Blog #9- Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

This week's topic was one that I have been waiting to explore!  When I first took over the library at my school, I came across a few books in our collection that offered an app which brought some of the pages "to life".  While I was unsure if students were actually aware of this, I, myself was fascinated!  As I researched, I came across quite the variety of other books with augmented reality options. (Examples linked here.)  I will definitely be adding some to my next book order and planning lessons to introduce this feature to the students.  

While introducing augmented reality and virtual reality to the library can seem costly and overwhelming, these books don't require anything more than technology that the students already have- a phone, an iPad or a Chromebook.  For me, this makes it a great starting point!  

Photo by stem.T4L on Unsplash

Image of young boy and girl using Virtual Reality googles in front of a background printed with hot air balloons.

"Students will gain immeasurably from the enhanced delivery of information on a particular topic through VR or AR and the multiple means by which the student can become proficient in the basic information literacy skills culminating is successful search for information, using every tool at his or her disposal to complete their academic assignments" (Massis, 2015). 

I strongly believe this to be true. When students are able to fully interact with books and text, they learn while having fun.  This encourages them to explore deeper into the content.  As an educator, I am always looking for more ways to engage students and encourage text exploration.

In my search, I came across several other resources to help bring this to your students!

The Techie Teacher

School Library Journal

Video about Augmented Reality Toy Story 4 book.

Video from Little Learning Corner

References

Massis, B. (2015). Using virtual and augmented reality in the library. New Library World, 116(11/12), 796–799. https://doi.org/10.1108/nlw-08-2015-0054

Little Learning Corner. (2020, July 7). Toy Story Augmented Reality Books for Kids [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ePhBllu9ZY&feature=youtu.be

Blog #8- MakerSpace

Image from: https://teachoutsidethebox.com/so-you-want-to-start-a-makerspace/

Image contains various craft materials, including straws, scissors, a lightbulb, battery and colored popsicle sticks. Also included is the text "So you want to start a MakerSpace?"

While MakerSpaces continue to pop up in libraries across the nation, my school has offered a MakerLab within the Related Arts rotation for several years.  During their time in the MakerLab students collaborate to design and create various projects/ideas utilizing a variety of resources.   Because this space already exists in our school, I knew that it wouldn't be necessary to incorporate a full MakerSpace into my library.  However, that doesn't mean that I'm not interested in learning more about them and all of the wonderfully different ways they may look.  After all, there is not guarantee that I will always be in a school with an existing MakerSpace. 

One of my favorite ideas from the resources this week was presented in Dr. Moorefield-Lang's lecture.  She mentions that Laura Fleming describes a MakerSpaces as "a unique learning environment that encourages tinkering, play and open ended exploration for all" (TechFifteen, 2021).  As an educator, I see the value in allowing students to delve into their creative side and collaborate with others to explore ideas.  However, the thought of trying to create such a space on my own seems overwhelming!  On my quest for more information, I came across a blog by Brooke Brown called Teach Outside The Box.  While her whole blog has a lot of wonderful resources, I focused on the blog post entitled So You Want to Start a Makerspace?  She does a wonderful job of describing the components and set up of a MakerSpace.  What I love most about this site is that she includes many photos of all the different ways these spaces can look and function.  It just goes to show that these spaces really depend on the community they serve.  

Throughout her blog post, Brown also provides a variety of lists detailing materials that could be included in a MakerSpace, where these items can be gathered from, and links to resources such as posters and task cards.  One of the resources I found interested was the Maker Mats for each month.  These would be an easy way for anyone to start incorporating a MakerSpace into their area.  

Image from: https://teachoutsidethebox.com/so-you-want-to-start-a-makerspace/

Image contains examples of Maker Mats for each month.

I would strongly encourage anyone interested in joining the MakerSpace movement to take a peek at Brooke Brown's blog.  It is extremely insightful and offers a lot of quality ideas and information.  Some other posts of hers that might be helpful as well include:

MakerSpace Without the Space   

DIY Maker Tree

Read Alouds for MakerSpaces

Resources:

Brown, B. (2022, April 14). So You Want to Start a Makerspace? Teach Outside the Box. https://teachoutsidethebox.com/so-you-want-to-start-a-makerspace/

TechFifteen. (2021, May 18). Makerspaces Summer. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWQ6B4UnZaA

Blog #7- Cyberbullying

Image by Freepik- Girl sad and overwhelmed by unkind comments on various digital devices 

The beauty and downfall of language is the power that is held within words.  As much as they can lift up and praise, they can tear down and degrade.  Ultimately, words are powerful weapons and should be handled accordingly.  Unfortunately, many people choose to use words to harm others.  This is something I am very familiar with and have experienced during my years as an educator.  Years ago, bullying was prevalent on the playground and I spent time in class teaching students about being kind, using words to help and inclusivity.  Each year I felt like the battle with bullying increased.  And as technology crept its way into our everyday lives, new forms of bulling evolved and cyberbullying started to impact my students.  I have helped students who were victims of cyberbullying through emails, chats and social media.  While bullying is bullying, cyberbullying was harder for me to identify.  I couldn't always see it happening, and as mentioned by Faucher et al "many targets choose to suffer in silence rather than report what they are experiencing" (2015).  As an educator, this meant that I had to start paying more attention to changes in my students' behaviors and have open conversations about what the types of bullying and build trust to let them know I was here to help them if they were victims of bullying of any type. 

Today, as a librarian, I continue to teach about and discuss cyberbullying with my classes. However, I often wonder if I'm effective enough.  I am always looking for ways to ensure that I am reaching all students and encourage them to be good digital citizens. This week's resources were helpful and eye-opening.  It inspired me to review my current resources and lessons on bullying, more specifically on cyberbullying.  One of the books I found during my searches this week that may be helpful for older students is Patricia Pollaco's book Bully.  It specifically deals with a student recognizing and dealing with cyberbullying via social media.  I believe that many of my 4th and 5th grades students might be able to relate to the characters and will hopefully identify strategies that they can use to help them in similar situations.     

Image from Amazon- Front cover of Patricia Polacco's book Bully.

Another idea from Faucher's 2015 article that really stuck with me was the analogy

"One analogy that is particularly illustrative of the range of impacts of workplace bullying is from Lutgen-Sandvik et al. (2007, p. 855). The authors compare the impacts of bullying to those of burns. First-degree burns (and low levels of bullying) are common, superficial, quick to heal, but prolonged or repeated exposure can lead to problems.  Second-degree burns (and more intensive, frequent, and persistent bullying) are more painful and require more intervention to heal. Third-degree burns (and escalated cases of bullying) can “result in deep scarring and permanent damage.”

For me, this is a wonderful comparison that is easy for students to understand.  Sometimes they don't realize the power their words have on others.  They fail to see that they can leave permanent damage to other's self esteem, confidence and self worth.  I believe that it is so important for all educators, regardless of position, to include some aspect of bullying (including cyberbullying) education into their classrooms.  This ensures that all students have exposure to and an understanding of what it is and how to prevent and respond to it. 

References

Faucher, C., Cassidy, W., & Jackson, M. (2015, August 27). From the Sandbox to the Inbox: Comparing the Acts, Impacts, and Solutions of Bullying in K-12, Higher Education, and the Workplace. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 3(6). https://doi.org/10.11114/jets.v3i6.1033

Blog #6- Social Media and the School Library

Thanks to this week's assignment, the existing Twitter page for my school library got a fresh look!  When I started as the librarian last year, the Twitter page was passed on to me.  Unfortunately, in the hustle and bustle of learning my new job, social media was not a top priority and the page sat unused until now.  Because it already had a good following, I decided to give it a fresh look and make it active once again! I used Canva to create a new banner that included our favorite quote in the library and kept our school logo as the profile photo.  

In the past this account has been used to share things happening in the library as well as other events in and around the school.  Students, families and teachers involved in literacy and learning have all be showcased.  I would like to continue this, but also want to include posts about books that we share with students each week.  I think that this would allow families an opportunity to discuss particular stories or topics with their students and perhaps continue to read and explore the topic at home.  

I know that social media plays a large role in today's society.  People use it as a source of information, inspiration and creativity.  I would love for the content on the library Twitter page to encourage families to read and discuss books, showcase all of the great learning that happens in the library and to help the community see that the library isn't always a quiet, independent space.  Many of our activities encourage collaboration, cooperation and self control- all of which are important lifelong skills.  As mentioned in Jan Wilson's article, Make Your Library More Visible,  "We have the opportunity to design innovative lessons by fostering collaboration and to show students how to present their learning in multiple formats."  The library Twitter page will be a wonderful place to show off all that we do! 

References

Wilson, J. (2017). Make Your Library More Visible. School Library Journal, 16–17.

Blog Post #5: Adaptive Technology Resource

    This week's topic and content hit really close to home for me.  Due to experiences in my own life, I have always worked hard to make my classroom, and now library, an inclusive space for everyone.  It has always been my belief that all students deserve a learning experience that allows them to experience success.  This might look a bit different for each person, and technology has certainly added some wonderful options to make it easier. 

    A few years ago, when trying to find ways to help one of my students struggling with reading and writing, I discovered Mote.  According to their website, "Mote is the audio toolkit for educators and learners across the world- integrated into the products you know and love" (Mote | Fast, Friendly Voice Notes & Feedback, n.d.).  This extension was easy to add and learn to use.  It allowed me to record voice snip-its of directions, questions or even extra hints or assistance and add it to assignments I created with Google Slides and Forms.  This allowed all of my students the ability to listen to the directions or questions if needed.  It proved extra helpful to my struggling readers as it gave them an added layer of assistance without needing me standing right beside them.  I also allowed students to type their answer and then record themselves with Mote reading their answer or providing further explanation.  My students who struggled with written expression found this to be especially helpful as it gave them the chance to show what they really knew without their spelling or writing errors being an obstacle.  Through the use of Mote, I began to see my students become more confident in their abilities and more willing to participate in class.  They also began to view their struggles as something they could work through instead of a brick wall that stopped them from learning like everyone else.  

                                                                          (What Is a Mote?, n.d.)

    The mote extension can be added through the Mote Homepage or the Google Chrome Web Store.  Once added, the extension can be used with a variety of Google programs including Forms, Sheets, Slides and Classroom.  I also love the fact that the students can hear the message, but also see the transcription.  Another great feature is that students have the ability to transcribe this into a variety of languages.  This makes it a great way to help ESOL students.  

    There are a lot of great resources available to help others get started with Mote.  Below are a few that I found to be particularly helpful.

https://www.eduporium.com/blog/rising-resources-mote-for-student-feedback/

https://www.educatorstechnology.com/2021/04/mote-new-way-to-add-audio-feedback-to.html

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL28_-psho_6SvB76A9ZstMKdhGRN340N2

https://shakeuplearning.com/blog/15-ways-to-use-mote-in-the-classroom-suls0107/

References 

Mote | fast, friendly voice notes & feedback. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.mote.com/

What is a mote? (n.d.). [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.mote.com/what-is-a-mote

Blog Post #4- Modules 5 & 6

    Last year when our Art teacher retired, she gave me a box of supplies she received at a conference but never had a chance to use.  I expected to see markers, paints or perhaps various other craft supplies that I could use in some of my storytime activities.  However, when I opened the box several days later, I was quite surprised to find eight Makey Makey kits!  While I had never used one, I had heard about them at various conferences and meetings in the past.  Despite my eagerness to learn more about them, they got pushed to the side so I could tackle book orders, book fair week and all of the other "back to school" items on my list.  This assignment allowed me to dig back into that box and learn more about these Makey Makey kits with the hopes of implementing them into the library lessons soon.

    According to one website, the Makey Makey kit can "turn everyday objects into touchpads and combine them with the internet. It’s a simple invention kit for beginners and experts doing art, engineering, and everything in between. With the Makey Makey, students can make any conductive material act as the input device for a computer. Because it comes preprogrammed, students with no coding experience can use it and learn to experiment with it as they start to learn coding." (MakeyMakeyK12.com - Introduction, n.d.) The Makey Makey uses the understanding of conductivity and circuits to help students control their computer using a variety of objects- bananas, clay, pencil lead, water, just to name a few! I can't think of a more exciting way to help students learn and explore how circuits work.

Product Explanation Video- ([Makey Makey], 2019)

        In reading about the different technology-enabled learning models, the RAT model caught my attention.  I like its simplicity when thinking about how the use of technology compliments classroom instruction.  In applying it to the use of the Makey Makey kits, I would say that it certainly falls into the Transformation category.  These kits allow students to take the basic understanding of completing circuits to create a variety inventions such as game controllers, musical instruments and even talking illustrations!  The possibilities are endless and the fun and excitement for learning and creating are sure to be bountiful.  

(R.A.T. Model, 2016)

  There are a lot of resources available to help educators use Makey Makey kits in a variety of grade levels.  I have linked a few below that I found especially helpful as I prepare to introduce them into our lessons.

Need help or want to learn more about the Makey Makey Kits?

Check out these resources by clicking on each photo.

References

[Makey Makey]. (2019, April 8). Makey Makey classic product video [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaqUM_mfzTA

MakeyMakeyK12.com - Introduction. (n.d.). https://sites.google.com/site/makeymakeyk12/introduction-to-makey-makey 

R.A.T. Model. (2016, June 24). Dr. Joan E. Hughes | TechEdges | Technology Integration Research. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20190612101737/https://techedges.org/r-a-t-model/

Blog #3- Technology Leadership

As technology continues to be an ever growing presence in our lives, we are constantly trying to figure out the best ways to effectively implement it into our daily routines.  Teaching is not exempt from this.  There always seem to be SO many new programs and resources introduced each year.  While this can be overwhelming, it is important to stay knowledgeable of all that is offered.  One way that I try to stay up to date is by reading various technology and education blogs.  While recently exploring Dr. Med Kharbah's blog, Educational Technology and Mobile Learning, I came across a review for an awesome resource called Pixton.  This resource jumped out to me as a great way to marry literacy skills (& various content areas) and technology.  It allows students to easily create their own characters, settings, dialogue and story line in a graphic story format.  Because students in my school are currently obsessed with graphic novels, I believe that this would be a great way to engage them across various content areas.  Pixton also offers a variety of lesson plans that teachers, and librarians, can easily implement with their students.  

Technology's place in education, and the library, is always evolving.  I find myself sharing more and more technology information and resources with the members of my school. Because of this, it is important that I have a good relationship with my Technology Learning Coach (TLC).  While she is the first line of communication for all things "techie", I also play an important role in sharing technology with the school.  Lois Wine (2016) states that, "They each bring special skills to a collaborative partnership, the school librarian as an expert on information literacy and the technology integration specialist as a technology expert".  Together we can provide a plethora of technology and integration information to our staff and students. 

"Libraries need to meet learners where they are, and where they are is on their laptops, tablets, and phones. To remain relevant in the lives of our digitally connected students, school libraries must be both available and useful (Boyer, 2016)". This quote alone explains why it is so important for librarians, teachers and TLCs to work together to educate our students. Our students are enthralled in technology on a daily basis. If we want to engage and excite them about learning, creating and growing, we truly have to meet them where they are technologically.

References:

Boyer, B. (2016). Meet your learners where they are: virtualizing the school library. Internet@Schools,

            23(1), 4+.

Pixton Comic & Storyboard Builder for Education. (n.d.). Retrieved September 18, 2022, from https://www.pixton.com/

Wine, L. D. (2016, March). School librarians as technology leaders: An evolution in practice. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 57(2), 207–220. https://doi.org/10.3138/jelis.57.2.207