Technology, Diversity, and the Media Center

As a media specialist, you encounter every student in the school from pre-k to fifth grade, special education and the gifted. Since so many different types of students enter the media center, it is important for the media specialist to be aware of students needs, abilities and disabilities in order to serve library patrons most effectively. Accommodations may need to be made for students with high reading levels or students with visual or hearing impairments such as “Ashley” from the story provided. Diversity is in every school and among every age. Diversity includes students of different race, culture, gender, and academic and physical abilities. In order to support these different students, media specialist must be sensitive to students needs and must be willing to make accommodations and adapt to each individual students needs. The media center is the heart of the school and should provide a comfortable learning environment for all students. With available technology, students can be encouraged and enabled to effectively use the media center and all of its resources. The technology provided in my media center at Walnut Creek, teachers are able to check out technology carts that provide the ability to display lessons and activities on the board, which enlarges the text and pictures to help those students who may be visually impaired. The clickr system is available for teacher and student use and can be used for students who have fine motor skill disabilities. Students can use this system so that they do not have to type. There are also educational programs available on the computers that are leveled to reach students who are performing high and low. Walnut Creek has had the advantage of being a new school; therefore we have received start up money for the past three years that have helped to purchase several technology pieces. Now we are a Title I school, which also provides for additional funding to put towards technology. With these advantages, we are able to provide students with different diversities an equal opportunity to effectively use the media center.

Digital Storytelling and eBooks

There are so many uses for digital storytelling in all grade levels and in the media center. Teachers and students can both use this tool. Teachers can use this tool as a way of introducing a new topic and by motivating the students to learn new concepts. Students can demonstrate their knowledge of a standard by creating a digital story. Students could also use this software demonstrate their knowledge of this technology to help reinforce concepts taught in the lower grade levels. For example, students in the third grade could create a digital story to help students in Kindergarten learn about where they live. This type of technology could also be used to in the media center for students and teachers. The media center standards could be introduced by using digital storytelling software. The media specialist could also create an orientation or walk through of the media center to help new patrons better navigate around the media center. Digital storytelling can be used for professional development in helping teachers understand what the impact of the strategy being taught has on the students, as well as, the research behind the strategy. All of these digital stories could be housed in the media center for teachers to check out and use. The stories could also be put on the school’s website for students use at home to review previously taught concepts.







eBooks are not used very much in our elementary school media center. We do have access to a couple of electronic encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauruses and almanacs. There is no actual eBook circulation at our school or any websites with digital libraries available to the students. I believe that there is need for eBooks in our school library. However, there would have to be complete support from all the administrators, teachers, parents and students to help keep the eBook readers working and in good order for circulation. The eBook readers would really benefit students with learning and physical disabilities. The eBook readers can be adjusted to assist students with vision problems or can read the books to students who don’t have the ability to read effectively to complete assignments. After reviewing the International Children’s Digital Library website and the Project Gutenberg website I am going to suggest these two websites be used throughout our school. The International Children’s Digital Library website would be best used in an elementary and middle school setting where the Project Gutenberg website could be used in grades 4-12. The Project Gutenberg website includes more of the classic books for young adults and adults. The International Children’s Digital Library includes picture books for younger students. However, this digital library includes books in several different languages and would be great for students where English is their second language. Teachers could also use this website to help teach students about different cultures.

Technology Training in Schools

At Walnut Creek Elementary, technology is thoroughly present throughout the building. Our faculty is blessed with many different technology pieces such as Activslates, document cameras, clickr systems and laptop carts for every grade level. In order to properly and productively use these technologies, our staff is provided with technology training once a month. Overall, the faculty at Walnut Creek Elementary is technology savvy, but there are still a few teachers who began teaching before computers entered the classroom that is still not on board yet. However, Trude Hinson, the media specialist, provides in-service on one piece of technology each month. Our staff has had training on the clickr systems, Educationcity.com, OPAC, and on all the technology that comes on the technology carts for each grade level. Not only are we trained at professional development meetings, but Trude then posts power points to our teacher drive on the network of our computers for future reference. While the technology support exists in our school on how to use programs and technology equipment, there is no support within the building for technology difficulties. Trude can fix basic problems, but more difficult issues have to wait for the county to respond to. Work orders have to be placed, and they are filled based on the severity of the problems. So there is not a lot of help when it comes to sick technology. Outside of school, Trude provides access to on-line technology such as the OPAC system and email through our school website. If I was the media specialist, I would also provide power points, and technology training through professional development meetings. I would also provide additional training in a small group setting for teachers that need help outside of meetings. These small training sessions would be held once a month for teachers to come with any questions about any of the technology equipment. As far as staff development training do’s and don’ts go, I would make sure that the training provided is beneficial to the teachers, and that it is a piece of technology that they will use. I won’t provide technology training on equipment that is not useful to teachers, or on technology that is not readily available for teacher use. Teachers are already confined to limited work time in their classroom, much less the time spent in meetings, so the staff development meetings would be useful and conducted in a timely manner with support inside and outside the classroom.

Georgia Public Brodacasting

Walnut Creek’s video distribution system is very slim; it is mainly used for announcements and to stream videos at the teacher’s request. The teachers do not have control over their own videos. The media specialist will start your video at the time the teacher requested. The news program is produced by the students and it is streams over the distribution system every day, when it is working. The news program informs the students and staff about upcoming events and other announcements. The school does not have cable and therefore only receives a few broadcast channels.



Just because the distribution system doesn’t do very much in our school, doesn’t mean that the teachers go without. Teachers use the Georgia Public Broadcasting website’s resources in their classrooms by connecting their computer to their classroom television. This gives the teachers full control of some of the videos they want to share with their class using United Streaming. I also use this strategy to demonstrate new activities I want the students to use during their independent computer time in the classroom. The GPB website has so much to offer teachers and it is all free. I have set up a learning Island for the students to use to reinforce math and reading skills I have previously taught. Students can use this program during their independent work time or at home. This is a great way to bridge the gap between home and school because the parents can see their student’s strengths and weaknesses while they are playing the games at home. The GPB website also has activities and lesson plans for teachers to go along with the GPB educational shows. Teachers can browse through some of the shows to find specific episodes about specific topics or skills. I find this website very helpful and encourage others to check it out. I am always finding something new each time I visit.

Social Networking

Social Networking is the ability to socialize through the Internet by having a direct connection to anyone in the world. The first social networking site that was popular in my high school days was myspace.com. This is a website where adults, teens and even some children can post pictures, chat and keep up with friends and family through blogging on each others myspace page. As myspace’s popularity grew, Facebook began to arise. Facebook, similar to myspace, became the most popular social networking tool for young adults to share their lives, information and their opinions. Other networks joined in, and before we knew it, you could tell the world where you are and what you are doing in a matter of seconds and on multiple networking sites at once. Since children and young adults became experts in blogging and using these different social networking tools, schools began to use some of them for teaching. Some networks are filtered from school computers, but others have become a source for educational blogging and a sharing tool for projects, books, and lesson plans. Under supervision and parental approval. Social Networking can be very useful in the classroom and the media center. Students can blog about books they are reading or debate on topics in the classroom. Flickr would be a great place for students to post pictures and information about themselves for a getting to know you activity. Wiki spaces or Google sites are a great place for classes to have online discussions even outside of the classroom. Podcasts are a great way for students to present projects and activities, and then parents can also be involved in what their child is learning and how they are doing in the classroom. By involving parents, and using social networking tools that are available inside and outside of the classroom, students are accountable for their education and parents are accountable for being involved in their student’s education.

Media Center Webpages

The media center web page is valuable resource for students, teachers and parents to use when they are on or off campus. The media center web page is so valuable because of the type of information available around the clock. Students, teachers and parents can access information and resources that are available anytime they would like. After reviewing many media center websites, here are a few items that should be included on a media center website: a general media introduction, online reference access information, a list of websites to find more information, book information and a space for frequently asked questions.




The general media introduction should include information about the media specialist and ways to get in contact with him/her. The hours of operation should be posted along with upcoming events. The online reference access information should be posted for easy access to GALILEO and other subscriptions the school may have for online references. A good media center website also includes a page that is dedicated to a lists of websites that may be helpful to students as they research different subjects. Teachers may also access pathfinders provided by the media specialist from this page. Another page that should be included is a spotlighted book or series to excite the students and motivate them to read. A page for frequently asked questions should also be provided to help students, teachers or parents who are struggling to find reference materials or information on the website.



When visiting other media program's web pages I found a lot of media centers include pictures of the media center and the resources they have available for students, teachers and parents to use. However, I feel as even though there is a lot of information posted to the website, the connection to the students, teachers and parents is still very distant. I think that the media center's web page should also be linked to a blog. Students, teachers and parents could post questions or comments about the media program. The media specialist could also start book talks online for teachers and students. Linking the web page to a blog would open the lines of communication and the media specialist could meet the needs of all the patrons. The information on the website should always focus on bridging the gap between home and school and classroom and media center.

Wikis

The term Wiki is from the Hawaii word that means “quick” (Lamb, 2004). A Wiki is an on-line webpage that allows users that have access to the Internet to create, edit and publish websites. The Wiki was first created in the mid 1990’s and was meant for Scientists and Engineer to use for knowledge bases (Educause, 2005). As its popularity grew, teachers began to use Wikis for collaborating with students, and students began to use Wikis to collaborate with each other. Wiki makes collaborating easy with its editing tool that allows users to edit the content or add to the content on a Wiki. Users also have the option to make the Wiki public or private. Private Wikis only allow users signed in the particular Wiki to view and edit its content. With Wiki being an on-line database, anyone can sign in and have access to a Wiki as long as they have a computer and a web browser (Educause, 2005). However, since the Wiki tool is free and available to all, users have to be careful about who they give access to that can edit the Wiki space. Users can use their editing privileges to change or delete information off of a Wiki or add inappropriate content. Some Wikis are monitored so that the content displayed remains relevant to its topic (Educause, 2005). However, if managed properly, the Wiki is a great place to have students and teachers alike present material and collaborate on shared topics and projects pertaining to the classroom. Media Specialists can use the Wiki spaces for blogs about books or author studies. Wikis are also great for creating lesson plans and ideas for teachers to use in the classroom with their curriculum. Author Amy Bowllan of the School Library Journal article, “A Wiki Gives a Worthy Book New Life”, described a situation where a teacher was beginning a book study with her fifth grade and when searching for lesson plan ideas to go along with the book, none existed on the web. So Amy and her colleague created a Wiki that provided videos and blogs about the book for students and teachers collaborate (Bowllan, 2008). She attributes the Wikis for helping teachers to spend less time creating lesson plans and more time enhancing students’ knowledge. By creating on-line resources for teachers to access for free, Wikis are giving new and longer lives to books and related content (Bowllan, 2008). While Wikis are a phenomenal tool for collaboration, users need to have access to the Wikis with an account, and then be invited to that Wiki if it is private. Media Specialists can provide login information to students and create the shell of the Wiki space for students to use. The media specialist can facilitate what is created and edited on the Wiki and provide additional resources and information to the students. Once more students and teachers see the benefits of the Wiki, collaboration will naturally happen.

Bowllan, A. (2008, September 1). A Wiki Gives a Worthy Book New

Life. Retrieved October 10, 2010 from, School Library Journal

Web site: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6590061.html

Educause Learning Initiative (2005, July). 7 Things you should know

about...Wikis. Retrieved October 10, 2010 from, Web site: http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7004.pdf

Lamb, B. (2004 September/October). The Way It Was Meant To BE.

Retrieved October 10, 2010 from, Web site: http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0452.pdf