A friend of mine recently posted a blog entry on why librarians should be in charge of technology in schools. In larger school districts I believe that Doug Johnson is right there needs to be a Chief Information Officer and that should be Librarian, with an Information Technology background.
Knowing that I've been bitten by the tech-bug you would think that I would agree with his assessment of the situation. While this may work in big school districts, I don't think it will work out well in the smaller school districts for three reasons.
#1 In a small school district the librarian's focus should be on 21st Century Skills.
While this includes digitial communication and the ethical use of information resources, a librarian needs to be able to focus on literacy. Literacy in this case in not just technology lingo. Literacy can mean the difference between students becoming skilled thinkers or Luddites.
#2 Technology demands need to be the center of someone's attention in the smaller school district.
If the librarian is attempting to teach, collaborate with other teachers on their curriculum needs or work on a special project with school administration while having to fix or fulfill all the technology needs in a school, their focus cannot be student centered. Technology is a demanding discipline that requires serious maintenance.
#3 Being a model for 21st Century Skills in a small district requires a certain amount of glamour.
Implementing and developing professional training for colleagues regarding new technology is a big part of being a role model. Running ethernet cables, setting up equipment, fixing fried motherboards, cleaning spilled coffee out of a keyboard is not glamorous nor does it provide people with a positive view of 21st Century Technology. Not to say that in a pinch, we can't do that. I have and will continue to pitch in when our tech department needs assistance.
Though I agree with my friend that this is where our bigger school districts need to go, I think the smaller school districts need to forge working partnerships with their technology oriented cohorts. Modeling student technology needs for the Information Technology department and helping them understand our pedagogical reasons for implementation of technology in education.
My two cents.
-AMA
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Librarians and Cataloging
Today I met with an aspiring school librarian. We talked about cataloging because that is her next class, and the importance of being able to find information in your library.
Long ago in the dark ages, when I took cataloging, doing it yourself by hand was the only way to make sure that information in your library had a proper location. Cataloging and classification of materials used to be the center of a librarian's universe. A librarian would spend hours examining books for subject headings, measuring and precisely recording the size and shape of a book so that other librarians could find and retrieve information for patrons. Theory and relationships factored into how a book was finally classified. When your librarian had finished with the book it was ready to be shelved, sometimes never to move again during it's entire stay in the library.
Books and librarians have changed. While being able to catalog a book properly is still important (thank you to my cataloging teacher) there is nothing more important in your library than the students these materials are intended to help. Cataloging can still take me away to a quiet place where I achieve a certain Zen Oneness with the library universe, but most of the time, I admit to not having time to catalog. There I said it, go ahead call me a blasphemer, but I don't believe that using the Library of Congress or OCLC as a source for records is wrong.
Cataloging as we knew it 20 years ago should not happen in small libraries. We do not have the resources to spend an hour cataloging 10 books by hand, most of us don't have the resources we had even five years ago. Clearly there will be exceptions i.e. libraries without Internet access, special books that don't have records in the big libraries, ephemera (still my favorite to classify) and self published items, just to name a few. If you want to be a cataloger there are libraries out there that are looking for you...
But, if you want to be a library media specialist ask yourself the following questions: What is the real reason you wanted to work in a library? Did you think it would be a quiet place where you could read and not be disturbed? Where you would look at books all day long and never be bothered? Or did you want to help people find information, learn how to distinguish the good stuff from bad? Do you like helping people? Libraries today are not bastions of silence. At least not my library and not any of the others that I have visited. Libraries if done right, are the center of a school or community. A library is where the heart of learning and culture in your building should exist. If your library is a quiet place where people are afraid to ask questions, you need to find a real librarian.
-AMA
Long ago in the dark ages, when I took cataloging, doing it yourself by hand was the only way to make sure that information in your library had a proper location. Cataloging and classification of materials used to be the center of a librarian's universe. A librarian would spend hours examining books for subject headings, measuring and precisely recording the size and shape of a book so that other librarians could find and retrieve information for patrons. Theory and relationships factored into how a book was finally classified. When your librarian had finished with the book it was ready to be shelved, sometimes never to move again during it's entire stay in the library.
Books and librarians have changed. While being able to catalog a book properly is still important (thank you to my cataloging teacher) there is nothing more important in your library than the students these materials are intended to help. Cataloging can still take me away to a quiet place where I achieve a certain Zen Oneness with the library universe, but most of the time, I admit to not having time to catalog. There I said it, go ahead call me a blasphemer, but I don't believe that using the Library of Congress or OCLC as a source for records is wrong.
Cataloging as we knew it 20 years ago should not happen in small libraries. We do not have the resources to spend an hour cataloging 10 books by hand, most of us don't have the resources we had even five years ago. Clearly there will be exceptions i.e. libraries without Internet access, special books that don't have records in the big libraries, ephemera (still my favorite to classify) and self published items, just to name a few. If you want to be a cataloger there are libraries out there that are looking for you...
But, if you want to be a library media specialist ask yourself the following questions: What is the real reason you wanted to work in a library? Did you think it would be a quiet place where you could read and not be disturbed? Where you would look at books all day long and never be bothered? Or did you want to help people find information, learn how to distinguish the good stuff from bad? Do you like helping people? Libraries today are not bastions of silence. At least not my library and not any of the others that I have visited. Libraries if done right, are the center of a school or community. A library is where the heart of learning and culture in your building should exist. If your library is a quiet place where people are afraid to ask questions, you need to find a real librarian.
-AMA
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Assessment
How many of you have dragged yourself into yet another workshop on assessment and wondered why am I here? Go ahead raise your hands. You know you all have. 45 minutes of canned presentation that your school district thinks will invigorate rigor in your classroom. Most of it is mind numbing garbage. You dutifully take a handout and make notes, but you already do most of what the presenter is talking about and you can see that it's not really working for your students. Now ask yourself the big question. Why?
Assessment requires you to make a judgement on what your student is learning. The reason why those canned assessments don't really work is because they don't measure what a student knows. In our school we do a lot of project based learning. Students are given a rubric that defines what learning is for them. Most students work toward an A on their rubric. Rubrics are a useful tool and project based learning can help your students become strong work-ready people. But they do not really measure what a student knows, just what the student can do. Frustrating isn't it? Even when you think you have a foolproof measure of student learning, you don't.
As a society we need to make a paradigm shift from our old industry geared education to learning that requires students to be active participants. We need to assess learning by measuring the formation of thought. When a student is capable of forming an opinion on your subject that is a true assessment of learning in your classroom. Therefore the best form of assessment is still Socratic. When you guide student learning without giving them the answers you provide them with a gateway to learning, that paper tests and projects can not measure. So spend some time brushing up on guided questioning in your classroom. Teach your children to think.
-AMA
Assessment requires you to make a judgement on what your student is learning. The reason why those canned assessments don't really work is because they don't measure what a student knows. In our school we do a lot of project based learning. Students are given a rubric that defines what learning is for them. Most students work toward an A on their rubric. Rubrics are a useful tool and project based learning can help your students become strong work-ready people. But they do not really measure what a student knows, just what the student can do. Frustrating isn't it? Even when you think you have a foolproof measure of student learning, you don't.
As a society we need to make a paradigm shift from our old industry geared education to learning that requires students to be active participants. We need to assess learning by measuring the formation of thought. When a student is capable of forming an opinion on your subject that is a true assessment of learning in your classroom. Therefore the best form of assessment is still Socratic. When you guide student learning without giving them the answers you provide them with a gateway to learning, that paper tests and projects can not measure. So spend some time brushing up on guided questioning in your classroom. Teach your children to think.
-AMA
Thursday, January 27, 2011
How Does Your School Handle Snow Days, Long Term Illness, etc..?
Not long ago, people in the United States were worried about a possible pandemic of Swine Flu. Children and parents were told to stay home if they exhibited symptoms of influenza. School Superintendents discussed the possibility of shutting down their schools due to illness if an outbreak occurred. In the north we've experienced frequent snow days, three so far this January. So how do you keep children focused on learning with these kinds of disruptions?
With the advent of electronic information exchange, it's possible for schools to create extended learning networks. Teachers prepare work ahead of time for days when students cannot get to school. In the Kearsarge School District, students can make up work using their Blizzard Bags. There are lessons to be done with or without power. Teachers agree to be available to students through Skype or Moodle on these days and if 90% of students turn in the work within a week, it counts as a school day. Reducing the number of overall days that students and teachers have to make up at the end of the year. The Kearsarge area is mountainous and prone to heavy snowfall and response to this program has been very positive.
That's not to say that this will work with all children. Some children really need the structure of a school day in order to focus. Our public school systems were designed to create students who were ready to work in factories during the industrial revolution. As schools and learning adapt to changing learning patterns and differentiate instruction for all learners it's important to be open to new ideas. Kearsarge I think you are onto something!
-AMA
With the advent of electronic information exchange, it's possible for schools to create extended learning networks. Teachers prepare work ahead of time for days when students cannot get to school. In the Kearsarge School District, students can make up work using their Blizzard Bags. There are lessons to be done with or without power. Teachers agree to be available to students through Skype or Moodle on these days and if 90% of students turn in the work within a week, it counts as a school day. Reducing the number of overall days that students and teachers have to make up at the end of the year. The Kearsarge area is mountainous and prone to heavy snowfall and response to this program has been very positive.
That's not to say that this will work with all children. Some children really need the structure of a school day in order to focus. Our public school systems were designed to create students who were ready to work in factories during the industrial revolution. As schools and learning adapt to changing learning patterns and differentiate instruction for all learners it's important to be open to new ideas. Kearsarge I think you are onto something!
-AMA
Friday, January 21, 2011
Monitoring Legislation - What You Put In Is Almost Always What You Get Out
Over time most people learn that there is a relationship between how much personal energy you invest in something, and how good any product will be that you turn out. The same is true for education. Being fully vested in education has made me a better teacher and student.
Let's face it, most of us (people who have jobs, school or both) do not have time to keep track of legislation in our respective states. For public educators, it's especially important to recognize where your resources come from: representatives at the local, state and federal levels. Since it is not parents and students who directly support you, being a great teacher does not guarantee you a job anymore. Especially in tough economic times.
Though most states and unions do their best to keep as many teachers as possible working, on occasion people elect legislators who think it is simply too costly to educate public school children. While it's true that some of the costs associated with public education come from special education, ESOL programs, administrative salaries, testing and supplies, when you start really peeling away the layers it boils down to salaries and benefits for teachers. With some public officials it doesn't matter how hard you work or whether or not students are learning, all that matters to them is the cost associated with education.
That's why it's important to monitor ongoing legislation in your state. All states have Education Committees. These committees are made up of elected representatives and governed by administrative rules set by the state. Most of these committees have web sites where you can see bills referred to them.
There are two particular things you want to pay attention to when reading legislation.
#1 Anything that is associated with funding will have a special code FN which stands for Fiscal Note.
#2 Anything that changes teaching standards.
If you are part of a professional association in your state, you're in luck. Most organizations have an Advocacy or Government Relations person, who knows how to keep track of these things. Pay attention when that person sends you an email asking for action.
Not a joiner? Go to your state web site and keep track of what's going on at the Capitol. Write when you see changes that may have an adverse effect on student learning.
Education is an investment in the future, what you put in is almost always what you get out.
-AMA
Let's face it, most of us (people who have jobs, school or both) do not have time to keep track of legislation in our respective states. For public educators, it's especially important to recognize where your resources come from: representatives at the local, state and federal levels. Since it is not parents and students who directly support you, being a great teacher does not guarantee you a job anymore. Especially in tough economic times.
Though most states and unions do their best to keep as many teachers as possible working, on occasion people elect legislators who think it is simply too costly to educate public school children. While it's true that some of the costs associated with public education come from special education, ESOL programs, administrative salaries, testing and supplies, when you start really peeling away the layers it boils down to salaries and benefits for teachers. With some public officials it doesn't matter how hard you work or whether or not students are learning, all that matters to them is the cost associated with education.
That's why it's important to monitor ongoing legislation in your state. All states have Education Committees. These committees are made up of elected representatives and governed by administrative rules set by the state. Most of these committees have web sites where you can see bills referred to them.
There are two particular things you want to pay attention to when reading legislation.
#1 Anything that is associated with funding will have a special code FN which stands for Fiscal Note.
#2 Anything that changes teaching standards.
If you are part of a professional association in your state, you're in luck. Most organizations have an Advocacy or Government Relations person, who knows how to keep track of these things. Pay attention when that person sends you an email asking for action.
Not a joiner? Go to your state web site and keep track of what's going on at the Capitol. Write when you see changes that may have an adverse effect on student learning.
Education is an investment in the future, what you put in is almost always what you get out.
-AMA
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Numbers talk...
When people come into your library, what do they see? Is it a busy place full of students? Are you working with teachers on their lessons? Do they see students approaching you for help?
Every school library should look like this, and most libraries today do because we live in the information age. How does that translate into institutional value? Often it doesn't. Administrators and community members don't understand the value of libraries because they haven't seen what you do, don't have time for a visit and are worried about things like test scores. If you want your program to be seen as valuable you have to talk the same language as your administrators and community members. Words like circulation, Ethernet cable, T1, LCD, database usage, check-outs, cataloging and OPAC mean nothing to people outside the library. So how do you communicate if you're not speaking the same language?
In most civilizations (or tribes if you will) the first communication between two groups is a trade or barter and to do this effectively, you provide an equal number of goods. Once numeracy rates are settled upon you know what you have to bring to the table in order to get an equitable trade.
Your first meeting with the head of your school is a similar dance. You find out what they know about what you do and what this administrator perceives as added value. Administrators are generally not given tours of libraries during their training. Their courses are in curriculum, education reform, school law, school finance, education technology, statistical analysis of data, assessment and evaluation. Do you see libraries in this list? No?
I'll give you a hint: most librarians perform monthly statistical analysis of library data when they pull the numbers from their databases, catalogs and room usage. You do speak the same language! Well, part of it anyway. Use your numbers to create a report on library and technology usage that lets your principal see what you do, when you do it and how it adds value to your school.
Don't be afraid to make correlations. Is circulation up in the library? Are reading scores? If the answer is yes to both questions, make that point! Is circulation down, are reading scores? Use that to emphasize the importance of libraries to reading. Reports should be narrative, emphasize numerical information, indicate problems, propose solutions, be easy to read (no more than three pages), graphics are good and most importantly they should reflect who you are, what you do and how you add value to the school.
An administrator does not have time to read all of your data, so put it in charts and graphs. Add pictures of students in their library media center to the report. Keep it simple and clean. Not sure if it's ready? Read it. Does your report start with a narrative? Does it contain a strong body of data? Did you include both opportunities and threats in your analysis? What do you foresee happening from this information for next year? In five years?
Remember that you have value, and that students need you. How do you help with student learning?
-AMA
Every school library should look like this, and most libraries today do because we live in the information age. How does that translate into institutional value? Often it doesn't. Administrators and community members don't understand the value of libraries because they haven't seen what you do, don't have time for a visit and are worried about things like test scores. If you want your program to be seen as valuable you have to talk the same language as your administrators and community members. Words like circulation, Ethernet cable, T1, LCD, database usage, check-outs, cataloging and OPAC mean nothing to people outside the library. So how do you communicate if you're not speaking the same language?
In most civilizations (or tribes if you will) the first communication between two groups is a trade or barter and to do this effectively, you provide an equal number of goods. Once numeracy rates are settled upon you know what you have to bring to the table in order to get an equitable trade.
Your first meeting with the head of your school is a similar dance. You find out what they know about what you do and what this administrator perceives as added value. Administrators are generally not given tours of libraries during their training. Their courses are in curriculum, education reform, school law, school finance, education technology, statistical analysis of data, assessment and evaluation. Do you see libraries in this list? No?
I'll give you a hint: most librarians perform monthly statistical analysis of library data when they pull the numbers from their databases, catalogs and room usage. You do speak the same language! Well, part of it anyway. Use your numbers to create a report on library and technology usage that lets your principal see what you do, when you do it and how it adds value to your school.
Don't be afraid to make correlations. Is circulation up in the library? Are reading scores? If the answer is yes to both questions, make that point! Is circulation down, are reading scores? Use that to emphasize the importance of libraries to reading. Reports should be narrative, emphasize numerical information, indicate problems, propose solutions, be easy to read (no more than three pages), graphics are good and most importantly they should reflect who you are, what you do and how you add value to the school.
An administrator does not have time to read all of your data, so put it in charts and graphs. Add pictures of students in their library media center to the report. Keep it simple and clean. Not sure if it's ready? Read it. Does your report start with a narrative? Does it contain a strong body of data? Did you include both opportunities and threats in your analysis? What do you foresee happening from this information for next year? In five years?
Remember that you have value, and that students need you. How do you help with student learning?
-AMA
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Technology Tool Corner
Prezi may not be a new tool for everyone who reads this, but it was fun to spend a little time this morning learning about a new way to get ideas into a presentation.
https://prezi.com/secure/9e63388d72219f5b7c21a4e06715121b9702ba54/
Some suggestions for new Prezi users would include: pick your background first, write out the path before beginning, become familiar with the presentation tool before using it in a classroom (or the kids will laugh at you) and if you embed a video or picture from a web source make sure you have access to the web at your presentation site (or other teachers will laugh at you.)
Downloading it to your desktop is an option, but it can't be edited after downloading unless you want to buy a subscription. I found this tool very easy to learn and use.
-AMA
https://prezi.com/secure/9e63388d72219f5b7c21a4e06715121b9702ba54/
Some suggestions for new Prezi users would include: pick your background first, write out the path before beginning, become familiar with the presentation tool before using it in a classroom (or the kids will laugh at you) and if you embed a video or picture from a web source make sure you have access to the web at your presentation site (or other teachers will laugh at you.)
Downloading it to your desktop is an option, but it can't be edited after downloading unless you want to buy a subscription. I found this tool very easy to learn and use.
-AMA
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)