This is the Big One!

At the culmination of our #ed584 course, we were asked to create a digital story which we could use in our current or future classrooms. We were also asked to attempt to learn how to juggle, and document our journey as well. In the name of efficiency, and because I had a lightning bolt idea for an awesome story, I chose to combine these two projects into one, seamless story. And like Redd Foxx's eponymous character from TV's "Sanford & Son," this project truly became "the Big One!"

For my digital story project, I made a video showcasing my SHS Connect group of Grade 11 students (that's a 20-minute, twice weekly advisory/enrichment/homeroom period, to you), as they attempted to open up and share a bit about themselves while also filming me attempting to learn how to juggle. My students and I filmed and took still images using an iPad, while I used a Blue Snowflake USB microphone and Windows Movie Maker 2012 to narrate and edit my video project, finally uploading the film to YouTube.

The film can be both appropriate, thoughtful and reflective at times in the way it documents my juggling journey while also allowing students the opportunity to share in this experience and tell a bit about themselves as well. Other times, it can seem pretty silly, and possibly "inappropriate;" however, that's what SHS Connect is supposed to be -- an informal, loosely structured time and space to connect students with one another, and to a teacher they might not otherwise ever interact with outside of their scheduled classes. Although I'd love to share the video publicly, some of my students who appear in the video do not have permission to have their names, likeness or work appear in public forums. The law is the law, I suppose.

I think the final product turned out really well, in my unbiased opinion! :)

Honestly, I wanted to see what editing a several minutes-long documentary film would be like using Movie Maker, which many of our students option to use for their own film projects at school. I would probably include more still images and try different transitions and filters in any future iterations of the video.

Windows Movie Maker is a relatively simple video editing program available to all students in our school, so it would certainly benefit them in any digital storytelling or documentary film-related work they're required to do for their classes. Heck, it would even be cool to make a video resume, or projects for family and friends. Unfortunately, not only is the program outdated by several years, but it's also available only to users on our networked PCs at school. At a time when more and more iPads and Chromebooks are being added to our building, it will make it more difficult to support students' use of this technology when Windows-based devices are limited or in high demand. Scheduling PC lab space for classes, or suggesting alternative video-editing options for other devices, such as iMovie (Macbooks, iPads) or YouTube (Chromebooks) could be viable ways to overcome these impediments.

I thought this was a very challenging, yet worthwhile, project, as it allowed me to try a new technology and share a story of my students that they were actually involved in making along with me. We learned a lot about one another, which is one of the goals of SHS Connect. Too bad I haven't yet learned how to juggle!

The Twitter Experience

Using Twitter with more regularity as a result of my recent #ed584 grad class has afforded me with the opportunity to explore this service a bit more in-depth as a professional development tool for cultivating a personal learning network (PLN). Admittedly, I've known the thrill of connecting with a like-minded community of peers who share similar interests via Twitter since I first became a user in June of 2009.

However, using Twitter for "personal" interests vs. "professional" interests has been a different endeavor entirely. While on the topic, yes, I am a proponent of having a personal, protected account in addition to a professional account. I don't fully subscribe to the opinion that educators need to be as "transparent" as some more liberal-minded folks out there, who manage to strike the balance between being personable, human and professional with one, singular account. While I also realize that "anything can be found online, whether you try to protect it or not," I also DO feel entitled (one of my LEAST favorite words) to a certain degree of privacy and balance to keep our personal lives personal and professional lives professional. That doesn't mean we cannot have fun as professionals, though :) I also think this can serve as an effective teaching model for students; sometimes it really does boil down to appropriate time and place.

Participating in Twitter chats has been particularly beneficial for PD purposes. While our grad class maintains it's running record of comments and blog posts, I've enjoyed joining the conversation in professional circles related to my interests as a library media specialist. In particular, I find #TLchat (short of Teacher-Librarian) to be quite useful, and often amusing. Below is a sample of one such attempt to join this conversation:

.@NikkiDRobertson Dislike "policing" my academic HS library for "noise." Paras/fellow TL r conservative/traditional. Help! #moedchat #tlchat

— Mike McKenna (@librarymediaman) February 5, 2016

Not the best response came from this post; none. Could have had something to do with the fact this chat was probably intended for teachers in Missouri exclusively. However, as @paulbogush has informed us, it's tough being the new person at the party, and people won't necessarily respond to you just because you said something.

So, I'll continue to practice what I preach with my students: being resilient, respectful, confident and curious, I'll continue participating in Twitter chats and look forward to using this social media tool for professional (and personal) purposes for years to come.

Prepare for Tomorrow...

"Prepare for tomorrow by doing your best work today," or some iteration of the phrase, is a famous quote, or idea, that has stuck with me for years. Anytime I've ever felt particularly stressed out or unsure of something, it's almost always because I wasn't prepared enough for it.

Whether completing assignments for school, tasks at work, buying a car, or heck, even deciding what to pack for lunch, preparation has always led me down the path to success. I've told this to my students before undertaking many research projects and believe this concept is essential when responding to the question: what are you preparing students for?

I believe it's my duty to ensure that my students are prepared with the tools, skills and strategies to meet the challenges of tomorrow by doing their best today. No one knows what tomorrow might bring for a child. It could be as simple and innocuous as making sure they have online access and strategies to search for information to complete an assignment on time.

Or, it could be a greater task, like making decisions on whether or not to enter the armed forces, or which college to apply to, or whether or not to attend college at all.

The world has become a very complicated and sometimes scary place for our kids. I want to make sure that I do everything I can to prepare my students to make good, informed choices for tomorrow by giving everything they've got today. That resilience, competence, creativity, confidence and independence will empower students to seize every opportunity and be prepared to face the challenges of tomorrow. All it takes is a little extra preparation today!

Thanks for sharing your comments, as well as what YOU feel you're preparing your students for!

Dicey Research? Try CARRDSS!

Check out my first attempt to make an RSA-style video; not too shabby! Big shoutout to teacher-librarian maven Joyce Valenza for the inspirational CARRDSS method for evaluating online sources of informational research, as well as the collective support of my #ed584 colleagues. About three hours of frustration, many huffs of dizzying, dry-erase markers, several palmfuls of Sour Patch Kids and a little bit of luck went into making this short, speedy, and hopefully, useful video.

Please to enjoy, and thanks for leaving any feedback for me below! 

What Little Birdies Tell Me

Although I've only recently started using Twitter for professional purposes, I've been a user since mid-2009 and have always recognized it's value as a news service tailored to my individual interests. Initially, I was overwhelmed by the number of posts flowing into my timeline, feeling compelled to read each one and explore every link in an attempt to "stay caught up." After drinking from the fire hose for a few weeks, I became more selective about what I read and what I might use in my everyday life.

Below are some great resources and tweets I've recently plucked from my Twitter feed. My best advice to you, like the proverbial grizzly bear faced with a barrage of leaping salmon, is once you get one that matters to you, step out of the stream and enjoy; enough is a feast:

My #STEM STEAM #STEMx page https://t.co/UANhosI3Qr #4thchat pic.twitter.com/XtSmdwtUmt

— Jerry Blumengarten (@cybraryman1) February 2, 2016

Say what you will about Jerry Blumengarten's website or in your face profile images, but I turn to the Cybraryman when I'm searching for relevant library, technology or current events topics to write about and promote in my library. This installment on STEM, STEAM, STREAM and STEMx was rife with inspirational resources for my collaborative STEAM research project with a 5th grade music class, 11th and 12th grade Earth Science students and some Art kids from my high school.

5 Free Tools for Creating Whiteboard Videos https://t.co/4CnbZ1Vspd

— Richard Byrne (@rmbyrne) February 5, 2016

I always enjoy Richard Byrne's FreeTech4Teachers blog, but particularly liked this post about digital tools useful for creating whiteboard videos. We'll be expected to make our own RSA/Commoncraft-style videos soon. This could come in handy if my next grad class meeting gets snowed out and I'm forced to ditch my shower board and dry-erase markers for my iPad instead!

Bloom’s, SAMR, and Beyond: A Practical Guide for Tech Integration. ASCD Express: https://t.co/X6gL2k12Eq

— Kathy Schrock (@kathyschrock) January 28, 2016

Kathy Schrock is a renowned ed tech leader and as an educator with a penchant for research and inquiry, she's been a go-to resource for much of the information literacy, instructional resources and strategies used in my library lesson planning. After recently discovering the SAMR model in grad class, the concepts of how to truly enhance and transform learning with technology has woven its way into my thinking and discussions with teachers and students. Responsible tech integration, carefully supported with purpose and meaning, is the key to unlocking a lot of potential learning opportunities for kids to showcase their talents.

I believe that librarians must become the technology leaders in our school! #tlchat

— Elissa Malespina (@elissamalespina) April 30, 2014

Ok, so this may not qualify as an article, but I certainly find it to be a thought-provoking tweet. After a brief back-and-forth on Twitter and Skype call with my grad class, I immediately considered New Jersey-based "work in progress" teacher-librarian, Elissa Malespina, to be an integral member of my Twitter PLN. This tweet was particularly thought-provoking for me, because in spite of all the professional literature I've read and librarian/ed tech conferences I've attended, I've never really paid much attention to leadership. I've always felt that title was reserved for 092s (that's a school administrator, to you) and Board of Education employees. I realize that in my role as a librarian, I'm primed to become a grassroots leader for technology in my own school; raising the ed tech flag high and blaring its horn for all to see and hear. Inspiring stuff, huh? :)

Fear Itself

The topic of fear among our students is very intriguing. Our instincts are to protect them from fear, to always make them feel safe and nurtured. In a literal sense, yes, we should do everything within our power to keep our students safe from harm, whether it manifests itself as a third party, or stems from what we're directly doing in our classrooms.

Here's where things get interesting: how do we address what students fear?

"The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself." - Franklin Delano Rooselvelt, 32nd President of the United States

When faced with a difficult research task or concept, I tell my students that in order to become fearless, they need to fear less. What frightens students, and most people, I'd imagine, is failure. I know that's true for me. For students, this often comes as a result of receiving failing grades, a polarizing phenomena best left explored in a different post.

However, I always reassure my students that because I don't grade them when I co-teach a class, they have no reason to fear failure. Instead, they only need to be afraid of fear itself, because that is their only obstacle in achieving success. We all know that "success" takes different forms for individual students, so being able to overcome this fear and harness that strength to become fearless are the first steps needed for us to teach and live our mission in my library: to create competent, confident and independent users of information and technology.

To some degree, I believe that fear is a good thing. It teaches us humility and can keep us grounded when faced with adversity, affording us an opportunity to make decisions, make mistakes, and learn.

How do you address what students fear?

Skyping with the Stars

Last night, my ed tech grad class had the pleasure of Skyping with a renowned, teacher-librarian/rockstar from NJ, Elissa Malespina, whom I've recently joined up with as a member of my Personal Learning Network (PLN) on Twitter. I wanted to know more about how librarians can become more involved with co-teaching and implementing technology in their schools. Conveniently, Elissa's "mantra" says it all.

To further add to her street cred, check out the great quote emblazoned on her coffee mug, as she addressed our class from her Jersey homestead, taking time away from her family, and an apparently thirsty dog, just to share her thoughts with us:

"They (librarians) are subversive. You think they're just sitting there at the desk, all quiet and everything. They're like plotting the revolution, man. I wouldn't mess with them." -- Michael Moore, American Filmmaker

            

I facilitated our conversation with a few general, guiding questions about Elissa's experiences with librarianship. For example, what can you tell teachers about the benefits of collaborating with their school librarian? How do video (digital storytelling) and social media (Twitter) play a part in her role as a school librarian? What advice could she give to encourage students to take risks using educational technology; or teachers?

Her responses were both practical and inspiring. Elissa said that any good librarian should be able to co-teach with students. I was grateful for this comment, as it made me reflect on my own co-teaching practices and sometimes tenuous relationships with teachers and students in my own school. She also encouraged tech leaders to make participation in Web 2.0 experiences and sharing their work online an opt-out clause of their school or district's Acceptable or Responsible Use Policy (AUP, RUP). I think the experience of sharing and writing for a wider audience would help our students become better digital citizens, and maybe even improve their literacy skills in the process.

Possibly my favorite response from Elissa came from our question about risk-taking, encouraging teachers to let their kids know: "I'm learning this, too. We're learning this together, and it's not gonna stop us from doing it."

It's both empowering and scary for teachers to think of relinquishing that all-coveted "control" we have, or think we have: over ourselves, our students, their perceptions of us and everyone's level of ability. I think the most powerful tool in overcoming the fear associated with using educational technology is a positive, open mind, and accepting failure as an opportunity to make mistakes and try again; to be resilient and to learn.

I'm truly grateful to have had Elissa join our class, and for the opportunity to chat with these amazing mentors and like-minded people. I'd be grateful for your thoughts as well; what's inspired you to think differently and take risks, or who is your rockstar in education?

The Boss seems to be on board; are you?

Web 2.0 Toolapalooza

Welcome to my first Web 2.0 Toolapalooza! Sometimes, educators struggle with finding the right way to present information or make something using a new technology tool. I know this is often the case for me. So, below are several attempts to create some useful, interesting, or just plain fun tech resources to use in the classroom or library:

Vocaroo: http://vocaroo.com/i/s16jQwnFWRam

Ideal for students (or teachers) who have trouble with public speaking. You could use this to practice a presentation, listen to yourself making a speech or record something to present to an audience. This simple, web-based recording tool allows you to record and share a link of yourself saying what you need to say. A perfect solution for students presenting to their peers, teachers making recordings for their kids, or pre-recording some info you've been asked to share at that dreaded faculty meeting next week (eep!). Bet you never thought the Gettysburg Address could sound so silky smooth!

Powtoon: https://www.powtoon.com/online-presentation/dyafrOumcpn/welcome-to-the-library/

PowToon describes itself as a "minimalist, user friendly and intuitive presentation software that allows someone with no technical or design skills to create engaging professional “look and feel” animated presentations." The web-based service also has an education label designed to allow teachers and students to create content that is "visually engaging, captivating and fun to make." I find it hard to disagree with them. I mean, check out the wicked fun and welcoming library PowToon linked above. Kinda makes you wanna check us out, right? :)

Zaption: http://zapt.io/tmjk6ysu

This video creation tool would be great for flipping content and saving instructional time. If you've been flipping your classroom, or just single lessons, it's a pretty easy way to add assessments, or in my case, simple accountability, to instructional videos to help students with research or use instructional technology. The sample above is a flipped lesson on how students can use Wikispaces to create and share content with the classmates by building a class wiki; like Wikipedia!

Sock Puppets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsDOXg-wkHM

Ok, this tool might seem relegated to the elementary scene, but this tool is plain, old-fashioned fun, just re-imagined! The premise is simple: pick out some sock puppets, create a setting with props and start recording voices for your characters as they deliver your message while moving around on stage. Created with Sock Puppets for iPhone and iPad, this scene depicts myself and my librarian colleague, Mrs. Dion (thanks for lending your voice in the Zaption video above!), talking about "genrefying" the high school fiction collection. Talk about taking something fairly mechanical and boring in process and explaining it in a fun way. Think of all the ways you could deliver info to your students!

Now that I've shared a little about what I've done with web 2.0 tools, I'm hoping you'll share some of your ideas, too! What's your favorite Web 2.0 tool to use with students?

WebQuests: Tools for Differentiation

With the proliferation of the web comes a plethora of online learning tools and experiences. The wealth of information being shared, talked about, debated and revised online has transformed the way education operates and how students learn. It's also altered people's expectations of how teachers should teach and how students should learn. These ideas, and the many tools which they inspire, are discussed in Schweizer and Kossow's "WebQuests: Tools for Differentiation" (2007).

WebQuests have been around for more than a decade and were some of the most popular tools for engaging students in web-based activities. These inquiry-oriented activities introduce students to a variety of web-based information, whether it's linking them to other websites or online media (videos, pictures, etc.) WebQuests require students to use these resources to deepen their understanding and expand their knowledge base about a particular concept or desired set of skills. They can be used to make otherwise "flat" research assignments (the dreaded "book report" variety) and make them more dynamic by forcing students to interact with information on a deeper level. Schweizer and Kossow discuss the features and advantages of using WebQuests, presenting their five components: (1) Introduction; (2) Task; (3) Process; (4) Evaluation; and (5) Conclusion, that help teachers organize the WebQuest in a way that students find logical and easy to navigate (2007).

Teachers are always on the lookout for new tips and tricks to add to their toolkits. As a media specialist, I'm always searching for ways to add rigor and use inquiry-based learning to spark my students' curiosity in a topic or idea to drive their research. 

So, if WebQuests were considered to be the darling of Web 1.0 engagement for students, what would you consider using as a transformative Web 2.0 tool (even that sounds antiquated) to engage students in a similar way?

I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)

As teachers and students, there are a lot of things we're asked to do throughout the school day: pay attention, read this, hand in that, take this survey, scale that mountain of e-mail. We're asked to marginalize certain things in order to address others deemed "more important." Sometimes, we're even asked to compromise our core values and beliefs for the sake of "getting the job done."

I think it's important for us to uphold our values at any cost, but most importantly, to maintain that singular, uncompromising, unwavering viewpoint: our own "Golden Rule."

Continuing with our #ed584 grad class series of questions, I elected to blog about the concept of this rule and what that means to me. No, not necessarily "do unto others," but rather: "What is one, non-negotiable rule that all kids must follow in your class?"

I feel like mine is pretty simple, but quite profound when applied in the myriad of our educational contexts: "Be respectful."

I mean and expect this of myself, my kids and colleagues in everything we do, whether it's in or out of the classroom. Being respectful means showing respect to others when they're showing you how to do something, or sharing their views on a topic. I think students should respect themselves enough to give it their all when confronted with a difficult activity or concept, as often happens during my co-taught research classes. Being respectful means being a good digital citizen, practicing the ethical use of information, but also being respectful in your interactions with others online. To me, being resilient, actively participating in and contributing to learning process, honoring the views and work of others and building a culture of tolerance means being respectful.

Being nonconstructive, negative, opting out of learning, not trying your hardest to fight through adversity and disrespecting others? No, I can't go for that (no can do). 

What's the one non-negotiable rule in your classroom?

The Library Media Scientist

Recently, we were asked to create trailers for our classrooms which could be shown during open houses or with students on the first day of school. The constant struggle of working as a nomadic, gypsy librarian means I don't have a singular classroom or group of students with whom I can share my story with the world. However, I think this video captures what people should generally expect to find me doing with students in and out of the classroom.

I'm happy to share it with the 7 parents who come visit me during our 2-hour open houses as well :)

"What Would You Say...You Do Here?"

To know me, you must understand that I worked in the private sector for years before entering the teaching profession (community news desk jockey and writer for the Waterbury Republican-American). So, I find bits of humor, such as this Office Space (1999) classic, add levity to situations I encounter in education.

Now, for the tie-in. 

Continuing with my #ed584 grad class series of questions, I elected to blog about a mildly dubious one, often asked of myself and my media specialist colleagues when interacting with the general public: "What do you teach?"

At a basic level, I teach information literacy skills to high school students and provide professional development and support to my fellow faculty members. These teachings generally include anything from the research process and digital citizenship to the use of instructional technology (think web-based tools, apps, software and hardware). Some readers can probably identify and think to themselves, "Yes, I teach 'math,' 'English,' 'science,' 'social studies,' 'music,' or, if you're an elementary teacher, 'EVERYTHING!'" (Bless your hearts for that).

But it's not that simple, now is it?

There are always deeper, overarching, idealistic and sometimes grandiose (re: delusional) ideas of "what we teach" our students. At the end of the day, I hope I've taught my kids to be confident thinkers and doers. I try to teach them independence, problem-solving, resilience, integrity, civics, respect and responsibility. I guess that's too tough to wrap our heads around and tie up in a package to present as "what we teach," though.

How about you; what do you teach? 

Effective Instructional Models

Teaching with web-based tools and information is certainly nothing new. In fact, the article which served as the inspiration of this post, Effective Instructional Models: Internet Workshop, Internet Project, Internet Inquiry and Webquests, feels pretty dated.

I mean, sure, it's got some great dinosaur resources (pun intended) for elementary and middle school students to conduct online research. However, it does point a finger squarely at one instructional skill set which is near and dear to my media specialist heart, and one which I feel is being is grossly neglected in many mainstream classrooms: information literacy.

Some of the models suggested in this article include guided web experiences to take students through evaluating online sources (ICYouSee Guide to Critical Thinking), cross-referencing information found online with credible sources (shout-out to one of my ed tech favs, Kathy Shrock, for this one!) and a delightful resource called the Museum of Hoaxes to test our kids' critical thinking and information evaluation skills. These skills are an important part of mastering essential information literacy.

After all, if our students' first instinct is to Google or Wikipedia (both verbs, IMO) something, we'd better be sure we've got them thinking twice about the credibility, reliability and usefulness of that source's ability to address their information needs.

This is not a loaded question, but when working independently of literacy coaches, media specialists and other support staff specializing in information literacy, how are you addressing these skills in your classroom? To make it more concrete, how are you addressing the skills in an instructional model of information literacy, such as Big6?

Whooo aaare you? Who, who? Who, who?

Recently, my #ed584 grad class was posed a series of questions to blog about. Every couple of weeks, I'll pick one to blog about, then throw it out there for others to think about for themselves. Maybe you'll even feel compelled to share your ideas, too.

This week, I chose the question: "Who are you? (kids will be who you are, not who you want them to be)"

This is the type of question I love to hate and hate to love. You know why? It makes you uncomfortable. It makes you take a look at yourself, an honest look. Inevitably, you take into account the idea of what you have of yourself, but also, how you feel yourself being perceived by others. Sometimes, not just perceived, but maybe even judged by others *screeeeam!* Ultimately, this question provides us with an opportunity we rarely get to do and often times, never as our kids to do: reflect.

As a teacher, I know I tend to be quirky, funny in a nerdy way, and probably overwhelming. I sometimes talk to fast, make jokes that are way over kids heads or things that may be too corny, or delivered too quickly for anyone in the room to actually find funny. I think I do this because I always feel rushed. Rushed by the clock, the students' expectations, the teacher's expectations, whom I'm supposedly co-teaching with, and rushed by my internal mechanism to teach the skill or content as quickly as possible to get outta the way and let the kids start working.

However, I know I'm dedicated, professional and compassionate. I never belittle students or deliberately intimidate anyone. When I'm on the clock, I work from buzzer to buzzer, offering support to anyone for anything that I might encounter. I know that I genuinely want to do a good job and always seek ways to improve things.

So tell me: who are you? (Who, who? Who, who?)

"The C's of Change;" Then and Now

Professional literature in education has always fascinated me. It's the only type of reading that leaves me simultaneously energized and hopeful while also being incredibly jaded and confused, and sometimes, even afraid.

After reading a post by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) "The C's of Change: An Extended Interview with Member of the New Literacies Research Lab," I was struck by the responses and first questions posed within the article: "What are the main differences between 20th century and 21st century education?"

Having received my K-12, undergraduate and graduate education between the years of 1989-2016 (yes, I realize this makes me seem "ancient" to some and "a young whippersnapper" to others), I realize I'm in a unique position to answer this question from personal experience. I can honestly say that the end of my high school career and much of my undergraduate experience was old hat: direct transmission of information from teacher to student, assigned readings with canned questions to answer, and memorization of facts and concepts to complete written exams, only to be forgotten after the next course had begun. Working in a high school now, I see many of these same practices continue, and I genuinely start to worry about the educational experience and skills we're preparing our kids with.

As the article summarizes the changes in types and uses of technology in education, particularly the impact of the internet and digital storyteling tools in building literacy skills in our students, it also points to some sad realizations about technology in education. Perhaps the most sobering response came from University of Connecticut professor, Dr. Donald J. Leu:

"It is an unfortunate fact that there are only minimal differences in classrooms today, compared to classrooms of the previous century. Students continue to be asked to master basic, factual knowledge in the classroom and then are assessed on this knowledge. This, despite the fact that a number of profound differences between the two centuries should have redefined the nature of classroom learning: localization vs. globalization; labor as capital vs. intelligence as capital; information as knowledge to be mastered vs. information as a tool with which to develop new knowledge; and, most importantly, the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICTs)." (2009)

The question this sparked for me and my fellow educators is that if we've been tasked with changing education from 20th century to 21st century, what changes do we need to start making right away to ensure a successful transition for our students into their new world?

Read (And Blog) Courageously!