Learning Styles

I found the Learning Styles quiz very interesting because it proved some of the things I noticed about myself.  I'm a very logical thinker and I scored highest on that.  Another area I scored high in was the visual-spatial category.  I've noticed this in my past learning experiences because I always did best in math.  Also, the strategy that was most effective for me was basically anything that I could see.  I was more certain and confident to work on my own when I saw something modeled for me or when I could use a map or diagram as a reference.  Being able to see things always helped me grasp a concept.  On the reverse-end, if I was lectured to or given reading assignments, I typically had more difficulty or I would forget what I learned quite easily.  It wasn't as concrete for me.

It would be impossible to teach each lesson focusing on all the different learning styles our students have, but I feel it's still an important concern to keep in mind when planning.  No student learns the same way or fits the same mold, so we must adapt our teaching to reach all our students.  I don't think we should choose just one learning style to focus on.  Instead our focus should be on including a variety of learning styles and teaching methods in our everyday planning.  Therefore, we can give students experiences to learn material with different methods.  In addition, having students choose centers based on their preference would be ideal.  I have tried this many times.  Each center focuses on a different learning strategy and students choose which one interests them.  Even though students chose different centers, the learning objectives remained the same in each of the centers.  This obviously takes more thorough planning, but is a great and successful way to meet the needs of our diverse learners.  I would be interested in giving my students this quiz...

Creative Commons Lab

Original Image: "Eiffel Tower"
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3651/3519622755_ae43be7790_m.jpg
By: Caroline Treadway

Released under an Attribution-Non-Commerical-Share-Alike license.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en

I think photos from Creative Commons can be used in many ways in education.  One way that I love to use photos in the library is by using them as discussion starters or story starters.  In lower elementary, we spend a lot of time observing illustrations in picture books and non-fiction books.  We look at details, colors, settings, etc.  I chose the setting in Paris, France because it once came up as a discussion.  It is mentioned in the story Knuffle Bunny when the characters go overseas, so we discussed where Knuffle Bunny visited and compared the illustrations.  Below is the picture I used, which my husband took when we visited Las Vegas.  It's a replica of the Eiffel Tower. 

PC Maintenance and Security

These tutorials were so helpful!  I tried to choose areas that I wasn't so familiar with.  I blogged about them below:

1) Using Firewalls - There were a lot of things I didn't know about firewalls.  I didn't know that there were two types of firewalls.  One for the hardware and one for the software.  But what I found interesting were the options you can have with firewalls.  I was surprised to know that you can make exceptions for certain programs that allow information to get through.  A great program was introduced in this tutorial: ZoneAlarm.  It's a free download and supposed to be a very good software firewall.  With this program, and other programs like this, you can train your firewall how to act and sometimes block out phishing e-mails from big organizations like eBay.  I will definitely tell my friends and family about this free download and its features.  

2) File Back-Up Options - I knew backing up your files was essential.  I've always used external devices like CDs, thumb drives, and hard drives to do this.  However, it was interesting to see how these devices compared to each other.  What I was surprised to know was that there are online programs that give you storage space.  For example, Media Max gives you 25GB of online storage space!  That's bigger than most thumb drives and almost the size of small hard drives.  I will definitely tell my acquaintances about the different options they have when backing up their information.  As well as, how important it is to back-up your files.  I personally don't do this enough, but after watching this tutorial I'm motivated to update my back-up files today.  I would be devastated if I lost all my files.

3) Clean Up and Speed Up Your PC - I've only been cleaning up my computer on a surface level.  I was very interested in the tips this tutorial gave me.  Again, I was surprised to know that there were online options of cleaning up your computer.  I've always gone through deleting programs manually, but the Windows Clean Up! program seems wonderful and it's FREE.  I don't think I would've tried it before viewing this tutorial because I would have been hesitate about catching viruses or it being a scam.  I will definitely tell others to use it as well because it has many benefits.  It speeds up your computer processing time, deletes junk that you wouldn't always know to delete, it's fast, and gives you back space on your computer.  I can't wait to try it!

Getting Things Done

The Getting Things Done process was very interesting and helpful.  I found that I already do many of the 5 steps of the GTD process, and when I do, I prefer using paper and pencil.  I don't know why, but I just do so much better by writing things out.  I've tried many times to get into the hang of using electronic organizers or calendars, but I never found it to be successful for my organizing style.  To me, it's almost like using the tool is an extra "task" for me to add to my GTD list, which is just more work. 

However, for this project, I chose to once again use an electronic source to keep me organized.  I decided to use software that I already use at work, Microsoft Outlook, our e-mailing system.  I chose a program that I already use because it would be more convenient and my job tasks sometimes automatically sync onto my task list.  They have a very nice "Tasks" feature.  I wanted to play around with this feature for a little bit just to know the ins-and-outs of the program.  I thought it had some great aspects; many that fell in line with the GTD process.  It gave me options to fill in how long I think the task will take, when I needed to start the task, allowed me to select whether the task was 'not started', 'in progress', or 'completed'.  The program organized all my inputting tasks for me and displayed the tasks clearly, allowing me to stress importance on any task.  It was great! 

I think this process is excellent.  I used many aspects of it before, but not so formally stated.  Also, I liked it because it's very similar to the research process that I teach my young students when researching, the Super 3 Method.  The Super 3 aspects are Plan, Do, Review and it's goal is to help organize students at a young age when completing a task.  Both have great management aspects and make numerous tasks doable.  When using this process, I find that I have a far more productive day.  Afterwards, my favorite part is marking off my completed tasks and seeing a much smaller list at the end of the day.

I will definitely continue to implement the GTD process.  At times when I'm overloaded with work or errands, organizing my tasks is the only thing that keeps me sane!  I really thinks it's a great process to get used to doing.  However, I don't know how long I'll use the Outlook software to help me do so.  I'm going to try to make it part of my routine.  What I find difficult is the extra task of remembering to input tasks into a computer or phone.  For some reason, paper and pencil is so much more effortless for me.  I use a big post-it every few days to organize my work load.  Although, I am glad that I took the time out to see what great things can be offered electronically to help me organize my things.

Social Networks

Social Networks help me stay connected personally and professionally.  I've relied on social networks like twitter and facebook for personal relations after moving to New York.  I always keep in contact with my friends and family, but it was the little stories or events that made me homesick.  I found that these social networks kept me updated with our inside jokes and stories that I initially missed. 

On a professional level, it's a great way to collaborate with people and organizations from all over the world.  I've gotten ideas, read interesting articles/videos that were shared, kept up-to-date with the newest and latest, met various people, or became more friendly with acquaintances all from social networks.  They can be extremely valuable in growing and learning in your profession.  Most of all, it's an entertaining way of doing so.

From some of what I have encountered, I saw many examples of how students can take part in social networking.  Being the library media center, many times authors that we contact will have Facebook contests.  Students are able to go onto their author's page and leave comments or try to see if they can get their school to "like" that author's page for a prize.  In addition, many libraries (public and schools) have their own Twitter and Facebook pages.  They post pictures and statuses about school or library events.  Students love being part of it and get very involved.  Moreover, social networking is a great way for students to collaborate with each other as well.  I've seen comments on pages in which students were book reviewers and commented back and forth with each other about a book.  Other tools we've used like, Glogsters, allow students to make a creation and then comment and interact with each other about their projects.  I think it gives students a great way to express themselves in a world that they can relate to because they have these tools all around them in their everyday lives.

RSS Feed Comment

Here's my comment to a blog that I have subscribed to on my RSS Reader:

RSS Feed Page Reflection

Above is a screenshot of my Google Reader, where I have subscribed to various RSS Feeds.  One of the blogs that I commented on is associated with the ALA - American Library Association.  It’s called ALSC Blog.  This blogger traveled to Boston and found that there were famous monuments for the author who created, Make Way for Duckling by Robert McCloskey.  I chose to comment on this blog post because I found it interesting on a personal level and the information could be valuable to my teaching.  I just did a mini-lesson using this same story and have done numerous lessons on Caldecott winners.  I think my students would find the photo this blogger posted very cool and would enjoy knowing that there are statues of these characters in the city where that author/illustrator lives.  Another posting that I commented on that blog had to do with a book called, Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld.  This blogger had spotted a chalk drawing on a sidewalk in NYC.  Similar to the story, her and her husband saw different animals, which lead into a discussion.  This gave me a great idea for a lesson, which I am now doing with my students, as well as sharing the photo that she took in the city.  Tidbits like these will help me make student learning meaningful.

Here’s a brief log of my recorded experiences (I’ve browsed my reader in between these observations):

1^st log-in experience:  On my first day, when I subscribed to all these feeds, I felt a little overwhelmed.  I felt like I was playing catch-up.  So much reading...so little time!  I read blog after blog to see what each of these subscription articles were generally about or had to offer me.  Even though I was a little overwhelmed, I was excited when I found find practical ideas or articles I could relate to on a professional and personal level.  I was also surprised that I never noticed the RSS Feeder symbol on all these websites that I visited.

2^nd log-in experience:

Over a few days time, I logged on to read more new RSS Feeds.  It wasn’t as overwhelming this time with an abundance of feeds.  There were a couple subscriptions that I wished posted more frequently and others that I wished posted less frequently.  For example, I’m not very interested in current events or political updates and the NPR Topics subscription was filled with those.  On top of it, they had 100 postings within a week’s time; whereas, some of the others that I enjoyed reading, only had one a week.  So, I think I’m learning my RSS Feeder style.

3^rd log-in experience: 
Recently, I have been able to use the RSS Feeder more productively.  Before, I spent too much time deciding what was pertinent to my needs and figuring out how the subscriptions typically ran.  Now I know which feeds I enjoy reading and gain something from.  I know which ones I rather skip or just to skim through.  I’ve also added a new blog since I realized that I really enjoy reading the first the one I subscribed to; however, they don’t post as frequently as the ALSC blog.  I have a more positive feeling about utilizing RSS Feeds than when I first started.

There is a lot of valuable information that I've gained from my subscriptions thus far.  What I like best is that it's regular people with similar careers that are usually the authors of these postings.  So I've read articles about teachers using different technology tools with their classes, putting even young students online, and using iPads with preschool students.  Reading about these practical applications motivates me to try them in my own setting, exposes me to new experiences, and educates me on how to use my current tools differently.   In addition, many of the feeds that I added had a library media background.  Therefore, I've read about technology in my field, children's books, and viewpoints from various media specialists about what's happening to our profession. 

My students may be too young to use RSS Feeds on their own.  We don't normally give them their own accounts and passwords on anything, but I think I could use this tool for professional development.  Just from my experience thus far, I've already found so many people in our profession that had something valuable to share.  I've gained a couple ideas of what Web 2.0 Tools could look like in my classroom, read some entertaining articles, felt reassured that others are experiencing some of the same things I am in my profession, and definitely received great lesson ideas.  Overall, using RSS Feeds is a great tool to encourage collaborating with others nationwide!

Personal Growth Plan

Through this class I hope to grow as an educator.  More specifically, I wish to have technology resources at hand to use to better student learning.  From the technology I’ve used in our class thus far, I’ve already learned new things.  There is so much technology out there that can be used in education.   I would love to have a better knowledge of the various programs or resources.  In my teaching experiences, I’ve observed that student motivation increases dramatically when technology is used.  Students love to work on the computers and create or build projects virtually.  Moreover, there are some fantastic resources that I’ve found that teach the same topic or content that I teach and are already put together.  I can address the same content, but in a different format.  Students tend to accept this format better, so why not use these tools to our benefit? 

            In addition, in my position, I constantly work with teachers and introduce them to different technology resources.  I would love to have more technology resources at hand to share with them and to help meet their needs as classroom educators.  Since technology is ever changing, I believe technology courses, such as this one, help expose me to what is out there and I hope to find ways to continually be informed of the new tools that come out.

            Knowing about and being exposed to these technology tools is the first step.  Increasing my skill on how to use them is the next.  After I find out what technology tools best work for me and my school, I would like to become skilled in using different programs.  Students and their needs are always very diverse and I would like to be able to recall a resource from my previous exposure that could help them in anyway possible way.  I teach both students and teachers to use various technology tools, so I have to be prepared to explain these programs to them if I want their explorations and my lessons to be successful.  Teachers are many times, more reluctant to learn about new technology tools than students.  So I feel that I have to be very well-versed in these tools to make this task more feasible for teachers to use.  In the long run, we’re preparing students for the technology driven world that they’re growing up in and the more we do now, the more prepared they will be.

810 Blogging Lab

This is a tough comparison to make.  In my opinion, these two tools have many similarities.  They both give content to the public and are a great way of sharing information with a large population.  They allow you to use videos, page designs, pictures, text, etc. and give you the freedom to be as creative as you like.

So what's the difference?  Which is better than the other?  I wouldn't say one tool is better than another because it's based on your personal preference and what you are looking for.  Are you looking for an interesting piece of information to read or are you interested in exploring a topic more thoroughly? 

The main difference that I've noticed is that blogs are more personalized.  Blogs are usually written from their creator's point-of-view.  They include their opinions, experiences, and ideas.  For that reason, blogs are usually written in first person and are meant for people to read.  In contrast, websites can have multiple people creating them.  They are not usually opinion based as they are factual.  Websites are usually the go-to place to find information about a certain topic and to navigate through. 

Although, the differences are few, these are both fantastic tools that allow us to stay connected with countless numbers of people at all times!