the Virtual Bookmark

Internet Safety-Libraries

http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/05/12/internet-safety-issues-what-can-librarians-do/

Internet Safety Issues: What can librarians do?

Top Issues, Concerns and Questions from a public library perspective:

1.In a public school teachers have a captive space, in a library kids are not captive - you have to get creative to get kids to participate!
2.How do you keep up?
3.I want kids to be safe online as a parent and librarian, but I am not sure I know how to do that, or my role?
4.balancing safety and access
5.our constituents are our staff, the public, patrons, legislators: educating all about the role of a public library
6.how do we get seasoned professionals to see the value? (we referenced the diffusion of innovations graph)
7.Internet is ever changing / dynamic, how can we monitor the changes without becoming obsolete?
8.how do we fit this in with how we spend our time at work? (what is appropriate and not appropriate )
9.Classrooms are different: captive audience, year long relationship – librarians are in a different situation, how do we make an impact in our role?
10.Chat rooms and filtering are big issues: want to close down chats in some cases
11.People watching out for the children: it is not part of library policy but is a moral or social issue
12.No cheese with the whine
13.electronic gaming: hard to keep up, kids taking over the computer room
14.people have moved their role (CIPA) from protecting from objectionable content to keeping kids productive / on task
15.importance of boundaries and communication, texting, gaming
16.considering having teens make a social networking account (We discussed how a moderated and managed/controlled social networking environment like ning.com could be preferable to just having kids setup a MySpace page. We also discussed the importance of parent permission and getting signed forms for participation from them as well as kids.)
17.we may have to break bad habits
18.boundaries are so important: cell phone example, parents wanting that contact

Read more at:

http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/05/12/internet-safety-issues-what-can-librarians-do/

Whole New Mind- catalyst for change

At our last Spring Chapter Council, one of our new Executive members, Bonnie Chapman of Surrey suggested a advoacy plan.  Her idea centered around the promotion of the book A Whole New Mind- Why right brainers will rule the future.  Well, I don't know about the plan but I do have some views on the book.  This book is amazing snapshot of the complex social changes that have a direct impact on our goals as educators.  It has affirmed for me that we need to embrace the pedagogical adaptations that will make students think more as independent people. 

Example after example of Pink's book echoes in so many other thinkers and writers, I am convinced tha this general thesis is true.  The concept is not brand new.  The notion has been debated by Tofler and written about in the BC Learner 2000 Commission.  I have already had many people ask about it. It has generated so much valuable educational discussion and it is only a week ago since I read it.

As Bonnie indicated in April, this is a must read for every teacher-librarian who wants to understand why he/she works so hard. I am so convinced of Pink's 'conceptual work', I am going to study more and follow his concept of 'design' to adapt my collaborative lessons in 2008-2009.

ps

I found another article in Teacher Librarian 2006 that similarly touches on the need for less technical skills and greater conceptual building. Download knowledgeworker242.pdf see link below

Pink, Daniel. A Whole New Mind. Berkley Publishing TRD
(288 Pages, 6.00 x 9.00) ISBN-10: 1594481717 . ISBN-13: 978-1594481710

February 23, 2006.

Pink, best-selling author of Free Agent Nation (2001) and also former chief speechwriter for former vice-president Al Gore, has crafted a profound read packed with an abundance of references to books, seminars, Web sites, and such to guide your adjustment to expanding your right brain if you plan to survive and prosper in the Western world. According to Pink, the keys to success are in developing and cultivating six senses: design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning. Pink compares this upcoming "Conceptual Age" to past periods of intense change, such as the Industrial Revolution and the Renaissance, as a way of emphasizing its importance.
-Booklist.Ed Dwyer. Copyright © American Library Association.

Johnson, Doug. "skills for the knowledge worker." Teacher Librarian 34.1 (Oct. 2006): 8-13. Professional Development Collection. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 12 May 2008 http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=tfh&AN=22627954&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live.

Persistent link to this record: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=tfh&AN=22627954&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live

Borrow a Person from the Library

iLibrarian
http://oedb.org/blogs/ilibrarian/2008/borrow-a-person-from-the-library/

Living Library-

A Scandinavian event called the Living Library which lets patrons borrow human “books” is making its way around the UK according to the Times Online. During these special events, library readers are able to check out a person for up to 30 minutes for a one-on-one chat which will offer them the opportunity to learn about a different lifestyle, culture, ethnicity, etc. The books cataloged for the events include a wide variety of stereotypes including Gay Man, Police Officer, Person with Mental Health Difficulties, Muslim, Vegan, and Ex Gang Member.

BCTLA-Planning for change discussion

BCTLA AGM April 2008

Planning for the Future 

As is typical, adapting to change is a challenge for individuals, families and associations.  It is both an interpersonal and logistic challenge.  The BCTLA is not an exception.  With the recent AGM, Chapter Councillors and Executive members made a sincere surge to improve the productivity and service for members in their common goal to strengthen the role of school libraries in the education of students in BC.

How should members share their expertise?  How can the BCTLA best serve your needs? What are the priorities of service? We need each others ideas!

We encourage members to join the challenge by sharing constructive ideas, experiences, and strategies that target the role of the BCTLA in supporting students, school libraries and teacher-librarian professional development.

Post your comments here or contact a member of your Executive.

What role does technology play in promoting literacy dialogue?

from BC Literacy Forum

http://bcliteracyforum.ning.com/forum/topic/show?id=2058420%3ATopic%3A281

I  guess for me, the question is mute.  Here we are online, with strangers, reading and commenting on an important educational and social issue.  Like traditional reading literacy, information and media literacies also have a continuum of skills that develop over a lifetime.  The beauty of our technological era is that the variety of  modalities available enlarge and enrich the dialogue we seek.  No single media, regardless of its currency, is better- they just are. 

As an educator, selecting, acquiring and implementing a range of media with mindfulness benefits learning.  When some original reading material can also be interacted with through print, audio or even video, students can better develop understanding.  Whether the scholarship is in humanities or sciences, new technologies like blogs, wikis and podcasts assist all learners(K-adult) process. Theses tools can expand learning by 'passive reading' with learning 'by doing'.

If stakeholders, engage in technolgies(like this forum) to expand their understanding of the broad and often vague notion of literacy, this has to be a beneficial exercise.  In my view, the challenge is not with the technologies but more with people finding the time and energy to change their behaviours and pratices that promote literacy growth. --Al Smith. Original Comment Post BC Literacy Forum.