Happy Whatever You Decide Upon Day!

Today when I arrived at school, I was met by a wonderful young lady with whom I've been working on next year's Poetry Slam Club. Hanna presented me with a bag of Oreos (Yum!) and wished me "Happy Cookie Day!"

Well, I wasn't aware of today's significance and mentioned my ignorance of the day. (How could I not have known! I love cookies only slightly less than a furry blue monster!) And that's when Hanna told me of an absolutely wonderful idea she had.

Because this is the last full week of "normal" classes before exams start, she decided to have her own week of celebrations. We have National Library Week, Teacher Appreciation Week, National Poetry Month, and so on (all very important, of course). So she asked herself, "Why not choose a week and name it and celebrate each and every day?" Hanna named this Candy and Cookie Week, and she gave each day a special meaning and has had fun during what can be a stressful week.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this idea.

You could have a Fabulous Author Week and celebrate each day with a favorite author. (Tea with Agatha Christie on Monday, a game of Quidditch with friends in honor of J.K. Rowling on Tuesday, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea - or go to the beach - with Jules Verne on Wednesday, and so forth) Perhaps you love mysteries. Each day could be a different day of suspense. Bring your friends in on it (or even better, leave them in the dark and give them mysterious clues every day). Just the thought is enough to bring a smile to my face on a Wednesday during a very stressful time of year on a day filled with Professional Development in the library as we have teachers learn how to us a new tech tool for next year during their planning period. (Whew! What a sentence. Does that explain what the library is like today?)

I don't know about you, but I'm already thinking of some celebratory weeks in the future. Why do this?

Because I'm a librarian.

And I want to!

(Go ahead. You know you want to, too!)

 

Summer Reading Program!

Our County has offered the opportunity for a summer reading program to all schools....I know, summer reading for high school? How are you going to get that to work?

Well, I already have talked to the AP Lit teacher and a lot of the books for that class are on the list of books included in this program. There are also a lot of the books read in various classes on the list too. After talking to some of the English teachers, our students have been entered into the MyOn program so they will have access to the e-books all summer. (This should be very helpful to AP Lit students who won't need to buy all those books!)

By Memorial Day, our students will be in the database and able to start reading. The MyOn staff has created an instructional "Getting Started with MyOn" to assist teachers and staff in learning about the program and how to get students on the system. You will need to register your name and school email address once you click on the link. (For added assistance, CHHS staff can contact me for the MyOn contact information.)

Here's a handy Checklist of things to do if you want to use MyOn with your students.

And the list of high school books has some great titles!

The MyOn site also has ways to create and assign projects for your students over the summer!

The MyOn Professional Services Portal is filled with videos your students can watch, teacher quick reference cards, project based units, and more!

Finally Finished, And on to the Next Project

The permanent art display in the library is finally finished! All seven canvasses are in place, and they are absolutely incredible! Each showcases such amazing talent and displays a unique style so they truly balance out the wall above the bookcases.

We also now have three mounted origami art pieces, two of which are framed, displayed in another area of the media center. These pieces are also part of the permanent art exhibit. Our temporary art is through both art teachers, and changes throughout each semester.

Well, usually this would be seen as a great support of the arts with visual displays of student work. However, with the assistance of some equally talented students, we will soon have more art promoting the media center! I would hate for anyone to think art only belongs in a frame or on a wall so....

Members of the Honors Chorus, as well as other students who volunteer to assist, will be choreographing an original music video promoting the library! The words of a song have been changed to highlight what the library has to offer (as well as how much fun the library and reading can be), and now we will add performing arts to our permanent art collection, albeit on the website rather than the wall.

As soon as this great group of students finishes their hard work, the video will be posted here.

This has inspired an idea for next year....a music video contest promoting the library announced in January with the winner announced during National Library Week! I think I'll post them on here, my website and the school Facebook page, and have a most popular vote category too. What do you think?

Technology Addictions: Are We Contributing?

Recently, there have been several news articles about teens admitting they are addicted to their Smartphones. The idea of a technology addiction is not new, but this raises the question, as we head towards "paperless" classrooms with online testing the norm, or whether or not schools are contributing to this technological trend. The next question to ask is: how dangerous is this addiction?

The report, “Technology Addiction: Concern, Controversy and Finding Balance in the Digital Age,”  was published by Common Sense Media. It has been published on all major news outlets (NY Times, CNN, FoxNews, Washington Post, etc.) as it reveals that over half of all teens admit to being addicted to their phones. Well, to be honest, I think most adults would have to admit they are addicted to their phones too! How often do teachers walk down the hall texting? Sit in a staff meeting and check their email?  There is a HUGE difference between adults and teens, however. Adults, you see, grew up without the technology so they learned how to read nonverbal cues and communication. Teens don't have those skills if they are constantly staring at a tiny screen and communicating with peers through texts.

But technology addiction also has behavior issues, which can lead to discipline issues at school and at home. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), an addiction is a chronic brain disorder causing significant behavioral problems and issues in interpersonal relationships. The American Psychological Association (APA) says someone with an addiction can experience withdrawal symptoms when the object of the addiction, including technology, is withheld. These symptoms, according to psychotherapist Dan Entmacher who treats teens for technology addiction, can include intense mood swings, irritation, anger, and depression. What? That's normal for teens, you say? Well, think of the normal teen emotions on steroids. The emotions of a teen going through tech withdrawal are extremely intensified. Difficulty with peer interaction, understanding nonverbal cues, working with others, and social manners are also problems of tech addicted teens. Could technology be to blame for increases in discipline referrals at some schools? This chart shows the different feelings tech-addicted teens admit to having when away from their screens:  Addiction Grid.

When surveyed, the following information was revealed, showing the true problem of tech addiction:

• 40% of iPhone users would stop using a toothbrush before they would stop using their phones
• 83% of iPhone users will only date other iPhone users
• 20% of Smartphone users would rather go shoeless than phoneless
• 63% of Smartphone users would give up chocolate before they would give up their phones

(WOW! Give up brushing your teeth, shoes, or chocolate??? I don't think so! But it seems I am in the minority!) 

Not counting the time in school students are on chromebooks, laptops, iPads, and desktops (or using the Smartboards during lessons), our students are spending an average of 7.5 hours every day plugged in. Actually, the number of hours is larger than that, because that figure does NOT count time spent online doing homework! A lot of that time is also multi-tasking with music and social media and Netflix or YouTube or other media content. During each day, a teen will send more texts than a telegraph operator used to send as well. 

Yet we are starting to "plug them in" 6-7 more hours every day at school. It seems they are online for half of their lives once they start school and have a phone.

Is this a good idea?

Don't get me wrong, I've always been one of the first teachers on the hall to jump on the tech bandwagon and reserve the laptops or other new devices. I love using technology and seeing how it makes research easier for students. But then I read about Silicon Valley and how their schools are technology-free zones...no Smartboards...no Chromebooks...no e-books...no Google Classroom...and I wonder which model is working better. Of course, the demographics are different. Those students live in a very wealthy area and there are fewer than 200 students at the elementary school. (Hard to imagine!) The students also have access to the newest technology available on the market and even before it hits the market due to their parents jobs. Some of our students only have access to technology while at school.

So what to do?

First, let's make sure we are using technology at school for the right reasons. We don't need to use technology for the sake of saying "Hey, look at us! We use technology!" Use devices when they are the BEST, most EFFICIENT, and MOST EFFECTIVE way of reaching your students. Intersperse those technology lessons with some unplugged lessons too. Hands-on lessons are still some of the best ways to reach the majority of our students.

Next, have your students put those phones away. I know our school has a rather strict device policy while my daughter's school allows students to have phones out for class all the time. But do students need to have them out with the music playing 24/7? That's part of the technology addiction. We wouldn't let them eat 24/7. We don't let them go outside and smoke (for the students old enough to have unfortunately picked up that addiction). Let's help them break away from having to be plugged in ALL THE TIME! No Phones! No iPods! (Unless it's necessary for the lesson, i.e. Kahoot, Virtual Reality goggles, etc.)

Also, assign homework that DOESN'T have to be done online sometimes. Let's unplug them at home once in awhile too. We are trying to mold and develop the whole child while they are growing up, even the ones who are taller than we are.

Finally, ask yourself if you are addicted to technology. The following questions have been developed to self-identify a technology addiction. It is a real addiction, just like an addiction to tobacco, alcohol, gambling, food, etc. 

• Have you ever manipulated or lied to obtain screen time?
• Do you regularly use screens when you wake up or when you go to bed?
• Do you avoid people or places that do not approve of you using screens?
• Has your job or school performance ever suffered from the effects of your screen use?
• Have you ever lied about how much you use technology?
• Do you put the purchase of tech ahead of your other financial responsibilities?
• Have you ever tried to stop or control your using technology?
• Does using tech interfere with your sleeping or eating?
• Does the thought of running out of tech terrify you?
• Do you feel it is impossible for you to live without screens?
• Do you ever question your own sanity?
• Is your screen use making life at home unhappy?
• Have you ever thought you couldn’t fit in or have a good time without tech?
• Have you ever felt defensive, guilty, or ashamed about your using technology?
• Do you think a lot about tech?
• Have you ever used screens because of emotional pain or stress?
• Do you continue to use technology despite negative consequences?
• Do you think you might have a tech problem?

Birch, B. A. "Silicon Valley Execs Sending Kids to Tech-Free Schools." Education News. Education News, n.d. Web. 6              May 2016. <http://www.educationnews.org/>.

  Chait, Jennifer. "Technology and Kids: Startling Statistics Every Parent Should Know About        

          Addiction to iPhones & Screens." Inhabitots. Inhabitat, 21 July 2013. Web. 6 May 2016.   

         <http://www.inhabitots.com/>.

   Entmacher, Dan. "Video Game & Technology Addiction in Teens." Dan Entmacher Psychotherapy.  

          N.p., n.d. Web. 6 May 2106. <http://danentmacherpsychotherapy.com/>.

   Jacobson, Linda. "Mobile Device Addiction Explored in Report; Educators as “Mentors”  

          Highlighted." School Library Journal. School Library Journal, 3 May 2016. Web. 6 May 2016.  

          <www.slj.com>.

   Soltan, Liz. "Technology Addiction." Digital Responsibility: Taking Control of Your Digital Life.  

          Digital Responsibility, n.d. Web. 6 May 2016. <http://www.digitalresponsibility.org/>.

Technology Fun for a Friday

Our district's Digital Learning Team was invited for a visit on Friday. They came during Smart Lunch, an academic period when half of the student body (850 students) eats lunch while the other half goes to a club, tutoring session, social area, or academic area. The library is an academic area where students work on projects and write research papers, read, study individually or in groups, work on homework, and so on. Plus, they do get to socialize while they work.

Well, imagine their surprise on Friday when one hundred students per lunch (we have an A and a B period) walked in ready to work and they saw this:

To add to their confusion, some of the armchairs had been moved and tables taken over for this:

Students could use the green screen.

They could also use virtual reality googles, play with controlling a robotic ball, and feel the beating of a heart through an Ipad.

Another popular station allowed students to mix their own music tracks.

Although only 200 of our students got to play with the technology during this session, and a few of the seniors are a bit jealous they won't get assigned projects with a green screen (or virtual reality goggles if we get the grant we're planning to write for a class set of those!), the day was definitely a success.

Unfortunately, we've already had to break the news to students who didn't make it to the media center that we won't be hosting this every Friday....not only do we have to share our Digital Learning Team with other schools, but there's the slight matter of AP Exams in the media center next Friday...