Thoughts

Part 3: Reflection

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(Altmann, 2017)

As I begin to formulate my final post for this subject and complete my degree, I find myself being quite reflective. It is both rewarding and satisfying that I am finishing this course with INF506 as it is a timely reminder that I am an information professional and have a responsibility to lead my community. When I first embarked on this learning journey, I remember being exposed to the multiple hats that a teacher librarian wears. Such hats demonstrate the role’s diversity and complexity. It is through this subject that I have discovered yet another element of and layer to this role. I have learnt that as an informational professional one needs to be open and responsive to the environment, trends and innovations of the time for a library to be relevant and to successfully meet the needs of its users.

In this new age of information, Leonhard’s (2016) film on change discusses the new way of working is to embrace technology rather than becoming it. It questions and challenges how one will discover opportunities and respond to one of the most transformational times in human history. I believe that a major influence causing such transformations in society is technology. As mentioned in my Facebook Activity 2 post, studying 25 years ago and studying presently are vastly different processes which highlight just how much of an impact technology has had on the way society and people operate (O’Keefe 2022a). Westcott (2022) and Vitnall (2022) discuss how mobile technology has made it very easy to access and search for information and how as a society we have become very reliant on such technologies. Mundy’s (2022) post examines social media and the impact it can have on organisations when utilising it as a tool to market, interact and communicate with its users. It is clear that technology plays an important role in a society that is data rich, data reliant and data driven (Marin et al., 2021). Although accessed, used and created for different purposes technology’s influence is positive and one that has allowed society to evolve over time. It is almost hard to consider where we would be without it.

Social media is a product of such change and a widespread tool used by over 4.2 billion people (Kemp 2021). Through this subject I have discovered that there are many and varied platforms that could serve a purpose for informational professionals. My eyes have been opened to new possibilities and the potential of social media networks. As an alternative path to connect, communicate, create, share and interact with information (Nisar et al., 2019) I can see community social media sites like Instagram, Facebook and even Tik Tok being beneficial and relevant to students, parents and the wider community. These platforms can promote, enhance engagement, encourage collaboration and provide a quality service. While not limited to, the likes of Twitter, Linkedin and blogs offer more professional conversations, development and networking.

This subject has expanded my Professional Learning Networks (PLNs). I am now using social media sites to inform practice, connect and build relationships with other informational professionals. As outlined in my OLJ Post 9, I expressed the need to reconsider my PLNs and how I engage with them to find that balance (O’Keefe, 2022c). Becoming more active rather than being a passive reader will help develop my PLNs. Moving forward I reflect on Seewald’s (2022) words of wisdom of recognising that one cannot take everything on board at once. Being more selective so that circumstance and purpose are the focus will enhance my learning, understanding and connections.

While social media presents many opportunities Module 5 reinforced that privacy across such systems is a potential challenge in this space. Due to the design of such networks with user generated content being produced, two-way communication and the sheer volume of users, privacy and the protection and security of information are essential (Crocco et al., 2020). Therefore, careful consideration needs to be awarded to the designing and development as well as the maintenance of such sites. Social media policies and procedures need to be in place to ensure that a safe, relevant and a successful environment is created.

Not only are privacy and security a concern so too is the ethical use and distribution of information. Research suggests that there is a misalignment between the law and social media practices when content is being distributed and consumed (Meese & Hagedom, 2019). As an informational professional one of the key responsibilities is to ensure that ethical use of information is understood and developed. Similarly, the teaching of digital literacy on how to access, search and use information is integral. Building an awareness of one’s digital identify is equally as important.

In my first OLJ post, I began by writing that I had recently decided to have a break from social media (O’Keefe, 2022b). What I can now see is that decision was rather ignorant on my part. Although personally I may not wish to delve into this world as much as I have in the past, the professional benefits have been explored and identified. However, with that said what occurs behind the scenes when utilising these platforms is still concerning. Pondering the question posed in Module 6, ‘Where will your journey take you?’, I would like to think that in terms of social media I will not ignore but rather embrace the opportunities it presents. In so doing, this will lead to the development of active and evolving policies and procedures to ensure a secure environment is established. I believe education is key in order to equip users with the skills and competencies to interact with such mediums. As a professional I hope to continue to evolve, create, adopt and collaborate to become a teacher librarian who is relevant and who strives to remain current in providing an excellent service that meets the needs of its users.

References

Altmann, G. (2017). [polaroid social media icons]. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/illustrations/icon-polaroid-blogger-rss-app-2486501/

Crocco, M. S., Segall, A., Halvorsen, A. -L., Stamm, A., & Jacobsen, R. (2020). “It’s not like they’re selling your data to dangerous people”: Internet privacy, teens and (non-) controversial public issues. Journal of Social Studies Research, 44(1), 21-33.

Kemp, S. (2021, January 27). Digital 2021: The latest insights into the ‘state of digital’. We are Social. https://wearesocial.com/uk/blog/2021/01/digital-2021-the-latest-insights-into-the-state-of-digital/

Leonhard, G. [Gerd Leonhard]. (2016, May 11). Digital transformation: Are you ready for exponential change? Futurist keynote speaker Gerd Leonhard [Video]. You Tube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ystdF6jN7hc

Marin, V. I., Carpenter, J. P., & Tur, G. (2021). Pre-service teachers’ perceptions of social media data privacy policies. British Journal of Educational Technology, 52(2), 519-535. https:/doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13035

Meese, J., & Hagedorn, J. (2019). Mundane content on social media: Creation, circulation and the copyright problem. Social Media + Society, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305119839190

Mundy, K. [kendall.mundy]. (2022, March 25). OLJ task 4: Reflections on the impact of change. Journalling Through My Masters of Education. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/kendall/2022/03/25/olj-task-4-reflections-on-the-impact-of-change/

Nisar, T. M., Prabhakar, G., & Strakova, L. (2019). Social media information benefits, knowledge management and smart organizations. Journal of Business Research, 94, 264-272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.05.005

O’Keefe, A. [Alison O’Keefe]. (2022a, March 6). It actually blows my mind to see how far technology has evolved in the last 20 something years. [Comment on the Facebook post Facebook Activity 2]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/263092359252292

O’Keefe, A. [AOK]. (2022b, February 25). OLJ task 1 (module 1) Social media and society journal task analysis. Reflections. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/aok1/2022/02/25/olj-task-1-social-media-and-society-journal-task-analysis/

O’Keefe, A. [AOK]. (2022c, April 20). OLJ task 9 (module 3) PLN adoption. Reflections. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/aok1/2022/04/20/olj-task-9-module-3-pln-adoption/

Seewald, A. [angela.seewald]. OLJ post 9: PLN adoption (module 3). Seoul Learning. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/angseewald/2022/05/02/olj-post-9-pln-adoption-module-3/

Vitnall, J. [jye_vitnell]. (2022, March 19). OLJ task 3: Mobile exploration. Reading is what? Fundamental! My learning and reflective journey to becoming a teacher librarian. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jyesjourney/2022/03/19/olj-task-3-mobile-exploration/

Wescott, R. [rachaelwestcott]. (2022, May 12). Surfing the web.  INF506 Reflective Journal. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/inf506reflectivejournal/2022/05/12/surfing-the-web/

Changing Percpetions

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I have always wanted to be recognised but what I now realise is active involvement, risk taking, initiative and confidence is required in order for this to happen.

Operating within the comfort zone of the known is not always the best approach and certainly doesn’t leave room for change which is needed in order to evolve and remain current. As society, technology and the needs of the 21st Century learners change so too must libraries and Teacher Librarians. Moving from a traditional structure or function of a library, housing books, to one where libraries are the central hub of the school, Teacher Librarians are unique in the fact that they have the ability to connect with staff, students and the wider community on many levels. Collaboration and involvement in curriculum planning, whole school events and initiatives, embracing and implementing new practices and current trends, risk taking, providing and promoting a service that meets the needs of its users  makes the Teacher Librarian an integral member of the community, not just the book keeper.

One needs to be visible in order to be recognised.

Leadership, My Initial Thoughts

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I have never really thought of becoming a leader or considered myself as one. So as I begin this subject, I know that I have a lot to learn and explore as I investigate ‘Teacher Librarian as a Leader.’

There are many ways to view what leadership is and what qualities a leader possess. Generating thought around this topic, has led to the following Acrostic poem.

Learning leader,

Educator within education.

Adventurous, acknowledging,

Decision making all part and parcel.

Evolving, your purpose, what you are responsible for.

Risk taking an element of

Servant leadership.

Hierarchy, a power structure of which you are a member.

Initiating projects and plans, seeing the potential.

Personable, a desirable quality, to lead.

I am assuming that not matter what form or type of leadership you are involved in that there would be similarities throughout organisations and leadership roles within.

Encouraged to join the Teacher Librarian Diigo group, I started to immerse myself in the literature around this topic. I found myself drawn to Smith’s blog post ‘What is Leadership?’ in relation to school librarians due to the fact that it was not defined with a definition but rather explained through real life examples of what leadership can look like in practice. The acknowledgment that, “leaders do not have to do or know everything” (Smith 2020), is somewhat comforting as I evolve as a Teacher Librarian. Instead leadership is about recognising a need and working with others to fulfil that need.

Being the first time I started reading about leadership and exploring the terminology around it, in this particular case, I found the terms to describe leadership both thought provoking and relevant. In the first subject of this course we were asked, “What is the role of a Teacher Librarian?’ to which my response was, not one dimensional and complex. Just like Braxton’s blog ‘500 Hats’ (n.d.), which explores the many hats a Teacher Librarian wears, through this blog post, I can see that a Teacher Librarian as leader is multifaceted and has varying layers of responsibility.  Smith explains that in order to evolve as an organisation, leaders need to become uncomfortable by putting oneself out there and convincing others of your vision or the need, to make change. Recognising potential in others to help fulfil that vision or need and acknowledging teamwork throughout the journey is what leadership is all about.  Once a task is accomplished or a need has been met that provokes change then as a leader you will feel rewarded. 

As I move through this subject I am sure there will be many more terms, ideas, characteristics, strategies, approaches and practices that will emerge. Watch this space!

References

Braxton, B., (n.d.). 500 hats the teacher librarian in the 21st century. Retrieved from https://500hats.edublogs.org/

Smith, D., (2020, February 26). What is leadership? [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/what-is-leadership/.

Who would have thought!

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My feeling of apprehension at the beginning of this subject has subsided and I am now feeling a sense of accomplishment and joy. Something that seemed so out of reach at the beginning, slowly, step by step, has come together. As mentioned before, the more I read the more time I wanted to invest and investigate.

Having an understanding of research, the purpose and the processes that go with it has given me the tools for future endeavours within my own community as well as sense of appreciation for research.

Quantitative Road

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Concepts can be referred to as the building blocks of theory and research (Bryman, 2016). One does not do research for research sake. Social research pertains to academic research on topics relating to issues/questions relevant to the social scientific fields. Research is undertaken because there is some aspect (gap) in our understanding of a social scenario, where there are inconsistencies or an issue is unresolved. My existing knowledge, enhanced by the literature reviews and coupled with my passion for students to be physically active, provided the impetus for my educational research project. Such research can contribute to our knowledge of an educational theory and inform best practice.

Educational research is a systematic investigation. It has 3 distinguishing features, namely it must be systematic, rigorous, and empirical. There are formal procedures throughout the investigation, protocols in place to reduce and control bias and it relies on data that are tangible (McMillan & Wergin, 2010). Research does not exist in its own bubble. There is an interconnectedness between theory and research. Theory provides a framework for the understanding of social phenomena and the interpretation of findings (Bryman, 2016).  Researchers can adopt Deductive or Inductive theory measures (Best & Kahn, 2013, McMillian & Schumacher, 2014). With a deductive approach the researcher draws on what is known in a particular domain, deduces a hypothesis and then scrutinizes it.

Other factors that impinge on social research are epistemological and ontological orientations. Can the social world be examined following the principles of the natural sciences (positivism) or through interpretivism which reflects the distinctiveness of humans  in regards to natural order? (Ary, Cheser Jacobs, Soreson Irvine & Walker, 2018, & Bryman, 2016). How researchers view the dynamics of societal formation and interaction, whether they hold an objectivism or constructionist ontological position, will also impact on the way research questions are formulated and the manner in which research is conducted.

Leanings towards a particular theoretical approach to research, one’s beliefs on how the social world should be studied and how one construes social reality will in general determine the use of a quantitative or qualitative research strategy. Most academic educational research lends itself to a quantitative approach. As a research strategy it is deductivist, and objectivist and incorporates a natural science model of the research process (positivism) (Ary et al., 2018, Bryman, 2016 & McMillian & Wergin, 2010). Such an approach aligns with my beliefs about research. Consequently a quantitative approach will be taken with my research.

McMillan & Wergin (2010) advocates that the question to be examined will drive the methodology that is most appropriate and that most research encompasses the following methodology framework (Ary et al., 2018). Put simply there are 6 areas to be considered:

  1. Frame or pose the initial concern
  2. Determine and extensively review previous literature pertaining to the problem
  3. Formulate a specific and focused question
  4. Design and implement a plan for collecting data
  5. Analyse and interpret such data
  6. Make conclusions

Within this structure the concept of academic achievement has to be measured, through the collection and analysis of data, and this measurement should generate consistent results. Reliability, the consistency of a measure of the concept, and Validity, whether a measure of a concept is a true measure, are determining factors to the quality and rigor of the experiment (McMillian & Schumacher, 2014). When an experimental design is being employed causality, is more often than not, a key component. In educational research correlation between variables is the consideration; what are the interconnections. Quantitative researchers are rarely concerned with the how rather with the why (Bryman, 2016). Generalisation, findings going beyond the particular context, is also integral to this type of research. Adding to the store of knowledge and its consequent application to practice underpins quantitative research. Teachers are always searching for techniques to improve student outcomes and to facilitate enthusiasm and confidence in learning.

References

Ary, D., Cheser Jacobs, L., Soresen Irvine, C. K., & Walker, D.  (2018). Introduction to research in education. (10th ed.). Boston : Cengage.

Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods. (5th ed.). Oxford, UK: OUP.

McMillan, J. H., & Schumacher, S. (2014). Research in education: Pearson new international edition: Evidence-based inquiry. EBSCOhost Ebooks.

McMillan, J. H., & Wegin, J. F. (2010). Introduction to reading education research. In Understanding and evaluating educational research (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ : Pearson/Merrill.

Terminology around Research

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WORDS, WORDS & MORE WORDS

Who would have thought that to just read an article or journal paper you would need the glossary from your subject textbook open at all times just to get through the first few paragraphs.

As I slowly wrap my head around the terminology in this subject, my understanding of key concepts and terms are starting to develop. Quantitive, qualitative and mixed methods approach, experimental and controlled trials, sampling, standardised and non standardised testing, acute, longitudinal and intervention studies, indicators and analysis are all words that are becoming second nature to me the more I read and research my topic. Although very time consuming, the more I read the more I want to find out, which is something I never thought would happen. A take home for me and my students at this point is the need and importance for organisation when researching. Having a table to jot down important information about each journal is a must as once the reading stage begins, without this, remembering what you have read where or what is relevant is impossible.

What is interesting is the different approaches that researches have when researching. Am I researcher that leans more towards quantitative or qualitative research methods? Or am I someone that is drawn to a mixed method approach? Who knows. Only time will tell.