The Job of Organizing

According to Pam Berger and Sally Trexler (authors of “Choosing Web 2.0 Tools for Learning and Teaching in a Digital World”), “School librarians need to become leaders, advocates, and change agents willing to embrace the digital environment to ensure that students and staff are effective users of ideas and information.” Technology is continuously changing at a constant speed.  Librarians need to ensure that their skills are up to par in order to help others organize, access, and utilize Web 2.0 tools.  There are so many different uses for Web 2.0 tools (blogs, collaboration through wiki’s, bookmarking sites, presentation tools, etc.).  The implications of the librarian if everyone is able to organize information is understanding how to collaborate with teachers, students, and patrons in order to share the knowledge and see to it that Web 2.0 tools are being implemented and that the user’s understand what they are doing.  In order for a librarian to teach someone else, she must understand what she is teaching and should be able to explain why a program is being used or what uses the program has available.  Diigo (http://www.diigo.com) is a bookmarking site that allows users to organize websites.  I believe that my Diigo tags would be helpful to others.  As a librarian, we must be able to organize and share information.  My tags would be helpful toward collaboration with others on campus, but they could also be helpful for others outside of the school library setting.  I believe staying organized is a key point to being successful in helping and sharing with others.    

The Machine is Us/ing Us

I watched “The Machine is Us/ing Us” by Professor Wesch on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLlGopyXT_g)  and read chapter one in “Choosing Web 2.0 Tools for Learning and Teaching in a Digital World” by Pam Berger and Sally Trexler.  I had to take a moment and think about the title “The Machine is Us/ing Us”…What does it mean? It all seemed to make sense after watching the video post.  The machine really is using us by using information we input in order to make suggestions to us.  The machine continues to be able to gain information from us each time we allow it to by giving it information.  For instance, if you click a link on the internet the machine used the information from your click in order to respond to us (be it through web suggestions, paid advertisements, etc.).  How many of you have a cell phone? When you text, does your device suggest words so that you don’t have to type the entire word? T-9 offers suggests to us of different words that have the same or similar letter combinations.  It’s going to pick the word you use the most as a priority suggestion.  Each time you text, your cell phone is learning from you! People are constantly communicating to the machine and the machine continues to pull information from us. 

Uses for Quick Response Codes

Although I currently plan to be an elementary school librarian, I would like to take a moment to visit the ways that I could incorporate the use of Quick Response codes if I were a high school librarian.  In order for others to read a QR code, it requires a handheld device and the application downloaded onto the device. 

In a high school library, I would determine what information I wanted to share with students through the use of a QR code.  QR code book reviews would be a way to promote literature found in the library.  This could become more personable by using a wiki of book reviews written by the students for the students.  I would make QR codes to promote upcoming special events.  If I were going to open the library each morning and provide coffee or hot chocolate to students, I would promote it through use of a QR code.  I would collaborate with teachers who assign research papers in order to post a QR code near their classrooms that would lead students to helpful websites that may contain supplemental material, documentaries, etc. and my e-mail so that the students could e-mail me if they have questions.

As an elementary school librarian, it would be useful to have a QR code posted in the school office with the library website available for staff and parents.  If I plan a special event and send a flier home, I would consider adding a QR code to the library website containing more information on the event linked to the library website.  A scavenger hunt using QR codes would be a fun way to introduce students to the library and where resources can be found.

Final thought: QR codes can be used in a library in a variety of ways.

Individual Technology Assessment

Approaching the end of my third year as a teacher at an elementary school, I have always considered myself to be someone who is knowledgeable when it comes to computer technology.  I am comfortable using a PC.  I haven’t had much experience with a Macintosh machine beyond learning the basics of Adobe Photoshop Suites.  I am familiar with Internet Explorer, search engines, video streaming, educational software, Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel), digital/video cameras, data projectors, scanners, iPod’s, TV’s, VCR’s, and DVD players.  I think services, like United Streaming, provide great video streams and assignments that contribute to teaching and reinforcing or supplementing concepts. 

In a fast paced world where technology continues to evolve, I feel like there are areas I do need training. I am not familiar with converting MP3 files to MP4 files or splicing audio tape.  Although I feel well-rounded using the internet, there are many Web 2.0 tools that I have not had first-hand experience using.   For instance, I know what Wiki’s are used for and belong to one, but don’t know where to begin in order to create one.  I haven’t created a website from scratch, but have created one with a provided template. 

I plan to continue to use the knowledge that I have to continue implementing technology in the classroom by giving students opportunities to use technology daily to reinforce material that has been taught.  I would like to create a website that is more inviting to the eye, user friendly for students, and not too busy.  I realize that I need to expand my professional development in technology.  I need to learn how to teach students to research online.  I think it would help me as a professional to attend trainings and then present the information to my colleagues.