Blog Post 4: Technology Leadership Role of School Librarians

Brady, a 3rd grade student, was struggling with math, which in turn, led to behavior problems in the classroom.  During another of many visits, the principal and his parents in a conference, Brady was questioned about his math work and his behavior.  His parents continued to say that no matter what punishment was given, it just didn't seem to work on this little guy.  He again pleaded that he was extremely remorseful about his failing math grades, incomplete work, and promises were made that a change in behavior would indeed happen.

This type of behavior is seen quite frequently in schools today.  Even though this story seems all too common and very frustrating for everyone, Brady's story had a positive outcome thanks to collaboration between the librarian, teachers and the use of technology.

In the article, "Technology in the Classroom:  The Benefits of Blended Learning" Huneycutt (2013) stated that "[technology] makes students more excited to learn." (p. 1).  Students are now engaged with technology in every aspect of their life.  The youth of today are constantly engaged in some type of technology whether it is a cell phone, ipod, or some type of tablet.  Kids are also reading online books instead of buying an actual book.

Huneycutt (2013)stated that when technology is integrated into school lessons, learners are more likely to be interested in, focused on, and excited about the subjects  they are studying.  Subjects that might be monotonous for some -like math and science- can be much more engaging with virtual lessons, tutoring, and the streaming of educational videos. (p.1).

According to Huneycutt, the benefits of technology in education can definitely help this generation of students succeed in the classroom.

The AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner (2007) state that "school librarians collaborate with others to provide instruction, learning strategies, and practice in using the essential learning skills needed in the 21st century."(p.2).  School librarians are now becoming the "go-to" person in this information age.  With all the tools currently available on the internet, librarians can now help teachers rework curriculum to target those students who are bored from the old methods of teaching.  When students become bored, this seemed to be the problem with Brady as well.  With the librarian as a guide, the teacher was able to rework more technology into the class which was a benefit to all the students as well.

In the article, 21st Century Librarians and Computer Teachers, Angel and Morrison (2013) discussed that sessions, along with coaching support, enabled teachers to continue instruction back in their  classrooms.  Migrating our technology resource staff in to the role of instructional coaches was vital in helping the classroom teacher meet the divers needs of their students while embedding technology throughout the Common Core Curriculum. (p.1).

As teachers and librarians begin to collaborate to integrate technology in today's classrooms, the success of students will continue to rise.  In Brady's case, because of the knowledge and support of the school librarian and teachers, math programs, apps, and videos were discovered which prove to be successful for this student.

In conclusion, classes such as media and technology courses can prove very beneficial and vital for librarians to stay ahead in this ever evolving technological world. The subject matter demonstrated in these types of courses instructs a librarian in the concept of creating a blog, using a variety of web 2.0 tools, and creating a website which can also be implemented with students who are the future of the world of technology.

Resources:

Angel, N. and Morrison, V.(2013). 21st Century Librarians & Computer Teachers:  Transitioning into information literacy and technology coaches. creativeeducator.tech. Retrieved November 23, 2013, from creativeeducator.com.

Huneycutt, T.(2013, October 8). Technology in the Classroom: The Benefits of Blended Learning.  http://nms.org. Retrieved November 23, 2013, from http:/nms.org.

American Association of School Libraries. (2007). Standards for the 21st Century Learner (ed., Vol., pp. 2-2). Chicago, Illinois: American Library Association.