Spotlight Series 4 on the AASL Standards Framework

 Shared The AASL Standards Framework for Learners 2018 

Include

The word “include” is used in almost every pedagogical standard for good reason. Ensuring students are receiving a diverse and equitable education should be a fundamental tenet of all teachers and school systems. The AASL defines the include domain as the process of “demonstrating an understanding and commitment to inclusiveness and respect for the diversity in the learning community” (2018). Emphasizing those standards requires a deliberate effort by the librarian to build trust and respect with students and sets the tone for the library's cultural climate. 

Lindsay Beaman, the Media Specialist at Mauldin High School in Greenville County leads a dynamic library program. The high school has over 2300 students and the large library is a hub of activity in the center of the building. Facilitating a space that serves the various needs of students and staff takes planning, flexibility, and careful consideration of a constantly changing environment. Beaman engages a range of learners by offering content and programs that honor their perspective in a global community. Beaman showcases diversity with book displays and often encourages students to read books outside of their normal selection.  The high school students participated in a program over the summer called the “Reading Without Walls Challenge” created by the author Gene Luen Yang. It encouraged students to venture outside their normal reading habits and try new formats and genres to expand their literary perspective. 

Beaman also hosts many morning and afternoon clubs that are from a variety of backgrounds such as the Gay Straight Alliance, Chess Club, and Maverick Minds Matter. The library also offers a lunch bunch every Thursday which gives students a group to come and eat lunch together and meet new people. Creating a welcoming space for students to feel comfortable creates an environment that fosters a sense of community and contributes to the sharing and growth frameworks of building a global learning atmosphere. 

In the library Mrs. Beaman will often host lessons with teachers to encourage students to research items and present the information they learned sharing different points of view. The library curate's books in many different languages, picture books, and books reaching all different Lexile reading levels to help guarantee that they have a book for every student.  

Mrs. Beaman has also reached out beyond traditional library curriculum lessons to become a leader with the district wide Social and Emotional Learning Initiative offered this year. Beaman partnered with the instructional coach and school social worker to promote SEL efforts and lessons. Mrs. Beaman was an active leader in planning and facilitating a schoolwide SEL day called Mavs Matter, an event aimed at building stronger schoolwide relationships through mental health awareness.

The current political climate and social justice issues have created challenges in the library that highlight how important the include domain framework is for librarians. High School students face a multitude of serious personal and social issues that can impact their educational journey. Librarians and the programs they offer can help students expand to experience different perspectives and offer a safe space within the school to learn. 

American Association of School Librarians. (2018). National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries. Chicago: ALA.

Beaman. L. (2022). Personal Interview.

 

Spotlight on AASL Standards Framework

Explore 

The explore domain from the AASL framework is all about promoting creativity, knowledge construction, and innovation in the learning environment (2018). Librarians have the opportunity to create an atmosphere that encourages students to think outside the traditional methods of learning by engaging in a more experiential process. 

Gaelyn Jenkins, the middle school librarian for Rudolph Gordon in Simpsonville shared her insights into how the explore domain is implemented in the school environment.

Jenkins uses the AASL think competency of “reading widely and deeply in multiple formats” to support writing and creativity opportunities in library programming (2018). Jenkins has offered Poetry Slam lessons for students to read, write, and share poetic works in a library lesson. 

Teaching problem solving to middle school students can be done in the library with tinkering and making spaces. Maker spaces are not just hands-on activities but are a valuable methodology for gaining deeper understanding of the research process. The librarian has a critical role to help students connect the dots and show how interrelated the content areas are. Jenkins values the ability to help construct curriculum lessons to support classroom standards. 

The library space in itself is an extension of the explore share domain. Jenkins appreciates the “unique ability to provide extension activities” the library provides. Since teachers are often under time constraints, Jenkins would love to use the library as a space where students can dive deeper into ideas and projects. One example Jenkins gave was an origami lesson offered in math that must be done in a short classroom session, might spark an interest that could be explored with books and papers in the library. Those moments of exploration can help students forge new interests and connections. 

The explore foundation is one of many layers of a multifaceted approach to engaging students. Students' needs are diverse and utilizing a variety of methods helps build that broad foundation of knowledge as they gain skills. Libraries that cultivate strong partnerships with teachers can create meaningful learning spaces that encourage personal inquiry and growth across a broad spectrum of content areas. Libraries are are a natural extension of the classroom with experiential lessons.

American Association of School Librarians. (2018). National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries. Chicago: ALA.

Jenkins, G. (2022) Personal Interview. 

 

Spotlight on the AASL Standard Framework for Librarians: 

CURATE

AASL CURATE KEY COMMITMENT: Make meaning for oneself and others by collecting, organizing, and sharing resources of personal relevance (2018).

Curating materials and resources is such a large component of a librarians job that you could fill a library with theories about how to fill a library. School librarians have to narrow their focus to ensure their curation of materials meets a diverse range of audience reading levels, interests, and educational functions. I had the opportunity to speak with Bryson Middle Media Specialist, Patty Barker about how she applies the AASL librarian standards in her program. 

Mrs. Barker implements the AASL curate competencies by thoroughly researching and constantly updating her collection to provide relevant resources for her students. Utilizing digital resources and databases like DISCUS helps ensure the materials stay up to date with topical issues, current events, and changing trends. E-books offer a way to quickly adapt to needs without over burdening the budget constraints. When working on specific research projects she finds it helpful to act as a guide along the search process to help students locate the appropriate materials and frequently gathers material ahead of visits to maximize time in the library. Her role as the librarian not only helps students locate resources, but also teaches them to assess and analyze the materials to build critical thinking skills. The ability to synthesize the information once they find it, is a vital skill that Barker actively cultivates with her students.  

Mrs. Barker shared that a key component to curation is weeding out materials that are no longer useful. Being on top of collection management is not only knowing what you have but knowing what no longer is of service to the students. Keeping kids in engaged and interested is a constant challenge, especially in the middle school environment. With limited budgets school librarians often have to find a balance between the high interest titles that circulate or nonfiction reference materials that might quickly become out of date. 

Part of the framework is checking the collection to see if there are gaps within the curriculum resources and taking time to find outside resources when needed. In an effort to facilitate collaboration with staff, Mrs. Barker attends the various content area monthly staff meetings to stay informed on changes to lesson planning. 

One of the biggest challenges facing librarians in the middle school today is time. Content area teachers are faced with such strict time and planning deadlines in their own classrooms that they often don't want to lose valuable instruction time by taking students to the library. It makes the time students do have in the media center with the librarian even more valuable. 

One component that Barker would love to see added to the AASL standards is a menu of prepared lessons focused on the key foundations and commitments geared to students. It would be a great asset to many librarians, new or established, to be able share materials that would enable students to gain a better understanding of the competencies and how they relate to their own educational success. 

American Association of School Librarians.( 2018). National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries. ALA. Chicago.Standards Framework - National School Library Standards (aasl.org)

Barker, P. (2022). Personal Interview 

Spotlight on Inquiry in the High School Library

 Spotlight on Inquiry in the High School Library - Susanne Clark 2022

The AASL Standards Framework offers school librarians a foundation of core commitments and competencies to help structure curricular objectives. These standards have been carefully crafted and revised over time to meet the complex educational needs of 21st century learners.  

These standards are meant to give clarity and common understanding to the key principles that apply to a diverse range of school libraries and librarians. Seeing these principles in action is an opportunity to create a deeper understanding of how the framework impacts the day-to-day life of a school librarian.  

Inquiry is one of six key foundations in the standards framework. The AASL framework states that inquiry is the act of acquiring knowledge by “thinking critically, identifying problems, and identifying strategies to solve problems'' (2018). Encouraging inquiry is a critical tenet of any library, but especially in a school library focused on supporting student’s educational journeys. 

High school students use a school library for a variety of purposes. We often immediately think of personal reading and research support as the two largest uses of libraries, but there are so many diverse ways the inquiry process happens in a school environment. Fountain High School librarian Tiffany Rickey shared her perspective with me on how librarians can foster the inquiry process. One of the first steps Rickey takes to implement inquiry is meeting with teachers to better understand their curriculum goals and plans. In order for her to support students with materials, she believes it is important to first identify future needs. Proactive planning helps ensure materials and resources are ready when needed. There is a concerted effort to make sure that the lines of communication are open, so that teachers and students can reach out to their librarian for support in a variety of ways. When handling issues or questions that arise, Tiffany Rickey uses honest transparency as a key element of her response and she shared, “I may not always know the answer, but the staff and kids know I will do everything in my power to help them find it.” 

Recently a one of the science teachers came to her curriculum support with a specific lesson plan. In the process Rickey was able to share with both students and the teacher an online scientific database filled with updated resources as a valuable research tool. Navigating the maze of online research can be daunting to high schoolers and her knowledge helped facilitate the information search process. Librarians can use these examples of sharing their information expertise to help build trust with teachers and create opportunities for further collaboration. 

Rickey shared that the learning curve of opening a new high school has been filled with plenty of challenges as she learned high school standards, met an all-new staff, and adjusted to a new student dynamic. She credits her own inquiry process of authentic reflection as a way to continuously improve her program.  Being able to dive into problems together is what makes the Fountain Inn Library such a dynamic learning environment. The culture she creates transforms the librarian role into one of partnership as a supportive team member, rather than a keeper of information, which is at the heart of building a space that supports inquiry. 

American Association of School Librarians. ( 2018). National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries. ALA. Chicago.Standards Framework - National School Library Standards (aasl.org)

Rickey, T. (2022). Personal Interview. 

Blog 10 Connections

 

I am sure at this point in the semester I have overused the comparison of using information technology resources as the power tools of learning for the library. The idea of using technology as an important instrument in the classroom has been woven through every module, we have covered over the last 15 weeks.  Integrating technology to support curriculum objectives and as a means to engage students in learning is fundamental component of school librarianship. We have explored the who, what, why, and how of using different technology and resources to cultivate literacy skills based on the AASL Framework for learners. The reason I keep returning to the tool analogy, is because it seems important point to remember that the more we explore new advances in tech resources for learning, we also must be clear with our objectives, purpose, and understanding of proper usage of the various instruments in order to maximize the potential benefits.  Intentionality in purpose is a way of approaching lessons that incorporate  technology into the library. Concepts like coding, dimensional printing, and robotics are the methods we use to engage learning for students not the purpose. When a student comes into the library, I want to consider what personal learning takes place and how we can transform ideas into knowledge. I also think we have to be ok with planting seeds and letting the learning grow organically rather than expecting immediate results from activities so the sake of using technology.

This fall my son started printing all sorts of things on the 3D printer. Fiddling around led to experimenting with different print options and researching programs like tinker cad. Those experiments lead to idea of printing cookie cutters to sell. The idea transformed into writing a business plan and his first entrepreneurial experience. He didn’t see it as a learning process that gave him vital career skills like problem solving or planning. Using the technology expanded his design skills and computer literacy into a new way of thinking. All of that learning was done with enjoyment and by cultivating personal inquiry rather than meeting some outside expectation. Finding ways to use the tools of technology with mindful intention and opening doors to exploration is how we make the library classroom relevant and meaningful place.

Whether we are exploring space from virtual headsets, building bridges, or laughing over video bloopers in an AV class, there is so much potential for creating new connections in the school media center. Libraries can use social media platforms and maker spaces to improve communication and innovation. Information technology creates connections to new resources, connections to technology, connections for friendships, and connections that will be foundations for the next big ideas from our students and school staff. 

 

 

A Virtual World Awaits

As an avid science fiction fan growing up, I remember dreaming of the days when technology would look as cool as the creations on Star Trek. Nothing quite says cool technology gadget quite like virtual reality headsets. The Oculus Quest 2 virtual reality system is the leading product on the market for wireless headsets that offer vivid experiences and graphics. The system targets itself more towards the entertainment sector with games and fitness right now. The uses for classroom instruction certainly hold endless possibilities. There is growing use of VR for office to create virtual workplace to bring people together. After the navigating online learning, it would be useful to help connect students to teachers virtually.  In a classroom setting there are growing opportunities to teach not just tech skills, but use virtual reality for curriculum lessons with interactive science experiments or testing hypothesis in a simulated environment without the cost of supplies. The immersive nature of the headsets allows you to explore unknown parts of the world or engage others with interactive challenges. On the Oculus website there is created content for the headset focused on the International Space Station that teaches you about the daily life of astronauts and their active missions. The headset can also be used for watching movies redesigned specifically for virtual reality or YouTube videos. The cost and accessibility will be the biggest barriers to incorporating them currently, but librarians definitely need to research the emerging trends that might make them more mainstream.  

One of the most promising uses I found for virtual reality headset was in teaching soft skills to students. Eli Zimmerman of EdTech magazine shared several ways that virtual reality can be used as an assistive teaching device for students struggling with short attention spans to help students focus (2019). There is growing need for adaptive learning environments designed create meaningful connections for students with diverse needs. The exciting part of the Ed Tech magazine piece is showcasing how technology can be used as a tool to for often underserved special education departments. Zimmerman highlighted an example of VR headsets being used to help students on the autism spectrum practice social interactions to develop interpersonal skills needed in the workplace. Utilizing technology to give students a meaningful learning experience and cultivate personal inquiry could be a powerful tool for school librarians and teachers.

Another interesting tidbit from the Oculus website was a challenge for high school students to receive video production equipment to make films with the latest high-tech equipment. The VR for Good promotion also shared some unique ways to use the technology for social and community benefit. Libraries could utilize the technology to highlight important issues facing digital learning, critical information analysis and build 21^st learning competencies.

Zimmerman, E. (2019). AR/VR in K–12: Schools Use Immersive Technology for Assistive Learning. EdTech Magazine. https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2019/08/arvr-k-12-schools-use-immersive-technology-assistive-learning-perfcon

https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2019/08/arvr-k-12-schools-use-immersive-technology-assistive-learning-perfcon

Oculus Quest 2: Our Most Advanced New All-in-One VR Headset | Oculus

Photo Credit from Oculus.Com 

Maker Spaces and Blog Share

 

I have been a maker as long as I can remember. As a young child I loved absolutely anything I could draw, cut, collect, build, or transform into something unique. Art and making things offered a happy emotional outlet throughout my childhood and even today I still get excited every time I start a new project. The only place I love more than the library, is an art room. So, when my kids where young I was thrilled to see the maker movement really take off in school and library programs. Celebrating creativity and the magic of discovery in the inquiry process is such a huge part of transforming information into an experiential learning process. Even something as simple as dumping a box of supplies on a table of first grade class and issuing a creativity challenge will show you the natural innovation and out the box thinking the kids will engage in. Maker Spaces have certainly grown in popularity and picked up some cool tech additions along the way. From printers, sewing machines, painting, or makey do's, there are endless possibilities to fit any budget or time constraints. There can be initially a greater of focus on the aesthetic or technology components of making things but underneath whatever project is being completed, there a world of meaning making happening and neural connections being developed. In the Maker Space School Edition handbook, the authors cite a greater purpose of the maker movement as a  

 means to evoke the “kind of passion and personal motivation that inspire innovation” (Maker Media, 2013). Teachers everywhere are looking at ways to promote intrinsic motivation with active participation from students in the classroom and maker programs have shown promise as an effective means to accomplish those goals.

👈This handsome guy pictured here (my son) is the next generation of makers and is currently 3D printing cookie cutters to sell at the school holiday fair in a few weeks. Maker spaces also encourage student's to become entrepreneurs with their creations. Cultivating financial literacy skills is a another great offshoot of the student maker movement. 

My Blog Share this week comes from Shannon McClintock Miller who writes a blog called the Library Voice. I found her blog on twitter and it is chock full of fabulous library ideas and information. This week her post, “So You Want To Build A Library...Check Out This NEW Book & 3 Makerspace Extension Activities To Do With Your Kids Too!” caught my eye as means to connect picture books with maker spaces. I appreciated Miller’s approach that connects multiple opportunities of learning within the think, create, and share domains that uses a book to inspire a hands-on group maker project. Who wouldn’t want to build a library?!? She bridges classic literacy skills with engagement of building with teams and includes 21^st century skills like programming with Tinkercad. The ideas are a great example of how school librarians can utilize technology in ways in that incorporate curriculum objectives while promoting student creativity.

https://vanmeterlibraryvoice.blogspot.com/2021/10/so-you-want-to-build-librarycheck-out.html

 

Maker Media. (2013) Maker Space Playbook: School Edition. Makered.org

retrieved from: https://makered.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Makerspace-Playbook-Feb-2013.pdf

 

I was sitting at the table the other day with my 12-year-old as he listed a lengthy list of reasons that he needed his own Instagram and Tik Tok accounts and I realized that as much as I want to wrap him in a safe bubble, I cannot pretend the outside world does not exist for him anymore. The social networks of adolescents today include an entire universe of connections available on the device in their pocket. The very real-life implications of having the emotional intelligence to handle the all-access pass we give to online media is not just a kid issue, but an issue we all have to recognize and address. As a parent I want my own children to understand this is not about denying access to something but making sure they understand the power of the tool they want to use. I wouldn't hand my kid a chainsaw and expect him to operate it safely with no training and yet we hand over unlimited access to the internet without teaching them the power  to wield it responsibly.  Navigating this uncharted territory starts with finding resources, support and open communication. 

Cyberbullying includes a wide range of intentional behaviors from repeated harassment and mobbing aimed to cause harm or exert power over another (Faucher, C., Cassidy, W., & Jackson, M. 2015). The shift to digital communication access for children has opened the door for childhood bullying behaviors to move from classroom to online over the last twenty years. We can see it the impacts with rise in adolescent depression, suicide, and school shootings and as a culture our response to prevention has been slow to handle to the gravity of the situation. Addressing the emotional needs of children seems like such obvious solution, but the path to achieve that goal is a source of much debate in the educational world. The focus on bullying prevention in schools is shifting to include social and emotional learning skills that will enable students to identify strategies for handling 

complex social environments. Implementing curriculum topics that discuss netiquette and digital citizenship can also help students engage in meaningful awareness and problem-solving approaches (Rech, J. 2012). A clear point from watching cyberbullying awareness videos is that students need to understand the potential impacts and harm that come when cyberbullying takes place. The library is often seen as a hub for information and community learning for all students should actively promote and discuss the impact of our digital presence. The idea of community extends beyond the classroom walls and the more included and heard the students feel will naturally extend into their communication behaviors.

Cyberbulling Research Center founded by Justin Patchin and Sammer Hindaju have created a wealth of online materials from research-based articles and sharable resources that offer up to date content on issues. For parents trying to keep up with the ever-changing terminology there is a cyberbullying glossary guide with some of there frequently used words that have emerged. Taking the time to make sure you recognize and understand changes in lingo used can go a long way in cultivating open communication channels between teachers, parents, and children. We often assume kids understand the slang words they use as well, but even if it induces dramatic eye rolling there is room to create a better understanding of terms to empower them with knowledge. Staying informed takes concerted effort and this website presented a wide variety of tools to support parents and educators on ways to combat cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying Research Center Links:  

Top-Ten-Tips-Teens-TikTok.pdf (cyberbullying.org)

2021_Cyberbullying Glossary.pub

Greenville County Schools has a police officer come present programs about internet safety and cyber bullying for students and parents. Presenting programs is one way to open discussions and create dialog that schools can use to cultivate a culture that actively works to promote digital literacy skills.  Sharing this example as an idea for how to bring in community resources to speak to cyberbullying topics. 

INFORMATION SECURITY CYBER SAFE PROGRAMS - About Me (google.com)

Cyberbullying Research Center. (2021). Cyberbullying Research Summaries and Facts Sheets. Cyberbulling.org. https://cyberbullying.org/category/publications/research-summaries-and-fact-sheets

Faucher, C., Cassidy, W., & Jackson, M. (2015). From the sandbox to the inbox: Comparing the acts, impacts, and solutions of bullying in k-12, higher education, and the workplace. Journal Of Education And Training Studies, 3(6), 111-125.

Rech, J. (2012). HOW IT’S DONE: Incorporating Digital Citizenship Into Your Everyday Curriculum. Tech & Learning, 33(1), 16–18.

 

Embracing Social Media as a Teaching Tool

Somewhere in between a teenage Tik Tok influencer and Aunt Martha posting angry memes on Facebook, there is happy balance to maintaining an informed social presence in the world.  I have yet to find that elusive balancing act. but I take some comfort in the fact that the majority of the world hasn't yet either. But there is no shortage of opinions however, on how to go about effectively incorporating into the school learning environment. Most new digital technology platforms shift our access to information in some way, but none quite to the magnitude that social media outlets have in the last ten years. No matter your personal opinion on them, they are here to stay in some fashion. Teachers, media specialists,  and informational professionals have to find ways to utilize them to maximize educational opportunities. 

The old adage that communication is the key to success has been used for generations for a reason. People want to be connected to the world around them and share their stories. The school media center can use media platforms to model the power of sharing stories. Lucas Jenson describes in the article, "Integrating Social Media into Online Education" that a key factor for success in the classroom involves more than just using it to capitalize on popularity, but rather takes careful planning and consideration to the goal and objectives for the desired outcomes of its use (2019). 

Opportunities in the Library
Possible uses for Twitter Media Center Account:
1. Instruction - Share author blog posts, podcasts and news stories for in class discussions. Source evaluation lessons and explore research possibilities. 
Analytics and data drive our economy and a critical literacy area for students to learn.
Twitter for Poetry Week and have students create poetry to using 280 characters or less

2. Communication - Libraries are active and engaging places where MAGIC happens. Most parents and even some teachers don't get to see the awesome light bulb moments that happen in the school media center. Classroom Hashtags can help students and parents follow the library happenings. 
Share the creativity found in student maker projects, favorite books, art creations, STEAM projects, or digital stories.
Share the good and the struggles. Posting about failure is something we all need to get better at doing to show that failure is a vital part of the learning process. Modeling that in tweets for students may help them find light in their own struggles. 
Use it as a volunteer recruitment to get help to support library initiatives.
Many teachers have created podcasts for their classrooms and sharing these podcasts can be an important collaboration tool to support sharing curriculum content to a larger audience. 

3. Advocacy - The things we care about MATTER. Media centers can use the platforms to highlight literacy education issues that impact students like media accountability, censorship, accessibility, and cultivating diversity. Engaging discussion and encouraging students to use their voices is part of the framework for learning we build our literacy curriculum around. 

Article Share: 

10 Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom - The Edvocate (theedadvocate.org)

How Can Twitter Be Used in the Classroom? - TeachHUB

Citation Source:

Jensen, L. J. (2019). Integrating Social Media into Online Education. Library Technology Reports, 55(4), 27–30.

Twitter handle @thelibrarygnome used to follow and share all things library and media center related. 

N

 

Being a substitute teacher means you are often stepping into different classrooms and meeting new students all the time. Sometimes it can be a challenge to understands the needs of individual students without any prior background knowledge. I find that having a big tool belt of resources available in case I need them, makes it easier to respond and support students in any situation. Students with diverse abilities might have auditory or visual challenges that need accommodation. It is critical that every student has the tools to help them succeed in the classroom. Technology has opened many doors of opportunity to better serve the individual needs of each student. Two of the adaptive supports that I have seen positively impact changes in learning are talk to type software and audiobooks. Breaking down barriers to learning with talk to type software allows students to speak into a program to create their own work. Talk to type can help a wide variety of students that have visual issues, physical limitations, or developmental delays that can make using a computer difficult. With many schools switching to being 1 to 1 with technology devices, it can further the divide if a student struggles with using a Chromebook to turn in assignments. Software like Google Voice Typing and Dragon Speak can level the playing field for students to help empowered and in control of their learning. The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials has a plethora of resources to better understand how to implement best practices in the classroom. This video is from 2014, but the AEM video story of Baily perfectly highlights the power of identifying proper supports to help transform a young person’s connection to school.

Gaining Independence with AIM and AT - YouTube

CAST: AEM Center: National Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning

Audio books are another library and classroom staple with the ability to bring literacy lessons to life. Most libraries have expanded audio offerings and streaming services have greatly improved availability of fiction and nonfiction texts. There are differences on usability factors that some services may be better suited to different needs. Bookshare, and Follet are great student friendly options. I found playing around with them gave me a much better sense of how to use them in different situations. Offering multiple methods of accessibility for learning differentials is an important factor in applying Universal Design principles in the classroom and library setting and audiobooks can be useful tool to have available. The Bookshare website offered targeted approaches for students who might need more specific learning needs. 

Sharing an article form School Library Journal that has a complete list of audio book resources

.An Ear for Reading: Audiobooks Take Center Stage in the Classroom | School Library Journal (slj.com)

  

A few audio book resources to to explore:

Is Bookshare for Me? | Bookshare

Follett

LibriVox – is sparse design is not suited for kids but a big selection of books in public domain.

 

National Center on Accessible Educational Materials (2014). Gaining Independence with AIM and AThttps://youtu.be/NhKzAQwxAJM

School Library Journal. (2021). An Ear for Reading: Audiobooks Take Center Stage in the Classroom | School Library Journal (slj.com)

 

WHAT’S THE BUZZ

 IN TECHNOLOGY? 

DRONES!

There is no shortage of fancy technology gadgets on the market for students these days. Educational buzz words swirl around learning opportunities for STEAM projects that often require expensive boxes of supplies. Tech skills are absolutely a critical needs area for students, but it is also important to find ways to offer meaningful learning targets in the experience. Finding a happy medium of accessible and interesting projects that explore technology literacy is an important task for a school media specialist. Students love projects that provide hands on learning opportunities with good reason. Hands on projects with technology offer learners the space to employ the AASL framework standards competencies within the inquiry, explore, and create domains (2018).

 This summer my son attended a summer camp at Roper Mountain Science Center to learn to fly drones. He is gadget loving kid so it was a perfect fit for him but I honestly figured they would spend a lot of time just flying things into trees. I know drones are a popular school science activity, but I never gave them much attention. I noticed the plans for his camp involved a great deal more than just flying. The class spent the first two days discussing aerodynamics and principles of flight. Before they even got to touch a drone, they spent an entire day taking them apart in order to rebuild them themselves. Most teachers would be horrified to spend money on drones only to rip them apart but the hands-on learning thru self-discovery that lesson offered students was a truly memorable experience. I can see the value of using the drones to connect curiosity and exploration to topics beyond just science. The drones also offered an opportunity for the students to research the possible uses for drones in the future and question ethical dilemmas such as privacy or control of airspace. There are multiple avenues of literacy that drones can be used to teach critical analysis with stimulating and interactive projects in social studies and even language arts (Wolpert-Gawron, H. (2017).

 Drone usage in the classroom has grown thru science grants, business supported events and library initiatives. There is no shortage of creative ways to bring them to a school. There are multiple companies that can come do demonstration events to help support specific curriculum units or maker clubs. It is possible to find lots of companies that are willing to come show off their equipment from construction companies that used drones on job sites to real estate photographers who use them for aerial visuals. There are opportunities to make them accessible with state funded library circulating kits. On the South Carolina State Library website you can see circulating kits used to provide programming opportunities that offer equipment rentals. The programs are usually reserved with public librarians but that makes it another great opportunity for collaborative efforts between the public and school sector groups.

Here is the link to explore the more information about South Carolina Circulating Kits.

Circulating Kits | South Carolina State Library (sc.gov)

Drones Can Be Fun—and Educational | Edutopia

Edutopia explores how drones can be fun AND educational.

Wolpert-Gawron, H. (2017).   Drones Can Be Fun and Educational. Edutopia.org.

retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/7-ways-use-drones-classroom-heather-wolpert-gawron

 

Here is a video from SC ETV about the many uses for Drones in Education.

 South Carolina ETV Commission. (2021). Drones: A Growing Tool for a Myriad of Uses. https://www.knowitall.org/audio/drones-growing-tool-myriad-uses-south-carolina-focus 

Audio Asset | Drones: A Growing Tool for a Myriad of Uses | South Carolina Focus | Knowitall.org

Additional Drone Article Resource: 

American Library Association. (2014). "Drones", Drones | Tools, Publications & Resources (ala.org)https://www.ala.org/tools/future/trends/drones

http://www.ala.org/tools/future/trends/drones (Accessed September 20, 2021)

Document ID: b963f065-4942-10b4-8d14-ac832ad1e206