School Libraries in the 21st Century: My Key Learning

Fig.1 School Libraries in the 21st Century. Peace Love Library. Web. Accessed 2 Nov 2017.

This is my first course of the Teacher Librarian Diploma; I have found each week has introduced me to a new topic or consideration. I’ve really enjoyed exploring the subjects and now have a better understanding of what being a librarian means in the 21^st century. My key takeaways are all about the importance of communication and collaboration, and technology in the library.

Key Takeaways

I was unaware of the importance of communication and collaboration between teachers and the teacher librarian. I found that learning about the different avenues of communication and how to best collaborate with teachers (Inquiry Post #5) to be highly important and helpful. I was able to research and brainstorm ways that would enable simple communication with other teachers, and I learned a lot from browsing the posts of my group members. I also found Inquiry Post #6 very useful as well, as it allowed us to research the best ways to support the teacher’s ICT skills and other ways to maintain communication with members of the school community. I found a lot of helpful information online on the subject, which I believe will be very helpful when I have my own library one day. For me, these subjects were very important in understanding the role of the teacher librarian and how to best support those around us. 

New Avenues for Development and Moving Forward

Fig 1. Technology Leaders. The Digital Shift. Web. Accessed 2 Nov 2017.

I myself need to focus on technology and communication in the future. These are subjects that require further exploration for me, because I am not very technology-savvy and have seldom used the computers for more than simple research in my classroom. I would like to continue researching new technologies in the form of educational apps, virtual fieldtrips and other uses for mobile devices in the library and in education. I will also continue to research new developments and tools, and communicate and collaborate with teachers and librarians about these topics. In order to continue my professional growth, collaboration with others is going to be key, because admittedly, I have no experience in the field. Therefore, learning from more experienced teacher librarians and staying connected to my colleagues will surely be a great way to learn.

Technology in the School Library: Links

-       https://www.educationdive.com/news/12-technologies-that-will-reshape-school-libraries/111708/

-       https://www.k12blueprint.com/news/ten-tips-school-library-media-specialists

-       http://ohekidstech.blogspot.ca/ (ideas for programs for the elementary classroom)

Moving forward, I am going to take all of the research I’ve done with me, and I honestly feel like each week has been useful and I’ve learned something new. I was extremely excited to have launched my first virtual field trip with my students, which was a huge success, and I owe it to the research that I've done for this class! I was able to put together a trip to Paris with my Grade 12 FSL class, and we visited the Louvre and took a scenic tour of Paris together using Google Cardboard.

I am also glad to have all of the links and videos from my own blogs, as well as those from my group members, who have really had some great ideas that I had not considered myself. I am going to take with me the understanding of what the responsibilities of the teacher librarian are, how to best communicate with the staff and students at my school, and the importance of technology as well as books in the library. I am also taking with me the understanding of the best ways to continue my own learning and how to seek help from other librarians near and far (Inquiry post #6).

I enjoyed this video about technology in the ever-evolving modern school library. It showcases the library as the hub of the school, and a place for students to learn and develop their ICT skills.

Phase 2

If I could pick only one topic with phase two that resonated with me, I would have to say it was learning about mobile devices and libraries in developing countries. Travelling to Mali and teaching there was a life-changing experience for me, and I absolutely loved learning more about what others are doing to help improve library services around the world. It also makes me hopeful that I could volunteer or work for a similar organization one day, as I found my previous experiences so rewarding.

Learning about libraries in developing countries also showed me what is truly important about education: access and training. All people with access and training with technology have the ability to learn and create with it, which I really noticed when I read about the work being done by the organization, Beyond Access. Beyond Access is an organization who I studied a lot in my previous blog post. They are dedicated to improving libraries all over the world, by introducing technology and training librarians to help local people. However, there are many other wonderful organizations, such as Librarians Without Borders and IREX provide similar support.

This applies to our schools here in Canada as well, as providing access to information and proper training is a huge part of what librarians do. As much as we might like to think that all Canadians have equal access, they don’t. As a librarian, we can surely do a lot in our school communities to ensure that students can use and learn about library equipment, and have access to use it to support them in their goals at school. This research also proved to me the importance of mobile devices in libraries, as well as how digital literacy is important all over the globe. As librarians, we need to focus on developing these literacies, as we are often the technology leaders of our schools. Equipped with these abilities, students will be much better prepared for a global workforce that requires these skills of them.

                                                            Work Cited

“21st Century School Libraries.” YouTube, 12 Sept. 2012, youtu.be/jiRIjhkZnkY.

Beyond Access, beyondaccess.net/