Thing 24: Infographics

I made it!  Caught up to Thing 24 this morning - Infographics
Interesting topic - seems to be an extension and the next generation of graphing.  I liked the TED video.  The information presented in images looks so easy to create, but as I found out - it is pretty easy as far as adding images, but deciding what to add and how to design it is time consuming and challenging for someone who isn't a natural graphic designer :)  I have a new appreciation for graphic designers.

I decided to use data from our December '14 RocRead.  Students read over break and then return a form detailing what they read.  They receive a certificate and a book.  Participation is voluntary.  I used the program recommended by the AASL - easel.ly.  It was easy to add images and text.  I started with a template and added my own images.  I was limited in my choice of graphics because it was a free version.    My question for future projects - can you upload data so the size of images are relative to the results of the data - i.e. if you are comparing girls vs. boys as in my example would it size the images to fit the percentages.  I just had to eyeball it.  Also, I calculated all the data in Excel - I wonder if the paid version have a way to store data so it does the calculations for you.

I know from experience that participation rates are highly dependent on how much the individual classroom teachers promote and/or require it.  And because our upper grade levels with the highest participation are gender based classes, my data didn't surprise me.

Here is my Infographic

Thing 23: Makerspaces

When I first looked at what Makerspaces were I was very confused as to what they were and how they fit into libraries.    I watched some of the webinar Hands On Learning  by Michelle Luhtala,  saw Caine's Arcade, looked at Slyvia's Super Awesome Maker Show, and a few of the other links provided.  I realized the whole makerspace movement is just hands on learning - renaming an old concept.   When my kids were younger we spent many days at the Strong National Museum of Play, and at almost all the exhibits there was a make-it take-it table, stocked with art and craft supplies that would allow children to use their imagination and make something that connected to the exhibit.  I remember "crafts" as part of lessons when I went to school and my own children brought home many when they were in school.  Providing 3D printers, robotic supplies, and other hi-tech equipment in public or school libraries is just an extension and updated version of the "make-it take-it table"  I think.

Students always learn more by doing - it connects all the concepts they read about and listen to - this is a proven fact.    Makerspaces are not new concepts, just maybe a new space or additional space to put them. 

We have a number of Lego League groups at our school that meet in the library before and after school.  One of the exercises for the Jr's are to take a box of random Legos and make something  - such as a model to help during a hurricane or tornado.  Each kid makes their own model then has to explain it and they all look wildly different - it is so great to listen to and watch these kids.  I'm going to pass along info about the local makerspace to the Lego coaches.  I saw the website reading another colleague's post on this topic on Netvibe - rochestermakerspace.org.  They have a free open time during the week for families.

It would be great if we could have funding to get these kinds of supplies for all the grades to use in the classroom.  There  were some great online resources to use, especially the category of coding.
Our building has an annual science fair and I see many examples there of kids applying makerspace concepts.  I know there is a local place that sells what businesses consider "waste" from manufacturing and teachers can go there and get supplies.

I am a librarian, not a classroom teacher.  I don't know all of what is contained in the modules, but I don't think I have seen or heard much about any hands-on learning. Students enjoy and need opportunities to combine their imagination with new concepts to solve problems.  This is what they will do in the "real" world someday.

At our building we have periodic Club Fridays for grades 3-6 that last hour of the day.  Examples of clubs are knitting, cooking, tech club.  I think makerspace club would fit perfectly with a different theme every meeting.

Thing 22: Create a Resource Guide

I was introduced to LibGuides this summer at a district PD.  I use it for easy access to the Empire State Information Fluency Continuum.  RCSD gave each of the librarians a login so I went with this tool.  I watched one of the webinars on how to use it and found it very user friendly.  Over the last year, some of my library lessons for 6th grade have centered around the historical fiction books they read - The Lightning Thief, Bud Not Buddy, and Dragonwings, so I decided to use that as a topic for my resource guide.  I found videos of author interviews, made bibliographies about book resources in my library on the historical topics connected to the stories,  and found other resources to post.  I used Teaching Books for finding the author links. 
I am going to send the link for the LibGuide to my 6th grade teachers and to all the elementary librarians in my district.  My students are now reading Bud Not Buddy and I plan to share this with them after the break.  I will do a follow-up blog on how it is working.  I use Google  Classroom with my 6th graders and will use this LibGuide as a link for resources in my lesson.  This is much easier than putting all these links into each assignment in Google Classroom.

Here is the link to my LibGuide -
http://libguides.rcsdk12.org/grade6