Reflection on Assignment 1 - ETL503

Initially I thought this assignment seemed straightforward enough i.e. find 10 resources to adequately resource an area of the curriculum. Wow, did I learn a thing or two! First of all being that assignments and end of term parties don't go well together. 
Before starting this subject I had heard about learning objects from forum postings and postings on listservs I subscribe to, but couldn't really visualise what they were. Gaining access to The Learning Federation website was like striking oil. I found so many objects that my teachers could make use of and that are totally relevant to our units of study, but unfortunately overseas schools are not able to access the site. So disappointing.
Loertscher's notion that the users guide the selection of resources reinforced that I am on the right track in involving the students, teachers and parents in collection development. He also states that it's not about what a library owns but what it can make available to its users made perfect sense to me. My users love their printed books (I'm a TL in a primary school) but they also appreciate the flexibility of using digital resources as these can be accessed from home through the library's Moodle page. The difficult part for me is ensuring the resources are relevant, suitable and support the students' and teachers' curricula needs.
I enjoyed the challenge of sourcing new resources for the Year 5 topic "The Environment" and believe the teachers will be pleased with the results when they come to teach the unit in May. 

Website Evaluation

It turns out that the way I have been evaluating websites has been on a fairly superficial level. Having completed my first assignment for ETL501 Information Environment, I now know what to look for when evaluating websites for students' and teachers' use. In the past, my main criteria for evaluating a website was whether or not the content was useful and pitched at a level suitable for the intended audience. I also took into account how easy it was to navigate around the site and how visually stimulating it was for learners.
Now, however, when I attempt to evaluate a website, I am armed with a checklist consisting of educational, reliability and technical criteria, enabling me to critically analyse how suitable the website is for the intended audience and whether or not it supports the teaching and learning taking place.

Digital Resources for Younger Learners

This is something I have been struggling with for a while now. I would like to find suitable online resources for my younger classes to use, but so far I haven't found what I'm looking for. The budget is there, but the products aren't.
My school subscribes to Britannica online, BrainPOP and Expert Space which are suitable for the upper primary children. For the younger children we subscribe to PebbleGo, BookFlix, Tumblebooks and Enchanted Learning.
PebbleGo is a great resource which supports some of our units of study for research purposes. However, it is very American and doesn't cover the breadth of topics we require. What I really need are more digital resources which can be easily navigated by my younger learners when they are looking for information for their research projects.
I have asked fellow TLs and they feel the same. There is an obvious gap in the market which needs to be filled.

Mackay, H. (1998) - Resolving conflict through listening

Had to chuckle when I read Mackay quoting research that suggests that "high self-esteem in children is more likely to be found in families where there is open dissent and disagreement". No wonder my children are so confident and self-assured!
Mackay tells us that reflective listening is paramount to conflict resolution and provides six steps to guide us in having "sensible, cooperative discussion". Both parties need to maintain a high level of communication and to respect what the other person is saying. We don't necessarily have to agree with the other party's opinions or comments, but we need to acknowledge what they say.

Savage, W. W. (1989) - Communication: process and problems

Before reading Savage's article, I was not aware that there were so many facets to communication. He tells us that communication "is an exceedingly complex process in which people, behavior, and objects transmit information, ideas, and attitudes."
I didn't realise the power of our non-verbal behaviour to send messages. Our unintentional communication can influence negatively the intentional communication we are attempting to transmit, so we need to be cognizant of this when imparting information, ideas and attitudes to others. For instance, if we are able to describe to visitors the wonderful resources available in our library but do not offer a welcoming greeting when they enter or answer their questions in a non-threatening manner, we are showing them that yes, we may have a state-of-the-art facility, but they're not really welcome to use it.
Communication can only be a two-way process when information, ideas and attitudes flow in an upward and downward motion between all members of the school community.

Lambert, L. (1998) - What is leadership capacity?

Some interesting concepts came from this article. Leadership needs to be a part of the culture of the school, not dependent on one or two people. It needs to be a shared responsibility, so that if the principal or key teacher leaves the school, the school is not left without navigation, like a ship without a captain. The shared leadership embedded into the school community allows it to follow a constructive course as reform and self-renewal are undertaken.
In my role as a leader I need to be a good communicator and encourage conversations (both formal and informal) between my team members so that they are able to create and validate new understandings. We should all be promoting the sharing of beliefs and information, encouraging learning together, offering support and reflecting on the path our journey is taking.

Assignment 1A - nearly there!

The thought of having to collaborate across the seas with strangers initially filled me with dread. How on earth could we collaborate on a shared assignment with me living in Malaysia and my team-mates living in Oz? I really felt that I was being pushed out of my comfort zone. Well, thanks to Skype, wikis and hotmail we have nearly completed our collaborative PowerPoint before the due date!
We have kept open lines of communication, each pulled our weight and each worked in a timely fashion to enable us to reach our goal without feeling too stressed. What began as a bitter taste in my mouth has now turned into the sweet taste of satisfaction. I am pleased with our output and feel that as a team we have been able to rise to the challenge to create a strong article proposal. Working in a supportive team where we remained focused on our task has turned out to be a positive experience, more so than I initially expected.

Beck, J. D. & Yeager, N. M. (1994) - Making teams work: an underused window of opportunity

Although this is a dated article (17 years old) I found it made really interesting reading. I think Beck & Yeager offer lots of practical advice for working in a successful team. I did a lot of nodding when reading about the four stages of group development, especially when they explained that it's not a good idea to skip Stage 2. This is the stage when discussions about how people will communicate and solve problems take place. I believe this stage is easily bypassed as many of us just want to get on with the job and reach our goal.
Communication seems to be the key factor to managing a successful team. Communicating everything from expectations, directions, concerns, the goal of the team and also offering ongoing feedback. To make a team work it needs "a leader who actively facilitates communication to build the trust". Also, it's important to create opportunities for the team to socialise and chill out together, and to celebrate successes.

Law, S. & Glover, D. (2000). Leading effective teams

Law & Glover tell us that teams work best when they share a common purpose, when they have a sense of team-identification and when they have interconnecting and interdependent functions. When these three elements are present, the team is likely to be coherent and striving to reach a common goal. The team is unlikely to pull in different directions because the members share a common purpose.
The authors quote Belbin who says that people have an intuitive way of acting when working in a team. For a team to be successful, members need to complement each other and possess a range of skills, abilities and behaviours.
It was interesting to find my "type" in Belbin's Table of "Useful people to have in teams". I believe that I am part Resource investigator and part Team-worker. Looking through the table, I was able to identify the characteristics the other people in my current library team possess. Having a variety of these types in a team is a positive thing as we can each bring different strengths and interests, which in turn will (hopefully) make for an interesting patchwork of productivity.

Cheng, Y.C. (2002) - Leadership & strategy

Cheng offers us a variety of concepts to help us understand the nature of educational leadership. Of the five domains dimensions described, I believe that my strengths are in human leadership and educational leadership and strategies. I maintain a happy working environment for my team and feel that it's important for us to support and encourage each other - a bit of teasing doesn't go astray either. My colleagues turn to me for ideas during planning meetings and they know that I have a deep affection for the kids we teach. If I didn't love kids, I wouldn't be able to do this job. It's not just a job to me - it drives me and keeps me young!
This is one article that I think I will come back to again and again - Cheng gives us a lot of food for thought.

Harvey, T. R., Bearley, W. & Corkrum, S.M. (2001) - Core steps in decision making

On a daily basis, working in my role as a TL, I am approached by colleagues, parents and children to help solve problems. In perfect world, they would have more of a curriculum focus, but the majority of them do not directly relate to improving the teaching and learning taking place. I think I am approached so regularly because I am one of the longest serving expatriate staff members in the school (6 yrs) so I have a lot of knowledge of the 'culture' of the school and also I am easily identifiable/locatable because of my role.
The six-step approach defined by Harvey et al is a good reflection of the way I like to try to solve these problems. Harvey et al tell us, as a general rule, to "adapt, not adopt" and that schools/organisations must "remain flexible and constantly renew themselves" if they want to move with the times in a rapidly changing environment. For education to be relevant for the world our students live in, it is vital that schools evolve as necessary - just like on a computer, leaders should click the 'refresh' button every so often in their approach to solving problems.

Fullan, M., Cuttress, C. & Kilcher, A. (2006) - 8 Forces for Leaders of Change

Fullan gives us eight drivers to assist in creating "effective and lasting change". In order for educators to be successful in implementing change there is much to be done, from developing new knowledge to learning from our peers. He talks about the "we-we" identity beyond one school which is something specialist teachers often experience. Working as a TL here in KL, I am lucky to have a large group of fellow TLs in other international schools to support me and bounce ideas off. We meet regularly and have implemented a number of very positive changes in our schools.
I learned from Fullan that leadership for change is about creating leaders on a variety of levels with the school, people who are passionate about looking towards the future and who display "innovativeness".

Hough, M. J. & Paine, J. (1997) - Collaborative decision making with teams.

The theme that recurred throughout this article is that of sharing: the sharing of vision, beliefs, information, knowledge, empowerment, etc. This means that communication between all members of the school community must be at the forefront of strategic planning if it is to be successful. I believe that when sharing takes place and people are informed, they are able to accept change more easily, knowing the reasons behind the changes taking place and knowing that the powers that be have acted thoughtfully and openly.

Tribus, M. - Quality Management in Education

Tribus tells us that to create a quality enterprise, all stakeholders should be involved, giving them the opportunity to voice their definition of quality. A school has layers of interested parties which is what gives it its "colour" or "flavour".
QM stresses that managers manage interdependent systems and I think this is so true for the TL role. It's necessary for TLs to work with all levels in the school which is what makes our role so interesting, demanding and vital. We have a huge number of customers who all need to be listened to.
Tribus also tells us that quality of teaching and learning is about how the process is carried forward, how well have we inculcated in our students the capacity and desire to want to be a life long learner. Each one of us as teachers has the power to make this happen.

ETL504 Scenario 6 - The right library now!

Reading this scenario made me reflect on the library in my school and how it has changed since I began working in it. Previously, it was a receptacle for books, it lacked atmosphere and was most unwelcoming for both teachers and students. It was staffed by two clerks whose job it was to catalogue, shelve and man the circulation desk check. Visitors were not encouraged at times other than scheduled borrowing times. Now our library is a hub of activity.
My first priority in moving from the classroom and into the library was to make it a welcoming and relaxing place where children and adults (both staff and parents) wanted to spend time. Some of the changes we have made are:

• children are encouraged to come in during break time and lunch time to read, play games (card, board and computer)
• teachers are welcome to come in at any time for assistance
• removed all tatty, grubby books - budget needed to be increased and books mostly replaced with hardcovers
• encouraged children, parents and teachers to make suggestions for book purchases
• increased opening times
• encouraged parents to borrow - not allowed to in the past (??) - we now have over 120 parents registered for borrowing
• installed bright, colourful displays, seating, carpets and shelves

I believe David Warner is correct in saying that a library's integral role is in "assisting young people to develop the disposition and skill to be self-directed lifelong learners". I can see that many of our little people are already on this journey; they are already developing opinions about the reading matter they like, their favourite authors and the genres they prefer to read. We have changed/improved so much in our library and I know that it will continue to evolve as long as we listen to our clients.

Scenario 5 - The Centre - 2050

I think the idea of authors being paid royalty payments each time one of their e-books is read is a great idea. If this was available now for printed books, perhaps more people would be able to afford to follow their passion and write full-time.
This links in with the new policy being hotly commented on LM_NET about publishers only allowing an e-book to be checked out 26 times before it expires and the library needing to buy a new one. A printed book would be susceptible to normal wear and tear and may need to be replaced, giving the publisher and author royalties due to them each time a book is replaced. The limit of 26 checkouts seems fair (ish) to me.
The idea of blogging software "Dialogue in the Margin" is a nifty one. What a super way to be able to support each other. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have this facility available to us each time we had to write essays?

Scenario 4 - Making dreams reality - the sustainable public library

This made such fascinating, inspirational reading. I want to work in this library! I admire everything from the green credits to the solar lighting to the waste water being recycled. Obviously there are people in councils out there who have the foresight to develop environmentally friendly facilities - we just need other councils to learn from these progressive ones!

Scenario 3 - Education revolution - a place for the school library?

It doesn't matter about the time period we are talking about, education has always been crucial for enabling humans access to a variety of life opportunities. The director-general of UNESCO sees "basic education as the key to effective participation in society" and this is for ALL children, not just those living in more developed countries.
Whether we are talking about classroom teachers, specialist teachers or teacher librarians, each one needs to be trained to a high level and preferably offered opportunities for regular inservice to enable them to use resources effectively to offer a good level of education to their clients.
I wonder if those countries with high success in providing basic education for all students (Finland, HK, Canada and Korea) have lower rates of crime and convictions? Something worth investigating.
Hughes' description in 1969 of education, learners and teacher librarians could have easily been written in 2011. I love the fact that someone could make a statement about education that would still be relevant 40 years later.

Scenario 2 - Sink or swim: digital dilemma in higher education

I learned from Law's scenario that libraries in higher education are evolving to reflect the needs of society. They are transforming from places which store printed matter in a logical order to places which also provide patrons access to vast amounts of electronic information. The challenge for librarians is to collaborate to organise and manage these resources so that users are able to access them easily. I can see that there are similarities between the change taking place in higher education libraries and the changes taking place in primary school libraries. We are offering a lot more online databases, magazines and learning tools and also making available technology such as desktop computers, laptops, iPods and iPads. The primary school library of today looks quite different to the library of ten years ago. It's fun to wonder what my school library will look like in another ten years.

Donham, J. (2005). Leadership

Donham tells us that leaders "know and respect the limits of their circles of influence" and that they act from "an internal locus of control". I can see these concepts being evidenced when TLs and teachers collaborate. When both parties take a role in planning, they each have a voice and are able to make decisions about where their students' learning is directed. In this sense, the TL is able to guide/tempt the teacher to take on a new initiative and, therefore, act a leader of change.
Since beginning my masters in TL, my eyes have been opened to the vast range of skills and knowledge that I need to possess in order to perform my role competently. Donham quotes Collins (2000) in stating that TLs need to understand what they can and cannot be best at. I believe this is true for all teachers, but because the TL role is so diverse, it is vital that we acknowledge our strengths and understand that in some areas we may not be as competent as we'd like to be.
Collins (2000) also tells us that leaders need to pursue what they are deeply passionate about. Having just celebrated our annual Book Week, I realise from the comments of my colleagues that I obviously exhibit passion for children's literature. Of course I knew that I was passionate, but I didn't realise that my passion was able to have such an effect on my colleagues until I was thanked numerous times for the great week of activities that the Book Week committee and myself had planned for our students. I now realise the effect one person's passion can have on others and that this is a fine example of "leading from the middle".

Scenario 1 - Miles' library

The importance placed on collaboration and the various forms of technology needed came through loud and clear in Doug Johnson's Scenario 1. I must admit I found some of it "way out there" - trying to project 14 years into the future was difficult for me.
Today’s children are way more tech savvy than many teachers (myself included) and I believe this will continue into the future. I think the thing we need to be mindful of is that our programs are able to offer our students the learning opportunities and access to technology that they will need to prepare themselves for their future. I can see how our students will need to be skilled up to use various technologies, but I’m not sure I agree with the notion that they will not be required to write essays.
I agree that students being able to direct their own learning is very exciting. In my school we are trying to personalise learning so that the children can have a say in what and how they learn.
This clip by Corning about future technologies is worth watching. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Cf7IL_eZ38

Children, technology and the future

Today's children view technology as an essential part of their lives - removing tech devices from their lives would be like starving them of food and water. They believe that they cannot live without a means of communicating (constantly) with their peers.
I have two teenage kids and they can't leave home without their BlackBerries - they appear to me to be an extension of their arms - and they amaze me with the functions this tiny device provides them and the speed with which they can access information with them. When they are at home, their BBs supplement the social networking they do on their computers.
One of my concerns is that because they have a variety of means to communicate with their peers, they sometimes share too much information about themselves and others which I think is inappropriate. Children need to be taught how to use these new technologies in a safe and responsible way. Although the TL can help address this need, I believe that all teachers should play a role in preparing students to be cybersafe and cybersmart.

Back to the grind

So my next subject has begun - ETL504 Teacher Librarian as Leader.
This means lots of reading, pondering, forming opinions, reflecting - and of course, assignments!
Once again I will need to juggle the challenges of work, family and study.
Bring it on!!