Social Networking & the School Library Media Center

We've all heard of "Doctors Without Borders". 

What about

"Librarians Without Borders"?

   

Do you know the difference between social networking and social media?

Social networking- is an act of engagement-groups of people with common interests build relationships through a networking community

Social media-a way to transmit or share information with a broad audience.

         In examining a variety of social networking sites, I have gained a better understanding of how a school library media specialist serves as a "librarian without borders". We need to "connect, teach, share, and lead our students through new informational landscapes". We must consider branching out from the physical landscape of a library media center and into a new virtual landscape which encompasses social networking sites such as FaceBook, wikis, Instagram, blogs, Twitter, and YouTube. 

        According to the AASL's second longitudinal survey (dated 2008), elementary, middle, and high schools are treating social networking tools as an essential part of preparing students for the 21st Century.  

         Did you know?....

         *53% of schools use some sort of collaborative tool to aid in instruction

         *50% of schools use intranet within their school community 

         *41% of schools use podcasts

         *29% of schools use blogs as an instructional platform

         *20% of schools use online instruction and social bookmarking

       Texting, chatting, virtual worlds, and popular networking sites, like MySpace, are tools used the least in the school community. MySpace has definitely changed from the early 2000's and is now becoming a music based platform with a Pinterest like feel. Social networking tools are moving the educational process towards a more collaborative environment where learning is a social process. 

         After reading Social Networking and Your Library OPAC, I was very intrigued to learn how Follett's Destiny (which is the OPAC system used at my school), Mandarin Oasis, and SirsiDynix are making the move from interactive communities to our OPACS. Follett's Destiny Quest contains the capabilities where students and teachers can submit text, audio, and video reviews, recommend books, suggest items to be purchased, and request additional copies of a book. School library media specialists can upload digital objects to the MARC records. They can also receive a free 65 titled ebook collection.  SirsiDynix's Enterprise, which uses eye-tracking studies to provide optimum graphical interfaces to their general age levels. Enterprise has provided the groundwork that will support social networking capabilities, such as user reviews, rankings, building favorite authors, and types of book lists. Mandarin's Oasis provides a Window's experience in a web format. They can provide a "tag cloud" of alternative words related to a search and will assist users in narrowing and expanding searches. According to this article, media specialists are enthusiastic about the enhancement being made to their OPAC systems; however, they are very cautious. These new changes will allow teachers, school library media specialists, and students to communicate beyond the school setting. 

         If you haven't heard of TeacherLibrarianNing: A community for teacher-librarians and other educators (http://teacherlibrarian.ning.com), then you are missing out! Once I discovered this site, I felt like the heaven's opened up and I was ready to sing "Hallelujah"! This site is what I've been looking for! From the videos, blogs, book reviews, live Twitter feeds, group chats, chats, webinars, School Library Journal news, YouTube videos posted by SLMS, ALA TechSource...the list of resources are endless. I was thoroughly impressed with all of the resources and support for school library media specialists on this ONE SITE. They offer a diverse selection on group forums, such as new SLMS, high school teacher librarians, and Common Core Conversations. I am definitely going to bookmark this site and check it frequently. It seems like the best place to receive trustworthy support as a future media specialist. 

Personal Reflection: 

           After reviewing these websites, I agree that social networking does play vital role in today's education and preparing students for the 21st Century. As a elementary teacher, I send texts to my students regarding upcoming events and reminders about classroom activities. We use Remind 101 to send text as a school, grade level, or from an individual teacher. I also use online instruction via Study Island and iPad apps to help provide my students with another way of learning the curriculum. I have personal FaceBook and Twitter accounts but I do not feel comfortable sharing these with my students and their parents. My current elementary school does not allow students to have access to social networking or social media sites at school. There is a firewall on all of the accounts protecting the students from accessing these sites. As a future school library media specialist, I see the benefits of creating Twitter account and FaceBook accounts, blogs, and YouTube videos to promote and enhance the media center. There does have to be some caution when posting young students' pictures, voices, names, etc. on social media and social networking sites. It is definitely a part of the school library media specialist's role to help create an acceptable use policy that encompasses social networking/social media sites and the images, work, etc. of the students at his/her school.

Media Center Websites

     If I have learned one thing through this experience is that no two media center webpages are alike.  There are so many differences between them that I could never list them all. Some web pages are better than others. Some are obvious winners, while others, on the surface may not look all that spectacular, but once explored turn out to be really good, efficient websites. The most important thing to me about media center websites is to build one, make it great, and keep it updated. Jurkowski pretty much says it all in his description of a library website in his book “Technology and the School Library”. He says, “The library website is the point of access to electronic resources the library subscribes to or owns; the way to find print resources, and a place to share news, information, policies and other documents.” Because we live in a technological world, most people will visit a website before coming into the actual, physical facility. So, the library website has a huge responsibility to grab the attention of its users, and keep them coming back.

     When designing the website, it is important to keep the audience in mind. The same type of content and graphics that may be appropriate for an elementary school may not be the best idea for a high school. Chapter 6 of the Jurkowski book  has a very helpful checklist for building and maintaining a website at any level. One very important thing to remember is to KEEP IT UPDATED! Having links and information is always a good thing to include, but if the links are no longer active, and the information is out of date, it becomes frustrated for the user. One of my biggest pet peeves is visiting a site, and seeing that the announcements on the home page are out of date. If the home page is out of date, I rarely bother to check anything else. It is a good idea to check the links to outside sources periodically to make sure they are still active links.

     A website should be attractive, and eye catching, but without being too busy. Sometimes too much stuff is not a good thing. There is some truth to the saying “less is more.” The Milton Middle School media website was one that I especially liked. It has a very modern and cool design scheme that I think would be very suitable for middle school students.  It is colorful, uses different fonts and designs, yet is still easy to navigate and follow. Some high school websites are more uniform, and usually incorporate school colors, which again, I think for high school is perfect. The key is to again, consider the audience of the website, and go with what suits those needs. It should also be very ORGANIZED. It is a waste to have lots of valuable information, yet have it so scattered that it can’t be found and utilized. The home page should be clean, with buttons to other pages in plain sight. It should be easy to use and easy to follow.

     I was able to see some awesome websites, and some that weren’t as thorough. Some of the key things that I look for in a library website include:

·         Logistics like librarian, library hours or schedule, school information

·         Policies and procedures (for students, teachers, and parents)

·         Access to available databases

·         Links to the OPAC for searching

·         A section for books, book reviews, featured books, etc.

·         Depending on the grade levels, research information

·         Helpful links for students, teachers, and parents

With many of these items that should be included on a website, there may need to be some kind of a description too, or brief directions about accessing certain things. There are many other things that I found on websites that I thought were extremely helpful, but the ones listed above are a must. You can always add to a website, but it should have a good strong foundation to start with.

     I think that a school media center webpage should be just that…a webpage. A lot of the information included is not something that would need commenting on or editing by anyone other than the librarian. However, I definitely feel there is a place for wikis, blogs, and other type tools. For example, some of the websites I visited had wikis where students could do book reviews, and even video trailers for books. This to me is a great way to get kids involved in reading. Other sites had a library blog and blogs about various books and authors, which again, was a way to engage students. However, the website itself was an actual webpage. The downside to including blogs is that they need to stay current. Some of the blogs that I found hadn’t been updated in a couple of years, in which case should be removed from the site. Symbaloos are a new thing to me, but I am seeing are extremely helpful. It is a place to save popular websites, all in one place. Rather than teachers having to save them on their “favorites” on their computers, this is a way to store the websites, in an organized way, and can be accessed from the library website. So, the saved sites can be accessed from anywhere.

     One of my favorite features that I found of several websites, at all levels, was the inclusion of book reviews, student written summaries, and book lists. With technology, sometimes I think we lose sight of the fact that BOOKS are still our job. Students are our best resources for turning others onto various pieces of literature, so why not let them advertise it. This is something that can be done at all grade levels, and I think it would be a huge success for the students, teachers, and parents.

     Other features that I found helpful were the sites that included EXTRAS. Creekview High School’s website, “The Unquiet Library” includes a whole section of “LibGuides” which are research pathfinders. These would be wonderful resources for both middle school and high school students. You could tell a lot of time was put into them, and they were full of awesome information. Creekview also used YouTube as a way to showcase student work. This was a neat way to get the students involved, and one that is definitely up-and-coming. Milton Middle School and others included research guides and information on MLA formatting.

     The most awesome website that I came across was Lakeview Middle School. The link for this website is listed below. Not only did it include most of my typical look-fors, but the extras were amazing. One of the things that caught my attention was a wiki on Web 2.0 tools…. This will be very helpful for all of us as we are working on our technology projects. There is a section for citation assistance, copyright information, and helpful homework sites. There are teacher support links as well. The reading tab displays pictures and summaries of various titles, showcasing student projects. Another helpful feature is the video tutorial on accessing eBooks. The librarian did a screencast video on using the OPAC, conducting a search, and how to access the eBooks. Many websites have some information about eBooks, but having this tutorial really set this site apart. It was easy to understand and follow, which will result in more students actually checking out eBooks, rather than being unsure of what to do and just not doing it. The site was definitely one to look to as a great example.

http://www.lakeviewspartans.org/webpages/lmslibrary/

     There is so much that goes into a media center web page. It can be a full time job just keeping it up, but one that is worth doing. The webpage is many times, the invitation into the library. It’s the first impression of not only the library itself, but the people in it. So, take pride in the website, make it appealing for the appropriate audiences, and keep it current. Though it should be an ongoing project, this is a great place to start!

Here's Looking at Your Media Center Webpage

Ok, according to the readings for this week, we can all see that most librarians are maintaining websites – 90% to be exact.  The big question is how to organize the site and what to include.  This made me really embarrassed about my site.  Being a first year media specialist, maintaining my website, has not – as it should have been - on the top of my list. According to Jurkowski, the minimum that should be included on a media center website is:

1)      points of access to electronic sources

2)      link to find print sources

3)      shared news and updates

4)      library information and policies

But it’s a good idea to include:

1)      links to specific teacher assignments

2)      bibliographic aids

3)      catalogs

4)      databases

5)      local institutions like museums, zoo, parks, historical sites

6)      library contact information (Warlick say contact information should be on EVERYTHING multiple times – letterhead, business cards, phone messages, etc)

The primary reason for a webpage is to enable communication between students, librarians and teachers.  There are many popular tools for creating sites and after last week’s blog assignments on Wiki’s, I plan to include a Wiki link to my existing page; however, regardless of the tools, the content on the page is what is important along with getting people to view and return to the site. 

Media Center websites that are created and maintained by the media specialist tend to have a wider scope and be more rigorous.  They are more likely to include instructional materials, class resources, webmaster name, websites by subject, WebQuest, author pages, and links to government and news.  Of course the obvious is . . . the more library staff - the more frequently the page tends to be updated.  We all know in these times of budget and staff cuts, we don’t always have the help we need – especially in the elementary library; however, we can’t allow this to be an excuse to not develop and maintain this important communication tools for our schools. 

When you create your webpage keep in mind the goals for your school and for you as a media specialist.  As a media specialist you are there to assist students in becoming successful learners, support teachers in creating a meaningful learning experience while keeping up with the contemporary informational environment we face today. 

Ok – you got your audience to “click” on your site – how do you keep them coming back?  Warlick had some valuable suggestions.  Make sure your page is prominently featured on your school webpage.  Make sure your URL is on EVERYTHING you handout or present.  Include links of interest to the season and the community.  Keep your site updated and have current information relevant to students and parents at your school – like if you use Accelerated Reader, have links to aid parents and students.  Include weather, fun sites, homework help and online magazines.  Make your site interactive.  Include book reviews from students and parents. 

The media center website is the window into your library.  Use it to your benefit and keep students, teachers, and parents coming back for more. 

7477_blog1_klh.pdf

Wikis
There are many new and innovative ideas floating around the internet.  The list goes on and on with little chance of slowing down any time soon.  Wikis are one of these new ideas.  The wiki came into existence in the mid-1990s.  The main use of the wiki is to allow multiple people to collaborate in a common space without the need to meet face to face to accomplish a common goal.  When using a wiki the group must understand that all material posted is accessible to anyone who has been granted access.  The wiki is most appropriate for any material that does not need to be protected from editing which has not approved by the contributing members.
As you begin to think about the possible uses of a wiki you might be surprised to find that they can be used in all disciplines and areas.  There are no limits on the ways in which this tool can be used.  When considering use of a wiki in the Media Center of a school the collaboration between teachers and students offers great opportunities.  It offers an innovative venue for sharing news updates as they happen in the Media Center and around the school.  It allows students to make responses to the latest posts and correction any material previously submitted .  Students can post reviews of books which they have read and feel might be interesting to other students.
While there are any positive uses for a wiki you must keep in mind that there is a possibility for spam and inappropriate language to be posted. There must be provisions in place to check for these violations on a regular basis. The teacher will find that the wiki can serve as a good form of communication ,satisfying one of the requirements for teacher evaluations.  The availability of lesson plans which correlate to books found in the media center can also prove to be an effective caviat to getting teachers to use the wiki.  When there is greater teacher buy in there will be more use of  the wiki.  There will be more reviews of books and lessons along with suggestions of other books that can be added to cover certain standards.
With the introduction of using a wiki to the teachers and the students in the media center the school environment will begin to change.  Students will begin to feel more comfortable using the Internet and its various tools.  They will begin to raise their expectations to match the availability and possibilities of the Internet.  Project-based learning will begin to be used more in the classroom and assignments turned in electronically will begin to increase.
Wiki spaces have a definite place in the Media Center.  As we move into a new era of education we must give the wiki some serious consideration in our Media Center programs.

Wikis – What’s Not To Love?

Wikis – What’s Not To Love?

I have seen Wikis. I have read about Wikis. I have talked about Wikis. I have used Wikipedia. I have never created a Wiki. After review of all of the reading resources, I really want to create a Wiki. The site Educause.edu describes Wikis as a web page that can be viewed and modified by anybody with a web browser and access to the Internet. This means that any visitor to the wiki can change its content if they desire.

I believe that Wikis are a great resource. The advantages of a Wiki are:

·         anyone can edit

·         easy to use and learn

·         Wikis are instantaneous so there is no need to wait for a publisher to create a new edition or update information

·         people located in different parts of the world can work on the same document

·         the wiki software keeps track of every edit made and it's a simple process to revert back to a previous version of an article

·         widens access to the power of web publishing to non-technical users

·         the wiki has no predetermined structure - consequently it is a flexible tool which can be used for a wide range of applications

·         there are a wide range of open source software wiki's to choose from so licensing costs shouldn't be a barrier to installing an institutional wiki

(www.wikieducator.org)

I think utilizing a Wiki in the Media center is a great way to collaborate with students and faculty about books, lesson plans, available resources, and events and promotions. It is a way to allow more access to the Media Center with ideas and input from the school community. A Wiki provides 24/7 availability for those interested to work in partnership on discussing topics that many can benefit. I think a Wiki can be effectively utilized in a Media Center as it was in the article “A Wiki Gives a Worthy Book New Life,"  Amy Bowlan's School Library Journal article. In the article she describes how she used a Wiki to bring many resources together for teachers and students as they explored the book. After she could not find any available online resources  or lessons for the book, she decided to create a Wiki and use it in her lesson plan. Students can use the wiki to research, outline, draft, and edit a collaborative project on the book. They could also organize articles, site links, video, and other resources there for students locally and in other countries. Users can discuss the book, share papers for peer feedback, all using the wiki. Links and pictures can be added about some of the details in the book such as country and cultural information. I believe this is a highly effective way for students to review a book. Utilizing these type of activities brings higher level thinking as presented by Bloom’s higher order skills – things like creating and evaluating. 

Wiki Drawbacks – What’s Not To Love?

While Wikis are great, they do have some disadvantages:

·         Anyone can edit so this may be too open for some applications, for example confidential documentation. However it is possible to regulate user access.

·         Open to SPAM and Vandalism if not managed properly. There are easy ways to restore a page however, and on many you must be logged in to edit pages so this reduces vandalism by automated spam bots.

·         Requires Internet connectivity to collaborate, but technologies to produce print versions of articles are improving

·         The flexibility of a wiki's structure can mean that information becomes disorganized. As a wiki grows, the community plans and administers the structure collaboratively.

(www.wikieducator.org)

As I reviewed the Wikis in the readings I found that all had some validity to creating an additional opportunity for students and those in the organizational environment to be able to express themselves on topics and provide input. Some students and faculty actually respond better in an online environment. Some feel their voices are heard louder. Some ideas that stood out were Chris Paris, lecturer at Vanderbilt Divinity, used a wiki in his “Bible in American Culture” class as a way to have students share pop culture references to the Bible, creating a shared class resource. Another idea - Compiling a manual or glossary of useful terms or concepts related to the course, or even a guide to a major course concept.

While I think that Wikis are great, they can become passive “storage cabinets” if allowed. I think the elements necessary to move them toward being active spaces for collaboration and not fall into the black hole of the internet are to 1. Create interesting topics the user community can respond. Have you ever heard…it’s all in the way you say it? Present resources and ideas in a creative manner and people will respond. We are in a technology world that seeks to grab our attention all day. Putting a spin on a topic creates value and enthusiasm. 2. Require users to post questions or ideas on the Wiki. Got a question, the creator should not answer it unless it was asked on the Wiki for all to review. 3. The creator must keep abreast with areas that have become passive. Remove it and refresh the idea when an old one dies. 

I have not created a Wiki, but plan to after completing this assignment. I am a first year Media Specialist at a high school and see many areas for improvement in relation to technology use by students and faculty. I am currently reworking the Media Center website. A Wiki would be a great addition to get the school community involved. I have not seen a school in the area using Wikis either, but mine will probably spark interest. I believe faculty would be very receptive to a new way for students to collaborate. I also think many students will be open to the idea of discussing topics online. I am in a Title 1 school and critical thinking skills need further development. Students can have issues writing effectively and solving problems. This is a way to require higher level thinking all while incorporating current technology, and giving them ownership into their Media Center.