Search Engines and Directories

 

This week was a bit of a challenge for me.  I have been dragging my feet and trying to avoid doing the assignments because it seemed too daunting to me.  There is quite a bit of info out there about search engines and directories and I found it a bit overwhelming.  This got me thinking about my students.  They must feel the same way when they sit down to do research on the internet.  For any given topic they will find thousands of sites and not understand most of it!  That’s why it is SO important for teachers and TLs to help students navigate through the web.

As I mentioned on the discussion board the most valuable piece of information that I learned was about directories.  What I find so valuable about DMOZ is that the sites seem to be “quality vs. quantity”.  For elementary students I think that this will be a very good start in learning how to do research online.  Learning about how to narrow their search will later help them in using search engines.  I definitely plan on teaching the students how to use directories and about categories and sub categories. 

I also think a TL needs to have a solid website with many links that can help students with all aspects of their learning.  The most important info for research is recommending a few good kid friendly search engines. I think that they rely too much on Google when there are some good search engines that can narrow down the search and eliminate many irrelevant sites.  These two sites offer a comprehensive list of kid search engines.

http://searchenginewatch.com/2156191

http://ivyjoy.com/rayne/kidssearch.html

Here are some in French for those that teach French Immersion

http://82.66.132.140/portailjeunes/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=255&catid=2&Itemid=12

In the few short months that I’ve been a TL, I have definitely been wondering how I was going to help students and teachers navigate the web when I myself am not that proficient at it.  The biggest problem I have right now is finding good French websites that are not too difficult for students to understand.  Many teachers at my school simply ask the students to do the research at home and don’t give much guidance.  Someone mentioned in the discussion group that there should be some pro-d for TL’s and teachers.  I think this would be a fantastic help.  Until there is some pro-d available I will have to become the “expert” for the staff and students. Yikes!

After having explored the differences between search engines and directories I find with the little information that I have understood and acquired this week, I could already be of help to the students and teachers.  I’m not sure I’ll ever have a “mastery of search engine anatomy” but at least I have a starting point. 

Digital Media and Access

Better access in my library is something that I’m currently working on.  I have started by moving the books that are designated for Kindergarten and gr. 1 students.  Since I work in a French Immersion school it’s very important that the younger students have easier books set aside for them.  Previously the librarian was placing books on tables for them to choose from.  I feel that they are old enough to learn how to choose books from the shelves.  A parent found a low bookshelf and now all the easier French books are at the level of the younger students.  A large bookshelf was also moved to provide better flow and allow for less congestion. 

I have taken some time to try to provide better access with the physical aspect of the library but I have taken very little time to reflect on digital access.  There is not one point in the list of digital access that is fully met in my library.  There is so much I want to do and I have so many ideas however I just don’t have enough time since I work only 3 days a week.  I can hardly get a handle on maintaining the books, I’m not quite sure how I will be able to improve the digital access.  I guess like anything baby steps are in order. By the end of the year I would like to have a library website up and running.   I also plan on starting to use the computer lab to teach students how to look for books using OPAC and how to find good websites for their projects.  If I can accomplish all this by the end of the year I will be very happy with the progress!

I recently read an article in the Sun about Elsie Roy Elementary School in Vancouver.  They have really taken on the initiative of having technology at the center of teaching. In some classes all the students have Ipads, there are smart boards in many of the classrooms and library and they invite students to bring in their Ipods and other devices.  This approach is key in providing personalized learning which is what our students need.  Of course there’s always a question about budget but if some money is put aside on a yearly basis you could accomplish quite a bit in a few short years.

Having a digital library collection is the next step with meeting the growing needs of our students.  They already spend so much of their time online why not have access to resources 24/7?  What worries me the most about digital access is how students are left to explore and research on their own with very little guidance.  We send them out into the world of the internet to navigate websites and social networking sites with no life jacket.  In order for the students to be properly informed parents and teachers need to catch up with the fast pace of technology to help guide them.       

Information Age and Organization

I often hear about how we are in the "Information Age".  When I reflect on my teaching I see that I'm not in the information age at all.  In the last 10 years I have made very little effort to increase my knowledge of technology and incorporate it into my teaching. Technologically speaking 10 years is far far too long!  At least I have some consolation in knowing that I'm not the only one to blame for my shortcomings.  The school district that I worked for over the last 9 years is also partly to blame.  There never seemed to be any money to improve things.  My colleagues also rejected any technological advance that was proposed...even simple things like communication through email.  Things are improving but we're already so behind that I'm not quite sure how we can catch up!  At least now people seem more aware of the need to keep up for the sake of our students.  Now that I'm working in an Independent school with a principal who is pushing hard to make many improvements in regards to technology, I have a real opportunity to step up and get with the program! I'm hoping that this course will help me get on the right path and give me the push that I need to be a leader in technology. 
Can we truly have a strong Library Program in a poorly organized school library? 
This question has stuck with me all week while at work.  I think that overall my library is quite well organized considering the space limitations.  However there are still many improvements that I can make.  I took over a library that was run by a library tech for the last 20 years.  She has done a good job in maintaining the collection however there is definitely some room for improvement.  I look forward to learning more in this course that will help me figure out where I should start.  In looking at the CASL document I'm not only reminded of the importance of organization in all areas of the library but also all the responsibilities that I have.  The fact that there are so many doesn't surprise me since as a teacher I always had so many roles and responsibilities.  Now I still have most of the roles of a teacher and have to add on all the new roles of a teacher-librarian.  It's quite overwhelming for someone just starting in this field.  As a teacher-librarian you have to be extremely organized to be able to take on the roles and responsibilities that this article outlines.  I'm not anywhere near that level of organization.  As I write this I'm thinking of my 3 drawer filing cabinet that is a big mess...it's my dumping station...every time I open a drawer I cringe! Hopefully by the end of the year I'll be able to organize my physical space...as far organizing my thoughts that could take even longer!
 In trying to stay organized the biggest challenge this year has been organizing the schedule and trying to get the teachers familiar with a teacher librarian as opposed to a library tech.  I just can't seem to get everything done in three days.  I have a pile of books in boxes waiting to be catalogued.  I manage to see all 9 classes each week and do book exchange for 3 of them.  I have a teacher's assistant doing book exchange for the remainder of the classes.  However he's not able to shelve all the books so I end up doing half of that.  I can't imagine what I'd do if I was in a larger school.  I'm trying to focus on the most important aspects of my job and I'm hoping it will all get done!  It's going to be an interesting 6 months!

Welcome!

I'm very excited to have finally entered the world of blogs!  I've always shied away from blogs since I'm not much of a writer.  I hope you enjoy reading my insights and reflections!