My learning curve on my view of the role of the teacher librarian (TL) has been huge!
I really had no idea what a TLs role involved beyond my own experience of the TL at primary school, which was as a resource manager and advocate of children's literature within the school community, my love of which led me to this course. When asked what masters degree I was doing, my reply of “TL” was almost given apologetically, as if it was a pretty lame choice!
My early blogs, “Farewell Technophobe” (Ealand, 2010, July 4) and “Kid’s View” (Ealand, 2010, July 20b) in which I mention my daughter’s comment that “you don’t love IT, you love books. You should go to the library not be a librarian”, highlight my initial dismay at finding the role may not be as I’d thought and I must confess to wondering if I hadn’t made a mistake in my choice of masters degree.
A few posts on came the self-explanatory “Rapidly Expanding View” (Ealand, 2010, August 3). Reading Haycock (2003), and later Lonsdale (2003) and School Libraries Work (2008), and realising the extensive research that positively correlated the library and TL with student learning outcomes was an aha moment for me. This was the dawning of an understanding about the central and important nature of the TLs role within the school community and the potential that it holds. I was excited and enthused by this realization (para. 3).
There were a few key facets of the TLs role that seemed to be jumping out at me. One was connectedness. The possibility of the library as a central “hub” or heart of the school with branches reaching out to all parts - teachers, students, administration, principal, parents as well as the professional community - really resonated with me. Another was collaboration (Haycock, 2007). The idea of the TL as a member of the teaching team, providing curriculum support to teachers in planning, resourcing and teaching was new to me. Still another was agent of change. “How exciting that the TL can be an agent of change for the whole school and help create an information literate school community“ (Ealand, 2010, Aug 3). This concept seemed provide the opportunity to synthesise all my growing understandings of the TL role into their contribution to a school’s mission to create the best possible environment for the mastery of student and teacher information literacy (IL) (Henri cited in Henri, 2005).
Resource-based learning, inquiry learning and constructivist theory were all new to me, having not taught in the school system for many years. Exploring recent and evolving pedagogies of teaching and learning inspired the dormant teacher in me, and realising that the teacher part of a TL was so integral to the role (Hay, 2009) was very satisfying and has been one of my most enjoyable and inspiring realizations about the role.
My own IL was brought into question throughout the course, (Ealand, August 25) and I was reassured by reading the forums that other students were struggling in the same way (Hartigan, 2010). The relevance of this to my developing view of the TL was highlighted with particular reference to Kuhlthau’s (2004) ISP and the affective dimensions of the inquiry process, which seem such a valuable contribution to the understanding of this process by both the student and TL.
As my learning curve continued to arch, other facets of the role asserted themselves. Leadership, as articulated in the Standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians (ALIA/ASLA, 2005), so necessary to facilitate the agent of change role (Farwell, cited in Haycock, 2003), seems vital. Getting the principal on board (Henri, Hay & Oberg, 2002 and Hartzell, 2002) seems ironically to be both a consequence of, as well as a prerequisite for, the enabling of TLs to fully realize their role. Also, professional development, important with any profession, seems even more so for TLs with the evolving and dynamic nature of ICTs. Furthermore, the outcomes based focus of the role and the importance of evidence-based practice to insure both an understanding and addressing of the evolving needs of the school community also contributed to my growing understanding of the TLs role.
It seems neat to finish with Covey (1990). His idea that good can be the enemy of best struck a chord with me very early on in the subject (Ealand, 2010, July 20a). I have since come to understand that the role of TL is a complex and demanding one. A challenge for TLs in striving for excellence must be to not let what they do well, (troubleshooting ICT problems, chasing overdue loans, covering books…) hinder the realisation of their unique contribution, (challenging current pedagogical practices, promoting and nurturing an ILSC, improving the literacy learning outcomes of all students, empowering others to become lifelong learners, capturing the hearts and minds of students by fostering a love of story…).
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Putting off part 2?
Thank goodness I've just finished part one of assignment 3. I finished it the other day but it's taken me all morning to reference it! I'm about to delve into part 2. I've previously read the 12 standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians and given some thought as to the most crucial 3. I've got it down to 4 so will have another look in a minute. At first glance it is striking me as a tad dull and tedious but other than that I've no idea what part 2 is really about, how to approach it and what references will be needed. I'm really digging Kuhlthau's ISP as it really helps me to know my thoughts and feelings, especially the ones of uncertainty ,feeling overwhelmed and confusion are quite normal steps in information processing.
I wanted to blog about all the reading I did on collaboration. I spent a fab day at a local outdoor cafe reading about 5 readings on this. I found the literature illuminating, especially the dawning that a school is much like any other business organisation and has very similar management issues. I should posted that night when all the ideas were fresh, because now they're not!!!
The concept of the school having the same functions as a corporation is quite a new idea for me. I have limited experience working in schools. I retrained and spent the majority of my teaching career teaching teenagers ESL in private colleges. A private college operates very much like a corporation, and lots of the issues that came up in the literature i could relate to my time teaching there. In this field of education, peer observation,review and sharing of ideas was a built in part of the system. Since my college also ran teacher training courses, my lessons were constantly being observed by trainee teachers as well as observations by the head teacher, my co-teachers and by members of the foreign organistaion to whom we were aligned. As a result I am very comfortable with being observed and evaluated and see this a a very necessary and valuable part of my own development as a teacher. It was seen as a natural part of our professional development, and was handled in a very positive way.
In contrast, in my experience the primary classroom often seems a very closed space. There is often the, untenable situation where the principal is not even doing in class observations of the teachers occasionally, let alone regularly. By only being observed when a problem arises, and not in the normal course of the running of the school, teachers naturally come to view observations and assessments as a negative process, and one they want to avoid. Maybe collaboration is also viewed as an infringement on the teacher's ownership of their space. I think the T/L can work in collaboration with the principal in developing a more collaborative, open door/wall space, one where teachers feel supported to try new things and feel valued by being encouraged to share their strengths with the faculty. Especially in this new environment where skills around information retrieval, storage, sharing, evaluation and use are so dynamic, i think a school environment where there is less "ownership" of ideas, and more a sense of the collective knowledge of the school, is necessary. Such an environment can be fostered by a gradual change to the way teachers view the sharing of information and lesson ideas, styles and approaches, facilitated by an increase in both peer observation and teaching as well as a focus on in-class evaluations by the administration.
Lesson observations are invaluable professional development and the T/L should collaboratively teach lessons with teachers as well as have teachers sitting in on their lessons as a natural part of the school timetable.
I wanted to blog about all the reading I did on collaboration. I spent a fab day at a local outdoor cafe reading about 5 readings on this. I found the literature illuminating, especially the dawning that a school is much like any other business organisation and has very similar management issues. I should posted that night when all the ideas were fresh, because now they're not!!!
The concept of the school having the same functions as a corporation is quite a new idea for me. I have limited experience working in schools. I retrained and spent the majority of my teaching career teaching teenagers ESL in private colleges. A private college operates very much like a corporation, and lots of the issues that came up in the literature i could relate to my time teaching there. In this field of education, peer observation,review and sharing of ideas was a built in part of the system. Since my college also ran teacher training courses, my lessons were constantly being observed by trainee teachers as well as observations by the head teacher, my co-teachers and by members of the foreign organistaion to whom we were aligned. As a result I am very comfortable with being observed and evaluated and see this a a very necessary and valuable part of my own development as a teacher. It was seen as a natural part of our professional development, and was handled in a very positive way.
In contrast, in my experience the primary classroom often seems a very closed space. There is often the, untenable situation where the principal is not even doing in class observations of the teachers occasionally, let alone regularly. By only being observed when a problem arises, and not in the normal course of the running of the school, teachers naturally come to view observations and assessments as a negative process, and one they want to avoid. Maybe collaboration is also viewed as an infringement on the teacher's ownership of their space. I think the T/L can work in collaboration with the principal in developing a more collaborative, open door/wall space, one where teachers feel supported to try new things and feel valued by being encouraged to share their strengths with the faculty. Especially in this new environment where skills around information retrieval, storage, sharing, evaluation and use are so dynamic, i think a school environment where there is less "ownership" of ideas, and more a sense of the collective knowledge of the school, is necessary. Such an environment can be fostered by a gradual change to the way teachers view the sharing of information and lesson ideas, styles and approaches, facilitated by an increase in both peer observation and teaching as well as a focus on in-class evaluations by the administration.
Lesson observations are invaluable professional development and the T/L should collaboratively teach lessons with teachers as well as have teachers sitting in on their lessons as a natural part of the school timetable.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Random Thoughts on Info Process Models
I now see the benefits of Info Process models. When i first looked up the NSW process model in the very first week of this course I was amused at what appeared to me to be a mind map of common sense. I now realise that that was not far from the truth. Helping learners organise their cognitive processes and go one step further and engage in meta cognition, or thinking about their thinking, which doesn't happen automatically for most learners, is a great tool for them to control the stages or processes involved in their learning.
The staged process of help and its subsequent staged withdrawal is a useful attempt to engender these processes in learners even once the scaffold is no longer used, and a means to help ensure lifelong learning.
I see the potential of such models primarily if they are used beyond their compulsion. In evaluating these info process models learners were asked how the use of the scaffold made the process easier, more efficient etc. I think an important outcome needs to be whether using the model made the process more enjoyable to students. This didn't seem to be evaluated. Eg if the scaffold made the process more time consuming or tedious, it would be less enjoyable and the chance of students using this process when the mandatory use of the scaffold was taken away, would diminish. I think a worthwhile research study could involve the classroom use of a particular model over, say, 1 year and then at the end of the year a setting of a research project and an assessment of how many students actually choose to use the scaffold in whole or part, when they don't have to.
I also particularly like the mindmapping stage as in Herrings PLUS model, useful for collecting and organising, both ideas and possible info sources. Research is saying that todays learners are more visual, and mindmaping is therfore an increasingly relevant and useful tool.
The staged process of help and its subsequent staged withdrawal is a useful attempt to engender these processes in learners even once the scaffold is no longer used, and a means to help ensure lifelong learning.
I see the potential of such models primarily if they are used beyond their compulsion. In evaluating these info process models learners were asked how the use of the scaffold made the process easier, more efficient etc. I think an important outcome needs to be whether using the model made the process more enjoyable to students. This didn't seem to be evaluated. Eg if the scaffold made the process more time consuming or tedious, it would be less enjoyable and the chance of students using this process when the mandatory use of the scaffold was taken away, would diminish. I think a worthwhile research study could involve the classroom use of a particular model over, say, 1 year and then at the end of the year a setting of a research project and an assessment of how many students actually choose to use the scaffold in whole or part, when they don't have to.
I also particularly like the mindmapping stage as in Herrings PLUS model, useful for collecting and organising, both ideas and possible info sources. Research is saying that todays learners are more visual, and mindmaping is therfore an increasingly relevant and useful tool.
literacy definition
I think the dialogue around the meaning of information literacy, and it's continual updating, is often superfluous. If literacy is the ability to effectively use (ie question, source, analyse, use and create) the current means of acquiring information and communicating ideas, as ICT's evolve and become an important means of doing both, naturally the nature of literacy must change to maintain the definition.
Spoken-print-ICT's
Spoken-print-ICT's
Authenticity
I am interested in the concept of authentic activities.
Wolf brush and Saye (p1) ,in the case study of the Big 6 model, talk of the need to infuse IL skills into the curriculum " in an effort to create authentic experiences for students in schools".
I would argue that their examples are not truly authentic activities as they do not fulfill the role of purpose, inherent in the nature of something authentic.
What is the aim of writing an article, designing a pamphlet, writing a letter etc? By ignoring the authentic purpose of the activity eg that a book review is to be read by other potential readers, a vacation schedule is to be followed, a newspaper article is to be published to inform, and replacing it with the unauthentic purpose of providing the teacher a product to assess, the authenticity of the activity or task is compromised. It doesn't mean it isn't worthwhile, but i would argue it isn't authentic.
It is the TL and teachers job to fulfill the purpose of the activity. This is an exciting opportunity for teachers to enhance collaboration within the school ie across classes/grades and to increase the use of ICT's in an authentic way ie between schools/countries, to use blogs to post book reviews/ research findings other students can access and use. Imagine if one class was researching info/ doing science experiment etc that another class was using as a source of info on a particular topic.
By truly authenticating activities by fulfilling their purpose, learner motivation, engagement and sense of purpose should be enhanced, which in turn should aid the cognitive processes in the processing of information.
Wolf brush and Saye (p1) ,in the case study of the Big 6 model, talk of the need to infuse IL skills into the curriculum " in an effort to create authentic experiences for students in schools".
I would argue that their examples are not truly authentic activities as they do not fulfill the role of purpose, inherent in the nature of something authentic.
What is the aim of writing an article, designing a pamphlet, writing a letter etc? By ignoring the authentic purpose of the activity eg that a book review is to be read by other potential readers, a vacation schedule is to be followed, a newspaper article is to be published to inform, and replacing it with the unauthentic purpose of providing the teacher a product to assess, the authenticity of the activity or task is compromised. It doesn't mean it isn't worthwhile, but i would argue it isn't authentic.
It is the TL and teachers job to fulfill the purpose of the activity. This is an exciting opportunity for teachers to enhance collaboration within the school ie across classes/grades and to increase the use of ICT's in an authentic way ie between schools/countries, to use blogs to post book reviews/ research findings other students can access and use. Imagine if one class was researching info/ doing science experiment etc that another class was using as a source of info on a particular topic.
By truly authenticating activities by fulfilling their purpose, learner motivation, engagement and sense of purpose should be enhanced, which in turn should aid the cognitive processes in the processing of information.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Post Assignment One
I'm very pleased to be this side of assignment one. I will approach it differently next time. I wrote about a 4000 word essay and spent days trying to cut it down, and i always felt like i was cutting some good relevant stuff!! I think i read too much, but since all these concepts, IL, RBT and ILSC were new to me, i really needed to read a lot and broadly to get my head around it. I don't think i was always reading the most pertinent stuff either, which brought my own IL into question.
I felt very pleased when i hit submit and had my own personal party inside my head that evening!!
As i said in the last blog, my learning curve has been huge! I really had no idea what the TL's role was beyond my experience of the TL at Wheeler Heights Primary school where I went some 30 years ago. I suppose I really had a TL down as a resource manager and a passionate advocate of children's literature within the school community. I totally get the connectivity of the role description of a TL in an ILSC. And the role the TL plays in the teaching team, working collaboratively with all teachers obviously leads to this increased connectivity but also makes the position much more dynamic and interesting and keeps the TL abreast of current thinking in teaching and learning, and helps them remain a good teacher. I didn't realise the massive role that ICT's play in the library today, and if I can get past my own reluctance to embrace this new technology, i can see the realm of possibilities open to the TL today. This also adds to the dynamic nature of the job, by the need for the TL to both keep abreast of and utilizing the full potential of evolving ICT's. New doesn't necessarily mean better, but does it mean more relevant?
I think I'm keeping on top of the workload, just but don't know how you would do 2 subjects and hold down a full time job! Seems like there is a huge expectation re the amount of hours you need to spend reading etc for this course!
I'm having a day off study today and walking on the beach at Byron was glorious!!
I felt very pleased when i hit submit and had my own personal party inside my head that evening!!
As i said in the last blog, my learning curve has been huge! I really had no idea what the TL's role was beyond my experience of the TL at Wheeler Heights Primary school where I went some 30 years ago. I suppose I really had a TL down as a resource manager and a passionate advocate of children's literature within the school community. I totally get the connectivity of the role description of a TL in an ILSC. And the role the TL plays in the teaching team, working collaboratively with all teachers obviously leads to this increased connectivity but also makes the position much more dynamic and interesting and keeps the TL abreast of current thinking in teaching and learning, and helps them remain a good teacher. I didn't realise the massive role that ICT's play in the library today, and if I can get past my own reluctance to embrace this new technology, i can see the realm of possibilities open to the TL today. This also adds to the dynamic nature of the job, by the need for the TL to both keep abreast of and utilizing the full potential of evolving ICT's. New doesn't necessarily mean better, but does it mean more relevant?
I think I'm keeping on top of the workload, just but don't know how you would do 2 subjects and hold down a full time job! Seems like there is a huge expectation re the amount of hours you need to spend reading etc for this course!
I'm having a day off study today and walking on the beach at Byron was glorious!!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Rapidly Expanding View
My view of the role of teacher librarian is changing very quickly, in fact with every article I read. I think however that I'm coming to a general consensus in my mind, a growing picture of the ideal library and TL, so thought I'd better put it down in My Place.
I was amazed to read about the extensive research that has been done over the last 40 years (Haycock,K 2003) or so that points overwhelmingly to the importance of the role of the library and TL. It suggests a strong link between the amount of funding, the quality of the resources, the qualifications of the TL and the amount and quality of the interaction of each student with the TL with the level of literacy and academic achievements in general of the students. Research even seems to indicate the economic and cultural prosperity of a country has a direct correlation with these variables!!
I'm amazed and pleased. I didn't realise the TL was such a crucial role and could have such a far reaching contribution. I'm excited too, i feel much more enthused by the course and by the prospect of working as a TL.
I love the idea of the library as the "heart of the school", a social, inviting, interactive knowledge hub where students have a flexible and ongoing quality relationship with the TL. This is what I loved about teaching. Engaging the students to the point where they were very motivated and so open to all learning opportunities. Getting to know them each and every one, so that you can tap into what works for them and what it is that will engage them. I think this role of the TL, the "getting to know you" part, the "connecting with" part, doesn't seem to be included in much of the literature I've read so far.
I'm also very interested in learning about the pivotal and supportive role the TL provides to the rest of the teaching staff with prof develop but even more so with curriculum planning and support. The concept of the TL providing a dynamic, flexible and very available support of both skills and resources to the classroom teachers is great. How exciting that the TL can be an agent of change for the whole school and help create a information literate school community.
I can't believe how much I've learnt in such a small time in only one course! I can't imagine that the learning curve can stay so steep. :)
I was amazed to read about the extensive research that has been done over the last 40 years (Haycock,K 2003) or so that points overwhelmingly to the importance of the role of the library and TL. It suggests a strong link between the amount of funding, the quality of the resources, the qualifications of the TL and the amount and quality of the interaction of each student with the TL with the level of literacy and academic achievements in general of the students. Research even seems to indicate the economic and cultural prosperity of a country has a direct correlation with these variables!!
I'm amazed and pleased. I didn't realise the TL was such a crucial role and could have such a far reaching contribution. I'm excited too, i feel much more enthused by the course and by the prospect of working as a TL.
I love the idea of the library as the "heart of the school", a social, inviting, interactive knowledge hub where students have a flexible and ongoing quality relationship with the TL. This is what I loved about teaching. Engaging the students to the point where they were very motivated and so open to all learning opportunities. Getting to know them each and every one, so that you can tap into what works for them and what it is that will engage them. I think this role of the TL, the "getting to know you" part, the "connecting with" part, doesn't seem to be included in much of the literature I've read so far.
I'm also very interested in learning about the pivotal and supportive role the TL provides to the rest of the teaching staff with prof develop but even more so with curriculum planning and support. The concept of the TL providing a dynamic, flexible and very available support of both skills and resources to the classroom teachers is great. How exciting that the TL can be an agent of change for the whole school and help create a information literate school community.
I can't believe how much I've learnt in such a small time in only one course! I can't imagine that the learning curve can stay so steep. :)
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Covey
Well I've just had a very engrossing few hours reading the Topic 6 reading by Covey about prioritising Quadrant II ideas. It has given me lots of food for thought and let in a little sunshine on my slightly shaded first impressions of the role of the teacher librarian.
I love the juxtaposition of the important verses the urgent and the realisation that one is not the same as the other!
I also love the idea that "the enemy of the best is often the good". The idea that even "good" pursuits can be detrimental if they are not involved in the delivery of your "unique contribution" is quite refreshing.
I love the juxtaposition of the important verses the urgent and the realisation that one is not the same as the other!
I also love the idea that "the enemy of the best is often the good". The idea that even "good" pursuits can be detrimental if they are not involved in the delivery of your "unique contribution" is quite refreshing.
Kids View
My 7 yr old daughter Mali has been listening to some library convos and declared "You don't love IT, you love books. You should go to the library not be a librarian."
Sunday, July 18, 2010
mind map for common sense
Well I've started reading my modules, and just got beyond the intro Getting Started. There were so many links in just this bit that I can see I'm going to have to brush up on my own information literacy to quickly sort out the must follow links. Lots of buzz words for things - i do remember now that one of the probs that i actually had with the education dept of Macquarie Uni, when i did my degree was thier love of giving old concepts and ideas new names to make it appear as if there is new thought!!
For example - the information process model! Thought i'd better click on that link since i had no idea what that was and was rather amused to find on the Dept of Education website what appeared to be a mind map of common sense! Classic!
For example - the information process model! Thought i'd better click on that link since i had no idea what that was and was rather amused to find on the Dept of Education website what appeared to be a mind map of common sense! Classic!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Farewell Technophobe
I've decided to embrace technology. Well, I have to for my masters in teacher librarian, but I've decided to enjoy it!
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