Week 9: Technology in the Library

Technology is one of the pivotal areas where librarians can create positive learning outcomes for students. I think it's also one area where librarians can distinguish themselves from teachers and provide opportunities for collaboration at the same time--that is, when school librarians are up-to-date on what is happening in the tech world, they become a valuable resource within their school. To this end, the Free Technology for Teachers blog (freetech4teachers.com) can be a great starting point for librarians. While the constant evolution of apps and tech tools may be overwhelming, Free Tech provides an easy way of understanding what is most relevant to educators and how these tools can be best used in the classroom or library.

Meanwhile, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) provides a set of standards for integrating technology into learning, known as NETS (National Educational Technology Standards). What is good about these standards is that there appear to be a lot of overlap between them and the other standards we have discussed in class--collaboration, digital citizenship, information literacy, etc. This is explored more in "How do School Librarians Fit In?" The synthesis of these standards offers a host of ideas on how to encourage better learning through technology.

In "Pride and Prejudice and Technology Leadership," I liked the point about a lack of hierarchy in terms of technology--other subjects like math and science seem much more delineated in terms of instruction. I think one of the greatest challenges to school librarians is recognizing that while youngsters may be more knowledgeable about the latest internet trends and gadgets, they are by no means "experts" in using technology in meaningful ways. I also appreciate how keeping up with technology can be tied to professional development--as advancements are constantly being made in both technology and pedagogy, it is reasonable to expect school librarians to stay current. And these new technology platforms can be used to deliver professional development solutions. Not only should effective use of technology be encouraged in student learning, but librarians should actively seek out ways of using technology to make their services better--whether it's outreach to parents or collaborating with other educators.