Tuesday, February 16, 2016

#DLDay 2016

Digital Learning Day (#DLDay) is February 17, 2016. So, what is Digital Learning Day? Read the following exerpt from Digital Learning Day's Website to learn more...


What do we mean by digital learning? 

Digital learning is any instructional practice that effectively uses technology to strengthen a student’s learning experience. It emphasizes high-quality instruction and provides access to challenging content, feedback through formative assessment, opportunities for learning anytime and anywhere, and individualized instruction to ensure all students reach their full potential to succeed in college and a career.
Digital learning encompasses many different facets, tools, and applications to support and empower teachers and students, including online courses, blended or hybrid learning, or digital content and resources. Additionally, digital learning can be used for professional learning opportunities for teachers and to provide personalized learning experiences for students.
Digital learning advances school reform by increasing equity and access to educational opportunities, improving effectiveness and productivity of teachers and administrators, providing student-centered learning to ensure college and career readiness for all students, and recognizing teachers as education designers.

Why celebrate Digital Learning Day? 

With so many new types of digital devices, educational software and mobile apps continuously developed, it’s hard to keep up with the latest and greatest advancements in educational technology. In some classrooms and out-of-school programs across the country, educators are doing some pretty amazing things with technology. Yet, these pockets of innovation are confined to a small number of schools and communities. Digital Learning Day was started as a way to actively spread innovative practices and ensure that all youth have access to high-quality digital learning opportunities no matter where they live.
Started in 2012, Digital Learning Day has provided a powerful venue for education leaders to highlight great teaching practice and showcase innovative teachers, leaders, and instructional technology programs that are improving student outcomes. This grassroots effort blossomed into a massive nationwide celebration as teachers realized that Digital Learning Day is not about technology, it’s about learning. It’s not about laying off teachers for laptops, it’s about enhancing the role of the teacher in America’s classrooms. Digital Learning Day promotes the effective use of modern day tools afforded to every other industry to improve the learning experience in K-12 public schools.
- See more at: http://www.digitallearningday.org//site/Default.aspx?PageID=71#sthash.c7ZFketm.dpuf



To celebrate here at West, I've created a video of some of the amazing things we have done in the Media Center and through collaboration with classroom teachers to create digital learners.

Enjoy!

Monday, February 15, 2016

Read Aloud with Arkansas Diamond

Each year, our kindergartners through third graders read books that have been nominated for the Arkansas Diamond Children's Book Award. It is inevitable that some students will miss hearing one or more of the books if they are absent. This year, I decided to create a playlist of the books so that students can go back and listen to those stories that they miss. This has also been helpful for students needing to reread a book before taking the AR quiz.



Our students are proficient at navigating to our school's website, particularly the Computer Lab and Media Center pages. We utilize that virtual space often to host our lessons and utilize our online subscriptions.



I've been adding books to the playlist as we read them in the library, computer lab, or art class! I'm happy to work in such a collaborative teaching community that assists me with the reading and voting process of the Arkansas Diamond Award.

I have been able to find some read alouds on YouTube; however, some have not been available, so I have created a video for those. My new document camera records (yay for new technology)!

You can also find the presentation for the Charlie May Simon nominees, as well as, my favorite books and other trailers by clicking on the link embedded in the above picture!