tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73095460213086597882024-03-14T02:43:00.034-07:00Mrs. Cohen's BlogAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-628128593555948612017-05-30T10:16:00.004-07:002017-05-30T10:16:42.318-07:00Thing 30: Flash Cards, Quiz Games & More<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I absolutely loved this topic and had so so so much fun
looking through all of the resources that you shared with us on this track.
Games, quizzes, and flashcards are fun tools that students of all ages can
enjoy using and I love the idea of creating my own so it is completely custom
to what I am doing and what I am teaching. I find that my students love and
kind of game that they can play when they are learning and they like it even
better when they can be paired up and put into groups. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I had heard of Quizlet before and have seen some of
flashcards that come from that website and many of the reviews from people are positive.
I spent time going through the websites you shared but one of them caught my
eye and that was Kahoot. I decided to look at Kahoot as one of my activities
and I love love love it! It is so simple to use and crating whatever I want is
as easy as 1,2,3. The website is set up really nicely and is very user
friendly. I think that my kids will absolutely enjoy this and would have fun
playing a game and not realizing that it was work. I am going to create an end
of the year activity with my students to review everything that we have learned
throughout the year and I will for sure be using Kahoot!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-47476968945278026292017-05-30T06:25:00.002-07:002017-05-30T06:25:19.982-07:00Thing 29: Open Educational Resources <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While searching and exploring some of the websites
that were listed I came across some fabulous lessons that I would love to use
in my own classroom! I started by searching mainly for things that I teach
every year to see what was out there and I was surprised to come across a lot
more than I thought I would find. I really loved the Share My Lesson website
and thought that website had the most to offer and was the easiest to navigate
and find what I was looking for. I included some of the links to lessons that I
will hopefully use next year with my students! Thank you for sharing all of
this awesome information with us! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/compare-and-contrast-unit-253522"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">https://sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/compare-and-contrast-unit-253522</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/all-about-me-informational-text-unit-253668"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">https://sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/all-about-me-informational-text-unit-253668</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">http://www.curriki.org/oer/Compare-and-Contrast-Introduce-/<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/text-features-informational-texts-269231"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">https://sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/text-features-informational-texts-269231</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.opened.com/video/the-newbery-award-from-1922-to-2011/40829"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">https://www.opened.com/video/the-newbery-award-from-1922-to-2011/40829</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-74950427944767700752017-05-25T07:10:00.001-07:002017-05-25T07:10:24.066-07:00Thing 28: Online Learning & DIY PD<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This track was an easy one for me since professional
development is my thing! This year alone I completed over 302 hours of
professional development and I can honestly say I enjoyed almost every last bit
of it. I did whatever I could and chose to not focus on just one thing but to broaden
my horizons and take whatever classes I could and learn whatever I could. It
was a mix of online 45 hour classes, classes and workshops that my district or
surrounding districts offered, and conferences that helped to obtain so many
hours for the year. Some of my favorite classes were the online webinars where
I was able to participate from the comfort of my own home and didn’t have to
worry about traveling somewhere far from my home. With all that I have done I
have thought about, and considered teaching some professional development
classes one day and helping others just like my instructors did for me. I am
always sharing with my colleagues everything that I have learned so why not go
even beyond that and try to reach as many people as possible. My district is
awesome about allowing me to take all of these classes and not only do I
receive credit for my 100 CTLE hours but I also get credit towards step
increases. I loved reading about the webinars, eCourses, and podcasts and will
definitely be looking into more of them for next year!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-3454138987941959062017-05-24T06:53:00.003-07:002017-05-24T06:53:43.756-07:00Thing 27: Power Up Your Browser!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There are so many choices when it comes to web
browsers and for me I try to find one that I like and one that I can use at
home and work and wherever else. With all the devices that I have, laptops, and
Macbooks, and iPads and iPhones it can sometimes be hard to keep up with what
browser I use and where. At home I tend to use Safari since I have a Macbook
but when I am at school we are encouraged to use Google Chrome since we are a
Google school. I don’t mind having to switch all the time but sometimes it can
be hard to get used to one browser and then have to get used to another one. I
also find that sometimes when using different browsers I cannot open certain
things that I could open on another browser and that can be frustrating. The
browser itself is really easy to use and all the settings are easy to work with
and easy to change what you want to change. I like that it is all simple
directions and if you have a question you can google it and get your answer
right away. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I decided to explore Google Chrome a little more
since that is what I primarily use at work. There is so so so much to explore
with Google Chrome and I don’t even think it would be possible to see and learn
everything that there is to know especially since things are always changing as
well. I’ve learned that Google Chrome is much much more than just a browser and
it works with all your Google Services better than any other browser. I was
already familiar with Gmail, and Google Calendar and Google Docs so I was
excited to explore something else. Some chrome extension that I explored were
QR Code Extension, Easy Reader, and Speakit, and Turn of the Lights. I really
enjoyed learning about these and taking the time to explore. They were easy to
install and remove if need be and I am looking forward to sharing with my
colleagues and even my students. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-15304073779192812812017-05-23T07:40:00.000-07:002017-05-23T07:40:42.425-07:00Thing 26: Makerspaces<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Makerspaces are something that every librarian has
been talking about lately and something that I know every librarian would love to
implement in their libraries! I know some librarians that have immersed
themselves in this already and some like me who keep saying they want to get
makerspaces in the library but the timing or funding doesn’t seem to work. I
know that there are many different options and things that can be done for
cheaper but it still seems pretty overwhelming. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I attended many conferences this year that were
centered around makerspaces and the more I learn about them the more I have realized
they aren’t as scary as they seem. My problem was that I did not think I would
be able to afford many of the awesome games and such they have available to
purchase but I now know that there are many things you can do without a huge
budget. Pinterest has become my best friend when looking at makerspace things
and there are so many great ideas on there that I plan on using in my library. The
only problem that I am facing and many others that I know as well is that being
on a fixed schedule it can sometimes be hard to find the time to get them into
the library. Before school is not an option and after school is also hard to
schedule. Working around the class schedule is really my only option but as
long as you have teachers who are willing to work with you then you are all
good! I loved reading all the resources that were available to me for this
track and will definitely be coming back to the Cool Tools website next year to
look back at the great articles and tips and tools!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-75124867598438632682017-05-22T07:26:00.001-07:002017-05-22T07:26:13.789-07:00Thing 25: App-palooza!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There are so many apps out there that sometimes it
is hard to determine which ones are the best to use for not only your everyday
life but also ones that you can use in your professional life and ones that you
can share with your students. I love learning about new apps and being able to
download apps for everything from teaching resources to games that I can play on my phone and tablet. Apps have changed
the world and the way that we do things and are something that just keep
changing and evolving from day to day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I am the most familiar with the iTunes app store and
sine we have iPads in my building this is what we use when we would like to
download an app. Even though we have Chromebooks we are not using them to download
apps and since I do not have an Android device I have no used the Google Play
Store to download any apps. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One of my favorite things about being able to use
iPads and apps with my students is that there are so many amazing ones out
there that kids LOVE using. You can literally get an app for anything you want
and students love using the iPads and are better at using them then many adults
that I know. I have used many different reading apps in my library, apps for
coding and even Pinterest with my students. I think they are a great learning
tool and I will continue to use them in my library. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I really enjoyed the article “Library in Our pockets”
article by Shannon McClintock Miller and plan on now doing something similar in
my library. I am not sure how well it would work with my younger students but I
would love to try it with my 5</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and 6</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> graders since
many of them already have cell phones and iPads that they can use. I think it
is a great way to get students and parents involved and to showcase what we do
as Library Media Specialist!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-50195071488886299042017-05-18T06:49:00.001-07:002017-05-18T06:49:18.289-07:00Thing 24: Control the Info Flow with RSS & Feed Readers <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Using an
RSS might seem like it is complicated but it is actually very simple and
something that I think a lot more people might take advantage of if they knew
what it was all about. I also know that there are people who already do
subscribe to an RSS feed without even realizing like those who subscribe to
various YouTube channels or flickr. The best thing that an RSS feed does in my
opinion is gathering all of the important information that you might be
interested in and having it in one location so you do not have to go all over
the place looking for it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
I never
knew what that orange icon meant before and now that I do it seems to be
popping up everywhere. I decided to spend some time on feedly because
right away I loved that there was a box I could click that would let me do some
exploring before I was required to sign up for anything. The site was simple
and clean and I liked that. I searched using the terms library, school library,
and elementary library. Some great results popped up and I was introduced to
some fabulous new blogs I had never known about. One of the other things I
really liked about feedly was that there were popular topics already
chosen for me that I could click on and see a wealth of information.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Sometimes
I feel like I have so much going on not only at school but also in my personal
life that I don't enough time to read all the blogs that I would like to, or
keep up with all of the newest trends as much as I would like to. I love the
idea of having the information that I want sent to me when it is available. Not
only does it save me time, but it also helps me to keep up with it and stay on
top of all of the new information that is out there. There are a few library
blogs that I have found in my search for other things that I have come to love
and using an RSS feed to keep up with that information would be wonderful.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
For me I
think I would use an RSS feed more in my personal life rather than with my
students. I think that using it to follow blogs and teacher librarians like
myself where I can find new information and explore new things would be
the most helpful to me. Libraries can definitely take advantage if this new
information to share information around the world. I think introducing it to
students in 5th or 6th grade and letting them explore and play around with it
would be a nice way for them to learn about it and see what it is. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
After
playing around and exploring I am still a little overwhelmed with it but that
is usually how I feel when something is new to me. The more I explore the more
I think I will get used to and maybe one day have it mastered. I found a few
sites that I loved from playing around I am sure I will find a few more
the more I explore.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-5809712361149589882017-05-18T06:34:00.004-07:002017-05-18T06:34:48.535-07:00Thing 23: Infographics & Data Visualization<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Infographics are something that are way out of my
comfort zone and it was a great experience for me to try and create something.
I will admit I spent way to long on this topic and it was a lot of trial and
error but it was a fun process. People use infographics for many different
things and before this lesson I had never created one and did not have much
experience with them. I knew what they were and what they could be used for but
never thought to make one for myself or for my library. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I signed up for a few websites that would assist me
in creating an infographic but ended up using Easelly. Easelly seemed to be the
most user friendly and there were templates already in place that I could use. It
was pretty easy to use but there was some trial and error and it took me a
little bit of time to get used to using it. I wanted to watch some tutorials
that were available to me but my district blocked most of them so that made it
difficult for me. I had to watch at home and then finish some of it at my house
and the rest I worked on at my prep. I chose to keep it simple and since we had
just finished a district wide book competition called Genre Madness where books
compete against one another for an ultimate winner I created and infogrpahic which
had the final two books going up against one another. To be honest creating
this infographic was not one of my favorite assignments and I am not sure how
often I would use one of these in my library. Every once in a while would be
okay but I am not sure I will be creating these all the time. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-73097187497853105622017-05-03T07:15:00.001-07:002017-05-03T07:15:13.705-07:00Thing 22: Annual Reports- Make Them Matter!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Data, data, data, data. Lately this is the only word
that I seem to be hearing. Everyone wants data. They want to know how the
students are progressing and what this number and that number is. I have heard
the word data in my school in the last year more than I ever have in the past
and I have even seen new data teams being set up in all of the buildings in my
district. The teams are composed of teachers and staff who are in charge of
collecting data from everyone in the school. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When I think of sharing the data from my library it
sometimes overwhelms me and I don’t know where to start. One thing that I am
always reporting and sharing each year are my circulation statistics, and how
many items we have available in the library. Not only does my coordinator want
to see this data but my local BOCES does as well. My stats have gone up since I
started teaching 5 years ago and that is something that makes me extremely
proud to say. I like to c heck these statistics throughout the year as well
just to see where I am and am always pushing my students to want to check out
more books throughout the year. Doing an annual report is something that
terrifies me and I have actually never completed one. I have not been asked to
in the past and I was grateful for that. I
never thought of the idea of doing an annual report in the form of a
newsletter like Joyce Valenza did but I am loving the idea! Writing a
newsletter is something that I am comfortable doing and would be a great way to
showcase what is going on and happening in the library. A newsletter is
something that I have done in the past and students and parents alike seemed to
love the idea!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another article that I enjoyed reading was “Why you
should add Twitter Analytics to your Library Statistical Reports”. Just like
the author I have also been making a more conscience effort to be on Twitter. I
love how the author discusses how school librarians should consider including any
other measurable social media statistics into their reports for administrators.
I never even thought to include something like this but it does make sense to
include anything that shows evidence of reaching out to tell about library
services and stories since it is so powerful. I love how the author also states
how it gives stakeholders a return on their investment!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-79795946805536539722017-05-03T05:32:00.002-07:002017-05-03T05:32:19.978-07:00Thing 21: Taking the Lead: Connecting With Your Stakeholders<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Advocacy and marketing for your library are one of
the most important things that you can do if you are a librarian, or a School
Media Specialist! The library is the center of the school and whatever you can
do to promote the library, the better! The library in my building is used by
all students and almost all of the faculty on a daily basis for anything from
lessons, research, a spot to hang out and read and even just a place to come
and share new ideas. Without the library students and teachers would be missing
out on so much and making sure this message gets out to everyone in the
community is one of the best things you can do for your library. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In my library right now I always try to go above and
beyond and advocate for my library even if I seem to be repetitive. My website
is the first place I go to share with the world what we are doing. It is a
place where anyone can go and find information on not only the rules of the
library, and the online catalog but it is also a place where students can learn
more information about me and what books I am reading and so forth. They can
see examples of student work and see projects that students have spent weeks
completing. I also have my Twitter page linked to my webpage so that it is
easily accessible. Twitter is another tool I use to advocate for my library and
I have really this year taken off with using it. It is a great way to promote
what you have going on in a quick way and since so many people use social media
to stay connected they have access to it. I also try to take part in any
community events that happen and always spread the word of what is happening in
my library. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I always like to attend professional development
training's as well but I think there is always room for doing more and getting my
name out there to as many people as I can. If I wanted to amp up my outreach
and advocacy I think that this would be one of the best things that I could do.
Any help would be much appreciated and things seem to spread by word of mouth
quicker than anything else does! I really loved the 10 ways to librarians can
be a marketing genius like Lady Gaga! It was by far my favorite article
that I read I agreed with everything The
Daring Librarian had to say </span><span style="font-family: "wingdings"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">J</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Having an opinion and being passionate
are so important when it comes to promoting your library and being different in
a way that will set you apart from the rest!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-80028818718892035172016-05-25T06:24:00.001-07:002016-05-25T06:24:27.587-07:00Thing 20: Final Reflections & What's Next?<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I learned so much from this class and am excited to take
with me what I learned and share it with my colleagues. This class was a wealth
of information and I know that I will be going back to all of the fantastic
resources and use the ideas that were shared with me. I truly believe that
using all of the resources that were shared with me will be so beneficial, and
that if used the right way students will be learning new skills that they may
not have been exposed to in the past. Lessons will become better than they ever
have been and I am sure I will learn something new as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">This
was my second year taking this class and I am so happy that I decided to
continue on with this class. I am a big fan of a class that is a self-paced
class where I can do the work when it is convenient to me. The expectations are
clearly laid out and it was easy for me to follow along.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">There
was so much to learn that I know I will definitely have to go back in the
future and spend some more time researching the various resources that were
shared with me. I have already shared so many of the resources with my
colleagues and they could not be more grateful for me ideas that they can use
in the classroom. I absolutely cannot wait to take Track 3 next year and am
hoping that it is something I can take!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-13850739844663400692016-05-24T11:02:00.003-07:002016-05-24T11:02:56.285-07:00Track 19: Social Reading & Book Stuff<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I am a big
reader (shocker, right </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; line-height: 115%;">J</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">) and I find that I read so much sometimes I can’t remember
what I read or if I liked the book and if it was something I could recommend to
someone else. I also found that I would be in the store browsing through book
shelves and writing down books I would want to read only to not be able to find
the paper where I wrote the titles down. I would also always get
recommendations from people about books I should I read and would always forget
them. I decided that I need to find a way to keep all of the books that I read,
and wanted to read organized and that is when I signed up for Shelfari. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I used
Shelfari for a year or two and found that it was easy enough to use but I was
not that happy with what it had to offer. I did not want to get rid of my
Shelfari account so I decided that I would use it to showcase the new books
that we had in the library. I changed the name and a few things to reflect that
it was now a school account and once I had all the new books loaded into it I
put it on website. It was a great way for the students to see the new books and
the covers and be able to choose what book they might want to read. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I knew I was
going to have to find something to use to organize my reading and that is when
I found Goodreads, and I have been a user and lover of that ever since! Goodreads
has allowed me to not only organize what I read, and what I want to read but it
also allows me to read reviews and will give me suggestions about what books I
should read next. I really like the layout of it and like how it is so easy to
use. There are a lot of options as far as how you want the book lists organized
and you can make it custom to how you want it. There is an option to connect it
to Facebook but I chose to not do that because it is something that I use for
myself and not for the rest of the world to see.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">Overdrive is
something that is somewhat new to me and now that I know it exists I have no
idea how I lived without it! I was never originally a fan of the kindle because
I thought that there was something special about holding a book but once I gave
in and bought a kindle I could not be happier with the decision I made. It is
the best thing to have especially if I am going away somewhere because I now do
not have to pack my suitcase with multiple books. Overdrive has made it so easy
to borrow books for free and there are so many titles available through my
local library that I rarely have to buy a book anymore. Overdrive is organized
and extremely easy to use and I love that I can customize certain things like
how many days I can borrow the book for. I have helped more students than I can
count in my building borrow books from Overdrive and I am working on getting
some kindles for the library.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-4267528037375141062016-05-23T08:57:00.002-07:002016-05-23T08:57:30.478-07:00Track 18: Online Learning & DIY PD<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">As
a teacher I am very aware of current instructional “best practices”. I am
always participating in various professional development that will help me to
be the best teacher I can be and taking what I have learned and using it in my
classroom. I believe that it is important to keep up with what is going on in
the teaching world and staying up to date with best practices. I am on all four
committees in my school, and I follow library blogs, and subscribe to various
journals such as School Library Journal and VOYA.I am a believer in always
trying something at least once and if it does not work to move on to the next
thing. Working with teachers and other colleagues is also another way I keep up
with best practices, and we work as a team to implement them into the
curriculum. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">Webinars
have become one of my favorite ways to earn professional development credit,
but also more importantly a great way for me to learn an abundance of new
things. Webinars have allowed me the freedom to be able to take a professional
development class while being in the comfort of my own home. I also like taking
courses that allow me to work at my own pace and give me the freedom to work on
it even if it is 11:00 at night. I have always taken webinar classes that are
through my district but I am interested in looking at some of the podcast ones
that I checked out. They seem like they would be great to listen to when in the
car driving back and forth from work and I am sure I could learn some great
things. I have also taken many online classes through NYCTD and would highly
recommend them to anyone. The teachers are great, the classes are informative,
and since it is a self-paced class it appeals to everyone!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">T</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">his
class has been the best professional development class that I have ever
participated in, and I am not just saying that!! I have taken my fair share of
classes that have been completely irrelevant to my job and I was either forced
to take them or did it so I could get the hours. This is one of the few, if not
only, classes that is made for librarians. I hope to take track 3 & 4 in
the future and would love if more came along! I have shared multiple resources
with teachers in my building that I learned from the class and have learned so
many new ones that I can’t live without. I wish that I could say my district
would give me time during the day to participate in this class however that is
not happening so after school and on the weekends will have to continue to be
my work time!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-35312739449793454812016-05-16T11:23:00.001-07:002016-05-16T11:23:26.786-07:00Track 17: DIY- You Pick!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 18.4px;">I have a lot of experience using social media in my personal life but not as much in the classroom so I wanted to explore ways that I could use various social media outlets in my library. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat are just a few that I use. Since I teach elementary school I don’t always incorporate the social media into the classroom with the younger children but I try and incorporate into my lessons for the older students. It is challenging sometimes since our technology for the building is on carts and our class sizes this year are so big that there is not enough pieces of technology for every students. Yes we have brand new amazing pieces of technology but sometimes it is more of a pain. I do have a Twitter account for my Library and update that regularly so parents can see what is going on in my room.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 18.4px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 18.4px;">I absolutely agree with the use of social media in the classroom and believe that when used in the proper manner can be an effective tool. I find that I have great relationships with my students because I try and stay up to date with what is going on so that I can relate to them on a different level. I use Twitter in the classroom to showcase what is going in my room and the kids love that I share information that way. I also think that parents appreciate the use of social media in the classroom and for many of them they like to be able to stay up to date with what is going on, and using social media helps that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 18.4px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Students are without a doubt better engaged in the classroom as well when they are allowed to use social media. It is what they know and many of them are better at using it then most adults. To them it may not seem like homework for them to have to write a blog post, or have to tweet something out. All children express themselves in different ways and for some being able to do that in a different way is beneficial for them. I do not think that social media is going anywhere and we as educators need to somehow find a spot for it in our classrooms even if we do not personally like it. I do understand that there are some cons like students taking advantage, students becoming distracted, and privacy being compromised but if these problems can be addressed head on and in the beginning I think it will be a good thing for both teacher and students alike.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 18.4px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Some lesson ideas that I think I could use in my classroom would be a Pinterest lesson where my 5<sup>th</sup> grade students would learn about historical and current figures. They would each create a board about an individual that they chose and would have the option to pin anything from articles, images, and quotes. I would have the students follow one another so that they could generate ideas from one another and see what their classmates are all working on. They would be able to work on this project from home as well since the only thing they would need is Internet access. After doing the research part of it on Pinterest they could take all of that information that they collected to write a report or do a project on that person. When they present the project they will have their Pinterest boards up on the Smartboard to show their classmates. I think that my students would love this project and would enjoy using a social media website in school for a project.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 18.4px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 18.4px;">I could also have students use Twitter to create a profile for their favorite story book character. They would have to do some research beforehand to figure out different traits about their characters. If they did not know some information like birthdays and such I would allow them to make that information up. Once the profiles were set and ready to go they would have to tweet once a day things that they think their characters from the book might tweet. I would teach them what a # is and how they can follow different ones on Twitter. I would choose the #storybookcharacters for them to follow. They would be able to generate some ideas for their character profiles that they created. They can also dress up like their characters and post things. They would have the freedom to do whatever they would like as long as they were following and using the #storybookcharacters. This would be an assignment that they could also work on at home and tweet more than once a day if they felt necessary. I would of course teach internet safety as well and what would be appropriate to post and what is not appropriate to post. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-85095859803966419952016-05-13T06:37:00.002-07:002016-05-13T06:38:16.459-07:00Track 16: Digital Tattoo & Digital Citizenship <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">When I was in my
sophomore year of college Facebook was introduced to the world and since I was
a college student I was one of the lucky ones who were able to get a Facebook
account. The Facebook that I knew back then was completely different from the
Facebook that I know now and as all things do it has evolved and gone through
many changes throughout the years. Over the last few years I have joined more
social media websites and I am sure my digital footprint has tripled in size. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I have always been very
careful of what information I put out into the universe because I know that
once it is out there it never really goes away. I have two younger sisters, one
who is still in college and I always stress to her how important it is to be
careful of what she puts out into the world. Many times young kids do not
understand how damaging one inappropriate picture can be or what it can do to
their futures. I know I probably sound like a mom to her and repeat myself over
and over but I never want to see her in a position where something that she
posted can damage her future. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I always teach a lesson
to my students on Internet safety and what a digital tattoo is. Students today
are using technology younger and younger and are sometimes they are better at
using it then an adult is. I believe that as an educator it is our job to do
whatever we can to make sure that students are safe. Many of my students have
access to the Internet at sometimes they are not being watched by an adult. I
want to instill in each and every one of them how important it is to be safe
and make good choices when using the internet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I am now obsessed with
the first video where the amazing mind reader revealed his ‘gift’. Even though
it was only 2 minutes it was an amazing example of what happens when you put
everything out on the internet for anyone to see. The participants were shocked
to see what kind of information could be found out about them and I am sure
they never in a million years thought that could happen to them. The second
video was also a great lesson on what your Digital Foortprint is, and I am
going to show that to my 5<sup>th</sup> and 6<sup>th</sup> classes! I also
really loved the article by Common Sense Education about having “The Talk” with
students. The article listed five easy steps that educators can use before
having “The Talk” and some great videos that can be used broken down by grade
level. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">There are so many
different ways that we can teach our students to be safe when putting
themselves out on the Internet and it is one of the most important things we
can do for them. I would hate to have any of my students live with some kind of
regret when they are older because of something silly that they did when they
were younger. <span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-53015948518331157402016-05-10T06:14:00.002-07:002016-05-10T06:14:55.874-07:00Track 15: Web Presence<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I am one of the lucky
ones in that not only do I have control of my website that is offered through
my district but I also have control of my schools website. My principal and I
are the two people who have control of the website and because of that I am
able to make sure that the library is front and center! I also have control of
the schools Twitter account and Facebook pages which is great because I can
post not only what is going on in the building but also what is happening in
the library. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I believe that it is so
important to have a web presence especially because there are still some
individuals out there who do not understand how important a library and Library
Media Specialist is! I do whatever I can to promote my library and all of the
wonderful things that I am doing to show the world that we are needed! Many
times the website is like the first impression of you so you want to make sure
that it is filled with positive information about you, your program, and what
you believe in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">Since I am happy with my
platform for my webpage I decided to go in and make sure that it included all
of the information that I would want to share with parents, students,
administrators, and everyone and anyone who would want to take a look. Some of
the things that I always make sure to include on my website are my rules and
expectations that I have for my library, the online catalog where the students
can find the resources that they are looking for, and the databases that we
have for our school. I also have different reading activities and parents can
do with their children and some book talk videos that I made showcasing some of
the new books that we have in the library. I have library FAQ’s which answers
anything and everything you need to know about my library. One thing that I
never forget to include is a section about me. I think that the students and
parents should be able to get to know me a little bit even if it is only
through a computer screen since I do not get to see the parents all the time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">One thing that I explored
this week that I LOVE is the online portfolio. I was so interested in this and
think that it would be a really great way for not only parents and students to
get to know you, but also for your colleagues to get to see a different side of
you and see how valuable of a person you really are! I started to create this
and even though I am not ready to share it with the world just yet I am excited
for what it will hopefully become. I think that this could be a great way to network
with others as well and be able to share ideas and other information with
Library Media Specialist’s from all over the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">At one of our committee meetings
my principal mentioned creating a newsletter for next year and Smore seems like
it would be an amazing tool to use! We were brainstorming ways that we could
simplify creating a newsletter and I am so excited to share this with my
colleagues. The cost is not bad and for all of the features that are included
and would be a great way for parents to stay in the know! I like that it has a
simple look and there is not a lot going on. It also seems to be easy to use
but one concern that I have would be whether or not I could fit all of the
information that our school wanted to share.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-89878776136966418282016-05-05T08:16:00.003-07:002016-05-05T08:27:27.767-07:00Track 14: Media Skills<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; line-height: 115%;">Since
my job title is Library MEDIA Specialist I figured that this topic which is all
about media is one of the most important topics in this class! Media really
is everywhere we turn and in my opinion isn’t going anywhere anytime soon! I
have students who are better then I am at using technology and in order to keep
up with my kidos I need to make sure I am on top of not only the new technology
that comes along but also how to do simple tasks like scanning a document or
taking a screenshot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; line-height: 115%;">One
of the ways that I learn new things is by playing around and exploring anything
and everything about something so that I know all of the ins and outs! If there
is something that I do not know how to do I will not stop until I accomplish
what I set out to learn. Taking a screenshot on a computer, phone and iPad are
something I know how to do, and it is something I actually do on my phone all
the time. I use a PC at work and a Mac at home so sometimes I have to stop and
think which device I am on so that I know what I need to do to take the
screenshot. Being able to take a screenshot of something is very helpful to me
when I am at home since I do not have a printer. By taking the screenshot I can
then save it and email to myself so that I can print at a later time. This is
one tool that I use all the time on all of the devices that I have.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; line-height: 115%;">Many
of the tools and resources that were listed are ones that I am familiar with
and have used in my classroom and also on my own time. One tool that I had never
heard of was snaggy and I was intrigued and wanted to check it out. It seemed
that it was an easy way to be able to share the snapshots of my screen with not
only other people but it seemed like it could be an easy way for me to be able
to save images so I could print them without having to email them. It is really
very simple to use and I like that it is not blocked at my school so I can
actually use it </span><span style="font-family: "wingdings"; line-height: 115%;">J</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; line-height: 115%;"> I also LOVED the article on Free Range
Scanning about how to scan something using your phone or table. I am always in
need of a scanner and most of the time the one that I have at my job is
terrible. The videos that she linked were great and I am planning on sharing
this with everyone I know because I know my teacher friends will love as well! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; line-height: 115%;">I
am a pro at Instagram and making videos but wanted to share one that I made of
my dog Riley! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://instagram.com/p/yX5ABomFK2Df8dGUwCKP2YIETVdfNnsDbP1gY0/" target="_blank"><span style="background: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">https://instagram.com/p/<wbr></wbr>yX5ABomFK2Df8dGUwCKP2YIETVdfNn<wbr></wbr>sDbP1gY0/</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-39646003825717051652016-04-19T07:56:00.003-07:002017-05-18T06:46:24.040-07:00Track 13<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-78382888665042981572016-04-14T06:34:00.003-07:002016-04-14T06:36:15.474-07:00Track 12: Collaborating, Connecting, Sharing<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I
am always collaborating with my colleagues and working with them to create and
plan lessons and projects that will meet the learning needs of each and every
student. I like to meet with them as much as possible and attend things like
grade level meetings so that we are on the same page with one another. I also
dedicate a lot of my time to going over not only my curriculum, but also each
of the grade levels that I teach. This is a great way for both my colleagues
and I to be teaching similar topics at the same time so the learning needs of
all students are met. Whether it be a sit down meeting with my colleagues, or
an impromptu 2 minute meeting in the hallway I always make the effort to
communication with my colleagues. Not only do I take the time to meet with my
colleagues but I also collaborate with colleagues in my department all the
time. They are my best resource and I am always working with them on new lesson
plans, and we can always count on one another for small things like book loans
and general questions that only someone in out department can answer. We attend
professional development together and bounce ideas off one another. I will also
be meeting with three of my colleagues this summer to go over and share lesson
plans and ideas. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I chose to
talk about Pinterest because I am actually in the middle of a lesson that I am
working on with my 5<sup>th</sup> graders. I have so many boards and enjoy
browsing on the website to find fun and new things that I can pin for school,
my house and even my dog! You need an ID and log on and that can be an email or
you can also sign up through facebook and link it that way. The website does
require you have a picture but if some parents are concerned about a child
having an account and a picture they could always put a cartoon picture up or
something that is not an actual picture of them. Depending on how you have your
setting set on the website will determine whether or not you have a public or
private profile. If you are public
anyone can see the boards that you have made (unless they are secret boards)
and the things that you have pinned. If you are a private account then only
people you allow access to can see the boards and the things you have pinned.
Pinterest is a website that people of all ages use and they all use it for
different things. Some use it when designing a house, others for school related
things, and some to get new recipes. Children could for sure use it for a
project and it could be customized for their age. A great thing about Pinterest is that it can
be accessed by not only a computer at school or home but anywhere where you can
get an internet connection. There is also an app for the website that I
personally have on both my iPhone and iPad. I am always sharing my love for
Pinterest and telling anyone who will listen why they should sign up!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">A Pinterest
lesson that I am doing with my 5<sup>th</sup> grade students is having them
learn about historical and current figures. They are creating a board about an
individual that they chose and have the
option to pin anything from articles, images, and quotes. I am having the
students follow one another so that they could generate ideas from one another
and see what their classmates are all working on. They are able to work on this
project from home as well since the only thing they need is Internet access.
After doing the research part of it on Pinterest they will take all of that
information that they collected to write a report or do a project on that
person. When they present the project they will have their Pinterest boards up
on the Smartboard to show their classmates. I think that my students will
hopefully love this project and will enjoy using a social media website in
school for a project. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I also took
a look at Skype and had some of my students use it to connect with another
classroom. I have a friend who is a teacher not far from here and we decided
that we wanted to do something where we could connect our students even if it
was something as simple as them making a new friend. We decided to have the
students read the same book and then discuss it with one another via Skype. It
worked out really well and my students seemed to enjoy it. I think next time I
would use it with more students and maybe make it a classroom lesson! Skype was
really easy to use and even though I used it with 4<sup>th</sup> grade I am
sure some of the younger students would have no problem with it!<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-46701499478943299262016-03-31T07:52:00.000-07:002016-03-31T07:52:11.104-07:00Thing 11: Coding<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I am so happy to be back and to be
participating in this class again! This has been one of my favorite
professional development classes that I have taken and I have already learned
so much I cannot wait to see what else is in store for me this year!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">So this first topic is right up my
alley since this year I have started to consider whether or not coding was
something I was going to do with my students. I really am no coder and I did
not know much about so this was perfect timing for sure! I had considered doing
hour of code but decided that if I was going to do it I would do it at a later
time maybe more toward the end of the year. I spent time playing around with a few
of the examples that were given to us and even though at first I was not sure
what I was doing I seemed to get the hang of it fairly quickly. There are many teachers in my district who participate
in Hour of Code and have been sharing things with me but it wasn’t until I
actually sat down and experimented with it myself that I realized how cool it
really is!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I knew right away that the Hour of
Code Minecraft Game would be something that a large population of my students
would love to do. Minecraft is extremely popular in my building and the
students cannot get enough of it. As for the girls the Frozen one with Elsa and
Ana on the code.org website I already know would be something they would go
crazy for! I played around with Flappy Bird for a while and enjoyed that. What
I really like about coding is that there are so many options out there and you
really are able to cater to all of your students and find something that they
would all be interested in. One of my favorite articles was the 17 apps to try
and that is something I will be sharing with my colleagues and can maybe even
reach some people who are skeptical about coding. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">Using any of these tools you can show
students that coding can be fun and something that they might be interested in
the future to take a better look at. Who knows maybe they will be so inspired
they will want to go into a computer science career! I think that including
coding in school is a no brainer and that it is something I will be doing with
many of my classes not only this year, but for years to come!<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-57228827177198951352015-05-26T07:18:00.001-07:002015-05-26T07:18:15.639-07:00Thing 10: Final Reflections & What's Next?I can honestly say that this was one of- no I take that back- THE BEST professional development class that I have ever taken and I am hoping that I will be able to take Track 2 & 3 at some point! I can't even believe everything that I have had the chance to learn about and I am so excited to have all of these new amazing and wonderful tools to share!<br />
<br />
I learned so much from this class and am excited to take with me what I learned and share it with my colleagues. This class was a wealth of information and I know that I will be going back to try and explore things that I did not get the chance to during the class. I really enjoyed taking some time and looking through some of the other blogs and seeing what they were sharing with the world. <br />
<br />
When I first started this workshop it was very overwhelming to me and it seemed like I was going to be drowning in all of the work, but once I got into it didn't feel like work to me. I was learning new things and getting tips and idea from some of the best people in the industry! I honestly enjoyed each of the projects and learned something new each time. Each of the projects featured new sites and tools that I will use with all of my students and future students. I was also happy to share all of the news and exciting tools with my colleagues. Over the summer I plan on spending some time going back over each of the projects and exploring things that I did not have the chance to explore.<br />
<br />
Even though this was not my first experience with this kind of self-driven learning it was my first experience with a class that took place over a 5 month period. I really liked that I had the freedom to take my time and complete each post on my own time. Even thought it took me a little time to get going because of other things going on I finally buckled down and got to work and loved every minute of it! I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to take this class and I hope I will be able to take Track 2 & Track 3 at some point!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-4639779971115288692015-05-12T06:35:00.001-07:002015-05-12T06:35:37.371-07:00Thing 9: Databases & Search ToolsThis topic could not have come at a better time! Right now I am working with my 4th and 5th graders on databases- how to use them, why they are important, and which ones are the best to use! I love that while I am teaching my students about databases I am also learning about new ones that I have never used before. <br />
<br />
In my district we have some AMAZING databases that we use in our schools and I know that I am extremely grateful that I have access to that information. I have been using in my library Pebble GO, World Book, and Scholastic GO! for the most part with my students so you can only imagine how excited I was to see the list that was compiled for this topic. I have also used NOVEL NY and I like some of the features it has to offer but I don't really use it as much with my students- it is something I share with the teachers. <br />
<br />
I have never tried Sweet Search before and I may not have if it weren't for this blog. It sounds like this is a great database however I was not able to explore it. Each time I clicked on the link I was told something was wrong and they were having technical difficulties. I will have to make a mental note to remember to check back and explore the site at another time. Anything that librarians and teachers have used and approved is fine by me!<br />
<br />
DuckDuckGo has to be my new favorite search engine! I can honestly say I LOVE it and I cannot wait to share with my fellow teachers and colleagues. I cannot tell you how many times I search for something and a million different ads pop up even if it something I am not interested in. I may be searching for a baby shower present but I do not have kids yet so ads for diapers and burpies is something I don't really need to see. <br />
<br />
I took some time reading as many of the articles as I could but the one that I really connected with was "Do Your Students Know How to Search"? As a library teacher I am teaching my students how to use the Internet and safe searching strategies but while reading this article I really questioned wither or not I was teaching them how to do it because I assumed they had to have known. I would love to share this article with my students because it gives some great ideas.<br />
<br />
Loved KidRex! The pictures when you first go to the site are very kid friendly and would for sure be a great search engine to use with the younger guys. I love that it was really geared toward kids.<br />
<br />
There is so much information out on the Internet and whatever I can do or use to make it easier to find good reliable information I am a fan of. I love learning about new databases or search engines that I can use, especially when they are of no cost. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-36758635999408888952015-05-07T06:31:00.001-07:002015-05-12T06:36:02.371-07:00Thing 8: Collaborating, Connecting, SharingCollaborate, collaborate, collaborate! When I was getting my masters degree that was all I heard from my professors and fellow classmates. I was told over and over again that if I was going to be Library Media Specialist I was supposed to be the person that knows anything and everything and that I would need to collaborate and work with others in my building on a daily basis. <br />
<br />
My district seems to be going in a Google direction so I figured now would be a good opportunity to learn a ting or two. I liked Google Drive, and while I loved that you can see in real time what someone is writing I also think that is a negative aspect of the tool. There are so many features that can be added on as well- Easy Bib would be a wonderful added on for my 5tyh graders since we are currently learning about bibliographies and citations. I also like that I can create something and share it and my students will be able to comment on and make changes. It also has the option to go back and edit or restore something which is one of the best features if you ask me. mistakes are made all the time especially with elementary school children and being able to restore something can turn a bad day into a good day.<br />
<br />
I was not as impressed with Google Calendar and do not think that I would be using this tool. I know that it can be used and shared so that whoever it is being shared with can be on the same page with one another and this is maybe something for my personal life but not school life. At my school we use a shared calendar to sign up for the iPad, laptop, and MacBook cart and this is a great way to use this collaborative tool but I am not sure how I would use it with my students. Since I am not a classroom teacher I do not assign homework or take home work so that would not work- maybe to share events that are going on in the library but I am not sure how many kids would actually check it. I like that you can view the calendar by day, week, or month and editing it was a breeze. Once you know a few Google tools you pretty much know them all and I found both Google Docs and Google Calendar to be pretty similar.<br />
<br />
Google seems the be taking over everything and I am excited to see what it will be like in the future!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-88269621705660933722015-05-06T12:27:00.001-07:002015-05-06T12:27:45.559-07:00Thing 7: Podcasting & ScreencastingLet me start by saying I don't have a lot of experience with this and can't believe that I have waited this long to check it out. Not only are there a million things that I could create to share with my students like book reviews or how to actually find books in the library but it would be a great way for struggling students to get their thoughts out without having to worry about writing them down. Last year I made a book talk video using an iPad that I posted to my website but it is nothing compared to what I could do!<br />
<br />
A million ideas are running through my mind about how I could use podcasting and screencasting with myself and my students. Just to name a few- book reviews, showing students how to use shelf markers, beginning of the year procedures, how to use OPALS, searching for books and looking on the shelves for books and other materials in the library and to show teachers how to search for resources in the library and where to search for them. I can't even being to tell you how useful it would be to record everyday things that students need to know in the library (like using shelf markers and where things are located) so that when a student is absent or a new once comes to the school- which happens all the time- and I would not have to spend all that time explaining and re-explaining those things. It would be great to have something that can be used as a reminder as well because we all know how students can forget things that were learned the day before. <br />
<br />
I decided to use AudioBoom to explore. There is a lot more to the website then I originally though and I got lost clicking on things and going from one thing to another. I am usually a person who will teach myself how to use something and find that by clicking and exploring is when I learn the most. There seemed to be a decent amount of categories to choose from and even though they didn't all appeal to me that was okay. If I was using this with students I would definitely want to be careful because they could be clicking on something that was not appropriate. <br />
<br />
The recording part was so easy! It took me only a minute or two to figure out how to record my voice. What took me long was to actually save a recording because I did not like my voice. I had fun playing around and practicing by saying some silly things.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Check out what I made!<br />
<a href="https://audioboom.com/boos/3156429-mrs-cohen">https://audioboom.com/boos/3156429-mrs-cohen</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309546021308659788.post-64002958514747823172015-04-29T08:43:00.000-07:002015-04-29T08:43:04.953-07:00Thing 6: Curation ToolsThere is so much information on the Internet that sometimes it becomes too much and I don't even know where to start. As a teacher I am constantly looking for new content and sources that my students can use and most of the time I spend endless hours trying to find and sift through all of the information. I never realized that I was actually doing "digital curation". I found this topic to be really interesting and there was only one tool, Pinterest, that I was familiar with. I use Pinterest not only in my personal life but for teaching as well. Sometimes I spend more time then I should clicking through and exploring, but I always seem to find the best stuff whether it be a new hair product, a paint color to use in my home, or a really cool lesson. While planning my wedding I used it all the time and it was great when I could send my boards to the florist and photographer to show them what I wanted instead of trying to explain it. I never thought of Pinterest as a curation tool but now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense! The article "16 Ways Educators Use Pinterest" shared some great ideas one of which I would try with my students which is creating resource boards and maybe even creating boards for books they want in the library.<br />
<br />
Each year with my 5th graders I teach them how to search for information, and how to determine whether that information is good information or not. I enjoyed the handout "Building Link Collections" and the article "Teaching Kids to Curate Content Collections" was a great read. I explored Delicious and Diggo and in my opinion Diggo had more to offer. I liked that it had a lot of features that could be utilized and it offers ways to share you information and also keep things private which is good for an elementary school teacher working with younger kids. The site was really user friendly and I liked that, and I also liked that there was a blog I could follow. It is definitely a website that if I used with my students I would have to walk them through how to use it. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07940238523788937101noreply@blogger.com0