Sunday, September 7, 2008
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Let me know what you think of my philosophy of education
Teaching elementary school children is a job with special responsibilities. School librarians who work with small children should be always kind, patient, and helpful. I take my duties as an elementary school librarian seriously. I love reading, especially out loud, and I place the highest value on inspiring our students to also love reading. When I plan lessons, I encourage my students’ creativity and employ games, active play, music and technology to make learning fun for students of all learning styles.
It is my belief that reading is the key to help all children succeed in school. I believe when children learn to read, there is always some subject that can capture their interest and inspire them to become avid readers. Avid readers will become, in turn, students who can understand their class and homework assignments better. School librarians should purchase books that their students are interested in, and the students need to be given quiet time in school and at home to explore and read them. I can help by selecting and maintaining an extensive library collection and by providing active reader’s advisory help to students. As school librarian, I should be on the floor to answer questions, teach children to work out disputes, and help in any way needed.
As much as I love the books in our school library, books are never as important as the children whom I teach. Our library has a rule that states that a child who forgets his or her library books can not take out more books until the old books are returned. I understand the reason for that rule, but I do not like to enforce it. I do not think that children should be punished with lack of free-choice reading material because their parents are disorganized. If the book is missing for two or more weeks, we send home an overdue notice with cost of replacement, and allow the child to check out new book.
When I was a child, I was never as happy as when I was in the library. Although everyone can love books, some children have difficult home lives that make the wonderful world of books seem all the more special. That was the case with me as I child. I became good friends with my librarian. She modeled for me a teacher/librarian, and always provided me with enough fantasy to keep me reading and coming back for more.
I believe that students given research assignments should have some degree of choice either in the topic of research or in the way that they present their findings. I collaborate with teachers and our curriculum specialist to plan future research projects and to better supply our library with new research materials. I am the school’s reference source for all information needs, and I am equally excited to provide help to students with projects, parents, teachers, administrators or the custodial staff.
The intelligent and equitable use of technology for research is more complex than students or even teachers understand. My education and experience with web-based technologies will be constructive for training students to become efficient and ethical technology users. I look forward to having our students and teachers use wikis and blogs, and create podcasts to share with the world.
It is my belief that reading is the key to help all children succeed in school. I believe when children learn to read, there is always some subject that can capture their interest and inspire them to become avid readers. Avid readers will become, in turn, students who can understand their class and homework assignments better. School librarians should purchase books that their students are interested in, and the students need to be given quiet time in school and at home to explore and read them. I can help by selecting and maintaining an extensive library collection and by providing active reader’s advisory help to students. As school librarian, I should be on the floor to answer questions, teach children to work out disputes, and help in any way needed.
As much as I love the books in our school library, books are never as important as the children whom I teach. Our library has a rule that states that a child who forgets his or her library books can not take out more books until the old books are returned. I understand the reason for that rule, but I do not like to enforce it. I do not think that children should be punished with lack of free-choice reading material because their parents are disorganized. If the book is missing for two or more weeks, we send home an overdue notice with cost of replacement, and allow the child to check out new book.
When I was a child, I was never as happy as when I was in the library. Although everyone can love books, some children have difficult home lives that make the wonderful world of books seem all the more special. That was the case with me as I child. I became good friends with my librarian. She modeled for me a teacher/librarian, and always provided me with enough fantasy to keep me reading and coming back for more.
I believe that students given research assignments should have some degree of choice either in the topic of research or in the way that they present their findings. I collaborate with teachers and our curriculum specialist to plan future research projects and to better supply our library with new research materials. I am the school’s reference source for all information needs, and I am equally excited to provide help to students with projects, parents, teachers, administrators or the custodial staff.
The intelligent and equitable use of technology for research is more complex than students or even teachers understand. My education and experience with web-based technologies will be constructive for training students to become efficient and ethical technology users. I look forward to having our students and teachers use wikis and blogs, and create podcasts to share with the world.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
A reflection for my online class
I'm reaching the end of my online class on the Theory and Foundation of Education. One of our last assignments is a journal entry, so I thought I would post it here. We are given a few sentence starters and must finish those sentences with a paragraph or more about something we learned in class. This is our third go-round with the exercise and I probably have the same answers every time. I'm impressed with how smart my classmates are compared to me. I'm wondering about how it will feel to actually get paid for working, etc. Oh well, I'll give it one last try, and I hope I think of something new to write.
I am most impressed with how much there is to learn about education. We had a course in our MLIS program about learning theory, media and the curriculum. We focused there more strictly on library theorists and scholars, and what they had to say about teaching and learning in the library and on evidence-based practice. With this course we have covered so much more, and I feel that we have only nicked the surface on some very major topics.
I am wondering how long it will take my school's technology department to learn that the Internet is not our enemy, and that we can all learn by watching and creating videos, by listening and creating podcasts, and by reading and creating blogs and wikis. They are true tools of constructivist learning, and it will excite the students to be able to share their creations with more people than their teacher. Commenting and responding to comments about their posts will stretch their learning to higher levels, as they struggle to defend their posts, and contemplate those of their classmates.
I'm happy to have added new understandings about Behaviorism, Cognitivism and Constructivism, and how they are used in schools in general and the library in particular. With the comparison chart being repeated in each group's work, I was able to review and consider it, and to see the distinctions between Cognitivism and Constructivism. I remembered from Human Information Behavior class that Cognitivism saw the brain as a computer, and focused on how new learning materials are processed, just as a CPU processes information, but most of the theorists of the two schools are the same, and it was confusing to me. Working on this latest unit of study, and discussing the three topics separately has helped me understand how knowledge is not unique to the individual in Cognitivism like it is with Constructivism.
How can I tie this knowledge to what I do in my library? I'm always working on new lesson plans and projects for the kids I teach. It takes a long time to work out the plans, but I enjoy creating them myself, rather than finding already created plans on the net because when I create the plans, they can stem directly from the interests and needs of the children and teachers of my school. Today, while I have been working on homework, I am also mentally working on a lesson plan for second graders making puppets. I want them to think of what types of puppets we should have, how they can use them, what books and resources will they need to learn how to make puppets, what materials will they need, etc. There, I had to write that out.
I am most impressed with how much there is to learn about education. We had a course in our MLIS program about learning theory, media and the curriculum. We focused there more strictly on library theorists and scholars, and what they had to say about teaching and learning in the library and on evidence-based practice. With this course we have covered so much more, and I feel that we have only nicked the surface on some very major topics.
I am wondering how long it will take my school's technology department to learn that the Internet is not our enemy, and that we can all learn by watching and creating videos, by listening and creating podcasts, and by reading and creating blogs and wikis. They are true tools of constructivist learning, and it will excite the students to be able to share their creations with more people than their teacher. Commenting and responding to comments about their posts will stretch their learning to higher levels, as they struggle to defend their posts, and contemplate those of their classmates.
I'm happy to have added new understandings about Behaviorism, Cognitivism and Constructivism, and how they are used in schools in general and the library in particular. With the comparison chart being repeated in each group's work, I was able to review and consider it, and to see the distinctions between Cognitivism and Constructivism. I remembered from Human Information Behavior class that Cognitivism saw the brain as a computer, and focused on how new learning materials are processed, just as a CPU processes information, but most of the theorists of the two schools are the same, and it was confusing to me. Working on this latest unit of study, and discussing the three topics separately has helped me understand how knowledge is not unique to the individual in Cognitivism like it is with Constructivism.
How can I tie this knowledge to what I do in my library? I'm always working on new lesson plans and projects for the kids I teach. It takes a long time to work out the plans, but I enjoy creating them myself, rather than finding already created plans on the net because when I create the plans, they can stem directly from the interests and needs of the children and teachers of my school. Today, while I have been working on homework, I am also mentally working on a lesson plan for second graders making puppets. I want them to think of what types of puppets we should have, how they can use them, what books and resources will they need to learn how to make puppets, what materials will they need, etc. There, I had to write that out.
Monday, September 10, 2007
A new school year begins
It's September, and it's hot at the Parkview School. But there is one place where you are always welcome to come cool down. If we have room for your class anywhere in the library, the reading area, the work tables, or in the computer area you can come with your class and read or work quietly.
So give us a call at ext. 1111, send a student down to ask about available space, and come spend some time with us. We're the library and we love to help people.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Join me on the Milltown Public Schools ning
Sorry to disappoint, but I'm only inviting you all to take a peek, not "join".
I created this project, which I hope will take our two schools by storm, to be a private site for Milltown teachers and aides and I guess administrators. I hope it will allow teachers to view and explore some web2.0 tools while learning more about educational topics
Iif you would like to visit, you can use my fake name/id that I used to create a second account for the how-to video. Sign in with the name bwscils and the password bwscils.
You will see that a ning site is basically a social networking site for a specific interest. Like a google or yahoo group, but on a pretty website on which you can throw a lot of tricks .
The site: milltownps.ning.com
also check out the school library blog that I just created:parkviewlibrary.blogspot.com
Click the links to see my school library site I made for multimedia.
Well, that's all, folks!
This email will self destruct in five, four, three, two
Youch! Mixed TV metaphors. Sorry about that Chief.
Can you tell I'm a little giddy to have finished the project?
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Video Games Live concert from YouTube
Just in time for our game class this video shows what I spent about 10 years of my life doing.
And bravo Steven Berlin Johnson! The chapter on games from your book Everything Bad Is Good For You is great.
Click here to see this video on the YouTube page.
And bravo Steven Berlin Johnson! The chapter on games from your book Everything Bad Is Good For You is great.
Click here to see this video on the YouTube page.
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