Module+1

= Module 1 Reflections =

February 6th, 2011


While reading the first two chapters of the Berger and Trexler text, I wrote a dozen mental blog entries. There was just so much left ruminating that I had to step back and organize my thoughts before commenting. Here goes.

"Teacher Librarians must be able to lead change or face irrelevancy." (vii)

Amidst the very real threat that state budget cuts pose for school librarians and school library programs, it is not enough for us to verbally explain our importance (necessity) in K-12 schools; we have to show it, live it, make everyone realize that the world and education along with it is changing, and school library programs are leading that change. We are helping to create 21st century learners in the hopes that they will be the scholars who will go forth and change the world responsibly. Education has always worked on a "Pay it Forward" paradigm, but is crucial now more than ever - and unfortunately - more likely to fail now more than ever.

If we as teachers, librarians, administrators, etc can only teach students what we were taught, then we are doing our children and our future a disservice. We must stay current, be ahead of the game, and stress the importance of professional development for our colleagues who may not see the need as clearly.

"Being an information (or media) specialist today means being an expert in how information and media flow TODAY!" (vii)

Eye opener #1: While reading the first two chapters of the Berger and Trexler text on "Learning, Literacy, and Web 2.0" and "Searching the Web," I learned there is a plethora of Web 2.0 tools out there that I have just never heard of before. There are tools to help you pick which tool you should use! (ex: A tool to help you pick the best search engine for your needs!).

For that epiphany, I am grateful to have this class and the charge to go forward with a feeling of personal responsibility for keeping up with the times.

On a similar note, while I found the "New Literacies" article interesting for its theory and overall message, I was enlightened by the notion that it is already behind the times. 2007 is, believe it or not, four years ago. Yes, blogging, wikis, online chatting, etc are all vibrant and expanding today. Virtual literature circles and internet workshop models are excellent tools for collaboration and communication outside the physical classroom. But think about the dozens (hundreds?) of tools that are missing from this list, just because web users hadn't created them yet. Soon, 2011 articles will be behind the times. It is the beauty and the curse of a field that revolves around evolving technology.

It's almost too daunting. Luckily, Berger and Trexler reminded me that "the key is to focus on student learning, not the Web 2.0 technology." Phew. Our jobs and our purpose are to facilitate meaningful learning in a 21st century context. To our benefit, we have an almost unlimited pool of resources to choose from in order to engage students during an inquiry learning process - but at the end of the day - it's about whether or not they asked meaningful questions, made deep connections, produced original content, and formed thoughtful reflections --> not which web tools aided them in the process.

Having said that, our students, among the first to live their lives fully immersed in Web 2.0 (from birth, for some), are usually quite adept at using technology and computers. Valenza reminds us that computer skills do not equal information literacy skills - and that is where we come in. Yes, kids are going to learn to use Web 2.0 tools and technology with or without us, but it is our charge to put learning in their context, not in "archaic textbooks." Just because they can (and do) search for and find information, does not mean they know how to use that information - how to evaluate for accuracy, authority, authenticity, and relevancy - how to connect new information to familiar knowledge, and then use those connections to form new understandings.

"Educators are challenged to make "search" become not only a "looking up" activity, but also truly productive inquiry."

The text also lightly touched on the amazing possibilities for differentiation and varied learning techniques that new Web 2.0 tools provide. Even within search engines, there are options (the cube, the cloud, etc) that aid visual learners in search for information and classifying results. Web 2.0 tools have a very real possibility for leveling the playing field for students that learn better with visual, audio, or even kinesthetic (iPad, anyone?) tendencies. Can textbooks provide for that level of differentiation? Takes a lot of pressure off teachers to plan entirely novel activities, when he/she can just provide access to web tools that will suit a variety of learning styles.

Lastly - one suggestion that I found to be BRILLIANT!: Teacher-librarians can train/tutorialize students to use new web tools and computer technologies, so that they can go teach their teachers how to implement the new tools in classroom instruction and inquiry processes. I envision having some sort of new-tech club for those students who are particularly interested in this. Exciting. This of course assumes and depends on a lot (available resources, time, environment, collaboration), but where there is will, there's a way, right?

Videos:

1. Shift Happens/Dis You Know 3.0 Remix -- Take away: "The top 10 jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004." Our kids are learning skills to help them get jobs that we have not even imagined!

2. A Vision of Students Today -- Take away: A student shows a looseleaf piece of paper with corrected spelling words --> "How can this help me?" We need to give our students access to the tools and education that are going to help them, not hold them back.