Joining the class were two guests from the local public schools who were in the process of revising their multi-year technology plan and looking for some feedback. What struck me most about this process was the challenge of making guidelines for years ahead, especially for technology! Considering the pace at which technology is updated, adopted, discarded, changed, etc. it seems like any sort of school technology plan must involve some educated guesswork about what is going to be relevant a few years down the road. Still, by starting to think about how schools will integrate technology into their teaching plans, librarians and other educators can be sure that they have some ideas about how they envision their students working with technology. Probably not being too specific in the wording helps, too.
This past week was also spent discussing library spaces and how they are best utilized. Looking at the "before and after" slides shown during class, I was amazed at the differing styles of school libraries. Some of the pictures certainly made me think about how having an ample budget can really make a difference in the library space!
But ... some of the redos were rearrangements - remember the college prep library? No money, big change!
ReplyDeleteI agree about the tech plan being outdated so fast and, therefore, so seemingly hopless as an effort. But weren't those ladies great in their enthusiasm to tackle it anyway and give it a go?
ReplyDeleteI'm with you that some guesswork about what's going to be relevant later is likely necessary. But, I guess we do try to be forward-thinking! :)
ReplyDeletei loved seeing those before and after pictures-- you got a better sense of what is possible with real world budgets.
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