We have a video distribution system that is run solely by the school media specialist and the media parapro. I have been taught how to run it, but am the only person outside the two of them that have that capacity. I was taught after the media specialist was absent one day and the administrators needed to show a video school-wide and did not know what to do with the system. We watch the school news on the closed-circuit system each morning. Last year the PE teacher used the closed-circuit system to have students stretch and do yoga prior to starting the CRCT each day. Teachers are not allowed to use this system at all. The media center staff is told what time and what video they would like to watch, they set an alarm clock and put it in. Occasionally, a conflict arises when more than one grade level wants to see something, but those days are few and far between. While I originally was appalled at how the system is run, it seems to work for the teachers in my building and the media center staff.
Within the last month, all classrooms were given new video projectors, screens and DVD/VCRs, courtesy of SPLOST, which Cobb County citizens vote on each year. SmartBoards will be added to the classrooms this summer, replacing the new screens that just went up. While I LOVE the idea of the SmartBoards, the cost of the screens followed by removal/replacement seems silly, when there is such a budget crisis. Adding the projectors seems to have sparked an interest to use GPB education in many of the teachers.
Until recently, the only teacher I have seen use the Digital Video Streaming was the Target teacher. She uses it religiously each week to show students something new and exciting. I get as eager to learn as the students do when it appears. I have viewed a few videos and used a small portion of the site, but to see what all is available is amazing. “The tip of the iceberg” is how it was presented to us this week in our class notes, and I agree completely. The A to Z listing of available videos had me deciding which I would watch first and it was a tough choice. I could, and have, looked here for hours! From Suze Orman to Wayne Dyer to a group of eighth graders learning about engineering, the choices are almost endless. Students can learn almost anything they want to learn and teachers can do the same. Digital video streaming, as well, is great. I am in the process of teaching the kindergarten team with whom I work to use this with their students. There are videos on birds’ nests for students, a video on how children learn to read and write, and many other educational resources. The fact that this is all free to us is terrific. Why every classroom does not use it is beyond me.
One of my many, current ideas is to get the media specialist to teach teachers all about the resources or allow me to put together an instructional video on how to use it and why they should. I have talked with a few grade levels about what GPS they like to use with video and am in the beginning stages of working on this.
With the budget in its current shape, we can use all the free resources we have. Some are good, some are better, but GPB Education is one of the best!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Sarah, I love what you said about using all the free resources we can muster. Bottom line: we have no money, but we have GPB, God bless 'em. One of the features I had mentioned on my other blog comment was the fact that Discovery Streaming has the standards already linked to the videos--maybe if you do a search by standard for some of the teachers who seem to be "early adopters" like your Kindergarten team, they'll spread the word. As with so many other things, if we don't use it, we'll lose it.
ReplyDeleteYour school sounds like my school as far as the video distribution system goes execpt that the media center staff are the only two that know how to use it. Since all of our classrooms are equipped with DVD/VHS systems teachers can show videos at their discretion. The closed circuit system is mainly used for morning announcements or grade level viewings of videos or DVDs. We too occasionally have conflicts but they are few and far between. I am interested in your thoughts on how our schools' use of the video distribution system could be put to better use. You mentioned being appalled and since this is the only way I know to use it I'm interested in learning other more effective ways. I do think it is absurd to only have 2-3 people in the entire building who know how to use the system. I am finding at my school that this often seems to be the case. Is there something about becoming a media specialist and becoming possessive over equipment and such? With regard to GPB, I am in total agreement with you and Wendy this is an excellent resource that we must use.
ReplyDeleteOur school's closed circuit is run the exact same way and I have to agree, I am appalled also. I am also in Cobb and have found that the teachers absolutely love the fact that they can view their closed circuit videos via the new ceiling mounted LCD projectors. And I do agree how silly it is that they are going to be removing perfectly good screens to install SMARTBoards (but we are all very excited to have a building full of interactive white boards!)
ReplyDeleteWe in Cobb County are very fortunate to have the Cobb Virtual Library but we do have to pay for it out of media money. The great thing about GPB and United Streaming is that they are fabulous resources and currently do not cost the schools a dime. Many teachers in our building use them on a regular basis but those that are not currently using these resources might need a refresher to remind them of how good they truly are.
The video playing on our close circuit system isn't used as much unless the grade teams are all covering something at the same time. I've seen it used a couple of times. Our media staff does the programming for it, the request form is on-line and they like it a day or two ahead. They aren't as accommodating when the video is run down from the class room by a student for immediate showing. That they can do in their room with their own TV set up. Control by the media staff should lend itself to less copyright infringments.
ReplyDeleteAs much of the GPB that I've seen, I feel it is a great untapped resource. If there were a method to becoming very familiar with it so that it isn't too time consuming working it into the GPS or lesson plan if might get better use. I know my children have viewed it during classes because they talk about it and that video isn't in the media center catalog. Maybe if we referred to it as 'Netflicks' it would get more attention.