Monthly Archives: September 2014

Beyond the Choir

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Are we just preaching to the choir?  Collaboration, co-teaching, information and digital literacy, technology integration, deep Web… ideas we have explored from month to month here in the BaCC Blog. Social media provides an opportunity to reach audiences who have similar interests, but it also opens opportunities to connect with folks who may not know what they don’t know.  For those of us who have been immersed in the education world, specifically from a library POV, we tend to communicate in terms and concepts that make sense to us, but maybe not to others.   Dare I say that we are a bit insular…  and maybe we need to rethink how we can frame our conversations in real world vocabulary that demystifies the work we do.

This epiphany moment occurred to me as I was collaborating with a group of school, public, and academic librarians who were grappling with the wording of a proclamation to send to the governor of Vermont to sign about Information Literacy Awareness Month in October. The NFIL (National Forum on Information Literacy) is organizing and encouraging all states to join the parade and focus on information literacy as a critical component for lifelong learning and digital citizenship.  We know that this is true, but in the general public, who has information literacy on the radar?  And what the heck is digital citizenship?

As we struggled with the wordsmithing, we realized that we could not assume that our target audience (everyone in the state) had any idea what we were talking about.  So we went back to square one-a definition of information literacy, and we articulated it in commonsense language-what it is and what allows learners to do.  Of course, we added how libraries were  involved as physical and virtual spaces for promoting information literacy, too. Speak plainly-this is how we can move the needle on a common understanding of the big ideas that all citizens can embrace and support.

Not only do we have to define our terms and concepts, but we have to show and model what we mean.  That’s another strong suit for social media platforms such as flickr, googlesites, Pinterest, Scoopit!, Twitter, YouTube, and so many others. In Vermont, we want to show examples of information and digital literacy in action, so the Vermont Department of Libraries is curating a site that will showcase what is happening in schools and libraries throughout the state as a public awareness campaign. Instagram @your library! What is happening in your state?

October is also Connected Educator Month-for several years running. “Helping Educators Survive in a Connected World,” is the tag line.  Here is another opportunity to connect with an expanded choir, if you have not discovered this valuable resource already.  What is a connected educator, you might ask? How can you be a connected educator, if you are not already? Are you talking the connected educator talk and walking the connected educator walk? Check out the website to learn more.  Organizations that support the ideas and goals of the Connected Educator crowd source professional development  ideas and best practices for connected learning across all content areas and the world. There’s an impressive list of contributors and supporters from a range of organizations-both business and professional. (I was surprised to note the absence of AASL, though.)  Each day during the month of October there are opportunities to network and participate with others who are finding new ways to embrace the potential for technology innovations to impact personal learning and teaching.  Spend some time exploring the website and especially the Connected Educator Starter Kit (free pdf download).   Here is a forum to find people and experiences that will expand your own toolbox of ideas, and opportunities to lend your voice from the library media world.

October is a time for choir practice in a connected world. What shall we sing about today? Loud and strong!

 References:

Connected Educators. Website. http://connectededucators.org/

National Forum on Information Literacy. Website. http://infolit.org/

Image: Microsoft ClipArt

 

 

 

Purpose: The Performance Enhancer

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bulls_eyeDaniel Pink, author of Drive (Riverhead, 2009) and A Whole New Mind (Riverhead, 2006), contributed an interview to the September issue of ASCD’s journal Educational Leadership. In the article, “Motivated to Learn: A Conversation with Daniel Pink,” he makes a strong case for educators providing students with more autonomy in what they study and how they demonstrate their learning. (He also makes a credible case for why there should be less “standardization” in school systems.) While the majority of the article focuses on preK-12 student engagement, he also addresses educators’ motivations to teach.

Pink rightly notes that most of us did not enter the teaching profession to make a “pile of money.” Rather, we are educators because teaching gives us a sense of purpose. Pink notes: “Teachers need to bring that sense of purpose to the surface. They need to talk more about why they went into teaching, why it matters, why they’re making this contribution to the world” (16).

Mr. Pink and I are on the same page. Purpose is a “performance enhancer.” If educators (and students) know why we are doing something and what it means to us personally, then we are more likely to be committed to doing our best.

On August 20th, I had the opportunity to share an advocacy and coteaching workshop with K-12 school librarians in Northwest ISD (near Fort Worth, Texas). During the workshop, we engaged in some frank conversations about the state of librarianship in this growing-by-leaps-and-bounds district. We applauded the district’s commitment to full-time professional school librarians in every school. We wondered aloud together about how we can help the district take the next steps to ensure that all students and teachers have access to the resources of the library at the point of need and to collaborative work with the school librarian to help students achieve deep learning.

The “why” of our conversation was assumed but not articulated. If I had it to do over again, I would ask the librarians to remind themselves of why they entered the library profession. In what ways does serving as the school’s librarian give purpose to their lives as educators? As we launch into the new school year, let’s keep the “whys” on our minds. Those are the values that guide us as we teach with purpose. Those are the motivators that can enhance our performance.

Works Cited

Moreillon, Judi. Advocacy for School Library Leaders: A Call to Action. 20 Aug. 2014. Web. 4 Sept. 2014. <http://advocacy4schoollibraryleaders.pbworks.com>.

Pink, Daniel. “Motivated to Learn: A Conversation with Daniel Pink.” Educational Leadership 72 (1): 12-17.

Pippalou. DSCN8820.JPG. Digital Image. Morguefile. Web. 4 Sept. 2014. <http://mrg.bz/Eah87Z>.

Success Starts Here

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success_rock“To thine own self be true” (Hamlet, Act I, Scene III).

Shakespeare’s Polonius had it right. We should be “loyal” to our own best interests. In order to achieve that piece of advice, we must know ourselves and be able to clearly articulate our values and beliefs. For me this is not a “new age” interpretation of the Bard’s wisdom. Living a life aligned with our values and beliefs is in our own best interest.

This fall at Texas Woman’s University, our campus is trying out the “one book” or “common book” concept. All faculty received a copy of This I Believe II: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman. All first-year students will be reading the book for class and all faculty are invited to use this text in their courses.

When I heard Mr. Gediman speak at our back-to-school faculty luncheon, I was reminded of an article I coauthored with co-guest editor Ann Ewbank for the “Advocacy: A Test of Character” issue of Knowledge Quest: “Is There a Teacher-Librarian Worldview? This We Believe…”

For me, our beliefs are as true today as they were seven years ago.

  • All schools should have a full-time state-certified school librarian (with graduate-level course work) on their faculty.
  • All school  librarians should be the champions in their schools for the First Amendment, intellectual freedom, and the right to read. (See the “Library Bill of Rights.”)
  • All school librarians should be advocates for all school library stakeholders (students, teachers, administrators, and families) to have unfettered equitable physical access to ideas and information throughout the school day and beyond.
  • All school librarians should be dedicated to helping students achieve intellectual access to ideas and information so they can be knowledgeable participants in a democratic society.

These are just some of my beliefs, honed through my library science education, that have guided my work as a practicing librarian and my preK-20 teaching. For me, success starts here. Knowing what I believe and why I believe it. Being an advocate for school librarianship from my core beliefs and values helps me stay true to myself and to align my life work with my “best interests.” Working in concert with colleagues, such as Dr. Ewbank, who share my beliefs strengthens our advocacy work.

As you begin the new school year, what do you believe? Why do you believe it? How do your actions align with your beliefs?

Works Cited

Allison, Jay, and Dan Gediman. This I Believe II: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women. New York: Holt, 2008. Print.

Ewbank, Ann Dutton, and Judi Moreillon. “Is There a Teacher-Librarian Worldview? This We Believe…” Knowledge Quest 36.1 (2007): 12-15. Print.

kseriphyn. Success Rock. Digital Image. Morguefile. Web. 1 Sept. 2014. <http://mrg.bz/vEb63X>.