Reflections . .

It really does feel impossible that this semester is quickly coming to an end. I am almost finished with all my assignments, and this will be my last post for this class. I am so thankful for this course and the knowledge gained during the last 15 weeks. It is incredible to truly explore the topic of technology in teaching and learning.

I didn't find this class overly challenging. I feel that I learned a lot, but in a way that suites my learning style. I wasn't required endless hours of reading textbook chapters, followed by assignments that I found only mildly engaging. The reading material has been very easy to follow and the assignments engaging and hands-on. My kind of learning!

The biggest challenge for me this semester has been keeping myself organized at all times. I took online courses in undergrad, but not four at once. It has been challenging to keep track of what I am doing and when I should be doing it. This was also a very surprising challenge because I am an incredibly organized person. It was definitely an adjustment.

Overall, I have enjoyed this semester very much. I finished undergraduate in 2010, so the last two years I have spent focusing on surviving enjoying the first two years of motherhood. It has been an incredible transition to get back into the swing of classes, assignments, and deadlines. I have no doubt the information learned in this class will continue to serve me during my graduate school experience and in the future when I am finally in my career.

As a closing thought, how can technology affect education? Check out this video!

No More Pencils, No More Books

Obviously Alice Cooper wasn't a college student. Or an educator.

School may not be out for the summer, and it definitely isn't out forever, but the end of this semester is quickly approaching. 12 hours, y'all. Whew! I look forward to the break before summer classes begin.

This class has been incredible. I have learned many things that I have been able to apply to my other classes and that is always a win! I've enjoyed blogging, even though I wasn't able to write nearly as much as I had hoped. There is so much more to say. So many more things I wanted to share.

You'll just have to wait blogging world because school's out for the summer . . . If only in my dreams!

 

Bing Crosby meets Alice Cooper?

 No? Okay.

 Happy Summer!

 



 

 

Reading Goodness

I just wanted to pop in and share some photos today.

Here is a really nice graphic about out-of-school reading time. It is so important for children to have this time each night. Does your child read for at least 20 minutes a night?  Or do you read to them?

After-School Reading

 

 

And here are some photos just for your viewing pleasure. A child who loves books. Oh my beating heart.

 

The Llama Llama series never gets old. We love all the books. Especially Llama Llama Red Pajama and Llama Llama Holiday Drama.

Max

 

Oh you know, just taking Max (How the Grinch Stole Christmas) for a walk. Even stuffed puppies need fresh air.

This is what story time looks like. Or bedtime. I try really hard to stick to a four book rule before naps & bedtime, but it's hard to say no.

 



 

More love for Max while waiting for the pediatrician. Adorable, no?

 

This arrived in the mail today. Perfect for the cold rain East Tennessee brought our way.

We love Imagination Library. That little guy get so excited when a new book arrives.  

 

 

 

Happy (almost) weekend!







My Dog Ate My Homework

Today's post is for educators and students. Okay, mostly educators.
 
But while I have the attention of the students out there . . .


#weknowyourdogdidnoteatyourhomework

#innocent
 
 
 

#nicetry 

Okay, for the riveting educational portion of this post. Dropbox! Yes, that exclamation point is necessary. Welcome to the 21st Century folks. Are y'all using Dropbox? Have you even heard of it?

 (crickets)

Allow me to enlighten you. Dropbox is an "online cloud storage system designed to help you keep your files safe, organized, and available when you need them". Obviously those aren't my words, but I truly couldn't have said it any better myself. Hop on over to Teacher Cast  to read what Jeff Bradbury has to say about Dropbox. He discusses it a million times better than I could ever dream. He's a smarty guy and probably definitely a brilliant teacher.

Here is what I can offer on the topic. I am a new user. I began using it for one of my graduate classes. The class that requires this blog, actually. So basically by professor is brilliant. I love it. I was using Google Drive to save my files, but I am officially a Dropbox lover. And NO, I am not being paid or endorsed in any way to say that. Hello! This is a blog written by a graduate student, for a graduate class.

Dropbox qualities/features that make my heart pitter patter:

• It's FREE! (2 gigabites of storage)
• Sharing files is insanely easy.
• I can access it via my Android phone.
• I can share files with crazy people non-Dropbox users.
• Oh, and it is free!

I highly recommend all educators at least give it a go. I know you all have loads of files in dire need of organization. I think it would prove most useful with students. They could share and access files from anywhere they have internet connection. And let's be honest. Students are usually more connected than we are. Dropbox would provide students with the ability to work on projects together without physically being together. Also, they couldn't show up empty handed with a lame excuse. Homework eating dog, anyone?

Give it a try. Tell me what you think. Share how you use Dropbox in your class.
 

Censorship

For another class I am currently enrolled in I was asked to post my thoughts on censorship. Specifically, to answer the following question:

Imagine that you are a school employee taking a stance in favor of right of children's access to information.  You might be a librarian, educational technology instructor or other employee. Citing the information in the text, compose an argument for the intellectual access to a material that has been challenged.

My response is written below. What is your opinion on censorship? Do think it is necessary and beneficial to our students? Or harmful and unnecessary?




I trained for this profession understanding that two fundamental values of my career would be to “preserve intellectual freedom and uphold a responsibility to resist censorship” (Rubin 375).  bell hooks, American author and noted feminist, very eloquently stated “We must continually remind students in the classroom that expression of different opinions and dissenting ideas affirms the intellectual process. We should forcefully explain that our role is not to teach them to think as we do but rather to teach them, by example, the importance of taking a stance that is rooted in rigorous engagement with the full range of ideas about a topic”.

Censorship

We no longer live in an age where students come home directly after school to assist in family affairs. Today’s students are just as, if not more, busy than we are as adults. They are increasingly involved in afterschool activities. Most students hold part-time jobs. Many are preparing for university applications by spending a great amount of time studying for their current course load in addition to state exams. Students are busy enhancing their resume with volunteer work and school clubs. All of this time outside of the home means our sweet children are undoubtedly exposed to ideas, experiences, and situations we would all find unsuitable for their age. It is our job as guardians and educators to provide our students with a safe place to explore new and unfamiliar terrain. I beg you to understand that as educators our intention is never to undermine your role as a parent. If your child reads a book within these school walls the intent is never to persuade them to convert religions, explore heterosexual or homosexual relations, or initiate vulgar or inappropriate activity. These books simply provide a safe way for students to explore ideas and situations that they may find themselves faced with today, tomorrow, or in the distant future. As many of you here today are parents or guardians of high school students the distant future does not seem so distant. Whether your student plans to leave for university or begin training and developing their trade after graduation, I implore you to see how much more vital these books are in their lives. As a parent myself, I understand the urge to shelter and raise my child according to the ideas I most value. But as an educator and person who understands the value of making my own choices, I understand the importance of guiding my child and students safely and confidently through their childhood and adolescence so when the time comes, and it will come, that they have to face situations without my guidance they can walk forward with confidence and faith that they have been preparing for this moment their entire lives. I genuinely believe this is what reading can provide our students. We cannot take away stories that we fear or do not align with our moral codes. Our children need these stories most. They need to question their own beliefs, understand the implications of doing what is unmoral, and explore their emotions in the safety of a classroom or family home knowing when the story ends they have an experienced adult who is willing to help them understand the journey they just travelled in the pages of a book. I encourage you to not dismiss these books as vulgar and non-educational, but to read them with your child and be open to having a calm and rational discussion with your child on the emotions elicited by the passages you’ve just read.

I urge you to invest in your child’s future and understand the role literature can play. I encourage you to read and understand The Freedom to Read Statement and The Intellectual Freedom Statement. Both closely parallel each other, but I will quickly summarize the two for you. The Freedom to Read Statement “concerns the importance of reading to a democratic society and the inadvisability of suppressing of idea due to perceived controversial or immoral content” (Rubin 390). The Intellectual Freedom Statement asserts the “need for diverse collections and the obligation to resist censorship attempts by individuals or groups” (Rubin 390). This school, specifically our library, provides what so many children and nations worldwide simply do not have. It is a distinctive environment where our students can come and travel incredible journeys without leaving the safety of their school. Along the way they will explore a broad range of ideas from differing points of view and that is the magic of reading. I ask of you one last time to rethink your proposal to have any book found within these walls banned or challenged.  Let’s stand together and prepare our students and children to live their adult lives with the comfort that we have taught them how to think rather than what to think.

 

Richard E. Rubin

Rubin, Richard E. Foundations of Library and Information Science. 3rd Ed. . New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc., 2010. 375-90. Print.

Take My Hand and I'll Show You the World

Yesterday I confessed my love for Pinterest.

Today, I'll share a reason why. Have you all heard of Edutopia? It is an amazing resource! They "share evidence-based K-12 learning strategies that empower you to improve education". You can follow them on Pinterest here. The pin all sorts of educational and informational goodies.

Like this one! Nearly every educator understands how disheartening it is to have the passion and drive to show their students the world only to be stopped by financial restrictions. Technology is truly closing this gap. We are able to discover and experience worlds we never knew existed, without leaving the classroom. Sounds exciting, right? I don't know many students who would turn down any of the twenty-five virtual learning experiences listed.

As educators (aspiring or current) we must take advantage of these resources. Without our guidance, students may very well never experience life outside the state they live in. Some will never leave their hometown. Gone are the days where we can rely on basic textbooks. Sure, textbooks have a time and place but they are no longer the primary education tool of educators utilizing the vast world of learning brought directly to our classrooms via the internet.

Oh, what's that you say? Your classroom has zero sources of technology and you're lucky if your students see the inside of a computer lab once in any given month? The digital divide is still very real in homes and schools across our nation. It's unfortunate. I do have hope that as electronics continue to lower in cost, this divide will lessen. We live in a digital age and I am a firm believer that children and young adults need to be exposed (with close supervision) to technology in school and at home. The need for technological skills is increasingly important for educational and career opportunities.

What do you say? Shall we show our students the world? One virtual learning experience at a time.

Things You Can Do to Enhance Storytime

Are you all on Pinterest? You should be! It is an amazing resource for everyone, but especially educators and librarians (and parents).

You can follow me here.

I really want to share a blog post I stumbled upon thanks to Pinterest.

Seven Things You Should Be Doing as You're Reading to Your Child is an excellent post discussing various things you should be doing during your daily story time. If you aren't currently reading to your children daily, I really recommend it.

You can read about some of the benefits here.

Back to things we should all be doing. This list is insanely simple, yet has a huge impact on children. It isn't enough to simply read the words. Children need to feel engaged.

The first suggestion is simple enough, but I admit something I often skip when reading to my almost two year old. Read the title of the book, the author's name and illustrator's name. And then take the time to explain what it means to be an author and illustrator. After you finish your story, you could even take reading a step further and ask your child (or classroom) to write AND illustrate their own story. Reading is great for imagination.

Next you should ask your child to make predictions at various points in the book. (It is important to explain there are no wrong answers here!)

Then you can ask your child to explain what is happening in the pictures. You certainly don't want to ask about every photo or story time might become a bit disruptive, but children enjoy the opportunity to explain what they think is happening in the illustrations.

Move your finger as you read. This may help your young child better understand you are reading words on the page, not creating your own story.

Ask questions. This will vary with age as to when you ask questions and how often. If asking questions during the story disrupts the flow (such as in a classroom setting) I would suggest allotting a certain amount of time after the story for discussion.

This one will sound all too familiar to parents and educators. Read the SAME book over and over and over! I can't count the number of books I can read without looking at the pages. Sure there are benefits for children when we read the same book multiple times, but what about us? I'd like to think we benefit as well. As a mom I use this superpower to settle my toddler when our nightly edition of story time is over and it is time for lights out. I "read" books to him that I have memorized and he settles right down.  I believe the more you read a book, the more comfortable you become with reading it. You develop a style and it becomes almost theatrical for young children to listen as you read. This is a definite bonus for educators working with younger children.

And finally, you should really enjoy reading the book with your child. This is probably the easiest "rule". You wouldn't be in a career that required reading to children if you didn't love the child and the literature. And if you're a parent, I know you will love any book your child requests you read.

Check out I Can Teach My Child for other great educational ideas.