Thing # 7 : Technology

Ways to incorporate technology into my library seems to be on my mind a lot lately. It seems that each time I introduce the smallest little technology thing my students go nuts and are suddenly engaged and excited about coming to the library. A new favorite of my students is PhotoStory. Several classes just finished some research and we put the results into Photostory (you 'drop' in a picture and audio can be recorded to match along with music, it is quick and easy to use and the results are fun). In their 'free time' they are recording the audio portion and I have lines of students waiting to record. It makes them feel like stars. Their faces are pricelss when I play the final project for them. They are so excited that they forget that they are working with a partner they don't necessarily like and did research.

I am starting to have the students create book reviews in the same way. They are actually excited to share and talk about books because technology is involved.

Technology is not the be all, end all. But it increasingly provides a way to spark excitement and interest that leads to students being excited about learning and for that I am grateful.