OCD awareness

Tonight as I created my old school tri-fold board for the expo tomorrow, I realized my OCD tendencies were in full force. An avid scrapbooker, I am not satisfied with just white and black...so I went a little overboard. And then, being the perfectionist that I am, it had to be straight, level and evenly spaced. I beleive that this has been the most time consuming part of my AL project, but only because of MY ISSUES! : ) In the end, I'm really pleased with my board, and even though I know I will catch some slack tomorrow, I can't wait to show it off!

The Big Tah Dah

Today was the day I revealed my webpage to my students. We spent the last half hour of the day checking out the new webpage and podcasts. My oh my how they were excited! After they listened to their own podcast, they asked to listen to everyone else. They had the best time listening to their classmates' voice as well as their own. Another day filled with big hugs and lots of praise...and I thought that was MY job! : )

I also sent the webpage to parents for their big reveal and I sent it to the EC and speech teachers that work with two of my students. They were both excited to see their progress and growth from their desk.

Trouble in Paradise

So, I come in today with my podcasts ready to upload. I have downloaded the MP3 changer and have all my files ready to export as MP3s. I figure my best bet is to upload them to my class webpage, because Lord knows I am not skilled enough to create a new one. After an hour of diligently updating and uploading my new webpage (complete with podcasts!?!), I realize it is not accessible through the school webpage. (I realize this in the middle of lunch and have a mild heart attack)

After finding the web page guru across the hall, she informed me that it was an easy fix, and she would take care of it right now. Hallelujah, angels singing! My webpage is up, complete with podcasts, and up-to-date information. This class has really gotten me motivated! My principal is going to be super impressed!

I think I can...part 2

I took home the laptop full of booktalks with the intentions of editing them and adding music, perhaps some other sound effects and stabilizing the sound. Boy was I wrong.

About three booktalks in, I realize just how long a night this will be. Let's just say, we will be working on our fluency and pauses and breathing into the microphone! Two hours later, they are all edited, without music, without noise reduction and without sound effects! Let's just hope the kiddies enjoy it...if I can figure out how to post them!

I think I can...I think I can...

After spending the weekend downloading Audacity onto my laptop (because the school computers blocked it) and trying to figure out how to create a podcast, I feel like I'm finally ready. I had my kids finish their book talks and read through them to practice, and explained to them what we would be doing. It was a hushed amazement as it sunk in...they would hear their own voice!? I have never had so many hugs for something I hadn't even done! So now, there was no turning back and NO dissapointing.

I had my first two guinea pigs try recording and it seemed to be going well, so I figured I would just record the whole class and learn how to edit later. My third or fourth student, Bailey, was beaming when he finished. He looked at me and said, "Thank you Ms. Long. This is the coolest thing ever!" Aw shucks...I really must pull this off! 22 little podcasts later, I am really tired and cross eyed.

Part one of my audio recording day was almost painless. The hardest part was keeping the entire classroom silent while we recorded. That was a feat that is almost unobtainable! Who knew dropping a pencil could be so loud!?

He stood me up!

So, my big meeting with the IT guy was a let down. He was a no-show on a Friday afternoon. So, determined to do it on my own, I found some great websites for teachers that walk you through the process. I downloaded everything to my laptop (because audacity and garage band is blocked by the county) and prayed that I would figure everything out on Monday morning.

AL project..dun dun dun

I am meeting with Chris Goodson, our county IT guy to walk me through the ins and outs of podcasting. He seems really excited about working on this and getting it going. He teaches a workshop on podcasting, so I am comfortable that he will be able to guide my weary mind!

I have however, realized that I have left myself a very short amount of time to implement my AL project. With our fun run and book fair this week, time was stretched throughout the school. But I totally left out the part of Thanksgiving next week! (Duh! I SO do not forget that when I am in the school frame of mind!)

Therefore, I am planning on podcasting my students next week (before break), and teaching my faculty workshop the week after Thanksgiving. So, I will have most of my project implemented, but not schoolwide...yet!

The McLibrary

In reading Wisner's text, I found the term McLibrary amusing and appropriate. In a society where we can "have it our way" at almost any time of the day, it's not surprising that our libraries and schools have moved toward this methodology. Some early McDonald's slogans can be mirrored with the purpose of our libary at that time. "The Closest Thing to Home (1967)," "You deserve a break today (1971)," and "We do it all for you (1975)."

In college, one of my most loved professors (Dr. Morrill), taught a class called the History of Charlotte/Mecklenburg. He devoted numerous class lectures and pages in his book about the beauty of Charlotte architecture and how our campus UNCC was a visionary in design. The same architect, Odell, that designed the Charlotte Observer building downtown designed two buildings of our campus. These modernist buildings were the jewels of campus in their heyday. But today the campus' new classically designed buildings almost suffocate the small, modern buildings in the heart of UNCC. The once revered design is now an eyesore and awaiting transformation.

Dr. Morrill talked openly about the McMansions that have sprung up and down the city streets. They were loosely based on the beautiful old south architecture that remained, but were slapped up quickly and with imitation. I remember him saying how the shutters don't even have a function. They just look pretty nowadays. These McMansions that look good, often lose function after several years.

The same can probably be said about the McLibraries of our present and future. They sound good and look good, but can they stand the test of time?

The Pearson Program

What a wonderful opportunity Wisner had to participate in such a program, like the Pearson Program. If only every undergraduate student had the opportunity to connect to a subject, a book, a professor the way he did to all three. I feel like some of today's college campuses are not without some of these hallowed "Pearson Professors". I feel priveleged to have studied under one professor in my undergraduate career that really sparked my love and interest in history.

The first history class I took outside of my required electives was also my first summer course. The class; Civil War in the Carolinas. The professor; Dr. Dan Morrill. In my first class, I was unsure of what I had gotten myself into. Used to the rigors and scaffolding of typical undergraduate courses, I found myself in a small room with ten other souls, and one man who walked and talked with an infectious madness. The course text was written by Morrill himself and required reading for our 4 week course. We read every single chapter; not because he was one of the haughty dr. types that expected you to memorize every fact and date, but because he wrote the way he spoke and read...with passion. I remember that our lectures were full of Dr. Morrill reading passages and excerpts from the era we studied. He read with such passion that it ignited our attention. He did not stray from controversial material...in fact I think he took pleasure from the shock value sometimes! He also used the material, as well as the facts to spark classroom discussions. He did not stray from voicing his opinion, nor did he stray from validating our opinions. I will always be thankful to Dr. Morrill for not being afraid to teach his passion. Because of this, I took three more courses (outside of my already accomplished electives) and decided to double major in History. I know I am not alone in my adoration and admiration of him, just try and schedule a time to see him during registration for the next semester. History majors were able to pick and choose our advisors and who to see during advising periods. I always valued his opinions (even if they were vastly different from my own) and tried many times to see him as my advisor. Alas, I never did.

Whither...

I'm reading the book for our next discussion and found it very interesting. The paragraph about the origin of the word library spoke to me directly. I love learning about the meaning of words and how they originated. It resonates more to me than simply trying to learn vocabulary. I even use it in my second grade classroom. We study different animals and kingdoms. I taught them the meaning of arachne (spider) and the story of the skilled weaver Arachne in Greek mythology. I also taught them the meaning of Chiroptera (hand-wing) when studying bats.

I found it comforting that the word library comes from the word liber, or books. The author is right when he talks about how we have changed from being librarians to media specialists, or information techs. I find some peace in knowing that the origin and hopefully the future of librarians remains in books.

Podcasting Workshop

I've done some research on podcasting and I am sold that this is what I want to do for my Action learning project. I still want to learn more about the process and how to implement it at my school, so I have planned a meeting with Chris Goodson our technology coordinator for hte county. I want him to show me how to set it up at my school and what would work best. I may see if he is available to teach a workshop at school to help with the education of the staff. I want to use podcasting mainly as a tool for creating book reviews (as a start). I want a "Reading Rainbow" kind of review. I looked at several schools that podcast and fell in love with their ideas. It could go sooooo far! I am excited to get this ball rolling!

Action Learning Project

I have gone back and forth on my action learning project ideas, and I finally decided that I want to teach a technology project. First of all, it meets the needs of the faculty and school. It also would be something that I am comfortable doing. I just need to narrow down the topic I want to teach. The following are my ideas for the workshop:
1. Podcasting- I would love to create a forum for book reviews that the children can listen to and record. The problem is, I would need to teach myself first!
2. Wikis- I really liked learning about Wikis but feel it may be too difficult for me to teach.
3. Document Cameras/projectors-I'm familiar with them because I have one in my classroom.
4. Smartboards (we are supposed to get some for every classroom, but I'm not sure when)-I'm not knowledgable about them....yet!

Case Study

I met with my group on Thursday and we finished our analysis of the case study. It is so refreshing to meet with two peers and be able to work cohesively as a group. The project seemed so overwhelming when looking it over at home, but when we got together we each were able to contribute so much. I thought it was interesting that we thought of things that the others haven't. What I didn't even consider, Rebecca or Jeri had elaborated on, and vice versa. I am so happy to have these women in my group!

Action Learning Project

Just when I think I have my action learning project idea, I find something else that I want to do. I originally thought that I would create some type of planning guide to use between the classroom teachers and the librarian. But, the more I thought about it, I realized that it wouldn't be a technology based project. So, after more conversation with my librarian and reflecting upon improvements needed, we have narrowed it down to three ideas: create a new system for dealing with technology problems, teaching a staff workshop on software that is uploaded on the computers in the lab, or create a process for using audio/video within the copyright parameters. I am going to talk to the staff and faculty about each over the next few days and reflect upon each idea to narrow it down to one idea. I want to do something that will meet the needs of all staff.

Action Project

I have been thinking alot about the action project. The most difficult thing for me is that I am still a classroom teacher, "pretending" to be a librarian. So, my mindset is still fixed on the whole of the school, the classroom, the students, and the teachers. My initial idea after interviewing my librarian was that there is not enough technology exposure to the K-2 students. I wanted to create a way to implement one cohesive lesson/skill into her lessons. That way every student was at least exposed to it. Yet, I don't want to step on any toes or inhibit any of her ideas. So, my next thought was a way to connect grade level planning to media planning. Not sure what that will entail exactly; I'm going to talk to my librarian about it and see what her thoughts and feelings are on the subject.

Interview with Mrs. Stanton

I conducted my interview with Rebekah Stanton, the media coordinator at Rock Springs Elementary School. Rebekah was a librarian in Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system before coming to teach fourth grade at Rock Springs. After a year in fourth grade Rebekah moved to the media center this school year. She is full of wonderful ideas and has a familiar bond with classroom teachers. In her first month she has revitalized integral parts of our library.

Rebekah uses technology daily with her media classes. The checkout system Destiny is web based and a major help for her. It has been in use at the school for two years and can give her book recommendations, student print outs, and can analyze the library collection in seconds. She also uses the LCD projector frequently with a document camera or laptop computer. The students have access to two computer labs with 24 PCs and 2 printers. Rebekah uses the computer labs to enrich her media lessons. Students browse specific websites, NCWISEOWL, encyclopedias, as well as complete web quests and word processing activities.

The single biggest problem facing our library is funding. While this problem is echoed throughout the school and school system in general, Rebekah faces an aging collection and lack of technology. The average age in the collection is 1989, over twenty years old. Rebekah is in the process of writing a grant to receive additional funding to build the collection and enrich the library with multimedia tools.

If money was not an object, Rebekah would purchase a Mac computer with the video production software. After using the software to create personal DVDs Rebekah realized the impact it could have on our school. While there is PC software available, the Mac version is very user friendly and ideal for young students. She would also like to purchase more digital cameras, not only for use in the classroom, but to create books on Photo Story. She would also like to purchase a color laser printer to correlate with the digital cameras and enrich all lessons.

Another problem facing Rebekah is the difference between K-2 and 3-5 and their technology skills and abilities. Grades 3-5 is much more capable of completing a task in the computer lab with just her as the instructor. Yet, K-2 students need lots of additional help which is difficult when there is no additional help. Another problem she faces is the discrepancy between what all students should know and what they actually know. In a world full of technology there are many students who have little or no experience with word processing programs.

As a classroom teacher, I find this to be a major problem as well. Given the amount of curriculum I am required to teach, technology skills are taught in sync with the subjects we are studying. I teach my students how to create a Power Point, but some still can’t capitalize a letter. This is a discrepancy that deepens as years progress. With some teachers doing little or no technology instruction, many students get left behind. Even though this is not a part of media curriculum, it would be wonderful to teach simple skills in correlation with the media lessons. This way, there would be consistency throughout a grade level.

First day as a grad student

After getting my 22 little ones over the hump of the first day and week of school, I find myself in a very similar situation. How humbling to feel overwhelmed, anxious and a bit nervous. I can fully understand why half of them came in crying the first two days! I'm twenty years their senior and already had a few of those moments! I'm positive it will get better and easier as time goes by and look forward to my second day as an ASU grad student!