Destiny has undergone a metamorphosis of change in order to lead students to success for the 21st century. Access to Destiny is also available to students in the comfort of their home and parents may gain access to the program as well.
DESTINY 2010 has arrived! More than twenty years ago, teachers and staff in the United Independent School District (UISD) had online access to only one library from their respective school. Fast forward to 2010 and DESTINY has undergone a fresh and innovative look for the dawn of a new era that has transcended into worlds unknown.
So what is DESTINY? DESTINY is an online library that provides access to online catalogs that students, teachers, faculty, staff, and even parents can have access to twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Students can access books from different libraries throughout UISD called inter-library loan in which students can check out books or simply place a hold on them if they are not available. DESTINY is grades PreK-12 networked that can be easily accessed anywhere, anytime which (even at home) is the motto for the new and improved DESTINY. As also mentioned, parents can also have access to DESTINY by visiting their child’s Library Media Specialist for an access code.
“In today’s society, it is extremely important that we stay on the cutting edge of web technology so that we may enhance the education for our children,” said UISD Superintendent Roberto J. Santos. “We need to be prepared for the future so that our children can take on the many challenges that 21st century jobs offer,” continued Santos.
For children in elementary schools, DESTINY is user friendly as everything is visual for the child because children perceive images differently than older students. For example, if a child wants to check out a book on animals, there is an icon with the symbol of a bear that children can click on to access books on different animals which makes for reading fun and enjoyable.
It is simply a virtual library that offers the world into your hands no matter what you are reading or perhaps researching. Need to find a topic for that Senior English class? DESTINY has you covered with databases that Laredo Community College and Texas A&M International University currently offer such as EBSCO Host. DESTINY also empowers teachers to be involved so that students can find learning to be fun and educational.
“The amazing thing about DESTINY is that students can access both print and non-print (e-books) with just a click of a button,” said Alexander High School Library Media Specialist Carmen Escamilla. “The important element and goal is to increase advocacy for our children. DESTINY allows for curriculum to be transparent and the ability to make learning interesting without building walls that may hinder the knowledge and education for our children,” continued Escamilla.
About five years ago, a committee was formed in order to conduct studies that proved without a shadow of a doubt that DESTINY is a crucial component in a child’s education. It prepares outgoing students from high school to be better prepared for college life as it may seem intimidating for most. DESTINY prepares the student with the foundation that will boost a higher success rate by the time a student enters college. With DESTINY, students can learn the necessary tools that will allow the student to learn how to research, write, prepare annotated bibliographies, and so much more!
Another interesting feature is how DESTINY can incorporate any journal publication or research into another language other than English.
These are just the many wonderful options that students can navigate when clicking on DESTINY from the UISD homepage located www.uisd.net. There are courses being offered to teach students, teachers, and parents to learn more about the usage of DESTINY.
For more information on DESTINY, contact the Department of Professional Development, Library Science, and Special Projects at (956) 473-5251.
Antonio Gonzalez Middle School Librarian Maureen Valls reviews UISD’s DESTINY online library database with sixth grade student Alejandra Fuentes. The online library program allows District students to access books from different libraries throughout the District called inter-library loan in which students can check out books or simply place a hold on them if they are not available.
