HIT: technology vs. library (LONG)

[Molly Clark <mcclark@TWCNY.RR.COM>]

Thanks to all who responded.  As I should have expected, there were many
different ways technology is taught in schools, and the situation I am going
into is not as unusual as I had thought.  I guess I'll have to wait until
the year gets going and see how things come together.  I'll say it again,
you guys are the best!  Several people asked for a hit on this, and the
answers seem to have stopped coming, so I guess it's safe to post.

>    Our tech teacher uses a curriculum from Teacher Created materials that
covers
keyboarding, paint programs, desktop publishing, etc.  She also does
Internet
projects with the classes

>       I firmly agree with Mary Alice. The closest thing we have to a
"technology
teacher" is me, and I assist teachers in leading their classes through new
territory (for the teacher as well as the student) such as spreadsheets,
multimedia, databases, desktop publishing, etc. I generally lead the first
class of the day, with teachers taking notes. The second class is
teacher-led with my assistance, and the third on is the teacher alone with
me being available to answer phone questions. Once he/she has "lived
through" a day, he/she is the "technology instructor" for that activity. All
activities are done within a curricular activity in a "regular" classroom.
    While our school has a technology education teacher (replaces our old
shop/industrial arts class) she does not teach technology. She has modules
dealing with different subjects (I.e., electricity, automotive, computer
drafting, design,  video production) that may or may not use computers and
other technology as tools within the module. She bristles when someone calls
her the technology teacher, as her role encompasses much more than that.
    One of our exploratory classes for all 6th graders this year is
keyboarding.
The class is led by a teacher from the students' team, and it lasts for one
6 weeks (a grading period). Since this is a skill that enhances their
technology usage, from word processing to searching on the Internet, it has
time devoted to it.
    I realize not everyone agrees with my (or Mary Alice's) viewpoint.
However,
I believe that as long as "technology" is taught as a separate subject, it
will be treated as such and not used as the tool it is meant to
be--supporting any and all learning activities as needed.



>    I am a technology teacher at two Catholic schools in Stratford,
Connecticut.
I teach grades K-8 and I am nearing completion of  my MLS and certification
as a Library Media Specialist in grades K-12.
In our schools, I work with the LMS (sort of).  It is supposed to be a team
teaching approach where I teach computer, Internet, and Information seeking
skills and the librarian teaches research in print sources, gives book
talks,
and promotes literacy.  It doesn't really work as well as I'd like it to in
that I'd like our lessons to dovetail a bit more smoothly than they do at
present.  I find myself teaching a lot of library skills, using the
computer,
of course, and the librarian doing worksheets for vocabulary enrichment and
writing skills.
Typically, I use software applications to teach word processing,
presentation, and computer literacy skills.  I have some math programs that
help kids increase problem solving and higher order thinking proficiency.  I
teach how to evaluate web sites, search for  information on the Internet,
the
history of the Internet (a little), and notetaking.  I try to include
information seeking strategies according to the Big6 model and I try (not
always as successfully as I'd like) to get teachers involved in integrating
technology into their curricula.
As you can see, there's a lot of overlap between what I do and the duties of
a LMS, but I think that might be because I come to the job with a background
and point of view of a librarian.  I have 500 students at one school and I
see them on a rotating schedule that works out to once every two weeks per
class.  At my smaller school, I have about 240 students who I see every week
for 1/2 hour.  So you can see that my time is limited and I can't do as much
as I'd like.
I would love to be the LMS and technology teacher in a school.  If the
teachers would see library time as a resource for their teaching, stay with
the class while they were with me, and use more project and resource based
learning, we'd be able to get more accomplished and it might be more
seamlessly done.  That's not going to happen any time soon, of course.
You didn't mention how your vision of the job of LMS and the tech teacher
differs from that of the administration and the tech teacher.  I'd be
interested in hearing how they agree and disagree with you. It sounds like
fertile ground for some dialog.
Good luck this school year, and don't burn out.  Library is such an
important
part of education, but it is treated as a peripheral in most places.  Adding
technology to the mix in a society where educators aren't quite sure what to
do with it just makes it that much more difficult.  We are pioneers, I'm
afraid, with all the excitement, uncertainties, and problems that go with
it.

>    I get along extremely well with the technology
teachers at my school and this is basically how we
divide things up.
They teach all the basic programs -- keyboarding, word
processing, graphics, games, e-mail
I teach the library catalog
TOGETHER, we team teach the Internet (they focus on
the browser, I focus on searching & evaluating),
creating web pages, and using other electronic
reference sources. Depending on the class, I usually
teach advanced searching skills on my own. Basically,
we decided that my job is using information resources
(in whatever form), and their job is the mechanics of
the computer. Where these two overlap, then so do we,
and we do it together. Like I said though, I am
EXTREMELY lucky to have wonderful teachers with whom I
can collaborate. We both see it as a benefit to do it
together.


>    I'm new to School Media, so this question baffles me. NC has a standard
course of study for information and computer skills, which is what our
Technology teacher follows in the design and creation of her lessons.
Also, the lesson plan, with the NC SCS objectives must be plainly visible
to any observer entering the classroom. I should say that I work in an
Open school, and that plays into how lessons are presented, so that the
teacher plays more of a mentor role than a traditional teacher.

>    Hi!  I just started as a technology teacher for grades 5-8 in a private
school here in my home city.  My planned curriculum is based on the
curriculums of several states and incorporates technology standards from
Information Power.  I teach beginning computers, so I cover a lot of
applications from Word to PowerPoint to effective use of the Internet.  Due
to the limited amount of knowledge regarding technology by several of our
teachers (my goal is to improve this) and the limited amount of instruction
time during the year, technology is considered a separate course. This does
not mean that teachers do not incorporate technology into their classes,
just that the mastery of applications is not accomplished at this time.   As
our students progress to higher grades, they are offered courses in
programming languages as well.  Hope this helps


>    Is your computer teacher a certified teacher?
He is certified and has been teaching in the computer room for over 10
years.
If she teaches all the electronic searching, what do you teach?
We both teach electronic seaching. I also teach searching with books,
the use of Winnebago, library skills, reading appreciation, organize
Internet projects for various classes and circulate books in a 45 minute
period. I have 6 OPACs. He has 30. He also has the children for 1-45
minute period per week per class.
Do you work together?  Sometimes but our jobs are really different.
It appears that my school wants to run things the way your do, but I'm
frankly not
comfortable with that.
I really don't see this as a battle between us. I'm the book person,
he's the computer person. My kids use computers in the Media Center; his
kids only use computers and no books.
I came from a school that didn't even have a technology teacher; it was
integrated into the classroom and library.
We have no computers in the classrooms except the Resource Room.
I feel like I'll be reduced to a book warehouse if we go this route.  And
our
average reference book is 18 years old.
In Sept. I will be integrating SIRS Discoverer periodical database into
the Library. The Computer Room will be open to teachers for use of the
CCC program. The Computer Teacher will be half time Computers and half
time Basic Skills.
The system is not as crazy as it sounds and in reality the children are
getting the use of computers twice in the week instead of once.


>    I think the technology teacher teaches whatever the technology
curriculum
tells her to (if she is lucky enough to have a curriculum) and depending on
how many days she is in the building.  Are you really asking what do you
teach and what does she teach?
This is a question that is still not settled in my system.  The technology
specialist is only in the ( K-5) elementary school one day a week and two
days a week in the larger (over 400) schools.  She is more a resource than
a teacher.  The problem is who picks up the actual teaching of computers.
Some teachers expect me to run a library, do library classes, and also
teach technology.  I wish I could say that going into the new year it is
finally settled as to our roles but not so.  We have not started yet and I
hope this year we can come to an agreement.  And so far there is no
technology curriculum; it is put in with the library media curriculum.  Ah
well.  We'll see what happens.

>    Re: Technology teacher. What grade levels does he or she teach? Does
this
person deal with teaching the integration of various technologies into the
various assignments/curriculums? I'm curious, Also, who addresses what in
re: to technology in the state standards? We don't have a technology
teacher, per se, but rather an integrated approach.

>What does your technology teacher teach?
Do you have class called pencil?
We do not have a technology teacher, thank heavens.   I firmly believe that
technology is a tool, integrated in the curriculum and should not be taught
as a subject.

>using tools (hammer, saws, etc)
a unit on manufacturing
transportation unit
mag-lev train unit (we do this one as an Internet activity in the media
center)
animation unit
TV production unit
photography unit (35mm & digital)
communications unit
careers unit
They have also used the computer to create personal notepads for all the
teachers, including the special cardboard backing, glued, just like the ones
you buy and
a handy little note holder out of wood blocks and clothespin for all staff.


>    Is your tech teacher a certified teacher or a tech specialist?
Since ours is a tech specialist, she teaches staff development classes to
teachers and keeps the hardware and software running.  Classroom teachers
and I do the actual teaching to students.  I teach online catalog and
Internet searching skills, WorldBook online searching and note-taking
skills, some Access, Word, PowerPoint and PrintShop as they are used for
final products in research units.  Teachers teach keyboarding, curriculum
related programs, e-mail, some Internet and World Book if they are
comfortable with those programs.  Our lab is flexibly scheduled, we have a
k-6 tech curriculum and lessons are supposed to be integrated into classroom
units.


>     Our computer teacher teaches children how to use word processing
applications, how to use Encarta and World Book as well as the Internet
for research. The school district used to use the Future Kids company
curriculum but they are now in the process of developing a new
curriculum.

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