Madison Frank - ISCI 761 - Information Technologies in the School Library Program

This week’s materials explored the interconnected nature of information literacy, technology, and media/digital literacy in our increasingly complex and fast-paced digital world. The P21 Framework for 21st Century Learning clearly establishes that to be successful citizens and workers, individuals must exhibit "a range of functional and critical thinking skills related to information, media and technology" (P21, p. 5). These are not isolated skills but overlapping literacies that, when nurtured together, empower students to become responsible consumers and producers of information. Clay Johnson's podcast, Fake News & Media Literacy , really made me pause and think about my own information diet. Johnson describes our overconsumption of information, especially biased, low-nutrition content, as a public health issue. He argues that “the root of the problem isn’t just misinformation; it’s the lack of mindful consumption.” Just like eating junk food affects physical healt...

The article School Librarians Level Up! Transform Your Teaching by Unpacking the AASL Standards Framework and Implementing Shared Foundation V: Explore by Freedman and Robinson offers a first hand perspective on how the AASL Standards empower librarians to foster inquiry, innovation, and personalized learning through the lens of the Shared Foundation “Explore.” Using this as context, a comparison with the ISTE Standards for Students reveals both overlap and unique contributions each framework brings to modern educational practice. At their core, both AASL and ISTE standards advocate for learner agency, inquiry-based exploration, and digital fluency. The AASL’s Shared Foundations (inquire, include, collaborate, curate, explore, and engage) emphasize the learner’s growth through reflection, creativity, and community involvement (AASL, 2018). In particular, the "Explore" foundation encourages curiosity-driven learning, risk-taking, and problem solving. This aligns closely with I...

My name is Madison Frank and I live in Lake Wylie, South Carolina with my husband, our two year old son, and our cat, Nala. This is the most recent picture I have from Easter with my husband and my son. If you have spent any amount of time with a two year old, you probably know how rare it is to get a good picture with them!  This is my fourth semester in the Library and Information Science program with a dream of becoming a school librarian. I just finished my seventh year teaching sixth grade and hope to finish this program in May. In my spare time, it is rare to catch me without a book in my hand, spending time with my family, or teaching competitive dance.  If I could choose a song to play every time I walked into a room, it would be “Try Everything” from Zootopia. The lyrics, “Birds don't just fly, they fall down and get up; nobody learns without getting it wrong,” really resonates with me. They remind me that mistakes are part of growth and that perseverance is key to le...