Technology - new & old

1/19/12

In your reflective journal postings, many of you asked me to talk about my own experiences and provide more personal reactions. You also asked that I talk a little about the themes I saw in those journals.

Remember that I’m working a week ahead of you to prepare my lectures, aka video podcasts, then I’m posting my blog in “real” time. So the previous posts are mostly about week 1.

In week one you were all getting used to the technology, BB LEARN has its own quirks and disadvantages which you are slowly mastering. For many of you, this is your first time in an online class so the technology adds to the learning curve.  So far, so good.

As librarians, we need to be able to work with new and old technology. I treat technology as a tool, which it is. It’s just like learning how a reference tool works. I have to know how to open it, save my place, save information or take notes, and what all the buttons do. For books, it’s what the parts contain and how to access them. Embrace the technology, explore different reference books, read different genre of fiction. To me, it’s all the same.  I read almost every genre, I love to listen to books, e-books are tough because my eyes get tired, but not my ears! If you treat software programs and technological devices just like new reference tools, you’ll find your own comfort levels.  The great thing about technology is that there’s always someone else who knows more than you do.  Oh wait, there’s always a librarian or researcher who knows more also.

Librarianship and Information Science is all about finding information through a variety of access points. Computer programs and computer devices are just access tools to information and entertainment. Try them, experiment with them, and develop a comfort level. Consider the time an opportunity to learn.  Consider it a teaching moment for yourself.

Would you be surprised to find that I don't have many of the electronic / technological devices you have?  Part of me wants to be disconnected from the constant barrage of information. Yet, I seek knowledge all the time.