Webinar Reflection 6/30/2011

Joyce Valenza's Presentation

I really liked how Joyce Valenza, the librarian, realized the need for more up to date textbooks and informaiton for these high schoolers.  Her taking the reigns and figuring out a different method of teaching and learning seems to have had a huge impact on these students.  I was very impressed by the individualized research and you could definitely see the learning and growth taking place.  You could tell by Dylan's video that he really respected her as a teacher, and didn't just see her as the person who checks out books.  To me, this is one of the most positive things that can happen.

I loved all the technology that the students were using and how they used them to collaborate with one another.  They were really showing their individuality in the projects and what they were able to create with all different sorts of Web 2.0 tools and interacting and supporting each other on their work.  One quote from Joyce that really stuck with me was that she was "having them create their own infomration landscapes."  Teaching students how to use the vast amount of information that is out there is very important.  This is exactly what we want our students to be able to do when they are out of the K-12 public school systems.

I would love to be able to collaborate with teachers on individualized projects.  I think the students could really learn and grow from selecting topics that interest them and learning about them while integrating many aspects of technology into it.


David Loertscher's Presentation

The first key thing that stood out to me was the emphasis on the virtual space as well as the physical space.  It is important that he points out that the library website or "virtual learning commons" needs to be planned correctly so that it is usable and that students will not "Google around them."   With the amount of technology that is out there, we need to provide our students with what they need, or they will try to find it on their own, and may not be as successful.

Another key that he points out is combining technology skills with content learning.  This is definitely a key to our future.  It isn't so much what you know, but more do you know how to find good information and how to use it. 

I know I've stated it before, but getting a usable library website is one of my main goals for this year.  I want students to want to use the site to locate the information they need and learn, rather than just hit and miss searching on the entire internet.  I want to give them quality resources all in one location.


Doug Johnson's Presentation

I really liked his analogy using the stars.  My district definitely has a few bright stars, but we do need to create a galaxy so that more students have an opportunity to learn and use all the wonderful technolgies that are out there.  This is an excellent opportunity for me as a new librarian to come in and start collaborating with teachers and getting more involved.

I loved this quote!  "Unless a technology empowers a teacher, they are not going to use it to empower students."  I think that many teachers choose not to jump into technology for many reasons, but there is one reason they should-to enrich the learning of their students.

I really like the idea of using the collaborative writing tools, especially for older elementary students.  Many get to the age where they don't want to write, and I think by using one of these tools, they will not only be more apt to write and share, but they will be more willing to look at their own work and that of others as well as begin evaluating what is being written and collaborating and sharing what they are learning.



Valenza, Joyce, David Loertscher and Doug Johnson. "Learning Landscapes Webinar." Schoollearningcommons.23 Mar. 2010. Web. 29 June 2011. <https://schoollearningcommons.pbworks.com/w/page/24592888/Learning-Landscapes-Webinar>.