When I first walked onto C.W. Post Campus, I came with virtually no expectations of what this major was going to entail or what I was going to get out of it. This major was my father-in-law's idea, something he came up with at the dining room table one evening. After a roller coaster ride in the field of education where ultimate disappointment is where the ride ended, I felt like I wasn't meant to be in this field. My father-in-law, who felt quite differently, told me that I should consider becoming a school librarian; not an educator himself, but he described it as a place where I could reach the students in maybe a more meaningful way. Fast forwarding to the first day of class I was still unsure about the path to reaching the students in this field, but by July 20, 2010 I knew exactly what mission was going to be when I stepped into my own school library and I am fairly certain that I have a few decent tricks up my sleeve.
LIS 629 has smoothed the pavement to being techno-savvy in the library. I feel like for the first time in my short professional career that I am on the cusp of transforming and revolutionizing the role an educator can play in a student's life. Bringing technology into the library and immersing it into the curriculum is a fresh way to bring students to the forefront of learning how they learn. Web 2.0 tools allow for students to become accountable and responsible for their own learning environments. this course has prepared me to HAPPILY become a 21st century librarian.
I knew before the class started that I came up in a generation where computer technology was first being introduced to society. Yet now I am a professional in the field where technology is a common place for today's student. With all of the course assignments on tools such as Flickr or Twitter have completely captured my attention. I have always complained about Twitter as I watch my sister tweet every few seconds, thinking that it is an addiction that completely calls for no brain cell activity. When I finally had to sign up for class, I realized that there is a whole world of library experts and professionals that have created this web of information. My absolute favorite quote is from the Unquiet Librarian states "I can be transparent about my practice, thinking, wonderings, stumbles, successes, dreams, and other assorted musings..." It feels good to know that growing pains are OK and it's expected that you will not be perfect during your first year, but perfection comes with evolution and change. This is the perfect opportunity for the students and I to have equal ownership and partnership in creating a space that evokes learning, appreciation, and functionality.
