Moving at the Speed of Creativity by Wesley Fryer

Be The Change You Want To See In Schools by Shannon Miller #vanmeter #i11i (library perspectives)

These are my notes from Shannon Miller‘s presentation, “Be The Change You Want To See In Schools” at the Iowa 1 to 1 Institute on April 7, 2010. MY THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS ARE IN ALL CAPS. Presentation resources from this session are all included on this Google site.

Presenters today on Twitter:
shannonmmiller (Shannon)
Josh_Porter1 (Josh)
maddyd15 (Maddy)
marcusb23 (Marcus)
Michael_Kinley (Michael)
#vanmeter (Van Meter School)

Video: You can’t be my teacher

This site includes all our forms, AUP, other info about our 1:1 in Van Meter, Iowa: Van Meter 1:1 Laptop Learning Initiative.

Our students are using Google Sites to create digital portfolios

Van Meter Library Voice Google Site

Blogging is a great way to connect and share with others
– had initial resistance from teachers (esp on time)
– we have lots of after school, coffee shop, weekend opportunities to get together

Kids are often blogging to connect to our passion, not just for assignments

My professional blog as a librarian: vanmeterlibraryvoice.blogspot.com

Story of Van Meter student (Maddie) connecting with author Amy Efaw
– she was able to take what she is passionate about, and connect with this author

Tip for Twitter: Use Tweetdeck to organize your feeds
– I’m following 1500 people, and they follow me
– it’s not like I read all of this content
– Tweetdeck really helps me organize my content from Twitter

Darren and I (Darren is the principal at Van Meter) teach a PLN class at our high school
– entire focus is kids to connect digitally with their passion

Stories of students connecting with photographers and photography, another student connecting about music
– Megan Enos, Van Meter 10th grader, uses Twitter (fotopp2012) & her blog to learn & connect to her passion for photography

THESE ARE VERY COMPELLING STORIES! WOW! HOW WONDERFUL VANMETER LEADERS ARE ENCOURAGING THIS CONNECTION PERSONALLY TO PASSION AND THINGS KIDS

Web tool: You Tell You
– in Twitter an educator in New Zealand (Ruggero Domenichine) helped his kids learn about “You Tell You” and also discussing New Zealand

How to create the change at your school
– give the kids power
– we created a kids’ tech group this year

We created a student technology group called C.E.W.L. (Computer Efficiency Workers League) to help integrate technology and troubleshoot problems/questions students & teachers have. (showcased with this Prezi)

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New hearing from MICHAEL KINLEY presenting his blog Mike’s Tech News and the YouTube Channel Mike398100 he has created to showcase several technology tutorials and school projects.

I really enjoy using new technologies, so I decided to put together a blog about it
– I like helping people out online with tutorials

Now showing an example of what a 7th grader can do with video
– I did my project on GPU / Graphics / Video Card

I used iMovie and Screenflow to create this video

There is a very positive and happy atmosphere at school: kids want to help others, they want to show what they have done

Now hearing from Josh Porter
– he created movie “What Technology Means To Me” for a Facebook contest

VM Tech News Google Site created by Josh

Josh is an an 11th grader, now working with Michael (a 7th grader)
– so powerful to see these connections possible because of our tech club, and the “cool club”
– teachers really see these students as resource

I ASKED JOSH ABOUT THE CLASSES HE ENJOYS THE MOST: WHAT ARE TEACHERS IN THOSE CLASSES DOING?
– He said they are using the web for content, typing together with tools like EtherPad

Comment from a participant:
– noticed library circulation going down, but use of the library going way up because of Internet availability (going back to 1999)

Shannon said fiction checkouts from the library keep going up
– nonfiction library checkouts keep going down
– have noticed magazines aren’t used much, we spend $1000 on them and we probably won’t get them next year
– kids can find content for free reading so readily on their laptops
– lots of the kids read “Voice” (new authors Shannon is writing about)

We have a Facebook for our library, and a YouTube channel
– I put a lot on Facebook when I get a new author series in, short blurbs
– our kids follow our library Twitter account

Shannon is constantly connecting with others

Multiple stories from kids in the session about how important Shannon has been in their lives encouraging them to read

Comment from someone in the session: If you are questioning the value of your librarian / library media specialist, the issue isn’t the POSITION but rather the person you currently have in that position

Another comment: the culture in your school is also key and pivotal, for you as a librarian being able to have the role you do

Shannon:
– in Opening up YouTube access, I did my research and homework
– I am a member of the community, I am a cheerleader for our students to connect
– If you don’t get on Twitter and start blogging/connecting, you are going to get behind
– it is so important to build your PLN
– where we have gotten since August when we started with these computers have been AMAZING
– bit by bit, things are taking off

Math teachers saying, “What am I going to blog about? Kids don’t want to read about math on my blog…”
– Shannon’s answer is: You don’t have to blog about math. Blog about what you’re doing outside of school, other things…

THIS REMINDS ME OF THE WORK MARCO TORRES HAS DONE WITH EDUCATORS IN AUSTRALIA AND ELSEWHERE, GETTING THEM TO CREATE SHORT VIDEOS ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL PASSION / GIVE INSIGHT INTO THEIR LIVES OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL

WHAT A FANTASTIC SESSION!!!! HOW EXCITING TO HEAR THE CREATIVE, ENERGIZED LEARNING HAPPENING AT VAN METER SCHOOLS!!! CLEARLY THERE ARE MULTIPLE KEY INGREDIENTS TO THIS…. SHANNON IS A KEY PART. 🙂

If our Internet goes down at school, it is just for a minute or two, we’ve never had technical problems with the Internet like we have at the conference today
– Apple has supported us with new servers, connectivity, etc.

GREAT EXAMPLE HERE OF HOW 1:1 SCHOOLS DOING THE MOST POSITIVE, EXCITING THINGS ARE WORKING WITH APPLE 🙂

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One response to “Be The Change You Want To See In Schools by Shannon Miller #vanmeter #i11i (library perspectives)”

  1. monika hardy Avatar

    thank you for these great notes..