Meeting Learners Where They Are: A Case Study of Media MashUp Libraries' Approaches to Teaching 21st Century Literacy Skills

Media MashUp (MMU) was an IMLS funded project (LG-07-08-0113 ) designed to help libraries build capacity for offering computer-based programs for youth. These programs were designed to help foster 21st Century literacy skills. The program focused on the Scratch programming language (http://scratch.mit.edu/), but also used other creative freeware programs (i.e., Audacity, Picasa, SAM animation, ArtRage). MMU was a partnership among six library systems from around the country and The Science Museum of Minnesota. Three staff members from each library participated in the program: two librarians or youth workers responsible for programming, and one administrator responsible for institutional buy-in and other administrative tasks. Libraries ran at least 20 programs: 10 formal worksops and 10 open-labs. Core project staff visited each library once throughout the course of the project. Braafladt visited two Libraries to provide technical assistance, Nelson visited two libraries to provide administrative support, and Phipps visited Winchester Public Library and Lake County Public Library to observe sessions in action. This report details the two locations and the site visits. Project staff from all six libraries attended a kick-off meeting in January, 2009 in Minnesota. The goals of this meeting were to meet each other face-to-face, receive training on Scratch and pedagogical techniques for teaching with technology in informal settings, discuss perceived barriers to implementing Media MashUp in their libraries, and share successful strategies for overcoming barriers. Discussions about barriers to implementation and possible solutions took place with the large group, and within each library system. In depth data from these conversations are included in this case study to provide context for the site visit data (An overview of these interviews can be found in Phipps(2009)).

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