Teaching Librarians & Project Management: New Expectations for the Digital Age - Archive Journal Issue 3 Librarians have long been critical collaborators with their faculty in higher-education classroom settings, teaching research-education principles and providing one-on-one help with students to locate and evaluate sources for research projects. Until recently, most of these student projects have been research papers of varying lengths; each writing experience is a solo project that leads students to monkish behavior in solitary library carrels and dorm rooms. Today’s students have new opportunities to apply critical thinking and research skills in transformative digital and collaborative projects. At Harvard, for example, students in an African and African American Studies course recently created digital stories about music, language, and digital media in former Portuguese colonies. This type of venture requires a different level of support from and collaboration with librarians who work in classroom settings. Skills for Teaching Librarians & Archivists in the Digital Age
The New Librarian: Leaders in the Digital Age - Digital Promise | by Digital Promise Part of a series of case studies produced by Digital Promise examining the work of members in our League of Innovative Schools. Click here for more info on the League. Location: Vancouver, WA Enrollment: 22,192 students Superintendent: Steven Webb Per-pupil funding: $7,447 Low Income: 53% As school districts confront budget constraints and cuts, one of the first places administrators often look for savings is the school library. These cuts can impact both students and teachers. For these reasons, Vancouver Public Schools in Vancouver, Washington, is investing in its librarians while others are cutting back. A cohort of 33 teacher-librarians is viewed as indispensable to the district’s vision of a technology-infused path to improved outcomes for students. Teacher-librarians at VPS play a crucial role in this digital transformation and other strategic initiatives. VPS Superintendent Steve Webb considers teacher-librarians among the district’s visionaries. What’s in a name?
2013 PRECONFERENCE KEYNOTETransforming Learning….One Voice At A Time Posted by Wesley Fryer on October 14th, 2013 Presenters: Shannon McClintock Miller and Meridan BoydLocation: Van Meter, Iowa, United States@shannonmmiller Presentation Description: As educators, it is so important for us to stop and really listen to the young people we work with everyday. Link to presentation’s supporting documents: Additional Information: Van Meter Library Voice Van Meter Library Voice on Twitter @vmlibraryvoice Shannon McClintock Miller on Twitter @shannonmmiller Van Meter Voice Facebook Email is shannon.miller [at] vmbulldogs [dot] com On this day.. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. The changing role of the school library The changing role of the school environment—where students have access to tech all day long and inquiry assignments set each student or student group on their own learning trajectory—means that educators need to re-think how and where we work with students during the school day to best help them navigate their learning. We know that most students know how to use a computer, but experience has shown that they often don’t work well online yet. In order to function well in their workplace students must know how to organize their workspace, research effectively, analyze their information, and express their opinions and new learning successfully. Many workers today take their work out of the office, which involves being able to work alone as well as with others in spaces that might be considered non-traditional. Third space in the school – that space between the classroom and home – is an important place for on-site, individualized, and directed learning and practice. Sophia. Like this:
Title talk: Librarian + What? Teacher? Facilitator? Curriculum Leader? The last time our school posted a library job, it asked for a Teacher-Librarian (TL).* This time it says we need a Library Facilitator. Where did the teaching go? Work collaboratively with library staff across the campus and college.Work collaboratively with the curriculum leaders and department heads to develop resources and promote inquiry-based learning and all forms of literacy.Work collaboratively with all members of the community (whether students, parents, or staff) to support teaching and learning.Manage the library as a learning environment and public space, including patron services and library staff.Manage and develop learning resources, physical and digital, both for the library and classrooms/departments.Lead the development and promotion of the library as a centre dedicated to the spread of ideas, information, and learning.Other responsibilities as determined by the Head of Libraries and Head of Campus. How can one person "teach" 1,000 students? We have great teachers.
Reimagining the role of the library in the digital age: changing the use of space and navigating the information landscape Yesterday Carnegie Mellon University announced a new partnership with technology company Digital Science. CMU’s Keith Webster describes the mutual commitment to research discovery and smarter workflows that underpins this collaboration, and also outlines some of the ways in which academic libraries have changed; from their more dynamic use of space to the redeveloped tools and services made available to students and researchers looking to navigate the vast information landscape. At Carnegie Mellon University, we traditionally mark Library Lovers’ Day through a number of events, but this year we added an extra celebration by announcing our development partnership with Digital Science. The connection between a university library and a technology company may not be immediately obvious, but we are both committed to helping the research community conduct their work in a smarter way in order to fuel discovery. Sorrells Library, Carnegie Mellon University. About the author
Teacher Resources The Library of Congress offers classroom materials and professional development to help teachers effectively use primary sources from the Library's vast digital collections in their teaching. Find Library of Congress lesson plans and more that meet Common Core standards, state content standards, and the standards of national organizations. Discover and discuss ways to bring the power of Library of Congress primary sources into the classroom. Go to the blog Subscribe to the blog via e-mail or RSS. Using Primary Sources Discover quick and easy ways to begin using primary sources in your classroom, with teachers' guides, information on citing sources and copyright, and the Library's primary source analysis tool. TPS Partners The Teaching with Primary Sources Program builds partnerships with educational organizations to support effective instruction using primary sources. The Teaching with Primary Sources Journal
The Changing Role of Libraries in the Digital Age | The Huffington Post “We believe that free communication is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture. ~ American Library Association Since the founding of our country, libraries have always been important to freedom. Today we are in the midst of a tremendous shift in the way Americans consume literature and other content, but one thing has not changed — the library must continue to play a central role in providing open and free access to information and ideas. Exactly what that role looks like is the subject of much debate and many differing perspectives. Some believe libraries will shift into learning and information centers while others insist they will maintain their role as a physical location for cataloging and loaning books — in addition to housing sources of information technology. While providing books was a standalone function for libraries throughout the last few centuries, their offerings have evolved with the digital age to meet the changing needs of their patrons.
Infographic: Why librarians are crucial in the digital age [Educause 2013] As campuses becoming increasingly digitized, the role of campus libraries becomes more complex—and more important. A new infographic released at Educause 2013 by Jones eGlobal Library, a provider of online library solutions, draws on a variety of research from sources such as Pew and the College Board to paint a clearer picture of the important role librarians play in their institutions. Students are bombarded with more information than ever, and librarians play a critical role in helping them to become better consumers of that information. After all, no instructor wants a research paper sourced from Wikipedia. According to eGlobal Library President Joseph G. Gregg, the challenge is presenting a library that can accommodate a wide range of clients who want anything from a sophisticated search engine to a simple search box. “I think librarians are critical. Click on the image below for a better look at the new infographic.
The Brave New Librarian Why Brave? For several decades now we have seen some school leaders dismantling the library programs and cutting back the library staffing of their districts. During this period, some school librarians did not view the struggle as one of survival, and in many districts they have seen the cuts happen without putting up much of a fight. There are exceptions to this trend, but we have reached the point where all school librarians must view the threats to program and position as severe. We are facing what amounts to a war against libraries and information literacy. Trained to serve schools, students and the community in a polite and restrained manner with services whose value was rarely questioned in the past, school librarians were not generally inclined toward aggressive advocacy, political action or the launch of bold new program initiatives. Joan of Arc?
Do Your Students Know How To Search? The Connected Student Series: There is a new digital divide on the horizon. It is not based around who has devices and who does not, but instead the new digital divide will be based around students who know how to effectively find and curate information and those who do not. Helene Blowers has come up with seven ideas about the new digital divide – four of them, the ones I felt related to searching, are listed below. The New Digital Divide: In an age of information abundance learning to effectively search is one of the most important skills most teachers are NOT teaching. Teachers – especially in the elementary grades -need to develop a shared vocabulary around the skill of searching. Here are some of the searching skills and vocabulary we should be teaching students : Quotation Marks: Students should always use quotes to search for an exact word or set of words. Example: “The Great Chicago Fire” Dashes (or minus sign): Example: Great Chicago Fire -soccer Two Periods: Site Search:
Dangerous statements librarians make Sometimes librarians can be their own worst enemies. I shudder when I hear these phrases uttered: 1. But the school HAS to have a librarian/library. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. OK, those are 21 fast ones off the top of my head and are dedicated to Chris Harris who sparked the idea. I am not convinced that the profession as a whole is in a crisis. And rightfully so. What other dangerous statements do you hear from your library colleagues that make you wince?