Editorial
School Library Media Activities Monthly/Volume XXIV, Number 2/October, 2007
What's In Their Backpacks?
By Deborah Detenbeck Levitov
Students of today don't necessarily learn differently than students in the past. The brain pretty much functions as it always has, but students today often approach learning in new ways with new tools. Library media specialists need to understand what's in their backpacks. It is necessary to know what tools students carry around with them in life. Are they laptop users? Are they iPod lovers with ear buds always available? Are they text message experts? Do they have websites? Do they use Myspace? What is it that formats their world?
When doing program planning, library media specialists must think about what is important to students, what speaks to them, and what interests them. They must then connect those interests to curriculum, instruction, the library media collection, and the facility. This is advocacy.
What's Coming Up
In this and future issues of SLMAM you will be hearing from many library media professionals regarding the demands of the technosavvy generation and the implications for library media programs. To help you further extend each article related to Library 2.0 topics, you are encouraged to visit the SLMAM blog with Kristin Fontichiaro. This blog will launch October 1, 2007 and run through July 1, 2008.
SLMAM Expands to Grades 9-12
With the October 2007 issue of SLMAM you will also notice that lesson plans for grades 9-12 have been added. It is the intent of SLMAM to help all library media specialists (PreK-12) meet the needs of their students through an exchange of ideas and insights that, in turn, will help determine what's in their backpacks.