Media Center Web Pages: To Blog or Not to Blog?

I’ve spent quite a bit of time looking through school websites in search of one thing or another.  As part of the PTA and Foundation at my daughters’ schools, I did a lot of comparing between school programs in my area.  A few years ago many schools in Cobb County had very fancy websites that were unique to the school.  It has only been recently that the schools were required to use the same service for their websites.  If you were to explore different schools in the district today, you would find that there is a uniformity that was not there before.  On the one hand, it is easier to navigate to the various parts of the sites but on the other hand, they don’t always look as “pretty” as they did. 

My current position as the media center paraprofessional at my school has given me the opportunity to learn much more about school websites than I have ever known.  I am one of the two people in our building with access to update the school website.  That has been a very interesting experience for me.  We use Microsoft Web Expression for the website but all of our teachers, including the media specialist, use edublogs for their web pages.  Web Expression has not been the most user-friendly application but I have enjoyed working with edublogs which is super simple.

After reviewing some of the sample media center web pages for this assignment, I have come to the conclusion that blogs are much more effective for communicating with students, staff, parents, and the community.  The “regular” media center web pages are not as attractive as the blogs which are much more customizable.  Both have the capability to add content such as images and videos but the overall design and layout of the blogs that I have seen are much more enjoyable for me to look at.  If you want your users to return to your media center web pages, you need to make sure that the pages have a “hook” for them. 

When comparing the regular web pages to the blogs that I looked at, I knew that for my own media center program I would prefer to have a blog.  Even web pages like “The Unquiet Library” were very plain in comparison to a blog version of a media center web page such as the one at Mt. Bethel Elementary School.  My media specialist created the blog and I help her to update and maintain it.  We try to keep the content as up to date as possible and have something for everyone:  students, teachers, and parents. 

The main school website includes a direct link to the media center blog and teachers are encouraged to include a link on their blogs as well.  The media specialist has been collaborating regularly with the different grade levels and she has created a page for all class projects.  I recently received an email from my daughter’s Target teacher asking me to check the media center blog for updates on their current project.  Other teachers have directed parents to check the media center blog to see the final products of the collaborative projects that their classes recently completed in the media center.  It’s been amazing to see how much the teachers have been promoting the media center blogs.  I think more parents have seen our blog this year than the last few years combined.  Last year the media center web page was static.  The media specialist never updated it and it was generic.  The new web pages/blog is dynamic and always interesting. 

We rely heavily on our blog to communicate with parents.  We know that it’s working because I’ve spoken to many parents who appreciate that we have provided them with a quick and easy tool to communicate what’s going on in the media center.  We have a book club, participated in the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl, have monthly contests and collaborate with our teachers.  All of this information is readily available on our blog and it’s been great!

The answer to the question, “To Blog or Not to Blog?” is definitely BLOG!

Media Center Web Pages

February 22, 2014

What makes a media center web page one that patrons will access frequently and find exactly what they need?  There are many factors to consider when creating a media center web page, but the most important thing to keep in mind would be your target audience. Elementary, middle school, and high school web pages should all have a different look and feel to meet the needs and interest of the specific audience. The content will also be different among grade levels, but there will be some media center basics that should be consistently found on all web pages.

In my explorations of media center web pages, the first think I notice is how organized the page looks and if it feels overwhelming to the eye. I enjoy web pages that are organized into neat spaces, possibly evenly spaced columns or tables. I also like the fonts and colors to be consistent on the page. When there are a variety of different fonts used or a plethora of different colors; I feel distracted and focus on those factors instead of the content being presented. I also like when the information provided is brief, possibly using bullet points or a list and stays away from lengthy paragraphs. The Milton Middle School media center web page does a nice job of keeping the site clean and well-structured: http://www.milton.k12.wi.us/schools/mms/website/library/MMS_LMC/Welcome.html

If I was going to create my own media center web page, I would try to keep the content streamlined into general basic sections and then subdivide within those main sections. I really like the way Highland Middle School has organized their web page. Visit this link to check it out: http://www.d70schools.org/~hlc/hlc/Highland_Virtual_Learning_Center.html. The site is broken down into the following components: Reading Resources, Research Resources, and About the Learning Center. I think this is a great place to begin and then expand within those three main sections. The Reading Resource section might include items such as: library catalog, reading incentive programs, book fairs & book clubs, award book information, and possible book reviews. The Research Resource section might include: databases, pathfinders, works cited guides, Lib Guides, and copyright info. Finally, the About the Learning Center section would include the basics of how the media center operates. Patrons would be able to find out contact information for the media specialists, hours of operation, the mission statement, policies and procedures, acceptable use policy, and volunteer info. The only major component that I would add to this site would be to have a separate section for teachers to locate resources, share, and collaborate.

One more factor that is vital when constructing a media center web page is to keep students with disabilities in mind. What can you do to make using the web page more accessible for this group of students? Offering textual transcripts for students with hearing difficulties or using fonts and colors that would increase the readability for the visually impaired are two possibilities. It may also be a good idea to think about the parents during construction of a web page. We have to remember that the audience is mostly going to be students, but the student population includes the teachers of these students and the parents as well. The media center web page needs to provide information and assist the patrons in a fluid and reliable manner.

Wikis and the School Media Center

          I fully admit to not being the most technologically savvy person around and because of that I sometimes run the other way rather than embrace new programs and ideas. While I have certainly used wikis for general research purposes, I have never thought of them as something I could actually use in a school media center. In my mind, I was certain wikis would be a project not worth the time and effort. After reading these articles, seeing school media center wikis, and looking at the Cobb County LMC wiki, I admit I was a little hasty in brushing aside wikis.
          On the Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching Wiki, it is pointed out that wikis help to change students from "consumers of knowledge to creators of knowledge." What an incredible statement. As teachers we strive to help our students internalize knowledge and make it their own. We do not want students who can simply recall facts, but students who take the knowledge taught and run with it. Wikis are a great tool to help students do just that. I also love the collaborative nature of wikis. Students being able to brainstorm and collaborate on projects together adds another dimension in the learning process. I truly love the possibilities of wikis in the classroom.
             Now while the ideals of wikis are great, there is certainly the practical aspect to consider. Luckily there are several sites available for wiki newbies to help them get started.  Guides like Google Sites and wikispaces make it much easier to get started. For beginners, it will take time and effort and quite a bit of planning to get started.

Possible wiki uses in a media center or classroom:

• collaborative research project
• a collection of important links and information for a class, school, or school system
• student portfolios
• Student Book Recommendations
• Author Studies
• class projects

I think wikis will take some time and effort to get used to using and developing them, but in the long run wikis can do so much to enhance student learning that it will be worth the extra effort.

Podcasting for Newbies (like me)

I don’t pretend to be very Internet savvy and I have to admit that my children probably know more about podcasting than I do, including my fourth grader.  It has only been recently that I have had much experience with any type of podcasting since I became a media paraprofessional.  However, I have learned a few things that would make podcasting useful in a school library media center. 

There are a variety of ways to incorporate podcasting into a school library media program that would enhance both student and teacher experiences.  Some beginning projects that were suggested by Fontichiaro’s “Podcasting 101” article would be great ideas to try in my school.  In particular, I think creating class CDs, audio tours, interviews, and newscasts would be easy podcasting projects to do. 

My media specialist just finished a project with the third grade called “Where I’m From.”  Each student wrote a poem using a specific format and then they recorded the poems onto the grade level iPads.  The media specialist then posted the poems on the media center blog for each class.  This would be a great project to turn into a class CD with each student’s individual poem.  I think parents would enjoy having a copy of the CD for themselves.  

At my school, we have two book fairs every year, one in the fall, and one in the spring.  Creating an audio tour of the book fair would be a great idea to advertise and market the book fair.  We could have students talk about the theme, the most popular books, teacher wish lists, and contests.  Then the audio tour could be posted to the media center blog, the book fair website, and even the school blog.  I know how important it is to market the book fair so that we can meet our sales goals.  Utilizing audio tours would be something different that students and parents could both enjoy.

I also love the idea of doing podcast interviews.  We could do literature-based interviews where one student is the reporter and the other student is the author, illustrator, or character from the book.  I think this would be a great idea to extend the lesson from reading a class book.  Students could write out scripts and do the recordings themselves.  The media specialist could have the class vote on their favorite interview and post that to the blog.  

We currently do a live morning news show in the media center three times a week.  It can be very hectic in the mornings because we only have a few minutes to rehearse and sometimes our students get nervous, misread the teleprompters, or miss their cues.  Doing a podcast of the news show would be a good alternative, especially for those students who are shy to be on camera or uncomfortable about doing the show live.  

Lastly, my favorite idea is from Nancy Keane who does podcast booktalks.  This is probably the easiest use of podcasting in the media center and one that could potentially be very effective for students.  We always get students who want recommendations for books but we don’t always have time to spend more than a minute with them when the circulation desk is busy.  I would love to have booktalks for the majority of the books in the media center, sorted by genre, and age appropriateness.  I would just send my students to one of the catalog computers, have a link to the booktalk index on the homepage, and tell the students to “browse.”  That is definitely one idea that I can get excited about.

I’m sure there are many other uses for podcasting in the school library media center, even for a complete newbie like myself.

Blog 1: Podcasting

 Podcasting

Have you ever used Podcasting to share information? Have you ever created a Podcast with students in a classroom or media center? If the answer is no then it is definitely an option to consider. This basic but effective way to communicate can be started with little to no equipment or training and the results can be quite memorable. What is Podcasting exactly? In short, it is simply recording an audio file and sharing it with someone. The term Podcast originated from the words iPod and broadcast, but there is no need to worry if you do not own an iPod, iPhone, or iPad; Podcasts can be shared in many more ways than with the technologies provided by Apple. To create a Podcast, first there must be some software and equipment. To begin, a recorder would need to download the free Audacity software and have access to a headset or microphone for the best results. Next, the author can record the audio, and it can then be layered with music or sound effects as needed. After the sound is finalized, the recording can be shared through a variety of methods which include: uploading them to a website, downloading them to an mp3 file, or even burning them to a cd. The process can be completed in just a few steps and the author walks away feeling accomplished and proud of his or her work.

Why would media specialists want to use Podcasting in the media center and why would it be valuable to share this method of communication with students and classroom teachers? Podcasts are another way for students to show what they have learned. They can record information from their content classes and share with teachers, peers, and parents. Schools might want to consider using Podcasts for a “School News” broadcast that could be accessed from the school’s webpage. Recording and sharing information in this fashion will allow those students who stay away from the limelight to have a voice at school. Another great use for Podcasting is to encourage struggling writers to get their ideas down on paper. I currently have a student who cannot get those first sentences started when writing a paragraph or essay. With the Podcast, students can simply speak freely and not have to worry about grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Making teachers aware of the Podcast option will give them a new method for assessing student learning and that will be greatly appreciated. Check out Radio Willow Web from Willowdale Elementary School. They have several Podcast recordings ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade. The recordings are generally around ten minutes long and they demonstrate student mastery of concepts being taught in school. The students also share where they found their information and add in music to give the Podcasts a very professional, newscast feel.

Media specialists might also want to consider using Podcasts for book talks. As new books are added to the collection or teachers request that student read from particular genres, media specialists can record Podcast book talks to promote these titles and upload to the media center webpage. Students and teachers could listen to them in class or from home in preparation of selecting books and materials during an upcoming library visit. To hear some examples of book talk Podcasts, check out Nancy Keane’s Booktalks, Quick and Simple. She does a great job of grabbing the listener’s attention with a catchy hook, providing a brief summary of the title, and giving the author, publisher, and copyright date information all in about a minute. To create a library of book talk Podcasts as she has done would be immensely useful.

Remember, if you are just attempting a Podcast for the first time, you do not need all the bells and whistles all at once. Just go for the audio first and the rest will come in time. The students will love sharing their ideas and hearing their thoughts come to life.