Blog Post 3

One of the best parts about being the Librarian an Instructional Coach for my middle school is that I get to help teachers plan lessons that incorporate literature, research and technology. Earlier this week, the 5th grade Reading teacher, Mrs. Boothe, approached me about creating a fun and interactive lesson plan that emphasized technology and Web 2.0 tools for the book, The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. Imagine my excitement when I realized collaborating with Mrs. Boothe would be the perfect topic for my graduate school assignment!

I always find it helpful to start by looking for ideas on the Internet- and so began my Google search. Since the movie version of The Lorax was just released and Earth Day is coming up, there is definitely no shortage of lesson plans and activities for the book online. I found a great site (http://www.seusssville.com/) that has a ton of lesson ideas to use with The Lorax, including some comprehensive project ideas at: http://www.seussville.com/Educators/lorax_classroom/educatorlorax_discuss.php.

After finding lesson and project ideas for the book online, Mrs. Boothe and I spent some time brainstorming ways to incorporate technology into the lesson- both to make the lesson more learner-centered and to address technology standards (http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=8192).

Here are some of the lesson ideas I shared with Ms. Boothe:

To Help Build Background:

• Before reading the book, have students conduct Internet searches on the topics of global warming, air pollution, and recycling. Create a customized search engine using Google Custom Search (http://www.google.com/cse/) or use a bookmarking site such as Delicious (http://www.delicious.com/) to help guide students to reliable, student-friendly websites. Before and after browsing the Web, students can create a K-W-L chart about information they already know, what they want to know, and what they learned about the topics they research. (The lesson plan on Suessville.com suggests some sites and books related to The Lorax: http://www.seussville.com/Educators/lorax_classroom/educatorlorax_resources.php).

While Reading the Book: 

• During the class read-aloud, use a document camera such as an Elmo (http://www.elmousa.com/products)  project the book onto a wall or screen. Instantly, a class read-aloud turns into a movie-like experience! By using this simple technology, even the most reluctant students are likely to become engaged.

After Reading the Book:

• Seussville.com has excellent discussion questions to for students to talk about after reading The Lorax (http://www.seussville.com/Educators/lorax_classroom/educatorlorax_discuss.php). Rather than holding a live, face-to-face discussion, Mrs. Boothe can set up a 5th grade reading blog for her students to discuss the questions virtually. By using a site designed for educational blogs like Edublogs (http://edublogs.org/), all of the 5th graders can share their thoughts and ideas on the discussion questions, as well as comment on each other’s thoughts. (Having students share their ideas this way also holds all of the students accountable for participating and allows for students to share their ideas with the entire 5th grade.)

Optional Assessment/Extension:

• Close the lesson by revisiting the students’ K-W-L charts. Ask them to use what they’ve learned in their Internet research, the read aloud, and virtual discussion to write a letter to Mother Earth using the template found on Suessville.com (located in “The Lorax Project Resources” section, http://www.seussville.com/Educators/lorax_classroom/educatorlorax_resources.php) . Using an online rubric creator like Rubistar (http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php), Mrs. Boothe can create a rubric for the letters. In order to save paper (and in honor of The Lorax) ask students to publish their letters using a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word. After students have typed their letters, students can virtually submit them virtually to Ms. Boothe using email.

My Google Custom Search Engine

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Blog Post 2

The way technology in schools is used is rapidly changing and it’s not just changing how we teach. Technology is changing how our students learn, access information, and socialize. It’s changing who our students communicate with, what they know and understand about the world and most drastically, technology is determining who is prepared for college and who is behind. As the article, “Mobile Digital Devices” (2011) explains, the amount of time our students are using technology outside of school is dramatically increasing- and several schools are capitalizing on their students’ use and knowledge (pg. 22).

According to the article, while most schools ban students’ personal use of mobile devices (cell phones, smart phones, etc…) during the school day, some are capitalizing on their students’ ownership and interest in this technology.  For example, the Forsyth County Schools in Georgia allow s students to bring and use their own mobile devices,  and in doing so are promoting the use of the devices for learning purposes (Hill, 2011, pg. 22). Also, other schools have received grants to provide their students with smart phones and are teaching students to use them for educational use. Some schools and districts have also begun to create specific wireless networks designed for student use.

“Mobile Digital Devices”  (2011) explains that promoting the use of mobile devices is a way to help schools – and students save money while increasing the accessibility to technology (pg.  23).  Hill (2011) explains that  more and more young people, including those of low socio-economic status, own personal mobile devices and that using these technologies provide an inexpensive alternative to owning personal computers (pg. 23). Students and teachers can use mobile devices to access the Internet for research and to communicate and share ideas with each other.

In the article, Hill (2011) also discusses that with the positives of using mobile devices in school comes some negatives as well (pg. 25). For example, current legislation about blocking inappropriate sites in schools can prevent students from accessing valuable educational materials. It can often times be difficult and challenging for teachers to request a specific site to become unblocked and it’s often takes a long time to unblock as well. While content filtering is important, the article also explains that is equally important to educate students on acceptable use of the Internet- especially as schools begin to allow and encourage use of mobile devices in school (Hill, 2011, pg. 25).

Hill’s article has peeked my interest about all of the possibilities for use of mobile devices in the library. As I was reading, I began to imagine infinite uses for smart phones and iPads. At my school, we use Accelerated Reader to track students’ reading- and it’s very convenient for students to take AR quizzes on smart phones and tablets. If students could use their phones in the library (and access the school’s wireless network), they could take AR quizzes easily- as well as search ARbookfind.com for  book and quiz information.

Students could also access the Internet much easier using their smart phones and tablets for research rather than waiting to use one of the two laptops we have in the library available for student use. As the librarian, I could conduct mini-lessons on how to use smart phones for research and how to use the library to supplement that research. Students often check out non-fiction books that include reference pages and additional websites to go to. Students could easily access the websites via tablet and smart phone. Students could also easily access podcasts and webinars via smart phone, too.

One of the most exciting uses for smart phones in the library is that students could use them to listen to audio books. Many of my students have special needs and/or are severely below grade level and would benefit from listening to audio books during independent reading. After checking out books, students could use their smart phones to access the audio book and listen and read at the same time. Similarly, students could listen to music on their phones while reading or working- which is something adults and young people often do outside of school.

Before reading “Mobile Digital Devices,” I never considered smart phones would have a place in my school library. I can’t wait to start thinking about how to make  the above ideas into actual reality.

Works Cited

HILL, R. A. (2011). Mobile Digital Devices. Teacher Librarian, 39(1), 22-26.

Blog Post #1

Technology and I have a love/hate relationship. I love technology because it helps make my life much easier. Since I began teaching 8 years ago, I have always used technology as part of my daily life at school. I am very comfortable with basic technology such as personal computers, Microsoft Office Suite, and navigating the Internet and databases for general use. I can also operate a projector, document camera, DVD players, and digital cameras with ease. Overall, I know enough just to get by- I don't need constant support for day-to-day tasks. I am always willing to read directions, call tech support, or seek out help from others with a stronger knowledge base.
Despite my strengths above, I have very limited exposure when it comes to more advanced technologies- especially those now being considered "web 2.0" tools. In fact, I am scared of the unknown which keeps me from trying new technology-related instructional tools. Before starting UNT, I'd never heard of a blog or a LiveBinder- all of these tools are new (and scary) to me. Other than being fearful of and under-exposed to technology, I am also limited in my technological vocabulary. At times, when I call for tech support, the operators have to explain things to me in more basic terms since I don't always understand the vocabulary being used.

In order to overcome my weaknesses, I will use my strengths. I am a learner by nature and enjoy reading and learning things on my own. If I can commit to ask for help, learning and reading about new technologies and Web 2.0 tools, I will become less fearful of technology and more knowledgeable on specific topics. Recently, I set a goal for myself that each week I will use technology in a lesson for 1 of the grades I deliver library lessons to. So far, I have taught the students how to conduct basic Internet searches using references in their books and created a Glog for the 7th graders to use. While it's a slow process, I know that if I continue to push myself to try new instructional tools, I will begin to become more comfortable with using them.

In order to improve upon my instructional strategies, I would like to learn more about free tools available to me. Already, I have used Glogster, Blogger, LiveBinder, DropBox, and eCove. I know there are so many more tools available to me (and my students) that will make my instruction engaging and prepare my students for the 21st century. I also hope to learn how to help teachers use instructional strategies and tools in their classrooms, too.