Synthesize theory and practice within a dynamic and evolving information environment
Outcome 4a: Articulate theories and concepts in relation to professional practice.
In 771: Public Libraries we covered the gamut of the services provided and patrons served. The class was helpful for me in cementing my decision to work in public libraries. For my midterm I chose to further explore best practices for service to parents and children ages 0-12. I discovered a wealth of information, both from the United States and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. I also discovered how using a business model could help a library be more responsive to patron needs. My favorite serendipitous moment was when I followed the citation in a journal article and discovered this quote,
"We need to model existing behaviors, attitudes and values and then apply what we know about future trends to create experiences that surprise and delight customers" Steve McCallion.
I fell in love with the idea that libraries could be a place where people go to be surprised and delighted. The future trends of library service to children and caregivers will always revolve around child development, school readiness, and curriculum standards. These may seem like rigid constructs, but given the many tools that we have at our disposal for learning and sharing what we have learned the possibilities are endless.
In 771: Public Libraries we covered the gamut of the services provided and patrons served. The class was helpful for me in cementing my decision to work in public libraries. For my midterm I chose to further explore best practices for service to parents and children ages 0-12. I discovered a wealth of information, both from the United States and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. I also discovered how using a business model could help a library be more responsive to patron needs. My favorite serendipitous moment was when I followed the citation in a journal article and discovered this quote,
"We need to model existing behaviors, attitudes and values and then apply what we know about future trends to create experiences that surprise and delight customers" Steve McCallion.
I fell in love with the idea that libraries could be a place where people go to be surprised and delighted. The future trends of library service to children and caregivers will always revolve around child development, school readiness, and curriculum standards. These may seem like rigid constructs, but given the many tools that we have at our disposal for learning and sharing what we have learned the possibilities are endless.
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.
Outcome 4b: Demonstrate application of theory to practice.
In 723: Services for Children and Young Adults in addition to learning about how to provide services, we learned about how children learn, about the various learning styles, and how to provide the best environment for all of our young patrons. The artifact I have chosen for this is my storytime script for toddlers. Having run many a Girl Scout meeting, I was no stranger to preparation but putting together a storytime that meets the needs of every conceivable patron was daunting. In crafting this program, I made sure that all the learning styles (auditory, visual, and kinesthetic) were addressed. I made sure that there was movement, song, and art. I chose books that were diverse in their characters and approach to the subject matter. I created what I thought was the best possible method of keeping little ears listening and little eyes looking. I presented my storytime to my classmates--which is nothing like a room full of toddlers--and the feedback from my peers was positive. Looking back on this program plan, I realize that a great deal relies on caregiver involvement. I had not (at the time) considered how I would handle a caregiver who was opposed to supervising a toddler with paint.
In 723: Services for Children and Young Adults in addition to learning about how to provide services, we learned about how children learn, about the various learning styles, and how to provide the best environment for all of our young patrons. The artifact I have chosen for this is my storytime script for toddlers. Having run many a Girl Scout meeting, I was no stranger to preparation but putting together a storytime that meets the needs of every conceivable patron was daunting. In crafting this program, I made sure that all the learning styles (auditory, visual, and kinesthetic) were addressed. I made sure that there was movement, song, and art. I chose books that were diverse in their characters and approach to the subject matter. I created what I thought was the best possible method of keeping little ears listening and little eyes looking. I presented my storytime to my classmates--which is nothing like a room full of toddlers--and the feedback from my peers was positive. Looking back on this program plan, I realize that a great deal relies on caregiver involvement. I had not (at the time) considered how I would handle a caregiver who was opposed to supervising a toddler with paint.
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.
Outcome 4d: Facilitate formal and informal learning.
It seems that a great part of being a librarian is being an educator. I love the concept of a librarian being a conduit between what one knows and what one wants to know. There was a large discussion about the role of the librarian as a facilitator to learning in 723: Services for Children and Young Adults. My artifact for this outcome is a program outline for an hour-long program for tweens. It is the result of a group project. We were tasked with creating a program that was "founded on 21st century skills and transliteracy" and decided to do a program that would work off of the popular video game Minecraft. Our program included hand-drawing a character that could then be recreated digitally, recording player tips that would be kept in the library, making a wearable Minecraft-themed pin, and a Lego-building challenge (as Legos and Minecraft use a similar measurement component). As part of our program outline, we created learning outcomes to ensure that we were meeting our assignment requirements. I learned that tapping into the current cultural phenomena provides a wealth of opportunities to create programs that are both entertaining and provide learning opportunities.
It seems that a great part of being a librarian is being an educator. I love the concept of a librarian being a conduit between what one knows and what one wants to know. There was a large discussion about the role of the librarian as a facilitator to learning in 723: Services for Children and Young Adults. My artifact for this outcome is a program outline for an hour-long program for tweens. It is the result of a group project. We were tasked with creating a program that was "founded on 21st century skills and transliteracy" and decided to do a program that would work off of the popular video game Minecraft. Our program included hand-drawing a character that could then be recreated digitally, recording player tips that would be kept in the library, making a wearable Minecraft-themed pin, and a Lego-building challenge (as Legos and Minecraft use a similar measurement component). As part of our program outline, we created learning outcomes to ensure that we were meeting our assignment requirements. I learned that tapping into the current cultural phenomena provides a wealth of opportunities to create programs that are both entertaining and provide learning opportunities.
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.