My biggest takeaway from this class is that technology is becoming a majority share in the work of being a librarian, but it need not be a topic to fear. Over the course of these fifteen weeks, I have been exposed to many different types of technology that can be used in the school library or media center. Whereas using an app or website for a part of the curriculum might have been a very small portion of the learning experience even just five years ago, technology and digital learning is now the majority of the student experience. Librarians not only need to get on board the technology train, but we need to be the leaders in the school, helping students and staff stay on the cutting edge.
There were lots of powerful readings that stayed with me. I will continue to reflect on:
*AASL and ISTE standards
*Accessibility issues with technology and making websites universally accessible
*Uses of social media by the librarian
*How to combat cyberbullying
*Use of virtual reality for fun and education
*Creating content in the library, such as news programs, podcasts, etc.
What will propel me forward in my career is knowing that as a librarian, I am a resource for my patrons to use in their own personal knowledge quests. I don’t need to know everything, I just need to know how to help them get what they need. This class has continued to give me more exposure to the possibilities of what those varied needs may be. As we know, technology is changing at an ever-increasing rate, so we just need to stay flexible and open to change. This class also reminded me of the power of continuous learning, and that we should constantly be checking in with our authorities (ALA, ISTE, LOC, etc.) as well as our peers to gain knowledge and inspiration.
Sunday, April 23, 2023
Final Thoughts on ISCI 761
Saturday, April 8, 2023
Virtual and Augmented Reality in the School Media Center
This week we looked at many different resources to incorporate virtual and augmented reality into our library. This is an interesting and exciting direction for teachers to take with their lesson planning. In theory, if a school is on board with using VR and AR, the library or media center can act as an important hub for housing, educating about, and promoting this technology.
One resource that stood out to me was the Merge Cube (Snelling, 2022). The Merge Cube works with Merge EDU, a hands-on digital learning platform that helps students learn science and STEM effectively with 3D objects and simulations. The Merge Cube is used in conjunction with a smartphone or tablet device. From their website, “Two-thirds of students are visual-spatial learners and need differentiated instruction that engages multiple senses.” The Merge Cube projects scientifically accurate 3D visual aids onto a hand-held cube that the students can manipulate and interrogate. (MergeEDU, 2023) I think this VR technology would be a helpful addition to the high school media center to be used with science, technology, and engineering classes.
With the Merge Cube system, teachers have access to all levels of STEM curriculum to either augment or take the place of particular units. There are Activity Plans, STEM Projects and other resources available for teachers to follow. Some content examples are exploring space, examining the human body, and chemistry experiments.
The biggest drawback to the Merge Cube system is the cost. It is advertised at $2799 for a 1 year subscription with 30 simultaneous users, or $5699 for 90 cubes and unlimited access for 1 year. This makes the Merge Cube inaccessible for most school budgets. This system also requires either individual smartphones or tablets, which most students already have by high school, but it could be another barrier to usage for some districts.
On the flip side, the great thing about the Merge Cube is that if the media center budget does not allow for the full-experience subscription, librarians and teachers can still print out their own Cubes and take advantage of some free AR content to enhance STEM lessons. This option still requires a smartphone or tablet, but provides a basic AR on-ramp. By a bit of a rabbit-hole accident, I found this awesome free resource for visualizing James Webb telescope data using the Merge Cube.
It is my opinion that a librarian should get buy-in from at least a few teachers and the administration that they would use the technology before launching it as an offering. Just like budgeting for different databases, budgeting for new VR and AR equipment should be completed in conjunction with curriculum in mind.
Resources:
American Astronomical Society. (September 22, 2021). Viewing star formation from a new angle. Nova. https://aasnova.org/2021/09/22/viewing-star-formation-from-a-new-angle/
Merge Labs, Inc. (2023). Merge headset, explore everything. https://mergeedu.com
Merge Labs, Inc. (2023). Merge headset, explore everything. https://mergeedu.com/headset
Snelling, J. (2022, Oct. 6). 23 resources for bringing AR and VR to the classroom. ISTE Blog. https://www.iste.org/explore/classroom/23-resources-bringing-ar-and-vr-classroom
Young, L. (2020, April 7). Get the most from AR/VR technology without breaking the budget. School Library Journal blog. https://www.slj.com/story/get-the-most-from-ar-vr-technology-without-breaking-budget-library
Saturday, March 25, 2023
Makerspaces in the School Library
This week we read about Makerspaces and how they can be implemented in the school library. In addition to our readings, I liked the blog post from “Don’t Shush Me: Adventures of a 21st century High School Librarian” called “Low Tech Makerspace in the H.S. Library”. https://dontyoushushme.com/2021/11/16/low-tech-makerspace-in-the-h-s-library/
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When this librarian had a handle on her new space, she put out a survey of her new community. This idea came up as a common theme in this week’s readings and resources. A library, media center and makerspace should meet the needs of the community that it serves. Or as she states in her blog post, “This is why needs assessments are so critical, we don’t want to waste our time trying to get the library to provide resources and experiences that are already being provided elsewhere in the school community.” (2021) In their small study of librarians, Moorefield-Lang and Coker (2019, p.374) found that, “As with makerspaces in library settings, no two makerspaces in a school or department of library and information science were the same. Each faculty member had their own audience, technology, lens, and plan for implementation for their maker learning location. Common themes that emerged during the interviews were implementation, curriculum, and partnerships.”
This particular librarian’s survey results came back that students wanted low-tech tactile crafty maker projects, and she was able to get a sizable grant to have so many fun consumables and non-consumables to offer. We librarians don’t want to make the mistake of going all-in on technology-based maker products if the students already have a robotics lab and technology classes where they learn coding. On the flip side, the library could be a great place for students’ first dip into the technology-enhanced maker movement. We need data and observations to decide what is appropriate for our library space. “...libraries might not be the right fit for patrons desiring deeper, more specialized, or more expert engagement and that hand-offs to other organizations may be more appropriate at that stage.” (Fontichiaro, p. 52)
If you search for other posts with the “makerspace” tag, this blog has some great ideas for other low-tech projects for the high school library.
As a bonus resource, I also found the libguide called The Compassionate Maker. She is a high school librarian who has curated a ton of useful projects that utilize the maker movement for doing good deeds. I can see using a high school makerspace for student service learning projects, community service credit hours, National Honor Society work, and a way for the students to connect to the greater community.
https://hslibguides.islipufsd.org/c.php?g=805963&p=5751399
Resources
Bogan, K. (2021, November, 16). Don’t shush me! https://dontyoushushme.com/2021/11/16/low-tech-makerspace-in-the-h-s-library/
Fontichiaro, K. (2019, April) What I’ve learned from 7 years of the maker movement in schools and libraries. Teacher Librarian 46 (4). pp 51-53.
Moorefield-Lang, H. & Coker, M. (2019). How to make a maker librarian. Journal of New Librarianship. 4. pp. 371-379.
Seymour, G. (2021, February 10). The compassionate maker. https://hslibguides.islipufsd.org/c.php?g=805963&p=5751399
Thursday, March 9, 2023
Cyberbullying
The thing that stood out to me this week is that cyberbullying is prevalent and insidious. It is easy to do and hard to prove. In the story, “I trolled someone on Ask.fm” from the Seven Digital Deadly Sins (NFB), the writer references using a proxy to remain anonymous which I didn’t know kids knew how to do. She shows us that if a bully really wants to get away with certain behaviors, they can.
The ways to address cyberbullying are similar to the ways in which bullying should be addressed. I think the strategy should be threefold: address the parents/guardians to be aware of students’ online quantity and behavior, address the staff to be a welcoming, empathetic ear, and address the students to speak up if they are a victim or if they know of bullying behavior from others. Additionally, librarians and media technology teachers can educate students on online privacy issues and anti-bullying strategies.
Parents and guardians are the first line of defense against bullying and cyberbullying. The online behaviors that students learn at home will certainly influence their own online behavior. One of the videos I watched led me to the website StopBullying.gov (HHS) which had a lot of great suggestions for parents (HHS, 2021):
Monitor a teen’s social media sites, apps, and browsing history, if you have concerns that cyberbullying may be occurring.
Review or re-set your child’s phone location and privacy settings.
Follow or friend your teen on social media sites or have another trusted adult do so.
Stay up-to-date on the latest apps, social media platforms, and digital slang used by children and teens.
Know your child’s user names and passwords for email and social media.
Establish rules about appropriate digital behavior, content, and apps.
As librarian-teachers, we can always remind parents of these ideas in our newsletters.
One of the videos, “Let’s Fight It Together” (ChildNet, 2008) started with a young boy filming himself and declaring that he had no one to talk to about his experience with cyberbullying. Luckily his mother eventually found out about the situation and confronted the school administration. But imagine feeling like no one at school would listen or help? Teachers, staff and school administrators need to position themselves as open and ready to listen and support students who are being cyberbullied. Forming relationships is key to this point. Knowing what the warning signs are for bullying is also important. Staff can observe dramatic changes in social circles, behaviors and friend relationships and reach out if they sense danger. In that same video, it shows a friendly teacher noticing that the student has changed and is sitting alone, and she sits down to see if he’s ok. But she doesn’t linger, and moves on.
Students themselves can get involved in shutting down cyberbullying. If they do not tolerate bullying online, it will only help other students. Perhaps they don’t think of forwarding messages or lightly teasing “friends” online is bullying. But students don’t always know the total story of how often it is happening to someone.
Many of the videos for this week’s module were flash mob style anti-bullying dances, or produced dramatic re-enactments of school bullying or cyberbullying. An amazing example of this is the Cypress Ranch High School Anti-Bullying Lip Dub “Who Do U Think U R?” (2012). It seemed to be the least cringe-worthy one, and had an uplifting feel to it. I think the value of these videos and the scenes they portray is not really in their replay value, but rather in the feelings and conversations they helped create in the students creating them. In other words, I don’t necessarily see the value in showing these videos to an audience outside of the community in which they were made. I think the value is in the making of them. So if a particular school felt the need to address bullying or cyberbullying in its own community, I think a lot can be gained in the scripting, casting, acting and production of content, as this would take time and care and involve many students in thinking about the topic. Self-reflection is what the takeaway should be - as in, “what am I doing to stop bullying at my school?”
Librarians and media technology teachers can perform the important role of delivering presentations about cyberbullying that give both empathy and solutions to students. From the Cyberbullying Research Center, “(presentations) need clear, specific strategies that are age-appropriate and will actually work.” (n.d.) Some of these strategies are (Cyberbullying Research Center, 2014):
bystanders can carefully document what happened and then take the details to an adult they trust will respond appropriately
bystanders might also take the target aside to tell her that what happened was not cool and he is there and available to help make the problem go away
bystanders could also organize her friends to condemn the behavior without doing anything directly
Resources
ChildNet. (2008, May 3). Let’s fight it together. [YouTube video]. https://youtu.be/dubA2vhIlrg
Cyberbullying Research Center (n.d.). What the best bullying and cyberbullying assembly speakers do https://cyberbullying.org/best-bullying-cyberbullying-assembly-speakers
Cyberbullying Research Center (2014, July 18). Empower bystanders to improve school climate https://cyberbullying.org/empower-bystanders-to-improve-school-climate
Kaitlyn K. (2012, Mar 30). Cypress Ranch High School Anti-Bullying Lip Dub “Who Do U Think U R?” [YouTube video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENBJnX6cEKE&t=325s
HHS (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). (2021, August 17). Digital Awareness for Parents. https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/digital-awareness-for-parents
NFB Digital Studio Vancouver. (n.d.). I trolled someone on Ask.fm http://sins.nfb.ca/#/Wrath/27
Saturday, March 4, 2023
The Power of Social Media for the School Library
I know as a future librarian I need to be the first in a line of front line advocates for my library. As Dr. Green states in her presentation, “Frontline advocates talk to others - colleagues, friends, neighbors, relatives and acquaintances - about their school library media center’s value to its students, teachers, families and community.” Social media can be a powerful tool in my quiver to instruct, communicate and advocate.
As I look at the social media platforms that are popularly available to me to use professionally, I am not heartened, and to be quite honest, a bit afraid. As a GenXer, a parent of two school-aged children, and someone who works in both middle and high schools, I have various reasons for not wanting to openly embrace any of the social media outlets. They are as follows:
Twitter scares me with its tendency toward negativity. Elon Musk scares me with his new-found control over his definition of free speech. There is the promise of a future paid subscription fee which I would not likely pay myself or be budgeted for.
Tiktok scares me with its dancing. I know that’s not all there is to it, but it seems more geared toward a (much) younger crowd. But I know there is BookTok where teens get many book recommendations. But I feel like BookTok is also “for teens, by teens”. I could be wrong; convince me.
Snapchat scares me with its impermanence. Do librarians even use this platform? I feel like it would be a bit “cringey” for me to use it (to borrow a phrase from my teenager’s lingo). I question whether teens would follow me there.
Facebook is for old people, like me! There is talk of a future paid subscription via Meta, at which point I would likely drop it. So is it worth starting up now? I do like the idea of using it for amplification of my message for parents and administration. I also like Facebook’s ability to hive-mind with other librarians and professional networking/sharing. I see a lot of librarians sharing ideas via Facebook.
Instagram is currently used by teens AND old people. It combines the ease of a single picture with informative text and hashtags. I like the idea of tagging other school accounts (art, administration) as well as current authors, literacy experts, BookTok-ers. I love the idea of an account takeover by a student for a day to give them some agency. Nicki Robertson says, “We need to make a concerted effort to meet our varied audience where they are, instead of expecting to meet them in the location most convenient to us.” (2017, pg 26)
So that all said, I think that the two platforms that float to the top for me are Instagram and Facebook. I use them both personally, though not in a very active sense, more passively. So those are what I chose to pursue initially for this project. I know that some people use the platforms in a joint fashion, as in, they post to Instagram and it gets posted to Facebook, or they post to TikTok, and it shows up on Instagram or YouTube. So I think it might be fun and productive to have both a professional Facebook page and a school library Instagram account. Here is a link to Instagram instructions to make that happen.
I created an Instagram with my USC email, but will have to pretend to be a librarian, as I am not currently in that position. My name is YorkHighSchoolLibrary, and I will have a Facebook account that will amplify my messages there to parents, administrators and other librarians.
When I think about what my goals are for using social media, it would mimic the reasons I want to become a librarian: to get students in the library door so I can help them and host them, to get students interested in reading, to create a safe space for everyone, and to elevate students’ and staff’s levels of information literacy. Some posts I can see creating are:
new book display pictures or reels
special subject display introduction and explanation
pictures of the media center space
re-posts from favorite authors
occasional “teachable moments” from classes I am teaching in the library
Molly Wetta has a lot of relatable ideas in her recent article, “Instagram Now”. She makes using Instagram seem very easy. “Get creative and
take inspiration from other book lovers’ accounts—and don’t be
afraid to highlight music, movies, videogames, and more.” In other words, meet the students where they are. (2016)
I would hope that I can accomplish instruction, communication and advocacy with my use of Instagram as a non-invasive use of my precious teacher-librarian time. As Nikki Robertson states in her book, “Telling the stories of our school libraries isn’t bragging— it’s a celebration of the learning that is taking place in our schools. The stories are proof that an active, appropriately funded library with a certified school librarian is vital to our school communities.” (Robertson, 2017)
References
Green. (n.d.). SLIS 761 Harnessing the Power of Social Media to Advocate for the School Library [Google Slides]. iSchool, University of South Carolina. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1rswnwL_QA16SjO3gE5KzLH26OeReTFxdJkJ3_xz8uYk/edit#slide=id.g35f391192_00
Robertson, N.D. (2017). Connected librarians: tap social media to enhance professional development and student learning. International Society for Technology in Education. ProQuest Ebook Central. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/southcarolina/detail.action?docID=5880813.
Created from southcarolina on 2023-03-02 18:00:35.
Wetta, C. (February, 2016). Instagram now: engage young users with the image based social media tool. School Library Journal, 62(2), 30-32.
Thursday, February 23, 2023
Digital Adaptive Tools for the School Library
There are many software-based products that can read a website text and alt-text images audibly to the user. Some of these software options also magnify, tint, and otherwise enhance the text of a website for better access for those with vision impairment. I think that this type of adaptive technology resource would be a great addition to the school library.
Referring to the universal design principle that we can create spaces that work for everyone, and that more access gained for some means better access for all (CAST, 2023), the idea of an easier to use online library catalog, website and databases makes sense. Making sure that the catalog and website can be seen and heard and used better helps students with known low or no vision, teachers with aging eyes, and students with undocumented vision loss or reading disabilities. And using universal design and/or accommodations for disabled students has a neutral or positive effect on all students (Hehir, 7)
When visiting the New York and San Francisco Public Libraries' websites, I found that there are terminals at both sites that offer such adaptive technology. One refers to a product called ZoomText Magnifier/Reader by Freedom Scientific, and the other refers to MAGic screen magnification software, also by Freedom Scientific. According to their website, every public PC at all NYPL locations is equipped with JAWS screen reading software and MAGic software for enlarging the screen, changing colors and contrast, and screenreading. And while perusing the site, I realized that screenreaders can also potentially help those with reading disabilities find the information that they need.
From the Freedom Scientific website, it appears that having a public license may have a ticket price of $900 - $2000, so it would not be an item for every school's budget. If the librarian had completed a survey of their patrons and knew it would be beneficial, I am sure there are grants available to acquire it.
With that in mind, there are a variety of free online screenreaders available. NVDA is free (donation optional) and accessible to everyone, and seems to be the industry standard for use on PCs.
If the library computer or the student's device is an Apple product, you could use Apple VoiceOver. This is a great resource for teachers to remember for themselves and their students because it is inherent to the Apple suite, and useful for students' ever-present iphones. If you are on a mobile device (iphone, ipad, etc.), you just open Settings, then Accessibility, then you can choose VoiceOver, Zoom, Spoken Content, Audio Descriptors, and more.
For those using Chromebooks or a Chrome browser, the extension ChromeVox is available, and for the price of $0 additional budget, it's not a bad option.
The State Library of Iowa Continuing Education put out a nice overview YouTube video on screenreaders and how to use them in the library.
Another great resource is this (non-exhaustive) compilation of database compatibility with screenreaders put out by Suffolk University.
Using screenreaders on library computers for OPAC or database usage is an easy way to incorporate universal design to make accessing information easier for everyone.
Resources
CAST, Inc. (2023). About universal design for learning https://www.cast.org/impact/universal-design-for-learning-udl
Freedom Scientific. (2022). Products https://www.freedomscientific.com/Products/
NYPL For Patrons with Print Disabilities or Visual Impairment https://www.nypl.org/accessibility/print-disabilities
State Library of Iowa Continuing Education. (2012, May 7). Screen readers in your library [YouTube video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yLl26iP3ac
Suffolk University (Dec 16, 2022 )Screen Reading and Library Resources: A Guide for ADA Accessibility: Full list of Accessible Library Databases
Hehir, T. et al. (2016, August). A Summary of the Evidence on Inclusive Education [PowerPoint slides]. Professor of Practice in Learning Differences, Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Friday, February 17, 2023
Tech Hardware and its Teaching Function in the School Library
In the school media center, it is easy to dream of big ticket items like 3D printers and VR headsets as must-haves for our students to be able to be future-ready. And these examples of technology hardware would certainly add quite an impact to the lessons with which the students could engage. But perhaps we find ourselves at the helm of a less well-funded district library. We can still foster technology integration and prepare students for a digital age with a modest budget. Technology integration in the school should not be focused on the particular tech toy, but rather on how the tech can foster the curriculum. "...becoming effective technology leaders involves shifting the focus of our efforts from promoting technology tools and usage to supporting teachers in designing technology-enabled learning experiences." (Green, 42)
The Technology Integration Matrix, or TIM, is a research-based teaching framework wherein the levels of technology integration are crossed with the characteristics of the learning environment. The matrix can help teachers and observers be aware of their environments and could help them move themselves and their students into and through different technology modalities. The goal of using the matrix is not to get to a specific level or square. As Dr. James Welsh states in this very helpful introduction video, "...within the matrix, there is not a bad area to be or a good area to be; the matrix is a system of describing what you're seeing in the classroom." (FETC, 2021) The TIM can also help educators know where they might want to go in terms of professional development.
That five characteristics of the learning environment are active, collaborative, constructive, authentic and goal-directed. The five levels of technology integration are entry, adoption, adaptation, infusion and transformation. All 25 squares are appropriate places to be in a classroom, as long as they are intentional and meeting the needs of the student, teacher and district.
So putting all of these ideas together and knowing that we as teacher-librarians want to foster 21st century learning skills of critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity, I wanted to find an easily accessible piece of technology hardware that could act as a gateway to further technology integration. Enter the humble microphone and headset. When paired with the ubiquitous digital learning device such as a Chromebook, laptop or smartphone, the media center can become a place where students can move from passive learning to digital content creators. My recommendation would be a two-way microphone for multiple users, and headphones.
Teacher's use of microphones in the classroom has been studied many times over for its benefits for harnessing the attention of the students and promoting learning. (Millett, 2008) Microphone amplification of teacher's voice also helps English Language Learners, students with ADHD, and benefits students with hearing loss that is not documented. Use of a microphone in the classroom is a great example of entry level technology use for active (passive) learning.
Another great use of microphones and headsets would be for teachers to have emerging readers record themselves reading. The readers can practice their skills and teachers can check in on progress without the students risking embarrassment in front of their peers. On the same level of technology integration would be high school public speakers or debate team members recording themselves and playing their work back for practice. These are good examples of active adoption of technology tool for active learning.
Moving into collaborative learning, the students can use microphones and a recording app to become information digesters. I can envision a social studies or English language arts class reading or watching some news, current event or other story. Then the students can take on different roles of the story to create a new product. This could be a news report or a live report of events, or a new story altogether. This sort of activity would display an adaptation level of technology use with collaborative learning.
At the middle school or high school level, librarian teachers can use microphones and headsets to incorporate podcast creation into their curriculum. If you need some inspiration for how to create podcasts with students, you can read this story (NPR, 2021) about how four teachers co-taught and fostered a culture of creation. Those middle school teachers were inspired by the annual NPR Podcast Challenge that on its own page includes detailed directions for teachers and students on the nuts and bolts of podcast creation (NPR, 2023).
Going one step further on podcasts in the classroom, The New York Times also holds the Student Podcast Contest. (NPR, 2023) They have outlined an entire lesson plan that includes storytelling, researching, interviewing, editing, and producing. "While technology integration implies increased and indiscriminate technology use by teachers and students, technology enabled learning 'places the primary emphasis where it needs to be: on the content-based pedagogy of teachers’ lessons followed by a consideration of all the tools teachers might use to implement it, in order to effect student learning' (Brantley-Dias and Ertmer 2013, 120)." (Green, 42)
One teacher's thoughts on how collaborative podcast creation shows off the authentic transformation level of technology integration are, "...for the most part, you should give teens control. In our podcast, the students created the name (Booklings Chat), the intro music using their own instruments, and recorded the intro and outro. They also made their own artwork to use as promotion for the podcast." (Maxwell, 2022)
The teacher/librarian in another school who wrote up her experiences with having microphones and headsets available is quoted as saying, "The hope is that this (audio) studio will be a resource for both students and faculty to showcase their work." (Little, 2019) This level of technology integration would be in the transformative level and goal-directed transformation of learning.
Future of Education Technology Conference [Florida Center for Instructional Technology conference presentation]. (2021, February 8). Introduction to the Technology Integration Matrix - Dr. James Welsh [Video]. YouTube https://youtu.be/REByCgv1eyE
Gay, A. (2020, March 5). 8 creative uses for classroom headphones. Learning Headphones. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://learningheadphones.com/blogs/school-headphone-blog/8-creative-uses-for-classroom-headphones
Green, L. (2014). Through the looking glass. Knowledge Quest, 43(1), 36-43.
NPR. (2021, October 24). The superstar teachers of our student podcast challenge. https://www.npr.org/2021/10/24/1047336743/the-superstar-teachers-of-our-student-podcast-challenge
NPR. (2023, January 6). Starting your podcast: A guide for students. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2018/11/15/662070097/starting-your-podcast-a-guide-for-students
NPR. (2023, January 6). The fifth annual NPR Student Podcast Challenge is open for entries! https://www.npr.org/2022/12/14/1141665744/student-podcast-challenge- contest-npr-2023
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This week we read about Makerspaces and how they can be implemented in the school library. In addition to our readings, I liked the blog ...
