Blog Post 4: Technology Leadership Role of School Librarians

Teaching in today’s world of ever-changing technology needs to be learner driven and specifically catered to todays learner’s styles of learning.  The 21^st Century learner needs to be utilizing Web 2.0 tools to create and engage while demonstrating understanding.  Who will teach students to be successful, safe, and ethical online if it does not come from the class room?  Twenty-first century learners need direct instruction on how to be an online citizen while being able to interact with the internet in structured environments. 

The standards for the 21^st Century Learner from the AASL are written to support reading curriculum and set students up for success after they leave public education.  The 21^st Century Standards state:

Reading is a foundational skill for learning, personal growth, and enjoyment. The degree to which students can read and understand text in all formats (e.g., picture, video, print) and all contexts is a key indicator of success in school and in life. As a lifelong learning skill, reading goes beyond decoding and comprehension to interpretation and development of new understandings.  (AASL, para. 1)

Teacher librarians have a crucial role to play in educating learners using the Standards for the 21^st Century Learner.  Librarians teach how to utilize information and they should be working collaboratively with teachers and staff to make sure that this gets done.  Sly reinforces this by teaching:

As teacher librarians, we have an increasingly important role in educating not only students, but also teachers, in the use of 21^st century technologies. We need to remain involved in discussions that highlight the particular skills we have in information retrieval, evaluation and authentication. (Sly, 2008)

In order for students to be successful in the real world after they leave the public education system they need to be able to read to learn.  This goes against what is often taught in the school system due to high stakes testing that teach students how to analyze a text for comprehension purposes.  Reading to learn means that a student is able to read proficiently enough to teach themselves as they go along.  The library plays a critical part in teaching students to read beyond comprehension and can teach them to be information literate.  Kuhlthau understands this when she states, “Determining importance in informational texts is an essential skill in the information environment in which they live and learn” (Kuhlthau, 2010). 

To summarize, students need to be taught to be information literate through technology.  Teaching students in a guided setting using the Standards for the 21^st Century Learner provides time for students to learn to be information literate in a safe and productive way. 

References

AASL.  (2007).  Standards for the 21^st century learner.  American Library Association:  Chicago, IL. 

Kuhlthau, Carol Collier.  (2010).  Guided inquiry:  school libraries in the 21^st century.  School Libraries Worldwide 16(1), 1-12.

Sly, F.  (2008).  Meeting the needs of the 21^st century learners.  Access  (10300155), 22(3), 8.

Blog Post 3: Technology Implementation Strategies

Using Tech Tools For Learning With Standards

Article Summary

Holzweiss' article teaches specific standards from Common Core, AASL standards for the 21st Century Learner, and the ISTE/NETS standards that can be taught together incorporating technology in the classroom as well as the library.  She also states that many teachers are hesitant to begin using technology applications in the classroom and that librarians are the perfect person to help with this.  Librarians are able to help with both the lesson planning and delivery as well as the actual library space.

Utilizing technology in both the classroom and the library is a major way to offer extension to students who need more of a challenge.  This is true for independent work as well as collaborative work. 

Hozweiss then goes on to give 15 examples of Web 2.0 programs to try with a class like:  Voki, Google Docs, Trip Wow, Vocab Grabber, and Movenote.  Each example given highlights why Hozweiss believes it is a good application to use and also gives a fairly lengthy list of additional programs to try if you liked the one she mentioned. 

Hozweiss suggest trying a few new ones each year to find ways to best incorporate them into the classroom or library.

Two New Strategies for Me to Try

1)    Picktochart– This website lets you input data and creates an infographic that looks professionally made.  Students could do this both individually and in small groups.  This would be an amazing site to use when working with a science topic or wrapping up a social studies unit.  It is exciting to think about how to incorporate this into the classroom!  The standard account is free which is always good to know in the education world. 

2)    Pow Toon 4 Edu – This website lets you create a professional grade cartoon by dragging and dropping the premade animations as well as adding in text or voiceovers.  Students get to create a cartoon?  That does not sound like an assignment which means they will love it!  It will almost be like tricking them into learning.  It does look like it will take some time to work with getting to know the lay of the program as far as timing your cartoon. 

Holzweiss, Kristina.  (2014).  Using tech tolls for learning with standards.  School Library Monthly.  Retrieved from http://www.schoollibrarymonthly.com/articles/Holzweiss2014-v30n4p13.html

Blog Post 2: Handheld Devices

5 Ways Teachers can use Tablets in the Classroom

This article was featured in a University of Phoenix online Magazine entitled Phoenix Forward Magazine in 2013.  Yaremich interviews Kathy Cook, the Director of Educational Technology at the University of Phoenix.

1st key point

 Help Student's become Global Learners.  The article's first subheading was one of the biggest key points mentioned.  Through the use of the camera and various programs like Skype and Face Time students have access to more opportunities for guest lecturers and expert speakers.  No field trip required.  Yaremich teaches, “For example, if a student is conducting a scientific report … the student might reach out and conduct a short interview with a scientist” (Yaremich 2013).

2nd key point

The students can generate content section mentions the fact that the programs within a tablet/iPad are so user friendly that the students can easily put together a presentation or project to put the learning in their own hands.  To be specific, Yaremich states, "Making original content is perfect for project-based learning, she adds, pointing out that students can use the camera on the device to capture images and videos, and the writing capabilities to create various projects" (Yaremich, 2013).

3rd key point

The flexibility available with hand held devices make them a tool for adaptive learning.  Students with learning disorders, Autism, students learning English, etc... all have programs available to help them progress where they are on their level.  

Suggested uses in the library

Take advantage of the e-books available.  Students who prefer to read on a Kindle or other hand held device might be excited if the librarian showed them how to check out books for their device through their library or through their local public library.  This would be an easy way to reach students who love to read while craving technology at the same time.  The librarian could do this as a class lesson or if there is not any time available then the librarian could have an after school demonstration for students who are interested.

As far as utilizing the key points mentioned, it would be neat for students to use the iPads or devices to make video book recommendations or book previews to be playing in the library on a closed circuit TV or be featured on the library’s website. 

Students could reach out to authors, view author’s websites, and have interactive web experiences to go along with their reading.  An example of this would be if a student read Owen and Mzee then they could log into the device and visit the Owen and Mzee website to view the animals and get updates on them.

Reference:

Yaremich, Marissa.  (2013).  5 ways teachers can use tablets in the classroom.  Phoenix Forward Magazine.  Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/phoenix/pdf/5-ways-teachers-can-use-tablets-in-the-classroom.pdf

Blog Post 1: Technology Strengths and Weaknesses

One of my biggest technology strengths is trying new things.  I am willing to try anything and once I go through the motions, not watching, actually being behind the driver’s seat, I can pick up quite a bit of confidence with new technology and then play with it enough to fully master or understand the program. 

My biggest weakness in technology is that I simply don’t have the time I wish I had to go out on my own, research new technology available and then invest some time in it to play with it and get to understand it.  Between teaching and going back to school it seems like my time is pretty well planned out for me.  I need to make a priority to keep current with new and exciting technologies.  Another weakness for me is truly understanding how technology can beef up my lessons.  I teach reading to a class with over 23 different languages taught and typically spend my time conferencing with students over independent reading or by modeling thinking to them in a read aloud text.  Since I haven’t invested time into finding technology that works for me I haven’t been using it.

As an educator, I always plan on using new and innovative ways to incorporate more technology into my classroom.  Due to my time weaknesses I typically just fall on my old standbys like power points and my document camera.  I plan on making myself more acquainted with newer and more exciting technologies so that I can start bringing them into the classroom. 

Another plan I have for technology is to not only teach my students through more innovative ways but to also have the students do more hands on activities with the various technological programs.  It is hard to find time within the school day to allow for this- especially when most of my students are about 3 years behind in their language skills and I have a STAAR test breathing down my throat.  That being said, if I don’t start showing my students how to be innovative with technology through an academic setting, then who will?

What I need to learn about technology is how to easily incorporate it into my lessons without spending a lot of time outside of the classroom planning and putting things together.  I also need to learn how to allow or create time to start having my students do more hands on making and presenting.  There are so many possibilities- I just need to invest time in finding these new resources and using them.