Caskey Catalog

As this integrating technology course is wrapping up I want to think back to my first blog post . I discussed the positive and negative feelings I have toward technology and I still feel that way! While technology is such an important part of my work life, I don't know if the same can be said about my personal life! Social media is something that I struggle with and I have gotten better. I think that my original GIF is still very much the same now as it was 8 weeks ago! (Image Source: tenor) Educational Technology         I do think that there are a few educational technology tools that I did learn about or use during this course that I could see myself using in my future library classroom and even professionally on my own. I quite enjoyed writing this blog for example and would love to continue doing so. I also did enjoy creating a portfolio website for this class, so I will be mindful to have any potential professional blog be with a site that will easily int...

Here are the screenshots of the results of the 3 tests that I took from my previous post about PLNs. Image Source: "Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator" author's results Image Source: "NERIS Type Indicator" author's results Image Source: "Five Factor Test" author's results

Recently I have taken a dive into Professional Learning Networks (PLN). You probably participate in many different forms of PLNs without even realizing it. Essentially any connections you make with like minded professionals would be considered part of your PLN. You can do this through social media, organizations, conferences, webinars and more. All professionals are often building connections with like this on a regular basis and thus growing their professional network. While I am pursing my school librarian certification, I am also working in an elementary school and at a public library. I am constantly seeking advice and ideas from the people I work with and through content I am regularly participating in or interact with (Instagram, YouTube, etc). There are so many different ways to get involved! Image Source: Tenor Bluesky           I recently heard of the social networking app, Bluesky . This app came in response to the turnover of Twitter to X. Many ...

Accessibility and libraries go hand in hand. You cannot have a properly functioning library without having accessibility. The American Library Association (ALA) and Melina Sherman created a report on accessibility: "Accessibility in Libraries: A Landscape Review" , within the report they explore the history of libraries and the attempt to continue making libraries accessible and equitable to all to those with disabilities. Libraries began providing blind print materials in the mid-1800s (Sherman, 8). Many services and materials were being provided for low vision and blind patrons. Then libraries began getting talking machines and talking books (Sherman, 9). The ALA were groundbreakers in 1961; "ALA also developed the first standards for ensuring equal access to patrons with disabilities" (Sherman, 9). This was followed by the Americans with Disabilities Act and then the Library Services for People with Disabilities Policy. Particularly with the internet, libraries a...

Technology integration is extremely important in modern education. Students need to learn technology literacy to be able to be well rounded students and as future adults in the job market. Technology is not going anywhere, in fact, if anything it will just continue to grow and become larger parts of future jobs and lifestyles. Project Tomorrow          Project Tomorrow is an organization that has a research project, Speak Up , that provides an annual report of the data from all stakeholders about technology use in education. Project Tomorrow is a free national research project that can be used by school and districts. The report advocates for student voices while also providing educators with helpful information about technology integration in schools. Here is the first page from the 2023-2024 Speak Up findings. Image Source: Project Tomorrow Speak Up          Something that stands out to me, but doesn't necessarily surprise me, is the a...

If you work in education, you likely know that active learning is the best way to get your students actively involved in their learning. If you don't here is a great explanation for active learning from   Teaching and Learning in Higher Education ; "Active learning is an approach to instruction that involves actively engaging students with the course material through discussions, problem solving, case studies, role plays and other methods. Active learning approaches place a greater degree of responsibility on the learner than passive approaches such as lectures, but instructor guidance is still crucial in the active learning classroom. Active learning activities may range in length from a couple of minutes to whole class sessions or may take place over multiple class sessions". Active learning is along the same lines as project-based learning but not every school has the ability to jump right into project-based learning. Basically, actively learning means that the more in...