Online class

Last night we had our online class meeting in Qwaq. I only got signed out four times! At least the computer didn't go completely crazy. Anyways, we met and discussed the Standards for the 21st century Learner. We had to compare the standards to a previous lesson that we've done with a partner. My partner was Kim and we used her lesson on Wild Weather Patterns. We found that many of the standards automically go with and pair up with the lesson. If they didn't go with the lesson it allows you a chance to improve your lesson. We also talked about our instructional unit plan. The assignment for this is to get with a classroom teacher and plan a lesson around a common theme and it must involve the research process as part of the lesson. Before getting our instructions on this we were split up into groups again to research and discuss certain research strategies that are available for teachers to use with their students. My teacher that I chose wasn't aware of the Big 6. I can definitely see this as something that my media coordinator could use to teach other teachers in our school about. I'm not sure if she's even aware of this opportunity. My teacher that I'm working with is going to do a unit on Conflict using the novel Blue sometime after Christmas break. We are hoping to make a really good collaborative opportunity for my media coordinator as I plan this lesson ahead of time with her!

CPCP group

Tonight I had another meeting with my CPCP group. Shea, Tiffany, and I presented are logic models to the group. First we told them what a logic model is and how it's used for the school library media program. Tiffany pulled up a copy of our logic model and we all took turns explaining the model. Some had questions about the action learning project part of the model. One asked is it like action research. We told them yes, but actually putting the research into action. Seeing an area that needs to be changed, added to, or a problem in a library and trying to do all the actions that will help fix it! Shea and I explained the action learning project that we did for Dr. Rob's class. One person asked how this is implemented for students. We just said it's according to what area that needs changing and who it applies to the most. Shea and I had projects that dealt mostly with teachers. They all seem to understand the process and the steps that must be taken in order to achieve the ultimate goal of the logic model. We couldnt' get our worksheets to load, so Tiffany emailed those to everyone. NOt everyone showed up to our meeting. One girl hasn't been to any of our meetings and hasn't responded to any of the posts. But we chose to just keep moving on without them and to jsut keep them informed through the zone discussion boards. We're all a little unsure of what we are suppose to do next.

Logic Model Meeting

My logic model group met on Tuesday, the 20th right before the Impact discussion. I missed pretty much everything that was discussed and decided on b/c my computer froze. We met in Qwaq and my computer can not handle when too many people get in the program and start loading up documents. One of the group members emailed the completed worksheets of the strategy and objective. I haven't heard when we are meeting next or where we should go from here. I need to check on that!

Last Class Online Meeting 10/20

Last class we began cross program collaborative project with MSA students, other MLS students, and ITC students from Appalachian. This first hour was suppose to be for everyone to listen to members from the Impact Panel. Then we were suppose to pull out into our groups which included students from each graduate area. Of course technology didn't cooperate for the first hour and put us behind getting started, so all we were able to do was listen to the Impact Panel and asked them questions about the Impact Model. I had major computer problems b/c I met with my group before hand in Qwaq and the program froze my whole computer. I ended up going Tina's house to hear the Impact discussion. Impact is pretty much a grant that helps provide technology to school library media centers. My question was does schools have to show proof that they are using the grants for what they were intended for. Their response was no they didn't have to show any proof or evidence of using the model within their school. This was a pretty neat discussion to hear about the model. I actually do not know if my school is an Impact school. I would say not since we don't have a hard copy of the Impact model. Overall it was a good learning experience!

Literature Circle 2

I like how my last group organized our topic cards. Someone just created on topic card for each chapter and we commented on them. I remember one chapter was all about understanding. I remember being the kid that always raised their hand and said, "I don't understand." I guess I just didn't get it. I always had to be shown over and over again how to do things. But once I practiced it several times, I eventually got it! As an educator now I feel like I need to do more things to help children think critically about things. Sometimes that's easier said than done! These last few readings from this section was much easier to read than the last.

Logic Model Meeting & Last Class 10/13

Last Tuesday my logic model group met to look at everything we typed up on our logic model. We decided on what arrows to needed to go where. I was the one that typed up the information, and guess who had trouble getting into Qwaq to show everyone the information...ME! I finally got on there and everyone was able to look at the chart I made. Tiffany ended up retyping the whole thing so we could put the arrows in it after we talked about it in our meeting. When we got to our next class meeting we found out that we were a little too broad for our logic model. We had too many goals although we knew which goal we wanted to focus in on the most. We are working with Heather's library for our model. She would like to see more use of technology within her library. One strategy we want to obtain this goal is to write a technology grant to purchase more technology like document cameras. We are not going to actually write the grant, we just have to help Heather obtain all the materials and background information for the write grant. So we're all going to look into some different types of grants and meet again before class next Tuesday. We'll see how this goes...

Last Class

During our last class session we started out with some lecturing, which Dr. Nita rarely does. After that we got into talking about Logic Models. Basically it is having a plan for your Media Program. MC's should always have some type of goal, whether it is to do more collaborating, increasing student learning, or more use of technology in the classrooms. We are divided into three groups. Each group already has someone that is in a library. We are working with her to figure out the goals that she would like to see happen in her library. We look at objectives and strategies and data that will help her get to that goal. If Media coordinator's don't have a goal, then their program will die. MC's have to be advocates for their program and for the students and staff of their schools! It is my job to type up all the points that we made for our logic model. We will then take one of the goals and try to do all of the objectives and strategies and find data to help reach that goal for our action learning project.

Literature Circles 1

During our second class meeting we were shown our literature circle groups for the text reading. We have been divided into different groups with our cohort and another cohort. Dr. Rob is teaching the other cohort for the 5080 class. We all have to meet in Qwaq in our appropriate workrooms. My group for the first session read all of our material and planned to meet back at a later date from which the assignment was given. As we began reading the material we would post a note to the board for others to read and comment. Some of the reading I found to be very hard to read and understand. I thought it was just me, but after speaking with others, I wasn't the only one. I like the idea of the literature circles because it's making us actually read the material and discuss it! And it's great to see what others are thinking about what we read. The text that I reading the best is from the IMPACT Model and the empowering learners. I have to read the Impact Model online b/c my MC doesn't have a copy. Maybe I'll print one out for her one day! The Impact Model is sortive like the MC's "Bible". It tells everything that the MC should be doing in the NC school system. The empowering learners book is a smaller version and more of a national standard of what MC's should be doing in any school. I am definitely going to hang on to these documents!