ResearchReflection

Research Reflection:

The tools that I learned to use, some proficiently, will allow me to reach more students (and teachers) in my building. I am sold on the (free) screen casting software & utilized it again in our LibGuide. My plan is to create more tutorials for my school. I hope that the students will be able to use them successfully. I do worry, especially with all new administrators, that my job is not secure. I hope that by enhancing my library with online tools (that will not increase my budget needs), I may prove myself to be a worthwhile investment. I can communicate with our science department; they are the teachers in my building that utilize technology more often and are well versed in Web 2.0 tools. I look forward to sharing my new knowledge and skill set with them. I hope to enhance their classroom with ideas and information learned in this class.

This past winter, I spent several hours engaged in a webinar featuring David Loetscher and his vision of an online library world—the Virtual Learning Commons. I was very excited by the idea, and although I thought I was ready to get this up and running, I know now that there is more I want to offer before I bring this to my administrators. The technology that I learned about this summer, and learned how to use, will enhance this idea. Rather than spend the summer improving what I started in my VLC plan, I learned in this class the tools that will make our VLC better.

When I added a screen cast of the VLC template I was working on last year, I discovered that I learned in this class the Web 2.0 elements that I did not know when I took the webinar. Now not only do I understand what they are, I can actually use my new knowledge to make my VLC better. I have the confidence to finish the project and advocate for the resources necessary to make it complete. I will need more access to Internet resources, such as Kahn Academy and YouTube. These resources have been blocked in the past, but I can advocate for their use in the classrooms.