Not Plugged in

Yep. I could have deleted this and maybe I should but ... I am laughing at myself. My techy principal came in to help me and unwrapped to cord asking "Would you lke me to try plugging this in?" I could have died. We had a great time laughing about it since. So I admit it. I did not plug it in. I have learnt from this mistake. I guess I got too caught up in wonding if I could get it all to work.
So I did a Mo Williams website talk for his books. The primaries (K to 2) loved it! They want to take out his books and his website info was taken home so they can play the "Fun!" stuff. I put on a short movie promo trailer for "The Littles" and the books went out. Roland Smith has a neat website. I only intended to show "Peak" and "Elephant Run" but the kids were interested in the video with wolves too. Now I have to get more Roland Smith books in too.
I have decided to make slips of paper with the websites or blog sites I show for kids to take and staple in their planners. Teachers that came in for my book talk and book exchanges were also excited about the sites I was showing.
I also started my Lit Circle groups using the ideas from module 4's Ontario webcast. I typed out the notes shown in the webcast videos and allowed my students to view the teacher lead lit circle talks. I hope that this is a good place to start from. I will review what we watched last class and hand out the 6 important points for honouring our lit circle talks. I hope to have set a strong guideline for respectful behaviour. This group I am doing lit circles with is very offtask. There are 20 kids - 3 or 4 kids to a group and 6 groups. There are 3 graphic novels we are studying so two groups have the same novel but different members. The books are: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Storm in the Barn, and Amulet Book One.

Trying to get the projector working

I spent the afternoon yesterday trying to get a projector to work in my library. I want to show videos I have found on the internet that promote new released books or have book talks by authors or to show TumbleReaders to primary kids.
I have a projector screen mounted in place from last year so it determines where I project the images. It is also in the best place in the library. Because of the distance from where the projector must sit it is a distance of about 8 feet to the nearest computer. (A circle station of 6 computers.) I went out and purchased a 15 feet long DB9 plug and 12 meter long 3mm plug for audio. (I learnt these name from the London Drugs and Future Shop computer people. I took the two pictures I have included in this blog with me on my camera.) So I got back to the school and realized I need the video information from the hard drive to go to the monitor and the projector. So back I went to the computer store but with no success. I need a specialty store. I guess what I really need is our techy. That could take 2 weeks though. I will also show my principal as he is pretty techy about these things. I am just frustrated because I want to get started with promote new released books and have book talks by authors and to show TumbleReaders!
Now I am thinking ... with the limitations I have with access to technology in my library, how can I teach multiliteracies. I am forced to think about what multiliteracies is. Are?
I will ask for a techy today (for both schools, as the problem is the same at both) and move on to Lit circles. I am doing this with one class (grade 3). I watched the fourth module last night and it had interesting information on teaching lit circles. I am going to do mine with graphic novels that I know these kids are interested in. I will let you know how this goes.

Movong on.

putting together images and text

I have just been watching New Learning: transformational design for pedagogy and assessment. (2011). Expanding the scope of literacy pedagogy. Considering multiliteracies 1.1
http://newlearningonline.com/multiliteracies/videos/#CM

I had to stop it and write this because I now realize that it is any text and image together that is multiliteracy! So, yes, graphic novels are multiliteracy. If I show a youtube video or a book talk video from an author's website or a promotional video online for the release of a new novel -- this is all multiliteracy.
The text can be verbal too. So if I Skype of Voice thread is this multiliteracy? I think so. See I was thinking that multiliteracy was digital literacy.
I will watch the rest of this now and let it settle in my thoughts.

Wanting to do more with digital

Anyone looking up new literacies will see this video but I wanted to keep it somewhere. It reminds me of where things are at in one school I work at. Even with some new teachers, they are restricted with what they can do because of our bandwidth or old technology. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs2YPGTEWGU
I can't add the video from YouTube. So you will have to copy and paste in Google search.
This video will remind me to change and adapt. Keep learning. Be curious!