Melinda S Botkin's Posts - Classroom 2.02024-03-29T12:14:50ZMelinda S Botkinhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/MelindaSBotkinhttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1950692512?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://www.classroom20.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=1l4kxm9jc7a13&xn_auth=noMETC Conference 2016 next week - why you need to go!tag:www.classroom20.com,2016-02-01:649749:BlogPost:10945922016-02-01T13:15:26.000ZMelinda S Botkinhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/MelindaSBotkin
<p> If you live in the St. Louis area, attending the Midwest Education Technology Community Conference is a must! It is three days of immersing yourself in ideas that will revolutionize the way you do things as an educator. It is an opportunity to network and meet like-minded educators who are using technology to teach their students to be creative and innovative and to be problem-solvers. </p>
<p> I have attended the METC Conference for the past six years. When I come back, I am…</p>
<p> If you live in the St. Louis area, attending the Midwest Education Technology Community Conference is a must! It is three days of immersing yourself in ideas that will revolutionize the way you do things as an educator. It is an opportunity to network and meet like-minded educators who are using technology to teach their students to be creative and innovative and to be problem-solvers. </p>
<p> I have attended the METC Conference for the past six years. When I come back, I am inspired and rejuvinated! I want to make changes and better meet the needs of the students who come through the doors of my library. I always tell my principal that, if we don't have the funds for me to attend this conference this year, I will pay for it myself. It truly is that great of a conference. They create strands of workshops to meet every educator's job title/subject area, and they bring in experts from the across the country as guest speakers and presenters. The ideas being presented are fresh and cutting-edge. </p>
<p> This year, I will be looking for more ideas for Makerspaces, which are changing the library as we once knew it. We have recently purchased a lot of materials and equipment for our Makserspace, which we will be calling The Design Studio. And we will be debuting the space in the coming month. But, the question is, now I have all of this stuff, what do I do with it? How do I get the students excited about it? How do I get the students to come in and start exploring? This space will help us expose students to more STEM concepts, but I have to get them here first! So I will be looking at ideas to make my space ROCK!!!</p>
<p> The conference is February 8-10, 2016. So, it might be late to get registered for 2016. But, put it on your calendar for 2017, because I assure you that it is the best conference you will ever attend!</p>Why I am Excited to be a Part of Classroom 2.0tag:www.classroom20.com,2016-01-30:649749:BlogPost:10942582016-01-30T13:07:55.000ZMelinda S Botkinhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/MelindaSBotkin
<p> I am currently taking online courses at Fontbonne University in St. Louis, MO. The courses that I am taking focus on technology in education. As a part of one of the assignments, our professor asked us to find a professional group to follow and with which we could contribute. I looked through several links that she provided, trying to find one that I felt fit my needs. I did not take this lightly, as I am always trying to build my PLN, and because I wanted to find a group that I…</p>
<p> I am currently taking online courses at Fontbonne University in St. Louis, MO. The courses that I am taking focus on technology in education. As a part of one of the assignments, our professor asked us to find a professional group to follow and with which we could contribute. I looked through several links that she provided, trying to find one that I felt fit my needs. I did not take this lightly, as I am always trying to build my PLN, and because I wanted to find a group that I would like to continue to follow long after this particular assignment and course are over.</p>
<p> As a library media specialist, I work with technology on a regular basis. I am always trying to find Web 2.0 tools to help my teachers and my students. Over the years, I have attended several workshops and conferences that focus on technology in education in order to try to stay current on the technology that emerges at such an incredible rate! Further, since we are educators and always working with budget, I am also always trying to find tips and tools that are FREE. </p>
<p> The library is the perfect example of how technology is changing how we do things. I have 12 more years before I retire, and I have been a librarian for 13 years now. In that 13 years, I am witnessing the transfer from hardcover textbooks to online subscriptions. Instead of checking out a stack of textbooks to students at the beginning of the year, I know check out a chromebook and provide their usernames and passwords for all of the subscriptions. We are also currently making the transition to purchasing more databases and ebooks rather than tangible books. Gone are the days of VHS, and DVD is soon to follow. Teachers are finding their videos online now. I have disposed of our audio books that are cassette tapes, and CD's are also soon to follow. Now we have audio book files in our library catalog that can be downloaded to their chromebooks. Gone are the days of sending out paper overdue notices. Our library catalog now sends those automatically each day via email. So, not only is the format changing but also how we do things and how we communicate. </p>
<p> I think that this professional group will be great place to share ideas, discuss how technology is changing our lives and the face of public education, and to grow as professional. </p>