test the podcast
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Following Meredith's Musings
Interesting commentary on July 16th about Risk Taking (or Fraidy Cat - is she another pet owner? I really need to get pet or my blog won't be complete. A pet rock maybe)
check out M. Farkas' blog site:
http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php
check out M. Farkas' blog site:
http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Heartfelt bloggings from commando librarian
Words from the compassionate commando:
Two key points here: 1) if the library works in cooperation with the local elementary schools.....or flip it around so that the local elementary school teacher works with the library - whatever it takes they need to be a tag team 2) As library students I think we are full of beans about what we can accomplish but we are moving into existing structures and hierarchies and bureaucracies. We don't want to squash toes but we want to rock the boat while we're still gassed to go. How do we approach this?
Yes, it is exciting
If the library works in cooperation with the local elementary schools, there's a good chance that reading and comprehension scores could rise and language skills might improve as well. Though I have to think it through and discuss it with the powers that be within the library system, it's exciting to think about the potential benefits to all involved.(see more at Commando Librarian)
Two key points here: 1) if the library works in cooperation with the local elementary schools.....or flip it around so that the local elementary school teacher works with the library - whatever it takes they need to be a tag team 2) As library students I think we are full of beans about what we can accomplish but we are moving into existing structures and hierarchies and bureaucracies. We don't want to squash toes but we want to rock the boat while we're still gassed to go. How do we approach this?
Yes, it is exciting
Pop Up Blogger
What are the odds that at least three, perhaps more, in our class chose the librarians blog...?
http://www.popgoesthelibrary.com/
It sure says something about this blog and its contents. Something else about this site - the author responded to Andy's post! That says even more about the site and the team that supports it.
http://www.popgoesthelibrary.com/
It sure says something about this blog and its contents. Something else about this site - the author responded to Andy's post! That says even more about the site and the team that supports it.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Knowledge vs Information (HW reading for SSL)
In Brown's first chapter, I thought sure he was predicting the obsolescence of the library. In his list of "endisms", i.e. the end of universities, the end of mass media, etc, I wanted to add the end of the library at the bottom of the list. Great - where do we go from here?
However, Brown then goes on in Chapter 5 to talk about learning. Ok - as a librarian I see we might have our work cut out for us but there is such a great need for libraries and librarians. Why? Because all this information doesn't do diddly unless we understand it and can use it. Knowledge entails a "knower". So you can put a list a mile long together of different databases of information but if the library patron can't access the information, they have no opportunity to learn. And learning is different for each individual. "Attending to knowledge, by contrast, returns attention to people, what they know, how they come to know it, and how they differ".
How do people learn? Through practice - watching, repeating, improving and regurgitating.
(just as an aside, some of the library classes could do with some of this practical learning). Not so much "know that" but "know how" - applicable knowledge as opposed to theory.
So with this in mind, how does the current library structure need to change? People come in, find book, take book, return books. Is there any practicing going on? I can't see how. If the subject is interesting, the reading is fun. But are people LEARNING? How to make the whole process more interactive, with the knowledgeable guiding the less so.
One example Brown uses is driving a car. You may not be technically proficient at figuring out how a car works but you've watched it be driven many times so when you learn to drive, you practice and quickly become proficient. However, I've known people who didn't grow up in cars and their driving skills take much longer to acquire (fenders are very scratched). In fact, they didn't grow up with can openers or gas stoves. It was pretty scary the first time they tried to use these things. But what this makes clear to me is that you can't have assumptions about what people understand. And that teaching by example is very powerful.
Different mindset, then, at least for a public library. More training, discussion, "practice", and collaboration is need.
However, Brown then goes on in Chapter 5 to talk about learning. Ok - as a librarian I see we might have our work cut out for us but there is such a great need for libraries and librarians. Why? Because all this information doesn't do diddly unless we understand it and can use it. Knowledge entails a "knower". So you can put a list a mile long together of different databases of information but if the library patron can't access the information, they have no opportunity to learn. And learning is different for each individual. "Attending to knowledge, by contrast, returns attention to people, what they know, how they come to know it, and how they differ".
How do people learn? Through practice - watching, repeating, improving and regurgitating.
(just as an aside, some of the library classes could do with some of this practical learning). Not so much "know that" but "know how" - applicable knowledge as opposed to theory.
So with this in mind, how does the current library structure need to change? People come in, find book, take book, return books. Is there any practicing going on? I can't see how. If the subject is interesting, the reading is fun. But are people LEARNING? How to make the whole process more interactive, with the knowledgeable guiding the less so.
One example Brown uses is driving a car. You may not be technically proficient at figuring out how a car works but you've watched it be driven many times so when you learn to drive, you practice and quickly become proficient. However, I've known people who didn't grow up in cars and their driving skills take much longer to acquire (fenders are very scratched). In fact, they didn't grow up with can openers or gas stoves. It was pretty scary the first time they tried to use these things. But what this makes clear to me is that you can't have assumptions about what people understand. And that teaching by example is very powerful.
Different mindset, then, at least for a public library. More training, discussion, "practice", and collaboration is need.
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