Digital Videos on the Web

Digital stories and reviews projects are excellent ways in which to give students the opportunity to work and create with 21^st century digital tools and skills.  These types of digital activities foster creativity and encourage collaboration which demands students delve deeper into a topic or a piece of literature which makes for deeper and longer-lasting learning.

In my library classes, digital videos are often used to introduce a selection or topic of study.  Book trailers, especially those created by other students, are also used to promote reading by encouraging students to read newly acquired books, as well as to further their reading experiences of a series or specific author.

21^st Century Skills that are applied to student – produced book trailer or book review video projects include:

Global Awareness – Use 21st century skills to understand and address global issues, as well as various cultures and nationalities.

Media Literacy – Analyze Media; Understand how and why media messages are constructed.

ICT (Information, Communications & Technology) Literacy – Apply Technology and Digital Tools Effectively; Access and Evaluate Information efficiently and effectively; Use and manage information accurately and creatively for the issue or problem at hand.

Annotated Bibliography:

Scholastic Study Jams!

From the scholastic.com website – produced by Scholastic. This site provides over 200 Jams on topics like The Universe. Watch videos, listen to songs about Landforms, and learn about concepts with cartoon animation.  This site offers students a comprehensive look at specific learning objectives.

Book Trailers for Readers

This site was created and is maintained by Michelle Harclerode, a Media Specialist at Diplomat Elementary School Florida.  Harclerode started this site to feature book trailers on Florida’s Award Books for Children known as the Sunshine State Young Reader Award Books/ SSYRA to promote interest and excitement in the books.

WatchKnowLearn.org

WatchKnowLearn is managed by the non-profit St. Charles Place Education Foundation located in Memphis, TN and is directed by Walt Henley PhD, a graduate student at The University of Memphis.  The site is designed to provide over 50,000  K-12 educational online videos.  Searches can be made by content area, standards for each grade level, or school type.  WatchKnowLearn does not host videos, but serves as a library for links to videos that have been selected by educators.

The following video from the Student Book Trailers Examples website,  which was published in October 2012, has examples of student book trailers that were made at Diplomat Elementary School, Lee County Florida under the direction of their School Librarian Michelle Harclerode using PhotoStory 3. Student reviewers also offer viewers advice on creating presentations.

Flickr – Images on the Web

Uploading and editing photos to web sites etc. has been a big challenge for me.  The use of Flickr for managing and sharing photos has been a good opportunity for me to hone those skills and to have access to more photos.

My series of photos were taken during a recent tour of the Oak Island Light House at Oak Island, NC and gives students an up close view of the lighthouse –  inside and out.  Since some 4th grade students do not have the opportunity to visit NC structures in person, photographs help make them more real to them – especially when they see that their school librarian actually climbed to the top!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/131234369@N08/sets/72157650851126131/

 

4^th Grade History Essential Standard

4.H.2 Understand how notable structures, symbols and place names are significant to North Carolina.

4.H.2.1 Explain why important buildings, statues, monuments and place names are associated with the state’s history.

 

 

Google for Everything

Google Apps for Education provides an extensive collection of digital tools that serve to impact learning, teaching, communication, and collaboration.  Free to schools, Google Apps’ resources and ideas include a variety of educational purposes such as storing data, meeting capabilities, and sharing resources.  The Apps User Group started by Eric Curts and associates assists the novice user, including this school librarian, to navigate these tools via a discussion forum, resources, presentations, as well as training.  Most of my experience has been with fellow ECU classmates who have taught me much during collaboration in Google Docs and virtual meetings in Hangout.

The beauty of Google Apps is that users do not have to stress over compatibility issues or lost data- there are no different versions of the program and the user’s documents are available with any device that accesses the Internet.  Security is assured and no data is shared or used without permission.  Storage space is ample and opens the way for more collaboration between staff members or teachers and their students working on a project or assignment.

Having switched over to Google Mail right before Christmas, our staff has been scrambling to catch up and use it comfortably.  As with most new programs or tools, experience, training, and sharing will assist in the effective use of Google Apps.

Many times teachers come to me stressed because their computer or jump drive has crashed and important work has been lost.  Now I advise them to use their Google Apps for everything – I am using mine as well!

 

Infographics

I’ve used activities requiring data analysis and image display in my classroom in virtually every subject and  in classroom management and other activities.  We often graphed using student photos as responses – such as points earned in a math or reading program. Students monitored and managed their own levels and could analyze their own growth at a glance. They were also very motivated to move their picture up on the graph. Creating their own graphs, especially in math instruction, proved to be powerful for students to learn the concept being taught because it provided hands on practice.  There are free graph makers that are user friendly and students particularly enjoyed those activities and were proud to display their printed graphs and work.  If 70% of the sensory resides with vision as stated in Learning and Leading with Technology it makes sense that we provide many opportunities to include infographics in instruction  The information from the reading and posts has brought to my attention that Infographics can take many forms – not just graphs. I am looking forward to learning more on how I can use more Infographics in the library.

Dr. Carol Adamec Brown’s WORDLE

 

Blogs are…..

Blogs can be described in many ways. They’ve become the writing journal of 21st century authors and students. I love a good blog. —Dr. Carol Adamec Brown

K12 Best Practices – Blogs

The library blog on my library website ended up being more of a comment session with neither myself or my students understanding how valuable a blog can be when set up and used effectively. The prospect of creating a space that is active and effective is exciting!

Much of my knowledge of 2.0 Digital Tools has been gained from the courses I have taken at ECU where I am completing my MLS Degree as a Distance Learner. My work in the library for the past 3 years has taught me that in order to survive in the Library Science field that I have to be digitally literate.

My administrators expect me to share this knowledge during collaboration with classroom teachers and students.

Blogs are an excellent digital tool for commentary in the K12 setting for the sharing of information, ideas, and concerns.   Since blogs are relatively easy to set up and use (like a Web page of sorts) they are an effective tool to get kids reading, writing, reflecting, and engaged.  With nearly 500 students to teach and serve each week, this Gardner’s All Things Media blog can offer the opportunity to explain a concept, introduce a book, or elaborate on a topic being discussed without the constraints of time.  More importantly students and teachers would have an opportunity to have their voices heard.

As with any Internet device or tool, precautions for digital safety must be taught, emphasized and monitored.

Let the blogging begin!

Introduction – Janice Gardner

I have created this Blog for my EDTC 6070  Digital Literacy in the 21st Century Classroom class at East Carolina University.  As the School Library Media Coordinator at Parkton Elementary School, I am excited to be learning how to use these digital tools.

It is a relief that Dr. Brown has the same educational philosophy as I do – learning should be long-lasting and is best achieved by doing.

This Blog is set up to be continued long after I have completed the requirements of my course work – all things media!   The image below shows where I serve, work, and learn every day with pleasure.

Parkton Elementary School Media Center