reflections – A Novel Idea

ETL 507 – Assessment Item 5: Professional Reflective Portfolio

23rd September 2019karla_oAssignments / ETL 507 / UncategorizedLeave a comment

In this post I have summarised the key learnings I have obtained from my two years in the Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) degree. I have broken the reflection into three parts: Part A – Statement of personal philosophy, Part B – A discussion of key ideas facing Teacher Librarians and Part C – A personal reflection and evaluation on how my practice thus far reflects the professional Teacher Librarian standards.

Part A – Statement of Personal Philosophy

The role of the Teacher Librarian is to lead and advocate for a school culture whereby language, reading, writing, expression and information literacy are valued. They are an information specialist who is committed to ensuring students are both information literate and striving to improve. They must develop strong interpersonal relationships with staff, students and the community to ensure programs are delivered that are reflective of the syllabus requirements, innovative in their design and engage students in higher order thinking and experiential learning that will encourage a deeper understanding of information literacy. The development of the physical and virtual collection, the library space as well as teaching and learning resources should include cutting edge technologies so as to reflect best practice and support quality teaching. The Teacher Librarian is the vital connection in ensuring that the library becomes and remains the central learning hub within a school.

Part B – Critical Evaluation of Learning

Through my study in the Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) course I have come to believe that the role of the Teacher Librarian can be broken down into three key areas: teaching, collection management and leadership. As such in choosing to discuss three themes I have guided my discussion around these key points.

Teaching: Guided Inquiry and Information Literacy

Fundamentally, I believe, a good Teacher Librarian must be a good teacher first. I have felt this very strongly in my year as Relieving Teacher Librarian at my school. Looking back on one of my very early blog posts it is evident how much my thoughts on this have changed. The ASLA/ALIA teaching standards outline the guidelines by which the TLs practices must be founded and so many of them come back to the fundamentals of good pedagogy such as: “Excellent teacher librarians thoroughly understand how all learners develop and apply lifelong learning skills and strategies.” (Australian Library and Information Association [ALIA], 2004).

ETL 401 was pivotal in gaining an understanding of information literacy and the guided inquiry model. Familiarising myself once again with the Australian Curriculum and the cross curriculum priorities was also valuable as I found that by engaging with these it gave greater meaning, purpose and value to the Australian Curriculum in the context of the NSW curriculum in which I work.

Floridi (2007) discusses the information landscape and the various modes in which it is delivered: both digital and physical formats. The breadth of this information and the rate at which new information becomes available means that it is a complex and evolving landscape that needs to be navigated effectively (Combes & Valli, 2007). Thus the role of the Teacher Librarian in ensuring the skills needed to navigate these landscapes is taught. Guided inquiry’s constructivist approach provides students with an opportunity to learn how to judge the quality of information, find a way through complex and disparate sources, formulate their own focus, the answer to their own questions and to transform information into knowledge.

We looked at different models including the ISP process and how it is embedded into the guided inquiry model:

Image Source: https://guidedinquiryoz.edublogs.org/

This clip sums up the benefits of inquiry learning in schools:

Guided Inquiry from M E Shenefiel on Vimeo.

ETL 503 contributed to my understanding of guided inquiry and information literacy in terms of the Teacher Librarian’s need to evaluate the current physical and digital resources available to students when they are working on inquiry based units. What has been challenging in my current role is the need to find a range of texts for various reading levels, the speed at which a lot of the information on certain topics dates, particularly in the physical collection, how this impacts budgets and the way the library is viewed and utilised as a result. Trying to find resources online that are credible and current as an alternative to the physical collection has also been difficult.

ETL 504 and its focus on leadership has also been valuable in shifting the awareness and attitudes towards the library and its place in supporting the teaching and learning of teachers and students. I have worked closely with the Head Teacher Secondary Studies and teachers of “Future Focused Learning” to redevelop the programs for our inquiry based units in Year 7 and 8 so that they are modelled on guided inquiry. This is the first phase of a whole school introduction of this model across the school.

EER 500’s scaffolding on how to research a question of interest was valuable, particularly in the early stages when we were completing the first and second assignment because it modelled fundamental research strategies that are useful when starting an assignment. I have then replicated these in my own teaching of the research process.

INF 532 helped me to appreciate the value of several web based tools that can be used to design and create resources that may be useful when delivering teaching and learning programs to students. In this unit I considered the nature of learning in the digital age and how the near unlimited resources have also had the ability to connect learners with others, a valuable skill when participating in inquiry learning. Students have been cultivating minds, seeing other students as resources and have been figuring out how to learn from each other. As such there is now a bridge between two worlds: the public and information based and the personal and structured (Thomas & Brown, 2011, p. 17-18). As such we looked at flexible and digital learning environments, MOOCs and sharing of resources as a way for students to learn and how the teacher is able to facilitate this.

This unit also emphasised that teachers need to be connected as well if they are to build effective pedagogies that utilise cutting edge and current technology. As such I reconnected with building a PLN restarting a Twitter account. At the same time I also learnt an extensive amount about digital curation as a result of the artefact assignment, a valuable skill to help students manage the resources they find on the web. I have been able to use the artefact I created to teach students about digital curation in Stage 6.

INF532 – KN Artefact from Karla O on Vimeo.

Library Management: Collection Development

My understanding of collection development has certainly expanded due to my study in ETL 503 and ETL 505. It is probably the one part of the role that is the most new and unfamiliar. Therefore I’m struggling to find an approach that works.

Cataloguing in ETL 505 was challenging but I appreciate how fundamental it is in understanding how to approach the organisation of the collection. It is important to reflect upon and evaluate the collection regularly because user needs change and the collection needs to maintain relevance if it is to be used. (Kennedy, 2006) Of particular focus in my practice has been deselection. My school’s fiction collection has not been weeded in over three years so it was important to be strategic in how I approached this with my staff. When on my Study Visit in Canberra earlier this year, one of the Librarians at The Australian National University was very practical in her approach to weeding and reminded us all that “part of a librarian’s heart is cold and black” and must be when weeding if the collection is to remain relevant and useful. I also had to explain this to the school staff as they saw trolley loads of books being taken to the skip bin or being sold at the bargain bin price of 50 cents. I tried to make light of it as many staff were mortified at the thought of books being thrown in the bin. I found this clip quite helpful:

SCIS Subject Headings was also something I found challenging. I feel it is valuable that all schools work within a “controlled language approach” (Schools Catalogue and Information Service [SCIS], 2016, pg 1) for subject access to the catalogue as it makes it transferable across schools and easier for students. There was a considerable amount of metalanguage that was also difficult to grasp. However, in my day to day workings as a TL I have been pushing for greater use of the search terminal, Oliver, and as such I have had to model how to search the catalogue and the benefit of subject headings in helping students to find resources, so without this subject I would have struggled to teach it.

My colleagues and I have had many discussions about the genrefication of the collection and the advantages and disadvantages of doing this. Whilst no firm decisions have been made in this regard I have lead the development of a new section called “Quick Reads.” This simple adjustment of the collection has already begun to attract “non-readers” who are trying to find “their kind of book” (Stiles, 2004, p 32).

This blog post highlights my learning and understanding of collection development. Much of that learning still holds true now. Writing the collection development policy for my school has been helpful in relation to this as it has provided a framework from which to consistently revise the collection and deselect anything that is not current. Writing the strategic directions was also useful. We wrote a direction that focused on developing the collection to ensure that it is current and useful to students and staff. I am still learning the intricacies of each of the KLA’s syllabi and have been working closely with Head Teacher and teaching staff to ensure the collection development policy and therefore collection, reflect their needs.

Lastly in this area of my practice, the development of the virtual collection has been a challenge. The library must ‘dismantle its walls’ and use the wider networked world as its new teaching space, rather than staying in its paper-based world (Lee, 2012). I conducted a survey with staff and students to ascertain their interest and willingness to use virtual resources. We have conducted several ebook/audiobook trials through Wheelers as well as a database trial with JSTOR. I have no firm perspective on this as yet and am still working to ascertain the benefits from staff but I am continuing to engage in discussion with various networks in order to keep abreast of ways in which to develop this area of our collection.

Leadership: The Role of the Teacher Librarian

ETL 504 was particularly influential for me throughout this degree. It held a great deal of resonance this year as I have relieved in the Teacher Librarian role in my school. It helped me to find a new vision, focus and motivation as I had become stale in my teaching practice and my desire to make a difference to young people. As such, it really helped to reinvigorate my teaching, how I view my role in public education and how I want the Teacher Librarian role to be viewed. It highlighted for me the shift that information professionals are trying to push for that moves the Teacher Librarian out of the familiar stereotypes and into the 21^st Century.

Key ideas in ETL 504 that I came to reflect upon in my learning included the diverse range of management styles and the complexities of working with a diverse range of people. Working with the Principal is a key aspect of leadership of the library as this collaboration, if done well, should ensure support for initiatives and promotion of the library and its value within a school (Haycock, 2007, p31).

It highlighted for me the necessity for the Teacher Librarian to be visible, model best practice, contribute to committees and provide professional development for staff. To ensure they maintain an evidenced based practice to validate the vision, goals and strategies they are implementing. To effectively lead change the Teacher Librarian needs to understand the present culture and work towards creating new values and vision with like-minded staff. Additionally, leading from the middle was something I felt could help with this as it would be good to draw out the leadership capabilities of the staff because there is something “about the power we all have to build something together that none of us can accomplish on our own” (Gottlieb, 2012, para 26). Ultimately however, to advocate for the library requires leadership and through advocacy comes stronger leadership skills (Toor and Weisberg, 2011, pg 28).

I have taken a very active approach in my role as Relieving Teacher Librarian to raise the profile of the library within the school. This has involved me being a constant, engaged presence in staff rooms by attending faculty meetings, participating in collegial discussion about their information literacy and collection needs and considering how best to facilitate that through team teaching. I have begun to involve the Principal and Deputy Principal in discussions about the planned changes for the library including the development of a collection development policy, strategic directions and professionally develop them as to the expectations they should have for the new generation of librarians. I have been working to raise the profile of the library through its student leaders. The Library Leader program has the students not only volunteering their time in the library several times a week but also that service being recognised on their school report.

Part C – Personal Reflection and Evaluation

In reflecting on the ALIA/ASLA professional standards, I feel I have demonstrated an ability to address these in the following ways:

Professional Knowledge

I have actively sought the opportunity to develop teaching and learning programs in the Library. Utilising my understanding of guided inquiry and information literacy from ETL 401, I have revised and redeveloped the teaching and learning programs in Year 7 Future Focused Learning and Year 8 Project Based Learning to more effectively follow a guided inquiry model. Additionally, I have produced a series of lessons explicitly teaching research and referencing skills to select classes in various KLAs across Stages 4-6.
I have demonstrated a capacity to learn and lead the use of new and cutting edge technologies to deliver teaching and learning programs that reflect best practice and support quality teaching. INF 532 was particularly useful in developing these skills. I familiarised myself with new web based tools that I could add to my existing technology experience and as such implemented a number of innovative methods of curriculum delivery designed to improve student engagement for 21^st Century learners. This has included redeveloping the online search terminal, implementing maker spaces and engaging with teachers and students in their classrooms through the BYOD program.

Professional Practice

I have actively sought out ways to develop and embed the library as a central learning hub within the school. I led professional development seminars for staff on accessing credible websites and databases and the APA referencing system whilst working in their classroom. I also undertook team teaching with various KLA teachers. I redesigned the layout of Oliver to include more specific, topical reading lists from which students could source credible information.
I have demonstrated highly developed interpersonal skills with a proven ability to work collaboratively within a team to support the development of high quality teaching and learning programs in the library. I am able to determine key content from the syllabus across KLAs and integrate technology across the breadth of curriculum. This has been through a collegial approach with Head Teachers and teaching staff. I have designed these for a range of performance and learning styles as well as a range of abilities including those with special learning needs through to gifted and talented students.

I have lead the upgrade of library facilities and physical resources.
- The recent renovation of the library has presented challenges in terms of space and resources. Through my learning in ETL 504 I have lead the library staff in ensuring the library remains a positive, inviting space that is flexible to the needs of the staff and students during this time.
- I have successfully lead the design and delivery of a library survey for staff and students to ascertain what the strengths and weaknesses of the library were in relation to the collection and services offered. A collection development policy, library handbook and strategic directions for 2020-2023 including a mission and vision statement have been developed in collaboration with the Head Teacher Secondary Studies, Principal and library staff to create improved transparency and accountability for all staff working in the library. My work from ETL 503 was imperative in gaining an understanding of these areas in order to implement these strategies.
- Other initiatives introduced in collaboration with various staff and students included: a book fair, student resource recommendation slips, student reviews, displays, an improved library leaders program, reader’s advisory, pop-up library, reading circles, book club, refinement of the library collection to enhance diversity and support the school’s DEAR initiative and PRC all of which have enhanced the profile of the library within the school.

Professional Commitment

I feel my actions in the above two areas have demonstrated that I am a hard working information specialist who is committed to extending my capabilities as a teacher and my commitment to the profession. That being said, I can continue to develop my knowledge and practice by extending my networks and drawing on and contributing to these to develop programs within the library. I also aim through my enthusiasm, dedication, care and commitment to build on school strategies and teach students the relevant skills they need to become independent and mature young people and to support this with relevant and engaging resources. I will strive to continue to develop and expand the library to continue to effectively support students and their differentiated learning needs.

The Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) course has been a worthwhile learning experience. At times it has been very demanding, particularly when juggling full time work, family and friends. I feel the long term benefits will outweigh these short term challenges however and allow me to have a new range of skills that I can contribute to my teaching for years to come.

References

Australian Library and Information Association. (2004). Standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians. Retrieved from Australian Library and Information Association website: https://www.alia.org.au/about-alia/policies-standards-and-guidelines/standards-professional-excellence-teacher-librarians

Combes, B. & Valli, R. (2007). Fiction and the 21^st century: a new paradigm? Cyberspace, D-world, e-learning: giving libraries and schools the cutting edge. The 2007 IASL Conference, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan

Floridi, L. (2007) A Look into the Future Impact of ICT on Our Lives. The Information Society, 23(1), 59-64, doi: 10.1080/01972240601059094

Gottlieb, H. (2012, October 30). Leading from the middle: Bringing out the best in everyone [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://creatingthefuture.org/leading-from-the-middle-bringing-out-the-best-in-everyone/

Guided Inquiry in Australia. (2015). The guided inquiry design process (GID). [Image]. Retrieved from https://guidedinquiryoz.edublogs.org/2015/12/20/welcome-to-the-new-look-australian-guided-inquiry-community-2/

Haycock, K. (2007). Collaboration: Critical Success Factors for Student Learning. School Libraries Worldwide, 13(1), 25-35.

Kennedy, J. (2006). Collection Management: A Concise Introduction. Wagga Wagga: Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University.

Lee, M. (2012). A library without books? Curriculum Leadership, 8(15).

O, K. (2019, May 1). INF 532 – KN Artefact [Video file]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/333498922

Olmos, K. (2018). ETL 401 – Assignment One – Part B. In A Novel Idea: the learning experiences, musings and resources from a beginning Teacher Librarian. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2018/03/04/etl-401-assignment-one-part-b/

Olmos, K. (2018). ETL 401 – Assignment One – Part C. In A Novel Idea: the learning experiences, musings and resources from a beginning Teacher Librarian. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2018/05/21/etl-401-part-c-reflective-practice/

Olmos, K. (2018). ETL 503 – Assignment 2 Part B. In A Novel Idea: the learning experiences, musings and resources from a beginning Teacher Librarian. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2018/05/20/etl-503-assignment-2-part-b/

Olmos, K. (2018). ETL 505 – Module 1 Reflection. In A Novel Idea: the learning experiences, musings and resources from a beginning Teacher Librarian. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2019/09/22/etl-505-module-1-reflection/

Olmos, K. (2018). Forum 1.1 Group 3 (Surnames N-Z). In A Novel Idea: the learning experiences, musings and resources from a beginning Teacher Librarian. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2018/05/20/forum-1-1-group-3-surnames-n-z/

Olmos, K. (2019). 4 big ideas around the connected educator. In A Novel Idea: the learning experiences, musings and resources from a beginning Teacher Librarian. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2019/04/12/4-big-ideas-around-the-connected-educator/

Olmos, K. (2019). A new culture of learning reading. In A Novel Idea: the learning experiences, musings and resources from a beginning Teacher Librarian. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2019/04/12/inf-532-a-new-culture-of-learning-reading/

Olmos, K. (2019). Connected and social learning. In A Novel Idea: the learning experiences, musings and resources from a beginning Teacher Librarian. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2019/04/12/connected-and-social-learning/

Olmos, K. (2019). Flexible learning and digital learning environments. In A Novel Idea: the learning experiences, musings and resources from a beginning Teacher Librarian. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2019/05/25/flexible-learning-and-digital-learning-environments/

Olmos, K. (2019). Globally connected educator –Apps I already use. In A Novel Idea: the learning experiences, musings and resources from a beginning Teacher Librarian. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2019/04/15/globally-connected-educator-apps-i-already-use/

Olmos, K. (2019). Open learning and resources. In A Novel Idea: the learning experiences, musings and resources from a beginning Teacher Librarian. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2019/05/25/open-resources-and-learning/

Olmos, K. (2019). The Connected Educator – Reflections. In A Novel Idea: the learning experiences, musings and resources from a beginning Teacher Librarian. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2019/04/12/the-connected-educator-reflections/

Olney, K. (2018, June 6). Let them go- a library weeding parody. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vo3BjYm8zM

Pixabay. (2019 August 29). Books in Black Wooden Book Shelf. [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.pexels.com/photo/books-in-black-wooden-book-shelf-159711/

Ragnarsson, G. & Olmos, K. (2019). CHS Library Handbook 2020.

Schools Catalogue and Information Service. (2016). Overview and principles of SCIS subject headings. Retrieved from Schools Catalogue and Information Service website: https://www.scisdata.com/media/1743/overview-and-principles-of-scis-subject-headings.pdf

Shenefiel, M. (2013, May 15). Guided Inquiry. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/66270188

Stiles, L. (2004). Shelf Shifters. School Library Journal 50(9), 32. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lih&AN=14407881&site=ehost-live

Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). Arc-of-Life learning. In A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change (pp. 17-33). Lexington, KY: CreateSpace

Toor, R., Weisburg, H. K., & Walter, V. A. (2010). Being indispensable : A school librarian’s guide to becoming an invaluable leader (epdf). Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

INF 532 – Assignment 3 Network Literacy Evaluative Report

27th May 2019karla_oAssignments / INF 532Leave a comment

Part A – Evaluative Statement

This report will provide a statement of the networked learning experiences documented whilst studying INF 532 – Knowledge Networking for Educators.

Olmos’ first blog post in response to De Saulles’ reading, attempted to identify the key characteristics that have stimulated the production of information on the web: Web 2.0 content and tools. Web 2.0, digital environments are now filled with content creators from all walks of life. This has changed the power relationship between what information is considered important and credible and whether that information should be freely available (e.g. newspaper subscriptions) (De Saulles, 2015, pg. 21). In reflecting on the Thomas & Brown reading, the author highlighted that learning happens anywhere and everywhere now and this has implications for schools and teaching. It raises questions about the future of information and how it is going to be produced, managed and shared.

In module 2, the author came to formulate an idea of what a connected educator is. Olmos worked through the formative activities linked with the Nussbaum-Beach and Hall (2010, pg. 13-21) reading and noted her minimal engagement as a connected educator. In reading Tolisano’s (2014, September 28) blog post, Olmos made some comments about her four ideas that make a connected educator. The key learning obtained was that it is possible to break through the isolation of the classroom and expand teaching and learning through the creation of a Professional Learning Network (PLN). These connect teachers with a range of individuals from all over the world. They can help them to gain new ideas and perspectives on the issues at hand. Individuals can also help others by sharing the knowledge that they have. It was from here that Olmos set-up a Twitter account and updated the aesthetic on the Thinkspace blog. The author attempted to engage with Twitter daily for the suggested 15 minutes per day and developed the curation of tweets by adding comments to re-tweets as she became more confident using the platform in the appropriate manner.

The author found Rheingold’s video rather dense and did not quite understand it. In looking at some of the other readings including Oddone (2016) the following key learnings resonated: a network is a collection of points that are connected through interactions. These can be linked to ties that make up the complete network. Understanding how this works is a necessary skill for educators to know and to teach their students. The latter half of the module that discussed MOOCs (Cormier, 2010, Dec 1) helped to develop an understanding of how this theory of network literacy could look in practice. The author considered some of the networks they are involved in, for example the ETA or Drama Peeps on Facebook. The relationships and learning that has occurred through those and how it has helped support the author’s teaching and learning was considered. Connecting with others adds value to our learning. There are different ways to do this and it is an essential skill that all 21^st Century learners need to develop.

The proposal for the Knowledge Network Artefact followed by Assignment 2 – Knowledge Network Artefact and Exegesis was a key aspect of the session to demonstrate several of the learning objectives of the unit including locating, evaluating and using a range of online tools and spaces for creative knowledge production and learner engagement, building on knowledge networking to strengthen school-based classroom engagement and instructional design (Morris, 2019, pg. 3). The author’s artefact was about content curation which was an area they were previously unfamiliar with prior to this module. A range of online tools was utilised including Powtoon, Screencastify, Vimeo, Pixabay, Pexels, CC Mixer as well as Windows Movie Maker to create the artefact. The artefact was also critiqued along with the artefacts of two other students in the course. Some of the key learnings in this module included that curation is the collection, maintenance and organisation of online sites, videos, images etc. There are various ways in which to do this: aggregation, distillation, elevation, mashup, chronology (Bhargava, 2011, para 7-11). It is something that can be done individually or collectively. By using the “loop” of seeking, sensing and sharing information new thinking can be embedded (Jarche, 2016, para 9) It is another way to become a connected educator.

In looking at ways to support connected learners in the classroom the case study Skype in the Classroom by Tolisano (2011-2013) and the Graphic Novel example by Miller (2013-2014) were used as examples. Olmos commented on the ways that formal and informal learning is taking place in the classroom and that creating connected learners needs to start with the learning opportunities teachers provide in the classroom. This involves connecting virtually with other educators or professionals who can help to give what is being taught greater meaning. It highlighted that learning in the connected world is never over and that the teacher’s role varies from teacher directed to teacher facilitated (Tolisano, 2013, para 3).

The module that explored instructional design discussed the language surrounding how it is described and the implications of it in the digital sphere. The author reflected on how much was personally being shared online and considered what digital learning may look like in schools in the future. The key learning gained was defining what flexible learning is and that it is important that teachers consider the type of instructional model depending on the needs of the class and what skills and learning is taking place.

Part B – Reflective Statement

In this subject a number of skills and understandings have been gained about becoming a globally connected educator. These have had an impact on my engagement as a teaching professional and will drive some of the personal goals and objectives I have as a Teacher Librarian.

Establishing and building a PLN.

Initially there was a reluctance to engage with blogging and the use of Twitter as part of this subject. Being from a generation where technology is seen as not something to be afraid of, may make this seem surprising. I have posted before about my previous experience with blogging and PLNs, including a very active Twitter presence and how the overwhelm was not achieving balance in my professional life.

Having had time away from these interactions for a few years and being, for want of a better word, forced to use the tools once again, the ill feelings towards this needed to be addressed. Participating cautiously this session did enable for some key learnings to be identified as a result:

Allocating time for social media interaction both personal and professional allows for feelings of engagement rather than overwhelm. It can be a constructive, purposeful use of time.
Tailoring the Twitter feed to include only teaching professionals has helped to keep the focus on professional engagement. Setting timers to limit the time scrolling aimlessly has also been a useful boundary.
Reflection through blogging has helped to formulate foundational understandings about the concepts being taught. This is something that would be beneficial to sustain when commencing as a Teacher Librarian.
Participating as a member of various networks on Facebook and curating resources on Pinterest has been both a supportive and constructive place from which to develop networks.

Utilising web tools for content curation and artefact development.

The course offered an opportunity to become aware of and use a range of unfamiliar web tools. This was particularly the case during Module 4 when learning about curation. I was not aware of Pinterest as a curation tool and have since learned about Pearl Trees, Symbaloo and Diigo. Other tools that were useful and could be utilised in the future included Screencastify, Powtoon and several of the attribution free image and music sites. It was apparent that there is a plethora of tools available to the connected educator as highlighted in the blog post from 23 Mobile Things. This blog post highlighted what was already being used but it was not possible to experiment with all of them during the session. Having an arsenal of tools means that learning and ideas can be expressed in different ways both through the PLN and the artefacts that are created (Oddone, 2017, para 4). This can now become a professional goal for the future.

Defining a globally connected educator.

A globally connected educator involves the individual and the collective. It is an individual who is part of a network. This network is a digital one that uses social media and web tools, such as blogs, to connect with other educators beyond the local school environment. In being part of this network they are not only educators but learners. Through the development of a personal learning network (PLN) the possibilities and dynamics of the classroom can change. Whilst PLNs are individualised for educators, collectively the concept of networked learning has implications for schools and classrooms everywhere. Today students are tech savvy and constantly connected. By redesigning learning opportunities and using the teacher’s experience of pedagogy and marrying that with the student’s enthusiasm for online networks, something revolutionary could occur within teaching and learning (Richardson & Mancabelli, 2011, pg. 7). Teachers are not going to feel equipped to manage this unless they themselves connect into the world of their students and PLNs are one way in which to do this.

Looking to the future. Leadership and the library.

Since returning to the digital networking sphere significant re-learning has had to take place as to the benefits of being a globally connected educator. Studying INF 532 has provided the opportunity to think about how to develop and improve as an educator within my own classroom practice and how this knowledge can be shared with colleagues through professional development. In considering how to be a leader in this area below are some goals to work towards both as a classroom teacher and Teacher Librarian:

Initiating professional development opportunities for staff to learn about Professional Learning Networks. This may include learning about social media engagement and/or blogging.
Initiating professional development opportunities for staff on digital learning environments and the structuring of pedagogy based on need.
Embed an activity as part of a unit to connect students with another classroom/expert using Skype or another videoconferencing platform. This could first be attempted individually and then shared with colleagues.
Initiate professional development opportunities for staff in relation to content curation and new web tools.
Embed a whole school approach to content curation to support student learning.

In moving forward, INF 532 has instilled a confidence in which to model what a globally connected educator is and does. To further learning as a networked educator it is important that this knowledge be shared with others and networked cultures be developed within schools.

References

Bhargava, R. (2011, March 31). The five models of content curation [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.rohitbhargava.com/2011/03/the-5-models-of-content-curation.html

Cormier, D. (2010, December 8). What is a MOOC? [Video]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/eW3gMGqcZQc

De Saulles, M. (2012). New models of information production. In Information 2.0: new models of information production, distribution and consumption. Facet Publishing. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2EyfZk4

Holmquist, J., Barwick, K., & Joseph, M. (2013). 23mobilethings: Exploring the potential of mobile tools for delivering library services. Retrieved from http://23mobilethings.net/wpress/

Jarche, H. (2013).Closing the learning-knowledge loop. In Harold Jarche Work is learning & learning is work. Retrieved from http://www.jarche.com/2013/01/pkm-in-2013/

Miller, S. (2014). Stan Mack and Susan Champlin Teach The 4th Graders About Writing And Drawing A Graphic Novel. In The Library Voice A place to be heard through creating, technology, connecting, reading, collaborating and noise. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2JGeW5S

Morris, G. (2019). Knowledge Networking for Educators. [INF532_201930Subject Outline]Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://bit.ly/2WbSgBa

Nussbaum-Beach, S., & Hall, L. R. (2012). Defining the connected educator. In The connected educator: Learning and leading in a digital age (pp. 3-24). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Oddone, K. (2016, September 5). Networks, networking and network literacy – Part 1 [Blogpost]. Retrieved from https://www.linkinglearning.com.au/what-is-network-literacy-and-is-it-important/

Oddone, K. (2017, April 12). Personalised learning through the PLN [Blogpost]. Retrieved from https://www.linkinglearning.com.au/personalised-learning-through-the-pln/

Olmos, K. (2019, April 12). INF 532 – A new culture of learning reading [Blogpost]. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2019/04/12/inf-532-a-new-culture-of-learning-reading/

Olmos, K. (2019, April 12). INF 532 – Philosophy of information [Blogpost]. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2019/04/12/inf-532-philosophy-of-information/

Olmos, K. (2019, April 12). The connected educator – reflection [Blogpost]. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2019/04/12/the-connected-educator-reflections/

Olmos, K. (2019, April 12). 4 big ideas around the connected educator [Blogpost]. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2019/04/12/4-big-ideas-around-the-connected-educator/

Olmos, K. (2019, April 12). Connected and social learning [Blogpost]. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2019/04/12/connected-and-social-learning/

Olmos, K. (2019, April 15). Globally connected educator – Apps I already use [Blogpost]. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2019/04/15/globally-connected-educator-apps-i-already-use/

Olmos, K. (2019, May 1). INF532 – Knowledge network artefact [Blogpost]. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2019/05/01/inf532-knowledge-network-artefact/

Olmos, K. (2019, May 25). Critiques of knowledge network artefacts – Karla, Karen and Tanya [Blogpost]. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2019/05/25/critiques-of-knowledge-network-artefacts-karla-karen-and-tanya/

Olmos, K. (2019, May 25). Supporting connected learner [Blogpost]. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2019/05/25/supporting-connected-learners/

Olmos, K. (2019, May 25). Open resources and learning [Blogpost]. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2019/05/25/open-resources-and-learning/

Olmos, K. (2019, May 25). Flexible learning and digital learning environments [Blogpost]. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/anovelidea/2019/05/25/flexible-learning-and-digital-learning-environments/

Olmos, K. (2019, May 27). Twitter feed [Screenshot] Retrieved from https://twitter.com/anovelidea4

Powell, A. (2019, January 7). Man Taking Photo Of His Reflection On Mirror While Being Surrounded With Lights. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2HDzidy

Richardson, W., & Mancabelli, R. (2011). The power of networked learning. In Personal learning networks : using the power of connections to transform education (pp. 1-14). Moorabbin, Victoria : Solution Tree Press.

Tolisano, S. (2014, September 28). 4 big ideas around the connected educator [Blogpost]. Retrieved from http://langwitches.org/blog/2014/09/28/4-big-ideas-around-the-connected-educator/

Tolisano, S. (2013, November 21). Amplifying learning opportunities – Part III of literature circles [Blogpost]. Retrieved from http://www.curriculum21.com/2013/11/amplifying-learning-opportunities-part-iii-of-literature-circles/

Ungaro, F. (2019, May 8). Underwater Photography. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2YOKEkM

Connected and Social Learning

12th April 201925th May 2019karla_oINF 532 / Reflections2 Comments

To finish off the module there were some questions about connected and social learning:

How important is connected learning to you?
How do you blend the ‘social’ with the ‘educational’?

This module has helped me to reconnect with the reasons why I started a PLN way back in 2011. It has helped me to reflect on my reasons for closing my PLN down. Ultimately though, I do believe, being connected to other educators outside of your school helps to keep you fresh and innovative. I think about the three years since I closed my PLN down and I wonder if the feelings I have had of not being inspired by my work would have been alleviated if I had remained active in my online community. It’s hard to say because life happens, but it may have. I do worry now about blending my social online world with my educational one. I think that was what was happening somewhat for me. I had a personal account on Facebook but I also had one for my blog. My personal time was being taken up with online social interactions for work and I was resenting how much time this was taking. Upon reflection, perhaps by making clearer boundaries with which platforms I am using for my PLN and which are being used socially, may make me feel better about starting a PLN again. Also, setting a specific time per day to work on my PLN might be useful but as we’re talking about very fluid technologies and times I’m not sure how practical that will be. I will keep experimenting and see.

Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels

4 Big Ideas Around the Connected Educator

12th April 201925th May 2019karla_oINF 532 / Reflections1 Comment

The next reading I had to look at was a slide show by Tolisano (2014) and a blog post that was connected to it. In this she discusses four key ideas about the connected educator:

Local Isolation
Gaining Perspective
Data Crowdsource Resources
Model for Students

From this, I need to address a couple of questions. They are:

How essential are the 4 ideas around being a connected educator and how do they relate to being a globally connected educator?
How would you present this to your colleagues/staff in your school/institution?
What reaction would you get from them? Why?
Is there anything you could add?

From my understanding of Tolistano’s reading, the four ideas she explores relate to becoming a globally connected educator in several ways: the nature of teaching is that we are often isolated in our classrooms. This feeling can act as a catalyst to either seek out connection or not. I think for young, tech-savvy staff, reaching out online for resources at least is second nature. Collaborating through those tools may not be as common. For older staff I think this would be challenging. It would be important to try to pitch this idea as not being extra work. I’m not sure how much buy in they would have initially. I have often found though, that if you chip away and particularly if you model successful strategies and guide them through how to do it they may be able to emulate it in their classroom. There are so many demands on teachers that they need to feel like this is worthwhile. When the pressure is on to achieve results sometimes these kinds of tasks get left by the wayside for more traditional methods that will ensure they learn the content for the exam. At the same time, I think we’re losing sight of the skill set students need and as such becoming a globally connected educator and modelling some of these strategies in the classroom would be helpful to preparing them for the real world.

Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

The Connected Educator – Reflections

12th April 2019karla_oINF 532 / ReflectionsLeave a comment

There were a series of readings and activities in Module 2 that I was required to complete. Here are my thoughts:

Nussbaum-Beach & Hall Reading:

Have you moved beyond co-operation? What role is collaboration playing in your professional learning and your practice? What’s new and different about collaboration for 21st Century learners?

I would say much of our faculty planning looks like co-operation but probably gets labelled as collaboration. That being said, the characteristic of working together to solve a problem I think is something that is being done at a faculty level. But the loss of group members, and utilising individual talents does not have an impact on programming.

For a time I was collaborating when I had my previous PLN but I consciously shut it all down about three-four years ago after I had a bit of a professional crisis in relation to it and questioned the value it had for me professionally. Despite my reservations, at the moment I am working on rebuilding connections but in a new field – Teacher Librarianship and trying to learn from my previous experience and mistakes. I am finding it hard as I want to create a delineation between my work and home life but I am still dipping my toe back into the water nonetheless.

Social media creates a bit of a safety barrier to approach other teaching professionals about areas in education you would like to discuss. The irony is, that once those barriers are crossed they come down completely and it is quite easy to communicate with relative strangers about topics of common interest. I made friends with an educator in St Louis, USA. He came out to Australia for the Google Educators Conference and I hosted him in my home as a result. It was a cool experience!

Are you multiliterate? Of these literacies, which is most surprising to you? Which do you find least and most challenging?

The literacies that were identified in the survey taken were:

Facilitate and inspire learning and creativity
Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments
Model digital-age working and learning
Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility
Engage in professional growth and leadership

To some extent I am multi-literate. I am doing some of the things needed to promote digital tools and collaborative learning but I could be doing more. The most surprising to me was engaging in professional growth and leadership. In terms of how the questions were phrased and my current practice I thought I was doing an OK job at this but apparently I am not advocating for these skills and tools. However I am only a term into the TL role so this may change over the course of the year.

I think there are several challenges relating to these literacies. The syllabi and the time given to develop meaningful teaching and learning activities that incorporate these skills. The inequity of access to computers, laptops and portable devices. The levels of competency and willingness amongst staff to get on board with using the tools. In theory the statements are rather idealistic and do not necessary reflect the capabilities of all school contexts and systems.

We’ve described how we think about the connected educator? Take a moment to reflect on your understanding. How are our perspectives alike? How are they different.

I would concur with much of how this reading portrays a connected educator (2012, pg 19):

Is a co-learner, co-creator, co-leader
Is self-directed
Is open-minded
Is transparent in thinking
Is dedicated to the ongoing development of expertise
Commits to deep reflection
Engages in inquiry
Values and engages in a culture of collegiality
Shares and contributes
Commits to understanding gained by listening and asking good questions
Explores ideas and concepts, rethinks, revises and continuously repacks and unpacks, resisting urges to finish prematurely
Exhibits the courage and initiative to engage in discussions on difficult topics
Engages in strengths based appreciative approaches
Demonstrates mindfulness
Displays a willingness to experiment with new strategies

How this differs is that these bullet points characterise an ideal connected individual. The challenge is getting staff on board with this model and up skilling them.