Final Blog and Happy Holidays

Developing a reference collection for an information literate society

What does that look like? After taking this course I am now familiar with the reference process and different models of inquiry for problem solving. I think I like the points of inquiry model- the poster that goes with it is an added bonus.

I found my course mates contributions helpful on many levels. Katie shared the following link for points of inquiry, which is a handy bookmark: http://bctf.ca/bctla/pub/documents/PointsofInquiry.pdf.  And as Mark said in the discussion on research models, “ It doesn't get any simpler than the The Points of Inquiry model. Now that's something you could read and use on an iphone. Now what better criteria is there than that!? Less is more, and when something is straight-forward enough to be self-explanatory, it's more engaging too”.

Riedling provides a good overview of the components of a reference section as the “nuts and bolts” in chapter 3-8 and through reading the text and going to my mentor’s library I have become more familiar with the universal sections in most libraries. In evaluating Seaforth’s collection I found that the needs of students compete with the technology available and although we always strive to give our students what they need the match up just isn’t possible. I think it is the skills we teach in the library- not necessarily the materials we have available that is most important- my opinion of course. There was a good back and forth banter between people in this course about the need for paper resources or electronic materials. I believe balance is important.

I appreciated the comment about how I did not mention a globe in my reference review- to be honest it did not come up. She uses wall maps with her students and I did not see a globe. I will definitely keep it in mind when I am looking at a reference collection myself.

The web as a reference resource is still very intimidating to use as a professional resource. I hope that I can work with a group of TLs to create a Wiki for various elementary school needs- links that work, are valuable professionally and that we can share amongst ourselves. Maybe in the form of a blog! Although this is my last formal blog for this course I hope to continue to use it as a tool to reflect on my TL learning. 

Collection Management - Lesson 12

Just a small thought when I was reading lesson 12 and managing a collection was the schools of thought about keeping the reference collection together or dispersed. The following sentiment is exactly what my teacher mentor described.

“Arguments for integrating reference materials deal with the fact that the reference materials are often used more when they are located in the regular collection with resources that are used by students on a regular basis” (course information lesson 12).

She finds resources are used more frequently if they are put in general circulation.

I am also curious about the ins and outs of an automated system. I know our district has one and I am relieved to read that it will help to organize the learning resource management. I am also curious about it’s role in inventory etc. So many questions generated for when I get back to work in the role of a TL. 

Deep Blog

Week 11: “Deep” Reflection

Interesting lesson, I found I was surfing about how to surf! Sadly, I did not find this week that practical for elementary school students. I wish they had “google kids” and that you could search a key word and there was an engine to do the weeding!! Other 467 students- did you find this useful as an elementary librarian?

In the online exploratory links I found the following comment meaningful about becoming a teacher librarian, building information literacy skills and connecting with reference resources in relation to this lesson. The comment was “more importantly is the teacher-librarian's mastery of search strategies that he/she can help students build effective search strategies.”

In the big picture we are supporting student learning so even though it may feel frustrating to us weeding through the maze of sites, imagine how frustrating it would be for a child. I can see how Wikkis are great, a collection of links students can use. It saves everyone time.

I discovered an Inactive link http://www.wkdev.com/deep/deep1.html on one of the course links- a bit frustrating to say the least. It looks the links were last accessed in 2009?

The following quote in grey literature reminded me of how traditional research vs action research. Both very useful but both are very different.

Grey lit. seems to be the “process work” not polished, similar to action research. With action research you “do” and “reflect” and “redo”; grey literature seems to be the process work of something- not the end product.

I wonder what the difference in reliability is between grey literature and wikkipedia?

Thoughts? 

Managing the information overload!

Mid course and Lesson 9,10 reflection

As I reflect on last week and the previous weeks, I find that I am overwhelmed with the amount of online sources available and listed in course materials, the frustration that links are overcrowded with pop ups and the time it takes to find a decent online resource.

I like looking at links others put forward (school districts, libraries etc.) by others but after starting assignment 3, I wonder if that is just a passive approach. I feel like I am in the self oriented concern stage- I need more information about supporting students achieving information literacy before I can be of any assistance and provide moral support.

I understand that this course is made up of a large range of individuals from TOCs to very experienced teachers, teacher librarians and to some who have never taught. I feel fortunate I have teaching strategies as part of my toolbox before adding this technology layer.

I am learning so much in this course about specific reference materials, but more importantly I am learning how to ask my school district mentor the right questions to assist me in my career change and supporting students information literacy development.  For example, in completing the reference review she was able to approach the PAC and ask for more funding for another set of animal encyclopedias.  Through meeting with her I learned my way around the library, was introduced to all areas of the library and we connected to further introduce students to Worldbook for assignment 3.

I see that many other students in this course enjoy using Worldbook as well, there are numerous conversations I have participated in but in summary the ease of use, current information that is frequently updated and engaging graphics seems to capture students’ and teachers attention.

I am excited to learn about and use the directory   A to zoo: Subject access to children's picture books. I love using picture books to introduce concepts to people of all ages and this would have been a handy classroom resource for me. I always call kids books when I need something specific.

Regarding atlases it seems that Nystrom has a good set for students to use. I question what we are teaching in the library with atlases. Are we teaching them how to use them or how to access that kind of information, and if that is the intent perhaps we should be weeding through the swamp of online sources and directing students how to do the same. Are students going to go to the public library when they need a map or are they going to google? However, if they don’t know what to do once they google and find a map then there is no point. It feels like the chicken and the egg question- what comes first?  When technology is introduced.

I appreciated Joanne and Amber postings about the Nystrom Canadian Desk Atlas and for providing such detailed information about the cost of the atlases.

Lastly, in my weekly course work for lesson 9 I went to click on the Geogames link that Lisa presented for smartboard geography and I could not access it because it was in you tube- the demo videos. A perfect example of why you need to regularly check links and have a back up plan ready to go.

http://www.reachtheworld.org/games/geogames/GeoGames-Teachers-Tools.html

Reference Resources- Digital Age- Information Literacy- To Weed or to treasure?

Riedling states an almanac is “a resource that provides useful data and statistics related to countries, personalities, events and subjects” (p.125) and notes that when “ a single figure or fact is required, the almanac can be very useful. Students enjoy facts and trivia; therefore almanacs are wonderful sources for browsing as information seeking”(p.38).

I have to agree that students love looking at these types of books- especially boys! Boys seem harder to motivate than girls says but perhaps the reference area is an area that can cultivate curiosity- or already does. I imagine the science and technology reference collection and Almanac’s are well used if children are given the opportunity and time to look at them. Anything with facts and figures, reliable or not, seems to intrigue children. I think having these books is important, maybe it's osmosis that will occur as students flip the pages but the internet is a "go to" place for specific information, students who browse our library shelves for pleasure need choices. Choices that may be accessible online, but also bound with old fashioned page numbers and that musty book smell! At Seaforth the students can check most reference books out which has increased circulation. There is the aspect of damage to consider but that has not been an issue for this school (yet...). I am not sure I have ever consulted a special dictionary, but that is not to say they are not important. I didn't know such things exist and in the school library I evaluated I don't think there were special dictionaries. I would love an animal dictionary for my son, he would enjoy a book specifically on animals with no mumbo jumbo to distract him. 

Reading my classmates posts there is a real push to spend time, money and energy on digital/online resources. Perhaps I don’t feel I have the skills to navigate the online revolutions- is there a TL course that covers only online resources- reference, fiction, non fictions, picture books etc.? Perhaps there is an I will be taking it in the future. With them changing so often I imagine a course of that nature would be hard to keep current. 

Rielding’s evaluating dictionaries and encyclopedias had some good points. The general evaluative guide Riedling suggests is authority (publisher), format (print- materials, arrangement of text, readability etc. but in addition to print the electronic dictionaries and encyclopedias contain links, maneuverability should be considered, and graphics should be evaluated. Perhaps another section called online sources should be written and additional evaluative tips should be outlined.

One classmates posting stated how her students enjoy using Worldbook online because it was reputable, reliable, and saved time in general because it was a one stop shop. She said they key was teaching them how to use the databases. I agree. Worldbook kids is a great start and I also like National Geographic for kids. My 2 year old is fascinated with the animals and loves to watch my searches. It’s scary but he knows how to click his way to the next screen. 

Reality Check- Reference Sources

With all the technologies available in our current global world, why are reference services still needed? They are required to determine among the tons of information, the ounce necessary and useful for the student. They are required to assist students in learning how to access, organize, evaluation, and use information –learn how to learn, become information literate. Ironically, technology has actually increased the student’s need for assistance and reference services. (Reidling, p.12) 

Starting assignment 2 was a very interesting process- evaluating a reference collection and improving it. First, I should explain I have never worked in a SL before and I am currently on maternity leave from a non enrolling position I held for the last 5 years so curriculum/learning strategies are a bit dated or foggy for me. Having said that, I have kept as current as I could and I have just been matched with a mentor to give me access to a school library and support my learning- so nice to have!

I met with my district mentor and she gave me a full tour of her reference and general collection. She explained that she extensively weeded everything when she started a few years ago.  In the reference collection she has kept the encyclopedias, dictionaries and geographical sources together and organized them subject based. Everything else has been put back into the general circulation (sports almanacs etc. ) because she said that the readability of the school reference collection is almost unusable by students independently and that so many books were not appealing to students, outdated or not a collection that needed to be contained because of the types of skills and processes taught.

She is interested in inquiry based learning and promoting a collection that can support this. She would like to see less reference and more collections of information based materials that students can use for applying their reference skills. I will be creating a plan that focuses on building a readable, current, interesting reference collection in French and English. The english collection is currently more developed partly because of availability, partly because bulk purchases are made in English.

Rereading the text was a good exercise for me to think about how I would shape my own library and the importance of reference collections- it is not my job to change her mind but perhaps my assignment will cause her to reflect on the importance of building a current, readable, interesting,  reference collection for the dual track school.

Can you tell which part of the collection is used and which part the TL is just unsure what to do with?

 

Cooperative lesson planning- Generating Interest with your staff

How I can help- and integrate technology!

At a staff meeting I would say I am interested in supporting teachers and working with students to improve information literacy.

I would say if you do not have a information literacy skill of choice we could start with some mini lessons on using text features gr. 1-7 using a variety of resources (print and electronic (if available) on a topic of their choice.

The primary team might pick the topic apples or community; the intermediates might pick Canada or Egypt. It doesn’t matter about the topic- the role is to support students developing information literacy and teach them how to use text features. I would show the staff the below learning outcomes and have a sign up sheet circulating.

Learning Outcomes:

Grade one: English Language Arts Curriculum

(Reading and Viewing Section)

B10            after reading and viewing, develop their understanding of the meaning conveyed in texts by

– rereading or “re-viewing” for clarification - describing their understanding of the text –  discussing their ideas with others –            using text features (e.g., diagrams, headings, bold and italicized words, diagrams, drawings, chapter titles) to locate information

Grade seven: English Language Curriculum

(Reading and viewing section)

B8            analyse how the following structures and features convey meaning:

–            literary elements (e.g., plot, tension, conflict, character, setting, climax, resolution, theme) –            literary devices (e.g., personification, imagery, irony, hyperbole, simile, metaphor, alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhyme, rhythm)- visual/artistic devices (e.g., space, colour, sound) –            text structure and organization (e.g., topic sentence, development of ideas with supporting details, central idea) –            text features (e.g., table of contents, headings, diagrams, sidebars, pull-quotes) –            form (e.g., sonnet, business letter, advertisement, debate) –            genre (e.g., essay, article, documentary, web page, short story, graphic novel, poem)

Learning outcomes are from the site:

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/subject.php?lang=en&subject=Literacy_Foundations

(Please note these are Literacy Foundations English Language Arts 2010) 

Connecting with fellow 467 coursemates

I wondered if I had opened a can of worms when I posted about the reality of paper/pen at work, technology at home but atleast I posted something others replied to! That seems to be the trick with online courses, synthesize quickly, apply concisely and ponder out to others.

It was refreshing to see several interesting replies to my question about what is really going on in schools.

I had reflected: " As I support information literacy development I want to jump up and down and shout "Show me the resources"! And then asked, " What is actually going on for TLS? Is there an ideal and a reality? Are there schools that are technologically up to date and have wireless laptop carts available for use by the TL?"


The responses echoed my thoughts that technology in public schools is not quite user friendly yet with regards to useable working equipment in a timely manner. Although people have repeatedly referenced Livingston in Vancouver (the smart board school) as being up to date- it might be a good field trip when I get into the system if I work at a school with resources. 


I am thinking about the coursework with a bit of a different lens, I am not going to approach it as a Utopia resource rich world, that would not be helpful, so I will look for lessons that can connect students with research skills they can apply to paper or electronically. Also for Change a Teacher I will be thinking of it as Support a teacher. Change seems to imply there is something "wrong" or "can be different" with the way one is doing something, which implies time- I think support will seem a bit more approachable for the staff I work with:) 

Conversations with district colleagues

I had a very practical response (see below) from our district support teacher librarian and want to share it. In the busy world I asked the question asked of us, of a TL how are professionals choosing and selecting resources and what issues are there? It was refreshing to see that new REVIEWED books are coming out, the ministry document has books that are 5 years old plus listed. It makes sense about the Canadian content and our market being smaller hence a smaller selection of books. Perhaps with Worldbook online we will see more reference tools to support the Canadian curriculum. The shame is even if they exist, can our system afford them and afford the technology support to maintain them.


Re selection of Canadian materials.   There are a couple of magazines/journals that specifically focus on Canadian resources - "Resource Links" and "Quill and Quire".  Teacher-librarians would also be checking the catalogs of Canadian publishers to see what new titles are coming out.   The Association of BC Book Publishers puts out a catalog each year of books that are recommended for schools - the titles are reviewed by BC teacher-librarians for quality and appropriateness to support the curriculum.  I have also found it useful to attend publishers' displays (usually at conferences) to look over items in person.  If someone sees or buys something that looks great they will tell others - word of mouth works well!

The main issue would be that as Canadian libraries and, especially, Canadian school libraries are such a small market that publishers can not afford to produce selection tools targetted just for them.  Also, to be realistic, there is less money going to school libraries to even buy resources.  I think most teacher-librarians make an effort to have Canadian titles in the collection.

The role of technology- What if?

               Technology is only a tool (Henry, 2008)

I have been curious about digital reference services.  I know they must be available for students but I wondered what known benefits and drawbacks exist. I read two articles on the topic. The first titled Just Curious: Children’s Use of Digital Reference For Unimposed Queries and Its Importance in Informal Education (Silverstein, 2005) and After School and Online (Thompson, 2003). Each article stated that students accessed the services when they were available but that they needed assistance formulating questions, students were motivated by some topic areas more than others and provided valuable findings for software developers to create user-friendly interfaces.

The study After School and Online, focused on chat based live digital reference services, and outlined a trial project that provided online support for students. I found it interesting to read about some of the barriers of online reference services. For example, they questioned whether students were able to evaluate information because of using this service. When a librarian helped a student narrow their topic and formulate a question, the study asked the question “was the student able to do this independently in the future” and the findings indicated that it was hard to track. Another finding in both studies was librarians found that students constantly disappeared and felt that it could have been because of connection issues but also stated that students reported that would get bored or distracted. Both articles pondered how Internet savvy the audience was.

In the last eight years the world wide web has advanced more than I can describe, I wonder if there are specific interfaces set up now for teacher librarians to accept questions without the pressure to respond at all times of the day, or if there is a peer system established so that students can help each other. Perhaps it would be worth creating a support page of useful reference links  (maybe a wikki) for students so that they can access the page from home and go to an external support like AskJeeves etc. After reading these two articles I have jumped forward a year to when I start in a school library and I have started to think about whether I will provide electronic reference support.

The final article I read was titled Another Opinion: Can’t We All Just Get Along? Technophiles and Bibliophiles in School Libraries? (Henry, 2008) and it was a good article to read this week as we discuss online resources. The discussion question presented in the article is “are we creating readers or learners?”  Henry (2008) reminds us that technology is only one of many tools used to teach students how to effectively use information. He says, “Do not be afraid of new formats, after all books were new once upon a time. [He reminds us to] use new formats to help kids become life long learners, adapt, change, grow” (p.44).  I like the idea of posting a sign that says technology is only a tool in the library. The following quote ties into Anne’s question of the week surrounding purchasing book and electronic resources and it made me chuckle. “ At times there seems to be an undercurrent of hostility between those who love technology and those whose love is reserved for the printed word” (p. 44). Isn’t that the truth and doesn’t it come down to adequate training and resources for educators to begin to be comfortable in the electronic world? It is not just a matter of training; training and time to apply learning is critical for educators if we are ever going to support information literacy development in the 21^st century.

References

Henry, R. (2008). Another opinion: can't we all just get along? technophiles and bibliophiles in school libraries. Library Media Connection , 27(2), Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=34928333&site=ehost-live

Silverstein, J. (2005). Just curious: children's use of digital reference for unimposed queries and its importance in informal education. Library Trends, 54(2), Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=20486704&site=ehost-live

Thompson, J. (2003). After school and online. Library Journal , 128(1), Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=8939517&site=ehost-live

Electronic Literacy

Developing Electronic Literacy: The opportunity of mass storage and specific retrieval is both a “blessing and a curse” (Reidling, p.101).  This is a perfect analogy because I am sure everyone has experienced the frustration of trying to find something- weed through the net, but also the satisfaction of finding exactly what you needed without having to go anywhere.

After working on an assignment for another course (reviewing book reviews) I found it interesting that this week’s lesson focuses on electronic resources because I used all electronic sources for my reviews because of time and convenience. Who has time to drive to the library and pick up the journals or magazines anymore? Sad but true.

 In an age where we turn to the computer or google for everything I think it is critical we focus on building the skills students need for working with information and applying it. To put it in perspective I subscribe to a bunch of mother’s online magazines, I receive articles via email and although they may not be the most accurate, they are convenient and easy to access. I imagine when students leave our libraries and educational buildings they will sign up for things like this- interest and convenience based.

They need the skills to look at many things when wading through the massive amounts of information on any topic including the: date and age of information, the biases presented (because most likely there will be something) and the target audience the material was intended for and type of material presented- fact, fiction, editorial, study etc.  Maybe it is back to the basics. We ask the kids to reverse their approach and use pieces of text to teach bias and stereotype and then hope they apply it? I think I will jump into the rollercoaster of the online resources and attempt to teach students wading skills, detective skills, and application skills.  

When reading Chapter 10:  The Web in Today’s Reference Services, I felt a bit overwhelmed with the section discussing search engine options because I am not too familiar with any search engine other than- can you guess? GOOGLE. I wonder how many search engines are used in schools? TLs if you are reading this- what do you use in the school library?

In response to the question posed by A. Letain, “Are those of us who support both print and electronic reference sources fighting a losing battle? How do student preferences for electronic resources affect your purchasing?”

I have to say that because I am not purchasing yet, have no prior biases about past budgets etc. but instinctually I would still like to see a balance. Our school district subscribes to world book online- that is our district supported reference resource. When looking for answers to questions I think students look electronically if given the choice. Thinking back to the section on weeding it is also hard to justify spending chunks of the budget on books that in theory are outdated in 5 yrs. So maybe we purchase fiction, subscribe to fact? Hmmm.

I am not surprised the conclusions of the study referenced on lesson 4 about the impact of electronic resources on undergraduate students mirrored some of my own thoughts about accessing information. It was no surprise to see students are “heavily dependent” on the web and convenient.  (ttp://www.epic.columbia.edu/eval/find09/find09.ppt, ppt slide 42)

Resources vs Reality

Reality vs Resources

In the big picture of Education we are selecting and evaluating reference materials to support the information literacy development in our students.  Ultimately our collections should “answer the questions” and provide a balance of direct information and referrals to other sources as Riedling (2005) outlines in chapter 2. 

What I found optimistic was the suggested weeding process and the appropriate timelines given for the accuracy of materials.  I agree that after 5 years the information may be outdated in a Science text, however I know that new texts are rarely purchased with school budgets. Staffing changes, tracks, and curriculum changes are also going to impact usage of certain collections.

I also thought the comment made about taking the books to the dumpster highly controversial. Why can’t students use the pictures in the book and at what point is something better than nothing? Is having a set of encyclopedias and doing a compare and contrast activity to World Book online appropriate, or learning about headings, sub headings, chapter summaries, pictures, bolded words being in the glossary not valuable lessons that can be taught with these outdates resources if there is nothing current available?

There are also so many subjective factors that go into how the resources are used. I think if the TL accesses student and teachers’ emotional domains and relationships are built; the library has more of a chance of being well used.  It is a subjective comment to make but I know in various schools I have worked in my library use was directly dependent on my relationship with the TL and the students relationship with the TL.

Linking one’s individual teaching style to reference sources is also a factor. Why purchase a magazine subscription if students aren’t accessing it and the TL isn’t promoting or engaging the students in it. Having said that perhaps time constraints don’t permit for extensive use of new resources, or integrating them into the existing program.

With regards to arrangement and presentation, I think that a library that is presented in an interesting engaging way to students is going to motivate them to access and use the library. Also library programs need to mirror resources. Battle of the books was an extremely successful program in one school I worked in. This was partly because the books were excellent but most importantly they were presented in such an interesting fun format. As districts employ professionals to purchase materials for all of the schools to create consistency they lost the vision that each school is unique in it's needs and teachers need a process to interact with the new materials or resources. 

I think collection organization and maintenance is important, I am just walking through the personal biases I have about school libraries and thinking about how I will set up my own school library one day.

 Of course I would like it to answer everyone’s questions, have interesting displays and inviting opportunities with a healthy budget to weed as often as is recommended…

Lesson Plan for Research Quest with staff

https://www.vista.ubc.ca/webct/RelativeResourceManager/Template/Imported_Resources/lesson2_imswct/images/pic007.jpg

Creating a community of learners- Using Research Quest

½ day pro-d

9:00 a.m. start- on yellow sticky notes write why you like having a school library and teacher librarian-  to support building information literacy- with a def. of information literacy clearly posted on chart paper.Stick all notes to chart paper and read aloud when staff are completed task. 

On a blue sticky note write what you think would be the benefits of the entire school using the same research process- post all on chart paper and read aloud

9:30- Give everyone a copy of Research Quest (link for student guide above) and a task that can be used with a grouping of picture books. Begin by reviewing the five components (Focus, Find/Filter, Work with Information, Communicate and Reflect) and clarify any questions about the sample task.  Ask staff to get in grade groupings and work through the process using the questions as a guide. 

Sample task: are women represented equally in the workplace as men?

10:00-10:30 Come together and share findings.

Recess

10:45-11:30- in grade groupings discuss this process (pros/cons), how this process could be used in the curriculum and what support your team would like from the teacher librarian. 

11:30-12:00- Share results with rest of staff, on a calendar plot out how the TL might be involved in this

My Comments: 

I find that when everyone has a sticky note to write on each voice is heard. It is also a visual reminder  when posted in the staff room.  It is an active way of participating with new terms as well. 

My introduction and thoughts about reference services in the information age

This is my first blog and my second course in this program. What a learning curve setting up a blog- as an online reflective journal. I feel a bit like I am standing in my undies! I have a few different hats on when I approach coursework. I was a classroom teacher for 5 years and during that time I completed a Masters of Arts in Leadership and Training at Royal Roads (amazing program!). I learned how to work with larger groups of people where I also learned some very valuable group process skills such as building a shared vision. I completed my thesis on motivation and looked at how working in the public sector impacts teachers' motivation to participate in extracurricular. Then when I completed the program I moved into a non enrolling teaching role and I became a community school coordinator for several years, a job that I loved. However, I have had two children in the last two years and I am pursing this role to work part time in school for the next decade.

 I thought being a teacher librarian meant collaborating with staff and working with students to achieve the curriculum. The farther I get into this program I see that my impressions were correct but that there is a hidden curriculum of Information Literacy that needs to be addressed. I am not sure I fully understand what information literacy is but I hope to discuss it for the remainder of this course. In my notes from a previous course I wrote down, "To be information literate a person must be able to recognise when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information". I think this a definition that will continue to work as the digital age we live in evolves. 

When I signed up for this course I wondered how relevant it would be to learn about various reference services when we live in such a "google" everything age. I am now starting to look at this course as part of the foundation for a successful journey, a foundation to build upon. 

A point I am going to try to shape my blog around is how all this relates to the big picture. "In order to provide successful reference services and support teaching (knowledge of the library media collection, effective conversation skills and competence in selecting and acquiring and evaluating resources to meet student needs) and given the realities of our time, I think that we need to embrace that we are life long learning educators and think about the big picture- supporting information literate learners." (Kristi's entry- Module 1- reference services)

When I posted this I was hoping for some conversation about others "big picture" ideas . Janice added, " Life long learning and the willingness to listen and communicate seems big to me" and I have to agree the listening piece is an entire course itself. When relationships are built collaboration will be a smoother ongoing process between members. 

Our instructor added the point in another thread that "we educators can't even decide who takes on the vision/responsibility for Information Literacy. Perhaps there are too many "literacies" around to confound our colleagues - cultural literacy, basic literacy, info literacy, media literacy..." and I agree that no one wants to take responsibility and leap forward, I see the "not enough time, training, motivation" as blockers to educators coming together with a shared vision. 

I think we have an opportunity as teacher librarians to shape some pro-d around various topics. I am going to "blog" about how I might work with my staff about adopting a school wide research process for my next entry.