When you were a student, what was the school library like for you?  What do you remember? 

I can remember visiting my school library and the absolute thrill I would feel being able to select one or two books to take home and immerse myself in.  I always loved flipping to the back of the book immediately to see who else had signed out “my” book. Sometimes I would even see my older brother had picked the same one.
 
I can also remember the need to be as quiet as possible … and to not interact with my classmates or friends while thumbing through books that caught my eye.  And, of course, being fascinated with the rows upon rows of encyclopedias … our version of “Google” in those days.

Today, sadly, school districts are cutting the position of librarian as a means to balance budgets. 

Several of us, however, contend it is time to redefine the position and the space. 

Instead of only seeking answers, the library should also be a place to ask questions, collaborate, communicate and create.  Our secondary libraries are now called library-learning hubs (or just – the hub) and take the structure in a new direction. 
 

•  Ask Questions – the library-learning hub is about more than seeking answers, it is about inquiry and asking questions. The space and technology enable our learners to ask questions of local businesses and those around the world.  
  
•  Communicate/Collaborate – We encourage learners to talk in the library, with others in the space and around the globe.  We have created collaboration rooms that are outfitted with a conference table, television and connections for all learners to display their work and projects (think of a business conference room and a presentation from a colleague).  
  
•  Create/Produce – the hub is a space to create using all the information and resources at hand, which no longer rely solely on printed material.  Those resources still include those from our educational past, as well as a device that provides the sum of all human knowledge and access to fellow classmates here and anywhere.  Our secondary hubs are also equipped with a one-touch studio that enables learners to quickly record themselves and created a videocast… with one-touch.  The green screen allows the video to be edited and dropped into any movie or screen that fits the need or assignment. 
  

And if you think this happens only during the day, you are wrong.  Resources, such as online databases, are available to our learners 24/7.  It is no longer a destination that you visit only when your teacher takes the whole class.  Our learners can take their lunch to the hub and continue work there as opposed to the cafeteria.

If you are looking for a world-class example of this new learning space, we visited Penn State’s Knowledge Commons:  https://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/kc.html.  Another excellent example of this redefinition of our libraries is the Makerspace Movement:  http://spaces.makerspace.com  I’d also invite you to take a look at our Library and Learning Hub located in our Central York Middle School.  

It is time to rethink our approach to information, content, its availability and the structure formally known only as the library.  

This classic question, which dates back to my days as a child riding alongside my brother and sister in the back of our mother’s wood-paneled station wagon, continues to generate some time-honored responses. I can remember dreading that question and usually offering my mother no more than a quick “I don’t know” or a “Nothing.”

Clearly, these were not the answers she hoped to obtain, as they gave her no insight into my activities during the school day that could possibly yield any meaningful dialogue. And she could forget learning anything about my schoolwork or studies that would empower her to assist me with areas in which I struggled with activities at home.

In my school days, parents were left with little recourse other than to continue to question … or interrogate … as their children continued to stonewall and avoid giving up any information about what happened during their school day.

Today’s learners are still giving these classic responses to their parents and guardians. The difference is that, today, technology offers us an opportunity to break down the barrier between school and home when it comes to this topic.

Our challenge is how to leverage technology to provide parents and guardians better access to what we are teaching – and what their children are learning.  

How much longer will it take for all learners, K-12, to have a learning plan that provides a clear roadmap for success? Further, how much longer will it take for us to provide parents/guardians a way to engage with this plan as true partners who can not only see where their children are now, but where they might go – or need or want to go – next.

You see this today at the secondary school level with the ability for parents/guardians to monitor grades online.  However, what if they could access the same learning map that their children use throughout each day?  What if, upon entry at home, a parent could immediately talk about and support his child’s work in science class?  What if they also had access to resources to assist their child?

Leveraging technology to empower parents/guardians requires two things:

• Creation of Learning Progression and Learning Maps – A Learning Progression illustrates the learning experience over a student’s 13-year progression in a school district. A Learning Map clearly articulates what a learner has to know and be able to do, provide links to resources, and provide projects/activities to demonstrate mastery.
  

• Access to ePortfolios – A simple interface that enables access to anyone with a password to a learner’s journey and the learning maps (often called a learning management system).
  

 We must create ways for parents/guardians to engage with their children in the learning process, and we must provide parents/guardians access to information that empowers them to support their learners from start to finish along this 13-year journey we call school. Learning Maps and ePortfolios are a start.

Imagine the power of parents/guardians being able to know watch closely and support their child’s learning … to become true partners in the learning experience.

The days of “What Did You Learn Today” being a big mystery must come to an end. You can track your child via GPS … why can’t you do the same with her 4th grade studies?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who was part of your “personal learning network” during your childhood and school days? Mine included my teachers, parents/guardians and neighborhood friends who maybe joined me at the kitchen table as I completed my homework each night.  Maybe yours included friends from Scouts, Little League, Church or your Family Reunions. These people all formed a network for you and I that helped shape our perspective of the world and taught us about life and learning from our earliest years.  

The human element was essential then, as it is today.

Now, imagine a personal learning network for today’s children. One in which they can include all of those people who helped us learn and grow, but expand it – and their learning – with another addition: The World.

Will Richardson often describes the power of the Internet and a device in expanding the personal learning network for today’s youth.  Like Richardson, I believe that technology has opened the doors to our youth to unparalleled personal learning resources that provide real world, real life information to make learning more meaningful.  

Imagine a world where our youngest learners are expected to build a personal learning network starting in kindergarten:

·      Post work twice a day they complete,

·      Contribute to the class Twitter account or blog,

·      Evaluate their work for what is the best and meets the standard,

·      Expect feedback from others,

·      Expect to provide feedback to others.

By the time they reach the intermediate grades, our learners are reaching out to NASA and local businesses to gather information and assistance in completing projects.  In middle school and high school, our learners are rethinking traditional classes and connecting with those outside our four walls to provide meaning, relevance, and context to assignments. 

For many, the suggestion that our youngest learners begin to create a social/digital footprint is scary.  There are many things to be wary of on the Internet.  But pretending you can shelter your child, our learner, from them is a false notion and not an approach we, as educators or parents/guardians, have taken when it comes to other areas.

Consider how we approach water safety/swimming with elementary children … ensuring they learn how to enjoy the pleasure of time spent in pools while keeping themselves safe and acting responsible. What about young drivers? We teach driver’s education, where we prepare our learners with safety tips and resources before we empower them to travel the road behind the wheel.

Wishing away a personal learning network, the Internet or devices won’t make it so.

We do not deny our children the ability to swim or drive because we are afraid of the risks. We acknowledge the risks and teach them how to best navigate the water and the road. We need to apply this same approach when it comes to our learners using technology and exploring the World online.

Helping children responsibly create a personal learning network and navigate their online world is a life skill that educators and parents/guardians alike have a duty to teach and nurture now.