Final Reflective Portfolio

Source: Creative Commons Autumn Drive by David Madden CC BY-ND 2.0

Introduction
The picture above, which I chose for my final reflective portfolio assignment, epitomises the journey that I have undertaken over the last four years. A journey which has challenged me on many different levels; a journey which has enlightened me to the joys and difficulties of becoming a student once more, and a journey which, for all intents and purposes, has underpinned what it means to be a lifelong learner – a cornerstone of 21st century educational philosophy, and one in which a teacher librarian plays an integral role in developing and supporting in education.

This journey has provided me with opportunities to develop and extend my understanding of the information services profession and how it is responding to changes within the educational sector in the 21st century. The ideas, issues and perspectives that I have encountered have shaped my knowledge and provided a platform from which I can now start to contribute to and ensure that the library, information, and learning environment is vibrant and responsive to the needs of all its stakeholders.

In this, my final assignment, I will reflect on each subject that I undertook during my studies, exploring key aspects and share what I have learnt regarding the library’s place within the school and how this has evolved over time, and with it the changing role of the teacher librarian.

ETL401 – Teacher Librarianship
Reading over my initial blog post from What I thought a teacher librarian did (sharon1093, 2011), it is evident that I had a limited understanding of the role of a Teacher Librarian (TL). It was this subject and in particular the readings which I undertook during it that opened my eyes to the many and varied roles that a TL performs. Purcell argues that the TL is not only a Leader, but an Information Specialist, Teacher, Instructional Partner and Program Administrator (Purcell, 2010) and quotes AASL saying that the interconnectedness between the roles requires the support of the others in order to work cohesively together (AASL in Purcell, 2010, p33). My own experiences as a TL support this. However, it was her mention of the TL as an instructional partner that particularly piqued my interest and challenged me to widen my view of the working relationship between the TL and their colleagues.

Having now worked as a TL in three schools since starting my studies, I have found that to successfully collaborate with my colleagues, the development of mutual respect, having a shared vision, excellent communication along with trust is integral; similarly, is the support provided by the Principal, as noted by Haycock (2007). Having been part of a poorly managed library with a leader who was unable to build these vital connections with the staff, the TLs were unable to perform the instructional partner role effectively, and the library’s usefulness suffered in this regard.

Not dissimilarly, at my first school where I worked as a mainstream teacher and as my blog post What I thought a teacher librarian did (sharon1093, 2011) states, I was never encouraged to work with the TLs. This is despite the fact that according to Lance, Rodney and Hamilton-Purcell (2000), collaboration between the TL and the teacher resulted in improvements in student learning by more than 20%. Haycock, 2003; Lance and Loertscher, 2005 and Lonsdale, 2003 (as cited in Haycock, 2007) state that successful collaboration between a teacher and the TL positively affects student achievement. Yet it is Haycock’s assertion (2007) that TLs who are highly skilled collaborators tend to collaborate more and that has been a driving force for me to develop these skills, so that I am able to improve the learning outcomes for all students through effective and proactive collaboration.

In my blog post Varied Roles of the Teacher Librarian (sharon1093, 2011), I comment on the quote by ASLA (2001) that TLs are expected to work with school principals to ensure that information literacy (IL) outcomes are a major school focus. Taking into consideration that the Standards of Professional Excellence for Teacher Librarians states that excellent teacher librarians are well-informed about information literacy and practice and that IL is “an essential instrument for effective participation in society” (ALIA, 2006), I make it a point to work collaboratively with my colleagues in their classrooms and embed the teaching of IL within the units of work that they students are undertaking. This ensures that students are able to make authentic connections to their own learning and develop an understanding of the relationship between information literacy, digital citizenship and the ethical and legal use of resources.

Source: Creative Commons tlsteach2 by Joyce Valenza CC BY-NC-2.0

By critically comparing two IL Models, Kuhlthau’s ISP Model (2012) and Herring’s PLUS Model (2002), I not only had a platform from which to approach the promotion and implementation of IL skills teaching into the curriculum but also a clearer idea of the metacognitive value of each of the tool in helping students through the various stages of the information process. I found that there are a range of IL models and because students have different learning styles, this has helped me to keep an open mind regarding which model to use (Teaching and Learning ‘How to Learn’, sharon1093 2012).

My use of Kuhlthau’s Guided Inquriy Process (2012) in the library’s International Baccalaureate Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay support classes helped me assist and support in scaffolding students’ learning and in developing a greater understanding of the research process in students.

In Teacher Librarian as Information Specialist (sharon1093, 2011), I speculated on where TLs would learn these 21st century skills that they need to know to keep up with the changes in the technologies that will underpin how students learn in the future. Although I wrote this in December 2011, I still have the same concerns. This is why I know that I need to be a proactive practitioner in all things digital so that I am able to support my colleagues and students appropriately. Re-reading the article by Susie Boss and Jane Krauss ‘Reinventing Project-Based Learning (2007) made me smile as I reflected on one of the first projects that I undertook as a TL with a class of primary aged children, a project which was extremely popular but required me to up-skill in order to conduct the project successfully.

ETL503 – Resourcing the Curriculum
I enjoyed this topic immensely as I liked understanding, as I wrote in my blog post Collection Management – What I’ve Learnt (sharon1093, 2012), the mechanics behind the decisions that the library takes in resourcing the curriculum. In light of the ubiquitous nature of technology and the impact that it has on libraries, clearly, policies need to be regularly updated to reflect these changes. I have found that through my studies and professional practice, having a policy enables decisions to be made that are consistent and reflective of the wider school’s mission and goals and ensures that student’s information needs are being catered for appropriately. I certainly benefitted greatly from re-writing my school’s collection management policy, and having models such as Kennedy’s (2006), ALIA’s (2007) and the Great Lakes Library Service’s (2006) to guide me, ensured that I was able to develop a policy which was suitable to the specific school context.

Copyright was definitely something that I was aware of. In each school that I worked at, every time I went to the photocopier there were posters warning staff and students about the rules and for each print job that I lodged, I was required to fill out a form with a section on copyright. Yet, although I had heard of the Smartcopying website, I hadn’t visited it before and in undertaking this subject, I found it to be an invaluable website, which I have since used regularly in my library classes.

In Collection Management – Selection (sharon1093, 2012), I queried how some subject areas could be resourced appropriately and envisioned digital resources filling the gap. This early belief has been both challenged and affirmed to a degree by my TL experience. I have found that as a TL, on the whole, thinking outside of the box is an essential skill in locating suitable resources, as is collaboration with colleagues and utilisation of both general and specific selection criteria to ensure the appropriate selection of digital resources. I’ve noticed that colleagues are genuinely pleased to be consulted and asked their opinion, and in my experience, it lays the foundation for an ongoing successful working relationship.

In the Acquisitions and Licensing post (sharon1093, 2012), I touched on the article by Carolyn Morris and Lisa Sibert Acquiring E-books and noted that I felt daunted by the potential issues that would confront me in this area. They state “purchasing e-books is a complex endeavour” (2010, pp.123) but provided comprehensive suggestions and advice on the models, methods and routes available. I have and continue to use this as a resource to underpin my approach towards the acquisition of e-books.

In my last role as a TL in a Primary School Library, I was tasked with the evaluation (sharon1093, 2012) and deselection (sharon1093, 2012) of the library’s resources. It had not been undertaken for over five years. I referred to Kennedy’s (2006) book on Collection Management, which assisted me in this task. I realised in doing this that for the library to meet the needs of its stakeholders, this process needs to be undertaken regularly, following the policies and procedures as laid out in the collection management policy. I found that having a policy to refer to assisted in dealing with potential fallout regarding deselection of resources. At the end of the day, a library collection is fluid and the space constrained so for every book that comes in, one must eventually go.

ETL501 – Information Environment
How things have changed since I undertook this unit on the Information Environment. I have gone from someone who admittedly taught off the cuff (sharon1093, 2012) and didn’t refer to Bloom’s Taxonomy to now talking about it with students and carefully considering the content of each library and collaboratively taught lesson that I am involved in. In the beginning, a number of questions were posed about library reference material, Wikipedia and print based dictionaries. My answers then are the same as now, but, it was the comment made by Lee Anne Marsh (2012) which I posted at the bottom of my blog post (sharon1093, 2012) which summarised it best.

I enjoyed learning about the various website evaluation criteria, from Shrock’s 5 Ws (2009b) to Herring’s (2011) three criteria, so much so, that I when I got my first job, I wanted to create something catchy by utilising ideas garnered from other library professionals and researchers; something that students could use and easily remember. Interestingly, Kirrilly Lorenzutta (2012), a student from my class queried whether “a clear shorter list that is more likely to be used by staff and particularly students” would be better. I thought so and subsequently came up with my own, ORCA (Objective, Relevant, Current, Authority, Accuracy). I designed a bookmark with the picture of a killer whale on it and the acronym ORCA on the side with the explanation of each letter next to it. The feedback from students and staff has been great.

I’ve always considered myself quite IT savvy so was taken aback when learning about search strategies and search engines (sharon1093, 2012) – in particular, just how many were out there. What I recognised then as being a potential impediment to using different search engines for different purposes is, unfortunately, no different to now – that is, having the time. I wish it weren’t the case but in a busy day in the library, it is often too easy to go directly to Google. Nonetheless, this was a stimulating topic to delve into and opened my eyes to the possibilities.

In Web 2.0 (sharon1093, 2012) and Students and the Web (sharon1093, 2012), I reflected on the positives and negatives of the digital era in which students reside and the challenges faced by teacher librarians in ensuring that those students are best equipped to cope with these challenges in an appropriate manner. Carefully thinking about these issues has enabled me to plan and deliver library programs which support students to learn and develop the necessary skills and attributes. As a TL, I have delivered sequential sessions on information and digital literacy whilst continuing to develop my own Web 2.0 skills base. I’ve learnt through my studies and my professional practice that by modelling effective use of the World Wide Web, is key to developing appropriate practice in my students.

In TL Collaborators (sharon1093, 2012), I was asked to reflect on the use and practicality of learning websites. At that stage, I didn’t know that much about them. Now, in my current library, I am in charge of creating LibGuides to support the staff and students in the deliverance of the curriculum. Re-reading my answers to a number of the questions posed on the forum was illuminating in that what I thought at the time would appeal, be important, and reinforce and underpin learning has, in the main, stayed the same. In my current professional practice, staff consistently give positive feedback regarding each LibGuide’s usefulness. This has resulted in often being asked to create more on other subject topics that they are studying.

ETL504 – Teacher Librarian as Leader
Admittedly, although I enjoyed creating the concept map on Effective Leadership, I wasn’t sure how being a Leader pertained to me as a TL. Having worked in schools in that capacity, I believed that that role fell to the Head of Library. This is because, despite the fact that having read Purcell’s (2010) description of the roles which comprise teacher librarianship, I still felt that they were two distinct jobs. It wasn’t until my most recent role, as the TL running a library, that ASLA’s statement on Leadership in 3.3 of the Standards of Professional Excellence for Teacher Librarians really hit home. I found myself being involved in committees, engaging with the senior school leadership team, and managing the volunteers, library technicians and other support staff – everything that ASLA describes an excellent teacher librarian as doing.

Reflecting on my blog posts during this subject, I believe that I had a clear grasp of what Leadership involved, for one, being collaborative (sharon1093, 2013). I felt that there were specific and key elements which entailed transformative leadership, namely being transparent, open, trustworthy, honest, able to undertake managed risk-taking, keeping in mind the importance of teamwork, having a shared-sense of purpose, being innovative, focused and disciplined. Most importantly though, I learnt that it is about listening, which according to Minute MBA (2012) is 40% of Leadership.

Simon Sinek (2009) sums up how great leaders inspire action beautifully stating “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” in his TED talk. Similarly, I want to develop my ability to articulate the why and not the what, so that I can also inspire action.

Undertaking readings on developing a strategic plan by Tracey Wong (2012) and others, I learnt the difference between a vision statement, which CSU describes as being future-focused and a mission statement, which describes the library’s purpose and current principles, and I was able to cement my understanding of how to ensure buy-in by stakeholders (sharon1093, 2013). This, together with Kotter’s 8-Step Process for Leading Change (1995), ensured that I was able to implement a number of changes within the library effectively and collaboratively and that were embraced enthusiastically.

As I approached the end of this subject, the enormity of the role (sharon1093, 2013) become apparent. I wrote of my concerns as to whether I would be a good enough communicator to be successful as a TL in my blog post Communication and Building Effective Working Relationships (sharon1093, 2013). It is something that I will need to continue to work at in order to develop those skills needed to be an effective advocate for the library and to be the daring librarian that I want to be.

Source: Creative Commons The Daring Librarian Mission By The Daring Librarian CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

ETL523 – Digital Citizenship in Schools
This subject proved to be one of the most interesting but also one of the ones that I grappled with the hardest. I’m a private person and the idea of ‘putting myself out there’ (sharon1093, 2014) in the digital world has never appealed to me. That said, I have, through this subject, come to understand the benefits of creating a positive online presence, and as Richards (2010) says, preparing “students with the technological and communicative skills necessary to engage civic responsibility in a digital age”. However, I don’t believe that the development of character education (Oher, 2012) is really any different to the common sense (sharon1093, 2014) that students develop in their everyday lives. It’s just a matter of applying it to the online environment. In some ways, my thinking in this regard, has not changed.

Yet, reflecting on my blog post and as I delved deeper into the subject, the enormity of what digital citizenship encompasses became clear. I found that to ensure that students are able to operate in a safe, ethical, and responsible manner (sharon1093, 2014) whilst online, integrating digital citizenship teaching as part of the curriculum across all year levels (Ribble, 2010) is beneficial. Hollandsworth, Dowdy and Donovan’s (2011) suggested initiatives certainly inspired me to carefully consider how I would address digital citizenship at my school.

As part of my professional practice, I developed a digital citizenship program which included a timeline for a whole school roll out and which encompassed Professional Development for staff. In the future, I would like to broaden this to encompass a digital learning environment (sharon1093, 2014) for students and staff. Reflecting on my blog post – Module 5 (sharon1093, 2014), I wrote “students are going to learn about what it means to connect, collaborate and create in digital environments by actively engaging in authentic situations that utilise technology.” As a TL, I ensure that this is at the core of what I do every day.

This subject has taught me a lot about what it means to be a digital citizen but as I mentioned in Module 6 (sharon1093, 2014), having reflected on my ETL523 journey, without willingness, willingness to change and willingness to do what is right, it can be a challenge. It is about learning to make decisions judiciously and rationally (sharon1093, 2014) – a challenge that as a TL, I embrace.

ETL505 – Describing Educational Resources
This subject was a fitting end to my formal studies. Cataloguing and the importance of adhering to standards is critical to ensuring that resources are easily located (sharon1093, 2014) in the library. Though as Hider (2012) points out the new standard for cataloguing, RDA, may not materialise because of “practical and economic constraints” (p.122). It’s a pity considering that Hider (2012) believes it to be more conducive to cataloguing online resources that AACR2. Overall though, this subject provided me with a grounded understanding and the beginnings of a specialised knowledge of RDA and the intricacies, challenges and opportunities to enhance the library information services for all stakeholders. I was fortunate to use RDA in my first job as a TL and the study which I undertook during this subject assisted me immensely.

Conclusion

As I approach the submission of this, my final assignment, I realise that my academic journey is coming to an end. It is exciting time to work in the teacher librarianship profession. With the huge impact of 21st century learning pedagogies, the ubiquitous nature of digital technologies and, of course, the internet, the role of the teacher librarian to provide transformational leadership is more critical than ever. I look forward to implementing what I have learnt during my studies to better the educational outcomes of students and to continue my own educational journey.

Source: Mackenzie (2010)

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ETL505 – Critical Reflection

I have found this subject to be very challenging. Most of all, it is because it has occurred at a time when numerous changes to cataloguing is impacting on what, how and why we catalogue. I believe that the act of cataloguing and understanding why it is important in the field of library science versus using a catalogue to find a resource is very much like being a user of Google versus understanding the mechanics behind bringing it to life. That is to say, on a day to day basis I don’t think too deeply about the back end processes, as long as I get the desired result. It is this desired result that is pivotal in efficient and effective cataloguing that ensures students in school libraries can find what they are looking for.

During the course of studying this subject, Describing and analysing education resources, I have discovered a number of key issues and one of them is definitely consistency. By that I mean things such as the standardization of vocabulary, use of subject headings and assignation of classification numbers etcetera, from both a local school perspective right through to providers of such data for example SCIS and OCLC. Consistency in these areas is integral to improving retrieval results. However, as I have found in undertaking this subject, the subject of a resource is not always clear nor easily obtainable and what’s more it can be subjective, despite all of the tools and guidance provided to limit or even prevent this. Other issues are ones such as coverage of the material. In SCIS, there are limitations on the extent of subject headings which can be used. Unfortunately, not all resources are on only one subject area which can pose problems on what to add or not to add whilst duly keeping in mind the needs of the user.

Also, despite how careful cataloguers are mistakes do occur, particularly when it comes to assignation of DDC numbers. Subject heading specificity and co-extensiveness are important considerations because they provide the catalogue user with the confidence that the resource in question comprehensively addresses the topics represented in the subject headings. However, Hider (2012) says that even with specificity, there are potential problems such as a lack of vocabulary specific enough to cater for the subject of the resource in question and even interpretations of subjects which are overly specific and which could be misconstrued at the cataloguing level.

Transitioning, a word I have chosen to use here, is another area which is beginning to affect libraries around not only Australia but the world. Yet if the future description and organisation of materials is to satisfy the ubiquitous nature of the internet and the changing nature of libraries it is inevitable. As libraries gradually transition from using AACR2 to RDA, which as Hider (2012) points out is more conducive to use with online resources, monetary and time considerations become blaringly obvious. Budget cuts to education continue to be an area of concern for educators and can often place pressure on schools to rethink how education funds are to be used. Libraries are often in the target line for streamlining, potentially placing barriers on implementation of this cataloguing standard, which to all intents and purposes is the next generation of user and online environment-friendly code. Hider (2012) recognises this, stating that RDA enabled record creation may not materialise because of practical and economic constraints (p.122).

I definitely believe that the future of resource description and organisation lies with collaboration. What approach that will take, well that is the question. Hider (2012) mentions one possibility, that of social metadata. Right now, the potential issues with this, some which I mentioned above, seem a little insurmountable but the internet has broken down barriers and has provided opportunities for co-creating, contributing and collaborating in ways that could only have been dreamt about in years gone by. Who knows what the online environment will be in 5-10 years and what impact that will have on library cataloguing or even what future libraries will look like.

Bibliography
Hider, p. (2012). Information Resource Description: Creating and Managing Metadata. Facet Publishing.

ETL523 Assignment 3 Blog Post

This is a reflection of my travels through ETL523. It is pertinent to firstly state what I thought this subject would be about versus what, for me, it has been about. Two years ago, a now retired Masters of Teacher Librarian Lecturer from CSU, when asked by me what would be the best elective to do in this era of 21st century learning, said “the one on Digital Citizenship/Learning”, so of course I thought you beauty, ‘IT’, I’m going to nail this one. I love IT; I love computers; I love the internet. Yes, well, reflection is a funny thing as is personal experience and how it can help one embrace, or tarnish one’s view of, digital learning environments (DLEs) and citizenship (DC).

Not long after I started the course the term ‘Personal Learning Network’ (PLN) was introduced. Now, I am a fairly private and cautious person so the idea of creating a PLN and through that a digital footprint that could potentially be used in the future in an either negative or positive way didn’t sit well with me. Yet, at the same time, I admit that I was excited to learn about DLEs and their potential for educating students. Understanding the fusion between the digital resources and tools available and the DC knowledge and skills needed to operate responsibly and safely in online environments has helped me enormously. It means that I feel confident in being able to use this knowledge for my own personal gain as well as my students’.

I understand that a digital footprint has the potential to be beneficial, and as Vicki Davis and Julie Lindsay (2010, p.15) argue, gives students a ‘digital academic legacy’ that they can take with them after they graduate school. As an educator and a teacher librarian, and on behalf of the students at my school, I need to start driving this agenda through use of evidence based practice and research.

I’ve learnt that digital learning is more than just ‘getting online’ it’s about utilising the resources out there (software, databases, social media and people) to further one’s understanding. I’ve learnt what it means to curate resources, a word that I never associated with myself as a student but funnily enough with librarians. But here I am, a curator of my own digital resources. And, I have learnt what it means to operate in these DLEs in a safe, ethical and responsible manner. Most importantly, as a Teacher Librarian student and as a working Teacher Librarian, I am empowered by what I have learnt and by my ability to engage staff in conversations about the educational potential of DLEs and DC. I feel confident in addressing students and parents about the power and potential pitfalls that accompany working within DLEs and the issues associated with either embracing or ignoring digital citizenship concepts. I can now talk about what a DLE is and what DC looks like. I can provide assistance, lead discussions, initiative programs, conduct classes, collaborate with staff, in matters pertaining to DLEs and DC.

My knowledge has developed and now extends from not just understanding issues of plagiarism that face both students and staff members, but also the ability to use creative commons as a method to teach students about respecting one another’s ideas and creations, and the use of social media to develop one’s PLN in order to learn from the greats in our society. Cyber safety, IT pedagogy, potential impediments and also supports for DLEs and DC programs, policies and procedures and how to go about addressing each one of these through the use of research and experience from around the world – my understanding has widened and deepened and enables me to speak with authority on a subject of profound importance in students learning lives in the 21st century.

So, has anything changed for me, personally? Well, yes, I can say it has. This course has helped me develop a degree of open mindedness toward development of my own PLN and has certainly opened my eyes to the opportunities out there for both myself and the students in my care. It has challenged me to view DLEs and DC in a manner that is more than just about ‘protecting’ myself online by ‘hiding’. And now, instead of saying proudly that ‘I don’t have this’ and ‘I would never sign up for that’, I make decisions judiciously and rationally taking into consideration everything that I have learnt.

Bibliography
Davis, V. & Lindsay, J. (2010). Navigate the Digital Rapids. Learning & Leading with Technology, 37(6), 12-15.

ETL523 – Module 6

As I near the end of this subject, ETL523, it is a good time to reflect on what I have learnt about digital citizenship, digital learning environments and leadership.

As someone new to this field, work-wise, I have absolutely loved doing this particular unit at the same time. In a way it has been a bit of a baptism of fire for me because my current school is renewing / creating a number of new policies aimed at supporting digital citizenship so the fact that I have been able to view these, and offer my opinion on them (to a small degree) has been great. I have been able to put on my ETL523 glasses when looking at the policies and raise what I now know to be some really important issues that the school should consider in the ‘revamp’. This subject has certainly given me the tools and understandings to contribute meaningful to these discussions.

Currently, we have a Acceptable Use Policy and a draft Social Media Policy. Things such as cyber bullying etc., are built into the mainstream school policies. There isn’t much on creative commons and the like but we do have statements on referencing and plagiarism. Some really good tools like google docs etc., are currently not allowed to be used at our school, which I would hope would change in the near future as having used it for a collaborate assignment in this course, I found it a very useful tool.

I find that the issues and concerns that all schools and educators have for the students and staff in our care are the same. Why wouldn’t they be? Anyone who has access to online environment and the tools and resources available will make the same types of mistakes. The difference will be in that character education building that goes on in schools to teach students appropriate behaviour. But I do believe though that character education and holistic digital citizenship programs only go so far in developing the right, and or changing the mindset of students and staff who have been doing the wrong thing (whether that be illegally downloading things or using resources created by others without proper attribution). What is missing from this equation is ‘willingness’. How do you ensure that people have this ‘willingness’ to change. I’ve read lots on having the knowledge but not much on having the willingness. I know of students and staff who are very aware of appropriate digital environment behaviours who readily admit to me that they purposefully ignore them. So, again – how do we create this willingness in others to ‘do what is right’.

•What are 5 key points you could share with your school community regarding the development of a policy for your school with regard to either (a) wireless networking and student laptops; (b) use of Web 2.0 tools and spaces (for students or teachers; for curriculum use or personal use); or (c) use of mobile devices for educational or personal use in your school?

Well, I will go with (c) since I don’t have a mobile phone. 5 key points would be:

(1) Mobile Phones should be switched off during classes unless a specific class has a lesson organised that justifies its use. (2) The school doesn’t take responsibility for lost, stolen or damaged mobile phones. (3) Students with mobile phones are requested to have strong passwords activated to prevent their data from being stolen or accessed.
(4) Students may not use their mobile phone to gain any type of advantage during assessments or examinations. (5) Students using their mobile phone to intimidate, bully, extort or undertake any other behaviour, criminal in nature, will face consequences possibly involving the police.

•What is the process in your learning environment for creating and/or updating policies and guidelines? What is the timeline? How positive are the community to supporting change and new developments for the DLE?
Oh, it goes through a number of senior staff for checking and approval. I think that the timeline can vary significantly depending on a number of internal and external factors and there is not one answer to this question. I think community support again depends on what part of the community. Some people can and are very open minded toward changes and others not so much. I mean we are dealing with humans here of course there will be agreement and disagreement. It’s the nature of the world.

•What is your understanding of the role of a leading teacher?
A leading teacher is a teacher with significant experience both within the workplace and also through ongoing further education who is able to lead a department forward in (1) underpinning a school’s mission and vision and (2) address new initiatives and research into education that leads to improved scholastic results – IMHO.

Does the definition of ‘teacherpreneur’ resonate with the needs of school transformation and connected learning, including policy making?

Possibly. But, I am not a big fan of creating concoctions of old terminology blended into one. Why not just ‘Head of IT Pedagogy’ for a leader and or just teacher? Why make something convoluted when there are plenty of usable, recognizable and most importantly understandable terms already out there..? If I said teacherpreneur to someone, hands down they would say ‘what’?

•Do you consider it professional responsibility for all teachers to become teacherpreneurs in some form? Or is this something only a few teachers will understand and bother to adopt? Why?

I believe all teachers need to be constantly up-skilling, attending professional developments and being open to change within education. So yes, I do believe it is our professional responsibility. I think most teachers will understand the need to adopt connected learning but will everyone want to adopt it straight away – probably not. Like any profession and any person, we are all different, have different ideas, personalities and approaches and teachers are no different. There will be some no matter what age who will want to jump on the bandwagon and there will be others who like the status quo. I don’t think that educators should be singled out for this. I know many people in many fields of work who may or may not be willing to adopt new approaches to their fields.

ETL523 Module 5

This module is on leadership. I probably find this tricky as I know that at my current school trying to get things changed can be challenging. In fact, my experience in all of the schools that I have worked in and will work in, implementing change is going to be challenging. My own personal experience is that people on the whole resist change and probably feel pretty comfortable with the status quo – I know I do!

Anyway, my school has a leader of digital learner but there is no job description so it is very hard to say what exactly should be added to it to support the need for information leadership in regards to digital citizenship.
I would hope that any job description would take into consideration the experience of the person that holds that role and I would hope that school staff would trust this person to lead change that would empower the right kinds of skills that we want to see in our students in the 21st century.

I believe that the learning objectives and outcomes of moving a school towards more interactive and globally responsive types of learning activities would be for students to learn to be responsible, ethical and safe whilst ‘online’ and learning to interact with people from around the globe with respect.

A question was posed in the forum – ‘Why is it important to move away from a static approach to teaching and learning about digital citizenship?’

My thoughts are: Oh, I think that that is common sense really. A young person isn’t going to learn how to drive from watching a video are they? They are going to learn by getting behind a wheel of an actual car and practising what they have been learning in real situations. Similarly students are going to learn about what it means to connect, collaborate and create in digital environments by actively engaging in authentic situations that utilise technology.

•What is the difference between integrating digital citizenship into the curriculum and implementing a digital citizenship program?
Wow, what a great question. I would say that apart from the former being a natural extension of the curriculum a digital citizenship program may be viewed as an explicit attempt at ‘educating students’. I would think that something which is seamlessly integrated across year levels and classes, something that is utilised and supported by everyone – students and staff and when all stakeholders have legitimate input into it, digital citizenship which is embedded throughout the school structure would be more likely to have success.

•Can you share any other ideas or examples for implementing a digital citizenship program through a more holistic or learner-centred approach?
I believe that creating opportunities for students to engage in authentic learning activities directly tied into the curriculum but which extend beyond the four walls and challenge students to confront issues of digital citizenship would be the most holistic approach currently being undertaken. For example: a Skype interviews or creation of a google doc with a number of schools across the globe that are all studying aspects of environment impact of climate change and encouragement of discussions which could be had on changes that humans could make to limit or decrease our impact on said problem.

The opportunity to lead any educational institution forward in teaching our students digital citizenship skills, habits and attitudes holistically requires opportunities for students to engage in digital learning environments and requires all stakeholders at school to be open minded to the opportunities. At my school, I can see that this is a challenge. It is not easy changing people’s mindsets when it comes to social medial and the potential for learning as well as the potential pitfalls that accompany it.

ETL523 – Module 4

In module 4, I learnt about policy creation. I found this very interesting. There are so many different names to explain what is essentially the same thing, basically policies and guidelines for student and staff use of information technologies at school. Interestingly, no matter what country you go to, well with some exceptions, they all basically cover similar things. Some have different policies for social media, mobile phone, cyber bullying etc and others combine all of those into one. I must say that I agree with many people in the know on this topic of the importance of getting everybody involved in the process and that everybody’s voice should be valued in the creation of policies. That if students do not have an opportunity to contribute to something that they are expected to follow then what incentive do they have to follow it at all. At the end of the day it is for their learning and protection whilst online so their voice is particularly relevant in its development.

One of the questions posed in the forum was ‘how do you foster a globally sensitive personal brand’ well, I will refer to Oher (2012) here and state that ‘character education’ or in my own words ‘common sense’ taught by families and reinforced at school – that is what underpins a person’s ability to foster a globally sensitive personal brand. This, in my opinion, is not some form of new learning it is about applying what we know is just good manners and common sense to the online environment. I do not believe that it is such a stretch to say how you treat others in your daily life (face to face) is exactly how you should go about treating people online – with respect, patience, kindness, understanding whilst being helpful, giving, forgiving etc.

In regards to supporting global awareness in digital citizenship, well that of course is like everything in life, it comes with practice. So how do you practise this is the question. By taking part in ‘flat classroom’ projects like Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis (2012) run, students from around the world come together, connect, collaborate and create. In learning to work with people from around the world, though mistakes will inevitably happen, students will learn to develop their global awareness.

One of the questions posed in this module was ‘What is your position on the use of social media for learning locally as well as globally?’

To be honest, up until now, I didn’t really think about it. It makes sense to me and I really don’t see a big difference between that and going on exchange overseas. I think sometimes, people make a really big deal about this when in my opinion it isn’t much different to what has been happening for ages but just in different formats. I mean, if you travelled overseas as a school group, there is still the potential for harm, and there are pitfalls – plenty to be had. Teachers have to write very detailed risk registers prior to trips and we have insurance (kind of like Acceptable Use Policies, in a way) but things will happen, incidents, both good and bad. So personally, I think utilising social media for learning is just a new way of undertaking learning that we have done for decades with the same types of issues. We need to ensure that the students in our care can learn safely, participate ethically and responsibly in the activities organised by the teacher…no?

Bibliography
Ohler, J. (2012). Digital citizenship means character education for the digital age. Education Digest, 77(8), 14-17.
Lindsay, J., & Davis, V. (2012). Flattening classrooms, engaging minds: Move to global collaboration one step at a time. New York: Allyn and Bacon. Chapter 5: Citizenship.

ETL523 – Module 3

I am learning about digital learning environments and I suppose what has really stuck with me has been the idea of creating spaces. Spaces that cater to different students, their needs, ages, year levels, and curriculum being studied. It really has been an eye opener for me to consider a digital learning environment (DLE) like any other learning environment. I really don’t know why. In many ways, it is logical is it not? But, to think that within the DLE that I will create I should incorporate a space for students to discuss things, so maybe a ‘discussion page’ or a place for students to have a voice so a ‘blog’ or a private space for student to engage on one-on-one chatting, so a ‘chat feature’ or a ‘room’ where they can go to talk in depth about an issue that they are focussing on in English and the like. Yes, a DLE and the preparation in the design of it is indeed a very interesting area and something that requires a lot of thought to make it a place that students will use, appreciate, benefit from and want to return to.

The other thing that I have found interesting in moving to a new school has been the viewpoints of DLEs and their potential and how an individual’s / groups opinions of a DLE can positively or adversely affect its implementation. It is quite ironic that we work in an every changing educational environment, many times chasing the latest theory or initiative so as to be seen to be embracing 21st century learning yet when it comes to manipulating, totally changing, removing or adding to our framework of understanding as it pertains to technology and its use in schools, many of us cling to old notions that are not reflective of the students we teach, thinking that ‘we know better’.

Do we?

ETL523 – Module 2 – Issues in Digital Citizenship

I really enjoyed this unit.  Basically because I never really though too much about the less obvious issues like the digital divide.  It was interesting and at the same time a little sad reading about the inadequacies that many students face when it comes to technology access.  It is also good time to write this post as NBN Co is about to switch off a number of towns from the Telstra copper network (The Sydney Morning Herald, Feb 25, 2014) wire which will mean no more landline phone.  Apparently the people most affected will be the elderly.  Well, to extrapolate that to students who do not have access to 1-1 technology, BYOT or BYOD, good wireless infrastructure, the tools and resources which go hand in hand with it or even the policies and staffing to underpin its effective integration and use is a huge issue, creating what is called the digital divide where we have the ‘haves and have nots’.

We see this in Australia where there is such a huge disparity in the type of access that people have to the internet.  Some on dial up, some on ADSL, some on cable and others on fibre, which must result in noticeable differences in speed.

The other issue is digital and information literacy (and skills); though a big mountain to climb for educators to ensure that students are ready to operate in digital learning environments in a safe, ethical and responsible manner, at least this can be taught, practised, emphasised within the school and hopefully reiterated and supported in the home environment and vice versa.    Similarly, an understanding, appreciation and respect for intellectual property and copyright, can also be taught and reinforced at school with instruction embedded into authentic learning activities and not as an add-on.  These, though pertinent issues which need to be addressed, can be managed and addressed at a school level.  Infrastructure is a lot harder, especially when it depends on what is coming into the school, of which we have no control over.

I am really excited to start teaching students about these areas as a TL and to be involved in the creation of policies and practices which will underpin and support this learning.

References:

The Sydney Morning Herald.  (Feb 25, 2014). Residents unaware copper switch-off will affect telephone service.  Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government-it/residents-unaware-copper-switchoff-will-affect-telephone-service-20140225-hvdmm.html

ETL523 – Module 1

Well, my first post for ETL523 – Digital Citizenship.  It has unfortunately coincided with my move interstate and the start of a new job.  I certainly am feeling a little overwhelmed but as is required of a TL – adaptability in the 21st century, I will cope.

So, what is Digital Citizenship.  Jeepers where to start and where to finish.  Basically, I think it is about using technology, the internet, social media in an ethical, safe and responsible manner.  And everything that encompasses.  I love technology and I love learning new things.  I am not afraid to play with tools and figure out how things work and will jump right in but there is absolutely no doubt that ‘being myself’ online has never interested me.  In fact I have purposefully avoided it.  Facebook? No.  Social Media like twitter, pinterest, blogs (apart from this one of course), diigo, evernote, delicious, storify, scoop it, RSS feeds and various google apps, No.  You may be wondering why.  Well, I will keep that reason to myself but I just like the idea of being anonymous.

Until of course I arrived at ETL523.  All of a sudden, I read things that started telling me it’s actually a good thing to have an ‘online profile’ and ‘to put myself out there’ and ‘to create a positive online image’.  Yeah, I can’t say I am totally sold on it yet but I have created a twitter account and have even joined a few different blogs, scoop it and delicious.  I have a google profile now but funnily enough when I sent an ‘invite’ to a friend she turned me down 😦

It is kind of ironic that I am okay with using technology but at the same time shy away from those activities, blogging, tweeting, socialising that comprise part of that.  Oh well.  I am starting to learn through this subject that it is okay to be ‘online’ but at the same time I can still protect my identity.  That has opened my mind a little more to the possibilities.

I still don’t have facebook though!

ETL504 Final Blog Post – Critical Reflection

My initial understanding of leadership and in particular, teacher librarian as leader in coming into this unit, was based on what I had learnt from ETL401.  A teacher librarian is a leader, instructional partner, information specialist, teacher, and program administrator (Purcell, 2010).  It was based on an understanding of the role and responsibilities, and the specifics of the job.  Then, in ETL504 I learnt the various types of leadership theories – transactional, transformational, situational, shared etc., and the skills, knowledge, attitudes and attributes linked to each one.  In short, you could say that my understanding moved from a narrow view to much wider conceptual understanding of leadership as a whole.

In my first post in ETL504, Teacher Librarian as Leader (sharon1093, 2013), I referred to advocacy as being more than communicating what it is that the library does but focussing on the actions and that by doing so the impact of the library’s interventions and contributions become recognised, understood, appreciated and supported by the wider school community.  I am pleased to say that on reflection, I still believe this to be an accurate view of what advocacy within the library entails as its end goal is the improvement in students’ educational outcomes.  Interestingly, Coombes (2009) argues that decisions based on educational outcomes and couched in discussions to staff in an educational context garners respect, influence and credibility.  However, if I were to be honest, I wasn’t really clear on what ‘walking the walk’ – advocating for the library, actually meant.  How do I walk the walk and what are the actions that impact on the library’s contribution?  I now understand that through the implementation of innovative library programs and initiatives (Advocacy, n.d.) TLs are in fact advocating, that is the walking the walk.

I have come to see that in effectual leadership, leadership theories can converge and the role that the teacher librarian plays in undertaking their day to day jobs and responsibilities determines which theoretical position may be undertaken at the time.  But, it could be argued that in my initial post Teacher Librarian as Leader (sharon1093, 2013) my belief that library leadership is the same as other types of leadership was misguided and posited all leadership styles as identical.  Also, looking back, it appears that my understanding was solely focussed on the individual characteristics of the leader within the various models rather than the much wider focus of not only the leader but also the followers, context and their interactions within the model-driven paradigms (Avolio, Walumbwa, Weber, 2009), which I now understand.

In Communication and Building Effective Working Relationships (sharon1093, 2013), the point that really hit home for me was as a leader the importance of effectual communication.  That everything hinders on my ability to get the message across in a manner that will encourage, in fact ensure buy-in from stakeholders.  Poor communication skills in a leader are like a jigsaw puzzle missing that final piece – the most important piece, and without it the picture is incomplete.  Ironically, in the leadership elements which I noted in my first blog, the ones that were conspicuously missing were ‘effective communication’ and ‘relationship building’ skills.

If communication is one piece of the jigsaw puzzle then the blog post strategic planning (sharon1093, 2013) is one of the first steps that I need to take as a leader. Careful consideration and an in-depth thinking of the foundational structures that underpin the roles and responsibilities of the teacher librarian and which contribute to the library’s place in leading student learning in the 21^st century, is essential.  As is an ability to think not only ‘in the here and now’ but also to have a vision for the future, which I referred to in this post, and to be able to articulate that vision and achieve a shared commitment to that vision.  These are vital components of a dynamic, innovative and passionate leader.

There is no doubt that the role of the Teacher Librarian as Leader is a multi-faceted one (sharon1093 2013), because the TL has the knowledge, skills, attitude and attributes that in combination, not in isolation, epitomise them as the ultimate professional.

References

Avolio, B., & Walumbwa, F., & Weber, T. J. (2009). Leadership: Current theories, research, and future directions. doi: 10.1146/annurev.psych60.110707.163621.

Advocacy: Change: Innovative Practices & Evolving Roles. (n.d.). The School Library Media Specialist. Retrieved from http://eduscapes.com/sms/advocacy/change.html

Coombes, B. (2009). Challenges for teacher librarianship in the 21st century: Part 3 – Status and role.  Retrieved from http://www2.curriculum.edu.au/scis/connections/challenges_for_teacher_librarianship.html

sharon1093. (2013). Teacher librarian as leader. Diligo of Litterae, August 18, 2013.

sharon1093. (2013). Communication and building effective working relationships. Diligo of Litterae, September 14, 2013.

sharon1093. (2013). Strategic planning. Diligo of Litterae, September 21, 2013.

sharon1093. (2013). Teacher librarian – leading the way. Diligo of Litterae, September 14, 2013.

Purcell, M. (2010). All librarians do is check out books, right? A look at the roles of a school

library media specialist. Library Media Connection, 29(3), 30-33. www2.curriculum.edu.au/scis/connections/challenges_for_teacher_librarianship.html