Mostly About Webinars

Last week in class we presented our one shot workshops.  Overall, I thought they went quite well.  It was interesting to learn about the different topics groups had prepared for us, as well as the methods they chose to teach the material to us.  We had power point slides, handouts, discussions, and a bit of drawing and writing in order to help effectively communicate new material.  I really appreciated the handouts because when I forget everything the day after the workshop, the handouts will remind me of what we covered, as well as enable me to follow up with more research on topics that interested me.  My one shot workshop also went well, I thought.  Just like the book club, presenting wasn't nearly as awful as I anticipated, and I think people seemed interested in our topic, which was how to deal with challenges to books in a public library.  Also, I felt prepared going in, and that was a big help in monitoring time during the workshop.

For next week, we had to read up on webinars.  I watched a webinar called "Libraries are Essential: Connecting to Youth in Your Community."  The three panelists included two public librarians, and one school librarian.  Summer book clubs were discussed a lot.  One of the public librarians said make sure to talk to school librarians about the assessment of summer reading programs, and the school librarian said it would be great if they could team up with public librarians to create a list of summer reading materials.  The desire to work together seems clear, but perhaps the actual implementation leaves a little to be desired.  In class, we have talked a lot about the need for public and school librarians to work together, and I think that in working together, much more can be accomplished when teaching students.  Another point from the webinar that was especially interesting to me was when a public librarian said that there is an interest in seeing "libraries do some type of online version of their summer reading program...just to address another need and address some of those kids who aren't participating in summer reading programs." What an interesting idea - an entirely online book club. I want to try it.  

The teen public librarian from the webinar suggested reaching out to teen leaders in the community - perhaps dance and step teams, a male modeling group, etc. - to bring in for teen events. She had a very positive experience with a male modeling group, herself. She also recommended keeping an eye out for trendy things: Old Navy and Target for example can give insight into teen room color schemes, fonts, and other design elements. Finally, she suggested that the library can be a great place for the "super uncool." Teens often feel comfortable and even have fun making valentines for their moms, or participating in party games (such as a pin the kiss on Taylor Lautner game - haha) at the library.

So now having watched several webinars, I feel much more comfortable about giving one, especially since we will be presenting in groups. Also, the Montgomery and Matos articles for today discussed the benefits of webinars in teaching college students. Webinars can be a great way to connect to college students throughout a course, rather than only being able to give all library instruction in one class towards the beginning of the semester. Also, librarians that are designated for specific school departments can be very helpful to the faculty and students of that department, but the faculty and students must take advantage of the librarian in order for the librarian to remain embedded in that department.

In Ch. 7 of How People Learn, it was interesting to read about all the teaching techniques that resulted in students being able to think within each subject area, rather than just be able to spit back facts, dates, and equations. I wish I had had teachers like these, especially in the math and science areas, because some of those classes and experiments sounded much more beneficial and fun than how I remember math and science being in my elementary and high school. I also agreed with the author that in order to best teach learning with understanding, teachers must have a firm grasp of their subject and the major themes and ideas within that subject. By learning with understanding, students can also transfer their newly acquired thinking skills to other subjects in school.