Final Project Reflection

As the final project based on 6th grade Summer Reading is completed and LIS 629 comes to a close, here is a reflection on the wiki, motivating students to complete their summer reading and assignments.

First, I will address the technology effectiveness of the web 2.0 tools chosen for this project. We chose to use a wiki, blog, avatars, surveys, and Voicethread. All are effective in reading motivation. The wiki served as a forum for Dominique and I to display instructions and assignments. The blog and Voicethread allowed students to contribute their thoughts on the internet. The surveys also gave students the opportunity to interact with the assignment. The use of avatars added a fun element to the assignment that I'm sure students will enjoy. I believe all of these elements add to reading motivation because it encourages students to read in a different way. The use of web 2.0 tools makes reading even more fun!

An important part of this class was the social use of information and the collaboration and online communities created via social networking tools. This 6th grade summer reading project is an example of the social use of information. Through the blog and VoiceThread, students are able to interact with each other and add to the greater online community. This shift from using the internet to solely look up information to a place where anyone can add to the greater online community and interact and collaborate with others plays an important role in the library media center. It is important to not only acknowledge this shift as a library media specialist, but to incorporate it into my lessons and take advantage of its benefits for educational purposes.

One potential problem with the technology we've selected is a student's inability to view the avatars based on their computer's capabilites. We attempted to remedy this problem by including written instructions in addition to the avatar. Another potential problem we may have is a student's tendency to treat the blog and VoiceThread too casually (as with abbreviating, using inappropriate language, etc.).

Overall, the final project was successful. There was difficulty coordinating the completion of the project as Dominique and I both had classes after LIS 629 and were operating on different schedules.

School in the Summer: My Digital Story

Above is the movie I created using Photo Story 3 for Windows. I hope you enjoy it! If you have difficulty viewing it above, you can view it here.

Big Huge Labs

This billboard was created using Big Huge Labs. You can use Big Huge Labs to create your own motivational poster, id badge, movie poster, magazine cover, trading card, or "warholize" yourself. I found this beautiful photo of the downtown Seattle Public Library taken by Surrealize on Flickr.

Students can use Big Huge Labs to create their own unique projects!

Wordle

I created this word cloud using wordle. These terms are all associated with information literacy. These are the skills I hope to teach my students as a library media specialist.

Wordle can be used to display terms students have brainstormed together in an attractive and creative, but quick way. Students can create their own word clouds to present their individual thoughts as well. Word clouds can be generated by summarizing a topic from key terms they have learned and should remember.

Library Media Center Questionnaire

Please help me get feedback by answering the first questionnaire I've ever created with Google Docs!

THANKS!

Social Networking in the Library Media Center

Using social networking tools such as Twitter, Nings, Delicious, and LibraryThing make the life of the library media specialist easier and enhances student learning. Twitter allows library media specialists to communicate with other library media specialists, experts, and teachers for valuable resources and advice. Nings also allow library media specialists to network with others by offering specific social networks that suit the same professional interests and goals. These two social networking sites allow us to develop our knowledge and skills so we can then pass this information onto our students.

Delicious is a unique tool because not only is it a social network, but it also bookmarks websites. No longer do students, teachers, or library media specialists have to worry about using a network of computers and not being able to save websites to your favorites. Here, websites are saved, tagged, and shared so that it's easier for the user and others to find useful websites.

LibraryThing allows a user to catalog their own collection and share it online. LibraryThing can be used to advertise new materials in a library media center collection to parents, students, and teachers. Like the other social networking tools, LibraryThing makes the library media center more efficient.

Using Blogs in the Media Center

Blogs have an important place in school library media centers. Blogs can be incorporated into collaborative lessons with teachers in order to engage students and give them an active and authentic learning experience. Students can blog in order to present information, share ideas with the class, offer feedback to their peers, and reflect on assignments. Typing on a computer allows students to express their ideas through a medium they enjoy. Blogs encourage the involvement of parents by allowing students to share what they've learned through a product they can be proud of. Blogs can act as a communication tool between teachers, parents, students, and library media specialists. As one student claimed, blogs "no longer give you an excuse to miss homework assignments if you're absent." In an age where everyone has access to a wealth of information and everyone is connected, it makes sense that one of society's most valuable institutions- the school- is staying current and connected.

I am a shy person and one aspect of blogging that I would have appreciated growing up is the ability for everyone to participate. Blogging allows students to really develop a well thought out response where everyone has a voice. Students know their comments, opinions, and work are being acknowledged by parents, teachers, library media specialists, and peers. They become invested in their work and feel a sense of accomplishment. Unlike a traditional assignment, blogs are not just finished and then thrown out. The student has the ability to share their work with a worldwide audience, motivating students to always do their best.