Copyright Lesson Plan Presentation and Materials

Strategies Professional Development Presentation and Handout

Blog Post 2: Handheld Devices

Technology advances open the door to new activities in the library that encourage student participation and a more comprehensive educational experience for students.  Mobile devices increase student interest in the library and allow for new teaching moments in the fields of research and technology.  Anderson (2013) states that mobile student usage calls for proper student training in device usage in school library and classroom integration.  As students continue to rely on smart phones and tablets, it is essential to ensure formal academic practices are become a part of student’s technology knowledge base. Anderson (2013) also insist that mobile devices will not replace computers, but instead allow students to practice technology skills on the go without limiting them to stationary study locations.  Because, mobile devices play such an important role in life and information retrieval, Anderson (2013) believes that libraries must evolve with technology and incorporate mobile devices in library curriculum.

I also, believe students should extend their abilities in mobile technology beyond entertainment practices and develop practical skills they can use throughout their academic careers.  As technology continues to grow and encompass so many aspects of our lives it is more important than ever for students to understand the latest technology and readily apply it to school projects.  As a school librarian, I would continue to use computers and laptops for student projects, but cell phones and smart tablets have valuable applications that take learning to the next level.  Students carry their phones everywhere and E-book selections encourage students to download and read books on their cell phones in situations where toting books around is implausible.  Tablets added even more options to the library learning environment.  Classrooms and the library can incorporate downloadable applications to the tablet to add to or reinforce previous lessons.  In some cases, the digital environment introduces new methods of discovery on old classroom practices.  For example, biology classes offer only one session of classroom dissection due sample and chemical expenses.  Some students don’t even participate in traditional dissections.  Introducing digital dissections on tablets allows students to see and review the material whenever necessary without the mess and expense of traditional dissections.  Incorporating tablets into the library has the potential to draw in classes that don’t traditionally use the library, but will value from opening the class up to a new experience. 

References

Anderson, T. (2013). Tweens and their in-betweens: giving voice to young people when                       

     exploring emerging information practices associated with smart devices. Information  

     Research, 18(1), 1-11.

Blog Post 1: Technology Strengths and Weaknesses

To evaluate my technology based skills in the field of education, I referred to the International Society for Technology in Education standards to establish my strengths and weaknesses.  
As an educator, my major weakness is a lack of field experience.  While, I am proficient in computer and internet applications, I have little experience applying technology savvy lesson plans in a classroom setting.  One example of building student technology skills through classroom experience is to promote student creativity and participation in a virtual format.  Creative projects encourage students to produce original ideas and build higher thinking skills.  Although, I am currently working toward building my professional and leadership skills, I think this is an ongoing process.  I enjoy learning and I plan to continuously participate in academic workshops and graduate courses to further my skills in technology and education.  Lifelong learning will increase the depth of my understanding of technology and better prepare me to incorporate new technology into classroom projects.  
My strengths in technology outweigh my weaknesses.  Students today are inundated with technology and information.  As a library science student, I have the knowledge and skills necessary to foster proper digital citizenship in students.  Students must be informed of their ethical obligation to respect proper citation policies and use safe internet behavior.  Project interaction and class modules will help to build these skills in students.  As students move to the library for research and skills building sessions, internet etiquette skills should be reinforced.  Collaboration between teachers and students during digital projects allows for instant student feedback and an opportunity to focus on areas of concern.  
As an educator, I plan to use my experience with technology to build student technology skills by incorporating technology into regular class assignments.  Hands on technology experience will inspire higher levels of student confidence in digital formats and better digital citizenship skills.  Requiring digital projects in various lessons will allow students to build a virtual portfolio of their own and better prepare them for their future in college.  To improve my instructional skills I plan to obtain more experience applying digital lesson plans in the classroom.  It is also my goal to continually seek out new information and creative ideas to capture the attention of my students so that they look forward to learning more about technology and applying those skills. 

References

International Society for Technology in Education. (2013). International society for technology in education standards. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/nets-t-standards.pdf?sfvrsn=2