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Mobile Technology in the School Library for Student Literacy and Engagement

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 Kiera Sunderland 

I had sought to write a post on the prevalence of mobile technology in the school library specifically on the bring your own device trend. Even though all of the school libraries I have encountered have utilized mobile technology I wanted to discover the prevalence of this movement nationwide. I began by asking the questions “is mobile technology utilized in the school library” and "should it.” My research returned with a resounding “yes”. While even ten years ago many were speculating about the proper role of technology in the library, recent events have seemed to catalyze the incorporation of devices in school settings. The two events that I could pinpoint were the advent of less expensive devices like the Chromebook or iPhone and the Covid-19 pandemic (Soloway). Both, in different ways, brought technology into schools. 


Still need convincing on if mobile technology is being used in schools? See this infographic.



"Mobile Devices Used for Classwork among US Fourth through Twelfth Graders, 2015." Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2018. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints. Accessed 9 May 2023. 


My research question then morphed to “how should mobile technology be applied.” First, I observed that mobile technology needs to be used intentionally. I encountered one school librarian that recommended having students use a mobile app to arrange books via the Dewey Decimal system. During their library time students would log on to their school issued tablet and practice (Krum ISD). Redundancy and convolution must be avoided when using mobile technology. Our enthusiasm and excitement over having technology in the library should not dilute or overcomplicate library lessons.  Like anything that we do in the library, mobile technology should be tied to specific goals. Two key areas that mobile technology can thoughtfully address are student literacy and engagement. 


Literacy

While our students may be more than adept at sending a text or posting a photo to a social media platform, they still may need instruction on digital citizenship or lawful use of information. During library time we can seek to model good behaviors and offer instruction. Potential lesson topics could include privacy, protecting oneself when using public Wi-Fi, documenting and reporting cyberbullying, and evaluating the accuracy of social media posts on topics such as health or politics.

Engagement

When students see the library as relevant to their lives, they become invested patrons who want to spend time in the library and utilize resources. QR codes, virtual reality, podcast equipment, and video cameras can interest nonusers and get them inside the library (Dettman & Lester, Tetreault). Incorporating technology into the library opens up a new demographic of students that may have been unreachable previously.


References

Ahrens, Brooke. “Technology Tuesdays: 5 Digital Tools for School Projects.” Knowledge Quest, 31 March 2015,https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/technology-tuesday-5-digital-tools-school-projects/


Dettmann, Molly and Racheal Lester. “From Empathy and Virtual Reality to Math Escape Rooms: The Award Winning Work at the Norman North Library.” Knowledge Quest, 28 April 2022, https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/from-empathy-and-virtual-reality-to-math-escape-rooms-the-award-winning-work-at-the-norman-north-library/


King, David Lee. “FIVE WAYS to Up Your Library’s Mobile Game.” Computers in Libraries, vol. 42, no. 3, Apr. 2022, pp. 4–8. 


Krum ISD. “Technology in the Library.” Youtube, 27 April 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjrbXnZIm2I


Soloway, Elliot. "Smartphones Will Benefit Classroom Learning." Smartphones, edited by Roman Espejo, Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints. Accessed 9 May 2023. Originally published as "Will Smart Phones Eliminate the Digital Divide?" THE Journal, 1 Feb. 2011.


Tetreault, Steve. “Digital Tools to Encourage Student Voice and Choice.” Knowledge Quest, 10 May 2021, https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/digital-tools-to-encourage-student-voice-and-choice/

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