Course Review (Blog Post 10)

What a great semester!  I have learned so much over the course of the semester, and really enjoyed working with everyone.  I thought it was especially valuable to take this course in conjunction with SLIS 742 because I was able to see a little bit more of how what we are learning would be implemented in the classroom.  I was impressed in this course with how much we focused on technological tools that I did not realize existed - many of which are free and easily available online.  These tools could be a wonderful asset to classrooms and engage students in ways that are overlooked in typical coursework.  Using digital tools and collaboration between students is important given that students will be expected to use those skills when they enter the workforce, and often teachers don't engage with these skills just because they aren't aware of the tools available and don't have time to research them.  That's a great way for the librarian to become involved and do the foot work for the teachers so they can implement the tools in the classroom without having to wade through what can seem an overwhelming number of available options.

There were three things I learned about in this semester that I thought were very important.  The first is digital flyers/infographics.  Prior to this course it honestly never occurred to me that I could actually create an infographic on my own,  much less that there are free tools online that make it easy to create them.  I'm sure we can all think of many ways to implement infographics in the school environment, or even in our personal lives - I think I could make an infographic about doing chores and my daughter would think it was cool!  After I told my co-worker (I work in a law firm) about the infographic tool I used, he actually created an infographic to use for a presentation at work!

The second tool is Google Cardboard.  The idea that virtual and augmented reality technology is available and relatively inexpensive is amazing, and teachers can use the tools in a multitude of ways in the classroom.  I recently took my daughter to Roper Mountain Science Center for an event, and they were actually using Google Cardboard in connection with a study about dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures.  All of the kids were so excited to try them out, and the 'adult in charge' was a young teenager, so it required very little oversight.

The final, and in my opinion most important, aspect is cyberbullying.  Teaching and encouraging the use of technology is important and necessary; however, using those tools can open up the door to bullying online or using tools to be cruel to others online.  Any of the tools we have discussed could be used in a way that could be hurtful or damaging for a student who makes poor decisions online, so parents and teachers need to be very aware of what could be happening and teach students about appropriate behavior.

Thank you all for a great class!