This week, we looked at schools and how the new technologies and lesson frequently replace the "old and outdated" versions... like updating your version of Firefox on your computer. To an extent, this makes sense. Students need to know the newest and most useful information that will help them become better learners and members of society.
But learning something just because it's the "newest thing" doesn't make a lot of sense. Students, while they are experimenting with the most recent computer software and making webcasts for a class project, should know WHY they are able to do these things and where the technology came from... So, they should be learning both the old and the new.
I understand the many concerns that we, as librarians, will be teaching things (particularly technology) that will soon become outdated and obsolete as we move on to the next best thing. But it helps to think about how students will benefit from knowing how something originated and the basics of how to use it.
By continuing to teach basic skills and programs, we will better equip students to move on to higher levels of learning and abilities. Like the Saber-tooth article we read, students will know how to complete the newest activities by having experience with the old ones. They will understand the how and why of these new programs.
Librarians play an important role in exposing students to new technologies, so we should always keep in mind that the shiny new toy might not be the best plaything for students to start out with. We need to understand that students should know the history and previous methods before being pushed into a lesson on some new and exciting technology or program, because with understanding and reason comes the desire to learn more.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Copyright/Creativity
First of all, let me apologize for this late post!
With all the chaos of my various class projects, I totally forgot about my blog and delicious accounts! I'm so, so sorry!
The readings for this week were very interesting, and I liked the discussions on copyright and creativity. It seems that these two have much to do with each other.
As educators, we definitely need to find new ways of doing things that don't infringe on copyright laws. With all the new technologies out there, it's difficult to know where to draw the line.
I really, really liked the idea we talked about on the class discussion board about having students send letters or emails to authors/companies asking about their work. Whether the class is asking for permission to use part of the work, or just asking questions about copyrights, it's a great experience for students to have. My only consideration is that it might be a good idea to have students write to local authors or companies, which may be more likely to answer communications than those who are more well-known.
This is a very creative way to discuss copyrights with students-- they are actively participating in the lesson and learning about what the work means to the one who created it!
I think it's getting hard for teachers to keep up (creatively) with all of the mind-boggling aspects of web 2.0... I'll be interested to see what the future of education brings in terms of creative activities and lessons for students.
With all the chaos of my various class projects, I totally forgot about my blog and delicious accounts! I'm so, so sorry!
The readings for this week were very interesting, and I liked the discussions on copyright and creativity. It seems that these two have much to do with each other.
As educators, we definitely need to find new ways of doing things that don't infringe on copyright laws. With all the new technologies out there, it's difficult to know where to draw the line.
I really, really liked the idea we talked about on the class discussion board about having students send letters or emails to authors/companies asking about their work. Whether the class is asking for permission to use part of the work, or just asking questions about copyrights, it's a great experience for students to have. My only consideration is that it might be a good idea to have students write to local authors or companies, which may be more likely to answer communications than those who are more well-known.
This is a very creative way to discuss copyrights with students-- they are actively participating in the lesson and learning about what the work means to the one who created it!
I think it's getting hard for teachers to keep up (creatively) with all of the mind-boggling aspects of web 2.0... I'll be interested to see what the future of education brings in terms of creative activities and lessons for students.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Ebooks and libraries
I know that we are moving farther and farther into the digital age, and students are becoming more accustomed to using online resources, but there are some things that I, as a librarian, am not ready to accept as the norm.
I don't think that Ebooks should become a main resource for students... Using physical copies of books, whether it is for school purposes or just fun reading, allows students to stay in touch with the sense of "real" information and text. Holding a book in their hands emphasizes what they are absorbing as they read. Having the physical book can help students realize that the information they are reading came from somewhere-- it took effort and time to make the information available; it didn't just appear out of nowhere. I think that reading online Ebooks can sometimes make it seem that way.
Students don't become as tied to online books as they can to physical books. By using physical books, students are taught to respect the resource and treat it well to make sure it lasts; they are shown how to find the books in a library, rather than hitting a few keys and having it pop up in front of them. In an age of immediate online gratification, it seems like a good idea to show students how to search and find books in the shelves of a real library. This way, they can better appreciate the effort they put into finding the book.
I think Ebooks can be useful if there is a specific title that the library cannot acquire, particularly resource and textbooks. However, I don't think schools should provide titles online that can be found in the library for recreational reading. Part of the fun of reading is holding the book in your hands and taking the time to page through it.
Since students are becoming so dependent on technology to provide them with information and recreation, I like the idea of providing them with "real" books that will drag them away from their computer and iPhone screens, at least for a little while.
I don't think that Ebooks should become a main resource for students... Using physical copies of books, whether it is for school purposes or just fun reading, allows students to stay in touch with the sense of "real" information and text. Holding a book in their hands emphasizes what they are absorbing as they read. Having the physical book can help students realize that the information they are reading came from somewhere-- it took effort and time to make the information available; it didn't just appear out of nowhere. I think that reading online Ebooks can sometimes make it seem that way.
Students don't become as tied to online books as they can to physical books. By using physical books, students are taught to respect the resource and treat it well to make sure it lasts; they are shown how to find the books in a library, rather than hitting a few keys and having it pop up in front of them. In an age of immediate online gratification, it seems like a good idea to show students how to search and find books in the shelves of a real library. This way, they can better appreciate the effort they put into finding the book.
I think Ebooks can be useful if there is a specific title that the library cannot acquire, particularly resource and textbooks. However, I don't think schools should provide titles online that can be found in the library for recreational reading. Part of the fun of reading is holding the book in your hands and taking the time to page through it.
Since students are becoming so dependent on technology to provide them with information and recreation, I like the idea of providing them with "real" books that will drag them away from their computer and iPhone screens, at least for a little while.
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