Literacy and Web Applications
By Mirah Dow
The units of study required for earning graduate credit, 2007 Summer Institute for School Librarians, School of Library and Information Management, Emporia State University course (LI755A) are amazing. I have been reading each unit one-by-one as enrolled students send electronic files to me. Who says that school librarians only check out books? I beg to differ. If only school administrators and policy makers could see what I see this summer in completed units using the NTeQ Lesson Plan Template (Morrison & Lowther, 2002). They would know that fully licensed, professional teacher-librarains are essential to learning in today's schools.
It is clear that the time has come when it makes sense to contemplate the school library and the school, rather than the other way around: the school and the school’s library. After reading your units of study, it is clear that this fall when school begins, school librarians will be teaching literacy reading and writing in the context of content, research and technology. Information and technology literacy, independent learning, and social responsbility are key. Many school librarians have known this and acted on the reality that web applications are central to teaching and learning long before summer 2007.
I just read my new issue of Phi Delta Kappan (June, 2007). The issue is titled and devoted to “Making Tough Choices”. One article, “Technology: Web Applications and Google” (p. 727, 792), discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using software on the Web rather than on our computers. The article points out that the time has come to consider that computing is all about the network as the computer. Web applications are what it is all about.
“Will children in our schools have access to the Internet” becomes a new question when one considers the future of computing is all about the network as the computer. Until recently, we have wondered if all children and youth will have equal access to information. We worried less about whether or not they would have access to MS Office and fancy technology bells and whistles in various software programs. The time as come for us to know that before long, if you cannot get on the Internet, you cannot do your work. This reality points to even higher stakes when it comes to teaching information and technology literacy.
Do you get the picture? I think many school librarians do. For example, during 2007 Summer Institute, many of you brought your laptops and logged on to the Internet. While you were listening and learning, you were also using web applications and Google (and more). For example, one Institute participant showed me her own Google calendar of activities and how she uses it to involve all the teachers in her building in scheduling their use of the library and library resources. She said, “This is my life right here.”
I feel more compelled than ever to be involved in the next best technology application. If I can’t do it myself, how will I teach others? This has always been my mantra. However, for me, summer 2007 is the time that it can no longer be optional. The time may finally be here when it makes sense to consider using the Web for almost everything. What advantages and disadvantages must we anticipate?
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6 comments:
I completely agree that access to the Web is now essential and it is imperative that we as school librarians teach our students how to evaluate resources.
Some of the problems I am seeing are students who are so fascinated with the Internet that they become easily distracted. Hyperlinks take them far away from their original path. High school students, in particular, consider themselves competent on the Web and find it difficult to admit that they really don't know everything.
I also see filters blocking far more sites than necessary, with access to the filter only in the hands of the tech department not the librarian or the teachers. Viruses have taken down school networks in my area so I realize that the filter and security measures are necessary but it would be good if there was a better way for a teacher or me to over-ride the filter. It can take days in my school to get permission to have a site unblocked. (Our filter will misbehave at times too. For awhile this past semester it was blocking the Follett Titlewave site!)
I think that the internet is part of our young people's culture and is increasingly important. I think we need to work even more dilligently to find interesting ways to intrigue our students with authoritative resources. I also think that if we can stay ahead of the kiddos with technological nuances, they are more prone to be library users forever. The kids will also have tons of nuances to show us!
In my opinion, it is obvious that anyone without access to the internet is at a serious disadvantage in any endeavor in life. Seriously.
At my fingertips is access to any product made on Earth, and I am convinced, practically all knowledge.
I know exactly how much concrete to buy to fill a hole in my driveway because a web page told me how many pounds a cubic foot of concrete weighed, and another web page told me how to calculate the volume of the triangle shaped hole. The web replaced a couple of large reference books.
We have a rather large and lanky cat at home, and my mother speculated that it might be a cross with a mountain lion or something. I googled the subject of crossbreeds and cats and found a rather comprehensive web page that discussed it in great detail- the answer is that no, it is unlikely that a house cat might (continued)
breed with mountain lion- it has never been proven to occur. Now, think about this one. What kind of home library would have covered THAT subject? 20 years ago, you would have need to know a zoologist specializing in cats to find that piece of information.
And that is one downside. There is less premium in being knowledgeable about almost anything. Almost anyone can look up almost anything easily. Zoologists with odd knowledge are no longer as important to society as they once were.
I can have conversations with people around the world about almost anything, 24 hours a day. Chatting more if they are interesting, disengaging if they are bores. That becomes another downside. Why develop real freindships? It is so easy to flit from relationship to relationship across the web.
At Washburn University School of Law, we request that each student bring a laptop. All rooms have WIFI. If you stand at the front of a room lecturing, you will see all the computers and hear all the typing. If you come int he back, you will see that half the students are playing games or chatting. And these are adults, supposedly.
By the way, Mirah- HeyJoe is Glen McBeth
I agree that the Internet has become an important tool, however, I am continually reminded during the school year there are quite a few students who do not have easy access to Internet resources outside of our school walls. Living in a rural low-income community, our middle school students, yet unable to drive to the local library and without home computers let alone Internet access, are at a disadvantage.
Even though it seems everyone has access to the Internet, there are still many of our students who scramble to find the information they need as best they can during the school day for reports and assignments as their home resources are very limited. Even keeping the school library open before and after school does not help those students who ride buses. With little free time during the school day to come to the library to do research whether online or not adds to information access inequity.
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