The Magic of the Ed Tech Twitterati

I'm going to be honest: Twitter confused me at first and I didn't want to use it.  I created a personal account years ago because I wanted to ask Neil Gaiman a question that my students pondered while reading The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish.  I died when he answered me.  After printing off his response to show my students, I explored the Twitter phone app, even tweeted to Neil one more time (died again when he responded), followed a few people, checked my Twitter feed every other day for about a year and then just stopped using it when I had upgraded my phone and decided against re-downloading the app.  Maybe it's because I'm a Facebook junkie and the hashtags and at-signs and retweets overwhelmed me.  I think really it's because I didn't take the time to explore Twitter in a meaningful way.  As I've checked out the profiles and tweets of these education technology leaders, I've realized that the Twitterverse isn't as scary as I thought and that these individuals share some pretty amazing stuff with the world.  Here are some of my favorite tweets from leaders in the ed tech world.

Buffy Hamilton -- @buffyjhamilton

As she tweeted herself June 1, “May was hell”.  It breaks my heart to see that this library world leader (who I discovered in my first semester of MLS studies and fell IN LOVE with) is struggling with receiving the expected degree of professionalism in health care for her father who appears to be suffering from numerous health issues.  Before his health and hospital stay escalated into the stage it is now, she retweeted from DMLCentral (a blog she frequently contributes to) regarding "Collaborative Thinking Through Writing".  I was so inspired after reading this blog post because it shared a creative way to get kids to think about research by connecting it to the literature they're reading and how to get them to come up with research topics and eventually research questions.  Seeing the wonderful activities she helps to implement, makes the possibility of becoming a librarian at the high school level seem not as intimidating to me.

New DMLcentral post: Collaborative Thinking Through Writing, #Libraries, Markerboards http://t.co/7mcCDZQVYU by @buffyjhamilton

— DML Research Hub (@dmlresearchhub) May 7, 2015

 Jim Lerman -- @jimlerman

Never heard of Jim Lerman until I explored his Twitter profile.  Only got to the last week of May's tweets before my heart started fluttering and I got really excited about all the cool stuff he posts about free stuff for teachers and great ideas for learning!  I CAN'T WAIT to share him with my co-workers!  I mean, it's only the first Wednesday of summer break and I want to inundate the teachers in my school with his educational delights!  The first one that I came across and checked out was this free e-book with writing prompts galore!  In my department, we struggle to find relevant and fun writing prompts and these are so engaging.  I felt like I hit the lottery with this find!  I'll be spending the majority of my free time poring through his 12,800 tweets to see what I've missed!  Holy!

Free Technology for Teachers: Dozens of Story Starters in One Free eBook * by Richard Byrne http://t.co/hyJA2CkDhM pic.twitter.com/8igLlBjikR

— Jim Lerman (@jimlerman) June 1, 2015

Kathy Schrock -- @kathyschrock

This lady is an Apple product aficionado!   She appears to live and breathe all things ed tech, I'm so impressed by her knowledge and passion.  While she is a huge proponent of Apple products, she also tweets about tips, tricks, and reviews on a range of products, apps, and ideas.  I can't wait to explore her blogs and entire social media footprint as well.  I'm really in awe of how these individuals have gained all this knowledge.  She's been a librarian and educator for such a long time and is truly committed to learning all there is to know about her profession.  My favorite tweet of hers was actually a #tbt of a library orientation video she filmed in 1984!  It was just precious and you should really take the time to watch all 12 minutes and 37 seconds of it.  Two words:  Eighties. Glory.

Worst school library orientation video ever by a librarian with really big hair! :-) https://t.co/xntADv8Kaw

— Kathy Schrock (@kathyschrock) May 2, 2015

Linda Braun -- @lbraun2000

If it's education issues and ed tech ideas you're after, Linda Braun's Twitter feed is the place to be.  I shared at least two links with my science partner and one with my math partner before even getting out of May's tweets!  Just browsing through her posts and seeing the diversity of educational topics about which she posts leads me to believe that she is just exceedingly passionate about education and what's best for kids and I really like that because it echos my district's motto of "Every Student Is Worth My Best".  The tweet I honed in on was one for the Free Summer Math Program sponsored by Amazon.  My son struggles with math and after learning his STAAR Math results for the year, I worried about how to help him prepare for what's coming in sixth grade.  I've signed him up for this program and hope it along with some tutoring will get him where he needs to be mathematically.  I also immediately shared the link on my Facebook page.  So excited about Linda Braun!

Amazon's Free Summer Math Program Starts May 19 http://t.co/sHvdlXAFD5 cc: @TweetsByTwito

— Linda W Braun (@lbraun2000) May 14, 2015

 The Daring Librarian -- @GwynethJones

She has a TARDIS on her cover photo.  SHE HAS A TARDIS ON HER COVER PHOTO!  What's not to love about her already?  Gwyneth Jones is a hip, hip lady.  Her tweets range from pop culture happenings, to adorable Vines and pics of students, to lifted lines from books she's read and recommends.  She's a nerd and seems to like pretty much everything I do, so obviously I want to be besties with her, but she doesn't know I exist so that might put a damper on things.  Naturally I had trouble choosing a favorite tweet. While the "Where's Andre?" Project Runway video (which I've already watch millions of times and is a joke amongst my friends and I) and the Google Art Project link were very tempting, the tweet that most spoke to me most was the "Open Letter to Principals Before You Hire a New School Librarian".  My campus librarian unexpectedly had to retire a year earlier than anticipated.  My school's policy is to only hire highly qualified applicants when available.  They were available.  So I will be moving on to a different campus when I complete my degree, something I never really thought I'd have to do.  I wish I would have been able to share this with my principal and the other administrator responsible for hiring the librarian.  On the upside, I have some insight in how to sell myself in an interview.

An Open Letter To Principals Before You Hire A New School Librarian by @jenniferlagarde http://t.co/7lYKePJ780 pic.twitter.com/8QEUO2JQlz

— The Daring Librarian (@GwynethJones) May 28, 2015

Tony Vincent -- @tonyvincent

I gotta be honest.  My first impression of this guy is that he kind of comes off as car salesman to me.  I think that may be due in part to the fact that a big part of his tweeting is focused on his own products and articles.  He is marketing himself and trying to make a buck, I get that.  This sort of blatant self-promotion wasn't present on the other Twitter accounts I reviewed and it put me off a bit.  Tony Vincent seems to be an Apple guy as well, with many tweets about iPads in the classroom  He also offers some pretty cool tips and tricks for both PC and Apple products.  For instance, I learned how to activate voice search on Google Chrome and was dazzled!  I called my 10-year-old son in to show him what I could do and he was like, "Uh.. yeah.  I already knew that."  Guess I'll have to try to wow my husband when he comes home from work instead.  But the best tweet of all was a short and sweet plug for an Online STEAM and Arts Conference.  My science partner and I are writing a grant to bring an Art Lab into our campus and have been looking for some relevant professional development for months!  This is the answer!  Thanks Tony Vincent!

💥 Save Your Seat with @kleinerin: #STEAM & Arts Online Conference (8 PD Hours 15+ Sessions): http://t.co/P4UzxUK71b

— Tony Vincent (@tonyvincent) May 28, 2015

Bottom Line: What a fool I've been putting Twitter on the backburner!  So beyond excited right now to continue exploring!

Using Facebook to Promote School Libraries

As likely the most tech-savvy faculty members on school campuses, it only makes sense that some school librarians turn to the most popular social media platform to communicate the goings on of their libraries.  Over a billion people use Facebook on a monthly basis and 382,000 likes occur every minute (McCarthy, 2014).  With that much traffic I wonder how could a school library NOT create a Facebook page to share all the amazing things that happen within its walls and among its shelves, events about which students, parents, teachers, or even the community in general hasn't the foggiest?

I searched Facebook and came up with a sampling of six school library pages from different regions in the United States and two each from the elementary, middle school, and high school levels.  Although all six pages share some similarities in some of their posts, it's plain to see which librarians are at an expert level in their Facebook promotional measures and which are still at the fledgling phase.

All of the libraries used Facebook to spread the word and encourage interest in library-sponsored events.  Book Fair was the most common event to be promoted, which is no surprise because it's a huge fundraiser for the library and one that usually already gets a good amount of participation in most schools.  Most of the pages utilized Facebook to remind students that library books were due, some even used clever memes (Rayburn Middle School and Islip High School) or videos (Curry Elementary School) to get this point across to Facebookers.  Surprisingly, not as many book recommendations wound up on the Facebook pages as I would have expected.  Summer reading programs (or even hours of operation during the summer for the library of Pocola Elementary School) were discussed on a few pages.  Some posted data regarding how many books were checked out, which were most popular, and Goldenview Middle School actually updated users with stats for a campus reading competition.  A couple of the school libraries including Moreau Catholic High School and Islip High School are very much into the "maker movement" and have "maker faires" in which students can show off the products they make and the results of these faires and solicitation for participation was communicated on the libraries' Facebook pages.

Of the six samples I viewed, the Facebook pages that I felt were consistently updated with relevant information most frequently were Rayburn and Islip.  I learned so much about what these libraries value and the experiences their users enjoy from their Facebook posts (not to mention a slew of ideas)!  A library account I found still in the early stages was Pocola.  After viewing the posts on this page, I got the impression that the librarian was struggling with separating the use of the page to promote the library and herself.  The majority of the posts related to the library in some way, but she also posted some things that I thought would be better suited for a personal page.  For instance, she posted gifts and the names of the students that gave them to her, I thought that was a little tacky.  I know she was probably just trying to show her gratitude by acknowledging them publicly on social media.  My school district is very strict about sharing photos of students on Facebook, perhaps her district is more lax about this.  She also discussed books she was rereading that were not appropriate to her library's grade level (PK-5).  The books she pictured and discussed are young adult pieces.  I wish I could tell her to do this assignment without being tacky myself.

I believe Facebook is an excellent method of marketing a school library.  The grade level you serve determines the potential of the audience size you reach.  Obviously in an elementary setting your primary audience will be parents, staff members, and interested community members, maybe perhaps the exceptional (yet underage) student who has either a) had a parent create a Facebook account for him/herself or b) secretly created an account on his/her own.  Student participation on a library Facebook page is likely to increase at the middle and high school levels as the ownership of Facebook accounts increase.  The key to using Facebook for library promotion is to get the word out about it.  Let people know it exists in newsletters, morning announcements, posters, bookmarks, etc.  Entice them with giveaways for sharing posts, checking in, or using unique hashtags.  I saw very little interactions in the form of likes, comments, or shares on these school library pages.  I know it bums me out when no one likes or comments on a post on my personal Facebook page, I can only imagine how fruitless a librarian's efforts must feel when no one likes or comments on a post she carefully considered and crafted for her school library page.  That's the only disadvantage I can see with library promotion via Facebook:  working hard to upkeep and update with little to no interaction from Facebookland.


References:

McCarthy, N. (2014, October). Facebook versus Twitter in numbers [Infographic]. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2014/10/14/facebook-versus-twitter-infographic/

Fifty Books, Five Lists

In addition to the required reading, I read ten books from each of the following lists or categories for a total of fifty:

• Coretta Scott King Award
• Pura Belpre Award
• Geisel Award
• The Best Graphic Novels for Your Children
• Poetry Books

After reading each book, I created one master list of citations and annotations before sorting them into five separate lists to have available at various reading night events throughout a school year.

My lists are as follows:

1. Books about real people who have contributed to the world
2. Halloween books
3. Books for early readers (grades K-2)
4. Books for tweens (grades 3-6)
5. Books in which the characters face adversity

You are invited to check out the flyers I made for these lists at the link below:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8pBYH5iETZcMFEtbUk2bmUzcm8/view?usp=sharing

Assignment 6

The link below will take you to a document in which I discuss how two books would appeal to readers in my library.

Assignment Six

Summaries of the two books used for this assignment:


Creech, S. (2001). Love that dog. New York: Joanna Cotler Books.

At the beginning of the book, Jack is very resistant to the idea of writing poetry.  As he receives praise from his teacher for his poems however, his attitude starts to change.  He writes a poem called "Love That Dog" about the death of his dog and inspired by Walter Dean Myers' poem "Love that Boy".  Jack continues to write poetry and Walter Dean Myers gets invited to the school for an author visit.  The author actually comes to his school and Jack is over the moon.

Selznick, B. (2011). Wonderstruck. New York: Scholastic.

Ben recently lost his mother and is staying with family.  One night he is struck by lightning and goes deaf in both ears.  After recovering in a hospital, he decides to run away to New York to locate the father he never knew.  When his plan fizzles, he visits a museum, makes a friend, and discovers some connections to his father.  The clues add up and he winds up meeting his paternal grandmother by accident who shares with him the story of his long-lost father.

Fantasy Books!

The infographic below shows how I evaluated five fantasy books for the criteria of character, setting, plot, theme, and style.
























































































Summaries for each of the books in the fantasy collection:

Collins, S. (2003) Gregor the Overlander. New York: Scholastic. 

After falling down a laundry chute, Gregor finds himself (and baby sister Boots) in the strange Underland, a place inhabited by giant cockroaches, an evolved race of humans who fly atop huge bats, and big, deadly rats.  He soon learns that he is the chosen one in a prophecy and that his father, who disappeared more than two years ago is being held captive by the rats.  Gregor agrees to endure a treacherous quest that simultaneously fulfills the prophecy and rescues his father.  When the quest is successfully achieved, balance is restored to the realm and the family returns home.

Gaiman, N. (2008).  The graveyard book.   New York: HarperCollins.

Bod's family was murdered by The Man Jack was he was just a toddling babe.  He managed to escape the carnage by wandering out of the house and into a nearby graveyard.  The ghosts of the graveyard took him in and raised him as their own child.  As he grows up in the graveyard, he learns many of the spirits' skills.  He even befriends a human girl named Scarlett.  Even though many years have passed, The Man Jack is still looking for him.  Bod defeats The Man Jack and his other Jack counterparts.  

Hale, S. and D. (2008). Rapunzel's Revenge. New York: Bloomsbury.

Rapunzel was given to Mother Goethel as a very young child because her birth parents stole from her garden.  The child is being groomed to take over Mother Goethel's empire once she dies.  Rapunzel discovers her birth mother is a slave for Mother Goethel. Determined to free her mother, Rapunzel escape the prisons Mother Goethel creates for her.  After one escape, she meets Jack and the two team up to take down Mother Goethel having many adventures along the way.  They learn what controls Mother Goethel's power and create a plan to take her down.  

Holm, J. and M. (2014).  Comics Squad: Recess. New York: Random House.

A collection of short, mostly fantastical stories fills the pages of this book.  A kid takes his admittance to a super-secret ninja club too far.  A cat tries to make the world a dumber place by zapping all the words out of books.  A couple of squirrels debate the authenticity of a magic acorn.  Baby Mouse tries to earn recess but the odds are not in her favor.  A cupcake and peanut take on school yard bullies in a game of freeze tag. Rained out recess means a class of fifth graders must find an alternative activity to cure their boredom.

Landy, D. (2007). Skulduggery Pleasant: Scepter of the Ancients. New York: Bowen Press.

At her uncle's funeral, Stephanie meets a stranger who shows her the very world that led to her uncle's death.  Skulduggery Pleasant is a walking, talking magical skeleton that solves mysteries in the magical realm from which he hails.  Together, Stephanie and Skulduggery vow to find out why her uncle was targeted.  While on this adventure, Stephanie finds out she has the ability to perform magic and more courage than she knew she could fathom.  She stands up to the heavies in this realm, thwarting a hostile takeover and uncovering the secret of her uncle's demise.

Historical Fiction!

The link below will take you to a document that features four reviews for historical fiction books.

Historical Fiction Assignment 4

Summaries for each book in the historical fiction collection:

Bartoletti, S. C. (2005). Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler’s shadow. New York: Scholastic.

The Hitler Youth was the Nazi Party’s way to include and indoctrinate the children of Germany into conforming to their anti-Semitic philosophy.  What started off as a voluntary organization soon transformed into a required activity.  German children endured intense physical training, learned to operate military equipment, and spent time away from home to acquire the skills and knowledge that the Nazis deemed imperative to the country’s success.  These children were so brainwashed by Hitler’s ideals that they would rat out their own family members for comments or acts not in line with Nazi goals and directives.

Curtis, C.P. (1995). The Watsons go to Birmingham—1963. New York: Delacorte Press.

Middle child Kenny Watson has it a little rough in his 1960s life in Flint, Michigan.  He has a lazy eye, an arrogant and increasingly rebellious older brother named Byron, a little sister to look after, and an affinity for reading.  When Byron’s teenage rebellion gets to be more than his parents can handle, they decide to have him spend some time with his maternal grandmother down south in Alabama.  The whole family travels by car without incident but when they get there, Kenny soon realizes that the racial climate is quite different than what he is used to back home.

Nelson, K. (2008). We are the ship: The story of Negro League baseball. New York: Hyperion.

Because blacks were not allowed to play baseball with whites, they formed their own leagues, teams, and venues starting in the 1920s.  Some of the players were legendary as were their managers.  Despite unfair conditions and lackluster pay, they played the game they dearly loved.  Some of these men played with such skill they were unrivaled by their white counterparts.  As time went on, conditions started to improve.  Some layers even traveled to Cuba to play ball where they were met with a more pleasant atmosphere.  Finally, Jackie Robinson broke the barrier and initiated integration with white teams.

Schlitz, L.A. (2007) Good masters! Sweet ladies! Voices from a medieval village. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.

The lives of the various members of a medieval village intertwine in ways one would not expect.  All have various responsibilities and different perspectives on their lives.  Not only to the poor and hardworking children wrestle with their plight, but children of wealthy families have their own issues with which they struggle.  The book shows that life is not always pleasant, that there are people who are hungry, who are abused, whose parents have died and that no matter how bad you think your life is, someone else is worse off than you.

Realistic Fiction!

The link below will take you to a file in which I have analyzed six realistic fiction novels for the evaluative criteria of character, plot, setting, theme, style, and gender or culture.

Realistic Fiction Assignment 3

Summaries of each book in the realistic fiction collection:

Cleary, B. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York: Morrow Junior Books.

Leigh is a sixth grade boy who really enjoys the work of author, Boyd Henshaw.  Letters written to the author explain the events happening in Leigh’s life.  Leigh’s father, a truckdriver, appears in his life sporadically since the divorce and his mother struggles to make ends meet with her job at a catering company.  Leigh deals with kids stealing his delicious lunches and becomes upset when he learns that his father’s attention is focused on forming a new family.  At point Leigh abandons writing to Mr. Henshaw exclusively in favor of journaling about his life. 

 Draper, S. (2010). Out of my mind. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Wheelchair-bound Melody has cerebral palsy and has struggled to communicate her thoughts and feelings her entire life.  Her disability prevents others from knowing just how intelligent she is.  Melody rises from being treated like a baby in school to competing on the academic team in fifth grade due to some changes in class structure and technology.  After practicing hard for the academic team’s state competition, she misses the opportunity to participate because the flight is cancelled and no one informs her.  Melody’s streak of stubbornness the next school day leads to near-tragic event for Melody’s family.

Lord, C. (2008) Rules. New York: Scholastic.

Catherine, a twelve-year old girl, must establish rules for her autistic little brother, David.  She longs to live a “normal” life.  A new girl, Kristi, moves in next door and Catherine sees this as a perfect opportunity to make the friend she’s always wanted.  At one of David’s therapy appointments, Catherine meets Jason, a boy with cerebral palsy with whom she starts a friendship.  Wanting to maintain her friendship with Kristi, she tries to hide her brother’s issues and feelings for Jason.  Eventually, she learns to except David and Jason’s differences.

Pastis, S. (2013). Timmy Failure: Mistakes were made. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.

Timmy Failure is a kid whose academic performance in school is less than desirable.  His school woes are  probably largely due in part to his focus on a less than effective detective agency run by himself and one polar bear named Total.  Timmy is also bent on bringing down his rival, Corrina and many of the shenanigans he which he finds himself taking part are related to this mission.  Meanwhile, his mother is dating a guy whom Timmy is not fond, only exacerbating Timmy’s issues.

Paterson, K. (1977). Bridge to Terabithia. New York: HarperCollins.

Jess Aarons is the sole boy in a family of girls who is made to do the bulk of the work and receives no gratitude from his mother or father.  He seeks acceptance from his classmates by training to be the fastest runner in his grade level, but that all changes when a new girl, Leslie moves in next door and the two become friends.  Together they create a little secret spot in the woods near their homes to escape their daily realities.  Tragedy strikes on a day Jess thinks will be his best day ever.

Urban, L. (2007). A crooked kind of perfect. New York: Scholastic.

Zoe wants to play the piano more than anything.  Unfortunately, the wrong sales person preyed upon her timid father and she wound up with an organ.  She learns to play and practices well enough to earn her instructor’s recommendation of competing in a recital.  Along the way she grows apart from her childhood best friend and befriends what she thought was the school bully, Wheeler and the two develop a close friendship.  At her first ever competition, she places fourth.  Her parents buy her a piano to celebrate her success.