Class Projects

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VYXQKqWg-iPTvhR89qsOcjn2rC3KlYjAv4n_89pocxs/edit?usp=sharing

Blog Post 3: Technology Implementation Strategies

Are books a thing of the past? A new trend is developing on college campuses where libraries are going completely bookless. Some college libraries have decided to make the transition from print books to e-books. While this may sound like the wave of the future a lot of people are wondering is this a move in a positive directions or a trend that will eventually play itself out. Becoming completely bookless while unorthodox has its perks for one students will have access to books around the clock, libraries can also conserve space for other activates making the library more of a community meeting spot. With e-readers becoming more and more popular should textbooks really become obsolete? Some teachers and academic professionals say yes as we continue to step further into the 20th century this maybe just the thing to help revive school libraries. The transition from print to electronic books is not always a smooth path although e-readers are more convenient they can also be a huge distraction. Students who read on e-readers must be monitored because instead of reading students could be surfing the internet or sending emails and messages to friends. While I think incorporating e-readers into classrooms are a good idea I do still believe that print books are important to have. Although I think incorporating think new technology into a classroom is a good idea I do not think that schools should get rid of all print books. Building a library that has a montage of both print and digital book is a really good students can have access to both and this could allow the library to be a little more diverse. I would use the technology of kindles, nooks and other e-readers to introduce my students to new and interesting novels. Using the electronics will probably make reading more interesting to the students because they will be able to interact with handheld devices which they love. I think this would help improve me reading instruction because it will help engage the students quickly and hold their attention for the duration of the lesson. Cite Durant, D. M. & Horava, T.(2015). The Future of Reading and Academic Libraries. portal: Libraries and the Academy 15(1), 5-27. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved April 2, 2015, from Project MUSE database.

Blog Post 4: Technology leadership Role of School Librarians

The face of education is constantly changing and evolving and as educators we must also evolve with it. Students are becoming more and more technology savvy and teachers must be willing to incorporate technology into the classroom. The only problem is that teachers do not feel adequately trained to accomplish this task. Although teachers are required to complete x amount of PD hours a year technology themed PD’s are not a requirement. This is why the role of school librarian is so important school librarians are usually know to be up to date on the latest technology and 21st century tools to use within the classroom. The school librarian wears many hats and one of those is being the technology leader. As the technology leader it is the school librarian’s job to find out about new technology and share it with the school staff. The school librarian can also share this information directly with the students during library classes, or helping with research papers. The role of technology leader is slowly becoming more and more important so important that many schools have begun to hire Technology specialist (technology leaders) instead of combining the position with the school librarian job title. This could be considered a good and a bad thing. Good because the school has more people working together to help reach the students bad because in a way it takes away from the credibility of the library once again making the library seem useless. School librarians in this position can try to build a relationship with the Technology Specialist and see how they can work together for the benefit of the teachers, students and parents. This was a great article it provided me with a lot of information about the importance of technology in a school. Once again I was surprised by the fact that the school librarian plays such a huge role in the understanding of technology not only for students but also parents and other educators. In order to continue to be an advocate for the library the librarian must exert her importance within the school. Being up to date on all the latest technology and promoting this information will continue to allow faculty and students to see the importance of the library each and every day. Reference Johnston, M. P. (2013). SCHOOL LIBRARIAN + TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST. Knowledge Quest, 42(1), 70-75.

Blog Post 2: Using handheld devices for educational purposes

The article I read was Using Handheld Wireless Technologies in School Advantageous or Disadvantageous by Morgan, Hani. I really enjoyed this article it spoke about how using handheld devices within the classroom can be a good and bad thing. Let us begin by examining what a handheld device is and what it can do for a student. A handheld device is defined as a small computing device that one can hold in their hand. A student can use a handheld device such as smartphone, I-pad, kindle, or nook to search the internet for valuable information, view informative videos, chat with tutor or teachers, answer questions within the classroom, read books, and create multi media presentations for class. This article covered several important aspects of using technology in the classroom. First it speaks about the advantageous of technology and student engagement. As we all know teenagers are very interested in new and innovative technology weather its a smartphone, or a tablet students love to use them even for educational purposes. There were several studies done on this subject that had very favorable results. The study that stuck out the most was conducted on a group of 32 eighth graders. In this group of students they were aloud to use their phone to help them learn several difficult concepts in math. It was noted that the students were able to learn these concepts using their phone. They were able to study anywhere outdoors, indoors, in the car, etc. The students were able to use their phones to manipulate concepts and use the math they were learning in real world situations as a result it was concluded that even though phones can be a distraction if used properly they can also help students with the learning process Baya'a and Daher (2009). The next thing that this article speaks about is some of the disadvantageous of technology in the classroom. As previously stated while technology can be a great teaching tool it can also hinder the learning process because it can at times be a distraction to the student and may not mesh well with their learning style. While it seemed that technology work well in a math class the results were not as favorable with ESL students. While it seemed that they were excited about using the technology to learn new vocabulary it did not help with the improvement of test scores Patten and Craig (2007) It seems that technology has many perks and just as many disadvantages. I personally enjoy using technology in the classroom. I feel that it makes the learning more fun and engaging not only for the students but also for myself. The take away from this article for me is technology used in the right context can be very powerful to the learning process. References Morgan, Hani.(2010, Winter). Using Handheld Wireless Technologies in School: Advantageous and Disadvantageous. Retrieved from https://libproxy.library.unt.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/845517114?accountid=7113

Blog Post 1: Technology Strengths and Weakness

As an educator it is very important for me to keep up with the latest trends in technology. The 21st century learner is not like the student of yesterday. They must be engaged, interactive and entertained at all times hence the importance of technology within the classroom. During my short stint as a teacher I have found that some of my greatest strengths in technology can be found when I am helping facilitate small groups of students during computer based projects. I love helping young minds explore the world and quench their thirst for knowledge. Being a computer junkie myself I am able to effectively model the do and don’ts of internet surfing and research for each and every one of my students.

While I maybe an expert with the older patrons I at times experience difficulty teaching younger students on their appropriate level when using technology. My mind is constantly working and at times I experience a hard time differentiating a lesson for younger or lower level students when using technology. At times I also find it difficult to create rich and rewarding technology stimulated environments when students have very basic understanding of how to use a computer for anything outside of social media or checking the scores to a baseball or football game. I would love for students to learn all the amazing educational things that technology can do for them in and outside of the classroom.

I plan to use both my strengths and my weakness to help me grow into a better me. First, I will start off by placing more effort into planning for my younger patrons possible having several interactive activities (on different levels) for them to do that involve research, book search (using the online catalog etc I am sure I can find more information about this using sighs such as Pinterest. I will use my love for books and technology to help spark interest through hands on activities such as creating book trailers, blogging, etc. I would love to continue to learn the different ways that I can use technology to grab and hold my students attention for the duration of class. I would also love to find out more information on how to create effective differentiated assessments for all of my classes. I am hoping that throughout the duration of this course I will be able to really strengthen the weaknesses that I described as well as add to my repertoire of skills.