Our Library is EVERYWHERE!
The media center isn't just about a physical space. It's about connecting students, staff and other "stakeholders" with the resources they need to get the job done. It's about overcoming barriers that prevent people from being able to effectively and efficiently access quality information. And it's about teaching others how to access this whenever they want. FCPS has many resources, but teachers don't have the time or knowledge to access them. To increase this awareness, I hosted a workshop as part of the secondary English curriculum winter inservice session. Middle and high school teachers were surrounded by a flood of print and digital resources I collected from around the county, and they learned how to access these from our county's professional development library. To find out more, click on the links below.
Winter 2014: Re-Energize with Resources!
Participants' Guide
Winter 2014: Re-Energize with Resources!
Participants' Guide
Problem-Solving with Technology
Problem: Students finishing Global Scholar and other computer-based testing at different times. How can teachers ensure students are being productive without being disruptive? Teachers wanted a list of appropriate content-based digital game sites that students could visit after testing.
Solution: After creating a print resource, I used Symbaloo to collate the best sites into a general English playboard. Students can easily access sites without typing in urls or accessing a word document with links.
Solution: After creating a print resource, I used Symbaloo to collate the best sites into a general English playboard. Students can easily access sites without typing in urls or accessing a word document with links.
Disciplinary Literacy Supported withTaxedo, Wordle and Other Cloud Apps
Using word clouds with nonfiction articles can help support readers in many different ways, along with building visual literacy skills. For example, my students and I were studying mindset and growing our brains. I took the article we were preparing to read and created a word cloud using Taxedo. The students examined the cloud, pulling out the words to create predictions and statements. They were building their own anticipation guide. As we read, we confirmed and adjusted, using the words are targets. This cloud also could be used to support summary writing, close reading and other activities.
T-Ro Readers Rock!
Winter doldrums. Students and teachers feeling a bit blah. To help energize some of our struggling, at-risk students or students who haven't yet found a niche at school, we designed the T-Ro Readers. I say "we" because several of my students "took charge" and organized the program with me as a guide. It's a simple premise aimed at building connections with our neighboring elementary school while also connecting our oldest readers with our youngest ones.
Smore Provides Sweet Vocabulary Reinforcement!
Ugh! Vocabulary! How can we make word study a little sweeter? By using a simple, multimedia tool called Smore. I worked with a group of seniors who were faced with a ton of vocabulary challenges in their courses: vocabulary for science, history, math, English 12, SAT, etc. Going beyond just memorization, we employed different strategies to help learn the word. We examined word parts, word derivatives, images, music, mnomonics, etc. We used Smore, along with several other programs, to create final products that we could share with each other.
I think this could become a neat staff mini-staff development in which we shared various programs such as Smore, Piktochart, Infoactive, etc. that students could use to create multimedia representations of concepts and words. Food is a no-brainer!
I think this could become a neat staff mini-staff development in which we shared various programs such as Smore, Piktochart, Infoactive, etc. that students could use to create multimedia representations of concepts and words. Food is a no-brainer!