Showing posts with label digital literacy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label digital literacy. Show all posts

Monday, March 8, 2021

Wide Open School

 https://wideopenschool.org/  ( Wide Open School) is a new resource provided  by Common Sense Media. It looks to me to be a wonderful site for students, teachers , and parents ,to assist students in learning and growing and furthering their education.

    There are a multitude of learning activities that will work for students.  There is of course, Math, Science, and core school subjects with activity  links- there are also off line activities,  arts and crafts, digital activities,physical fitness,  emotional well being,life skills and virtual field trips. 

     The neat thing is also a  a daily  planning page where a day of activities / lessons are laid out.  They  also provide planning sheets for teachers/ parents/ caregivers to plan their own depending on the student. The plans are based on grade levels so students just pick their grade levels and complete the activities.

   The activities ( games, lessons, ect) are shareable with Google  Classroom , so if you are a teacher you can send specific activities to your student. The plan lays out each day of the week and activities to go with them, The students are even given a screen break and ideas on what to do! 

   I think this site will be invaluable to teachers and parents  working on virtual learning . The activities would also  be doable in the school setting. 


 

Sunday, January 31, 2021

World Read Aloud Day!

     On February  3rd,  there will be a World Read Aloud day with several author volunteers doing a quick virtual read aloud with classrooms around the world to share the joy of reading. 

  Some of the authors are Tracey Baptiste, Debbi Michiko Florence, Hena Khan, Meg Medina, Ellen Oh, Dawn Quigley, Rajanni LaRocca, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, Linda Urban, Anne Ursu,  Kate Messner and  Renee Watson

  Each  author will  read a five-minute sneak-preview from one of their upcoming books for readers in grades 3-7.  The whole segment will run about an hour.

 The link to the video will be on Kate Messner’s site and she will post it  a day early so that teachers / librarians can embed in Google Classroom if they want . You could also use it in classrooms or share with parents.

The presentations won’t  be long, Kate’s site has the following information.

  • 1-2 minutes: Author introduces himself or herself and talks a little about his or her books.

  • 3-5 minutes: Author reads aloud a short picture book, or a short excerpt from a chapter book/novel

  • 5-10  minutes: Author answers a few questions from students about reading/writing

  • 1-2 minutes: Author book-talks about a couple of  other books they love.

https://katemessner.com


Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Quizizz.com- another tool for library and classroom


   Here is another on line tech tool that students, teachers, and librarians will love to use. It is perfect for virtual learning and compatible with Google classroom.


  There is a lesson and quiz creator. But there are also numerous lessons and quizzes already  created that you can use . Some lessons use power point. The Quizzes are self check. 


    There are tutorials to help you set up lessons , which I did not go all the way through, But the steps seem to be easy. Teachers can assign lessons and quizzes. There seems to be a lot of information to assist teachers in using this with their classes.

 

  There are quizzes in English/ Language arts, Math, Science , Social Studies, World languages,

Creative arts, computer skills, and career/ tech education.


Check this out , I think it will be helpful!




https://quizizz.com/teachers?ref=header_tab




Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Librarians! Ramp up your websites!/ coronavirus

    If your library has been closed  like the ones in my area ( NY/ PA/ CT, )  we need to  keep our  web pages  up to date and  full of resources they can use during this Coronavirus pandemic.  We  really need to ramp up our web sites so that we can continue  services  to out patrons .  I am going to look back at some past posts , library websites that I use, and will continue to search for ideas and sites that can be put on our  pages to help our patrons.
  This will be a good way to show all the resources that librarians and library's provide for students and patrons.  I am praying that this whole pandemic does not last to long , but we won't know til it over until it is over. Keep safe every one, and check back here for some sites and tools for your library pages.
  

Thursday, July 12, 2018

Flipgrid is now free for educators!!!

Already planning for the fall??? Note that Flipgrid (which I know many of you used the limited free version of this year) is now offering their “paid” version COMPLETELY FREE for all to use.
Put it on your “to do list” of a cool way to engage your kids next year and see me if you have questions!
 See my earlier post about using Flipgrid- I will probably be doing several more posts as I want to encourage my staff to use it!

Read about it here:

Friday, June 15, 2018

Digital Citizenship




     Digital citizenship teaches students how to navigate online spaces in critical, healthy, and ethical ways. The lessons should be done in context with subject area teachers throughout the year.  It should not be done in isolation as the students will have no connection to the learning.
     Learning Digital Citizenship this way will be mostly incorporated, learned and remembered, and applied to the topic at hand.  This avoids disconnect of how students behave at school and then at home  do something differently.

      Librarians can work with teachers to help pose the right questions and teach skills to using social media, , the internet,( including video sharing, blogs, podcasts, & related media). Students can learn to use these products in creative and ethical ways.

Friday, April 6, 2018

Newseumed.org-great site for education!

     Newseumed. org is a partner site of the Newseum Museum in Washington, DC. They offer to teachers and student s free educational programs, primary sources, and resources based on history, information literacy (media literacy) and social studies topics. Also there is online access to front pages, videos, and artifacts in their museum collection. 
   They are committed to offering educational tools that helps develop skills that learners can be knowledge about our countries past and present. 
    The sites provide online resources, and tools that include primary resources and online classes and training. Also they have specially curated collections with primary sources on many educational topics.
   This site can be useful to social studies, ELA, Librarians, and tech teachers.

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Personal Professional Growth

  At the  Summer Institute , we were given a continuum of school Librarian competencies, This rubric is for self growth to help up develop professionally. The competencies are from AASL and PSELS ( Professional Standards for Educational Leaders)

 Out of the 11 competencies I am going to work on  #1 first- which is Mission, Vision and Core Values. Being ion the middle school and the state of librarianship  with the strong digital aspect I will have to ponder before setting my mission and vision.  I have a small budget so that will be limiting as far as the digital/maker space aspect.

  Do you have mission or vision , or core values. I am struggling with this so if any one can comment please please do!

Saturday, September 9, 2017

Setting Library Goals For a New Year



   It’s the first day of school   and time to set a few goals for the upcoming school year! After our Future Read Conference I have to decide what goals I want to pursue. I am thinking of two that are most important.
    One is continuing to build instructional partnerships with more teachers this year. Last year I had quite a few collaborative projects, and I am hoping this year to have those same teachers and then add several more that I did not get to work with last year.
  Another goal that I want to pursue is to become more proficient at a few key new technologies. The specific ones I have not decided on yet, but I am thinking of Symbaloo or Buncee . Those are a few of the ones Shannon McClintock Miller showed us at our conference.

   Do you have goals for the year? What are they? Share with us in the comment section please!

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Summer Institute for Librarians

 Wow- what we packed in for a day and half was amazing!  The most fun of course was the 'Maker Spaces Petting Zoo" and  the  Auctions!  
  The Petting Zoo was so cool!  The Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES  was so cool. We got to see in action and try out some really amazing maker space items: 3d printing,  green screens, Ozobots,  little bits, and dash and dot to name a few.  Would really love to do something like this in our library- even though I am really short on space.
 The Scholarship  Auction was fun!  There were great items donated by some major companies( Perma Bound, Kapco, and even some of the Maker Space companies. Then the regular auction  - there were baskets with some wonderful items that groups put together - those brought in the  big bucks. We had fun bidding- tons of laughS as librarians tried to outbid each other. The most popular were the wine baskets, and the Mo Williams baskets.

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Summer Institute for school Librarians

   I am so excited to be getting ready for our NYLA /SSL educational leadership institute! It is this week at Cornell University .( Ithaca, NY) The theme this year is Future Ready Librarians: You Lead the Way! 
   The presenters are Shannon McClintock Miller( The library Voice blog@  http://vanmeterlibraryvoice.blogspot.com/ )who is a library mover and shaker. I am sure she will be very inspirational and a motivator   with some new ideas.
   The other presenter is Jim Belair from Monroe.2-Orleans BOCES and an adjunct professor at University of Buffalo.  I am expecting to get some fantastic ideas from this institute. I will share some of the stuff next week in a follow up post.So check back here and see a post or two ob Future REady Librarians, and some ideas on new programs and issues.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Student Blogging !

  Posting to a blog can take many forms. Students can write personal reactions to the subject/ topic covered in class. They can post links that are applicable to the topic/ assignment covered.

  Depending on the topic or subject area, they can also  write reflectively on the what is being read. A blog  could also  be used as a journal or a place to publish creative writing.

  As teachers we  would be looking for the readers response . It will be a way for us and the students to test ideas and thoughts . Writers ( students) can response and give feedback. Teachers and staff can also do the same.

   The vision for blogging us having students read,  and respond to what interests them . They can ask questions of peers and teachers. While doing this reading , writing, and questioning they build their reading , writing and analyzing skills.

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Still More Benefits of Blogging!

    Sorry  to say( not really) but the more I keep reading  and thinking about  the benefits of blogging  with students. I can't wait to do this and encourage my teachers to do also with their classes!  Yes I know  we need more laptops!!!

   Using blogs with students  will cause development of expertise in one subject area. Maybe not all students but a majority will  .  When reading and writing is focused on one topic increased learning , and skills will be  seen( according to reports I've read- which I  would assume would be the case.This will create for the students and the class a vast database of learning that is built on.

  Blogging will expose new literacy's  that students will need to function in the every expanding information based society on the internet.   New information grows rapidly every  month. Students will learn a way to process , analyze and interpret their findings .

  More and more careers will require research, organization  and syntheses  of ideas . This will help many students obtain and advance in   their career choice.


Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Blogging for School Students- First Steps

  Before your class (or group) starts blogging, it would be a good idea to send a letter hoe to parents and guardians  discussing how the group will work.

   Include in this also a permission letter with terms and condition that both student and parent will sign and return.  This will lay out students behavior  on the blog,  and what is expected of the student. This can also include consequences for students who do not follow the guidelines. 

  We want students  to become users of blogs by sharing ideas, analyzing the work/ book given  and participating/ collaborating with their classmagtes. This may lead to more global interaction thru the internet.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Middle School Blogs! Middle School Book Club!

   I am  hoping to promote  that student in our 7&8  grades  will be blogging next year.  I am hoping to work with the ElA teachers  or maybe start a lunch time book club for students.  Each group - a 7th and an 8th would have a blog attached to our library website.  Then they will read the book and then discuss . The students will be volunteers!  
    I will write an intro to the book( or maybe have the students do a book review.)Then students can present their ideas about the book in the blog during the month- So I am thinking that  maybe a monthly meeting would work.   I will think about it over the summer. 
    But if you have any ideas , please comment below!  I am looking for some input

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Great Website for digital media- Middle & High School

     I am using Nsteens  in my Information Literacy classes . Actually what I did was put up several links to some of the items on this site on my Google classroom for the students to do - some as part of a class activity when we were in the computer lab, and some to do when they were done with their assigned work.

    Anyway , the students  seem to think that this is a very cool site .  They enjoy and go back to several of the games.   The purpose of NS Teens  is to make students aware of the issues  about using different internet sources , internet safety, & social media.   The programs are designed to think about what are posting and doing online.  Hopefully they will stop and think about  what they are doing  online and if it inappropriate.

   Along the top of them main page you will see the different items available!
 First there are videos related to  digital citizenship. Here is a quick listing of just a few: Friend or Fake, Gaming, Cyberbullying, & Post to be Private.

   Another Tab is Games, which my students thoroughly enjoyed.  Website Warrior and Password Plunder were on my google classroom and many students return to Website Warrior  again and again.

  The Quizzes  tab has 4 quizzes- the first was completed by my students but  some of the wording was confusing to them.  There were two comic strips , my students viewed one.  The remaining tab is biographies on all the characters throughout the different  programs.

  

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Projects/ Activities for February ( Middle school Information Literacy Classes)

    In 7th grade , we are doing some Black American History Month projects.  I have a pathfinder set up for students to read about some famous Black Americans- this gives them a link to the people  and leads them to Biography.com to get quick answers.

     Also there is a research aspect which delves into one person. Students are looking up why the person was famous and other interesting facts.   With these facts , they will be making a wordle poster  for another grade!

     On our Activity table, there are hearts to write their favorite books on, a movie survey, and a fiction find game.  

Friday, June 26, 2015

Why Digital literacy Is Important

  Digital literacy means the ability to locate, evaluate , and use digital information. The ability to recognize what information is needed and when to use it are also important components of digital literacy.   Using a wide range of technologies effectively is also important to the adult community( computer, mobile devices, blogs, twitter, facebook , youtube).
    Without access to the internet , adults can't develop digital literacy. Without digital literacy, patrons will not gain maximum benefit from online resources. Being digital literate will also help adults and seniors procure a job in today's job market.
    Training provided by the public libraries to adult patrons is an important service.  Offering a variety of technology training is key .
   Some public libraries have informal assistance , one on one sessions, formal tech training classes and online training materials. This training help adults  to  have skills to join or rejoin the workforce. Some libraries also provide  access to job databases and job opportunity resources,  There may also be provision for civil service materials.
  Many libraries offer other resources to help them with resumes and interviews. Additionally librarians may have staff to help patrons complete online job applications.
   In providing Digital literacy services and classes , the public library help create a skilled and knowledgeable workforce able to meet the technology of the 21st century.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Digital Literacy: What is it?

    Digital literacy is getting to be more important as we achieve more technology use in learning. Digital literacy is the ability to use and understand information that is found  in multiple media forms ( blogs, podcasts, databases, videos, ect).  from a wide range of sources when presented.

   The key to literacy goes beyond reading to understanding, evaluating, and interpreting the information.    The person then needs to construct and create the information gained to communicate what have been learned and understood.

   Digital literacy encompasses both computer hardware and soft wear, by computer or any other hand held device.  

" The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot  learn , unlearn, and relearn."   Alvin Toffler

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

http://www.ibiblio.org/

  I just discovered  this site and it looks like it will be a great source for all public libraries What exactly is .ibiblio  ?  Home to one of the largest free information databases online, ibiblio.org has something for everyone.
   users can browse through the catalog of many unique collections. There are free databases  that provide information to almost any question.
  On ibiblio there have  freely software and information, for topics such as music, literature, art, history, science, politics, and cultural studies.  it is a resource used frequently by audiences of all interests and backgrounds
   The free software is way beyond me  but many more techie would probably be amazed.  What I like is the search on the categories.  The most things that I have used gives a description and a direct link to the information,  Use it to search history and you can be lead to some fascinating sites with  great detailed information. 

   I will have to continue to search on this tool to really see all it has- Check it out , It looks like it will be helpful!