Daley Branham ISCI 761 Blog Summer 2023

     Cyberbullying is one of the most horrifying things that can happen to a person. Cyberbullying is defined as “repeated aggressive behaviors that are intended to cause harm to a victim with relatively less power to defend themselves” (Faucher, Cassidy, & Jackson, 2015, p. 112).  After watching the videos, my heart just breaks for people who are victims of such behaviors. What stands out to me the most regarding Cyberbullying is how it can ruin a person and cause a person to make a bad decision. Instead of going to someone about it, people are scared of telling because of the continuous backlash they may fear being bullied more. I have not dealt with cyberbullying personally, however, I have seen students in middle school bully and be bullied. I do not allow that to happen in the library and if it does I take the situation straight to the guidance counselor. Students are exposed to social media and technology at such a young age now due to our society and I fee...

    As a profoundly deaf individual who wears bilateral hearing aids, I understand the need for accessibility. Since the age of two, I have worn hearing aids and I am an avid lip reader. Since I began kindergarten, my teachers were asked to wear an amplified microphone that would directly connect to my hearing aid boots and I was able to hear what was being said. To be clear, hearing and understanding was not always equal. However, as I transitioned to larger classrooms, I had to sit in the front of the classroom to be able to see the teacher's lips along with using the microphone. There were many times when teachers had to show educational videos or movies and closed captioning was not available. This was very difficult for me seeing that I solely depended on my vision to read lips. I could not understand the narration often times and I felt very isolated. I had to often times step out of my comfort zone to remind teachers that I needed closed captioning or a transcript ...

     In our district, our students currently use Chromebooks daily in the classroom. During COVID-19, students depended solely on Chromebooks to learn virtually; therefore, students probably prefer having them due to their potential pedagogical functions. Chromebooks are inexpensive and allow the internet to be easily accessible. To use a Chromebook, a Gmail account is required. Students can utilize numerous Web 2.0 tools and essential word-processing functions. Teachers have access to a variety of resources and are able to test the boundaries of eLearning. If students are homebound or out for medical reasons, teachers can post assignments easily and contact students for what needs to be reviewed or completed for class.      Teachers can help provide students with opportunities that may seem impossible. As a media assistant, working in a middle school where students use Chromebook daily, I have learned a great deal about how to help students with Chromebook...

This week I was eager to dive into learning about technology and student learning along with information literacy. Regarding the technology portion related to school librarians, there is a considerable relationship. As a media assistant who experiences school librarian duties to the school, I have learned that there is so much involved with digital media and information literacy. I was intrigued to gain a further understanding of fake news and how to identify it. After listening to the podcast Fake News & Media Literacy , it was overwhelming to hear how fake news is often identified. This would oftentimes become frustrating to learn. However, especially in middle and high school, students learning how to conduct research for projects and daily assignments is an essential need. Identifying what is true and false is a skill that takes practice. One goal for me is to teach students how to use technology to find true information and how reading and dissecting that information can b...

     After reading Mary Lou Caron O’Conner’s article, Now Serving An Appealing Menu of Digital Literacy Tools and Resources, I got a glimpse of the type of librarian I want to be in the future. Technology is a growing resource that we as educators must be ready to utilize and teach students to use. “School librarians serve as change catalysts, shaping curriculum and nurturing developmentally appropriate expectations of our learners” (O’Conner, 2019, p. 18). This is the inspiring part of being a school librarian. Sometimes I fear that I am not being creative enough or making makerspaces interesting enough. My goals as a school librarian include following the standards provided by AASL and ISTE to create the best program in the school library. I am incredibly thankful that librarians have a vast majority of resources, such as the standards created by AASL and ISTE, to provide frameworks that can be used. Throughout O’Conner’s article, she shared a multitude of ideas on how ...

Hello Everyone!       My name is Daley Branham. My pronouns are she/her. I work as a media assistant in a public middle school in Kershaw County. I have been a media assistant for three years. I have enjoyed working in the library and working with students. I have gained so much love for reading and once I get into a book, I cannot put it down! I continue to learn more daily and I can apply more skills as a media assistant. I had never considered working to earn a master’s degree but I have enjoyed it and I am so close to the end. This is my second year in the program and I plan to graduate in December of 2024. My dream job is to be a media specialist in an elementary school but also to experience middle and high school. I am open to gaining experience in all areas to see where I would be an excellent fit to utilize my skills. I enjoy spending time with my husband and family. My husband Tyler and I love going to the movies and spending time at home in the garden!...