Green Shirt and Green Screen... Oops.

In October, I began my first attempts at putting together a student new broadcast. The students and I learned lots of things in the first few months as I wrote about in a previous post. We learned how to use the iPad to record, how to utilize Google Docs for script writing, and how to use iMovie for editing among other things. We are still working on fixing some of the problems we noticed way back then, but we have also made other improvements along the way.

One of the problems that we noticed initially is the sound quality while recording with the iPad. This is still an issue that we are battling. We have tried a few different microphones and have not had a lot of success. There is one microphone we borrowed to try out that seemed to work well, so we are in the process of ordering that microphone. In the meantime, it has meant telling the students to speak up and adjusting sound in iMovie.

iMovie: When you click on volume on the bottom,
 you can raise up the sound levels.

Writing the script has been somewhat of a challenge for the students. Some kids are just better writers than others. This has meant that I set the students up to type and allow them to try their best, but then I end up looking it over to make sure everything is correct. When the students have done a good job, there's not much I need to redo, but sometimes the kids do very little and I end up rewriting the whole script. It's ok though because it is all about the experience.

We have made a few improvements over the months since I last wrote about the student news. Our first improvement was to get rid of the printed scripts as seen in this episode:

We replaced the printed scripts with a teleprompter. Our teleprompter consists of a LCD projector on a cart connected to my laptop which has the script set up in cueprompter.com. The script is projected onto a portable screen.

This improvement has meant that there is no more shuffling of papers while a student is speaking and the students are now looking up rather than down at their papers. The end result looked like this:

This was a great improvement, but after attending the TIES conference in Minneapolis this year, I just had to have a green screen. Luckily our previous Media Specialist, the great and powerful Tom Gilgenbach, gifted us the app Do Ink Green Screen. Our custodians were kind enough to paint one of the walls in our studio (back storage room) green over winter break. This has been such fun! We still record using the iPad, then we import the video into the Do Ink app to add backgrounds, save the video to the camera roll, and finish editing in the iMovie app.

Do Ink Green Screen App: Super easy to use!
Even my 4th graders can do it!

The green screen can end up looking really cool, like in this video:

But we have run into the issue of students wearing green shirts, like in this video (oops!):

Looking forward, there are still a number of ways we would like to improve the student news. Ordering the microphone to improve sound quality will be a great help. We are hoping to paint the two walls on the sides of the news desk to improve the adding of backgrounds. Each week we announce winners for good behavior and we announce birthdays daily. We will try to start adding photos of the students as their names are announced.

Looking to next year, I am considering different ways we could have students involved. Currently, all the students have an assigned date to type the script and to be an anchor. Some students dislike typing and others do not like being an anchor. I have had students help with recording and editing in minimal amounts. Next year, I am thinking that I may have students broken up into groups based on which role they would like. Perhaps some students will be our reporters and gather information for our script writers to write into the script. The script writers would perfect their writing skills in scripts that the anchors would read. While the anchors read there would be a director/ producer directing them when to speak, slow down, and speed up as they record on the iPad. After the recording is done, the editors would then put in the green screen background and edit the video in the iMovie app. This would mean that all of our 5th grade students would be involved in some way in the announcements, but in the way that they would most enjoy. This is still a thought I will be pondering for a while.

What Student News Has Taught Me and My Students.

This past month, I have started working on daily video announcements. These video announcements begin as a script typed in Google Docs. The script is printed and two 5th grade students practice for a couple minutes before they are recorded using an iPad Air 2. The video is then edited and additional videos are added in iMovie on the iPad Air. This project has been a learning experience for my students and for me.

I began this project by working with each 5th grade class on how to collect the information for the script. Students learned where to find the weather forecast, school lunch menu, and Monticello sports schedule. The students then got into pairs and practiced by using these tools to create a mock script. The students created these scripts on paper, but the actual scripts are recorded in Google Docs.

After each class created their practice scripts, students were chosen based on their effort to write out the script or record the video. A schedule was also created of when each pair of students would do each job. This was another learning opportunity for students. As pairs they began to learn how to log in to Google Docs and edit the script for the next recording. Some students quickly logged in and got to work. Others had some technical difficulties. Over this process, I have realized that it is important to get the typers set up sooner and with more guidance.

As we began recording the videos, we noticed that some students were a little more enthusiastic and artistic (you know the ones born to be goofy actors/actresses) while others were a little more hesitant.
This is one of the more interesting recordings:

We started out with sound issues. The iPad Air took great video, but some students were really quiet and the sound effects that were later added were almost deafening in comparison. We tried a couple microphones, but have ended up using an iPhone 6 to record the sound and adding it in later. I also learned how to adjust the sound in iMovie so that sound effects aren't as loud. The students also began to realize that they needed to speak more loudly and not read off their scripts by simply watching the way the students before them handled the announcements.

As we continue learning how to create quality student announcements, I am hoping to move into having students do some editing. I would like to see these kiddos take as much ownership of this project as possible. I believe that one of the best parts of a Media Program is empowering children,

Legos in the Library

Over the weekend, I attended the 2015 Information and Technology Educators of Minnesota Conference. I came back with many ideas for how to make our Library Media Center into a fun innovative learning space. One of the ideas I loved the most was the idea of Legos in the library. Legos are one of my favorite toys. I love to build with them. I really believe they can inspire students and help to build their creativity and imagination. I learned that Lego even has an education branch with lesson plans and curriculum using Legos to support the Science and Technology standards and the English Language Arts standards. I suppose I should have realized this since we hear about Lego robotics competitions all the time, but it just never clicked for me.

As a School Library Media Specialist, one of my most important roles is to collaborate with teachers to support reading and writing skills. I am very excited to have learned about Lego's Story Starter Kits! These kits contain over 1000 pieces selected and sorted in a large bin to support the creation of a story with Legos. There is also optional software that allows students to create books with their creations, or even stop animate their stories. The kits come with a curriculum pack and lesson plans to support the English Language Arts standards and reinforce skills like beginning, middle, and end. I am so excited to use these kits with my students. I can just see this opening up a whole new world of learning for my third and fourth grade students, especially the boys.
If you would like to learn more about the Lego Story Starter Kits, visit https://shop.education.lego.com/legoed/en-US/catalog/product.jsp?productId=prod120008*

*I am not an associate of Lego and am not paid to endorse their products. I just think this is super cool!*

Inclusive and Diverse Summer Reading: Picture Books, Early Readers and Chapter Books

If you haven't downloaded your copy of the We're the People Summer Reading List yet, do it now! Here is a brief review of all of the books under the Picture Book section of the list.

• A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara. I like the idea of sharing your beliefs with your children, but I think this book is slightly ridiculous. Number one, this is a board book. The words on the pages are very high level words. I read this book with a third grader and she didn't understand what was going on! If you want to make a board book touching on social issues it should be understandable for young children. The only thing the third grader liked about this book was looking for the cats hidden on each page. I liked that it provided a learning opportunity with a third grader. I would not purchase this book unless it was in regular book form or made more understandable. 

• Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan and Sophie Blackall. Rubina is invited to her first ever birthday party and she is beyond excited! Rubina's mom doesn't know what a birthday party is and insists that Rubina takes her little sister Sana. Sana is a pain at the party and a pain when they get home. Rubina doesn't get invited to more birthday parties for a long time. One day Sana comes home from school with her own birthday party invitation. Will she have to bring little Maryam with? Or will Rubina save the day? This is a wonderful story of sisterhood and forgiveness. I would recommend this book for older picture book readers. 2nd and 3rd grade students would enjoy the story and empathize with Rubina.

• Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin by Chieri Uegaki and Qin Leng This book tells the story of little Hana. Hana has just begun to learn how to play the violin. She has also just signed up to play her violin in the talent show. Although her brothers laugh at her, Hana perseveres. She practices every day and on the day of the talent show, the memory of her grandfather's encouraging words pull her through. This is a great story of working towards your goals. I would recommend it for a read aloud with kindergarten and first grade students.

• Hungry Johnny by Cheryl Minnema and Wesley Ballinger. This was a very sweet little book about a boy named Johnny. Johnny is Ojibwe and his community is going to have a feast. The problem is Johnny likes to eat, eat, eat! At the community feast, Johnny learns that it is important to let the elders eat first out of respect. Johnny finally gets to the table to eat when his grandmother's friend arrives. She is an elder. Johnny jumps up and gives her his chair. She lets him sit on her lap and they both eat their fill. The story teaches respect and patience.

• Imani's Moon by Janay Brown-Wood and Hazel Mitchell. Imani is the littlest girl in the village. Everyone teases her about her size, but her mother believes she can do anything. When Imani doubts that she will succeed, her mother tells her that she believes in Imani. Imani wakes each morning more and more convinced that she will be able to touch the moon. Because her mother believes in her, Imani is finally able to touch the moon. She comes back with a lovely story to tell. This story about overcoming fear, believing in yourself, and reaching for your dreams is beautifully illustrated and well told. It will certainly inspire students to reach for the moon.

• Jonathan and His Mommy by Irene Smalls and Michael Hays. This book is about a young African American boy and his mother taking a walk around town. They make all kinds of crazy steps as they walk around what appears to be New York City or maybe Chicago. They make reggae steps and bunny steps, running steps and crisscross steps. This book is a sweet story and easy read. I would recommend it as a book for moms to read with their little boys in preschool, kindergarten, or first grade. After reading the book, maybe you can walk about town and see what kind of steps you can make.

• Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book by Yuyi Morales. I read this book with a third grade student. She absolutely loved it. She enjoyed how the grandma was preparing for something, and in the end, it turned out to be the grandmothers birthday party. Unfortunately, she didn't catch the trickster part of the story. The story begins with Grandma getting a knock on the door and telling the visitor to wait just a moment as she does a number of small chores to prepare for the party. The visitor is unaware of what is about to happen. He is invited to sit down and enjoy the party. At the end, the visitor has simply left a note that he will not miss Grandma's next birthday party for any reason. Grandma has tricked death into giving her another year to live. The student did not catch that the visitor was death. If I were to read this story to students aloud, I might consider including it with a Dia de los Muertos lesson, or at least giving some clue as to who the visitor is. Either way, this book was certainly a fun, quick read.

• Lailah's Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story by Reem Faruqi and Lea Lyon. This book is a great way to introduce the concept of Ramadan to elementary students. I read this book with a fourth grade student who understood that it was about being thankful and fasting. This book would be great to include in an upper elementary classroom, especially one in which there are both Muslim students and students who are not Muslim.

• Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match by Monica Brown and Sara Palacios. This was a fun little story of a little girl who just doesn't seem to fit in. She is different from everyone around her. She has red hair, but dark skin. She never wears matching clothes. One day she decides she wants to match, but in the end, she realizes that being different is the best. This story has a great message that most kindergarten through second grade students would understand.

• My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay by Cari Best and Vanessa Brantley Newton. Zulay is blind, but her Mama just bought her brand new pink running shoes. Zulay cannot wait to try running. When the classroom teacher announces the upcoming field day, Zulay quickly announces that she wants to run in the race. This class doesn't believe at first, but with the help of her special teacher, Zulay is able to run the race. I appreciate the message of overcoming obstacles that this story tries to communicate. Unfortunately, I felt the story was very bland and went very quickly from the new pink shoes to the race without much depth in between. This isn't a book I would be excited to read again.
• 
  

• One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul and Elizabeth Zunon. I read this book with a third grade student. There was some challenge reading the African names, however she really enjoyed this book. She liked that these women were clever enough to solve the problem of plastic bags laying around in their desert home. I loved that this book was easy enough for a second or third grade student to read and interesting enough to keep their attention. I also loved the extra information at the back of the book. I would recommend this book to second through fourth grade students interested in Africa, recycling, or crafts.

• Tía Isa Wants a Car by Meg Medina and Claudio Muñoz. This book was very sweet. It would be a great book to read aloud with a class. It teaches the value of hard work and waiting for something good. The story of the little girl helping to raise money for a car for her aunt also shows children can make a difference. This would be a great book to share with children living away from their family and those who are immigrants.

• The Third Gift by Linda Sue Park and Bagram Ibatoulline. This books tells the story of a boy and his father walking through the desert collecting tears of sap from trees. At the end of the story, we find out that what they were harvesting was myrrh. Three men meet the boy and his father at the market to purchase a gift of myrrh for a baby. This book is a subtle twist on the story of the three wise men and includes information in the back about who the three wise men might have been. The information page also tells a bit of information about what myrrh is and what it was used for. The pictures in the book are not photographs, but they are very detailed and realistic.

• We March by Shane Evans. This book is a simple, concise description of the Civil Rights March. It is easy enough for a kindergarten or first grade student to read and understand on their own, but it could also be used to lead to deeper discussions or lessons on civil rights. The best part about this book is that it leaves the reader feeling hopeful in the end.

These books were not yet available at my local library. I will review them when I am able to get a copy.

• Colors of the Wind: The Story of Blind Artist and Champion Runner George Mendoza by J. L. Powers, George Mendoza, and Hayley Morgan-Sanders
• I love Ugali and Sukuma Wiki by Kwame Nyong'o
• Jazz by Walter Dean Myers and Christopher Myers
• My Colors, My World by Maya Christina Gonzalez 
• The Phoenix on Barkley Street by Zetta Elliot

Are your students represented in their reading material?

Students are more likely to read and enjoy a book if they can relate to the characters. This means that white, female students are often able to find books that they enjoy. Many books today are written about white, female characters. So what about those other groups of students that we may be leaving out? Well, it is important to seek out books that fit with the population at your school, and some that have characters from outside that population. When I was in Willmar at Kennedy Elementary, I did this by selecting books in Spanish and Arabic (for our Hispanic and Somali students). In Prior Lake, I purchased books in Russian for our Russian immigrant students. While these books did help the students feel more at home in the library, the problem still remained that many of them were simply translated books about a white, female main character. Each year, while ordering books, I made it a priority to purchase books that covered a variety of topics and viewpoints. I would do this by looking for suggested book lists, finding books that had won awards for representing minority or diverse cultures (Coretta Scott King Award), and talking to other librarians. A great blogger, Ms. Debbie Reese, with the help of Edith Campbell, Sarah Park Dahlen, Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Sujei Lugo, Nathalie Mvondo, and Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, created and shared an inclusive and diverse summer reading list. I am currently reading many of the books on this list. I am enjoying them and will post follow up blog posts with reviews of these books. In the meantime, hop on over to https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxR5BGEloI_cS2R4cEQwWlN2bnM/view and download the reading list for yourself. Then take the list down to your local library and check out the fantastic books on the list.
Get your summer read on!

Using YouTube as a Resource

How often do you teach a lesson only to be asked a million questions about it by students and parents? I find this to be particularly true of research lessons I teach. When I teach these research lessons, students are often at different places within the research process and need a chance to look back at the skills they have been taught. Although I am available to students as a resource, teaching a lesson over and over wastes time that could be spent on other important tasks. Aside from the lack of time, how many times does a student get home just to realize they need help and have no way to contact you? This spring, I began working on a YouTube channel to provide students, staff, and parents a resource that can be used anytime. This YouTube channel currently has 4 videos teaching basic research skills. I plan to add book talks and book trailers, technology reviews, and further lessons as time allows. I am currently down to using my iPhone for recording and a very outdated laptop for editing. This means I will be slightly limited in the videos I can put out, but as I go into fall and get a new computer to use, I expect this YouTube channel to be filled with great resources for all to use.

Do you use a YouTube channel for your school library? How do you advertise it? What kinds of content do you include on it? 

Transitioning Between Schools

I am so excited, because I have accepted a Media Specialist position at a new school! When I was in college, I really felt that middle school was my sweet spot for teaching, but as I have gone forward in my Media Specialist career, I have found that the elementary level really fits me best. I have worked at both the middle school and elementary levels, but truly have enjoyed the elementary level most. I am excited to start this new job in the fall at a Kindergarten through 5th grade elementary school closer to home. As I transition into this new position, I have been reflecting on the job transitions I have made in the past. What was hard? What was easy? What would I do differently and encourage others to do?
The hardest part of job transition for me is leaving behind the students I have come to love. Without any children of my own (read about that struggle here), I really do develop a love and attachment to these children. They are my kiddos and all I want is to see them succeed. I know that consistency is important for children and I hate that change seemed to be such a common thing in the schools I have taught in. These kids really needed to know that someone would be there to help them throughout their school careers. They needed someone to depend on, and I really tried to be that. When I chose to leave, I felt a bit of guilt at turning my back on these children. The hardest school for me to leave was Kennedy Elementary in Willmar. The students and staff there had created a true community. Everyone had a place they fit in and we were all working hard toward the same goal. I cried as I left the school that last day.
The easiest part of the job transition for me was knowing that the school I was going to would really fit the type of environment that I needed. Almost every job transition led me to a school that was a better fit for me. I loved my first year at Epiphany Catholic School. I was able to discuss the Catholic faith with students and incorporate it into daily lessons. I felt like I was truly making a difference in the same way that I felt our community had made a difference at Kennedy Elementary. I look forward to continuing to build up students at Pinewood Elementary this coming school year.
Finally, if I were to do things differently, what would my job transitions have looked like? As I reflect on this, one of the things I would do differently is be more selective on the jobs I chose to apply for. Each year when it comes time to get an updated contract I begin to panic that I haven't done enough to merit another year in my current position. I should have updated my bulletin board more. I should have followed up with parents more consistently. I should have... I should have... I should have... In my panic, I begin to apply for any open position I find. Now that I'm married and own a home, it has become anything within an hour of home. Prior to that commitment it was anywhere in the state. This lead to a lot of wasted time and miles driven. In the future, I plan on doing the best job I possibly can. If I do receive that pink slip, I'm going to apply for schools within a reasonable distance that will fit with my strengths. I know that I have plenty of great references, so I have no reason to panic.
 If you are looking for that perfect job, hold out for it! Don't apply for and accept a job you are going to hate! Apply to jobs you know you'll love. Put together a great resume. Research the school and do a practice interview so you can put your best foot forward. Spend a little money on the perfect interview outfit and set aside extra time to get ready. The right job will present itself at just the right time. It might mean that you have to work as a substitute for a year, but that can be a great learning experience and a foot in the door. I thought I had interviewed for every possible position when I finally got the call from Pinewood. After the interview, I am convinced it is a perfect fit. The wait is definitely worth it. Good luck in your job search,

Where do I see the Media Specialist/ Teacher Librarian Profession in 5 years?

As I interview for various jobs in my area, a common question is: Where do you see the Media Specialist profession going in the next 5 years? The common follow up question to this is: Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Now I am the type of person that hates personal questions and tends to be sarcastic, so when I am asked things like this, my mind automatically goes to responses like: Well, I believe the Media Specialist profession will be going to Alabama. OR Well, books are going to die and so will librarians. Over the years, however, I have learned to hold back my sarcasm and answer with something a bit more genuine.
So where is it that I see the Media Specialist profession in 5 years? Well, unlike some people in our world, I do not believe that books will be going away anytime soon. I believe, that in 5 years, there will still be children and teachers coming to the Media Center to find print resources. I do, however, believe that the majority of the books housed in the Media Center will be for leisurely reading rather than information. I believe that the majority of our research materials will be coming from an electronic source. Electronic sources are easier to keep up to date and often either free or subsidized through state programs. With the majority of research sources going online, and new technologies entering the education field all the time, the Media Specialist will become more of a trainer and technology integrationist. The Media Specialist will spend more time on teaching staff and students how to use technology, especially how to do so ethically. The Media Specialist will collaborate more with classroom teachers to teach students critical thinking skills of evaluating and using information sources. It will be a fun and interactive position to be sure.
Personally in 5 years, I wouldn't mind doing a job like this. More interaction between staff, students, and the Media Specialist really excites me. However, I also have some personal goals that might mean I am not a Media Specialist in 5 years. My husband and I lost a baby a year ago through miscarriage. Since then, we have been fighting my body for the chance to have another child. If we are given that chance, my biggest desire is to be home with him or her. So answering the follow up question in interviews is hard. If I am still a Media Specialist in 5 years, then I definitely will be doing more staff development and technology integration. However, if I am a mom in 5 years, I hope to be home spending time with my babies. Of course, given that I am trying to get a job, I leave the second half of my response out.

Presenting Budgets and Staffing Proposals

I am currently working at two middle schools. When I started working at the schools, I realized there was a large discrepency in the money in the budgets. For example, my budget for books at one school was almost twice that at the other school. I have asked my building principals if I would be able to present sugested budgets to them for next year. I am working on these presentations now as both principals agreed to hear me out. I am planning on creating an excel spreadsheet of what would be purchased from each budget, and an accompanying Word document backing up the use/need for each item and state standards regarding these items as appropriate. Have you submitted a similar proposal to your administration? If so, how did you present it, and what were the results?
Being split between two schools makes it hard for me to collaborate with teachers because I have a fixed schedule. I am at one school in the afternoon and the other in the morning. Since I am in a middle school, this means that I miss some periods of English classes, and some periods of other classes as well. In order for me to teach research methods to my students I have to coordinate with my support person at each school. This can be a pain if teachers need to reschedule or wait until the last minute. I am proposing that rather than having my time be split between both buildings each day, that I would have a full time support person in each building to free up more time for collaboration and technology integration. I am going to submit this as a Word document backed up by research by Keith Curry Lance and MEMO standards. Has anyone else done something similar? Can you give me any pointers?

First Amendment Rights and Access to Information

I am a lucky Media Specialist. I have an aide at both schools where I work. I am thankful for that. The challenge that I am having right now is that one of my aides does not understand the student's right to access information. She is the mother of a sixth grader at our sixth through eighth grade middle school. She has had concerns about some of the books that her sixth grader has checked out. I am glad that she watches what her daughter reads, and that she is involved in her education, but the books she has brought to my attention are, in my opinion, perfectly appropriate for most middle school students. There was only one book I found that was not really appropriate for the middle school, and I sent it to the high school.

Today she brought up that she had heard that the public library has some books that parents must sign out for their children in order for the children to access them. This infuriated me. I am very much in support of students reading what interests them no matter what the material. Sure, middle school students probably shouldn't be reading playboy, but there might be a book about homosexuality that they really want to read that is appropriate. What really frustrated me about this story is that it was a young adult book that I have in the Media Center collection.

I am glad that some parents are watching what their children read, but I wonder about the kids who can't get information they need because of a permission slip. What about the student who's parents are not around for them to sign the permission slip to check out the book. This might be a book that they would really relate to and help them understand their life. It might be about content that they are personally struggling with. Sometimes reading can be an escape for students who don't have the best life. Are we really going to deny kids this escape? What about the homosexual student who has no one to reach out to? Their parents believe that homosexuality is wrong, or the child just doesn't feel comfortable approaching someone about the topic. Are we going to deny that student the chance to learn about themselves, or find a story with a character they can relate to that makes them feel better about themselves? How can we deny students these opportunities?

Another topic that my aide was opposed to was rape. These are middle school students, by this point in their lives they may very well know someone who has been raped or have been raped themselves. We can't know each child's story. We hope this is not the case, but we just don't know. I understand that this can be an uncomfortable topic, but if the story handles the rape in a productive way and it is middle school appropriate, it will be in the Media Centers.

I want the students to have access to books about many different topics so that they can find books that they are interested in. I want my students to have access to stories they relate to. I want my students to read, enjoy reading, and grow from the reading they do. How can I handle my aides lack of support for the free access philosophy? How can I support the books in the collection should another concern arise?

My First Year

As a brand new teacher, I knew what to expect in some respects, but in others I did not. I knew that as a Media Specialist I would be called upon for technology support, but I never realized how hard fixing minor problems could be when you don't have the administrative rights to download a simple update. I also did not know what to expect when going into a position split between two buildings. I didn't realize how two administrations could have totally different management styles. This has been the most difficult thing for me, trying to fit into two different schools with completely different atmospheres. I also didn't realize how little the teachers would come to me to collaborate on research projects. This is something I really want to do. I want to share my knowledge of resources and technology to help the students create a really cool end project where they learned a number of skills, and a large amount of information along the way. I am slowly starting to settle in, and some things are going better than others, but overall, I love my job and I adore my students. Are you split between multiple schools? How do you deal with the differences, and how do you prioritize to give the best you can in all schools?