I can't think of a more important job!

As KSP635 winds down, I found these last few weeks really underscored how important collaboration and self-advocacy will be.  I used many different tools for my collaboration arsenal including Skype, Google docs, a frustrating trip with Voice Thread, and others.   Awareness of these tools and willingness to use them will be critical as a Library Media Educator.  I also will need to package statistics and information so that I can advocate for myself with administration.  Our district doesn’t seem to place the media center as essential to the success of students or teachers.  It will be my goal to help them see that it is!

Cumulatively, this course has helped me connect with some important information education resources.  I had already found the MEMO standards as part of my Planning, Instruction and Evaluation class, but wasn’t as familiar with the Standards for the 21^st Century Learner.  They provide a framework into which I can fit all that I do as LME, while the MEMO standards can be used for specific ideas on what can be taught and at what level.  I also learned many different plans for Search Processes from Kuhlthau, “FLIP IT,” and Big6. Together, they help define a process that students can use not only in research, but in problem-solving.  Woven throughout these discussions have been introductions to Web 2.0 tools that can be used in the classroom.  I have a growing list in my Teaching Tools folder!

Even more important than the curriculum or the process is the idea of the importance of these skills for today’s learner.  As a LME I will have the duty of not only promoting a love of reading, but developing critical thinking and collaborative skills in my students.   While the work was sometimes overwhelming, it reaffirmed the importance of the end goal.  As the AASL Standards for the 21^st Century Learner (2007) states:  “The continuing expansion of information demands that all individuals acquire the thinking skills that will enable them to learn on their own.”  I can’t think of a more important job to have!

Excited and nervous

I am both excited and nervous about this career to which I've committed time and money.  I am excited because everything I am learning supports what I always felt.....LME is important and relevant.  I am nervous because I REALLY want to use this knowledge to benefit Lake City.  I hope I can be the right balance of assistance, knowledge and enthusiasm to get the job when I am finished.

NCLB across the miles

I had a great time using Skype to work with Amanda on the NCLB project!  It was an amazing opportunity to make the distance between us literally insignificant.  And, our daughters got to say "hi" to one another.   Oh, and I learned some ways to use NCLB.  I will be well armed to provide relevant statistics on the value of a well-funded library media program!

So much to do....no time

I have learned about so many great Web 2.0 tools for the classroom!  This is when it really sucks that I am not yet a classroom teacher.  I have these great ideas and no way to use them.  The teacher with which I work is one year from retirement and doesn't have a real interest in learning new tools (can't say I blame her).  I will just have to keep my ideas organized for future use.  Tools to remember:

Doodle Pool for MHL voting among others
Edmoto
Prezi
Collaboration using Google Docs
The list goes on........
I have also saved the links to classmates library websites.  These will be a great resource in the future...too bad it can't be now!

It's true because I saw it on the news.....

In investigating the L.O.C primary resources I was actually surprised by not only the impact of 100-year-old film, but also with the immediate relevancy discussing it provided.  Learning that some of the "documentary" was staged was a great way to open the door of thinking critically about what we see on TV....and this is an election year!  It exhausts me so much that I tend to avoid the news....but as a participant in teaching 21st-Century learning skills, I must tackle this issue....being a critical consumer of information.

Personal fear:  My natural response to complication seems to be avoidance...I need to resist the flight instinct.

Thoughtful Participants

This has been a semester of highs and lows for me.  When people ask me how the studies are going, I consistently say, “This semester is kicking my butt.”  At the same time, I am truly inspired.  A year ago at this time I was going through one of the worst professional situations of my life.   In fact, I resigned from a job I loved because of it.  However, that struggle is what led me to finally make a decision about the direction my life needs to go.  No more taking the easy route.   

Building on the foundation of learning theories and standards, we started investigating more ISP models.  As we got into more skills-based models like the Big6 or Yucht’s FLIP IT! model, I found myself inspired once again.  I seem to get bogged down with the more esoteric theories.  I know I am a very hands-on, concrete learner, so it was a relief to find some research methods that I could imagine using from young children, with the Super 3, to collaboration with teachers, with variations of FLIP IT!

We worked also with tying real-life ideas with standards as found in various resources.  I explored the Library of Congress teachers area, which offers vetted plans connected to primary resources available online in the Library of Congress.  It was another chance for me to truly see how standards can be linked to exciting lessons.  This, again, echoes what I am learning in KSP608.  Understanding by Design, developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, begins with looking at standards.  Classes are coming together.

Next we explored collaboration.  We reviewed great forms from other resources used in collaboration.  There were many practical forms discovered.  However, when I interviewed three current library media educators I was surprised to find that they unanimously preferred a face-to-face meeting tailored for the teacher with whom they were working.  They liked to make each encounter personal.  I used their information, as well as inspiration from other forms to create a form I think could be used to track each contact and to ensure everyone is on the same page.  I also got explore Google Apps and create my first form.

Then, the roller coaster screamed down the drop.  I was completely overwhelmed by all the information in Chapter 7.  So many models, so many issues, so many children…I actually doubted my ability to effectively manage this.  Discussion encouraged me and helped me realize that the best strategy is to treat each student as a separate person, to try many different techniques, and to communicate with teachers and special ed.  I cannot teach every student individually, but I can modify my presentations and activities enough to engage all types of learners.

And then, the roller coaster moved back up the next hill.  I found the work on media literacy hit home for me.  I found Faith Rogow and the ideas of “habits of inquiry” and “skills of expression” inspiring.  Again, it is important work that I will be doing as a library media educator.  It’s not just about books, but about teaching our students to become thoughtful participants in the conversations of the world.

I still worry about having a job when this is done…

Add to it:

Am I a critical thinker?  If not, how can I model this behavior, let alone teach it?

Does it mean I’m not cut out to teach if I’m not inspired by theory?

Future Chief Inquiry Officer

I have always wanted a cool title....Chief Inquiry Officer, I like it.  I was inspired by Faith Rogow (faith is about inspiration, is it not?).  She taught me to look for learning opportunities in different applications such as story time.  It is important to integrate inquiry standards with students of all ages, even Kindergarteners can make connections to real-life, rather than just a report that will be forgotten.

Quote to live by:
“...information is not the same as knowledge and that facts are not understanding.”