To Facebook...or not?

Pretty much everyone these days has a Facebook account. I think there are a lot of positive things that come from using Facebook- such as staying connected with friends and even using it for educational purposes. However, before we talk about how Facebook can be used as an educational tool, I feel that it is important to note that there are a lot of negatives and controversies that are associated with it as well. One of the biggest problems with Facebook deals with privacy concerns. Some people share inappropriate information, while others just share way too much personal information. This creates two very important problems: first, it can reveal something you wouldn’t want your current/future employer or teacher/school administrator to find out, and second (and most importantly!) it can put your personal safety at risk. Thus, it’s very important to always check your privacy settings to make sure that only those you want to see your profile can. Also, if you have a young child or teen at home using Facebook, it’s important to monitor their use, because I’m sure we’ve all heard the horror stories of predators using social networking to prey on the young.

With that being said, Facebook can be integrated into the classroom and library in fun and unique ways! Here are just a few ideas:

Create a private group for reading discussions: Librarians could post a book for students to read and then guide them in a discussion of the book through the private group page. This is a great idea to use during the summer- or even during the school year. This could really help increase student engagement and excitement about reading.

Create a “teacher account” for use with students and parents: Teachers and librarians could create a Facebook account just to be used to communicate with students and parents. This would be a great place to post homework assignments, as well as answer any questions students may have about their assignments. 

Post lesson information: Ok, so this idea may be a little different and more time consuming- but a good idea nonetheless. Say, for example, a teacher had created a few Powerpoint slides to present to her class. These could be posted to the teacher’s “teacher account” on Facebook for students to review at home. 

Post links to educational sites: Since Facebook is all about sharing information, it would be a great place to post links to helpful educational sites or even sample quizzes. Again, this could be posted to the teacher’s “teacher account.” 

For all you current teachers and librarians out there- please feel free to post ways you have incorporated Facebook!

The iPad...What do I do with it?

I have always been fascinated by the iPad ever since it first made its debut in April 2010. I do not personally own one, but if I had an extra $500 lying around, you better believe I’d have one in a heartbeat! Even if you don’t own one, more than likely you’ve played with one at some point. But, for those if you who haven’t and are a bit…um, behind the times, the iPad was designed by Apple as a platform for audio-visual media, including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, web content, and much more. So, you may be asking yourself, “How can this be useful in my classroom or library?”

Well, for one, it’s perfect for student research. Here are some of the reasons why:

• You can set specific websites as apps on the desktop, meaning a research database can become a one-touch app.
• There are "brainstorming apps" (like Popplet Lite and Brainstorming by ideaWallets) that allow students to use the iPad to brainstorm topics and reorganize their ideas. 
• There are apps such as Evernote, Flipboard, and the Delicious app that allows students to collect and save pages, graphics, and links that relate to their research.
• There are also apps that can help students assemble a list of their sources such as iSource MLA.

Furthermore, its brilliant graphics make it function great as an eReader, and you can download magazine apps such as National Geographic, eliminating the need for messy, torn-up magazines in your library. Also, iPad 2 is designed for FaceTime video calling, featuring two cameras- one on the front and one on the back. This creates the possibility that students could communicate with students or even professionals in other parts of the country or world.

The only problem with the iPad is that they are quite expensive, so it's not the easiest for schools to obtain them in large quantities. However, this short article features a school that did away with their computer lab and opened an iPad lab. So, take a look at this article, and perhaps consider ways that your school could integrate the iPad into your 21st Century classroom or library.
iPad Lab

If you're still struggling with what to do with your iPad, check out this link. It gives the top 20 iPad apps for teachers- 10 to help with organization and time management, and 10 education apps.
Top 20 iPad Apps for Teachers

Welcome!

Welcome everyone!

So, I'm kind of new to this blogging thing, but I think blogging is a great way to share and explore new resources. This blog is intended to be aimed at both librarians and teachers, and my goal with this blog is to take an in-depth look at various electronic resources, digital media, and social networks and explore ways they can be used in the classroom and library. We now know that today's students are much different from students in the past, and thus have a very different style of learning. Today's students are considered "digital natives," and have grown up surrounded by these various forms of media. They learn best in a fast-paced environment, and with the use of digital media. So, it is important for both teachers and librarians to incorporate various forms of digital media into our lessons. 

Since I am not yet in a school, this blog will also be a chance for me to do a little research and come up with ideas that I can use in my own library. I can only imagine that getting a job in a school library coming straight out of college could be quite intimidating, so this will give me something to reference in the future when I'm trying to come up with a last minute lesson plan!