Week 10

This week was the week before Spring Break. The highlights of the week included teaching the Landscaping students to create a website using Weebly. I went over the information on how to create a website, the different features of weebly, and why having a website would be a good tool for a landscaping company. I started out the lesson by going over how to use the features of weebly and how to set up a weebly website. I gave them tips on keeping the website looking professional and we brainstormed ideas of some of the features that should be included on a business or portfolio website. The students for the most part were able to pick up what to do quickly and after going over the goal of the project I stayed in the room while they worked on it and answered any questions and helped with any troubleshooting. These lessons were the big point of the week and my advisor came and observed one of them. She did give me some very helpful advice and tips that I was able to incorporate the second time that I did the lesson and was able to improve it.

This week we also managed to finish filming the zombie library video. I took over the last day of filming and kept it moving through the last two periods and get everything done. The biggest challenge with the zombie video project was getting the whole thing moving and getting everything done. After discussing with the Drama teacher and Mrs. Milner, it seemed that part of the problem with the project was that after the initial excitement and brainstorming and fun died down it dragged on. I think that towards the end it could have gone a little smoother if we had kept it moving all along. Not that this is the easiest thing to do, but it got to the point where the students were not into it and not having fun with it and that made the whole project more difficult to do and a bit more aggravating for us. I think the overall project will turn out really cool though, and in doing something similar I would just try to consolidate the project.

Since it was the week before Spring Break we did a surprise for the substitute teacher on Friday in the Drama class. The substiotute that was there had worked with us in the library so we knew she would be comfortable with the situation. We had the drama students come down Thursday and practice, and then Friday morning the first thing we did for the day was do the Harlem Shake. It was a lot of fun and the students really got a kick out of doing it. One came with a banana costume, another had a clown outfit. We also filmed the whole thing and throughout the day students came in to watch it. It turned out very cute and the substitute also got a big laugh out of it. Doing stuff like the Harlem Shake and the zombie video can be fun for students and can really boost spirits and have students coming in to the library.

ALA/AASL Standards for Initial Preparation of School Librarians

Standard 4.1: Networking with the library community
Creating videos that help to promote the library and get students actively involved in the library and it's projects.

Standard 1.4: Integration of twenty-first century skills and learning standards
Using video as a means to promote the library. Also teaching landscaping students how to create websites they could use for business or portfolios.

Standard 1.3: Instructional partner
Help the landscaping teacher integrate useful technology into his program.