Everything Google

                                     
       Technology is taking over. It's everywhere.  Today's 21st century students are digital natives who have lived their whole lives immersed in technology.  This means that teachers must find ways to use technology to reach their students.  Our students have grown up in the digital age, with its quickly changing innovative technologies.  This has created a digital divide between our students and their non-digital native teachers.  Teachers sometimes struggle to find ways to adapt and develop curriculum to meet the needs of their students.  


This need is what led to the Google application suite.  Google has created a vast array of tools that can be used by teachers (like myself) who did not grow up with this technology, to enhance their curriculum, reach their students and help prepare them for the 21st century.  These tools are innovative and powerful and (maybe most importantly), easy to use.  And, very important to mention, Google provides this suite of tools free to schools!  Tools such as Google Presentation, Google Voice, Google Talk, Google Site, Google Forms, Google Docs, just to name a few.  Google is making to easy for teachers to breach the digital divide.  We just have to be willing to embrace it.

Great sources for information on Google Apps:

Adams, Devon Christopher. The Clearing House82.2 (Nov/Dec 2008): 96-100.

Fredrick, Kathy. School Library Monthly29.6 (Mar 2013): 23-25.

Infographics

Infographics are representations of data using information graphics and visual representations. They are everywhere on the web today.  Our society, with its decreasing attention spans, seem to drawn to these eye-catching, bright messages containing small, but relevant, pieces of information.  Infographics are usually easy to read, straight to the point, and usually contain interesting factual information.  Since people remember 10% of what they hear, 20% of what they read and a whopping 80% of what they see, the impact of infographics can be huge.  Teachers certainly need to master using this media in their instruction in the classroom and teach their students how to create their own infographics to represent information.
                                  
When students create infographics in the classroom, they are using information, visual, and technology literacies.  This can be created as a formative or summative assessment.  In creating infographics, students are conducting research which is information literacy, working on the layout for optimal appeal of the infographic which is visual literacy,  presenting it to an audience which is media literacy, and using the technology tools to create it which is digital literacy.  In the process, the students are demonstrating their mastery of the content that has been taught.

This is an excellent link to a site "A Media Specialist's Guide to the Internet" and a ton of information on infographics:

 

http://mediaspecialistsguide.blogspot.com/p/infographics.html#.T83jPr8zm80

Toot Your Own Horn

The school media center has so much to offer students and staff.  Resources found here can truly help improve student performance.  Research study after research study have proven that schools with media centers and qualified media coordinators have better test scores than those that do not.  However, many times the deep well of resources available in the library are just not known by its stakeholders.  This means that a major job of the school media coordinator is to be an advocate for their library, to publicize its merit and offerings.  In fact, the AASL standards for media coordinators requires us to be able to articulate the role and relationship of the school library program's impact on student academic achievement within the context of current educational initiatives.   We must be able to utilize evidence-based practice and information from education and library research, and communicate ways in which the library program can enhance school improvement efforts.  We must  advocate for strong school library programs by designing and leading professional development opportunities that clearly articulate the impact of a school library program's resources, services and programming on student academic achievement. According to Hand (2008), "Constant advocacy for integration of library and information resources in classroom plans must remain a core focus for all of us school library professionals” (p. 27). Morris (2004) emphasized "the best way to reach teachers is to give them the personalized attention and professional concern that will aid them in preparing, organizing, and presenting instructional programs...providing the collaborative support that will help them to become better teachers” (p. 127).

In essence, we must "toot our own horn".  We must be vocal advocates and strong leaders in our schools.  We, as media coordinators have so much to offer, we should not keep it to ourselves. 

Hand, D. (2008). What can teacher-librarians do to promote their work and the                school    library media program? Keep everyone in the loop: Constant                           advocacy. Teacher Librarian, 36 (2), 26-7.

Morris, B. J. (2004). Administering the school library media center. Westport, CT:

              Libraries Unlimited.

The First Beginnings...

Well, I'm trying to get into the 21st century, slowly but surely, with technology.  I've created my first blog...all by myself!  I have contributed to another blog, but it was already set up by another media coordinator that I use to work with. I shouldn't mention that it is getting late and I've been working on creating this off and on all day.  There are a lot of options (too many sometimes) to choose from when setting up a blog.  I am sure it is what "digital natives" are use to.... many options, but sometimes it can be a little overwhelming.  I look forward to experimenting and adding meaningful content as this blog develops.