I am beginning a new semester and at the moment my knowledge of leadership is limited . I have picked up a book by Covey Called The Leader in Me. It is about a school which encourages leadership and the 7 habits in all of the children starting off with kindergarten. It looks like a sensational school and I hope to have a vision of helping to create a sensational school after I have finished this course.
Communication- well I realise that a good leader has to be a good communicator and this is integral to effective leadership. They must be able to communicate with all levels of the staff in order for a cohesive well in formed group to exist.
Organisational theory, Well I dont know much about that and I dont know how it relates to the TL.
Startegic planning.- i guess this means that there are strategies to be developed and adhered to, and a vision to develop, a mission statement must be developed and aims and objectives devised in order to follow a route to an end or a means to an end! I think I can learn a lot here.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
2nd Semester Learning Journal
Well the good news is that I have got 2 credits and one of the markers said I am well on the way to understanding and synthesising the ideas of what makes a good librarian. I didnt know I had it in me. My collection management policy was also good. Roy has said that it is good to reflect and in doing so, keep a learning journal. So part of the next semester is about recording our thoughts and ideas on our learnings. The first subject is the TL as a leader. I asked my boss for some literature on leadership as I see him as a fine leader. He told me that I was a leader. I looked at him funny and said " Im not a leader now, but I will be by the end of the semester. " He smiled and walked away. Since reading a bit about leadership I have discovered that a good leader helps everyone to feel that they have leadership qualities. By bringing out the leader in everyone, everyone benefits both internally and externally. There are visions and strategic plans to follow as well as dips and anxiety being felt in the initial stages just like in Kuhlthaus info skills models. Oh well here goes .....
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Part C Critical Synthesis of My Changing View Of The Role Of The TL
My journey along this teacher librarian (TL) path has been one of intense learning, incredible personal growth and overcoming of seemingly impossible challenges.
I happily took on a three-week or so, casual appointment as a teacher librarian (TL) last year and spent the first day with the transferring TL who stated to me “You’re in for a steep learning curve!” When I commented to my TL friend from a nearby school how easy it was, she answered with “Rose, it’s a pandora’s box!” Well it didn’t take me long to figure out that she was right. In my blog entry (6/3 Pandora’s Box) I commented on this aspect and the fact that later I realised that I had only just opened the box and I could begin to see that it was the tip of the ice- berg. The first mission in my course was to set up a blog. I remember writing on the forum what fun it had been and had no idea at the time, of the importance of reflecting on your learning and recording your thoughts in a journal. McGregor (1999), states that metacognition, or, thinking about your thinking, allows students (and TLs!) to evaluate their own thinking and to use appropriate thinking strategies in their learning. It is useful to look back on your journey and reflect on where you started and how far you have come, and how your understanding of the role of the TL has developed.
My philosophy of the TL role has evolved as I have become aware of the multi- faceted role and dual nature of the TL involving being a teacher and a librarian.
I have learnt that the role of the TL is a very important one if the library is going to be at the hub of the learning community. By critically analysing the Twelve standards of Professional Excellence for TLs (ASLA/ALIA, 2004), and synthesising how that can be applied my role, I have become even more keenly aware of the knowledge, skills and attributes needed, and how these standards can be applied to the TL role.
Initially, I believed that the library was its own entity and worked in isolation to the rest of the school. In an earlier blog entry (23/2, Professional Discussion) I spoke with a TL from a nearby school and we discussed the fact that the first thing to setting up an ILSC is to get the principal and the executive on board. After reading some of the literature, Henri & Hay (1995), and forum entries, Caitlin White’s Thoughts On Topic 2 (18/03/09), I realised that the TL must work closely with the principal to gain their support and to inform them of the short and long term goals of the TL. Through reading various suggested and prescribed literature, such as Watts (1999), on the role of the TL, it is clear to me that the TL should have a vision for the future as technology has changed our role and a massive job is ahead advocating for support for the library.
In my blog entry (Today’s Walk, 27/4), my friend and mentor, Lyn, described to me how she had created a collaborative learning community by getting the principal on board and by working on one teacher at a time, to instil in them the benefits of collaborative teaching and resource based learning. The word spread fast and she soon had teachers lined up to book their classes in for some flexibly scheduled time with her in the library.
A short time later in a blog entry (Aaahhh Haaaa Moment, 3/3), I reflected on a comment that a staff member had said. She remarked to me that collaborative teaching and flexible scheduling was what was supposed to happen, wasn’t it? I agreed with her and my topic 4 forum entry Hawke, R. (Collaborating and How Do We learn, 21/3), thoughts, gave me some ideas on this topic. As I reflected on McGregor’s (1999), theories of learning and ideas on collaboration, I gained some ideas on where to start. By joining and leading curriculum committees, meeting with teachers and informing at staff meetings reasons for collaborative planning, developing and assessing units of work and reasons for linking the acquisition of information skills to the curriculum and to what they are studying in the classroom, a collaborative teaching environment can be developed.
In my Blog entry, An Expert (10/3), I noted that I was beginning to be seen as an expert by other teachers in sourcing information especially with internet- related activities. My confidence and ability has grown tremendously and this has been helped by finding associated course readings online and having to find and print online resources in the first ETL 503 assignment.
In conclusion, the experiences and readings that I have encountered along the way in this course have all contributed to my changing view of the role of the TL. I now see my role as being highly important, multi-faceted and complex, involving a diversity of interactions, activities and responsibilities in a variety of teaching and learning contexts.
Bibliography
ALIA & ASLA (2004), Standards of Professional Excellence for Teacher Librarians, Australian Library and Information Association and Australian School Library Association, \accessed: 17 April, 2009. Available at: http://www.asla.org.au/policy/standards.htm
Hawke, R. (2009, March 21), Collaborating and How Do We Learn? Topic 4, Sub Forum entry, Information Literacy. ETL 401. Available at: http://forums.csu.edu.au/perl/forums.pl?task=forums
Hawke, R. (2009). Roses Teacher Librarian Blog available at: http://rosehawke.blogspot.com
Henri, J. & Hay, L. (1995). The principal’s role in developing and supporting an information literate school community. Paper presented at the Australian School Library Association 14th Biennial Conference, Fremantle, Western Australia, 1-5 October.
McGregor, J.H. (1999), How do we learn?, in ‘Learning in libraries in an information age: principles and practice’ Stripling, B.K. (ed.) Englewood, Colorado, Libraries Unlimited, p25-53.
White, C. (2009, March 18) Thoughts on Topic Two, accessed: 20/03/09.: Topic Two Forum. The role of the teacher librarian. Available at:
http://forums.csu.edu.au/perl/forums.pl?forum_id=ETL401_200940_W_D_forum
Watts, J. (1999). The teacher librarian past: A literature review,
pp. 29-42 In The Information literate school community: best practice, J.Henri. Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW.
I happily took on a three-week or so, casual appointment as a teacher librarian (TL) last year and spent the first day with the transferring TL who stated to me “You’re in for a steep learning curve!” When I commented to my TL friend from a nearby school how easy it was, she answered with “Rose, it’s a pandora’s box!” Well it didn’t take me long to figure out that she was right. In my blog entry (6/3 Pandora’s Box) I commented on this aspect and the fact that later I realised that I had only just opened the box and I could begin to see that it was the tip of the ice- berg. The first mission in my course was to set up a blog. I remember writing on the forum what fun it had been and had no idea at the time, of the importance of reflecting on your learning and recording your thoughts in a journal. McGregor (1999), states that metacognition, or, thinking about your thinking, allows students (and TLs!) to evaluate their own thinking and to use appropriate thinking strategies in their learning. It is useful to look back on your journey and reflect on where you started and how far you have come, and how your understanding of the role of the TL has developed.
My philosophy of the TL role has evolved as I have become aware of the multi- faceted role and dual nature of the TL involving being a teacher and a librarian.
I have learnt that the role of the TL is a very important one if the library is going to be at the hub of the learning community. By critically analysing the Twelve standards of Professional Excellence for TLs (ASLA/ALIA, 2004), and synthesising how that can be applied my role, I have become even more keenly aware of the knowledge, skills and attributes needed, and how these standards can be applied to the TL role.
Initially, I believed that the library was its own entity and worked in isolation to the rest of the school. In an earlier blog entry (23/2, Professional Discussion) I spoke with a TL from a nearby school and we discussed the fact that the first thing to setting up an ILSC is to get the principal and the executive on board. After reading some of the literature, Henri & Hay (1995), and forum entries, Caitlin White’s Thoughts On Topic 2 (18/03/09), I realised that the TL must work closely with the principal to gain their support and to inform them of the short and long term goals of the TL. Through reading various suggested and prescribed literature, such as Watts (1999), on the role of the TL, it is clear to me that the TL should have a vision for the future as technology has changed our role and a massive job is ahead advocating for support for the library.
In my blog entry (Today’s Walk, 27/4), my friend and mentor, Lyn, described to me how she had created a collaborative learning community by getting the principal on board and by working on one teacher at a time, to instil in them the benefits of collaborative teaching and resource based learning. The word spread fast and she soon had teachers lined up to book their classes in for some flexibly scheduled time with her in the library.
A short time later in a blog entry (Aaahhh Haaaa Moment, 3/3), I reflected on a comment that a staff member had said. She remarked to me that collaborative teaching and flexible scheduling was what was supposed to happen, wasn’t it? I agreed with her and my topic 4 forum entry Hawke, R. (Collaborating and How Do We learn, 21/3), thoughts, gave me some ideas on this topic. As I reflected on McGregor’s (1999), theories of learning and ideas on collaboration, I gained some ideas on where to start. By joining and leading curriculum committees, meeting with teachers and informing at staff meetings reasons for collaborative planning, developing and assessing units of work and reasons for linking the acquisition of information skills to the curriculum and to what they are studying in the classroom, a collaborative teaching environment can be developed.
In my Blog entry, An Expert (10/3), I noted that I was beginning to be seen as an expert by other teachers in sourcing information especially with internet- related activities. My confidence and ability has grown tremendously and this has been helped by finding associated course readings online and having to find and print online resources in the first ETL 503 assignment.
In conclusion, the experiences and readings that I have encountered along the way in this course have all contributed to my changing view of the role of the TL. I now see my role as being highly important, multi-faceted and complex, involving a diversity of interactions, activities and responsibilities in a variety of teaching and learning contexts.
Bibliography
ALIA & ASLA (2004), Standards of Professional Excellence for Teacher Librarians, Australian Library and Information Association and Australian School Library Association, \accessed: 17 April, 2009. Available at: http://www.asla.org.au/policy/standards.htm
Hawke, R. (2009, March 21), Collaborating and How Do We Learn? Topic 4, Sub Forum entry, Information Literacy. ETL 401. Available at: http://forums.csu.edu.au/perl/forums.pl?task=forums
Hawke, R. (2009). Roses Teacher Librarian Blog available at: http://rosehawke.blogspot.com
Henri, J. & Hay, L. (1995). The principal’s role in developing and supporting an information literate school community. Paper presented at the Australian School Library Association 14th Biennial Conference, Fremantle, Western Australia, 1-5 October.
McGregor, J.H. (1999), How do we learn?, in ‘Learning in libraries in an information age: principles and practice’ Stripling, B.K. (ed.) Englewood, Colorado, Libraries Unlimited, p25-53.
White, C. (2009, March 18) Thoughts on Topic Two, accessed: 20/03/09.: Topic Two Forum. The role of the teacher librarian. Available at:
http://forums.csu.edu.au/perl/forums.pl?forum_id=ETL401_200940_W_D_forum
Watts, J. (1999). The teacher librarian past: A literature review,
pp. 29-42 In The Information literate school community: best practice, J.Henri. Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Weeding and why do we need a collection when we have the internet?
As a new TL I have disposed of some books by putting them in the staffroom and asking people to help themselves. They then got thrown in the dumpster but all of this was done without a policy or process to follow. I can see the value now of a weeding policy and am looking forward to the mid semester break to turf some very old tired and unborrowed books out!
In our school library where we have few computers and most of these are very old, we still use print resources for research as well as internet. We only have 5 computers for 30 kids, so a lot of our information literacy involves research using encyclopaedias and non-fiction books. We have a good collection which provides appropriate easily accessed information. Reading for enjoyment is totally supported and encouraged and fiction books will live on forever I hope in our school collection. Posters, charts, C.D.s, DVDs, and ephemera will always be valuable adjuncts in the learning process and thus will also be valuable additions in our school library collection.
In our school library where we have few computers and most of these are very old, we still use print resources for research as well as internet. We only have 5 computers for 30 kids, so a lot of our information literacy involves research using encyclopaedias and non-fiction books. We have a good collection which provides appropriate easily accessed information. Reading for enjoyment is totally supported and encouraged and fiction books will live on forever I hope in our school collection. Posters, charts, C.D.s, DVDs, and ephemera will always be valuable adjuncts in the learning process and thus will also be valuable additions in our school library collection.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Todays walk
Today I had coffee and a walk with my old friend and my now mentor, Lyn. We discussed how years ago she had managed to whittle the RFF that she had been doing from All Stages down to just Early Stage One and stage One. The rest of the library time was available for flexible scheduling and the best and most effective teaching that she did had been done during this time. She had worked on one teacher at a time to instill in them the positive benefits of collaborative resource based teaching and word spread rapidly with teachers lining up to have their classes booked in to the library for some team teaching and Resource Based Learning. Unfortunately for her a new principal came along who didnt believe in flexible scheduling or who had a tight budget and she replaced the flexible library time with the RFF that exists today. This is so common with the local schools around here and a new paradigm needs to be brought in to change this. i feel that this course is equipping me with the courage and information to help bring this about. We laughed at how easy I thought the job was when I first started and at her remark that it was a Pandora's box. I sent her an sms a few weeks later that said "The Pandora's box has just been opened. I am still rummaging around the Pandora's box and there is not a bottom to it as far as I can see, but I feel that I am becoming more knowledgeable and better and better equipped to deal with and cater for a busy school library and the creation of an information literate school community. Oh and by the way great news i got 29.5 in my first assignment . I'm not dumb after all. In fact I made it to the top 30% in the course. Well done me !
Monday, April 13, 2009
A late addition to the last blog is that when stage 3 did have a planning meeting, they did discuss what I could do in the library (without me of course) and they decided that this term, I could concentrate on information skills process (DET one of course), In isolation of course, as that is what has been done before and what is expected. I can see that my first job is to inform the staff at a staff or a stage meeting, the value of collaborative planning and linking the acquisition of information skills to the curriculum and to what they are studying in the classroom. Ass 1 has been sent via EASTS both for 503 and 401. A quarter of the way there and loving it! 503 was more time consuming than expected but it was very valuable examining and using the different selection criteria in a relevant fashion. Ass 1 for 401 was a very timely assignment and gave me great insight into the role of the TL in creating the ILSC. I now have a clear idea of where I am with it and some strategies that I can use to help to address the obstacle at my school, that is the lack of commitment to and total vision for the creation of an ILSC at my school. It will be a slow path , But if I can get there step by step with a vision in mind, starting with getting one open teacher at a time to collaboratively plan, then to show or display the results to other interested non- threatened parties , I will slowly achieve the task of getting the rest of staff on board. the principal and the executive should also bed my first port of call.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Blog On and a set back
I started a TL Blog for our school as we dont have a School webpage to put pertinent educational links on it. My tech expert at school had a brilliant idea and decided my School TL blog , would be easily accessed by teachers if we could put it as a link on My Library. Guess what you can and we did! You now go to my particular school's "My Library " page thru the portal and click an educational link, which will take you to my Blog without having to type in a website for a blog page. Another amazing step for woman (librarian ) Kind. ....... ...A step back on another note however is that all of the stages had a planning day at the end of the term. I was not invited to one stages planning day as I guess my job is not seen as in conjunction with but superfluous to and outside the curriculum and it would have cost money to replace me as I do RF F and would have to be replaced. My role is a classic textbook case and my work is cut out for me to change things and make people aware, starting with the principal, of just what the TL can do for you !
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