Some comic relief!

For this month, I have gathered a dozen or so cartoons that shine a light on different facets of life in schools. Enjoy!

via Life in Schools: Cartoons — Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

1:1 and Math

I have stated before that my math teachers are very leery about using the Chromebooks and our school going 1:1 next year. I am trying to do more research about using them in the math class setting to try to help my teachers and their fears.

Here’s what I have found so far:

• The use of a Chromebook stops the teacher from having to lecture and allows the student to have a one on one teacher via software and math programs on the internet. This allows them to work through the problems at their own pace.
• Also, with the computers correcting the work, the teacher can have more time to go from student to student instead of spending their time grading.
• AND math appears to have the best games! How much fun is it to trick your students into learning!

1:1 How to deal with repairs, theft, insurance…

Going 1:1 is kicking up some important questions. We plan on having parents and students sign a User Agreement, but are we really going to charge the students for repairs? What about theft of the device? What is they lose a charger?

Insurance – since the cost of the Chromebook itself is low, it does not appear that taking out insurance or extra warranty on the devices would make sense.

Repairs – most of the repairs will be completed by our IT department at no cost to the student. If the evaluation shows malicious damage to the device I think the student should be charged.

Theft – any theft of a device will be filed with the schools Resource Officer. Unless it can be proved that the student was negligent, the student will not be charged. This would be handled on a case by case basis.

Wolf by Wolf author Ryan Graudin

The Freshman at my school are very lucky!  We were able to buy each of them their personal copy of the title Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin.  They read the book in their English and Social Studies classes this year. We then were able to get Mrs. Graudin to come to speak to the Freshman class yesterday! What a great experience for all involved. I am attaching some pictures, she signed their books afterwards and 2 students asked her to sign their FOREHEADS!

 

SnapChat Contest

I have been reading about using SnapChat in the library. I have decided our first jump into using SnapChat is a contest!

During April we plan on having a contest asking the students or staff members to make a 10 second or less video on SnapChat tells us how the library is important to them. I have created a SnapChat for the library with the name cbhlibrary. Contestants are asked to make the video and send it to the library. We will then save it with SnapChat saver and download them to our website. We will then give prizes for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

Any other ideas?

Snapchat in the Library

I am a personal Snapchat user. I love the filters and sending to my friends, but I wonder…can I use it in my workplace…a high school library?

#1 reason to use Snapchat in the Library – Spontaneity! Give others a glimpse of the daily life in your space.  Take a pic of a student reading a book or a class looking for books for check out. When you have something exciting going on, take a snap and send it out.

Some other ideas:
1. doing quick book talks

2. sharing book covers from a certain genre or collection

3. A quick reminder to students about what’s happening

4. before and after pics or videos

5. Using those silly filters on books with faces

6. monthly library “story” update

7. Snapchat school events I attend (to show librarians DO things other than “librarian-ish” things)

8. Quick preview of new library resources

9. testimonials on the importance of libraries from teachers, admin, students

10. take a pic of a tweet you’re going to send to “smash” two social media apps together instead of typing it all over again

11. do a library mystery theater or “escape room” type of program

12. answering the age-old question, “What do librarians do all day??”

Another lesson plan on Digital Citizenship

Students will be assigned to groups of four and assigned one of four roles:
Teacher
Friend
Employer
Police
Students will be given a hypothetical student’s profile to evaluate for content that is:
Offensive
Negative
Illegal
Too revealing of privacy information

Distribute the profiles of hypothetical students and a list of questions. The students will work in their groups and evaluate the content of the profile sheets for information that they feel should be removed or changed. After the students have evaluated the content, conduct a full group discussion about the types of content and reputation that was created.

Questions:
1. Would they want a trusted adult, employer, sports recruiter, or college admissions officer to see their digital footprints?

2. Have they posted anything that could hurt another person’s feelings or reputation?

3. Do they have music files or movies on their site?  Were they legally obtained? Do they portray you in a positive light?

4. Have they posted information that could help someone find them in real life?

Checklist for a creating a great online reputation: I have pictures that show I would be a good employee/student/team member/citizen. I have posted only nice comments. I have music and video that is not copyrighted on my site. I have included only my name and email address on my site. I participate in online discussions and Interest sites in a positive manner.

Go to this link for some examples of profiles to be evaluated.

 

Borrowing eBooks from your local library!

This article is part of a series aimed at helping you navigate life’s opportunities and challenges. What else should we write about? Contact us: smarterliving@nytimes.com. Q. How do I check out library e-books to use on my Kindle? A. E-books are available for borrowing from about 11,000 libraries around the country, so confirm that your […]

via Guide for Borrowing Library Books on Your Phone and Tablet —

West Virginia is sharing eBooks with you!

The West Virginia Library Commission is announcing a new service, SELF-e – which gives local authors a platform to make their eBooks available to libraries across West Virginia and the U.S.. To access the service, authors may submit their works to the WVLC, who adds them to the Commission’s West Virginia Collection, a database of […]

via New W. Va. Library service makes local authors’ eBooks accessible Nationwide —

Good Digital Citizenship OUTDOORS

I came across this website and I LOVED it. We talk to our students about having good digital citizenship, but this website discusses how to use our technology outdoors. Here are the top rules:

• Research before, share after.  The time to use technology to enhance your nature experience is before you go and a8er you get back. Of course it’s okay to make some time and space to snap a few photos while you’re out, but otherwise turn that selfie stick into a walking stick, put your smartphone in your pocket and be present in your nature experience.
• Turn off the sound and look around. Part of the nature experience is silence and wild sounds. No one wants to hear the click, click, click of texting or taking photos. If you’d rather hear music on the trail, wear headphones. Nature is a sacred place to those who are enjoying it and the wildlife that calls it home. Do your best not to interrupt their experience
• Don’t trample the woods to share your goods.  Getting that one-of-a-kind shot to share with your “friends” doesn’t mean you have permission to trample or deface natural resources to get it. Recent events of graffiti at national parks shared on Instagram or ex-Scout Leaders knocking over ancient rock formations to shoot a video show the extent people will go to “share” their experience with others.
• Tech is not terrible, but how you use it may be.  Technology is often vilified and placed into opposition with nature experiences, but it can be a handy tool. Use it for identification research, or how you would use a book (remember those?) to enhance your outdoor experience. But remember, you don’t have to know the name of something to enjoy it.
• Don’t be driven to distraction – Ask yourself: Is your tech helping you see things or is it making you miss the moment?  There are tales of a whole class missing the breaching of whales during a coastal hike or others who missed a deer smack in front of them because they were distracted by their devices.
• Let “why” be your guide. Always ask yourself if what you are doing is worth the time or distraction. Do you NEED to do it? (Are you sharing with friends? Blogging to inspire others? Keeping a nature photo album? Telling a story? Doing research? Do you need it for navigation?) If the answer is “no” – then save your tech time for later and enjoy the moment.
• Nature is its own best teacher. The real value of nature comes when we can experience it for what it is. When you see something occur in nature that you’ve never seen before and may never be seen again, that’s the wonder that makes it so beneficial and just a small dose of what author Richard Louv calls “Vitamin N” can help us navigate struggles and makes us healthier, smarter, and happier.
• An hour away is more than okay. Always, always, always leave time for enjoyment and the purity of the moment. Don’t let the constant beeping of text messages, tweets, and wai%ng Snapchats get in the way. They will be there later. As you get out more, you’ll get better at this. We promise.

Download this poster here!