Tami's Blog

Today I completed the online Internet safety course through iSAFE. I think the portion of the program that interested me the most–and which I would most like to involve myself in creating awareness about (although all aspects of Internet safety are important and deserve attention)–was that about cyberbullying. As Anne Collier states in her article “A Better Safety Net: It’s Time to Get Smart About Online Safety” on schoollibraryjournal.com, ”The overwhelming majority of crimes against youth continue to take place in the ‘real world,’ mostly by adults known to the children…Online, young people are far more likely to suffer from their peers or the consequences of their own online behavior.” In other words, it is far more common for children or teens to become victims of (or participants in) cyberbullying than online predators (although prevention of victimization by online predators should still be addressed).

This is seen in many of the recent cases involving cyberbullying that have resulted in tragic consequences. For instance, the iSAFE training mentioned the case of Ryan Halligan, a student who committed suicide as a result of cyberbullying (more information on this case can be found at http://www.ryanpatrickhalligan.org/). Another case I learned about recently is that of Megan Meier, a 13-year-old girl who committed suicide after allegedly being harassed online by a classmate and that classmate’s mother. In Megan’s case, her parents have taken action to attempt to ensure that laws are enacted preventing such cyber-harassment from affecting other children.

As recent as ten years ago, cases such as those I mentioned above would not have been thought of–and cases involving online child predators were also not prominent in news headlines. However, with the advent of online technology that has benefitted the world in so many ways, comes the concept that we must be aware of what can happen when we maintain an online presence.

I think our roles as adults in general, and school library media specialists (SLMSs) in particular is to do just what iSAFE proposes–to teach children and young adults to behave appropriately online. As a SLMS, I think it would almost be like instilling another form of information literacy within students; in this case, rather than differentiating between appropriate resources or finding useful information, students will differentiate between appropriate online “places,” interactions, and behaviors. It is difficult–and naive–to assume that if we were to take away students’ access to online resources that problems such as cyberbullying or online predators would disappear. Additionally, removing such resources would deprive students of the positive effects of the Internet and online information that could benefit them. We can’t remove all of the inaccurate information on the Web that our children might stumble across when attempting to access valid information for a school project–rather than panicking, we teach students to avoid this information. The same process can be applied to our instruction to students regarding their online interactions.

I believe the key here is education–teaching students skills and providing them with tools to make sound judgements. Such lessons will not only apply to the online world, but will be carried with them in the “real world,” and will benefit them throughout their lives.

In deciding what type of place my school library media center (SLMC) will be one day, I think it is important to define my general vision before narrowing down how I envision the effective integration of computer applications and technology tools. First, I want my SLMC to be a welcoming place–one where students want to come. During my senior year of high school, a new SLMC opened to replace our old one; this one included attractive furniture, a spacious layout (there was a second floor with a mezzanine!), and employed many library aides–in theory, there was always someone to provide assistance (more about that later). I went to the library every day during my study halls to do homework and to socialize because the atmosphere it provided was so warm and inviting. As a high school senior, I also loved the fact that students were allowed to talk to one another as long as our conversations didn’t disturb others, and we weren’t required to do school-related assignments–again, as long as we did not disturb others. I know that both of these things (inviting atmosphere, opportunity to socialize) are not always components of SLMCs, and I think that’s a shame. The first–the atmosphere–sometimes cannot be changed considerably because of budget constraints, but I think there are low-budget ways a school library media specialist (SLMS) might enhance his/her SLMC–displaying student artwork, bringing “cozy” carpeting or furniture from home, decorating with bright or muted colors (depending on the age group of the students). In terms of socializing, I have visited SLMCs where talking is not allowed and students are not permitted to “hang out” in the SLMC unless they have school-related work to do. I think such SLMCs send a message to students that they are not welcome there–the space is not “theirs.” This has the effect of driving students away and gives school libraries the reputations of being “boring” or “strict” that many associate with them.

Again, to describe my high school SLMC, although the atmosphere and environment felt warm and welcoming, the library aides did not add to this warm, welcome feeling. I was a good student and followed the rules closely (i.e., not talking loudly enough to disturb others), but there were occasions when my table of students got a bit louder.  At these times, the library aides were relentless in their reprimands; they didn’t consider the fact that we were normally very well-behaved–they simply “attacked” us. I felt the same demeanor existed among the aides when I approached the circulation/reference desk; they were very disdainful, unfriendly, and “mean.” I don’t think this type of attitude is one that should be displayed toward students; it is detrimental to their use of the library. Although I felt comfortable doing my homework during study hall in the SLMC, I very rarely approached any of the library’s staff for assistance in my studies. It was nice to have a place to do my homework but I was not using the tools, technologies, and information of the SLMC to my advantage–because I was afraid of the staff.

I think that after a warm, inviting atmosphere is established–along with considerate, willing, and helpful staff members–a SLMS can incorporate the other things that are so important into his/her SLMC: collaboration, relationships with teachers, important ties to the curriculum, and integration of technology tools. However, I strongly feel that the “basic needs” of the students in the SLMC need to be met first–they must feel welcome and as though they can approach staff for assistance–no matter how big or small their information needs.

After reading more about podcasting this week, I have a much better idea as to how it might be incorporated into an educational setting, particularly that of a school library media center (SLMC). One article I found interesting was A.L. Jowlitt’s “Creating Communities with Podcasting” in Computers in Libraries (Jowitt, A. L. (April 2008). Creating communities with podcasting. Computers in Libraries, 28(4), p. 14-15, 54-6.). In her article, Jowlitt discussed the different ways that the library where she worked incorporated podcasts to provide instruction for patrons (how to conduct a catalog search, walking tours of the library, etc.). I think something similar might be incorporated in SLMCs as well, but an interesting twist would be to have students create the podcasts. As is discussed in Maya Payne Smart’s “Listening to Themselves: Podcasting Takes Lessons Beyond the Classroom,” students are more motivated to listen, learn, and process information when they know others will hear their voices broadcasting their take on the information back out to the world. I think it would be interesting and effective, for instance, in an elementary school setting, to have sixth graders each year help a school library media specialist (SLMS) in developing library orientation podcasts–or perhaps screencasts–that could be incorporated on the SLMC’s Web site as well as played during library orientation lessons for students in lower grades. By having sixth graders help him/her with this, a SLMS would reinforce and review library concepts with those students, while allowing them to offer their “expert” advice and knowledge to their younger classmates. In addition, I think that the students listening to these podcasts (or viewing these screencasts) would be more interested because of the fact that they would be receiving their information from “kids like them,” rather than from a teacher; they would be exposed to a kid-perspective, rather than a lesson given by an adult.

Additionally, I think using podcasts in the way Brent Coley does, as is described in the Listening to Themselves article, provides a way to motivate students in the SLMC–something that is often hard to do considering students don’t receive grades for the time they spend in the library. In knowing that others would hear their work–and because of the fact that they would be allowed to use technology–students would be more motivated to make their final product polished and of high-quality. As is stated in the article,

When used educationally, podcasts can empower students and teachers to become content producers rather than content consumers, and they can give them audiences beyond the classroom. Student-created podcasts reinforce course concepts, develop writing skills, hone speaking ability, and even help parents stay current on classroom activities.

‘It gives them a sense of purpose, rather than seeming like just another academic exercise,’ says Dan Schmit, creator and host of the online community KidCast: Podcasting in the Classroom. ‘You give them a sense of mission for their work and give them all these authentic experiences that build their confidence for the future.’

Although I do see the incorporation of podcasting in an educational setting as positive, I think there could be drawbacks, especially when one considers that podcasts might be used for students to access homework assignments, reviews, or lectures from home. For students who don’t have computers or MP3 players, this poses a problem. The Listening to Themselves article did mention that students can be provided with compact discs to take home and listen to, but again, this assumes that they have access to compact disc playing mechanisms. While this is probably true in most households, there is still the fact that it is probably not true in all households.

I also wonder about copyright in regards to podcasts. In all of the readings from this week regarding podcasting, none of them mentioned copyright in depth (I think one may have alluded to copyright, but that was it). Because student work is considered copyrighted, with students retaining the copyright to materials they produce, I don’t think that podcasts produced by students would be appropriate for distribution via a SLMC Web site or a school Web site to the public without parental permission of the students involved. I wonder how difficult it might be for a SLMS to obtain such permission, and whether blanket permission might be obtained for all podcasts produced throughout the course of the school year.

On a final note regarding podcasting and its use within libraries, I was pleased to discover that the Monroe County Library System provides podcasts of some of the programs presented at its libraries. Despite some of the setbacks I mentioned previously, I do think podcasting is a direction many libraries and educational institutions will be moving in as technology evolves. It is our jobs as SLMSs to ensure that we incorporate this technology within our SLMCs so that students are familiar with and prepared to use it in their daily lives as adults.

In conjunction with our LIS 568 discussion thread this week, I decided to learn a little more about e-books. I read a few online articles, including “The Future of Textbooks: Ebooks in the Classroom.” Interestingly, this article discussed the evolution of classrooms from purely print environments to places where digitization and technology is increasingly being incorporated. For instance, SmartBoards are becoming more and more prevalent, replacing white boards and computer projectors, which in turn replaced chalkboards and overhead projectors. The article mentions one company, Digital Owl, that is beginning to make digital textbooks that students can read on laptop computers. In terms of classrooms evolving from print to digital environments, I think that such evolution is moving slowly (as all evolution does!), but that it is moving. With the changes that have taken place regarding technology in the classroom over the last 20 years (since I was in elementary school) in mind, I honestly believe that ebooks have definite places in classrooms in the future.

As discussed this week, in some ways, ebooks are not “better” than the traditional book. However, in other ways I believe that they will be seen as better by certain populations. For instance, I would much rather have an e-textbook for an academic course than a traditional print textbook from which to read. I would prefer to access all of my textbooks through my computer; it would be extremely convenient to find them all in one place. However, this has been a slow personal evolution, and it is still in progress. To contrast what I stated above regarding textbooks, I definitely prefer print versions of pleasure reading books. Of course, this could change, too–if you had asked me when I first began my studies in library science a year and a half ago whether I preferred reading academic materials on my computer versus in a traditional textbook, I would have indicated that I preferred the traditional book. Even until recently I printed all of the articles and other readings provided for me by online course instructors; now I prefer to read the materials online. This preference that I have held–that many hold–regarding traditional print texts versus ebooks will become obsolete if children are taught using ebooks right from the start when they enter the school environment. The article referenced above suggests that this is also the case. It states,

There are many who believe that the new generation of learners, what Don Tapscott calls the Net Generation, or N-Gen, are much more  accustomed to reading and learning from a screen. In his book Growing Up Digital, Tapscott writes, ‘Kids look at computers the same way boomers look at TV. This shift from broadcast medium (television) to interactive medium (the Net) signals a “generation lap” in which the N-Gen is lapping its parents on the “info-track.”‘

Matt Gomez agrees that children are more likely to take to electronic learning than their elders. ‘Students are the early adopters,’ he said. ‘They’re still not going to want to do their homework, but when textbooks are interactive, when they can play with them like Nintendo, perhaps it will make learning a more enjoyable experience.’ (Woudstra, 2006, para. 9-10, accessed November 15, 2009)

Regarding children and their willingness to adopt new ways of learning through e-resources, I think there are plenty of effective ways that school library media specialists (SLMSs) and teachers can incorporate ebooks right now in their lessons. For instance, one of the resources I’ve found online for electronic children’s books is The International Children’s Digital Library. This Web site not only offers digital books for children to read online, but many other resources such as a listing of activities children might complete in conjunction with the ebooks on the site, featured books, and book lessons.

Another resource, through Scholastic, Inc., is BookFlix, a program that provides online books along with various services that enhance children’s reading and learning experiences. Many of the features included in the program serve to contribute to literacy.

I think that both of these resources can be incorporated into general classroom settings and lessons and will be useful with all readers. However, I see them as being especially useful for reluctant or struggling readers. Such ebooks add incentive for reading and also provide additional scaffolding that such readers might need or prefer.

To summarize, I do see ebooks as the future of books in education. I’m not sure whether I see them taking over the reading lives of the general population–only because there are not such uses for them in the pleasure-reading world as there are in the educational world (such as scaffolding, literacy lessons, etc.). Of course, these are only my predictions. Only time will tell…

Since I knew it existed, I have thought that Google Earth was a pretty cool toy–something to play around with, show my parents, and use as a “time-waster” when I’m browsing the Internet. However, after reading some of the articles we were assigned in LIS 568 this week, I see Google Earth as an amazing tool that can and should be used within educational settings. I think that taking a tool such as this–one that is fun for people of all ages to “play around with” during their leisure time–and using it in the classroom or school library media center (SLMC) is exactly what we need to be doing as school library media specialists (SLMSs). We need to apply the use of tools that are interesting and relevant to students to their learning experiences in order to better engage them.

The articles regarding Google Earth that we read this week revealed basic information about the program’s functions and illustrated a few examples regarding how a teacher or SLMS might apply Google Earth (GE) to school curriculums. They also got me thinking and brainstorming about other effective ways I might use GE in my SLMC one day. One extremely effective way I thought this tool could be incorporated is through Web Quests; students are already questing for information–why not send them on a parallel quest across the globe (or country, or state, or county) that relates to the information they’re learning? For another one of my courses, I just finished reading Into the Wild by John Krakauer, and watching the movie based on it. Thus, I immediately associated a Web Quest incorporating GE to an English lesson–specifically an English lesson on Into the Wild. Because the book is based on a true story, I was even able to locate its abandoned “Magic Bus” on Google Earth–this made the book so much more real for me, as I’m sure it would for students. Of course there are other portions of the Web Quest that would/could relate to the book (learning about the Alaskan wilderness through Alaskan travel/wildlife Web sites, etc.), but I think that the entire Web Quest could be based solely on an incorporation with GE. For example, in addition to finding the “Magic Bus,” students might be asked to map the route that the main character, Chris, took throughout his two years of traveling. Because GE is linked with Wikipedia, they might also be required to read about each of these places–and perhaps even to evaluate the information about the places they find on Wikipedia. I feel that because GE is so “in tune” with the technological environment of the Web, the possibilities are endless regarding how this tool might be used in educational arenas.

I think Google Earth could be used in every academic subject. For example, as one of the articles stated, it could be used in a physical education class to map out a hike or jogging route. Google Earth could also be used as a follow-up activity relating to almost any assignment or in-class learning experience. For instance, if a science class was learning about a particular climate area, they could use Google Earth to “travel” to that area of the Earth and see the place to which their lesson referred.

On a personal note, later today I will visit the Rochester Museum and Science Center’s Titanic exhibit; I already went on GE to try to locate the wreck of the Titanic. By simply checking the box marked “Ocean” in the Layers section, and making sure that “View Water Surface” is checked when clicking on the “View” menu, I was able to type “Titanic” into the search box and GE zoomed to the location of the RMS Titanic wreck site. I attempted to zoom in to see the actual wreck, since the articles I read indicated that you could explore beneath the ocean’s surface, but I don’t think that there is enough detail provided in order to see the wreck. However, it was interesting to me–as I’m sure it would be for students–to see exactly where in the Atlantic Ocean the ship sunk.

Of course, there are some difficulties associated with using Google Earth, but I feel that many of these are due to the fact that there is so much one can do with the application; it can be confusing as to where to start and how to carry out various operations to obtain the information one wants. However, I did make use of the “Help” feature in my explorations of the tool and was able to find the answers I needed each time.

Overall, GE is a fabulous tool that has both real-life and educational applications. It is most definitely a tool I will use in my SLMC one day, and will encourage my fellow teachers to use as well.

So in the entry preceding this one, I wrote about how difficult it can sometimes be for me to create a blog entry (what to write about, etc.). However, in writing that entry regarding how hard it can be to reflect, I think I revealed to myself one of the main benefits of reflecting about the learning experience or activities one encounters in a blog. After writing about blogging, I now feel “freer”–to use this blog to express my thoughts more freely. I think that writing about my difficulty helped me come to terms with it in a way, and allowed me to feel as though my frustrations were “being heard,” even if no one ever reads them.

This is exactly why reflective blogs are such important tools in the classroom or school library media center (SLMC). During their K-12 experiences, students are surely going to run into many, many frustrations regarding assignments, activities, discussions, etc. Although I think that the main purpose of reflective blogging is to synthesize and internalize information one learns, I think another purpose might be to allow a student an outlet where they can “be heard” regarding their academic struggles.

From a personal standpoint, after complaining about it a bit, I now feel “friendlier” towards my blog. By writing about it, I was able to reflect upon what is difficult for me and to think about how I might approach the assignment differently to help alleviate the stress I associate with it.

After reading Ruth Reynard’s Avoiding the 5 Most Common Mistakes in Using Blogs with Students, I began to think about what makes writing in a weekly blog difficult for me as a student. The primary difficulty I have each week is deciding what to write about. All week long as I complete readings and other work for LIS 568, I try to think about how I might reflect on them or what I might have to say. Usually I think of something, but there are times when I am left on Sunday evening without any ideas, tapping my fingers on my desk, desperately trying to come up with something about which I can write. I’m not sure why this is since we are given plenty of material to work with each week…

I have kept personal blogs in the past and haven’t had this problem–it always seemed that I had something to write about. However, in this current context–writing a reflective blog for a class–I think I put pressure on myself to write something “intellectual,” and to ensure that I’m writing a ”long enough” entry (i.e., of an acceptable length for which to receive a good grade). This differs from when I wrote in personal blogs, where sometimes my entries consisted of long narratives, but other times were comprised only of a picture and a caption, a link followed by a short blurb regarding the content of the Web site with which it was associated, or a poem. I think the pressure I put on myself results from not being sure what is deemed as “acceptable” in this blog. Can I sometimes include only a link? Or an interesting photograph of a library I find? A poem or quote related to librarianship or technology in the school library media center (SLMC)?

I sometimes wish that in order to help me with this predicament, there was a direction I was given regarding what to write about–perhaps a writing prompt or open-ended questions to answer, such as those that are posted on the weekly discussion threads on our class wiki. I know that sometimes students might not want to adhere to writing according to given directions–they might have their own ideas regarding a blog for the week. In light of this, I think it would help me immensely if we were given a choice–to write about the idea the instructor presents us with, or if we have a different direction we would like our blog to take that week, to write about that. I just find it so difficult to synthesize ideas from our coursework over the past week into a comprehensible, reflective blog entry. But perhaps that is the benefit of such an open-ended reflective blog–it challenges me and requires me to step outside of my comfort zone on a regular basis.

I think another reason it is difficult for me to know exactly what to write about each week is that I’m unsure of the audience of my blog. I know, obviously, that my blog is primarily read by the professor of my LIS 568 course, but I also want to ensure I am writing about topics that will be interesting and valuable to my colleagues, and will be applicable to real-life situations. In putting myself in the shoes of colleagues who might stumble upon my blog, however, I don’t think I would be compelled to read it; for instance, if I came across one of my long-winded entries such as the one I wrote in the beginning of the semester analyzing the “Google Generation,” I think I might read a sentence or two, but wouldn’t continue on to read the entire entry. On a personal level, I think that I enjoy blogs that include short entries, lists, photographs, brief ideas for lesson plans, book reviews, etc.

This week, simply thinking about my own blogging experience as a student has given me a bit of insight into how I might conduct student blogs one day in my own SLMC. I think these thoughts of mine regarding using a blog as part of my coursework will be useful to remember and keep in the back of my mind–along with the tips from Reynard’s article.

This week, our LIS 568 class had a lot to say regarding “Things That Keep Us Up at Night,” an article by Joyce Kasman Valenza and Doug Johnson that was recently published in School Library Journal. The article certainly resonated with me regarding many of its points; however, it also got me thinking about what are the “things that keep me up at night” as an individual in regards to my future career as a school library media specialist (SLMS). I decided to dedicate this blog entry to focusing on exactly those items; following is my own personal list.

Getting a Job
The big #1 on my list of “things that keep me up at night” is getting a job as a SLMS after receiving my certification. In light of the current economic situation and state budget cuts, I worry that SLMSs nearing retirement might not leave their jobs anytime soon, and that even if they do, there will be intense competition for any open SLMS positions. I try to embrace the camaraderie I know I should have towards my fellow classmates that will be graduating at the same time as myself, but in reality, I do see them as competition–we will literally be interviewing for the same jobs. Related to this, I currently plan to work at the elementary level (although I have been thinking lately about the possibility of working as a middle school SLMS), and I know that certified elementary school SLMSs are not mandated in New York State as are secondary level SLMSs. I wonder whether some smaller or more rural school districts will move towards employing non-certified SLMSs as a way to save money?

Job Security (and job security for others working in the SLMC)
Echoing what was said in my previous statement, with the current economic situation in mind, I do worry about job cuts. I worry about my own future job, of course, but I also worry about the jobs of the other professionals who might work in my school library media center (SLMC) one day. I have heard time and time again from experienced SLMSs that it is vital to have a library clerk in one’s SLMC. However, I know that this position is one of the first to go when a school faces financial cuts. A good friend of mine lost her elementary school SLMC clerk last year, and has been forced to do the job of both SLMS and clerk. She says this compromises the services she is able to provide to her students–instead of being a full-time SLMS, she is a part-time SLMS and a part-time clerk. She is not able to be as effective a librarian as she would if she had the support she needed.

Navigating the Administration
Honestly, I’m afraid regarding what some SLMSs have told me about their administrators/principals not being supporting of SLMCs in general, and their SLMCs in particular. One of the discussion posts of my classmates this week heightened my fear to some extent–causing me to think that there are those administrators out there who aren’t going to like the SLMS or the SLMC no matter what. My idea regarding unsupportive administrations has always been to prove through data (even if all I have is anecdotal data) that the school library media program is effective, but I wonder whether I have been too optimistic in my thinking? It would be ideal to work within a school where I had a supportive boss and a principal who embraced the SLMC; however, it is my fear that I might end up at one of these “nightmare” schools where the SLMC will be seen as an unneccessary (but mandated) “extra,” a nuisance that must be burdened.

Being a “Young” Librarian with No Prior Teaching Experience
Sometimes I am afraid that when I begin working within a school that other teachers are going to look at me and the way I do things (from organizing my SLMC to interacting with students so that they understand my lessons) and think that I have no idea what I’m doing. I think this fear stems from the fact that I have no prior teaching experience; I worry that SLMSs who are also certified as New York State teachers will have an advantage–or at least be perceived as having such by administrators and fellow teachers. In reality, I do feel prepared and confident that I have the skills and expertise to effectively instruct students within my future SLMC–it’s just that perception of me by others I fear. I also worry that because I am young, my expertise and enthusiasm will be discounted by others. I know that moving forward I will need to remind myself of all that I do know, and forgive myself if I make mistakes or experience a “learning curve.” Many veteran teachers tell me that teaching can sometimes be difficult at first, but with a little practice, will become natural and rewarding. My goal is to maintain a positive attitude, and to try to block out any unproductive ideas I have regarding what others might think of me.

Youth/School Violence
This morning I learned that a 15-year-old was shot directly outside of the public city library where I work (see the Democrat and Chronicle article “15-Year-Old Shot in Front of City Library”). My first thought was shock as I wondered whether the neighborhood I work in is “that bad.” I was worried for my safety, but reminded myself that this probably wasn’t a random incident, and that in fact, much of the violence that occurs in the section of the city where I work is often related to youth altercations. My next thought was whether I might know the boy who was shot; the library where I work is often populated with teens using the library’s computers and interacting socially once the school day ends. Of course, my next line of thought was to connect the violence that happened here, in a very urban, impoverished environment, to the rest of the world–violence can happen anywhere, of course, and it doesn’t happen in a vacuum. There are many instances of youth violence occurring all over our country–all over the world–and in schools in both urban and suburban locations. I find myself wondering how violence will be a part of my every day life as a SLMS. Will I work in a school that employs metal detectors? Will I be afraid for my own safety at times? I have to admit, part of the appeal for me of working in an elementary school is that there are less cited incidents of extreme in-school violence. I don’t want to be afraid to go to work every day–or any day, for that matter. I know that youth violence is part of a bigger problem that society contends with on a regular basis, so I hesitate to optimistically declare that SLMSs can do their part to decrease its existence within our schools. However, perhaps there are small, somewhat effective (albeit local) ways–whether it be organizing book-related or educational events/seminars around National Non-Violence Week or promoting anti-bullying efforts.

This week was hectic for me in terms of “extra,” yet SLMS-related activities outside of my studies. On Thursday and Friday I attended the New York Library Association (NYLA) Conference in Niagara Falls, and on Saturday (today) morning I took the secondary level New York State Teacher Certification Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written (ATS-W) exam.

Regarding NYLA, I thought I might reflect on a particular workshop I attended as it relates to the LIS 568 class discussion on PowerPoints and presentations we have conducted this week. On Thursday, I attended a workshop entitled Battles: Books, Games, & Bands. The workshop was an hour and fifteen minutes long and included various “success stories” relating to the incorporation of “battles” in libraries. The first “story” was that of a Battle of the Books competition conducted by the Suffolk Cooperative Library System. Each year, the library system chooses eight young adult books, and teams form to read the books and then compete in August to answer questions about the books. With this portion of the presentation, I didn’t notice much that might be incorporated in terms of technology if one were to use a similar idea in his or her LMC. However, the presentation was very well done. The speaker presented her ideas to her audience using PowerPoint; her slides included minimal text, which was supplemented by the speaking she did on the topic. Additionally, her presentation provided the audience with information they might “take” with them to implement their own Battle of the Books–she told us exactly how her library system carried out this task, how they prepared for it, promoted it, selected books and judges for it, etc. With the notes I took during her presentation, I am confident that I would have a good base for creating a Battle of the Books myself if I chose to do so. The only negative point regarding this portion of the presentation is that the speaker ran over her time. Although the moderator signaled discreetly to the speaker, she pointed out to the audience that she was out of time and thus was going to speed through the rest of the presentation. I think this took the audience’s attention away from her final points somewhat; we were more focused on her finishing than the information she was presenting.

Another portion of the presentation involved information on Marlboro Library’s Wii Bowling. The library has begun a senior Wii bowling league and conducts tournaments with other libraries using technologies such as Skype. Although I wasn’t completely sure how this might be incorporated into a school library media center, I think that teens, children, and perhaps even teachers would be interested in using such “fun” technology. Perhaps similar tournaments might be incorporated into a LMC as an “extra” or after-school activity. It would be important, however, to tie such technology to reading, literacy, or education. For instance, perhaps there are Wii games related to vocabulary or book characters–I was able to find a list of Wii Educational Games on Amazon.com. Maybe teachers might use such games as potential rewards for students rather than the traditional awards of pizza parties or movie days; they might arrange a time when students could come to the LMC to play such games. This would, of course, depend on whether the LMC owns a Wii, and I think whether a school should own a video gaming system might be questioned by educators, parents, and the community at large. However, technology and gaming is increasingly being used in educational ways. At least, board games are being used more in LMCs, as the School Library System of Genesee Valley BOCES has demonstrated. There is a link included on the Genesee Valley BOCES Web site to Swift6Games, which includes “a collection of games linked to New York State curriculum standards including math, ELA, and social studies standards.” The BOCES Web site states, “We strongly believe that games provide a learning environment that presents a variety of new challenges, supports creative problem solving, and provides support for overcoming failure.” If learning standards and curriculum can be applied to board games, and if board games can promote such learning standards and curriculum goals, why can’t the same be done for technological (video) games?

Overall regarding the NYLA workshop, I thought an improvement could have been made regarding its evaluation forms. As I mentioned on our LIS 568 discussion board this week, the evaluation forms were scattered on chairs in the room so that there were only two or three forms per row (there were about 10 chairs in a row). Although the moderator indicated that additional evaluation forms were available at the back of the room, I thought this was ineffective–since individuals are already hesitant to fill out forms, why would they want to put forth more effort in doing so? Additionally, the evaluation forms looked intimidating upon first glance. They consisted of full pages requesting information. I think it would have been more effective to focus on the main points the presenters hoped to have evaluated, and to cut the form into a half-page or perhaps an index-card sized document.

In regards to the ATS-W and how it relates to computer applications in the LMC, although it is a general teacher certification exam, I was surprised that it did not contain more questions in regards to technology and teaching. Technology is becoming a huge part of education nowadays, and there really wasn’t much relating to it on the exam. The only two questions I can remember that were associated with technology included one on how to handle a computer-based homework assignment when some students didn’t have computers in their homes, and another regarding the most effective way to encourage students to adhere to Internet guidelines. I think one way the creators of the exam might have been able to incorporate technology more would be to make the final essay portion of the test one that related to technological use or technology-related goals in schools. Considering I must also take a New York State Teacher Certification School Library Media Specialist Content Specialty Test (CST), I wonder if that exam will contain more questions associated with technology?

This week I worked on getting our group set up on Google Docs so that we could begin our collaborated document regarding school library media center (SLMC) Web sites. The process of setting up the Google Docs document was simple enough, but I wonder how the actual process regarding creating the document will be carried out. So far my group is still in the very beginning stages of collaborating, discussing how we will do this: should we exchange ideas via email or simply dive right in and start jotting down ideas in Google Docs, to be revised later once we have it all down on “paper?” I wonder how others who use this tool fluently in their work to create such documents go about doing so.

I found a School Library Journal online article regarding Google Docs called “Playing around with Google Docs, especially forms,” which was very useful in providing some ideas as to how this tool might be incorporated in a LMC. One of the ways a SLMS could use a Google Doc that was discussed is to provide online forms that students or teachers can fill out–for instance, to request materials for the LMC. Apparently it is possible to create templates using Google Docs that can then be used on the LMC Web site? This seems very pertinent this week since our focus in class (and our Google Doc collaboration assignment) is moving towards thinking about what constitutes good LMC Web sites. I think allowing for user interaction on LMC Web sites in such a way is a very beneficial feature; users become a part of the Web site, and the Web site becomes “up-to-date” by incorporating Web 2.0 tools. One of the commenters on the article also mentioned that creating forms through Google Docs “is a reasonable alternative to student response systems, which many schools cannot afford.” This point ties in with part of the conversation our class has been conducting via our discussion board this week regarding budget crunch. Finding free tools to use such as Google Docs, that are just as effective as tools one might purchase for use in the LMC or in conjunction with the LMC Web site allows budget money to be available for use in other areas. I think it will be effective for us, as future SLMSs, to recognize “free” opportunities like this so that we can better allocate resources for things for which there are no free alternatives.

Another individual who commented on the article referenced a Web site called FunnelBrain.com. The Web site offers a “Wiki”-like environment that allows users to collaborate while learning, and apparently to create flash cards together. This seems like another “free” resource that would come in handy for both SLMSs and teachers alike.

Regarding Google Docs, I think that it will not only become a useful tool to use in conjunction with the LMC Web site, but also for student group projects and collaboration with colleagues. For instance, perhaps if a group of elementary school librarians within a district are charged with creating a policies and procedures manual to be used among all of the elementary LMCs, they could do so most effectively by collaborating on the manual using Google Docs.

Overall, as we become familiar with different Web/technology tools via LIS 568, I try to think about them not only in terms of my coursework, but how they might be incorporated someday within my LMC or career in general.