Librarians are leaders of integration of technology into the classrooms

Technology has been an ever-growing tool for enhancing school instruction and today it is more important than ever as students are learning from home due to the current pandemic.  The need for at home instruction has caused a wave, (in my opinion a tidal wave) of information consuming teachers.  There is much for them to learn and skills to expand upon to instruct in this new environment.  So how do teachers know what tech tools are the best?  Which ones will the school district allow? Which programs will enhance student interaction?  There is a plethora of options out there and companies are jumping on the bandwagon to introduce the next craze in applications.  So where does a teacher go for help and guidance on selecting tech that will best benefit their classrooms?  They go to the school media center to seek help from their librarian.

Gone are the days of the old library lady sitting behind the desk with a paper card and a stamp.  We have transformed into leaders and obtained powers that go beyond books and into the realm of digital technology.  It is our job to seek out new advancements and spread our knowledge through professional development to our teachers, and to boldly go where no librarian has gone before.

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/student-choice-and-viral-videos-matthew-farber

In the quest for new tech sources I discovered a blog on Edutopia, Student Choice and Viral Videos by Matthew Farber that caught my eye.  For starters I strongly believe in student choice as it stimulates student interest, I support project-based learning and just about every student I know loves to take videos or watch them. Farber discusses in his blog how he offered a filmmaking assignment with his social studies class to demonstrate their learning of a unit. While there are a plethora of options for students to select from, new to me is Animoto, which is one of a few options Farber mentions.  What I like about Animoto is its ease of use.  It is easy to import images, include text, add music, and select themes.  The final production looks professional and provides students with a creative avenue to express their understanding of course content. In addition, the program has an easy learning curve. Production of a basic Animoto video can be learned and implemented in a single class period.  Of course, the savvier filmmakers can tweak away and refine for hours. As a school librarian it is our goal to empower learners with tools and “It is essential for technology to effectively meet students’ needs and keep them actively engaged” (Smith, 2010, p. 619). Filmmaking is one sure way to keep them involved in a school project.

https://animoto.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GX9bGx2T2w

How to create a video with Animoto

Aside from the ease of use to students it is an easy step to gain teacher support and use of a tech program because it does not take hours to learn. While eventually we want staff to become tech genius’, I think the way to get teachers on our sides with learning new tech programs is to take small steps resulting in positive outcomes and then slowly climb the hill of tech applications. This should help in the long run of positive implementation as noted by Smith, “In the case of technology integration, the summation of small changes can equal lasting reform” (2010, p. 628). Teachers do not embrace technology when they do not feel proficient in. We can earn their trust in us by starting small. So let’s make them feel proficient in one area and then move up. We need teacher support of tech integration because “the concern is that if technology and digital resources are not integrated into classroom learning experiences, it will result in students that are unprepared to meet the demands of a world where technology has become ubiquitous” (Johnston, 2012, p.18).

How we can increase tech use in our school is for us as librarians to step up to the challenge.  We need to invest in our own personal development (PD) and then take that knowledge and extend it to our teachers. We must collaborate with them and discuss what their needs are and how they wish to implement tech to help students meet curriculum standards. This may include the need for physical tech equipment. We also must invest in teachers, making their PD a priority, allocate time for practice of implementation and evaluation of programs as well as one on one training when necessary.  An additional option is coteaching as suggested by Overbay, Mollette, & Vasu, “encourage media and technology specialists to coteach lessons with regular classroom teachers, especially as teachers struggle to master new technologies” (2011, p.58). We can accomplish this with the support of our administration. With teachers on our side we are bound to rise to new heights of librarian leadership.

References

Johnston, M. P. (2012). Connecting teacher librarians for technology integration leadership. School Libraries Worldwide, 18(1), 18-33.

Smith, D. (2010). Making the Case for the leadership role of school librarians in technology integration. Library Hi Tech, 28 (4), 618-631.

Overbay, A., Mollette, M. & Vasu, E. S. (February 2011).  A technology plan that works: Administrators should keep five lessons in mind as they implement new technology initiatives. Educational Leadership.

 

How Information Literacy, Technology & Digital Media Unite

When one thinks of being literate, they generally think of one having the ability to read and write.  The term can be further broadened as competence in “knowledge that relates to a specified subject” (Merriam-Webster).  One can become literate in a variety of languages or in a variety of competencies such as map reading, computer coding, scientific literacy, media, and digital literacy. A more detailed description of information literacy is defined as,

“The set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning” (ALA, 2015).

So how do we as librarians help educate our students and enhance their information literacy skills to prepare them for the success in work and life outside of our walls? We can consult industry frameworks such as those provided Partnership for 21^st Century Learning (P21) as guidelines to designing lessons and library programs.

For more info check out https://www.battelleforkids.org/networks/p21/frameworks-resources

Within the library we must teach students how to locate, access, inquire, evaluate, use, and manage information responsibly from authoritative sources to expand student cognitive abilities and critical thinking skills. We need students to be literate in tech resources and programs used without our media centers to best assist them in locating print books and online resources and reference systems to meet their research needs. Gone are card catalogs and encyclopedias.  If you want to research, you need to be tech savvy as library databases are all digital.  Students need instruction on how to use and search them before they can even obtain information.  Information literacy, technology, and digital media have come to a point where they intertwine to best meet student needs.

For a fun video on using library databases check out tips on keyword searches at https://vimeo.com/12861706

We can extend classroom learning by collaborating with educators to align curriculum while implementing digital media to enhance student learning. The basis of which technology programs are used should be determined by library framework/core values, school standards, student needs, district compliance and evidence-based research. Teachers must establish educational goals and determine which programs are age appropriate and will best equip the learner.  As students have varying reading levels of print materials, they also have varying levels of technology savviness and experience in acquiring and processing information into knowledge.  We must help them reach information literacy expectations through lessons and opportunities to practice what they have learned.  For example, the ability to communicate and collaborate using media is a goal of P21.  Students could be assigned a group project where they need to attend meetings over Google Meets or Microsoft Teams and then they could have documents and slide presentations that they could share access to and collaboratively work on simultaneously. Another example is using the BIG 6 approach, “when students use word processing to compose a letter, that’s Big6 #5, Synthesis. When they search for information on the World Wide Web, that’s Big6 #3, Location & Access” (Big 6 Skills Overview).  Integrating information and tech skills can be easier than we may think.

Check out BIG 6 at https://thebig6.org/thebig6andsuper3-2

As a librarian it is part of our job to examine technology sources and digital media applications available to help educate our students. As there are so many options out there, we must ingest a steady diet of information keeping what is relevant to our students needs and discarding the rest.  We must take time to learn new concepts and applications of the tech world, digest them by evaluating their potential value to our students and decipher if applying these newfound ideas are worth implementation. Perhaps we can even find new ways to improve current applications.  As librarians we must continually develop our own learning/knowledge.  A way in which I try to stay current is by reading industry articles and subscribing to newsletters from professional organizations. Another learning avenue that I found extremely helpful is to meet with our school’s technology coach for the latest and greatest platforms to reach our students. By staying current we keep our users interested.  By implementing varying digital programs we are expanding their knowledge profile and hands on experience adapting to change and effectively applying technology.

Using digital platforms is extremely effective in today’s culture to engage our learners and increase participation.  When aligned with educational foundations such as P21, “students are more engaged in the learning process and graduate better prepared to thrive in today’s global economy”.  By intertwining information literacy and the use of technology and digital media we can successfully prepare our students for their next level in education and life experiences.

 

References

American Library Association. (February 9, 2015).  Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework

Big 6 Skills Overview. (n.d.).  Retrieved from https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59a303936a49631dd51f9a7d/t/5b92bf5e03ce644e10c18005/1536343902416/Big6+Skills+Overview.pdf

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.).  Literacy. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literacy

Partnership for 21^st Century Learning. (n.d.). P21 Framework Definitions.  Retrieved from blackboard https://blackboard.sc.edu/ultra/courses/_1108856_1/cl/outline

Partnership for 21^st Century Learning. (n.d.). Frameworks & Resources.  Retrieved from https://www.battelleforkids.org/networks/p21/frameworks-resources

A change in mindset regarding standards

 

A change in mindset regarding standards

As an educator we are held to various standards to meet the needs of our schools and students yet whenever I initially hear the concept of standards, I get nervous because I think of them as rules to follow and checklist items to complete.  But what if I change my mindset to view standards as guidelines and avenues to pursue to enhance student engagement and creativity.  I can change my outlook of them from confining my efforts to opening new pathways expanding my opportunities and programs with my students.  With this new outlook I embarked on my mission to evaluate and compare standards from the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) to help me best assist my library patrons.

Both AASL and ISTE have standards to empower learners with choice and educators with parameters to renovate teaching.  This is done by establishing standards that allow for individualized customization and implementation plans to best meet student needs while adhering to curriculum requirements.

AASL standards are based around their shared foundations of inquire, include, collaborate, curate, explore, and engage. Within each of these foundations are domains of think, create, share, and grow. Individual standard frameworks with competencies are provided for the learner, librarian, and libraries. What I like about these is that they are open for creative interpretation.  For example, within foundation of explore, domain create, and competency 1 “school librarians stimulate learners to construct new knowledge: 1. Teaching problem solving through cycles of design, implementation, and reflection” (Freedman & Robinson, 2019, p. 13). While this standard known as  V.B.1. may sound confusing (and believe me it can be) the beauty of these standards is that they are open for librarians to develop programs, resources, and activities of their choosing to best meet user needs. For example, school librarians Alice Robinson and Jennifer Freedman meet this standard uniquely, Robinson with Botley robots and Robotikits and Freedman with a marshmallow challenge involving engineering.

Check out for https://standards.aasl.org/ for help understanding AASL standards

                                                         

ISTE standards are similar in their openness to a variety of implementation methods available and that they have specific standards to be met for learners and educators like AASL as well as for tech coaches. ISTE guidelines are specific to using technology in education to inspire learners and offer options to best meet their individual needs and increase intrinsic motivation. For example, Empowered Learner 1b: demonstrated how teachers can empower the learner by offering a selection of project options for customization.

For more information on ISTE check out https://www.iste.org/standards

Why is this idea of meeting individual needs so important?  Because it is our job to meet learners where they are, engage them to learn, and motivate them to get to the next level.  With a more personalized approach we can accomplish this. Both AASL and ISTE have standards that positively impact education and I recommend that both be referenced when designing educational programs.  Want more information?  Be sure to review the provided links to begin your lesson planning.  My enthusiasm for these standards has revealed that I definitely have had a change in mindset.  Standards can be fun and inspiring.

 

References

Freedman, J. & Robinson, A. (2019). Transform your teaching by unpacking the AASL standards integrated framework and implementing shared foundation V: Explore. Knowledge Quest, 47 (5) 11-15.

International Society for Technology in Education (n.d). ISTE standards for students. ISTE.org. https://www.iste.org/standards/for-students