Final Vision Project...

Well…here it is!  

http://missdlay.blogspot.ca

Image taken from orcaontario.com

     My final vision project is a blog about iPads that is geared towards educators who are interested in using iPads in the classroom.  This blog could also be of interest to parents as well as intermediate to high school students who want to learn more about the interesting apps that are out there and how they can be used.  This will be an ongoing project for readers to check out when wanting to learn new and exciting apps.  I have launched this blog with six posts about: why we should use iPads in the classroom, how we can implement them, a number of great apps you can use and some troubleshooting for common issues.  I am really happy with how it has come along and I look forward to adding to it and sharing it with my colleagues.  I would love for you all to have a look and share your comments! :)

     I think that with this blog, I have created a resource that will motivate teachers to want to use the new iPads that we have just gotten at our school.  It will hopefully help to eliminate some feelings of anxiety of overwhelmingness of where to start.  This resource will help to guide those who are not as familiar with this new technology.  I structured my blog in a way that is very user-friendly and straightforward and tried to feature versatile apps that teachers will be able to use across a range of curricular areas.  I also provided some things to think about before implementing them and some troubleshooting links that will hopefully be helpful.  I think this information will be really helpful at this time because we haven't implemented the iPads yet and therefore, this will be a useful resource before we launch these new tools in our school.

     Blogging was a completely new concept to me at the start of this course.  But, because we have been doing them on a weekly basis, it came so naturally to me when I started my final project.  Being familiar with the program, allowed me to dive in with a little more than my big toe in terms of playing around with style, colour schemes, etc.  I found with the program itself blogger.com, I didn't have any major issues.  I found sometimes that the font would randomly change or the spacing would be off or the colour would be different in different areas for no reason.  I assumed there was probably an easier way to fix that, however I would just go back and retype or change the spacing in the areas that needed it and it seemed to work out fine for me.  Yay!

     I found that I struggled with which apps to focus on because there were so many out there.  I know that this will change as I continue to add to it, but I wanted to make sure that I was featuring ones right off the bat that teachers would be interested in and want to use.  I also wanted to feature very versatile apps so that everyone would find at least one idea or app that could be useful for them.  While I was featuring certain apps I would come across others that were similar that would be worth mentioning, but I found I didn't want to focus on too many that were the same.  It would be worth doing a post on apps that have similar end products, but are maybe at two different user-levels such as beginner vs. advanced.  An example of this would be comparing Strip Designer and Comic Life.

     As for the layout, I am happy with the end result however, I would possibly consider changing the font next time.  I did show it to a few people and most said that it was clear and easy to read, but there was one who felt it wasn't the best choice.  I think that next time, I would maybe choose something that would be more clear.  I just felt that this one fit really well with my whole scheme and added a bit of a different spin on what we are used to seeing on a blog.

   I will be the first to admit that YouTube is a site that I don't use often enough.  When creating my blog, I found that it was super useful in giving me an excellent visual or walk through on how an app works and what an end product looks like.  I know that personally, when I am trying something new like experiencing a new app, I want to know right off the bat what the end result is or what it can do.  I find that can be hard to explain in words and therefore, the YouTube videos were really helpful for this.  I think that readers will appreciate having these as an added resource to look at when exploring new apps.

Image taken from mcleodisd.net

     This is my LAST project in my FINAL course of the teacher-librarian diploma program!! WOO HOO!!!!  I would have to say that this course was the most relevant for me in terms of where I am exactly in my career right now.  I really appreciated how the course was structured because I am a very structure-oriented person and I really liked how each lesson built on the next and how we slowly worked towards building our final project.  I think that this is something that will continue to remain relevant to me because I will continue to build on it.  I see a lot of value in it and hope that my colleagues will as well.  I look forward to adding more apps as new ones are released and working one-on-one with teachers to help implement these into the classroom. The feedback that I have received from friends who have read it has been extremely motivating because they have seen value in it.  I love that I can become a lead person within my school in this area and I think that it fits in perfectly with the role of the teacher-librarian.  This course has encouraged me to incorporate more technology within my own teaching and in partnership with my own vision, has helped me to dive right in with a project on something that is so new to our school.  I think that once we launch these new iPads, I will have even more ideas on what I can add to my blog to help guide teachers.  Overall, this is a great ongoing learning opportunity and it is something that I am fully excited to be a part of!
   

Here's a little celebration video as a note to end on:

Ross playing "Celebrate" by Kool and the Gang on the bagpipes

References:
YouTube. "Friends - Ross Playing the Bagpipes with Phoebe Singing". 
     Online Video Clip. YouTube. 18 February 2012.     

Vision Underway...

            For my final vision project, I will be creating a blog focusing on iPads with a series of posts similar to what we have been doing in class.  This is something that will be ongoing that I can share with my colleagues.  I will begin by talking about why we should be using iPads in the classroom and how we can successfully implement them.  I will be focusing the majority of my blog posts on looking at apps that are versatile and can be used across a wide range of curricular areas.

          

Image taken from h3dwallpapers.com

   I am using Blogger to create this project and I’m finding that since I am familiar with it now because of this course, the program itself is easy to use.  Though I wanted to play around more with formatting and styles this time around, so I have been finding myself spending a lot of time making sure that it is visually appealing.  I also want it to be rich with content without it being overwhelming.  I am finding that there are so many apps out there that narrowing it down to specific ones I want to share is definitely a struggle.  I am 

hoping to group them together under specific purposes so that readers can decide which app is most useful for them in a specific topics area such as story telling apps. 

           

    I find with this project, I am looking to fellow colleagues to find out what apps they use and love in the classroom.  I am also considering professional development that I have attended as well as am searching online.  I want to showcase apps that I would actually use in the classroom or library that are simple enough and can be used in a variety of creative ways.  When searching, I found so many apps that were very specific to certain topics or subject areas and maybe in the future, I will focus more on specifics, but for the launch, I want readers to at least be able to find one app they may be able to implement in the classroom. 

            I am well on my way with my blog and it is coming along nicely.  Exploring these different apps is motivating me and getting me excited to share them with my staff so that when we do launch our iPads in September, we will have lots of choose from.  A big part of me is glad that we are not launching until September so that I can consider the research that I have done in terms of why we should iPads and how we can successfully implement them.  I would love to lead this launch in the fall!

Image taken from vivid apps.com

       

      I can share one app with you that I have come across that you will see in my blog.  It is called Strip Designer. Strip Designer is an app where you can create your own comic strip by either drawing your own images or using the pictures from your photo album.  You can then change up the filters for effect and add speech bubbles to really give it that comic book feel.  Strip designer provides you with over 100 templates and once you have chosen a layout that you are happy with, you can just pop your pictures in.  There are 12 different styles of speech bubbles you can choose from and once you decide you just click on it to drag it where you want and then double click to add text.  You can also add stickers which are like large sound effects for additional impact. Once you are finished, your comic story will be automatically saved once you leave the app (vividapps.com).

Here is a video tutorial showing how the app works:

Strip Designer Introduction

References: 

YouTube. "Strip Designer-- 1 Introduction". Online Video Clip. YouTube, 7

     July 2013.

The Domino Effect...

     I am hoping that by creating a resource (blog) centered around the concept of working with iPads, I will be benefitting the staff within my school.  I think that this will in turn benefit the students as well as the parents within the community.  The students will take what they learn from their teachers about the iPads and pass that knowledge and those skills on to their parents: thus creating a domino effect!

     

     I really want to create something that will motivate teachers to use the new iPads in our school and try innovative ideas using technology in their classrooms.  This will be exciting for our 21st century learners.  There are so many apps out there now that even when you do a search for an app for a specific purpose, you get so many results and end up feeling overwhelmed and not sure of which one to get.  You don’t want to waste your time or money on something that may be of no use to you.  By sharing apps with teachers and using images, videos and other sources of information to show them the best ways that they can be used, I can help guide those who are not as familiar with what could be available to them. 

         

     I think that it is really important for my blog to be presented in a way that is simple and straightforward and provides apps that would be most effective in the classroom.  It needs to be constantly up to date and offer new and innovative ideas so that teachers are encouraged to try them and share them with their students.  I want this resource to be something that is considered valuable will be used often and shared amongst each other.  It would be something that could easily be shared in our school’s website so that any parents or community members who are interested, can easily access it for their own personal use.

Photo taken from xtinedanielle.com

 Here is a link to Pinterest with a number of ideas for how iPads can be used in the classroom.  There are just a few general ideas.  I will go into more depth as I work through my blog.  

The following video is showing teachers learning how to use iPads and I feel that it really captures my vision perfectly.  I can't seem to get it to upload so here is a link to it: 

Teachers Train on iPads at McLoughlin Middle School

References:

Pinterest.com. https://www.pinterest.com/search/boards/?q=ipads+in+the+classroom, 

     retrieved 18 March 2015.

YouTube. "Teachers Train on iPads at Mac". Online Video Clip. YouTube, 30 August 2013.

Scoping New iPads...

     For my final vision project, I would really like to explore the idea of iPads in the library/classroom.  My school is currently in the process of purchasing 15 iPads which will be launched in September of this year.  I feel that because this is a brand new teaching tool in our schools and not all staff members are familiar with the variety of things that we can do with iPads, I would like to become a resource person who the staff and students can come to for support.  I think that this fits in perfectly with 21^st century learning and is very relevant for me at this point.  By taking on the role of this “specialist” in the school, I can share with my staff fresh new ideas and apps that would be relevant to their teaching.  I recently had the opportunity to attend a professional development day on iPads in primary classrooms and I walked away with a handful of apps that can be used in so many different ways either on their own or with conjunction with each other.  It was a great workshop and it is something that I would love to share with my staff and students. 

iPad Air 2 - Photo taken from apple.com

     I would like to share this project in the form of a blog.  This way I can share my ideas by introducing new apps and offering technical support for those who need it.  I can share relevant articles and maintain this blog as technology in this area continues to grow.   Since I am only part time in each of my schools, staff and students can refer to the blog if they have any questions rather than having to seek me out directly.  It will also provide an excellent visual with links and videos making it a simple and easily accessible tool for everyone to use.  I’m looking forward to my final vision project as the ideas are slowly coming forward and I’m beginning to picture how it will all come together. 

Photo taken from sheknows.com

A quick little intro video on making movies with iPads

Here is a link to some of the videos created by students using iPads that are in the clip above:

iPad Videos

References:

https://www.apple.com

Keep Calm and Collaborate...

            If I had to choose one topic that really resonated with me, I would have to say that it is collaboration.  As I stated earlier, when I decided to specialize in this role, one area of it that I was really excited about was collaborating with staff.  I feel that it is an excellent opportunity to share new ideas and resources, work with someone who may have a completely different set of expertise than yourself and have an extra educator in the room to assist students or split them to work with smaller groups.   

            

Photo taken from imgbuddy.com

          With the idea of collaboration in mind, my key takeaways are based around ways that I have either been able to or am hoping to collaborate with my staff.  I have appreciated being a part of keeping The Daily 5 program consistent within our school.  I do the umbrella lessons and use the same common language as teachers so that students are sure to find "good fit" books when they are in the library.  I feel it is really important for them to feel successful at reading while also choosing books that are of interest to them.  This will in turn foster a reading culture within our school.  Another key take away is our ability to collaborate through inquiry projects.  I am looking forward to officially begin this on Monday morning and see how it unfolds.  I think the students will be really excited about kicking off a "passion project" on a topic that interests them most and using the library for their research.

     Moving forward, I can see that I have started the ball rolling with collaborating with staff, however, there are so many more opportunities out there that I can be a part of.  Our school is purchasing fifteen iPads this year and I really would like to take advantage of these in the library.  I would almost like to become an iPad specialist in the school where staff can come to me to discuss all of the different ways in which we can use them in the classroom.    I think that this would be a great opportunity for me to stay current with technology and help those staff members who are not as familiar with iPads.  I recently attended a pro d focused on iPads in primary classrooms and there were some great ideas.  I am looking forward to sharing them with staff once ours arrive.  I think that it is really important for someone to take on a leadership role when it comes to this new technology.  I want to make sure that they get used to their fullest potential and that all grades have a chance to experience working with them.  

Photo taken from http://trendyteacher.info/tag/ipad/

     Here is a great video of a grade one teacher who talks about using iPads to differentiate instruction.  She starts out by emphasizing the importance of still using traditional teaching methods but then shows us the impact that iPads have in her classroom in terms of building confidence in students and using them for differentiated teaching and creating extensions.

Transforming the Classroom with iPads 

References:

YouTube. "Transforming the Classroom with iPads". Online video clip. YouTube, 

         13 Dec 2012.

     

Cell Phone Book Club...

    Wifi has always been an issue in our district.  Even last year when I worked at the secondary level, students didn't have access to the wifi on their own devices so BYOD wasn't really an option.  This year, we haven't been using any devices in the school because of the wifi issue yet again.  However, we have just purchased 15 iPads and have had wireless routers put in.  I am really looking forward to using these devices in the library and checking out all of the different ways that other teachers are using them in the classroom.  

         

       I had the opportunity on Monday to attend a pro-d workshop on using ipads with primary students.  We were only given a handful of apps to try out but they all seem so exciting and versatile for the library.  The presenter was telling us how she uses the same apps for a number of different things and often combines projects using these same apps.  Some of the apps included were: Doodle Buddy, Strip Designer, Explain Everything, Popplet, Doodlecast, My Story, Story Buddy, Storybook Maker, iMovie, AR Alphabet Flashcards (shapes, space and colours), ColAR, Aurasma, Walking with Dinosaurs, NASA Spacecraft 3D, and Pop Lock Robot.

Njabulo Tazibona

        Libraries in developing nations isn’t really a topic that I have explored before so when I began researching it, I didn’t really know where to start.  I came across this website about a librarian named Njabulo Tazibona who talks about launching a cell phone book club in Zimbabwe.  Because cell phones are so ubiquitous these days, he is hoping to encourage the public to read books off their phones which will in turn promote "…literacy, technology, community and family".  He talks about how technology such as Kindles is not always available, however, cell phones and phablets (as he refers to them) are accessible to most people.  He also talks about how smart phones often have existing ebook readers on them such as Moon+Reader and FBReader.  Tazibona is inspirational in promoting literacy through the use of cell phones in his country.  He is finding new uses for the technology that already exists and by using something that is already so accessible, people are more motivated to make use of it.      

                    Photo taken from Wikipedia of first commercially successful "phablets" 

Reading in the Mobile Era

References:

Rothman, David. "Cell Phone Book Club Vision Excites School Librarian Njabulo Tazibona    in Zimbabwe: How He Can Make it Reality", Library City. N.p. 18 July 2014.  Web. 24 February 2015.

YouTube. "Reading in the Mobile Era". Online video clip. YouTube, 22 April 2014.

Collaboration Leads to Professional Growth...

            When thinking about the professional section in my two schools, I have two extremes.  In one school the section is extremely limited.  In the other, there are so many resources to choose from.  When I started this year off in this school, one of my big tasks was to weed and organize the professional section so I got to it right away so that staff would be able to use the resources this year.  Sadly, even though it is much more accessible now, the resources don’t get used as much as I wish they would.  So with either school, it’s not so much about how big the professional section is, but more so how those resources can be shown to staff in order to encourage them to be used.   I love the idea of “learn at night” and was hoping this year to even share resources at staff meetings, but I just find that time is so limited so it’s often a struggle.  I do try to find out what teachers are teaching so that if I do come across some professional resources that might be helpful, I can share them with them.  The latest resources from the library that are currently being used are Daily 5, Reading Power, and the occasional novel sets. 

            I find this year, I am trying very hard to collaborate with staff on projects.  I will be kicking off an inquiry project in the next couple of weeks with the grade 4/5 teacher and am looking forward to working together on it.  I had the opportunity to meet with a fellow teacher-librarian who gave me a great outline for an inquiry project.  I will be using that as well as ideas from the Alberta Inquiry Model: Focus on Inquiry.  This idea is brand new to the other teacher and I know that she will appreciate being able to work together on it and use this very structured approach.  I honestly think that the best way to meet the professional needs of my colleagues is to work with them.  Collaboration provides a whole new perspective and allows us as TL’s to introduce teachers to new ideas and resources.  It also allows the students to work with a different teacher with a whole other set of expertise.  When I decided to specialize in this new role, one of the things I looked forward to most was collaborating with other teachers.  I am glad that I am lucky enough to have a staff who wants to work with me on different projects!       

Photo Taken From Focus on Inquiry

This Video Was Recently Shown to Us 

at an Inquiry Workshop

Other Links:

The Daily 5

Reading Power

References:

Focus on Inquiry: A Teacher's Guide to Implementing Inquiry Based Learning. 2004, retrieved 16 Feb

       2015 from https://education.alberta.ca/media/313361/focusoninquiry.pdf

YouTube. "Teaching Inquiry Learning". Online video clip. YouTube, 

         7 Dec 2011.