Belinda Kuck of Davis School District contacted me recently through my blog and said, “We are starting a 1:1 pilot in our district this year. I am the library media supervisor in our district and I would be interested in your thoughts about 1:1 and how libraries support students, teachers and curriculum and digital libraries.”
This was my response:
1. I think the library should be the hub of the school.
2. It should be the place students want to go and it should be available whenever possible (no easy task in many schools with limited staffing)
3. Librarians today should spend just as much time, or more time, preparing and collecting digital resources for teachers as they do books etc.
4. Digital resources are not just web pages but web-based tools that enhance teaching and, even more so, learning.
5. Books are still an important part of a library and they aren’t being replaced, but a librarians job now goes well beyond books!
6. As much collaboration as possible should happen between the librarian and the teacher, and as much as possible it should be co-teaching time when a class goes to the library.
7. Students time in the library should not all be prescribed/teaching time, they should have time to read, research, and even play.
8. Reading is still one of the most important skills needed and libraries should run activities to promote reading.
9. Tools like diigo and delicious are invaluable to a library and they should be used by librarians, teachers and students.
10. I’ve collected some library links that I think all librarians (and for that matter teachers and administrators) should read, and they can be found here: http://delicious.com/dtruss/library/
I didn’t talk specifically about 1:1, but I hope I’ve given you some food for thought and once I get my school up and running I will be happy to share thoughts about Library support and moving to 1:1 as my school is also doing this for the first time this year, with our senior classes.
Dave,
As the teacher-librarian at my school you have made my day! All that you have goes on in our library – less on the digital end as our staff is just beginning to get to that place. I would like to add one more thought to your response:
Supportive administration. Administrators such as yourself and mine and others like all of you who understand the role of the library and the librarian in your schools and put your full support behind us even when the budget axe falls.
I call our library the ‘kitchen’ of the school. Don’t you just love sitting around the kitchen table visiting with friends and family, sharing good food, laughter and stories? My best library days are when I have students flopped on couches reading, students playing chess at tables, students finishing projects – all at recess or before/after school and parents rolling in with K’s to look at/read books. How much better can a coming to school get?!
Thank you for supporting your school’s library and librarian.