21st Century Shift – Definitely a Work in Progress!

Over our winter break I was bemoaning my library statistics. I’ve had fewer than 50 classes visit the library, my circulation statistics are 1/2 what they were this time last year, my book displays are lame, and I’m floundering. What, exactly, is my role? I attended the AASL Conference in Columbus, I’ve researched, I’ve read books, I have done lots of talking about how libraries still matter, but what it actually “looks like” still confounds me! I’ve felt busy; even overwhelmed at times, but none of what I have been doing this year has felt quite right. Am I now just a manager of space? Do I simply supervise small groups of kids who don’t work well in a classroom? I don’t want to be a password resetter!

I recently did 2 presentations that have really helped me clarify what I want for my students and my library. One presentation was for my staff during a flexible PD day about my 21st Century vision for the library. It was somewhat well attended and several collaborations have come from it. (blog posts to follow) The other was for the Alpha Iota chapter of ADK, a teaching sorority in my county, about Makerspaces. Something about standing up in front of others and advocating for my students, my library and myself has made me feel much more confident and a little inspired about what @Rocket Library has to offer our students and staff.

I have a colleague who is a wonderful librarian herself. Our pact has been to support each other through what we knew would be a really different year. Both of our schools have gone 1:1. This rollout has teachers thinking differently about how they teach, how students learn, where they learn, and how they’re assessed. This change is BIG! Teachers aren’t thinking about library stuff. They’re in survival mode. How can I get them to think about me and what I have to offer when they are bogged down with WiFi issues, Google Hangouts drama and Piktochart! One tactic has been to provide things in the library they CAN’T get with a Chromebook or in a classroom. I have comfy chairs, a flat screen television, dual monitors on my desktops, a 3D printer, a color printer. I have a MAKERSPACE! “What’s that?” they ask. 🙂

So I’ve started to try to redefine (for me) what a successful library looks like. I’m currently using an iPad and the app INSIDE for individual students to sign in and out. While it’s not completely accurate, (Adolph Hitler signed in every day for a week), I had around 7,000 students in and out of the library between August and December. Some come here instead of going to lunch, Some come because they forget their computer and need to use a desktop. Some come because they are driving their teacher crazy and they “work better” in the library than in the classroom. Others come because they are doing something that requires unique space only found here. They are recording a podcast and need a digital voice recorder, a quiet room and audacity. Some come because they want to use the flat screen television to project a Google Slideshow. Some come because the dual monitors allow them to keep a Word document and a website open at the same time. The key is they are still coming. I need to continue thinking of ways to measure success that go beyond circulation statistics. I need to continue reaching out to teachers in new ways. I need to publicize any little successes I have because I’ve found that triggers more awareness and thinking about connecting with the library. Most importantly, I need to keep thinking about my students and how I can create meaningful learning opportunities for them that reach far beyond the classroom. To quote David Lankes, “it’s about people”.

Category: Collaboration Zone, Makerspace, Professional Development | LEAVE A COMMENT

November 19

Collaboration Zone Ideas

The Collaboration Zone has been a huge success this year, but I’m starting to see usage wane a bit. As I see it, one of the biggest benefits of the CZ is that students can work independently, but still have supervison and support if needed. I can teach mini lessons, provide resources (print and digital) and redirect if necessary. That’s soooo much better than putting a group in a corner of your classroom or out in the hallway, right? They can also connect any device to the big screen to share their work or research.

So if you’re wondering, “what happens (or could possibly happen) in the Collaboration Zone?” Here are some answers and some future ideas I have:

1. Create a class blog and have students come to the CZ to post either individually or as small groups. (see previous posts about AP Human Geography)

2. Create a secondary research project for a group to “go a little deeper” into a topic. Research and create in the CZ and then share it with the entire class. Prezi or Nearpod could be good presentation tools.

3. Create a podcast with weekly or biweekly recordings. Topics could include content, class updates, homework reminders or enrichment opportunities. iPadio might be a good choice here.

4. After a pre test, give students who have already mastered content an opportunity for enrichment. Have them come to the CZ and listen to a podcast about a related topic or create a Kahoot for the entire class.

5. Students needing remediation could come work through a Blendspace with an added quiz at the end.

6. Video creation, skit practice, presentation practice, or poster making can also happen here.

The possibilities are endless!

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October 5

Reflection on the Collaboration Zone

So this year has been a complete whirlwind as the CZ has been introduced to the library. I have struggled to keep up with my schedule, sometimes watching in horror as a class comes in expecting something from me, and I have no idea what it is! I told a good friend I feel like diversifying my library has diversified my brain! Having the CZ has been a HUGE success, The space is used almost every day almost every period. Students really like working there and teachers are beginning to utilize it creatively. The drama teacher sends students down to block scenes, AP Human Geography blogs each week, U.S. History students research essential questions, and the creative writing class meets to share their work on the “big screen”. I may have a group in the library checking out books and only 3 students in the CZ blogging, but those 3 students may need as much, if not more help than the entire class. Add individual students coming down for various reasons, and I am definitely diversified! There is now a large whiteboard calendar in the CZ to help with scheduling, and I still write it on my main library calendar to help me keep track, but sometimes my brain doesn’t register what type of support all of these students will need and the result is me overextending myself.

I like to be in control of everything going on around me, and that is going to have to change. As the library continues to shift….. I feel like we are going to have more Collaboration Zones, more Creation Stations, more innovative spaces where groups and classes are working on very diverse projects, thus making my diversified brain more…..diversified.

Here are 3 new strategies I’m going to use to help myself cope:

1) add signage to guide students (instructions, log in information etc…) when I’m not available.

2) create screen-casts students can watch to answer some of their own questions.

3) use colored highlighters on our scheduling calendar to indicate classes in the main library area, the CZ, or me going out to visit a classroom.

I’ll post about our Game Room next….oh dear.

Category: Collaboration Zone, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

August 27

Student Blogging

I have a teacher interested in setting up student blogs. Our AP Human Geography teacher wants to send small groups to the CZ (Collaboration Zone) to find, annotate and post articles. My job is to help them set up a blog and then show them options about posting their annotated articles. They can do it digitally with a website called scrible.com or they can use colored pencils, take a picture with their phone, and upload it as an image. Here is a picture of what an annotated article on Scrible looks like. Note the legend on the right explaining the color coding. You can hover over each post and the corresponding text will change color. Highlighting is also an option. Pretty cool.

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August 23

Hiccups in the Collaboration Zone

So today students came in to practice a presentation and we hit a few snags.
1. Volume 3 ( our student server) wasn’t mapped. = phone call to super busy tech guy.
2. Printer wasn’t networked = another call to our super busy tech guy.

Neither problem was major, but they prevented the kids from practicing. I should have thought about those things ahead of time.

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August 20

Collaboration Zone Update

Rocket Football 2014

So… students are a little unsure about access to the Collaboration Zone. Today I pulled up a youtube video featuring our football team and their 2014 season. I played it and left the room to see what would happen. I noticed several football players who were out in the library craning their necks to see in the room and watch the video. I invited them in to watch a little closer. They accepted and enjoyed watching the video on the big screen. 🙂

Tuesday is Bow Tie Tuesday at SCHS, so I invited a few students who forgot bow ties to make them out of Duct Tape in our Makerspace. They did, and it was fun. We are making a little progress.

Below is the promo I sent out to teachers. It isn’t very high tech, but it did prompt a U.S. History/AP Human Geography teacher to come down today and ask if he could have small groups rotate in throughout the year to do a mini project where they researched varying perspectives/opinions/bias surrounding a particular topic they were studying. (yay!) He wants them to share with the class etc… He left willing to explor the idea of a blog where they come to the Collaboration Zone, do a little research, then post a blog entry about their finding.

I’m new to blogging myself, so I’m researching how to set it up for him. Advertisement Flier

These are the first users! They loved it!!! Already the table and chairs have been moved and the lights turned out to help them see. (below)

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August 14

The TV arrived!

Here is the television being installed in the Collaboration Zone. My aide has connected it and we are already on line. Next is the wireless keyboard and mouse. I haven’t publicized the room much. Once this last piece is setup, I’ll start promoting to students and staff. Yay!!!

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August 9

Collaboration Zone

Various areas for students to work and spread out.

Here is another pic for the Collaboration Zone (new name). The television should arrive Monday. The mount and HDMI cables are here. I chose rolling chairs for two reasons. One they were available from a dismantled computer lab and two, I want flexibility. I plan to watch students as they use the space and see where they naturally move the furniture. Then I’ll adjust the location and maybe type of furnishings.

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July 7

Technology Decisions

Here is what I decided on technology wise for my innovation zone. It will be (I hope) under $450 to get ordered. After that, all I’ll need to do is put in a work order to have the television mounted. Then I’ll connect a computer and get familiar with the process of connecting and disconnecting different types of media. All before August 13th (I HOPE!)

Technology order

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