Week Seven (10/10/10 - 10/16/10) - Cyberbullying

Image from: http://blog.safetyweb.com/cyberbullying-parents-and-schools-must-respond-to-cyberbullying/

With all of the resources and websites out there on cyberbullying, one would think that cyberbullying would be a thing of the past; a pretty horrible scenario that was born when the Internet was introduced but ended when the world realized how dangerous it could be.  Instead, we have children and teens killing themselves over derogatory comments that were posted on Facebook or other social networking sites, on blogs and even websites created for the purpose of breaking down the psyche of another human being.  As powerful a tool as the Internet can be, it can be equally detrimental when placed in the hands of inexperienced (and down-right mean) users.

In late September, an 18-year-old Rutger's student, Tyler Clementi, jumped to his death off of the George Washington Bridge after another student posted a video of him having sex with another male student.  The Internet has created a culture of cruelty that goes beyond the walls of the school and into a global kingdom of chaos.  In the same breath, the outpouring of grief and support for Tyler and his family has also shown the far reaches of Internet humanity.  Blogs, social networking groups, and web pages pop-up daily so as to send sympathies and promote remembrance of this tragedy.  Another incident in our recent past was the death of Phoebe Prince; a high school student from Ireland who moved to Massachusetts.  Prince was bullied relentlessly by her classmates and would commit suicide to escape the clutches of teenage bulling brutality.

What makes me insane is that the classmate who posted Clementi's sex tape and Prince's torturers do not believe that they have done anything wrong and don't even get me started on the ridiculous idea that bullying is just "kids being kids."  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Bullying - cyber or otherwise - is not just a simple behavior issue that resolves itself once a child transitions into adulthood.  Studies show that bullies as children and teens continue on to be bullies in adulthood (drive down a road and see the aggression lately? ugh!).  Clearly, there is a disconnect in education and responsibility for actions and that is what needs to be addressed.  How does this fit in the SLMS world?  Our libraries become safe places.  Librarians watch library interactions to intercept beginning stages of harassment.  Librarians become safe persons for students to come to for help.  Librarians teach students the appropriate way to use the Internet and describe the repercussions for inappropriate online behavior. 

Someone has to step up in order to end this chronic culture of hate and hostility and what better person than a SLMS?

Week Six (10/3/10 - 10/9/10) - Computerless Libraries??

Image from: http://www.icservices.com.au/images/

I have to say that before listening to this weeks lecture that it never crossed my mind that there would be a possibility that they library I may someday work in may not have computers.  Frankly, I find the idea to be preposterous; the government should really step in an ensure that all school libraries have them.  By not having access, schools in this country are not on equal footing and we are creating a cyclical pattern of haves and have nots, which is deplorable.  Let's face it, those in wealthy neighborhoods are much more likely to have computers in their libraries (and in their classrooms & at home) than their impoverished counterparts.  Unequal access becomes more than just a digital divide; it becomes a proverbial Grand Canyon where those who lack financial means never gain enough rope to make the trek across to computer learning.

Without access to computers - in this case, at the library - student's will surely struggle with basic academic tasks.  Do I have a fool proof solution?  No, only that if my library does not have computers, I will fight like heck to get them through grants and other programs.  Do I expect this to happen overnight?  Of course not, but if it means me purchasing a PC for student use, out of my own money until I can raise the funds to bring more in, I will surely do so. 

I see the computer issue being a huge one, especially in special education classrooms.  Often times, the only recourse for classes teaching special education students how to use a computer and the Internet is visiting the library.  Special education classrooms are often the last one's to receive funding for such items, so it is imperative for the library to have the tools that the children of the school need to be successful and productive adults.  If not, I fear we will have a growing society of functioning illiterate persons who will never strive for more because they feel as though they cannot and also a society that thinks it is okay to not take care of one another - rich and poor alike - and I am not okay with that.  I will do my best (and do it now in some capacity) to assist those who need it most.  If we don't, then who will?

Week Five (9/26/10 - 10/2/10)

Image by Stephen Baum and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Question_copyright.svg#filelinks)

As I put the image above into the blog, I realized that this is my second question mark image of the semester.  Considering this is week 5, it doesn't terrify me too much, but it does serve to show me that confusion may be a trend for me throughout the semester.  That being said, I don't think saying I am confused about fair use and copyright is being too hard on myself.  The reality is, both areas are extremely complex and just when you think you have figured them out, the ambiguity appears and you are right  back at stage one.

A reason for most of my struggle - mostly because I am hard-headed - is that I cannot understand why educators are not exempt from fair use and copyright issues when the materials they are duplicating are used for educational purposes only.  Yes, I do get there people will always take things a step beyond and make copies for personal use or for outside sources but I am speaking of those who play by the rules and only use the materials in their classrooms. 

We are in a time of budget crisis.   School districts have very few resources, as do individual schools and libraries, and even our public libraries are seeing drastic cuts, so how are our children supposed to get the tools they need for learning?  I don't see harm in copying a chapter from a book for students to use in the classroom, so I guess my dilemma will be how I will handle my personal feelings about fair use and copyright against the legalities of fair use and copyright. 

I certainly hope this all of the legalities/rights get easier for me to grasp as we go along.  I know I have loads to learn but I think I would feel a little more comfortable if I actually agreed with (aka fully understood) some of the legalities/rights that are being presented.

To Blog or Not to Blog...THAT is the Question (Week Four - 9/19/10 - 9/25/10)

Photo by cambodia4kidsorg on Flickr.

The subject of blogging and schools can be a tricky one.  Some schools are wide-open to the idea with no parameters or privacy settings and others are so against the idea of blogs, they are not allowed at all.  I am a firm believer of reaching a happy medium; I feel blogs play an integral part in the classroom and should be utilized.

For starters, class blogs are excellent resources to keep the lines of communication open between teachers, students, and parents.  Posting current events, homework, and upcoming field trips keeps everyone in the educational loop.  As a class project, I think it is extremely beneficial for students to have a blog.  Not only does it promote communication, it also encourages creativity.  Blogging may also result in a student finding something within themselves that they didn't know existed (i.e. a budding writer or a journalist).  Finally, as mentioned in my board post, I think that blogging promotes accountability.  Students are responsible for their blog postings.  If they do not do their work, they must accept responsibility and find ways to remedy the situation appropriately.  I feel responsibility is one of the biggest lessons (and most important) that students should learn.

Of course, with every good blog post comes the need for a discussion with students on privacy and safety.  As important as using the blog as classroom tool, privacy and safety discussions sure occur before the blog is created and should be revisited every class in some form.  If we teach students the proper way to handle the Internet from the get-go, they will use it the right way from that moment on.

Week Three - 9/13/10 - 9/18/10

Image from http://edschool.csuhayward.edu/departments/ted/instruction/howe/5500/AT/contents.html 

Accessibility and assistive technology are two areas that are near and dear to my heart.  I spent a week this summer getting ADA training in this and nine other areas. As I mentioned in my wetpaint posting, I am the parent of a child with high-functioning Autism.  Without assistive technology, I truly believe that my daughter would not have made the advances that she has made.

I have used a number of things to aid her, including  computer programs (Reader Rabbit, Jump Start Typing), audio books and magazines (from the Library of Congress), and enlarged keyboards.  Her successes have come one step at a time and her knowledge of the computer programs/assistive technologies that are out there are crucial to her successful transition to adulthood. 

One of the most beneficial assistive devices that my daughter has utilized has been closed captioning and I was surprised to read in Carol Simpson's book that captioning technology is "in the gray area" (89) in terms of copyright legalities.  My daughter is not hearing-impaired but watching closed captioned programs (both at school and at home) helped her learn to read.  I understand why copyright is an issue for any form of technology, I just wish there was way (in a perfect world) that if someone was helped by closed captioning or any other form of communication for that matter, that they could do so without having to jump through hoops. 

I have seen firsthand the positive effects that can come from non-traditional (and obviously non-copyright-friendly materials) and it makes me nuts that some times copyright itself can be a barrier to access.

Week Two - 9/6/10 - 9/12/10

Copyright. What an intimidating word it has turned out to be!  When I reflect upon what I learned this week, I think what frightens me about copyright is not flagrant misuse but the instances of copyright infringement that may occur but may not have been intentional.  I realize that lack of knowledge of the law does not make a person exempt from abiding by it,  but sometime things happen where you didn't realize you were doing anything wrong by making a copy of something for the classroom or to be used for a school project.

Prior to reading Simpson's text, I believed that to some extent, schools had a different set of copyright guidelines than the rest of the world.  Reason being - because they are educating our children.  Perhaps this is a weak reason but I believe that if anyone should have some flexibility in copyright, it should be educators.  I had no idea that schools had to follow the same rules of copyright that everyone else has to follow and honestly, I find it unfortunate that they must do so.

I do not mean to imply that all educators should be able to go crazy and copy chapter upon chapter of texts or go out and draw pictures of copy written characters such as Mickey Mouse, but if they are teaching a unit, say on Harry Potter, they should have access to and be able to share all things Harry Potter.  I know a publisher would cringe reading this comment because at the end of the day, one of the largest factors behind copyright is money but in my perfect world, schools would have access to any and all materials and be able to use them as much (or as little) as needed, regardless of copyright, to teach our children and money wouldn't be a factor.  I can dream, can't I?

P.S. Incidentally, the copyright image above is in the public domain, but just to be fair to the originating website, I found it here: http://www.clker.com/.

First Week Reflections

The first week of the semester has been overwhelming to say the least.  Not only am I the new LIS-GSA President and have had a bevy of trainings and events to plan and participate in, this is my first semester in the SLMS program.  I was previously on an academic libraries track, having graduated with my MA in English in May 2009, so that I could learn more about research and to become a better researcher.  Somewhere along the way, my path changed entirely.  I was given the opportunity to apply to PhD school, to hopefully begin my studies next Fall after getting my MLS (Spring 2011).    I plan on focusing on library science, disability awareness, and services for patrons with disabilities.  I had no clue of what I was getting myself into!  :)

I have so much to do and frankly, I am scared to death.  Assignments, lesson plans, portfolios, observation hours - my head is swimming with all of the tasks I have to complete.  I have to learn a systematic way of completing work.  I (think I) work better under pressure.  I have to learn how to do my school work over a period of time rather than waiting until the last minute to get everything done.  I also need to work on my time management skills because once the tv is on or I am in front of a computer, hours pass as if they were seconds.  If only there were a button to make time stand still...

As if time management and a multitude of work wasn't enough, I now also need to learn about a brand new world that has its own vocabulary - competencies, AASL, L4L - I have so much to learn!!  All that being said, I know that I am in the right area of library school.  It just feels right.  Am I overwhelmed? Yes.  Am I worried about doing book talks or any sort of direct patron service?  Absolutely.  Do I worry about all of the new terminology and procedures that come with SLMS?  Of course, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  I know that everything I do now will aid me in PhD school and beyond.  I also know that one day, I will be exactly where I long to be - in the college classroom, teaching new MLS (and other!) students about how to best serve patrons with disabilities and how to treat them equally and respectfully (and of course more, this is the abridged version!).

So the journey begins.  I look forward to a great semester of exploring and learning!