tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47347950419049676122024-03-08T14:59:32.329-08:00School Technology ParadiseDedicated to providing practical guidance for school change via technology integration and keeping Library Media programs vibrant and alive in the era of ubiquitous information.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-62417259708648428502015-01-12T12:59:00.000-08:002015-01-12T13:01:57.794-08:00Using video tutorials in formative assessment to promote information literacy and use of library resources<div class="MsoNormal">
I decided to do my Staff Development project on formative assessment in information search after reading about <a href="http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/2014/11/12/holistic-and-individualized-formative-assessment-of-research-and-inquiry-processes/">Buffy
Hamilton’s work</a> on the subject. I was very impressed with the way she
organized and structured the inquiry project to incorporate both written and
in-person feedback and coaching to help to students grow as searchers while
assisting them on the project they are currently working on. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After reaching out to faculty and seeking to identify an
opportunity to do something similar, I found a team of 9<sup>th</sup> grade
teachers of Talented and Gifted students doing Project Based Learning combining
World Geography and English. However, since I was not involved in the PBL
collaboration from the early planning stages, I didn't see a way of doing
everything that Buffy did. The main obstacle would be time as the students had
to finish and present their projects before the winter break. Additionally, the
topics of the student groups would be largely decided before I would have a
chance to intervene in their process. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wanted to go beyond the usual presentation to class with
me demonstrating databases and modeling search strategies, and provide a truly
meaningful formative assessment to each member of the classes. The basic
strategy comprised 4 parts:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol>
<li><span style="text-indent: -24px;">A presentation about preliminary research using library databases</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -24px;">Group work on refining topic and dividing into specific information search role. </span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -24px;">The actual formative assessment in which each group member selects the 2 most useful sources and describes the method of discovery and why the sources are useful.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -24px;"> Feedback on the formative assessment via video </span>screen-cast</li>
<li style="text-indent: -24px;"></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Student work on parts 2 and 3 was via a <a href="https://docs.google.com/a/hpisd.org/document/d/1LIaYmZJ__hOqDFiengXbfs8pVR40TyzakN8dmC-u7iI/edit?usp=sharing">Google
Doc Template</a>. I did the video tutorial screen-casts with <a href="http://www.techsmith.com/snagit.html?gclid=CjwKEAiA_s2lBRCe1YPXxtSe-DcSJACCIh3L4Rc00NXbc_hRfX6yQ71WbjihScwowQLiZwkZKfO0QxoCJLrw_wcB" target="_blank">SnagIt</a> and uploaded and shared the video via Google Drive.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The main focus of the formative assessment was giving the
students several days to search on their own using their usual methods and
listing the sources that they felt were most valuable for their portion of the
project. On or before the deadline for
the formative assessment, the students shared their Google Doc with me and I then
downloaded all to an offline folder so that students could not modify them
after the deadline. I actually printed out some of the docs and others I read
on the screen. While I pondered writing comments on the Google Doc itself as
the main form of feedback, I decided that a short video would be more powerful
for modeling the search process. In the end, I decided to take some of the key
points from the video and put them in writing, particularly to make some of the
sources I found easier for the students to locate. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course, I wanted to know if the formative assessment and
feedback provided helped the students on the project and/or helped make them
better searchers. While I didn’t have a sound method of evaluating students’
search skills before and after the assessment, I did survey the students at the
end-of-semester presentations. Here are the questions and results:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Q1. Was the video tutorial helpful in your information
search?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Very helpful-29%<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Somewhat helpful-50.5%<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Little or no help-1.5%<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Did not watch video tutorial-18.5%<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Q2. Did you use the sources provided in the video tutorial
and/or written comments?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Yes- 58.5%<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
No- 41.4%<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Q3. Do you think the formative assessment and video helped
you become a better searcher of information?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Yes- 55%<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
No- 4.5%<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Not Sure- 40.5%<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Overall, I was pleased with the project and the student
feedback. Many thanked me in person and had genuinely positive feelings about
the video tutorial. However, I don’t think the video tutorials are as impactful
as a one-on-one or small group session. I
was not able to provide effective help 100% of the time, mainly because I didn't
have an extended dialog with the students during the process. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The advantage of the video approach was my ability to reach
a vast majority of student groups within a tight time-frame and without the complicated
logistics of scheduling all the individual and small group sessions during
times students were available. I was simply able to work on feedback when I had
time and sent the video to the students via the Google domain when it was
ready. Then the students in turn could watch the video when they had time. The
feedback I did provide was individualized, but only as good as my understanding
of the students work via the Google Doc. Dialog and group work allow for much
greater insights, but this process is far better than trying to teach an entire
class simultaneously.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can’t say enough positive things about formative
assessment in general. Students need opportunities to learn better search
skills. They need time to practice, receive instruction and feedback, and it
needs to happen numerous times during their academic careers. This method of
video screen casting is one practical method for accomplishing this goal. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I welcome any comments or feedback. <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-62670257074290666482014-08-17T13:34:00.001-07:002014-08-17T15:18:34.286-07:00Collaborating to Create an Open Badge Ecosystem for Information LiteracyNow that I have entered a new phase in my career, one that affords me much greater freedom to accomplish good work, I am ready to contribute to the library profession in a meaningful way. I began my latest semi-Quixotic quest at the 2014 Library Summit this past week in Dallas. I'm grateful for the 15 audience members that contributed their time and ideas when they could have been in some other amazing sessions.
Here are the basic premises of this new idea.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>
A Library entity, anything from a School library system in a school district to a State or National Library Association can create a system of badges that grants digital awards to students that have demonstrated competence in a specific area of Information Literacy as defined by AASL 21st Century Learner Standards and/or ISTE NETS.</li>
<li>The Badge Ecosystem should after a diversity of badges that are attainable to all skill levels and allow for a progression to the ultimate endorsement of "Information Literate." This endorsement which is a strong indicator of college readiness, would be sought out by students seeking to demonstrate their suitability for admission to college or university.</li>
<li>A Badge system is desirable for librarians because, if implemented and marketed successfully, would give them more power to promote information literacy skills, which are often not adequately taught in the test-driven environment of public education. </li>
<li>The badges could be awarded via the following ways</li>
<ul>
<li>Ordinary coursework</li>
<li>Capstone research projects, </li>
<li>Online simulations or games</li>
<li>Library based tasks independent of classes</li>
</ul>
</ol>
Imagine a world in which school librarians could leverage actual power! Today few of us can issue credits and grades even if we teach frequently. Badges issued by librarians have the potential to transform our practice. It is up to a thoughtful and determined group of us to design a badge system that will motivate the millennial generation towards information literacy. Please see the slideshow below and contact me if you are interested in being a part of this project. Public comments are also welcome.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="356" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/37976529" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;" width="427"> </iframe> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/txlibraryguy/information-literate-a-badge-of-honor" target="_blank" title="Information literate: A Badge of Honor">Information literate: A Badge of Honor</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/txlibraryguy" target="_blank">Highland Park High School</a></strong> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-41749121782933813392014-04-03T06:43:00.001-07:002014-04-03T06:46:55.802-07:00Why I Became Librarian-For National Library Month<div class="MsoNormal">
Back in High School, before I developed an attachment to the
Jewish Religion, Frank Zappa was my rabbi. I searched his song lyrics, album
liner notes and read his book looking for pearls of wisdom by which to live my life.
I even moved to Montana for a little
while during my college years. One particular quote I repeated more than once
was from the liner notes of Zappa’s record Freak Out! It read:<o:p></o:p></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">“Drop out of school before your mind
rots from exposure to our mediocre educational system. Forget about the Senior
Prom and go to the library and educate yourself if you've got any guts.”</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My parents wouldn’t let me drop out of course, so I did the
next best thing and tuned out classes when I felt like it, went to the library
as often as I could. School wasn’t challenging. I got tracked into non-honors
classes and I liked to ask questions. My questions annoyed many teachers, who
often could not answer them, but fortunately the school librarian, Mrs.
Friedman, understood me. I was the kind
of crazy kid that checked out books that had sat for decades unread. That must
have endeared me to her. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During my Senior year, I found Economics class especially
stultifying. I slept during the endless documentary films. I actually found
Economics the subject interesting, and important, just not the class.. I
remember the thrill of finding books by John Kenneth Galbraith, Thorstein
Veblen and other surprising wise and humorous econ authors in the library. At some point I was probably failing the Econ
class, I decided to show off my knowledge gained from my library escapades by
asking the teacher questions. When I got an admission that he didn’t even know who
these people were or even the first thing about their ideas, I realized that
Frank Zappa was 100% right, that real education came from pursuing knowledge
via books and libraries.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I found myself adrift in my career after graduating college,
trying out numerous jobs, ranging from bicycle messenger, to environmental
educator and customer service representative. In spite of my view of school, I decided
to go back and earn a teaching credential. Of course I was determined not to
become one of “those teachers” who were boring and uncreative. Rather, I was
going to be a revolutionary teacher that helped kids to think for themselves.
For 5 years I taught science, which was rewarding at times, but I eventually
came to the conclusion that the role of classroom teacher wasn’t truly suitable
for my personality. I wanted to stay in
education, but do something different, something that would make sense for me.
After only a little deliberation I decided that a school library was the most
logical place. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now I have the privilege of paying forward what Mrs.
Friedman did for me back in the 1980s. I’ve been in the library for 13 years
now, and I have no regrets.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-31770144408817875052014-02-16T05:39:00.001-08:002014-02-16T05:39:43.360-08:00A Mini-Lesson on Citing Images and Online EthicsWhen I first started in this profession, I established several important rules for myself when presenting library lessons to high school students.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Rule #1-Never speak for more than 10 or 15 minutes</li>
<li>Rule #2-Always focus on a few useful ideas or tools for the assignment in front of students as opposed to general library skills</li>
<li>Rule #3-Start with the 'Why' before going on to the 'How</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
These rules have always served me well, as I generally see a minimum number of glazed eyes, and often get genuine applause or appreciation at the end of my short talks. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The topic of this lesson is citing images. Following the above rules, I began this presentation with a story about a picture in National Geographic and showed a 2 minute video from YouTube about how the image was captured. In this case, the photographer spent over a year getting the pictures he wanted of a mountain lion in the vicinity of Los Angeles. The message is very easy to understand; if a photographer spend that much time, money and effort on capturing an image, it is only fair to give that person credit. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The remainder of the presentation consists of:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Definite 'nos' of using images</li>
<li>Brief treatment of copyright and creative commons license</li>
<li>Practical methods for using Flikr and Google Image search to locate images that may be used in presentations</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
So here is the Slideshare. It may be downloaded and modified for re-use. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="356" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/30919962" style="border-width: 1px 1px 0; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;" width="427"> </iframe> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/txlibraryguy/every-picture" target="_blank" title="Every picture">Every picture</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/txlibraryguy" target="_blank">Dallas ISD New Tech High School</a></strong> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-34759433092564243602013-12-26T10:32:00.002-08:002013-12-26T10:32:32.876-08:00My Response to Average is Over: Threats and Opportunities for School Librarians<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Blogs/social%20mobility%20memos/2013/12/23%20best%20social%20mobility%20books%20of%202013%20jacobs/averageisover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Blogs/social%20mobility%20memos/2013/12/23%20best%20social%20mobility%20books%20of%202013%20jacobs/averageisover.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After several months of number one on my To Read list, I
finally finished <i>Average is Over: Powering America Beyond the Age of Great
Stagnation</i> by Tyler Cowan. It’s a fantastically thought-provoking and
challenging read. After speeding through
many fiction books as part of my Lariat Committee duties, it was nice to ponder
some well-written and lucid non-fiction. I found myself pausing and reflecting
every few pages and had lots of thoughts worth sharing, about raising my own
daughter and also regarding the library profession. Here I will concentrate on
those related to the library profession.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first fact worth mentioning is that Cowan doesn’t even
mention libraries or librarians once in the entire book. However, he addresses
many issues regarding the future of learning, education, and science that have
deep implications for those of us that work in school or academic libraries. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cowan describes himself as a libertarian and conservative
and criticizes institutionalized education on grounds of ineffectiveness and
inefficiency. At the same time he questions the value of formal education, he
exalts individual learners that have discipline and passion for learning. These
learners who capitalize on freely available education opportunities on the
Internet and understand how to use powerful computing resources to amplify
their power, will be the high earners of the future. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
High
achievers will need to function in an environment that his fast evolving, where
the speed of data gathering and analysis will outpace the rate at which
findings can be published and disseminated. Conventional fields of knowledge
will not have experts. Rather, there will be a need for those that understand
how to interpret and explain findings of supercomputer data output. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let’s dissect this from a library point of view from three
angles: Resources/Access, Instruction and </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Advocacy<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Resources/Access</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>According to Cowan, Information and Knowledge will be mostly
free. If he is correct, a traditional function of libraries, providing
information resources would be not as important, certainly not important enough
to provide justification for the existence of library. This means at least one
of several things, namely:</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Libraries will need to add value and context to
their electronic resources. This is not usually a function of school libraries.
However, local communities desire information of value to the population and
this is something a library provide. Subscription resources would not be important.
Indeed the entire business model of subscription databases may become obsolete.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Cowan’s vision of free and cheap entertainment
for the 85 percent of the population suffering from lower incomes seems like an
obvious opportunity for libraries. Viewing book as one of many entertainment
options, and assuming that writers and publishers continue to hold to the pay
per book model (as opposed to the free/donation model musicians are now experimenting
with), providing books online and in print will continue to be a vital function
for libraries. There is no guarantee that is the case however.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Mobile internet access will be available to
nearly the entire population via low cost devices and telecommunications. The
library won’t be able to justify itself on grounds of equitable access to
Internet resources.</span></li>
</ul>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, with little to cling to on access to information issues,
libraries will need to evolve and focus on an Instructional role.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Instruction<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Cowan believes that some of the best quality
education resources will soon be available for free on the Internet. The
non-elite colleges and expensive for profit online universities are under
threat from this trend toward free education.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">With the proliferation of free education
options, the public will need help figuring out the best options for them.
Young people will need plenty of guidance and coaching to take full advantage
of online options and librarians can play a vital function in matching students
to learning opportunities. This is a function librarians can play today. It’s a
simple matter of participating in the free online education revolution, developing
an expertise and sharing with others.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Skills such as discipline, focus and discerning
good information from bad will be even more critical now and in the future and
it is obvious we must explicitly teach and promote these skills in novel ways
including….</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Gamification.
</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Cowan is a proponent of learning via games and libraries simply must get
into the game by hosting and promoting games that develop vital skills</span></li>
</ul>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Advocacy<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since the future of school libraries is presently under
threat, and many trends are not in our favor, advocacy is super-critical.
Advocacy at State Legislatures is not as important as at the local level and
national level. Advocacy within our
schools and Districts is most important, but becoming more involved in
Education Reform efforts at the National level is also very important, but that’s
a whole other discussion!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Local level advocacy must be connected to our instructional
efforts or educational programs. Our advocacy must address the challenges of “Average
is Over” by simply being part of the discussion. Even though we are not
mentioned in the first Edition of Cowan’s book, librarians can be a part of the
national discussion of this book and make it into the 2<sup>nd</sup> edition or
sequel!<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-41190673655528190292013-12-18T13:48:00.001-08:002013-12-18T13:48:35.001-08:00Lariat Adult Fiction-YA RecommendationsThis year I began a two-year appointment on the Lariat Adult Fiction Committee of the Texas Library Association. It's a great, albeit challenging assignment. While the free books (much needed for my library) are an incentive, it's also intellectually rewarding to read and process so many diverse literary works. While not all my votes for selections, positive or negative were on the winning side, I nevertheless believe that the book list we generated is very good.<br />
<br />
Since I serve a Young Adult population, I thought it would be helpful to create a list of Lariat books from this year's list that would also be suitable and interesting for teen readers. The full <a href="http://www.txla.org/lariat" target="_blank">Lariat Fiction list</a> for the Winter 2013 will soon be published on the <a href="http://www.txla.org/lariat" target="_blank">TLA Website</a>.<br />
<br />
My list of recommendation for teens appears below:<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Blood Song by Anthony Ryan</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This coming-of-age Fantasy saga has enough action to engage
fans of the Hunger Games. Sure to appeal to fans of Tamora Pierce and other YA
fantasy writers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Burial Rites by Hannah Kent</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Based on a true story of a condemned woman, Agnes, sentence
to death and sent to live her last days on an isolated farm. Young readers will
be moved by the plight of Agnes who must pay the ultimate price for a youthful
mistake. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This madcap detective caper written by J K Rowling under a
male pen name has the same playful prose that made Harry Potter a smashing success.
Set in present-day London with host of colorful and dysfunctional celebrity
characters, savvy teens are sure to recognize parallels to our own
media-saturated reality. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also a <a href="http://www.txla.org/groups/tayshas" target="_blank">TAYSHAS</a> selection for teen readers, this story of a
first-year college student is guaranteed to appeal to teens who read and write fan
fiction. It’s also a story full of
warmth and humor with enough wisdom to recommend it to any college-bound high
school girl. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An epic historical romance set in early colonial South
Africa. Ambitious female readers will find the adventures of main character
Frances compelling. The gritty and morally complicated landscape of the S.
African Diamond mines provides a vivid backdrop for the story. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>House Girl by Tara Conklin</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A dual-period story set in the present day and Antebellum
Virginia. It’s a story of slavery and prospects for intergenerational justice. Idealistic
teens that are interested in legal careers will find this story especially
compelling and those interested in African-American history via stories such as
The Help and The Butler will surely enjoy this one.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neal Gaiman</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Neal Gaiaman’s work is popular with teens and this fantastic
fable will not disappoint his fans.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Murder as Fine Art by David Morrell</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Reminiscent of the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, this book
has many shocking and sensational plot elements that will appeal to teens.
Thomas De Qunicey, author of Confessions of an Opium Eater appears as a compelling
drug-addicted anti-hero and the plot is sufficiently fast-paced and suspenseful
to keep even reluctant teen readers turning the pages.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An unreliable narrator working as a typist for the
interrogation unit of the New York Police Department of the prohibition era
provides a fascinating look at a time period of interest to many teens. The
story is one of many plot twists and mystery to keep readers hooked.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Taken by Michael Totten</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A slender volume with plenty of plot-twists and suspense,
this story will appeal to even reluctant teen-readers. The scenario of the
author imagining his own kidnapping and escape also explores historical topics
that will interest teens, including the abduction of Patty Hearst and the September
11<sup>th</sup> attacks.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Me Before You by Jo Jo Moyes</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Teen fans of Nicholas Sparks and Lurlene McDaniel and other
stories of love laced with tragedy and loss ill enjoy this story of romance
between Will, once a passionately athletic young man, but now severely paralyzed
and his nurse Louisa.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-60210721801123695922013-11-03T21:24:00.000-08:002013-11-03T21:24:35.895-08:00Using character and acting to raise awareness of pretense and marketing on social mediaI had the opportunity to co-teach a lesson on character in a Theater Arts class and it was a pretty interesting experience. The goals of the 90 minute session were:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>To have students explore their character by attempting to Tweet in character</li>
<li>To raise awareness of nuance, marketing and manipulative behaviors that occur on Twitter and other social media</li>
<li>To promote savvy social-media behaviors, even if that does mean 'acting'</li>
</ol>
The lesson structure was as follows:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Begin with survey about social media use</li>
<li>Presentation: Analysis of Taylor Swift's Twitter account</li>
<li>Tweet-a-Character assignment: compose 10 Tweets using character (previous lesson was character analysis)</li>
<li>Peer Analysis of Tweet-a-Character</li>
<li>Closing reflection including short post-survey</li>
</ol>
<div>
In addition to fitting into the class, I used this lesson as a research study. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The pre-activity survey revealed the following:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Of the 103 participants, 73% said that they do follow actors/actresses, politicians, musicians, and other celebrities on Twitter, Instagram or Social Media</li>
<li>Of those that follow musicians, actors, etc, students tended to agree that they were more likely to go to a movie or download a song if they followed an artist on Twitter or Instagram</li>
</ul>
<div>
After the presentation and role-playing activity, 37% of respondents were less likely to believe in celebrities online profiles, seeing them as more commercial in nature. The vast majority of respondents, over 60%, continued to believe that some celebrities are more authentic than others, believing that others are genuine and not driven only for sales or fame.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm still processing the data and reflecting on the activity, but I do think it was a worthwhile exercise, one that is worth more time over and above the 90 minutes I gave it. Any interested reader may request the lesson. I will send all 4 files. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-28207596413053701392013-10-18T15:54:00.000-07:002013-10-18T15:54:46.184-07:00My Evolving Thinking on Educating about Information in Social MediaToday I had the opportunity to present another talk about Twitter in Education. The <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/g.risd.org/library-expo/" target="_blank">Plano-Richardson Library Expo</a> proved to be an excellent place to give such a talk because of the perfectly topical Keynote address by Lee Raine of the<a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/" target="_blank"> Pew Internet Research Center</a>.<br />
<br />
Mr. Raine expressed one of the central ideas of my talk so-well, calling Information "another skin,"<br />
that is that information one gathers and disseminates online is part of a social identity for many people, particularly teens. This very deep idea is one I have wrestled with recently and I have tried to use the concept to design Information Literacy instruction. Some of those ideas, in their infant/idea stage are presented here in this slideshow.<br />
<br />
Since my last presentation on Information Literacy with <a href="http://www.easybib.com/" target="_blank">Easy Bib</a>, I have had the benefit of teaching classes, trying out some new lessons, addressing conspiracy theories, information bubbles and confirmation bias. The goal is to challenge students to own up to their biases and fight against the universal human tendency to discover and present information that conforms to one's pre-existing beliefs and/or social identity.<br />
<br />
Challenging students this way without judging their identities and beliefs is the main difference of my new approach. Previously, I may have come across as too judgmental towards people that present conspiracy theories. I believe librarians must adapt to teaching students this way instead of simply demanding that students use databases and peer-reviewed sources. The messaging is much more complicated and the investment in lesson planning much greater, but I truly believe it to be the better way developing the vital life skill of sorting out good information from bad information.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="356" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/27347022" style="border-width: 1px 1px 0; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px;" width="427"> </iframe> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/txlibraryguy/info-litageoftwitter" target="_blank" title="Information Literacy in the Age of Twitter">Information Literacy in the Age of Twitter</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/txlibraryguy" target="_blank">Dallas ISD New Tech High School</a></strong> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-9594122321014315502013-08-05T09:50:00.000-07:002013-08-05T09:50:09.068-07:00Twitter and Truth: More questions than answersA few weeks ago I had the honor of presenting a Webinar for the <a href="http://info.easybib.com/free-professional-development-series" target="_blank">Easy Bib Summer PD Series</a>. This presentation was a real stretch for me. I have spent enough time on Twitter to feel comfortable and I have done considerable research on Twitter as an instructional and informational tool and even some practice teaching with Twitter and about Twitter. However, given the complexity of the subject, I think my presentation, as given is at best a starting point, for myself as well as my audience.<br />
<br />
The focus of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfSuf5wOvfk" target="_blank">Twitter in the Classroom</a>, was on Twitter as an information source. My central point is that people are increasingly getting information via social media and are more influenced by peers in the Twitterverse than by traditionally published material. Opinions and perspectives are formed online by interactions with others and the posting of influential individuals, some of whom are actual experts but mostly by self-appointed 'experts,' who may or may not be passing on correct information. To me, it's obvious that librarians need to be a part of the conversation on and about social media, or risk becoming irrelevant as information professionals.<br />
<br />
So who am I? I'm really another self-appointed expert with some experience, but by no means a genuine expert. I can say, I've done much reflecting and additional learning about this massive subject and read some contrary viewpoints such as <a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/chipotle-the-product-of-a-system-twitter-lying-liars-and-the-nature-of-ambition/" target="_blank">this one by Molly McHugh</a>.<br />
<br />
Ms. McHugh is an informed skeptic that is mostly dismissive of Twitter as an information source. I agree with many of her points, especially the fact that information on Twitter is largely suspect because it is contaminated by commercial interest and public relations.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, my point is that as educators we need to train our young people to recognize self-promotion and sensationalism in its natural context and be able to sift through it to glean useful insights. In my talk, I was primarily concerned with conspiracy theories, because they are prevalent on social media, while traditional library information sources generally do not publish conspiracy theories as fact.<br />
<br />
Training young people to recognize conspiracy theories is, in my view, vital to the preservation of democracy. That's actually a relatively straightforward process, but one I feel librarians are neglecting. And what are we as librarians if we're not concerned about the role of information in preserving democracy?<br />
<br />
What's more complicated is addressing the whole notion of 'who is an expert?' and utilizing experts' perspectives in online research. While I can't claim to know where all this social media is taking us, I know that Twitter has dramatically altered publishing and the overall information ecosystem for better and worse. Let's pay attention.<br />
<br />
Here's the recording of my Webinar.<br />
<br />
<object height="315" width="420"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/XfSuf5wOvfk?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/XfSuf5wOvfk?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-13491245719449241742013-07-23T10:54:00.000-07:002013-07-23T10:54:58.145-07:00Reflections on #NTAC13-New Tech Schools Annual Conference New OrleansAfter missing NTAC 2012 due to the birth of my daughter, I felt a need to make up for lost time regarding my New Tech schools background knowledge. In particular, since I am stepping into the role of literacy coordinator this year, my number one priority for the conference was freshening up my skills in that department.<br />
<br />
After years of cultivating an image as a 'techie' librarian, this new 'literacy' title is both a homecoming and a fresh identity. The main reason for my new professional focus is my disillusionment with education technology. When I adopted the techie label, I truly believed that tech integration was the number one need for reaching students and facilitating learning. Now, I just see technology as a tool, not a panacea. It's become part of everyday life and the education landscape for better or worse, and its something we education professionals must understand and adapt our instruction accordingly. The big downside of ubiquitous tech and constant online connection is that most students let the cloud serve as their brain. As a result, I see a decline in inquisitiveness, weaker problem solving skills, and lower attention spans for literacy tasks, which brings me to the rest of the story.<br />
<br />
The best thing about conferences, is meeting people that practice in the same field. NTAC is full of great people and I met many literacy coordinators and English Teachers that helped me prepare for the role. However, I was very sad (and a bit worried) to discover few Library/Media Specialists in the sessions. In my 3 days at NTAC, only one person I met was a fellow librarian and this was in a session about using books for building bridges. She was the presenter of that session, and I found it to be among the most enjoyable of the conference.<br />
<br />
In other sessions about literacy, I learned some terrific classroom strategies for developing thinking and writing skills related to literacy. However, I couldn't help feel that something was missing.<br />
<br />
What traditional librarians (ideally) bring to the table is an orientation toward reading promotion as well as a focus on information literacy instruction. Literacy Tasks as defined by the New Tech Network are generally focused on writing. While literacy and writing are strongly connected and the practices I see employed by literacy coordinators are sound and effective, I see a lack of an emphasis on information literacy, which is basically the ability to locate information and determine whether of not it is reliable information. Information literacy is an umbrella term for a giant subset of skills that includes many New Tech outcomes such as critical thinking, real-world tasks, persistence, work-ethic, and much more.<br />
<br />
If we truly want our students to thrive in the complex information universe of the Internet, we will have to demand more of them. This means asking students to locate reliable information on their own and use the information in a practical way. This goes beyond 'text dependent questions' and other literacy strategies.<br />
<br />
Information Literacy instruction and PBL are certainly a natural fit. However, there are no easy answers and simple strategies. The best way forward in my view is the bring more of us librarians into the collaborative process of project design! The starting point for this collaborative process is on literacy; the fundamental questions being:<br />
<br />
1. How to we get our students to read more and read more complicated and diverse text?<br />
2. How can we wean them off their Googling and scrolling habits?<br />
3. How can we coach students to be skeptical and critical about the information they encounter online?<br />
<br />
Of course these questions are by no means the end of the discussion, but I believe we need to ask them when talking literacy tasks.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-32740138707760081502013-01-21T13:27:00.001-08:002013-01-21T13:27:37.877-08:00Social Media Scorecards: an idea for teaching Digital CitizenshipUp until now, this blog has only been about my evolving thinking on Education, Libraries and Technology. It's an exercise in clarifying my own thoughts and seeking out like minded individuals or comments from those that may not agree with me.<br />
<br />
This post is different in that I have crossed over to promoting a product that I am selling on <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/" target="_blank">Teachers Pay Teachers.</a> Life circumstances have caused me to seek entrepreneurial outlets to bring in a little extra money. Don't get me wrong, I'm not selling a product that I do not believe in. So here it goes....my first sales pitch.<br />
<br />
Most schools when talking to students about cyber-safety and digital citizenship do just that...talk. The talks may be done by a police officer and teacher or school administrator, but the main purpose is to attempt to steer students away from obviously risky behaviors such as meeting strangers online or sexting, etc. There is no evidence that merely talking to students is at all effective and most students will simply tune out the lecture, thinking that this clueless adult wants them to stay offline entirely, which is of course not an option for most teens and young adults.<br />
<br />
My previous post advocates using Google+ EDU to create an enclosed online environment where adults and other students serve as role-models for desirable online behaviors and build community via social media. This is an ideal situation where the school is embedding the teaching of digital citizenship in it instructional program. Most schools aren't there yet, so I am proposing a middle way which is a conversation starter called an Online Profile Scorecard.<br />
<br />
Currently I have written scorecards for<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Facebook-Profile-Scorecard" target="_blank"> Facebook</a> as well as <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Online-Profile-Scorecard-Echo" target="_blank">Echo</a>, which is a system I use as an educator in the <a href="http://www.newtechnetwork.org/" target="_blank">New Tech Network</a>. The Echo profile is free and may be downloaded to get an idea what the scorecard concept is about. The Facebook Scorecard is currently on sale for only $2.00, which a retail price of $3.00. I would appreciate if you viewed and rated these products.<br />
<br />
The scorecard is meant to be read aloud in and discussed in a free-form manner in a class setting. If done correctly, it's a humorous lesson that lets students know you are aware of the complex interplay between online and offline lives that all young adults wrestle with these days. There are no easy answers in this world, but there are some basic behaviors we want to encourage:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Friendliness</li>
<li>Kindness</li>
<li>Honesty</li>
<li>Awareness of a larger world beyond peer groups</li>
<li>Following accepted social norms online as well as offline</li>
<li>Healthy self-image that is expressed online</li>
<li>A focus on the future, not just the present</li>
</ul>
<div>
Note that this set of priorities largely ignores the emphasis on self-destructive behaviors such as sexting and seeking out relationships with strangers.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As an educator, one thing I have noticed is that teens that are often pleasant, well-mannered in person, wish to cultivate a 'bad' image online to gain peer approval. This is off course a huge problem in these times when online image is very important in job-seeking and college admissions. If anything, students should try to be 'bad' offline instead of faking it online. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Obviously the Scorecard is no cure-all, but it is more likely to produce a dialog with students that may get us as educators begin the process of encouraging positive online behaviors. It's important to realize that the scores on the scorecard are arbitrary and some students may argue with them. That's part of the dialog.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So if you know of anyone that wants to devote a little instructional time towards opening this dialog with students instead of merely lecturing them, give the Scorecards a try. If you know a teacher or administrator that has a need for this product, please send them the link. Thank you for reading.</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-61278187018455615172012-12-30T16:25:00.001-08:002012-12-30T18:26:01.785-08:00Google+ for Education PreviewI've advocated explicit teaching of social media skills for around 2 years now, and I've had a couple of opportunities to speak on the subject. One thing I have realized is that when it comes to social media instruction, lecture is a severely inadequate method of directing students towards more positive behaviors.<br />
<br />
This year I had cause to investigate some problematic uses of social media by students at my school. Without going into any detail, let's just say the behaviors were typical of teens acting without adult supervision. That of course means, that the students viewed Twitter and Facebook as their little adult-free conversation space which they were freely using while they were in class.<br />
<br />
Amazingly, after I made it clear to our students that someone was paying attention to their Twitter conversations, most of the worst behavior ceased immediately. Of course students continue to use Twitter when they should be working, and some of their language is not for polite, public conversation, but just letting the students know they are being watched by someone other than their friends, did make a difference.<br />
<br />
There are many lessons to be learned from this experience. Here are the top 4 I would like to address:<br />
<ol>
<li>Students primarily use social media as a means of trying to impress their friends, often with an attitude that does not match their in-person, school persona.</li>
<li>Students clearly need adult correction and role-models if they are to use social media in a professional and productive way</li>
<li>Merely telling students how to behave in cyberspace is completely worthless, as all students in the school received 1 or 2 lectures on the subject in the first months of the school year.</li>
<li>Blocking social Web sites is completely ineffective and most likely interferes with educators actually doing something to help students behave in a positive way online</li>
</ol>
<div>
Shortly after forming these conclusions, Google made available its Google+ for Education to its school customers on a trial, preview basis. I am fortunate that work for a New Tech Network school that uses Google Applications and immediately jumped at the opportunity to launch the preview.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I briefly considered the downside before doing this. Some schools ban teachers contacting students via social media because it may lead to improper relationships. Would Google+ lead to boundary issues? Secondly, perhaps Google+ would be just another distraction that will negatively effect students attention to academic tasks. Lastly, there isn't much time for staff development to fully train the teachers. How would this work out without training.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
With regards to the first potential objection....our school already has a Gmail domain that allows for frequent student-teacher contact. If there are no problems with email, there isn't likely to be any with a social network. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As far as an academic distraction, that's a very valid concern. However, by following students I can clearly see which ones are spending too much time on Google+, whereas on Twitter and Facebook, I have no easy way of doing so. Indeed, I noticed a couple students that were getting a little carried away with posting to Google+, but the good news is that their postings were completely acceptable and often very humorous and interesting. Also, I was able to talk to these students, both commending them for their interesting posts that I actually enjoyed and telling them gently that school comes first and to post a few times a day instead of 30-40 times a time. This was a net positive in my view, since the students responded well to my compliment and correction.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now the real problem with implementing Google+ education is of course its adoption by teachers, staff and students. Teachers generally have enough to do without learning yet another technology tool. It's difficult to squeeze in something that is not directly related to curriculum. Also, the students are busy as well and have plenty of online tools at their disposal. What is their incentive to join Google+?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I believe Google+ is a worthwhile initiative and here are my 5 reasons:</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Google+ is a terrific technology with much to recommend it. It combines the best of Twitter, Skype and Facebook in one. Hangouts in particular of many instructional uses. These great features are the attraction to get teachers and students on board.</li>
<li>With an education domain, it creates a safe place to practice and learn social networking skills without everything visible to the outside world as the settings are controlled by a local administrator (me).</li>
<li>I believe very strongly that students need adult role-models in social media and a Google+ domain for school allows teachers and staff to be those role models for students.</li>
<li>Google+ is a fun way of learning more about students and building school community</li>
<li> By providing Google+ service separate from the students personal accounts on Twitter, Facebook and other social networks, it creates a place for students to practice professional and academic uses of social media in a 'school space.' Nothing will help students more than giving them the opportunity to practice professional, 'adult' social networking behaviors.</li>
</ol>
<div>
In conclusion, just by turning on Google+ Preview, I've already seen enough positives to justify the service, and virtually no negatives. Adoption is slower than I would like to see, but I'm working to add more teachers to the mix by highlighting uses for Google+ that they would likely find beneficial. I've started to see students complaining about teachers inviting them to circles. That's a good thing! It reminds me of when parents started to join social networks and then kids had to find better ways of acting online. Even if they sneak around on other social networks beyond the view of adults, I do believe that mature adult presence on social networks is a net positive. If we as educators make a conscious and concerted effort to reach and teach students using Google+ we'll all be better for the effort.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-34257934565653766522012-12-26T11:05:00.000-08:002012-12-26T11:05:00.916-08:00New Year's Resolution-Information DietI've read a lot of books and articles about the effects of information technology on the brain and society. The ones that stand out for me are: <i><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/306868/" target="_blank">Is Google Making Us Stupid</a> </i>by Nicholas Carr, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Net-Smart-How-Thrive-Online/dp/0262017458/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356545065&sr=1-1&keywords=net+smart+howard+rheingold" target="_blank">Net Smart: How to Thrive Online</a></i> by Howard Rheingold and the most recent one I've read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/mAD2SR8ZZPETE/ref=ent_fb_link" target="_blank">Information Diet: A Case for Conscious Consumption</a> by Clay Johnson. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I found Carr's argument compelling because I have long believed that deep knowledge of content is important and that deep learning is discouraged in the information age. I've watched Students apply their Google skills to nearly every academic task without learning anything and this unfortunate habit has taken over higher education and the professional workplace as well, a point made in the Golden Globe nominated movie, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1441952/" target="_blank">Salmon Fishing in the Yemen</a>. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
With Rheingold, I found his book incredibly challenging and comprehensive. I took pages of notes with the intention of developing some instructional units on various chapters. Um, well, I haven't gotten very far on that project, which may have something to do with the points made by Clay Johnson in his book. </div>
<div>
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Johnson's point is encapsulated in the metaphor about diet. Over-consumption of food makes us fat. Over-consumption of information makes us stupid and unproductive. A variety of nutritious foods is necessary to keep the body healthy, the way a variety of information sources of high quality will keep the brain healthy. Junk food and junk information are both equally addictive and must be avoided. It's a message I certainly took more personally than Carr and Rheingold. I'm definitely guilty of information over-consumption and I certainly need to curtail my over-indulgence in consumption and focus more on production, that is writing and activities that help build communities and relationships. Of course if I succeed in doing that, I'm contributing to this problem in others! </div>
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Currently, I have 4 email accounts, a Facebook account, two Google+ accounts (one for work and one for persona) and I'm responsible for 2 Twitter accounts. Additionally, I spend anywhere between 10 minutes and an hour reading news articles about world events which I have absolutely no control over. With the Smartphone, iPad laptop and desktop computer time combined I probably spend between 1 hour and 3 just reading over feeds and I'm not including the time I spend communicating the other direction. That time, being spread out through the day does not equal the total cost of information over-consumption. It takes time to switch tasks and focus on productive activities. Therefore, I should wonder how it is I get anything done! </div>
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The other main challenge of Johnson's information is to avoid the echo chambers of opinion's that are in sync with our own. Confirmation bias has left most people blind to different perspectives and hindered the quest for accurate information, aka the Truth. Since reading the book over month ago, I've definitely avoiding the time-sucking pitfalls of reading opinions and analyses that I'm inclined to agree with and actively sought out fresh perspectives that actually challenge my thinking. That's the reason I still subscribe to National Geographic in print. It's one of the last mainstream publications with an editorial policy not entirely decimated and dominated by political or commercial interests. When I read this good old magazine I know my horizons will be broadened each month. The reason I don't read it on the iPad is because of the many other distracting information sources available with a single-touch that don't conform to the high standards of National Geographic. <br /><div>
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In our era of vicious partisan disagreements, where otherwise good people can't seem to find common ground and solve problems, I think Clay Johnson's little book would do a lot of people and our beloved Democratic Republic a lot of good! The author himself is a former political operative that had an epiphany and learned the importance of living outside of the bubble that the Internet creates for so many users. <br /><div>
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In the school library world, we no longer have great influence via the non-fiction materials we select as students mostly take to the Internet for their answers. Our primary concern has to be teaching habits of mind that help young people cultivate the ability to manage time, consider other perspectives and see past the petty, partisan propaganda that seems to dominate our media universe. As educators, its highly important we start with ourselves, and I appreciate Clay Johnson for coming forward to present the Information Diet, which is a great framework for starting conversations with colleagues, students and fellow citizens of all persuasions.</div>
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In the new year, I resolve to refine my information diet, and urge you to do the same. Make 2013 a great year!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-90244539022972929942012-08-20T08:20:00.000-07:002012-08-20T08:20:02.345-07:00Retweet! Not Reteach!For quite a while now, I've believed that the skill of sorting and using information is of far greater importance than merely acquiring the information covered in the school curriculum. Therefore it behooves us to design learning experiences that require students to do that as we move through the curricula.<br />
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Today, students are accessing more information than ever via social networks. Unfortunately, young people are often abandoned to learn on their own and much of what they learn is just plain incorrect. Schools must teach skills and habits for students to not always believe what they read in the Twitter stream and to seek out the truth.<br />
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My latest presentation exhorts librarians to take the lead in teaching the habits and skills. Using current examples, including the Gabby Douglas hair controversy and the Apple asymmetrical screw hoax, I demonstrate how fake stories are quickly generated, spread and believed by millions of people. In my opinion, the detective work in getting to the bottom of these stories is downright fun!<br />
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Much of the material here is owed to Howard Rheingold and his amazing book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Net-Smart-How-Thrive-Online/" target="_blank">Net Smart</a>, which is currently serving as my reference Bible for planning my teaching. I welcome comments and requests for further explanation on any slide. Not all of the meaning is expressed, as much of it was spoken in my talk last week.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="356" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/14019229" style="border-width: 1px 1px 0; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px;" width="427"> </iframe> <br />
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<strong> <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/txlibraryguy/retweet-not-reteach" target="_blank" title="Retweet, not reteach!">Retweet, not reteach!</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/txlibraryguy" target="_blank">Dallas ISD New Tech High School</a></strong> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-68454053034485369892012-07-31T13:25:00.001-07:002012-07-31T13:25:50.097-07:00Reflections on Parenthood and Ed TechFor the last 17 years, I've been occupied professionally with educating other peoples' children. That all changed a couple of weeks ago, when God blessed my wife and I with a daughter. I feel as though my life in education is just beginning, since I know have at least 18 years to focus my efforts on educating one child instead of basically starting over every few years. Obviously I have done a lot of reflecting about my views of education for my own child and as I write this, I'm thinking about how this personal endeavor may influence my professional practice. Here are some thoughts.<br />
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I've long had an image as a tech guy, and I've earned the image, as I have advocated for student computer use for my entire career, and more recently have been outspoken about the potential benefits of video gaming, mobile technology and social media. That being said, I have always worked with teenagers who, by and large are already enthusiastic about technology use and I believe the use of technology in institutions of education can help these teens become more involved in learning and can potentially drive better pedagogy. Now, here's where my personal and professional viewpoint would seem to diverge.<br />
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I'm actually ultra-conservative about technology use among children and I convinced my wife to grant our daughter a 100% screen-free life until the age of 8. That means no television (educational or otherwise), no videogames, no ebooks, no screens at all. That would be in line with the strictest opinion from pediatricians. The most permissive would limit screen time until age 2. Why do I want to follow the strictest opinion? The answers are based on both my professional and personal experience.<br />
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In a nutshell, I believe that kids raised with highly limited media are more imaginative, better behaved, and better able to succeed academically and professionally. This opinion was cemented in college when I was cycling with a friend. When I made a casual reference to a TV show, he didn't know what I was talking about because he was raised without television. I also realized at that time that this guy was a tremendous athlete in spite of having asthma, a gifted student of many subjects and an all-around creative person with a great sense of humor. I wanted to live in a world with more people like him, and I started watching less and less TV.<br />
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There is really no upside to introducing screens. It may be cute to see a 3 year old playing with an iPad, but that only proves how easy it is to figure out an iPad, and how unnecessary it is to have a class at an elementary school on an iPad. Personally I find it horrifying when parents constantly give their kids electronic pacifiers, going as far to always have a screen on, even while driving in the car. It's also horrifying to me (and I see this all the time) to see parents staring at their smartphones while their kid plays in the park. I am determined not to become that sort of parent and I don't want any person, let alone my own child, think they are less important that my smartphone. I have also seen schools resort to electronic pacifiers, and that is infuriating as well. Honestly, I'm also complicit in this, as I allow video games in the library. Though I see some positives, especially when I manage to tie a game into a life-lesson, but much of the time, its simply the path of least resistance. Games allow kids to kill time without much benefit to them.<br />
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The reality is that we public educators get more an more kids are being parented by media and devices. It's just sad, and I don't believe anymore the positive spin about the digital natives. They're not learning social skills such as making eye-contact and engaging in scintillating conversation or have clever things to say in writing. The kids that do have conversational skills and creative abilities...they are almost always readers. The kids that have great social skills...their parents talk and interact with them. Schools need to bring out more of these skills and not resort to electronic pacification.<br />
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So, does this effect my outlook on technology in education? Not really. I still thing secondary students should be taught explicit skills about using the Internet as an information source, establishing a positive digital footprint and learning Digital Citizenship, etc. These are not just buzzwords to me. However, we're fooling ourselves if we think these digital natives are going to thrive in the future if we as educators don't give them something on top of their comfort with technology. <br />
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As a parent, I frankly I will not rely on schools to fully train my daughter for the complex, high tech future. I have to provide a solid foundation for her, giving her lots of books, talking with her, playing chess, doing science experiments to foster curiosity, etc. When I finally do introduce a computer into her life, I want her to see it as a serious work tool and not merely a toy. I want her to understand how computers work, before she learns to waste time on games, videos, etc. I plan on modelling this behavior by using a computer or device only when it serves a purpose, and not just to kill time.<br />
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As a high school librarian, always admired good auto shop teachers. They wanted their students to understand cars just as the kids were learning to drive. There students learned practical problem solving skills that applied to life in general. This is the way I think we should approach computers as well. Kids should learn how to troubleshoot and work out creative solutions within applications they use and create their own applications. However, most students just don't get this kind of training at school.<br />
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I see the focus on standards and testing as a big obstacle to achieving any kinds of results in so called "21st Century Skills." It's hard to find time for the things I think are important for young people, when there are so many arbitrary standards that are assessed annually. I'm not against testing and standards, but I do wish school systems were more flexible in how they teach and assess them.<br />
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I'll continue to promote the reading of books, recruiting kids into chess club, encouraging Apps programming, demonstrating my love for learning on all subjects, talking to kids about their mission in life and how to accomplish it. These are the things I will always to for my daughter, but will only be able to do for a small percentage of the kids I see at school. It's not a perfect world, but I plan on making the best of it.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-81559851444816567782012-05-03T11:43:00.000-07:002012-05-03T11:47:03.709-07:00Using Hunger Games to get students ready for Biology TestHere in Texas we are in the first year of new, more rigorous State tests. Rigor is really synonymous with higher reading skills. Having read over the released sample questions for the Biology End of Course exam, I noticed that, while science content knowledge is important, the primary skills needed are deductive reasoning, identifying main ideas and parsing and sorting information for the purpose of comparison. It is therefore more important than ever to model these skills and give students opportunities for practice.<br />
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With the enormous popularity of the <i>Hunger Games</i>, I decided it would be a great idea to analyze the science content of the novel and design a lesson that would do just that. This is what I came up with.<br />
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<b>First Step-Focus on the Questioning </b><br />
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I begin the Hunger Games lesson with a Power Point that has embedded questions for the student audience. I employ a student response system (clicker) to poll the students. I emphasize that these questions are about the questions one ask along with reading. My agenda is to lead students towards asking questions about the science embedded in the Hunger Games story.<br />
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<b>Second Step-Model the Reading/Questioning Strategies</b><br />
I use a SMART Board to display a 3 paragraph passage in the <i>Hunger Games</i>. I explain that our goal of reading this passage is to understand the concept of <b>Muttation</b>, which is a fictional element of the book, with a <b>Mutation</b>, a real scientific concept the students learn about in Biology class. The passage is on page 42 and 43 of the Scholastic paperback edition of the <i>Hunger Games</i> and it is about how the Mockingjay species came into being.
As a class, we read-a-loud and pause to highlight on the SMART Board the key scientific information in the passage. I and/or my co-teacher model by continually asking pertinent questions such as "MuTTation has 'mutt' in it. What's a mutt?" and "Is the Mockingjay a Muttation or is it only a Jabberjay that is a muttation?" After the read-a-loud we fill in the Venn diagram on the SMART board that compares Mutation and Muttation, with the goal of activating students prior knowledge of real-world mutations such as albino animals and comparing them with the diabolical muttations in the book.<br />
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<b>Third Step-Students practice questioning and comparing independently</b><br />
The second reading passage introduces the Tracker Jackers and is on pages 185-86 of the Scholastic edition. On the same page, I put an excerpt from Encyclopedia Britannica describing the "Killer Bees," which have many similarities to Tracker Jackers. Students have 15 minutes to read both passages aloud with a partner while highlighting key information. I encourage the students to think aloud by asking relevant questions. Some students need assistance in formulating the questions. The assignment is to fill in a Venn Diagram similar to the first example, comparing Tracker Jackers and Killer Bees.
At the end we have a discussion hashing out the key questions and complete the diagram on the SMART Board.<br />
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<b>Conclusion</b><br />
<b></b>I designed the lesson to have a culminating project component, but due to circumstances at my campus, was not able to use this part of the lesson. This extension involves the passage from Hunger Games (pp 331-33 in Scholastic paperback) that introduces the horrifying muttation, the Wolf-Mutt, which is a vicious dog-like creature with features of human beings. The project is to design a comic strip that depicts in logical-sequential order how these creatures may have been created. In order to accomplish this task, students need to highlight clues from the passage as well as activate knowledge about DNA and genetic engineering to make the comic realistic. It's an open question whether or not the Wolf-Mutt is an actual possibility.<br />
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At the conclusion of the lesson, I mentioned other science fiction books that have DNA in the plot, including Michael Cricton's <i>Jurassic Park</i> and <i>Andromeda Strain</i>. I am a librarian after all!
I welcome all comments and will gladly share my Power Point and other documents to those that comment and/or <a href="mailto:" nskrasnoff@gmail.com""="">send me an email.</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-70057394403207090182012-03-08T09:14:00.000-08:002012-03-08T09:22:28.371-08:00The Accidental iPad-Yearbook connectionSometimes the best ideas are completely accidental and the most simple.
I grew up in an era when disposable cameras became ubiquitous and many people would put them out at social events and let guests document the occasion. The host would collect the cameras at the end of the party, develop them and select the best ones for preservation and/or distribution.
This year I decided to purchase 5 iPads for use in the library, not knowing exactly how they would be used, but holding out a vague hope that the students would use them to read stuff. I put on various apps that provide access to reading materials including: Pulse, Follett Reader, Zinio, National Geographic, Classic Books, and quite a few more. However, the Apps that got by far the most use were related to the camera. Over the course of the year, students took hundreds of pictures, mostly in the library.
I thought of the old 80s idea of disposable cameras as documentation tools! The iPads were documenting daily school life and figured I could capitalize on this. I decided to lay out a plan to download and store all of the pictures from the iPads on my computer and send the best selections on to the yearbook. I use Windows computers and when I plug in the iPads I get an Autoplay window that allows me to download all pictures and videos in a single click. I change the settings to allow tagging of pictures and then erase the pictures from the iPad. The output allows me to sort the pictures in batches. It takes very little time and I think I'm providing a valuable service by organizing these pictures.
The yearbook sponsor was very grateful;and why should't she be. This simple project eliminated much of the need to send yearbook photographers around taking pictures and the pictures are real, spontaneous depictions of student life.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-82608756019680887972012-02-19T19:08:00.000-08:002012-02-19T19:08:44.242-08:00Update on Nooks in the LibraryLast week, I was discussing the idea of putting a magazine collection on E-readers with some fellow library types and a couple were interested in my experience so far. Here it goes, the good along with the bad.
In the early part of the school year, I decided to adopt the Nook Color as a device to circulate in the library. My decision was based on recommendations from various colleagues, as well as the availability of the local Barnes and Noble representatives to help launch the program. I had a plan to purchase 6 Nooks, with each having a particular theme. For example, one Nook would have a Sports theme, another a comic/manga theme, another with a celebrity theme, etc. I planned on purchasing a mix of Apps, Magazines and books for each Nook so that a user that checked out a device would experience the joy of discovering interesting content and be motivated to check it out frequently upon visiting the library.
Well, at every stage of execution, my plan did not quite work as I had hoped.
I was happy with the support of the Barnes and Noble rep, who visited me twice on campus to help me work out some issues. However, there was considerable difficulty getting the managed accounts set up and the project was delayed by over a month because of inefficiency and confusion. I definitely wanted to get the so-called managed account because it would make it possible to purchase content with a purchase order instead of my personal credit card (I could get no guarantee of reimbursement for this either). The immediate problem was that as soon as I enrolled the Nooks in the managed account, it was not legal to purchase magazine subscriptions. This was a huge setback for me, as I had already cut my print magazine subscription list with plans to have a better selection of electronic magazines.
I was able to submit a list of books and received some very helpful suggestions to help fill in the collection on each of the Nooks. Another disappointment was cost. I found some great sale prices on the B&N Web site but the price granted to me on the managed account was full price for the same item. I was really impressed with the way the books were delivered. They magically appeared on the correct device once the purchase order was received. I was very excited when that happened and quickly prepared a mini-publicity blitz to let the students know about the Nook collections.
The most popular Nook, as expected, has been the Manga/Comics edition, which also has the Hunger Games trilogy. However, of the users that checked out this Nook, only a couple returned to check it out again. In a number of cases, a student got interested in reading a book on a Nook, and then would ask if I had the print copy of the same title. It seems that many are nervous about losing or damaging the device and this is a disincentive for some of the lower income students.
When the Nooks first arrived, there was a novelty factory that generated interest. However, the students quickly decided that the iPads were more quick and versatile as tablets, so the Nooks are no longer selected because of the device. On top of that B&N released a new tablet that would certainly be a better choice than the under-powered Nook Color. The only motivator to use the Nooks anymore is really the content. As mentioned quite a few would prefer that content in print.
Overall, the circulation of Nooks has been below expectations. On top of that, consider the economics. On my initial purchase, I bought 6 Nooks and 30 e-book titles for a total of $1800. For the same cost, I could have easily ordered 100 print books, so there are 70 fewer books, because of the device cost. On top of that, the magazine plan was a bust, and I was also hoping to gain more subscriptions at a lower cost compared with print.
I should mention that my student population is only 130 this year. I work at a new campus with only a 9th grade. With a larger student population arriving in the coming years, I fully expect to see higher circulation of the Nooks, and if that is the case, I would certainly continue to purchase more titles to maintain interest. As with any technology it is often best to wait and see, and in hindsight, I would have waited to get the Nook Tablet, or considered the much less expensive black and white e-readers.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-19551867174540947072012-01-17T18:17:00.000-08:002012-01-17T18:17:57.932-08:00Leap into the Deep: A way to encourage deeper reading in 2012Quite a while ago I told myself I was going to read the book by Nicholas Carr called
<i>The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains</i>. I never made good on my pledge, but I did manage to find time to listen to this <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127370598">7 minute piece on NPR</a> about the book.
Ever since that story aired over a year and a half ago, I've been obsessed with figuring out a way to get kids to read more deeply while also encouraging use of social media and the full menu of Internet tools. While I can sometimes read with great focus while on a computer, it is more often true that I get distracted and my mind wanders off in several different directions at once. When it comes to students, I rarely see a kid sticking with a long Web page or database article long enough to read it thoroughly. This bothers me. I know it may not be the end of the world, but I strongly believe the most successful of our graduates will be able to read deeply and effectively. What can be done to make more kids into deep readers that do more than scroll, skim and click?
Last weekend I thought of a clever campaign. I'm calling it "Leap into the Deep." Since February has an extra day this Leap Year, I figure that gives everyone an extra 24 hours to do something productive such as read deeply on a subject. I also wanted the title to reflect the spontaneous nature of research where reading can be done whenever the inspiration hits and plunge deep into a subject. Hence "Lead into the Deep" is the perfect title for this little program.
My school is a special place where Project Based Learning is the norm. Still, the students are often so packed with projects and they work in a fast-paced environment that doesn't always allow enough time to research thoroughly. I wanted to allow students to decide for themselves what to read deeply about and allow the to do so in the context of one of their projects, preferably the one that is most interesting to them. Once a student has identified a project and a set of questions for a research quest, he simply tells the teacher he is read to "Leap into the deep," which means a pass to the library for 30 minutes of intensive research assistance and offline reading.
The details of the program are in this short Slideshare presentation. Please look it over and send me feedback. In particular, I'm looking for scaffolding and instructional ideas to help struggling readers.
<div style="width:425px" id="__ss_11121181"><strong style="display:block;margin:12px 0 4px"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/txlibraryguy/leap-into-the-deep-11121181" title="Leap into the deep">Leap into the deep</a></strong><object id="__sse11121181" width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=leapintothedeep-120117192227-phpapp02&stripped_title=leap-into-the-deep-11121181&userName=txlibraryguy" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><param name="wmode" value="transparent"/><embed name="__sse11121181" src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=leapintothedeep-120117192227-phpapp02&stripped_title=leap-into-the-deep-11121181&userName=txlibraryguy" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><div style="padding:5px 0 12px">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/txlibraryguy">Dallas ISD New Tech High School</a>.</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-29472001617898231752011-12-22T12:37:00.000-08:002011-12-22T12:38:04.796-08:00Grand Unification Theory of Librarianship...It's the Reading and Thinking!With time off to think, its only natural that I turn my attention to reading, reflecting and writing. When I left for the Winter break, I had in mind to learn more about some of the latest trends in librarianship, particularly the notions of Enchantment, Transliteracy and Information Literacy. Specifically, my first goal was to read the E-book,<a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/96705" target="_blank"> <i>School Libraries: What's Now, What's Next, What's Yet to Come</i></a>, put together by Kristin Fontichiaro and Buffy Hamilton, two of the great stars of the School Library world. I was honored to be one of the contributors to this project. Of course, just as soon as I finished reading that one, Kristin Fontichiaro goes and releases another E-book by her graduate students called <i><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/115254" target="_blank">Information Literacy in the Wild</a></i>. Reading that book is another goal for the remainder of this break.<br />
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What have I gained from this reading? In terms of content knowledge I now have a firmer grip on the distinctions between Transliteracy and Information literacy. More importantly, I learned about some more amazing colleagues from all over the World that I now follow on Twitter. Finding kindred spirits and role models is what keeps me going in this business, and that alone made the reading worth while.<br />
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However, reading through this book in one sitting, its easy to feel overwhelmed with all the talk of new professional standards, roles for librarians, goals for library facilities, as well as deeper concepts that require understanding before applying them to practice. For me, the big takeaways are not anything new, but reaffirmations of the core of my philosophy of librarianship, which can be summed up in two words; <b>Reading and Thinking. </b>Yes, it really is that simple, but its complicated.<br />
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Taking just the concept of Transliteracy, which describes a state where an individual is competent at various literacies that enable not just the acquisition of knowledge from reading, but the ability to process information from all forms of media and participate in the global conversations via the same types of media. Obviously, a very complex and high level outcomes are necessary to produce transliterate students, and it is overwhelming to think about the prospect of all of the individual teaching objectives and lessons that would be necessary. However, when one thinks about it, the underlying skills are really the same as reading.<br />
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Expert readers are really capable of being transliterate, assuming they learn various skills such as social media, video production and various other computer applications. None of these latter skills are difficult compared to becoming an expert reader. An expert reader has more than a strong vocabulary, but a habit of continually asking key questions while reading and highly honed skills of efficiently assimilating the most vital information and perspectives from text. It's practically impossible to become an expert reader without simultaneously becoming an expressive and competent writer and a learner that is at least somewhat comfortable in an ambiguous and complicated world of abstraction. Strong readers don't just passively absorb ideas, but they respond.<br />
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So, to make a long-story short, we as librarians should pay attention and teach skills related to transliteracy whenever we have the opportunity. However, out core mission of just plain old literacy is still number one. Kids that regularly read through books of hundreds of pages are prepared to be transliterate, while those that can't or don't read regularly will never be transliterate. Having a quality mix of books in print and E-book form is more important than ever, and the battle for student minds will be won by librarians that are transliterate themselves, who can connect with students and lead them towards the world of text and abstraction. This leads me to the last point, which is about thinking, specifically the types of thinking that don't happen with a book in hand.<br />
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If libraries are to be relevant in the age of the e-book, we have to serve a purpose that is beyond promoting reading. Librarians need to lead young people towards a life of the mind. For me, this means games. I allow and encourage video games and I make sure to praise and reward students that go beyond the level of just playing games. Video games can be a gateway to knowledge acquired through books or avenues for learning skills related to transliteracy.<br />
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Even more so, I am a big proponent of off-line games such as Chess and Bridge that promote problem solving, critical thinking and social skills on a very high level. These games figure into my library program. I recognize that not all librarians are inclined to start chess clubs and bridge clubs, but I think these two games have proven track records at boosting student skills and self-esteem. I encourage individual librarians to identify and promote all activities that lead to these outcomes. If librarians are creative, they will be sure to inspire creativity in others. Just as if we model transliteracy in our practice, we're likely to inspire it in others.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-89271631928830674172011-12-15T20:13:00.000-08:002011-12-15T20:15:48.156-08:00Getting Social: My presentation to 9th grade studentsI'm grateful for a job that gives me the opportunity to talk to young adults about social media and it's importance to their futures. Most of the talk in schools that I have seen primarily focus on the 'fear factor' and telling students what they shouldn't do. I wanted to talk solely about the positive possibilities of social media with the intention of opening up students' minds about the tremendous benefits of using social media effectively.<br />
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For this talk, I used CPS systems to anonymously poll members of each class. The slides with the tan background and black text are the questions for the 'clickers.'<br />
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<strong style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/txlibraryguy/getting-social-10609943" target="_blank" title="Getting social">Getting social</a></strong> <iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/10609943" width="425"></iframe> <br />
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View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/txlibraryguy" target="_blank">Dallas ISD New Tech High School</a></div>
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The interactive nature of the talk gave me some interesting insights into the students thinking. Here are a couple of things I learned:<br />
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<li>Students have a fairly low regard for expert opinions. They had a strong preference for getting information from Google or people they know, but seemed completely disinclined to seek out an expert in a field. I will certainly follow up on this when presenting on sources and credibility of information!</li>
<li>In one class only 1 of 20 students reported writing for their own blog, while in the others the percentage of bloggers was right at 50%. The class with only one blogger was also the least engaged and receptive to my message. To me this suggests that teaching social media in itself would be ineffective without addressing the students' writing abilities and confidence in their communication skills. </li>
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I hope others can benefit from my experience and would love to here from other educators that are presenting or wish to present a positive message regarding social media to teenagers.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-11080579784104800432011-11-14T12:55:00.001-08:002011-11-14T14:38:36.757-08:00Why schools should embrace video games instead of banning themRecently I answered a colleague who asked on a question on the Texas Library Association Listserv regarding our library policies about video gaming. When she reported back on her findings it turned out that I was the only one that encouraged or supported gaming. Some respondents talked about allowing "only educational or approved games," and others said they tried allowing gaming until it "got out of hand." Most just banned games on library computers.<br />
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I'm actually sympathetic to these viewpoints. At times the gamers make a little more noise than I am comfortable with, and the computers in the library are limited, so it seems wrong to have game players taking over computers of those that want to do "real work." Furthermore, I myself wasted far too many hours of my youth (not to mention my hard earned money one quarter at a time) on video games. As a mature adult, that no longer "wastes time" on video games, I sometimes I wished I would have learned a 2nd language instead of practicing my alien-slaying skills. Did all of those hours of joystick jostling pay off in any way? The truth is, I'm not sure.<br />
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One thing that is different more than 2 decades later after my Atari saturated childhood is that video games are much more sophisticated and much more a part of the culture. They involve much more problem solving instead of mere hand-eye coordination. Video Games allow for creativity and open-ended exploration of virtual environments. Virtual reality, 3-D graphics, simulations...These are all entire industries now. Don't we want some of our students to prepare themselves for jobs in these fields? Games also teach valuable leadership and collaboration skills. We are in favor of those, right?<br />
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So, reservations aside, I'm going to argue that a permissive policy on video games is far better than a restrictive one. Here's how it all worked out for me this year.<br />
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During the very first weeks of school, many students had not yet discovered the library. Those that did were overwhelmingly interested in a game called Minecraft. In the opening scenes of the game, it's a violent struggle for survival. Monsters, shooting... you get the picture. My instincts told me that I didn't want this stuff in the library, lest the administration see it and reprimand me for allowing such stuff to go on at school. However, I overrode my instincts. Instead of telling the boys to quit that game in favor of something more wholesome, I decided to ask the students to tell me about the game and why they enjoyed it. They all talked about the creativity that the game allowed. I spent quite a lot of time watching the game and listening to them. As the year went on, the boys got into more and more advanced levels of the game and I could actually see what they were talking about.<br />
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Then, just recently I was glancing at my Twitter feed and the word "Minecraft" jumped out at me. It was a story from <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/Edtweeps" target="_blank">@edtweeps</a> about a<a href="http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2011/11/11/using-minecraft-for-virtual-simulations-oklahoma-ag-in-the-classroom-k20ili/" target="_blank"> school in Oklahoma</a> that uses the game for simulations in an Agriculture class. Wow! I did some more digging on Twitter and found <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/MinecraftTeachr" target="_blank">@MinecraftTeachr </a>who teaches in a virtual school and uses MineCraft as his learning space. He has over 4,000 followers. It turns out there are Education modules for Minecraft.<br />
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I started asking the Mine Craft boys at school about their feelings about using Mine Craft for their school projects. They were all convinced that this would be a great thing for them. Today I spoke with one of the parents of these students, and she sung the praises of Mine Craft, and it's potential in educational value. I'm now looking for ways to collaborate with the Geography teachers to encourage Mine Craft as a tool for Project Based Learning.<br />
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Ok, so let's review. If I would have banned unapproved video games, I wouldn't even know about Mine Craft. Secondly, it's engaging to the kids and it encourages them to work together. Thirdly, the parents (at least a small sample) expect their kids to learn the 21st Century way. How, under these conditions can one ban games such as Minecraft?<br />
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Stay tuned for a future post where I will argue that Social Media and Games must be included in Librarian's defense of Intellectual Freedoms. It's not just about banned books anymore!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-13900919544728208842011-11-07T19:15:00.000-08:002011-11-07T19:17:43.908-08:00Geek Culture in the LibraryOne of the greatest things about my job is that it forces me to try new things. My motivation is that I want to stay relevant, keep the library program relevant and help get kids ready for the careers of tomorrow. My latest round of learning is on programming Android apps. A few years ago I tried my hand at programming a Library gadget for Google, but ran into numerous obstacles trying to get the search to work with library systems. Furthermore, there were not many resources for beginner developers to get started and I abandoned the project without producing a workable gadget.<br />
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Now with the proliferation of Android, it's a different world. Google has made App programming more visual and created some wonderful tutorials to learn the basics. When I created in the first Hello Purr App via the tutorial and got it on my phone I was so excited, I wanted to show it off to everyone in the library. Here's a short <a href="http://www.appinventorbeta.com/about/">introductory video</a>.<br />
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I'm a natural born geek, but not hardcore. In high school I watched Star Trek, but wasn't one of those going to conventions in full regalia speaking Klingon. If I can do this, anyone that is even slightly geeky can try it out.</div>
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I've been progressing through the<a href="http://www.appinventorbeta.com/learn/tutorials/index.html"> tutorials</a> learning about the drawing canvas, image sprites and soon I will make Mash Mole, a fairly simple game based on the carnival favorite, Wack a Mole.</div>
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Now that I'm ahead of the students, I'm ready to help them get started. Ultimately I would like to form a little App developer group and get them working on a real world project. I even have some ideas and potential partners. This project is really a logical extension of my work I described in the wonderful collective Ebook, <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/96705">School Libraries, What's Next, What's next to come</a>. Additionally, I was inspired by this<a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/10/10/141215957/a-new-generation-of-app-developers" target="_blank"> story on NPR</a> about youthful App developers. It's all about creating opportunities for the kids to develop skills that can make them successful and perhaps the next software billionaire!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-87525944699086026212011-09-04T15:36:00.000-07:002012-02-19T17:57:30.422-08:00What is it like for a New Tech HS Media Specialist?The big questions I have been trying to answer in my new position are the same as the Library/Media specialist profession as a whole. How does a library and librarian figure into the future of education? Will we have jobs in the future? How will our roles evolve?<div><br /></div><div>The good news for the more traditional librarian, is that my new state of the art high school has a print library and it opened for business at the end of the first week of school. So far approximately 10% of the student body has checked out an old-fashioned book during the first week of operations. That's with absolutely no effort on my part; no marketing, no book talks, no classes, just placing the books out on display.</div><div><br /></div><div>The bad news for the more traditional librarian is that 90% of my time has been spent on duties completely unrelated to the print library, and I have been very busy. Part of the reason I was hired for this job in the first place was my willingness to serve outside of the normal capacity of a librarian. It's doubtful that this campus would have a librarian if he/she were unwilling to also take on the responsibility of Technology Manager. My role as Technology Manager, though somewhat unrelated to library services is completely vital to a New Tech High School. In this capacity I have helped set up user accounts in our Echo learning management system and our Google Apps. Since the staff is completely new and few have had any prior experience with these systems, it has been up to me to anticipate and identify problems and help teachers get up and running during the critical first week of school. </div><div><br /></div><div>The upside of my service as Technology Manager from a library perspective, is that I have learned the names of many students, been a visible presence in the classroom and developed collaborative partnerships with teachers and students. As someone with an inside view of how the students are using the social features of our technology systems, I have also gathered vital intelligence for future lessons and discussions on digital citizenship and and cyber-ethics. These are certainly aspects of a 21st Century Librarian's job, so in a sense the Tech Manager role is not entirely separate.</div><div><br /></div><div>The most exciting aspects of my job are in fact related to library services. Though the print library is in place with over 1,000 volumes for 140 students, the rest of the library program and facility is still in the incubation and planning stages. Our New Tech HS is a community just 2 weeks old, and amidst all of the flurry of activity in this startup period, I have managed to make progress in the following areas:</div><div><br /></div><div><ol><li>Ordered Nooks and Ipads for periodical reading and library system access. The periodical collection will be mostly print-free! These devices will be replace print magazines and also lead library services in an exciting new direction.</li><li>Planned the implementation of the new Media Cast system. The Media Cast platform will completely replace the VHS/DVD collection and put all video on demand, including local and cable TV programming. The system is capable of live broadcasts and has a Kiosk feature that will control screens around the campus. These Kiosks will disseminate school information including library programming ads, book trailers and other forms of literacy promotions.</li><li> Started the online learning commons an established productive online relationships with students. The chess club and anime club are now library programs with a student-driven online presence!</li><li>Met with architect to plan remodel of facility, including spacious and technology rich teaching space and relaxed area based on the coffee shop model.<br /></li></ol></div><div>Yes, there is a lot on my plate, but I wouldn't have it any other way. When asked how my new job, I give the same answer; "The student population I serve is only one-tenth of my previous schools, but I'm at least 3-times as busy." In short, my role as library/media specialist within the traditional comprehensive high school was limited by campus culture and the teacher's comfort-level with technology and the Internet. At New Tech High School the campus culture propels me towards innovation and challenges me daily to learn and apply new skills. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity at this stage of my career and I sincerely wish others in the library profession will have the same opportunity.</div><div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734795041904967612.post-68669004353912515232011-08-18T13:24:00.000-07:002011-08-18T13:57:48.425-07:00Seven Effective Twitter Habits for Teachers<a href="http://www.twitter.com">Twitter</a> has occupied so much of my thinking lately and now it's time to blog about it. There are so many good guides to getting started on Twitter, that I won't do that here. Twitter is so important in today's world, that I believe all educators should be involved. Here are some simple ideas and procedures for Twitter teachers. My apologies if they are not original.
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<br />1. Follow a Twitter feed about current events via <a href="http://www.twitterfall.com">TwiterFall</a> or some other hashtag aggregator. Good activity for getting analyzing points of view, fact vs. opinion, etc.
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<br />2. Locate hashtags for big global sporting events such as Tour De France, World Cup and the Olympics and see how many languages you can identify in the feed. Then try translating to English.
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<br />3. Identify and follow thought leaders, writers and major figures in your content area/field. If you start interacting with them, try inviting them to your class or conference. It never hurts to ask!
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<br />4. Start discussions on Twitter and give out a prize for the best Tweet.
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<br />5. If you do anything creative, such as a video or a killer lesson be sure to share it and Tweet it.
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<br />6. If you present anything for a local training, a conference, put it on <a href="http://www.slideshare.com">Slideshare</a> and tweet it.
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<br />7. After you've been on Twitter a while, you will naturally develop your Professional Learning Network (PLN), the folks that share your passion. Be sure to interact with them and thank them for their ideas. If you go to conferences, make sure you meet them in person. That's probably the best part of being a Tweeter. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05660584305503407043noreply@blogger.com0