This is something I have thought about a lot this week. I think all librarians are a bit remiss to see digital formats favored over actual books, but in this case I think it makes sense. Textbooks are unecessarily expensive, the companies can charge outrageous amounts for the newest versions of textbooks and students have to pay what they ask because they need the text to pass their courses. They are heavy, they take up a ton of space, and they are not nearly as portable as a digital device.
All that said, and putting my personal feelings about actual books aside, I can actually get behind the use of textbooks in schools. The school I currently work in has two sets of textbooks for every student. The students take one book home every year and keep the other in school. It eliminates all the lugging the book back and forth and keeps them from getting too damaged in the constant transport, but it is twice as expensive for the school to keep this program. All of the students have google chrome books for a 1 to 1 program too. So I see digital texbooks as the next frontier for us. If doesn't single anyone out because they don't have access to a device at home (which I can see being an arguement in other school districts) and it provides access to the text in a much more convienient format.
Add to that sites like project gutenberg and local libraries with ebook libraries that provide free access (the school might even be able to put all the text book money toward a subscription of their own) and I think we have a great argument for going digital in schools.
I do think that there are certain limitations though and they are mainly for students with visual impairments. We would have to work around that by having the book in different formats like audio.
Friday, May 1, 2015
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Ipads in the library--A blessing or a curse?
I really got thinking this week about if I would truly want the responsibility of being in charge of the ipad/chromebook/kindle carts at our school. Currently the high school (7-12) has a one to one program where each student is given a chromebook for the year. They do occasionally need to come to the library and charge them if they forget at night, or use it a lot in a given day so the library is responsible for extra chargers, but it is the responsibility of the tech department if they are any other issues. The students do not expect that the librarian will fix any technology issues but they do occasionally ask for help in accessing certain library website features using their own device.
The high school library is also not responsible for the ipads and kindles that are kept in carts and loaned to teachers who sign them out. The technology department in the high school is responsible for this as well. In the elementary school it is a different story. Much like the TV/DVD player carts, the Ipad carts are housed in the library and the teachers sign them out with the librarians. They used to be kept in the computer lab, but space in there is limited and responsibility for these devices was handed over to the library a few years ago when more computers were added to the lab. The current system seems to be working, as there is a full time library aide who handles the devices (making sure they are plugged in, not left on, and stored properly). But without that aide available to check the devices I can see how this system could easily fall apart.
If Ipads are not charged when teachers need to use them it causes undue issues in the classroom. If apps are deleted or unavailable because of a student messing around with the app layouts there could be blame placed on the librarians. I do see how this can be an issue, but I think that we need to create a community in the school regarding these devices. If we are going to require their use, then everyone needs to be on board with keeping them maintained. Teachers need to be sure they are all back in the cart and plugged in properly before returning them, students need to be taught how to use them properly, and parents need to be aware that their child is using the devices so that they can talk to their child about respecting the schools property. It needs to be a community effort and not be placed squarely on the shoulders of one person to care for the devices.
The high school library is also not responsible for the ipads and kindles that are kept in carts and loaned to teachers who sign them out. The technology department in the high school is responsible for this as well. In the elementary school it is a different story. Much like the TV/DVD player carts, the Ipad carts are housed in the library and the teachers sign them out with the librarians. They used to be kept in the computer lab, but space in there is limited and responsibility for these devices was handed over to the library a few years ago when more computers were added to the lab. The current system seems to be working, as there is a full time library aide who handles the devices (making sure they are plugged in, not left on, and stored properly). But without that aide available to check the devices I can see how this system could easily fall apart.
If Ipads are not charged when teachers need to use them it causes undue issues in the classroom. If apps are deleted or unavailable because of a student messing around with the app layouts there could be blame placed on the librarians. I do see how this can be an issue, but I think that we need to create a community in the school regarding these devices. If we are going to require their use, then everyone needs to be on board with keeping them maintained. Teachers need to be sure they are all back in the cart and plugged in properly before returning them, students need to be taught how to use them properly, and parents need to be aware that their child is using the devices so that they can talk to their child about respecting the schools property. It needs to be a community effort and not be placed squarely on the shoulders of one person to care for the devices.
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Copyright police?
I have very strong feelings on copyright law and protecting the rights of authors and the publishers that print their work. As a writer myself, I would be remiss if I said it doesn't matter to me if people make unauthorized copies of my work, even for classroom use. But something one of my classmates mentioned really struck a chord with me.
He said that he doesn't want to be copyright police at his school, and I agree with him. I do not want to be the copyright police. I don't want teachers and students afraid to come into the library because of what I might tell them they are not allowed to do. The best way I can think to do this is to be proactive instead of reactive. That is, give them the information they need and can refer to, before they need it.
I might do this by compiling a packet for the beginning of the school year that outlines what leeways teachers and libraries are given with regards to copyright. Rather than giving them a list DON'Ts, I'd much rather give them a list of DOs.
It isn't in my personality to be confrontational and authoritarian; I don't want to lecture people on the rights of authors, though I will do everything in my power to uphold them. It quite honestly shocks me how little information and education teachers and administrators have on copyright law. Even when they do have some knowledge of it, they often disregard it, as if it is more of a guideline than actual law. Most people would not disregard other laws, but they deem it okay to break copyright laws. In my opinion, a law is a law for a reason. Copyright law protect more than just the artist, author, or publisher. They protect everyone that worked on the peice that you are copying or using unlawfully, from the craft service person providing food on a photoshoot, to the sound mixing person who worked on the album. Those people do not make millions and buy breaking copyright laws you might be taking money out of their pockets.
Like I said, I don't want to be copyright police, but I do need to come up with creative ways to be proactive about teaching copyright law if I don't want to be seen as the copier Nazi (a nickname I found out I have now).
He said that he doesn't want to be copyright police at his school, and I agree with him. I do not want to be the copyright police. I don't want teachers and students afraid to come into the library because of what I might tell them they are not allowed to do. The best way I can think to do this is to be proactive instead of reactive. That is, give them the information they need and can refer to, before they need it.
I might do this by compiling a packet for the beginning of the school year that outlines what leeways teachers and libraries are given with regards to copyright. Rather than giving them a list DON'Ts, I'd much rather give them a list of DOs.
It isn't in my personality to be confrontational and authoritarian; I don't want to lecture people on the rights of authors, though I will do everything in my power to uphold them. It quite honestly shocks me how little information and education teachers and administrators have on copyright law. Even when they do have some knowledge of it, they often disregard it, as if it is more of a guideline than actual law. Most people would not disregard other laws, but they deem it okay to break copyright laws. In my opinion, a law is a law for a reason. Copyright law protect more than just the artist, author, or publisher. They protect everyone that worked on the peice that you are copying or using unlawfully, from the craft service person providing food on a photoshoot, to the sound mixing person who worked on the album. Those people do not make millions and buy breaking copyright laws you might be taking money out of their pockets.
Like I said, I don't want to be copyright police, but I do need to come up with creative ways to be proactive about teaching copyright law if I don't want to be seen as the copier Nazi (a nickname I found out I have now).
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Open Source Software in the Library
While I am admittedly no computer genius, and the coding language still escapes my grasp despite many attempts at learning, I still believe that there are many ways that a librarian (even the most technologically challenged like myself) can use open source software to assist in student learning in the library setting. Below are a few examples of open source software that I have found to be useful for students in a SLMC.
WorldCat is an open source library catalog. It allows users to search for books, dvds, cds, articles in all the libraries near you. It is connected to over 10,000 libraries worldwide, and has over two billion items indexed. It does not require an account to search the index, but it does require user to create a free account if they would like to create lists, bibliographies, or reviews of any library items. It is a great tool that allows students to search other local libraries for materials that the school may not have access to, and an invaluable resource in my opinion.
WordPress is a free blogging/website creation tool that allows users to customize their webspace. It allows for students/users who are interested in coding to develop a site that is customized to their exact liking, but also allows a "plug and play" option for those of us who'd like to customize their site, but to not know much coding. It offers a great variety of options and is a great tool for use in a classroom as it allows student interaction with technology, teachers, peers, community, and experts in any field they might be researching. If used properly, wordpress can be an amazing tool for student interaction with knowledge and information.
Twitter is one of the fasted paced social networks that we have. For that reason we need to know how to use it appropriately for classrooms lest we loose all of the academic potential and allow it to become another distraction. The answer here is hashtags (#). Having a group discussion among students about an academic issue on twitter is as simple as creating unique hashtags or using existing ones to get involved in a discussion. For example, a history class studying the Israeli conflict might use #peaceinthemiddleeast to get involved in the discussion and share input. The class might be asked to add #mrcollins211 to all their tweets so that classmates can interact with each other and see how their peers respond.
Noodletools is another very powerful open source tool that is great for students. It helps students understand plagarism, create bibliographies, take notes on research sources, and cite sources appropriately. It takes some getting used to, so some classtime would need to be set aside to teach students to use it, but it is completely free to use and provides very valuable information and assistance to students creating research papers/projects.
Overall, open source programs can seem really scary, but that is really just a matter of finding the programs that fit yours and your students technological capabilities. There are dozens of programs available. Not all of them are right for every program. We need to evaluate our needs and the needs of our students and make decisions about which is right for our needs. They can certainly be of use when sticking to a small budget though....something I am sure all of us has had experience with in the past!
WorldCat is an open source library catalog. It allows users to search for books, dvds, cds, articles in all the libraries near you. It is connected to over 10,000 libraries worldwide, and has over two billion items indexed. It does not require an account to search the index, but it does require user to create a free account if they would like to create lists, bibliographies, or reviews of any library items. It is a great tool that allows students to search other local libraries for materials that the school may not have access to, and an invaluable resource in my opinion.
WordPress is a free blogging/website creation tool that allows users to customize their webspace. It allows for students/users who are interested in coding to develop a site that is customized to their exact liking, but also allows a "plug and play" option for those of us who'd like to customize their site, but to not know much coding. It offers a great variety of options and is a great tool for use in a classroom as it allows student interaction with technology, teachers, peers, community, and experts in any field they might be researching. If used properly, wordpress can be an amazing tool for student interaction with knowledge and information.
Twitter is one of the fasted paced social networks that we have. For that reason we need to know how to use it appropriately for classrooms lest we loose all of the academic potential and allow it to become another distraction. The answer here is hashtags (#). Having a group discussion among students about an academic issue on twitter is as simple as creating unique hashtags or using existing ones to get involved in a discussion. For example, a history class studying the Israeli conflict might use #peaceinthemiddleeast to get involved in the discussion and share input. The class might be asked to add #mrcollins211 to all their tweets so that classmates can interact with each other and see how their peers respond.
Noodletools is another very powerful open source tool that is great for students. It helps students understand plagarism, create bibliographies, take notes on research sources, and cite sources appropriately. It takes some getting used to, so some classtime would need to be set aside to teach students to use it, but it is completely free to use and provides very valuable information and assistance to students creating research papers/projects.
Overall, open source programs can seem really scary, but that is really just a matter of finding the programs that fit yours and your students technological capabilities. There are dozens of programs available. Not all of them are right for every program. We need to evaluate our needs and the needs of our students and make decisions about which is right for our needs. They can certainly be of use when sticking to a small budget though....something I am sure all of us has had experience with in the past!
Monday, March 30, 2015
Distance Learning: Past, Present, Future
Flashback to 2002.
I sat in a high school "distance learning" classroom where I took an SAT Prep class that was offered at a school 35 miles from my physical location. At the front of the classroom was a Large projection screen. On it we saw the teacher as he lectured. On another smaller screen we saw anything he had prepared to present (overhead projection/powerpoint presentations etc.) And on 3 other small screens we could see students in other classrooms around the county who were participating in the same class. There were many times when once of the virtual classrooms would be experiencing technology problems and could not hear, or we could not hear them. There were days when we had trouble with assignments and could not ask questions in real time or had to call the host site classroom to speak on the phone to the teacher. All of our assignments were mailed/emailed to the teacher too.
I took an online graduate program in 2007 and I distinctly remember thinking that I would have loved to have been able to see my professors lecture in real time. But most of our assignments were reading, discussion posts, and group projects. For me, as a visual and kinesthetic learner, this type of distance learning was minimally helpful for me. I learned much more in my real life expereince than I did in that program, but the options I was hoping for (real time interaction with professors) were just not available to students online.
Fast forward to 2015 when I started this LMS program at SUNY Buffalo. Many of my classes now allow for me to participate in real time just like I had hoped for in my first graduate program experience. I can watch the lecture in real time via blackboards collaborate function. I can even raise my hand and ask a question. The professor can hear me and answer in real time too. I have even been able to skype chat with professors during their office hours.
We have come a long way since the days of correspondence classes. There have been many steps a long the way and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for distance learning. It gives students around the world the opportunity to attend programs that their geographical location might otherwise limit. Technology is changing so quickly and thankfully, it is being put to good use to improve distance learning!
I sat in a high school "distance learning" classroom where I took an SAT Prep class that was offered at a school 35 miles from my physical location. At the front of the classroom was a Large projection screen. On it we saw the teacher as he lectured. On another smaller screen we saw anything he had prepared to present (overhead projection/powerpoint presentations etc.) And on 3 other small screens we could see students in other classrooms around the county who were participating in the same class. There were many times when once of the virtual classrooms would be experiencing technology problems and could not hear, or we could not hear them. There were days when we had trouble with assignments and could not ask questions in real time or had to call the host site classroom to speak on the phone to the teacher. All of our assignments were mailed/emailed to the teacher too.
I took an online graduate program in 2007 and I distinctly remember thinking that I would have loved to have been able to see my professors lecture in real time. But most of our assignments were reading, discussion posts, and group projects. For me, as a visual and kinesthetic learner, this type of distance learning was minimally helpful for me. I learned much more in my real life expereince than I did in that program, but the options I was hoping for (real time interaction with professors) were just not available to students online.
Fast forward to 2015 when I started this LMS program at SUNY Buffalo. Many of my classes now allow for me to participate in real time just like I had hoped for in my first graduate program experience. I can watch the lecture in real time via blackboards collaborate function. I can even raise my hand and ask a question. The professor can hear me and answer in real time too. I have even been able to skype chat with professors during their office hours.
We have come a long way since the days of correspondence classes. There have been many steps a long the way and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for distance learning. It gives students around the world the opportunity to attend programs that their geographical location might otherwise limit. Technology is changing so quickly and thankfully, it is being put to good use to improve distance learning!
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Content & Collaboration in the Library Classroom
What is content? How do you define that within your classroom?
To me content is what my students make it. Information is what I present, but it does not become content until the make connections with the information. It becomes content when they can use it in a meaningful way, connect it to everyday life, share it with others, and use it to inform their interactions and decisions.
Then what is collaboration?
To me, collaboration can be defined as any interaction where a student must work together with another person or with technology to create something. A collaboration can occur when a student interacts with a peer, with a teacher, with a parent, or with a computer program.
What happens when we use collaboration in our classroom?
In short, we help create useful content! Collaboration is essential for our students. They need to learn how to use technology to aid their collaborative efforts because their future will depend on it. They future academic and career paths with, in all likelihood, require some sort of technological collaboration, be it just email interactions, creating presentations, displaying documents, etc. Students need to learn the skills to collaborate effectively using technolgy and as teachers, we hold the key to facilitating this.
We need to allow students the time and freedom to explore technology platforms effectively and learn to use them to their highest collaborative potential. We can talk until we are blue int he face about how wikis and blogs can help our students interact, research, write, and share ideas, but unless we allow them to really experiment with the platform we are not allowing them to truly collaborate and in essence, to create content.
To me content is what my students make it. Information is what I present, but it does not become content until the make connections with the information. It becomes content when they can use it in a meaningful way, connect it to everyday life, share it with others, and use it to inform their interactions and decisions.
Then what is collaboration?
To me, collaboration can be defined as any interaction where a student must work together with another person or with technology to create something. A collaboration can occur when a student interacts with a peer, with a teacher, with a parent, or with a computer program.
What happens when we use collaboration in our classroom?
In short, we help create useful content! Collaboration is essential for our students. They need to learn how to use technology to aid their collaborative efforts because their future will depend on it. They future academic and career paths with, in all likelihood, require some sort of technological collaboration, be it just email interactions, creating presentations, displaying documents, etc. Students need to learn the skills to collaborate effectively using technolgy and as teachers, we hold the key to facilitating this.
We need to allow students the time and freedom to explore technology platforms effectively and learn to use them to their highest collaborative potential. We can talk until we are blue int he face about how wikis and blogs can help our students interact, research, write, and share ideas, but unless we allow them to really experiment with the platform we are not allowing them to truly collaborate and in essence, to create content.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Teaching Digital Citizenship to a generation online
Most student are of the mentality that they are safe online--that nothing is going to happen to them--that they are too smart to get taken advantage of online. But no one is as safe as they might think they are. Even as and adult with all the safeguards you can still get your identity stolen. Children and young adults are not nearly as careful with their personal information and can easily get themselves into trouble on the internet. Some schools across the country have begun integrating online safety into their computer, library, or classroom curriculum but it is not mandated and this is a big problem.
Students are unknowingly exposing themselves to potential predators through their internet habits. ABC News reports that even online gaming, which is extremely popular with students, has now become a virtual playground for predators. The gamers believe that they are talking to other people their age and are lured into a false sense of trust where they give away small details which eventually can lead a predator right to them. Safety needs to be our #1 priority when our students use the internet, just as it is when they enter our classrooms each day. We have locks on our schools, on our classroom doors, we practice lock down, lock out, and stay put drills every month so that our students know what to do if there is an intruder in our school; we practice fire drills and weather drills to train them in what to do if there is another emergency. We need to employ the same sense of the proactive with regards to digital citizenship and it needs to be mandated that every school provide this type of education for students before even one more student goes missing.
Internet safety is only one aspect of digital citizenship though. Another important aspect is preventing piracy in our download-happy society. There are dozens of file sharing programs available and students are more adept at getting around web filters to use them everyday. File sharing programs can download viruses and other malware and cause thousands of dollars worth of damage. Stealing music, movies, and artwork by downloading it has a very real effect on the artists and other people associated with the work. Students may lack the ability to see the effects that their online actions can have on others, but by mandating a comprehensive digital citizenship program we can ensure that students at least have all of the information to consider before making decisions about their online actions.
Students are unknowingly exposing themselves to potential predators through their internet habits. ABC News reports that even online gaming, which is extremely popular with students, has now become a virtual playground for predators. The gamers believe that they are talking to other people their age and are lured into a false sense of trust where they give away small details which eventually can lead a predator right to them. Safety needs to be our #1 priority when our students use the internet, just as it is when they enter our classrooms each day. We have locks on our schools, on our classroom doors, we practice lock down, lock out, and stay put drills every month so that our students know what to do if there is an intruder in our school; we practice fire drills and weather drills to train them in what to do if there is another emergency. We need to employ the same sense of the proactive with regards to digital citizenship and it needs to be mandated that every school provide this type of education for students before even one more student goes missing.
Internet safety is only one aspect of digital citizenship though. Another important aspect is preventing piracy in our download-happy society. There are dozens of file sharing programs available and students are more adept at getting around web filters to use them everyday. File sharing programs can download viruses and other malware and cause thousands of dollars worth of damage. Stealing music, movies, and artwork by downloading it has a very real effect on the artists and other people associated with the work. Students may lack the ability to see the effects that their online actions can have on others, but by mandating a comprehensive digital citizenship program we can ensure that students at least have all of the information to consider before making decisions about their online actions.
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