As I have been trudging along in my first year of being a
library media specialist, I have been trying to find ways to meet my students’
and staff members’ needs and to also follow the AASL and ISTE standards and incorporate
technology as much as possible. One of the methods I have been researching in
order to help me meet these goals is by using multimedia learning centers, also
called learning stations. The article I chose to review this week covers this
topic.
This article was perfect because the author, Jan Spisak (2014),
not only described what multimedia learning stations are, but she also
describes their benefits and how to create, manage, and evaluate them.
According to Spisak, “multimedia learning stations are activity and research-based
stations with rotations” (p. 16). She incorporates different technologies such
as iPads, podcasts, websites, and online databases and works in collaboration
with the teachers and their curriculum. She noted that producing these
multimedia stations enables a library media specialist to use library standards
in conjunction with subject standards (p. 16). The learning stations are used
both to introduce and reinforce information literacy skills and to extend and
enhance what the students are learning in the classroom. Spisak has marveled in
the fact that she is able to engage and interest students and that “teachers
like that learning stations reinforce the curriculum and provide the kids with
a different atmosphere and learning experience” (p. 17). She also remarked that
the principal raves about the library program and has become a huge advocate.
I felt that the article was well written and organized in an
easy-to-follow manner. Spisak (2014) first explains what the multimedia learning
stations are. She then gives instructions on how to begin creating them. I found
it helpful that she included the graphic organizer that she uses to organize her
station- creating process. She also included useful tips on how to manage the
stations and described how important student feedback is for evaluating the
effectiveness of the stations. She explained that “these post assessments have
also given [her] important data to promote [the library] program to teachers, administration,
and school board members” (p. 18). This article has inspired me to collaborate
with teachers to and begin gathering information and resources that I will need
to create multimedia learning stations in my own library media center.
References
Spisak, J.
(2014). MULTIMEDIA LEARNING STATIONS. Library Media Connection, 33(3),
16-18.
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