Learning in Progress

Teacher Productivity Tips There are two apps I have been using to sync across all my devices—SmartPhone, iPad, Desktop Computers—that really help to save time.  When you download the desktop Application, SkyDrive will appear in your favorites, so you can easily drag & drop files to it.  SkyDrive —I wrote about SkyDrive a few weeks ago.   You can download an app to all your devices that will allow you to manage files in a “drag and drop” system—making it   even easier to save & retrieve files from your 7 GB Cloud storage.    Look for the app in the App Store for your devices or see the link below to download to your desktop.   You use your school email & password to log in and begin using the storage. Think about how this could be used to share photos/videos made on your iPad. ( Let me know if you would like a how-to video for this!)  SkyDrive      Evernote —is another great productivity tool that you c...

I forgot to post these last week!  My 2nd and 3rd grade teachers are part of a district pilot program to try iPads out in the classroom.  They each got 4 iPads to use, so we're looking for great apps of course.  One of the tips deal with an app that I think is pretty good - I especially love the directions and descriptions shared by Tammy Worcester. iPad app to check out—Sock Puppets Sock Puppets is an app I just learned about for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. It’s an app that will allow you to create your own “sock” puppet show.—Who doesn’t love a good sock puppet show?   You can use it to retell a story or for a book review or for an original play. The app is free,   and with that free app you can record shows that are 30 seconds. There is also   a store where you can purchase more content   and extend your recording time up to 90 seconds.   Here is a link to a blog that   provides a really good explanation.   Tamm...

Lexiles, folktales and informational texts – oh my!   With the introduction of the Common Core ELA in Kentucky, school librarians across the state are in the perfect position to really show collaborative skills and show their resource power! When I found out that we were going to the Common Core, I was just starting my LMS job search, so it was the ideal time for me to learn the standards and learn them well. I’ve spent a lot of time reading through them and internalizing them.   For me the ELA standards came easily because they are set up so much like the ACT standards- which were standards that I had already been consulting and using for three years in my high school English content.   With the addition of the Speaking and Listening standards, and the research and multimedia aspects that are now present, I think it’s an exciting time to come up with some new ideas. Here are a few of the things that I’ve learned about over the last two years that make my job a milli...

This week I’m going to introduce my third graders to the Big 6 Research Model . In graduate school, for my LMS classes, they really promoted this as the perfect way to help kids learn how to research a topic, so last year, I made a full out attempt to teach my 5 th graders to use it for their Social Studies Fair.   I did a PowerPoint presentation and developed some graphic organizers based on examples I had seen.   And, they had no idea what I was talking about. I tried the model again with my STLP students a few weeks later as a way to help guide them in developing a technology project to do for our regional completion, and it worked!   Of course, it took one of my 5 th grade members to explain to me that it worked that time because I walked them through each step instead of just zipping through the directions for a social studies project they were mostly working on by themselves.   It made sense – they needed me to model for them how to use the materials and ...

These are the teacher tips I sent out for this week.  I put a quick blurb in about SkyDrive - the cloud storage attached to our state email accounts.  I found at a recent faculty meeting that not many people knew about them, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to get out some info about it.    To access SkyDrive, log in to webmail,  then Click “More” at the top of the screen—then SkyDrive  Productivity Tip: Are you using the SKYDRIVE? SkyDrive is your “cloud” storage connected to your webmail.   You have 7 GB of storage available online, and this could be a great way for you to back up and share your most important files.   Or, it may just be a good option if you don’t like carrying a flashdrive back and forth between home and school. Once you have uploaded the document to SkyDrive, you can right click on it and select Share.   Then type in the email of the person with whom you would like to share. You can give the peopl...

A few weeks ago I began a 4-6 week exploration of Digital Citizenship in the library.   In the 21 st Century, I believe that discussing topics like safety, privacy and responsibility online are some of the most discussions that can be had in the library media center.   Plus, the kids are genuinely interested and engaged in the discussion.   Navigating the list of topics to discuss with different grade levels in age appropriate ways can be a challenge.   That’s why I look to Common Sense Media, Professor G, and NetSmartz for inspiration. The lessons at Common Sense Media really do a good job of getting right to the heart of the major issues that should be explored at each grade level. With units on safety, security, digital life, digital footprints, intellectual property rights, and research and evaluation, Common Sense Media covers a broad spectrum of useful topics. I like to use the lessons as a jumping off for discussions, and I tailor them to fit our needs a...