Book Review for: Technology And The School Library

I found Technology And The School Library written by Odin L. Jurkowski to be very informative and is a great resource to keep on your bookshelf. This book would be beneficial for new school librarians as well as existing school librarians alike. Jurkowski's book is categorized into five sections including: Information Tools, Information Resources, From the Library to the Classroom, Technology Administration in the School Library, and Technology and the Teaching Component. Each section offers overviews, resources available, information concerning various types of equipment, and how to create and effective and efficient school library.

The first section of Technology And The School Library provides details about information tools including hardware, software, and networks that will help school librarians make appropriate choices for their library. Everything from computers, scanners, printers, operating systems, antivirus, spyware, wired and wireless networks, thin clients, etc. are covered in this section on information tools.

The second section of the book discusses information resources including educational software, Internet, and school library websites. Issues with, types of, and evaluations for educational software and websites are covered in this section. Tips and ideas for creating an effective school library website are also discussed in the second section.

The third section that Jurkowski covers in his book is that concerning taking information from the library to the classroom. Equipment and classroom support are the main topics in this section. The whole idea of having understanding of the equipment available in the school and how the librarian can provide support and training for this equipment is becoming a key role for school librarians.

Section four discusses technology administration in the school library which includes automation, student computers, security systems, and technology plans. Jurkowski explains that school librarians need to understand the various types of technology, determine needs, have knowledge of funding, and how important planning is to adequately operate a school library. Also in this section is details about the number of computers needed and guidelines for arrangements of the computers. Security systems and the necessity for them are covered in this section also. Finally, technology plans including an explanation of what they are, the process for creating and writing a plan, and the difference between a good versus a bad technology plan are included.

The final section, section five, covers technology and the teaching component. Professional development, instructional handouts and materials, and Web 2.0 are all mentioned in this final section of Technology And The School Library. Jurkowski encourages school librarians to, "Use professional development as an opportunity to make the library even more visible." When school librarians share their knowledge with other teachers and students this can create a great environment in the school and provide others with the knowledge they need to find information. This section also points out how beneficial it is for school librarians to create, provide, and display instructional handouts and materials in a printed format. Lastly, Web 2.0 along with a description of what it is, the uses for it, and the various types of tools available within this form of technology are covered.

I would certainly recommend Jurowski's book, Technology And The School Library, as a necessary resource for all school librarians. This book is full of explanations, information, and resources that are important to being an effective school librarian. Jurowksi has also provided checklists, diagrams, and additional websites that should be helpful. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and felt as though I gained a lot of insight to becoming a productive school librarian.

Cell Phones in the Classroom?

Allowing the use of cell phones in the classroom is a controversial issue. There are many challenges as well as opportunities that go along with permitting students to utilize cell phones in an educational environment. After researching this topic, I have included some of the positives and negatives for this issue.

In my opinion, there are many opportunities and benefits for students using their cell phones in school. First, a cell phone can provide a different modality for learners to use which could be helpful to maintain interest and improve organization. Also students would be able to have access to this technology perhaps more easily than a computer. Another opportunity is the quantity and usefulness of the applications that are available for cell phones is tremendous. On the other hand, there are also challenges to students using cell phones in the classrooms.

One of the biggest challenges would be that not all students have a cell phone. This would create limitations in the classroom and for those students without a phone. It is not like a teacher keeping extra supplies in the classroom for students to use, having extra cell phones available for student use would very difficult and costly. Another issue comes from the various types of phones, the applications they have access to, and the cost of usage. It would be difficult to make sure all students have the same or similar phones and applications to use in the classroom. This would require teachers to have an overwhelming knowledge of phones and applications. Also, a huge concern would be the misuse and possible violation of privacy that could come with freely allowing students to use their phones in school. As I watched some of the YouTube videos that students posted I was disturbed by the fact that these teachers were violated. I know they should not have conducted themselves in the manner in which they did, but within a couple of minutes of recording and a few touches to a screen they have their privacy violated. I personally know of a student doing something similar and I feel this is not something that should be taken lightly.

I do believe that the use of cell phone have many opportunities and can be beneficial, but probably not in classrooms with students any younger than high school age and preferably used by college aged students. As for the future, cell phones or some other similar type of technology may be used in a school setting, but for now there are too many issues that still need to be sorted out before allowing students to freely use their cell phones in the classroom.