Social Networking

          Google, 2011

Social Networking and the Media Center

Social Networking sites are everywhere; they have become a World Wide obsession.  If you Google “Social Networking websites” the results will yield literally thousands.  According to Top Ten Reviews ( 2011), these sites boast the most internet traffic internationally: Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Friendster, and hi5.  I had never heard of some of these social networks before I started researching this topic.  In the past five years, social networking has sky rocketed from a novel activity into an international phenomenon. They have become so popular that tens of millions of people use them to find friends, share photos, share interests and activities, make contacts, conduct business and find job opportunities.  

According to a survey conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project (2007), more than 55 percent of youths age 12-17 use online social networking sites. Among other findings, 48 percent of teens visit social networking websites daily or more often; 26 percent visit once a day, 22 percent visit several times a day, for some teens social networking is their primary source for information.

Since the inception of social networking teens and young adults maintain the number one spot for being the largest group of users.  With advances in technology, the insatiable appetites of youths for immediate information, and the demand to incorporate the latest technology into education, librarians are considering whether social media is a viable choice for promoting the media center? According to the text “Library 2.0 and Beyond” the answer is a resounding YES, it is a viable way to advertise and attract new users to libraries.  The emergence of Social media has made information more accessible than ever before, providing opportunities for librarians to offer services outside the walls of the media center.  Gone are the days of the traditional library and the librarian who is the “keeper of the books”. The rise of the digital age has changed the lifestyles of patrons and how they perceive the library.  With the growth and reliance of search engines such as, Google, Yahoo and Bing, libraries are forced to re-examine their strategies and roles to renew value in the minds of users. There are several ways to appeal to younger patrons. For example, including or increasing collections of movies, music and video games demonstrates a modern approach enabling librarians to enter the circle of social networking. By providing links and information to the latest movie, musician, concert or video game, librarians can communicate with patrons as peers and show awareness of their interest’s and activities.  The robust features on social networking websites allow postings of videos, photos, blogs, and podcasts; librarians should utilize these features to highlight the media center and its’ services.  There are endless opportunities to promote the media center through social media by linking to websites to advertise special-events such as book signings, tutorial services, or workshops. 

Before entering the sphere of social networking, use the following six steps to guide you.

Exploration – explore your district’s policies regarding social media.

Explore social media websites and their capabilities; decide which ones are right for your media center.

Rules of engagement – decide when (weekly, monthly, etc.) and who (individual or a team) will maintain the library’s presence/profile. Also decide what the profile will include.

Add content – organize the basic framework, then add the content emphasize selling rather than celebrating the media center. Add photos and highlight special features of the media center, show how your library is used. Plan to participant in the community don’t just sit on the side lines.

Advertise – Make sure your profile is seen and it appeals to members to maximize exposure and interconnectedness. Use traditional methods such as fliers, newsletters and posters, in addition, utilize digital methods such as email lists, podcast and blogs to publicize your profile and intrigue users.

Update regularly – As your community grows, you should continue to add new content. Post blog entries regularly and include a mixture of library news, local topics, and items that will interest and engage your community.

Be creative and have fun – Your social networking experience is what you make it.  Take advantage of the features these websites provide to present a modernized image, show personality, and encourage conversations with patrons in a digital environment.

Make the library relevant to a new audience and have fun doing it (Matthews, 2007).

Inevitably, social media is here to stay, so choose to embrace it and make your media center stand out in the world of social networking.

 Posted for Heidi, Chrisity, Leigh Anne and Stacie – Group 3

References

Courtney N. (Ed.). (2007). Library 2.0 and Beyond. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. 

Lenhart, A., & Madden, M. (2007, January 7). Social Networking Websites and Teens. Retrieved October 25, 2011, from Pew Internet and American Life Project website: http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2007/Social-Networking-Websites-and-Teens/Data-Memo.aspx

Social Networking Reviews, 2011. (2011, January). Retrieved October 26, 2011, from Top Ten Reviews website: http://social-networking-websites-review.toptenreviews.com/

Getting Social in the Media Center & Beyond: Social Networking

I just read an article about social networking in a media center in The Unquiet Library in Creekview, GA. They boast that the library has three times as many Facebook fans as the football team. http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/columns/next-steps/unquiet-library-has-high-schoolers-geeked That says a lot for the media center. My plan for Thanksgiving break is to develop a Facebook page for our media center and have our new webpage ready by January 1, 2012. I know that I have a few things to consider, but the article certainly inspired me to move forward with my initial idea, starting with the Facebook page.

You see, I believe social networking has its place in schools, especially in high schools. When we think about social networking we usually think of Facebook and Twitter, yet social networking encompasses all web based tools or applications that involved interactions and collaboration.  Attitudes regarding online interactions vary significantly by audience and by purpose. When we consider social networking in today’s schools, many factors influence access and use for both students and teachers. Because media centers usually serve as access points for internet use and because media specialists often serve as technology liaisons, media specialists can be agents of transformation in regard to productive and acceptable use of social networking sites in schools, Facebook and Twitter included.

I realize that social networking could cause more concern in high schools, but we have managed to use Skype and Facetime with classes to share presentations and allow students to collaborate with students in other classes. It was a great starting point. I am fortunate as our high school teachers are allowed to use any form of internet communication to establish learning communities for the students provided it is work related and can be viewed by parents and other interested people.  A few examples are Teachade, Social Go, Facebook, Twitter, Teachertube, Youtube, Glogster, Animoto, Flickr, and many others.  Teachers may use any of the social networking sites they choose without filters. However, student access is limited to some sites at school. Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter are blocked for students on campus. Teachers have access, but are reminded to preview anything they wish to share with students. In fact teachers who have Facebook pages for their classes are to keep those separate from their personal Facebook pages. You see it is possible to establish parameters and still find a workable compromise. It is recommended that settings be adjusted so that students and parents can become members, but the teacher does not actually accept them as friends. It seems that other districts are doing the same.

To support the notion that social networking has its place in schools, Media Specialist, S. Skaar polled peers and found overwhelming support for removing blocks and filters to allow students and teachers to use social networking for instructional purposes (2011). I must admit that when our technology department receives requests of this nature, blogs and wikis are met with the greatest resistance and often require great explanations. 

Elements of trust, confidence, and support for the work teachers do must exist, and our classroom teachers are responsible for overseeing the safety of all students using any educational social networking sites they have established for classroom use while students are under their supervision. It is the responsibility of the teacher in charge of the assignment to instruct students on its use and establish guidelines. Assistance is available through the media center when requested. Lessons have been provided most recently in the use of Glogster and Weebly sites. Students use those sites for projects and are able to share their work. Glogster offers a .edu version that has some content filters. These sites and many others offer opportunities for students to share evidence of learning with teachers and classmates as well as information sharing.

The point has been made explaining that if students are allowed to use what they are comfortable with in terms of communication tools, they are likely to learn more using those same and similar tools in education settings (Skaar, 2011). It was also quite interesting to note that the University of Rhode Island offers a professional development course titled Social Media and Technology to Promote Learning. (Fontaine, 2011) Even universities are seeing a need for professional development courses to help teachers harness the power of social networking in their classrooms. Now here is the validation I was looking for. “Students using their cell phones to text, tweet, blog and Google are finding out more about the world.” (Newton, E. 2011)

We are well beyond the days of completely controlling what students learn. Our students come to us as volunteers in learning, and we are responsible for designing innovative lessons. I know questions about filters and liabilities always seem to surface, so maybe it is time to teach about responsibility and respect. We can allow students to be their own filters and include them in the design process, allowing them to have input in what and how they learn. I am sure the social networking opportunities will find their way into classrooms. A few final notes to consider: I was on Facebook the entire time I was writing this blog. My daughter posted seven tweets on Twitter while completing her biology lab for college today. Three tweets were about the assignment. Let us find ways to engage our students and use social networking more in our schools. 

American Library Association, (2011). Unquiet Library Has High Schoolers Geeked. Retrieved from http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/columns/next-steps/unquiet-library-has-high-schoolers-geeked

Fontaine, D. (2011, January 20). Online Course Social Media and Technology to Promote Learning. Message Posted to Educator’s Desk Reference LM_NET electronic mailing list archived at http://listserv.syr.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind1101&L=LM_NET&P= R86205&1=LM_NET&9=A&J=on&d=No+Match%3BMatch%3BMatches&z=4

Newton, E. (2011). Constitution Day: As social media grow so does First Amendment appreciation. Retrieved from http://www.heraldnews.com/newsnow/x1587959013/ CONSTITUTION-DAY-As-social-media-grow-so-does-First-Amendment-appreciation

Skaar, S. (2011, May 5). Hit: Filtering and blocking wikis and blogs. Message Posted to Educator’s Desk Reference LM_NET electronic mailing list archived at http://listserv.syr.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind1105&L=LM_NET&P=R17710&1=LM_NET&9=A&J=on&d=No+Match%3BMatch%3BMatches&z=4

MC Web Pages

Media Center Web Pages

A little History

Computers first came into practical use in the mid 1900’s. However, there was no way to link the computers to share information. Then, in the 1960’s the United States government’s Department of Defense developed a network of military and government computers. The network was intended to protect the information on those computers in case of war or disaster. Soon, universities, corporations, and other organizations developed their own computer networks. Eventually, these networks joined with the government to form the internet. The word internet means an interconnected network of networks, today called The Internet.  

Tim Berners-Lee

Photo World Book Online

Later, in 1989 The World Wide Web was created by Nuclear Research physicist (CERN) Tim Berners-Lee. In 1990 he wrote the software code (HTML) for the internet and in 1991 the web was introduced. It was free for users to retrieve files, usually individual plain text files from a server. Since then the internet has grown exponentially.

Visit http://www.worldbookonline.com for more information on the history of the internet.

Technically speaking, what is a web page?

A web page is a document or information resource that is suitable for the World Wide Web. Every Web page is identified by a unique URL, or Uniform Resource Locator, and can be accessed using a web browser and displayed using a monitor or a mobile device. The information is usually in HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) or XHTML (Extensible Hyper Text Markup Language) formats and may provide navigation to other resources using hypertext links. Web pages are hosted/reside on web servers that display the page when the URL is requested. Some web pages may have restricted access for a private network or corporation intranet.   www.wikipedia.com  

Picture of a web page

Photo Google.com

Web pages now

Today Web pages are a necessary part of how we do things on the internet. According to Kevin Kelly a founder of Wired Magazine there are close to a trillion web pages in existence on the internet today. How many people use the internet?  Answer- Approximately 272,066,000 people access the web in North America and 6,930,055,154 people World Wide surf the web each day, Wow!!

Media Center web pages

In recent surveys according to the text Technology and the School Library (Jurkowski, 2006) nearly 90 percent of school library media specialists maintain websites. The question now is how to organize the website, what features will it have, what to add on or link to, and how to find the time to keep it updated. Many library media specialist are expected to maintain a web site a part of the media program just as they maintain their book collections. The library website for many patrons is a place where they can access electronic resources, view policies and procedures of the media center, share news and information, find booklists, as well as learning tools such as pathfinders and links to teacher blogs. There are important advantages to having a media center website which include real time updates, the ability to update information as soon as it changes. This capability can be vital to students and teachers. Patrons can also access information from multiple locations using the media center web page. A calendar of events and the current book lists may also be posted on the school web site. Different school libraries have different purposes in mind and they should reflect the individuals using the site. There are literally dozens of features and hundreds of ways to present the information on a media center web page so consider your options carefully and don’t over do it.

Walter Minkel recommends that librarians include specific links on web pages to teacher assignments, bibliographic aids, the library catalog, databases and local institutions such as museums, parks, zoos and historic sites as well as contact information about your media center.  (Jurkowski, 2006)

Listed below are some things to consider before you begin designing a school library web page.

1)   The software or program you will use to create the page

2)   Web hosting (if it’s an issue)

3)   Website purpose

4)   Design and usability

5)   Organization of web content

I recommend visiting these helpful websites for ideas and information when creating your media web page.

How to create a web page:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2048889_create-web-page.html 

http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Simple-Web-Page-With-HTML

 Web page templates:

http://www.wix.com/flash_websites/b_website_templates_52?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ms_us_templates^free_webpage

http://www.moonfruit.com/?cc=509413

References

Edwards, P. N. (2011). Berners-Lee, Tim. Retrieved October 18, 2011, from World Book Student Web website: http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar749226&st=the+internet

Jurkowski, O. L. (2006). Technology and the School Library. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, Inc..

Sutter, J. D. (2011, September 12). How Many Pages are on the Internet? Retrieved October 18, 2011, from CNN Tech website: http://articles.cnn.com/2011-09-12/tech/web.index_1_internet-neurons-human-brain?_s=PM:TECH

World Internet Usage Stats. (2011, March 11). Retrieved October 17, 2011, from Miniwatts Maketing Group website: http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats14.htm

Posted for Heidi, Christy, Leigh Anne & Stacie-Group3

 

Wikis

So What is a Wiki?

What Can a Wiki Do for Me?

I started the West Ga MEDT program in the spring. Prior to my first class I would have considered myself fairly tech savvy. I was no doubt at the top of the scale in my school building, but maybe the scale didn’t go as high as needed. The first night of class Dr. Goldberg started tossing around the term wiki, and it was apparent to me that I should have known about wikis. She continued teaching, and I Googled wiki. The definitions I found were simple enough. Most just explained wikis as websites that allow users to work together and edit a number of pages with varied levels of access or control. I should have linked the term to Wikipedia to get a mental picture, but it just didn’t click.

I was still concerned about the purpose wikis would serve for me. With a little experimental mouse clicking and the occasional explanation form a friend I quickly learned about the collaborative advantages of wikis. I concluded that wikis were not necessarily finished products or WebPages for display, but places for sharing and collaboration of projects/assignments.

I also figured out that many wikis are private communities, groups of members who have, or can have, access. We find wikis in large corporations, educational organizations, medical training, travel agencies, legal groups, and hundreds (maybe thousands) more. My point is that wikis are everywhere. There is even a Tour Bus to take you from wiki to wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:TourBusStop

I located a great introduction to wikis with nice overviews. http://www.wiki.org/wiki.cgi?WhatIsWiki and a list of wikis that you can drill down/filter http://wikiindex.org/Welcome with a whole category on education. The education wikiIndex includes some open source (free) wikis.

Of course I know more about Wikispaces http://www.wikispaces.com/  than others because West Ga subscribes and provides student use http://www.wiki.westga.edu/ . There is a cost for organizations who want a little something extra to call their own (branding with logos and extra features), but Wikispaces also offers free wikispace for individuals and small groups. I think I should take a moment to explain this a little further. Wikispaces offers a private label option to large groups, organizations, schools, etc. It provides an exclusive environment with unlimited wikis. This option provides some advanced settings and central administration.

Wikispaces.com also provides single users and very small groups a free basic wiki to use for workspace/collaboration/projects. You can also upgrade to add extra features at a minimum yearly cost. I actually have a single user account that I use for my local GAE officers group, Dalton Association of Educators.

There is also a K-12 plan that allows for free use for education and has added security without ads. The similar Higher Ed. Plan is also free with extra privacy settings. I have a free K-12 account as well that I used with my class and peer teachers last year.

As I wrote this blog I tried to think of the best reason I should promote wikis for media specialists or teachers and it has just now surfaced. I have been looking for a way for students to post their work and work in groups on projects they are creating using our new iPads & iPods. We started the year with 47 student iPads & iPods for our high school social studies department, but I realize that I need a plan before the other 372 arrive in two weeks. Wikis can be a solution. I have only to download an app, probably QuickOffice Pro HD, to provide students with the tools they need to create most of their projects to document their learning, and Wikispaces could provide the workspace for students and teachers. I feel sure the high school students could use the advanced features and embed from Glogster and other sites to create presentations that would shock their teachers.

As far as uses with teachers and professional learning, I have used Wikispaces to collaborate and design lessons and units of study as well as pathfinders. I’m certain there are many more uses. Please share any ideas you have for wikis in elementary, middle, or high school settings. Here is an idea from a librarian in PA who uses it to share information with teachers http://palibrarians.wikispaces.com/ Decatur High uses their wiki like a webpage. It is full of information for teachers and students. http://dhs.wikispaces.com/

A quote from three wiki experts/teachers, Naomi Augar, Ruth Raitman and Wanlei Zhou (2004), “Wiki unto others as you would have others wiki unto you.” http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.133.1456&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Thanks for blogging with me.

Leigh Anne

P.S. If you are a West Ga student in the homepage at http://www.wiki.westga.edu/ offers many wiki tips, tutorials, and wiki blogs. Check it out!

Podcasts

I am relatively new to podcasting, but intrigued by how easy they are to create and the endless possibilities. Last year, I began bringing my class to the media center each week to use the Promethean board. We soon discovered a classroom blog from a school in New Zealand of "1/2 to first year" children, who were about the same age as my PreK'ers. Around 3-4 children would be selected each week to create a short podcast to talk about anything from the weather to what they did over the weekend. They would even take flip cameras home over the weekend, take pictures around their house and create a podcast to go with a slideshow. I found that my children were fascinated by this and the fact that there were kids on the internet just like them that talked a little differently. We loved to hear about their interests and what they would do with their families (they lived in a fishing village) and were able to expand on this into many other mini-lessons.

Just recently, we read Today I Feel Silly by Jamie Lee Curtis in my PreK class. As an extended activity from the book, I made an ebook by taking pictures of the children making the expression of their choice (happy, mad, scared, sad, surprised, or disgusted) and recorded dictation from them about what makes them feel that way.

Podcasts are easy and fairly inexpensive to make. The only special attachment you need for making a podcast is a microphone or headset with microphone, which can be purchased for as low as $10. Windows movie maker will make a quick and easy podcast, or you can download free software from the internet such as gabcast and audacity.

Children are using real-life application skills and technology to make a product that can be heard by a much larger audience. Stage fright? Not a problem. Risk-taking is minimized because you can record as many times as necessary until you like your end product. Possible assignments might include creating fictional newscasts or interviews with historical topics or a cumulative classroom cd of student writing or research. Podcasts can also be used as an aid for students who might record assignment instructions in place of writing them or listen to tests on an IPOD. Students can practice foreign languages by listening to a track while recording their responses on a second track.

Authors and media specialists can create their own "library" of podcast booktalks. Nancy Keane has a website where she creates a daily podcast booktalk of a selection of children's literature. Her list of booktalks can be found here: http://nancykeane.com/booktalks/podcast_list.htm
Having booktalk podcasts online might appeal to a media specialist who wants to share new or current themed books on a media center website or it might entice children into looking at a new author or series of books. Either way, as technology is allowing books to become more accommodating to our auditory learners, this is another way to share quality literature.

While reading articles, I came across the term "digital storytelling", which is using technology available on computers to tell or retell stories. Here is a sample lesson plan for grades 6-12, which could easily be adapted for younger children. http://www.pbs.org/americanfamily/teacher3.html With digital storytelling, the rule "less is more" seems to pervade. Pictures should be kept few and simple with little panning and zooming. Also, your voice should be steady and slow. Here is a site which gave good tips for presenting a good digital story: http://www.techlearning.com/printableArticle.aspx?articleID=196604788 Digital stories can be created by a teacher to present to a class or keep in a digital library or by students as a final product in their writing. Here are a few student samples: http://www.dtc.scott.k12.ky.us/technology/digitalstorytelling/studentstories.html

I am completely sold on using podcasts in the classroom. Students love to work with technology, and it is an easy, inexpensive way for them to use higher level thinking skills to create an end product that everyone can enjoy.