To use technology or not to use technology? I feel it is no longer a matter of “not” to use. The pandemic has shown us that technology is a part of everyone’s daily life, and we need to be there for our young patrons and their caregivers to guide them, just as we do when helping patrons find the right information and books. As with any media, we are here for our patrons to advise, program, and curate. “student_ipad_school – 038” by flickingerbrad is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Training takeaways Recently, I attended a virtual training session on Media Mentorship where youth librarians from Maryland and Indiana learned about the use of digital media and our roles as digital media mentors. Prior to the training, attendees read A Guide to Media Mentorship by Lisa Guernsey of New America. During the morning session, presenters examined the basics of media mentorship—old…
Tag: Media Mentorship
What time is it? Tool time.
Yes, that’s a Home Improvement reference. But it’s also a good time to talk about tools to help kids, teens, and maybe even a few librarians (me) manage their time. Time tools. Time Management Tools Most people struggle with time management to some degree. Many people with learning differences such as ADHD have an even tougher time than neurotypical folks. And different learning styles are pretty common knowledge (visual, kinesthetic, aural, etc.), but I had never considered how those might affect our sense of time. At a workshop put on by the PACER Center, assistive technology specialists Tara Bruss and Sarah Giffen-Hunter shared a spreadsheet they created. In it, they compare over a hundred apps, devices, and software that take into account these differences. The spreadsheet includes tools for creating task lists, reminders, alarms, time tracking, and more. You can see device compatibility, prices, and descriptions, too. I mean, it’s a pretty…
Rethinking Literacy Conference
Media Mentorship made its debut in Maine on April 27, 2017 at the 28th Annual Reading Round Up of Children’s and Young Adult (YA) Librarians. The conference, Rethinking Literacy: Multiple Literacies for the 21st Century, kicked off with a rollicking performance by John Schumacher (a.k.a. Mr. Shu) the Ambassador of School Libraries for Scholastic Book Fairs. Sessions were on a multitude of topics: best graphic novels; engaging ESL students; an arts approach to literacy; workshops on best apps for school and public libraries; using digital technologies to reshape literacy; exploring media literacy, and more.
Keeping Up Isn’t Everything: Personal Engagement with Children and Technology in the Library
Last month, the ALSC Children and Technology Committee hosted our monthly Twitter Chat on “Incorporating New Technologies/New Media into Your Service” and we came up with the following questions for participants:
Teach Me Something Fun: Media Mentorship and Online Learning
“Libraries are about access, and we need to step up to provide ALL TYPES OF ACCESS.” –Amy Koester, ALSC Blog, Our Future Includes EBooks #alamw13, January 24, 2013 Online learning is a topic that deserves more focus. Normally, in my conversations about electronic resources, the attention is mainly on ebooks or databases. Libraries, as informal and self directed centers of learning, have been concentrating more on online learning, and it is obvious we need to remember children in this movement as well. Yet when I did a quick and informal survey of library websites, I see much work and time has been spent by libraries on evaluating and recommending online learning sites, and some libraries have even created their own. Through media mentorship, we can draw both our young patrons and their caregivers to the many online learning products, free and paid for, that we subscribe to, find, evaluate, and…
New Media Focus: Keeping Up on Streaming Video
In my last post for the ALSC blog, I wrote about downloadable and streaming audiobooks. With our strengthening focus on media mentorship in ALSC, streaming video is another new media format that needs our attention for promotion and incorporation into our regular programs and services.
Media Mentorship and Libraries: More Resources
There’s been a lot of discussion about media mentorship, especially with the popularity of Pokémon GO. How can libraries help families and children learn how to make smart and safe media decisions?
Pokemon Go, Libraries, and Media Mentorship
Pokemon Go popularity is not showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon. According to a report from USA Today the game has topped 15 million downloads and the average person is spending around 33 minutes per day in the app. With the game continuing it’s pop culture run and with libraries as many Pokestops or Gyms, this is a perfect time to embrace media mentorship in the library and incorporate it into our Pokemon Go programs.