Back in October, I saw a video that had been posted on the Arkansas Department of Education's website recognizing the library media program at Lakeside High School and Stony Evans and Kaitlyn Price. I was immediately inspired. Being a first year library media specialist (former high school English teacher for seven and a half years), I was a little nervous. I knew one thing for sure- I wanted to knock down walls and open up doors for our students. I sent Stony a message on Facebook. I knew that the worst that could happen was he just would not respond. I was thrilled when he did and he, Kaitlyn, and I set up a time to Skype shortly afterward. Stony asked me if I had a Twitter account. I told him that I did, but I did not really use it. He encouraged me to change that, and began introducing me to so many different teacher librarians and educators on Twitter. I absolutely loved getting to virtually tour their library and glean from their knowledge, and then visit it in person a couple of weeks later. We also set up our school's very first Mystery Skype for the next week which was the last week of October 2016. Stony and Kaitlyn are truly inspiring people. Since then, I have found that there are many ways to be a connected educator. One of my favorite ways is through Skype in the classroom. Skype can open up a whole world of possibilities that might not otherwise be possible. Through this, a teacher can make connections and collaborate with other educators around the globe. One way to use Skype in the classroom or library is by participating in a Mystery Skype. I have connected and collaborated with schools in the US and internationally for our students to participate in several Mystery Skype sessions. With a Mystery Skype (or Mystery Google Hangout), students will be given different roles. You will have some students seated at the webcam. They will be the inquirers or the ones who ask the questions. Some students will be using atlases, maps, and Google Maps. Some students will be runners going from station to station and relaying information. Other students may be taking pictures or recording videos. There also need to be students recording the questions that are asked to make the process of elimination easier. Students learn collaboration skills, research skills, learn how to use informational texts, make connections, have fun, and so much more. If you do not speak the same language, do not worry. Skype has a translator. Skype also allows you to go on virtual field trips. We have visited Yellowstone National Park and chatted with a park ranger. Many of these connections can be made through Twitter or by signing up on the Microsoft in Education website. You can also visit with many, many different authors. I never knew I would be able to help our students be able to meet so many different authors on our small budget (many will do it for free) and have these incredible experiences. The largest resource I have found for scheduling these author visits is Twitter. We have had Skype sessions with Salina Yoon, Lisa Brown, Dan Santat (Caldecott medalist), and Rubin Pingk so far this year. I also met another teacher librarian back in November from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan via Twitter. She and I planned a day for our kindergarten classes to connect with each other to read. They absolutely loved it! Our 4th graders will be participating in a book club with a school in Hot Springs in March through our library program. Something else that is fun to participate in is Skype-a-ton. Using the Microsoft in Education website, you can schedule Mystery Skype sessions, Guest Speakers, Virtual Field Trips, and make connections to see how far you can travel virtually within a 48-hour period. It is very easy to register for any of these things using the site. You can click on one of the categories, browse until you find someone or a school or a trip that sounds interesting, and register. Many post the times that they are available so you can automatically see that information. It will also let you know the time zone differences (how many hours ahead or behind). This resource does not have to be reserved only for Skype-a-ton, but can be utilized any time. If you use Twitter, you can use hashtags such as #tlchat, #mysteryskpe, #skypeintheclassroom, #tlap, #makeitreal, #edtech, #educhat, #msftedu, and so many more to make connections. One of the teacher librarians that Stony introduced me to was Lynn Kleinmeyer. She lives in Nebraska and works in Iowa. She asked me if I would like for our 2nd and 3rd grade students to participate in a Mock Caldecott project. I readily agreed! I was not quite sure what the project entailed, but I am so glad that she included us! Lynn got us all set up in the connected Google Classroom, and it just grew from there. The kids loved every minute of reading picture books, discussing picture books, getting to talk to authors, voting on which book they felt should receive the Caldecott medal, and getting to Skype with the other class in Iowa to finish off the project. I cannot wait to participate in more activities like this! This was also a great opportunity to expand my PLN. Through this project and Lynn, I was also able to connect with Alyssa Calhoun and Miranda Kale. All three of these ladies are amazing! You may have noticed that several pictures that I have posted show us using a laptop instead of a projector and screen for our Skype sessions. That is because for several months we did not have anything. My principal is letting me borrow his personal portable projector. I got it from him back in December. Before this, we used my laptop, other classrooms, and even my cell phone to be able to participate, but we did not let it stop us. Students from kindergarten through high school have been participating in so many connected activities over the last few months. There is so much more I would like to do. The possibilities are absolutely endless, and I feel like we have only scratched the surface! Being a connected educator has truly changed everything for me!
*more information on several of the activities can be found in some of my other blog posts.
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Kimee ReedI am a Teacher Librarian that believes in out of the box experiences to make learning fun, inspire, encourage, excite, and empower students. Archives
June 2018
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