Critical Synthesis

Part C – A critical synthesis of my reflection

As a child imagining myself as one day becoming a librarian, I had a very limited view of what this would involve (see blog post, ‘Then and now’, http://tlinthemaking.blogspot.com/2010/03/then-and-now.html). My observations as a student and as a casual teacher had given me some ideas about what a great teacher librarian looked like, and how empty a school felt without one. I had observed a teacher librarian (who was respected though she was still obtaining her Masters degree) who I had perceived as being great at her profession. I noticed the care she took to cater for student needs, and that she put effort into compiling digital resources on the school’s network, so was already becoming aware of the multiplicity of roles a teacher librarian can take on before I began studying – little did I know, I still had so much to learn.

Towards the beginning of the course I began to notice a shift in my thinking – I was beginning to think like a teacher librarian (see blog post, ‘Starting to think like a teacher librarian’, http://tlinthemaking.blogspot.com/2010/03/starting-to-think-like-teacher.html). I began thinking about the roles that I would play, what people’s perceptions of teacher librarians are, and what kinds of work environments I might end up working in. I found myself reading newspaper and journal articles, such as the article by Riley (2010) and wondering ‘what will this mean for me as a teacher librarian?’

One thing that helped that thinking to change was my increase in knowledge as I read through the modules of my subjects. I found that there were quite a few important concepts that I did not have knowledge or understanding of, even though I only graduated with my teaching degree at the end of 2008. I had not heard the term ‘information literacy’, let alone ‘information literate school community’. Not only do I now understand what these terms mean, but that information literacy is vitally important for our students. I understand that there are many things I will be able to do to create and extend students’ information literacy as a teacher librarian, such as scaffolding them as they learn the information process, giving them opportunities to conduct their own research, and collaborating with teachers to plan resource based learning (RBL) units. RBL was another concept I had not heard of before studying this subject. I knew about integrated and inquiry based units from my university studies, but learned from this subject that these can and should incorporate resource based learning, where the teacher and the teacher librarian collaborate and students are able to access resources that suit their learning style and ability. My learning about this concept can be clearly seen in the Module 1 forum (Thomas, 2010), where I profess confusion about what RBL is – I am able to say that I have a greater understanding two posts later, stating how reading Module 3, particularly the Campbell, Flageolle, Griffith & Wojcik reading (2002), helped me.

Reading what others wrote in the forums also helped to change my view of the role of the teacher librarian. An example of this, and of a major point of my learning journey, was the post by Graham Bebington (2010) about ‘evidence-based research’. My response to his post shows the impact it had on me – I now understand the importance of collecting evidence to show that the role I am playing is an important one, for job security, job satisfaction, and respect from colleagues.

Another learning tool which has shaped my learning journey has been the assignment – completing assignments has not only consolidated the learning from reading the coursework, and improved my referencing skills, but has created moments of deep learning in itself. In completing Assignment 1, I became aware of many of the obstacles in the way of information literacy in a school I know. I realised what potential challenges I face, and was able to think of ways I might combat them. This increased my confidence in my ability to be a leader in this area in the future if it is needed – I can encourage the school community to understand the importance of information literacy, and I can encourage classroom teachers to collaborate with me as teacher librarian to support student learning – these are things I would not have thought about doing before starting this subject. The second assignment allowed me to analyse information skills models, and to think about how I will apply them in the future. It also cemented in my mind the image of the teacher librarian I wish to be by asking me to evaluate the standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians (ALIA/ASLA, 2004) – I wish to be a professional who refers to these standards on a regular basis and strives to achieve them, with student learning at the heart of all I do as a teacher librarian.

I no longer just imagine myself in a lovely big room with books (though this is still an appealing part of being a teacher librarian), helping people to find them. I imagine myself making a difference to student learning, as well as to their passion for the written word. I have always known that my passion for sharing my love for reading had the potential to make a difference to the attitudes of children – now I understand it is through my actions as well as my attitude that I will show my passion, and help to pass it on. I understand that being a teacher librarian is being a professional, with many roles to play – even more than is suggested by the title itself.

References:

ALIA /ASLA (Australian Library & Information Association and Australian School Library Association). (2004). Standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians. Retrieved May 23, 2010, from http://www.asla.org.au/policy/standards.htm

Bebington, G. (2010, March 10). Re: evidence-based research. Message posted to ETL401 Module 2 sub-forum.

Campbell, L., Flageolle, P., Griffith, S., and Wojcik, C. (2002). Resource-based learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Riley, K. (2010, March 8). Why take the teacher out of the librarian? In Education: journal of the N.S.W. Public School Teachers Federation 91(3), p19.

Thomas, J. (2010, March 19). Is it a question of terminology? Message posted to ETL401 Module 1 sub-forum.

Presentation

I wish I'd managed to find time to make this blog more aesthetically pleasing. I guess I will have some more time soon!

ETL503 Assignment 2

I have finished assignment 2 for ETL503. I feel like I put a lot of effort into it, but that perhaps I could have put more in. It has left me exhausted though. Well something has. Perhaps it's the weather. Perhaps there is something wrong with me. I just do not feel like doing anything. I feel weak and like curling up and reading a book. I now have another entire assignment to write in less than a week so I really hope I can get myself into gear soon...

I am really unsure as to how I went with the assignment. I know I was way over the word limit (and perhaps less worried about that fact than I should have been...). I do not feel confident that I completely understood what was expected of me. I think the task was one that required a lot of interpretation, I just hope I interpreted it how the person who is going to mark it will interpret it...! I was more careful this time to pay attention to what the outline was asking for, to ensure that I covered all the elements of the assessment.

I found it really challenging to start with a document and to change it. It was hard to know how much work you had to go, and it was difficult to decide what to change, what to delete and what to leave at times. I feel that perhaps I went around it the wrong way and should have clearly outlined what I wanted in the document for myself before adjusting the policy I was given to work with, rather that starting with that policy itself. To do this ideally though I would have needed to give myself more time. I really hope that I can stick to my intentions next semester and keep on top of the coursework so that I am prepared when assignment times come around...

Anyway I had better get stuck into this next assignment, lots to do! I hope the motivation and energy levels increase as I go...

Learning all the time.

In the middle of my first assignment. Well, I don't think actually that I am even halfway yet which is concerning but that's a different matter... I just wanted to comment on something that I had learned whilst working away.

Just now I have been learning about the importance of keeping resources in a centralised area so that everyone has access to them and it is known where they are. The school that I am looking at for my ETL503 assignment has teacher resources and especially digital resources all over the place and they are not looked after by the TL - I think the school should have invested long ago into making sure someone was keeping track of them and everyone was able to find what they need when they need it. I think in the long term that would have saved them money, and it definitely would have made a difference to teacher morale, and student learning experiences.

Now for someone to collect everything and start a centralised collection it is going to be a huge task... and I need to write how they should go about it in my collection policy? I'd better get back to work.... so much to do.

ETL401 Topic 4: The Information Search Process

Today I learned that there are a myriad of outlines existing to provide teachers, TLs and students with a structured process to follow when information is needed for something. Another student suggested in the forum that the best approach would be to look at various existing outlines and formulate your own, suited to your school as a whole, or individual classes and students. I agree with this in theory, but in practice I think that it would not always be necessary - some existing processes might suit the school or students perfectly without adjustment - why spend time and effort creating a new one if there is an appropriate one already, and probably presented in an easy to follow way?

Perhaps this idea could be adjusted - maybe rather than creating a new process no matter what, students and staff can be asked to look at the processes and decide which one suits them, and adjust it if they think that is necessary. Then a focus on assessing its effectiveness after using it would be appropriate.

Hindsight

I am having a 'kick-myself' moment - finally catching up on readings, and realising that if I'd read them at the recommended times I would have had the resources I was looking for when I was doing the assignment! I somehow didn't realise that topic four had exactly what I was looking for...

I am really hoping I can learn from my experience this semester, and attack next semester head on, with gusto, and keep up to date, putting in a reasonably even spread of time and effort so that I do not end up in the situations I have found myself in this semester where I was behind from the start and never caught up.

I am looking forward to next semester now... but perhaps that is just because I want for this semester to be over!

A wall.

I have hit one. A wall that is. I do not feel motivated or excited about my studies at the moment. I wonder if I ever will again. I do not want to sit at my computer (other than to play solitaire and to check emails...). I am overwhelmed by the fact that once again I have fallen behind, and the idea of catching up and completing my assignments in time seems an impossible one. I received my first assignment back, with writing all over it about the things I did wrong and a mark on the front that cut me deeply. I do not see how I will do any better in the next assignment for this subject, and do not feel motivated to complete it as people who actually work in a library, or at least a school, probably do (at least for them it has another important purpose). I am doubting myself, and questioning the wisdom of completing this course - am I going to be able to get a job out of it? Do I want to work in this area? Will I ever find a library that will encourage passion in me and give me the freedom to inspire others like I have dreamed?

Let's just hope I can get through this rough patch and eventually answer all those questions with a resounding YES!