Key Issues in Budget Management facing TLs

In "Resourcing the Curriculum" Module 5, we were asked what we believe are the key issues in budget management facing TLs. Here are some of the thoughts that have come up from my reading:

• Understand how the budget is funded
• Create and submit a budget, even if it is not requested.
• Assess your needs. Prioritise, brainstorm, make it happen!
• Create a strong, out-come driven rationale
• Include goals, be specific, use needs assessments.
• Include others in the budgeting process - an advisory group (students/teachers/admin/parents)

After reading about budgeting I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. Not so much at the thought of budgeting but as I find out more and more what is expected of a TL. Having worked for a couple of terms as an acting TL I thought I had a fairly realistic idea of what they did, but since starting uni, I have been regularly surprised at the extent of the TLs role. More than once I have thought "Is this what I really want to do? Am I going to be able to do all this?" I think it is just that feeling of being overwhelmed. I force myself to remember that in a new job, new position, it always takes time to find your feet and learn about the job, and that no one would expect you to know everything straight away. I am still a little nervous though!

Best Books of 2011

Check out NetGalley's Best Books of 2011 page. NetGalley has brought together "best book" lists from various publishers such as the New York Times, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Thanks Jennifer for this link.

NetGalley is itself a useful website for TLs. Once you sign up (it's free), you can use NetGalley to read, request and review titles before they are published.

Critical Reflection EER500 - Assignment 1

Well if I'm writing a critical reflection for one assignment, I might as well do it for another.

Assignment one for EER500 - Introduction to educational research, was different to any other assignment I've had to do. First of all, it was divided into parts 1a and 1b. Our course work also centred around this assignment. (It was so great not to have to keep following course work while also trying to complete an assignment - all lecturers take note!) We had to select a media article to do with an area of interest. Find 2 to 3 journal articles/studies about the area of interest in the media article. Formulate a research question (based on our module readings) and write about how the research question was related to the literature. Next we had to publish our writing onto a wiki.

For part b of the assignment, we had to read all the wiki posts in our section. Select one relevant to us professionally/personally (as well as our own), and read all the articles to familiarise ourselves with the area. Next with reference to our text and other readings we had to identify and comment on strengths and areas for improvement of the draft research question and the statement of how the question related to the literature, and the practical importance of the research question. Whewww! It took me a while to work out (from the forum posts and assignment info) that what we were doing was a type of critical evaluation (in a positive sense) of our own and the other wiki post and to back up any of our comments with references. Thinking of it like that made it a little easier for me to understand how to go about it.

I read alot about formulating research papers and research questions and literature reviews, and eventually managed to work out what was a good research question and how to effectively connect it to the literature. This whole process was a bit unerving for me because the assignment guidelines seemed to be so broad. Tell me to write a critical analysis on an author's view on a certain subject and I'll have no problems but in this assignment it felt like there was so much we had to work out for ourselves (like what is a good research question and so on). I find open-ended stuff so much harder to deal with, probably because I doubt my own abilities so much.

There was so much that I learnt from this assignment though. Like how most research reports give you ideas for further research if you know where to look and how the research question shapes the whole research process so you really have to get it right! The fact that researchers constantly revise their questions and research design. I'm finding that a bit hard to get used to.

ETL503 Assignment 1: Critical Reflection

The first assignment for ETL503 focused on identifying an aspect of the curriculum not adequately resourced by the school library, and then finding 10 new resources for this area. Simple enough, I though initially. It didn't take me long to identify an area of the curriculum where resources were lacking. Halfway through the year I had to teach a unit of work on Darwin and the theory of evolution for a teacher on leave. The textbook work was boring so I went to the library only to find there was nothing suitable. I still had my copy of the program so I used that. Next step - find 10 new resources - not a problem. I went online, hunted around Tale and some of the usual places. Easy! Then I re-read the assignment, read a few forum posts and went OMG! There was a process to follow and it was actually the process that was more important for this assignment than the end product. Didn't that change things! I think I was relying more on my experience with the curriculum and the students to find resources, which is probably fine when you know that aspect of the curriculum well, but what if you don't. That was something I hadn't considered.

And what is the process for resourcing the curriculum? This how I think it goes :

1. Identify an aspect of the curriculum (which is not well resourced);
2. Look at the teaching/learning program and/or syllabus. Identify outcomes.
3. Consider the teachers who teach this and the students they teach? Do they have any particular needs?
4. How do the current resources fit in with all this? What aspects are not covered by the current resources?
5. Choose and use various selection tools to find suitable resources.
6. Describe and justify the potential acquisition of these resources.

I think I was doing steps 1-5 already but without really thinking about it. With this assignment, we had to break the process down into individual parts so that we go to understand how the process worked. When I was acting TL earlier in the year, I didn't have to justify any resources the library acquired to anyone. Upon completing this assignment, I realise that no matter how well you "know" an aspect of the curriculum, if you can't explain how a resource fits into the program or how it fulfils a need, what good is it? It simply wont be used if it is not useful. As a teacher, I know that I wouldn't use a resource if I couldn't see how it fit into my program.

Looking back, I found reviewing the subject's syllabus very helpful because it gave me more than just outcomes to consider. The school program only gave me a small view of the aspect of the curriculum I had chosen to resource, whereas the syllabus showed me where it fit in the broader picture. I could consider values and attitudes outcomes, as well as skills and knowledge outcomes.

Next assignment, I plan to read the question a lot more carefully.

Critical Reflection

Shortly after submitting our first assignment for ETL503 - Resourcing the curriculum, we received a post assignment podcast from our supervisor, encouraging us to write a short critical reflection on the assignment/assignment process in preparation for ETL507 Reflective portfolio. When we had to write a critical reflection for ETL 401 I found it quite difficult because even though I had started writing this blog, I hadnt done much "reflective" writing at all. When I found out that in ETL 507 we will need to do a reflective portfolio I nearly fell over. Wouldn't it be useful to know right from the beginning that we should continue to write reflectively to assist with writing our reflective portfolio? Perhaps we were told that but if we were, I don't think it was said clearly enough. And what exactly is reflective writing? I found I had to do a little research for myself to really understand it. Anyway, I have come up with a bit of info about reflective writing and a handful of questions that will hopefully encourage it. If you are a Teacher Librarian student at CSU in particular, you may find this useful.

What is critical reflection and why should we do it?
Reflective writing enables the documentation of experiences, thoughts, questions. ideas and conclusions that signpost our learning journey ( see here). Basically, reflection provides an opportunity for us to think critically about what we do and why, so that change and improvement can result. By keeping some sort of reflective journal (ie a blog), we are keeping a record of events and results and our reaction to them, we are keeping data (useful for ETL507), and we are providing an opportunity to challenge and change ourselves.

Some ideas for getting started. (This is the hardest part for me).

• USE AN AGENDA: Describe the context. In our TL course, what is the issue/assignment? Where does it fit in the big picture? What are my assumptions? What could I do differently next time?
• FOCUS ON THE EXPERIENCE AND THINK (NOT ALOUD) IN WRITING: Take something you have read in the literature, or something that has occurred as part of the activity and think about the following - how does this connect with an aspect of my practice as a TL? What are the teaching and learning principles involved? What could I change in relation to this? What would happen if I did? Is there another way of looking at it?
• TAKING STOCK OF MY LEARING:What is the most important think I have learnt about the practice of a TL? What is the most important thing I have learnt about myself as a student? In what ways was I mistaken? How can I use this to improve as a TL/as a student?

Or put even more simply -

1. How do I feel about this?
2. What do I think about this?
3. What have I learned from this?
4. What action will I take as a result of my lessons learned?

Also, what have I learned with what I've done, and what have I done with what I've learned? (Shepherd, 2006)

I wonder how many students from last semesters ETL401 class have continued with their blogs, and if they have, how many are actually writing reflectively (instead of just descriptively)?

Reference
Shepherd, M. 2006. Using a learning journal to improve professional practice: A
journey of personal and professional self-discovery. Reflective Practice 7:333–48.

Christmas at the library!

With Christmas rapidly approaching I thought I would post some library-related Christmas pictures. Enjoy!

Resource Selection

So here I am up quite late working on an assignment for ETL503, Resourcing the curriculum. For me, this assignment has been more frustrating than others. For part of it we have to select 10 resources for an aspect of the curriculum (which we have chosen) that is not currently well resourced. Easy enough, you say, but we have to use "selection tools" to find these resources. We are being judged on the selection process, more so than the end result. I can understand why we need to do it, but it still annoys me that I have to write all the other stuff up. It's just one of those things we have to do, I suppose.

My chosen aspect of the curriculum is the area of the science syllabus to do with Charles Darwin and the theory of evolution. When I had to teach this topic while another teacher was on leave, I was very frustrated by the lack of current resources the school had and what they did have was way too heavy for the class of very average kids. I have found some amazing resources on The Teaching and Learning Exchange (TALE) (only available to NSW DET staff) that I wish I had access to when I was teaching the class. Some other sites I have found good stuff on were:

• School Library Directory selection tools page



• Commonsense Media Reviews



• Surfing the Net with Kids
  

I have also recently created a separate page on the portal for weeding and selecting which has a number of links to various useful selection tools.

I have so much to do before Christmas so I am really looking forward to finishing this assignment! Do you think it would help if I got to bed a bit earlier?

The Finnish Education System

I have always wondered why the Australian Government usually looks to the American school system when there are so many better ones out there. Take a look at this.

Announcing the 2011 Winners – Congrats to All!

Announcing the 2011 Winners – Congrats to All!

Click on the above link to see all the 2011 Edublog Blog winners. I am amazed at what teachers, librarians, students and others from school communities are blogging about.

Busy! Busy! Busy!

It's that time of year again! So why on earth did I sign up to do two subjects this semester? The next two weeks are going to be a blur for me as I try to complete two assignments - one due Tuesday night - midnight, and the other due next Monday night midnight. I may not have much chance to blog between now and then but after that...hopefully.

Over the last few years particularly I've become very aware of how different people view Christmas and I wonder if it's because of our experiences of Christmas growing up? I'm a bit of a "bah-humbug" kind of person (which I put down to the Christmas's we had as kids and the not-so-joyful family get-togethers we had). Another good friend of mine (who is single with no kids) gets right into the spirit and decorates her house right down to Christmassy toilet paper. She bakes and makes home made gifts for her family. I try hard every year to get into the spirit for the sake of my own children who I dearly want to grow up looking forward to Christmas and the usual family festivities, but sometimes it is difficult to go against the grain.

So how will you celebrate Christmas this year? From when the kids were little my husband and I made a decision that every Christmas day will be spent at our house so the kids can enjoy their gifts and we can wind down. We will happily visit rellies the day before or the day after but Christmas day is ours. It's truely one of the best things we have ever done and so many of my friends are jealous as they troop of to long family lunches with in-laws they would rather not spend so much time with. It is only occasionally that we invite family over Christmas day,as well, to avoid being lumped with lunch preparations. People say Christmas is about family - it is - but it does have to be with ALL of them at once!

In and around Christmas this year I'll be studying and working but I dont mind. It will keep my mind off the other stresses that usually try to find me this time of year!

Free Technology for Teachers

I have posted a link to this website on my Tech Resources page. There are lots of free ebooks for teachers (or TLs) about using technology in the classroom, info on creating blogs and websites, great resources, and resources to help you develop your own PLN (personal learning network). There are too many other things to mention here so take a look. I'm sure you will find something useful!

A Guide to e-book purchasing

Click on this link to read an interesting article by Sue Polanka, author of "No Shelf Required". It looks at the transfer from print to digital, business models, publishers, aggregators and wholesalers, buying through consortia and evaluating vendors. Polanka provides lots of practical information on how buying ebooks is different to buying print and things you need to know such as licensing issues and establishing clear ebook purchasing goals.

Housekeeping & PLNs

I spent the morning tidying and reorganising the Portal. I wanted it to be a bit more user friendly and practical. I also wanted to include a page for my personal learning network (PLN) after reading about it in the latest SCAN magazine (Vol 30 Number 4 2011). If you can get yourself a copy, Ruth Buchanan's article, "Developing a Personal Learning Network" is well worth a read. Many school libraries subscribe to SCAN and probably wouldn't mind lending a copy. For CSU students, the current issue isn't available yet online in the library. I've also begun compiling lists of tech and TL resources, some of which were on My Delicious but I wanted them all in one place. I also spend more time on the blog then perusing the delicious stacks. It also meant I could delete the useful websites list on my main page and free up the space for something more interesting. Note that I have changed the "Selection Aids" page to "Selectn & Weedg" - shortened to fit into the allowed space - and also to include weeding resources that I've found. One of my favourite is "Awful Library Books" who I've been following for a while via Twitter. They feature some library books that you can't believe were still on some library shelf somewhere. Hope you find my new pages useful! I would love to get some comments and while you're at it, if you regularly check in to the Portal, please follow me on Google Friend Connect. Just another way to extend that personal learning network!

Some Issues with e-book lending

Amazon is trying to organise an ebook lending scheme with a monthly subscription which libraries in USA are keen for - it's the publishers who are holding back.

Read "Everyone loves e-books, but no one wants to lend them" for the full story. Could be a while yet before e-book lending becomes commonplace in our libraries.

Selection Aids and Blogger Pages

I've been toying with the idea of adding pages to my blog for a while and my current study of selection aids for ETL503 has provided the perfect opportunity. While reading through the lists of websites in Module 2 I was thinking I needed to make a list of these to put them all in one place, so I don't have to rummage through all my subject modules at a later date trying to find them. Then I remembered about adding additional pages to my blog and it seems to have worked well. I'm proud of the fact I worked out how to put hyperlinks in a blog post. If you're not sure and you are with blogger, try this blog post. So have a look at my selection aids page. It's not finished yet but if you know of any good ones (not in the ETL503 module notes), let me know.

New Information Literacy Curriculum

On 10th November, Sheffield University Information School hosted a seminar on an Information Literacy Curriculum. Full documentation is available at
http://newcurriculum.wordpress.com/

This includes an explanation of the ideas behind the curriculum and recommendations on how it may be used and taught. All the reports are available under reports and outputs. The curriculum document is straightforward and practical and I think would be useful for Australian TLs as well.

Create yourself as a Simpson's Character

Had lots of fun today but didn't do much work (obviously).

http://www.simpsonsmovie.com/main.html?cid=us

Tools for Teaching Students at the top of Bloom's Taxonomy

https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dhsgv8zv_4143np48dg

A fabulous slide presentation with links to internet tools.

You as a South Park character

My new profile pic was created using: http://www.sp-studio.de/
Basically you choose facial features, clothing etc and build yourself as a South Park character. I can imagine this would be wildly popular with highschool kids - if it is accessible via the DEC internet!

The Innovative Educator: Video Games for Learning? Why Not?

The Innovative Educator: Video Games for Learning? Why Not?: Editor's Note: This post was originally posted on career advice expert, Penelope Trunk's Homeschooling blog. If you'd rather read it (and th...

Video games start to shape classroom curriculum

Video games start to shape classroom curriculum

An interesting article on the ways that gaming is affecting education.

Education Hashtags on twitter

This is an awesome resource for TLs. This guy "the Cybrary Man" has compiled a list of educational hashtags that educators can use on twitter to find great resources and info. I find twitter is a fabulous way to keep up with what's new and find interesting things.

http://www.cybraryman.com/edhashtags.html

Who selects for the library collection?

Librarians' specialist knowledge and skills in collection management should be combined with users and people with subject expertise. It is essential a selection policy is written that outlines roles and responsibilities. If the selection policy is written with a clearly outlined decision making model included, there shouldnt be any issues with who selects what. Sometimes it will be the librarian and sometimes it will be a student or a teacher that identifies and requests a new resource. As long as it meets the criteria and budget, it is the policy that makes the final decision. What do others think?

The best thing about twitter is it is a way to increase your PD without going anywhere!

School Libraries: What's now, what's next, what's yet to come

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/96705

I came across this FREE ebook on Facebook and wanted to share with all who haven't seen it yet. It is an amazing resource for all TLs and includes chapters on learners, who and when we teach, emerging and multiple literacies, gaming, reading, physical libraries, virtual libraries, collaboration, and professional learning. There are over 50 articles by many TLs, including Joyce Valenza.

EER500 Introduction to Educational Research

Well, I have begun my second and third subjects for Master Ed (TL) and after much research and deliberation I think I have settled on an area of interest for my assignment. One of the articles we had to read for ETL 503 (Resourcing the Curriculum) is Doug Johnson's "Libraries for a post-literate society". http://www2.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/connections_72.pdf
I have always been interested in how digital technology is affecting education and society and Doug's article really got me thinking. Also Australia's literacy levels have declined over the last decade (one of the few in the OECD according to PISA (http://www.pisa.oecd.org/pages/0,2987,en_32252351_32235731_1_1_1_1_1,00.html) and after a bit on online research I think I would like to find out more as to what connections there may be between literacy levels and digital technology. I also wonder how this may affect TLs and school libraries. More on this later...

Re-thinking the role of the teacher-librarian in a post literate society

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Semester Three - Here I come!

Well, after a little break we're back into it again. I have accepted an offer to do Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) and this semester I'm doing ETL 503 "Resourcing the curriculum" and EER 500 "Introduction to Educational Research". It will be busy but I cant wait! It was comforting to read some familiar names on the forum for ETL 503 as well.

Information Literacy Weblog: Information Literacy: esssential skills for the in...

Information Literacy Weblog: Information Literacy: esssential skills for the in...: The first edition of this book is available full text (a scanned text, so the quality isn't brilliant). Not something new, but I don't think...

E-books

For everything you ever wanted to know about ebooks, this is a very informative slide presentation.

Ebooks in Australia

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The Slap

I had been wanting to read The Slap ever since it was published but for some reason or another it never happened. Then when I saw the TV series was going to air I really really wanted to read it before watching but again that didn't happen due to assignments etc. Finally I purchased an ebook and read it within two days. How great are ebooks! This was my first and I loved the fact I could browse, buy and be reading within minutes. This is fantastic considering our nearest bookstore is 3 hours away. The public library is well stocked but I didn't even try finding The Slap there, due to the current resurge in popularity. Anyway back to the book...

I liked the way we learn the story through different people (I've read a few books like that) but I found the ending disappointing. I don't want to go into too much detail in case anyone reading my blog hasn't read it but I felt the ending was a bit washy and didn't wind up the story as well as it could have. Perhaps I've grown to accustomed to what my husband and I call "french endings", which refers to movies and books (named from the ones we've watched on SBS) that finish without telling you all the details and you have to use your imagination and decide for yourself how it ends. The story is good in the way it brings up many debatable issues - discipline, private schooling, drugs etc and the author's references to the characters' Greek family background seem authentic. With each character, however, there were times I just wanted to "slap" them to wake them up from their own complacency or whatever it was holding them back. Perhaps this is what the title really refers to, and the actually slapping of the child is a mere visual clue. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the TV episodes pan out compared to the book, but I do recommend reading the book if you are interested in the TV episodes. Note: the book contains quite a bit of drug use and sexual references so I'd probably give it a MA rating. LOL.

You can also watch an interview with Christos Tsiolkas on Compass via this link:

http://www.abc.net.au/iview/#/view/837976

Next semester continued...

Well I have bitten the bullet and have applied to do Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) starting next session, over the Christmas holidays. I've put in to do Resourcing the Curriculum and Social Networking for Information Professionals, as they were available during that session. If anyone else is doing either of those I would love to know. Just leave me a comment. I've also applied for a part time position at our local library (about 30 hours per week) as I haven't got much casual teaching lately. Hopefully I'm not overqualified as I think it would really suit while I'm studying.

Next Semester

I am busy studying for my statistics exam and so won't have a lot of time to blog over the next few weeks but I am applying for Master of Ed (Teacher Librarianship) to start of Christmas Hols, starting with Resourcing the curriculum and social media for information professsionals. I plan to keep blogging about these subjects so if you have been following my blog you are welcome to keep reading. I would also love to hear from anyone else who is continuing their studies or who is going to continue blogging. Best wishes!

How have my views on the role of the TL changed during this subject?

When I began this subject, I brought with me a set of beliefs, ideas and assumptions about the nature of the role of the teacher librarian. During my teaching career I had worked alongside teacher librarians and I had also worked temporarily as a TL for almost two terms. I thought I had a fairly realistic expectation as to what being involved being a TL but to quote Senge (2007), "the more you learn, the more acutely aware you become of your own ignorance."

On July 23rd, I wrote on my blog a list of things I thought were part of the role of the TL. I was correct in that they really were things a TL may have to do but after looking over them again I realised that these things were more 'jobs' or tasks than 'roles' or functions. Looking at it like that gave me a different (although shallow) perspective. I think I saw the TL's role as supporting teachers by collecting resources, as a information skills teacher and a library manager. Once I started the readings for Topic 2 and Assignment 1, I started making a lot of connections. When I was acting TL at our local high school, there were other aspects of the role of the TL that I 'touched on' but never realised that it actually was part of the TLs role. I was just trying to embed some Quality Teaching (QT) elements (DET 2003) into my program, make information skills lessons more interesting and useful for students and to be an obliging, helpful colleague. For example, it seemed obvious that students were not retaining and using the information skills 'learnt' from the numerous unrelated worksheets left by the previous TL, so I tried to build them into a lesson on a topic I knew they were studying in another subject. I could only see, like many others, the tip of the TL iceberg.

How have my views changed? From Assignment 1 I learnt that the role of the TL is multifaceted (Herring 2007) and have come to see the role of the TL like a spiders web (Mitchell, 2011 July 24), with threads weaving back and forth, linking different aspects. For example, leadership is one aspect of the role of the TL but it is also linked to curriculum involvement, information specialist and so on. One particular aspect is not totally separate from the others. You don't take off the collaborator hat so you can put on the teacher hat.

I have also come to realise that the role of the TL is constantly changing due to government policies, 21st century curriculum and the needs of learners, and because of that, TLs need to be flexible and creative. In my blog I expressed frustration at those librarians in a rut who are doing the same thing year in, year out and I understand what Dianne Chen (2009) is saying when she tells them to "Get out of my profession!" Being a TL is not just checking out books (Purcell 2010) or some cushy job (Mitchell, 2011, July 22) where you only have to teach a few lessons a week.

The role is a wide as it is deep. It takes a lot more than being a great reader or writer to make an excellent librarian (Osler Quotes as cited in Purcell 2010). A TL is a leader, an information specialist, a collaborative partner, a literature promoter, a library manager, a collection curator, IT specialist, an instructional partner and a curriculum innovator. And that list is conservative. I understand that there is a lot more to each of these roles than what I currently know.

I called my blog "The Information Portal", as I saw it as the entry point into the world of the TL. I wrote that the portal is both description and reflection but at the time, I didn't really understand what I was "reflecting" on or indeed what reflection involved. Most of the other blogs I had read on the internet were informative and entertaining, not reflective. So I don't feel that I really reflected on my views on the role of the TL to any great degree in my blog, but I know my views and beliefs were challenged and turned around. I told a teaching colleague a short while ago that even if I am never employed as a TL in a school, the way I think about teaching and learning has changed significantly, and that we should never underestimate the role of the teacher librarian.

References
Chen, D. (2009). Get out of my profession. School Library Journal. [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/practicallyparadise/2009/10/19/get-out-of- my-profession/
Herring, J. (2007). Teacher librarians and the school library. In S. Ferguson (Ed.) Libraries
in the twenty-first century : charting new directions in information (pp. 27-42). Wagga Wagga, NSW : Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University.
Mitchell, K. (2011). The Information Portal. [Web Blog]. Retrieved from http://theinformationportal.blogspot.com/
NSW Dept of Education and Training. (2003). Quality Teaching in NSW Public Schools: Discussion Paper. [Online]. Retrieved from https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/proflearn/docs/pdf/qt_EPSColor.pdf
Purcell, M. (2010). All Librarian's do is check out books, right? Library Media Connection. 9(3) Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ehost/detail?sid=092fa675-9ae0-42a1- b3d0- 85b627de9cc6%40sessionmgr115&vid=1&hid=123&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3Qtb Gl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=eric&AN=EJ907292
Senge, P. (2007). Chapter 1: Give me a lever long enough... and single-handed I can move the world. In The Jossey-Bass reader on Educational Leadership. 2nd ed. p3-15. Retrieved from http://www.csu.edu.au/division/library/ereserve/pdf/senge-p.pdf

Do we ever reach the goal of being information literate?

Okay, so our goal is to help our students (and ourselves) become information literate. Does a person ever reach this goal or is it a journey, not a destination? We have new technology being constantly developed and information growing exponentially. And what if a student or a person doesn't want to be information literate? There are plenty of those in the world. As well most of the information skills models available today to help TLs guide students were developed 20years ago. Are they still applicable in today's society? On top of this student's are still graduating without the necessary IL skills. What are we missing here? Am I reading too deeping into it all? I don't think so. These are questions we must look towards answering in our role as TLs and in our goal to be information literate.

Assignment Two - Portfolio

I bet you all thought this post would be something profound about the assignment. Sorry about that. Just letting you know to expect lots of random posts until the assignment is due. I can only concentrate on one thing at a time. Good luck everyone with yours!

The Next Big Thing is Web 3.0. Catch It If You Can

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"The more you learn, the more acutely aware you become of your ignorance." (Senge, 2007)

This sentence struck me right to the core. When I think about what I have read and learned so far from this course, I realise I can never again be what I once was. I can never go back. Even if I never become a TL, the way I will teach and learn has changed forever. I have definitely become acutely aware of my ignorance and is it wrong to say, the ignorance of others. I am grateful for this awareness but also so incredibly frustrated by what I cannot change at our local highschool. I have seen another dangling carrot which is so big and juicy. What a carrot! The local highschool thinks it has a carrot but it is nothing compared to the carrot I have seen. Our family is now discussing the possibilities of relocating in the next year or so.

see more Gifs

Steampunk!: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories

I have always loved steampunk and if you've never heard of it, do a search now! I was so excited to come across this book through a tweet.

LINK, Kelly & Gavin J. Grant, eds. Steampunk!: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories. 432p. Candlewick. Oct. 2011. Tr $22.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-4843-5; ebook $22.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5638-6. LC 2010040742.
Gr 8 Up—Most readers have become familiar with the essential steampunk elements: clockwork automatons, brass goggles, mad scientists, brave adventurers, and Victorian imagery. However, this collection of short stories by some of the best YA authors today, including Libba Bray, Garth Nix, and Cory Doctorow, offers something different and takes the steampunk ethos to a new level. Within these pages, there's a little something for everyone. For the romantic, there is Holly Black's "Everything Amiable and Obliging," in which a clockwork automaton exceeds the bounds of its programming and falls in love with the beautiful daughter of its employer. And for the disillusioned, there is Link's lovely and eerily sad "The Summer People," in which a girl in Appalachia is forced to care for the mysterious inhabitants of an unusual house. M. T. Anderson's "The Oracle Engine" is an alternate version of the story of Crassus of Rome that will delight history buffs. And Dylan Horrocks's "Steam Girl," the story of an unusual girl with steampunk sensibilities in modern times, will resonate with those who feel as though they don't quite belong. Two stories told in comic book format will appeal to graphic-novel fans. There is not a weak story in the bunch. This exceptional anthology does great service to the steampunk subgenre and will do much to further its audience.—Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO

Some more on collaboration

So much literature tells us that collaboration is the way to go.  But what if you are not really a people person or into working with others?  There are  experienced teachers who are content with the way they are teaching and don't appreciate a young TL invading their space.  There are first year out teachers who know it all after finishing uni.  We all know people on staff like that.  So how should a TL approach one of these teachers? 

I think first of all you need to consider the culture of collaboration already in the school (if there is one).  See how teachers collaborate within faculties and between faculties (I'm talking secondary schools here),  Join in where you can and observe how the teachers interact with each other.  I think sometimes the TL has to be part psychologist as well.  To get to the hard to reach teachers you must tread softly softly. 

In the past when I was a temporary TL I would be constantly visiting the different faculties first thing in the morning to see what teachers were up to.  ( In the morning they are less likely to be tired or frustrated from teaching).  I would let them know a few ways that I could help them, make their job easier.  Presented like that I found very few teachers knocked back some "help".  When classes came to the library I would make myself useful.  I regularly went throught the teacher's resource section, and left related resources on teacher's desks.  My thoughts are if you present yourself as a friendly, helpful person, the hard-to-reach teacher gradually relaxes in your company and opens up more, making it eaier for you to work together. 

Once you've got a foot in the door and teachers start seeing results, collaboration can go a long way.

How to focus in the age of distraction

I have printed this out and put up next to the computer for ME! I am having so much difficulty focusing at the moment on my D.E. study subjects. I am sure I am Queen of the Procrastinators.

From:http://learningfundamentals.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Focus-mindmap-for-web.jpg
Found via Joyce Valenza on Twitter.

Top Shelf - Librarians In the News

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/top-shelf-20110901-1jmlu.html

So great to see a librarian in the newspaper! This article is about Dr Alex Byrne, new state librarian. An interesting read!

The Information Super Highway

Much has been written about the information super highway.

If I can extend the analogy, teacher librarians are both driving instructors and highway engineers.

From:
http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/rblonline/informationliteracy/infolit.htm

Aha! Moment

Yes I've had my own little aha! moment. The lightbulb is flickering due to our essential reading "Introduction to guided Inquiry - What is it, what's new, why now?" Everything we've looked at so far is connected in this article: the roles of the TL; collaboration; leadership, constructivist learning; information literacy; curriculum; the information process etc. Guided Inquiry connects all this together and in my view should be the main instructional framework for all schools.
What challenges do I foresee in the implementation of such an approach? The main one is probably getting everyone on board - teachers, parents, students, executive. I think it would work best as a whole school approach but if that was not happening you could still make a difference with just a few classes and some teacher support. You are also going to get students who lack motivation, no matter what you throw at them but I think it would be great with the majority of students.

Information Process Models with Potential

So what information process models do I feel have potential for use in my school? I cannot be sure until I actually have the chance to use some because it would really depend on the students and their needs. A few things I am certain of however -

• I do not particularly like the one currently promoted by the DET. I have used that on a short term basis and I think in its current form it's a bit impractical and boring. I think a model needs a catchy name (ie PLUS model or BIG6) and there needs to be some great resources to support it thoughout the whole school.
• Whichever model used needs to include the students' perspectives, acknowledge their feelings and reflection.
• Ideally the model needs to be used throughout the school, in all subjects on a regular basis.
• Research by the TL/teachers is essential to gain knowledge in to how the students are learning and using the model.

Studies on Information Process Models

Part of our essential reading for topic 4 includes two articles about studies on information process models (The Big 6 and PLUS models). When I first started reading I thought why on earth do we need to read about these studies - what valuable information can I get from these readings? It took a bit of thinking but this is what I came up with -

• The studies show there is definite value in using information process models. There is a potential link between information problem-solving models and metacognitive skills (one of the essential skills students must possess in order to be successful in problem-based learning activities).
• Strengthened metacognitive skills can be applied to a variety of learning situations.
• With appropriate support, students can succeed at complex, learner centred, research oriented tasks.
• Using a model can boost students confidence when approaching problem solving tasks.
• Through a collaborative approach this type of metacognitive support can be effectively integrated into the school curriculum.
• Students themselves view scaffolding models as beneficial.
• Learners need to use models many times until it becomes almost second nature and then it should be gradually withdrawn to reduce reliance.
• Models are best used how learners want to use them.
• Models do not need to be used in a linear process.

And most importantly I think the studies show that TLs have much to gain from studying and evaluating how their students use a information process model so that they can understand better how learners learn and how to effectively integrate the information process into the curriculum.

Brief overview of New Curriculum for IL

View more presentations from Jane Secker

What is Information Literacy?

Having read "Progress in developing information literacy in a secondary school using the PLUS model" (Herring and Tarter 2007) I would say my idea of information literacy hasn't really changed but it has expanded. I'm beginning to think that the reason so many people have difficulty defining information literacy is because it's not one tangible thing. I'm beginning to view it as a "continuum", because when you think about it, it starts out as one thing, goes through a gradual transition to a more complex thing. It is a "dangerously ambiguous concept" (Herring and Tarter 2007) because there are so many points on the continuum. In his theories of relativity, Einstein discussed the space-time continuum as a single entity that related space and time in a four-dimensional structure. I know I'm really of the chart here but why can't we think of information literacy as a single entity that relates information and literacy in a four-dimensional structure? Then it can be defined as a habit of mind and a set of skills and behaviours and an attitude, across all disciplines etc. I believe most of the current definitions of information literacy are correct and MAKE SENSE when viewed on the information literacy continuum.

Am I crazy or am I onto something here?

Making it harder than it needs to be...

There's something about information literacy that I don't quite get. Why do some find it so difficult to understand what it is and what it is about? It seems to me that some read more into it than they need to. Maybe I just see things in black and white. My definition of information literacy comes from the words "information", meaning knowledge gained through study, communication, research, instruction, etc, and "literacy", meaning the ability to use language to read, write, listen, and speak at a level that lets one understand and communicate ideas in a literate society, so as to take part in that society. Therefore, "information literacy" is a combination of these definitions - the ability to use language to read, write, listen and speak at a level that lets one understand communicate and used information (knowledge gained) in a literate society, so as to take part in that society.

Pretty simple, really. I don't believe it is something new. It's been around since the dawn of literacy. Langford (1998) states that historically, literacy was interpreted as a basic ability to read, write and comprehend, and as society's needs evolved,literacy became a universal right.

What do people read, write and comprehend? Information, of course! So one might say that literacy has always been connected with information. It was only in the late 20th century that we actually spelled out this connection.

Abilock (2004) sees Information Literacy as sharing a fundamental set of skills with other disciplines. I disagree. I believe it is embedded in all disciplines, in all aspects of society. It does however, involve a fundamental set of core thinking- and problem-solving meta-skills, and as Abilock also states, students develop "habits of mind".

I'm yet to read the Herring article for this section, so we will see how my definition evolves after consideration. I truly believe that by fossicking around, considering different literacies, we are muddying the waters, creating confusion and losing sight of the main idea. Perhaps there are some TLs who want to see information literacy as their special domain, unobtainable by mere mortal teachers. But to get the best situation for the students it has to be the main educational outcome in every school. And perhaps it already is in most schools, it's just not labelled as "Information Literacy".

Information Literacy: A Clarification

After some time away (due to a residential school for another subject) I am finally back into the swing of things, if just a little behind.
I have just read "Information Literacy: A Clarification" by Linda Langford and I must say that this article has really challenged me to consider and reach some sort of understanding of what information literacy is.

Throughout the article I was either saying YES or NO on various definitions/ideas, so I thought I might just list a few so you can get a basic idea on where I'm heading.

• There is a multiplicity of terms that could define "information literacy" - YESIt is defined differently by various schools of thought - YES


• It is a transfiguration - YES (if defined as "the metamorphosis of the old house into something new and exciting"


• An embellished view of the traditional understanding - NO, it incorporates new understanding as well


• A full transformation - Not exactly.


• A new literacy - NO


• A shift in educational thinking has occurred in that literacy is more than the ability to read and to right - YES


• Should be part of the natural discourse of teachers as they design and develop curriculum or discuss pedagogical issues - YES


• The label is fuzzy - NO I think it tells us exactly what it is "information" "literacy"


• Teachers are not clear what it means and how it relates to classroom practice - YES


• The process is unclear - YES


• There is a sense of urgency that essential learning areas include outcomes that ensure all learners become information literate - YES : In the school where I currently teach, literacy and numeracy outcomes must be imbedded in all programs. This is a step in the right direction but is not enough.


• Professionals in the information game must become literate in the field of information - YES! I know many teachers who do not know how to find information other than in a textbook.


• The needs of a society at any time determine how a society interprets a concept - YES


• Literacy is a dynamic concept - "mirrors the expanding information needs of society" - YES


• Kuhlthau (1995) To be literate was not only to recognise when information was required, but involved the ability to construct one's own knowledge through a process - YES


• To code and decode symbols...to translate symbols into meaningful messages - YES! I really like this simple definition. It doesn't explain how but it describes basically what we do with information.


• The concept of info literacy really depends on the information needs of the society of the time - YES


• Policy Directions (1990) defined info literacy as a functional literacy: the ability to read and use written information, to write appropriately in a range a contexts, and to recognise numbers and basic mathematical signs and symbols. YES this definition includes reading, writing, using (understanding) info in a range of contexts. This is how I see info literacy - as a functional literacy - necessary to function in society.


• Literacy is evolving - NO - I think the context in which we use literacy is evolving.


• There is a continuum of skills associated with literacy - YES


• Literacy itself is taking on different forms - transforming from a functional literacy through to a set of literacy - NO I dont agree. I think this is what is confusing people. Go back to the label - "INFORMATION" - this continually changes in how it is presented - "LITERACY" - making sense of this information - evolving rather than changing.


• Defining and redefining of concept could result in confusion and frustration - YES it is already!


• We are being bombarded by other concepts of literacy - YES


• Literacy is an act of semiosis - every act that records symbols of human communication outside the human body is a type of literacy and every act of communication evolves around the encoding and decoding of information - Not quite


• Literacy is fuelled by information and hence all literacy is information literacy - YES to a point


• Australian definition of literacy: to be able to function well in society which entails the ability to read, used numbers and to find information and use it appropriately. YES - this is simple and easy to understand.


• The concept of information literacy is relatively new - I think the LABEL is new, but the concept is not. I think info literacy is an evolution of the concept of literacy, the inclusion of information used to emphasise "meaning" and "understanding".


• Information literacy - a philosophy (COULD BE), a phenomenom (DEFINITELY NOT), a mere frolic with semantics. (NO WAY!)


• There is considerable support for viewing literacy as a continuously evolving concept allowing for a more liberal understanding and hence development of the initial ideal of the universal right to be able to read and write. YES


• How is information literacy defined? In terms of skills (YES), Behaviours/attitudes (YES), learning library/research skills (NO - more than that!), think critically (YES - this is a skill and an attitude), does it relate to an isolated subject (YES it is related to all subjects), an independent notion (NO), an umbrella phrase that has many parts that when meshed into a pedagogical framework, contributes to the holistic development of the individual, ...pathway to function well in society, empowered to learn independently/interdependently (Owen 1996, Kuhlthau 1995) - YES YES YES!


• A new literacy ? NO


• Still the basic literacy mirroring the expanding information needs of society (Brevik 1993) YES!


• Doyle - attributes of a person - NO


• An attainment of skills, that relies on a process. Takes on many approaches depending what part of the curriculum is in focus. YES


• Info literacy concerns itself with the mastery of processes, is a learning tool, and is also something to be learned - YES


• A lifelong goal - YES


• Knowing how to learn - YES


• Understanding of info literacy to be broadened to be inclusive, that is become the key competence for individual and societal development in Australia. YES YES YES


• We need a definition that can be interpreted universally in terms of processes and outcomes - YES


• Is it more appropriate to see this concern as a fundemental issue for all learning communities whereby each facilitator works towards the prime goal - literacy - YES but I would say the prime goal is Information Literacy.


• What needs to occur is a continuous development in educational circles to shape and deeply instil the pedagogy of info literacy as essential for the information society and hence, the learning society - YES


• It is removed from everyday classroom practice - NO not totally but teachers dont really see it as the key outcome


• Time to redefine literacy (and hence info literacy) - NO not redefine it but there is a need to give it extra PR to push it as the main aim for all programs - so it becomes an embedded practice, the natural or basic practice of teachers.