A Second Look - Ten Things A Teacher Should Know About Technology

 

As I reflect back on this list that I created at the start of this course, I decided that I am going to stick with it.  The ten things that I found important at the start of this course, still ring true for me on a personal level.  The exception to this is that I can now carry on and move through the list with a more developed skill set and confidence in my ability to find my way through the technological world ahead!

*** UPDATED ***

Ten Things A Teacher Should Know About Technology

1.  Be Brave - This is hard for me.  Just dive in!  MOST things can be undone if not done correctly!

2.  Use your Resources ChatGPT - I just had to Google how to do this!  Watch others and learn from them.

3.  Ask Your Kids - They know SO MUCH about technology that I don't.  This is how they are learning every day, we are the ones catching on!

4.  Do a Trail Run - Before attempting to use technology to teach with students, try it out on your own first.  May save some stressful moments!  

5.  YouTube It - You can find a video on many things that may give you tips for creating new multimedia materials or avoiding common errors.  

6.  Be Prepared - Sometimes (especially in schools), technology doesn't work.  Always give some thought to what you will if your technology does not work!

7.  Explore - Poke around different programs, apps, or websites to find something that you think would be interesting and educationally valuable for your students.  

8.  Devote Time - Learning how to do something new takes time.  Make sure you take the stress of a time constraint out of the equation.  Maybe use the summer or school vacation week to dive into something new!

9.  Have Fun - Students know when we are (or are not) excited about what we are doing.  

10.  Go! - JUST DO IT!  

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OPAC - What Works for You and Your School?

This week my partner and I researched two different OPAC systems: OPALS and Destiny.  After researching both, we decided to present our findings on OPALS.  OPALS (Open-source Automated Library System) is a free and open-source library management system that helps libraries manage their collections, helps students find resources, and assists with various other library functions. It provides a wide range of features, including an online public access catalog, circulation management, inventory control, and book recommendations for students. OPALS is used by various types of libraries, including school libraries, academic libraries, public libraries, and more. 

Below you will find the highlights of OPALS:

OPALS - The What and Why

Catalog It!

 Catalog It!  A User’s Guide for Cataloging

AACR - The standard in the US, Canada, and UK for cataloging.

LC - Library of Congress cataloging tool.

ISBD - International Standard Bibliographic Description : Responsible for the rules regarding: dashes, slashes, colons, semi-colons, and periods.

ISBN - International Standard Book Number: The 10-13 digit number assigned to published titles for efficient organization of books.

MARC - Machine Readable Cataloging.  Codes used to communicate information about information packages.  

OPAC -  Online Public Access Catalog - online database that allows users to search and access information about the library's holdings. 

The Ten Main Classes of the Dewey Decimal Classification

000  Generalities

100  Philosophy, paranormal phenomena, psychology

200  Religion

300  Social Sciences

400  Languages

500  Natural Sciences and Mathematics

600  Technology  (Applied Sciences)

700  The arts  Fine & Decorative arts

800  Literature (Belles-lettres) & Rhetoric

900  Geography, history, and auxiliary disciplines

Library cataloging software programs:

CASPR

COMPanion Co.

Follett Software Company

Sagebrush

SIRSI

Surpass

Finally, it’s okay to change a number for ease of use in your library setting as long as you follow the protocol that is already in use where you are. 

Teaching the Teachers

Among the articles to read this week, Grassroots PD School librarians create their own professional development by Andrew Bauld spoke to me the most.  I guess being in the current role that I am as a classroom teacher, I have never given much thought to what the school librarian is doing during PD time.  I am fortunate enough to work in a district that has several schools and each building has its own library and librarian.  I know that that they all work together with some (albeit limited) shared planning time, but they do not share a grade level.  It must be a difficult position to be in when one person is responsible for an entire position.  This is something that I surely have not considered when thinking about learning the role of media specialist.  I have always had my grade level colleagues to share ideas, ask questions and seek advice.  This is a bit daunting to consider, but not enough to turn me away from further pursuit of this certificate.  

My biggest take away from the article is that one must truly become a resource all - yourself and  others while you work to fill this role.  You must act a resource to parents, students, teachers and administration, but also be resourceful yourself in order to stay relevant and necessary in order to keep your position alive and thriving.  I like how Bauld highlighted leaders in the field who took the role to heart and became a resource to other people in this position.  He noted how librarians in their field are bringing peers and colleagues together through shared resources and virtual PD.  He shared that K.C. Boyd, 2022 School Librarian of the Year in Washington DC launched Boss Librarian and Friends Virtual PD so that librarians and media specialists from all over the country could access materials and recordings that support PD in the field.  K.C. Boyd created a virtual forum where more than 1,600 school librarians joined for several days of free information provided from award winning school librarians.  After the creation of that online community, others popped up as well - here are some to name a few: Library 2.0, Clubhouse.com, and School Librarians United.  Although it is not your typical PD resource, I am glad that technology allows these educators the opportunity to share in their own field - which is turn, helps all educators and students gain in the long run.  

Bauld, Andrew. "Grassroots PD." School Library Journal. January, 2025

Teaching with Technology - Nonfiction text features

Nonfiction Text Features

In this unit, first-grade students will learn to identify and use text features such as headings, captions, bold words, labels, and tables of contents to help them navigate and comprehend nonfiction texts. Through engaging activities, interactive read-alouds, technology and hands-on practice, students will discover how these features provide important clues about the main ideas and key details in a text. By the end of the unit, they will be able to apply their knowledge to independently explore nonfiction books.  Nonfiction has become a large part of the first grade curriculum and understanding how to read a nonfiction text is of utmost importance.  It is my hope that these lessons will help guide young students in learning this important skill.  

Below is a list of the 10 apps that I integrated into my lessons for teaching this unit.

BrainPop Jr. - Reading Nonfiction Text

Non Fiction Text Features Slide Deck  Embedded: Polar Bears on Epic!  

YouTube - What is a heading?

Boom Cards - Text Features

Reading A to Z - Decodable Text

YouTube - Nonfiction text features

Clever - Student Access

SeeSaw - Label and animal

Twinkl - Table of contents

Teachers pay teachers - Polar bears

YouTube - Table of contents

Social Networking - Creating connections or damaging development? A modern platform for coming of age

Social Networking - Creating connections or damaging development?  A modern platform for coming of age

Here are my conclusions upon reading about social networking and some of the pros and cons. This assignment gave me food for thought about how social networking impacts teens both positively and negatively.

Social Networking - Response Paper

Social Media Platforms to Use With Early Elementary Students

 

Social Media Sources - How can they be valuable to you?

1.  Pinterest - Create a book genre board.  One might make three to five book suggestions under each specific genre for those looking to select a book based on past experiences with a specific genre.   Young Adult, Biographies, thrillers, graphic novels, fanatsy, science fiction, etc.  Pinterest

2.  Cameo - Typically for usually a fairly reasonable price, one could hire a coveted author to create a personalized video for your students.  The teacher provides details about the students interests, age, questions to be answered, and any other relevant information, and the author would create a short personalized video to be shared with students.  I think this would be very popular with middle to high school students.   Cameo

3.  Facebook Group - Middle or Highschool Bookswap - Post then swap your books for free.  The library can serve as a safe place for students to meet and drop off/pick up pre-arranged book swaps.  Facebook

4. “X” - formerly known as Twitter - The librarian can tweet out to students about what’s trending in new books.  They can include stats that drive interest, like “recommended by x celebrity”  x

5.  YouTube - Meet the author - Teacher can present videos created by authors in current unit of studies to engage students.  Oftentimes links to more of their work and resources are included.  YouTube

6. YouTube - How to draw - Teachers can present videos on how to draw popular characters such as Elephant and Piggie by Mo Willems.  Students love to make them themselves and then create graphic novels of their own.  YouTube

7. Reddit - A good discussion based resource for gathering information on a topic by people who have used it.  For example one might say: r/how to run a booktalk, or r/good discussion question for the book: x.  Reddit

8.  SeeSaw - A platform used in elementary schools where students can respond to assignments posted by classroom teachers and post work of their own. Parents have access to the account and see what the students have completed.  SeeSaw

Social Media Plan - How you would be most likely to use social media to promote your library and why.

Using social media in a first-grade library class can be a fun and engaging way to enhance learning while teaching digital citizenship. Media specialists can create a private account on platforms like Instagram or a closed Facebook group to share daily activities, student artwork, or class projects with parents. Platforms like Seesaw or Flipgrid allow students to record short videos, respond to prompts, and share their learning in a safe, controlled environment that only parents have access to.  It's essential to maintain strict privacy settings, get parental and administrative consent, and discuss with students responsible online behavior to ensure a safe and positive experience.  Given the age of my students, social media exposure is limited and assigned through secure portals such as Clever, or presented directly to the class.