Pray Tell, Librarian

As an educator who's worked in three different districts, I've gathered that utilizing technology as an interactive tool can be a double-edged sword.  Unfortunately, there have been instances where awful things happen between adults and students when using technology, but it doesn't have to be this way. Educators don't have to be afraid of using technology as an interactive tool like I was. It's all in how the foundation is laid I also consider myself a public servant because I'm a teacher.  And with that service, a certain etiquette is required.  The classroom is definitely not what it used to be, and technology seems to challenge the appropriateness of classic boundaries. I am an avid Remind user, have used it as a form of two-way communication, recorded and sent sound bites, and shared pictures as well.  It has revolutionized and facilitated how I interact with my students. I also strongly encourage parents to sign up to the class Remind.  As a student, I r...

Technology is available to everyone, it would seem.  And as a current teacher, it seems like technology is at the forefront of every curriculum writing session, lesson plan, and instructional assignment.  But what implications does this have with parents? Does the average educator stop to think how teens interact and behave online? What type of implications does constant online interaction have with teens and their parents, and how do parents navigate this? Monica Anderson's, "Parents, Teens, and Digital Monitoring" surveyed a group of parents and teens with ages ranging between 13 - 17 years of age.  The survey sampled various income groups and ethnicities. And the findings are very enlightening. For the most part, parents partake of conversations and methods to intervene and educate their teens. And because social media has become the cornerstone of most relationships and friendships, some parents restrict access to social media as a disciplining tool.  F...

The educational world is filled with smart people. I must admit - all I expect them to tweet about is educational insight on just about anything.  Except for this one tweet from this "unquiet librarian". One day I will write about what it is like to face end of life decisions for the person you love most &what you wish you knew at the time. — Buffy J. Hamilton (@buffyjhamilton) June 6, 2016 Like Hamilton, I too aspire to write my own book, vignettes, poems, and/or memoirs.  This tweet hit home. Being a Latina, I didn't presume to believe that I would be close to my in-laws. Ever.  That is the greatest understatement. The Prays got under my skin faster than I said "I do". My father-in-law, or Suegro (as I lovingly called him), was more dear to me than any other kind soul on this earth.  My mother-in-law, Annette, was the nicest suegra ever.  (I'm only comparing to other in-laws and stories I've heard.)  I loved them very much. Unexpect...

Many school libraries have taken to catering to digital natives, individuals who were born into the technological age.  One of these avenues is Facebook. Facebook is the ultimate bridge between digital natives and digital immigrants, those who had to learn to live and maneuver technology.  This is something any librarian should take to, as it is part of offering and promoting the library's services to any and all potential patrons. What's particular about Facebook is that librarians can post a variety of things.  From announcements, important nuggets of information, to funny memes about the library dynamic, these methods to reach out to the students and community can't be overlooked.  This technology can be used to advocate the role of the library in learning. Unfortunately, most school library pages host posts for the public, but there is little to no proof of actual interaction.  Some posts have comments, but most do not.  How can this be prevented? Ho...