technology is scary

Oops I have two more video posts. These are from Sara, teacher of English, and Tracey, who is a TL but also administers a Junior School library.

Sara, like Lamb & Johnson, recognises that today's TL must be a Technologist.

THE TL IS A TECHNOLOGY LEADER

Sara is truly inspiring when it comes to technology and always seems to have great ideas which, intimidatingly, seem to materialise from cyberland onto her computer screen within a few quick taps of the keyboard. Truth be told, she's a groovy kind of geek, and I say that with a great deal of admiration. Anyway, I'm not surprised that she recognises that the TL must remain at the FOREFRONT of the technological revolution, rather than be a follower of it. She recognises that the TL must be ahead of the pack, LEADING teachers and students with their technological expertise.

The Print and the Digital

I think many prospective TL's  are a little intimidated by technology, and I include myself here. I've glanced over some of my colleagues' blogs and many of them express a love of books and all things bookish. I also love books, and part of the appeal of this course has to be the prospect of working in an environment where we are PAID to be surrounded by books ALL DAY LONG. A booklovers paradise! But I also know that this is not an entirely accurate picture of the future of libraries. The digital age is here, now. We already live alongside a generation who have never known life without the internet. To them, the idea of consulting an encylopaedia is hilarious. The immediacy and convenience of online resources has rendered more traditional forms resources outdated and archaic. Sadly, my family's Very Expensive Complete Cannon of World Book Encyclopaedias has been relegated to the dusty shelves of the holiday house along with the old furniture nobody wants. They have been superseded. And whilst we can be sentimental about them, their practical value is greatly diminished in the face of the digital giant of the online resource. Even the daily newspapers are struggling with a 24 hour new cycle. TL's need to become Digital Dynamos.

And finally, on to Tracey.

DISCOVER A PASSION FOR READING

AND A PASSION FOR FINDING INFORMATION

Tracey's role is truly multifaceted. She must manage the Junior School's collection as well as organise events and activities that promote reading and literacy in young children. The young person's library is very different to the research centre. Her role corresponds nicely to Herring's diagram entitled 'The Multi-Faceted role of the Teacher Librarian', where 11 different definition bubbles stem from the teacher Librarian bubble at the centre. Tracey seems to just about tick all the boxes.

OK, next post HAS to be more closely linked to my Academic Reading. However I hope you have enjoyed interacting with my Human Resources, and more importantly, learned something. I have. I have learned to create a blog. I have learned that slabs of text on a page can bore people silly but sites that stimulate more than one sense can be a little more engaging. They are also more fun to create. And of course I have learned HEAPS about the role of the multifaceted, multi-talented, forward thinking and inspirational, Technologist/ Information Specialist/ Media Guru otherwise known as the very humble, Teacher Librarian.

A

pathfinders and pubs

These, I think, might be my final video posts for a little while, so if you've learned something AND you've enjoyed the medium, spare a thought to the idea that the WAY we deliver information may have as much to do with HOW students learn as the information itself.

Now allow me introduce you to Nik and Fe who have something in common: Pathfinders. Yep, this term came up for the BOTH of them even though they were interviewed at different times and in different rooms. Wow, it's just like the twilight zone.

Anyway, what are these Pathfinders? Pathfinders provide teachers and students with a 'map' which assists in navigating the plethora of resources available to us in print and online. Pathfinders help us reach our destination when we are in danger of getting lost or bogged down.

Let's hear from Nik, a teacher of English, English Language, English Literature and one time Year 12 English Team Leader. She has worked very closely with TL's and has expressed a genuine appreciation of the support they offer.

  PATHFINDERS SAVE TIME

Thanks Nik, and GORGEOUS jewellery by the way.

And this is Fe. She is also wearing some lovely jewellery. Fe, a self confessed environmental enthusiast teaches Geography and Aboriginal Studies and has a heartfelt passion for Indigenous issues. She also mentioned the P word. I think Pathfinders must come in very handy.

PATHFINDERS KEEP RESOURCES UP-TO-DATE

What have we learned here from Nik and Fe?

1) TIME is used well when teachers and students have access to Pathfinders (and we ALL know how busy teachers are)

2) The most UP-TO-DATE and reliable resources are likely to be promoted with Pathfinders

3) They both see the creation of Pathfinders as an essential role of the TL

By the way, if you watched the clips you would have noticed that Nik referred to them as Pathways. Anyone pick that up? If you did, great! You were listening and thinking. But you'll also have realised that these terms refer to the same idea. The terminology may be different but the idea is the same.

Next up is Roxanne a qualified TL. I have Roxanne to thank for spurring my interest in this course, so I think it's about time we heard from her.

TL's CREATE A SAFE AND WELCOMING PLACE

So, Roxanne sees HER role as: supporting recreational reading, ensuring resources are available to support curriculum, and being someone who can help find NOT just the right book, but more critically the RIGHT information. There's an important difference.

And here's one we haven't heard before. Roxanne hopes that the library can be a safe and welcoming place. I like that. It's a bit Cheers but without the alcohol. I was suddenly inspired to look up the lyrics to the Cheers theme song, some of which I have included here. Anyone of my generation will be singing them by now, weeping in their beers.

Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.
Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot.

Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you wanna go..

Where everybody knows your name
and they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
the troubles are all the same.
you wanna be where everybody knows your name

Now, I'm starting to sound like I haven't done my Required Reading and that I'm just trying to divert your attention away from the rigors of my academic obligations. Tempting, yes, but I assure you, Dear Supervisor, that I've read Purcell and Herring and Lamb & Johnson, and I promise to tackle these more explicitly soon. But you will have noticed by now that much of what we have gleaned anecdotally about the role of the TL through the interviews has been supported by the hard research. Even so, I haven't read much so far about the role of the TL including creating this kind of Cheery environment. And yet, somehow it strikes me as important. I suppose one could argue that comfortable friendly spaces where kids feel they can escape their worries has little to do with learning but I don't agree. I get the feeling that this issue will be addressed more fully in another subject further down the track like maybe, say, Learning Spaces 101? But while we are here, I'd just like to say that I like the idea of the TL being mindful of creating learning spaces that are SAFE, WELCOMING and AFFIRMING. And for so many students who feel a little lost in the outside world, the library can be a bit like a Claytons Cheers, a place they can Take a Break from their Worries and where People Know their Name. And we all know Happy Kids Learn Better.

The role of the TL seems to be growing with every interview...

So, as you know, I've been investigating the role of the Teacher Librarian, which seems to be becoming more multifaceted with every interview I conduct (but which ALSO happens to compliment my reading very nicely). Ha. And I thought the role of a teacher was complex!

As promised, today's post will feature video clips which offer different perspectives on the role. The first is from Karen who works as a Library Technician, the second from Lars,  Head of English, AND just for something a bit different, I've included the point of view of Author & Journalist Tony Wilson who does not work in a secondary school or a library, BUT who happened to be in one as a result of an invitation from, you guessed it, an innovative and creative Teacher Librarian promoting literature in the library. Good Job, TL.

Let's hear from Karen the Tech first...

STUDENTS LEARN TO EVALUATE INFORMATION

AND TO BECOME RESPONSIBLE USERS OF IT

I like that. Karen touched on THREE areas that I thought were important: 1. That students need to be taught where to find information and how to evaluate it.  2. That students need to be taught to be responsible users of it and, 3. That students must be learn to acknowledge when they are using somebody else's work.

This last point may seem obvious to you or I, but I think the digital environment complicates things. The increased immediacy and accessibility of information via the internet is a bit like fast food for young students ("I'll just Google that" Ping! There it is.). My observations suggest that many students think that once you have the information, it belongs to you, that because it has arrived on your iPad rather than photocopied from a book in the library, that somehow acknowledging it isn't important. Tsk tsk. It seems that at the digital dinner table, many good students have forgotten their manners when it comes to the proper attribution of intellectual property, feasting on information without complimenting the chef. A little uncivilised really.

I agree, Karen, that more than ever, such skills need to be taught.

Now for the Head of the English Department.

BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN THE LIBRARY

AND THE CLASSROOM

The words that come to mind having viewed this little clip all stem from the idea of building bridges. Lars identifies one of the main roles of the TL as being an important LINK between teachers and the library to promote literacy and literature. Words like LIAISE and CONNECT come to mind, don't they? So the role of the TL certainly isn't a passive one. We can agree that there will be no hiding among the shelves shuffling books around. Nope, the modern TL will be OUT THERE getting the right people together, a bit like the library version of RSVP. Which is quite exciting, really.

So what about Tony? A longish time ago, this children's book author and successful novelist went to school, so we can't say he is entirely unfamiliar with the world of school libraries, can we? I do know he visits them occasionally for talks to Literature Club students (how lucky are they?) so let's hear what he has to say about what TL's are supposed to do.

Over to you Tony...

TO PERPETUATE A LOVE OF READING

OMNIPRESENT

I thought the sounding of the school bell in that clip gave it an air of authenticity, didn't you? It was definitely shot in a genuine environment (unlike the moon landing which we all now know was shot at Universal Studios - I Googled it so it must be true).  And if you were giving Tony your full attention, you'll understand the significance of the word omnipresent. If you weren't, you'll be wondering. Which are you? Understanding? Or Wondering? It's a bit like all research really. If you get lazy and skip over details, you might miss things.

Now clearly even those outside of the education system have a few valid ideas about the role of the TL. Like Tony's view that children need to be exposed to sustained forms of reading from an early age. And I agree, Tony, Twitter feeds are NOT sustained reading even if they DO go on forever.

Tony even offered us a couple of personal recommendations (and no, that was not when my iPhone lingered over his own brilliant range of books. That was just me giving him a free plug as a way of thanking him for his willingness to let a complete stranger record and broadcast him all over the Blogosphere. But please check out his stuff, it looks great).  No, he actually mentioned Midnight in Sicily by Peter Robb and The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. And I think I'll leave you with that today.    

The Human Resource

So where were we? Ah yes. As per the requirements of TL401 I am doing a little investigating about the role of the TL. Which OF COURSE I need to know lots about before I actually become one. However, before I do any more reading I want to exploit what Herring calls the 'human resource' (otherwise known as my colleagues). Human exploitation library style. I like that. But there's no point in having a Blog if I can't share that with all of you out there in blog-land (hello supervisor) so I have decided to make this resource as accessible, authentic and as humanly real as possible with a video post. Or two. Here goes...

This is Alison, an experienced TL reflecting on her role in a very well resourced secondary school library.

TAKE YOURSELF TO ANOTHER WORLD

  

Yes, well I haven't quite mastered the editing yet, but never mind that. Here's a tweet sized summary of what she said: TLs are multifaceted and well resourced. They are instrumental in teaching students to be selective and critical users of information. They promote reading for enjoyment.

Lovely! Thanks, Alison.

And here is Steph. I'd like to get back to Steph at some stage because she's taught in an indigenous school in Arnhem Land and it would be great to look into that further. How do libraries work in such unique environments? How does being in a remote indigenous community impact the role of the TL? Do they even have TLs? These are questions I will have to ask her later because I didn't think to ask her at the time. Meanwhile, let's hear briefly from this experienced teacher of English...

A LOVE OF READING

Thanks, Steph :) Remind me to talk to you later about Arnhem Land.

Now, Jen is experienced English and History teacher who has also variously held the position of Head of Department. Her experience in both the state and independent education systems in Victoria and abroad offers some interesting insights into their differences as she draws comparisons between the two...

POOR FUNDING LIMITS THE ROLE OF THE TL

GREAT LIBRARIE$ ARE WELL RE$OURCED

And I really do believe Jen could have talked for another half an hour about the the f-word. And if you are not thinking 'funding', you've obviously skipped the video clip. Go back and watch it.

See? well worth it.

Okay, It's good night for now, but do stay tuned. Coming up we'll hear from a few more human resources including a Library Technician who works in the library of a large, well-resourced independent school, the Head of the English Department at a large, well-resourced independent school, and, Journalist, Author and winner of Race-Around-the-World 1998, Tony Wilson, who just happened to be at a large, well-resourced independent school at the right time for this blog.

A

what do they DO exactly?

ah ha! So this is how you post a new blog entry. It only took me two days, but I'm here (applause).

Just contemplating my academic reading and THE BIG QUESTION. Which today is, What exactly IS the role of the teacher librarian? Or shall we say Teacher Librarian capital T capital L, to denote importance and grammatical correctness. Must read Herring (done) and Purcell (can't find it but I will) and whole lot more to get to the bottom of this curly question as it's worth 60% of my final grade for this subject.

From a teacher's perspective this is interesting, but it shouldn't be. I really should KNOW, having worked intimately with TLs for years and years. And years. Or have I? What do they do exactly and how have I benefited from their expertise over the years?

Here is something that struck me about Herring's article: learning resources come in 3 forms, electronic, print and HUMAN. And by human form, I don't think he meant the cute little newspaper  cartoon man with a newspaper hat covered in newsprint from The Age (or am I imagining him? I can't find him anywhere on google images) but a real person who has experience and inherent value and understanding because of what they DO and what they KNOW. Well excuse my capitals, but this means humans, especially those who have already morphed into brilliant TLs, could well be the most important resource in my investigations. I like that. I think I'll go and check it out.

information scavenger

Well, here we go, my FIRST BLOG. Thank you CSU Wagga Wagga for the first of many firsts to come. I have just embarked on a Masters Course in Teacher Librarianship having worked as a teacher since 1993 and marked, oh I don't know, about 3 million essays and written as many reports. Just completed my final student report for the year last night, which is why I am blogging today. There's a grey hair for every difficult student and a line on my forehead for every late night marking (which makes me sound pretty unsightly I know, and that's not far from the truth today - just take a look at the profile picture). However, there are also laughter lines from the fun and satisfaction gained from the classroom and a corny flutter of the heart when I think of all the great things I've seen students achieve over the years, especially those who felt they had nothing to give. Ah, the joys of teaching.

But it's time for a change, and the pulling me towards it with a great sense of gusto is a future in libraries and information delivery. Without information we live in a vacuum of knowledge and vicarious experiences (which can be just as valuable as real ones, I reckon). We need knowledge and information not just to pass exams and write great essays, but to become better people and more active and concerned citizens. I like that libraries can provide that function. And I also love the idea of libraries moving into the digital age. Actually, from a TL point of view that really terrifies me - I now need to become the EXPERT in understanding how digital information can be accessed and delivered to support learning - but I love the fact that the digital age breaks down borders. As long as you have access to the internet, there is no such thing as remote. Bring on the NBN and may a learning revolution occur in all corners of this vast magnificent land of ours.

Back to this blog and TL subject 401... next post should be all about my reading and all the great stuff I am learning. I hope to keep readers regularly blogged and posted and I ask for your forgiveness in advance if this becomes a sounding board for my own private frustrations. At best is should be enlightening. At worst? A cry for help. Feel free to comment but remember like the rest of you in 401, I am wearing 'L' plates.

Until then, Anna :)