Blog Post 4: The 21st Century Learner

It is a fair statement to say that technology has been incorporated into every possible sector in the 21st century; schools and libraries are no exception. While this is not new information, an issue remains among school leaders as to how to best implement technology into the traditional curriculum. There are many who have yet to make this transition, continuing to teach technology as a tool rather than as a creative outlet (Kuhlthau, 2010). Therefore, the American Association of School Libraries (AASL) created the Standards for the 21st-century learner (http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards) as a way to guide schools into implementing guidelines for a high quality education that will prepare students for an ever-changing world (Kuhlthau, 2010). Among these standards is inquiry, which encourages students to learn through questioning, analysis, collaboration and demonstration (AASL, 2007). Carol Collier Kuhlthau (2010) believes the school library is the perfect place to assist both teachers and students with inquiry-rich lessons. Rather than waiting to tackle inquiry after a lesson has been learned, states Kuhlthau, “guide inquiry is a way of learning that accomplishes the objectives of 21st century schools” (Kuhlthau, 2010, p. 3). Technology is extremely broad and constantly changing, which is why Teachers need guidance just as much as students. The school librarian can collaborate with teachers regarding Web 2.0 tools best suited for inquiry-based learning such as “alchemylearning.com.” The goal of inquiry learning is to allow students to initiate, select and explore ideas (Kuhlthau, 2010) but this cannot occur if students are discouraged from using technology; it is irresponsible for teachers to continue to ignore this vital instrument, especially if the resources are readily available. While a digital divide does exist and prevents some schools from implementing AASL standards, Jan Steyaert, in her article “Inequality and the digital divide: Myths and the realities” suggests a major issue with incorporating technology in the classroom has more to do with a lack of ability rather than a lack of access (2002). In her research, Steyaert advocates for policy that will teach users the skills need so that they can easily tackle learning through technology. If teachers are feeling inadequate in their technology competencies, then the school librarian is the gateway to bridging the gap between the standards the the curriculum currently being taught in the classroom. It should not be expected that teachers will simply seek this assistance; school librarians must reach out to teachers, pro-actively creating resources that can be of use, and then presenting these items to the faculty. Otherwise, the digital divide will continue and not because a deficit in high-tech gadgets, rather, a deficiency in inquiry and a disregard for the 21st-century setting. References American Association of School Librarians. (2007). Standards for the 21st-century learner. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards. Kuhlthau, C.C., 2010. Guided inquiry: School libraries in the 21st century. School Libraries Worldwide, 16, (1), 1-12. Steyaert, J. (2002). Inequality and the digital divide: Myths and realities. In S. Hick & J. McNutt (Eds.), Advocacy, activism and the internet (pp. 199-211). Chicago: Lyceum Press.

Blog Post 3

The following article discusses a study of teacher librarians as a gateway towards integrating technology into the classroom, specifically, gaming. The authors state that the majority of research surrounding this topic focuses on the teacher and their perceptions but rarely are studies conducted regarding the librarian, who has become the primary technology leader on many campuses. As the authors mentioned, teachers’ perceptions about digital gaming is predominantly negative but they surmise that librarians would be more willing to integrate these skills and present them to classroom teachers, thus integrating the technology of gaming into lesson plans. The study indicated that teacher librarians are much more likely to use gaming to teach various skills to students, such as Kahoot! for learning library orientation or Minecraft to make a movie. The authors acknowledged that teacher librarians probably use these games because their schedules are more flexible, whereas a teacher is on a limited time-frame. While teacher librarians were more likely to integrate gaming, the study revealed that their perceptions were just as negative as teachers. The reasons indicated included: lack of time, lack of support and lack of funds. The authors conclude that both parties face the same barriers, however, librarians are in a more advantageous situation, which is the reason they are able to integrate gaming. Therefore, teacher librarians are in the perfect situation to lead teachers into 21st-Century Learning Skill Integration. Minecraft is extremely popular among students and has many benefits of real-world problem solving. I would definitely use Minecraft as a hook to the library. Once students are at the library, I would host a game, allow students to strategize their way to victory. I would informally present the strategies used to problem solve their way and follow up by displaying books with similar subjects of the game. Another interesting tool is the use of Starfall for reading reinforcement. The problem allows students to build their way through reading skills such as letter-sound-recognition, blending, rhyming and sight-words. Even though it is not a complete reading program, the website is a wonderful way to reinforce the classroom teacher’s curriculum. Hovious, A.S., & Van Eck, R.N. (2015). Digital games for 21st-century learning. Teacher Librarian, 42(5), 34-38.