Blog Post 4: Technology Leadership Role of School Librarians

One of the most influential documents to come from the American Association of School Librarians, or AASL, is the Standards for the 21^st Century Learner (AASL, 2007). These standards evaluate the most important skills that librarians and educators need to teach modern students in order for the students to become successful learners, innovators, and navigators of information in both digital and print formats. The listed standards or “common beliefs” that directly relate to implementing technology with students are: “technology skills are crucial for future employment needs, the definition of information literacy has become more complex as resources and technologies have changed, and learning has a social context” (AASL, 2007).

These standards apply to school libraries and education in many ways. Today, many jobs require students to be familiar with and know how to implement a variety of technological tools and resources. Therefore, it becomes the librarian’s job to teach students a variety of technological skills and enhance the skills students already have as modern learners. As information literacy and learners have changed, the role of the school librarian has changed as well. School librarians are now also known as “media and information specialists” because they must be able to expand their knowledge of technology and media and also be able to teach and implement these technological tools. According to Willis (2007), “Students are more willing to participate and even show enthusiasm about challenging tasks when they are engaged in learning activities with supportive cooperative groups.” Teacher-librarians should want students to be engaged in every learning activity because engrossed engagement promotes higher-order thinking skills and ensures 100% student participation. Modern students are very familiar with social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They also will typically use Skype or Google Hangout for chats and video conference calls. In order for teacher-librarians to reach students and promote what students currently value, technological tools and Web 2.0 resources must be used to encourage active learning. In short, students learn and retain more information when they are socially interacting with peers and having fun in a cooperative learning assignment, especially if these interactions occur through the implementation of technology.

Two other important resources that AASL provides in order to assist school librarians in teaching for 21^st-century learners are The Best Websites for Teaching & Learning and The Best Apps for Teaching & Learning collections. Each year, AASL committees look for websites and apps that will be beneficial for use in school libraries (AASL, 2015). According to Israel and Moorefield-Lang (2012), these lists are based on resources that “foster innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration. They are free, user-friendly sites that encourage teachers and learners to explore, discover, and promote critical thinking.” Many of these websites and apps are easy to learn and navigate, and they should promote engagement for the technological learners of the 21^st-century. The Web 2.0 tools and technological resources that teacher-librarians use should be familiar to students in order for them to actively integrate technology into their own learning. As Cox (2009) states, “We want to pick tools that look and feel like the things students are naturally using outside of school.” Teaching students in a library setting provides a perfect opportunity for librarians to incorporate usage of student cell phones and tablets in the lesson. In picking the appropriate technological tools and resources to naturally assimilate into the library and learning curriculum, students will become more engaged in learning while having fun at the same time.

References:

American Association of School Librarians (AASL). (2007). Standards for the 21^st-century leaner. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards.

American Association of School Librarians (AASL). (2015). Learning standards & program guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards-guidelines.

Cox, E. E. (2009). The collaborative mind: Tools for 21st-century learning. Multimedia & Internet@Schools, 16(5), 10-14.

Willis, J. (2007). Cooperative learning is a brain turn-on. Middle School Journal, 38, 4-13.

Israel, M. M., & Moorefield-Lang, H. H. (2012). Engaging students with AASL's best websites for                 teaching and learning. Teacher Librarian, 39(4), 22-24.

Blog Post 3: Technology Implementation Strategies

Using the video conferencing program, Skype, seems to be something that most people do just to catch up with friends and family members over long distances, but it is a great educational tool as well. With technology improving and more students having access to technological tools and the Internet, incorporating technology in a classroom or library setting is a must if we want students to be actively engaged in what they are learning. Skype is one tool that I believe will be easy for teachers and librarians to integrate within the school.

In Messner’s (2014) article, “The Skyping Renaissance,” the fact that Skype can be used as a communication tool from anywhere in the world is a strong reason for educators to use Skype in the school system. The author points out and explains three main ways on how to implement Skype conferencing in schools. First, it is a great tool for communicating with authors of novels or other class materials. Reading in school can take on a completely different level once students realize that they can have the opportunity to discuss their favorite books with the authors who wrote them or illustrators who drew for them. Students can have an actual conversation with these creators and ask him or her their questions and express their thoughts about the books they read. It is an interactive, engaging way to get students excited about reading. Another option Messner provides for Skype use in the school is for interviews. If students are studying something in their science class or doing a research paper for history, they have the opportunity to find a primary resource to talk to regarding what they are learning. They can reach out to a professional or expert in a specific field or subject and interview him or her, no matter where they live in the world. The third point Messner brings up is that students (as well as educators) can also use Skype as a resource for receiving writing workshops or other educational material or lessons. If a professional writer wanted to come to a school to give a presentation on how to incorporate grammar correctly in an essay but was unable to make it due to her plane being delayed, she could always create a Skype conference and teach the English class from the airport. It is a great way for educators to communicate with each other and share professional development ideas, and even students can teach students in other areas material.

I believe that I can use Skype in my classroom (and later on in the library). It seems like such an engaging and efficient tool, that I wonder why I haven’t used it yet. One aspect of Skype that I definitely want to take advantage of is using it for author visits. I think that my students will be much more excited about reading a novel if they know that they can have a Skype visit with the author and talk about the book with him or her. Another Skype method that I think will prove to be useful for me is the ability for my students to learn from other teachers and students. Perhaps I am weak at teaching a certain topic. Instead of having a more experienced teacher coming into my classroom to teach my class and give me ideas on how to improve my teaching methods, why couldn’t another teacher from another school connect with my students and teach them? I also really love the idea of my students being able to connect with students at another school to study or reflect on what they are learning in class. This kind of social connection is what students live for outside of school, so I think that it is time that it is merged within the classroom. Overall, Skype is a great tool for social communication and learning, and I plan to implement it with my future students.

Messner, K. (2014). The skyping renaissance. School Library Journal, 60(11), 27.

Blog Post 2: Handheld Devices

According to Enis’ (2013) research on data from digital businesses, by 2012, “the usage of apps surpassed the usage of browsers on smart phones and tablets. This fact leads me to believe that mobile apps on tablets and smart phones contain the information that students will most likely be looking at. In fact, one of Enis’ key points is that we are heading toward a future where librarians will suggest the use of apps as a resource in addition to texts and media devices. While some people may believe that students today spend too much time on their technology, specifically on apps, educational apps are actually growing at a remarkable rate. Another key point brought up in the article is that augmented reality using mobile apps that access location or GPS can be useful to people. If students wanted to research the Holocaust, they could just type it in their smartphone app, which would then reveal nearby museums, libraries, and bookstores that would provide information on the subject matter. Location apps don’t only have to help people find the nearest restaurant or give directions to a friend’s house! Another point that Enis brings up is a smart phone or tablet’s ability to scan a barcode or QR code of an item and gain information from the associated text or URL link. This ability is already being used in classrooms and libraries today.

I will definitely promote using mobile apps in my library. I already know that when technology is involved in the learning process, learning is more engaging and efficient. Now that there are apps for news websites, educational or college websites, databases, and magazines, I can refer students to downloading the app onto their smart phone or tablet so that they can search for the information they need. Perhaps I can even make a library app for my school, and students can use that application to search the catalog and databases, add books to a wish list for me to use as a reference when buying new books, recommend and rate books for their friends to read, and even the ability to check in and out of the library. Speaking of checking in and out of the library, this situation is also a perfect place to incorporate location accessing apps. Just as people can “check in” to a place in a Facebook status, students could press the button that says that they are checking in to the library through the libraries app. They would then press check out when they leave, which gives the librarian and other educators a record of which students come and go in the library and how long they stay. The location accessing apps can also be a great tool for understanding the geography or history of the world, locating nearby places for information, and even locating items in the school library. Through my library application, I could provide a map of my library and include where all the books are typically filed. Students could follow the location on the map to help them locate the book that they are looking for. Lastly, using a mobile application’ scanning abilities would help students in the library in many ways. First, I could put QR codes around the library for students to scan and gain more information about what services are provided. I have done this specifically as a scavenger hunt, and the students had fun learning this way. I could also attach QR codes to books with extra information about each book, website and text resources, and citations in varying formats. The library is now a place for technology to be integrated within the resources and the educational curriculum, and I believe that using mobile apps is a great way to introduce this concept to students and the school faculty. 

References:

Enis, M. M. (2013). Mobile evolution. Library Journal, 138(2), 34-36.

Blog Post 1: Technology Strengths and Weakness

Based on the five standards created by the International Society for Technology in Education (2008), my personal strengths on using technology as an educator are: 1C-Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes, 2B- Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress, 3A- Demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations, 3D- Model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning, and 4C-Promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.

My personal weaknesses on using technology within an educational environment are: 1B- Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources, 2C- Customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources. 2D- Provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards, and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching, and 5B-Exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others.

As an educator, I have noticed that my technological strengths mainly derive from my knowledge of technological tools and programs and how to use them in an educational setting (ISTE Standards 3A and 3D); my ability to teach and model for students how to be safe, responsible, and have proper etiquette with social interactions online (ISTE Standard 4C); and promoting students to reflect, create, and perform according to individual goals in an encouraging technological environment (ISTE Standards 1C and 2B). Typically, I try to use technology as much as possible. I am a middle grade teacher, and teenagers are more actively engaged in the learning process when technology is incorporated. For instance, after we read a book about an abused child overcoming extreme challenges, my class could do a research project on a chosen form of bullying or abuse to teach the class. While I would provide rubrics and explicit requirements for the students to include in their project, I would allow students to create their own individualized plan and explore resources that they feel will help them the most. They could be creative, choose how they would present their project (such as in a Google Document, a PowerPoint, or a video), and even plan out the process for completing the project. However, before they begin the research process, I would use my knowledge and experience with programs such as Google Drive and PowerPoint to teach them how to actually use technological tools for educational purposes. I would model how to research effectively, safely, and ethically and have them practice doing this through an Internet scavenger hunt. Technology is also a great tool for communication. Perhaps a student wants to reach out to an abuse victim and interview him or her for the project. The student could research the person’s contact information and schedule a Skype chat or correspond via email messages.

My weaknesses in using technology mainly derive from my lack of teaching experience. While I am great with technological knowledge and promoting safety and creativity in assignments, I am still not perfect at implementing assessments (ISTE Standard 2D), customizing technological assignments to meet each student’s individual needs (ISTE Standard 2C), providing students with authentic opportunities to use technology to solve real-world problems (ISTE Standard 1B), or becoming a leader and shared decision maker of the school through the use of technology (ISTE Standard 5B). Overall, the best decision I can make is to work on these skills in the classroom both with and without technology. Overcoming any weakness takes time and practice. For assessments, I could create Google Forms or use other online tools for students to answer questions. I can then easily evaluate their data and use the data to determine the students’ strengths and weaknesses. This data can also inform me on what each individual student needs in order to be more successful with the comprehension of the content and the technological tools and programs used for the assignment. I can then create individualized lessons for students to incorporate in their assignment. Of course, I will also have to follow IEPs and explicitly model how to use each program or how to do each step in an assignment. Making learning more authentic and realistic has always been a struggle for me because sometimes I teach the way I was taught. However, using technology opens many doors for making assignments connect to students in an engaging way. If we are reading a nonfiction text about protecting nature, students could then do an extension project to help the community. They would create an event to help create gardens and plant trees in local neighborhoods. They could use Facebook and Twitter to promote the event, create a flyer online and print copies to distribute, or even create an advertisement for the local news to play. Technology allows for communication, and when people communicate, they can work together to solve problems. After teaching for only two years and moving to a new school next year, it has been difficult to see myself as a leader in the school. While I can’t necessarily make decisions that will impact the school yet, I can begin by making small changes and suggestions. I am naturally great with technology, and I have taught older teachers how to use it effectively for educational purposes. I could hold classes on how to use Google Drive efficiently in each subject area and how to use the program as a communication device. Using what I know to help others will lead me on my way to changing how the school uses technology for educational advancement.

With that in mind, the main thing I want to learn about technology to influence my instructional practices is what programs are out there to use? Are there programs that make grading, creating assessments, and collecting data easier? Are there programs that will teach my students the basics of using a computer or other technological tool effectively in a school setting? I also want to know what workshops or conferences I could attend to get more ideas on incorporating technology in a classroom or library setting.

ISTE Standards are cited from:

International Society for Technology in Education. (2015). ISTE standards for teachers. Retrieved    
          from http://www.iste.org/standards/ISTE-standards/standards-for-teachers. 

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