Promoting eBooks in School Libraries

Jessica King            

McCrea, B. (2013, March 14). Making digital libraries work, with or without BYOD. The Journal. Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/articles/2013/03/13/how-schools-are-making-digital-libraries-work-with-or-without-byod.aspx

            In this article McCrea examines the attempts of two different school districts to bring eBooks to their schools and their students. The two school districts approached the idea from different standpoints and received varying results. In one school district the schools gave the students the devises preloaded with the books and received issues when students took those devises home and hooked them up to their personal computers. This, of course, resulted in a number of the devises having their data removed, which led the school to realize that devises are very personal. So, while letting the students use them at school could work, this did not transition to at home use because these devises were not the students. After that attempt the district tried a new approach through a school account on OverDrive, to allow students to access the eBooks on whatever devise works best for them. 

Another school brought eBooks to their students by creating a school Amazon account that they supplied school owned Kindles for and that allowed students with their own Kindle’s to borrow from. This school took an interesting approach by also engaging in patron-driven acquisitions with their eBooks and Kindle account. They encouraged students to look at the eBooks that were available for purchase as well as the ones the library already owned. Instead of focusing their eBooks on just curriculum support this district really dove into the recreation aspect. Although this system is working for that school now, they do caution that they have not done enough research to determine the long-term feasibility of it.

I found this to be an interesting article to read through because of the examples on how these schools are approaching eBooks. Most especially, in regards to how they were really pushing for their students to use the eBooks. It is one thing to purchase the books but another entirely to make students aware of them and involve them in the process. There is this idea that just because the book is electronic, a student will want to read it and this has led schools to purchase those strictly curriculum driven eBooks. I really liked the idea of having the students be involved by having that patron-driven aspect. This is not something every school can do or should do, but it does involve the students and makes them want to look through the collection to give their ideas on what needs bolstering. 

The importance of making instruction accessible to all learners.

Nicole Myerscough

Peters, A.  (2013, October 7).  Video tutorial: The importance of making instruction accessible to all learners. Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/pd-tips/0051/video-tutorial-the-importance-of-making-instruction-accessible-to-all-learners/54301

To allow all learners the dignity of an equal education, regardless of limits to their physical or mental abilities, should be the standard that all school district professionals strive for. In this time of nearly infinite technology, there should be no reasons or roadblocks that would prevent educators and administrators from taking advantage of Assistive Technology tools and trained professionals making instruction accessible to all learners. With such technology and willing professionals experienced in implementing this technology, the dignity of an equal education for all could be realized.

This video is a moving testimony to the difference caring professionals and Assistive Technology can make in the lives of students with disabilities and their families. To realize how far we have come, that students, once limited in what they were able to achieve because of the limits of their physical disabilities, can now participate much the same as their peers, allowing them to succeed with an equal education as a result of educators striving to make instruction accessible, is an incredible achievement.. To know that this technology and these tools are available for all students, would, I hope, compel school district officials to use all resources possible to make Assistive Technology the norm not the exception in their schools.

Straight from the DOE: Dispelling Myths About Blocked Sites.

Pam Scholz

ET

Barseghian, T.  (2011).  Straight from the DOE:  Dispelling myths about blocked sites.  Retrieved from:  
http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2011/04/straight-from-the-doe-facts-about-blocking-sites-in-schools/

Includes discussion with Department of Education’s Director of Education Technology, Karen Cator dispelling myths about blocked sites and the repercussions.

Smartphones in the Classroom

Gualano, Gabriela

Korbey, H. (2013, June 25).  Students speak up: Trust us with devices. [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/06/students-speak-up-trust-us-with-devices/

Unprecedented numbers of students have access to a smartphone, and use them daily in class.  During the school day, middle and high school students text, use Facebook or Twitter, and take pictures.  Despite most schools having a cell phone ban during school hours, teens easily hide phones in backpacks and pockets, and turn phones to silent mode.  The article was concerned with middle and high school students, but even elementary-aged children are familiar with tablets, smartphones, and other digital tools.  Although 80 percent of high schools have access to smartphones, schools are hesitant to utilize them in any meaningful way.  Part of this hesitation stems from inequality and the lack of teacher knowledge.  Some schools are aiming to increase professional development with technology and provide students with tablets.

There are definite pros and cons with allowed electronic devices in the classroom.  As noted, though a large majority of students have access to smartphones, there are still significant numbers who do not.  Would projects be assigned in groups, or would there be school provided devices?  Will the school provide wifi and Internet access, or will students rely on their data plans?  More thought than simply bringing in phones to class one day is required. 

The Project Tomorrow survey also showed 7-20% percent of students used technologies to text with teachers.  I would be very hesitant to have students text teachers, especially with various editing and photoshopping capabilities.  I would suggest using Edmodo, or something similar, as a communication tool instead.  Online communication sites are also available on mobile formats.  Apple devices include FaceTime, but there are other options if needed.

Some limitations also include the small screen size of many smartphones.  Reading a newspaper article may not pose much difficulty, but an academic article or textbook may become difficult.  Tablets and laptops would be a better option, or smartphones with larger screens.  Some websites are not mobile-friendly, and would have to be checked before used in the classroom. 

Lastly, there are many teachers who simply do not feel comfortable with technology.  Yes it is a part of life now, but even if a teacher is open to the idea, the knowledge may be lacking.  For some individuals, even attending classes may not be enough for the teacher to feel really knowledgeable or comfortable with the technology.  It also assumes that the teacher has a smartphone or tablet to use to prepare for the lesson and use for examples. 

However, if the teacher is knowledgeable and there is equitable access to the technology, using various devices in classes could be a great learning tool.  Research for projects and assignments could be started under the teacher’s supervision, with instruction on how to determine a source’s credibility.  Teacher’s could provide step-by-step instruction on how to access databases with students following along in class.

Creative and fun assignments could be created with QR codes, geocaching, and other activities.  Phones and tablets are more portable that textbooks, notebooks, and pens, so assignments could be taken outside or around the school. 

There are also simpler assignments teachers could use.  Google Forms, peer-editing, group notes, and student collections of resources for a particular unit of study.  Group work can be easily divided and worked on without having to coordinate schedules or photocopying.  Presentations no longer need to be narrated PowerPoints, but can be screencasts, videos, and more. 

At a simpler level, these devices are timers, stopwatches, music providers, can access online grades, set reminders, check the weather, and notetakers. 

Schools and classes do not need a complete overhaul to a completely digital format, but incorporating technology students already posses would likely be a positive.  If a teacher tries and it fails spectacularly, then examine why it failed, and improve upon it.  Teachers don’t need to use smartphones and tablets every day, but should try it and see how it goes.

Reference databases & action research, by Allyson Bogie

Burger, S. & McFarland, M. (2009). Action research and wikis: An effective collaboration. Library Media Connection, 28(2), 38-40. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier. Permalink: http://libaccess.sjlibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=44773682&site=ehost-live

Three library media specialists in a suburban school district outside of St. Louis used a wiki to collaborate on an action research project. They recognized that their school district's central library services office was spending a large percentage of their budget each year on electronic databases. The researchers were concerned that students and teachers were not using the databases enough to justify the expenditure, and so set out an action research project to investigate the usage at each of their schools. They used the action research process of developing a research question, conducting a literature review, collecting data with three tools (triangulating data), forming conclusions, and applying their conclusions and learnings to improve their practice. In some cases they conducted trainings for students on various underused databases, and in other cases made recommendations to teachers of which databases they should encourage their students to use.


This article caught my attention for two reasons:
1. it gives a great example of how teachers at school can use collaborative tools (in this case, a wiki on pbworks) to work together and improve practice; and
2. it addresses the realistic issue that some districts have underutilized electronic resources.


It also gives suggestions on how to investigate uses of these resources.


I am already training students on using our database plan to access BrainPop, and I plan to create several screencasts this year for the school library website that demonstrate how to use other electronic references resources such as the Khan Academy videos and Encyclopedia Brittanica.

Kathryn Whitehouse

Luhtala, M., Svec, D. (2012). A tale of two students. Why acceptable use policies make such a difference. American Libraries 41, ⅞. p.48.

     Luthala and Svec provide an A/B comparison of the high school experience for a student who benefits from a school with a progressive policy of open access to wifi and internet based content, and a school that bans devices and imposes significant firewalls that deprive students and educators of utilizing social media, blogging and micro blogging, video and photo uploading, and collaborative projects. Not only is there no investment in tools tailored for educational settings, even free tools such as Skype, Google+, Facebook, and Twitter are forbidden. So what is the result? The savvy student has received an education in digital citizenship, is practiced in information seeking and gathering tools utilized in the real world and at universities, and has created a responsible digital persona. The other student, deprived of all access, is at considerable disadvantage in the college admissions process, and is less equipped to be an effective and independent seeker of information in college and in the job market.

     The authors say “access to learning is an intellectual freedom issue, and many schools are denying students access to critical modern day learning tools.” I would clarify or even expand that point and say this lack of access represents inequitable access to basic information. To me, it is no different from offering library books that are useless, dirty, inaccurate, superseded, and irrelevant to the curriculum while not investing in new titles. 

     Sadly, both circumstances are chronically evident in my children's school district. If you have experience in successfully convincing your IT administrators that your post graduate degrees in information science does in fact qualify you to determine what level of internet access you can administer on behalf of your students, I would enjoy reading of your success could learn from you.