Reflections on the dispositions of a successful library media specialist

I'm continuing to study for my upcoming exams and I'm trudging through all the information.  I feel confident that I'll do well on the exams, but I still get nervous even thinking about taking a test.  I guess I've never outgrown my apprehension towards test taking.  Anyhow, it's a process and I'm working through it.  In addition to trying to catch up on my blogging, I'm also working on my digital portfolio.  I've read up on them, weighed the pros and maybe one con, and decided that I would create one.  I chose Wix.com because I'm familiar with this platform and I feel that is offers the flexibility I need and provides me slightly more creative freedom than other platforms.  I will post my portfolio on my blog once I'm done with it.  I think it's going to give me the edge I need when I start looking for a job.

Now let's dive into week 1 of IST661!

This week professor Kawolski had us focus on these objectives:

• Understand the diverse roles of a school librarian
• Understand the dispositions of a 21st-century school librarian
• Reflect on your own dispositions and their impact on the roles you assume
• Decide on the roles that you will assume to implement your vision, mission, and goals
• Reflect on the implications of the virtual environment for LMC services and librarian roles

The structure of this class is such that each week a different member of the class comes up with the discussion question, posts it, and then continues to monitor and engage with classmates during the discussion.  Here is the question my classmate asked.  I'm not really sure about putting in names.  So I'm going to keep things discrete, unless I directly ask that person if they would like to be mentioned in my blog.  Please keep in mind that all discussion questions, unless indicated by me, are not my own and have been constructed by members of my class.  However, my responses are solely mine and are my own thoughts and reflections.  So without further adu, here was the discussion posted for week 1 of IST661:

As we are discussing dispositions of school librarians this week, I have few questions on top of the ones Professor Kowalski has posed to us. After reading through Gail Bush and Jami L. Jones two articles on professional dispositions of school libraries, I really appreciated the look into what the school librarian community is developing. Are there any dispositions (referring to their list that was displayed from the panelists) that you feel you are comfortable or have developed well? What dispositions do you feel you need to work on? And finally, any dispositions that are missing from the report that need to be addressed?

My reflection:

I believe the role of the library media specialist is a diverse and complicated one.  It is a role that wears many different hats and cannot neatly fit into any one category.  At the same time we're both teachers and librarians.  However, we're also advocates, critical thinkers, lifelong learners, collaborators, and one of the most important characteristics or disposition...leaders.  I believe there are two dispositions that every library media specialist should strive towards.  One was mentioned in our reading for this week and that was the disposition of a leader.

Library media specialists should be leaders for change.  We should know the latest tools and tips of the trade to make learning successful for both the teachers and students we work with.  We should step up our presence in our school communities by taking on a leadership role within them.  We should be a part of the leadership teams within schools, especially when it comes to the school's curriculum.  If we want our students to succeed, we must be able to be an integral part of the curriculum process.  By positioning ourselves within this leadership role, we are better able to change the content within our libraries and offer students and teachers the opportunities and avenues to build their literacy skills and ultimately be more successful in their educational careers.  It's too easy for us to get stuck in the rut of just doing surface level library lessons, and not helping teachers and students see that we can offer them solutions to connect content across the curriculum.  Also, and I'll be honest here, if we can successfully merge the library and the curriculum, and if our students' test scores improve; then it would stand to reason that our library budgets may improve as well.  I could be totally wrong about this, but it seems plausible and makes sense.

Some may wonder why their libraries are drowning or their budget is slowly dwindling year after year.  Let's be honest, at this point the library does not have a true presence within the school, or it is seen as irrelevant.  If a library media specialist wants this to change, they must enter a position of leadership and start connecting their library with the needs of the school and the curriculum at large.  To do this library media specialists should attend school data meetings, grade level meetings, community meetings regarding their school,etc.  Connect with their administrators more, attend school board meetings.  Get a feel for the climate.  Put yourself out there, and prepare to get busy.  If your successful, your library will blossom.  You can do this!  Because, if you don't, the people who are the most affected by the loss of a library program are the STUDENTS!  And let's face it, isn't that why we're all here in the first place?

The second disposition, which wasn't really stated as a disposition in any of the literature, but rather fell under a broader disposition, was the act of being innovative.  Bush and Jones' article, "Forecasting Professional Dispositions of School Librarians," places innovative under the broad disposition of critical thinking (2011).  While critical thinking can bring about innovation, so can creative thinking, collaborating, as well as empathy. I argue that it's not enough that being innovative be placed under a category, but rather be a broader disposition that encompasses and creates certain attitudes.  For example, being innovative means being curious, enjoying a challenge, being on the cutting edge of skills and resources, thinking deeply, willing to see others points of view, being flexible, being resilient, or have a certain stick-to-it-ness even though an idea or product may fail, being able to think outside of the box, and use materials/resources/products/systems in ways not previously imagined.  

I believe that the greatest tool, besides leadership, that is going to bring about change for a library media specialist, is their ability to be seen as a truly unique innovator.  Our administrators and fellow teachers want to see what creative things we can do with the resources we have, without breaking the bank.  They want to know how can we re-vamp old and tired lessons to breathe new life into them to peak students' interest and increase engagement.  They want us to be able to pass these skills in innovation down to the students we teach.  In today's educational climate it is important that we separate ourselves from the traditional view as the same-old, same-old librarian and approach our libraries as a place where innovation happens through creative thinking, collaboration, the sharing of ideas, and in some instances play.   

To wrap it up.  The roles I see as being most important in order to make a successful school library program are: program administrator, leader, professional development coordinator, information specialist, instructional partner, and innovator.  A healthy balance can be difficult to maintain, but with lots of self reflection (and trial and error) I have no doubt I will rock these!

Almost forgot this!  So much for being a good librarian!

Reference:
Bush, G., & Jones, J. L.  (2011).  Forecasting professional dispositions of school librarians.  School Library Monthly, 27 (4), 54-56.

Reflections for IST663: Introductions and Week 1 Discussion

Over the past day or so I've been extremely busy!  My kids are gearing up for their summer vacation, and I'm deep in the mist of studying for my initial teacher certification exams for New York State (Content Specialty Exam and Educating All Students Exam).

Literally surrounded by all the materials I've been studying.

However, I've been thinking about the overall structure of this blog and how I would like information to flow.  I know some love to read long, drawn out, wordy explanations.  Me, I prefer to be more to the point.  So, I've decided to break up the posts by alternating between the two classes according to week.  For example, IST661/week 1, then IST663/week 1.  I feel this will help me, and others who are reading this blog the opportunity to follow either a class of their choosing and/or easily find information.  Plus, I'm just a sucker for organization.  I mean really, what librarian isn't?

Activity For IST663 Introductions

Once again, this week consisted of introductions, but Dr. Stripling also had us jump into our week one discussion.  The method for our introduction was for students to write a brief paragraph introducing ourselves and add a picture.  Yet again, I liked that I could link a name with a face.  I also liked that in this exercise I didn't have to worry about creating a video and there being too much background noise from the hotel.  Dr. Stripling also laid out the structure for the class, weekly modules, and discussions.  She was very thorough and her directions helped to put everything in prospective.  

In our first official discussion we were asked to reflect on inquiry.  Specifically, "What have you learned from previous experiences with inquiry, either your own inquiry or that of students?"

I won't lie..my response was lengthy, but it's only because I was tying in my work at my previous library with what I was currently about to learn.  I have become fascinated by the inquiry process, and while working on my M.S. I vehemently expressed that the success of college students', in regards to research, is directly tied to their experiences and engagements with previous inquiry processes.  In addition, I advocated for introducing and establishing the process of inquiry as early as kindergarten.  It's been 10 years since I graduated with my M.S., and I believe it's especially important that younger students begin to learn the inquiry process, begin formulating questions, know which avenues to find relevant and pertinent information, and decipher authoritative sources from non-authoritative sources.

Here is my response to the above question.

Project Based Learning and Inquiry Based Learning

COLLAPSE

During the course of the last year and a half I had the opportunity to work on a leadership team whose main objective was to switch the school's traditional method of teaching to more inquiry based learning and eventually lead to more of a project based learning environment for students.  In the past the school had experimented with blended learning for students and parents who expressed interest.  Once the courses were completed and the principal was satisfied with the outcome, she decided to explore and research PBL.  She liked what she saw from other schools around the country, so she decided to try it at our school.  

Many of the topics discussed in the lecture and readings directly related to not only the teachers experiences in learning and experiencing more inquiry based learning and PBL, but also the students' reactions and views of these new learning processes.  The first hurtle encountered was making the learning experiences for both the teachers and students relevant.  Some of the teachers pushed back during the professional development because they simply could not see how this type of teaching was relevant to their immediate needs.  For example, Pre-K teachers did not see how PBL could be translated to their classrooms.  I encouraged these teachers to not concentrate so much on a typical PBL project with their students, because the concepts would be over their heads.  Instead, I suggested that the Pre-K teachers concentrate on modeling wonder and simulating curiosity in their students.  I wanted the Pre-K teachers to have students open to the opportunity to explore through their senses.  So, that was one way we connected inquiry and brought it down to the pre-operational phase.

Another obstacle that we encountered was teachers stating that their students didn't know how to ask good quality/intriguing questions.  Professor Stripling touched on this in her lecture and I was happy to hear that other teachers have encountered this.  Our teachers really thought they were alone in this matter.  Once again, the team and I stressed the importance of going back and teaching students what constitutes as an intriguing question.  I really thought this process began in kindergarten and we encouraged the kindergarten teachers to try to foster an atmosphere for questions.  That way students could begin to see that question asking was ok and that some questions that fellow classmates had could help them to refine a question they may have.  Once again, with this grade level we had to help teachers find the right amount of stimulation to keep them focused.  Modeling was very helpful in this grade.  

For our fourth graders the teachers came up with a natural disaster PBL unit to help tie in their science unit on fast and slow processes.  They created a gallery walk where students could ask questions on sticky notes regarding information they read or pictures they saw.  The goal was for students to develop a certain level of empathy so that they could better relate and connect with their eventual authentic audience.  The biggest problem encountered here was time.  We also found that by integrating technology we could keep the students in the right zone of stimulation.  We used many applications to help with capturing and keeping students' attention and further igniting their curiosity.  Seesaw and Popplet were invaluable because the students could connect with peers to bounce around questions and ideas.  Students really felt they were creating meaningful information and experiences; and as a result of this process the natural disasters that they learned about became a part of their world view.  They were really able to understand the projects usefulness and how it related to their present world and the future.  I commend the teachers in this grade level, because they were able to convey to the students why they were doing this research.

There were many more examples I saw over the course of time I worked in the elementary library.  Looking back on it, I'm grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of the PBL professional development team.  It was fun, exciting, but sometimes daunting to really explore the concepts of inquiry.  However,  I believe it was well worth it.  Some aspects could have been done differently, but inquiry is a field that is cyclical so teaching it to other teachers felt that way at times.  I'm really looking forward to being able to help refine how I might frame, package, and deliver this line of teaching to other teachers I work with in the future.  

Avenues for Application

Inquiry skills are a vital aspect of student achievement.  Many organizations have pointed out that it is necessary and required for students to learn how to ask quality questions and be able to navigate through the process of inquiry in order to synthesize information and construct or create new knowledge.  The American Association of School Librarians Standards for 21st-Century Learner (AASL, 2007) outlines the criteria or skills a student should be able to demonstrate throughout a given inquiry process.

Although, there has been much debate surrounding The Common Core State Standards Initiative (2010), the literacy standards specifically outline the skills necessary for students to conduct research, read informational texts, and produce informational writing.  These are necessary skills to promote inquiry in an educational environment and directly affect the relationship of the librarian with students and the classroom teacher.  In addition, the skills learned from the CCSS will transfer to students' lives outside of school as well.  When students are encountered with a problem or with information they wish to look for, if CCSS skills are achieved, students will have the skills necessary to ultimately make an informed and independent decision.

Standards from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE, 2007) also dictate the need for students to learn the skills necessary to integrate technology into their educational experience.  Creativity, communication, collaboration, research, information fluency, critical thinking, and digital citizenship are also aspects that are covered under the standards and are vital skills that all students, regardless of future educational endeavors, should be provided the opportunity to learn.

It is vital that today's librarians be up-to-date on inquiry models and processes and integrate them into their library lessons or be willing to collaborate with teachers in a inquiry unit.  Because of today's technological climate, the role of the library media specialist is more than just about promoting reading or traditional literacy.  Our role is to provide a framework and environement in which students can inquire about topics they are learning about in class, or are interested in outside of school.  It is about equipping them with the tools, knowledge, skills, and know-how to be able to find quality and reliable information, construct new meaning from it, and if necessary make an informed and conscientious decision on how that information can be applied to their lives.

References

American Association of School Librarians (AASL). 2007. Standards for the 21st-Century Learner.   Chicago: American Library Association. http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/AASL_Learning_Standards_2007.pdf

Common Core State Standards Initiative. 2017.  "The Standards."  National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers.  http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards.

International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE). 2017. "ISTE Standards for Students." https://www.iste.org/standards/standards/for-students.

Week 1: Spring 2017 Semester

My semester started off with a BANG!  Well, maybe not so drastic, just a complete and utter change in scenery and the obstacle of having to do course work in a hotel room with three other people and a dog.  It was a challenge, but for the first 10 days I made it work.

This semester I was required to take IST661-Managing a School Library, and IST663-Motivating 21st Learners.  I was thrilled to be able to take both courses, particularly 661.  I've had experience doing cursory work in libraries, but I have not been able to really get into the nitty-gritty of the policies, operating procedures, budgets, etc. that make a school library (or any library for that matter) must have in order to operate smoothly.  I was also excited about receiving a more in-depth learning experience on the inquiry process; and how I could take the lessons learned from 663 and apply it to lessons for teaching students inquiry skills.  I have had some previous practice with learning the basics of the different inquiry models and how to transfer those skills over to students.  The school I worked at in Hawaii had been moving towards a more Project Based Learning model of student learning, and I was able to research and dive into some of the concepts we would be learning about in Dr. Stripling's class.  Plus, just to be able to say I had the opportunity to learn from Dr. Stripling was a treat!  She's been such a positive force for the school library/library world, especially in regards to her inquiry model.

Lessons and Activities for IST661:

Both classes started off with introductions.  Sue Kowalski was my professor for 661.  She is a energetic force of thoughtful and creative insights and information about the management of school libraries.  She required us to make a video introducing ourselves using the application Flipgrid.  This was my first time using the application and it's one I will use in the future with students.  However, for future reference note it is called Flipgrid for a reason, everything gets flipped, so be sure to explain this to students.  The first is last and the last is first.  Other than that I love video introductions, especially for online classes!  It makes the class actually seem like a coherent group, rather than just those people you talk with online.  Your able to put a face with the name and get a feel for a persons personality.  I loved watching my classmates introductions and learning about them. Once again it was a bit of a struggle for me because of the "hotel situation," but I holed myself up in a quite place and knocked it out.

Here is the video I was able to post:
https://flipgrid.com/6a5590

While I was working on my video, I thought it would be neat to have students make a video about themselves during the first week of school that they could post on either a classroom website/blog or a school website.  It would be an amazing way to include English Language Learners in an introductory event as well, and help them to feel comfortable with their school.  A teacher could have students construct videos and post them on a digital portfolio platform and have students watch and comment on videos.  This activity could allow students to quickly connect with one another, and have them begin to build a community environment in their classroom.  Plus, the teacher could use this activity as a foundation to introduce digital citizenship and build upon those concepts throughout the school year.

In addition to using Flipgrid for introductions, classroom teachers can use it as an avenue for assessments.  This application would be beneficial for students who may not feel comfortable speaking up in class.  They could use it break out of their shell and really express themselves in a way they feel comfortable.  Students would be engaged in the activity, because technology is being employed in a way to enrich a lesson and the classroom teacher could switch up from having to grade papers to watching a video to assess student learning.  The uses for this application are endless, so much creativity could take place!  From orchestrating a talk-show or news report, to having students use it for book reviews in the library and posting to a library website.  It's a wonderful tool, and fun for both students and teachers. For more information on Flipgrid visit: https://info.flipgrid.com

In addition to our instructions, Professor Kowalski had us start thinking about and reflecting on our beliefs about school librarianship, the role of the library media specialist in today's future ready libraries/schools, and how those would transfer over to developing a vision and mission statement for our future learning commons and ultimately our goals as a library media specialist.  This was an extremely thought provoking exercise for me.  I started on notebook paper and found myself crossing out words and ideas, and ultimately switched to the computer, because well it was getting messy.  Do not get me wrong, creativity=messy, but in just reflecting about it I was getting lost.  I knew as time went on I would get my beliefs down more concretely and be able to construct and express them in a clear, concise manner, but that first week was a doozy!  As Professor Kowalski told us, BREATHE DEEP.

My reflections on my library's mission.  Disregard the messy handwriting and misspellings.  My hand can't keep up with my mind!

Trying to start this blogging thing back up!

Wow!  I took a really long break from my blogging endeavors!  I mean a whole semester's worth of blogs have been put on the back burner, but for a very good reason.  During the months of December 2016-February 2017, my family and I packed up our household goods, vehicle, and our family dog and relocated from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii to Fort Polk, Louisiana.  The change was not as dramatic as it could have been (initially we were supposed to go to Fort Drum or as I refer to it, the frozen arctic tundra).  I love being in the North Country and was a bit sad that we would not be calling it our home yet, but the change in temperatures would have been difficult adjustment for my family and I.

Anyhow, after traveling 10 hours and reaching our final destination, I had a couple of days to settle us in at our temporary hotel lodgings before beginning my Spring semester courses.  I was excited about the new school year and it what it had to teach me.  Over the course of the next few blogs, I'm going to unpack and reflect on what I learned through the Spring semester.  I have some time before my Summer semester classes start, well I should say I have a small chunk of time; I'm currently preparing to take my Content Area Specialty Exam and my Educating All Students Exam to obtain my initial New York state teacher certification.  Fingers crossed all goes well!!

However, before all this begins I will show some pictures of my new surroundings and start jotting down my thoughts in a journal as to how I my work from the classes to flow.  I learned a great deal from both classes and was able to really tighten and strengthen certain ideas regarding teaching inquiry skills and managing a school library.  I feel more comfortable and confident in my abilities to take on the world of a school media specialist and all the trials, tribulations, and joys that come with it.  Keep posted for more updates!

Oak Alley Plantation

One of the many cemeteries of New Orleans

My husband and I on one of the riverboat tours