There are many buzz words in
the world of education, among them rigor, common core, and STEM. As a campus instructional technologist and a
future librarian/media specialist, I am particularly aware of the last term. My district continues to push toward a fully
STEM aligned district, boasting specific learning opportunities and tools
geared towards these fields from preK all the way through 12th
grade. While I feel their goals are
admirable, I’ve always preferred a more balanced approach towards life and
learning, as opposed to jumping on and pushing just one wagon until a bigger
and better one comes along. In addition,
I find one area of STEM far less emphasized than others, and it happens to be
the one to which I am most responsible for on my campus- the “T” in STEM….technology.
Part of the issue, I suppose,
is that technology encompasses so much, and yet many dismiss it as just a
device. More than once, my class has
been referred to as the computer class, but that undervalues so much of what I
do with my students. Initially as a word,
technology referred to the knowledge of a particular area and the practice of
that knowledge. It dealt more with the
thinking aspect and the actual application.
Later, it began to encompass the tools that allowed for more efficient
practice, and today, some think it is simply the device, typically electronic
in nature. If something plugs in, that
means technology is involved. In regards
to my district’s STEM labs, there are computers in them, so that must mean
technology is involved, right?
I would disagree. Technology comprises not only of the device,
but also the creation of things with the device and the creation of new devices
itself. It incorporates the way of
thinking and innovation the devices facilitate, as well as the collaboration
and communication they require, not to mention the knowledge necessary to best
understand and utilize them. Recently, I
came across an article about a district in Wisconsin that had made it a
district initiative to change the way they viewed their libraries, technology,
and learning in a way that I feel truly embraces technology as a whole.
One thing that impressed me
about the district’s decision to transform their traditional libraries into
learning commons was that the district created a team of stakeholders to
reflect upon the current state of the spaces and the learning taking place in
them, as well as to consider what the future needs of students and teachers
would be (“Exciting Times,” 2014). As
opposed to saying iPads are the hot thing right now, so let’s buy iPads, the
district really looked at all aspects of learning. Technology was a tool that was considered,
and spaces were created and adapted to be more flexible, but this was to accommodate
the learner, not necessarily the technology.
The decisions were not made quickly, and everyone was asked to buy
in. The district supported the decisions
initiative in words, actions, and finances, even creating a motto that lent
itself to global learning.
As the physical spaces of the
libraries transformed, so did the digital spaces. Media specialists shifted gears from focusing
not only on print collections, but also on training students to search through
databases and the internet (“Exciting Times,” 2014). Students weren’t the only focus for training,
either. Media specialists became
teachers to the teachers, guiding them through platforms they were unfamiliar
with (“Exciting Times,” 2014). The media
specialists also took it upon themselves to become Google certified, as their
district became a Google Apps for Education district. Instead of just asking their students and
faculty to continue their learning, the media specialists modeled collaboration
and continued learning. They used the
skills they learned and passed them onto students and teachers. The students and teachers, in turn, were able
to create amazing digital portfolios and lessons that before would not have been
achieved.
Perhaps the most interesting
aspect of this article, to me, was the fact that the article itself
circumscribed to the philosophy of the district to extend learning to all
spaces. In addition to mentioning that
teachers and media specialists collaborated together to curate digital spaces
for students to learn outside of the learning commons and classroom, the
article started with the mention that two videos had been created to accompany
the article and better explain the changes the district had undergone (“Exciting
Times,” 2014). The need to instill
students with a desire to become independent learners was now being extended to
me, the reader of the article. This
simple addition of technology added another layer of connection was added, as I
listened to the media specialists document the changes, physically, mentally,
and academically that had taken place.
One of the media specialists
mentioned that as she was teaching more technology to her students, her goal
wasn’t for them to learn the specific program.
Chances are, the program will change.
However, she wants to develop in her students the recognition of
patterns in program so that when they encounter something similar, they are
able adapt and figure it out (“Exciting Times,” 2014). This is one strategy I plan to embrace. Technology is ever evolving. This is what makes it so scary for some
people. However, if I can show my
students how to find things they are familiar with from one program to another,
they will be better able to adapt in any technology situation, regardless of
what platform they are using on whatever device.
Another takeaway I have from
the Kettle Moraine District is more of a program development piece than the
actual working with students, but I think it is extremely important to look at
all the components of the space in which we are working and make sure all the
pieces are necessary and essential to our acquisition of knowledge. The flexibility of spaces that so many
schools are moving towards allows for easier incorporation of technology within
the library or learning commons. It’s
difficult to utilize technology if the equipment isn’t accessible and the
students are unaware of the programs.
Evaluating the way things are set up and presented to students is
essential.
I might have a more global
interpretation of technology than some, but I genuinely feel that these 21st
Century Skills we are insisting our students develop (there’s another buzz
word) are the embodiment of technology, itself.
By changing the spaces to facilitate the communication and the
collaboration and the student empowerment and the utilization of devices and
programs, we are giving them all the pieces of technology they need to survive
in this digitally driven world. The
actions of the Kettle Moraine District serve as an inspiration and hopefully a
model I can bring to my own district, even if it means starting the shift at my
campus level. Taking a look at the
library as a whole is key to technology integration.
References:
Exciting Times. (2014). Teacher Librarian, 41(4), 21-25.
Kettle Moraine
School District (2013, November 20). Library
media in the 21st century- Part 1 of 2: Physical spaces and student
projects [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REN8hAw1mhA
Kettle Moraine School
District (2013, November 27). Library
media in the 21st century- Part 2 of 2: Technology and outreach
[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REN8hAw1mhA
