Integrating the Shared Foundation of Explore in the school library
Interview Date 11/5/21: Explore
For an insight into how local high school libraries are integrating the AASL Standard of Explore, I interviewed local high school Media Specialist, Rebecca Brunson. Brunson encourages students to read widely in multiple formats across multiple genres, from various resources, and information from multiple publications. She instructs students during lessons as well as on an individual basis on where to locate and explore materials within the library and via online databases as well as how to access multiple formats such as books, eBooks, and audiobooks through the school’s online catalog system, Destiny Discover. These resources are available to enhance student interest and exploration of topics.
Throughout the year Brunson teaches lessons on research techniques promoting ethical guidelines and strategies to select a topic of personal interest and or to align with curriculum. For these lessons she references Common Sense Media and often presents a menu of options for teachers to select from so that when she steps into a classroom she is prepared to teach on the topic students struggle with most. She also promotes safe and ethical usage of images and teaches students where to locate royalty free images such as those found on Pixabay and Photos for class. Copyright is always a hot topic within her research lessons.
Currently, Brunson’s biggest project on promoting reading and encouraging students to explore novels and authors is her genrefication project. She has been the lead on this effort within her own library as well as the leader in the district. Brunson has presented at local library meetings about the genrefication process and its benefits to increasing circulation. She would like genrefication to offer a fun and simple way to navigate the fiction section, hoping students will explore the genre they love and read more often.
Some of the challenges that she is currently facing is that those at the district level do not like the concept of genrefication. As of now, all her novels have color coding on the spine labels and have sublocations in Destiny (her online catalogue system) to identify a specific genre. She is struggling with getting approval to move novels in physical genre locations approved. The hope is that with more schools in the district getting on board with genrefication, the district will approve a trial run. If circulation numbers increase indicating a success with this change, the hope is that genrefication will remain.
In the future, Brunson also hopes that the school will support engagement of more personal learning time in the school day. School schedules are so tight that it does not allow time for students to spend time in the library to explore for personal growth. She hopes to see this change with an adjustment of schedules allowing for flex time where students have designated free learning time to investigate career options, trades, personal hobbies, and basic life skills such as cooking and banking using library resources.
Implementing AASL Foundation of Curate
Interview Date 11/8/21: Focus Curate
To explore AASL Shared Foundation Curate, I interviewed Caitlin Cregan, Media Specialist at Andrew Jackson High School over Google Meet. Some examples of the ways in which she is using curate through her role as a librarian is how she creates collections in Destiny Discover for student use. Cregan enjoys seeking out resources for students and finds that creating themed collections of resources for students saves them time in the research process. Collections mostly include books but also contain articles, drive items, SC Discus links, and videos. Most recently added topics expand across a variety of subjects including genres, sports, culinary, olympics, and athletes. She also creates collections that align with specific topics being taught in a classroom such as scientific elements and civil rights.
Cregan collaborates with teachers as far as talking with them about what is being taught in class and how she can support instruction with supplemental materials. She is open to curating collections of resources based upon content topics and student interests. Cregan prefers to collaborate with teachers ahead of time, find out what their needs are, and then curate digital collections of resources for student use. Often she will go into classrooms and share with students how to access collections within Destiny and the resources she has provided to align with particular classes/course content. If she is not able to be in the classroom, she will push out her information via her website, Destiny, and ConnectEd.
Beyond classroom assistance Cregan creates collections within Destiny to assist students with test prep for SAT testing. Some of the challenges she faces with students is that they do not have an interest in her collections. She works with students and teachers to educate them on how she has curated items ahead of time for their projects to save them time and energy in searching sources as she has already located and vetted them. Cregan also takes her collections created in Destiny and creates private documents with links and source information as a backup.
Collaborating in the School Library
Interview Date 11/8/21: Focus Collaborate
For insight into how a local middle school librarian was incorporating AASL Shared Foundation, Collaborate, I interviewed Media Specialist Leigh Jordan form A.R. Rucker Middle School. When asked about some examples of the ways in which she was implementing competencies of collaboration within her library program, Ms. Jordan shared with me how she is currently working with teachers and students. This past week she has been working with the leadership class on a canned food drive for local residents. She has collaborated with the teacher on an assignment incorporating technology. Students are put together in groups to work on a promotional video to encourage students to donate non-perishable items for those in need this holiday season. These videos are featured on the school news show which the media center produces. Jordan has students select how they would like to design their PSA. Each option involves hand drawn work. Students may use puppets they have drawn or sewn together or they may use images they have drawn on 8 ½ x11 paper. Outcomes are paper slide shows like an old time cartoon or a theatrical puppet show. Both incorporate audio recordings. Students select format, create scripts, collaborate with one another, design images, act, and film. Students have found the project to be fun as they work together when one holds a puppet, one holds cue cards, and one films live. They practice hard together as their assignment is live, no retakes!
Some of the resources Jordan uses to implement or assist with collaboration of this project were Google as it allows sharing so students could share pictures and go over and edit their scripts. Students could also look through her collection of everyone picture books to get ideas on how to use simple pictures and minimal words to get their points across as well as to reference drawing ideas. Students used her bulletin board paper to cover boxes and decorate them to hold collected cans that were dropped off in the media center.
While this project demonstrates collaboration with students and a teacher, Jordan engages in such activity with multiple teachers throughout the year. She generally meets with teachers, reviews project rubrics and sees where she can fill a need. She ensures that students know what is expected of them. At the conclusion of assignments she notes what went well and what might be good to do differently next time.
Jordan has worked as a librarian for over 20 years and has developed amazing relationships with her peers and yet sometimes she can still hit some challenges when trying to incorporate collaboration. She mentioned that it is always challenging as she has to take time to explain to teachers the benefits of working together. She often stops and checks in with teachers regarding expectations. Jordan did provide some great tips on collaboration. The first is to create relationships with teachers as these often lead to collaboration. Second is to remember projects that work and offer them to other teachers. Be specific as to how your lesson or project contributed to a unit or student understanding. In addition Jordan talked of the importance of carrying on good programs/projects even as teachers leave. Just because Mrs. Smith left it doesn't mean you can’t keep that awesome lesson plan or project going. Meet the new guys and keep it running. Be a salesman for your advocacy and for the benefit of student learning.
How do school librarians incorporate the AASL Standard of Inquire?
Interview Date 11/4/21: Focus Inquire
Today I met with Media Specialist Mike Leroy to discuss how he incorporates the AASL Shared Foundation of Inquire with his high school students. Leroy enjoys finding ways to help his students think outside of the box and ways to encourage his students to inquire about new topics in new ways. Currently he is collaborating with a spanish teacher on class presentations that align with school librarian domain and competencies 1.B.3 “Facilitating the development of products that illustrate learning” and 1.C.2. “ Providing opportunities for learners to share learning products and reflect on the learning process with others” (AASL, 2018).
Leroy is assisting the teacher with instructing students on how to use various tech apps such as Headliner to create and edit videos that show students speaking Spanish while educating viewers how to prepare a traditional Mexican or Spanish dish. He has noticed that many teachers are not comfortable with today’s hottest technology so he steps in to help with this aspect of projects. He also supports this teacher's assessment of language development with a hands -on activity. Within this lesson, students would produce their own individual recording demonstrating use of technology and understanding of language. They would then be placed in groups where they would evaluate each other's work and provide feedback. At this point students would make revisions to their own assignment as well as select one recording from the group to be presented to the class. Their top pick would then progress to a group project where they would work together to re-record, edit, refine, and present. Leroy brought up a plan on how each student could share in the editing responsibilities so they would all gain additional experience. This project provides an opportunity for students to reflect on what they learned on their own projects and then take that knowledge and apply it to the final group project that would be shared/presented with classmates in the media center.
While Leroy is happy with opportunities to work with students on the presentation end of assignments, he looks forward to working with classes more on the front end of projects such as research work. He would like to help them grow more with their research skills and has contacted teachers about bringing classes into the media center for lessons on the research process. He wants to instill good habits with students , getting them away from Googling everything and more towards using library resources from SC Discus with the ability to identify sources and use the T.R.A.P. method. He has worked on pulling specific materials requested by teachers for class assignments and has made himself available when teachers call on him for assistance.
Leroy uses many resources in his library to help implement inquiry learning competencies such as creating Destiny collections for students and he attends department meetings to talk with teachers about what they are doing in class and how he can supplement their lessons. The media center itself offers space for presentations, group study areas, and tools such as IPads and white boards. He has also collaborated this semester with teachers on the following activities, booktalks to generate interest in the latest titles, conducting children's lit lessons with teacher cadets, SC discus and databases usage lessons with ELA 4 , Science collaboration teaching compounds and elements using stop motion and Google draw.
When asked about current challenges his media center faces when trying to implement AASL standards and competencies, Leroy responded that it is often hard to get teachers to start off a unit with the media specialist in mind. They often come to him after they have begun with a project. He also encounters difficulties due to the size of the school. With the amount of students, multiple classes go on simultaneously such as a specific science class making it difficult to reach each group. He has also noticed that many high school kids have apathy towards reading and he is making it a goal to regain excitement with his students. Currently he is undergoing a genrefication effort with his library in the hopes it will create excitement and encourage students to read. He and his staff are looking to create a book store atmosphere to make locating an interesting read fun and easy.
References
American Association of School Librarians. (2108). National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries. Chicago, Ala Editions, An Imprint Of The American Library Association, 2018.
Sunday, December 6, 2020
You want me to learn what?
This
semester has been a rocky one for me because honestly my 761 course has taken
me way out of my comfort zone with all the new technology I have learned about. Each week I have said "You want me to learn what?" as I read the weekly module. I admit that I have had moments of crying and
frustration because I got stuck on figuring out how to design a blog, how to use an AR program and how to use assistive
technology.I even got confused on setting
up and running a Flipgrid account. Yes, go ahead and laugh at me. You do not
even want to hear about my breakdowns over creating my website because not only
did I have to learn Google Sites but also the various programs I used to record
tutorials. As you can guess at this point, I am not a spring chicken and earned
my bachelor’s degree before the year 2000 (and I will leave it at that). While
I use computers and basic technology in my current position this class forced
me into a new and imperative realm of learning current tech tools and programs,
implementing them, and then promoting them in blog posts.
I
have come a long way.Just ask the tech
coach at the middle school I work at.He
is even impressed with my growth and thankful that this semester is over as I should be
knocking on his door less, LOL.But seriously
you can teach an old dog new tricks and I am glad I have learned them. My biggest takeaway from this semester is that I have come to understand that for me to be
current and relevant communicating with my users and providing them with
resources they need, I need to be efficient in a variety of tech programs to
reach the various needs of my students. I cannot stay comfortable with the
resources I know.I need to grow and
learn so I can be a leader to students and a resource to staff members.Effective librarians do not sit on the sidelines.We need to be in the game. I now feel
confident that I can do this.I can
learn, engage, and implement tech programs. I may not be perfect or be able to
do it all “yet”, but I will.As
educators we teach children that they need to continually grow and learn and
you know what, so do we.As one of my
professors asked me, “Kelly, how do you eat an elephant?” while I was panicking
about all I had to learn and feeling overwhelmed “One bite at a time.” she said.That was my first class in my master’s
program and every day I sit down to conquer a new assignment I repeat
this.So, thank you Dr. Green for
forcing me to bring on the tech, learning it one bite at a time.
How To Eat an Elephant - Goal Setting One Bite At A Time by Jeff Muir
This week led me into a search for an augmented reality program to use with my students. I admit this is not my thing. I don’t like goggles, I stay away from gaming stations, 3D rides and movies make me nauseous, and I can get a little claustrophobic in a confined space. That might be a little too much info but with that said, I previously attributed AR and VR with these situations. I was so happy to learn that AR can include simple items like an app and a phone and that it can even be free. Yes I said it, Free. This amazed me as another reason I have not looked into AR/VR before is because I have associated it with large dollar signs which our school library does not have. I was happy to learn about the Metaverse Augmented Reality available for Android and iPhone. It is Free, Easy to learn, Fun, and Simple for students to access.
What exactly is Metaverse?
Metaverse is an augmented reality experience that is a free platform available online that inspires creativity and excites students with an alternative learning experience. It requires that an account be set up via Metaverse Studio online and then the story/activity is accessed via the Metaverse app on a mobile device.
Why use it?
What inspired me to dig deeper into this program was the following quote I read by Michael Eisner, former CEO of Disney “Metaverse is a new medium, potentially the invention of a new genre of interactive storytelling...The opportunities that exist for storytellers large and small are staggering” (Go Meta, 2018) For a Disney CEO to make that statement it has to be something special and so I investigated it. Upon learning more about Metaverse, I found it to be a fun interactive approach to teaching and learning, a relatively simple program for teachers to learn, easy for students to access, and it's FREE.
Building your story takes the most time and I would recommend watching the overview provided to you once you set up your account to get a basic idea of how to use the application. You can make start off simple and then get more creative as you become familiar with the design elements and options. How you design your activity is up to you. The program uses scenes with characters. Each scene can include unique text, images, directions, special effects, etc. Participants can be asked to take specific pictures, do an action, answer polls, watch a youtube clip, type answers, and scan QR codes. The program offers hundreds of component options to include in your design. You build up a storyboard by connecting scenes to produce your desired result. Once you have completed your story you can publish it for public view or viewable only to those with the link/QR code. It is available in seconds. But it takes more than seconds to design your experience. While the program mentions that it can be done in minutes, I would say that it depends on your level of expertise with the program and how long you want your experience to be. Teachers can create educational activities to align with a lesson or a just for fun activity such as an adventurous scavenger hunt. I chose to design an interactive activity to help my students learn where to locate items within the library. Check out my Eye of The Tiger Library Tour.
How students access and use it
Download the FREE Metaverse app from their app store on their mobile device
Open the app and then scan the QR code that you provide them
They then enter the experience and follow the directions
How teachers can use it
Create interactive activities
Create scavenger hunts
Create quizzes
Design educational games
Set up a geocaching experience
Assign students to create interactive stories
What Educators Have to Say About Metaverse
My next Metaverse creation
Next on my list is to create an interactive reading experience with many of our books. I would like to include QR codes with various books to generate excitement and enhance learning. For example the QR code could connect the student to a book trailer, survey, and information on the story location and the author.
Libraries are about learning which is why makerspaces should
have a home in them.
Makerspaces
Makerspaces encourage creativity, collaboration,
sharing of ideas, engage learners, and ignite excitement in the school library.They can be elaborate with technology devices
or as simple as a few prompts and some supplies. Where you take your
makerspace is up to you. I have been working in a library for a few years
as an assistant and we have had several makerspaces put into action.We have used Keva Planks, Legos, Rigamajigs, Strawbees,
and have had several arts and craft stations. Even a table full of recyclable items
sparks creativity and brings students together, many of whom would sit alone
otherwise.Spaces can reflect content
learning in STEM and the humanities. We generally rotate out our stations and
try new concepts to spark a student's imagination. It is amazing to see what
they can create and how they work together.
Finding a New to Me Space
To create a new makerspace station within our
library, I ventured the web to seek out a blog that would inspire me to test a
new concept. My first initial idea was to design a makerspace with the use of a
3D printer. I have never used one and have recently learned about how it can inspire
innovative ideas and be used to create a plethora of items. Creations can align
with educational standards and be formed to be applicable in real life problems.Take a look at See how Maker Spaces Work to learn how middle school students used a 3D printer to create a four-propeller
drone like helicopter complete with a remote control.Students were challenged to find a way to
help farmers in Nepal who had to keep their children home from school to help
protect their crops from birds. How can this not make you excited about a 3D
printer?
I considered to run with this idea, but I wanted
to select a makerspace concept that I could implement now, in this pandemic
setting of hybrid learning and within my budget. A makerspace that could abide by CDC and school
guidelines and be available to all virtual students. As I pondered ideas I came
across blogger Diana Rendina and reviewed her post, How to Manage Your Makerspace During the 2020 Pandemic. Rendina recognizes that makerspaces will be taking on a different look in our
current environments.Her article provides
multiple points, and I had my top two takeaways that stuck out to me in my
search for a space idea.First, she
recognized the significance of considering a way to “support students’ social-emotional
well-being” as students are dealing with a variety of stress factors in the
current learning environment. This promoted me to create a calming space that
students could reflect upon their feelings and express them in a positive
outlet. Second, is to “Keep socio-economic
disparities in mind”.This inspired me
to select a maker idea that students could do with items around the house at little to no expense. Further review lead me to Rendina’s post
on 4 Super Easy Budget Friendly Projects for Your Makerspaceand their was my maker idea, Blackout Poetry.
For a quick insight to blackout poetry check out the following video
How To: Blackout Poetry by DIY Lifestyle
Blackout Poetry
While I have heard about blackout poetry, I have
not incorporated this with students before.It can be a great outlet for students to express themselves and can be
completed with just a few items.Students need a page from a newspaper, old book, or magazine, a marker,
and their imagination. For students in need of supplies, individual student
maker kits could be assembled as suggested by Rendina. I would also implement
this tactic for an in person setting to ensure that students only use items
from their own kits to avoid cross contamination. Sharpies and pages from old,
weeded books can be placed in gallon sized Ziplock bags for pick up. Participation
guidelines and tutorials on how to create blackout poetry can be placed on the school’s
media center website.
For an instructor lead tutorial check out Blackout Poetry - Art and Literacy activity by Zart Art
For a design your art first approach to blackout poetry check out
Hidden Poems by Miriam Paternoster
This makerspace activity can be completed virtually
or from a safe six-foot distance from peers. If your library is closed, you can
easily transport items on a mobile maker cart and take your station into
classrooms. Students at home can participate individually or in a Google Meet setting
where they could collaborate with design ideas, anchor words, and poem prompts. This would also offer the librarian the opportunity to put this activity in
practice asking students key questions to access the value of the project.
Angevine & Weisgrau, 2015 suggest the following three questions.
“What are you making” - to remind them that
they are the agents to determine how they create their poetry with words and artistry.
“Why are you making this?” – to encourage student
to put value to their work.
“Who
is this for” – to help students access who their audience is.
Through these questions the librarian is assisting
students with owning their projects and encouraging creativity and innovation. Students can express their thoughts and emotions through word selection and the visual forms created in blackout poetry. When
student works are finished, they can submit images of their work to the
librarian which could be uploaded into a presentation and posted online, or
hard copies posted on a school bulletin board. I would also suggest setting up a follow up share-out option as
suggested by Rendina. This could be done during a virtual makerspace meeting on
Google Meets or on Flipgrid which would act as a voice agency allowing students
to post a reflection about what they did while also providing a forum for peers
to comment on each other’s creations. They could even compile their poems to
create a longer poem or short story.
Tips and Ideas
Check out the Following Links for Tips and Ideas for implementing Blackout Poetry
As my library’s circulation numbers of novels in
verse consistently increases, I see student appeal in poetry rising and therefore
see this makerspace as being of interest to them. Blackout poetry is a fun way
to engage students in this type of writing.Many are not sure about starting a poem and stare at a blank page.By providing them a starting point of a paper
filled with words, they can deconstruct it to form an entirely new piece of
work.Something they can be proud
of.Who knows, we may be inspiring a future
poet.
As a kid I remember telling the mean kids “sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me”. That was far from
the truth. Words can hurt. They can hurt your heart, your self-esteem, and your
view of what you can accomplish. Too many bad words and negative thoughts can have
devastating effects on a person. I can recall my mother’s voice in my head
telling me that kids say things when they are angry to one another, but their
words do not define who I am, I define who I am. But as a child it is so
difficult to swim in the waters of adolescence and remain steadfast. Words did
hurt, and as much as I wanted to block the words out, at times I could not. The
good thing was that in my childhood there was no internet and kids did not have
cell phones. Any gossip was word of mouth, disputes were settled in the school
yard, and what happened was only seen by a few witnesses and forgotten over
time. Today’s youth has a new battle and I believe a tougher one because they
are in a world where cyberbullying exists.
Cyberbullying is a willful, deliberate repeated attack that inflicts harm on a
person using electronic platforms and devices. Bullies can torment their victims
24 hours a day seven days a week on a variety of digital format. Words,
actions, images, and videos are posted, recorded, and modified to intentionally
inflict pain on others. Pain that is spread almost instantly between people in
a text or on a post. One mistake, comment, or angry outburst is magnified and
online indefinitely. Gossip is spread like wildfire via apps like Twitter, Snapchat,
and Instagram. I think that the current generation is hurt far more by words/images
and nonphysical bullying than anyone before them.
As I researched information on cyberbullying, I
found it surprising that it is extremely prevalent and typically peaks during middle
school according to Sameer Hinduja from the Cyber Bullying Research Center. What
was shocking to me was the number of children who have been bullied and those
who admitted to bullying others.Hinduja
noted the following in his 2020 Cyberbullying fact sheet that
“In our 2019 study of a
nationally representative sample of approximately 5,0000 middle and high
schoolers in the U.S., 36.5 percent said they had been cyberbullied during
their lifetime, while 17.4 percent said they had been cyberbullied within the
previous 30 days.With regard to
offending, 14.8 percent revealed they had cyberbullied others during their
lifetime, while 6.3 percent admitted doing so in the last 30 days”.
As an employee of a middle school this has
brought to my attention how necessary it is to educate our students on what
cyberbullying is, how to identify it, stop it, prevent it, and the
ramifications of it as a victim and engaging in it as a bully.
Following are my thoughts and ideas on how to
address cyberbullying with my students within our school’s media center.
Classroom Lessons on Identifying, Prevention,
and Ramifications of Cyberbullying
Students need to be taught what constitutes
cyberbullying. One unfriendly text does not make you a bully but anything that
is repetitive in a threatening or harassing manner to humiliate others is. Once
cyberbullying is identified, educate students on ways to stop cyberbullying
such as the tips provided in the following video, “Don’t respond or retaliate,
Block the Bully, Save evidence, Report, and Tell a trusted adult”
In addition, students need to realize that there
are ramifications of cyberbullying.The
bully can be caught and receive discipline actions from parents and school
administration. While a student may think they will not get caught because the
actions are done online, they are mistaken. Digital footprints are left
everywhere. Administrators can trace school issued devices, phone companies can
locate records, and if necessary, professional experts can be called in to track
a perpetrator down. State laws have been establishedCheck out SC state laws to protect victims and in extreme cases bullies can face legal action and be
prosecuted for their crimes. Students need to understand that there can be
consequences. In addition, what is posted is out on the web for the long run
and it can impact other people’s view of the poster negatively now and in the future.
Students also need to realize how what they do emotionally
impacts others and can impact themselves. For an example check out The Seven Digital Deadly Sins about a
young girl who trolled a fellow student and later regretted her decision to do
so. Expose students to real kids and how cyberbullying has affected them. Many
examples are available online. Check out Cyberbullying.orgfor ideas to implement in a lesson. The most shocking ramifications of cyberbullying
is the negative toll it can take on the person being assaulted. It can lead to
sadness, depression, isolation, and in extreme cases suicide.
Classroom Digital Citizenship Lesson
Technology is a tool not the villain. Students
need to be taught not only how to protect themselves while online but also how
to be thoughtful users on online platforms. They need to remember to treat
others how they want to be treated and to stay on the positive side while online
as demonstrated by Mark C. Eshleman in "Where are you?". This is an effective poetic example educating online users that they have a
choice in their actions to be a positive or negative influence. What they do is
up to them. Students must also remember to THINK (see image below) and
be respectful with what they post. As my mother told me “If you don’t have anything
nice to say, don’t say it at all”. While this sounds juvenile, it is sound
advice for all ages. Also be sure your school has a digital contract that students
and parents must both sign to acknowledge obedience to the school’s digital
citizenship rules. This will be essential to holding students accountable for
their actions.
Implementation of a Cyber Mentor Program
I would like to implement a program within the
middle school I work in like Community High School District 99’s mentioned in
the article, How It’s Done, by J. Orech. Middle schoolers could be paired up with a high school cyber mentor to
discuss cyber bullying situations and how to react to them. For example, topics could include how to best
handle bullying, options to responses, when to get an adult involved. They can engage
in role play, students could be paired in groups to discuss how bullying makes
them feel, how to react to it, what is and is not ok to post on social media
accounts. Anyone can fill out a worksheet, let’s get kids actively engaged in
demonstrating appropriate respectable behavior. Orechindicated the program demonstrated that middle school students showed empathy and were “willing
to open up themselves, ask questions, and were truly interested in what the
high school students had to say". These students connected to their mentors and trusted them, likely because they felt
these older kids could understand much better than a teacher or other adult.
Create Cyberbullying Collection
Create a collection available to your students
within your online library catalog featuring books and resources they can
access on the topic.This way they can
locate information quick and efficiently. For an example check out the following link which connects you to a collection I created in my school library Cyberbullying Collection.
Resource page accessible on Media Center
website
Students and parents need to have information easily
accessible to them regarding cyberbullying.By having resources and links readily available to parents it will save
them time from having to do the research themselves. Suggestion to include on
your list.
Within your library I suggest posting up a no
cyberbullying policy as a reminder to students that it will not be tolerated. I
suggest including action steps for a student to take if they feel like they are
being bullied as well as the location of resources for them view to obtain more
information.
There are a plethora of resources available to
help librarians and educators alike assist students in identifying, handling,
stopping, and preventing cyberbullying.It is our job to educate them to on digital citizenship, making good
decisions with the use of technology, and the impacts of cyberbullying.We can be a positive influence to eradicate cyberbullying
in our schools and communities.
As I explored tech
resources this week, I came across many programs that were new to me and could
be beneficial to implement in a classroom setting. After discussing a few of my
top picks with middle school teachers, I decided to focus on Flipgrid. The teachers I spoke to have had positive
experiences with Flipgrid and have had successful student participation. Flip grid is also easy to integrate with Google’s
G Suite, specifically Google Classroom. Students as young as kindergarteners have used the program. So let’s take a deeper look into
Flipgrid and see if it is as great as I have heard it to be.
What is Flipgrid?
Flipgrid is a video
discussion platform that is of no cost and is a fun engaging way to encourage
student participation with teacher lead discussion prompts. It is a tool to
foster a community of learning, help your students get to know one another and
encourage each other. In today’s
pandemic environment and lack of live interaction between students and
teachers, Flipgrid is a way to enhance a feeling of community and increase social
learning.
How do I use Flipgrid?
To access Flipgrid
simply visit their website and begin setting up your account. It is simple and
takes only a few minutes. Follow theses steps and you will be on your way.
#2. Select Educator Sign up and sign up through Google
or Microsoft.
#3. Set up your topic and post a discussion prompt. If you need suggestions, Flipgrid offers access
to a Discovery Library for topic ideas.
#4. Add your introduction video and any information
you want your students to review prior to responding such as a website link or
educational video.
#5. Set Response Time. You can select a time range of 15 seconds to
10 minutes. I recommend a minute and a
half to three minutes.
#6. Topic Moderation. I suggest that you set up the moderator
setting so that you preview student postings before they become live. Once you
know they are suitable for publication you can make them viewable for fellow
students.
#7. Ensure your access control is set to private so
only your learning community has access.
#8. Share code and link with your community. You
can create a student list and email them. Or you can share via Google Classroom,
Microsoft Teams, or Remind.
#9. Learners then access Flipgrid via Google
Classroom (or other shared method), the Flipgrid App (with code), or via direct
grid link and they can sign in via their Google or Microsoft account.
Example of use in Google
Classroom
#10. Students respond with video recordings.
The first video below is a brief description of how teachers can get started with Flipgrid. The second video is designed to help students understand the platform.
Recording videos are fun!
Recording on Flipgrid is
easy and self-explanatory resembling a social media account with the fun features that are offered. Students can record with filters, scenes,
frames, text, emojis, a whiteboard, draw, upload images and videos. They can also record what is on their screens displaying web tabs or documents on their devices. These options offer a
means for creativity, but students can produce a simple
recording of themselves and their responses. They can record, review, and even rerecord,
before they submit their response to ensure they are happy with their video. The
most important thing for students is to remember to thoroughly answer the given
prompt in the time allowed.
Example of features added into a recording
Resources for using
Flipgrid
I suggest checking out
the following resources to help you better understand how to use Flipgrid. My best recommendation is to create an
account and have fun exploring all the features that are offered and run some
test recordings. Then set up a class and
have students provide you with feedback on the program.
#1.Book clubs: As our book clubs
are virtual and not all students can attend at one time due to scheduling conflicts,
Flipgrid offers a way for students to respond to teacher lead prompts as well
as classmates’ responses and questions on their own time frames. Through video
recordings students can get to know one another and share their enthusiasm for
reading.
#2.Book reviews: I would like
to have students produce book reviews upon completing a novel in the hopes of
increasing student interest in reading. I could post to the library website
with parent permission. I would also like to take a suggestion from Edutopia.org
and use the video QR code for students to share reviews, the QR code could be
printed and taped in a book for students to view using devices such as a phone.
#3. As a warmup
tool: I would like
to use Flipgrid as a warmup prior to a lesson such as “Tell me about your
favorite book genre and why you love it in under 60 seconds”. This will help me get to know my students and
what type of reading they enjoy.
#4. For an
exit slip: Flipgrid can be used as an assessment to see
what the students retained from a lesson. For example, I could set the prompt as “Tell me three thing you learned
today about SC Discus and what database you think you would use the most”. This would help me to understand if my lesson
provided them with the proper knowledge on how to access and use Discus.
#5. As an
assessment tool: At
the conclusion of a lesson such as a book tasting activity. I could have
students share what they learned about the different genres available. I could assess
if my descriptions and examples provided were successful. I could also have
students post an inquiry question and have peers find an answer. For example, A
student could pose the prompt “What do you think makes for a great mystery
novel?” Students could express their
views on what they like about this genre and titles they find intriguing.
Additional
Bonus to using Flipgrid.
Students can
share what they have learned via a new context. They can creatively and expressively
engage in learning. Their excitement and uneasiness on subject matter can come
through helping the teacher determine what their students need to succeed. Students
can take the opportunity to provide positive feedback and encouragement to one
another. Work can be submitted at times
that aligh with their schedules as all students do not need to participate synchronously. Flipgrid is also a good outlet for those who
find writing or reading difficult. Close caption is available as well as the
use of immersive reader.
A
digital tool for Teaching and Learning
Flipgrid demonstrates
qualities of a digital tool that aligns with the American Association of School
Librarian (AASL) expectations and standards. Flipgrid is user-friendly, encourages
creativity, requires active participation, and encourages exploration of a new tech
resource. Some examples of how Flipgrid supports AASL shared
foundations are as follows;
Inquiry: Students are provided a prompt they must
think about and design a reaction based on prior knowledge and inquiry. They then share their response with peers via
their recordings and can grow by learning from the shared responses of others.
Engage: While students are working virtually
and asynchronously, Flipgrid offers an opportunity to engage with one another in
a “face to face” interaction. Students
can comment on each other’s posts to offer feedback, ask questions, and engage in
conversation to inspire others. Students can grow by using new technology responsibly
and implementing digital etiquette.
Include: Students can use Flipgrid to
respectively communicate with others and to listen to fellow students who views
may differ from their own. They can learn
to express opinions verbally to effectively communicate in a manner which is
politically correct and nonabrasive. Students can grow from learning about other
experiences. For example, a book club
prompt could ask students to make connections to characters or to a political
stance mention in the novel and this would provide an opportunity for students
to listen to and respond respectively to varying points of view.
Flipgrid is full of quality content and quality reasons to implement it in your classroom. I could go on and on, but I think you have plenty of reasons to check it out for yourself. So open up a new tab set for Flipgrid and begin today.
