyfriend. It's funny because when I hear people raise concerns about the series, it is always because of the vampires, not because a girl gives up her life for her boyfriend. I also liked what she said about how this backlash does prove that devoted readers do still exist! (Side note - the author is this blog kept referring to Gossip Girl and how she despises them. This made me giggle because Gossip Girl is one of my guilty pleasures! I've enjoyed the books for years and now even the tv show! My husband always gives me a hard time about it!)
Another blog post I read was titled "The FBI Opens Its Vault". The FBI opened an electronic reading room featuring over 3,000 documents. This is where the future librarian and former history teacher in me come together. What a wonderful resource for research!
The next blog I went is called The Social Networking Librarian. The post that got my attention was called "21 Things that Will Disappear from Education in the Next 10 Years". This post was actually written in response to a post on another site. The author addressed five items from the list. One item listed that really stood out to me was paperbacks. I have mixed feelings about this. I understand that e-readers are all the rage right now, in fact, I own one myself. However, there is just something about books that I cannot seem to let go of! My in-laws wanted to get me a Kindle for Christmas last year, but I told them I didn't want one. They asked me again on my birthday, and my answer was still no. Then this past Christmas I finally gave in, and I have to admit, I do really enjoy it. I like that if I'm going on a trip I don't have to load an extra bag down with books to take. And I like that I seem to read even faster on the Kindle. On the other hand, I don't like that I can't go to the library and check out books. I mean, I guess I still could, but not for the Kindle. I do miss turning actual pages, so I try to mix it up - a couple of e-books, then a couple of real books.
The final blog I visited was Free Technology for Teachers. The title of the blog alone is what drew me to it. I love using technology in my classroom and of course I love free resources! I liked the review that Richard Byrne wrote about the note-taking apps. I see so many uses for this in a classroom. Cell phones are not allowed out of lockers in my school because of misuse, but I think it would be great to be able to use them for something beneficial such as this.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Learning Commons
Out with the old, in with the new. That phrase was in my head as I was reading through today's reading assignment. I envision running a library one day that follows the learning commons concept. I really love what Janice O'Neill did to the library at St. Mark Catholic High School. When I was in school, I don't remember the library as an inviting place. I visited it when I had to and took care of business. I want my library to be a place that students want to visit and get excited to visit.
I really enjoyed the Manifesto for the 21st Century Librarian. This article really makes me anxious to have my own library (which, since I don't want to leave my district, is is the very distant future)! I especially like the idea to take social networking and use it in a meaningful way. I have been saying that for years. I think the possibilities are endless!
My bottom line... even with all of the changes to libraries today, I believe that yes, librarians are still needed. Very much so. Who else is going to manage the learning commons and come up with ideas for collaboration? To me, a librarian does SO much more than just check out books!
I really enjoyed the Manifesto for the 21st Century Librarian. This article really makes me anxious to have my own library (which, since I don't want to leave my district, is is the very distant future)! I especially like the idea to take social networking and use it in a meaningful way. I have been saying that for years. I think the possibilities are endless!
My bottom line... even with all of the changes to libraries today, I believe that yes, librarians are still needed. Very much so. Who else is going to manage the learning commons and come up with ideas for collaboration? To me, a librarian does SO much more than just check out books!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Reflection for Chapters 1 and 2
Chapter 1
I agreed right away with Woolls' statement about the constant changes in education. It is kind of a running joke at my school that whenever the administration wants to dive head first into a great new idea that we will just wait a year and it will pass. Just in my 5 years in education I have already seen many trends come and go. My mother was a teacher for 31 years, so she can tell you all about the trends that come and go... and come back again! With all of the changes, I do feel like Dewey's theory that students should "learn" instead of memorize is one that has pretty well stuck around. Students must participate in order to learn. My school district is really pushing essential skills that force teachers to teach deeper, as opposed to wider. This is a difficult task for teachers like myself that have a hard time throwing out those non-essential skills.
I was pleased to read that although there has been much change over time from the librarian to the library media specialist, the main emphasis remains the same - books.
I really made connections while reading the section on the relationship between school and public libraries. This is something that I have pretty strong feelings about. I teach in a small town and our public library is within walking distance from the elementary school, so when I taught in that building I would walk my class over to the public library a couple times a month. The public library classified many books as YA and would not let my 5th graders check them out. An example of books in this category would be the Percy Jackson series. My students LOVE Percy Jackson and did not understand why they could check them out at school, but not at the public library. I feel like the public library and the school library should work together. It is a shame because the students were really turned off by the lack of selection. I think they need to have a good relationship so they will visit when they are not in school.
Chapter 2
Collaboration between the Librarian and the classroom teachers is, in my opinion, essential. Of course, I do have an interest in the library, so my opinion is probably pretty bias. I consult my librarian quite regularly, whether to have her pull materials for my students, or to get ideas from her. Being a communication arts teacher, I do think this is easier for me than for other subjects. I do think that teachers get so caught up in what they need to teach for the state test and how much they need to get done by a certain time that things like library collaboration get put on a back burner. The GLEs for Information Literacy can be covered in any subject, though it is done mostly in conjunction to Comm. Arts.
The library media specialist has a lot of responsibility, especially when it comes to technology. I see that more now that I am in the middle school building than I did when I was in the elementary building. The reason for that is because our building is across town from the others, so we don't have a tech office at our fingertips, so the librarian takes on the responsibility of being the building tech person. Facebook and blogs are blocked on our district firewall, so the guidelines for proper use is not an issue in my school library.
The internet is a huge resource. My school district is an eMINTS district, so the school libraries, as well as most classroom teachers, have their own web pages. This is an excellent resource to have. Because of that, we do have to filter what is out on display. At the beginning of each school year I always send a note for permission to use pictures on my webpage.
I look forward to reading more about the roles and responsibilities of a library media specialist!
I agreed right away with Woolls' statement about the constant changes in education. It is kind of a running joke at my school that whenever the administration wants to dive head first into a great new idea that we will just wait a year and it will pass. Just in my 5 years in education I have already seen many trends come and go. My mother was a teacher for 31 years, so she can tell you all about the trends that come and go... and come back again! With all of the changes, I do feel like Dewey's theory that students should "learn" instead of memorize is one that has pretty well stuck around. Students must participate in order to learn. My school district is really pushing essential skills that force teachers to teach deeper, as opposed to wider. This is a difficult task for teachers like myself that have a hard time throwing out those non-essential skills.
I was pleased to read that although there has been much change over time from the librarian to the library media specialist, the main emphasis remains the same - books.
I really made connections while reading the section on the relationship between school and public libraries. This is something that I have pretty strong feelings about. I teach in a small town and our public library is within walking distance from the elementary school, so when I taught in that building I would walk my class over to the public library a couple times a month. The public library classified many books as YA and would not let my 5th graders check them out. An example of books in this category would be the Percy Jackson series. My students LOVE Percy Jackson and did not understand why they could check them out at school, but not at the public library. I feel like the public library and the school library should work together. It is a shame because the students were really turned off by the lack of selection. I think they need to have a good relationship so they will visit when they are not in school.
Chapter 2
Collaboration between the Librarian and the classroom teachers is, in my opinion, essential. Of course, I do have an interest in the library, so my opinion is probably pretty bias. I consult my librarian quite regularly, whether to have her pull materials for my students, or to get ideas from her. Being a communication arts teacher, I do think this is easier for me than for other subjects. I do think that teachers get so caught up in what they need to teach for the state test and how much they need to get done by a certain time that things like library collaboration get put on a back burner. The GLEs for Information Literacy can be covered in any subject, though it is done mostly in conjunction to Comm. Arts.
The library media specialist has a lot of responsibility, especially when it comes to technology. I see that more now that I am in the middle school building than I did when I was in the elementary building. The reason for that is because our building is across town from the others, so we don't have a tech office at our fingertips, so the librarian takes on the responsibility of being the building tech person. Facebook and blogs are blocked on our district firewall, so the guidelines for proper use is not an issue in my school library.
The internet is a huge resource. My school district is an eMINTS district, so the school libraries, as well as most classroom teachers, have their own web pages. This is an excellent resource to have. Because of that, we do have to filter what is out on display. At the beginning of each school year I always send a note for permission to use pictures on my webpage.
I look forward to reading more about the roles and responsibilities of a library media specialist!
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