| Whenever
I go to conferences, I always make a “To Do” list
before I leave because once I get back to school I will be so busy
that I won’t have a minute to look at my notes. But, a “To
Do” list is manageable and sits right on top of my stack of things
that I have to do that day. It is a reminder that I should always look
at the “big picture” and not always gets bogged down in
the everyday items. Also, I always start on my Conference “To
Do” list while I am at the conference because research shows
that if you don’t act on new ideas within THREE days they are
forgotten!
The first thing
I did was look at all the computer tips that Brent Williams shared
at his workshop. I downloaded PlanMyDay free software and then I
checked into whether I could use voice-activated software with Windows
98. I made copies for the other library media specialists in our
district of the information that I got at Mary Barbee’s session about converting to a Union Catalog with Follett. We are VERY
INTERESTED in this and she will be a good resource when we start this
process in the next few years.
 I went to TWO sessions
in which the presenters discussed using Powerpoint to teach. Patrick
Crispen said that he felt that the “research” points
to the fact that all the “Bells and Whistles” you add to
Powerpoint detract from the lesson. However, Diane King,. a media specialist
from Georgia disagreed. She felt that by using themes and pop culture
icons to get students attention, subject matter can be taught to students
painlessly. I agree with Ms. King. In fact. I emailed her after the
conference and asked her to send me a copy of her orientation. I then
began using some of her techniques to make my Orientation video more
FUN! Some of the techniques I used were: changing the font, using a
pop icon as the theme, use Clips Online for animation, adding callouts
to pictures, animating the text, adding sound, and using glitzy transitions.
My Powerpoint presentation
is now awesome! I have to agree with Diane, kids like the “bells and whistles.”
I always enjoy
hearing Doug Johnson. His workshop about librarian’s
being indispensable was indispensable. He discussed some of the tenants
of being indispensable which are: No Whining, know your principal’s
goals, be viewed as an ally, and the most important is ADVOCATE CHILDREN!
He made me reevaluate what makes me indispensable in my school and
what else can I do to become indispensable. We know all these things
but it is so good to remind yourself so that when you go back to school
so you have a renewed sense of purpose!
A library media specialist and an instructional technologist who
worked together did another session I attended. Since we have the same
setup in our school, she shared some fantastic tips for corroborative
planning. The most important thought she shared was that the two of
you need to be seen as ONE! Collaboration between the teachers and
us is the key. So, we set a goal to work on that and have talked to
several teachers about working with their classes. In fact, we have
already planned to work with two teachers this semester. I will work
with the students with the research and the instructional technologist
that I work with will help the students turn their research into a
Powerpoint presentation.
I always enjoy
the GaETC conference. It is a chance to learn about new technology
and ideas that can be used to strengthen instruction and collaboration
between the librarian and the teacher. I see technology as a tool
in my “bag of tricks.” The
more I learn, the more I can share. Specifically, I use technology
to help build a strong collaborative bond between the teachers and
the librarian and therefore improve instruction. Thank you, GaETC!
I came away from this conference with many new ideas and a renewed
sense of passion for my job.
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