For myself, time seems to be the biggest factor with staying up-to-date on technology.\u00a0 It takes a lot of time to search for new blogs\/websites or read articles and explore various tools.\u00a0 I think the easiest way for me to think about it is how \u201cRaphael Arar, a designer and researcher at IBM Research<\/a>, said he tries to reserve time, even if it\u2019s just 15 minutes a day, to learn a new skill\u201d (DeNisco Rayome, 2017, sec.1, para 3).\u00a0 If I can tell myself to take 15-20 minutes every day (or even five days a week) to play around with new tools or to read an article about tech and its applications, that can go a long way.\u00a0 This term I have started a document of curated resources to refer back to and reference in the future.\u00a0 I will keep adding to this list and take 15-20 minutes every day to look at these resources.\u00a0 I think sometimes I can get bogged down and overwhelmed with all the different directions one can go when reading and researching new technology.\u00a0 I liked when DeNisco Rayome, 2017, said, \u201cfind a few bloggers that are relevant to your area of expertise and follow them\u201d (sec. 7, para. 2).\u00a0 If I take this advice, maybe it can be that easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have the luxury of having a position where I can play around with technology on the job. I have access to a 3-D printer and makerspace activities. I enjoy hanging out with students to explore with them and watch them go through the process. We learn a lot together when we play! I also enjoy collaborating with teachers and learning what they are teaching in their classrooms. \u201cWith the increase in educational technology, many librarians spend much of their time addressing one of the core challenges of modern education: integrating technology into pedagogy<\/a> in ways that fundamentally elevate learning\u201d (Burroughs, 2022, para. 5). It is important as an aspiring librarian, that I take time to play around with and evaluate various tech tools to see how they could be applied to lessons. It is also valuable to collaborate and talk to colleagues to see what they are already using, and what has been successful (or not). Teachers love to talk about their lessons and their classes, so finding the time to connect with colleagues is important. As this article suggested, \u201ctalk to friends and colleagues about what they are working on, and ask a lot of questions about what they\u2019ve learned\u201d (DeNisco Rayome, 2017, sec. 4, para 1). One can glean a lot of information from colleagues, so I will make the time to connect to my network. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I found the article on technophoba quite fascinating (Szmodis, 2021). She talks about how being tech-savvy is not something you\u2019re necessarily born with, rather it\u2019s a skill that takes practice (Szmodis, 2021, para. 4). I need to invest time as I mentioned earlier to continue researching tools and practicing its applications. I have never really considered myself a \u201ctechie\u201d but as an educator I have learned a lot of tools. The image of myself being super into technology is one I continue to work on as I don\u2019t feel it comes naturally. \u201cWe\u2019re information professionals, and curiosity should be one of our driving forces. A need to know<\/em> a need to learn<\/em>\u201d (Sarah, 2022, para. 6). The past twelve weeks in this MLIS program, I have become much more curious. I have enjoyed exploring a wide variety of tools, and have read countless articles and blog posts about different technologies. I hope this curiosity will continue to guide me into my future in librarianship!<\/p>\n\n\n\n References <\/p>\n\n\n\n Burroughs, A. (2022, July 8). Tech-savvy school librarians provide value to modern learners.<\/em> EdTech. https:\/\/edtechmagazine.com\/k12\/article\/2022\/07\/tech-savvy-school-librarians-provide-value-modern-learners<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n DeNisco Rayome, A. (2017, September 7). 10 ways that IT pros and developers can keep their tech skills up to date<\/em>. TechRepublic. https:\/\/www.techrepublic.com\/article\/10-ways-that-it-pros-and-developers-can-kee <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sarah. (2022, July 16). Staying sharp during the summer.<\/em> Hack Library School. https:\/\/hacklibraryschool.com\/2022\/06\/16\/staying-sharp-during-the-summer\/<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Szmodis, P. (2021, July 27). How to get over technophobia.<\/em> Hack Library School. https:\/\/hacklibraryschool.com\/2021\/07\/27\/how-to-get-over-technophobia\/<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How to stay up-to-date on technology For myself, time seems to be the biggest factor with staying up-to-date on technology.\u00a0 It takes a lot of time to search for new blogs\/websites or read articles and explore various tools.\u00a0 I think the easiest way for me to think about it is how \u201cRaphael Arar, a designer… <\/p>\n