Action Learning Workshop

I presented my workshop the other day and it didn't really go as well as I wanted it to. It seemed like most of the folks were there to learn what I had to share with them. However I had one person that made my job a little difficult. It seemed like she was trying to point out every mistake I made in front of everyone. I felt belittled and came away from the workshop feeling very bad about the way it went. She embarrassed me in front of my colleagues and I'm not really sure why. I'm also not really sure why she was there because she is a tech guru who definitely knows Photo Story. Nevertheless, I guess it went better than I thought because one faculty member stopped me in the hall the next day and told me that she and her teammate were so impressed with the program that they were going to incorporate it into a lesson very soon. That made me feel great. I worked very hard on preparing the tutorial and the annotated list of web resources (lesson ideas in every subject area) and after hearing that it seemed like my efforts weren't wasted. It was a learning experience for sure and I definitely won't make the same mistakes I made the first time. I did, however, feel like it was a little early on in my graduate studies to be giving workshops, though. I felt like I didn't really know enough just yet and I wish I would've gone with a different approach. I'll know better next time.

Portfolio Nearly Finished

Tomorrow is the day I give my workshop on Photo Story. I'm very excited and I'm hoping that I can tell them something that they don't already know. I kind of feel like the blind leading the blind, because I have yet to use Photo Story in a lesson plan myself! Although I have seen it used before. I also have a great tutorial that the IT guy at my school sent me, so everything should be fine.

I'm also putting the finishing touches on my portfolio. I've got that part figured out, but I'm still having trouble trying to figure out what to put on my display for the expo. I know I plan to take some pics of the people who came to the workshop, but that's all I have so far. I really need help on this one.

Anyway, I'll post another blog tomorrow and give an update on how the whole thing went. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. It's definitely going to be different teaching adults (and a little intimidating teaching teachers), but hopefully I'll do okay.

AL Project Update

Monday I met with the information technology person to get some information on Photostory. According to the survey I posted on surveymonkey.com, most of the users at St. Stephens Elementary would like to have some more information on this program. He provided me with a detailed handout and took me through the program. It was very simple to use and the handout gives teachers something to refer to at a later date. I have also been researching some ready to use lessons from the web, because if teachers are willing to learn about this new technology, they should really have some incentive to use it. I want them to be excited about it so that they will be more likely to use it in their classrooms. That's the problem with most workshops -- it's nice to learn about this new technology or this new idea, but how can we make it practical? How can I use it in my classroom? Teachers don't have time to generate new lessons plans with this technology (not to mention, it isn't easy to the novice user), so I've been trying to be as helpful to them as I can in that respect. My workshop date is scheduled for this Monday (Techno Tuesday moved to Monday). We'll see how it goes.

Project Update

I'm still in the planning phase of my project. However, everything is coming along nicely. I've already filled out my Action Learning Plan, my Desired State plan, and my Action Learning Project planning tool. Now I have a better idea of what needs to be done by what date. I hope to have my workshop presented sometime during the week of Nov 6-12 or the following week. If not, I'll have to do it after Thanksgiving, but I really wanted to have it done before the class ends. I also just e-mailed a survey to all the faculty and staff of the school today. I've narrowed it down to three software programs (PowerPoint, Publisher, and Photo Story). I also gave the participants in the survey an opportunity to list any other programs that they might be interested in. Hopefully I'll get some responses soon. Hopefully someone will come! I gave them the opp. to select the best day and time for this workshop, so they won't have any excuse not to come. I also promised it would be brief (20-25 mins).

Delicious Workshop

Okay, after hearing about tagging and social bookmarking, I believe I want to present at least one workshop on this tool for Techno Tuesday. How many times have you heard the phrase "teachers are the best thieves"? I'm constantly asking to borrow my colleagues' lesson plans, worksheets, activities, and supplementary materials. I think the best way to learn to be a great teacher is to network with those who are already master teachers. How wonderful would it be if we were all members of a site like Delicious so that we could all share our resources. The web is so expansive and can be so overwhelming at times. It takes hours of researching sometimes just to find sites that are useful in your classroom. However, with this site, the majority of the work is done for you. I think this will be a hit with the teachers at my school.

With regard to the planning on my action learning project: I'm currently searching for an electronic survey to send out to my colleagues to find out what their needs are. Next week, I'll hopefully have the questions written and be getting some responses.

Mashups and Action Learning Project Tools

I recently read the chapter in the book on mash ups. I wasn't familiar with this term until reading this chapter. I wasn't even aware that I was using these tools. I use amazon.com often. I also took time to explore the Delicious Library website to see what it had to offer. It allows the users to catalog their CDs, books, etc. This type of service would be useful for knowing exactly what you have in case your collection were damaged or stolen. You would have a complete listing at your fingertips to submit to the insurance company for replacement. Although that does seem like drastic measures. Who really has the time to create an online catalog of their personal belongings? I'm still not really clear on how this could be used in a library. I would like some more hands-on experience with sites like these. I feel like I need to see a few more examples of how mash ups are used before I can really understand their value. I did like the feature on Delicious Library that allows you to see how much your materials are worth. It also allows you to sell them on the site. I'm anxious to see what else is out there. I suppose mash ups are just starting to gain popularity because according to the discussion boards, many people had never heard of them.

Also, I did start filling out my Action Learning Project Planning tool worksheet today. I like the way these sheets help you think through the process. It allows me to break my project into steps so that it doesn't seem so overwhelming. I do need to get started as soon as possible. I still do not know what software I want to present to the faculty. So far, the sessions that Mrs. Jones present only last approximately 20 minutes each. She is presenting tomorrow on Destiny Quest (how to use the new library online catalog). However, I will not be able to attend because the 6th grade is going on a field trip to the Renaissance Festival. I'm planning on going to next Tuesday's lesson so that I can see how she presents this material to the teachers. I will hopefully gain some understanding of what I will need to research and how I should present.

Technology Tuesday is in the Works!

I recently met with the Media Advisory Committee again (last week) and Mrs. Jones told me that I was welcome to present a workshop on any topic I was interested in. The only problem is that I'll need to research and learn all about the technology first. There isn't really any software program that I'm completely comfortable with (and I'm certainly not ready to share it with my colleagues yet). For tomorrow's technology Tuesday, she is going to talk about the use of a device / program called Weatherbug. This device is used to predict weather and storm patterns. It gauges the temperature, barometric pressure, etc. I believe it also collects the data it sends to some local weather broadcasting stations. It's a pretty neat device. I would love to sit in on this workshop, but I have class this Tuesday. I'm so amazed that Mrs. Jones knows all about all the technology in the school. I can't wait to get to that point myself. I've always been interested in technology and I would love to gain the knowledge necessary to troubleshoot problems and educate patrons about the hardware and software that we have available to us.

My next project is completing the forms that we are supposed to have completed by next class. I need to get the timeline completed and lay out some deadlines for myself, because right now it seems like a pretty overwhelming project (especially when I have seemingly 4 or 5 other projects due before the end of the semester).

I'll let you know how it goes. I'll keep you posted on what workshop(s) I decide to present for the faculty. I also still need to get the Principal's approval to do that, but I don't foresee that being a problem. Wish me luck!

Technology Tuesday Underway...

I talked to my media coordinator this week and presented my project idea to her. She was more than willing to help me out. In fact, she is planning to start a staff development project called "Technology Tuesdays" where teachers have the option to stay after school on Tuesday afternoons to learn various technology skills. When I told her about my project idea, she was excited to have someone who could potentially help her to present some of the workshops. I think it would take some of the burden off of her while providing a learning experience for me. There is such a need for teachers to learn how to use what we have available in the library. My only hope is that teachers actually make the time to stay afterschool on Tuesdays. The sessions will be breif, so hopefully that will draw more attention to the workshops. Our hope is that once word gets out about how informative the workshops are, more people will stay. The first workshop she is presenting is going to be on using United Streaming and getting everyone's account set up. I would like to present some workshops on how to use PowerPoint and Photostory in the classroom. Of course I'll need to research this and discover this for myself first.

Excited about my project idea...

Today I spoke with the librarian at my school to discuss my project idea. I asked her if it would be helpful to her if I helped with the workshops to educate teachers about the technology available to them in the library. I explained that I would actually have a great deal to learn first and she was willing to help me with that. She was more than willing to help me with my project because she liked the idea that I would be taking some of the burden off her shoulders, I believe. She said that instead of presenting this information at faculty meetings, she was just planning to start a series of workshops called "Technology Tuesdays" offered only on Tuesday afternoons after school. I told her that I would love to participate in these workshops and possibly offer a "second chance" workshop to those teachers who couldn't make the first one. That way, teachers won't feel obligated to attend these meetings and they will be more receptive to learning the information and using it in the classroom. I'm very excited to have the opportunity to teach teachers! I have always had a love of technology and I am eager to keep my knowledge current. I just have to clear it with my principal first. Hopefully he will be willing to work with me. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Reflections on the Action Learning Project

Today my group met to discuss the Action Learning Project ideas for LIB5050. We all met for approximately an hour and everyone had very different ideas. I was thinking they would overlap, but they didn't. Everyone has a great project idea. The group members did an excellent job of sticking to the "question" format (Socratic seminar) approach when discussing the project ideas. Meeting with the group like this really helped me to think of aspects of the project that I hadn't thought of in the past. Everyone looked at it from a different perspective and I really enjoyed the input that the group members provided.

I am on the media advisory committee at my school. This committee decides how the technology money (and other money allotted to the media center at our school) is supposed to be spent to best support the students. We do this by surveying teachers, parents, and discussing with the administrators. Since the issue of teacher education in using the technologies available in the classroom came up at the last meeting, I'm thinking of doing a project on this issue. I am going to survey the teachers to see what technology needs they have. I need to find out what they want to learn/know. I also need to find out what all they don't even have a clue about, so that I can hopefully, eventually, plan a workshop, or series of workshops, to help these teachers learn and utilize the technology available to them. We actually discussed this at our last meeting. There is software and hardware that I need to learn to use as well. I also need to learn exactly how it can be used in the classroom. I am familiar with most of it, but I do not have many lesson ideas with any of it. I thought I could either give workshops to my grade level or give at least one workshop during a regular faculty meeting (the principal has already approved the use of this time for technology training; I just need to get him to approve of me teaching it). If teachers don't have to give up any time after school or planning time, they are more likely to be receptive to the training and use it in their classrooms.

This idea hasn't been fully thought out, but hopefully my principal will work with me and my colleagues will support me in this endeavor. I'm very excited about the idea of learning a new skill and actually being able to teach the teachers at our school!

Librarian Interview: Assignment 1

Today I interviewed Jan Jones, the librarian at St. Stephens Elementary School (where I teach 6th grade), to try and understand what role technology plays in the library and how this technology is being used by the patrons. She informed me that all sorts of technology are being used, new and old. She mentioned specifically the use of computers, digital and video cameras, computers on wheels with projectors, televisions, VCRs, and school pads. This equipment is used by both teachers and students for projects, research, information, presentations, and enjoyment. When I asked her what new opportunities she felt this technology presented to the patrons, she replied simply, "the world." She said because of the world wide web and other resources, patrons are able to access things they would've never been able to access with books alone.

While the advent of this new technology is incredible, it does come with some problems, challenges, and frustrations for the users. Mrs. Jones informed me that tech support is an ongoing issue. Simply keeping all the equipment up and running smoothly can be a difficult ordeal. She also mentioned the acceptable use policy and the Patriot Act as being cumbersome in terms of keeping patrons up to date and ensuring that they aren't using the Internet inappropriately. She also mentioned that some teachers are simply afraid (for lack of a better word) of the technology because they are unfamiliar with it. However, most patrons are willing to embrace it and view it as making their lives easier.

The implementation of this new technology is quite expensive as well. While Mr. Gouge, the principal, and Dr. Markley, the superintendent is on board with new technology in the media center and schools in the county, funding can be an issue. Mrs. Jones informed me that most of the funding comes from the county. They have a technology budget and are allotted a certain amount of money each school year. The rest comes from grants, which can be written by the county or the librarian. Each school is also required to have a Media Advisory Committee that decides how these funds should be spent. The Building Leadership Team also has input in this decision. It is difficult for school libraries to keep up with the changing technological world because funding is so limited. Mrs. Jones said she would love to have several other items for her library, including a mounted projector for presentations, MAC stations with video and podcasting, and another video camera because the one they have is out dated.

Because the use of wikis are controversial, specifically in research, I asked Mrs. Jones what role they played in the media center. She mentioned both pros and cons of wikis. She said they give children the opportunity to add to something already done. In other words, a wiki is a working document, a work in progress. Users can continually add to or take away from this document. However, she feels it is not appropriate to use as a reasearch tool because there is no verification of the accuracy or authenticity of the information posted.

We discussed the use of podcasts in the media center as well. She feels these would be good tools for students to utilize because it would open up a whole new world of information to the students. She said she wants Mac centers for podcasting, simply because it is simpler to download podcasts onto a Mac. This year, Catawba County Schools finally has a new server on which to store this new data. Mrs. Jones also anticipates the use of DVRs in the media center. Students can take these devices on field trips, for example, and conduct interviews and gather information for projects and reports. She also mentioned the use of DVRs to increase fluency in reading by reading and recording stories. She said that the use of DVRs dubbed over a Photostory, would create "a Photostory on steroids."

Finally, I spoke to Mrs. Jones about the differences in technology amoung the various schools in the system. For example, I asked her what you might find in a middle or high school that you wouldn't find in an elementary school and vice versa. She told me that most high school would have programs like CAD training and other real world tools to prepare them for the work force after high school. High schools, however, would not have accelerated reading or math programs, like you may find at the elementary and middle levels. Other programs you might find at the lower levels would be graphic organizer programs, like Kidspiration (which uses pictures, rather than words to create organizers), and Inspiration. Openbook (a reading remediation tool) and Orchard (a math remediation tool) can also be found in elementary schools.

Just out of curosity, I asked Mrs. Jones why she chose to work in an elementary library, rather than a secondary library. She told me that she felt she had more of an opportunity to share the joy of reading with small children. Elementary schools still have story time where the librarian actually gets to read great books to children. Middle and high schools, she said, focus more on research rather than reading for enjoyment. In my opinion, while all this new technology is wonderful, nothing can take the place of a great book and being able to share it with others.

First Blog

Hi, I'm Crystal. This is my first blog.