As part of their role of information specialists, school librarians should serve as technology leaders. Scarce opportunities for professional development and the inability to both learn and incorporate the technology in to their classrooms often make technology classroom integration a last priority for teachers (Smith, 2010, p.619). Working closely with the teachers in his or her building, the school librarian can and should provide the efficient connection between the technology tool and its incorporation into the classroom. Knowing the content and the style of the teacher and students makes it possible to identify the most practical and compelling technology tools for the students and teacher. In her blog, Bulldog Readers and Bobcats Blog, Bridging Books, Lessons and technology, Julie Hembree describes just this collaborative scenario in her post on QR codes. QR codes are squares of black and white that can be both generated for a website or URL and read by a reader to direct to a website or URL. In working with a teacher of exceptional ed students, Hembree and her colleague brainstormed the use of QR codes as a way to get her challenged students to individual forms (in her post the forms are Microsoft Forms, which have their own individual URLs, Google Forms also have their own URLs).
In the case of this particular blog, the tool, the QR code, is absolutely useful within a school library. QR codes can be used for electronic sign-in sheets (making monthly collection of data easier to report), links to book trailers on the shelves where the books are located (how cool is that?), and links to resources such as book lists, relevant websites, and more.
But perhaps more importantly, Hembree's post succinctly illustrates the collaborative process between teacher and librarian that would both define the librarian as tech leader and infuser - and bring technology in to the hands of the students in her building.
Daniella Smith, (2010),"Making the case for the leadership role of school librarians in technology
integration", Library Hi Tech, Vol. 28 Iss 4 pp. 617 - 631
QR codes seem to make anything easier! Scanning a QR code definitely beats having students type in long web addresses. The idea of posting QR codes next to books in the library that link to book trailers is genius! The students could create the videos, share their opinions on the books, and see their creativity in action as their peers view their work! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteQR code uses are endless. Anyone in the school building could use them. Using them in a way of forms for challenged student is brilliance. I will have to let my resource team know about this blog share. Do you think it could link teachers/students to other tech tools also?
ReplyDeleteQR codes are invaluable. QR codes have opened up so much tech access for younger elementary students who do not easily navigate a keyboard to type in a URL. Love the idea of posting QR code book trailers next to books in the library- maybe students could make flipgrids as book trailers...
ReplyDeleteI loved using QR codes in the classroom! It seemed like every year websites were getting longer and longer and students typing skills were getting worse and worse! I love the idea of using them in the library for book trailers. Have you done this yet?
ReplyDeleteCatherine, I have not had a chance to do this yet - I am not sure how it will play out here at Cario, as we have Chromebooks, not iPads, and it is harder to read the QR codes with them (though not impossible). We are also not 1:1, so I would be more likely to let my kiddos take out their phones to access them.
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