Blog Post 4: Technology Leadership Role of School Librarians

Library Media Specialists are in a position to teach students skills that will help them be successful in the future. “The AASL Standards for the 21st-Century Learner focus on students, with an emphasis on inquiry, thinking, and the creation, application, and dissemination of knowledge, as well as on the social and personal development of students” (Fontichiaro & Johnston, 2010, p. 22). These guidelines enable students to not only learn how to search for information and to solve a problem, but to figure out how to process the information and present it to others. Both the ISTE NETS and the AASL’s Standards for the 21st Century Learner go beyond students learning how to use technology. These standards involve students learning how to use current technology to solve problems, work collaboratively and be able to adapt to new and upcoming technologies that will become available in the future. Students that learn how to think and synthesize will be successful in the future.

The guidelines ensure that students will learn these skills in school. “It is crucial that librarians instruct students in the kinds of thinking, processing, and practices that are evergreen: skills that will endure and help our students remain adaptable throughout their lives” (Fontichiaro & Johnston, 2010, p. 22).  These skills should be integrated into lessons and activities on a daily basis. The integration of technology into schools is indispensable in working with students on these skills. Technology being used in the classroom opens the door for increased student engagement, collaborative learning, student creativity, differentiated learning, and so much more. The “media specialists must instruct teachers on the best strategies for teaching students how to use information and technology in the classroom” (Purcell, 2010, p.32). Providing professional development, planning with teachers, and co-teaching encourages teachers to integrate technology and these 21^st Century Learner skills into their lessons. It is important teachers become more knowledgeable about what technology has to offer so they can see the benefits. It is also important that they feel comfortable with it. The best way to do this is to use it consistently. This ensures that students will be exposed to these standards throughout the day, not just when they are in the library. Using technology also gives students real-world experiences.

The AASL (2015) also lists in the standards that students should “share knowledge and participate ethically and productively” (p.6). It is the responsibility of the media specialist that the teachers and students are taught about not only ethics when it comes to print materials, but also digital citizenship. Students need to be taught about plagiarism, Fair Use, Copyright, and Public Domain. Working collaboratively and responsibly is truly a life skill. Information literacy is key in today’s society. Students must be taught to know what information they are looking for, where to find the information, what to do with the information they find, as well as how to present it. This is the job of the media specialist, to help direct and support them along the way.

The AASL (2015) guidelines also discuss that students should use self-assessment to better understand their strengths and areas for growth.  It encourages students to look at their personal interests and strengths. Web 2.0 tools offer a variety of tools for students to express their creativity and interests with others. Social networks make it easy to share thoughts with others and connect with others that may have the same interests.

Through the use of current technology, library media specialists have a special opportunity to engage students in higher level thinking and show more creativity than ever before. Instructing students about digital citizenship is very important in this digital world. The guidelines and standards set by the AASL and ISTE give us the specifics of how to create successful 21st Century Century Learners. 

References

American Library Association. (2015). Standards for the 21st-century learner. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/AASL_Learning_Standards_2007.pdf

Fontichiaro, K., & Johnston, M. P. (2010). Project library: Using the l4l toolkit to inspire and refine your practice. Teacher Librarian, 38(1), 20-23. Retrieved from http://www.teacherlibrarian.com/

International Society for Technology in Education. (2015). ISTE standards: Students. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/ISTE-standards/standards-for-students

Purcell, M. (2010). All librarians do is check out books, right? A look at the roles of a school library media specialist. Library Media Connection, 29(3), 30-33. Retrieved from http://www.librarymediaconnection.com/lmc/