Designer Librarian: Embedded in K12 Online Learning

Abstract

Over the past two decades, shifts in technology have altered the roles of school librarians in a multitude of ways. New rigorous standards, proliferation of devices, and steady growth of online and blended learning for the K12 market now demand librarians engage with learners in online environments. Taking an instructional design approach is the way one librarian is meeting the challenge of further embedding her library's resources, instruction and services into online instruction. The article chronicles how her thirty years of experience with shifting library roles have changed her from a teacher librarian to a designer librarian. A continuum of K12 online embedded librarianship is offered.Keywords: designer librarian, embedded librarian, instructional design, reusable learning objects Designer Librarian: Embedded in K12 Online LearningWe sit at a point of convergence. Rigorous standards, rapid growth of online and blended learning and new assessments challenge educators to be highly informed and highly adaptable. These challenges, juxtaposed with the growing availability of devices and elegantly designed web tools, open up a wide world of possibilities for what we might help our learners achieve. Blended and online learning are growing at a steady pace, pushing teachers and librarians to consider new ways of effectively reaching learners. Technology committees in schools are being replaced with "innovation" teams focused on the quest to improve, differentiate and personalize the learning environment. While a multitude of solutions are possible, attention must be given to online learning and our learners' ubiquitous use of devices for personal and school needs.The 2014 Project Tomorrow Report, The New Digital Playbook, presented findings on mobile computing devices and noted that in school, 75% of the high school students surveyed were using their devices to access class information; 22% were viewing teacher-made videos. Outside of school, a wide majority of these students (73% of girls, 60% of boys) were using their devices to discuss schoolwork (usually via texting). Clearly, these devices are here to stay. We have a responsibility to help students learn how to work with these devices, and learn in online spaces, as a significant portion of their college work and future workplace trainings will take place online.

School librarians online: integrated learning beyond the school walls

“…A plan forward Online instruction will likely persist when schools reopen this fall. As blended learning becomes more normalized, online instruction in K-12 schools will require distinct pedagogical and technological training to be effective (Boyer, 2015). Blended or hybrid learning presents significant opportunity for school librarians to demonstrate their instructional knowledge and skills (Green et al, 2017).…”

Psychosocial Impacts of Mobile Game on K12 Students and Trend Exploration for Future Educational Mobile Games

“…According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theory (Figure 3), human needs are divided into five categories from low to high: physiological needs, security needs, social needs, respect needs, and self-actualization needs. When the lower level needs are satisfied, the next level needs will become the primary motivation (Boyer, 2015;Li et al, 2021). So when we have satisfied the two basic needs of physiological needs and security needs, the pursuit of spirituality will rise to become the main conflict.…”

Library instruction and information literacy 2015

“…Included are suggestions for instructional design components that could be incorporated into other education practitioner courses or curricula. Boyer, B. (2015), "Designer librarian: embedded in k12 online learning", TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning,Vol.…”