Learning Styles

I have always been a combination of a visual learner and kinesthetic learner.  Simply hearing information has never been enough for me to remember it.  

During high school or college lectures, I always needed something to look at while I listened- either a Powerpoint presentation, demonstration, or at least my own notes.  I’ve always had a really hard time staying focused when I am supposed to just sit and listen without anything visual to focus on. 

The best way for me to learn something is to actually do it.  It helps for me to follow written directions, rather than oral directions, so that I can go back and double-check my steps to be sure I am following directions correctly.  I need directions to be in logical order and presented in small steps. 

The things I remember the most are when I am involved in creating something.  Even though I would generally prefer to work alone rather than in a group, I enjoy having a final product, whether it is a summary, poster, picture, diorama, or any other display of learning.  

Since so many kids have so many different learning styles, teachers need to find ways to incorporate at least two different styles into each lesson and make sure that they vary the learning styles they are focusing on.  Instead of just lecturing, teachers can talk while they draw or display diagrams on a smartboard.  Rather than only having students read, teachers can then have students listen to an audio file, act out, or draw a picture of what they learned.

In elementary classrooms, teachers are lucky enough to get to know their students and their learning styles.  Because of this, teachers of younger students should think about which students are most likely to struggle with each concept and try to teach to the learning styles of those students for those lessons.

Using Creative Copyright

Photo Attribution:
Original Image: "book shelf project 1"
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/1/729822_25ba163c9a_m.jpg
By  hobvias sudoneighm

Released under an Attribution 2.0 Generic License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

I found this image using a search through Firefox for items with Creative Commons licensing.  This means that I searched specifically for a photo that the author had already given permission to share.  The specific license allows people to share or adapt the photo as long as the author is given credit. 

I chose a photo of a disorganized-looking bookshelf because it is a photo that I could use in my curriculum.  As a Library Media Specialist, one of my duties is to help children understand the importance of organization of books in a library.   This photo could be a great way to get kids started on a discussion about how to organize books and the challenges of having books that are not organized.  

Here is a link to my Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/56457312@N06/5216503486/

My RSS Reader Page

I created an RSS reader page through Netvibes for this class. (see screenshot above)

One blog I subscribed to is called Collecting Children’s Books.  It is mainly opinions and ideas written by a man who used to work in a school library and now in the children’s section of a university library.  I find that he has interesting things to say and sometimes points out interesting current events.  I commented on a blog post of his from October 17th.  The author posted pictures of scarecrows dressed as storybook characters for Halloween.  I thought this would be such a fun idea to incorporate into a childrens' library!  I also commented on his post from November 7^th.  I was happy to see that I am not the only one skeptical of the idea of replacing paper books with technology for our children.  There is something about having an actual book in your hand and creating the voices and movement in your head that technology completely takes away. 

Another blog I subscribed to is called the Joys of Children’s Literature.  I like it because it has much shorter blog posts and many of them include topics about technology and education.  There was one post about using author’s blogs to teach, one about using voice threads, and another about using Skype.

One of the main things I have learned from viewing RSS feeds and searching for RSS feeds is that there are not a lot of news sites or blogs related to childrens' libraries or childrens' literature. 

I really like the feed I found for Activated Stories, and hope that if I keep up with it, I can find some useful ones to play aloud in the library.   It is not updated often (every few months) but might turn out to be useful. 

I am also finding a few good ideas in blogs that will be useful in the library or for my family.  Some people blog about books they like or remember, and it gives me ideas about books I can read to my kids at school. I was really excited to find (on School Library Monthly blog) a website that I knew nothing about- bookpig.com.  It is a site like Netflix, but for children’s books.  You can pay to have books shipped to your house, keep them until you’re ready to return them, and then send them back for more.  It starts at only $8 a month.  I know that it seems a little silly since libraries are free, but it going to a library takes time and they don’t always have the books kids want.  This seems like a great option for busy parents who want to keep their kids reading without always buying the books or going to the library. It may also turn out to be useful for me at school if I find that there are a lot of books I want to read with my students that my library does not have. 

Having the RSS sure does make it easier to access everything in one place, as well as view a summary before I spend time reading and article or blog that may not be useful to me.

PC maintenance and security

As part of CEP 810, we are learning about PC maintenance and security.  We were to choose 3 tutorials to view and then reflect upon them. 

The first tutorial I chose to view was “Protecting Your Family Online”.  It taught how to view and clear browser history.  It also showed how to change settings in Firefox and Explorer to protect children against viewing inappropriate material.   I didn’t even realize it was simple to view browser history.  I was surprised to realize that computers save ‘temporary internet files’ and they should periodically be deleted.  I also did not know that there are different reasons for keeping or deleting cookies.  I was happy to learn that Google has options for search preferences, ranging from strict to moderate to none for restricting inappropriate content.  I was also happy to find out that Explorer has a content advisor available that allows users to set levels between 0 and 4 to restrict content.  It even allows users to create lists of always and never approved sites. 

The next tutorial I viewed was “Intrusion Detection and Prevention”.  This tutorial taught about some programs that help catch problems with your PC that anti-virus and anti-spyware software won’t always find.  I was surprised that anti-virus and ant-spyware software do not catch everything.  I was interested to learn that Intrusion Detection Software (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention Software (IPS) look for computer problems in a different way- by tracking your computer’s behavior.  The look for things like changes in startup programs, launches of new programs, stopping key programs, and browser home page changes.  Luckily, there are some free programs available for download, such as WinPatrol 10.

The third tutorial I looked at was “Clean-up and Speed-up Your PC”.  Generally, when my computer is going slow, I do two things- restart, and run my virus scans.  Now I have a lot more options and better solutions.  I learned that one thing I can do is to remove unwanted and unnecessary programs by going to “add or remove programs” on my control panel.  I can remove duplicates, demos, old versions of programs, and similar versions of programs I have.  I can also use the disc cleanup to free space on my computer to keep things moving more smoothly.  There is also a downloadable program called Windows Cleanup! That will help me clean my computer.  Using Microsoft Config is another way to clean my computer by selecting or deselecting boxes that do not need to start up each time I start my PC.  If I am no t sure about which boxes to check, there is a website called Startup Programs and Executables Listing that I can check on.  I was surprised at how many different ways there were to speed up my computer, and at how fast and simple they are to use!

CEP 811 Reflection

In this class, I learned to think about the teaching strategies I use as I teach with technology.  I used to sort-of think that using technology was a strategy itself.  Now I am realizing that I need to be careful and still find ways to encourage kids to think, analyze, discuss, and reflect while they are using technology as a learning tool.  I used to think of technology as more of a collection of resources for finding information, but now view it as a medium for making connections to content and other people while learning material.

Learning to use more web-based technologies make me realize how much more we need to teach kids about technology.  Technology is not simply to be used as a faster way to find information.  Web-based technologies can encourage students to think deeper, to debate with each other, to learn from experts, and to create presentations that can demonstrate their knowledge as well as teach others what they have learned. 

One of my main technology goals was simply to be exposed to more technology and online resources.  I now am aware of and can use wikis, RSS pages, webquests, blogs, google docs and other google tools, and many other sources that I had little or no prior experience with.

My new goals are to become more proficient with the technology I have been exposed to.  This means that I want to start using some of it on a regular basis and exploring different uses of each resource.  I want to feel as comfortable with the new technology as I was before with programs like Microsoft Word, Facebook, and Powerpoint.  I know that the best way to get better at using new programs is simply to continue using them.  I need to find ways to integrate them into my everyday life or my teaching.

Online Experience for Grades K-12

I think it is very important for students to have experience learning online before they graduate high school. 

Educational games are one of the easiest ways to encourage students to spend time online and review their skills.  

Webquests are a great way to get kids started using the internet.  They can be created for any topic or any age level.  They can provide students access to the internet in a very limited, focused way.  They are a great way for students to learn basic internet functions while exploring quality online resources.  One of the best pedagogical strategies to use with webquests is simulation and problem solving.  The task gives students a problem to solve, question to answer, or project to complete and then gives students resources to use to complete the assignment.   Webquests are also great for scaffolding since they are created in a number of steps that  can be more complicated as the learner moves through them.  

Wikis and blogs are another great way to expose students to the internet.  However, they should be used for students who already have some internet knowledge and typing skills.  They are a great way to encourage collaboration and discussion about any topic.  They can be used for students to give examples (deductive learning), to students to collaborate to make sense of an idea (inductive learning), and to scaffold learning by pushing students to answer questions and question each other.

Podcasts and Videocasts can be used in very simple or more complex ways.  A teacher could simply provide the resource to students as another example of what they are learning (deductive learning).  A teacher could also ask students to find resources to support their learning or their position on a topic (inductive learning).  More advanced students could be asked to create their own podcasts or videocasts to demonstrate their learning.

I think I would be less likely to use RSS Feeds, Learning Management Systems, and Electronic Portfolios because they require more technical expertise or decision-making by the user, and my students are elementary students who would not be ready for that. 

Getting Things Done Process

In CEP 810, I learned about the Getting Things Done process. It has 5 steps:

1)      Collect

2)      Process

3)      Organize

4)      Review

5)      Do

I organized my Getting Things Done process using Microsoft Excel.  To me, it was an easy choice because I didn’t have to learn anything new and I use my computer every day.  I can keep the spreadsheet on my desktop and view it anytime I need to from any room in my house, and I won’t lose it.  If I need to use it from work, I can email it to myself to view it there.  

My spreadsheet has columns A-I.  The first column is a list of things to do.  The rest of the columns are times (continually, ASAP, now, today, tomorrow, this week, this month, this year, and future).  I also color-coded the boxes in the first column- green means I will do it on my own, yellow means with help, and red means delegate.  After I created my list, I just color-coded each item and decided where to place the X for the timeframe.  This way, I can easily move the X or change the color if I need to.  I also do not need to put items in any order, as I only need to look at the columns of X’s to see when they need to be done, or delete them as they are completed.  

Going through this process for the first time was pretty simple.  I always have a running list in my head of things that need to be done, so it didn’t take long to type them all in.  There were a few items on my list that I had to think about before choosing a timeframe, because I would like them done sooner, but I realized I needed to be more realistic.  It really didn’t take long and I like the idea that it isn’t a piece of paper that I can lose.  

I think this will help me if I stick with it.  Sometimes a list of things to do can be so overwhelming that I don’t bother to start any of it.  Now, if I keep an organized list, I can just consider the items that are marked “continually”, “ASAP”, “now”, or “today” and not worry about the rest.  

I think I might actually continue this process. I like to have lists of things that need to be done and feel good about checking items off my lists.  My main challenges in the past were 1) losing the list and 2) prioritizing.  Now, both problems are solved. 

Social Networks

Social Networks are another way to quickly and easily bring relevant resources, tips and information into your life.  Having such a fast, easy way to connect with people that you might not otherwise maintain a relationship with opens up a lot of doors.  Facebook has helped me stay on top of what is going on in friends’ lives, current events, available jobs, and information about things going on in the media.  Even just through Facebook, I have gotten a lot of great information from friends and acquaintances who are teachers. 

As I am learning about professional social networks, I see that they can be a great resource.  Blogs are great because they allow people to write a lot and make useful comments on what others are saying.  Sites like Twitter and Facebook are useful because it doesn’t take much time to quickly scan what others are saying and then respond to others to share information or ask questions. 

I am hoping to find a network of school librarians to connect with as I experience my first year in this position.  I would love the opportunity to see ideas that others are using in their libraries, especially when it comes to planning Reading Month, running a book fair, or creating an incentive program to get kids involved in programs like Accelerated Reader.  I have also come across information on professional social networking sites about upcoming conferences, great websites to use with students, and other useful tips.

Having been a classroom teacher for 3 years, if I still had my own room, I would use social networks a lot to refine my teaching.  It is nice to be at the point with teaching that you feel comfortable with most things but have a little more time and energy to seek ideas, tips and resources from others to improve upon what you’ve already been doing.  

If you know of any great resources for a new elementary librarian, feel free to share!