How does Social Bookmarking support student learning?

Social bookmarking is a Web 2.0 tool that represents a new approach to the use of the World Wide Web. It is just one of many tools that emphasize collaboration, cooperation, communication, sharing, creativity and interactivity. Today, social bookmarking is second nature to the 21st century learner. More and more educators are introducing it into the lessons and students are taking to it. According to Ivers (2009), "Social bookmarking sites enable users to share, organize, and access favorite Internet websites which can then be tagged for classification and retrieval purposes. There several social bookmarking applications that students seem to be familiar with and use on a regular basis: Delicious, Furl, and Diigo.

Social bookmarking is a great Web 2.o tool for students to use. It is a way to organize and classify sources that have been searched and located on the web. These sources can then be shared with others. So when the student learner is working collaboratively with a group on a project, each member can search and locate resources which can then be shared with each other. It forces students to work collaboratively, to communicate with each other, and organize their resources (Educause, 2005). Social bookmarking is also a means for students to think more deeply about the subject or topic they are researching which leads to greater understanding. Through the use of tags, students are applying a descriptive term to the website they are bookmarking which is forcing them to think more about the source and its relation to the topic. Once the tagging is done, these tags can be accessed by others at anytime (Berger, 2007).

Another great way that social bookmarking supports student learning is through assistance in research. All the resources that were found and are relevant to the research can be located all in one place and not all over the Internet (DesRoches, 2007). According to DesRoches (2007), "Research is more collaborative and students are more diligent about evaluating resources because they know their peers will be using them." Students are more cognizant of the sources they find on the web if they know that other friends will be using them thus leading to more critical thinking about the types of resources they find.

Berger (2007) lists the top ten reasons to use social bookmarking in Education:
1. Provides a free, efficient, effective and reliable way to save and organize media
2. Creates a collaborative environment
3. Supports a discovery/exploration process
4. Allows users to tap the "collective intelligences" of the web
5. Provides the opportunity for "sensemaking" through things like tagging
6. Provides an effective framework to collaboratively evaluate websites
7. Encourages students to analyze the web site content
8. Offers either public access or complete privacy for a class or group of students
9. Supports anytime/anywhere learning
10. Integrates with other newer technologies

Social bookmarking is a Web 2.0 tool that is continuously improving for student use. The 21st century learner should be educated in how this tool works and be able to apply it to any area of learning. This is 21st century technology and it is here to stay, why not use it to support learning?

References

Berger, P., & Trexler, S. (2007). Social Bookmarking: Locate, Tag and Collaborate. Information Searcher, 17(3), 1, 3-5. Retrieved from Library Lit & Inf Full Text database.

Educause Learning Initiative (2005). 7 things you should know about social bookmarking.
Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7001.pdf

Ivers, K.S. (2009). A teacher’s guide to using technology in the classroom
(2^nd ed.). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

DesRoches, D. (2007). All Together Now. School Library Journal, 53(1), 33.
Retrieved from Library Lit & Inf Full Text database.

The Role of the Library in 21st Century Teaching and Learning

Today the because of the advent of the internet and the many Web 2.0 tools that are available, it is crucial for technology to be integrated into the education of all students. The library plays an even bigger role now than in the past. As the “information dispenser,” the library must be able and ready to help teach students the important skills to inquire, think critically, gather and share information. Libraries, no matter what type have the responsibility of teaching students of all ages how to acquire, gather, share and use information, communicate effectively, and be self-directed learners. Librarians are no longer the “gatekeepers of the books,” but rather the “dispensers of information.” Utilizing Web 2.0 tools today is no different than using a telephone or television. Technology is all around the world and in everyday life.

According to the American Association of School Libraries (2007), “School libraries provide equitable physical and intellectual access to the resources and tools required for learning in a warm, stimulating, and safe environment.” Not only do school libraries provide access but all types of libraries provide some type of access or another to information. Every library is faced with numerous challenges due to new and advanced technologies entering in the way materials are acquired, accessed, organized and managed (Warnken, 2004). Libraries must be prepared to make the change and embrace the technology in order to meet the demands of fast service for information, the need of information for online distance education learners, and the all encumber some World Wide Web which allows for access to almost any information.

The World Wide Web influences the way society is functioning and therefore it is up to not only the educational system but libraries as well to provide the technological support that is needed for students to succeed. The library must provide the support and teach strategies in order to motivate and engage student learning and embrace the research process. The library can also play the role of teacher and resource provider for other teachers in order for them to bring the technology into the classroom (The shape of the 21st century library, 1998). The library is a source of information for all individuals to continue learning outside the classroom. By providing access to computers, the public library is serving the underserved that may not have access at home. Students need to have opportunities outside the classroom to practice and use the technology skills they learn. Therefore, the main role of the public library is a place for continuing education, serving the underserved and providing resources that otherwise may not be available at home (The shape of the 21st century library, 1998).

So Miller (2007) states, “It is imperative that library and information science (LIS) professionals fully understand educational and independent life-long learning processes and shifts in technology-based learning and teaching strategies. Librarians across library types must also understand how their services and products combine with and impact collaborative educational efforts.” Libraries do play a crucial role in teaching and learning technology. In order to fully adhere to the 21^st century learning and teaching, libraries and librarians must be prepared to combine technology with information to fulfill the role in educating our students to be become better prepared for a 21^st century society.

References

American Association of School Librarians. (2007). Standards for the 21^st century learner. Retrieved July 15, 2010 from the American Library Association website:

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/standards.cfm.

Awagain, K. (1999). Will libraries become obsolete? Library Administrator’s Digest.

Retrieved from FindArticles.com,

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3858/is_199909/ai_n8870647/

Miller, M. (2007). Information Communication Technology Infusion in 21st Century Librarianship: A Proposal for a Blended Core Course. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 48(3), 202-17. Retrieved from

http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.navigator-clarion.passhe.edu/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790e1916ca00094d315a05578c2fc970cbc9ec1956eb9c12bd81b82debd2164ad61d&fmt=H Miller, M. J. Information Communication Technology Infusion in 21st Century Librarianship: A Proposal for a Blended Core Course. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science v. 48 no. 3 (Summer 2007) p. 202-17

Partnership for 21^st Century Skills. (2007). Maximizing the impact the pivotal role of technology in a 21^st century education system. Retrieved July 15, 2010 from

http://www.setda.org/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=191&name=P21Book_complete.pdf

The shape of the 21st century library. (1998). In Milton Wolf et. al. (eds.), Information Imagineering: Meeting at the Interface, Chicago: American Library Association, 133-146. Retrieved from http://besser.tsoa.nyu.edu/howard/Papers/peters.html

Warnken, P. (2004). New Technologies and Constant Change: Managing the Process. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 30(4), 322-7. Retrieved from http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.navigator-clarion.passhe.edu/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790e1916ca00094d315af44ead79cfd55745095ad460634912f44bc34528f210a52c&fmt=H Warnken, P. New Technologies and Constant Change: Managing the Process. The Journal of Academic