INF533- Module 1: Reflections & Tasks

Module 1: Reflections & Tasks

This module introduces the pros and cons for digital and physically printed literacy utilising some excellent videos and articles.

In particular, I was drawn to the article ‘What is a book in the digital age’ by Her comparison of eBooks and pBooks (printed books) in modern day, contains both pros and cons for each print-type, rather than just spruiking the benefits of eBooks, as is common in so many articles. She also takes the time to explain why young adults and children may not feel the same nostalgia for print books as their older counterparts- largely (though it sounds obvious once it’s written down) because they have not had the same enriched experiences as the older generations with print. Many young people have grown up with immediate and constant access to digital technology and so have not developed a fondness or even a relationship with printed media. Some academics initially coined the term ‘digital natives’ for these generations of digitally plugged-in children, but have since withdrawn and arguably disproved this notion throughout various studies.

I adored the animation ‘How fiction can change reality’ and its reminder to respect the classics but always try something new. Personally, there are few ‘classics’ that I have read as I find them clunky and old-world in a way that I can’t connect to. My dad and I had a conversation about Tom Sawyer and he was shocked that I hadn’t ever read it in school- it was a staple during his education- and that I had no interest in picking it or Moby Dick up. He was also forced to read Sense and Sensibilities at school, a classic that he despised for various reasons. It wasn’t until we unravelled that he had no connection or interest in the period, characters or plot, that he was able to understand my lack of interest in a story like Tom Sawyer. I understand that the classics hold important lessons, but so do modern texts which have, more often than not, admittedly borrowed from classics, but wrap the lesson in a more relatable setting.

Lamb (2011) discusses the modern definition of ‘reading’ and ‘books’ and all those terms can encompass. I believe that reading can include graphics, audio embellishment and interactivity on a digital scale. All of these things, though not necessarily part of a traditional ‘book’ or ‘reading’ experience, help construct a story, enrich world building and contribute to ongoing literacy skills. I am a big fan of the graphic novel and its ability to engage reluctant readers. Admittedly, Lamb (2011) acknowledges the potential difficulties in utilising these mediums (resource availability, cost, skill requirements, technical difficulties and transfer of skills) but is clear in her support engaging with these different styles of reading may be the key to nurturing life-long readers into the future

Joe Sabia: The technology of storytelling is a brilliant example of how storytelling has evolved and is continuing to do so!

Module 1.2 Task

Discussion Forum: Evaluating digitally reproduced stories

After completing the above readings, consider Walsh’s chapter, and share your knowledge, understanding and experiences with digital narratives in the subject forum. What are the key points of synergy that you have encountered? What are the differences?

Add your comments in the Subject Forum.

I have seen digital narratives utilised, largely in a K-2 setting, as a whole class study and as part of small group rotations. Prior to independent work, all students should be introduced to the traditional concepts of reading to provide them with a supportive launch pad into literacy (Walsh, 2013). With a focus on picture books and early readers, I have noticed the necessity for the inclusion of audio help or a read-to button, which helps students identify new words, how they are pronounced and, sometimes what they mean. Additionally, there are options to change text style, size and colour to cater to individual needs and to change the voices, volume and reading speed. However, these programs do not offer decoding strategies for students to build on.

Throughout the use of digital literature, it remains the duty of the educator to ensure the quality of the text, as in traditional resourcing. This includes ensuring the language used is related directly to the visuals and the pronunciations must be in a relatively local dialect to be useful eg Australian English versus the UK or US English. Additionally, all content must, in some way, relate to syllabus and curriculum documentation so students are working towards an achievable goal while enjoying, engaging and interacting with quality texts (Walsh, 2013).

Walsh, M. (2013). Literature in a digital environment (Ch. 13). In L. McDonald (Ed.), A literature companion for teachers. Marrickville, NSW: Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA).  https://doms.csu.edu.au/csu/file/863c5c8d-9f3f-439f-a7e3-2c2c67ddbfa8/1/ALiteratureCompanionforTeachers.pdf

Module 1.3 Task

Discussion Forum: Trends in digital literature

Undertake some reading and research to find further evidence and/or information about the developments and new directions in digital literature. What issues have emerged for you?

Share your ideas in the forum, and add links to the Knowledge Networks diigo space. Be sure to add INF533 as one of the tags.

I found a brilliant TED talk I found via Diigo: The essential elements of digital literacies: Doug Belshaw at TEDxWarwick – YouTube

The concept of ‘digital literacies’ as plural, rather than a sequenced model targeting one type of literacy, seemed strange to me at first, possibly because I have worked in education systems that spruik the one ‘digital literacy plan’ (to rule them all!). When I understood that there are different types of literate eg social, civic, critical etc, as discussed in the video, it made more sense, as did the ‘remixing’ Belshaw (TEDx Talks, 2012) describes. Additionally, I enjoyed the idea of finding a common ground between ‘important issues’ and ‘areas of interest’ to develop digital literacies- any teacher knows that planning around student interests usually gains the most engagement, as people want to enjoy what they are learning about.

A common concern I found throughout the literature, was the suspicion that rural schools will encounter difficulties in adapting to these new types of literature (Herold, 2015; Salemink, Strijker & Bosworth, 2015). These concerns arose primarily due to isolation, lack of resources and lack of technical support and staff specialising in ICT and digital literature. Additionally, ongoing support and training for staff will be necessary to maintain useful programs that are relevant to student learning and the curriculum.

References

TEDx Talks (2012, March 22). The essential elements of digital literacies: Doug Belshaw at TEDxWarwick [Video] Youtube.

Herold, B. (2015, July 29). Freedom to experiment presents challenges for school innovation networks. Education week, 34(37), 10-11.

Lamb, A. (2011). Reading redefined for a transmedia universe. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(3), 12-17. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=67371172&site=ehost-live

Salemink, K., Strijker, D. & Bosworth, G. (2015, September 26). Rural development in the digital age: A systematic literature review on unequal ICT availability, adoption, and use in rural areas. Journal of Rural Studies, 54, 360-371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2015.09.001

INF533 and COVID

Welcome back!

The world is still in turmoil over COVID, jobs are still in question and Melbourne has, as of midnight last night, returned to quarantine as a whole. Things are mad but, luckily, the Central Coast seems to retain it’s relaxed stance on just about everything while remaining socially distanced enough to avoid a secondary outbreak… for now.

This semester I am studying INF533- Literature in Digital Environments. I am curious about this course and how it can apply to libraries. Will it be all pro-digital literacy or will it investigate the benefits of both eBooks and printed books?

As for myself, I continue to move between digital literature and physical as I proudly display my novel collection in my home, in my photographs and on my bedside table. At the same time, I keep my Kindle and my phone open to digital novels for those times I need to read on-the-go and cannot tote around a satchel of printed work (I am not excessively strong or coordinated, of which both is needed to successfully maneuver a book on a moving bus).

 

ETL504- Assessment 2, Part B

I have developed my understanding of different leadership styles, even into the final assessment, throughout this course. The easiest styles for me to understand were distributed leadership (Biviano, 2020, March 16) and transformational leadership (Bales, 2020, March 16) as I have experienced leaders who favoured these styles and some of the benefits of each. I have learned, however, that a school is run on varying styles and cannot be run effectively utilising just one leadership style.

TLs are in the perfect position to lead from the middle (Digital Promise, 2016) as distributive leaders in a transformational environment and it is vital that they lead to maintain relevance in future-facing schools (Biviano, 2020, March 16). Adapting a collaborative approach to teaching and learning as a result of ELT504 (Bales, 2020, April 17), I have begun to develop my distributed leadership skills through offering to help collaborate on ongoing and new programs. In the future, I will begin to carefully implement a servant leadership style to support teachers, without allowing my role or intentions to be taken advantage of (Biviano, 2020, May 23).

Throughout this course, I have been introduced to the SWOT and GAP analysis (Mindtools, 1996-2007), which was recommended for use in the group response to Case Study 4 (Group 8, 2020, May 8). As a result, I have already distributed SWOT analysis’ to staff members at my school to determine their understanding of the library’s role and gather suggestions for improvement and opportunities. This has been invaluable in developing a strategic plan, alongside my principal for the library.

Throughout the case studies, teamwork evolved organically to problem solve and submit work on time. Group 8 was made up of positive, collaborative workers who fell into an easy rhythm after the first group study (Biviano, 2020, May 23). Initial challenges included a hesitance to take over, which delayed a start on Case Study 3, and uncertainty on how to begin. I suggested splitting into pairs and addressing one main topic per pair and other group members took on distributive roles in determining the pairs (Harris, 2010), while an instructional role was utilised in assigning topics (University of Washington, 2015) with the understanding that in the following case study topics would be allocated through expertise (Biviano, 2020, April 17). Assigning topics for this study was necessary to get work started. I would utilise this style of leadership, initially, to support staff in engaging with new information and transition into distributed leadership when looking to develop programs once the core information has been understood.

As part of a collaborative reflection in the discussion boards, it was determined that we need to establish a timetable for future case studies to support timely learning. I found this very useful in Case Study 4 but, it was not utilised in Case Study 5 due to time constraints. This was difficult for me to adapt to and, as such, I missed conversations and feedback and the final product lacked the collaborative construction of previous case studies (Biviano, 2020, May 23).

 

References

Bales, J. (2020, March 14-25). Module 2: Week 2: Primary [Online discussion comment]. Interact 2 ETL504. https://interact2.csu.edu.au

Bales, J. (April 15-May 23). Module 4: Week 6: Primary [Online discussion comment]. Interact 2 ETL504. https://interact2.csu.edu.au

Digital Promise (2016). The new librarian: Leaders in the digital age. SCIS Connections. https://www.scisdata.com/connections/issue-96/the-new-librarian-leaders-in-the-digital-age/

Group 8. (May 15, 2020). COVID Case Study 5- Group 8. [Online discussion thread]. Interact 2 ETL504. https://interact2.csu.edu.au

Harris, A. (2014, September 29). Distributed leadership. Teacher Magazine, ACER. https://www.teachermagazine.com.au/articles/distributed-leadership

University of Washington. (2015). 4 dimensions of instructional leadership. Center for Educational Leadership. http://info.k-12leadership.org/4-dimensions-of-instructional-leadership

ETL504- Case Study 5: Reflection

Written: May 16, 2020

Published: Mary 23, 2020

Due to an increased work commitment, I was unable to commit as much time as I previously had to this case study. With that said, I focussed on reading each post in the discussion thread and responding in my own post (Group 8, 2020, May 15). Unfortunately, as I was last to post, there was no feedback given on my response, as in previous conversations and I found it made me nervous.

As a group, we chose to write about the current COVID pandemic and any opportunities we have engaged with or missed. I liked this concept because COVID has been such a rapidly evolving event that it has left little time to stop and reflect. I was able to acknowledge the positive and challenging aspects of the pandemic and its impact on my teaching and learning- one of which was a lack of engagement with my university course, unfortunately.

Upon reflection, I realise that I have let my relationship with a difficult staff member stagnate and, as a result, and many other factors, she has closed herself off to working in a truly collaborative sense. Instead, she requires from me a servant role- note not a servant leadership role, as I am not involved with her programming or planning and cannot support her fully without that knoweldge.Jennie (Bales, 2020) pointed out the difference between Servant Leadership and being a servant to teachers, a different which TLs are at risk of failing to identify. Undertsanding the difference now, I intend to keep this in mind when offering support to teachers.

Holly volunteered to post a summary of the discussion thread for the group. At the time, I assumed it would be a simple copy and paste, however, upon reading it, I realised she had synthesised the ideas from the posts, added references and creative an academic summary. It is well written and seems to cover the main points, both positive and negative, from the discussion posts of all group members. Perhaps, if there had been more time, it would have benefited to share the summarised post between members for editing, however, with such a tight time limit, I understand why it was posted straight to the discussion board.

Unfortunately, due to my tardiness in engaging with this task, I did not get to offer my editing and collaborative abilities and, instead, submitted my own work to the group, while providing feedback on their submissions.

 

References

Bales, J. (2020). Meeting 4: Assessment 2. [PowerPoint slides]. CSU Interact2. https://connect.csu.edu.au/p12mlfzsm5pr/

ETL504- Case Study 4: Reflection

Written: May 9, 2020

Published: May 23, 2020

Our second group work activity. I found the group fell into a similar pattern of brainstorming then distribiuting tasks as in the first task, though this time, it was with more confidence. Some people were comfortable vocalising their preferences and strengths, while others were more comfortable agreeing and inserting themselves after the initial discussion, either due to confidence or timing issues.

During this activity, one member of our group was waylaid by life and struggled to commit to the task, and so, contacted Jennie, who sat in on our discussions ready to support if necessary. She seemed pleased by our communication and the distribution of responsibilities.

All members contributed with thoughtful discussion points and then seperated to work on their topics and wiki pages seperately, as chosen by individuals based on strengths and interests. Some members took the time to review each post priot to publishing for editting, referencing and fact checking.

Linda established a review thread after the task to help coordinate reflections amongst the group. I, myself, did not contribute aside from agreeing to details of Case Study 5, as I was overwhelmed by the ongoing COVID changes and what it meant for my work. With that said, I can see that there was thoughtful reflection and suggestions made with future collaboration in mind. The members questioned whether we have been working as self-distributing leaders of collaborative instructional leads, with arguments for both. Personally, I would consider our main leadership style to be self-distributive, as we are taking on tasks based on experience, rather than allocation (Harris, 2010). Additionally, there has been a trust developed amongst members that the quality of work produced will be high and submitted in a timely fashion.

I am anxious about Case Study 5 as it is due very soon after Case STudy 4 and, shortly after, Assessment 2 is due. Adding this to the impact of COVID and a recently increased workload, I will attempt to engage with the group regularly and prioritise the case study in order to complete it. However, I would like to take on more of a servant leadership role in supporting the others in providing resources, timely feedback and editting, rather than offering a whole contribution (Burkus, 2010).

References

Burkus, D. (2010, April 1). Servant leadership theory. https://davidburkus.com/2010/04/servant-leadership-theory/

Harris, A. (2014, September 29). Distributed leadership. Teacher Magazine, ACER.  https://www.teachermagazine.com.au/articles/distributed-leadership

ETL504- Module 5.1: Strategic planning

Activity

Does your school have a strategic plan? See if you can find it. Does your library have a strategic plan?

I located the school strategic plan on their public website and was able to download and examine as per the DET guidelines.

The library does not currently have a strategic plan, though it would be useful to align such a document with the overall school document and goals. It would provide some scaffolding on what is important to focus on.

Activity

One way of learning to think strategically is to develop a personal strategic plan. A personal strategic plan helps you to think about and articulate career, family and personal goals. Try writing your own using the template below. Most of us just muddle along and don’t plan our careers nor do we set family goals.

I quite enjoyed this activity and was able to fill out the different specific requirements for achieving this goal, however, I doubt I will revisit it often or use the affirmations. Such processes are successful in repitition and I don’t think I would be able to comit to such an idea. I am happy to muddle along for the most part, though I do have goals in mind.

Activity

Examine the following and decide which is the better mission statement.

1. We are creating for the school community, a thriving dynamic library so that it becomes one of the state’s best in collecting, creating, conserving and communicating information.

2. Our mission is to provide and promote access to a range of resources and services that equitably meet the intellectual, curricular, social and recreational information needs of our school community.

A mission statement is simple, direct and operative, where a Vision Statement is about what you want to be or become (Johnson, 2010). With that in mind, I would choose the second statement as it says, exactly, what the library will do- ‘provide and promote access…’ whereas the first focusses on the future ‘one of the state’s best’.

Reflect

Consider the following school library Mission and Vision Statements.

Do they achieve the goals of each type of statement?

Think about the purpose of a mission statement as opposed to the purpose of a vision statement, and why the examples that follow meet these goals, or fail, and in what ways they do so.

Bonnyrigg High School Library

The opening sentence of this mission statement confuses me- ‘Our goal is to confirm that learners graduate as competent, critical, ethical users and creators of ideas and information.’ Is their entire mission to say ‘yes, these kids can…’? I would have thought they would use something like ‘create/support/develop graduates that are proven competent, critical, ethical users…’ I do like that they have clearly addressed 21st century learning in their mission.
Their vision statement kind of goes into school ethos and vision for the future and is written informally. I like that their vision included the creation of a ‘learning commons’ but this paragraph could almost have gone into the mission section as it is very direct and actionable.

Sacred Heart College Yarrawonga

Short and sweet. Their mission statement is simple and clear- to create a certain larning environment, support the curriculum and promoting a love of learning. It doesn’t say how it is going to do those things but it is clear that there are strong motivating factors behind this mission. Their vision statement is also short and direct, but talks more about what will be coming, rather than what is.

S.R. O’Brien Resource Centre, Mount Carmel College

It think this is the best example of the three in terms of mission statement, particularly the first sentence- the second could have gone into the vision statement. The vision statement has elements of mission statement to it- actionable, direct. The last paragraph, particularly describing the library as it is now, could possibly have been included in the mission statement.

Action: I have emailed my boss to discuss the school Vision & Mission statements but also to arrange a time to discuss the library strategic plan and link it to the school plan. Hopefully, this will allow some scaffolding around the expectations of the job and provide me with a clearer understanding of what everyone expects from me in my role.

References

Bruce D. Johnson (2010, May 12). What’s the difference between mission and vision? [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2MyaR0gMo0&feature=youtu.be

ETL504- Module 4.3 & 4.4

Learning in the 21st Century

It was fascintaitng to read the different takes on ’21st century learning’ in Rich’s (2010) article. Each idea was different and all contributors were highly valued and highly educated practitioners contributing toe 21st century learning in some form or another. There were varying definitions and feelings towards 21t century learning, with different likes and concerns arising. The majority of contirbutions acknowledged that learning cannot take place in a vaccuum, that society and the development of technology has completely upended that concept and that learning has the potential to take place at any time, anywhere. Additionally, there was an emphasis on 21st century skills like abstract problem solving, technology use and the development of systems-thinking, but at the same time, it was noted that the development of ‘traditional’ reading and writing skills need to be maintained, as do socialisation skills, even if transferred to an online platform.

I would be curious to see the responses this article would present from a similar cohort if it were run today. A lot has changed since 2010, particularly in recent months and I believe that the concept of 21st century learning has only broadened and become more nuanced as a result.

The Thoughtful Learning (2017) article goes on to specifically discuss identifying 21st century skills. As ever, education is delivered in an effort to develop a competent, resourceful workforce that can support the community and the economy (PwC, 2017). The workforce of today and the future is changing and so education must adapt as change continues to increase (Bolles, 2017).

What are 21st Century Learning Skills?

I think the greatest skills will be adaptability and a familiarity with problem solving (Bolles, 2017). Workers must be socially and technologically literate (Thoughtful Learning, 2017) and companies must be flexible, socially aware and invested in their employees enough to provide ongoing, relevant professional skill development (Horrigan, c2010).

21st century learning environments

Reflection

What might a 21st century library look like and is the building or the space more important than what is happening in that space?
As you work through this last section, think about your library, its physical and virtual spaces and what is happening there. How could you effect change and what strategies would you use?

I believe the physical building of a library is as equally important as what is going on within it.

Primarily, a 21st century library should be a community hub. While it may not be strictly necessary to house tomes of information in physical libraries any longer, I maintain that physical books are still valuable and should be accessible, for free, to all and any. We must remain aware that not every patron is coming from technology rich environment and so will have different experiences and skills. One action of the library would be to house these books and act as a center for interaction around these books. It should provide access to technology and online platforms, spaces for groups to gather and interact and, ideally, act as a safe space for those who have little other recourse where possible. The 21st century library should act as a traditional watering hole or marketplace would, in connecting communities, providing services and enduring as a point of human connection.

Additionally, the 21st century library should occupy a space online. It should have an active and relvant online presence to engage patrons not within the immediate vacinity and support their use of online programs, access of eBooks, provide additional training and development of technology skills and, overall, be an adaptable space that mirrors the physical element of a library (Whisken, 2012).

My library could use adapted maker-spaces and more technology to bring it into the 21st century (Luhtala, 2015), all of which relies on funding, which is stereotypically short in our school. We are currently involved with robotics and I have taken on planning and delivering different STEM units in an effort to move forward with 21st century education.
Developing an online presence to communicate with patrons outside of school hours and confines is also current goal of mine. Developing this presence will allow for more regular communication from the library, sharing of information, programs and new resources (.

References

Bolles, G. (2017, February 16) Hiring and developing your future workforce. [Video]. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/learning/hiring-and-developing-your-future-workforce/welcome?u=2096756

Horrigan, B. (c2010). Corporate social responsibility in the 21st century: debates, models and practices across government, law and business. Cheltenham, UK.

Luhtala, M.  (2015, October 6). Why a makerspace in the library [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/Sbj_FtEAEcc

PwC. (2017, March). Education will be the engine room to Australia’s future prosperity. https://www.pwc.com.au/education/education-reform-mar17.pdf

Rich, E. (2010, October 11). How do you define 21st century learning? Education Week. http://www.edweek.org/tsb/articles/2010/10/12/01panel.h04.html

Whisken, A. (2012). iCentre’s virtual dimension- One school library’s use of digital spaces. Synergy, 10(1). https://search-informit-com-au.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/fullText;dn=194192;res=AEIPT

ETL504- Case Study 3: Group Work Reflection

Case Study 3 Reflection

Our first group work assignment. I was very nervous because, aside from all the madness happening with COVID-19, I was unsure how group work online was going to work, would I have enough time to respond and would everyone be open to communication?

Luckily, I seem to have a cooperative group with varying levels of input due to life outside uni and internet connections. Most seem very enthusiastic and willing to compromise, praise and work with others.

It was a slow start with everyone posting up their initial thoughts in various forms (long, short, referenced, sporadic) but it was useful, later, to pick out the similar themes.

Ellene organised summarising the topics, Melanie organised the groups following my suggestion and Holly organised the Wiki page. Linda orgnaised paired sections on the Wiki to make it easier to work with and editted the final response. All volunteered for these roles and seemed to step into the role naturally or just took on the task and let others know after the fact. Luckily, everyone seems quite ok with this approach. Holly asked if anyone else wanted to post the completed group response before saying she would be happy to do it. Melissa has probably been the least vocal contributor in the group and, like me, the only one not to have taken on a leadership role automatically.

In our pairs, I was placed with Melanie and, after some waiting, I posted the draft with referencing that I had in response and invited her feedback and contribution. I was comfortable taking on this leadership role as I am confident in my abilities to write acadmically and because I had the time. Melanie seemed grateful not to have to do all the work in this regard and added a few of her own thoughts as well. In our next task, should we work together, I would be happy to take my lead from my partner if they are more comfortable in a lead role. I would vaguely label this kind of leadership as instructional, as I took on the bulk of the writing and asked for input.

Next time: I would like to put my hand up to be more of an organiser, however, I enjoyed being able to contribute to the small group and that my referencing and writing was recognised as adequate. I would also like to see some group roles assigned so everyone has a chance to contribute something.

Overall, the leadership was hesitant, with no one person coming out as a dictator, but with various members of the group beginning to show markers of a natural distributed leadership style, with work being shared out relatively evenly to those with an interest or strength in the area (Harris, 2014). Perhaps because everyone is operating at a Masters level, there is a certain recognition of prior learning and shared respect that comes with that. From what I can tell, all group members are working to show respect for eachother and the different life experiences and professional experiences being brought to the table. Bravery is demonstrated in those can admit to their own weaknesses, as well as strengths and, in doing so, members of the group have opened a line of genuine communication that will contirbute to a positive work flow in the next task.

It has been suggested we organise mini timetable meet-ups for the next case study because, although we checked in randomly and often, some people felt they were missing out on things while they weren’t online. I think this would be useful and I am curious to see who and how dates/times are suggested and selected.

 

References

Harris, A. (2014, September 29). Distributed leadership. Teacher Magazine, ACER.
https://www.teachermagazine.com.au/article/distributed-leadership

ETL504- Module 4.1 & 4.2: Leadership for Learning

4.1 Introduction to leadership

This video was included as a mention in the 4.1 notes and explained leadership exceptionally well and made me smile.

The two key players to any change in schools or in leadership are the first and second participants; the leader and the first follower. The leader must embrace the first follower, remain open to their input and encourage in order for others to determine how their own contribution will be recieved. The first follower must follow the leader closely, as all consequential followers aren’t just following the leader, but also the first follower to determine the effort needed, the behaviour accepted and the aims or goals.

Also, I love this video.

4.2 TLs as Leaders

Read

American Association of School Librarians (AASL). (2013). Chapter 4 Empowering learning through leadership. Empowering learners: Guidelines for school library programs.

I found this reading to be very interesting. Although based on the US school system, it laid out some very explicit and reasonable expectations of TLs as operational leaders within schools.

The type of leader that this reading is aiming to develop is a Transformational leader with a focus on professionalism. Part of the suggested responsibilities of TLs is to participate in local, regional and state education and librarian orgnaisations, as well as publish articles an information in school and community newsletters and media. These are not things I would have considered doing as a TL but I can understand why they are included as it is sharing knowledge and ensuring the TL is a visible leader in the community.

While Bishop (2011) unpacks ‘collaboration’, I find the most interesting and valid point to be that Principals, executive staff and CTs may not have a lcear idea of what collaboration looks like and it is, therefore, the role of the TL to develop that understanding amongst them, presenting all options and determining, collaboratively, what that means for their school context. Interestingly, it never occured ot me that all staff may not have the same idea of collaboration but, now that it has been pointed out, it makes sense. Everyone will have had different experiences with collaboration and some may have come away with a negative perception, or even a skewed understanding of what collaboration requires. Prior to developing a collaborative TL position, it may be necessary for the TL to take on the role of leader to educate other staff on what collaboration can look like and how it can benefit everyone.

Bell’s(2013) acronym for collaboration is something could be quite useful in developing our group work responses for this course, as well as in school settings.

“Bell (2013) offers a useful acronym for the process of successful collaboration:
R = Respect your counterparts.
E = Educate yourself regarding the role of the individual with whom you want to build a bridge.
A = Assume responsibility as the one to reach out. Do not wait or tell yourself it will never work.
C = Communicate and collaborate!
H = Help one another to provide the very best instruction and experiences for students. “

Read (choose two):

Mackenzie, T. (2019, April 21). How your teacher-librarian can be an ally when
teaching with inquiry. KQED News: MindShift.
https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/53417/how-your-teacher-librarian-can-be-anally-when-teaching-with-inquiry

I chose this one as I have recently been assigned the task of introducing inquiry-based learning to Stage 3 while learning at home. It would be great if this could be continued when students return to school full-time.
While I am excited to delve into enquiry-based learning, I think it is going to be important that the CTs and I are on the same page in terms of what method we are going to teach the students and how often it is going to be employed. It is all well and good to focus on it during library time, learning the acronyms and what they mean, how to find information, etc, but if students are not utilising these skills regularly, including during class time with the support of the teacher AND independently, there is a risk that this process will not translate to different environments.

Softlink. (2017). School libraries share: Ideas for school-wide
collaboration. https://www.softlinkint.com/assets/img/banners/Whitepaper_-
_School_libraries_share_ideas_for_collaboration.pdf

I chose this second resource to check out how else I might collaborate with CTs and other staff at my tiny school.

I quite liked this resource as it is very visual and has collated information, opinions and experiences from around the world, including Australia, which is sometimes difficult to find, particularly in regards to TLs. It also provides TLs with further reading and resources to help support their collaborative development.

Browse and choose one to read in-depth

Goodnough, K. (2005). Fostering teacher learning through collaborative
inquiry. Clearing House, 79(2), 88-92. https//.doi.org/10.3200/TCHS.79.2.88-93

I chose this article becuase I wanted to see how a collaborative picture looks in its whole and what barriers this school faced when implementing collaborative inquiry.

The success of this project relied upon the overall commitment of the team to the project and its contributors (each other), the equal sharing of power and responsibility, the diversity of skills and abilities individuals brought to the project and support from outside of the testing group e.g. executives/principals etc.
In this paper, collaborators developed a unit addressing areas of the curriculum which had been percieved as lacking. This not only served to support students and develop their understanding in this area, it also served to develop staff undertsanding of this topic and gave support in how to teach it to students. Reflection was a large part of this project, both inidivudally and as a group as, I believe, should be the case for all planning, teaching and learning directed by teachers or librarians.

As you read Cole’s (2012) article, reflect on:

– the value and purpose of the different delivery models

– your current position in the delivery/receiver
model

– pathways to contribute to the school’s learning culture

– opportunities for future leadership in supporting teachers’ professional learning.

Take note of the impediments and strategies to address these issues and consider in light of your readings on change management.

Different delivery methods

Large presentations- useful for sharing new, broad-based information, rather than speicifically targetted at indiivduals or groups. Useful for making staff aware that change is needed, but not for implementing changes.

Specialist workshops- usually expensive but useful in addressing specific areas to develop, demonstrate new skills and communicate new knowledge. These should be followed up by reflection, a chance to implement, further reflection and observation, with peer feedback.

Individual PL online- good for addressing specific areas of development with individuals, but must be tooled to contribute to whole school vision and goals. This also gives individuals the chance to taregt their PL in an area that interests them. I believe, however, that they must remain accountable to ensure that their PL is relevant, completed and reflected upon after implementation.

Deliver/Receive PL

Currently, I do not deliver PL to my fellow staff. I undertake independent PL on a range of subjects that interest me and that, I believe will help develop my classroom and library practice. It is difficult, however, doing this alone as I often feel disconnected from my peers, who, as full time CTs get more collaborative PL than I- admittedly, it is usually in small groups or at seminars, so lacking that individual targetting. I can also become disenchanted with the courses I have chosen and most the NESA seem to be tooled towards CT, meaning I have little chance of implementing what I have been learning about, as a TL.

Pathway to contribute to school learning culture/Opportunities for leadership in the future

I am about to undertake a PL course on Aboriginal Education and Language that I would very much like to share with fellow staff members. I currently have the support of my Principal to take this course on and, I hope she will encourage sharing of this knowledge in staff meetings once completed. I feel that the sharing of this knowledge would benefit from a workshop then peer coaching or mentoring throughout a set period, followed by reflection and feedback (Goodnough, 2015)

Additionally, it is my intention to start displaying teacher resources within the library and sharing them in staff meetings to support staff with their planning any way I can. I am currently cleaning out 15 years worth of library resource room stock and am already finding some amazing resources!

I would like to work more collaboratively with other staff in programming, however, their concept of collaboration seems to differ from mine (AASL, 2013). Additionally, many of my current peers seem to be running off their feet, operating in survival mode without stopping to confer with anyone else. This is a cultural phenomenon within our small community that the recently-arrived Principal is working on changing.

 

References

American Association of School Librarians (AASL). (2013). Chapter 4 Empowering learning through leadership. Empowering learners: Guidelines for school library programs.

Bell, M. A., Van Roekel, J. L., & Weimar, H. (2013). School librarians and the technology
department: A practical guide to successful collaboration. Linworth.

Bishop, K. (2011). Connecting libraries with classrooms. Linworth.

Cole, P. (2012). Linking effective professional learning with effective teaching
practice.
https://ptrconsulting.com.au/wpcontent/uploads/2018/03/linking_effective_professional_learning_with_effective_t
eaching_practice_-_cole.pdf

ETL504- Module 3.2 Leading Change

Think and reflect

Complete the Conflict resolution questionnaire and reflect on your responses in your blog.
What is your approach to managing conflict?
Does this match to how you think of yourself?
What areas do you think you need to develop?

My highest approaches, separated by one point were Problem Solving and Avoidance. I had to laugh. They seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum so, perhaps it depends on the topic, the people involved and my mood as to whether I try to solve the problem or not.

When I was younger, I would 100% avoid any and all conflict. I didn’t respond well. If I was angry, I would cry and if someone is aggressive or critical of me, I would have nothing to say until hours after. Plus, I was a terrible people pleaser. These are all things I have been working on and I am glad to see my time spent problem solving and developing those skills has started to pay off.

Still, I would prefer to avoid conflict if I can, however, I understand conflict is sometimes necessary in development. I need to work on my preference for Yielding, which remains uncomfortably high aka giving in entirely and operating with no expectation of reciprocation. These could be a tool of avoidance, to be fair, but definitely something I need to work on.