Blog Post 4: Technology Leadership Role of School Librarians

     More and more, librarians are the technology liaison on the school campus. This means the librarian needs to know how to fix the computer monitor if it suddenly goes blank and how to help the Language Arts teacher integrate technology into her lesson plans. In order to help librarians and teachers with the task of integrating technology into the classroom and effectively teaching it to students, the American Association of School Libraries (AASL) developed the “Standards for the 21st-Century Learner” (2011) as a guide for educators to navigate this new technological world. With nine foundational common beliefs and four standards, this guideline is supposed to instruct librarians and teachers as they navigate the world of teaching technology. These standards remind educators that technology is a beneficial tool to edify the curriculum and the students, not merely an educational outcome. 

      In his article, 9 Wrong and 8 Right Ways Students Should Use Technology, J. Dunn (2013) claims, “technology is a tool in the classroom and not meant to be the focus of attention. It’s meant to enable, not overwhelm. It’s meant to enhance learning, not box it in.” He makes a valid point that educators should be teaching students how to find answers, how to make a difference, how to change minds. The tools used to reach these goals have become more technological in the past few years, but the purpose of teaching is still the same: to educate children. With the world of Web 2.0, integrating technology into the classroom, or the library, is easier than ever. There seems to be a technology tool for every aspect of teaching. 

      While the AASL standards are a guideline for librarians to follow, Berger and Trexler (2010) list some action steps for librarians to follow: 
      1. Articulate a clear vision of technology, curriculum integration, and the use of Web 2.0 tools. 
      2. Revisit information literacy skills curriculum, especially in light of the new AASL “Standards for            the 21st-Century Learner.” 
      3. Keep teachers and administrators informed on the latest tools and best practices in the use and integration of Web 2.0 tools. 
      4. Support professional development in twenty-first-century skills for teachers, administrators, and parents. 
      5. Increase personal Web 2.0 literacy- Embrace emerging technologies! (p. 17, 18) 

      Using technology is more than using a device. It is carrying out a lesson plan in a new format, with the end goal still being the education of the student. Several technology tools include blogs, slide show websites, modified search engines, and simple web page building programs. Along with teaching students about technology comes the responsibility to teach them to use it wisely. And along with teaching students responsibility, teachers and librarians must use technology responsibly. Having students sit in front of a computer everyday in order to play word games is not the best, nor the most responsible, use of technology.

References 

 American Association of School Libraries (2011). Standards for the 21st-century learner. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards-guidelines/learning-standards 

Berger, P., & Trexler, S. (2010). Choosing web 2.0 tools for learning and teaching in a digital world. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited. 

Dunn, J. (2013). 9 wrong and 8 right ways students should use technology. Retrieved from http://edudemic.com/2013/07/9-wrong-and-8-right-ways-students-should-use- technology/

Blog Post 3: Technology Implementation Strategies

Blog Post # 3 

Travis’s Excellent (eReader) Adventure 

by Travis Jonker 

    Jonker and a colleague applied for a grant from their district that would allow them to purchase eReaders, warranties, cases, and ebooks. Their grant was approved and Jonker decided to implement the new eReader program with the fifth and six grade campus. 

3 key points from the article: 

1.   Do your research on eReaders. 
 Jonker recommends several articles and websites that discuss eReader school programs, eBooks, and tablets. 

2.  Permission and Accessibility 
 Parents, of course, need to be aware of the eReader program and Jonker says permission slips should be signed by both the parent/guardian and the student. His school allowed students to take the tablets home, but were required to charge them at school during the day. Also, he mentions allowing teachers to check out the eReaders. 

3.  eBooks
 Decisions must be made on which eBooks to offer and how to get them on the devices. Due to Digital Rights Management, it’s not as easy as one would expect to load eBooks to a device. Jonker offers three options: load all the books onto each tablet (which is what his school did), offer different books on each device, allow students to choose the eBook then the librarian downloads it to the device. He also points out that librarians should consider giving the option to check out public library books on the device. 


Strategies I will use: 

1.  I would like to try using iPads and picture books. Digital picture books are full of sounds and movement and I think letting the students experience it for themselves would be huge in getting them more excited about books and reading. 

2.  I’d like to be able to communicate with parents more effectively. 
 https://www.remind101.com is a good place to start. I’m sure I’d have to have district approval to use this. It allows teachers to text parents without revealing any phone numbers. 

 References 

Jonker, Travis (2012). Travis's Excellent Adventure; or 'How to Launch a Thriving Ereader Program in a Rapidly Changing World'. School Library Journal, 58 (9). Retrieved from http://www.slj.com

Blog Post 2: Handheld Devices

Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean
by Sarah Stewart Taylor and Ben Towle
Hyperion
ISBN: 978-1-4231-1337-9

 I chose this article for this blog assignment because I am unfamiliar with graphic novels.  I know that my (future) library will need to have a graphic novel section and I want to learn why this medium is so popular and learn what options are out there, besides the Lunch lady books(link to website or embed picture).  I firmly believe this genre is perfect for reluctant or low level readers and I want to make sure my students have access to quality graphic novels, whether they are in print or electronic format.

In their article, These Aren’t Your Father’s” (link to article), Heather Moorefield-Lang and Karen Gavigan (2012) discuss the rising popularity of graphic novels with the elementary age crowd in schools.  

Three key points from their article include:

• Using digital graphic novels in schools

E-book readers such as the Kindle and the NOOK are adding more graphic novels to their collection and apps for the iPad are increasing.  With the accessibility of Web 2.0, more graphic novels are available online to students.  These websites might read the book aloud to students, have activities that correspond with the story, or allow students to create their own story.

• An overview of digital graphic novels and e-book readers

~IDW Publishing offers a digital graphic novel series for the iPad
~comiXology offers series such as Jeff Smith’s Bone series as apps for the iPad, iPhone, iPod, and the Android.  ComiXology also offers over 10,000 digital graphic novels and comics on its website.
~Cognito Comics
~ComicZeal
~Graphicly
~iVerse Media
~Yen Press
Typically, these companies offer a chapter or two for free, then require payment in order to finish the story.

• Why librarians should add them to the library

Moorefield-Lang and Gavigan point out that graphic novels align with AASL’s Standards for the 21st-Century Learner and that, “...by sharing their knowledge regarding digital graphic novels with fellow educators, school librarians can further establish themselves as technology leaders in their schools.”

I have included the YouTube video below because I think it is an excellent example of collaboration between a teacher and the community in order to further the use of graphic novels in schools.  While this clip does not deal specifically with handheld devices, it would be easy enough to include them in the classroom or library.  I think, especially for graphic novels, it would be beneficial for each student to have a device to use, such as an iPad.  That way each person can look at the text and the graphics in a richer format rather than on a SmartBoard or Promethean Board (which easily looked washed out).  

In my library, I would give each student an iPad, and introduce them to some graphic novel websites.  I would monitor them as they read a few of the online novels.  We could discuss authors and illustrators and the writing process of a graphic novel.  I would them show them the app for making their own graphic novel and have them create their own.  I think this would best be done in conjunction with their classroom teacher or the art teacher.

Here is a website that offers some great resources for online graphic novels.  

Moorerield-Lang, H. (2012). THESE AREN'T YOUR FATHER'S FUNNY PAPERS: THE NEW WORLD OF DIGITAL GRAPHIC NOVELS.Knowledge Quest, 40(3), 30-35.

Blog Post 1: Technology Strengths and Weaknesses

Overall thoughts--After reading the ISTE-Nets for teachers, I feel a bit overwhelmed.  I think the International Society for Technology in Education has created a great standard for teachers to try to live up to.   I look forward to learning more about how I can implement these standards in my library.  I also believe that one of the best ways I can help my students become technology literate is to collaborate with the classroom teachers. 


Describe your technology strengths and weaknesses--I consider myself tech savvy and aware.  One of my strengths is that technology does not scare me or intimidate me.  I see it as a useful tool for going 'beyond the book' in a library classroom.  A weakness would be that I have not had much experience in using technology in a library classroom setting.  Also, I have limited experience in virtual environments where I could collaborate with other teachers.

How do I plan to use my technology strengths?  By taking book talks beyond a book.  Using Skype to talk with authors.  Technology can also be fun.  For instance, there are some YouTube videos of people singing the Dewey Decimal System.  It's not great singing, but it's catchy.  And it makes an otherwise dull conversation about the Dewey Decimal System interesting.  I plan to collaborate with classroom teachers to further what they are teaching the students.  If students are presented with information and technology in both the classroom and the library, they are more likely to learn the material and to make connections for themselves.  Collaborating with the teachers also allows me to present the material in different ways than the teacher did.

What do you feel you need to do to overcome your weaknesses?  I think with training and time my weakness will be overcome.  I don't think technology can be mastered in the classroom overnight.  Nor do I think that the ISTE standards could be implemented in a school year.  It simply takes time.

What would you like to learn about technology in order to improve your instructional strategies?  I would like to learn how to integrate the multiple intelligences into technological instruction.  So often I have seen classroom teachers plug kids into the computers, turn on a reading video/game, and leave them alone for 20 minutes.  This is not an effective use of technology, nor is it the right way to reach students.