ISCI 761 Blog #6 - Sillhouette for Makerspaces

Makerspaces are an important tool to include in libraries, as they can bring people together in a warm, welcoming and collaborative space (Fontichiaro, 2019). As collaboration has become more and more necessary in business, it is important that we provide the environments that will encourage and promote these skills (Techman, 2014). 

Silhouette Cutting Tool for Makerspaces

Image Description: 4 multicolored models of

Silhouette cutting machine taken from Silhouette.com

Makerspaces are a fun and innovative way to support that mission and no tool is more versatile than the Silhouette cutting machine.  It allows users to cut out simple or intricate designs from a variety of materials like vinyl, cardstock, heat transfer paper, and sticker sheets. Users can create custom t-shirt designs using heat transfer vinyl, or print and cut their own temporary tattoos to support events like games, spirit days, or even academic competitions.

Image Description: Minecraft papercraft chessboard 

taken from Tektonten Papercraft Blog

Silhouette can also support building designs and games with fun patterns, available for free online, such as this Minecraft Chessboard Papercraft Pattern I found on Tektonten Papercraft.  Not only can patrons build the pieces together, but then they can also play chess together, which “helps children develop their cognitive abilities, their character and their competitive spirit” (Nanu et al, 2023). 

Best of all, the Silhouette supports both guided and independent learning. Whether users are following a step-by-step tutorial or experimenting with their own digital drawings, they can find everything they need to succeed with this amazing tool. 

Silhouette Mint for Makerspaces and Letterboxing

Silhouette also makes a stamp maker, called the Silhouette Mint. This is another amazing tool that can be used in makerspaces to encourage creativity as well as a healthy active lifestyle. Users can design and cut their own custom stamps to use for decorative artwork or even for participating in Letterboxing activities.

Image Description: Image of the Silhouette Mint

taken from Silhouette.com

For those of you who may be unfamiliar, letterboxing is an outdoor hobby that combines treasure hunting, puzzle solving, and hiking. It is similar to Geocaching, but includes an element of art and creativity. Rather than using geolocation as with Geocaching, Letterboxing participants follow clues to find hidden, weatherproof boxes that contain a rubber stamp and a logbook. When found, players stamp their personal logbook with the box's stamp and leave their own stamp in the box's logbook as a record of their visit.  Clues to find boxes can be found on letterboxing.org, and participants can even create their own boxes for others to find. 

Image Description: Stamp book with notes, custom stamp and pad

taken from greatpondtrust.org

Handcarving Stamp Tools

For your more hardcore patrons that want to participate in letterboxing activities, but find the Silhouette Mint to be cheating, you can also include hand carving materials in your makerspace.  Amazon offers a wide array of stamp carving kits by Speedball that you can have available as well. 

Image Description: Stamp carving set, containing carving tools, 

rubber, and ink rolling tools available from Amazon

Silhouette’s cutting tools are a fantastic inclusion in any library Makerspace.  Be sure to check them out!

References: 

Fontichiaro, K. (2019). What I’ve learned from 7 years of the maker movement in schools and libraries. Teacher Librarian, 46(4), (pp. 51–53). https://www.proquest.com/openview/d4605e88d35feb5262e45bcd336685db/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=38018.

Techman, M. (2014). Supporting Creativity in School Libraries. Knowledge Quest, 42(5), (pp. 28–30). file:///Users/gertrude/Downloads/EBSCO-FullText-07_25_2025%20(3).pdf.

Nanu, C. C., Coman, C., Bularca, M. C., Mesesan-Schmitz, L., Gotea, M., Atudorei, I., Turcu, I., & Negrila, I. (2023). The role of chess in the development of children-parents' perspectives. Frontiers in psychology, 14. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10330813.

ISCI 761 Blog #5 - Exploring Using Chat GPT for Tutoring

Image Description: AI Generated image of student with AI robot hologram 

tutor during a study session (Image from diamandis.com)

 

As I am not particularly experienced in using AI, I wanted to try out some of the features I saw in the lectures this week. This week, I focused on using ChatGPT as an AI tutor.  My daughter sometimes struggles in mathematics, and we have hired a tutor to come to the house to help her. It would be nice if she could have a tutor to help her when she is trying to do homework on her own when he is not available. I asked ChatGPT to help me with ratios, and it gave me an overview, and then asked me some sample questions. I thought it was very helpful in the way that it responded to incorrect answers by helping me see what I did wrong and then giving me another sample question to make sure I understood before moving on. I was pleasantly surprised when I asked it how to find greatest common factors for clarification of the directions when it was explaining simplifying ratios.  I thought it might forget the original prompt, but instead, it explained and gave me sample questions just as it had done with the original prompt and then asked if I had more questions or wanted to continue with the lesson on ratios. I think this could be a very useful tool for students. 

Image Description: Battle of the Books title with two jousting knights emerging from books

Chat GPT was also helpful for practicing for Battle of the Books.  I asked it to tutor me for Battle of the Books, and it asked for the book list, my grade level, and the date of the competition.  It gave me a weekly plan to prepare for the competition; however, the question format was not the format that we use for Battle of the Books questions.  I was able to ask it to adjust the format of the questions to fit our competition and it did, excluding proper names and asking in the format, "In which book did ___ happen", limiting questions to specific events, not overall themes.  It even gave me the option to find which specific pages events could be found in the book, if I included the edition of the book I was using.  Once I finished fine tuning the tutorial to ask the questions the way I wanted, it also allowed me to create a tutorial to share with my students and gave me a prompt to enter in ChatGPT to recreate the same formatting of questions for students to create their own tutorials using ChatGPT.  I think this will be an invaluable tool in my library to help me prepare students for the competition this year. 

In my experiencing practicing with these tools in chatGPT, I could definitely see some of the advantages that Schools that Lead (2024) referenced. The features were highly adaptable to fit my specific needs, were available right when I needed them, and offered immediate feedback so that I could understand my mistakes immediately and make corrections. I could also see how some of the drawbacks mentioned could come into play, though.  Some students might not have access to a computer or broadband services at home, which would give them an unfair disadvantage compared to their peers who did, as Aniya Green-Santos mentioned in NEA Today (2024).  Also, I could see there being some confusion if the AI tutored a student in a subject differently than the way the teacher taught it in the classroom. Additionally, I think that if students are not clear enough in exactly what they need to learn because they do not quite understand the subject enough to convey their needs in chatGPT, their results may differ from peers who are better able to work with the program.  Still, I think that there are some extremely promising features that can greatly help students, as long as there is a teacher available to help them learn how to use chatGPT effectively. Fortunately, there have been efforts made to assist teachers in preparing to educate students in AI, however there is still much to be done to ensure all teachers are on the same page, rather than leaving it to the teachers to tackle this task alone (Green-Santos, 2024). 

References

Green-Santos, A. (2024). Does AI have a bias problem? NEA Today. https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/does-ai-have-bias-problem

Schools that Lead. (2024). Advantages and disadvantages of AI in education. https://www.schoolsthatlead.org/blog/ai-in-education-pros-cons

ISCI 761 Blog #4 - Helperbird

Image from helperbird.com

Image Description: Image features an owl, which is the Helperbird logo, with the words "Helperbird, Read. Write. Ignite your full potential with Helperbird."

Helperbird is an amazing interactive digital tool designed to make websites more accessible and easier to read.  It allows users to change fonts, text sizes and spacing, colors, backgrounds, utilize text to speech, translate into a large number of available languages and so much more. Please take a look at my video about a great digital accessibility tool that you can use for free with your students:

Helperbird

Video Description: Blogger describes some of the free features of HelperBird and describes how users can download and use the free version of the application

Click Here to download the Helperbird extension for your computer

Click Here to access Helperbird's tutorials for utilizing its many amazing features

ISCI 761 Blog #3 - Supporting Students with Audio Enhancement Technology

Surely we've all had those times when we haven't been able to hear the instructor clearly in class.  It can lead to misunderstanding of directions or even an inability to understand the course materials. Audio Enhancement Technologies have been helping students learn in classrooms for years through whole classroom/school providers such as Audio Enhancement, Teq, and CCS Audio Visual Experts among others. 

Image Description: Image shows a teacher using audio enhancement while reading to students who are noticeably engaged, as several are raising their hand to ask or answer questions.
Image from CCS Southwest

Audio enhancement technology uses a microphone that is attached to the teacher.  It carries his/her voice to speakers that are strategically placed around the room to ensure that all students are able to hear the teacher whether they are in the front row or the back. Additionally, many of these systems are also equipped with a handheld microphone that allows students to respond to and ask questions while being heard clearly throughout the classroom, even if they are quiet or shy. In addition to ensuring students can hear what is happening no matter where they are in the classroom, teachers can also speak at a normal volume, reducing strain on their voice throughout the day.

See this technology in action in the video below

Video Description: In this video, Osceola County School District share how they are using Audio Enhancement in their classrooms.  
Subtitles available by clicking on the closed captioning (CC) option.

Technology such as this in classrooms in classrooms is important for a variety of reasons.  In addition to creating an accessible classroom that supports all students, this technology also follows the RAT (replacement, amplification and transformation) Framework for technology integration as introduced by Hughes et al. (2006).  

Replacement - Some providers of Audio Enhancement technology combine their service with visual recording as well, allowing for teachers to record their lessons to send to students to review at home. For some students, the inclusion of the ability to add subtitles to the lecture in addition to the audio visual elements will give them supports that they may need to be successful in school. In this way, the instructional method is not changed, yet the medium through which students can access the lecture can be changed to a more accessible format, should students need it. 

Amplification - When students are better able to hear the teacher in the classroom, it decreases the need for teachers to strain their voice or for students to ask teachers to repeat themselves, thus increasing the efficiency and productivity of classroom learning. 

Transformation - When students struggle to hear and keep up with the lesson, they may disengage from the conversation.  Likewise those students who are shy or speak quietly may be unwilling to raise their hand to be heard in class.  With this technology, more students are able to participate in the class, enhancing the discussion and bringing about perspectives and viewpoints that might not have otherwise been heard. Additionally, teachers have greater opportunities for group assignments or utilizing spaces in the classroom that might have otherwise been prohibitive due to inability to communicate from a distance.  This technology allows for more freedom of movement in the classroom, as well as increased engagement between students as well as with the instructor. 

If your school does not have this technology or cannot approve funding, there are a number of resources available to seek funding, such as GetEdFunding.com, the NEA Foundation and Teach.com.  Additionally, crowd funding might be an option with Donorschoose.org or adoptaclassroom.org

Individual portable audio enhancement devices are also available for purchase online from vendors like Amazon, Walmart, and other retailers. 

References:

Hughes, J., Thomas, R. & Scharber, C. (2006). Assessing technology integration: The RAT - replacement, amplification, and transformation - framework. SITE 2006 Proceedings (pp. 1616-1620).  https://web.archive.org/web/20211030191410/http://techedges.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Hughes_ScharberSITE2006.pdf

ISCI 761 Blog #2 - The Intersection of Information Literacy, Technology and Digital Media

In the modern era, with its abundant access to technology, digital content and media, information literacy education has never been more important. I was particularly struck by a statement made in The Liturgists Podcast episode 55, Fake News and Media Literacy (2017) in which they said that jurors are told what to consider and what to disregard when they were hearing testimony in court, which ensures that they only consider relevant information when rendering a judgment. In the real world, educators have to take on that role. Otherwise, there would be no system in place for ensuring that learners would be able to separate what is true and relevant and what is not.  

Ekdal (2020) said that information is more powerful every year and that “students need solutions to deal with information overload” (p. 41). This cannot be left to chance that individual educators possess the knowledge necessary to support their students. She says that the Big 6, as developed by Mike Eisenberg and Bob Berkowitz helps to focus on the process. 

The Big6 Skills Include: Task definition, information seeking strategies, location and access, use of information, synthesis and evaluation.

Information seeking strategies has the greatest intersection of technology, digital resources and information literacy. The Partnership for 21st Century Learning Framework (P21, 2015) shows that in addition to learning the technology skills necessary to find information, learners must also learn to think critically about the information they are able to access with those tools. There are many things to consider when finding sources of information. 

The Liturgists podcast (2017) outlined 5 things to consider when determining if a source is reputable: 

1. Look for named authors and contributors that create accountability. 
2. Where was it published? (Is this a reputable source? Have I heard of it? Is there an editorial review board? Does it have reviews? Does it publish retractions or corrections or is there a way to write to the editor? Who owns the publication?) 
3. Date of Publication – Many articles are published from long ago as if they are new.
4. Look for specifically named sources.
5. Is it well written (grammatical errors, all caps, etc.)?

Additionally they state that even if information is not fake, it is still likely to be biased.  Different information providers may place emphasis on the things that are more relevant to their own agendas and undervalue other information that goes against their views. The American Library Association (ALA, 2015) presents a framework that helps in the consideration of the value of factual information. 

The authority of the creator should be evaluated based on the context for which the information will be used and that information is generally created for a specific purpose and delivered strategically.  The value of the information to the producer is in successful outcome that they intend the information to have.  For example, as Liturgists podcast states, many titles have the intention of gaining the consumer’s interest so that they keep reading, and so they can gain ad revenue. Just because the information captures your interest, however, does not mean it is useful or relevant. Research should be an exercise in inquiry.  The finding of new information should lead to more questions that keep the conversation ever moving forward in complexity, and drawing on multiple perspectives from collaboration in discussing new insights and discoveries.  It is important to factor all of these elements in when evaluating whether the information is reliable for the intended purpose. 

As a school librarian, I believe that my own information diet should be varied and extensive.  The more information I have to draw on, the more I can help my students.  Specifically, it is important to understand the needs and interests of my students and read as much as I can about those subjects, and from as many perspectives as possible. That way, when students ask me questions or make broad statements, I can challenge them to think outside of their narrow views and to consider alternative perspectives as well.  Additionally, I should be constantly seeking information that meet my own interests, so that I am modeling the behaviors and skills that I am teaching to my students. Finally, I should be keeping abreast of new ideas and innovations in the LIS field, so that my skills as an educator will remain relevant and useful to my students. 

References: 

American Library Association. (ALA 2015). Framework for information literacy for higher education. https://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework. 

Ekdahl, M. (2000). Essential skills for the information age: The Big6 in action. In Teacher librarian (Vancouver) (Vol. 28, Number 2, pp. 41–41). E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC.

Gungor, M. (Executive Producer). (2017). Fake news & media literacy (No. 55) [Audio Podcast Episode]. In The Liturgists Podcast. The Liturgists Inc. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fake-news-media-literacy/id903433534?i=1000382332635

Partnership for 21st Century Learning. (P21, 2015). Framework for 21st century learning. https://www.marietta.edu/sites/default/files/documents/21st_century_skills_standards_book_2.pdf.

ISCI 761 Blog #1 - AASL and ISTE Standards - How They Work Together to Improve Information Literacy Skills

The standards set by both the American Association of School Libraries (AASL) and the International Society for Technology and Education (ISTE) provide a framework by which educators can prepare students to acquire the skills and attitudes that they will need in order to become knowledgeable, contributing members of society. While both sets of standards encourage inquiry based learning and place high importance on the incorporation of diverse perspectives and sources,  AASL standards seem to focus on a conversation about acquiring and sharing diverse knowledge and information, whereas ISTE standards give learners the skills to utilize the digital tools necessary to carry out this process.  

From an educational standpoint, AASL outlines Four Key Competencies in the learning process which seem to move in a never ending cycle of learning and developing new understandings. 

• Think: Learners must think about a topic that interests them and formulate their questions.  They must think about various perspectives that might contribute to that question and collaborate with others to create deeper meanings through engagement to fully understand what they are learning. ISTE standards compliment the knowledge seeking behaviors by giving learners the ability to the use technology to seek new information and build networks in a global community while learning how to safely and respectfully engage with others around the world. 

• Create: Learners create products that illustrate their learning.  To do this, they must represent diverse perspectives and be able to build connections with others to build on the existing body of knowledge.  They must also use a variety of tools and resources to find the most effective way of locating and managing their new knowledge. Again, ISTE standards help learners find the best tools to accomplish this task, and like the AASL standards, it requires that learners explore real-world issues and take multiple perspectives into consideration. 

• Share: Learners must then share what they have learned and engage with information shared by others.  They must provide feedback and respond to feedback from their peers. They must engage in active debate and incorporate a multitude of perspective into their own understanding to broaden their views on the world around them. ISTE teaches learners to be creative and innovative in both the format and modalities of the presented information, but also in consideration of the most effective platforms in which to share their knowledge to encourage collaboration and further discussion. 

• Grow: Finally, learners must reflect on these processes and use the information to inform new inquiry.  They must constantly seek to learn new information and recognize that society depends on an informed citizenry that recognized the value of every member of society. This aligns with ISTE standards that charge learners continue to stay informed about real world events and continuously build on their knowledge to apply their understanding it to future advances in technology.

These concepts are closely intertwined and can be seen in evidence in Jenna Spiering’s 2019 article entitled Engaging Adolescent Literacies with the Standards. She states that traditional literacy instruction with print media is no longer sufficient as digital technologies allow for a much more broad and collaborative conversation with consideration for a much larger set of perspectives.  Therefore, there must be an emphasis in not only learning how to utilize these new technologies, but also in finding ways to use these technologies to engage in collaborative conversations beyond what was previously only available in the classroom. 

Additionally, technology has allowed for schools to utilize student’s out of school competencies, such as engagement with social media tools and news sources to incorporate even more perspectives into their information seeking behaviors. Even comics and graphic novels have gained more favor as it has been discovered that the images, space, color and dialogue require learners to both create their own and decode existing interpretations of presented materials. 

As learners seek information, it is important that they develop understandings of how the vast amount of information available online could be skewed by bias or even blatant lies designed to misinform.  They must develop the skills necessary to decipher truth from fiction as part of the ISTE standards, and then use the truths they learn, taking into account all of the diverse perspectives to inform their understanding as part of the AASL standards. 

In order to develop literacy skills in the modern digital era, educators must ensure that their students not only develop the skills necessary to carry on informed discussions about the information they want to know about and share, as is the focus of AASL standards, but they must also utilize ISTE standards to develop the competencies to utilize all the technologies that are available to effectively find the information they are seeking and to collaborate with others to both broaden their understanding and share what they have learned. 

References:

American Association of School Librarians. (2018). AASL standards framework for learners. https://standards.aasl.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/AASL-Standards-Framework-for-Learners-pamphlet.pdf.

ISTE Standards. (2016). International Society for Technology in Education. https://cdn.iste.org/www-root/PDF/ISTE%20Standards-One-Sheet_Combined_09-2021_vF3.pdf.

Spiering, J. (2019). Engaging adolescent literacies with the standards. Knowledge Quest, 47(5), pp. 44–49.