Blog Post #7 Combating Cyberbullying

Bullying used to be one of the biggest concerns for a student in school. Now, students have to confront cyberbullying. What is cyberbullying? According to the definition outlined by Faucher et al, "The classical definition of bullying entails three key features identified through the pioneering research of Dan Olweus (1993): repeated aggressive behaviors that are intended to cause harm to a victim with relatively less power to defend themselves. Cyberbullying...incorporate(s) abuse that occurs in various online forums (2015)." 

Graphic from Webpurify.com

Because cyberbullying happens online, there are multiple factors that exacerbate its pervasive nature. To start, cyberbullying allows the aggressor to be anonymous. This makes it harder to stop bullying online. The aggressor does not have to see the victim's response or reaction. This leads to less empathy. The aggressor's attack can be permanent and have a wide audience. For example, posting pictures online of the victim or sending/posting negative messages about the victim. Many people can view it and it can be reshared multiple times making it impossible to remove from the internet. In this way, the damage is permanent. 

So how do we combat cyberbullying? I was surprised to learn that parents and students have different ideas about how cyberbullying should be handled. Most parents want physical consequences. "The parents we surveyed tended to favor punishment-oriented solutions to cyberbullying, much more so than the students or the teachers and school administrators (Cassidy et al., 2012a). Such a preference can help us understand students’ fear of reporting any cyberbullying they experience to adults, including their parents, as they might be blamed or have their technology taken away or restricted (Faucher et. al., 2015)." Although physical consequences can deter these negative behaviors they may have an adverse effect on student reporting. Instead, we should focus on developing policies and implementing anti-bullying programs.

I combat cyberbullying using the Google program Be Internet Awesome. It's an interactive game where students go to "Interland". They work through challenges and learn about internet safety. The program is free and teaches students the fundamentals called "The Internet Code of Awesome." To learn more about this program check out the link below. 

https://beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com/en_us/

Graphic from Be Internet Awesome

Citations

Faucher, C., Cassidy, W., & Jackson, M. (2015). From the Sandbox to the Inbox: Comparing the Acts, Impacts, and Solutions of Bullying in K-12, Higher Education, and the Workplace. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 3(6). https://doi.org/10.11114/jets.v3i6.1033

Be Internet Awesome. (2021). Be Internet Awesome. Be Internet Awesome. https://beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com/en_us/

Cyberbully Statistics Are Scary - Get the Facts - WebPurify. (2021, June 17). WebPurify Profanity Filter. https://www.webpurify.com/blog/40-statistics-about-cyberbullying-in-2021/

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Blog Post #6 Social Media for the School Library

For my social media tool, I selected Twitter. Twitter is widely used within my school district. Most of the schools and district agencies have a Twitter account. By creating a Twitter for my school library, I can easily make professional connections and showcase my school library. My plan for this social media account is to showcase pictures of events and activities in the library. I will also showcase new books and recommendations for various holidays, months, and special days. Check out my first post below!

This tool could also be used to highlight my collaborative efforts with teachers. I could share resources and tools used in the media center that students and their families could use at home. For example, we use lots of YouTube channels for book talks and read-alouds. I could share these pages with my school community via Twitter. I can also advocate for my school library program by sharing our stats, program impacts, and student work on Twitter. In the article, Make Your Library More Visible by Jan Wilson, she outlines various ways social media can boost the school library program. She states, "As school librarians, our impact isn’t always apparent, and our roles are frequently questioned." She is correct. We are often forgotten. Teachers and administration don't always know what our role in the school program should be. If you make your library visible, then the necessity of the school library program will be evident. It is important to show everyone in your school community that the library is the hub of the school. A library is a place where students can explore, learn, and grow as readers and consumers of information. 

Citation

Wilson, J. (2017). Make Your Library More Visible. School Library Journal, 16–17. 

Blog Post #4 Technology Hardware Integration

 New technology always poses a challenge. Integrated new technology is complex and is often met with reluctance. However, with proper implementation, new technology can be exciting and helpful. Today, I want to introduce you to the RFID library system. RFID stands for radio-frequency identification. With these systems, books are labeled with individual RFID tags. The tags are hidden in the book labels. The tags allow patrons to return and issue new books, as well as search the shelves, with ease by themselves. For school librarians, this system will be a lifesaver. Many school librarians are transitioning to a fixed schedule. Fixed schedules are very restrictive and limit the amount of time dedicated to library tasks such as weeding, inventory, and checking out books to students. With the RFID library management system, taking inventory is a breeze and can be completed in significantly less time. 

Using the technology integration matrix the RFID library management system can easily be incorporated into your school library. First is the entry phase. Set up the new system and add RFID tags to all library books in your collection. The second step is the adoption and adaptation phase. Introduce the new system to staff and students, possibly through a series of professional development seminars and class lessons. Next is the infusion phase. Allow staff and students the opportunity to try out the system routinely. The final phase is transformation. Watch how the library is transformed into an efficient hub for staff and students. 

Check out the resources below to learn more about the RFID library management system. 

RFID in Libraries Article

MasterSoft RFID Demo

Citations

MasterSoft ERP Solutions. (2018). RFID Based Library Management System - RF LIBMAN | MasterSoft [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVM2ntxbpvw

RFID In Libraries: Should Libraries Invest In RFID? (2018, August 21). Bibliotheca. https://www.bibliotheca.com/rfid-in-libraries-technology-that-helps-extend-impact/