Library Technology

 AI is a tool that has the potential to make simple tasks easier and streamline the many small tasks teachers and librarians do everyday. In the past year or so, I have gotten better about using AI (mainly ChatGPT) as a tool to use for different things. Outside of work, I have used it to make lists for movies I wanted to watch, or books I wanted to read by a certain author. It makes gathering that data so much more simple and usually requires very little thought about what goes into the question. If it does make a mistake, I just tell it what is wrong, and it fixed it easily. I have experimented around with having it give me lesson ideas but never really went further than that.  When play around with it for this post, I decided to focus on it ability to write. One part of my job as teacher that I absolutely hate doing, is parent communication. I have never liked messaging a parent over anything. Now that I am my schools librarian, i'm sure i'm going to have to do even more, si...

So many people use Google and Google's suite of tools everyday. As a cloud based alternative to Microsoft Office or Apple's iWork suite, it has quickly become a popular way to write, track data, and create presentations. Many college students use this as opposed to other software, since its free and can be accessed from anyway, as long as you have a Google account.  While all of the software features settings and options to increase accessibility for those who need it, one of the most used for accessibility is the voice-to-text feature. This allows the user to click the microphone button, and begin talking. It listens and types out every word you say with fairly high accuracy. You can even find a list of words to say when you want the text to use symbols instead of works (such as saying "exclamation point" and having it place a "!" at the end of a sentence).  An example of what the voice to text feature looks like in practice, with commands on the side. What...

 When I first looked at the list for the various items we could explore for this post, I was very thankful for the work the previous librarian did at my school. She did her best to incorporate steam and technology related activities into her library classes each week, regardless of whether our school had a steam class at the time. One of the things listed, and that we had available at my school, was the Dash and Dot robots. Prior to using them for this post, I had not used them before, but was excited to check them out! About Dash and Dot The Dash and Dot Explorer pack that comes with multiple accessories for both robots.  Dash and Dot are a set of small coding robots that teach simple coding methods through games and activities. Dash is a three-wheeling robot that has a few different attachments for the different activities, like a xylophone, a claw gripper, and a catapult. Dot is a smaller robot that does not move that can have a few smaller accessories of its own.  *No...

  The topic of information literacy is an interesting topic to look at, especially with all the information and disinformation out there today. With the internet and social media, there is an overabundance of information that is, most of the time, not fact checked. Being informationally literate does not have to be complicated, but it does require some effort in order to ensure that you are consuming correct information.  Helpful tips for media literacy https://medialiteracynow.org/challenge/what-is-media-literacy/ However, since many places and people just post their opinions online and state them as fact, it can create a challenge. One would think that looking to reputable news agencies would be enough, since the first guiding principle of the Journalists Code of Ethics is to seek truth and report it (Valenza, 2016). Many news agencies seem to have let that principle be one that is not as important. As stated in the Liturigists podcast, you need to ask questions of the mater...

 When looking at the two sets of standards, one of the first things that really stood out to me was how they are not only designed for use with students, but also for educators and other people involved in the library. Prior this upcoming school year, I was a music teacher in an elementary school where the standards that i used were designed just for teaching students and what the students learning outcomes should be. So moving forward, it will be nice to have standards that are more related to everyone involved in the library. (not to mention, both sets are way easier to read than the standards I am used to!) The article Portrait of a Graduate and the National Library Standards, Ehler-Hansen and O'Meara (2019) discuss how the state of Vermont is considered advanced on the scale of states with guidelines and policies in place to allow students to receive a more individualized education with multiple pathways to graduation. They have what their state education board describes as a ...