Thing 12

Google Doc Survey

I used Google docs to survey a segment of the RHS class of 2011 about their experience as library patrons.  I have done a similar survey with paper in the past and always found it cumbersome.  This format is easier for the students to complete.  The results are nicely packaged and easy to retrieve.  I will use this survey further in the coming weeks to gather more data from our outgoing senior class.  I will try to sample about 30% of the class.  The adaptability of this format promises to be of use in other pursuits as well.

 

Below is a rubric for an information literacy assignment.

This rubric will be used by me as Media Specialist in conjunction with a classroom teacher to assess information literacy skills accrued during an assigned research project.  This assessment will be part of the over all assessment for the project.  The assessment is meant to be formative but aspects of it can be used to do a summative assessment as well.  Information literacy is always a work in progress.  Students may make progress but without follow up and reuse of skill there will be atrophy.  Teaching of information literacy skills is not down well if the end goal is purely an summative  assessment.  Information literacy is best supported during the course of teaching content and research materials within course curriculum.  The formative assessment requires observation of students as they practice research skills in pursuit of a real information need in a class.  

At Rockford Public Schools (RPS) teaching staff has the use of student record management provided by Educator Access.  This is partnered with a component called Family access.  This is a student record access for grades k-12.  It tracks attendance, performance and assessments with the idea being that the information is to be recorded and tracked 24/7 throughout the school year.  It is FERPA compliant but allows for access by necessary parties to record and study the data.  Privacy of medical records present in the student record is protected and HIPAA compliant.  Educator Access appears as an icon on the teacher computer image.  It is available as coded access to student and parents through the district website.

Another icon that appears on the teacher computer image is Curriculum Crafter which helps teachers create, align and share curriculum pieces.  The alignment aspect of Curriculum Crafter  informs instruction and allows for teachers to make adjustments in course materials and activities in an informed and logical way.  There are also information sharing pathways available in the RPS Intranet and through shared access drives.  Curriculum pieces get shared and worked on through that pathway. 

There is not a district standard for course management software/website.  Access to Kent ISD Moodle is available but market penetration within the staff for Moodle is limited

Thing 11

http://prezi.com/50ognvrm_eme/edit/#0_2742515

This is a screenshot of the Prezi presentation.  It is a user friendly presentation site. I found loading the pictures easy and laying the path/progression of images to be flexible.  The navigation within the presentation is a little awkward because of the scroll in and scroll out effects.  When  loading objects or text you have to be aware of the scale of the original and the size of the object you are loading in comparison with the rest of the presentation.  It took me a few attempts at loading things to master that.  In comparison to PowerPoint Prezi is a lot less linear in orientation.  The regimentation of PowerPoint forces a certain pacing.  Prezi looks to be more flexible in pacing and sequence.  As a teaching tool Prezi combines high quality graphics and non linear pacing so that visual learner get the imagery they need but are not locked into a pacing that hurries them faster than is beneficial. The navigation allows a presenter to go forward and backward easily.  Prezi also has potential as a personalized presentation tool for self directed learner or credit recovery.

 As a tool for students to use it holds promise because there is a tendency with students when they create presentations in PowerPoint to emphasize presentation over content.  Students tend to pay more attention to graphics, music and transitions in presenting PowerPoints.  Prezi can inspire them to be creative but content seems to suffer less than PowerPoint. 

Thing 10

Story board for a Photo Story 3 project on what the school library has become in the modern day.

The experience of using Photostory3 was new to me.  Certain aspects of it were very easy.  The loading of the pictures went smoothly. The slide transitions and music were easy to add.  I particularly liked the quality of the music available from the Photostory library.  Recording the voice over was very difficult and I struggled for a couple of days before I finally switched to a different laptop and then it worked fine.  Apparently the microphone is disabled in the original laptop.  I should have thought to switch earlier.  Saving the project was no problem although since Photostory3 is not a standard option on RPS computers I had to load it on two different machines which toke a little time.

Embedding the video into my Face of the Library web page was somewhat difficult.  Weebly does not allow for the video to be inserted unless you upgrade to a paid site. 
I did embed the video but I don't think it will play.
http://www.weebly.com/weebly/main.php

The Blogger.com Blog will not load the video either so this is frustrating.

While I was creating the Photostory3 video I did share it with library staff members.  They felt it looked great but that my music choice was not to their liking.  The boogie woogie jazz piano music was not appropriate.  I considered switching it to classical music but you can't please everyone.  

I am a bit reluctant to share Photostory 3 with the staff at large due to bandwidth problems here at RPS.  Also the fact that each teacher would have to request to have loaded on their machine might raise hackles in our operation technology department.  Given the difficulties I had with Photostory3 I think I would seek out a different presentation tool to work with staff.  i don't think i would have occasion to use this with students other than to assist staff in planning units around the use of this type of software. 

Thing 9

Using Fotoflexer for editing provides a nice set of tools for manipulating pictures.  This is the first time I have used the site.  There many features that you would expect on a pay site or from a software package.   The transitions are not very fast when saving the images but other than that for the price this is one very cool tool. 

This is a jing capture of a photograph taken first hout 4/18/11 in the RHS library.  One class is onthe computers and another is sitting in the lounge area reading.  A typical quiet morning.

The same picture after a few simple modifications at Fotoflexer.  This is a new feature at Fotoflex borrowing the popular format of the common inspirational posters.  The title and text are added in a side box and quickly applied.  the outcome has a very nice professional finished quality.  Fotoflex fosters a nice amount of creativity and I could see using it with students and staff.  For teachers the chance to produce quality classroom graphics/posters/ signs would be welcome.  With students the creativity they could express could be transformative as an assessment.  A high student buy in by those students who feel stifled by traditional written assessments could result. 

This is done in Draw on Fotoflexer. With some cropping as well.

Original

A picture of the new books display.

Jazzed up a bit with one of the features in Fotoflexer.  Also textbox was added.  Saving this and the drawing above required afew extra steps opening up the image in paint and then saving  as a png file.  For some reason Fotoflex saved the images as an all file file which Blogger.com did not recognize as a picture file.

I have a some staff members who will find Fotoflexer very useful.

I have used Picasa a few times in the past - mostly to mine for images for projects or to explore images of places I have visited or plan to visit.  Below is a link to a Fotoflexer enhanced picture I took of the front of the RHS library cafe.
https://picasaweb.google.com/113198490372300830406/RHSLibraryPictures418?authkey=Gv1sRgCN3AjOqd_sbZ8QE#5596983766572948594

Thing 8

The issue of copyright has been a topic of discussion with my colleagues for a very long time.  I have served as a Media Specialist in four school districts in six different buildings.  I have dealt with hundreds of teachers on this matter.  And the one constant in all that time is a general lack of concern/knowledge about copyright underpinned with either indifference or willful non-compliance with copyright law.  Those parts of the law that are not convenient to what a teacher wishes to accomplish in the classroom are often ignored.  There are exceptions to the rule but many teachers tend to be like someone who consistently speeds at about 8 miles per hour over the speed limit.  They know they are breaking the law but they are counting on the fact there are not enough cops to catch everyone and that the nature of their offense does not merit much of a punishment.  And since I am not a copyright police officer I usually limit my role to information giver and gentle reminder of where the clear bright lines of the law lie.

Towards that end I designed a non-threatening quiz to share with my current staff about copyright.  The goal is to get feedback and to promote the ongoing dialogue.

A quick copyright quiz

True or False

1.            A teacher may print copies of internet pages to keep in a folder for student reference   __________

2.            A teacher may use clip art and images obtained from the internet to create a lesson plan and post that plan on a lesson plan sharing website __________

3.            The copyright for material created by a teacher for use in school to teach students belongs to the institution ___________

4.            It is permissible for teacher to copy a school owned  VHS tape on to a DVD disk so that they may continue to use the material in class as the school switches from VCRs to DVD players__________

5.            It is not permissible to record student performances of copyrighted musical works and sell the recordings to parents ___________

6.            It is fair use for a teacher to make copies of pages of math problems from old workbooks to use as worksheets in their classroom __________

7.            Any image found in a Google image search may be used in any way by students for school projects ________

8.            After winning a state championship a football coach may create a season highlight video using Queen’s “We are the Champions” as the soundtrack and sell it to parents to raise money to send players to camp _______

9.            To protect your copyright you must file with the government before you post anything on the internet.  Otherwise anyone may use what you created without your permission.  _________

10.          Something called the Sonny Bono Act has extended copyright protection to corporate authored works to 120 years.  This is also referred to the as the Mickey Mouse Protection Act. __________

11.          When a school is found to have multiple violations of federal copyright law the Media Specialist is beaten with sticks by FBI agents in front of the school at high noon.  _________

21 teachers responded to the quiz.  (correct responses are listed with the number of respondents who answered thus)

1.       19 answered true

2.       17 answered false

3.       18 answered true

4.       7 answered false

5.       15 answered false

6.       10 answered false

7.       17 answered false

8.       16 answered false

9.       18 answered false

10.   9 answered true

11.   Several recommend true and further punishment as well.

I believe the questions 4 and 6 indicate the level of willful indifference to copyright that most teachers practice at times.  Those questions are the subject of the most frequent circumnavigation of copyright practiced by teachers.  Question 4 is about conversion of formats of owned materials.  Teachers often just shrug it off when I explain that they do not have the right to convert formats.  I turn a blind eye to it even though I know that violation is fairly common.  It is not the role of the Media Specialist to be the copyright cop - acting as one tends to interfere with good communication necessary to to me to do my job in other areas of my job.  Question 6 is more of an old school issue but still widely practiced violation.  When teachers are told there is no money for curricular materials they adapt by playing fast and loose with the law. 


CREATIVE COMMONS

Below is the screen shot of the Creative Commons copyright for the Rockford HS Library webpage.

Thing 7

http://rockfordhslibrary.weebly.com/index.html

Creating a web presence is very useful in providing library services.  I have had a webpage devoted to student research needs for some time now.  I took the opportunity in this exercise to create a web page for teaching staff that directs them to technology and web tools that they would find useful as they work with students. 

Library web pages are indeed very useful but there is a liability or two in establishing that presence.  The first of which is creating an overly elaborate or too full page.  It has been my experience that simple is better.  Too many links can confuse the user.  Difficult navigation is another liability to avoid.  Burying a website inside a larger website such as a school district site is common example of this.  If it can’t easily be found then it might as well be invisible.  Library web pages should foster access to materials and tools.  They augment the information literacy skills the media specialist is actively teacher students and staff.  The webpage presence should not supplant the media specialist.  It should foster user confidence in building skills in information literacy.  It should be a portal to the tools that in conjunction with the media specialist the user is prepared to utilize to maximize their ability. 

The page that I set up has a target audience of staff but it could be easily adapted to the student audience.  One of the features that a webpage lacks is element of the reference interview.  When I interact with students I work with them to define what their information need is and what sources might best fit their need.  A webpage is rather static in comparison.  It does not adjust to the nuances of shifting understanding.  Webpages can’t brainstorm or idea map with students.  Therefore the webpage is a tool that comes into play after the primary teaching has taken place. 

21 Things Portfolio Capstone Reflection For things 1-7

The role of Media Specialist requires service two distinct but very interconnected clients within the school setting.  Both are of equal importance.  The library services both students and staff.  As a Media Specialist I work with both clients.  In working with staff I am actually servicing both.  As I work to maximize staff information literacy and increase their expertise as information seekers and users I know that they in turn use these skills to impact the students they are charged to educate.  Towards that end for this capstone review of the first third of 21 Things I will focus primarily on how I will use what I have learned to assist classroom teachers in my building/district.

I am looking forward to sharing what I have learned with the teaching staff in my building.  I have already shared information about Moodle and Jing with staff members.   The model for this role out is one of selecting key staff members who are actively seeking new tools to infuse into their daily practices.  A more wide spread introduction and training will follow.  The model that works best in my experience is to identify specific needs of individual staff members and then to work with them one on one to meet those needs.  There tends to be a disconnect from information released widely with little follow up individually.  Mass demonstrations tend to be viewed by many classroom teachers as just so much noise.

In reviewing Marzano and the NETS standards I feel the strongest message I can bring to my staff is one focusing on diversified learning and reaching students with multiple strategies.  With this also is information on how they can maximize their efforts in course material management/access and achieve diversified assessments.  As I have already presented to many of them Google Docs and seen some adoption of that tool I can expect that where they will best respond will be to the tools that they can master quickly and apply ASAP. 

One of the key obstacles to overcome will be to test the new tools and see whether or not they are compatible with the district’s operational technology.  There will be some campaigning needed to get clearance from OPTECH to allow for some of these tools to be accessed and utilized.   Then I will have to work with individual teachers training them and brainstorming where they can best apply these new tools. 

The tool I have the most hope for in the first seven 21 things module is Jing.  The video capture element will be very helpful to teachers who have subjects where student have a high level need for constant assistance on individualized projects.  I have already the media production teacher ready to try Jing.  Also there is some interest in the foreign language department for use in reinforcement learning exercises – most likely as a quick reference on pronunciation and usage.   This aligns with Marzano’s point on the use of technology as a homework and practice aid for students.  Learning going on outside of the classroom 24/7 is enhanced for the student using tools such as Jing. 

Another program that I hope to share with teachers is Read-Write-Think.  The need for quality lesson plans involving writing prompts is an ongoing dialogue I have with English teachers.  We are in agreement that students master writing as a way of learning to think critically and expansively.  Tying the active writing skills with enhances the skill of organizing their thinking.  Marzano stresses reinforcement of paired skills like writing and organizing thoughts through the use of various programs that require both.  Towards that end I would like to see what graphic organizers are being used with students a prewriting tool and explore with staff how to locate and utilize the best available online tools for that practice.

Classroom application

I am planning to use Google docs with in conjunction with a teacher to have student complete a group assignment.  We have many teachers who have a research assignment that requires a group produce either a written document or presentation/debate.  We will set up the students in group and require as part of their assessment that they submit a work via Google docs.  Tracking of participation and assessing individual contributions by tracking who added what and when.  This aligns with Michigan Curriculum Standard English Strand 1.  Specifically strands 1.1, 1.4 and 1.5.  Fostering the writing process, inquiry and research and finished products. 

Thing 6

Hoax websites

http://www.bigredhair.com/boilerplate/intro.html


The credibility of websites is something I have been teaching for many years.  Several of the websites listed by Joyce Valenza are ones I have used in the past.  Boilerplate the Victorian robot is a clever site which to most viewers is very well done.  Using the CARDSS evaluation process, though, most students would be able to discredit the site.  Paul Guinan is the creator of the site but the fact that his address is something called Bigredhair.com should call into the question of his credibility.As far as accuracy it is difficult to fault the internal references but most of the links can be traced back to the creator.  Independent verification is lacking.  Reliability lacks because a simple review of the creator's resume in robotics will show he is not a source of legitimate information - nor does he have credentials as a Victorian era historian.  Guinan's self biography shows that his background is in graphic arts.  Relevance is a little tricky because of the fact that the history of robotics is topical but the technology gap between what robots are capable of doing today as compared to the story of this supposed early robot show clear gaps in the feasibility of the claims.  The original date of publication is 2000 with an update in 2011 -so it is an active and maintained site.  The main source behind the Boilerplate is Robots of the Victorian Era page - created by the same author.   The creator of the Robot does not pass examination - Archibald Campion is fictitious.  A critical viewing of the content of the page and the material linked to the page shows the scope and purpose to be one of comic intent and a little bit of marketing thrown in.  The site is intended to entertain not to inform of real events or people.

http://www.codoh.com/revisionist/tr03butzhr.html


The second selection is not at all of comic value and in fact perpetuates a crime against humanity.  It is a holocaust denial site.  It is hosted/created by the Committee For Open Debate on the Holocaust and it's founder - one Bradley Smith.  A search on Google makes it apparent that Smith's record of Holocaust denial is well known.  The Accuracy of the claims made at the site are highly questionable.  There is no legitimate mainstream historical source that lends creditability to the basis of the claims and it flies in the face of long established statistics and the historical record produced by decades of investigation.  The lead article on the first page is posted by Arthur Butz whose credentials are that he is a associate professor of electrical engineering.  His reliability is questionable as a historical researcher.  As an example of revisionist history it is relevant as a thoroughly documented account of the holocaust it is dubious.  Most 'facts' are cherry picked and presented in questionable context.  The lead article is from 1993 but since this is a historical examination that is not an issue the remainder of he site appears to be active and up to date.  The author of the site presents the site as one of fostering debate.  The materials that support his claims seem to either be self generated or borrow from the Holocaust denial publishing industry.  The scope and purpose of the site is to provoke a response from  legitimate historians researching the holocaust and also to perpetuate antisemitism.  Through a call for open debate the creator strives to gain legitimacy by baiting mainstream researchers into a debate on his dubious beliefs and facts.


Upon reflection the two examples of bogus/hoax websites reviewed here are on the opposite sides of the spectrum on false and misleading sources available on the general web.  The comical Boilerplate website is fun and clever.  The Revisionist is a very bleak example at best of the insidious nature of the web.  In a wide open marketplace of ideas with no real gate keeping going on it is easy to float out the blatantly untrue and to seek legitimacy by trapping the reader under the pretext that a manufactured controversy is just as real as true history.  Snopes does not list either page as a hoax.  It does take a bit of prying to divine what the pages are really about.  To the casual or less than cautious pages such as these can pass enough muster to be accepted as legit.  Students tend to casual users so it is up to teachers to instill skepticism.


Acceptable Use

At RHS library staff are the coordinators of Acceptable Use Policy clearance.  We maintain the files and process the paperwork submitted.  It is a huge undertaking for a building of 2000 students.  One of the things that I regularly do is orientate new students to the policies and procedures re AUP.  I remind all students that they are being monitored and that they will be held accountable for their actions while in the school setting and using school equipment.  Unfortunately this also makes me a key part of the Internet police forces at Rockford.  Periodically I do have to revoke privileges because of misconduct.  It is a fine line between promoting usage but also limiting the students access to insure that inappropriate usage does not occur.  The Child Internet Protection Act is guidepost in our policy and procedures.  Not every aspect of that law is compatible with concepts of the American Library Association Freedom to Read policies and as a member of the ALA I balance my professional code of ethics with the necessity to be CIPA compliant in the school setting. 

Cyber Bullying

Awareness is always being taught on bullying of any nature at my school.  I find that by paying attention in the library to the conversations of students that I can sometimes head off potential bullying. The library is a public space and students often forget there are adult staff members present.  It is not policy to eavesdrop on students but when presented with a blatant violation of AUP (it does cover bullying online) we have to take action.  I have found that special education students in particular find themselves involved in this as both victim and bully.  They often lack the wherewithal to understand what their digital footprint is likely to reveal.  I make it a practice to consult with those students early on when I see that they are drifting into trouble online.  I also work with special ed. staff to make sure the message is getting out.  Still, at least two times a year we have a case where either there is bullying going on or a student has made themselves vulnerable on the web.  You can never assume that kids will get the message the first time or even the second.  All too often it becomes a serial behavior and then we have to restrict use and limit access to computers.

Thing 5

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
Differentiated instruction in my role as a media specialist centers around the traditional role of the librarian as reference interviewer.  When I am approached by by client (student or staff) I have to evaluate what they are bringing to me and how they are bringing it.  In the case of the student I have to assess as many of their learning strengths and weakness' as possible.  I then try to match up the resources that best fit not only their information need but also their ability to decipher the source.  Teachers face this problem to a lesser extent but often I have to asses how much time they have and how much of it are they will to devote to mastering a new resource/technique/practice.   It is the art of teaching in the library.  Knowing your clients and meeting their needs shifts focus continually.  A lot of it is aligning formats with the client.  How difficult is the reading required is important for students.  Usability and user friendliness with online materials is a key.  Presenting difficult or clunky interfaces to students results in a high drop out rate early their attempt to master a new resource.  I try to supervise and assist in a way that is unobtrusive but direct.  Mixing in humor helps. Modeling patience helps as well.  Liabilities include network disruption and with teachers in particular a resistance to learning new techniques when their common practice is often perfectly sufficient for their needs.  Students don't know what they don't know and finding what works in an easy non threatening environment is a good start.  Teachers do know about what they don't know but they have often mastered ways around having to deal with that.

One aspect of matching up good resources with divergent learners in the library leads to me looking for resources that have digital enhancements that lend themselves to enriching content that is read with graphics, pictures and video/animation that support and enrich the concepts be relayed to the user.  This needs to go beyond bells and whistles but the coolness factor cannot be discounted when dealing with students.  Libraries are traditionally associated with static print resources.  I try to expose students to online tools and databases that are not static but have digital enhancements that enrich an reinforce text.  There are certain databases that we subscribe to that have features such as this.  Two come to mind - Pop Culture Universe has very nice video links to text on popular icons as well as the sort of pictures you would expect to find at fan sites.  The other is ABC Clio databases which feature main articles well linked to graphics and video illustrating the topics at hand.  When I introduce and train students in the use of these databases I always try to take them on a tour through those features.

NETREKKER
In the past I have used Netrekker and Learnport.  In fact at my previous school I conducted inservice training k-12 with this as a feature.  Unfortunately I really have not used it in a few years (new posting -lots of other things on my plate).   It was nice to return to it and re familiarize myself with it.  I chose to look up materials on free speech.  This is a topic that is frequently researched in my library and having access to differentiated sources with an eye towards readability is useful.

An example of a level 4 readability resource from Hippocampus accessed through Netrekker.

An example of a readability level 3 resource - general web page on free speech from an essay by Frederick Douglass.

This is an example of a reading level 5 selection from Findlaw.  This would be very appropriate for AP government classes doing research on Free Speech in the commercial marketplace.

VOZME
The vozMe tool is one that I have seen demonstrated but never have really used.   It is easy too see how with learners who struggle reading text that this tool would be a lifesaver.   I selected the 1st Amendment as the text to convert.  As a tool vozMe has enough cool factor to entertain some students.  Changing the voice and repeating a short passage such as this would both entertain them and by repetition help them master the text.  With longer passages might be a little more difficult to achieve this.  The voices are a little clunky.  The tool to convert Spanish and other languages would be useful in the bilingual/multicultural classroom.

Thing 4

I have used Thinkfinity and Hippocampus in the past.  I have not directly applied them to a classroom setting myself but I have accessed them as a resource to aid classroom teachers in locating and utilizing lessons and often more importantly as a portal to quality materials and links related to topics the teachers are looking to use in their existing lessons and presentations.   I have found that for me Thinkfinity and Hippocampus are packed with great links within subject areas and searching them eliminates wasted effort screening through raw search results found using Google.   Whenever possible it is advantageous to let working expert professional in the subject area isolate and evaluate the worthiness of source materials on the web.  As a media specialist I am often asked for assistance in locating materials in a subject area in which I have limited expertise and even very little awareness.  To avoid the likelihood that fulfilling these requests from teachers with less than stellar information resources I like to borrow the expertise of teaching professionals in subject areas outside of my experience.

Both Thinkfinity and Hippocampus have been resources that I have surveyed in the past looking for resources that may be of service to the teaching staff I am serving.  In this role I am acting not as a reactive information specialist but as a proactive one.  This requires that I have a general working knowledge of the curriculum of grade levels my library serves.  When there is time I will visit with teachers and ask them what they are covering and what if any information needs they may have.  Often I will survey these two portal and disperse links and leads to teachers unsolicited.  Sometimes this is met with enthusiasm and then more requests follow.   It can open the classroom teacher's eyes to what is available and they will then ask for more.  Even better is when they ask where it came from and then I can demonstrate the use of Thinkfinity and Hippocampus and they can the function as their own researchers.  You have to maximise the teacher's potential to be self sufficient information seekers.  That being said, though, I generally can take the burden of search (time consuming for a classroom teacher) of of their hands and they really appreciate that.

For this exercise I used Thinfinity to find a lesson plan on a key topic in information literacy - recognizing bias in a resource. 
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/18/g912/readingnews.html

Thinkfinity linked to one of the online partners - National Geographic.  In this lesson plan it lays out details on a student exercise in review key concepts like editorializing, strait news coverage,  and objectivity in reporting.  It requires that the student examine a potentially controversial topic and review some resources garnered online.  The lesson is titled "Look Between the Lines" so the students will have to some active reading in online databases and news aggrogators.  Students will develop a checklist not only about the topic but about where, who and why it is being reported on.   In comparisons they will be expected to write an evaluative small essay on where bias may be present in the reportage.  They will also be asked to clarify where editorial point of view is the express intent of the creator/author.  Identifying potential audience and what that audience should be expected to do with the information as presented.   Although this lesson has  a specific link to some topics to consider as the media specialist I will consult with the teacher to select topics directly related to what their curriculum is covering.  

The outcome will be judged on how effectively this exercise enlightens a student population prone to accepting what is read in the news or online as simple unvarnished facts.  This tendency is a real road block in getting students to be effective researchers.  It also is a trait that many carry on to higher learning institutions and into their adulthood.  The lack of instinct to evaluate the potential for bias is preyed upon by even so called mainstream media and it is certainly used by those who wish to manipulate the electorate for less than good intentions re the democratic process.

The second tool I investigated was Readwritethink.   This is my first exposure to the resource.  I like the use of tabs in the layout and I found the resource to be easily navigated.  The depth of coverage is satisfactory and the lesson plans are rich in content with nice links to related resources.  The tab marked comment provide some feedback and reflective evaluation from professionals who are either commenting on how the lesson worked for their needs or if there were concerns. 

I chose a lesson on summarizing content called "Get the Gist: A summarizing strategy for any content area"
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/18/g912/readingnews.html

The target audience is grades 6-8 but in the high school I think it would work nicely when I am assisting special education teachers and their student in research projects.  One of the great hurdles a special education student faces in research is the amount of reading required to master a topic well enough to write on it.   Many will not even attempt to tackle a significant amount of reading and often they fail when they do read to understand and then articulate what they have read.  This lesson provides a directive, printouts and linked websites with strategy assistance in implementing the Gist process with students.  The Gist strategy involves prereading, reading and postreading prompts and activities.  The outcome of the process is a Gist statement that requires that students read and evaluate a selection or resource and then in written form briefly declare what it is they just read and why it is of value.

With more skilled students I have had them create an annotated bibliography with similar expectations.  Gist building being a simpler format than that it lends itself to the less skilled student. The assessment lends itself to being included in the process of research in preparation for a final more involved paper or project.  Too often I find myself struggling to get students to focus not only just on accruing resources on a topic but also taking time to evaluate whether that source is truly of value to the outcome of their research.  It is a complicated concept for some students to understand.  This is often the byproduct of a research rubric created by the classroom teacher that emphasizes quantity of resources rather than quality.  That is a difficult thing to balance and it is even more difficult, as a media specialist, to broach the subject of overemphasis on quantity with a teacher.  They tend to get a bit defensive about their rubrics and expectations.

Thing 3

Backchannel chat is something I have been aware of for a while but I do not have a great deal of experience suing it.  Ccontemplating the implications of what potential it might have is new territory.   

Classroom applications offer an opportunity to reach students in real time with multiple intelligences being engages.  The static nature of the traditional teacher as sole deliverer of information model could be supplanted with an more engaged audience of students not only tuning in to what the teacher is providing but also interacting with the teacher and or fellow students.  I would like to attempt this in a lab setting using a tool like Chatzy. Presenting to students about databases often starts out with me standing in front of the lab demonstrating the use of database portals and the necessary search techniques.  The students are either zoned out or itching to jump in and search -without really mastering some of the basics.  If there was an opportunity to set up a backchannel chat where by the students could interact they could use each other as a guide once the basics are delivered.  When they hit road blocks they could seek out help through the backchannel chat.  The hurdle that some students face in asking for help in front of a classroom of their peers and potentially being reluctant to ask questions to a teacher in that setting might be alieved.  Also the natural inclination for students to carry on communication with each other regardless of the situation could be steered into this format and monitored.  This chat could go on in another room when I am not physically present (running the library can take me quickly back to my desk) but I could keep a chat window open with the students and their teacher and be available for troubleshooting and some level of intervention when the topics wander. 

The experience I had with the 21 Things backchannel during the online class session provided fodder for a great deal of speculation on my part independent of the material covered.  Participation of members of the class was certainly heightened.  The fact that people were typing messages to each other was at first a distraction but then once I got into the rhythm it seemed to be less so.  I could sense that class members were tuned into the instructor. And for my part I soon was able to listen to the instructor, follow the presentation and monitor what the class attendees were typing.   With this a s a model I can foresee using some format of backchannel communication in staff professional development and in the dissemination of information with staff located at several locations in a building or district.  Towards that end I will do a test run of backchannel chat with a handful of teachers in one of the departments at RHS.  Maybe we can even use this to alleviate the burden of contractual mandates for PLC and staff development .

Upon investigating Chatzy I was a bit frustrated with the fact that as I sit here on the first Friday of spring break most of the people I would like to test drive this with are off to some place warm (darn them).   However, my wife is working at home today and in her job she manages 15 people who are working in medical billing facilities across MI.   I gave a quick demo to her and she is intrigued with it's potential.  Much of what she does is fielding questions from staff and troubleshooting issues they may be having.  Often she has to answer the same question many times a day.  She often comments on how she wished her field reps were more independent and self reliant.  She could curtail her hand holding and individual butt kicking if there was an ongoing backchannel chat going on while she monitored.  She could be in Detroit and carry on a chat with workers in facilities across the state as though they were in the same room.  Cheering them on when necessary and occasional tweaking their nose when they stumble.  And more importantly they could be doing that for each other.  The field reps see each other less than five times a year.  There is a disconnect with corporate on both the state and national level because they fly solo nearly every day with weekly or by weekly visits form their supervisor (my wife).  If through a tool like this they could daily contact with each other in real time it would foster collegiality and head of trouble in production before major snags trip them up.  More experienced field reps could be on call to help newbies.  Collective brainstorming would be fostered.  Cheerful competition related to production could be daily occurrence rather than periodically.  Basically all the camaraderie that makes working a cohesive office could be maintained even though they are hundreds of miles apart.

Thing 2

For Thing two I have selected a Google Doc template of a book review.  This template will be modified to be used by the online textbook review committee at RHS.  I will ask some felow teachers to look at the Doc and suggest modifications needed to adapt the it to the task at hand.  We will be reviewing open source online textbooks and course material with the intent of making recommendations on whether they will be suitable for use with students.  Because Jing will not easily capture entire documents in a screen shot it will be necessary to also link the document and recommend they edit the original. 

As for using this tool in with students in the library I have already given some students instruction on accessing Google Docs as a source for ready made spreadsheets, memos, signs and order forms.  Often their need is to complete a task assigned to them in extracurricular activities helping organize an event, fundraiser or information campaign.   They come to the library seeking resources or help with accessing online materials to aid in their project.  Too often students flail about in Google Images thinking that they can access templates there.   And sometimes they hit pay dirt but they find that either someone is looking to get paid for the material or the student finds themselves compromising copyright.  Often the student is unaware of the copyright situation so when I do train them in Google Doc access I take the opportunity to explain the concept of implied copyright, fair use and public domain.  Since Google Docs are created for fair use in thepublic domain we can avoid stepping over the line and opening up a window of liability for the student and the district.

As a staff development tool Google Docs has been used at Rockford Public Schools for two years.  As one of the Media Specilialist at RPS I took part in training K-12 staff in classroom applications of this valuable tool.  Unfortunately the 'market penetration' for lack of a better term has not been as deep as I would have hoped.  Too many teachers when exposed to Google Doc are impressed with the potential but can't find time to fully implement it on a wide scale when delivering curriculum and or managing projects.  I have suggested to teachers I would be of assistance in setinng up a project in Doc to get them started but for the most part I have had few takers.   All too often when offering PD to classroom teachers it is a difficult thing to get them to abandon past and for the most part proven practices.  Even with the massive potential for peer editing, group work and ease of tracking who did what on group projects teachers seem to think the set up time and managing of the project via Docs is prohibitive.  I suspect that the recent transition to trimesters has caused them to be very cautious in implementing new technology when they know with very little up front time they can accomplish what they need using what they have always done.  It is a distinctly different thing to try to get teachers to buy into 'work smarter not harder' than students.  Teachers come to the table with a great deal of experience, a finer tuned work ethic (usually) and an ingrained position on best practices.  Students are more of a blank page.  Of course, that doesn't mean I will quit trying to enlighten and enable them all in good time.