I think the biggest thing that is important in staying up to date is setting time aside to dive into something new (Raymone, 2017). I am always talking to kids about what the new tech thing is so that I can attempt to stay relevant to their world, and find ways to make connections to what is happening in their life. Additionally, attending conferences that incorporate digital technology, especially that relates to the classroom and school library in my case, will be an important element of staying connected so that I can support classroom teachers. 

I was very struck by the EdTech article that mentioned how librarians have always been at the forefront of digital technology: it’s true (Burroughs, 2022)! I am often asked to come support technology needs within the building, especially when something new has been rolled out to staff and students. With this in mind, it’s important that I am considering how to keep ahead and current so that I can do more than just troubleshoot; I can help empower by showing staff and students how they can use technology to deepen their knowledge and understanding of their curriculum. The 3D printers that we have in our makerspace are excellent examples of how a trending technology can be connected to art class, science class, math class, or social studies class. 

When I think about how I like to stay sharp during the summer, I connected to Sarah’s blogpost about the “wikipedia” game (HLS, 2022). I love to “rabbit hole” as I call it, down wikipedia to learn about new people, places, concepts, and vocabulary words. Summer is the time that I get to let my mind wander and not feel stressed and pressed to specific tasks that must be done on one specific timeline!! 

References:

Burroughs, A. (2022, July 08). Tech-savvy school librarians provide value to modern learners. EdTech: Focus on K-12. https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2022/07/tech-savvy-school-librarians-provide-value-modern-learners

DeNisco Rayome, A. (2017, September 7). 10 ways that IT pros and developers can keep their tech skills up to date. Tech Republic. https://www.techrepublic.com/article/10-ways-that-it-pros-and-developers-can-keep-their-tech-skills-up-to-date/

Sarah. (2022, June 16). Staying sharp during the summer. How would you hack a school library? https://hacklibraryschool.com/2022/06/16/staying-sharp-during-the-summer/