Blog Post 4: Technology Leadership Role of School Librarians

Technology has become a vital component in our lives. As little as 30 years ago most people were unaware of all the capabilities of the digital world. This is no longer true for most. Cell phones, iPods, and laptops are now the center of most people’s worlds. Recognizing this trend is necessary in education today to provide digital citizens for tomorrow. Librarians no longer solely sit at circulation desks and check out books. Martineau (2010) states that “school librarians-or teacher librarians-are vital educational leaders on campus who update educators’ and students’ research skills in an era of ever-changing technology” (p. 4).  Librarians, education, and technology are now seen as going hand in hand. In the Standards for the 21^st-Century Learner, the third standard under 3.1.4 covers the use of “technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways that others can view, use, and assess.” Libraries and librarians that provide a sound technology foundation have been shown to have a greater and positive impact on student’s learning and their successes. One group of researchers established that “the evidence clearly identifies the elements of the library which contribute to the impact on learning (as) networked technology to support information access and use, and knowledge building and dissemination (Williams, Wavell, & Morrison, 2013). Technology’s benefits outweigh the risks. The uses for technology seem endless and as such, a librarian needs to fine tune how and when to use technology in the educational process. The Internet is a valuable tool not just in research but also in up to date information. Textbooks are sometimes out of date, so the Internet provides relevant information on a variety of subjects and content areas on a timely basis. Instruction using digital resources offers librarians diverse avenues which to explore. Podcasts, simulations, and animations are only a mere few of the resources available to educate students through technology. A school librarian’s role is now as the innovator and curator of students’ explorations and discoveries through the assistance of technology. In the Martineau article, “Barbara Jeffus, a school library consultant for the California Department of Education, says that the school librarian’s role on campus has become even more critical in the digital age” (p. 5). Today’s librarian is an educator of teachers and students in the use of printed literature of course, yet the librarian’s role is so much more. A librarian can now showcase a new acquired knowledge through the digital world.  One writer aptly avows, “In the new millennium, school librarians are more likely to be found sitting behind a computer as they update the library web page or create a wiki on genetically modified organisms (Martineau, 2010, p. 4). Librarians’ new and inventive role as technology implementers is an admirable aspect of their profession.  

Reference

Martineau, P. (2010). School librarians. vital educational leaders. The Education Digest, 75(6), 4-6. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/218191249?

Standards for the 21st-Century Learner. (n.d.). Retrieved January 27, 2015, from http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards

Williams, D., Wavell, C., & Morrison, K. (2014). Impact of school libraries on learning. Teacher Librarian, 41(3), 32-33. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1504427838?