Video Distribution Systems &Georgia Public Broadcasting Education Resources

The video distribution system utilized by Swint Elementary is closed circuit cable. After interviewing the media specialist, the following information was ascertained:

1) Does your school have one, and is it working? Swint Elementary has a functional video distribution system which includes one DVD, and four VHS devices.

2) What gets sent out over the video distribution system? School news? Cable and/or broadcast programs? Channel One? What else is it used for? The video distribution system is utilized for school approved videos aligned to the curriculum. Teachers have access to limited educational channels, including The Weather Channel, CNN, PBS, and Clayton County Public Schools channel. 

3) Do teachers have any input or control into the distribution system and if so what (for instance, some video distribution systems let teachers control what is sent over the distribution system through the number pad of their telephone!). At this time, teachers do not have access to control the video distribution system. The media specialist informs the teachers about the school approved video, time, and channel.

4)  Does your school use a digital system, transmitting TV content over the data network?  Currently, the teachers utilized the digitalized classroom to view instructional videos and the school news. Clayton County Public Schools are digitalized classrooms, which allow teachers to access the digital system with the wireless network via Clayton County laptop or desktop.

In 2002, Georgia Public Broadcasting teamed up with Discovery Education in order to provide Georgia educators access to video and video clips through a service called united streaming, which is a web-based digital video delivery system. This service has the largest video library for K-12 teachers with over 50,000 videos available. In addition, the videos provided are correlated to Georgia state standards. There are videos for all subject areas including music and art.  The site also allows teachers to store videos so that they can access them later. Another advantage to united streaming is that teachers are able to download videos for educational purposes.

Aside from the fact that videos can engage students, here are many more benefits that united streaming can provide to teachers.  United streaming has a feature called assignment building in which teachers can assign videos to students. In addition, assignment building allows students the ability to access videos from home. United streaming also offers quiz builder which gives teachers a chance to assess students after they have viewed videos. United streaming allows students to work at their own pace so it is a powerful tool to differentiate instruction. Students who are at different levels can access videos more germane to their level of learning. Overall, the uses for united streaming are limitless.

Even though united streaming has many advantages, there are some disadvantages. First, united streaming takes some time to navigate and to figure out the features that may work best for you. Another drawback is that united streaming requires that students have computer and internet access. United streaming is a great resource that teachers should implement so that students can access pertinent videos.

Currently, my school does not access united streaming as a whole. I know that individual teachers access the site in order to enhance their lesson plans. Additionally, I think many teachers are not aware of united streaming.   I do not think all teachers know of the advantages of united streaming. I would like to see many more teachers take advantage of this great resource. Furthermore, I would like to see a staff development course offered on united streaming and how to incorporate it in the classroom. Does your school use Discovery Education and united streaming?

Social Networking in LMC: Double Tap or Block?

Social Networking in LMC: Double Tap or Block?

As a media clerk in an elementary school, my initial reaction to social networking/media in the LMC setting is a big fat BLOCK. I would not double tap to like this idea!

After reading the articles provided, I realized that there can be a way to include social networking/media in a LMC program without it being too much for students to handle and in fact, my LMC is already doing some of these things. For instance, we use Follett's Destiny Quest automation system for online searching that is similar to Google or other search engines on the internet. According to the article, “The standard search interface combines with social networking in a colorful graphical environment allowing students, teachers, and staff to give star or text ratings to books and submit text, audio, or video reviews.” This is similar to double tapping to like a post on Instagram, “Liking” a post on FaceBook, or “Re-tweeting” a post on Twitter.

Our school does allow sites like MyOn and Destiny Quest for students to search for, locate and even read books online. There are firewalls however for regular web searches in Google or other search engines. We do provide them with a safe way to do research for projects and assignments. One of the articles had a list of sites that can be used to teach internet safety for students. GetNetWise for kids was one that I thought was most helpful for elementary because most of the safety sites for social networking were for teens. 

Another way to make sure students are safe is by doing internet safety classes with all grades. In my LMC, our specialist is currently doing these classes for all grades and even including information on cyber-bullying.

 

Another aspect of social networking is Web 2.0. It is the use of internet technologies to enhance information sharing and the creative and collaborative development of projects. A good example of this is TeacherLibrarianNing. A community for teacher-librarians and other educators that the site includes elementary library routines, posts on what to have in a collection, to how to best arrange the furniture in a LMC.

The debate on using social networking in LMC is not new. In 2008, the AASL did a survey on the acceptance of social networking tools in LMC and the preliminary findings from the study show that elementary, middle and high schools are beginning to treat social networking tools as an essential part of preparing students for the 21st century.

After reading all of the articles, doing research and considering my own observations, my thoughts on wether or not to have social networking/media in an elementary LMC has gone from a big fat BLOCK, to a smaller thinner BLOCK. 

I am not naïve enough to think we can keep it out forever, but I feel that keeping students safe online gets even harder when they have access to more and more sites and formats that are not a necessity at this time. Using sites like MyOn and Destiny Quest to search, locate and talk about books is one thing, but for other aspects of education, I believe there are other options available. Do students even know how to use dictionaries, thesauruses, encyclopedias and atlases anymore?! J ust because technology is growing in our world doesn't mean it needs to infiltrate everything.

Social interaction and networking in person will always be a better option in my book than doing it online!

Sources:

School Library Journal published Gail Metz' article "Secure Social Networking" (July 2008, Vol. 54 Issue 7, p18)

Fiehn, B. (2008, September 1). Social Networking and Your Library OPAC! [Available Full-Text, Free]. Retrieved September 20, 2015.

AASL's second longitudinal survey reveals schools' acceptance of social networking tools. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2015.

Media Center Websites

Media Center Websites

Figuratively speaking, it is virtually impossible to find a media center much less a school or district that does not have a website to promote its goings-on.  Our real world has ensconced itself in the virtual world creating our own personal place in cyberspace.  And, while everyone from Uncle So-n-So to Microsoft have their own websites, many libraries (no matter how big or small or where) have jumped on the wagon for a direct course into it.  In a time where the uprising of technology has made the physical collections of our libraries afraid and fearful of their destruction and demise, many are embracing the technology wonderland of cyberspace in what can be deemed a brilliant move.  It is paramount and critical for media centers across the world and at every level of learning to adapt to meet the needs of its users.  If your users have gone virtual, so should you. 

Media centers creating and maintaining websites allows for positive PR and promotion in a digital age where immediate gratification and access are the “soup of the day” so to speak.  Gone are the days of the card catalogs looming in the center of the library or the “thunking” sound of the library card’s metal plate stamping your number on the due date card.   In order to continue to be relevant, media centers must make themselves relevant and advocate for themselves.  Media Center websites allow them to do just that!

For media center websites to be effective and useful, they must take into consideration their patrons and there needs while adjusting to meet them.  A website at the elementary school level will not look or function like one at the high school level and these will differ greatly from a post-secondary counterpart as well. 

As you consider designing your site, it is imperative to know your demographic and their needs but to also realize that those needs will inevitably change (and change even more so in the age of technology and the click of a button).  In addition to taking suggestions from your patrons, it is also helpful to look at the multitude of library site that are our there on the web.  There is no shame in gleaning ideas from libraries that are already doing it right and doing it well.  Media centers are all in this together to promote a common cause so that they do not perish as a relic of the old days and what once was in the face of a clearly technological future.

http://schoollibrarywebsites.wikispaces.com is an excellent wiki that allows you to browse through numerous school media center pages.  It also give you excellent instructions and links to information on how to build, maintain, and present your media center website. 

While browsing through the various websites, I noticed that some immediately struck my fancy while others left me feeling unsure of what was going on.  Some were busy; some were plain.  I determined that fancy and visually appealing is not always functional and vice versa. 

For me, a media center website should be:

• ·      Visually attractive and tidy but NOT overwhelming in multiple, bright, or distracting colors or photos (This is not a P.T. Barnum production.)
• ·      Simplicity gets the job done NOT 500 links to what feels like endless search options
• ·      Keep your basic search functions and OPAC on the home page NOT hidden in a link off to the side
• ·      Keep it updated and attached files current (We do not need to know what magazines your had available in 2011.)
• ·      Use social media as needed but do NOT make it the focus of the whole site
• ·      A photo or two is fine but do NOT overdo it – this isn’t Instagram!
• ·      Keep relevant information on the homepage but NOT a running CNN-style ticker about the football team’s devastating loss last week

While these are my personal style preferences, I know many who would not agree and that is ok!  I prefer substance to style – just because it looks pretty doesn’t mean it is useful.  However, it is heavenly when it can be both!   To each, his own.  No matter how you design it, the media center should be user-friendly, to the point, and kept current and relevant for users.  What do you all think?

A Little Bit About Wikis

What is a Wiki?

A wiki is similar to a blog, but, instead of being written by one person, a wiki can be written by a collaboration of multiple people each adding their own dynamic and unique content.  Wikis are free and easy to set up and use.  There is no need to learn a new computer language in order to use a wiki. Wikis are flexible and customizable.  They can be public or private and are always available from any computer.  Wikis provide a history of all revisions and offers a “discussion” tab where users can make comments.  Wikis allow users to upload files, insert images, videos, podcasts and a variety of other multimedia elements.

What can wikis do in the classroom?

In the classroom, wikis promote group collaboration, research, and group thinking.  Wikis promote non-linear thinking.  They can be easily changed and edited.  They provide a public space for reading and writing.  Wikis can be fun!

What are some wiki classroom integration ideas?

Here are just a few of the many ideas of how to integrate wiki use into the classroom are:

• to publish a class newspaper
• to create or continue online reading circles or literature discussion groups
• to create digital portfolios
• to work on group projects
• to demonstrate learning across a wide variety of subjects
• to create a collaborative story
• to create book and film reviews
• to work collaboratively on math word problems
• to have a virtual class debate about a topic

What are some ways that a wiki can be more successful?

            David Foord researched the reason why some educational wikis worked and what could be done to increase the chances of a wiki being successful. The result of this work lead to the creation of the STOLEN principle.

Specific Overall Objective—The wiki needs to have a clear objective, understood by all.

Timely—The wiki needs to have intermediate deadlines with reminders and a definite end point.

Ownership—Students need to feel that they all own the wiki and its contents.

Localized objective—Students need educational wikis to have some structure of what is

                                   expected with starting points for editing.

Engagement rules—Who can edit and which parts they can edit should be obvious to all users.

                                 There should be some rules to what is acceptable and unacceptable use of

                                  the wiki.

Navigation—There should be a clear navigation structure so students will understand how to

                      navigate the wiki.

What are some of my personal thought when it comes to the use of Wikis in the Media Center?

            I think that the use of wikis in the media center can have limitless possibilities.  A school librarian could use a wiki as an interactive website for their school media center.  This type of wiki could not only list pertinent information such as library hours and policies, but also have a place where students could post their own personal book reviews and ask the school media specialists and other students questions about research information.  The school media center wiki could also be a place for the school librarian to gather information about what types of books the students are wanting to see in their library media center.  I think that some possible drawbacks to using a wiki in this manner is that students could hijack the site if the school librarian lacks control of what can be posted in the wiki.  I think the strongest use for a wiki would be for collaboration between students and the sense of content ownership it can give the students but, the weakest use, in my opinion, would be the potential for misuse especially if there are not proper guidelines and expectations stated from the inception of the wiki for the students.  I think that there needs to be a clear navigation structure for users of a wiki to know where to put their information.  In a past semester, I incorporated the use of a wiki for a collaborative assignment in order for each member of the team to be able to see what part they were responsible for as well as what their other team members’ responsibilities were.  I created a page for each team member and properly labeled their section so that everyone was clear as to how to navigate the pages of the wiki.  The wiki was a powerful collaborative tool for that class project.

How have you used wikis?

Bibliography

FrontPage. (n.d.). Retrieved September 9, 2015 from http://stolenprinciple.pbworks.com/w/page/18419565/FrontPage.

How To Use Wiki In The Classroom - eLearning Industry. (2013, October 6). Retrieved September 9, 2015 from http://elearningindustry.com/how-to-use-wiki-in-the-classroom.

School Librarian's Role in Reading Toolkit. (n.d.). Retrieved September 9, 2015 from http://www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy/tools/toolkits/role-reading-web.

Wiki Primer. (2007, October 2). Retrieved September 9, 2015 from https://edtechtoday.wordpress.com/2007/10/02/wiki-primer/.

Wikis in the Classroom. (n.d.). Retrieved September 9, 2015 from http://www.techforteachers.net/wikis-in-the-classroom.html.