Earning Credibility Credit

There was line from our readings that stood out to me more than all others in the Katrine Watkins & Katherine Elder article, “The Google Game.” In the final paragraph of the article, the authors state that not only were students better at searching Google after playing the game, but that “teaching this lesson has earned [them] increased credibility.” Now, when [they] recommend a book or subscription database as the best place to start researching, our students actually listen to [their] advice.” 

I thought this sentence spoke volumes about the student-teacher relationship. We perhaps think that we automatically have credibility with students because we are teachers—we went to school to be able to stand in front of them (or next to them) and give them information. However, the truth is that students (especially teenagers) will not really listen unless we speak their language. I do not mean that we should try and learn whatever slang is current—definitely not! Rather we should try our best to approach lessons from a viewpoint that will be familiar and accessible for students.

For most young people, Google is their first language when it comes to information. Therefore, before we can teach them other languages and direct them into other research areas and other databases, perhaps it is best to start with their comfort zone. As Watkins and Elder discover, learning successful searching in the familiar confines of Google will hopefully encourage students and tune them into the librarian language, so that they will be able and more willing to expand their newfound searching skills into library databases or books.

References

Watkins, Katrine. “The Google Game”.  School Library Journal (January 2006) 52-54. 

The Road to Hell is Paved with Discarded Organizational Tools

The Berger/Trexler chapter for this week made me think a lot about how I would try and teach students to be more organized.  And how difficult I think it actually is to teach or enforce organizational skills.

The initial description of the student arriving early at school to so diligently check his Start page was so unrealistic that I thought I would have trouble accepting the ideas in the remainder of the chapter. Really, the ideas and tools presented in the chapter are very useful and should, in theory, be very practical and helpful for students, teachers, or really any person trying to keep track of research, projects or events in her life. In fact, I have personally used many of the described tools (or similar ones) either on my own, for school, or as part of a collaborative team at my former office. Though I am in general a huge proponent of organizational methods, and rather like Toad in my love of (and need for) making lists, I have unfortunately found that most people cannot use the tools effectively, especially as part of a group situation.

As an example, I was the production or project manager at a small publishing services company for six years before I entered this program. At my company, we sometimes had hundreds of books to keep track of, and each book had about twenty steps to be completed before we were done with it. It was my job to create a production plan, and ensure that every person in the office knew what he or she was to be working on at any given moment to get everything done on time. We tried many different project management systems, but never hit on one that worked better than a simple to-do list sent every morning by me. The problem always seemed to be that maintaining the organizational tool became another job that took time away from the tasks that needed to be completed, so no matter the good intentions at the start, the organizational tool always fell by the wayside. 

I think what it boils down to is that being organized is a highly personalized skill. Everyone has their own system. Some people are lucky enough that one of these online tools may fit in nicely with their own system, but many may find that creating and attempting to maintain the organizational scheme or tool is as much or more work as the project being organized. 

That all being said, I do believe that as a teacher librarian trying to create information literate students, it will be part of my job to teach organizational skills, because they are extremely important for research in school and for life beyond school. Therefore, I value the suggestions made in the chapter and plan to evaluate (or reevaluate) many of the tools personally so that I can share them with students to help them find the tools that work best for them. This is actually one reason why I like the idea of a wiki or a blog for a classroom collaborative/organizational tool—the class could create it together and tailor it to fit the needs of the group, but then continue adjusting it as needed so that it continues to be useful and does not become just another chore.  

A Shy Students Speaks (Writes) Up

I have a confession to make. Throughout my life I was a top student who did all the work, read all the readings, usually aced all the tests, but to whom teachers always said, “I wish you would speak up in class, Malinda.” I was (and am) shy. Shy, perhaps, does not exactly explain my particular issue. I am absolutely terrified of looking stupid. My brothers have a favorite topic of (wishful) conversation concerning a “life highlight reel.” Anytime something particularly wonderful happens they add it to their reel. When I look back over my life, the moments that stand out most in my mind are those moments where I felt that I made myself (in my eyes) look stupid. It is not even a comic bloopers reel, but rather those horrible moments when I know I did not make the right decision, or do the best I could do, because of course I was always supposed to be perfect. Ironically, at least one of my moments was a time in class when I could not get the nerve to give my professor the answer I knew he wanted.

Graduate school, teaching, some conference presentations finally helped cure me of much of my fear of speaking aloud. Don’t get me wrong, I still perspire and get shaky when I raise my hand or voice my opinion, but at least I can do it now. That being said, I wish there had been an online classroom format like a blog or a wiki for me when I was younger. One of the key reasons I would try and incorporate blogs or wikis into my own classroom would be for the students, like me, who fear to speak without first editing. Richardson makes this point as well, and he adds that this enriches the class learning experience, because “everyone has a voice in the conversation.” That was what my teachers always told me—the rest of the class would benefit from hearing what you have to say. I could not help myself, but hopefully as a teacher, I can help my own students recognize the value of their ideas and how important they are to the class conversation. 

Understated Assistance

                The readings this week introduced the concepts of universal design and universal design for learning and also provided some practical ways to locate and utilize technology in order to benefit all students. The information about where to find apps, software, and devices will be extremely important as I move forward in my career as a school librarian. 

                However, as I reflected on the readings, one of the thoughts that kept occurring to me was simply related to the terminology being used. The devices intended to aid students with disabilities are called assistive devices or assistive technology, but to me these terms seem like gross understatements considering the doors the devices can open for these students. After all, what is all technology, but assistive? We are so immersed in technology and surrounded by devices that assist us in our daily tasks that sometimes it is easy to forget just how hard things would be for all of us without this help.

                Also, as our articles point out, utilizing technology correctly in the classroom means that all students should benefit, not only those students with disabilities. Finally, more than being just assistive, the devices that help students with disabilities are equalizing, confidence-building, and integrative. They allow disabled students to compete on equal footing with their peers. They help the students prove that their disability does not mean they are not as capable as other students and therefore help them to succeed, not only in school, but throughout their lives.