Recently,
I read a wonderful article about using handheld devices, specifically iPads, in
the library. The article, Reimagine Your Library With iPads,
reports the findings of a study implemented by several librarians in Chicago
Public Schools. Each librarian was given
a class set of iPads for use, went through extensive training, and continued to
communicate with one another throughout the year about use and management of
the tablets. They wanted to pursue this
research study to see if iPads really could be used in learning, research,
collaboration, and for creating projects in the library.
One
of the points I really appreciated from the article was that these devices can
be used to engage students white learning NETS as well as state standards. These librarians found that the iPads were
well liked by their students and they found them getting excited by
learning. They even noticed that quieter
students suddenly wanted to speak more so that they could be involved in the
use of the iPads. Students were willing
and eager to participate in these projects.
Another
point that impacted me was the ease and convenience that comes with using
iPads. The article gave some good tips
for organizing the iPads, such as color-coding and cleaning systems. Additionally, they were quick to point out
that when it comes to iPads, there is no wait for time to access them. This seemed to be a common theme among the
different articles I read on this topic.
Teachers and librarians alike prefer tablets for this reason, to
laptops, desktops, and computer lab time.
The Chicago librarians also spoke of the fact that they found iPads to
work well with print resources. Since
the library has a wide variety of print resources available, this is certainly
something that should be considered when implementing handheld devices.
The
most powerful point however, was that the librarians found the iPads to have a
tremendous impact on student learning.
They were able to use the iPads to support research, learning, and all
types of reading. Students were creating
their own products to extend their learning during library time. By using iPads, these librarians mentioned
that they could serve all students effectively at one time. Through these devices, kids were no longer
“just consumers of information, but also creators of knowledge” (Perez, 2013, p. 24).
This
coming school year, in my own library, I will have access to 12 iPads and 12
laptops. Therefore, I found myself
reading several articles on the topic to see what ideas were out there. I want to be able to utilize these devices to
maximize student learning. One of the
ideas I like is to use the devices to create videos. These videos could be in response to reading
assignments, to demonstrate learning, to create a final project, etc. Our students used iMovie this past year in
the library to create movie trailers for books they were reading. They can also use things like vimeo to create
still picture videos. Students could
record themselves reading, or use this to demonstrate completed research. Also I would like the students to be able to
utilize the handheld devices to create graphics for projects. They enjoy interacting with the devices and
this would allow a lot of hands on time with them, in addition to giving them
an outlet for creativity and collaboration.
A few websites that would work to do this are Notablity and RWT
timeline. Both of these made the
American Library Association list of “Best Apps for Teaching and Learning
2014”. I would also love to see my
students using the iPads to have access to visit places they cannot visit
themselves. By having access to the Internet,
we can go on endless virtual field trips.
This would provide students with the opportunity for deeper
understanding of concepts. They can
explore and observe things they might not otherwise be able to do. My vision is to collaborate with classroom
teachers and extend classroom learning in this way. The options are virtually endless. While
there are limitless ideas, these are some of the ways I would like to tackle
using the iPads this coming year.
Considering it is my first year as the librarian, and my first year to
have the access to this many devices at once, I hope I learn of many more ways
to use them. I look forward to working
with our technology liaison as well as other librarians to come up with
creative uses for handheld devices.
References:
Perez,
L. (2013). Reimagine your library with iPads.
Learning & Leading from
Technology, 40(6), 23-25.
