Capstone Things 15-21

Capstone Things 15-21

In evaluating what is the most impactful tools I discovered, rediscovered and worked towards mastering all of them are measure against my strengths as a digital age educator.  As a Media Specialist I approached this experience with two goals in mind. 1. What skills can I learn and tools can I master to enhance my educational leadership position with my teaching staff .   2.  Of these tools and skills which ones can I use in teaching information literacy to students.    This approach is slightly different than most classroom teachers who would tend to focus on their curricular needs and adaptability of tools to those needs.  The focus by definition is narrower than what a school librarian focus has to be.  Like a classroom teacher I have to evaluate what I need and what I can use to teach a certain curriculum.  Unlike the classroom teacher I also have to have a more universal perspective.   I cannot dismiss or discard a digital tool or technique because it does not easily replace what I am already using in training students as information seekers, evaluators and users.  What may not work well for me in a library setting may well be the perfect tool for a classroom teacher.  Since I service both groups I must retain at least a working familiarity with as many digital age tools as possible.

The applications of the visual digital assists Thing 20 and Thing 21 lend themselves easily to Marzano’s  stance on non-linguistic representations in the classroom.  Graphic organizers help students visualize relationship between concepts with imagery.   Screen casting uses imagery and motion to tie in what a student is hearing.   Both are very useful in teaching sequence.  In the library accessing information and resources is often done in a certain sequence.  Some of this is due to local restraints of network access but a lot of it is due to the sequential nature in approaching an informational need.  Students must identify the need first but then they have select the best tool for the job.  In years prior libraries used signage to direct patrons to printed material in books, magazines and newspapers.  The 21^st century library has a myriad of digital resources and signage is not what is needed.  A guided approach to opening and searching resources makes sure that the student instinct to stampede directly to the first available thing that looks like it might be useful can be abated.  The instant assumption that Google will provide is difficult to counteract.  Instruction from me needs to be augmented by digital assists that can be student assessed without further coaching if necessary. 

The most transformational  teaching tool, for me,  of the final seven is screen casting.  I foresee using it for instruction of library skills, reference and research skills and for reinforcement of these skills available to students and staff 24/7.  This is not to take away from the value of the things like RSS feeds and visual learning enhancements presented in the other modules.  And, of course, I came to 21 Things well versed in Research and Reference tools as presented in Thing 17.  Screen casting fits very nicely into the need I have to provide instruction even when I am not there to accomplish it in person.  I can post screen casts on the library webpage and link them to teacher’s pages.   There are three main areas which I will create screen casts for:  1. Follett Destiny OPAC – our library management program.  The screen casts will cover both book searches and circulation commands.   2.  Database selection and usage for both MEL.org and for our subscription databases.  3.  Online citation tools like BIBME and Easybib.  This will align with ISTE standards  2. A, 2. B, 2.C, 3. C, 3. D.

At each juncture throughout the 21 things course I evaluated resources with an eye towards what I could share and teach to staff members in my school.  This is an alignment issue that is localized and dependent on my relationship with staff members and an assessment of what they are currently doing and what they are capable of doing.    Some of this can be immediate and flow from me to them as an invitation to investigate a new tool.  Others are to be stockpiled and filed away and used at opportune times when a need is expressed.  Leading staff is not always like teaching students.  Their tolerance for and interest in new tools is predicated on what they can possibly fit into their busy schedule.  With that in mind I can’t say that there is one specific thing in Things 15-21 that I will use with them without fail.  I will pick my time and find something that will work on a case by case basis.

Thing 21

Screencasting

This is my first experience screencasting.  I have seen screencasts many times but I had not created one. 
I used Screencast-o-matic

http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cXhYDuFi9

I created a screencast on using Bibme website to create citations.  I found the experience both easy and frustrating.  The Screencast-o-matic site is very user friendly but creating a screen cast was frustrating because of the many times I was forced to restart because I misspoke or the website did not load quickly etc. 

When I shared my screencast with a coleague she was way more interested in Bibme than Screencast-o-matic and that is really the whole point, isn't it?  She didn't notice the medium she was taken with the message.  So all in all even though to my mind the screencast was a littel rough around the edges production wise it was effective.

I will use screencasting to create tutorials related to using databases and operating a the patron features of our circulation system here in the library.  I will also share this with teachers and help them create screencasts for their students.

Thing 20

Gliffy is something I have only dabbled with in the past.  I have never really used a graphic organizer.  Visually I am impressed with the materials that Gliffy is able to put out.  The interface is usable but you have to be careful with trying to change items once text has been entered.  Redoing or correcting is not necessarily quick and easy. I will share this site with staff and students when they have need for graphic organizers.
I chose a Venn Diagram because I am often sent humorous ones so I thought I would give it a try.

I am a Strong believer in the use of humor in teaching and and it education.  I make it a point to include humorous material in most of my staff to staff communication.  Using humor raises the likelihood that my audience (teaching staff) will actually read what I have sent them.  Teachers are notorious for not opening email or leaving it unopened until past the optimal time for viewing it.  Any tool that aids me in that endeavor is worth using and learning.  In so doing I can model the use of this program and then help teachers learn and use it too.

TAGXEDO

I have used Wordle for a few years now and I have shared it with students and staff.  I have not been acquainted with Tagxedo until now.  I like the features it has and I feel that the ability to save and share Tagxedo graphics exceeds Wordle. It is more user friendly in that way. 

Word clouds are entertaining and informative.  They provide a nice graphics for instruction to use with visual leaders.  Tagxedo is easy enough for most any student to use.  Going forward I will show staff and students both Wordle and Tagxedo but I think I will recommend Tagxedo.

Thing 19

Creating a plan to extend the classroom is an interesting mandate for a school media specialist.   In many respects it is something that the profession has been stressing for about two decades.  In my graduate program at WSU most of the instructors in school media spent a great deal of time on the concept of a library without walls in both theory and practice.  This was the early 1990's as the cusp of the full impact of the digital revolution was being broached by schools.  Libraries in schools were expected to transform from being static book warehouses to dynamic teaching centers.  A dynamic teaching center lead by a dynamic teacher- the school media specialist.  The media specialist was to act as an instructional leader inside the library and out.  Information literacy were the skills to be taught with an emphasis learning taking place where the student was rather than the student being limited to learning on site in the library.

As the capabilities of digital library resources began to be deployed the goal of a library without walls became less theory and more reality.  24/7 learning could be enabled with the school media center acting as a teaching and learning hub.  Tools included in the package necessary to be an extended digital learning center are an Online Public Access Catalog OPAC.  Online subscription based tools like databases and digital reference works.  Ebooks and assorted online student work enhancing/assisting websites as selected and taught by the school media specialist.  Access to these facilitated by library websites built and maintained the school media specialist.  Training to students to be administered by the media specialist on a project by project basis in coordination with subject area teachers.  Information literacy skills were not to be taught in the vacuum of a library tour or familiarization short course.  Ongoing  instruction tied to the curricular needs of the courses students were enrolled was the model to be pursued.  Training both students and teachers to be efficient information seekers, assessors and users was to be the constant target of efforts.

What does this look at in the RHS library?
OPAC: Follett Destiny - A web based full access catalog to all print materials held by the library.  Accessible 24/7 with features that help the student locate, evaluate and reserve/circulate materials not only in RHS library but all Rockford libraries K-12.  Instruction in the use of this asset is ongoing by the myself and the library staff. 

Online Databases:  MEL databases,  Opposing Viewpoints, ABC-CLIO databases.  As media specialist I spend a great deal of time instructing students and staff in accessing information needs and choosing the best tools available to meet those needs. Instruction in the use of databases is core to this.  Access to these tools is 24/7 with at home logging and password service being taught to students on a project by project basis.  Their need to know is driven by their immediate curricular need and research assignment. 

Online/websites:  Much the same as instruction in databases.

Ebooks: We have yet to implement a full collection of ebooks.  Through MEL I have taught and used ebooks held at the state level but we are still investigating the practicality of a locally (RHS or KISD) hosted ebooks collection.

In the RHS library the plan for extending the learning experience beyond the walls of the school have a NETS alignment  that is strong in 1 b. 2 a.  3 d.



NAVIGATING THE WORLD OF ONLINE LEARNING

The path of the student is in the world of online learning is quite different than the path the student experienced as a traditional student.  There are many up front concerns in the area of course availability, relevance and credit eligibility.  Then, of course, there are technology concerns and access to appropriate and supported computer platforms with full connectivity with storage and retrieval of data.  The student may not be able to articulate these concerns but they must be addressed ahead of time by both the student and the educational entities involved.   These issues tend to be nuts and bolts issues but if they are not addressed they will serve to be deal breakers for the student as they attempt to negotiate the online experience.  Technology roadblocks to a student can seem to be unmanageable.  It will provide a quick failure excuse for the marginal student.  It will poison the experience for even the most motivated students.

It is in the area of student motivation and diligence that the mentor comes most directly into play.  Totally self directed online experiences lend themselves to failure for the unmotivated student.  Even the very motivated student can falter in their progression if the lack focus and the ability to pace themselves effectively. The first online educational experience really benefits the student if it mentored by someone who knows the pitfalls and is prepared to head off problems for the student with early and repeated interventions if necessary. 

To me the greatest risk to the online student is being overwhelmed by the independence inherent in online learning.  Self pacing is difficult for the student conditioned to be paced to a teaching professional.  In the interactive program Navigating the World of Online Learning the questions presented to the student can be answered with a little perseverance and timely assistance.  The intrinsic motivation of the student is key.  This is why the student who is taking online credit recovery is at such high risk of failure in the online educational environment. 

It may be that as we progress into the generation of the post digital learner we may find more and more students who are adept at online learning.  We will likely find that there will be a significant number of secondary level students who prefer the self paced environment online.  Without quality content and quality interaction with instructors there is a hazard that students left to their own devices will either fail or potentially worse yet succeed but succeed in an inadequate program.  The student, even a prescient one, rarely self articulates qualms about the content of what they are being taught and whether it meets their long term educational needs.  Unless there are qualified and involved mentors/instructors the hole that will develop in their educational experience may be difficult to recover from.

Thing 18

RSS feeds have been around for a while and I have dabbled with them in the past.  I have not used them extensively as daily aid in aggregating news and upon reflection I think I know why.  During the course of a typical day I spend between one to two hours a day actively reading online news sources on several topics.  I have a set pattern of reviewing sources.  I also scan for updates frequently depending on my schedule that day.  I feel awareness of current events is a cornerstone of being a prepared school media specialist. 

I suppose it is hubris on my part to think that I can perform the task of news aggregation better than RSS feeds.  One issue that I have had with them is they tend to only do exactly what you tell them to.  If you set up a feed for specific topics from specific sources that is what it does.  I have found that about 30 to 40 percent of the material that I end up sharing with staff is articles I found while looking for other things during my own search patterns.  By in large librarians like the thrill of the hunt and I fall squarely into that profile.  One stop shopping has it's place and I rely heavily on Google News and MLIVE as aggregators.  

As a research tool RSS feeds have a great benefit.  Creating feeds that track information and return it to you on specific topics in several online sources simultaneously is a way to cut down on man hours searching,  This is particularly true for large projects involving long periods of time. RSS feeds are excellent people trackers as well.  Flagging a personal name such as a politician or actor will return material on them as reported.  For students doing a biography assignment this has excellent potential.

For this assignment I chose to use IGoogle and Google Reader.  Below are screen shots of both.

To my liking I prefer the Google Reader page to IGoogle for retrieving news.  Although the other information on IGoogle is nice a times it is more noise than I need when searching for material to scan.

Thing 17

Databases and internet resources related to research are my primary teaching resources in my role as information literacy teacher for my school.  In that role I extensively use and teach the MEL databases.
In 2010 I served on an advisory board for the Library of Michigan reviewing the MEL databases with the mandate to evaluate information needs of library patrons across the state.  I worked with librarians from public libraries, college libraries, business libraries, law libraries, hospital libraries and special libraries/archives.  I was the sole school media specialist selected to serve on this board.  With all that in mind I am going to take liberty with the requirements of Assignment 17. 

Best MEL databases for high school age researchers:

Info Trac student edition
Gale Cengage database
Audience : Secondary students
Full text: Yes
Citation Service: Yes
Advanced search: Yes
Default bias search: keyword
Liabilities:  Citation is not MLA 8th edition.  Citations require more than one click to find.

Academic Onefile
Gale Cengage database
Audience: Secondary - College
Full text:  Yes
Citation service: Yes
Advanced search:  Yes
Default basic search: keyword
Liabilities:  Academic Onefile defaults to searching Academic journals - can be a difficult entry point for the young student researcher.  Citation service is not MLA 8th edition.  Citations require more than one click to find.

OmniOnefile
H.W. Wilson Database
Audience: General
Full Text: Yes
Citation Service: Yes
Advanced search:  Yes
Default basic search:  No- defaults to advanced search but dialogue boxes default to All search terms.
Liabilities:  Does not automatically search only full text results - high school students get frustrated with citation and abstract only results. 


If you would have asked me a year ago which was the best MEL database for the high school researcher I probably would have said either Info Trac Student or Academic Onefile.  OmniOnefile is now my first choice.  In my opinion the interface is easier for the student to use and the citation features are superior.  Database scope and coverage is equal with Gale's databases.

Other very useful MEL databases for the high school student:

Helath and Wellness Center - good for medical information and research in the health related fields.  Does not offer citation service - major downer for high school researchers.

Newsbank Michigan Newspapers-Newsbank America's News Magazines is contained within this database.  The search interface is high quality and since it is a smaller database (only newsmagazines) and the search is more precise there are fewer instances of false drop results.

SIRS Renaissance - Good coverage of the humanities and literature. 

Educator Reference Complete - Topics involving school law and other aspects of school life make this a nice resource for students

Thing 16

Learnport

As an off and on spectator/user of Learnport over the years I have found it to be an intriguing resource with potential to be very useful.  The access to Nettreker I have previously commented on in an early blog port.  This is a very nice tool to have at your disposal as a teacher and student.  One of the limitations of Learnport is that the site is not very engaging.  The navigation, to me, is not intuitive.  The overall experience of using Learnport, in my view, is somewhat stilted.

The resources available at Learnport do tend to make up for the clunkiness of using it.  There are course listed for either SBEUs or college credit.  The fact that there are not a wide range of courses targeted at the a school media specialist such as myself reflects that trend across the spectrum of post masters coursework of relevance to librarians.  This lack of choices is not specific to Learnport.  As a media specialist consulting with teachers seeking further coursework or professional development I have no qualms about listing Learnport as a resource worth investigating.

Other resources there include a links page - MEL is a better source for these.  Video and audio resources for teachers - titles seem to be pretty decent but the selection is not huge. Lesson plans - only 39 listed.

Obviously the strength of Learnport lies in it's access to Nettreker and professional development courses.

SOCIAL NETWORKING

A have been a Facebook user for two years.  I use it for purely social reasons with family and Friends although I do belong to the MAME page on Facebook and occasionally I get updates from the association via Facebook.  I am not comfortable 'friending' colleagues and especially students on my private Facebook page.  There are aspects of my private life that should remain just that - private.

So in the the spirit of adventure I test drove Twitter.  This is something I have sort of put off fro quite a while.  The education benefits of following worthy tweets being balance by time constraints.  My day is plenty busy as it is and another tech addiction just might break the camel's back.

The importance of the professional networking can't be downplayed.  The expedient way to do this is to use modern social networking sites.  To me this option is second to face to face interaction. There is nothing like a room of librarians who normally spend their days in a professional isolation chamber getting a chance to interact and speak their common lingo. Very nerd based but highly engrossing for the library professional.

MACULspace

I was formerly a member of MACUL.  In the 1990's a was a regular conference attendee but when the district I was working for at the time cut by on professional development I was force to choose either MACUL or MAME.  I chose MAME.  In 2007 I was selected as a MACUL MI-Champion recipient for St. Louis Public Schools (my prior district) and attended the conference that year.  Upon leaving St. Louis i let my membership in MACUL lapse because once again I was forced to choose between MACAL and MAME.  I don't recall of MACULspace was active at the time.  I can say that as a professional learning network MACUL far exceeds MAME in size and  participation from diverse educators.  I am impressed with the look and navigation MACULspace.  The resources are numerous and the connectivity to fellow professionals appears to be very strong with boards and communication features.  Sharing of projects, information, and lessons is well supported.