By Carrie M. Macfarlane, IDL SIG Member
As a librarian, I teach students how to do research. Like any good instructor, I always try to anticipate my students’ needs. What knowledge, skills, and beliefs will they carry with them when they walk in the door? What should they be able to do when they leave?
If you’re familiar with the librarian stereotype, you might be surprised to hear that once I’ve identified my students’ needs, I use technology to meet them. Yes, I love books and I wear glasses. The librarian stereotype definitely applies to me. But the stereotype needs to be updated, and I’m here to help. That cardigan-clad woman cradling an armful of old books? She likes technology!
In my previous essay about the librarian stereotype, I described how technology allows me to interact with students before a research workshop. Here, I’ll discuss how technology helps me to interact with students after a workshop begins. I learned this technique from a coworker–I’m far from the only librarian who teaches with technology! If you’re a technical trainer, you might want to adapt it to your workshops, too. Continue reading “Shhh… Librarian Goes Online with Live Polling”