Contemplations of My Newest Goal

So, there, it's done and out there.  No turning back now!

This last week in my Best Practices in Literacy Education with Technology, my awesome instructor, +Rachel Small challenged us to do something we hadn't done yet.  I have been wanting to add Book Trailers to my website for quite sometime.  Not just the ones you can find on YouTube, but the kind that are student created.  Besides, You Tube is blocked for students at our building and the kids wouldn't be able to watch them at school.

During our time to create, I collaborated with my friend Amy on her project--which I'm excited for her to start! And in between that, asking and answering other questions, I decided that I'd finally get this into place. I spent the majority of my time researching what would be the best FREE platform for me to create these on myself.  Some were either paid, or too short, or only a video hosting place.  I finally decided that I would use a program that I came across in another class a couple of years ago called, PhotoPeach.  I was frustrated when I upgraded my computer and no longer had access to PhotoStory.  Windows Movie Maker is another good option, but I wanted several different options, options that were easy for students and I am not a Mac user.  I have even created a document on how to use PhotoPeach here.  I still have yet to create my own book trailer, but I will work on that this summer. Mine will probably be the pictures with music kind, unless any of you have another (not Mac) suggestion!

This is a work in progress, but I have a good start.  I am using my Symbaloo as a place to house all of the book trailers, and I created a google form for students interested in creating book trailers to fill out and submit to me.  You can see the full webpage at my URL.

https://sites.google.com/a/sau41.org/hbms-library/all-about-books

I enjoyed this week and look forward to my next goal (every quarter?!) and keeping in touch with my new #UNHLit tribe on the Twitterverse!

Happy Summer All.
Susan

Contemplations of Belief

Today's class was transformative.  I have engaged in a lot of professional development over the last 4 years in my district and I have even offered some, but this week has truly transformed my learning/teaching/wondering.

I used to think that getting PD every 3 years to get my recertification was a big pain in the neck, but recently I have come to embrace it.  I have lots of friends whose careers and livelihood do NOT depend on them getting a certificate every 3 years to prove to their superiors that they are qualified for their jobs.  In some cases, I wonder why not?  Seriously!!

I have been made fun of by the very friends that I thought respected what I did numerous times.  I have been told that I have less of a job because I "have summers off", vacations throughout the year, and only work part of the day.

I wish these friends could spend time with me all year long and throughout the summer to see what I really do.

I am sure you have seen or heard this video before, but I just love it and want to say to all my peeps, this is really how it is.  YOU try it!  I am sure they wouldn't, ever!

What do teachers make?





So as we wind up this week, my LitEdwTech friends, go into your year with a new growth mindset, many new tech ideas to incorporate into your classes with reading and writing, a new sense of teaching, and a new tribe!

I believe it will be the best year yet!

Susan

Contemplations of Educational Technology

Today for me, the focus was on the different technology to use with students in the classroom. In our reading last night in our book Power Up, I counted over 20 different suggestions to use with students. There were many, many more, but I stopped counting after 22.

Each tool was to serve a different purpose; Communication, Engagement, Workflow, Collaboration. Whew!  It can be overwhelming.  

I just keep remembering what the authors said in our earlier readings.  It will take 3-5 years to make the transition with technology and you should just concentrate on one thing for the first year.

I have been carpooling to class this week with Amy and today on the way home we had a great conversation about how she could incorporate these techniques into her classroom in the Fall.  Our school is a BYOD school and it is often difficult to implement a lesson using technology.  There are many reasons, but one that we have both been frustrated with is that a smartphone is not always the best device to use to do what you need to do in that particular lesson.  

There are times when your smartphone will work just fine, like using QR codes--mostly, but it really is difficult to create a document or a prezi or do good research when you don't have a device with a keyboard.  (Plus smartphones are so tiny!) 

We had a mini EdCamp today!  I love EdCamps!  My favorite take away was PearDeck.  This is a student response presentation and is great for discussion, formative assessments, and so much more. I may have to present this one at a staff meeting.  

Contemplations on Writing

Today our day was about writing. We were lucky enough to be able to attend a workshop lead by @GeorgiaHeard1. I feel kind of foolish saying that I hadn’t heard of Georgia Heard before this week. (Sorry Georgia!) She is a wonderfully sensitive and thought provoking poet and writer.

I have never thought of myself as a writer and I haven’t ever just sat down to write, like many of the teachers in my class. Georgia led us through this workshop which she calls “Heart Mapping". This is when you write what is on your heart inside a heart shape. It can be about many things, but today’s Heart Map was about writing. What is on your heart? What speaks to your heart? What started you on your writing journey? Who is your favorite author? Genre? This was an exercise to help us find what was in us so that we could have authentic writing, but to also show us how to bring that out in our students.

I was uncomfortable with this exercise because I don’t write often, but it also made me think about what I would write about if I did want to write.  It also gave me more compassion for those students who say they "can't write".

I have also fallen in love with Georgia’s book, Finding the Heart of Nonfiction: Teaching 7 Essential Craft Tools with Mentor Texts. I didn’t know that I have been looking for this book for years!! As a librarian, this book will help me support the ELA teachers, but will also help me find mentor texts for our library collection and not be afraid to add picture books to our collection.

I love non-fiction and I believe it is an under-used and under-read genre. I feel as though it is my mission to get non-fiction into the classes and hands of the students at my school.

Thank you, Georgia! I am a fan for life!

Contemplations on Blogging

Today I started a summer class using Best Practices in Literacy Education with Technology. Our class learned about many different technologies and creating blogs was one of them. This is my final piece of homework tonight: to write a blog post.  This is the hardest part for me to do and it has taken me all night to decide what to write here.  

In her welcome letter, our instructor @rachelvsmall (whom I have been following on Twitter for quite some time and am really excited to be spending the week learning from) has stated that, "Your growth mindset for learning is evident as you've signed up for this course." I like to think that I have a growth mindset, but I do find myself stuck sometimes. Perfect example, this blog and blog post.  

I have only ever dabbled in blogging twice in the past--years apart from each other; once when I was a teacher/librarian in a 6th grade and introduced blogging as a form of writing and reading and last year to chronicle my journey and periodically update friends and relatives after receiving a serious health diagnosis. Both times, I made my blogs private, each for different reasons, but they were private non-the-less.  

This time we have been asked to make our blogs public, therefore making my writing wide open for all the world to see.  It’s kind of scary.  It’s easy to hide behind the veil of privacy, where you know your audience is a specific one and you have control over who sees it.  It’s also easier to monitor what others say and see.  

This makes me even more aware of how important it is for my middle schoolers to understand how everything you say and do online can impact others’ lives, both positively and negatively.

When you make things public, or transparent as the new lingo suggests, it’s scary and as one of my colleagues said today in class (and I’m paraphrasing here), if it’s recorded in some way or written down, then I’m stuck with it and there’s no taking it back.  

So here’s to my new “growth mindset”, my transparent contemplations, and my public life! Blogger, Embrace me, please!?