Friday, October 30, 2009

Reflecting on my role as a technology leader...



Teachers and other staff members turn to me to help them use technology including that which goes beyond the media center and information technology.


I'd doing alright with finding new tech tools but I'd like to implement and integrate them more into the curriculum. I do feel overwhelmed at times, trying to keep current.


I'd like to establish more of a leadership role in my building. The Director of Technology has a committee to set goals for integrating and implementing technology. I'm going to ask her if I can join it. Also, I'd like to start providing regular teacher in-services for Web 2.0 tools.


I've established a good relationship with my teachers, and I'm open and flexible, but I need to be more persistent. I need to show the teachers what all I can do for them in meeting their curricular needs.


I need to put myself "out there" more and take on more challenges.

This Week in Rap

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Reflecting on Change

A class that I'm taking through the University of Wisconsin has really brought home the fact that our roles as teacher/librarians are constantly changing.
Goodbye to the days of working with an actual card catalog and printed material; hello to OPAC, digital databases, and Web 2.0 tools.

To keep up with our digital native students with their hypertext minds, I make as many resources as I can accessible remotely.  My website and Blackboard course are accessible from anywhere any time.  We must promote new technologies that enhance learning.  Creative and interactive tools like Glogster and Voicethread appeal to today's kids.

In these hard financial times, becoming a digital pioneer and adapting to change makes us LMS less vunerable to staff cuts. We need to shed the "Marian the Librarian" old lady stereotype and dive into the information ocean!

Monday, October 12, 2009

Bars on Books!

Bars on Books Jar Harvard Students

Here's something sad- Harvard just placed bars across the bookshelves in their Dunster House  Library.  Is this part of a trend of "turning printed literature into an artifact, instead of a resource"?

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Things That Keep Us Up at Night

Leave it to Joyce Valenza, again she came up with a powerful article on keeping library programs relevant in today's digital world.  It's all about responding to change.  Brava Joyce!!

Things That Keep Us Up at Night

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Shift Happens

Here's an eye opening video from YouTube, emphasizing the information explosion and its exponential growth.  Thanks to my husband and my instuctor, Mary Alice from UW Stout for sharing this with me...