A heartfelt thank you to the North Carolina School Library Media Association for their exceptional hospitality and warm welcome to their annual conference this past Friday. It was truly an honor to be the opening keynote speaker and to be part of such a stellar conference! Below are the slides from my presentation:
2012, Participatory Librarianship and Learning, Teaching and Learning, The Unquiet Library 2006-2102
The Unquiet Librarian 
I just saw that you are the closing speaker for FAME in Orlando, FL on Nov. 3, 2012. I cannot wait to hear you speak. I have been following your blog since last Spring!!!
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I have returned to re-read this and your makerspaces posts as I mull ideas on possible adoption of your ideas. I am working towards an MLIS focusing on school librarianship and currently teach in a computer lab at an elementary school. Many of the schools our district are receiving massive renovations and sadly, in the process, the computer labs are being removed. The theory behind the design is that computers should be part of the classroom instruction. However, I feel like much is lost in those notion. Much is gained by having labs. Which is what keeps bringing me back to your posts. I am trying to formulate how the computer lab should be incorporated into the library space; the librarian and our school-based IT specialist sharing the teaching space to create a makerspace in an elementary school. I think there is great potential in an expanded school-wide communal space/learning lab to promote collaborative learning, participatory cultures, 21st century skills, and creative/critical thinking skills. I don’t see how pushing computers into classrooms equals 21st century skills. Teachers already have too little time to teach core curriculum. Taking time to teach computer programs and skills so that students can use the computers effectively does not seem like best practices. Sorry for the ramble, but I want to learn more and how effective some of your teaching methods would be on the elementary school level.
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Hi Lauren! You are not rambling at all. I think the work of my friend Andy Plemmons at Barrow Elementary will give you some great ideas of what these framework of participatory learning and teaching methods look like for the younger learners at http://barrowmediacenter.wordpress.com/. Best, Buffy
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Hi Buffy,
Do you know if your conference presentation was filmed at all? I’d love to see it since I didn’t get to go to conference.
Thanks.
Gabriel
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Hi Gabriel! I honestly don’t know if it was filmed, but I will check the conference chair to find out and then email you directly! Thanks! Best, Buffy
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