LISNews: Librarian Blog Since 1999

One of the themes I've noticed over the past two days is that of learning: - collaborative learning, e-learning, virtual learning, distance education, life-long learning. Surprisingly, it's not all focused on students or patrons, but rather, how do we (librarians) learn? What does it take for us to "keep up with technology?" Who do we go to for assistance? Moreover, are we all GOOD TEACHERS?

Companies like WebJunction are providing learning communities for librarians (specifically in Washington State, but thinking nationally) that meets librarians "where they live." In fact, one of the phrases I heard most often was "point of need." So, the mission of continuing education becomes not just learning something new, but learning something relevant, making it personal, and delivering it in such a context that the knowledge becomes intimately connected with what one does on a regular basis.

I think of my LEEP experience at UIUC and find that the "blended learning" phenomenon is not so new. The way people are talking about it might be. And there are challenges to pulling off a successful blended learning environment.

• creation of instructional materials
• managing roles and responsibilities of students and instructor
• meeting learner expectations
• controlling costs and controlling time

In an online environment, you can't just wing it.

Whether learning is "blended" with a combination of distance ed. technology and face-to-face interactions or strictly e-based, instructors cannot assume that everyone is at the same comfort level with the technology being used. As Missy Harvey of Carnegie Mellon said, "Be organized and communicate with your students. Respect your students and never be condescending."

Actually, that sounds like pretty good advice in general.

AND NOW FOR THE CORKSCREW
I am positive there are some things that just shouldn't be repeated in their entirety, so I will paraphrase something that was said at the Dead Technology session on Wednesday night.

If I remember the context correctly, the speaker was commenting on some librarians' reluctance to adopt new technologies in favor of whining about what they were going to do to maintain relevance. (Other attendees, please feel free to correct me) The statement was (moderately paraphrased) "take the free corkscrew from your hotel room and pull the pickle out of your [orifice]"

I know the intimation was for drastic effect and it must have worked because I CANNOT get that phrase out of my head!!! Along those same lines, here is a definition of END-USER ABUSE:
having to search 450 databases sequentially

What are we doing to make the experience better?--Durst