Technology and Diversity in the Media Center

I have
always thought the term diversity has been used in schools to describe students
of various ethnic or racial backgrounds, but the real meaning of the word diversity
is differences. Differences can mean several things. It can mean students who
have special needs or behavior disorders. It can also mean students who have
economic needs, or who have unique living situations.

The media
center has the privilege of serving each of these populations. As the
population changes in a school, the collection, materials, and technologies
should change to best reflect and educate all students. Technology is a great
way to teach and motivate students of diverse backgrounds. I have yet to meet a student who does not
enjoy using technology. It has the capability to reach students no matter what
their background is and almost every student can make use of it no matter where
they are starting. Media centers give students a break from the structure of a
classroom by offering materials, technology, and experiences in what students are
interested in. If technology is constantly expanded in the media center, it has
the potential be a place of growth and learning for all students.

Lucky 7: Copyright, Fair Use, and Multimedia

Lucky 7: Copyright, Fair Use, and Multimedia: A multimedia presentation is a presentation that uses multiple forms of media. It includes original work by the student, along with som...

As students incorporate more and more multimedia into their projects and assignments, it is important for them to know the copyright laws and fair use guidelines. You gave great examples of copyright examples. They will be useful for students. I like your advice to be conservative and only use small amounts of material.good rule to follow when working with copyrighted material is to be conservative and use only small amounts of material.A good rule to follow when working with copyrighted material is to be conservative and

Peace, Love, Read: Blog 6: Technology training Many teac...

Peace, Love, Read:

I agree that it is a good idea to have knowledgeable staff train others. Knowing you have reliable people to turn to in your building will give you peace of mind. Heck, I ask my coworkers for help all the time. Especially with the Activotes. I just can't remember how to use them!

We just had an inservice where the teachers held sessions in their areas of expertise. It was a fun experience for us to listen and learn from our peers.

Taking a poll is also a good idea to find out what teachers want to learn.









Blog 6: Technology training



Many teac...: Blog 6: Technology training Many teachers in my school district cringe at the thought of technology training. Whether it is th...

Librarians 2012: Technology Training

Librarians 2012: Technology Training: In the school where I’m doing my field experience, the media specialist is available to answer technology questions or prepare a brief tr...

It is fortunate that the teachers are willing to share technology tips and other useful information with each other, but the media specialist should also attend the training for the Smartboards and other new technology so she can also be available for assistance. The Smartboards are often used in our media center and the media specialist is responsible for setting them up and troubleshooting this and other technology available in the media center. Sometimes she is even responsible for setting up overheads, audio and the projector in the cafeteria for other assemblies. We do have a technology specialist but she works part time at our school. When she's not around, we ask the media specialist for help.

Of course there are other teachers that are helpful, but she's a person available in the central location - the media center.

It is a good idea to offer surveys so you know what the needs of the staff are. Unfortunately, time is hard to come by. Just recently, there was a technology class offered that I was extremely interested in, but I couldn't make the time committment. We try to offer our programs after school in lieu of a faculty meeting and yes- snacks do help! I hope when you are a media specialist, you are involved in the technological aspect :)

Digital Storytelling

by Linda Morris

 

According to the University of Houston, Digital Storytelling is the newest, most innovative approach to education. Telling a story through the use of computer technology creates a basis for the lesson and a beginning to what promises to be an excited trip through learning.

Digital Storytelling may seem like a new concept, but in fact, it has been around since the early 1990s. Joe Lambert from Berkeley, California, helped develop and co-founded the Center for Digital Storytelling (CDS). The CDS was designed as a non-profit group of community arts individuals that would provide training and assistance to people interesting in creating and sharing their story through the use of a Digital Story. The Center for Digital Storytelling has developed a list of the Seven Elements of Digital Storytelling in an effort to support and direct how educators should prepare individual lessons.

Point of View	What is the main point of the story and what is the perspective of the author?
A Dramatic Question	A key question that keeps the viewer’s attention and will be answered by the end of the story.
Emotional Content	Serious issues that come alive in a personal and powerful way and connects the story to the audience.
The Gift of Your Voice	A way to personalize the story to help the audience understand the context.
The Power of the Soundtrack	Music or other sounds that support and embellish the storyline.
Economy	Using just enough content to tell the story without overloading the viewer.
Pacing	The rhythm of the story and how slowly or quickly it progresses.

Digital Storytelling, though a rather new approach to learning, has become a very powerful instructional tool. By combining digital multimedia, images, video, audio, and of course, the art of storytelling, the educator develops an interesting tool used to open lessons and introduce students to a new unit or concept. We live in the age of technology, with a world of video and audio available at our fingertips. Focusing on the standards to be taught, educators now have a new and exciting tool to share with students.

Digital Stories can be categorized into three major areas, first the personal narrative. In this type story one tells a personal account or gives information relating to a significant incident from a point in time. The second story type is the historical documentary. These stories can be dramatic events or take the learner through a chronological timeline of events. The final story type is designed to merely inform or instruct the learner. Introducing new concepts or material would fall into this type story style.

Students create Web pages and publish blogs using social media. Taking their knowledge of technology one step further would give our students a edge in our global society. Digital Storytelling is a concept that can and should be taught in the classroom. If students are to become lifelong learners using technology and learning new innovative approaches should become part of our curriculum. Helping students develop technology skills is only one level of mastery that will help the transition to college or career. As students become more visually literate they become better communicators. Students learn to value the use of images to communicate and ultimately tell a story. Communicating and fully understanding the issues the community outside the classroom is yet another area students will develop and appreciate. Digital Storytelling brings an issue full circle and asks important questions to draw the learner into the idea or subject. The student developing the story will be exposed to more information and grasp the bigger picture through the development process.

Finally, our ultimate goal, as media specialists, is to give our students the ability to find, evaluate and synthesize information; to become Information Literate. Through the use of Digital Storytelling and through the eventual student creation of Digital Stories, students will see the joy in learning and gain a better understanding of how powerful knowledge truly is. On a personal note, I enjoyed reading the suggested information relating to the University of Houston and Digital Storytelling. I believe this is one area we need to explore and use in the classroom. Along with use comes work on the front end. The preparation of Digital Storytelling lessons is a goal I plan to add to my list, how quickly I create and fine tune these stories, is yet to be determined.

Houston, U. (2011). The educational uses of digital storytelling. Retrieved from http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/

Houston, U. (2011). The 7 elements of storytelling. Retrieved from http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/7elements.html

Copyright, Fair Use, and Multimedia

     A multimedia presentation is a presentation that uses multiple forms of media. It includes original work by the student, along with some form of copyrighted animation or media material for a specific class or assignment. A typical multimedia project contains at least one of the following: a video or movie clip, music, text, illustrations, photographs, etc… Students may use the presentation for later use as examples of their work and for job and college interviews. Teachers may also use copyrighted material when creating presentations for instructional purposes, conferences, workshops, and as a part of their professional portfolio.

     As our students create and produce more multimedia presentations to fulfill class requirements, there is a need for more awareness of copyright and fair use policies. A clear cut definition of fair use is the condition under which you can use material that is copyrighted by someone else without paying royalties. Portion limitations control how much of copyrighted material you are actually allowed to use without having to obtain permission. A good rule to follow when working with copyrighted material is to be conservative and use only small amounts of material.

The guidelines for portion limitations are as follows:

Motion Media: Up to 10% of the total of 3 minutes; whichever is less.

Text Material: Up to 10% of the total or 1,000 words; whichever is less.

Music, Lyrics, and Music Video: Up to 10% of the work but no more than 30 seconds of the music or lyrics from an individual musical work.

Illustrations or Photographs: A photograph or illustration may be used in its entirety. No more than 5 images from one artist or photographer. No more than 10% or no more than 15 images, whichever is less, from a collection.

Numerical Data Sets: Up to 10% or 2,500 fields or cells entries; whichever is less.

Copying of a Multimedia Project: No more than 2 copies may be made of a project.

Copyright Friendly Resources for Educators and Students

Clip Art and Animated Images

Awesome Clipart for Educators

Classroom Clip Art

Phillip Martin’s Free Classroom Clip Art

Pictures

Flickr Commons

FreeFoto

FreeStock

Wikimedia Commons

World Images

Music

Classical Archives

Freeplay Music

PBS Kids Music

RoyaltyFreeMusic

Sounds

Free-Loops.com

Jamendo

Podsafe Audio

Video

NASA’s Observatorium

National Archives

The Open Video Project

Teacher’s Domain

PowerPoint Templates

BrainBetty

Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2011 from http://centerforsocialmedia.org/medialiteracy

Fair Use Guidelines for Educational Multimedia (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2011 from http://www.gait-inc.org/GSMF/fairuse.htm

MEDT 7477-Group 5: Is No News Good News?

MEDT 7477-Group 5: Is No News Good News?: By: Kim George Personally, I think not. Currently we do not have a news program at my school and I have been trying to think of the best ...It is unfortunate your school does not have a news program – especially in middle school. I hope you are able to find the means to implement one. You have good ideas to implement as well. It will be beneficial for the students to be announcers and to listen to them.

At this time, our schools announcements are not on TV, but done over the intercom. I am in the process of finding out how we can make them be produced on TV. I am an interrelated teacher but am in charge of the announcements and am surprised no one has suggested this before. We had TV’s installed in every classroom a few years ago, but they weren’t wired correctly. Anyway, my principal is pro technology so I knew she would support going live. I’m looking forward to having this in the future.

We used to have safety patrols do the announcements on a 6 week rotation, but decided to hold auditions for them this year. That might work well for you too.

MEDT 7477-Group 5: In the Know with Television News

MEDT 7477-Group 5: In the Know with Television News: by Liz Manguno So, first, a disclaimer. I minored in journalism, worked for a suburban daily, taught newspaper and yearbook – and love ...

You are indeed very fortunate to have a full time staff running your media program. Having the broadcasting opportunity is wonderful for high school students. Having a fully equipped studio is also incredible. Your students experience first hand the ins and outs of producing a television program. It may be the beginning of a career in television and broadcasting for some.

I too, was very impressed with the KNN and Southern Columbia programs. Our announcements aren’t even on TV. They’re done over the intercom. I approached my principal and media specialist about starting video announcements and they are investigating how we can do this. I am hopeful we will have them on TV by next year.

Lucidity: School TV News- Cougar Cub News

Lucidity: School TV News- Cougar Cub News: I knew that my school was not savvy when it came to School TV News, but after looking at Pleasant Grove Elementary and The Tige...

It sounds like your school needs to invest in some new equipment. You are one step ahead of us though. We don’t even film our announcements. They’re done over the intercom. I’m working on changing that, but it’ll take some time. I was also extremely impressed with the video programs at the schools we viewed. I emailed the link to my principal. I hope we can strive for something like that! We have very involved parents in our school who would help make it happen.

It would be hard to approach your media specialist, but it sounds like it’s a good idea to do so. This way your announcements can be updated. It wouldn’t take much to liven it up. I’m sure you’re not the only one who thinks they should change, but no one has approached her yet. You can tell her you’ve been learning about it in grad school and offer some simple suggestions…

School TV News

Wow!  I am green with envy at Pleasant Grove and South Columbia Schools news programs.  I happen to oversee announcements at my school.  An interrelated teacher who retired, supervised them for years. When she left, they asked me. Unfortunately, we are behind the times with our technology. 

Last month, I approached my principal and technology specialist about going live with our announcements.  They are currently trying to find out what’ll take to do this.  They warned me that it’s a slow process but a work order was put in.

In the meantime, I emailed my principal the links to the sites I viewed to show the potential we have. Just a few years ago, TV’s were installed in every classroom, but they are just collecting dust because they are not wired correctly. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get them up and running.

As I said before, we are behind the times. Our announcements are done every morning over the intercom.

In the past, safety patrols were chosen to do announcements on a 6 week rotation.  This year we decided to do something different. Upcoming 5^th graders that were not patrols auditioned. We thought it would be a big hit, but unfortunately it wasn’t.  I had to go classroom to classroom several times to promote the auditions. Finally there were a few brave students.  My plan was to get 8 students total to do announcements.  Pairs would do them weekly.  At the beginning of the school year, I asked for a few more students and luckily, some agreed to do it.  In the end, we got 8.  I think that if they were on TV, kids would be more likely to volunteer.

5 minutes before the bell rings we begin to play classical music.  Teachers and students have reported they like this because it’s a warning the bell alerting them it’s almost time to start the day.

  The announcement format begins with the date, music just heard, pledge, patriotic song and moment of silence.  In the second half of the announcements the students announce birthdays and announcements of the day such as upcoming events like the talent show and spirit night.

We haven’t really encountered any problems except on the rare occasion, the intercom in broken.  Sometimes, there is static over the intercom too.  The issue is easily resolved.

I enjoy supervising the school announcements and can’t wait to someday have them on TV!

Social Networking

Social networking programs are one of the most up and coming technologies being used in schools today. Teachers are beginning to see that the educational benefits of social media far outweigh the risks. By incorporating the tools that students already know how to use, students are staying more engaged and are learning more. Safe social media tools are now available at no cost, which allows teachers to control an online environment while still benefiting from the use of social media. Using social media as a teaching tool not only motivates students to write, but provides a natural collaborative environment which encourages students to critique and comment on each other’s assignments and to work on teams to create content. This aspect of social media allows students to make new connections with other, whether they are shy, unpopular, or just plain unlikable.
Schools and libraries are working to integrate social networking into their classrooms, programs, and services. The use of these technologies provides students with the opportunity to learn how to be safe and smart when participating in online social networks. It also teaches them about a valuable life skill, as many of these technologies are used in colleges and in the workplace. The use of social media gives students meaningful ways to use and improve their reading and writing skills by creating profiles, posting and commenting on blogs, adding or editing content on wikis, and consulting with peers online as a part of research.
Our school has recently purchased a program called Gaggle. Gaggle is a program that allows safe online learning. Its purpose is to facilitate collaboration in and out of the classroom. It allows students and teachers to collaborate on projects and assignments through the use of the Gaggle Office Suite, much like Microsoft Office, and share and store those documents through email, digital file storage, and homework drop boxes. Gaggle also provides an integrated calendar which is updated by each teacher as well as blogs, message boards, and chat rooms. This is the pilot year of the program and we are all still adjusting to the software, but have received great reviews from students and parents about the possibility of this becoming a powerful tool.
The possibilities and uses of social networking in schools and in the classroom are virtually endless. Here are a few that I have found:
•Have students post notes, visuals, formulas, activities, reflections, and comments related to the days lesson on class blog.
•Publish the school newspaper on the blog.
•Create a joint wiki with another class for a unit of study. As students find information on the topic, have them post their findings.
•Use Facebook to connect with students in the school. Provide quick and easy links to the library catalog and other research tools. Include information on programs and services the library offers.
•Have students create a Facebook page for a character from literature that you are studying.
•Follow famous people on Twitter. Have students follow President Obama when studying government.
•Use Skype to bring the field trip to the classroom when it is difficult for students to go to the source.
•Conference with parents. Stay connected through social media to communicate their child’s progress.
•Tweet famous conversations. Have students tweet imagined conversations between famous figures.
•Bring your students together with a social media page.
•Share book reviews. Students can post their book reviews for the instructor to grade and other students to read on a class Facebook page.
•Poll the class. Use polls as an interactive teaching tool in class using the Poll app for Facebook.

What is Social Networking and How Can it Be Used in School Libraries?

Social networking is defined as an online service that focuses on building and maintaining social relations among people who share similar interests. Social networking sites allow users to share ideas, activities, events, and interests within their individual networks. Social networking sites share some conventional features. Most often, individual users are encouraged to create profiles containing various information about themselves. Users can often upload pictures of themselves to their profiles, post blog entries for others to read, search for other users with similar interests, and compile and share lists of contacts. In addition, user profiles often have a section dedicated to comments from friends and other users. To protect user privacy, social networks usually have controls that allow users to choose who can view their profile, contact them, add them to their list of contacts, and so on (Wikipedia, 2011).

Although, networks such as MySpace and Facebook are associated with friendship, we are learning that there are many applications of social networking that can be used in school settings. Social networking sites are giving teachers and school librarians new exciting tools for teaching and reaching students. According to the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA, n.d.), “schools and libraries are working to integrate positive uses of social networking into their classrooms, programs, and services. By integrating social networking technologies into educational environments, teens have the opportunity to learn from adults how to be safe and smart when participating in online social networks. They also learn a valuable life skill, as these social networking technologies are tools for communication that are widely used in colleges and in the workplace.” With these new tools also comes a need for guidelines for proper use to ensure safety. Some ideas for guidelines include:

• Use your first name only or a pen name.

• Stay anonymous (i.e., avoid school name, street name, places you hang out).
• Limit your friends list to people you know
• Rather than posting your photograph, create a cartoon avatar of yourself.
• Avoid posting photos that associate your name and face.
• Don’t post anything you wouldn’t want your friends, teachers, or parents to read.
• If you feel uncomfortable or threatened, talk to a teacher or parents.
• Treat others and yourself with respect (Lamb, 2007).

As with anything, I want to know the benefits of “new innovations” in the classroom. After a little research, I found an article entitle 100 Inspiring Ways to Use Social Media in the Classroom. Below are a few ways/ideas to try in your K-12 classroom.

• Make literature real. Create a Facebook page for a character literature you are studying.
• Follow famous people. Have students follow someone related to what you are studying, such as following President Obama as his job relates to government, the economy, policies, etc…
• Study Geography. Use a combination of Twitter and Google Earth to help teach geography-based lessons.
• Connect with classrooms. Collaborate with another classroom, no matter where they are in the world, to expand learning opportunities.
• Field Trips. Use Skype to bring the field trip into the classroom when it is difficult or impossible for students to go to the source.
• Conference with parents. Stay connected with parents through social media to communicate their child’s progress (Online Universities, 2010).

Lamb, A. (2007). Intellectual freedom for youth: social

technology and social networks. Retrieved October 26, 2011

from http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslpubsandjourn

als/knowledgequest

Online Universities. (May 2010). 100 inspiring ways to use social media in the classroom. Retrieved October 26, 2011 from http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2010/05/100-

inspiring-ways-to-use-social-media-in-the-classroom/

Wikipedia. (2011). Social networking service. Retrieved October 26,2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_networking

Young Adult Library Services Association. (n.d.). Teens & social

networking in schools & public libraries: a toolkit for      librarians & library workers. Retrieved October 26, 2011

from http://www.docstoc.com/docs/3621844/Teens-Social-Networking-in-the-School-Public-Library-Social-Networking

    

Webpage

Linda, you included some good background information and some very good tips. I like the idea of the media center's webpage being seen not only as the information center for students, but as an "advertisement agency" for parents as well. I would like to have an active webpage for my students and parents. However, I feel that it would be under utilized. The school culture is not ideal and the main focus is rigorous and direct instruction because of test score scrutiny. But even aside from that, I find that the students are more interested in internet gossip than actual research that would benefit them academically.

Librarians 2012: You shouldn’t judge a Media Center by Its Web Page...

Librarians 2012: You shouldn’t judge a Media Center by Its Web Page...: There are lots of wonderfully innovative things happening in school library media centers all over the country, but you wouldn’t ...

You made a lot of good points about developing and maintaining a LMC website. It is a good idea to peruse other schools sites to get ideas for you own. I have found some interesting ideas doing this for UWG classes. Knowing our website is the main attraction for the media center should motivate the media specialist to keep it attractive and current. There is a lot the media center has to offer and the community needs to know it!

Lucidity: Websites Can Be a Great Opportunity for Media Spec...

Lucidity: Websites Can Be a Great Opportunity for Media Spec...: As media specialists, we must always look for ways that we can …shall we say… market ourselves and our services; websites/blogs offer us exc...

You made some key points about web sites.Web They do offer users the ability to communicate information in an easily accessible manner. Teachers can use them to post assignments for absent students, notes from lessons, links to helpful sites, and maintaining communication. Media centers can use them for collection listings, event planners scheduling, notices, communication and as compendiums of general information and paths to it. It is important to maintain an aesthetically pleasing website with useful information for the stakeholders to use.

Lucky 7: Media Center and the Webpage

Lucky 7: Media Center and the Webpage: by Linda Morris Media changes drastically over short periods of time. Just in the past ten years it has become much more advanced and use...

It is true that the possibilities are endless for a media center webpage. It does provide a collaborative teaching tool for the student learner and educator. Webpages are an important tool for promoting the media center. You were correct in saying maintaining the webpage is an innovative part of public education and use through libraries and the media center.

Media Center and the Webpage

by Linda Morris

Media changes drastically over short periods of time. Just in the past ten years it has become much more advanced and useful for people all around the world. There has been an extreme advance in media technology. This includes the creation of analog-to-digital converters, technology convergence, and the changes in the media industry and audiences. There have been advances in the way gatekeeping and content filters are handled. The rise in the technology of books has even been so great that there has been a decrease in the annual sales by 44 million books. With the ascending spiral of technology the world of media will be a great place for the future.

Analog media has been used originally for audio recording for media that was analogous for the sound that it was creating. Recently analog media has been used to refer to non-digitized media, such as film, audio, and print media. Since technology has advanced and become dependent on computers analog has been translated into digital media so that it is in computer and machine-readable form. It is put into binary digits so that computers may read and comprehend it. This process in which media is translated into computer-readable is called digitization.

Communication of media has been transferring from the traditional analog media to the newer aged digital media. This is much more convenient in this new age because people have learned to depend on their computers to do work. When dealing with audio and video an analog-to-digital converter works at an extremely high rate. Digital media is a great advancement in media technology.

Technological convergence is the coming together of computing, telecommunications, and media in digital environment. It can be used in different types of media, such as print, audio, and video to converge it all into one digital media. Convergence makes mass communication digital for networked media so that it is not a necessity to communicate through words, images, and sound. This is very useful when dealing with multimedia situations when there is more than one type of media. For example, web pages combine several different forms of media together to create a web page with text, video, audio, and several other media forms. Technological convergence has been a very useful factor when dealing with the steady rising of Internet use. Without this it would be much harder to communicate through the Internet because there would be no digital environment for computing. The use of hyperlinks has been a huge advancement in convergence and communication. A hyperlink is an HTML code that is used to link to another webpage or element within a website. Technological convergence has been a main benefactor in making digital media what it is today.

A huge technique used in sending media to massive audiences is known as gatekeeping. This is the way that editors decide what is important in what an audience will see on a webpage. This is often used to sort through massive amounts of media information to carefully select what is important for the audiences to see and what is not. The gatekeepers are people who decide what messages are absolutely necessary for the audiences to read. They put out the messages in the correct content and for the masses to read and understand. In the high school media center, the Media Specialist is this individual. Being the person who disseminates information to both faculty and students is a huge responsibility.

Along with distribution of information, the Media Center webpage has become an advertising agency. Advertisements include upcoming events, schedules for both academics and athletics, and announcements that interest parents. The Media Center webpage has become the center of communication and link for the community, both inside and outside the school. Posting pictures from past events is another popular way the Media Specialist can help advertise and disseminate information.

Through the webpage the Media Specialist is able to influence and enhance instruction. Students learn to become information literate and learn to use Internet tools appropriately with the help of the webpage. Creating summer reading lists and links to help parents stay on top of content assignments and previewing work is yet another way the website can benefit the student learner.

Many school districts have taken the approach of creating the base or foundation for the page so all schools in the district have a similar look and style. As students move from elementary to middle to high school, the webpage changes colors and the information is certainly updated to reach the appropriate school level, but the layout and design may remain the same. This gives parents a familiar comfort zone with the school’s webpage. 

Collaborative teaching is enhanced through the use of webpages, wikis and blogs. The possibilities are endless and exciting for both the student learner and the educator. The Media Center is the heart of learning in the school and the webpage is the extension of that heart into the community. Maintaining the webpage has become an innovative part of public education and use through libraries and media centers.

Franklin, Pat, Stephens, Gatrell. (2011). “Creating Webpages for the 21^st Century Library Media Center.” School Library Journal. Retrieved 20 October 2011 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7729/is_200711/ai_n32243004/.

Trinkle, Catherine. (2011). “Teaching the Use of Informational Text is Information Literacy.” School Library Media Activies Monthly. Retrieved 20 October 2011 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7729/is_200711/ai_n32243007/.

Media Center Web Page by Lisa Meisel

            When creating a web page for the library media center, it is important to keep your goals in the forefront.  The library website is the point of access to electronic resources the library subscribes to or owns, the way to find print resources; and a place to share news, information, policies and other documents (Jurkowski, 2010).  The website can be used as a model of communication for your community.  Some media specialists may use web pages, Wikis, blogs or other formats to create a format for a media center page.  Although, new technology to create media pages is available, a media specialist should choose one that works best in their situation.  Some school districts determine which format should be used.  There are costly programs and free programs.  According to Jurkowski, the tool itself is not what's important, what important is how you use the tool (2010).

            

Some important things to remember when creating your site are:

• Make sure the web site is prominently featured or linked from the school site.
• Convince teachers to link to the media center site from their classroom web pages
• Feature your site URL on all handouts, policy manuals, and other documents.
• Create a template files for teachers to use on their handouts that include the media centers URL.
• Record your URL on your voicemail message suggesting that the caller may find the answer to their question online.
• Create a business card with your URL.
• Create a section on the website that lists important programs to support the curriculum along with their channels.
• To help families and communities, list popular media technologies that are popular such as laptops and camcorders.
• Offer suggestions and reviews of popular vacation destinations.

You want to encourage stakeholders to come to your site often by creating interesting links to sites such as homework help, Destiny and databases.

      You have many options to include when creating your site, but it should include key points such as the school's mailing address, librarian email address and phone number, media center employees, the hours of operation, overdue/lost book policy, reading lists, educational videos and games, showcase new materials and also include the date the website was last updated.  You can also opt to post your schedule and have a sign up sheet for teachers and volunteers. Your page can be used to share your future goals, dreams and current topics such as reading bowl information or author visit.  One feature I would like to implement from a site I visited is a teacher's recommendation and book review.  The kids will be motivated to read a book a teacher has read and recommends!

Since the media center is a central part of the school, the site is an essential component of the media center.  It will be used frequently by parents, students, teachers and administrators.You should integrate images to add color, build animations to express complex concepts, use sound to communicate with emotions, and use video to tell a story (Warlick, 2005).  When developing your site, make it stand out!

References

Jurkowski, O. (2010). Technology and the School Library. The Scarecrow Press, Plymouth, UK.

Warlick, D. (2005). Retrieved October 15, 2011 from http://aasl.metapress.com/content/gk552k173l82j1l0/.

What is a Wiki?

Blake, I agree with your comment about wikis being extremely complicated for non-computer users. I am still learning to navigate some of the newer technological tools. If it wasn't for this course or the last course I took from Dr. Cooper, I would still be in the dark about a lot of the tools available for classroom use. I'm learning a lot although I am easuly frustrated, but I'm excited at the same time about the endless possibilities. 

Lucky 7: What is a Wiki?

Lucky 7: What is a Wiki?: Wiki is a website that allows users to create and edit web page content using any web browser. Wiki is unique in that it allows content to...

You made many good points about Wikis. I too am learning about them through UWG classes, especially this one. There are many good uses for them and word needs to get out. Most of the teachers at my school have never heard of them. Wikis do have many advantages and disadvantages. Some people like using them and others would rather use other tools. Finding the right one for you is the key. But people should give Wikis a try.

What is a Wiki?

Wiki is a website that allows users to create and edit web page content using any web browser. Wiki is unique in that it allows content to be edited by anyone at anytime. The first wiki was created by Ward Cunningham.

There are many advantages in using wikis. Wikis offer teachers the ability to manage a classroom course and its activities. It allows teachers to provide interactive information for their students. Wikis also allows teachers to work collaboratively with their students. Students like the use of wikis because they are actively engaged and are allowed to take control of their own learning. Some other classroom uses for wikis include, but are not limited to:

• Creating a class webpage;
• Collaborating on a project with teacher or pen pal from another school;
• Use in a class discussion to list comments or ideas;
• Post book reviews;
• Collect links to good websites or news articles;
• Post group assignments or writings;
• Create a portfolio of selected work;
• Understand the writing process through the use of brainstorming, revisions, etc..;

The initial thought of using wiki as a collaborative tool is intriguing. However, there are disadvantages as well. The information can be edited by anyone. This can easily cause the wiki to become disorganized. Another disadvantage is that because anyone is allowed to contribute, it leaves the wiki open to vandalism. What may be the biggest disadvantage however is that internet connectivity is required in order to contribute information; leaving those students who do not have access to the internet outside of school without an opportunity to contribute from home.

I personally like the idea of using wikis as a teaching strategy to capture students’ attention. They are easy to use. They serve as collaborative tool. They are interactive and inexpensive. They are technology based and fall in line with what is interesting to students and they go beyond traditional paper and pencil activities. 

What are your thoughts? 

MEDT 7477-Group 5: Wikis make me a little sickie by Michelle H.

MEDT 7477-Group 5: Wikis make me a little sickie by Michelle H.: When I saw this topic, I was excited to tackle the subject of wikis. The reason why isn’t quite so obvious. As you can tell from the ti...

I had the same feeling about Wikis so your title drew me in. I had such trouble with one over the summer, I am completing my tech tool on Wikis to learn about them. You make a lot of valid points especially about students editing and changing the content. I work in an elementary school so I hadn't thought about that happening. You made me see it from a new perspective. I will have to try out google docs and see if I like using that more.

MEDT 7477-Group 5: Wiki Wiki Quickly: by Kim George

MEDT 7477-Group 5: Wiki Wiki Quickly: by Kim George: Wiki Wiki Quickly Did you know that “wiki wiki” means quickly in Hawaiian? And staying with the wiki theme, Wikipedia defines a wiki as ...

I like that you gave background on where the word Wiki came from... Who knew! It's amazing they have so many educational uses and I am looking forward to learning how to use them at school. So far, I've only used them for UWG classes. I will try to introduce them to the teachers for the reading bowl. That's a good idea. Your strengths and weaknesses pointed out some key points. I agree as you mentioned as a weakness, they are structured. I haven't figured out how to add the creativity yet. You had good insights about using Wikis.

Wikis

      To be honest, if you asked me a year ago, what a Wiki was, I didn't know.  How many of us in education do?  To prove my point, just today, I asked a general education teacher, if she knew and of course she didn't.  Therefore, I explained what a valuable tool they are.
      The classes at West Georgia have opened my eyes to many internet goldmines I didn't know existed. Unfortunately, using Wikis in my courses has left me feeling disappointed.  I'm usually computer adept, but I felt frustrated managing Wikis.  I was envious of other peoples' designs and it left me wondering why I couldn't figure out how to do more.  Therefore, I am taking on a challenge and am going to complete the tech tip assignment on Wikis as well as complete this blog.  At the end of this course I'm to become a Wiki Wizard!
    Learning how to develop and maintain a Wiki is important for future library media specialists.  There is a wonderful world of Wikis in store for educators. Libraries may use Wikis to promote internal communication, provide a virtual space for group collaboration, or create a dyanmic content for the user population.
     If you, as the LMS want to share the new titles the media center has to offer, you can display snapshots and titles on your Wiki.  You can also showcase students using the LMC too.  Another wonderful feature of Wikis is that others can edit the page.  Therefore, you can ask teachers to upload projects or pictures of their own students using the LMC. A wiki can enable and empower librarians and teachers to create and edit their own content whenever and wherever the need arises. The possibilities are endless!
     Another positive feature of the Wiki is that it is on the internet.  Therefore, it can be accessed from anywhere.  You may decide content should be added from home, another teacher's classroom or even just from another area of the library.  Just locate a computer, and it's done! Hosting and maintaining a Wiki is just one small way you can ensure the library is at the center of the learning community.
     Library Media Specialist are encouraged to collaborate.  This can be accomplished using a Wiki.  The LMS and teachers could work together to create lesson plans, track how the lessons are being implemented in the various classrooms and give suggestions. Teachers can also share school to school and find out how other teachers are doing on a similar unit. Wikis can also aid in research by allowing the LMS to create and manage dynamic content.
     As we are learning this semester, with the numerous opportunities to use our class Wiki, Wikis are a wonderful tool.  I'm looking forward to learning more about them and embracing them.  I will share my knowledge currently, as an Interrelated teacher with fellow teachers that I co-teach with.  When I become a media specialist I will create a Wiki for the media center and welcome the community to the Wonderful World of Wikis.

Courtney, N. (2007). Library 2.0 and Beyond: Innovative Technologies for Tomorrow's User.  Libraries Unlimited, Westport, CT.

Wiki in a K-12 Classroom. Retrieved October 11, 2011 from http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Wiki_in_a_K-12_classroom.

Podcast Purpose

by Linda Morris

The Podcast is a digital video with unlimited capabilities for students and teachers alike. The Media Specialist and the Media Center are the hub of both technology and learning for school. To promote and enhance instruction, the Media Specialist now has Podcast-ability to share with teachers.

Historically . . .
Without the Internet, Podcasting would not be possible. The Internet has been moving at "light speed" since the 1990s. The increased use of technology gives the average user a wealth of information at their fingertips. Developing a Podcast evolved from the use of Blogging. Blogging gives the Internet user the ability to comment and share information at will. Users are able to become "experts" at the click of a mouse and upload of a video.  (Van Orden, 2011).

Very little equipment is required for creating a Podcast. The Media Specialist might use a laptop computer, microphone, and small camera (if the laptop does not have one installed). Most Media Center's are equipped with the basics needed to create a Podcast. Starting off slow and building to a professional or comfortable level is suggested by most experts in the field. Media Specialists should think of these four key areas when creating a Podcast with or for teachers: Plan, Produce, Publish and Promote. (Van Orden, 2008).


Planning is the most important part of the instructional task. Without a masterful plan, the product will not turn out as expected. One key aspect of being a Media Specialist is having the ability to work with teams of teachers to create instructional blogs and/or Podcasts to facilitate instruction in the classroom. Meeting, for example, with the science teachers to discuss a particular domain students find difficult to grasp, gives the Media Specialist a direction in which to go when preparing a Podcast. Working closely with teaching teams, the Media Specialist can have a huge impact on student success and achievement in the classroom.

Another area in which a Media Specialist can have impact with student achievement is working with the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) student. Practicing with a Podcast and having the ability through the use of technology to "repeat" instruction, will most certainly assist these students who know only struggle with the language, but learning because of the language barrier.

As the Center for Learning becomes more involved in classroom instruction through the use of technology, the value of the Media Specialist will increase throughout the educational system of the state and on a national level. Using Podcasts is not only an advantage for the teachers and students, but for the Media Specialist as well.

ESOL/Title III. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/ci_iap_esol.aspx

Van Orden, J. (2008-2011). The history of podcasting. Retrieved from http://www.how-to-podcast-tutorial.com/history-of-podcasting.htm