Libraries in the 21st Century

Action Research Plan -

Libraries in the 21st Century!

Having way to much fun with this blogging!! My volleyball team is tired of looking at all of my updates daily!! Way cool!

Interesting Conversation

So yesterday, I was just talking to some of my campus teachers and merged the library into our conversation without them knowing that my Research Action is about the use of the library. It was interesting that the conversation quickly went the direction of my RA topic and they actually got upset on this topic. The feel like the library is a "waste of funds" and we should have a technology research room that your students can go to just do research. This is where the Media Specialist would work from.

Then we start talking about what if they need a book and we brought up the idea of having only one library at our district offices and you can check out the books online and they will be sent to you within 24 hours. This would definitely help the budget problems!

Wow!

I don't know about you, but I have become addicted to this blog thing! I found the easiest way to communicate to my volleyball program with the push of a button! With Bonnie in the gulf, and my camp starting on Monday, I have to keep over 100 people informed of what's what my thoughts are and if we have to change something, what it's change to.

AMAZING!

Plus, I also love to read about everyone's Action Research and what they are learning. To be so scared of one class, but to fall in love with it so quickly... This makes me remember my school days and what went on inside my head. If I can carry this over with me to the Fall Semester and help remind students that I understand what they are going through and to give it a chance, they might actually enjoy themselves!

Talk to you later! Carey

Reflection on Week 1 & 2

When I initially heard that our Research class was next, I automatically thought ugh! Not realizing that I would not be sitting in the library looking at encyclopedia's or roaming through endless books looking for facts like I did back in the good old days of secondary education and college. Now, I am doing my homework at home, with a laptop on the couch, two tiny dogs in my lap, feet on the coffee table watching my Astros! Who would have ever thought?

I guess I also choose the perfect (oh wait, home run stros! YIPPEE), any way, I choose the perfect Action Research Plan since technology is controlling our life's! My focus is on if the library in our school serves as a purpose in today's learning community and is educational money being wisely spent with our current budget issues? How does the schools Media Specialist fit into the technological development of our students and is there another way we can utilize them if they are removed from the library setting?

There are so many avenues that can be taken with this wondering:
- Technology and plagiarism
- Technology and academic success
- Technological school vs non technological school comparison on standardized test scores

My focus is going to remain on my traditional question, but just like life, sometimes you have to be ready to change, and if my findings start leading me towards one of the avenues listed above, I will investigate.

School Library Use and Monetary Concerns

My research (purpose) is going to focus on if the library in our school serves a purpose in today's learning community and is our educational money being wisely spent with our current budget issues? When I was in school, we actually did research in the library and used the Dewey Decimal System, but in today's schools, the only time I see student's go to the library is to use a computer. Most classrooms in my district have computers for students to use.

Each school has a Media Specialist and they are very important to the campus, but can we still utilize them without having to house a library? Government is always looking for a way to cut back in education, and can this option save us money without taking away from the actual learning a student is involved in?

I would use a blog...

Blogging would definitely be used with in my campus! I think this is a great way to express not only creative thinking by one, but also the expansion of the idea from all ! As I read from another Grad Student's Blog "we are all life long learners" and I believe that to be true with every aspect of our life. I will keep posting and brainstorming for all to see and the buy-in will be successful soon after. Sometimes a little trust needs to be formed for everyone to see their input is valuable.

Blogs and Action Research

Wow! How lucky am I to be working with an Administrative Team that focuses on action research? Being new to my campus, as well as my principal, I did not know what to expect from our leader. Not realizing, she was coming, with the same worries. How was the staff going to respond to her, what is the best way for the student's and staff to buy-in to her philosophy...

After sitting down and speaking with her, I determined that she did action research to help settle her into place and find the best strategies for reaching out to everyone on the campus. Realizing, that technology is communication in today's world, she was going to show how our input and expectations is vital to the success of our campus. Our "Head Learner," was challenging all student's and staff to share with her what the positives and negatives were of the campus and if necessary, how could they be changed by using technology and the internet. She set up a NING, which is a form of blogging. The community loved our principles idea of how to gather information that is worth while, but not taking up learning time in the classroom. Students grew a form of respect for her, knowing that she WANT'S to learn and gain more knowledge to help them be successful. Now, if she needs information or has to implement new procedures, there is immediate buy-in from all!