AASL Standards: Engage

How Does a School Librarian Who Specializes in Instructional Technology Integrate the AASL Standards into Their Daily Practice? 

AASL Standard: Engage

S. Dover was a school librarian for 3 years and currently works as an Instructional Technology Specialist in an elementary school. She works with teachers and students to safely, effectively, and productively integrate technology use into the classrooms through librarian-led lessons and school culture development. Dover uses Common Sense Media Digital Citizenship and Google Digital Citizen programming and curriculum to guide her instruction. Her lessons are based on the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards for students. Additionally, Dover uses the Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR) model to guide teachers in integrating technology into classroom instruction. Dover states that her goal is to establish a meaningful standard technology practice throughout the school community. 

S. Dover can collaborate with teachers in the classroom lessons she leads and in monthly advisory meetings with teachers. She promotes intellectual freedom and advocates for privacy practices regarding content and student data. She also encourages the responsible use of information resources.

Dover states that her favorite sources for professional development and growth are the Common Sense Media Educator Webinars and attending the Future of Educational Technology Conference (FETC) conference. 

A significant challenge that Dover has faced in this position has developed during the post-Covid era. She states that technology has become a home tool managed by parents. This makes her role as an Instructional Technology Specialist more difficult because, as a result, her position needs to be validated by parents, administration, and teachers. At times she feels that discussions around tech topics, resources, and materials are more divisive than before. Finally, she states that technology use in the school community is more difficult now than before because there were fewer regulatory measures (concerning student privacy and data sharing) during COVID.