7 opportunities: GoogleApps and school librarians

As we roll out GoogleApps for Education to our students this fall, I am just thinking about the implications for our school librarians. Off the top of my head, seven opportunities "MAPS Apps" present to us include:

1. This is our chance to be staff development gurus - again! It's a great chance not only to teach F2F at staff development sessions, but serve as role models: sharing documents, collaborating, and using these tools as teachers. You don't need to know much to be the expert in your school on GoogleApps for education. And such a reputation is gold.
2. We can teach students these tools as part of our IT/IL curriculum, using them for activities we would have used Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for in the past. We can accept responsibility for helping students use these resources safely and responsibly.
3. We can create templates and tools to help students during the research process. (I suspect Apps may be less cumbersome than managing wikis, blogs, etc. for project-long documentation.)
4. We can be the "go-to" support for students for one-on-one help with the apps including using Docs for file storage/portfolios, sharing documents for viewing and editing, using collaboration techniques, finding, making and sharing templates and solving any log-on/access problems.
5. We can use the tools for our own library information gathering efforts - conducting surveys, tracking classes (via calendar), and organizing data.
6. We can use e-mail, Groups and chat for communication with staff and students - information in real time rather than just newsletters.
7. We can use GoogleDocs for curriculum writing, lesson planning, and collaboration with teachers. We can use (and model) self-made video tutorials shared via GoogleVideo. We can create and use templates to share with our fellow librarians and teachers.

We can model a shift to a paperless, social, ubiquitous learning environment where doing stuff takes precedence over learning how to do stuff.

If we don't, who will.

Any good templates out there that you've created that your library PLN ought to know about? Looks like there are some worth exploring right now. A screen shot of a simple template search on "library":

ISTE SIGMS releases important advocacy statement

ISTE SIGMS has just released an important advocacy statement - "The Role of School Librarians in Promoting the Use of Educational Technologies". This document can be used to provide information on the important role that school librarians play in promoting the use of educational technologies in their schools and the need for libraries to have adequate available technologies.  Please share this statement with administrators and other library stakeholders. See the document at http://sigms.iste.wikispaces.net/advocacy. (Reprinted below with permission.)

The statement was created by the SIGMS Executive Advocacy Committee - Lisa Perez, Doug Johnson, Joyce Valenza, Keisa Williams, Wendy Stephens and Ernie Cox. It was created at the request of ETAN to better help us advocate for school librarians. Watch for a call for volunteers in September for the SIGMS Advocacy Committee, chaired by Kathy Sanders, to continue this important work.

Laurie Conzemius
SIGMS Communications Chair

The Role of School Librarians in Promoting the Use of Educational Technologies

School librarians perform an integral role in promoting the effective use of educational technologies in their schools.  
 
About School Librarians
School librarians are professionals who hold teaching degrees, as well as librarian certification.  School
librarians may also be referred to as teacher-librarians or library media specialists.
 
School librarians are in unique positions within their schools because they:

• collaborate with all teachers in the building across grade levels and subject disciplines.
• work with all students throughout the students’ academic careers.
• are instructional leaders in their schools who serve on curriculum, school improvement, and planning committees.
• frequently provide professional development to their colleagues in areas related to instructional and technology resources.
• teach a wide range of local, state, and national curriculum, information literacy, and technology standards, including all ISTE NETS standards.
• serve as the primary technology "integration specialist" in their buildings.

About School Libraries
Libraries support the curriculum, promote literacy development, and foster lifelong reading habits among
children through the development of carefully selected print collections and the infusion of educational
technology.

Libraries provide:

• a wealth of educational resources for students in the form of online databases; eBooks; audiobooks; online catalogs; creativity and research tools; and professionally vetted websites that are available at school and home.   
• ready access to technology hardware, including computers, printers, assistive technologies for special needs students, presentation equipment, digital readers, and cameras, as well as a variety of specialized educational software and online applications.
• equitable access to technology for students of all income levels.
• • flexible, broadly available access points for technology whether the school uses computer labs, portable devices, or a hybrid model.
• a location that encourages individual study, group collaboration, and large group presentations.

About School Librarians & Educational Technology
 
School librarians play a critical role in the infusion of educational technology in their schools.  In
particular, they:

• support the use of technology throughout the school by working closely with the school's technology coordinator or fill the role of technology coordinator when a separate position does not exist.
• serve as information literacy and educational technology specialists in their schools.
• address educational technology and information literacy skills instruction embedded in the curriculum.
• provide technology training for teachers, administrators, and parents.
• work with teachers, counselors, and administrators to prepare students to succeed in higher education, the work place, and in society.
• help students develop important digital citizenry attributes to demonstrate responsible use of information and technology.
• provide leadership in the development of local information and technology literacy standards.

Educational Technology Issues Faced by School Librarians Today
 
In today's difficult economic times, many school districts have chosen to cut non-classroom teaching
positions.  These cuts run counter to a large body of research that indicates that a strong library program,
staffed by certified school librarians, correlates with significantly greater student achievement.  Short-
term savings are obliterated by long-term consequences of denying students equitable access to
educational resources and instruction provided by the school's information literacy specialists and
technologists - school librarians.  As schools close their libraries or staff them with non-certificated
personnel, students lose access to professionally managed print and electronic resources.  At an
unprecedented time in history when students require development of complex information literacy and
technology skills to succeed, a robust school library program is a prerequisite to success.
 
School librarian needs include:

• adequate funding for technology, including sufficient connectivity, electrical access, hardware, software, subscription databases, and online tools to equitably support research and inquiry-based learning.
• access to relevant professional development that supports them in maintaining currency in their knowledge of educational technology and its applications.
• funding and incentives to assist school districts in committing to staffing all school libraries with certified school library professionals and appropriate support staff.
• language in legislation that specifically highlights the inclusion of school librarians to ensure that these critical professional positions are not eliminated due to ambiguity and misinformed prioritization. 

Choices, choices in reading formats

As much as I like the iPad, Kindle and similar digital readers, this issue of not being able to easily share a book is the primary reason why I’m reluctant to pay for ebooks from Amazon, Apple and others... Tim Stahmer, Assorted Stuff

Newsweek "Back Story," August 9, 2010 

I just finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I can't wait to read the next in the series. But what format and acquisition method* makes the most sense for this title?

When it comes to the "reading experience" itself, I am quite happy with print books, reading on my first edition Kindle**, or on the iPad. Some environments work better with some formats:

Print books are convenient, rugged and don't run out of batteries. I can read them during take off and landing. I know how to turn the pages and I like knowing how far I've read at a glance. There is a sentimental pleasure in print books.

The Kindle is really light weight and has a screen that's easy on the eyes. If the machine drops in price to the sub-$50 mark, I won't be nearly so worried about taking it on bike rides or leaving it in the back of an airline seat pocket. The newest one claims two-weeks battery life.

The iPad is great for low light conditions and it's really convenient to drag along just one device for both reading the latest Michael Connelly, my e-mail, RSS feeds and the NYT. It is bad to read in bright sunlight.

While I am sure it is a form of senile dementia, I am actually enjoying the "social" parts of reading on the Kindle - when passages that other readers have marked are highlighted - especially in non-fiction. Reminds me of getting a used textbook in college where the important parts were already highlighted.

I suspect my major reluctance is the same as Tim expresses in the quote that begins this post. I can't pass the books I buy along to others. Yes, the LWW and I can both read a Kindle book - me on the iPad and she on the Kindle, but my extended family has always shared books. I'm being a bad son buying books that the rest of us can't read.

I am guessing I will be buying both print and electronic books well into the future unless a first sale doctrine for e-books suddenly materializes. And I suspect this will be true for most individuals, schools and libraries.

And here's a situation I've been thinking about: What do I take on my Kilimanjaro hike? I am on the mountain, away from electricity, in what may be dirty, wet conditions for 8 days. Do I take the Kindle and worry about running out of battery life but not worry about running out of reading material; or take a nice fat James Michner paperback and not worry about batteries, but worry about running out of book? I suspect that I will be carrying whatever reading material on my back - not a porter - so weight is a factor too.

Damn change!

* I realize checking books out from my public library is an option, but I am just too impatient to sit on a waiting list and I rarely finish a book in my allotted two weeks.

** The $139 price point on the new Kindle is really, really tempting.