MOOCs: In which I talk about massive open online education

I’ve heard the term MOOCs in passing and I heard on the news a while back about universities offering free online courses, but I never put the two together. Until this week’s module, I didn’t know that the term MOOCs referred to the free online classes that universities are offering to anyone who is interested. I think this is such a great and interesting idea. As a future librarian, I understand the importance of being a life-long learner and I find everyday that I’m searching through information, learning new things, and researching the topics that I am curious about. This is why I plan on trying a MOOC, hopefully this summer, because I want to experience one of these free courses first hand and see how I can use them for my own professional development as well as how this idea could be used in K-12 education.

One of the complaints about higher education is that it costs way too much and I agree! So many college students have to take out loans to cover their college education and then they are left with loans to pay off at the end of college careers. For those of us who love learning, it is discouraging to have to pay so much money in order to better educate ourselves. The idea of having free online courses where thousands of students from all over the world can attend, sounds to good to be true. Although most times you can’t receive credit for taking a class, the benefit of learning a new skill such as computer programming or getting to learn more about a topic that you are passionate about, is what MOOCs are all about.

I like the idea of using MOOCs in K-12 education, but at this point I’m not really sure how that would work. In an ideal world, students would be able to take these classes, take responsibility for their own learning, and be able to learn at their own pace. However, issues such as technology access, both in schools and at home, as well as the learning curve for MOOCs are barriers to implementation in K-12 education. Additionally I think there are many kinks of the MOOC system that need to be worked out, especially since this is fairly new, before K-12 education should try to take on this model. All in all though I think this is a great opportunity to expand learning to those who might not be able to afford a college education but are still passionate about learning and want to become more knowledgeable people.

Involving Others In Advocacy

When the school library is in need of outside support, the librarian can look to the support of parents to help her advocate for the library. The students are the ones who take home stories, projects, papers, and other school work they have created to show their parents what they have been doing in school. They are also the ones who will tell their parents about the great things that are happening in the library, making them advocates of library themselves (and they won’t even know it!). So when the library might be struggling for support, and the budget cuts make it likely that the librarian’s job will be on the line, why not reach out to the supportive community of parents who would probably be more than willing to help?

School librarians need to be tapping into the resource of parent support when they are advocating for their school libraries. Parents can become volunteers, helping with book fairs, shelving books, or helping to make other exciting events happen at the library. In this way, parents are able to see the day-to-day goings-on of the library, and also the important role the librarian plays in the school community. When it comes time for those budget cuts, the parents who know the importance of the librarian will be more likely to fit to keep him or her.

A few suggestions to get parents involved is to

• Send a monthly newsletter home with information on what is going on at the library.
• Invite parents to volunteer at library events or during certain days of the week.
• Encourage parents to talk with their kids about the projects they are working on in the library.
• Make a short video asking for parental support! (Example below).

As per my own suggestion, I decided to use Animoto (because it’s so much fun!) to make a short video to advocate support from parents. School Library Advocacy

YA Authors Talk About Bullying: A Bullying Awareness Event

Last year I attended the Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival at Nazareth College and I got to hear some great YA authors such as Laurie Halse Anderson and A.S. King speak about their books and the writing process. One I noticed that many of these authors discussed was about being bullied when they were in school and how that influenced their writing. Many YA authors deal with bullying in their books and they want their readers to be aware that it goes on and how to stop it. Therefore I think it would be a great idea as a bullying awareness/prevention event to have YA authors who deal with bullying in their books and have experienced it themselves to come and give talks and workshops.

I envision this a day-long event. I would ask for student volunteers to help set up in the library (where we would host the event) as well as create posters and videos to advertise the event. We would invite five or six YA authors (students would have input on who they think we should invite) and we would host them for a day of bullying awareness. I would like to have the authors start off with a panel in which they talk about their bullying experiences, how it has influenced their writing, and what they seek to accomplish by writing about the issue of bullying. After the students hear them talk, there would then be time for the students to ask questions. The rest of the day would be mini workshops put on by each of the authors, say about 30 minutes – an hour each and the students would be broken up into groups and would be able to attend each workshop. The workshops would include topics such as: “Writing for Bullying Awareness” and “Cyberbullying: What Can We Do to Stop It?” among other topics.

At the end of the day, the students in their groups could brainstorm ideas about what to do if they or someone they know is being bullied and what they plan to do to put a stop to it. What drew me to this idea was that young adults look up to their favorite authors and I think it would be great for them to hear from these role models how bullying has affected them, how it influenced their writing, and how they were able to come through their experience and become successful adults.

Hot Debate: Internet Filtering

Internet filtering in both public libraries and schools has been a hot debate for quite some time, especially because of the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). With the more recent Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act in 2008, schools now have to educate students about appropriate online behavior especially related to social networking sites, cyberbullying, and other internet etiquette. I think this is a great opportunity for school librarians to step up and take a role in providing this additional component of the CIPA. I believe many librarians have already been teaching students how to be responsible internet researchers, as students have to sift through multiple sites and sources of information when they are researching for a project. Librarians have been teaching students how to decide whether information they have collected from a website will fit their information needs. They also have to be able to tell whether a website provides true information, by looking at the website’s author, the date of the website, as well as comparing the information to other trusted sources.

Filtering “bad” information for our students is not going to do them any favors once they graduate from high school and come into contact with “unfiltered” information. How will our students be able to tell “bad” information from “good” information if we don’t teach them? How will our students be able to sift through the millions of websites and the overload of information available on the internet if we don’t teach them how to be discerning. School librarians have an important job in teaching students how to be responsible users of the internet and how to be able to share and create their knowledge with others. Now that we have all of these web 2.0 tools are available and provide great educational opportunities, students are using the web to publish their work and sharing knowledge with others, which makes knowing proper internet etiquette that much more important.

QR codes

Believe it or not, I just got a smart phone this year (and yes I have survived with a “dumb phone” up until this point) and so I was never really that excited about QR codes because I had no way to read them on the go. However, now that I have downloaded the QR code reader, I plan to scan QR codes all over the place!

The QR code I decided to create for this week’s activity is actually a link to an Xtranormal video that a student created at my practicum site for the Web 2.0 tool project for this class. The idea came to me that because we are trying to get teachers to use Google docs to share lesson plans and other materials, why not lead them with a QR code to the tutorial video which will get them started? So here is the QR code I created for the Xtranormal video:

I really like the idea of having students use QR codes to link to the projects they complete using Web 2.0 tools. QR codes can be used as a motivating tool to get students excited about showcasing their work, and garner a wider audience for what they have created. When students know that more than just the teacher and their fellow classmates will be viewing their work, they might be more motivated to put in extra time and effort to their projects.

Another idea for using QR codes is to have students create codes for book suggestions. They could link to a review of the book on amazon, a blog post, or goodreads. They could even create a QR code that links to their own review of a book. Then the librarian can display the QR codes around the library to arouse students’ curiosity. This way students can share books they have read or want to read with other students, and this has the potential benefit of increasing library circulation and students’ interest in reading. There are so many fun ideas for QR codes and since we have previously talked about the “BYOD” policies that schools are creating, this would be a great way to incorporate the devices that students are using in school for more educational purposes.

Using Content Collaboration Tools in the Library

Content collaboration tools are great way for students to work together on projects and interact with each other in an online forum. Not only can students interact with each other, but teachers can interact with other teachers, with students, and parents can even be included in the conversations. I would not only use content collaboration tools for student learning, but I could use them to be in constant communication with teachers about the projects they want to collaborate on and keep administrators up-to-date on what is going on in the library. Having a library Wiki where the school community can suggest resources they have found helpful or that they would like to see in the library would be a great way for me to find out the needs of the community.

Googledocs is one of the content collaboration tools that I find myself using most everyday. It is a great tool that allows users to work on one document together both asynchronously and in real time. One of the ideas that came to me while thinking about how to use Googledocs in a lesson, was to have students in either an ELA class or a creative writing class, write short stories in groups of 3 or 4. Each group could have their own Googledoc to work on and it would allow the students to work on their stories both in and out of school. I think using Googledocs would be motivating to the students because they would feel a sense of ownership of their work and they would be learning about how collaborative ownership works. All of the students in each group contribute to the story, so they all have some claim of ownership to it. However along with this, it would be imperative for students to come up with in their groups, a set of rules for collaborating on these stories. Students should not be able to post inappropriate material to the story and if so they will lose their privilege to use Googledocs. Also in terms of editing other students’ work, there would have to be guidelines about not deleting someone else’s words without his or her permission first. Googledocs has a comment feature so that students can exchange ideas during the editing process. Googledocs is a great tool to use for content collaboration.

Blogging to Support the Library Program

I started this blog in IST 511 and I haven’t really kept up with it. It is difficult to keep up with blogging, especially when you have a busy life. But I think having a blog on your school library’s website is a great way to advocate for the library and involve students in the blogging process. As the librarian, you might think it would be too much of a hassle to keep the blog updated with all of the projects that students are working on in the library, or what events the library has going on during the year, but this is where you can get students involved and have they be the maintainers of the blog. This would give students a feeling of ownership over their own learning as well as ownership of the blog.

As the librarian, you would have ultimate authority on what gets posted, and it would behoove you to read over the students’ posts before they post them, because the library blog will be a reflection of you. You could ask students from each class that works on a project in the library to work together and come up with a blog post about what their project is and include links to their finished products.

Another idea is to have students who are in a bookclub, blog about their meetings, when the future meetings are, and what books they are reading or plan to read. This would get the word out about bookclubs and act as an advertisement.

Lastly, you could have students who are aware of the activities that the library might be hosting, such as author visits, or maybe a debate club, could post about these activities as well. There are so many ways in which students could become involved in blogging for the library and I think that there would be a lot of interested students who would be glad to hone their writing skills by posting to the blog.

AASL Standard Addressed: 3.1.4

Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways that others can view, use, and assess.

Common Core Standard:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.

Does anyone else have other blogging ideas for the library?

Top 10 favorite YA novels of 2011

These are my all time favorite YA novels of 2011, in no particular order.

1. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

This was an amazing sequel to Clockwork Angel and I loved learning more about the characters and why they do what they do. Will is now one of my all time favorite YA characters. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series Clockwork Princess, due out the end of 2012.

 

2. Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

What I love most about this book (and the whole series) is the morals that Ness touts, including things like non-violence and the meaning of forgiveness. One of the best series I have ever read.

 

3. How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

I wasn’t expecting to like this one as much as I did, but the characters were just so real and engaging that I couldn’t help but fall in love with this book.

 

4. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

This was such an enjoyable book, that I had to include it on my top 10 list. The character of Howl is so unique and interesting, and made me love the book all the more.

 

5. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

I’m cheating a little by putting the 3 books of the series in one, but they can almost be counted as one book. I finally read this series and ending up recommending it to my family and friends. I was a little disappointed with the ending of the series, but overall I really liked the series. My favorite of the 3 was Catching Fire.

 

6. This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

This was a great companion book to Frankenstein because it tells of Victor’s childhood and gives us an insight in to why he did what he dad later on in life.

 

7. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

I couldn’t get through this book without crying, it was such an emotional and heartbreaking story. The beautiful illustrations added to the enjoyment of the book and I will now be reading anything that Patrick Ness writes.

 

8. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

I really liked this book because of the beautiful prose and the unique story. The description of the water horses was simply breathtaking and the characters’ interactions kept the story moving along.

 

9. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

This book had a great story and an amazing main character in Elisa. It was great to watch her grow as a character and find her inner strength.

 

10. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

This is a beautiful portrayal of a young girls grief and what it means to grieve. I liked both Lennie and Joe and found myself rooting for them, even as the grief over Lennie’s sister’s death falls heavy on the family.

 

I read a lot of great books in 2011, and here’s hoping that 2012 will be even better!

Review of The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

From amazon.com: Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness. Elisa is the chosen one. But she is also the younger of two princesses. The one who has never done anything remarkable, and can’t see how she ever will. Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs her to be the chosen one, not a failure of a princess. And he’s not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies, seething with dark magic, are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior, and he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake. Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Wow, what a book. Let me start out by saying that the main character Elisa is amazing. I enjoyed watching her grow as a character and young woman throughout the book. Elisha struggles with trying to figure out what God’s will is for her. She is not one of the protagonists normally portrayed in YA literature who are thin and beautiful. She likes food and she isn’t perfect, but then who is? She is able to find strength and worth within herself and becomes the “heroine” she was destined to be. The secondary characters like Cosme, who seems to be cold and hard in the beginning, but who we get to know better as the story progresses and her kindness and bravery, and Lord Hector who vows to protect Elisha no matter what are just as wonderful and well written as Elisha. For me to really enjoy a book, the characters have to be well-written and make you care about them. If you can’t root for the characters, then the book doesn’t seem to be worth reading.

The plot of this book is another thing that makes it so enjoyable. Elisha has been chosen by God by the “Godstone” He has placed in her belly. The stone will pulse with warmth whenever she prays or worships God, but will turn icy cold if danger is near. Those who bear the Godstone are said to be destined to do great deeds, but many have died young before they were able to complete any heroic actions. Elisha is forced to marry a King, Alejandro, in order to make an alliance and she worries that she won’t live up to being a Queen. When she is kidnapped by “rebels” who know she is a “bearer” of the Godstone, she learns how to survive in the desert, go without filling meals, and walk long distances without being fatigued. She finds that she is capable of leading people and being a Queen after all.

This book captured my interest from the first page, until the last sentence. I would highly recommend it to any lover of fantasy and YA literature.

Rating: 9

Review of Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby

From amazon.com: Trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between towering mountains and a frozen sea, Solveig, along with her brother the crown prince, their older sister, and an army of restless warriors, anxiously awaits news of her father’s victory at battle. But as winter stretches on, and the unending ice refuses to break, terrible acts of treachery soon make it clear that a traitor lurks in their midst. A malevolent air begins to seep through the fortress walls, and a smothering claustrophobia slowly turns these prisoners of winter against one another. Those charged with protecting the king’s children are all suspect, and the siblings must choose their allies wisely. But who can be trusted so far from their father’s watchful eye? Can Solveig and her siblings survive the long winter months and expose the traitor before he succeeds in destroying a kingdom?

This book surprised me by its beautiful story-telling and well-rounded characters. The author ties in the legends of the Scandinavian people with the story of Solveig. In the beginning of the book, Solveig doesn’t think she has anything to offer and is overshadowed by her brother, her father’s heir, and her beautiful sister Asa. What makes this book so wonderful is how Solveig slowly realizes her strength and her worth as she becomes a storyteller. She learns the beauty and power of a story and how it can shape the lives around her. The secondary characters such as Hake, a beserker warrior sent to protect Solveig and her siblings, and Alric the storyteller make the story more rich. The plot will keep readers on the edge of their seats trying to figure out who is the betrayer in their midst and uncover who people really are. The folklore of Solveig and her people are interwoven seamlessly into the book as Solveig and Alric tell them. And by the end of the book, Solveig has found the strength within herself to help save her people and family from invading forces and she finds out who she is and what she can offer the world.

My rating: 8 I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a good story.