Assistive Technology, Introduction & Module #1

The videos that we viewed via YouTube were outstandingly powerful. It is not everyday that my homework brings me to tears (unless it is cataloging.) I know so little about assistive technology and was eager to learn what I could. I dove right into all of the literature and was overwhelmed with my findings.

Discovery exercise #1 sent me sifting through link after link of information for students with blindness. I found that the best approach to teaching sighted children about braille with a blind student in the classroom would be to treat the blind student as the resident expert. That can make anyone feel proud! I would encourage that student to tell us all about the system. Following that discussion, I would encourage the sighted students in the class to learn braille through flashcards, books, writing, etc. To increase their awareness of blindness I would choose books and movies to expose the students to that have someone in it who is blind. Throughout these activities I would continually invite the student who is blind to assist others in understanding.

Discovery exercise #2 led me to a number of fascinating articles. The most profound of these was, "Common Sense in Education and Research." This article presented a bulleted list of common sense statements that sometimes get shadowed by our best of intentions. The article essentially leveled the playing field for all students saying the goal is effective instruction for everyone...period. No situation is perfect. Not every child is going to meet "our" criteria. A teacher can't teach every student in the same manner. One approach is not always going to work. The article, though perhaps a bit brutal at times, poignantly expressed that we must continue to strive for the best opportunities for everyone and not get bogged down by all of the little stuff. Education is a lifelong journey. We don't and never will have all the answers; however, we should use our common sense and teaching ability to make it the best possible scenario.

Week 9, Thing #23 I MADE IT

What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
There were many worthwhile experiences. To name a few, I plan on incorporating a library blog, delicious, podcasts, and Library Thing into my future classroom.

How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
This program has definitely affected my lifelong learning goals. My motto has always been, "It takes time to save time." This technology that is constantly evolving will really save us time and will aid students in understanding; however, it is our responsibility to consistently put the time in to stay current with offerings.

Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
I consider myself fairly technologically savvy and never considered that the majority of the online tools that were introduced to me, I had never even heard of!

What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
Nothing, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience.

If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate? If so, check out Discovering Assistive Technology.
At this time, I would not due to my obligations in my current master's program; however, I would certainly love to join another program similar or a bit more advanced when I have a little more time to do some independent learning.

How would you describe your learning experience in ONE WORD or in ONE SENTENCE, so we could use your words to promote Classroom Learning 2.0 learning activities?
Being in Classroom Learning 2.0 gave me the opportunity to learn about great technological tools that can be used in the classroom that I would have never stumbled across on my own :0)

Week 9, Thing #23

As I stated in my previous post, due to my long commute to work, I like to listen to things other than music in my car. I am a HUGE fan of the audiobook. To me, there is nothing better than sitting back and listening to a good book while I drive to and from work everyday and throughout my errands. I consistently rent audio books from my library simply put them in order in my cd player. Its reading, without the reading part :0)

I am also familiar with ebooks, though I do not own a device, such as a Kindle. I borrowed one once to experiment with and had difficulty getting past the lack of a book spine and that library smell. Maybe I am a traditional girl after all. For those that have a space constraint and enjoy hoarding books, rather than renting from a library, the ebook seems like the perfect scenario.

The ebook which is available immediately online (almost like an online database entry) is something else I also use regularly. The inherent problem with this scenario is that my computer does not always fit in my purse to take with me.

Unfortunately, when searching the Gutenberg Project, I was unable to view any of the ebooks. It kept saying, "Page could not be found." Though I was dissappointed, I am quite familiar with ebooks through my public library experiences. I was also able to view the many titles available.

Week 9, Thing #21

Wow! I feel good about this lesson too. I just listened to a Podcast this morning of my pastor's sermon since I was unavailable for his preaching. It is so nice to have this technology available.

I am an avid Itunes user and have only recently ventured into the world of podcasts. I enjoy having options other than music to listen to and love the fact that podcasts (at least for the most part) are free of charge. I think it is important to note that as the text states podcasts are rarely used as an interractive tool. It is more of a lecture style teaching that can be quite useful...especially for those of us that have a longer commute to work.

I was quite proud of myself that I was able to add the podcast into my blog that I felt was relavent to what I do (musicteachers 911) I did not find a whole lot of information that would be relavent to children but more continuing education for teachers.

Podcasts would be a great tool in which to give a book talk or even a distance learning story time. I tend to think that having a live lecture is always a better option when possible; however, more and more that is not possible. Podcasts bring a personal and live experience without it being personal or live.

Week 9, Thing #20

I have been a fan of YouTube for quite some time. Though I can see its use in the classroom, I tend to use it more for entertainment purposes. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the videos that were sent by Classroom Learning 2.0; however, I was even more excited to search based on my the given criteria. I chose a video that was a book talk by a number of students. They critically analyzed, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days," by Jeff Kinney. This video was an easy choice for me because my goal was to find a real life example of how YouTube could be used in the classroom. I can imagine students would be thrilled to create a video giving their analysis of a given book they had read. I never knew embedding videos was this easy! I will be using this skill a lot.

In addition, I do see some of the obvious problems with YouTube, such as the ability to monitor content. A lot of school districts do not even allow access to YouTube due to some of the explicit content. The best answer to this dilemna is the resource, TeacherTube. This website is geared toward a more educational setting. Another downfall is that parents may not be interested in having a video of their child displayed for the world to see. I can argue both sides of that argument.

Finally, I think that YouTube/TeacherTube can be useful to show videos that others have developed as an aid in the classroom. Perhaps it could be a book talk, a movie clip, or a performance of some sort that could help in understanding a given concept.

Generally, I think YouTube is a good site with a lot of legit information...you just have to be willing to sift through a little garbage :0)

Week 8, Thing #19

I loved the Library Thing website! I thought it would be an excellent way for a person to track their own collection. In addition, I couldn't help but think of what a great resource it could be in a classroom (any grade level.) I have already been speaking to my librarian about collaborating with her on a project where the fifth grade students create a wiki of their book reports. This week I came up to her to discuss the possibility of them creating Library Thing accounts. Library Thing would be an excellent tool for the students to track books they have read in specific genres at their library. Wouldn't you have loved to keep track of all of the books you read in your lifetime? In addition, once the students complete a book, they could rate it and provide comments for others to see. Though I liked the idea of the wiki, I am even more excited about having the students create Library Thing accounts. Utilizing this resource could also give them a chance to catalog and organize rather than us doing it for them!

Here is my Library Thing collection for my Modern Day Shakespeare WebQuest:
I chose a variety of books for my lesson that I felt would help the students in various stages of the process. One book had the complete collection of Shakespeare's works. Another gave hints and examples regarding how to write short stories. I chose two books to help the students analyze their chosen plays, and finally, I chose a book that would give them the nuts and bolts of making changes to photos in Photoshop. I chose books based upon use as a resource...not to be used as a cover-to-cover read.

http://www.librarything.com/catalog/laurajack

Week 8, Thing #18

This post was posted via the online productivity tool, "Zoho Writer." I read the information in Classroom Learning 2.0, a discovery resource, as well as the brief explanation of features presented when I first signed in. I am quite excited about the possibilities of Zoho Writer. I opened a previous Microsoft Word document while I was investigating Zoho and started comparing the two. Both seemed to have similiar features. I was quite shocked at how easy it was to simply sign-in and get moving with the Zoho Writer.
I can absolutely see why this feature would be popular for those who travel. My first response was imagining how nice it would be to not have to carry my zip drive from work to home on a daily basis. Though the features on the toolbar were named differently than on Microsoft Word, I had little to no difficulty maneuvering my way through the options. I appreciated some of the added features (such as the option to publish in various forms and to various places.) I also liked the ease in adding an emoticon. (I love adding them for emphasis in less formal writing.) I did, however, miss the clip art feature available in Microsoft Word. I was able to copy and paste the URL address of a picture and essentially "paste" that picture into the document. I was not able to adapt the justification of the picture such as sending to back, tight against text, etc. Perhaps that feature is available, and I was just unable to find it. Overall, I liked this program very much and look forward to sharing it with my colleagues and friends.

(document posted via Zoho Writer)

Laura E. Zuraski

LS 583 W4

Library, Literature, and the Young Adult

July 31, 2009

Critical Response Paper

Mondowney, JoAnn G. Hold them in Your Heart: Successful Strategies for Library Services to at-Risk Teens. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc., 2001.

Hold them in Your Heart: Successful Strategies for Library Services to at-Risk Teens is an excellent resource for all readers entering or already working in any library setting. Mondowney shares all of her insight regarding her work with at risk teens, which really solidifies her love for this focus group, and backs up the information and suggestions she provides. The text is divided into seven chapters: Lessons Learned, Making the Case for Library Services to At-Risk Youth, Public Library Services for Youth-At-Risk: The San Francisco Bay Models, Strategies for Gaining Support, Conducting a Youth Needs Assessment, Are We There Yet? Planning and Evaluation, and Money Talk: Grants and Gifts, Beyond the Bay: Model Programs Elsewhere. The chapter titles along with the content within them make this text a great read from cover to cover or a reference material for at-risk and general library services. After reading the text, many points including factors necessary for success, library models, and the extensive list of special projects make this book an invaluable resource for any librarian.