This course has truly been a growth experience and as I think about the
modules and assignments I realize that much of the difficulty I had has been
due to my worry about my lack of tech skills.
The
biggest learning piece for me was the importance and ease with which social
media can be used to share, build a PLN and to collaborate. Due to a lack of
confidence in my technical skills I kept the use of social media on the back
burner. Even though using social media to promote the library was high on my
to-do list I did not engage in it enough. One of the best changes I have made
is to do at least one thing everyday. For the most part I post something
related to the LLC on Instagram.
At the end of a month it was pretty satisfying to see all of the work
done. At the end of the school year, I will have a record of some of the
activities that I can include in the library report. Having this record is also
a way to promote the LLC to the administration and the community. They can see
how the library is collaborating with classes and promoting literacy. While
Instagram is currently the platform I am most comfortable with, I intend to
expand my social media tool kit. I did set up a twitter account at the
beginning of this course and it is next on my list of tools to learn how to use
more effectively.
The
week on world libraries held so many aha moments I could hardly fashion a cogent response about what I had
learned. I had no idea there were
so many worldwide projects that promote literacy in developing countries. The
research I did for this module changed many of my ideas about mobile devices
and learning. Even after reading Richardson’s book, Why
School? How Education Must Change When Learning and Information are Everywhere with its promotion
of mobile devices I still viewed
phones
as a negative influence for teaching and learning. But after learning about the
usefulness of using these devices to promote literacy in developing countries,
I think they are worthy of a second glance. The UNESCO report was particularly effective in providing information about the ways mobile devices can be used to improve literacy.
How Mobile Phones Drive Literacy, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3NqU6gqsTM
Richardson, Will (2012). Why School? How Education Must Change When Learning and Information are Everywhere (Kindle Single). Ted Conferences.
Mark West, and EI Chew Han. “Reading in the Mobile Era: A Study of mobile reading in developing countries.” UNESCO, 22 May 2014, unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000227436.
