The Tech Edvocate

Top Menu

  • Advertisement
  • Apps
  • Home Page
  • Home Page Five (No Sidebar)
  • Home Page Four
  • Home Page Three
  • Home Page Two
  • Home Tech2
  • Icons [No Sidebar]
  • Left Sidbear Page
  • Lynch Educational Consulting
  • My Account
  • My Speaking Page
  • Newsletter Sign Up Confirmation
  • Newsletter Unsubscription
  • Our Brands
  • Page Example
  • Privacy Policy
  • Protected Content
  • Register
  • Request a Product Review
  • Shop
  • Shortcodes Examples
  • Signup
  • Start Here
    • Governance
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • The Edvocate
  • The Tech Edvocate Product Guide
  • Topics
  • Write For Us
  • Advertise

Main Menu

  • Start Here
    • Our Brands
    • Governance
      • Lynch Educational Consulting
      • Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
      • Careers
    • Write For Us
    • The Tech Edvocate Product Guide
    • Contact Us
    • Books
    • Pedagogue
    • Edupedia
    • The Edvocate Podcast
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • Topics
    • Assistive Technology
    • Child Development Tech
    • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech
    • EdTech Futures
    • EdTech News
    • EdTech Policy & Reform
    • EdTech Startups & Businesses
    • Higher Education EdTech
    • Online Learning & eLearning
    • Parent & Family Tech
    • Personalized Learning
    • Product Reviews
  • Advertise
  • Apps
  • Tech Edvocate Awards
  • The Edvocate
  • P-20 Ed Careers

logo

The Tech Edvocate

  • Start Here
    • Our Brands
    • Governance
      • Lynch Educational Consulting
      • Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
        • My Speaking Page
      • Careers
    • Write For Us
    • The Tech Edvocate Product Guide
    • Contact Us
    • Books
    • Pedagogue
    • Edupedia
    • The Edvocate Podcast
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • Topics
    • Assistive Technology
    • Child Development Tech
    • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech
    • EdTech Futures
    • EdTech News
    • EdTech Policy & Reform
    • EdTech Startups & Businesses
    • Higher Education EdTech
    • Online Learning & eLearning
    • Parent & Family Tech
    • Personalized Learning
    • Product Reviews
  • Advertise
  • Apps
  • Tech Edvocate Awards
  • The Edvocate
  • P-20 Ed Careers
  • Product Review of Voxy

  • Product Review of Voicethread

  • Product Review of Voice4u

  • Product Review of Voice Dream Reader

  • Product Review of Vowel LMS

  • Product Review of Vocabulary.com

  • Product Review of Visual Thesaurus

  • Product Review of Visual Payroll

  • Product Review of Vista

  • Product Review of Virtual Writing Tutor

Personalized Learning
Home›Personalized Learning›Personalized Learning Should Start in Libraries

Personalized Learning Should Start in Libraries

By Matthew Lynch
November 24, 2017
16590
0
Spread the love

Can a library be the perfect place for personalized learning? We believe the answer is yes. Libraries offer endless resources, space for learning, and individuals who are ready to assist students in the learning and research process. Sometimes when professors’ office hours do not line up with students’ schedules, we often forget, that librarians are here to help us too! That’s why we have libraries and librarians! Even if we think it is intimidating to approach a librarian, it should not be, because they are the experts in libraries! Not only are librarians available to assist us, but they are also available to teach us how to use the resources that the library has to offer.

Libraries can and should be the best place for individualized learning as we progress into the 21st century. The development and accessibility of online resources, as well as the recent trend in creating Makerspaces in libraries, are two examples of how libraries provide the perfect space for personalized learning. Libraries also provide the resources, the professionals, and the opportunities for all kinds of personalized learning. In this piece, I will explore the reasons why libraries are the perfect starting point for personalized learning.

Availability of Resources in Libraries

Once upon a time, I found a book on a shelf using the Dewy Decimal System. The library either had a book I needed, or it didn’t. Sometimes the library could order a book from a neighboring library, but ordering a book or resource was often a long and painful process. You could wait four days or even two weeks to receive a material that you needed immediately for a class project. Now, however, libraries have changed; libraries can request and receive access to an online book or resource immediately for a student. Libraries are making use of every available technology and resource. According to Meris Stansbury of eSchoolNews, we can increase personalized learning through the acquisition and use of online tools. We no longer need to wait a week to receive a book that we need for research, as it is often available to us at our fingertips!

Schools are the Founding Blocks for Excellent Libraries

We can probably agree that the way students are learning today is totally different from even just ten years ago. School administrations are also changing the way they urge students to learn, and libraries are changing alongside the changes in schools. In one New Jersey school district, administrators, Ross Kasun and Pamela Haimer presented students with “the marshmallow challenge,” where students had 18 minutes to develop the tallest structure possible using only rope, a single marshmallow, spaghetti, and tape. We are entering an age when we are urging students to think and act creatively. In order to engage in the creative process, libraries are providing those needed spaces.

Makerspaces and Spaces for Learning

A recent trend in libraries is the development of so-called “Makerspaces” in libraries, which are exactly what the name sounds like. Spaces to make things. Spaces to develop, think, create, and share. Libraries are becoming Makerspaces, regardless of whether or not the original intention of the library was to create a Makerspace. As the world’s views and pedagogies regarding the use of the library changes, so do our views of even how library space should be used and look. Makerspaces strongly encourage learners to use their available tools and space to communicate and collaborate with their peers. In Makerspaces we are expanding learning and creating new solutions to real-world problems. Sometimes students’ work can even be displayed in the library, says Meris Stansbury of eschoolnews.com.

The idea of what a library is supposed to be is slowly changing altogether. There was also once a time when libraries were meant only to be places for quiet independent study. Libraries are now encouraging more teamwork, group study, and collaboration. As we begin to foster and support the development of group learning, we are also encouraging personalized learning. When students are not afraid to raise their voice “above a whisper” in the library, they may be more confident in seeking guidance from their fellow peers, research assistants, librarians, and other professionals. According to Tara Garcia Mathewson of educationdive.com, personalized learning and instruction is the key to assisting students. This can be accomplished through the use of personalized spaces for learning such as Makerspaces.

Libraries Can Track Students’ Data

Another way that libraries can serve as centers for personalized learning is through data collection. Meris Stansbury states that libraries can utilize databases to follow work completed by students, alongside the assistance of librarians. Libraries now have the ability to track students’ research as well as study patterns and habits. Libraries are gaining and developing unique insight into the individual needs of their students, and certainly the needs of the entire student population, by tracking student data.

Conclusion: Looking into the Future

As educators and learners alike look into the future of learning we can recognize and identify that schools and school administrations can begin the process of individualized learning by encouraging creative thinking. Personalized learning will also increase the development of students’ critical thinking and reasoning skills. Libraries can build on opportunities for students’ personalized learning options by capturing student data, assisting students with projects, providing resources, technology, and the needed space for collaboration as well as independent study.

 

 

 

 

TagsEdtechedtechchatelearningSTEAMSTEM
Previous Article

9 Must-Have Apps and Tools for Kids ...

Next Article

8 Must-Have Artificial Intelligence Apps and Tools

Matthew Lynch

Related articles More from author

  • EdTech Futures

    10 Trends That Are Reshaping EdTech

    March 9, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech Policy & Reform

    7 Ingenious Ways to Use Edtech in the Classroom, While Meeting the Common Core Standards

    January 4, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch
  • EdTech Policy & Reform

    What fewer women in STEM means for their mental health

    June 18, 2016
    By Matthew Lynch
  • EdTech NewsHigher Education EdTech

    What students want and how universities are getting it wrong

    September 14, 2016
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Child Development TechEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechHigher Education EdTechParent & Family Tech

    4 EdTech Trends You Should Be Paying Attention To

    August 17, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Uncategorized

    Why Librarians are the Key to Future Ready Schools

    August 27, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch

Leave a reply Cancel reply

  • Online Learning & eLearningProduct ReviewsReading Education

    Product Review of HeadSprout

  • Classroom ManagementProduct Reviews

    Product Review of Nepris from Nepris

  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    How to Differentiate Your Edtech Product Through Learning Experience Design

Search

Login & Registration

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Newsletter

Signup for The Tech Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in EdTech news and opinion delivered to your email address!

  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • Product Review of Voxy

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 25, 2022
  • Product Review of Voicethread

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 25, 2022
  • Product Review of Voice4u

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 25, 2022
  • Product Review of Voice Dream Reader

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 25, 2022
  • Product Review of Vowel LMS

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 25, 2022
  • 20 Top Virtual Reality Apps that are Changing Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 11, 2017
  • 7 Ways Technology Is Impacting Modern Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 4, 2017
  • Why Mobile Technology Enhances Instruction

    By Matthew Lynch
    December 14, 2016
  • 7 Roles for Artificial Intelligence in Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 5, 2018
  • Digital Literacy is the Most Important Lifelong Learning Tool

    By Matthew Lynch
    December 30, 2017
  • 4 Ways EdTech Companies Can Involve Faculty in Research - WGU Labs | Advancing Innovation in ...
    on
    May 17, 2022

    25 Ways that EdTech Benefits Teachers and Students

    […] EdTech products can ...
  • What is a professional learning network? - What Type Degree
    on
    May 16, 2022

    What is a Personal Learning Network?

    […] What is a ...
  • Digital Branding is Key for Everyone In Education | Edtech Magazine
    on
    May 15, 2022

    Tips To Conduct A Gap Analysis For Your LMS Marketing Strategy

    […] How do you ...
  • 7 Ways to Approach Financial Decluttering in Your Life - Amida Wealth
    on
    May 15, 2022

    The Best External Hard Drives Of 2022: All The Best Options For Backing Up Your Device’s ...

    […] and updating your ...
  • Top 18 g suite for education là gì mới nhất năm 2022 - tophoidap
    on
    May 15, 2022

    What is G Suite for Education?

    […] https://www.thetechedvocate.org/what-is-g-suite-for-education/ […]

EdTech Policy & Reform

  • Adaptive LearningCurriculum & InstructionDigital & Mobile TechnologyDigital Age TeachersEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & ReformInstructional Technology

    Exploring New Ideas: Student-Driven Remote Learning

    Spread the loveRemote learning is taking its toll on our students. They miss the social side of school. Not seeing their classmates or teachers is leading to nervousness, anxiety, and ...
  • Digital & Mobile TechnologyEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & Reform

    Implementing Education Technology by Pursuing Technology Education

    Spread the loveTechnology is used for many great things in our world. It’s a powerful tool when used correctly. As such, this powerful tool can be used to transform learning.  ...
  • EdTech Policy & Reform

    How Much Bias Is Okay in Your School?

    Spread the loveThe algorithm has proven itself to be a handy tool when it comes to solving education problems. It’s also not without bias.  You may be wondering how some ...
  • EdTech Policy & ReformFeaturedFresh

    Edtech Should Complement Good Pedagogy, Not Attempt to Replace It

    Spread the loveThe newest generation of edtech is downright amazing; it’s no wonder that various education stakeholders might be a little excited about its potential to transform education. However, edtech ...
  • EdTech Policy & ReformFeaturedFresh

    How to Teach Kids to Communicate in This Digital Age

    Spread the loveWhen even the youngest children are spending the equivalent of a full work day looking at screens, it is perhaps no surprise that parents are wondering how to ...

EdTech Startups & Businesses

  • Digital LeadershipEdTech Startups & BusinessesProduct Reviews

    Product Review of Collegix

    Spread the love This is a comprehensive ERP solution for colleges and universities that provides modular, totally integrated learners services, finance, HR, and advancement. Collegix provides online and offline workarounds ...
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech Startups & BusinessesProduct Reviews

    Product Review of Discovery Education

    Spread the love Discovery Education is a big player in EdTech. The company has established itself as the leading provider of digital curriculum resources, digital content, and professional development for ...
  • EdTech Startups & BusinessesProduct Reviews

    Product Review of AptaFund

    Spread the loveAptaFund is a business management software that provides essential functions to educational institutions, such as web access to educators, parents, and learners. It allows elementary schools and other educational ...
  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    Understanding the Fundamentals of a Sales Script in Your Customer Interaction Journey

    Spread the loveSales scripts are crucial to any business and can be the main difference in achieving the set targets. A well-written sales script that factors in customers from different ...
  • Digital & Mobile TechnologyEdTech Startups & BusinessesTeachers

    Top 5 Things to Consider When Designing an LMS

    Spread the loveCovid-19 has changed many things in our world, and education is one of them. More students lean toward using online schooling. Therefore, learning management systems (LMS) are becoming ...

Digital Equity

  • Digital & Mobile TechnologyDigital EquityDigital Literacy

    Teaching Learners Digital Content Creation Skills

    Spread the loveContent curation is nothing new and has always been a coveted skill. It has been this way for hundreds of years — think of art galleries, museums, or ...
  • Digital & Mobile TechnologyDigital EquityEdTech & Innovation

    Promoting Online Access With Hotspots, Laptops, and Planning

    Spread the loveWhen becoming a leader in the field of education, it is important to consider equity. Some students may not have access to devices or the internet from their ...
  • Digital EquityDigital Leadership

    How Can You Assess the Tech Needs of Your Students Outside of School?

    Spread the loveToday, I received an email from the middle school principal in Los Angeles. She explained to me that the school that she ran was in one of the ...
  • Digital Equity

    It Is Time for the Edtech Industry to Stop Denying Its Equity and Race Problem

    Spread the loveThe EdTech industry is dominated by white employees, white leaders, and white entrepreneurs. If you doubt this statement, just attend an Edtech conference. Admittedly, educators and others don’t ...
  • Digital Equity

    How OER Can Help Overcome the Higher Education Equity Barrier

    Spread the loveThe cornerstone of the American dream is the ability to succeed in life regardless of one’s family of origin. And, for most people, that requires a college education. ...

EdTech Futures

  • Adaptive LearningAssistive TechnologyEdTech FuturesInstructional TechnologyTeachers

    Will AI Replace Teachers?

    Spread the loveThrough the years, robots have taken over many jobs. First, they replaced horses and wagons and horses and plows, then they started to replace people. A few examples ...
  • EdTech FuturesHigher EducationHigher Education EdTechUncategorized

    The Future of Higher Education Must Avoid Returning to the Past

    Spread the loveColleges and universities can make higher education safer, smarter, and more accessible through automation and collaboration technologies – if they commit to it. Author: John Hulen, Director of ...
  • EdTech FuturesOnline Learning & eLearning

    IT Trends To Watch As Higher Education Moves Into a New Decade

    Spread the loveEdtech couldn’t have hoped for a better launch into the new decade than the push the industry received from COVID-19. Even the most tech-resistant institutions and individuals have ...
  • EdTech Futures

    4 Emerging EdTech Trends in 2022

    Spread the loveCovid-19 has not only changed education as we know it, but it has forced education technology (EdTech) to up its game. EdTech has been crucial since the start of this ...
  • Adult EducationEdTech & InnovationEdTech FuturesEducation LeadershipEducational LeadershipHigher EducationHigher Education EdTechThe Future of Education

    Education Technology and the Future of Higher Ed Leadership

    Spread the loveEducation Technology (EdTech) has had a more significant impact on education than anyone expected. Now its effects are reaching into the field of higher education. In this article, ...

About Us

Since technology is not going anywhere and does more good than harm, adapting is the best course of action. That is where The Tech Edvocate comes in. We plan to cover the PreK-12 and Higher Education EdTech sectors and provide our readers with the latest news and opinion on the subject. From time to time, I will invite other voices to weigh in on important issues in EdTech. We hope to provide a well-rounded, multi-faceted look at the past, present, the future of EdTech in the US and internationally.

We started this journey back in June 2016, and we plan to continue it for many more years to come. I hope that you will join us in this discussion of the past, present and future of EdTech and lend your own insight to the issues that are discussed.

Newsletter

Signup for The Tech Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in EdTech news and opinion delivered to your email address!

Contact Us

The Tech Edvocate
5322 Markel Road, Suite 104
Richmond, VA 23230
(601) 630-5238
[email protected]

Follow us

Copyright © 2022 Matthew Lynch. All rights reserved.