Fingers dancing across a keyboard, light bulbs of ideas exploding above my head, vast acres of internet space filled with knowledge, tools, applications, and connections... These are the images that come to mind as I reflect upon this semester of Internet for School Librarians. I am awed by the amount of material I have encountered, and I am excited about the future possibilities in the field of library sciences.
I didn't love or even like all the applications I explored. Personal organizers like Remember the Milk and Workflowy were quickly relegated to the back 40 pasture to live out their lives unused by me. I found online list makers and calendar reminders a Rube Goldberg attempt at using technology for the sake of being online. Give me a scratch sheet of paper or my phone's notepad any day of the week.
I am still unsure about how to best use information organization sites like Scoop.it or Prismatic to better organize my information. I like the access to current information and the ability to easily share it on social platforms, but it is hard to work into a daily or weekly exercise. Maybe I will revisit these tools when life is a bit less hectic, and I am not overwhelmed with information.
I enjoyed exploring the sharing tools of screencasts, podcasts, and Youtube. I feel very comfortable using these tools and can't wait to show students what can be accomplished with a few simple steps. I was stretched to be more creative with my presentation options and was forced to get out of my traditional forms of information sharing.
I loved being creative with products as I explored online word apps, comic creators, infographic creators, Instagram, and Vine. By thinking differently about how to present material and connect to students, I think my teaching has improved and my expectations for other teaching professionals have increased. I am no longer satisfied with doing assignments like I did 15 years ago. I embrace the knowledge that kids can interact online safely and create ways to share their learning that is both rigorous and real world centered.
Social networking is a part of my daily life. It was before I started this course and has increased in its importance through the semester. Twitter has become a professional development treasure. By following leaders in the field who are committed to sharing what they know, I have grown as a professional in a myriad of ways. Blogging was something I used to do just to keep my family updated on my life. Now, I see the value in sharing my ponderings and musings because I learn from what others in this class and in the "real world" produce. The idea that I could add value to someone's learning is encouraging. I hope to continue using this platform to share information that I learn and tools that I encounter.
After 2 years in library school, I think this is one of the most practical and useful classes I have taken to date. I have shared so many tips, options, and resources with fellow teachers that I gained in this class. It has changed my teaching for the better and prepared me for the leap into being a school librarian in the 21st century
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Millennials and Libraries
The Pew Research Center released a report in April of 2014 sharing what they have learned about teens and their relationship to public libraries. In a 40 slide presentation of the findings, Lee Rainie summarizes the findings and challenges viewers to consider the implications for the future of library services.
The findings are organized into 7 statements:
Each idea is confirmed with survey results. Then the viewer is encouraged to consider how they will respond to the information.
As an educator in a public school, I believe that this information should be used to adjust our teaching practices and support our methodologies. By understanding the way teens are different than ourselves, we can provide better learning experiences for them to experience. Educators need to include more instruction in how to find authoritative information to counteract the habit of skimming and scanning and accepting anything on a screen. Students need more practice creating products that showcase useful information. Instead of just sharing information to fulfill grade requirements, they need to have personal connections to what they manufacture. Teachers need to remember that instead of teaching students how to use technology applications, they should focus on giving students opportunities to choose the right application for the right product and audience. They will learn how to use if much faster than the old folks!
The slideshow showcases opposing ways to interpret the information. One viewpoint focuses on the positive aspects of being technology saturated and independent learners. The other viewpoint highlights the negative aspects of shallow thinking and lack of practice in real life situations. I find that both viewpoints have truth and by recognizing that for every negative there is a positive, I can address the learning needs of students more effectively.
Librarians can continue to be a resource and valuable connection for millennial learners by understanding their origins and promoting useful services. Different does not mean worse; it just means different. I am hopeful that students will continue to seek information and will grow in their pursuits of information.
Rainie, L. Teens and Libraries in Today's Digital Landscape, Pew Internet & American Life Project, April 9 2014,http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/04/09/millennials-and-libraries/ , May 1, 2014. 40 pgs
Pew Research Total: 40/150
Total Research Total: 163/150
The findings are organized into 7 statements:
Each idea is confirmed with survey results. Then the viewer is encouraged to consider how they will respond to the information.
As an educator in a public school, I believe that this information should be used to adjust our teaching practices and support our methodologies. By understanding the way teens are different than ourselves, we can provide better learning experiences for them to experience. Educators need to include more instruction in how to find authoritative information to counteract the habit of skimming and scanning and accepting anything on a screen. Students need more practice creating products that showcase useful information. Instead of just sharing information to fulfill grade requirements, they need to have personal connections to what they manufacture. Teachers need to remember that instead of teaching students how to use technology applications, they should focus on giving students opportunities to choose the right application for the right product and audience. They will learn how to use if much faster than the old folks!
The slideshow showcases opposing ways to interpret the information. One viewpoint focuses on the positive aspects of being technology saturated and independent learners. The other viewpoint highlights the negative aspects of shallow thinking and lack of practice in real life situations. I find that both viewpoints have truth and by recognizing that for every negative there is a positive, I can address the learning needs of students more effectively.
Librarians can continue to be a resource and valuable connection for millennial learners by understanding their origins and promoting useful services. Different does not mean worse; it just means different. I am hopeful that students will continue to seek information and will grow in their pursuits of information.
Rainie, L. Teens and Libraries in Today's Digital Landscape, Pew Internet & American Life Project, April 9 2014,http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/04/09/millennials-and-libraries/ , May 1, 2014. 40 pgs
Pew Research Total: 40/150
Total Research Total: 163/150
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)