INFOhio ICoach

Academic Search Premier!

Our district is young when it comes to INFOhio usage so I want to ease into making it a staple in their curriculum for maximum participation. There are a couple of INFOhio Resources I am most looking forward to sharing with my collegues.  First and foremost will simply be the Teach & Learn Flyers.  I want to get the information out so that conversations can start to form about the digital resources and web tools that need PD.  Our librarian is excited about implementing technology into the library experience and I would love to share the iSearch and Fetch widgets for classroom use.  

I will let our building know about these resources in our TBT and BLT meetings, offering my support by modeling how to embed the widget.

I will support the learning and continued use of this in the classroom by following up with teachers, as well as, our librarian on data usage. Then share this information with administration and our District Leadership Team for direct positive reinforcement and acknowledgement to the staff implementing the resource.

The resource I am most excited about sharing is Educator tools. I hope to hold a building meeting to quickly show teachers how to access Educator tools and for them to leave the meeting with a few resources to help with their teaching. I think once teachers see some of the tools that INFOhio has during a quick meeting they will be excited to learn more. It would be fun/interesting to have teachers be "experts" on one tool/resource for the building and possibly share one thing a month with the staff about their tool. Teachers will have new, exciting, free and easily accessible resources to use right away!

I feel like the flyer has a lot of value to it. Getting it in front of the teachers to "tease" their interest will be huge. To have all of the tools & resources on a "1 pager" they can refer is awesome. I believe teachers are an incredibly visual bunch and SEEING the tools with the quick descriptors and knowing they are curated for their student age groups will go a long way in building the value needed to begin using INFOhio tools.

Through this training, I've already shared specific tools to teachers who I've worked with on different projects when I felt they could benefit from them. Thank you for all you've already done and continue to do for educators and students and parents. I look forward to singing the INFOhio priases this year and in the future!

While I do want to onboard teachers with some of the basics and INFOhio and likely utilize the Introduction to INFOhio, I am most looking forward to sharing the curriculum library via Educator Tools. From a practical standpoint, this will be most meaningful. From an educator's standpoint, it is like a virtual teacher's goodie bag. The homepage alone speaks volumes as you are able to note the many ways you can explore. The beauty is that INFOhio has done so much of the work for educators- while I love Google as a general search engine, using INFOhio as a springboard in my exploration for resources means I will land on quality if not exceptional results. I know this time-saving feature will excite teachers and therefore be a fantastic launchpad.

I also am excited to do this with teams of teachers. I say this because in sharing and promoting the Educator Tools, I can specifically select and present ideas, standards, and topics I already know they teach. This can spark motivation to do so for more ways as they reflect on their domains and graded course of study and how to enrich what they already do.

I am looking forward to sharing the K-5 Tech and Learn flyer (digitally, printed out as a Stall Talk and posting it by all the copiers), to whet the staff’s appetite. Then I can refer to the flyer in future communications. 

I'd like to focus on resources that I know teachers are already using and then show them what ALL that resource can actually do--what they are missing out on!  For example, do you already use World Book Kids to introduce research to your students?  Did you know that under the "for educators" tab you can find WebQuests already prepared for you?  These WebQuests have printable PDF's with questions and instructions ready to go for your students.  These WebQuests are actually designed to help your students practice research!    

They are also great to build background knowledge and vocabulary for literacy!

I need staff to make use of iSearch.  I'm only in each building part time so sometimes people go into the library to search for (and take) books when I'm not there, some teachers regularly show up at 9 to ask for a class collection on a topic that they need by 10, and teachers have asked me for materials that we don't have in the building but are available in a different building.  I must be proactive in solving these issues so that students can benefit from teachers having what they need on time.  I also insist on reading to my classes or doing some other activity.  If teachers learn to use iSearch, they will be more comfortable in encouraging and allowing students to take time before library time to search for books they may want to check out.

I also am very excited about BookFlix because the kids love it already.  I am looking forward to training others on Explora because we do not have encyclopedias, magazines, or newspapers in our libraries but the materials are important.

I originally was thinking of presenting Gale in Context: Elementary as it was new to me and I felt it would be good to learn it and share what I had learned. But as I moved further into my ICoach training I realized that I really wanted to share more about BookFlix and how to use it as an instructioanl tool and not just a "free choice" book sight. I plan on asking the building grade level team leaders for  time to meet with their grade level during their weekly team meeting time to encourage use of the available lesson plans and instructional resources.  I will support continued use by checking the grade level curriculum maps and sharing possible lesssons and resources aligned to ther curriculum.

Love this! There are so many ways to use BookFlix to support literacy, build background knowledge and vocabulary, and supplement content areas like science and social studies.

The three resources I will begin with introducing to staff memebers are Educator Tools, Science Online and World Book Student. I will incorporate these in conversations, providing links on our Disciplinary LIteracy website and introducing department chairs to the resources to share with their teams. I will continue to follow up with departments on a monthly basis. 

I am looking forward to sharing the flyer which gives a nice overview of the wide variety of tools and resources that INFOhio has to offer.  Also, I think Book Nook makes reading more engaging and fun, and I want our English teachers to know about it.  As the technology resource teacher in my building, I will be sure to recommend these tools to other teachers in our collaborative settings, as well as recommend them on my technology resource website.  As teachers begin to implement these resources with students, I will develop PD as needed, and provide one on one support.  Lots of great materials here!

To begin with I want to make sure my building staff realize the resources available at their finger tips. I will share the 6-8 Teach & Learn Flyer with our middle school teachers and the 9-12 Teach & Learn Flyer with our high school teachers.  More intense support will be provided as I provide professional development on (1) Open Space and (2) Educator Tools.  I envision Open Space as a communication tool for our content area TBTs as well as curating instructional and technology support for future reference.  Teachers will find Educator Tools as their new best friend because it provides searchable access to a wealth of instructional materials for all content areas.

Introduction to these tools will be provided by department, allowing more individualized assistance to get all levels of users onboard.  Ongoing mentoring and support will be provided at least monthly through content level TBT coaching meetings.  My support services allow me the opportunity to be in classrooms to facilitate and support implementation of new technology.

Excited to hear about how this goes, Paul!

I am excited to share Educator Tools because I think this is an opportunity to show teachers an easy way to "fill gaps" in their curricular materials and still get highquality stuff. No more random google searches! I want to make this a "go to" for teachers. 

Honestly, I'm excited that I now have the necessary skills and tools to share all of the amazing resources INFOhio has to offer. While I like to focus on area of ebook access and research sources, I was so excited to learn about the resources for math, physical education, social emotional learning, etc. I feel prepared to support any staff member or content area is learning about how INFOhio can support their teaching and learning opportunities for their students. 

I plan on sharing the K-5 learning flyer at the beginning of the year and letting staff members know that I will be teaching students how to use many of these resources througout the school year during our library classes. I will also let them know that I am available to provide professional development to them on any of the resources or web tools that they're intersted in. My schedule allows from some flexibility where I'm able to meet with grade level teams about once a month during their planning time, so I'm confident in scheduling times with different groups throughout the school year as needed. 

I am looking forward to sharing Storia with our 3-6 grade teachers. Our teachers are always looking for new resources to smoothly integrate into their classrooms, and Storia will be a great resource for research purposes, as well as personal reading times. I will support teachers through training and being available to answer questions that may arise throughout the school year.

Hi Rebecca,

Remember Storia will be retired by Scholastic and we will be offering Literacy Pro in its place. Let me know if you want more info on this transition.

I have already shown students Bookflix, World Book, Highlights, ISearch, Pebble Go Next, and I will review it again this year. Because of the ICoach training, my principal said he would let me share with staff at a faculty meeting. So I am looking forward to showing my fellow colleagues about how to access the digital resources, find lesson plans and take professional development courses through INFOhio. Many teachers are looking for ways to earn contact hours and what better way to earn them by receiving training and discovering meaningful and exciting ways to implement digital content into the classroom. I think by being approachable, and offering support throughout the year will help the staff with the discovering all the benefits that INFOhio has to offer. As I practice and become more proficient and confident with the tools of INFOhio, I will be able to share my knowledge with staff and students. 

Excited to hear you will be presenting at a faculty meeting. Don't forget to share feedback with the form in this lesson  https://infohio.org/campus/learning-pathways/course/preparing-for-presentations/meeting-icoach-expectations

Oooohhh.. tough question. I am planning to begin sharing with the World Book products because I have already showed these to many of the students, so teachers would not need to teach the students how to access or navigate them. They can focus on how to incorporate them into their lessons. I am looking forward to sharing Gale in Context with them for research projects. I have already looked up a few topics that I was unable to help kids find books about, and found many articles about them in this database. I am planning to work with my principal and instructional coach to include a session in one of our building PD days. I would also liek to send out a monthy newsletter with a detailed description of one resource per month, with links to training videos and other helpful links. Then I would offer an after school meeting time to explore these resources. More helpful, I would like to try to plan with teams so that I can offer resources that would support the lessons they are planning, right at the minute they are planning them. I think that would lead to the highest utilization in the classroom.

Well...This has been so enlightening and I really appreciate your support when I needed to extend my allotted time. 
There is so much new and different, so much potential.  What a luxury to spend some summertime exploring and imagining how I might inform and inspire others to jump in. I think you might know that I am a long-time fan and that my involvement with INFOhio goes waaaay back to my classroom teacher days. Truly, everything VALUABLE I ever learned once joining the profession came from or through a librarian/media specialist, starting with Tony DiBiasio and Terri Fredericka.  My involvement in research was sparked by Linda Michaud who opened my world and my students' by showing us INFOTRAK.  Remember that?  And I had the privilege of achieving National Board along with Sandy Storey.  When I worked to advance early literacy, I had the guidance of Gayle Geitgey--what an inspiring and informative partner she was.  Must also mention my actual factual little sister who while currently emphasizing the artist/illustrator aspect of her passion for books is a public librarian who served youth in her community and local school district. And--I also need to shout out our Library Tech, Lisa Zeszotek, who has undertaken this experience on her own time in hopes of better serving our teachers and students.  Lisa, you are a TREASURE.  Keep learning and growing your love of literacy and informed thinking! Thank you.  
Honestly, this course is so very well done.  Your institutional and individual expertise shines.  With respect and appreciation for this opportunity, 
Melanie

What an honor to have such a fantastic professional and long-time fan as an ICoach! Thanks, Melanie, for your continued support through the years!

Forgot to write--First, I am going to use the Teach & Learn Flyers with each grade band and enlist the teachers in pursuit of how to develop discernment in students of all ages.  I'm going to try to get everyone chasing some research, as appropriate for their grade levels/content.   Inquring minds want to know!  Per our graduate profile, "We access, evaluate, and use information efficiently, effectively, and accurately for the issue or problem at hand. We can manage the flow of information from a wide variety of sources."