MLIS Blog

  Last year I accepted my first media specialist position at an elementary school, and I was excited to see that we have a lot of resources that can be used for a Makerspace. The most exciting piece of technology we have is two 3D printers, but I have no clue how to use them or ways to use them with students. So, I was excited to see that we would be covering makerspace technology in this class. I found a great blog that describes how to use 3D printers with young students on Technotes. Makerspace technology can be expensive so I love that Ramirez mentioned writing a grant with a coworker so they can purchase the printer (2020). She then mentioned the training she completed so that students can design their own projects. She also mentioned wanting to align 3D printing with standards, so she came up with grade-level projects that were student designed. This is important for school librarians because all of our resources should connect with state standards and district curriculums. T...

  Cyberbullying is “abuse that occurs in various online forums, however, a number of nuances have been drawn in order to articulate what repetition, intent, and power imbalance represent when it comes to cyberbullying, such as: the potential for anonymity in online communications; the detachment that results from not seeing the target’s reaction to a message; the permanent nature of online messages (i.e. self-repeating); the wider audience of bystanders to cyberbullying; and the variable nature of the power imbalance in online communications” (Faucher et al., 2015). This is a rather new concept as social media and technology has grown rapidly in the last ten years. I was surprised to read that cyberbullying is highly underreported because children choose to suffer in silence (Faucher et al., 2015). One way I combat cyberbullying in my library is through discussions about digital citizenship. Having conversations with students about how we interact online is important and next schoo...

  In my district, every student has a Chromebook, and I have learned many ways that they can be used as an assistive technology device in the classroom. According to Google for Education, Chromebooks have the following accessibility options: - Screen Magnifier: Students can turn on a screen magnifier to enlarge content - Screen Reader: Students can have content read to them - Select-to-Speak: Students can highlight content and have it read to them - Braille Support: With the use of a compatible Braille display visually impaired students can browse content - Mono Audio: Students can have the same sound play through both speakers if they are hard of hearing in one ear - Closed Captioning: Students can read captions on videos - On-Screen Keyboard: Students can type with a touchscreen/mouse or use handwriting or dictation - Sticky Keys: Students can program keyboard shortcuts by pressing one button Google Chrome has lots of great playlists on YouTube with short videos that show you how...

  Botley is a coding robot that can be used with students between the ages of 5-10. Students can manually enter code to move Botley forward, backward, left, and right. Botley can run If/Then programming when an obstacle is detected, use line detection mode,  and loop commands. Botley also has accessories that can be used to make obstacle courses. My school purchased these and this summer I ran a coding camp with summer school students in the library. Coding covers Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) standards so Botley’s can be used when covering these topics along with the Technology Integration Matrix (TIM). It shows a thoughtful way to integrate technology in both a physical and digital learning space. I enjoyed seeing that TIM focuses on collaboration and using technology in meaningful ways. When planning my coding camp, I wanted students to collaborate every day. After going over the basic functions of the Botley I gave students three jobs (Engineer, Secreta...

As technology advances it is more important now than ever to learn about information and media literacy. Our students have access to lots of technology, both in school and at home, and it is our job as school librarians to show them how to navigate this digital space. Michael Gungor discussed the concept of fake news and came up with a catchy song that can help us remember what is important when trying to determine if an article is trustworthy (2017). He wants us to ask: 1. Who wrote it? 2. Who published it? 3. Is there an editorial review? 4. When was it published? 5. Did they cite any sources? 6. Was it well written (grammar, punctuation, etc.) I was introduced to the Big 6 framework last semester in SLIS 742 and was happy to see it again this week. I believe it’s a great process that allows students to stay organized and properly evaluate sources. As an elementary school librarian, I love that I can use this with students at every level. It promotes digital literacy by having st...

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Standards are solely used by school librarians and help guide instruction along with state curriculum standards. It is organized by six shared foundations (inquire, include, collaborate, curate, explore, and engage) and four domains (think, create, share, and grow). Freedman and Robinson state that the Think domain in the AASL standards help school librarians foster student curiosity through the exploration of multiple formats for a variety of purposes (2019). School librarians use the AASL standards to present information in creative and purposeful ways using bother technology and other library resources like physical books, makerspaces, and tools. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards govern the use of technology in schools at all levels (students, educators, administrators, and coaches). Their focus is on promoting digital literacy and the exploration of digital resources. Both frameworks value c...