Posts

Showing posts from February, 2022

Britannica Online School Edition: Enhancing Student Research Capabilities with Adaptive Technology

Image
Britannica Online is a database of encyclopedia articles on a wide array of topics, compiled for use by k-12 students. Users may search for articles, videos, images and other resources to enhance their learning, and explore hundreds of thousands of digital articles replete with vetted, trustworthy information. Britannica Online offers learners and educators access to quality research resources and improves teaching and learning outcomes inclusively and equitably through the use of curated, customizable features and functions. In South Carolina, Britannica Online access has been granted to public school k-12 students across the state. Learners and educators may navigate to the database from their school or library website, or through MackinVIA, a digital resource management system, but should also be able to sign in by navigating directly to  https://school.ebonline.com/ . Students then have the option to select Elementary, Middle, or High School level access to begin their research. Br

Technology and Pedagogy and Integration Models, Oh My!

Image
Technology integration in K-12 learning environments is an ever-evolving science. When I think back to the types of technology I recall from primary school in the mid-1990s and early 2000s, I picture overhead projectors, big, boxy televisions wheeled into the room on tall metal carts, and classrooms with no desktop, laptop, or tablet computers in sight. Who needed them? There was a computer lab on the Related Arts hall that classes got to visit once each week (to practice keyboard and typing skills, or, perhaps as a treat, play a rousing game of Oregon Trail)!  Today's classrooms and common learning areas resemble the classrooms of my youth in many ways, but the technology landscape is nearly unrecognizable. Students may all be issued their own personal tablet or device to use for school work, classrooms come outfitted with interactive tech tools for use by teachers and pupils, and school libraries have blossomed into information and technology hubs that serve the diverse array of

Creating Quizzes in Google Forms: Guidance for Teachers and Collaborating Librarians

Image
 For the third consecutive school year, we are navigating the challenges of teaching during a pandemic, which renders long-term plans moot, and adaptability to changing circumstances absolutely essential. In extreme cases, teachers do not know from one day to the next how many students will be cleared to enter the classroom, or for how long others may be home sick or on quarantine. Having a flexible game plan is the best way forward for us as educators, and we must all modify instruction and curriculum plans to accommodate the array of student needs that persist. Utilizing digital learning tools empowers teachers to connect consistently with their students, evaluate their progress and identify pain points in the learning process. In my school, as is likely the case at yours, some teachers and students are new to the Google suite of services, or simply newly interested in exploring its many useful tools and features. Google Forms offers teachers the ability to create and score quizzes t