MSLIS News

A fellow MLIS - school media student, Karen Cawley, has a great blog called Karen the Librarian, where she periodically posts witty and entertaining tales of her library school studies and horror stories of her Starbucks barista job. Her latest post, Library School f.a.q., pretty much sums up the conversations that most of us distance library students have had with people who are not familiar with our particular type of program. For example, at my student teaching job, when people hear I am a Syracuse student, I either get, “Where are you staying while you’re here?” or “Do you drive that far EVERY DAY?” Considering I live about four hours from Syracuse, it’s a pretty silly question, and apparently Karen has been asked the same thing. Many times.

My favorite part of Karen’s post is when she discusses how people don’t consider her a typical librarian type, and says, “I know about a hundred future librarians who are working every day to shatter your preconceived notions of what librarianship is. We’re not cardigan-wearing, pencil-in-the-hair, shushing types.  We are activists, fun-loving teachers, and technological whizzes who just happen to have an insatiable thirst for information and want to share that thirst with everyone – even though I’ve been known to wear a cardigan and put writing utensils in my hair.” Well put.

Even though I don’t see my fellow students every day (some of them, Karen included, I’ve only met in person once!), I do “talk” to them nearly every day on the message boards, facebook, IM, or however we can get in touch. I consider these people my friends as well as classmates and I enjoy virtually spending time with them. And I consider myself lucky to be in the virtual company of so many smart, interesting, creative, passionate people!Â

All school media students have to do a total of 400 hours of fieldwork/practica student teaching experience in order to become NY State certified as a school librarian. We are required to spend time teaching at both the elementary and secondary levels. It may seem like a lot of time but it goes by so fast! I’m currently in the final weeks of my last practicum, and I’ve been having so much fun, both working with the kids and learning from my Library Media Specialist colleagues. Here are just a few of the things I’ve learned so far:

1. If you read a book to kindergarteners in which the main character needs to pee, instantly about 80% of the kids will decide they need to go to the bathroom too.
2. If you let them, students will find most of their information for research projects using Google. However, if you require them to use books first and won’t allow them to use the Web until several days into a research proejct, they will find most of the information they need from the books.
3. Pathfinders tend to be appreciated more by teachers than by students, but they can save a lot of time for both teachers and students. The key is to allow students to struggle and fail to find information using Google, then  remind them of the pathfinder and show them how to use it.
4. You cannot possibly cover plagiarism too many times. At any age level.
5. Don’t assume elementary age students are too young to understand how to do proper citations. They aren’t.
6. Food and coffee are powerful motivators for getting teachers into the library.
7. Two different school principals gave me the same good advice: to deliver more than I promise, and deliver on all promises.
8. Students are drawn to technology; fortunately there are lots of ways to capitalize on technology as a learning tool.
9. No matter how old they are, kids love to be read to.
10. Test out all technology prior to teaching, and have a backup plan if it fails! 

From Stephen Abram via his blog, Stephen’s Lighthouse:

These are some great short videos for the public libraries in Alberta:

Think outside the box!