Blog Post 4 : Technology Leadership Role of School Librarians

For the 21st century learner, technology grows increasingly more important each day, as more devices, apps, and websites become available to enrich the educational atmosphere. School librarians have a duty to their students to be knowledgeable in technology and pass the knowledge on to others.

The AASL (2007) has developed standards of learning that relate to technology. The standards touch upon all aspects of education, including critical thinking, gaining knowledge, drawing conclusions, making informed decisions, applying knowledge, sharing knowledge, participating ethically and productively in society, and pursuing personal growth. Each of the standards touches upon a basic skill that students will need as they enter the world, with technology ideas to prepare them for the 21st century.

Norton (2013) instructs school librarians to have a technology plan that reflects the internal goals of the school library and the external goals of the school and world cultures. The technology plan, once written, "provides evidence the school library program is integral to teaching and learning with technology in the school environment." Goals and plans should align with schoolwide initiatives. By collaborating with teachers on the technology plan, the school librarian is also able to demonstrate leadership skills and can take on a leadership role within the school.

Lubbers (2014) participated in a technology experiment within a Minnesota school district and library system collaboration, where teachers and students were given access to technology and supplemental library resources. Some of the technology that the library assisted the school with were library  card drives, resource demonstrations, media specialist in-services for teachers, access cards for the media center, wireless access in the library, cloud storage, and staff training on devices. Lubbers notes that by keeping the management of technology support and knowledge local is that  "locally managed digital content has the potential to be more responsive to current trends, current events, and STEM advancements—which often date paper texts. And the cost of these digital curricula is less than the cost of textbooks, potentially saving districts thousands of dollars for other projects and
programs" (2014).

School libraries need to remain relevant to the school environment by becoming technologically savvy and knowledgeable. There is a responsibility upon the librarian to ensure that teachers are able to utilize and implement technology in their classroom. Collaboration with teachers on ways to integrate technology into lessons is an important step in  preparing students for the 21st century. By taking on the technology leadership role, school librarians will know that their students will graduate with more than just a favorite book from the library, but with the skills to be a successful member of the technological age.

References

AASL. (2007). Standards for the 21st century learner. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/AASL_LearningStandards.pdf

Lubbers, C. (2014). Supporting innovation in education. Public Libraries, 53(3), 36-41.

Norton, S. (2013). Technology planning: Designing the direction to get there. Knowledge Quest, 42(1), 64-69.

Blog Post 3 : Technology Implementation Strategies

We live in a technological age in which a person can spend their entire day interacting with others that they may never see face to face. By utilizing and implementing technology strategies in the classroom, teachers and teacher librarians will not only have more attention from the students due to their high level of interest in technological matters, but they will be shaping students to be successful in their future endeavors.

One of the major perks of using technology in the classroom is the amount of free educational resources that are available online. Often administrators resist the change of implementing technology by using the cost as an excuse. Technology does not have to begin and end with high dollar electronics -- websites can be used for free online that can be accessed through the teachers computer and shown on a projector. The students will then have access to the technology without every student having an iPad.

Students have a sense of ownership when it comes to creating projects and materials using technology, and these skills will help them in future college and career goals. The archaic cardboard presentation board isn't used anywhere these days other than in schools. Why have students use outdated materials when they could create a powerpoint of an animoto presentation to learn the same educational material with 21st century methods? Students can create a digital portfolio throughout the year of what they have accomplished, which will serve them for the purposes of the assignment and as a demonstration of their skills to future teachers and employers. There is an increase in learning when students have to create something to demonstrate their knowledge. All students know how to cut and paste materials from their research in order to "write" a paper. Have them create a wiki or a webpage about it instead -- not only will the students be showing their mastery of the material, but they will be able to create something that they feel is meaningful and will therefore take more time and effort into the project.

Advantages to implementing technology in the classroom are: efficiency, motivation to learn, deep understanding, and learning how to learn. Using technology helps both the students and the teachers; teachers will be challenged to come up with interesting and meaningful assignments and projects that will resonate and make the students feel accomplished and important. Everyone is a winner when there is technology implemented in the classroom.

Reference
Byrne, R. (2009). The effect of web 2.0 on teaching and learning. Teacher Librarian, 37(2), 50-53.

Blog Post 2 : Devices in the Library

Handheld devices such as smartphones and tablets are becoming more commonplace in schools and it would behoove teachers and librarians to find ways to use them within their lessons. By using a handheld device, students are able to have one-to-one ratio of technology, as most libraries or classrooms do not have enough computers for every student. Students are able to access information immediately in the classroom setting, and it is portable, which means that groups can separate and not influence each others answers when working on group assignments.

 Students in a North Carolina school were given smartphones to use the Project K-Nect curriculum that specialized in math curriculum; their End of Course exam test scores were 10% higher than the state average and they reported increased communication with teachers through the apps. Teachers are able to connect learning to students' home gaming system and create hooks to interest students in their lessons. By having students use their own devices, it's cheaper for the district and there is less of a learning curve, as students are familiar with these devices.

There are apps for both students and educators -- librarians are able to check out books in the stacks through smartphone apps that access the circulation system. Teacher-librarians can also utilize the same strategies and techniques that teachers use in the classroom, which will help solidify the knowledge for the students and will help them to take these educational apps and resources beyond the school walls.

Reference
Allen, R. (2011). Can Mobile Devices Transform Education?. Education Update, 53(2). Retrieved June 19, 2014, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/education-update/feb11/vol53/num02/Can-Mobile-Devices-Transform-Education%C2%A2.aspx

Blog Post 1: Technology Strengths and Weaknesses

According to the ISTE Standards for Teachers (http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/20-14_ISTE_Standards-T_PDF.pdf), my technology experience and knowledge is pretty strong. If there is technology that I am unfamiliar with, I am able to figure it out fairly quickly, through individual experimentation or formal education. I am able to model technology skills for my students as well as create meaningful assignments that challenge and help their own skills.

As an educator, I would like to encourage my students to pursue technological advances whenever possible, whether by creating things or simply using an ebook. When I reach a piece of technology that I am unfamilar with (a technology weakness), then I will seek out the professional development and training that I need to use it to help my students. I would like to learn about the newest technological tricks to help my students have a chance to succeed in our technological age.

Class Projects