Thing 15

After reading, Web 2.0: Where will the next generation Web take libraries?, I have concluded that this is the best time for a kid to be a kid!
I remember when cell phones came to be – the old, huge, bulky Motorola. Then there was email - which had SO many steps to logon, create & send. Now everything is done with a click of a button! Computers have changed dramatically too! My father purchased a mainframe computer ($40,000.00) which used a 14” (I think) floppy disk. The only game I could play on it was Othello.
The next computer was a Franklin ACE which was compatible with Apple. Then, finally, a portable computer evolved. It was as big as a suitcase, had a mono-color screen, and was the coolest thing ever. Now, we have access to iPhones, iPods, Notebooks, digital cameras, digital phones & cableT.V.
Web 2.0 has just blown away the capabilities and amount of technological programs kids can use to enhance their learning.
Here is a quote from Dr. Wendy Schultz’s To a temporary place in time...
What are libraries? Libraries are not just collections of documents and books, they are conversations, they are convocations of people, ideas, and artifacts in dynamic exchange. Libraries are not merely in communities, they are communities: they preserve and promote community memories; they provide mentors not only for the exploration of stored memory, but also for the creation of new artifacts of memory.
I totally agree! Libraries today are not card-cataloged based but rather a “hub” for learning. Our school librarian has unturned multiple opportunities for every learner. She encourages teachers to pursue new techniques and will guide them through technology to create a seamless transition from books to computers. The sky is the limit and with the Web growing like a weed, we only have ourselves to blame for not using the latest and greatest resources which are free for the most part! I need an RSS feed for this upcoming, renovating technology!
I must admit that going from pen and paper activities with books, to a more advanced, copy and paste from the web can be scary. However, if taught properly, students will use it like we used to use the card catalog for research.