The Challenges of Remote Learning and Rules of Engagement

I'm sure many of us would agree that last year--remote and hybrid teaching during Covid--was probably one of the biggest challenges of our teaching career. The sudden shift to online teaching, the worry about our students and their situations at home, the lack of tech support or guidance, and the stress of both the pandemic and the uncertainty of the future created a perfect storm for a difficult year. Here I'll share some thoughts form my colleagues, as well as some tips for ways to engage students during remote learning.

 The Highs and Lows of Remote Learning- Notes from Colleagues:

“Last year was the hardest year of teaching that I can remember, and I’ve been at it for a long time. There were just so many lows, it’s hard to even think about now. But one thing that sticks out was just the isolation I felt every day, alone in a basement room we converted into a workspace. I remember feeling trapped in there, day after day, and so absolutely disconnected from the human experience. That was the worst part.”

“I’d have to say the worst part–the absolute worst—was staring at black screens day after day, and trying so hard to get kids to talk and they just wouldn’t, sometimes. And as soon as the superintendent said they didn’t have to put their screens on and they could just communicate using the chat, I knew it was gonna be awful.”

"I was really surprised by the work ethic of a lot of the kids who were using Zoom to learn reading skills with me. Even though it was so difficult at times, the majority of my kids showed up every day and persisted in a lot of rote work, which can be pretty tedious, especially remotely. We didn’t lose as much traction with their reading progress as I thought we would.”

“I don’t know, everyone says they hated it, but I thought we were ankle to do some cool stuff on Zoom, like creating group projects using the breakout rooms where kids could meet and interact sort of independently. That was cool. Also, I think a lot of the kids who have anxiety did better on Zoom than in person.”

Rules of Engagement:

1. Think outside the box: Use tools and apps to engage students differently. Here are a few tools I relied on during remote learning

Readworks (for reading/text)

Kahoot: (fun assessment tool)

Storyboard (simple graphic design tool)

Flipgrid (easy filmmaking tool)

2. Leverage your student leaders to run Zoom breakout rooms. This will give students (older ones) the autonomy they desire, while freeing you up to check in with students needing extra support.

3. Use project-based learning. Long term projects that involve choice and have an interesting end product can be highly motivating for students. Check out Expeditionary Learning (EL) website for ideas. EL projects at home

4. Use music, visuals, video and other media to "hook" students into a new topic/unit/lesson. Things like gallery walks, chalk talks, and 4 corners can all be modified and done virtually. 

5. Have students learn to share their screens so that they become agents of their own learning, and move beyond traditional roles of teacher as lecturer. Having a real audience for their presentations is a game changer!

Librarians as Professional Development Leaders

Many of us in the education world know how painful professional development (PD) sessions can be, when they're not done well. They can feel like a massive waste of time, redundant or even condescending. Many times, outside "experts" are called in (and highly compensated) to teach the teachers, rather than drawing on the expertise at our fingertips...our colleagues. This is where, as Carl Harvey suggests in Putting on the Professional Development Hat, library professionals can play a uniquely useful role. Library Media Specialists have the ability to "make connections to school libraries for our staff and administrations" by drawing on their tech training to lead meaningful PD sessions for their colleagues. Harvey suggests that librarians may be especially adept at helping teachers learn and infuse new technology into their practice, and having teachers learn alongside their students, as the class is being taught, and then gradually take over the reigns after several sessions, when they have developed competency. I think Harvey is right in both promoting librarians as PD leaders, and also in this novel approach to guiding or coaching teachers as they work with their students. It allows teachers time to master the material or skill, and also allows students to view their teachers as learners, as imperfect beings with growth mindsets. 

Harvey, Carl A. “Putting On the Professional Development Hat.” School Library Monthly. January, 2013. 

Top 5 Learning Apps for Beginners

 

Here's a list of my top 5, easy-to-use, fun and effective tools/apps for the library or classroom:

Bookshare: A massive selection of audio books, free for students with disabilities and their teachers to help provide access to a rich variety of texts. Great way to differentiate instruction for students with disabilities.

Readworks: A huge selection of both fiction and informational texts from a wide range of subject areas, organized by reading level and into thematic groups. each text can be leveled depending on student lexile, and student progress is monitored as they go.

Google Read and Write: Excellent tool for accommodations for ESL and students with disabilities. This app is easily added into Google docs, and allows students to dictate their words into a microphone (speech-to-text), and also have text read to them (text-to-speech).

Flipgrid: This app can be used in classroom to allow students and teachers to create videos for a variety of lesson functions, such as: demonstrating understanding, watching a lecture, recalling facts or details about text, etc. Very interactive and engaging for students, also promotes agency and collaboration.

Google classroom. This is an awesome tool for all kids, but especially helpful for students with executive functioning difficulties, because it allows them to manage their assignments, due dates, and get important messages. Additionally, librarians and teachers can add materials such as audio and video supports, modified materials, graphic organizers, etc.

Embracing Social Media and Gaming

 

Teens and Social Media/Gaming: Striking a Balance

Social media, gaming and teenagers–can we embrace this phenomenon, or should we be very, very afraid? This is a dilemma facing schools and families around the country in 2022, intensified by the global pandemic, and one that is hotly debated by parents, psychologists and educators alike. In the last 10 years, social media use among the general population, and especially teens, has exploded. Educators are now in the unique position of determining how to leverage the increasing popularity of both social media and gaming toward better engagement and student learning outcomes. 

A 2015 PEW study indicated that “71% of teens spend time with friends on social media; 23% do so every day.” and “52% of all teens spend time with friends playing video games; 13% play with
friends daily.” These numbers indicate that the vast majority of teens are engaging with social media and/or gaming on a daily basis, and it’s a trend that is exceedingly unlikely to reverse course.  I will take the position, in this essay, that we must strike a balance between fearing social media/ gaming, and embracing them as new opportunities to engage and motivate young people.

To begin with, let’s take a look at the pitfalls and potential benefits of social media. Social media is a relatively new phenomena that has virtually exploded within the last ten years, where everything from Twitter to Instagram to TikTok have changed the entire landscape of how people, especially teens, interact. According to the PEW research, “teen friendships are strengthened and challenged within social media environments” (PEW p.5). This suggests that social media can play a pivotal role in student social development in both positive and negative ways. In the positive light, social media can be a place where young people meet new friends and engage with their existing ones. “For today’s teens, friendships can start digitally: 57% of teens have met a new friend online. Social media and online gameplay are the most common digital venues for meeting friends…the most common spots for meeting friends online are social media sites like Facebook or Instagram” (PEW, p. 2). The New York Times breaks down the PEW research further in order to provide a theory for some of the data, in the article “Teenagers leading happy, connected lives online”, by KJ Dell’Antonia, dated August 2015. A source in the article states, “the online space is a way of expanding teenagers’ ability to be with friends when they aren’t able to be with them in person.” Presumably, this means that online friendships are filling in the social gaps when teens might have otherwise been isolated, particularly during the covid pandemic. In this regard, social media can encourage different ways of interacting and help fend off loneliness and isolation, to some degree.

On the flip side, as most of us are already aware, social media can be distracting and even damaging to student self-esteem, can invite bullying, and in some cases can exacerbate social isolation. According to an article by McClean Hospital from January of this year, social media has physical as well as psychological dangers. “A 2018 British study tied social media use to decreased, disrupted, and delayed sleep, which is associated with depression, memory loss, and poor academic performance. Social media use can affect users’ physical health even more directly. Researchers know the connection between the mind and the gut can turn anxiety and depression into nausea, headaches, muscle tension, and tremors.” (https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-your-mental-health). 

Similarly, gaming has its fair share of plusses and minuses. To begin with, on the minus side, gaming can be addictive and violent, and at the very least can serve as a distraction from learning.  A 2009 article by the Dana Foundation (a brain research organization) states that “studies reporting that games with violent content increase aggressive thoughts, feelings and behaviors suggest that these violent tendencies can extend into real-life situations. “ ((https://dana.org/article/video-games-affect-the-brain-for-better-and-worse/)

 However, like social media, there is a positive side to gaming and, not surprisingly, it has to do with increased social connections, collaboration and networking. According to the PEW report, “78% of teen online gamers say when they play games online it makes them feel more connected to friends they already know” and “fully 72% of all teens ages 13 to 17 play video games on a computer, game console or portable device. Teen gamers play video games in a variety of ways and with a variety of companions; 83% play with others in person and 75% play with others online.” (PEW pp. 16,18). 

These data indicate that young people are finding interesting ways to connect with other kids and, in fact, maintain social connections over sustained periods of time via gaming and social media. Additionally, the Dana 2009 report found that “in one study, 161 college students were randomly assigned to play one of several violent games, neutral games, or pro-social games (in which helpful behavior was required). After playing, the students completed a task in which they could either help or hurt another student. Those who had played the violent games were more hurtful to other students, whereas those who had played the pro-social games were more helpful.” (https://dana.org/article/video-games-affect-the-brain-for-better-and-worse/). This suggests that the type of game matters, too. Thus, as educators we must be aware of the different types of games students are playing, and encourage them to engage with more collaborative, less violent games whenever possible.

 In informal interviews with my own students, I discovered that they are eager to share their thoughts on the positive effects of gaming and social media. Several students indicated that gaming helps them “learn new math skills” and that they have to “read a lot when playing online games to know what to do, so it helps with reading skills too”. Students report that they keep up with their friends and “have fun together” when playing games collaboratively online. These same students did also indicate that they felt that certain games are not appropriate for younger kids (i.e. Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty). 

So the question remains, how do we strike a balance between the negative and positive effects of social media and gaming? And what is the role of the Library Media Specialist in helping students navigate the good and the bad? It’s clear that we must first know our audience. We need to engage in ongoing, open and honest discussions with teens about using social media and gaming. We have a duty to provide them with the tools to navigate both safely, and to encourage opportunities for social media and gaming to serve as collaborative tools, a place where new ideas can grow. 

I’d like to propose a series of action steps to help us better leverage the potential benefits of social media, and maintain a balance between the benefits and pitfalls:

1. Get to know the games and social media: ask questions, explore, try out the games with students. Having your own access points is an excellent way to engage with the students at a basic level.

2. Collaborate with students to create library social media accounts (or your own) where you can showcase books, highlight library events, and connect with students. The more we involve students in the process, the more agency they will have over library social media content.

3. Review your internet use policies and procedures manuals, and teach a series of lessons on: responsible internet use, intellectual freedom, fake news, etc. and be clear about the expectations and rules.

4. Use social media to connect with students by conducting interactive activities, surveys, opportunities for feedback on books, etc.

5. Use your expertise as a Media Specialist to educate and inform parents and the school community about ways to engage teens and leverage technology as an opportunity (rather than a hindrance) for interaction.

Works cited:

Boyd, Danah. It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2014.

Dana Foundation: https://dana.org/article/video-games-affect-the-brain-for-better-and-worse/

Dell-Antonia, KJ. "Teenagers Leading Happy Connected Lives Online.” New York Times, August 6, 2015.

[PEW] Lenhart, A., Smith, A.., Anderson, M., Duggan, M., Perrin, A., “Teens, Technology and Friendships.” Pew Research Center, August, 2015.

https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-your-mental-health

 

Social Media: Tools to promote your library program

 

Is social media useful in a school library setting? How? Why? What are some of the best sites, and how can we leverage this media to promote our library programs? These are a few questions I've considered recently, and have created a short, annotated list of the ones I've found most useful.

Google Blogger: Ironically, this post itself is on Google Blogger, so there's no doubt that this app can be very useful as a showcase for your library programs. Operated by Google, and free, Blogger allows you to create your own blog, update, add editors and contributors for collaboration, and link to other social media sites. It's a great tool for networking and getting feedback also.

Instagram: Awesome tool for showcasing your collection, and promoting new materials and books. Because it's so widely used, it will also help you make professional connections, network with other librarians, and highlight events. Instagram stories are created by members themselves, so you have control of what you're sharing.

Twitter: great for connecting with other library professionals and as a discovery tool for new ideas, events and discussion boards. Twitter allows you to engage in discussions about a seemingly infinite range of topics, as well as promote your library program and events.

Facebook: Great tool for networking with other professionals, promoting your collection and recent acquisitions, sharing upcoming events, and highlighting student project work. It can also be use, via facebook marketplace, to get materials for your library at low cost, or as a place to donate older materials.

youtube: On youtube, librarians can create and post informational videos (i.e. how to use a database), make book recommendations or read-aloud videos, create mini-lessons for classroom instruction, and use all of these tools in reverse--to learn, explore and discover new ideas. Again, this tool can be used to promote your library program and highlight your collection.

Goodreads: A subsidiary of Amazon, Goodreads is described as a "social cataloging site" where folks can find and share the best new books. It's probably the best site for reading and writing book recommendations, and a great little tool for librarians who are looking for new materials and want to hear the recommendations of other professionals.

Pinterest: Another discovery and showcase tool that allows you to highlight and post "pins" related to your library collection, events, and classroom collaborations. Also excellent for getting ideas for your library space, including ideas for how to make the space itself more inviting and more accessible. Pinterest is a great way to create a curated library "board" that can be shared with the school community.