Libray lifelong learning

The biggest challenge of using ICT in the Resource Centre in the 21st century is…..

Drum roll please.

Making sure that there are enough working computers for all of the students to have access to all of these great new blogs, wikkies, sites etc.

I think all of these new ideas are great and  I can see how they’ll be easily used in the Resource Centre (book club, reading programs, writer’s club…. the list is endless) but if the students don’t have access to the hardware then it all falls flat.

Is now the time to mention limited internet access?……

One other challenge – making sure that RC staff can keep one step ahead of the students in using all of this (ok that is unlikely I grant you but we can dream can’t we?)

So which is better paper or e portfolios/

Paper

- Students can stick thier work directly into thier book.

- They can decorate each page using coloured paper, glittler, stickers etc.

- Students do not have to rely on computer access which can be difficult at times.

- They can get teacher feedback immediatly on their progress.

E portfolios.

- students like using IT.

- They can still decorate their pages.

 - They can show different skills.

 - They can animate their work, add sound, add personality.

 - They can access their work at home.

Hmmm, both have their good points and both have negative points.  How about a hybrid?  Have the paper journal for students to stick thier class work in and have a printed like to their e portfolio where they can show off thier brilliant IT skills?  It’s the best of both worlds really.

The only time I have used a wikki in the class room is wikkipedia and I will admit that I am a litle dubious about it.  I have trouble trusting information as a reliable source if ti can be changed by anyone who wants to.  I have also seen too many students use wikki as face and get it wrong.

At the moment I use wikkipedia to show students that they have to careful in taking any information they find on the net at face value and I teach them how to find resources to support the information they have found.  (which can also be correct)

But I can now see how useful wikkis are as a tool for expressing opinion and displaying accomplishments.  Kind of cool really.  But for me I think I still prefer the blog to use as portable soap box.

Where would RSS be useful to me?

I can think of two areas straight away.  The first would be library related.  I would find it useful for new updates on library information sites, new books which are out, new films which could be useful.  Literacy wise the sky is the limit.  I would also be useful with news links.

In the class room it would be a useful tool to find out if students have added to thier learning blogs (something which I intend to utilise next year) It will save me time and ensure that I don’t have to keep checking the same sites every day to see if they have actuallydone anything.

Igoogle.

I like igoogle.  It is fun.  It would be a lot more fun if I could work out how to add a lst of my favorite sites to the page.  I love the fact that it is personalised, I like the fact that I have been able to includeupdated links to library information sites (and a library comic strip too)  Even better I like being able to access my emails from that page.  If any one has any advice please let me know

I just have to remember to keep focused on library and teaching stuff and not get distracted by all the great, trivial, fun bits and pieces I could also include.  (who knew that there were so many Doctor Who gadgets available)

Wow it worked!

So what do you think?  My first attempt at adding my own image to my blog.

It’s fun but I think it’s sounding too pompous.

Additional note – it is sad to admit that it took me three days to actually get the image to attach to the post.  For some reason the computer isn’t liking me at the moment.

Ok, so images now.

um mental blank.  How on Earth can I use images in the classroom?  I could show photoes I guess.  Especially images of ancient sites visited.  That would be good to start a discussion for Year 7 history.  Or even a ‘guess what this is’ game.  That would be challenging for them  I could also use images found on the web for that.

Students could likewise use images they lcate on the web to enhance thier assignments.

What other images?  Do vidio images count?  That could be useful for MAD (Making a Difference) class next year.  Students could creat and uplaod a short video for yu tube promoting awarness of enviromental issues  or showing how students can make a differenc ein the community.

I can use images in Library classes, especially web images for discussions about copyright.  I can also use images and animations to make the Library web page more interesting.

I guess I can use images for lots of things.

Even just to make something look more interesting.

So if I am writing my own blog then I should really know what sort of information to put onto it shouldn’t I?  Cause at the moment I don’t know what would make interesting reading.

So as prompted by the task for this week I went hunting for other library based blogs.  After a quick google search I found a blog written by someone else who had taken part in the SLAV Web 2,0 challenge.  Some really interesting information there – especially about a grant which I will have to look into,  And a really good quoterefering to teacher librarians, which I can’t quite remember.  (I guess I’ll have to go and find it again and print it in really big letters so I don’t forget.)

I then headed for the main library site in Victoria, the SLAV website.  And I learnt more about Web 2.0 and the different challenges that ore offered to staff and students and how other library staff have responded to the challenge of using the variety of IT which is now on offer.

I also had a chance to see what tasks other challenges, similar to ours, included.  I think this is going to be one roller coaster ride of learning.

Well considering I have only really used the internet for reasearch and that I have difficulty keeping a normal diary, keeping a blog up to date and interesting could be a real challenge…

But isn’t that the same with anything new?   We have to keep up to date with the technology just to make sure we stay in the loop and know what is going on.

Wait a sec….  That sounds suspiciously like learning.  And learning is hard and boring….  Ok not really.  But I can find it a bit overwhelming at times – especially when it comes to IT.

So why do I need to keep learning?  Well lets start from the basics.  I’m a Teacher Librarian.  (yes we still exist) and I am meant to be assisting students locate, use and assess information.  A lot of that information comes from the internet now and it comes in many differetn forms.  I have to keep learning about the different forms so I can teach the students.

I also see lifelong learning as a constant challenge.  I need to keep learning things and trying new things otherwise life will get very boring

Which leads me to the Redbcak program.  New IT scares me.  There’s just too much of it and it changes too quickly.  You think you know something one day and then discover the next that it has all changed and everything you knew is nearly worthless – unless you are interested in history.  (Luckily I am)

I hope to gain a better understanding of the different programs used to communicate on the Internet and to become more comfortable with talking on line.

Not too difficult really.