Well today is the first day of the new library hours at the public library. I talked with Rosa about how it was going and she said so far so good. She told me that there were several people waiting to get into the library this morning. Stayed out at the circulation desk for a little bit, helped a lady with the computer. I looked over my computer class sign up sheet and I have four persons signed up for the basic Facebook class. After talking with the staff and answering a couple of patron questions, I went back to my little office and worked on paring down my list of reference selections to add to the reference collection. Got the seven pages down to two pages, I want to share it with Mr. Cole but he is out of the library at the moment. I will get with him tomorrow. Short but productive day today.
Rosa in the workroom behind the circulation desk.
July 2, 2015
Today I got to come in the back door to the library. The change in hours really only affects the staff because now there is only one full-time staff member in the library at 9:00 am. I go straight to my desk and work on a hand out on how to email. I promised the class, last Friday, that I would have a handout on emailing available this week. I am learning just as much from these computer literacy classes as the patrons who are coming to them. I am thinking about changing up the way I am going about the instruction, but for this change there has to be wifi. Guess what? Yes, the wifi is fixed. So I think I am going to throw away the power point and just go right into Facebook this week. Maybe by working at their own computers the students will retain a little more of the instruction. I share this with Mr. Cole and he says to do it however I want to, there really is not specific way that has to be used. I also go over my revised reference collection list with Mr. Cole, we decide there are some great resources but can we get access to them without having to buy them. So I go back and revise again. Using the PINES computer catalog, I check to see if some of my suggestions are available through interlibrary loan. I get my list is down to one page with twenty reference selections.
July 3, 2015
Arrive at the library ready for the day. My computer class is not until 1:00pm, so I have time to look over my final reference selection list and make some changes. Start setting up for my class at about 10:30 am, this process takes about an hour. I really want to be at the circulation desk this morning for a little while and help out where I can. I finish setting up and head out to the circulation desk and there is a lady needing help getting on a computer and finding the right website to apply for a job at McDonalds. I am eager to help and get her started on her application. I stroll through the children's section to see if I can assist anyone in the children's room. Rather quickly my hour at the circulation desk flies by, and I run to eat my lunch quickly so that I can be out to greet my students when they arrive at the library. I am surprised when 3 of my 4 students arrive and another patron asks if they can come in and learn about Facebook too. Sure the more the merrier. We begin and things are rolling along smoothly, then the ladies all start getting bounced off the wifi. Could this really be happening?
I thought it was fixed. I am slowly but surely learning that many things are out of my control especially when it comes to wifi. So after struggling for an hour, we decide that it would be better if the ladies took home the list of internet sites I compiled and tried to do some things with Facebook own their own. I just feel like I am not performing at my best, but all these things are not things I can control. I put away all the computers and get things straightened up in the conference room, trying to tell myself that next week will be better. As I get the keys to lock the computers up, I mentioned the wifi situation to Mr. Cole who suggests next week we reboot right before class to see if that will help.
Ok that is my plan for next week. I wonder are my expectations greater than what I can deliver? Should I simplify everything to a demonstration? I feel like the more these patrons can get their hands on a computer the more proficient they will become. Maybe I am not cut out for adult education, my undergrad is in early childhood. The big question: Is it me or is it the wifi?
No comments:
Post a Comment