Everyday....learning something new

On Friday, the blogging Pesky librarians attend the NEEMA (New England Educational Media Association) conference in Boston featuring speakers, Dr. Ross Todd and Dr. Carol Gordon from Rutgers University. This conference is always a way for us to stretch our brains, look at our own library program and consider ways in which we can improve our services to the community. This year’s title was, “Re-Designing Knowledge Spaces: From Information Literacy to Knowledge Outcomes.” One of the key ideas from Ross Todd’s presentation was how we help our students transform the information they find into a deep knowledge and to connect with what they find. Rather than simply transporting information, we need our students to transform the information they find, and as educators we need to ask what will be the outcomes of their research. I could go on about all of the information and ideas we gathered from a day such as this, but I will end my post today with a quote Ross Todd shared with the group. It is one which struck a cord with me as a librarian in an ever changing profession, working with young adults who are immersed in all of the new technologies we are rushing learn; "Standing still is the fastest way of moving backwards in a rapidly changing world. Imagination is the highest kite one can fly" -- Lauren Becall. As I assist students with their poetry Flickr projects today, (more on this to come in a later post!), I realize it is all part of the learning process, for me and the students…keep on moving and keep on learning.