Did Blogger & Blogspot merge? I find myself in Blogspot from a few years back, but when I try to sign in to delete this older blog (new job, new concerns), it directs me to my NEW blog at Blogger.
Hmmmm . . . I've got to figure this one out. HELP!!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
It's About the KIDS
As a library staff, we need to remind ourselves of this every now and then: it's about the kids!
Sure, we aim to provide lots of ancillary services, and teachers are our patrons too. But not one of us -- principal, teachers, cooks, or librarians -- is here, employed, if it's not about educating the children.
That doesn't mean our student patrons always get exactly what they want. There are rules (this is still school, after all), and there are consequences if the rules aren't followed.
However, in an effort to make the library a place to hang out, to be comfortable, to check email (or send work home), to READ, we need to be less structured and the libraries of old.
WHAT? you say. This is no new concept! What has taken you so long to catch on? Well, those of you who are school librarians, not public librarians, know there's a certain structure to public education. It's not always easy to just "change the rules" if contrary rules exist school-wide. In fact, there seems to exist a District-wide rule that students are not allowed on email on school computers!
How ridiculout! We train students to email their work back & forth between home & school, to save paper. (of course, we also assert backup, backup, backup) Our new plagiarism checking program requires students to have an email account & mails the results to the student address.
It's an ongoing struggle . . .
Sure, we aim to provide lots of ancillary services, and teachers are our patrons too. But not one of us -- principal, teachers, cooks, or librarians -- is here, employed, if it's not about educating the children.
That doesn't mean our student patrons always get exactly what they want. There are rules (this is still school, after all), and there are consequences if the rules aren't followed.
However, in an effort to make the library a place to hang out, to be comfortable, to check email (or send work home), to READ, we need to be less structured and the libraries of old.
WHAT? you say. This is no new concept! What has taken you so long to catch on? Well, those of you who are school librarians, not public librarians, know there's a certain structure to public education. It's not always easy to just "change the rules" if contrary rules exist school-wide. In fact, there seems to exist a District-wide rule that students are not allowed on email on school computers!
How ridiculout! We train students to email their work back & forth between home & school, to save paper. (of course, we also assert backup, backup, backup) Our new plagiarism checking program requires students to have an email account & mails the results to the student address.
It's an ongoing struggle . . .
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