Keep the Technology moving!!

Biggest takeaway from this semester…to keep moving.  This class has allowed me time to study the new stuff.  New technology, new digital apps and websites, new communications (like podcasts and Marco Polo), and just staying up to date.  I feel that any professional can get complacent and comfortable.  We can get comfortable in what worked in the past and stay the course.  This course allowed us students/librarians time to see what is new.  Then figure out how to use if for the advantage of our patrons. 

Don’t even get me started on looking at other ways librarians or schools are doing things. Wow!!! Some of the libraries and librarians out in the world are killing it.  We get to learn all kinds of new technology from others, but if we don’t use it what is the purpose of learning?  You must learn and pass it along to others.  The course requirements through the assignments and blogging have given us (the students) confidence to pass things along.  We are now official bloggers.  We have been on other websites and know what good looks like and how to make that happen in our libraries, physically and virtually. 

I hope not to ever get complacent.  Even once we don’t have to take classes, we must keep reading School Library Journal and other websites.  Stay aware of the important librarians of the day by following social media and award winners.  Take more classes at USC.  This semester has been full of webinars and zoom sessions with professionals across the world.  I am grateful that we had the time to watch and listen.  We must always try to be a student of our profession and make sure to continue to search for the new stuff.  

But I guess since this class was called “Information Technology in the School Library Program” then goal attained.  I am so amazed that this is the last blog for the class.  It has gone by way too quickly.  I know it will not be my last blog.  New goals to make and classes to take. 

Thanks Dr. Green and your assistants (if any) for the great semester.  Thanks to all the students in the class for fabulous comments and insights.  I look to see you again in another SLIS class.  

Resources:

Digital Computer image: https://www.dreamstime.com/digital-library-online-education-concept-laptop-computer-colorful-books-d-rendering-digital-library-online-education-image125338333

Is that real or Virtual Reality?

Currently one of the middle school standards is to study World War II.  Therefore, the Diary of Anne Frank is often read and studied in seventh or eighth grade.  When I worked at a local middle school, the eighth grade ELA teacher had the students read the book.  They were immersed in the world of Anne Frank.  That included learning about the Holocaust, concentration camps, and the Nazi’s.  The library carried many non-fiction books that would supplement their research and described the Annex in detail with many photos.  This unit was usually something that the students always remembered during their time in middle school.

My oldest son had an internship at The Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam.  His office was across from the back of the Annex.  He looked at that building every day.  The museum, which encompasses most of the city block of buildings includes the original Anne Frank office/annex.  Millions of people from all over the world visit this museum.  

(Video of the visitors to the Anne Frank Museum)

In 2018, Oculus Quest came up with a Virtual Reality (VR)  tour of the Anne Frank Annex.  The museum loaned one to my son to try and see if it was realistic enough.   So of course, he brought it home for me to try.    In the article by Bruce Massis, Using Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in the Library, states that these technologies strive to completely simulate an immersive sensory experience using sight and hearing that is indistinguishable from real (Massis, 2016).  That is absolutely how I felt when experiencing the Anne Frank VR Tour. This is the video from the team that made the VR version for the Oculus Quest, but the older version is the Oculus Rift.  Both items can be purchased through Oculus.com or Amazon.com.  The cost for Oculus Quest and accessories on Amazon.com is $602.00.  

(VR Experience team making the Anne Frank video)

This VR experience is so realistic that I could see dust floating the air of the attic, and hear sounds of the house creaking.  I was amazed.  It brought tears to my eyes and a smile on my face.  This would have been so impactful for students to see.  Not everyone can go to Amsterdam, but how can we bring these to our students. 

Currently, the largest hurdle for public school students to have access to these tools is cost.  Budgets don’t allow for equipment for a class of students to each have a $300.00 – $400.00 headset.   However, the most closely related technology that is available is the Google App called Google Expedition.  This app allows students to experience virtual field trips from around the world by using cellphones or Apple devices from the school.  Our school district has a traveling box of Cellphones that are charged and used just for this activity.  You just need to go to the App store and download the app of your phone to try this out for yourself.  

 

(Google Expedition App Virtual Reality Trailer)

(Google Expedition App Augmented Reality Trailer)

Even as exciting as the many Virtual Reality (VR) options on the App, there is also Augmented Reality (AR) choices.  Being about to teach and then show a student a 3-D model of DNA, the heart, or a coral reef, is something they will always remember.   I felt like a kid watching these items myself.  Technology tools only continue to improve and having the AR and VR options make it a “reality”. 

Resources:

Massis, B. (2016). Using virtual and augmented reality in the library. New Library World, Vol. 16(11/12), 796-799. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/NLW-08-2015-0054/full/html

What are we making today?

This is the best question to ask students when they enter your library.  Many libraries today make many things including items for the community, projects for class, creative thinkers projects and readers of tomorrow.  We really can do it all in a library, you just have to think outside of the box.  When students are checking out a book, they are making their own choices.  We, the librarians, don't pick their book for them.  In a makerspace this is the same concept.  This "lets them know that they are their own agents, responsible for determining for themselves the path of their own making and learning" (Angevine & Weisgrau, 2015).

There are so many great libraries that have created wonderful makerspaces.  Her are a few that I find inspiring.  

Gina Seymour of Islip High School, NY, created a makerspace that allowed students to help the community.  They created dog toys, items for the homeless shelter and dresses for girls in Uganda.  Seymour recently inspired many librarians in South Carolina when she was the Keynote Speaker at the 2020 SC Association of School Librarians (SCASL) Conference this past March.  

Islip High School Library Guide

The University of South Carolina, Rhodos Fellows program at the South Quad Residence Hall created an amazing “garage” out of an old dark study space.  This took over 2 years to develop by researching many other university makerspaces and training the students to help others.  This residence hall is primarily for freshman at USC and is a special place to develop our creative thinkers of the future.

Rhodos Makerspace Video

Rhodos Ribbon Cutting Video

Jackson Elementary School, Camden, SC is located in Kershaw County.  They have around 600 students in this school from K-Fifth grade.  I really like how the librarian designed and organized the makerspace.  Every space is designed to challenge the student and includes ideas and directions for a student to work independently.  To me this is a great place to start for any small library with a small budget.   

So how do we begin?

There are some great tools that I have included to get your started. 

Makerspace Playbook School Edition

Digital Curation: A Makerspace Guide

But the best thing is to just get started.  We can make students a place that doesn’t judge or grade them. We just want to “encourage hands-on, collaborative learning, sharing and creating” (Jones, 2016).

So I ask you again…What are we making today?

Angevine, C., & Weisgrau, J. (2015, September 24). Situating makerspaces in schools. Retrieved from hybridpedagogy.org: https://hybridpedagogy.org/situating-makerspaces-in-schools/

Jones, K. (2016, March 21). Digital curation: A makerspace guide. Retrieved from Evernote : https://www.evernote.com/shard/s210/client/snv?noteGuid=243a99ba-a99a-4afb-8a7e-92f19ec7853e&noteKey=b65a5cb0af531c79582b3035157c220a&sn=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.evernote.com%2Fshard%2Fs210%2Fsh%2F243a99ba-a99a-4afb-8a7e-92f19ec7853e%2Fb65a5cb0af531c79582b303515