Thursday, August 29, 2024

LIS 724: Introduction in Week One

An Introduction to Me

                                                                      A Photo of Me!

                         Image Source: Personal Photos of Lizzy Prain

    Hello new readers! My name is Elizabeth Prain, or just Lizzy for short, as my friends and family call me. Greetings and welcome to my blog! Within this blog, over the next several weeks, you shall find my writings regarding the impact and influence of technology as a tool in the modern age, specifically as how it relates to educational purposes and public resources. I am very excited to document through this blog my experiences with technology, and to share with you my educational journey in learning more about the integration of technology into classroom learning and library services. I hope readers that you enjoy following alongside my various reflections, assessments and musings here within this very blog in the upcoming weeks. 

    In regards to my current role, I am a graduate student studying for my Master’s in Library and Information Science, otherwise known as MLIS. It has been challenging, but nonetheless, a very exciting experience, especially as I draw closer to earning my degree! At the time of writing, I am within in my second year of university; my dream is to become a public librarian within my community after completing my university education. Ever since I was young, I have had a great love of reading books, and have many great memories of visiting my local library. I feel that library services provide a vital role as an institution in society with resources that can significantly impact an individual’s life, such as it did for myself. As a child I was often sick and reading books was one of the few activities I could do as a child without the risk of affecting my health. I want to become a librarian to help spread that same love of literature and to help provide the institutional services to others in the community, creating a welcoming, safe space for people from all walks of life who want and rely on the resources of the public library.

    When I am not in classes, I enjoy recreational reading, my most favorite book is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, I simply adore the moving story of Victor Frankenstein and his undead son, Creature, I must have re-read it at least over dozen times since high school! My favorite genres of literature are gothic horror, romance, high-fantasy, and science-fiction. As an undergraduate student, I discovered a love of graphic novels as well, and I am currently reading Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe, a graphic novel retelling the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone, the Gods of the Underworld. When not studying or reading, I enjoy spending time with my family, doing photography projects with my camera, and taking care of my puppy dog, who I love with my whole heart. I also enjoy watching TV comedies, with Bob’s Burgers, The Big Bang Theory and The Office being my most favorite series. My favorite movies are Beetlejuice, Venom, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, Moana and The Incredibles. 


           

                                             A Picture of My Dog! Isn't He Cute?

                        Image Source: Personal Photos of Lizzy Prain

My Relationship with Technology

    Like many other university students I presume, technology is greatly integrated into my daily life, for both university and recreational purposes. A fact about me is that I am blind in one eye and have very limited field of vision in the other eye, and have been all my life, due to being born prematurely. Because of my disability, I have relied on technology significantly in my education from childhood to adulthood. I use touchscreens which allow me to expand sentences when reading in class or browsing the web. Modern technology is very useful to me as an individual, as it makes reading and writing for class assignments an easier process for me as a student than it would be otherwise. I enjoy using the internet recreationally for watching cute animal videos or scrolling through social media and connecting with friends on platforms such as Facebook or Twitter for example, as well as reading e-books on my phone or laptop in my downtime. I try not to spend too much time online, but that can be bit of a struggle when living in the digital age! I am very thankful for the aid that technology plays in my educational journey, while also trying my best not to scroll endlessly in my spare time!


Looking Ahead:


Image Source: Giphy

    In all honesty, I feel both excitement and nervousness when looking towards my enrollment in the LIS 724 course this semester. I’m excited to learn about incorporating technology for educational purposes and how I can later apply the skills and knowledge I will have learned here to my future library workplace. I really want to be able to help future patrons and co-workers with what I have learned from my time here in class. I have to admit, it feels a little overwhelming, as I haven’t been in an accelerated class before! However, I still very much want to do my best as student! I look forward to sharing you, dear blog readers my journey over the next few weeks throughout this course.

LIS 724: Reflecting on EDU 776/LIS 724 Course

                                                Introduction     Hello, readers! It may seem surprising, but the class is already reaching i...