Multimedia+&+Internet+Schools

=Multimedia & Internet @ Schools=

- I really liked this journal, it had a lot of good articles and not many advertisements. The articles that stuck out the most to me was, //Internet 2 and School Libraries//. This article focused on the website, MUSE (http://k20.internet2.edu). The goal of the website is to help school library media specialists and other k-20 practitioners find people and resources that support and enhance their schools teaching and learning objectives. Another article that I liked was titled, //What is in the Pipeline? Really! Part 1//. This article talked about web 3.0 and the future of internet. It was very interesting to read this authors perspective on the internet and where it's future is headed. It mentioned that even as we speak web 2.0 is already outdated. I thought this was amazing because I just started learning about web 2.0 but I guess it has been around longer than I knew. BT

My issue was rather old (September/October 2008) but there was some groovy stuff, nonetheless. I liked the layout of this journal. It is divided into thirds, where the first section is all articles about the internet @ schools, the second section is about technology @ schools and the third is about products @ schools. I was surprised, considering the age of my issue, that the first article in the Internet section was "Adapting Social Networking to Address 21st Century Skills". There was mention in it of Twitter and Delicious, as well as The American Film History Porject. I loved with the author said, "the key to 21st century learning comes from the combination of innovative pedagogy and a globale community with the networking tools that students are using outside the classroom." We've been addressing that quite a bit in my time at WSU. Another article in the issue was "Virtual Environments and K-12 Education: A Tour of the Possibilities". When I first started at Wright, we talked quite a bit about virtual environments, such as Second Life, as educational tools. However, I've not heard much about them recently. Then there was "Promoting Reading Using this 2.0 Stuff", which discussed using blogs, MySpace, RSS, Wikis, and Facebook, among other tools, to promote reading in schools. I will be going back and looking at this one again. There were some awesome pics that accompanied the article (I wish there had been more) about a remodeled "media center", which included both bistro and comfy seating, and a fabulous lighting scheme. All in all, I found MMIS to be really informative, even the old issue, and it will be one I will try to subscribe to once I am employed. --erin

I read the May/June issue from 2009 and I must say that I had the totally wrong impression of this magazine before I read it! I thought it was going to be dry, boring, and written for techys but I actually found it enlightening and interesting. The cover story for this edition was entitled: “Curriki and the Open Educational Resources Movement: Please Pass the Curriculum.” Author Peter Levy explains that: “new technology now allows teachers to share and collaborate locally and globally in ways that generations past could never have imagined.” He then goes on to introduce a non profit organization called www.Curriki.com, a website that allows teachers to have access to free and open source content and collaborative teaching tools. This website is a great way for teachers to take current lesson plans and customize them to meet their individual needs and also features over 300 full courses as well. Other notable articles include one that focuses on partnering with public libraries to help students utilize web 2.0 applications and another that includes a lengthy list of “fake websites” that were created to teach kids that not everything you find online is factual (these would work great for a researching in the library lesson). There was also an article that provided tips on how to implement online games and simulations in the classroom and one that talked about how to provide resources for students enrolled in special education classes. Overall, I really liked how straight to the point this magazine was. There is not a lot flash or over the top graphics, but the articles are well written and informative. I liked that they got straight to the point and didn’t drag on like some of the articles I read in other magazines. There was also a product review section that would definitely come in handy when selecting new products and resources to figure into the library’s budget every year. -Christie

The issue I read for Multimedia and Internet at Schools was Volume 17 Number 1 January/ February 2010. This issue featured video conferencing, technology assessment tools and using technology to enhance learning in language arts and reading classes. There were several advertisements for Multimedia White Boards within the issue. I liked the Product Reviews that gave a report card for different Electronic Resources. The resources featured in this issue were Achiever!, it’s learning, and Read Outloud. The article that interested me was “What Kids Know ( and Don’t Know) About Technology” by Mary Ann Bell. This article discussed the importance of teaching kids how to appropriately search the internet for information. Many students are Digital Natives meaning they have been around technology their whole entire lives and know how to use technology. As library media specialists it is our job to teach them how to use search engines to find appropriate information. Searching a search engine is more than just typing your topic into the search field. The use of Boolean operators can lead to more appropriate sources of information. This article also discusses the importance of using computers basic tools such as drawing tools, powerpoint and word processing applications to enhance learning and productivity. Teachers can have students use these tools to present their information. The article also discusses kids do not know how to be safe on the internet and many give away valuable information because they do not know how to be safe. Schools rely on the use of filters to block inappropriate sites but students can be taught how to safely navigate the internet. It is also discussed that while thousands of dollars are spent on technology in schools there is little money allocated towards training on these materials. Library Media Specialists and other teachers must possess the ability to work with technology in order to be able to teach students how to appropriately work with technology. Many students possess the skills to work with technology and because so many have technology in their homes it is important to remember that not everyone may be exposed to it outside of schools. - Jessie

I read the September/October 2010 issue of MultiMedia & Internet @ Schools. I liked the way the journal was divided into three sections. I think the division made the journal easy to read and easy to locate information quickly without having to look back through the whole thing. I liked the featured article "Four Competencies for a 21st century Education and How to Implement Them". The article talked about academic competency, occupational competency, civic competency, and personal competency. "Criterion-based tests should be treated just as a milestone--a marker on a greater journey. Getting students ready for college and their careers must be our goal"(page 9). This was my favorite quote from the article and I wanted to scream "Yes!" when I read it. I thought the article really hit home with what students truly need to be successful at and what our goals for them should be. They need to be able to enter the real world not just pass a test and if all we teach them is how to pass a test then we are not preparing them for what is to come. Overall I enjoyed the journal and found it very informational. I would put this on my list of subscriptions for my library one day. ~Kaelin

I read the November/December 2009 issue of Multimedia & Internet @ Schools. This issue focused a lot on how the internet and online resources can encourage 21st Century learning. I love how this journal is geared toward teachers of any grade level. I also really enjoyed the reviews of tech tools and online resources. This is something that I found to be lacking in other journals, so I really appreciated articles like “Teacher Tools” that reviewed education websites and gadgets. Another article I liked was “Social Media in the Classroom—for Kindergartners(!) through High Schoolers”. This article focuses on helping students become effective communicators, both offline and online. It gives suggestions for using social media with kids of all ages, for example, kindergartners can post online messages as a class that students in another school can respond to. Parents should also be invited to participate. For middle schoolers, social networks can be a great discussion tool. Teachers can post research questions and links to information and students can post answers. In high school, it is great to encourage teachers to use social networking tools, since many students already do so. Teachers can post homework online and students can post their questions about it. Throughout all of these uses, it is important to communicate safety to students. This means understanding privacy laws and teaching media literacy among other things. -Michelle L.

I read the March/April 2010 issue of Multimedia and Internet @ Schools. This issue deals with topics such as using Web 2.0 for educational networking, technology-based professional development, and teaching research skills in the age of testing. I thought the cover article ("Educational Networking: The Role of Web 2.0 in Education") was interesting. It discusses how educators can use the tools on Web 2.0 to connect and to learn. It encourages educators to overcome their skepticism of social networking and connect with others. The author discusses Ning, Classroom 2.0, and Elluminate's LearnCentral, and he discusses how educational networking means that professional development is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. I thought that was the most interesting point made in the article. If educators are able to use the web for professional development, costs can be cut because there don't need to be meetings and learning can be increased because teachers don't have to go off campus to attend these meetings or classes. The social aspect of the networking allows educators to not feel isolated and lonely and gives them a large community from which to get advice, encouragement, and collaboration. With Facebook being so prevalent in the lives of my peers, I never really thought of other Web 2.0 applications that could serve as a professional network away from the eyes of students, so this article opened my eyes to the turn networking is taking. Overall, I enjoyed the topics covered in this issue because there is still so much I have to learn, and I think this is a good resource when it comes to learning about advances in technology. - Elyce