Inna Levine

Creating our future: Students speak up about their vision for 21st century learning. speak up 2009 national findings: K-12 students & parents. (2010). ().Project Tomorrow. 15707 Rockfield Boulevard Suite 250, Irvine, CA 92618. Retrieved from http://dialog.proquest.com/professional/docview/1238189801?accountid=143640

IL

For the past 7 years, the Speak Up National Research Project has provided the nation with a unique window into classrooms and homes all across America and given us a realistic view on how technology is currently being used (or not) to drive student achievement, teacher effectiveness and overall educational productivity. Most notably, the Speak Up data first documented and continues to reveal each year the increasingly significant digital disconnect between the values and aspirations of the nation's students about how the use of technology can improve the learning process and student outcomes, and the values and aspirations of their less technology-comfortable teachers and administrators. Students, regardless of community demographics, socio-economic backgrounds, gender and grade, tell year after year that the lack of sophisticated use of emerging technology tools in school is, in fact, holding back their education and in many ways, disengaging them from learning.  The Speak Up 2009 national findings paints a vivid picture of this continuing digital disconnect and also, advances the premise introduced with the data the previous year that by listening to and leveraging the ideas of students we can start to build a new vision for 21st century education that is more reflective of the needs and desires of today's learners. With the 2009 year's findings, the researchers give voice to a new genuine "student vision" for learning and in particular, the student's experience-based blueprint for the role of incorporating emerging technologies in 21st century education, both in and out of the classroom.

Mining Data

Harman, Sheila

IL

Zeide, E. (2016). 19 Times Data Analysis Empowered Students and Schools: Which Students Succeed and Why?.

Schools have always held a wide range of data about our children and families: Name, address, names of parents or guardians, date of birth, grades, attendance, disciplinary records, eligibility for lunch programs, special needs and the like are all necessary for basic administration and instruction. Teachers and school officials use this information for lots of reasons, including to assess how well students are progressing. This article makes the case that this data, and all the info generated is super useful. She notes that the tools are at our fingertips and it is up to us to use the info to guide our most needy students. and monitor educator biases. Online tools give students access to vast libraries of resources and allow them to collaborate with classmates or even peers around the world. Some of these online tools also give teachers and parents the ability to access and evaluate student work.

Rating:  This is a clearly written review of some powerful, albeit private, data that is used for the improving student performance. She shows graphs and examples

Free to Make

Bradley, Rebecca

ET

Dougherty, D. & Conrad, A. (2016) Free to make: How the maker movement is changing our schools, our jobs, and our minds. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.

Summary
Dale Dougherty is the founder and CEO of Maker Media, Inc, which launched a magazine called "Make" in 2005 and Maker Faire in 2006. Since then the Maker Movement has exploded around the world. In this book, Dougherty describes the "Maker Mindset" and who, what, where, and how people are exploring this exciting trend with hundreds of concrete real-life examples. Of particular interest to me is the chapter titled "Making is Caring" in which Dougherty states that the "Maker Movement asks us not only what technology can do but what good people can do as a community to use such tech tools to take care of ourselves and others."

Evaluation
I found this book to be an excellent historical overview of the Maker Movement and a good starting point for teacher-librarians and librarians who wish to create a Makerspace of their own. It is thorough, easy to read, and highly inspirational. 

Motivating Project-Based Learning: Sustaining the Doing, Supporting, and Learning

Andrighetto, Kourtney

Blumenfeld, P. C., Soloway, E., Marx, R. W., Krajcik, J. S., Guzdial, M., & Palincsar, A. (1991). Motivating Project-Based Learning: Sustaining the Doing, Supporting the Learning. Educational Psychologist, 26(3/4), 369.

CA, ET- Project-based learning

Summary

Educational theories, curriculum development, and assessment are shifting from teacher centered to student centered, project-based learning instruction. Project-based learning has gained much attention in the field of education due to self- directed learning methodologies and opportunities for students to engage in problem-solving and evaluation. This article provides an overview of project-based learning theories and how it contributes to learner motivation and relevance in the 21st-century. The authors note that in order for project-based learning to be successful, the selected topics must be high-interest and valuable to learners. In addition, project-based units must be structured to allow students opportunities for activity, creativity, and interaction with technology. When students are moving, doing, and collaborating, high-yield learning will take place.

Evaluation

This source provides an in-depth explanation of project-based learning theories and how technology integration may boost student learning. For teacher librarians, the discoveries in this article highlight opportunities for co-teaching and unit planning with classroom teachers across content areas.

Project Based Learning + Technology = Deeper Learning

Project Based Learning + Technology = Deeper Learning

This article was a blog post by Bob Lenz & Sally Kingston on the P21 Partnership for 21st Century Learning website. The post is about the benefits of integrating project based learning with technology to make learning meaningful, relevant, and rigorous resulting in deeper learning. The benefits of deeper learning, which is the goal, include academic achievement, critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, self-directed learning and an academic mindset. Technology can increase student engagements and motivation and so can project based learning. Kids love creating projects and they love technology. If these two are combined and done well you will have deeper learning which is the ultimate goal!

Articles on Teaching (by M.Motley)

INFO 250 Articles on Teaching

This is my list of articles on teaching. Most of them are for novices, and most of these are about communication between teachers and librarians, but there's also some about technology that's useful in the classroom. Most of them are worth reading, though some I gave poor reviews for not being especially valuable or noteworthy, merely supporting the subject or offering background information.


Jacobson, L. (2016). When librarians teach teachers. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2016/07/standards/early-learning/when-librarians-teach-teachers/

This article mentions several early-learning programs which librarians teach to teachers, particularly those associated with teaching children to read so they are ready for school. It will be most useful for K-3 Youth and School librarians or librarians interested in teaching these skills to the early-education teachers.

 Krebs, P. (2014). Why you should talk to the librarians. Chroniclevitae.com. Retrieved from https://chroniclevitae.com/news/673-why-you-should-talk-to-the-librarians

This article is more interesting to K-12 and academic librarians, as it reminds teachers to contact librarians before publishing their syllabus and get additional resources that the librarian knows about. Librarians can offer even more help if you give them a heads-up about what your assignments are going to be.

They can pull relevant texts from the stacks and hold them on reserve for your course. They can come to your classroom and talk about which sources are available and how to judge their quality. They can suggest assignments and let you know about resources you may not have seen yet. And they can be a great help if you have to miss a class--they can work with your students in the library that day or in your classroom to keep them on track with whatever assignment you've given while you’re away at that conference.

I thought this was a particularly useful quote.

 LaGarde, J. (2012). 5 more TED talks that all school librarians should watch. LibraryGirl.net (blog). Retrieved from http://www.librarygirl.net/2012/09/5-more-ted-talks-that-all-school.html

This list of TED Talks videos includes several interesting topics, each of which is worthy of review as individual articles/videos appropriate to our topic on librarianship and teaching in schools.

LaGarde, J. (2011). 6 TED Talks all school librarians should watch (and why!). LibraryGirl.net (blog). Retrieved from http://www.librarygirl.net/2011/05/recently-andy-woodworth-posted-series.html
The original posted list of TED talks about librarianship. These video lectures are meant to inspire viewers and provide ideas and motivation to do things.

 Leeder, K. (2011). Collaborating with faculty part 2: What our partnerships look like. InTheLibraryWithTheLeadPipe.org. Retrieved from http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2011/collaborating-with-faculty-part-2-what-our-partnerships-look-like/

This article, second in a series, is about how to talk to teachers and collaborate with them using library resources. The first in the series is general. These are specific examples. Key points are faculty training and technology assistance (another kind of training or infrastructure help with websites or hardware).

Deringer, S. (2013). Inspire collaboration: A quick and easy guide for super busy school librarians. Inalj.com. Retrieved from http://inalj.com/?p=40373

Simple advice on collaborating, starting with offering to help and respecting teacher’s time and schedules. This also lists a number of resources on collaboration.

 Ivey, R. (2003). Information literacy: How do librarians and academics work in partnership to deliver effective learning programs? Australian Academic and Research Libraries. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00048623.2003.10755225

Good ideas despite being somewhat out of date.

Strang, T. (2015). Improving collaboration among faculty and librarians. Cengage Learning (blog). Retrieved from http://blog.cengage.com/improving-collaboration-among-faculty-and-librarians/

This is a list with additional links to websites with further refined advice.

 Editor. (2016). The best apps for teaching and learning 2016. ALA.org. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards/best/apps/2016 

This list assembled by librarians at American Library Association contains a lot of educational software published in the last year. There’s also utilities to help teachers stay organized, which works between their smartphone, laptop, tablet, and PC.

Editor. (2016). Best websites for teaching & learning 2016. ALA.org. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards/best/websites/2016

Like the list of Apps, this is a list of useful websites which both teachers and librarians would find useful in education. A big part of a librarian’s job is to find stuff, but also to remember stuff we find so that when someone says “I wish I could do X” you can actually say “Yes, you can at link Y, and it’s free. I’ll show you.”


Firestone, M. (2014). What is collaborative learning: Benefits theory definition. (Video). Study.com. Retrieved from http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-collaborative-learning-benefits-theory-definition.html

This video provides an explanation into collaborative learning and what it really means.

Levine, M. (2016). Collaborative learning in libraries. PublicLibrariesOnline.org. Retrieved from http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2016/06/collaborative-learning-in-libraries/


This article describes the co-learning classes in first web design and coding and later in Arduino (Maker) projects taught at the Chattanooga (TN) public library system. This is pretty short and may lack sufficient depth to recommend to others.

Kruse, C. (2016). Creating collaborative learning spaces in a college library. Ideas.Demco.com (blog). Retrieved from http://ideas.demco.com/blog/creating-collaborative-learning-spaces-in-the-college-library/

This blog post provides pictures and descriptions of Maker spaces in a college library and how those were funded. The article is a bit short though the pictures are useful.

 House, K. (2014). Multnomah County Library turns to 'collaborative learning' to lure teens in, keep them engaged. (Video). OregonLive.com. Retrieved from http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/07/headline_multnomah_county_libr.html
This has a video and an article following it with supporting pictures and a brief quote from the instructor in charge.

Clifford, M. (2016). 20 Collaborative learning tips and strategies for teachers. TeachThought.com. Retrieved from http://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/20-collaborative-learning-tips-and-strategies/

A list of techniques recommended to help students learn in a small group environment created through “collaborative learning”. These look useful and can be tested in the real world.

Editor. (2016). Empowering parents with technology. Oppl.org. Retrieved from http://oppl.org/about/library-news/empowering-parents-technology

This article is a post at Oak Park Public Library explaining their program to help parents keep better track of what their kids are learning in school. This is an example of an ongoing program which allows collaboration between librarians, teachers, students, and parents rather than merely another theoretical test using spent grant money. It is pretty interesting.


Nelson, K. (2016). 10 game-changing ways to use an interactive classroom projector. WeAreTeachers.com. Retrieved from http://www.weareteachers.com/blogs/post/2016/02/01/10-game-changing-ways-to-use-an-interactive-classroom-projector

This is an interesting one, because it uses modern digital projectors to create active learning for students. The example provided would be excellent for history, geography, and probably geology too.

Annoyed_Librarian. (2014). Closer to real censorship. [Blog] Library Journal. Retrieved from
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/blogs/annoyedlibrarian/2014/07/14/closer-to-real-censorship/

Anthony, C. (2016). Libraries are bridging the digital divide in cities. Library Vision.org.
Retrieved from http://www.libraryvision.org/libraries_are_bridging_the_digital_divide_in_cities

Barefoot, R. (2016). Week 3: Managing the roles of organizational change. SJSU SLIS 282-10
lesson. Retrieved from https://sjsu.instructure.com/courses/1209014/pages/week-3-
managing-the-roles-of-organizational-change?module_item_id=8754341

Benjamin, K. (2013). 11 book burning stories that will break your heart. Mental Floss. Retrieved
from http://mentalfloss.com/article/50038/11-book-burning-stories-will-break-your-heart

Hernon, P. and Altman, E. (2010). Assessing service quality: Satisfying the expectations of library customers, 2nd ed. [Document]. American Library Association.org. Retrieved from https://www.alastore.ala.org/pdf/9780838910214_excerpt.pdf  

Mies, G. (2016). How to make technology training fun for your library staff. TechSoupForLibraries.com. Retrieved from http://www.techsoupforlibraries.org/blog/make-library-staff-technology-training-fun

Rabina, D. (2013). The dark side of Dewey. MiniStories.Wordpress.com. Retrieved from https://minystories.wordpress.com/2013/12/10/the-dark-side-of-dewey/ 

Tennant, R. (2002). MARC must die. Library Journal, 127(17), 26.

Serving the underserved students; low-income and technology

Taylor, Andrea
CA, IL, ET
Zielezinski, M. B. (2016, May 19). What a Decade of Education Research Tells Us About Technology in the Hands of Underserved Students. Retrieved from: https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-05-19-what-a-decade-of-education-research-tells-us-about-technology-in-the-hands-of-underserved-students

Summary: This article is about how to use the influx of hardware and software in schools to better serve underserved students. The sad truth is that there is an alarming number of low-income, minority, and special education students that are not  graduating from high school. In a study of edtech, it was found that access to internet sources was not enough; technology could not be used for remediation and drills and benefit these students. It is a problem when privileged students use technology for so much more, while underserved students are limited to drills. It is from this issue that five tips are provided.

The first tip is to not use technology for remediation. This means rather than using technology to drill kids into learning the standards for their grade level, schools should use technology to bring the students in. The goal should be to engage students in relevant ways, teaching them communication, collaboration, and critical thinking, not to just have kids memorize facts and equations.

The second tip is to have the students get creative by having them design their own digital content. Examples of this is how students can create their own film documentaries or use social media as a way to teach and learn. The biggest benefit to this is that students will create ongoing portfolios that they can add to for years to come.

The third tip is to use digital tools that incorporate interactivity. The best programs/apps are ones that allow students to come to their own conclusions and understandings, allowing them to see real life situations, and be able to use many forms of media.

The fourth tip is to view the students as experts and have them share their "expertise" with a real audience. This is shown to improve the quality of their work, encouraging creativity and ingenuity. Rather than write a small paper for the teacher, they have the opportunity to create a film for an entire community of people.

The fifth tip is to find the perfect blend of teacher and technology. The two must go hand in hand, and in order for digital learning to be effective the teacher plays an important role.

Review: I really liked this article because it went beyond the claim that low-income students have no access to technology or the internet. It realized that even with access there needs to be further steps taken to help these students thrive and utilize the technology appropriately. Any research done to help underserved students is a must, and I think this article does a great job highlighting five easy to achieve steps.

American girls: Social media and the secret lives of teenagers

Bradshaw, Trina

IL

Sales, N.J. 2016. American girls: Social media and the secret lives of teenagers. New York: Random House.

Summary:

The author of this book travelled across the country and interviewed teenagers to figure out how they use social media. Armed with plenty of research to legitimize what she hears, she gives the nitty, gritty, ugly truth about how Instagram, Whisper, Yik Yak, Vine, YouTube, Kik, Ask.fm, and Tinder have changed how teens (especially girls) interact with each other. She describes how social media stars have changed how girls grow up. She describes how teens idolizing figures like Kim Kardashian, who has made millions off promoting her own nudity online, has normalized this dangerous type of behavior. In addition, the many, many makeup tutorial stars on youtube have ensured that even preteens have the tools needed to look flawless, a necessity in social media platforms that encourage instant judgment. In fact, this pressure to look flawless all of the time has done much to harm the self esteem and image of today’s young girls. She talks about how dating has changed, with more and more interactions taking place online in an environment in which consequences are easier to ignore and risks are easier to take. With pornography being so easily accessible, the teenage culture has become hypersexualized, struggling between extreme sexism and feminism. Lastly, bullying has been much more pervasive in the lives of modern teens, since they are constantly connected in the online world. Much of what she reports proved to be consistent across race, geography, and socioeconomic status. She ends with a call to action; we as adults must be aware and make legislative changes in order to help our teens navigate the new challenges that they face in our evolving world.

Review:

This was a compelling read; I could barely put the book down. Even people who have teenagers and work with teenagers don’t know the extent of the depravity of the expected behavior being pushed by social media, modern celebrities, and the accessibility of adult content online. If libraries are going to stay relevant in the modern age, we must understand the world that our patrons live in. I hear often that we need to engage the community on social media so it is of paramount important that we understand how it is currently being used so that we can either fit in the landscape or be a part of the change to advance the human condition.

New Routes to Library Success

Nadine Loza
Doucett, E. (2016). New routes to library success: looking outside of the library world to spark new ideas. American Libraries. March 42-45.

Summary: Doucett is the director of the Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick, Maine.  She entered the library profession in 2004, from the business world.  In this article, Doucett makes the case for librarian professionals to look outside of the library world to understand how to evolve to meet the needs of today’s user.  She argues that without librarian professionals continually evolving to meet the needs of the 21^st century user, we might soon see a time where libraries a disappearing from American cities.  To make her point, she uses the example of how she turned to Margot Atwell, the publishing outreach coordinator for Kickstarter.  Kickstarter is an online crowdsourcing platform.  Kickstarter provides ways for individuals to promote a project or a cause to gain donations.  Kickstarter success lies in the ways the site connects people, and allows them to get involved in projects they feel passionately about.  Doucett was inspired to reach out to Atwell, and came away with important implications for libraries.  She recommends that library professionals use promotional videos, games, and community outreach to promote their programs in new and exciting ways.  She urges the library world to evolve with today’s user, she warns that the very survival of American libraries may be at stake.

Evaluation: Doucett’s analysis and recommendations are very useful to consider.  She uses her own background in the business world to find innovative ways to promote libraries.  Her assessments about the future of American libraries might seem alarmist, however, current research on library use confirms that they are at a sharp decline.  As a future teacher librarian, I agree with Doucett.  Teacher librarians must continually adapt their marketing and programs to make their libraries a place teens want to be.  Many teacher librarians have already adapted traditional rules, and transformed their libraries into spaces where collaboration and technology are welcomed.  Following these trends, libraries will continue to have a secure place in American cities.