Inquiry Learning - Post #6

My personal definition of Inquiry Learning and what it would entail at my school is described above in the Taxedo.com cloud that I created.

I plan on creating inquiry based mini-lessons using the topic of We Use What? - Effective Researching. The students at my school do not know how to properly research or cite a topic for projects, assignments, personal interest, etc. These are tools that they will use throughout the rest of the schooling or professional career. There are eight principles of inquiry based learning which include authenticity, deep understanding, performances of understanding, assessment, appropriate use of technology, connecting with experts, student success, ethical citizenship.

I created a brainstorm map using bubble.us for my inquiry based mini-lessons.
Mini-Lesson Brainstorm (attached link)

Revisiting Personal Learning Goals

My personal learning goals at the beginning of this course were:

1) Learn new technology tools to bring back to my library

2) Learn about resources to promote information fluency
3) Gain confidence in promoting new information technology

I have been progressing towards achieving each of these goals by researching and studying web 2.0 tools that we have learned throughout this course. Some great resources or information that I can bring back to my library include Bundl.r, Twitter, GoogleApps, PLNs, Bloglovin, Strategic planning ideas, Google lesson plans, Galielo, Effective Research Strategies, Filter Bubbles, Rebelmouse, GoodReads, Netvibes, Effective Essential Question tools, and so much more. The internet and technology is growing rapidly, so there will always be something new and updated out there for me to learn. So, as of right now my goals are continuing as I learn and take in new information. 

I enjoyed studying about growth mindset this week...I sort of wish I had read this as a classroom teacher :). In certain situations I can relate to both the growth mindset and fixed mindset. Sometimes, I just want to learn what I need to know to get by in job. Or another way to put it, just to get an A in a class. I previously taught math, and I saw this mindset more than the growth mindset. The growth mindset is wanting to grow and learn by participating in challenging tasks. I fall into this mindset in my school library concentration classes. I want to participate and work through difficult tasks so that I can learn and grow into a better media specialist. I did see this mindset while teaching math class, but it was few and far between. And the students who had this mindset almost always were in my lower level classes. Nothing came easy to these children, but they tried and tried until they were able to 'get' the math. It was awesome to see, and those students made me love teaching. As I am moving into the media specialist field, I will have to train my students to become active participants in the growth mindset. I will be teaching lessons on effective research, and one of my target goals in that broad topic is to teach students how to effectively give recognition to someone else's work in their own writing. It is so easy to just copy someone else's work and state it as their own, but to be able to pull out pertinent information from a source and collaborate with your own work, is a great example of the growth mindset. Hopefully, next year my students will realize and learn the benefits and importance of not plagiarizing. I am looking forward to this difficult task next year, it will also be a growing experience for me. :)

Letting Go

Creating a technology infused learning environment is challenging in certain school districts who lack funding or administrative support...but schools who have the support are thriving. There are so many different sources that schools can use to obtain funding, for example Donors Choose. I plan on starting this for my school in the fall to help receive money to get access to more Google Chromebooks and tablets. Teachers need technology in their classroom to help students stay relevant with the times.

I enjoyed how Chris from the webinar 'Inquiry: The very first step in the process of learning' was saying that high school students are having to pass a high-stakes graduation test, which successful adults could not even pass. What are we teaching our students? We need to be teaching them how to be successful adults, how to use their knowledge to adapt to any situation they are in. Grant's blog 'Great teaching means letting go' gave a great example on this, about how soccer players could not think outside of the box when running a play because it was different than what they were used to. Schools are teaching for tests and not teaching students how to use their knowledge. We need to stray against this belief, but I do not see that happening anytime soon in the general ed classrooms.

Reflective Searching

My studies this week had me researching and learning about the ‘Google Generation.’ I have to admit that even though the Google Generation is everyone born after 1993...I fall into this gap. I am not much of a researcher, I like immediate feedback, and I would be categorized as being a horizontal searcher (meaning that I bounce from site to site). Wow, I hate to admit all of that, especially since I am the media specialist, but it is so true. My time is of the upmost importance because I am being pulled in every direction and my searching techniques follow suit. I will say that I do move past the dreaded page 1 of google search results, until I find what I am looking for. But, sometimes if I see that my search results do not appear on the first page I will change my search question to help find the information I am looking for. Also, I do what is called ‘squirreling’ I will always find free downloads instead of having to pay for entrance into sites. 

I enjoyed learning about the Filter Bubble from Eli Pariser’s TED talk and the Duck Duck Go Escaping Your Search Engines Filter Bubble info-graphic. I have heard of the internet filtering your search results, and I have noticed it lately using the social networking site Facebook, but it was interesting to see how it all works. I know this sounds close minded, but sometimes I like that it filters my results. Because, it knows what I normally like and only shows me that type of search results first (meaning less of my time searching). But I do see why the filter bubble can be dangerous. I do like to know different viewpoints and standings on topics, especially during the election season. A strategy to use to try to unfilter your search results is to search different viewpoints and to try using one of the sites that do not filter (examples New York Times and Duck Duck Go). 

--I feel like the whole argument with the ‘Google Generation’ is that students do not know how to properly search. It needs to be taught by the media specialists and reiterated in the classrooms. 

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Blog Post #2 FRIT 7234

After reading the 3 blogs and watching the video, I have realized that I am behind in digitial fluency. Once I started reading them I couldn't put them down. I was highlighting resources they use from Google's late, Podcasts, Goodreads, and Slideshare. I have always thought that I am technology savvy so to say, but I like what Karen Lirenman said in her article, the journey from digitial literacy to digitial flluency, "It is more about transforming how I think about teaching and learning with technology and how it applies to my students." I was just talking the other day to some fellow teachers about how are we supposed to be a digital innovative library without technology? After reading Lirenman's blog, it spoke to me...it is not about the lack of technology tools we have, it is about using the technology we do have to its full potential. The way our students learn is completely different than the way we were taught to learn. Information is at our fingers 24/7 and we as media specialists have to keep up with the times. Our goal is to teach our students how to retrieve and use that information while learning.

The InfoWhelm video's topic was something that all our schools should want to be able to achieve. We should want our students to take their learning into their own hands and not always have the correct answer. But it is not always going to work in the public schools, because we are pressured by standardized tests. I hope that our schools will branch out from this, but I do not forsee that happening soon.

Blog Post #1 - FRIT 7234

Hey y'all, I am the Media Specialist at Merriwether Middle School and obtaining my EdS degree from GSU with concentration in school library media.

Learning Goals for this class:

1) Learn new technology tools to bring back to my library

2) Learn about resources to promote information fluency
3) Gain confidence in promoting new information technology