Thursday, April 30, 2015

LARC: Digital Storytime: What will work for your patrons

Amanda Schiavulli from the Finger Lakes Library System is presenting at the Library Association of Rockland County (NY) Conference.

All Tablet Tales resources are available at http://www.flls.org/storytimeresources/#tablettales. Amanda's presentation will be on this website.

Family Literacy Grant, 2013-2016 - Summer Reading at NY Libraries through Public Library Sustems:
Year 1 - Unbound Media - used various Playaways
Year 2 - Tablet Tales - iPads 
Year 3 - Gaming

In year 2, FLLS hired a trainer and found other resources:
FLLS has created storytime kits that circulate to their member libraries, e.g., iPad storytime lab.
Member libraries can also borrow the Apple TV connection so that the sound and video are larger.

In the iPad settings, turn everything off, so that it doesn't connect to the Internet and kids/parents cannot make changes to them.  All of the iPads are setup the same way.

Her libraries have pushed back on this, so she has had to counteract it.

American College of Pediatrics is a resource that those, who don't believe in using digital devices can point to for support:
  • Discourage screen time
  • Less than 2 hours/day for children 2-8 years old
  • No screen time for children under 2
  • However, they also recognize that parents need to be aware of proper screen time for children.  Parents often are using screens as babysitters.  They need to learn good tech habits for themselves and their children.
Screen time and socioeconomic status are closely related.

Children learn through play on digital devices:
  • Question, predict, evaluate
  • For, and substantiate opinions
  • Extend the literature experience.  Get the child to create a story based on the activity.
Games also provide a chance for intergenerational play.

Resources for collection development related to gaming, http://www.flls.org/collection-development/#gaming

Libraries need to be reviewing games for use in libraries.  

Amanda believes in paying for games, so that you are not getting ads and are not getting random things popping into the game (e.g., adult content).  The apps are in the cloud and she syncs tall of the iPads to it.

Types of programs:
  • Storytime extension
  • Fleets - everyone using the iPads together
  • Tablet tales - doing storytime on the tablet 
App showcase:
  • Felt Board - she uses this in combination with the iPad's photo feature to create images to use in storytime.
  • Animal Sounds
  • Red in Bed
  • Peekaboo Vehicles
  • Hat Monkey
  • Big Green Monster
  • Good Night Moon
  • Endless Alphabet 
  • Tiny Airport
When you use a storybook app, it is recommended that you turn off the sound.  That allows you to tell the story, while using the interactivity of the app...but the app is not telling the story for you.

Even digital storytime teaches children to interact with others and wait their turn, along with learning words, colors, etc.

Other options:
  • Awe tablet - unhackable, more expensive
  • Launchpad - unhackable, made to circulate, cost effective , no camera and no Internet

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