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).
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.
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
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
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