Final Reflection

When I started the class, I was quite skeptical over the amount of technology that would be present in the class.  Even my husband had a good chuckle at my expense over the required text being only in an e-book and the expectation to have a Twitter account.  I am well aware of how much technology can consume our lives.  For this reason, I have tried to stay away from linking my cell phone to social media and email accounts.  The idea was to be present in my life, not self-involved with my phone.  However, like everything in life, there is a balance that needs to be had.  This course has brought self-growth through technology.

My social media outlook has changed dramatically from taking the course.  As a busy mom of two young children, I really did not have time viewing the latest feeds from friends.  This is what I have known social media to be, but in this course, I have figured out to use it as resource.  With Twitter, I have found it refreshing to have bits of useful information being sent on a regular basis.  I honestly do not think I would have found some of the useful tips searching the internet on my own.

I appreciated the opportunity to venture into unknown technology.  Learning how to create a screen recording was at times frustrating, but I felt compelled to keep at it.  I can see the value of creating lessons to be played back over and over again.  I have a huge bulletin board describing in writing how to get to the library website and catalogue.  For most students, it is a lot to look at.  This is the reason why I chose to do videos for my vision of the future project.  Since most of us are visual learners, videos present a nicer alternative to my directions board.

With the Twitter account, I have been able to take a more active role in learning about new technology.  I hope to be able to discuss new applications and how they work with my colleagues.  Videos can accompany presentations for teachers who have missed the workshop or want a refresher.  Additionally, I hope to start a coding club with students.  I certainly do not know everything there is about coding, but we can learn from each other.  Technology does not have to be an independent activity.  It is about sharing the information and growing together.

Vision of the Future

The Idea

My vision of the future involves using technology to help others learn.  In my first year as a teacher-librarian, I quickly realized there was not enough of me to help students.  On the projector, I taught students how to navigate the library website in hopes that they would become more independent.  A few students were able to pick it up, while the majority continued to feel more comfortable waiting for me to assist.  Additionally, I found that teachers did not have time for me.  With the cutbacks in library services, not all of the intermediate classes came to see me.  Student projects were researched over the internet and the library was not thought of as a resource.  To encourage independence and promote the library, I have created student videos for my vision of the future.

The how-to movie clips serve a few different purposes.  The short videos educate students on the information that can be found through the library website.  They can be incorporated into library skills lessons for students.  Additionally, posting the videos will allow anyone needing a refresher to look at the videos again.  The idea is to present the library as a resource that can be accessed in and out of school hours.  Many of the teachers are unaware of all the resources that the library has to offer.  A little bit of education and teachers can learn that the library is more than just books in a room.  The videos can be useful teaching aids for my colleagues guiding students through the information gathering stage of a research project.  The video clips are meant to be used by teachers and students as a learning tool.

 

The Process

The process of learning to take a video took some time to learn.  I am sure the process took a lot longer than it should have being brand new to recording computer screens.  Hopefully, others can learn from my experience.

To start, I needed to find software that could record the screen.  During my search, I found there were quite a few programs for purchase as well as free ones.  I hesitated to purchase a program due to the fact that I really did not know anything about screen recording and this vision could be more trouble than it is worth.  Sticking with the free applications meant relinquishing editing capabilities.  My intention was to have short videos so I did not think this was going to be an issue.  In a previous post, I discovered a free screen recording program called OBS Studio.  To prepare, I watched a beginner’s guide to the program, but OBS Studio was just too complicated to operate.  With a little more research, I came across an article by Ellis.  The top recommended program was OBS Studio and the runner up was Flashback Express.  The line that sold me was “[i]ts interface is less intimidating than OBS Studio, so if you’ve never used a screen recorder before, it’s an excellent choice.”  In my inexperienced opinion, I would have to agree that it is straight forward to operate.  With the recorder in place, on to video making!

Creating the video clips were the most time consuming part of the project.  Since the software does not have editing tools, I looked into tips to make a good screen recording.  Batt provided advice on technology preparation as well as speaking tips.  From his suggestion, I adjusted the resolution of my screen to 1280 x 720 to allow the video to be viewed easier on a mobile phone and tablet.  Another idea was to remove distractions like time, cluttered desktop and busy wallpaper.  A handy feature of Flashback Express is the option of recording the full screen, the window or a region of the screen.  By recording the window, I did not have to worry about those distractions.  I just had to worry about my um’s and ah’s.  Batt suggested scripting out the video to help minimize the pauses, but cautioned against expressionless reading.  I started out with notes, but found that it was easier to script out my video.  With no editing capabilities, I needed my thoughts to be clear and organized in the whole take.  The desire to have editing power became very evident when my baby woke up from a nap or when the dog began to snore while I was recording.  In the future, I may purchase the Flashback Pro for the ability to edit.  It will save time from having to do several takes to get the video correct.

The last step involved letting the videos be viewed from my library website.  Placing the clips straight to the website created a long page that viewers would need to scroll through.  To make the page more user-friendly, I decided to upload the videos to a hosting site and create a link to each film clip.  However, problems ensued when I used YouTube.  The video quality was lacking and the screen was blurry.  TeacherTube was the next host I tried to use, but I could not figure out how to create an account.  Lastly, I uploaded the videos to Google Drive and created a link for each one.  This worked wonderfully!  Clearer videos and a lot easier to figure out since I already had a Google account.

 

The Reflection

I am interested to see how these videos will be received.  I hope they will make it easier for students to find what they need.  The visual component of these how-to guides gives students the ability to playback the information independently over and over again until they understand.  Making these videos was worth the hassle if students learn from them.

In the future, I would like to make movie clips for teachers.  Going back to the beginning of this course, I stated that I wanted to look into understanding how to code and find new applications.  Videos are a great tool to use for spreading new knowledge that I have learned to a busy crew of teachers.  With six videos already under my belt, I will be an expert at screen recording in no time.

 

Here is the link to the videos:  http://tlweiss.edublogs.org/videos-2/

 

References

Batt, J. (n.d.). 6 recording tips for better screen recording videos. Learning Dojo. Retrieved from http://www.learningdojo.net/6-recording-tips-for-screencast-videos/

Brown, J.  (2017 July 23).  “How to record your screen on windows! (Screen capture windows tutorial).” [YouTube]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo6j35kV-3o

Ellis, C. (2018, May 20). The best free screen recorder 2018. Techradar. Retrieved from https://www.techradar.com/news/the-best-free-screen-recorder

TechGumbo.  (2017 December 11).  “How to use OBS Studio (Beginners guide).” [YouTube].  Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTk99mHDX_I

Video hosting options. (n.d.) FlippedClass. Retrieved from http://flippedclass.com/tools/videohosting/

 

Developing World Libraries

Exploring the internet for library projects in developing countries has brought a sobering fact to light.  I had no idea 250 million children cannot read or write in the world.  It is great to see there are foundations that are trying to decrease this staggering number.  I found three organizations that are committed to providing literature to children.  Each of them help in different ways, but the end goal of gaining the ability to read is the same.

Room to Read is a non-profit group that helps developing nations create a friendly space for children to learn.  This includes building libraries, schools, and computer rooms.  In addition, the organization receives donations of books written in English.  To help foster native languages, Room to Read publishes local books as well.  Providing a place to learn and books alone will not help increase the amount of children learning to read.  For that reason, Room to Read educates teachers and librarians on how to prepare students to read and write.  Furthermore, the organization tries to inform students in developed countries about the inequities of schools around the world.  Videos and print-outs help students become global minded citizens who can fundraise in a creative way.   The organization primarily relies on texts, but is still helping children read.

World Reader is an organization providing e-readers to impoverished schools.  The library of books is accessible through the Worldreader reading application.  The foundation seeks out African and Indian authors to add to their collection.  In addition, they translate and digitize book titles.  World Reader has found that e-readers can reach more children over print books.  The technology benefits new readers and vision impaired students with the text to speech function.  Furthermore, the e-readers allow students to do a simple search in a dictionary or Wikipedia.  World Reader helps expose children to reading through technology.

Lastly, Library for All is a group that works with schools in developing countries that already have existing technology.  In these communities, the internet connection is not always strong enough to retrieve data normally.  To remedy the problem, Library for All stores the books in the cloud with low bandwidth.  The program can keep a record of the books read and the pages turned for the foundation to customize the library for the school.  The platform has books for students from kindergarten to grade twelve.  This includes textbooks, children’s and young adult books, non-fiction and reference materials.  Library for All makes it easier for schools to have access to a wider range of literature for a more well-rounded education.

The three organizations all aim to teach children to be literate.  The methods vary as do the environment of the developing nations.  However, every group understands the need to have locally relevant books to facilitate the connections that will enable children to grow intellectually.

 

 

References

Bernard, S. (2008, January 11). Room to Read: Building libraries, schools, and computer labs in developing countries. Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/global-education-libraries-developing-countries

Library for All. (2017). Our Library. Retrieved from http://www.libraryforall.org/our-library

Room to Read. (2018). Literacy & girls’ education. Retrieved from http://www.roomtoread.org/literacy-girls-education/

Worldreader. (2018). What we do.  Retrieved from https://www.worldreader.org/what-we-do/

On-going Professional Development

 

Sharing knowledge with staff members and the greater community is easier said than done.  From my experience, teachers are bogged down with parent meetings, volunteer school activities, discussions about certain students, IB get-togethers, grade team meetings, union gatherings, and staff meetings.  I am sure that there are more meetings than what I have listed, but the point is that teachers are busy.  It is difficult to host a sharing meeting where all the interested staff can attend.

In the spirit of trying to get my colleagues involved with the library, I have carved out a time that would be the least impactful to their schedule.  As staff trickle in for IB meetings, I set up displays for the staff to look at and discuss with me.  With teacher input, I have been able to toss out old teacher resources that are of no value anymore as well as advertise references the library has.  New additions to the library collection are also introduced.  Additionally, an email goes out to staff about the new books with a link to the library website for further information.  I know my colleagues are with emails, but I think providing teachers inundated with options to access the information is key to sharing with a wider audience.

Through listening and talking with colleagues, I know there is a desire to know more about coding and to learn different apps that help students read and write.  The demand has propelled me to look into this aspect of technology.  I hope to share my knowledge through a lunch and learn.  With the understanding that staff members have a hectic schedule, I would like to try to provide the information through different leaning mediums.  This includes providing a handout for teachers to walk away with notes.  Additionally, posting a video of the learning session can help those who have missed it and those looking for a refresher.  Using Twitter can broaden the number of individuals that can benefit from the information.  Knowledge is not limited to the teaching community.  Parents always want to know ways to help guide their children.  Information sessions on how to use the library catalogue and the resources the library has to offer can be held to benefit parents and students.  The knowledge that I have to share need not be attributed to a certain group as we all stand to benefit if we do not know the information and want to learn.

 

The first step is to figure out how to record the screen.

This video discusses different programs that can help with screen recording.

 

Lastly, the video as the name says an introduction to OBS program for screen recording.

 

 

 

Reference

Ansonlobo.  (2016 March 30).  Knowledge-sharing.  Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Knowledge-sharing.jpg

Brown, J.  (2017 July 23).  “How to record your screen on windows! (Screen capture windows tutorial).” [YouTube]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo6j35kV-3o

TechGumbo.  (2017 December 11).  “How to use OBS Studio (Beginners guide).” [YouTube].  Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTk99mHDX_I

 

Developing ICT Skills & Pedagogy

Image by mkhmarketing

Technology is advancing faster than anyone can keep up.  When there is a new social media craze, I am always wondering whether I should wait for the next best thing.  I avoided the MySpace trend, but caved to Friendster.  When I had finally signed up, I was told that Facebook was the newest networking site to be on.  It did not take me as long to become a Facebook user.  However, I have never been a fan of the numbers game.  Does it really matter how many friends you have or how many likes have been clicked?  No.  I am learning that social media sites can be used for more than a popularity contest.

The first couple of blog posts were all within my comfort zone.  Researching online for useful websites and articles is time consuming, but one can find plentiful amount of information.  Nevertheless, time is what prevents me from keeping up with current digital trends.  It has occurred to me that it might be more effective if information could come to me on a regular basis.  This class has showed me that Twitter can act as a networking site of information.  I have started following groups that discuss cyberbullying, coding, and applications for students.  To connect with others, I began following my school district.  From here, I can find other colleagues in the district to learn from and share.  If there is a lot of interest, this can lead to a presentation on a professional development day.  My experience with Twitter has raised my curiousity into another popular app, Instagram.  Both of these networking mediums have the potential to help me stay knowledgeable with the latest ideas.

All of this information is great, but the best way to retain it, is to put the knowledge in practice.  I would like to form a coding club with a small group of students.  Learning and sharing ideas together can help grow and solidify the knowledge base.  I hope to be more confident in coding to teach classes and share my expertise with colleagues.

Education on the latest digital platforms can help prepare the students of the future.  There are negative and positive aspects to social media and the internet.  However, making students aware of both can help them prepare for the ugly side and reap the benefits that technology can offer.

 

Here are the groups I am following on Twitter:

Class With Apps – @ClassWithApps

Stop Cyberbullying – @StopWebBullying

Cyberbullying Research Center – @onlinebullying

Common Sense Ed – @CommonSenseEd

Code.org – @Codeorg

Smart Apps for Kids – @smartapps4kids

Code BC – @codebcdotca

 

Reference:

Code BC. (2016, July 6). “Welcome to Code BC.” [YouTube]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvJ57Iy7LMc

Mkhmarketing. (2011, July 31). The Art of Social Media.  Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/mkhmarketing/8468788107/

Smart Apps for Kids. (2013, November 23). “Smart Apps for Kids – What we do!”  [YouTube]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRKD9bxphy4

Fostering Reading Cultures in Schools

Nurturing reading is a constant thought in my school due to the socio-economic problems many of the students face.  Reading is tackled on many different levels and involves the community.

 

Teachers:

• Our school is involved with the Changing Results for Young Readers (CR4YR). Primary, intermediate, and non-enrolling teachers as well as principals plan instructional units for developing literacy skills.

• A SET BC grant has been given to the grade 2 students to support their literacy learning through iPads.

• In the classrooms, literature circles and guided reading groups have been created among the same grade classrooms. Resource teachers and the administration help guide students in the right direction.
• For the English language learners, Raz-Kids is set up for certain individuals to improve their reading and comprehension.

 

Library:

• A library website has been created for students to use the catalogue, read books online, discover new books, and conduct research.

http://tlweiss.edublogs.org/

• Book displays are connected with themes of special days in the school calendar and curriculum subjects. New additions are talked about to the appropriate age group and displayed for students to check out.
• During library period, read alouds are done to introduce students to new authors and books.
• The students are taught the I PICK Good Fit Books strategy in classes. It is reinforced in the library.

• Preschoolers are encouraged to read as well. The school’s daycare children are invited to come to the library for story time.

 

Parents:

• The Parent Advisory Council (PAC) helps fundraise for the library by holding a Scholastic Book Fair.

 

Community:

• Daily reading is encouraged at home, but there is not always time for parents to spend time and listen to their children read. As a result, there are two retired volunteers who come and listen to primary students read.
• To help students maintain their culture, instructors have been hired to teach Squamish language and Farsi classes.
• The local public library has a big role in our school. The primary classes visit the library weekly.  For the grade 4 and 5 classes, the library hosts the Reading Link Challenge for the students. This involves reading a set group of books and being quizzed on the content.  Additionally, the librarians come out to promote their Summer Reading Clubs for all grades.  With all the activities, students are exposed to various different authors and reading material.

 

There is a tremendous focus on reading in our school, but the students are most excited to read during the Scholastic Book Fair.  The event is held once a year and I would love to see that enthusiasm more often.

An article in Education World suggests various methods to bring out the enjoyment of reading.  An event that would work well in my school would be to host a book and cookie evening for parents and kids to promote reading together.  Another activity for encouraging the school to read could be to dress-up as a book character for the day.  There are many more suggestions to check out at http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin565.shtml

Dianne McKenzie wrote a blog about reading incentive programs and her experience with them.  She has taken ideas of other programs to create one that would be appealing to all students.  The students are challenged to read a certain number of books from a set list of authors.  The program gives students the opportunity to learn of different writers.  Authors create different storylines and with varying levels of difficulty which allows students to find a book that suits their interest and abilities.  http://librarygrits.blogspot.ca/2009/07/reading-incentive-schemes.html

The last strategy that I found unique was a parent book club that bridged school and home.  The purpose is to encourage parents to read with their children.  Deuschle sent interested parents a recommended book list, but they are not limited to it.  After the books are read, a book review is written.  Deuschle consistently communicated positive encouraging messages to the parents as well as tips for making connections and asking questions in the book.  Fostering reading needs to be done in and outside of school for success.

 

 

Reference

BC Ministry of Education. (n.d.). SET-BC. Retrieved from SET-BC https://www.setbc.org/

Deuschle, K. (2017). Using parent book clubs to build a school-wide reading community. Knowledge Quest, 46(2), 16-20.

Education World. (n.d.). Principals make reading a school-wide goal. Retrieved from http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin565.shtml

Fraser Valley Regional Library. (2014). Reading link challenge. Retrieved from http://www.readinglinkchallenge.ca/

Learning A-Z. (n.d.). Raz-Kids. Retrieved from https://www.raz-kids.com/

McKenzie, D. (2009, January 17). Reading incentive programs. [Web log post] Library grits. Retrieved from http://librarygrits.blogspot.ca/2009/07/reading-incentive-schemes.html

North Vancouver School District. (n.d.). Changing results for young readers. Retrieved from http://www.blog44.ca/cr4yr/

Prasse, M. (2012, September 12). “I PICK rap.” [YouTube]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGE7K4kobEM

Scholastic. (n.d.). Scholastic book fairs. Scholastic Canada. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.ca/bookfairs/

Reading Review: Part B

Following last week’s blog, I went on a search to gather resources for cyberbullying, coding, and applications for iPads.  Here is what I found:

 

Cyberbullying

Patchin, J. (n.d.). Cyberbullying videos to use in presentations. Cyberbullying Research Center. Retrieved from https://cyberbullying.org/videos

The Cyberbullying Research Center has a wealth of information for teachers and parents.  There are tips to identify, respond, and prevent cyberbullying.  The American based research center goes out to schools to discuss these issues.  In the link that has been provided, Patchin shares his experience on the best way to get through to the children.  Part of his presentation involves showing students a video on cyberbullying.  Clips for various age groups are displayed as well as some questions to help get the discussion going.

 

BC Ministry of Education. (n.d.). BC’s digital literacy framework.  Digital literacy. Retrieved from BC Ministry of Education website https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/kindergarten-to-grade-12/teach/teaching-tools/digital-literacy-framework.pdf

The Ministry of Education document outlines the digital education for BC students.  With each of the six framework characteristics, digital literacy goals are given to a particular grade range.  One of the categories is digital citizenship.  It is further broken down into different areas such as internet safety, respectful relationships and communication, cyberbullying, and ownership of digital works.  It is helpful to see all the different responsibilities that come with technology.

On a side note, I included this resource because I feel it can be overlooked.  When searching through the BC Ministry of Education website, I tend to look at the new curriculum as a guide for teaching.  It addresses digital citizenship, but not in the exclusive detail that this document provides.

 

Coding

Canada Learning Code. (n.d.).  Teachers learning code.  Retrieved from http://www.teacherslearningcode.com/en/home

Teachers Learning Code is a great starting point to get introduced to the world of coding.  There is a manual to help teachers understand what is involved and the key concepts in programming.  Furthermore, the guide explains some of the tools in the Scratch program.  In addition to the handbook, there are cross-curricular lessons that are geared towards primary and intermediate level students.

 

BCTF PSA and Computers Using Educators of BC. (2017). Code BC. Retrieved from http://codebc.ca/

Code BC is a collection of resources to help teachers with the new curriculum.  The site is a network of BC teachers that have added lessons and links that can be rated by users.  There are resources for different grade levels as well as varying technical skills.  For schools that lack technology, there are lessons to teach students how coding works without the use of a computer.

 

Applications

Simpson, K. and Heubach, R. (n.d.). App Reviews. Class with apps. Retrieved from http://classwithapps.com/cat/apps/

The site is a page of apps that have been reviewed and approved by two elementary teachers.  Each application has a brief description and an explanation with pictures of how the program functions.

Reading Review: Part A

There is much to learn when it comes to digital technologies.  The constantly changing tools and improvements make this an ongoing struggle.  I have grown up with paper and pen.  Thus, I am perfectly comfortable to continue with the old ways.  However, it is no longer about my comfort, but the skills students need in an increasingly digital world.

With the growing presence of technology, digital citizenship has become an important topic.  In practice, elementary schools have banned or blocked sites deemed inappropriate such as You Tube and Facebook.  However, the affects of social media use outside of school can be felt in the classroom among students.  The influence of cyberbullying has had a significant impact on a student’s emotional state that can affect academic performance.  Avoiding the use of networking sites does not guide students in proper conduct.   Additionally, it does not prepare them for their future lives and careers.  A foolish act caught on tape could spell the end of one’s employment.  Learning to navigate digital platforms and being socially responsible is important to the success of students’ education and future.

The new BC curriculum has incorporated coding as part of the student’s education.  Unfortunately, many teachers and myself included lack the knowledge to teach students how to create a computer program.  I would like to know the basics of coding and how to effectively teach it to students.  One of the road blocks to this is deficient technology.  My school has a class set of iPads, but no desk tops or lap tops for students.  As far as I know, coding programs are for computers.  How can teachers work with the technology they have to meet the curriculum demands?  I would like to know more information to be a resource for teachers who feel lost in this area and introduce students’ to this skill.

Lastly, I am interested in finding new applications that can help students learn in engaging ways.  As a teacher-librarian, I want to be seen as a source of information for teachers.  Guiding colleagues through the latest programs to integrate into the curriculum can encourage collaboration for the benefit of the students.  With technology all around, many of the children get excited to use digital equipment.  Incorporating iPads into the curriculum can foster more interest in academic subjects.

Keeping up with the latest digital technology is no easy feat, but one has to start somewhere.  Teaching students to become digitally responsible citizens is as essential as lessons involving the newest technology or application.