The Flipped Librarian: The Process

The flipping process unconsciously/consciously included many steps...

...on many levels

1. Needed to surround myself with really helpful people and build interest and a reason to be there helping. Paid workers and volunteers for community service hours with the addition of social events helped cement connection and friendships. This was one of my favourite things because the closer I was able to get to the students the more influence I had on them adopting technology. I often got them to teach me and I just modelled using it as a "normal" thing.

One keen student created a logo for us.

Right beside me students lived and worked in an environment rich in information and technology. Besides flogging books and promoting literacy, they saw me integrating technology, updating websites and blogs and promoting new tools. They became part of the adventure, out of shear necessity.

Eileen does her magic returning USB's and making sure that everyone has a note about books they have on hold. This frees me up to integrate technology and try to get to the HOTS.

Surrounded myself with students like this: avid readers, keen to work.

Eastwood Library Helpers would take on any cause...this time "Over the Rainbow" this time our very own Orange Dorthy AJ Bridel. This picture posted on facebook helped her get point to get to her the top

2. In order to make the library more flexible...a true maker space we needed to reconfigure the organization to allow for flexible seating for varied creation spaces which required and expensive purchase of moveable shelving with no help from admin - the library is suffering this year financially because of this and huge cutbacks. We press on.

Moveable shelves allowed for the library space to be more flexible

The flexible shelving above allowed people to attend this concert in the library.

3.Needed to fight for more chairs because the numbers in the library increased.

4. Needed to put signage so there were not as many questions at the desk and more organization

Needed to laminate signs with this cheap laminator so I did not have to run to the AV room halfway across the school to laminate signs so they last longer and I don't have to waste time on that

Print credits in a handy location and students helpers often make display signs

Promoting our email server was no easy task...but now many use it.

5. Allow tinkering and playing

In this case the play went a bit far and we chose to remove the candy machine. It was a business class project... too much trouble, change, mess....

6. Purchased, refurbished, worked through CATC and received equipment, most often it was cataloged in horizon in appropriate containers

Really Useful Boxes are on the left with blue locking handles making expensive adapters seem more precious. Barcode, barcode, barcode....all these boxes have barcodes

Tablet obtained through a teacher donation spring 2012 finally is working and a happy - -- student doing art work spring 2013

The process, research, phoning, emailing, phoning soliciting help and finally success.

What really flipped with me was that it was ok to put time into this organization because the library could flow, ultimately reaching the higher oder thinking skills. It was not always up to me to ensure they were going on. Sometimes it was just creating the space, the encouragement, the device, the software debriefs for it to happen...level 4 was happening

7. Allowed clubs to flourish that often required technology
Book Club, Anime Club, Guitar Cub, Game Club, K-Pop---it is about spirit
The library is used for evening meetings of parents and staff and events.

Collaboration, old school, has a large backlog of preparation on technology. It may look like a pencil and paper activity with these Book Club members, but these students shared blogs, quizzes, on FaceBook and ultimately ended up this year defaulting to shared google docs to do their project called Battle of the Books a quiz game between other schools based on 3 novels.

8. Much of my daily time was spent making sure the two labs we had with wired computers and 4 printers worked. Daily calls, tickets and reminders, signage, signage, signage. Implementing a scanner was and incredible feat...see charts for the details.

EARLY DAYS

ECI Math teachers working on (HOTS Lesson plans)

One of my first tasks was to get the SmartBoard installed properly in the seminar room. The librarian at the time put it together with me, but we were not experts at the cables. We also had one in the lab area with a "Library Cow" that we purchased with library funds. It took several attempts to get it right too. I think teachers really appreciated that we had these available. The ease of use of the SmartBoard with the ceiling mount proved to be the winner. Both these integrations of technology were brilliant because they allowed teachers and students to experiment in a place that was safer with help...I downplayed this because I wanted things to be more interactive and HOTS "toujours". They could also see if they really wanted one in their classrooms before others were purchased. Kids were engaged. Only a few teachers opted for this option. Making your classroom interactive is a huge commitment and certainly truly using the SmartBoard more interactively is a next step.

There's nothing like a group of grade 9 geographers discovering the power of a SmartBoard. These kids even came in with SmartBoard skills this year and were keen to use them. They taught each other

Some issues seems to always be on my list of to do's: cables failed, had to use makeshift speakers and plugs until we purchased the right ones last year. People kept taking the SmartBoard apart to attach his or her own computer. Different parts would not work at different times. Often the drivers had to be reinstalled until they were on the image, sometimes the drivers did not match. We had to teach teachers to download software at home. Currently we have discovered that the volume button on the SmartBoard speakers is broken and needs to be sent away. We spent $100 on long cables that are permanently attached. After my 16 foot USB cable was taken a few times I now have them in a "really useful boxes" catalogued in the Horizon system.

Words like flow and ease of use or access did not roll off my tongue much...

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INTEGRATION MOMENTUM GROWS

After the smartboard an ipad embellishes our circ desk

Amlesom avidly games but also does homework the iPad. He shared iPad apps with others. It is tethered to the desk via a Kensington Locking case and cable.

I tinker and scour the internet for useable apps. Struggle for truly level 4 integrations. Lots of sharing and connecting with iPads, lots of level 1 and 2 applications, e.g. a science elements chart app, emergency computer, guitar tuner, podcasting with garage, love scanner, QR readers, organizational apps...still more quest for the HOTS...some next steps include iPad band?

The MacBook...awe...solution for video editing, podcasting, just about anything, live streaming... It was so painless compared to everything else. It arrived at the desk in 1 day from the Ed Centre. It has worked for over a year now and absolutely no problems. One of the best large purchases in the library.

We are getting there, some level 4 happening. I tether it a lot of time with the kensington lock at the the circ desk. It is barcoded as well for staff and students. We finally got a student to create an iBook. The Mac allowed this option.

PERHAPS ONE OF THE BEST INTERACTIVE, TRANSFORMING AND CREATIVE TOOL
MAINLY BECAUSE OF THE VIDEO CAPABILITY.

MY SHOCK IS THAT IT ARRIVED THE DAY AFTER I ORDERED IT...

Large tables in the seminar room provide space for creation of Native artifacts. Sharing and connection is possible.

Yes, Robots in the library. They needed to test the Robot in an area with real human beings around.

Netbooks start to arrive
Found I needed a way to secure them to tables

The board carpenter came up with this ring idea

Various other "MAKER SPACE" events

Getting a designated computer set up as a computer dedicated to the catalogue is still in hte iffy state but at least it works and is distinctly located on one of the bookshelves away from the lab.

It was a messy job organizing the netbooks on the shelves near the server. We could not afford a charging cart so it was rigged up to the server in the library office. We house 10 on these former backroom book shelves. The netbooks are all barcoded.