Assignment 2 - started finally

Lots of people have been having lots of questions about Assignment 2. I'll be honest, I haven't done a lot of thinking about it yet - unfortunately other things have had to take priority - i.e. Learnlink. As I am also the IT coordinator, I have had a huge part to play in the transition from EduConnect to Learnlink in our school. After having to manually install IE8 on at least 85 computers with our part time techie (wouldn't install through group policy!) on Wednesday, we transitioned to the new system on Thursday. What this will mean and the troubleshooting it will involve will only begin coming to light on Monday when everyone goes to use it!!! The techie isn't back until Wednesday so you know  who they'll be asking! Fun!!

Anyway, I started to feel worried that I hadn't done much towards my assignment and so I have had a bit of a play in WikiSpaces and Weebly. I must say that, like others, I have found Weebly a little easier to play around with and modify and so I think I'll be going with that one. I have been looking to create it as more of a library online site and so will need to do some more playing to see if I can get it to work and still fulfill the requirements for the assignment. Tomorrow's job after doing last week's and hopefully this week's forum posts.

The information process

Thought I better do a post so I have pasted my activities from the week. I must say the NSW and WA websites that support TLs are great - nice to see TLs being supported in other states! 

Activity 1a: This may or may not be relevant but in SA, Year 7s are still in Primary School. No matter the age, I nearly always get students to brainstorm prior knowledge, ideas/questions for inquiry – individually, in pairs, small groups or as a class. With older classes I often get students to think, pair, share and then record key ideas on post it notes. Then they get into groups of 4 to combine ideas and group them etc. I use post-its because I find kids are more likely to record all their ideas and not feel as worried about spelling as it isn’t in their books. Also, it allows for easy movement and regrouping as they discuss their ideas with others. I generally take a photo of their work that they can put in their books as a record.

In terms of teaching them, early in the year I do a whole class brainstorm – either with post-its or recording ideas on the interactive whiteboard using Easiteach. (I have just been given a new board and now have Notebook but haven’t really played with it yet.) Once we have a whole list of ideas or words, we then go about grouping them – connecting ideas and creating sub-groups with headings. We also end up with lines joining similar or linked concepts.

I know that there are a lot of ways you can do this on computers but with our unreliable and frustrating computer situation at the moment, it is far more time-efficient and productive to either do a class concept map on the interactive whiteboard or use the post-its.

Activity 1b: Creating the questions prior to searching gives students direction in terms of the kinds of information for which they are searching. Experience has shown me that without questions, they just start to record everything. I think the questions or headings are important as they provide the map or directions for the search. Also, I get students to identify key words and then synonyms they are scanning for. Eg. eat, food, diet may be words that you look for to find out about what something eats.

When creating questions, I always involve students, no matter the age. Even JP kids have ideas about what they would like to find out about a topic. I then use their language and ideas within the questions that are required. Sneaky but it helps students to feel they have some say and control over what they are learning.

One way I try to teach students to create good questions is through discussing and modelling fat and skinny questions. I also limit the number of questions and so they need to gather as much relevant information as possible from each question. I also focus on the question words Who, What, When, Where, Why and How and also often start with the phrase I wonder . . .  This seems to help students to create questions rather than statements. We also do a lot of sharing and one group of Year 7s this year are really beginning to give advice to and support each other.

Activity 2: I haven’t really explicitly taught students about creating a search strategy. I guess in very general terms, I try to touch-base with students/pairs regularly to check where they are at, gaps in their information etc. This is definitely something that I will be looking to incorporate more next year - starting with the upper primary classes. At the moment I tend to give students at least 3 websites to start.

Activity 3: I have used hoax sites to identify the need to critically analyse the authenticity of a website. Earlier this year I used the Explorers one. I also expect students to record information from a variety of sources and so they have to cross-check their information. I also deconstruct at least 3 websites on the same topic - discuss pros cons, etc and then have ranking lines for most useful, least useful. Students have to justify their which always sparks a fierce discussion between students. I generally just prompt or guide the discussion. Very interesting and informative to see the weight students place on the appearance, amount of text, images etc as this guides me in how to support student learning. I also regularly model and talk out loud my thought processes when assessing a websites.

Activity 4: I have found that the range of ability for students to reflect on their learning and transfer to new situations is huge. It is an area that I think sometimes gets forgotten as we tend to finish the learning and then move onto the next thing. In saying that though, I have more recently been doing more short term inquiries – 1-2 sessions – and then noting and recording key learning both after that session and then again before the next one.  Still something I need to work on though.

Web 2.0

While I think there is great potential in Web 2.0 tools, issues with school computer infrastructure and filtering systems will need to be addressed before schools can truly explore these.

I also think it is crucial to keep in mind that like any resource, a web 2.0 is a tool and so its use has to be purposeful - it needs to be the best tool for the job. I am not into using technology for the sake of being able to say that you're using it.

Over the next few weeks, I am planning to explore edublogs and seedwiki to see if these better suit my needs - I obviously use blogger and have tried wikispaces without a complete success. I am not a big blogger and I feel it is not really my thing. I feel very disconnectd and miss the connection with and feedback from others (though I completely acknowledge that I am at fault here!) Also, I don't really think I have anything that important or exciting to share!!

As for some of the other tools, at the moment I am holding off to see what the new education department system/portal will have to offer. We are required to use it so it seems to me that it makes good sense to try to use it if it can do what I want.

One question that I have that is is a bit out there is whether some aspects of technology, is enabling people to disconnect with others - example of this is the many occasions when I have seen people 'doing lunch' but seems to spend most of their time not talking but mucking around on their phones or iPads. I am not anti these tools, not in the slightest, but maybe something to think about!

Effective Search Strategies

I hate to say it but Google has been more reliable in finding relevant sites.
I must admit that Google has allowed me to become a bit lazy when searching - I get hits even when I don't deserve to. While I am not really comfortable with Google developing a profile on the types of things I search, it does mean that I am more likely to get hits - sites appropriate for teaching and students.

One problem that we are currently having at work is that there seems to be a conflict with Google and our school filtering system (other schools are having the same problem) - we randomly get Error 403 or 404 when using Google or trying to open links off Google. Very frustrating!! This does open the door to other search engines though.

I had to do a similar activity when I did a Web2.0 online course last year. Here is the link if you are interested in what I found then.
http://sakepuss.blogspot.com.au/2011/10/week-8-syndicated-search.html

Website Evaluation

I have used Schrock’s 5Ws (modified to suit my students) with Year 4/5/6/7 students at school. It was a real eye-opener for me to realise that students just don’t even think to check whether a website is relevant. I think what made me start teaching website evaluation was when, many years ago when I was doing a unit on Australian artists, a bright Year 7 boy found a website on his artist Tom Roberts and diligently started to take notes from it. He didn’t even notice that it was a genealogy website for a different Roberts family and that this Tom Roberts was born much more recently. Amazing!

One way that I have highlighted the importance of website evaluation and cross-checking information this year was with the site http://allaboutexplorers.com/about/

This website has been created by teachers and has questions on different explorers and two information sources for each – with information than doesn’t match. It also has three reading levels which was a plus. I tried using it in a few different ways but the I found the best was when I had one pair using one site, and another pair using the other. The pairs then had to come together to write their answers. I thought one group was going to have a complete meltdown before I told them I had been designed that way on purpose. A very useful activity, but I won’t be able to use it again for a few years.

Another aspect of website evaluation I think it is also important to note is that not all teachers can confidently evaluate websites. I am finding that when I go through website evaluation strategies, processes with students, I often have teachers commenting that they hadn't thought to look at websites in that way. That's not to say that I am an expert - definitely a learner as well. I guess I find it interesting that teachers, who so carefully select print texts, don't evaluate digital texts in the same way.

Print and Electronic Resources

I have been a bit slack for this week's blog as I have just copied my summary from the forum.

Activity 1
* I think of reference material as non-borrowable materials that can be consulted or referred to but not borrowed - always available
* Digital resources - dictionaries, thesaurus, encyclopedias that library owns or subscribes to could be included because they also loosely fit this definition - can't be borrowed and readily accessed

Activity 2
Wikipedia - I don't encourage use but know students will use it. I suggest to always check author and only record information seen in more than one place. Can be useful in giving general overview and help students identify key words for other searches.

Activity 3
Print-based dictionaries should be available
* access to digital resources in schools is often problematic
* often quicker to access print form
* easier to cater for range of abilities

ONELOOK Dictionary -
* wouldn't really use the specialised dictionaries - many links I tried were broken.
* general ones were better and could use these. Particularly liked Rhyme Zone.

Activity 4
Atlas -
Not much luck finding Australian.
* I liked www.factmonster.com/atlas - clear, informative but unfortunately ads
* google maps is also good as it is interactive but not sure it will get past our current DECD filtering system.

Biographies - More luck finding Australian sites. I wouldn't usually use a biography site though - would generally just do a search in a search engine.
* www.peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au has very detailed but think you must have to be dead first!
* www.australianbiography.gov.au - Excellent site if interested in the particular people listed.

Resource Provision Notes

Or maybe not later today!

Resource Provision: Thoughts on Week 1 activities

I believe I very much have a constructivist approach in my teaching. This is because I always do some kind of assessment before beginning new learning.  A pre-test, initial brainstorm, concept web are just a couple of ways I might use to find out what students know about a topic before I start.  From there, I then plan – with student input – a possible pathway for the learning so that students are able to develop the desired learning outcomes.

I like Bloom’s Taxonomy and often refer to it when I am planning. I found the list provided a little heavy and thought that there would be little chance of me successfully covering all questions.

 How do I plan?  

As I tend to teach inquiry-based units, I generally have an essential question or activity and then develop ways for students to build the background knowledge required for them to successfully complete the task or answer the question.

In terms of resourcing the learning, where possible I find a mix of print materials and digital materials, though I am finding that I am using images a lot more in my teaching. One example, with an Australian animal unit I co-taught earlier in the year to Yr1/2s:

          1. We looked at an image of the animal and identified features, particularly those that were unique.

          2. We brainstormed reasons why they might have those features, why they were important or useful.

          3. Only then did we start to look in text to see if it supported our ideas or gave other reasons.

The teachers commented how much more the students retained from their learning by approaching it in this way, so I think images are a powerful way to start.

We start again . . .

Well, have started my new subject. I must admit that I thought seriously about whether to defer or withdraw from the program, but then I thought "Just keep swimming" - Dory - a reference for those who have seen Finding Nemo.

Anyway, while I am still finding the work-study-life balance a challenge (work-life balance is hard enough with my pacesetter Principal), I have found the clear expectations of this subject extremely helpful. I also really appreciate the encouragement and support already given to us all from the subject coordinator. From the posts on the forum, I know I am not alone in this.

I'll be adding my thoughts on Week 1 and 2s activities and reading later today.

Feelings during this subject

I have found this subject quite frustrating and I find myself completely disheartened at its conclusion.

I have found the difference between the ideal that is discussed in the literature and my reality incredibly frustrating. I also feel that to some degree the reality of the school situation for me and, if online discussions on a TL network are to be believed, other TLs, is not truly understood or recognised, including by those who seem to believe otherwise. I'm not speaking of just the difficulties, but also the limitations, the differing learning environments for different levels of schooling and our school community, the potential and the incredible expectations placed on a role that is not recognised or valued by the overriding department.
Finally, I have found that it is perhaps better to write more objectively and not about my own particular situation.  Unfortunately I didn't focus on all areas - but rather focused on the ones that desperately need addressing in my personal situation. Not because I am unaware of them, but because they are so ingrained in what I do (the teaching, inquiry etc).  Oh well, take it on the chin and live and learn.

(Luckily the work as it stands has been really useful to my principal and staff!)

Module 3 - Change Process

One thing that I believe is absolutely essential for successful and long term change within a school is time. This is identified and taken into account in CBAM but is so often overlooked by our departments where new programs are imposed at a rapid rate. Another aspect that is also very important is that the training is seen to be useful and relevant to the needs of the individual or school.

The following example of training that I have attended very much incorporates these elements. Lisa Burman, an educational consultant, ran a series of sessions in the area of reading comprehension.
http://lisaburman.com.au/ 

What made this PD so worthwhile were the following:
* our own staff identified the need for the training;
* through consultation with Lisa, the PD program was established;
* the structure of the PD - 1 full day training followed by 1/2 day training in year level teams which involved discussion and a modelled lesson with classes from our own school, a follow up after school session for each year level team on the specific area identified by the group;
* time was given to teams during and after the training sessions to work together, identify future needs;
* whole school commitment to the initiative.

Lisa also provided very practical sessions, had realistic expectations of staff and empathy for what it is like to work in a school. She also had credibility as she was able to implement her work into our classes.

This initiative was not imposed by our department, was self-directed, and the learning that was gained is still strongly implemented in our school and is having positive results on student outcomes. I discuss how I have described my role in this in a previous post. http://sakepuss.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/tl-and-curriculum-my-thoughts.html

Module 2 - Leadership styles

In my assignment I referred to pacesetters and affiliative leaders because in the last 12 years, with 3 Principal changes (not including the acting ones), I have experienced both - pacesetter, then affiliative, and now pacesetter again. Interestingly, both pacesetters are female (and others I have observed) - I'm not sure if there is a connection. Maybe, to make it in the Principal realm, you have to be seen to be doing a lot in your tenure, proving how skilled you are, how many innovations you have initiated, etc etc.

When working with an affiliative leader, the length of discussions and the decision making process was sometimes frustrating. Also, during some of this time, the school had "pockets of excellence" but lacked a common theme or direction, particularly during our school's major redevelopment. The thinking behind this was that there was enough going on for teachers without adding extra pressure. I agree but the lack of common directions was sometimes difficult and it is lucky that most of the teachers I work with are highly professional and self-motivated.

Now I'm back to the Pacesetter . . . It is amazing how quickly the pacesetting approach has negatively affected our school. Within one term, our communication structures were either abolished or no longer had any power, people felt undervalued, and staff morale dropped significantly. (I have never had a Principal who, on their first day, having just met the staff and without knowing the school, its culture, and the people, felt it necessary to tell staff that we had to be at school between 8 and 4! - mouths dropped open and you could have heard a pin drop!!)


The most difficult thing for me with a pacesetting leader is not so much about having to work closely with her (I can't just stay in my classroom and shut the door), it has been watching the affect it is having on students, parents, my friends and colleagues. The lack of trust, lack of opportunities to collaborate, lack of vision, lack of understanding for the people who are actually doing the work is incredibly frustrating because, despite pretending to listen when I, and others, raised and continue to raise these issues, nothing changes. The other thing I find absolutely amazing is the fact that this leadership style is based on everything an effective teacher knows is bad teaching!! All of this made the writing of my assignment sometimes challenging as I had to work through the emotions of anger, frustration and helplessness that sometimes arose. Let me just say that this style of leadership makes going to work really difficult some days and the fact I otherwise work with a fantastic group of people, makes it bearable. (which is a good thing because we have another 3 1/2 years to go!!!)

Systems Thinking Poster

Here is the poster again, as it wasn't really big enough to see in the original post and I couldn't work out how to delete it and place it in again!! I couldn't delete, cut or anything in edit mode - if you know how, please let me know.

Take 2

Teacher Librarian as Leader - Module 1 - Systems Thinking

I'm back!
It's hard to believe that 10 weeks have passed since my last post - but what a full 10 weeks it has been! I am now working full time (Also add a 6 1/2 year old, 4 year old and husband!)

My 5 days consists of - 3 days as TL, 1 day as Reading Support Teacher, and 1 day as IT Coordinator.( My support staff member hasalso  been away sick since last December and so have also been doing this role as well!)

 Anyway, my many hats overlap, the edges between the roles blur, and the workload just gets heavier. I think you can sum it up as trying to be all things to all people - an impossible feat, but one that I strive to achieve.  As a result, I am trying to catch up on my uni in one hit in my holidays.

Thoughts from Module 1:
It is interesting to reread the systems thinking gear again. The article by Tribus was from a while ago  was obviously written at the start of David Langford's journey. I attended the QLA training with David Langford back in 2003 (I think!). I really enjoyed the training and must say that I frequently go back to thePDSA and related tools when working on problems/issues - both as a classroom teacher, and now as teacher librarian.(It's interesting that DECD (as the SA ED Dept. is now called),used this model back in 2005 with their own tools (essentially just Langford tools with other names, but not surprisingly, that improvement initiative disappeared.)

Anyway, I'll give one example of  how I have used the PDSA improvement cycle and tools in my teacher librarian role when undertaking my Library Management Project for UniSA.

PROBLEM
How to increase access to resources within the library.

INITIAL SITUATION
To find out about the situation, I gathered staff views using the Langford's ForceField Diagram and Imagineering Tools, and student views from a PMF, and library staff/volunteers through interviews.  This gave me a lot of perception data to analyse. I also used the library cataloguing system for data regarding borrowing statistics etc. I then used an Interrelationship Digraph to identify the root causes.

PLAN, DO, STUDY, ACT
Once root causes were established , possible solutions were determined. I then went about establishing an improvement plan which I have been implementing, reviewing and modifying ever since.

OUTCOMES
The absolute benefits of addressing this problem in this analytical way was that it achieved positive results -our  library is becoming increasingly more organised, resources are accessed far more easily, and most importantly, students are reading more, the library is being used more, and resources are being used more by teachers! It also gave all stakeholders the opportunity to have their say, become involved but without personal feelings getting in the way. It was a really objective way of looking at the problem and some of the soloutions would perhaps not have been thought of had I not looked at the situation using systems thinking.

I've attached a picture of my poster that I had to do for my subject - it is a broad outline of the process. (I had to put two snipping tool snapshots together and they don't quite line up! Sorry!)

This is just a small example of systems thinking in action.

PS. . .

Re Assignment 2 - Parts A and B
I have realised that I have put the incorrect word count on my assignment cover sheet but didn't want to resubmit as then it would be late. Sorry.

Task C - A critical Reflection

In this reflection I am asked to describe how my view of the role of teacher librarian has changed as a result of reading, writing assignments processing new ideas and chatting with others. Unfortunately I haven’t taken full advantage of blogging and the forums due to trying to balance study, work and home responsibilities. To be honest, I also still prefer to bounce ideas and clarify my thinking in ‘live’ chats with family and friends, though I know this is also possible in a Web 2.0 environment.

So has my view changed?

When I look back at my first blog in this area http://sakepuss.blogspot.com/2011/12/assessment-2-pre-thoughts-on-role-of.html I feel that my view of what a teacher librarian has not changed significantly, but there have been some changes, or at least fine-tuning.

For example, in my earlier blog, I discussed the role of supporting students to become lifelong learners. The example that I gave was purely in relation to information skills – that of defining, locating and using information. As I explained in my later blog, http://sakepuss.blogspot.com/2012/01/teacher-librarian-and-information.html, I have taught guided inquiry units that focused on critical thinking, or collaborative skills, but I hadn’t explicitly linked those other essential skills, values, dispositions within the concept of “Information Literacy”. I think that this more broad term is very important in our current digital environment, particularly critical literacy and online responsibilities and safety. When teaching, I have been amazed by some students’ acceptance and lack of critical evaluation of websites or information, and sites becoming increasingly more polished and professional looking, this is going to become more and more difficult.

Another key issue for me in relation to teaching information literacy is the way Google influences searches. I had previously become aware of this from a conference with Joyce Valenza (http://sakepuss.blogspot.com/2012/01/teacher-librarian-and-information.html). When I was reading for my assignment 2, however, I came across some other ideas about this by Debbie Abilock https://plus.google.com/u/0/111751601883348841865/posts/1ckvWNCLbmB. I also found Jann Carroll’s (2011, p.32) discussion about the ‘Eurocentric slant’ of Google and Wikipedia interesting as it really made me think about how I need to help my students become more aware of this.

One important area that this subject has raised for me has been the importance of good time-management (and not just in relation to my completing the uni tasks.) As I have said previously, my personal focus as a teacher librarian is very much about teaching and collaborating with teachers. This means that there are times when I have felt frustrated and even hopeless because I am not getting all of the managerial things done or they are taking a long time. (I still haven’t completed labelling my series boxes from last year!).I think I should display Cooper and Bray’s advice in my office to keep me realistic and prevent me from becoming disheartened. http://sakepuss.blogspot.com/2012/01/time-management-and-negotiation-and.html

I feel this subject has confirmed my belief that the teacher librarian role is an extremely complex one with firstly many aspects and secondly the way that the various roles overlap and entwine. It is no wonder that at times I feel overwhelmed with the enormity of it. It is in these moments however that I am reminded of an analogy that Joyce Valenza gave at a conference last year – it essentially went like this – the possibilities of what we as teacher librarians can achieve are huge but we need to think of it as a menu – we need to select an appropriately sized takeaway container and only select the bits that we can cope with immediately. We know where the menu is though so when we are ready, we can come back to it and choose again.

This subject has been helpful as it has shown me that I am on the right track in what I am trying to achieve as teacher librarian. As I started this role as a teacher, without the librarian qualification, I have often questioned if I was going about things in the right way, and so this subject has been affirming. It has also highlighted some areas I can improve. So to conclude my reflections, I will identify and describe the items that I am placing in my takeaway container . . .

1. Website developer and creator of a virtual space for the library – This was a key area that Joyce Valenza talked about and that I really have done nothing about. While there are several reasons for this – issues with DECD filtering etc – this really is something that I need to do.
2. IT Leader - While I have begun to learn about Web 2.0 tools through this course, and the How 2 of Web 2.0 from last year. (Syba Signs runs this online course). I know that these have lots of potential but I really haven’t explored these in relation to my colleagues or the classes that I teach.

L

References

Carroll, J. (2011). From Encyclopaedias to Search Engines: Technological Change and Its Impact on Literacy Learning. Literacy Learning: The Middle Years, 19(2), 27-34

Cooper, O.P. & Bray, M. (2011). School Library Media Specialist-Teacher Collaboration: Characteristics, Challenges, Opportunities. TechTrends, 55(4), 48-54.

Time Management and Negotiation and Collaborative Practice

I feel I can completely sympathise with others about time management. I must admit it wasn't so much about not managing the activities so much as being overly ambitious about what I could achieve. Really, this is very like my life as a teacher librarian.

The teacher librarian role as Herring stated is multi-faceted and if I tried to do all areas all the time, I'd sink. I have to keep reminding myself to, 'prioritise roles according to the current needs of the students, staff' (Herring, 2007, p. 31). Cooper and Bray also refer to the importance of being able to prioritise. They talk about the reality that 'there will be some tasks that just don't get cone, others that are done only minimally . . . [and that ] efforts remain on things that most directly involve instruction' (Cooper & Bray, 2011, p.53). While this is certainly my focus as I collaboratively taught 3 1/2 days out of 4 last year, it is frustrating and demoralising to see some things not being done or taking forever. It is all very well to state that it is important to negotiate - and yes I have done this because teachers now take their own borrowing and I have a 1/2 day stretch of admin time - it is far easier said than done. Money is really one key factor - but so is my desire to improve the learning outcomes of students. A library is really not any good if it looks wonderfully organised and 'pretty', but it is not used by teachers and students. I guess what I am trying to say is . . .
1. 'Don't sweat the small stuff'.
2. Work out what is most important and focus on that - use time efficiently and focus on one thing at a time.
3. If you don't ask, you never get - so don't be afraid to ask.
4. Accept help when it is offered - particularly for making signs, or shelving books etc. This may mean that sometimes things are not done exactly how you would like, but they are done.
5. Make step by step notes, records so that if you have to ask someone else to do something, you know that they will follow the procedures and do it properly - particularly important when cataloguing or doing things with the library system
6. Be kind to yourself and remember work-life balance.

(All great things in theory, but not always easy in practice!)

The teacher librarian and information literacy

I must admit that in my experience, teachers in my school do not have a clear or consistent understanding of information literacy and guided inquiry - in fact I think that both terms are often used to discuss the same thing. - so no, we don't have an information literacy policy.  Prior to this subject, my understanding of information literacy was I think more about information access and developing information skills and guided inquiry, but I had not necessarily combined these things with habits of the mind, collaborative skills, critical thinking and values education. In saying that though, I have always planned and implemented 'big juicies' (big6 Eisenberg, 2008) and so have incorporated and integrated all of these things in my teaching anyway. I guess I have been extremely fortunate to have worked closely with  highly talented, professional teachers who actively search for new ways of better meeting the needs ofstudents and so this was just how it was done. It was actually only when I did the leadership role (as previously discussed) that I realised that my school and my colleagues were unique and special.

Some background - I started at my current school in 2000 as a Year 6/7 teacher when it had just become  a 'Discovery School' (I think these were called Navigator schools in Victoria).While this meant I had teachers from other schools observing me teach and often had to present at training sessions at my school, I also had fantastic opportunities to develop my skills and understandings in so many things. I was lucky to attend many sessions with presenters such as Jamie McKenzie, Art Costa, Michael Pohl, Julia Aitkin to name just a few. It was therefore just second nature to apply my learning in these areas to what I did in the classroom - which was essentially guided inquiry units that incorporated collaboration, an information process based on the NSW model, and integrated learning in the other areas as previously mentioned.

So, my understanding of information literacy has developed and now encompasses all the things I had put in a basket labelled - good practice.

Guided inquiry is what I do the most nowadays in my role as teacher librarian - it was also one bit I really enjoyed as a classroom teacher. I think that guided inquiry ticks many boxes in terms of good teaching and really fits the constructivist approach on which our curriculum SACSA/Aust Curric is based. One of the advantages of teaching in this way is that you can really meet the needs and interests of the students. I co-teach with classroom teachers and often the ESL teacher is involved as well. Therefore we often have 3 teachers with the one class of students - so many opportunities! One  inquiry model that I have been dabbling with - and I like because of the action / sustainability / making a difference focus, is Kath Murdoch's model. You'll find some information about her model here.  http://kathmurdoch.com.au/

Another way I have guided inquiry learning is through the use of an essential question. An example of this was a unit I referred to in an earlier blog. - http://sakepuss.blogspot.com/2012/01/some-thoughts-from-doing-assignment-1.html In this unit of work the students had to answer the question and back up the answer with 3 reasons.

Are myths and legends still relevant in today's society?

Obviously there was a lot of learning that had to take place before students could make an informed decision on this.

There are so many exciting ways of working with student in guided inquiry. However, some of the challenges I have encountered are:
* time - the ever present lack of enough time! - both to work with kids and to get my head around all the possibilities
* the need for better technology and infrastructure - it is frustrating when computers are so slow or you're blocked from a particular website by the DECD filter
* I'm lucky as my staff generally trust me and are happy to try things - but it is hard when teachers are less open to new ideas.
* sometimes the huge range of skills and reading levels of students can cause challenges as it can sometimes be difficult for students to find appropriate information- though in saying that, non-print forms of information come to the fore in these situations
* sometimes the enormous amount available on the internet is challenging - sometimes it is overwhelming for the kids - and me!

I'm Back!

I'm really sorry that it has been a while but my educational research assignment has been taking all of my time. My poor deprived children and husband - I haven't been much fun at all. Also, not quite as prepared as usual for returning to work today. Anyway, for those who haven't done this subject yet, wow!! I found that I had to do so much research and noting  to get my head around the subject before I could even attempt the assignments. While time-consuming, it has been very interesting but now I need to get onto the TL side of things.

Anyway, I'm off to finish preparing my handout for staff tomorrow and other work stuff that HAS to be done, and then will do some reading for TL. Hopefully, will be able to blog some thoughts later.

TL and the curriculum - my thoughts

Argh!! Can I just say that my mind is exploding as I try to get my head around educational research -- there are way too many "...isms", "...ates", "...igms" and "...ologies"!!! Well to take a break, I thought I'd jot down some of my thoughts about the teacher librarian's role with curriculum change.

I really liked one article I read from Bales in a 2002 Access - she talked about herself as a leader in not only information literacy, but also changing pedagogy. I think that this is a very important role and I certainly work towards this goal.

Teacher Librarians are often at the forefront and are well positioned to support other teachers to embrace change.  We have whole site perspectives and so can support whole school initiatives and consistency in approach when necessary. Initiatives can come from international, federal, state, local or even the individual school level. For example, last year, our school had a whole site focus on comprehension strategies. This was identified by teachers as an area of need for our students.  I took a very strong leadership role in this in a couple of ways. Firstly, as there wasn't a lot of Australian resources at the time, I did a lot of research and shared with my colleagues some fantastic work that has been done in the US - eg. Fountas & Pinnell, Harvey and Goudvis and The2sisters - Gail and Joan - (Google Daily Cafe) etc. I also offered to team-teach the comprehension strategies and 1 inquiry unit, instead of my usual 2 inquiry learning units over the year. I worked with teachers in introducing the different strategies - explicitly modelling them, guided practice etc - very much based on Pearson and Gallagher's (1983) gradual resease of responsibility model. Half of the classes (interestingly the teachers who I have greater affinity with in terms of teaching style) took up my offer in term 1 and the others said they would go it alone. After the success of term 1, however, the other half of the classes then asked to work with mein Term 2 on comprehension. The benefits of this were that there were consistent understandings of the terms, strategies etc. Also, common language and approaches were used. Our school was involved in a literacy audit in Term 3 and one thing they really commended was this process and its results. A key aspect was that teachers could decide if they wanted to work with me. I don't think teachers should be forced to work with the teacher librarian. It should be encouraged but ultimately, teachers should be able to choose. I believe it is up to the teacher librarian to make their programs exciting, innovative and really responsive to the students' needs, so that teachers want to work with the teacher librarian. I agree with Cooper and Bray's stance on this.(see Cooper and Bray article about collaboration in TechTrends, July/Aug 2011)

I think that  teacher librarians being involved in curriculum development is critical at the moment also with the introduction of the new Australian Curriculum. Many teachers are feeling overwhelmed, frustrated and even fed up - some are thinking - here we go again! I must admit, this is the third whole curriculum change that I have seen. (In actual fact, if you can see the consistency between them all,  so the change isn't so drastic or scary!)  Classroom teachers have a lot to come to terms with in terms of having to cope with different structure etc for all curriculum areas. This is particularly difficult in SA where we have composite classes and Year 7 still in Primary school. Teachers also have a lot to deal with in terms of other issues such as behaviour, other priorities within a school etc etc. I can help teachers become familiar  with just one aspect or area of the curriculum when I co-teach inquiry units. By me taking the lead, I can take the pressure off them a bit, show them one way of implementing the curriculum, give them direction and show them that they aren't so scary, and therefore make it altogether more manageable - the 'two heads are better than one'  and 'togehter we can achieve more' mentality. Again, I'm not sure if I have explained this clearly. This is very much what I did in my SACSA leadership position as I have explained in an earlier post.  The only difference is I am working with my own staff, and am being paid less!!

Well back to educational research! Argh!!!

Some thoughts from doing Assignment 1

Well, submitted assignment 1 earlier today and can I say that referencing was doing my head in! I'm used to Harvard Style and had to keep checking the reference notes. Anyway, now I need to start concentrating on my next assignment for the other subject. I wish I had heeded Roy's advice and only took on 1 subject as finishing the school year, having Christmas and all the other catching up with family and friends, being a wife and mum to two young kids and doing uni is hard work. I'm glad I'll only be doing 1 subject next semester as I will also be returning to work full time!

When researching for the assignment and doing weekly work, it struck me how many different hats I wear as a teacher librarian.  One hat that I don't wear so well is that of advocate for the profession - though I am a member of SLASA and attend some T&D. When I thought about it, I acknowledged that time was what was stopping me from being  more involved as well as not wanting to make a fuss. Though when I thought about it some more, I realised that I do promote what happens in the library through whole-school participation in events like Book Week, Simultaneous Storytime, reading to local kindies, involvement in PRC -  but also through the other roles.

Another area that I thought was important but I couldn't quite work into my assignment was the importance of people skills. Herring and Purcell didn't really discuss this aspect but I did read about it in an article by Cooper and Bray which talked about collaboration. I think that for a teacher librarian to work effectively with all students and teachers across the school, you actually have to be confident in your own teaching abilities and have a clear understanding of what is good teaching practice so that you can let go of some of the control. You also have to be very patient, an excellent listener, and sometimes sneaky so that the teacher thinks it your suggestions were their idea! I'm not sure if I am explaining this very well. I know from experience that the teachers I work with are all very different -  some of which I am on the same line, some the same page, some the same book, and others I'm not really sure which book they are in! Despite this, I have to work out a way of us working together to get the best possible learning and outcomes for the students. (I currently work with each teacher and class at least twice a year.) Cooper and Bray also refer to relationships - this is critical. Teachers need to respect and have confidence in me and the teacher librarian role. I also be able to read how far I can push the teacher in terms of challenging them to try something different or new. It is important to note that this can take time and that little steps are still ok if they are in the right direction. The following example I think demonstrates how important people skills are and the importance of taking time.

The first time I worked with one teacher he wanted to do a "Country Project" which was basically here's a country, read this and write the answer. (He was and still can be very traditional in his teaching style.) He then handed me what he had done the last I don't know how many years and said we didn't need planning time. He was reluctant to change it as it had worked before. It was only by taking time to sit and plan with him, that I was able to throw in a few suggestions and get an inquiry unit that required higher levels of thinking. The following year I wasn't able to move him from another country study but was able to add a few more different  and challenging dimensions. Finally this year, while he suggested another country study, was happy to go with a student initiated inquiry unit on myths and legends that was very process based and with less focus on the end product. It was interesting that he said near the end of this unit how pleased he was with how it had gone but owned up to the fact that he hadn't known if it would work but that he was confident in me, and so was willing to give it a go. This trust in me was very gratifying. I guess it was also lucky that the unit worked really well!

Let's get a wriggle on!!

Gee, I'm really not very good at the blogging part of things. I do spend a lot of time doing professional reading, thinking and talking about things, but am not in the habit of writing my thoughts down unless I'm sharing my ideas and learning with others - obviously something I need do start doing more.

Firstly, in reponse to Alice - (sorry this blog is connected to my work address and I hadn't checked it as I'm on holidays) - I have wanted to be a teacher librarian for a while - ever since I did an external leadership position that had me running PD and working with individual and groups of teachers in how to use SACSA in programming and planning. I loved the collaboration of this job but was frustrated that I only got to plan and never implement the learning units - they were generally based on inquiry learning. This was the impetus for me to start studying at UniSA so I would have a TL qualification and be able to apply for positions in the future. Then I was lucky enough to be offered to fill in the position at school.  I had been frustrated as a classroom teacher as the previous TL seemed to have lost her passion and the library was no longer a vibrant place, and having worked with an excellent TL previously, and from my own ideas,  I already had images in my mind of what it could be like. So in a long winded way of answering, I was aware of the role and what it could entail, but also what I wanted to bring to it and my school. In the time since I have had the role, I must admit there have been a lot of changes, but this has been based on negotiation, collaboration, chatting to other TLs and my own research.  It is certainly a much busier and I would like to think a more exciting and vibrant place to learn, my staff tell me it is.