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.

Week 9

This week once again started off with some cataloging. We got in some more new books so I put them all into the system, as well as wrapped them, and placed them on the New Books display that I made. I also taught several classes this week. Monday morning I worked with the Early Childhood Education and taught them how to create a Prezi. I used the "How to Make A Prezi" prezi that I created a few weeks ago to do it. They picked up on it really well and didn't seem to have many questions or problems with using Prezi after I went through it with them.

On Tuesday I did Preschool Storytime. It was a bit different this week, because there was make-up OGT testing going on in the library so there wasn't really any classes that could be done down here. That meant that I had to gather all the materials that I needed for Storytime and go to there room. The theme that I chose for this month was Rainy Days. I started off once again with a guess what's in the box game. I gave them three clues about the object and they were able to guess it (it was an umbrella). Then I read The Magic Raincoat by Ryan David, then we danced to two fun interactive songs; then we read the second story I had picked out, The Rainy Day by Patricia Lakin and danced to two more songs. The songs came from the CD's: Jim Gill Sings The Sneezing Songs and Other Contagious Tunes, Laurie Berkner: Victor Vito, and Greg and Steve: Kids In Action. After this we did a craft. I found an umbrella printable and had them glue colorful pieces of paper on it to make their own umbrellas. After they were done, if they finished early, they could draw who they wanted to keep dry under their umbrella. It was fun doing Storytime, it's really great seeing the little kids get excited and get all into it.

On Wednesday I worked with the Landscaping students and taught them how to use VoiceThread. I approached the Landscaping teacher last week and asked if he wanted me to show the students how to use VoiceThread and why it would be beneficial to his class. I told him that it could be an important tool used to showcase a project from start to finish and could work for student portfolios or class projects. Then on Wednesday I presented my "How To VoiceThread" VoiceThread with the class. I went through all the features with them and once done with mine we browsed through and looked at different VoiceThread's as a class to see how some of the features were used and worked. Next Wednesday, the Landscaping teacher and I plan to build on this information and teach them how to use Weebly to create a personal website that they could use for a business or a portfolio or however they see fit.

The other big thing of the week was on Friday I taught Early Childhood Education again. I went over how to do MLA citations, particularly using an online tool, Son of Citation Machine. Afterwards I taught them how to use SMART Notebook 11 to make activities that could then be put up on the SMART Board. I showed them a few activities that I had made and went over in detail how to use SMART Notebook and how to make their own activities. In the afternoon I taught the students how to use VoiceThread.

Throughout the week we have also been collaborating with the Drama class on the Zombie promotional video that we're creating for the library. It has been a fun and interesting process. Some of the students are a bit less likely to want to cooperate than others, but regardless of some of the coaxing that ends up being involved I think it will turn out to be a very entertaining video.

ALA/AASL Standards for Initial Preparation of School Librarians

Standard 1.2 Effective and knowledgeable teacher
Collaborated with teachers and introduced and new technology that will help students in the classroom and in the workplace.

Standard 1.4 Integration of twenty-first century skills and learning standards
 Teaching Landscaping students how to use Voicethread, SMART technology, and using video technology to promote the library through the zombie video.

Standard 1.1 Knowledge of learners and learning
Able to anticipate some of the problems that students may have with new technology and answer their questions or troubleshoot.

Standard 3.2 Access to information
 Showed ECE students where to find templates and other materials available through SMART Notebook.

Standard 3.3 Information techonology
Used SMART Notebook to further student learning and to give them the tools that they can use in the classroom.