DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY
Who knew that librarians had to know so much about technology? I mean they just check out books and reshelve them right? In this day and age, the librarian must be aware of and advocate for the needs of our 21st-century learner all while cultivating their love for reading. In this modern era of librarianship, they have to not only know how to utilize online library systems like Destiny and Titlewave, but also be proficient at designing webpages, utilizing social media, basic coding, and even knowing some about online gaming! Librarians (and especially ones like me with Educational Technology certification) must find ways to meld instructional theories and best practices with an emphasis on how technology is used in teaching and then share that out to staff and patrons. It's quite a daunting task!
Project 1 |
Distributed Learning Activity
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I created a distributed learning experience for second-grade students based around the works of Eric Carle for ETEC 591. This project asked us to create a multi-day, distributed learning activity for students to use that could be self-directed.
I envisioned myself as a librarian collaborating with a 2nd-grade teacher to create this unit. Eric Carle books are generally easy to read and have many different connections to our TEKS as well as the world around us. I love Carle's works and am familiar with most so it made this project incredibly fun for me to create different activities to complement his beautifully illustrated books.
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HERE is a link for my distributed learning project in PREZI. In case it doesn't work, a PDF of it is below.
Project | 02 Technology Evaluation Plan
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Part of our final assesment for ETEC 596 was creating a campus technology assesment plan. Our campus went to 1-1 with Chromebooks this year. Considering this change impacted half of our campus, this seemed like a great place to evaluate new technology on campus.
*Note: When the assignment is finished later in this class, it will be dropped in.
Project | 03 Writing & Evaluating Lessons Using Technology
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I am one of those weirdos who actually enjoys writing lesson plans. When I was preparing to become an educator, we were exposed to Madeline Hunter's model of lesson planning and it just clicked with me. Call me old school In ETEC 527, we were asked to write an Educational Technology Lesson plan. I chose to use an app I had been exploring called ShadowPuppet, as the tech basis for my lesson plan.
In the end, we were asked to evaluate the technology used in the lesson based on a technology evaluation rubric. It was fun to create a technology-based lesson and look at an app through the critical lens of a technology person. However you always have to wonder, how am I going to do this if the Internet is down? Always have a Plan B!
Project | 01
Project | 04 Library Re-Design
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Design is such a huge part of the technology-focused world we live in. If something doesn't function easily and look good while it is being used, it will probably be kicked to the curb. In LIS 540, we were asked to redesign our current library to make it more appealing, user-friendly and to boost circulation and patron use.
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I really enjoyed this project on many levels. First, it made me evaluate my patrons and the libraries purpose. After a close examination of the community needs, it was a challenging task to redesign the library to create a more future-forward feel with different types of learning spaces in the library. Design is easy when you have an unlimited budget! It was exciting to see all of the different types of furniture and storage that is out there. I used Pinterest to save my ideas. I loved being able to research MakerSpaces and read about what other librarians have been successful with and also tried and failed!