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You and iTime Digital

Storytimes:

Taking Your Digital & Early

Literacy Efforts on the Road

Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services

Annual Conference 2013

Welcome activity

Who & Where We Serve

Branch Library

Member library

Public Computer Center

Bookmobile Stop

Weld County

Weld County, Colorado

• Located in Weld County, Colorado.

• Weld county has a total area of almost 4,000 square miles.

• The median household income was $55,000. About 14% of the population lives below the poverty line.

• The population of Weld County is 263,691. Or 63 persons per square mile.

• The racial makeup of the county was 67% White. 18% of the population were Hispanic or Latino. 5% were from other races.

quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08/08123.html

This is High Plains:

And This is High Plains

High Plains Library District

• District Population Served- 236,815

• Cardholders- 121,593

• Annual Circulation- 2,746,572

• Annual Visits- 1,323,447

• 3,822 program presented with 59,765 in

attendance.

Class Description

• Include iPads in early literacy programming.

• Blend tradition and technology to create a

rich bonding experience for families.

• Blend cutting edge apps, classic storytime, and

physical activity.

• Increase parent-child interaction through the

use of educational apps and instruction.

What is You and iTime?

Simply put, it is an interactive story time that

includes:

• Traditional storytime.

• Music and movement activities.

• iPad app discovery.

• Family bonding.

What We Envisioned

• A program designed as a parent education class.

• Disguised as storytime.

• To provide information to parents on making healthy technology choices.

• Provide an opportunity to play WITH their children on the technology.

• Assist digital literacy learning in a non-threatening environment.

• To help parents see technology as a tool to bond with their children—not just a “babysitter.”

Every Child Ready to Read

We know that screen time is a valid concern

and wanted to structure the sessions in a

manner that still incorporated ECRR practices

but allowed us to add a digital literacy

component.

Questions?

Hands-on Activity

Gallery Walk–

Take a moment to visit and comment on at least 2 of

the brainstorming pages posted around the room.

• What are you doing with technology?

• Visualize a cutting edge storytime.

• Anticipated challenges of including technology.

• Thoughts on platforms or devices.

• App Discussion Area– Apps? Requirements?

Agenda

• Essential questions- The key element.

• Word of the day

• Parent patter

• App Time & Transitions

• Integration of stories, digital , movement

• Parent involvement & bonding

“Anticipation”

Why do we have to

wait for things?

Questions?

App Selection

• Active and engaged use. NOT passive.

• Supports early literacy skills

• Interaction elements should enhance not distract.

• Controls- Where are they? Easy to find? Bumpable by mistake?

• Affordances- Does it give good cues as to what to do?

• Customizability- Can you adjust it to meet the child’s needs?

The Final Cut: Our Apps • Adam’s Game

• Alphabet Tracing

• Bob Books

• Build It Up

• Duck in a Truck

• Easy Back Oven

• Feed Me

• Feltboard

• Itouchilearn Words: Speech

• I Hear Ewe

• Lunchbox

• My First Yoga

• Peekaboo Barn

• Puppet Pals

• Soundbrush

• Speech with Milo

• Sequencing

• Super Why

• True Learning

• Virtuoso

Projection Options

• None

• Projector & Screen

• TV or Monitor

Equipment

Tech Go Lab

• Technology on the Go is a mobile iPad lab that

exists to promote digital literacy to all ages by

providing mobile technology instruction.

• This digital resource is an outreach initiative

that serves as an umbrella under which You

and iTime Digital Storytime exists.

Technology On the Go Presentation

Please see our Technology on the Go: Taking

Your Technology Instruction on the Road

presented by Rosa Granado. Next

presentation is Thursday at 10:30 in the

Louisiana Room.

Other Equipment

• Cd player or mp3 player or speakers for iPad

audio and music

• Rgb cable to connect iPad to projection

choice

• Lightning VGA adapter to connect iPad to rgb

cable

Joy Jumps

Celebrating and recognizing

successes of the program.

Patron Growth

• Those “very comfortable” using an iPad increased from 40% to 60%.

• Their confidence in selecting appropriate/educational apps increased 23%.

• Their comfort in exploring a mobile device WITH their child increased from 46%-61%.

• Parents who believed You and iTime helped them teach their child something new included 94% of parents responding “strongly agree” or “somewhat strongly agree.”

Positive Patron Feedback • Loved the mix of books

and apps.

• Very good! Educational

and fun. Liked the

integration.

• Excellent story time—

so interactive!

• Loved learning new

apps to do at home.

• Love it! It’s fun to see

my child grow in Puppet

Pals every week.

• Love that technology

is involved with

storytime.

• There was a good wide

range between songs,

stories, and other skills.

• We discovered some great new apps today!

• Very fun and appropriate for young kids.

• Love it! Love integrating technology, learning, and stories.

• Would love more iPad

time.

• Makes the library fun.

• Had lots of fun playing

with the iPad and with

other kids.

Other Feedback

• I would like a little

less iPad time and a

little more

storytime.

• More iPad time.

• The Puppet Pals app

is not appropriate

for young child.

• My son has a hard

time [staying] still

but that’s not the

presenter’s fault.

Challenges Along the Way • Getting a program off

the ground. There is a lot of competition for parent time and their commitment.

• Getting staff on board. Convincing them that libraries should provide opportunities and information on digital immersion and literacy.

• Was the program given the time and attention it needed to come to fruition?

• Grant funding restrictions-- equipment limitations, audiences allowed to present it to, tracking.

Additional Thoughts

• Use an iPad to read a

digital book.

• Provide You and iTime

as a seasonal or

occasional event.

• Consider using an

Android based tablet—

there may be more

freedom.

• Don’t go hog wild on

apps. Keep it simple.

• Provide more

instruction time for

parents on how to

choose and use apps.

Let’s Hear Your Experiences and Thoughts!!!

Resources • NAEYC/Fred Rogers

Institute (naeyc.org)

• Facing the Screen Dilemma: Young Children, Technology and Early Childhood Education (http://www.truceteachers.org/docs/facing_the_screen_dilemma.pdf)

• Little eLit- Pinterest Board for Apps (littleelit.com)

• Digital-Storytime.com

• School Library Journal (slj.com)

• Children’s Technology Review (childrenstech.com)

• Common Sense Media (commonsensemedia.org)

Thank You!

Questions/Comments?

Amii Harmon

Public Computer Center Library Associate

aharmon@highplains.us

Rosa Granado

Outreach Librarian

rgranado@highplains.us