Library Orientation, QR CODES, Digital Citizenship & G-Mail...Oh My!

So the first few weeks in the library have flown by and it's been fairly busy.  By the end of next week, almost all classes have had some kind of orientation to the library.  See below to see what's been going on in the library...
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6th Graders

Sixth graders all had two days of orientation.  One day we toured the library using QR Codes.  I made a series of short movies linked to QR codes.  Students then went on a scavenger hunt around the library scanning the codes and watching the movies.  Each student was required to fill out a sheet answering questions about the different places.

The second day we discussed digital citizenship related to the  image below.  All students participated in a discussion related to this image and we shared some great ideas.  I was reassured when discovering most students have discussed this previously in school.  Also, when surveyed, about 50-60% of 6th graders said they used social media--instagram, snapchat, musically--before.


 The rest of the period we instructed students how to create and change their own password, as well as how to log-in to their g-mail accounts.  It's always a steep learning curve, but most students have mastered this by the end of the first semester.
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7th & 8th Grade

I visited a number of 7th & 8th grade classes where we focus our discussion around this question:  Why is it important to think before you post something online?  Consider not only now but also your future.  Students pair discussed this and then we held a whole class discussion.  Not surprising, I found that many more 7th and 8th graders are using social media regularly.  They had many insights and through our discussion, we left with a few key points:

• even when you think something is private (i.e. just between you and your friends) it isn't.
• Example:  Anyone can take a screenshot of a text/snapchat message/instagram post and then share with whomever they like.
• sometimes when we post something "for fun" or "as a joke" not all viewers will see it as one
• Example: Taking a "selfie" with a beer as a joke can be misread as you are actually drinking.
• employers/organizations/schools often research you online before hiring or admitting you, so represent your best self online.

We also watched a snippet of a video from Flocabulary on the Top Ten Things to Think About Before You Post. (1:07-2:56)


Thanks for reading..and stay tuned for my next post.