online learning

This semester 3 of my 4 classes were online.  I had never taken a class in an online format and was a little apprehensive.  However, I feel that the online format while very different from a traditional format suited me.  At times I missed the in-class discussions, and the general socializing between classmates.  However, I enjoyed the flexibility and the opportunity to fully form my thoughts before joining in the dialogue.  I found that these factors meant that I was able to take then time to really integrate the lessons into my knowledge base, something that I discovered when I was able to take knowledge and apply it into other areas—other classes, practicum experiences, and discussions with my friends.  Learning should be lifelong, especially in this field, and online conferences and webinars will be useful for keeping up to date professionally.  Overall, my online learning experience was good and worked for me, which is good since I am signed up for 2 more online classes next semester!

It seems that education is changing, as can be seen with the number of students involved in distance education and flipped classrooms.  Having experience with online classes can be valuable, as a future school librarian.  While I am still occasionally on campus for class, I can still relate to how valuable online resources are.  As we enter the field it is important to be creative in coming up with services that suit the needs of the students we are serving.  Distance learning students may be unable to come to the school library—what tools will they need? If a student in a flipped classroom is having a difficult time learning a particular concept will we as the librarian be able to help them locate a resource that will help them understand?  Our goal should be serving the community, regardless of whether they are standing in front of the reference desk with a question or sitting on their couch at home needing information.  Being able to relate to the needs of the students is critical in order to find ways to serve them.

Tackling Technology

This past semester has truly opened my eyes to how technology is changing our world.  While some of it can be scary, it is also exciting to think of all the new opportunities that are also opening up with these changes.  It is a thrilling time to begin a career as a school librarian.  There is a need for teachers, and especially teacher librarians, to step up and lead the way into the future.

As I’ve learned from experience these past weeks, some of the new technologies take effort to learn.   However, it was well worth it.  I am grateful that the course made me take the time to explore some Web 2.0 tools, some of which had been on my list to learn for a while.  Others, such as Diigo, I was not aware of yet now that I have started using it I have discovered just how valuable of a tool it is.  Recently, I noticed that I have been much more eager and willing to investigate new Web 2.0 tools and ideas of how to incorporate them into the classroom quickly follows.

The thought of learning new programs might be intimidating, but the time and effort it takes is well worth it.  They are especially valuable if we are able to bring them into the classroom so that our students can learn to effectively, wisely, and safely navigate the digital world.  There are numerous creative ways to use Web 2.0 tools.  Our education system is changing and must change if we are to provide our students with the skills they will need to be successful.

Educating Teachers and Students

Many would agree, that in order to encourage learning there are several guidelines to follow.  These include, meeting the student where they are, providing purpose, engaging students in the subject, and providing resources for learning.  The article in Tech&Learning (http://www.techlearning.com/article/right-to-copy/43232) reminded me that these same guidelines will apply when keeping others aware of copyright laws.  The article gave quite a few practical tips and guidelines for promoting copyright awareness in the school.  It was especially nice that tips were given for educating teachers on the subject, but also ways to help motivate teachers to pass on their new knowledge about copyright onto their students.

Just as collaboration between the SLMS and the teacher can result in engaging lessons, the pairing on the SLMS and teacher can result in making all students more conscientious of their use of information because teachers will be informed and can reinforce the importance of obeying copyright laws.  The SLMS has an important task when it comes to educating both students and teachers on copyright and how they can use information and technology while still obeying the law.

encouraging change

One of my favorite things about this class has been the way that my eyes have been opened to the use of technology in the classroom.  I am inspired every time I read Will Richardson’s book.  Technology creates a number of creative ways for students to learn and be engaged.  I understand the pressure teachers are under and that they do not always have the time needed to explore the possibilities of bringing technology in the classroom.  However, this makes me more determined that the role of the school librarians should be to assist in bringing web 2.0 tools into the school and helping students learn necessary 21^st century skills.

Looking at Google Earth this week was really interesting.  Although I had heard of Google Earth, I had never taken the time to really explore it.  Now that I am more aware of all that it has to offer, the number of possibilities it has for education is amazing.  It also fit really well with my professional development project theme of virtual field trips.  Part of my reason for choosing the topic was to help busy teachers realize one way that they can incorporate technology into their own classrooms.  I would hope that virtual field trips would be a starting entry into encouraging teachers to build more lessons involving technology and for them to realize how many possibilities there are out there.  Hopefully, teachers are also open to the idea of collaboration with the school librarian.  I feel that collaborative lessons are a good opportunity to involve new technology tools and 21^st century skills.  There are so many new ways for students to learn.  When I am a SLMS, I hope to help integrate and technology and new ways of learning into the school.

The Intellectual Property Bus

“Many states once had segregation laws that required African Americans to sit at the back of the bus. More than 50 years ago, a brave woman named Rosa Parks defied the law and changed the course of history. Are our current copyright laws requiring students and teachers to sit at the back of the intellectual property bus? … As librarians and educators in the information age, there are times we need to have the courage to stand up for freedom” (Johnson, 2008).

The laws of copyright and fair use can be complex and confusing.   Things may become more complicated as educators since there are separate guidelines to use that are meant to give more freedom, but in some cases might lead to more confusion.  So, what happens when in doubt? Often, teachers decide to stick to safer routes as to avoid breaking copyright law.  As Doug Johnson encourages in the article, we need to step out of the comfort zone and be willing to be willing to take chances with our projects (without intentionally breaking copyright laws).  Being better educated is one step toward moving beyond the ‘safe methods’.  However, if it seems as though there is nothing written in the law, let’s not assume that it cannot be legally done, but instead move forward.

Education is always an important factor.  Copyright and fair use guidelines are two topics that people could benefit from better understanding.  This would help educators and students move beyond traditional, safe projects.  However, students often do not take into consideration these laws.  With the invention of the internet, there seems to be a new mindset that everything found online is free for everyone.  Teaching students to think about copyright and consider whether their actions are following copyright laws can help move people forward.  The more familiar a topic is, the less daunting and confusing it will be.  Hopefully, through our work as librarians, we can help people begin to think about copyright, learn to work with it instead of avoiding it, and give people the courage to move to the front of the intellectual property bus!

Johnson, Doug. “Whose afraid of the big bad ©” School Library Journal October 2008 44-48.

21st Century Learning

An underlying theme in my recent readings has been the changes we need to make in education, and the new skills that students need to have.  One example is the National Council of Teachers of English, and their new 21st century literacy that "readers and writers need to manage, analyze, and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information."  Other skills mentioned have included collaboration, cooperative work, reading by scanning, being globally aware, be creators and consumers of hypertext, and be able to consume and edit information.  These have moved far beyond focusing on the basics of reading, writing, and arithmatic.

The readings also point out how technology is the cause behind the shift, but also the solution in teaching these skills.  Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, wikis, and RSS feeds, when implemented correctly, can provide students with lessons and hands on experience practicing these new 21st century skills that will be invaluable for them as they continue on in life.  The school librarian plays a key role in this process.  It is up to us to help teach these skills through lessons in the library, collaboration, or providing professional development so that teachers feel comfortable implementing these tools in their classrooms.  It is necessary to stay up-to-date with these skills, and practice them ourselves.  It is hard to teach students 21st century skills if we do not have them ourselves.

Over the summer I began to build up my own knowledge of web tools by setting up an RSS feed through Google Reader.  It was fairly simple to do, and I love the amount of information I able to view regularly without taking a lot of time to go to each site.  I am slowly learning more about RSS feeds and how to fully utilize them.  My experience with this tool has allowed me to feel more confident about encouraging others to use and helping them get started.  I feel that students could really benefit from this tool, and I cannot wait to share this tool, and many others, with them one day. 

Wikis: Good or Bad?

Collaboration plays an important role in today’s workplace.  Students then need to be prepared for this.  Often, teachers use group work to encourage this skill.  However, with the help of the internet, our world is becoming more global.  As Richardson mentions in his book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, wikis are a great way to practice collaboration online, with others who do not necessarily have to be in the same location or even the same school!  One of his examples includes having teachers and school districts start a wiki to share teaching ideas—one more example of how workplace collaboration is taking place online.

One popular argument against wikis, and in particular Wikipedia, is that since anyone can edit them, their accuracy in questionable.  I myself have used this argument.  However, Richardson makes a valid argument for the use of wikis, and despite my previous thoughts, I believe wikis have a place in the school.  Examples of class wikis that I have viewed seem to work well in encouraging student learning.  Plus, I think that through the class participation on a wiki, students will walk away with a better understanding of how Wikipedia works and why evaluation of its information is important.  We need to expand views on wikis and consider that their benefits might just outnumber any existing arguments against them.

Let's Do Something!

Technology is rapidly changing, as is its importance in the role that it plays in our society.  With the recent changes, it is not too surprising to hear that not everyone is prepared to deal with what this means for personal safety, yet I doubt anyone would disagree that internet safety is an important topic.  In the end, finger pointing does no good, it does not matter if parents or teachers or technology coordinators were supposed to be teaching on this subject.  What matters is that change occurs and people are educated on this topic.  Technology is not going away, so students need to be equipped to protect themselves whether it be from identity theft, cyberbullying, sexting, or the viewing of inappropriate websites.  Schools need to step up, including teachers and SLMS, to ensure that students are being educated on this very important topic.

In addition, I feel that students are not the only ones that need to be taught internet safety.  With 26 percent of teachers not prepared to teach the subject (Pruitt-Mentle, Davina, and Pusay, 2010), it is an indicator that many adults are not well educated in the area of internet safety.  Perhaps parents and teachers would have more of a role in this area, if they were knowledgeable.  There is an opportunity right now for libraries (school, public, and academic) to fill this gap in knowledge.  Let’s start classes, have workshops, and do anything we can to provide a valuable service to our patrons to make sure they understand cybersafety, cyberethics, and cybersecurity.

Something for Everyone

Personally, the school library website is not something that is immediately thought of when considering the school library media center and the role of the school librarian.  However, after thinking about it, the website is very important in engaging students and showing what the library has to offer.  There is no question that we want students to come to the library and take advantage of all that is offered.  Nevertheless, not all students are going to willing come to the library nor are all parents going to have that opportunity.  The website can play a role in enticing students to come to the library, as well as keeping parents and community members informed of the importance of the library.

Keeping in mind the importance of the library’s website, it can be a bit intimidating to think about having to create and maintain this important tool.  While I have a background in graphic design, coding and building websites is not one of my strong suits.  Due to this, I was drawn to the article discussing the benefits of building a website in a blogging format.  Having set-up and worked with this blog, I know from experience that it is easy to build, format, use, and keep updated.  The format is user-friendly, and the information is kept updated easily, and is dated for users to gage how relevant the information is.  More importantly, with all of the new technology out there, I like that there is tool for everyone so that librarians can fully serve their patrons, no matter their strengths (or weaknesses!).

Google and its Benefits

This week’s readings made me think about the internet.  There is so much information to be found online—some good, some bad, some mediocre.  Yet, isn’t worth sifting through the bad and mediocre to find that great website full of valuable information?! One of classes had a debate about Google.  We discussed the flaws and the shortcomings and assets.  While there were many of both, in the end it was decided that since Google is here to stay for a while we need to take advantage of all that it has to offer.

As librarians, we may cringe when students choose to turn to the internet for all of their information needs when we know other sources might have more to offer.  Nonetheless, I really appreciated reading “The Google Game” and “Return of the Google Game”.  If students are determined to use Google to receive their information, we need to step up and help them search effectively so that they can find valuable information from the web.  Also, the creativity in the lesson was great! One of the best ways to engage students in the lesson is by allowing them to have fun!  With the Google Game, students were absorbed in the lesson, motivated to learn, and actively demonstrating their understanding.  Internet searching is an important skill for this generation, and after this lesson students will carry the skills with them for future use. 

Also, it is important to recognize all the extra tools that Google is offering, beyond its basic search engine.  There is a lot of room for innovative lessons using these tools, as was demonstrated in “Google in the Classroom-More than just Research”.  As school librarians, it is important to be aware of these tools and active in collaborating with teachers to encourage the use of these tools.  Part of our role is to learn what exist out there so that we can teach technology skills to the students using these Web 2.0 offerings.  We cannot hide behind our stacks of books forever; rather we need to embrace the internet and Google to participate in the tools that they offer to us as educators.

Copyright Awareness

The issue of copyright can be complicated, hard to navigate, and very intimidating.  However, it is a legal issue that needs to be understood and not just ignored.  I feel that many times educators tend to justify any copyright issue by putting it under the heading of “educational use” without thinking about it any further.  However, this is not always true.  One important step is to create awareness.  Copyright is not necessarily included in college education classes, so is may be up to the school library media specialist (SLMS) to teach their co-workers and create awareness.  Furthermore, equipped with knowledge about copyright, teachers then can transfer this information to their students.

It is important to start making students aware of copyright while they are still young.  Once teachers know about copyright, they can start including it in their lessons.  Copyright Alliance Education Foundation (http://www.copyrightfoundation.org/ ) offered many practical tips on incorporating little lessons about copyright in easy to do ways, such as pointing out the piracy notice that plays before every movie.  We cannot expect students to know about copyright if we do not teach them.  It is especially important to clear up misconceptions about this topic now when many students have the mindset that everything on the internet is “free”.  Teaching students about copyright when they are young is a step toward teaching them to value the ethical use of information.

Information Gaps

While reading both Gordon’s article as well as “Information Behavior of the researcher of the future,” I came across the statement that younger students are unaware of their own informational needs and as a result are unable to search effectively.  This statement came as a surprise at first.  Yet, the more I read and reflected on the statement, the more truth I found in this statement.  My own experience working with students reflect this, as sometimes despite having a topic they do not know what they are looking for.  When this problem came up, the SLMS usually suggested starting with broad research, and then based upon those findings, narrowing down the topic of research.  While this strategy may work in some instances, as the readings pointed out, many times students are not taking the time to read and evaluate their sources, which makes it difficult to narrow the focus while continuing research.  This goes to show how necessary it is for the teacher-librarian to work with the students and teach them information literacy skills.

Moreover, Eli Pariser’s video was eye-opening.  Although it is not an issue when using library resources and databases, the personalized selection of materials that many search engines are providing may hurt students’ research.  Often younger students rely on Google to provide them with their information, yet due to this personalization they may not be able to find the sources that they need, especially as search engines lean more towards a “junk food” diet of information.  I strongly agree with Pariser’s point that we need to receive a “balanced diet” of information that will entertain, but also information that presents us with new ideas that challenge us.  This new tailoring of the internet is not only serving to isolate us, but also may lead the dumbing down of our nation as the latest celebrity gossip begins to take relevance over world events. 

Beginning of the Semester

Being new to online classes, I was a little hesitant about how the class would go and what to expect.  So far, I have survived the first week and I am optimistic about what lies ahead.  The set-up of the class is very different from the traditional class, but is very fitting considering the subject of the class.  Being given the opportunity to use blogs, bookmarking tools, rss feeds, etc was a little overwhelming at first, yet is providing me a chance to learn the new technologies, which will hopefully play a prominent role in the education system soon.  Another benefit of online classes, is that I feel that my education is in my own hands.  Not to say that this is not the case with traditional classes, but I feel that traditional classes hold you more accountable, while with this online class I have the mindset that the effort that I put into the class will determine how much I learn and what I get out of the class.  Again, this is not untrue of traditional classes, but it is a good motivator for studying hard this semester!

Furthermore, this week’s topic of assistive technology made me appreciative of the fact that every child in America has the right to an education.  It is refreshing to think of all of the rules and technologies that exist to bring out the potential of every child regardless of the obstacles they may have to work to overcome.  It is important to make sure that the school library has tools to help students with disabilities since the library is a central spot in the school where all students will come to access information.  No child should be isolated from information and learning.  The library should be a spot where all students feel welcomed and able to learn.