Diversity

We live in a diverse world. The United States is literally a melting pot full of diverse people heritage and history that is important to them. As a media specialist, it is vitally important that we reach out to all of our students. To do this we must understand our community. We need to know the ethnicities, economics, education level, and the background of our community. People need to feel that they belong. Our students must believe that they belong and are understood as a unique individual.

The materials within the media center should reflect the community. By encouraging and offering information on different cultures, faiths, abilities, and traditions we are preparing our students for a diverse world. Within my daughter's class, there are several children who are disabled or classified as special needs. This has been a wonderful opportunity for her to see people her age but are a little different. She loves to explain to me that one little girl is in a wheelchair because she can't walk. She explains that several of the students take turns playing with her. She offers very detailed explanations of how she and the little girl play together. One day within my media center, I hope to create that sense of acceptance for all who enter.

Diversity

Diversity has many connotations, especially in the education world. I believe that through education reform that is continuous, educators are continuing to meet the needs of many different students. It is important as media specialists that what we order and supplement with is directed towards the patrons that will be using them. I believe that differentiation, lesson planning, and awareness is a big part of bridging the diversity gap. Because we have so much access to online programs, the students can learn similar concepts in many different ways; this is why it is highly important for the media specialist to help implement the technology standards into the teacher's lessons. Technology is world wide and we need to be preparing our students for universal knowledge as well as national knowledge. If they have a great understanding of the differences of the worldly cultures then they have a deeper understanding of the diversity in our own nation.

Ebooks and Digital Storytelling in the Classroom

Digital storytelling and e-books have become an important part of the media center and classroom. I had the opportunity to speak with my mentor and she explained that because the school’s media center is small they have had to increase the number of ebooks they subscribe to. The media center has increased the number their subscriptions to online reference as well as another way to save space. The ebook subscription is packaged together and contains approximately 100 books.

As a pre-k teacher, I have used digital storytelling in my classroom for several years. Each year, using Movie Maker I create a 4 year old memoir documenting what the world is like from a 4 year old’s point of view. I teach the children how to take pictures with the digital camera; then, each child is allowed to take home the camera for one week to document their favorite toys, places, people, food, games, and things to do. We measure ourselves three times a year using their favorite toys (Barbies, Hotwheels, etc). The children tell jokes, sing songs, and dance. I document almost everything we do in the classroom. At the end of the year, I create the 4 year old memoir video. The children love to watch themselves and see what all they have done. The parents are able to see how much their child has changed and matured over the last year. It is a wonderful keepsake for parents and students.

I have also used ebooks in my classroom. I have used the website www.storylineonline.net many times. The children love to listen to the books. I like that it is updated periodically. I usually include this as one of the stations when I am teaching. A very useful source!

Digital Storytelling and eBooks

Digital storytelling can be used in schools for a variety of purposes; to share stories written by students, as a means for students to share information or what they have learned, and as a teaching tool that can make a scientific principle, historical event, or mathematical concept come alive in ways that reading print material or even watching a PowerPoint presentation on the subject, can't. The use of music, graphics, and sound effects, in addition to video and/or still photographs, can tap into students' emotions, entertain them, or explain an idea in a new way, especially for stories narrated by those who lived them. The media specialist can help to promote these both by featuring stories by others and allowing students and teachers the opportunities and know-how to incorporate them into lessons on every subject and for every grade level. It is vital, however, that he or she make clear the importance of copyright and fair use, especially if the stories are going to be viewed publically, such as being linked from the school's website. For this reason, the creation of kits such as the one we are using, is important, because the media specialist has more control over the materials students use while still allowing them creativity through the choices provided.

Since my mentor is out of state visiting her new grandchild, I spoke with the media specialist at Austell Intermediate when I went to volunteer Thursday. She told me that in Cobb County, there were a certain number of eBooks offered for download, but it was a package deal (about 60 titles total for all grade levels combined). Since a majority of the titles seemed to be for older students (the school is grades 2-5, and according to Mrs.Coker, many of them were on a middle and high school level), she did not opt in. She did know, however, that when an ebook is checked out by a student (either from school or by using their Destiny code from home) that only that child can access the book until it it checked back "in", just as with a print book. However, I know that a number of online references sources, including dictionaries, thesauri, encyclopedias, atlases, and almanacs, are available through the Cobb Virtual Library, which can be accessed from home or school using a password which students can obtain through the media center.

However, after exploring the sites linked from WebCT and using (and even creating) 'story' eBooks in previous courses, I believe that there is so much they can offer, especially for students with limited media collections at their schools, such as if there are a number of outdated materials. In the case of eBooks with audio included, young students who are learning to read or those who are learning to speak English can also benefit, because they see the pictures, hear the words, and in some cases, even see the text highlighted as the words are read (This is something I have seen on other eBooks sites which were not free to the public). In addition, eBook sites offer books in a variety of languages and from a variety of cultures, which would help even students whose parents do not speak any English at all to still share books as a family.

My Observations on In-Service

Throughout the media program, I have had the opportunity to sit in on several in-service meetings at the various schools I have observed. Many of the meetings have been little more than 30 minute in-service. The media specialist has received some new type of technology media or a principal heard about this media from someone and wants the media specialist to offer a few minutes of explanation and demonstration. These were all very informal and simply just a show and go type of presentation. The teachers were all very receptive. It seemed that at least one teacher had had some type of experience with the new media. It definitely helped that teachers were aware of the new media. I volunteer as a parent advocate at a private school in Douglas County. I had the opportunity to talk with the media specialist there regarding the in-service he offers. Because they are a Title I school, they are required to hold meetings for parents. Many times, the media specialist will offer an in-service to parents to introduce parents to educational websites online. They have had a lot of positive feedback from this. So much so, that the media specialist is now setting up a blog to keep parents aware of any new websites. At this school, the media specialist is the leader that encourages tech use. He really pushes the use of it in the classroom. Because the school is non-traditional his position is very much like an administrator as well. He introduces new technology to the teachers and explains to them how they can incorporate it in to their classroom. The teachers seem to appreciate his enthusiasm and enjoy incorporating new things into their lessons.

Technology Training

We are lucky to have a Principal who values technology training. Today, I'll be in a MAC class in our new lab learning more about MACs and how to use them in elementary applications. The trainer is from Kennesaw State. The school covered half the expense, and I paid the other half of $50.

We also have many teachers and a media specialists who are tech. savy and teach classes frequently. The last one I remember was a "how to maximize thin clients in your classroom" for PLU credits. A third grade teacher taught us how to upload students' work to Google docs and Zoho docs.

As with any organization, be it in the public or private sector, you will always have early, mid, and late adapters when it comes to learning technologies. Many of our teachers embrace new technologies and share with others in their grade levels. Our late adapters are helped along by early adapters.

We also have "quickie" tech. sessions at faculty meetings with our media specialist demonstrating how to use document and flip cameras. She's forever forwarding valuable web-sites to teachers as well.

Overall, I would say tech. training is a collaborative effort at our school with the leader being the Principal. She sets the tone and lets all of us know that she expects us to become efficient with our Promethean boards and other tools. I can't wait to demonstrate applications for blogging, wikis, and podcasts myself. As always, there's a learning curve with new technologies, but the rewards are priceless.

Video Distribution/GPB Resources Blog

After reading other classmates' blogs, I'm sad to say that we are "behind" with using video distribution and GPB resources at our elementary school. We have 2 campuses, at primary (K-1st) there's no video distribution facility. However, teachers do use United Streaming on an individual basis, downloading videos and other applications relevant for instruction. At the main campus, we do have an AV room which is capable of switching and televising closed circuit TV programs/DVDs/Videos throughout the school; however, our media specialist does not see a reason for doing so. Also, the teachers never request it. Teachers have been trained to download from United Streaming and this is the resource they tend to use. They use GPB on an individual basis as well. We do not broadcast GPB programs via the closed circuit system. The other blogs provided good information of how we could broadcast videos and use GPB resources on a "global" basis throughout the school, instead of depending on teachers to do it individually.