Final Blog Post

    Hi, everyone! The semester is over, so it is time for my final reflection. I have certainly learned a lot over the course of the summer. I feel as if I succeed in this class, my first for library media! I was pleasantly surprised with this course, since I went into it with no expectations. I learned about research in libraries, and all about Makerspaces, which was the focus of my 25 hour learning challenge. The thing that I found to be the most rewarding was attending the Alabama School Library Association conference. I learned a lot about setting up school libraries and how to make them accessible and engaging for all students. It made me so excited to start my own! The most frustrating thing for me was trying to figure out the research draft component of the class. I had to write a rough draft, then a proposal for action research. I really did not understand it at all, and it made me feel intimidated. After some research and studying, I figured out how to do it, though, so it turned out fine. Some resources I used were the videos provided to me through the class, along with articles online that supported my proposal. As a learner, the most important thing for me was to take a deep breath, research my questions, and then integrate them into my learning. The four domains of the AASL standards (think, create, share, and grow) really helped me, too. Not only was I challenged to think critically about them, but they helped me in my research: thinking about it, creating a project or paper about it, sharing with with my classmates, then growing as a learner as I read their responses. When I become a librarian, I will know how to integrate these domains into student learning, as I was able to do so with myself. Also, I learned how to make libraries about creativity and growth, through Makerspaces, games, puzzles, and encouragement. I can also make my library a place where students learn, through guiding read-alouds, projects that encourage problem-solving skills, and where students can expand their learning through the arts and games. Of course, I can also use technology to do this. I can incorporate more e-books and virtual library trips. Also, I can use AI for students to have hands-on models and allow access to computers for research. 

    I really feel as if I learned a lot this semester. Honestly, I realized I learned a lot more than I thought just by writing this post! I am so excited to start my library and incorporate all that I have learned.