Tech-free library schools?

In trying to figure out why the school library media profession has not had a bigger impact on the integration of technology, I suggested in a earlier post that sexism, schizophrenia and collaboration strategy may be some of the causes. But several off-blog comments suggested a 4th reason: schooling.

This comment was typical (used here with permission):

I did not want to go public and post this on the blog because I am a new graduate from library school and I'm looking for a job.  The postings about integrating the technology into the curriculum is so important.  However, someone should tell the folks training the media specialists how to do it!! There are no technology classes in library school; you learn as you go.  I had to be my own advocate and go to workshops on my own to learn how to operate things like Smartboards.  Library school does a great job training you for being a media specialist of the 70's but not for the 21st century. 

I have to say my own library program was BC - Before Computers. Well almost. I did take a 1 credit class on BASIC programming using a terminal hooked to some kind of mainframe at the University of Iowa in 1979. We also had a teletype machine and learned the skills of chemical photography, dry-mount pressing and laminating. (I think I got a D in the last one. Wrinkles.) 

As an adjunct faculty member for Minnesota State University, Mankato's library program, I taught Internet classes as long ago as 1992 or 1993. These were the days of the line interface, Gopher and "“FTP.SUNET.SE>get linc111.txt.”  The class got very excited with Stephen Collins from the University of Minnesota visited one evening with this amazing new tool called Mosaic. And the last class I've taught for MSU's library school was an online class on "Current Trends in Educational Technology" in 2003.

In other words, my personal experience has been the opposite of the young writer's above - that library schools (some anyway) are leaders in teaching new educational technologies.

Readers, your experience? What was good and what was missing in your library training in regard to technology? 

Photo from Drexel archives.

Feeling small

I love rants. I love to read them. I love to write them.

But I am not so sure I like to be the subject of them.

Rob Rubis at the Internation School of Bangkok takes me to task big time for some comments and assumptions I made in regard to the program there in response to blog posts and commentary written by the TLCs (technology and learning coordinators) at his school. Please read Rob's post. His comments and frustrations may resonate with many teacher-librarians around the world.

If you have been following the Blue Skunk at all, you know I asked why it seems that technology cooridnators seem to be reinventing the same wheel that ibrarians have been rolling for sometime, with the efforts at ISB as an example/springboard. My comments were never meant as a criticism of ISB's particular program, but as a means of exploring why this seems to be a general trend in schools around the world.

Every now and then I do something so insensitive that my 6'3" frame shrinks to about 3" tall. Once it happened when I teased a woman about how important she must be to have left her cell phone on during one of my workshops. She later apologized and told me that her husband was in the hospital doing very poorly and that was why she left the phone on. I shrunk then and  I've never mentioned a ringing cell phone in my presentations since that day.

I'm feeling pretty much the same way now. Looking at a situation in the abstract, as an exemplar, as a philosophical touchstone may seem harmless to me as a writer, but it obviously touched a nerve with those commented upon at ISB. All I can do is apologize and hope that I remember the lesson and become more sensitive in the future. Behind every generality are real people.

I've always said that while we are born homo sapiens, it takes a lifetime to become human. I am still working on it.

International Edubloggers Directory

Check out the nifty new graphic on the lower right side of this page.

It links to a new resource being started by Patricia Donaghy in Dublin <edubloggerdir (at) gmail.com> to:

...to provide an up to date directory of edubloggers from around the world. The site will provide an easy way to find out what other edubloggers are blogging about.

To be added to the Directory, visit the site and click the Add tab at the top. Follow the directions.

Thanks to Miguel's http://www.edsupport.cc/mguhlin/archives/02-13-2008_02-11-2009.htm on this resource.