Book Week Brainstorming

This year the 2011 Pre Book Week Extravaganza was held at the NSW State Library. The brainstorming event held during the day has lots of creative ideas that tie in with 'One World, Many Stories'. The link to the ALIACYS site is below!

http://www.alia.org.au/groups/cysnsw/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=Main.Extravaganza2011

Mini Books Template

Through the use of the very helpful TL's on the listserv, this mini book template was posted and may come in handy throughout my time as a TL.

http://practicalpages.wordpress.com/2010/04/08/one-page-minibook-templates/

Book Raps

As a beginning TL i'm hoping to make significant use of the NSW DET's Book Raps. Especially the Rap on the book week shortlisted books that is due to come out early August. If you haven't already checked out the Book Rap's and their layout/activities, follow the link below to have a squizz!

http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/raps/

Maang

Maang is an online internal blogging tool for DEC staff. I have only just found out about Maang and am still yet to delve into it's effectiveness. Creating a profile to use on Maang was simple, especially if you are familiar with blogging already. I simply followed the link:

https://www.maang.nsw.edu.au/st/group/18 and logged in using my DEC username and password. I then created a profile and uploaded a picture from the web.

I hope Maang is a similar tool to the listserv, in that is provides endless amounts of valuable information!

And So It Begins Again...

It's hard to believe the I am about to start another subject in my study as becoming a TL, however it is my final one. Little did I know that when I began my MedTL degree that I would be offered a permanent position part way through the course. Having completed three of the compulsory subjects for the NSW DET, this will be my last.

It has been a struggle for me to get started in this subject, as I believe was the case for one subject not so long ago. More study, teamed with a new position in a totally foreign school and area has been slightly overwhelming. However I am confident that in time, it will all come together just fine.

Last week I started to read Chapter one of our set text 'Visionary: Leaders for Information', however I got no further than the first page because I felt bombarded with new information and I wasn't 'using' the information I was reading in any beneficial context. So I stopped. Today I decided that no matter what it took I was going to get through that chapter, and I did. Similarly to the main idea of the first chapter, I had a clear purpose and an end product and I made sure that I remained focused on both in order to achieve what I had set out to do (finish the first chapter!).

One of the main things that stood out to me in Chapter one, was the constant reference to change. Change is inevitable, it is going to happen whether we like it or not, whether we are willing to embrace it or try to fight it; it is the only constant in life and in learning. As change so readily occurs, so must our ability to reflect on the practices that our organisation operates by/within, in order to reflect the change that is occurring and ensure that we adjust our purpose, processes and goals to meet the needs of our clients.

It is important that as TLs and educational leaders that we have a firm idea of where we are going and what we need to do to get there. It is also just as important that we don't attempt to do this as sole entities but rather with the cooperation of all stakeholders (including parents, students and staff).

I know I want to make a recognised and effective contribution to the learning outcomes of the students in my school. However, I don't think this can be done instantaneously. I believe it is something that needs to worked on over time, in collaboration with others.

In summary, reading this chapter has taught me that as an educational leader it is possible for me to make a difference to the learning outcomes of students. It is not about power and a hierarchical system, rather creating positive and effective relationships that exhibit respect and are driven by inspiration and motivation. In a technologically evolving world that is constantly going through rigorous changes, it is important that our purpose and goal are continually reviewed and we reflect on our current practices to ensure that they meet the modern context. We need to keep the channels of communication open and inviting and above all ensure that our services are flexible and are meeting the changing needs of our clients. Throughout the process, keep your eyes on the prize!

Sometimes I am not sure if what I write makes sense to anybody else or if I have actually grasped the concept that I was meant to, throughout reading these texts. But I am trying my best!

Acquisition

Acquisition

Acquisition to me seems to be straightforward and really, common sense to a degree. The changing nature of today's society into the digital revolution means that resources can be acquired in many different ways.

It is again important that the TL has a significant if not sole responsibility in the acquisition process and needs to ensure that procedures and policies are in place so that the process can be managed smoothly. There is nothing worse than being a school where you require significant resources to teach students and you cannot access them or have your hands on them for months on end.

I find the identification of relevant suppliers a little hard as the school I currently work at requires that EVERYTHING from pens to books, be purchased through procurment (a NSW DET application). Thus local suppliers and wholesalers lose out beause we cannot use their services. It is also difficult if procurment do not have the selected resource that you are looking for. It is a time-consuming process. If procurement do not have the item you need to file paperwork and submit a claim to show that you need to go elsewhere to purchase the resource - time consuming!

However, acquisition to me seems to be quite straightforward if completed with a little bit of common sense and in an organised manner!

Selection of Resources

Selection of Resources

As I said in my summary for Module 1, I believe that the school library or resource centre (I think the name of the actual place is slightly irrelevant) needs to cater for the different learning styles and paces of all students. It needs to cater for ALL individuals. Not simply one select group. Thus, the school library collection exists to meet the specific needs of the school, including students, teachers and the wider community.

There is some debate over whose responsibility it is to select and acquire resources for the school library. However, I firmly believe that while the Teacher Librarian is indeed the information specialist, they are not/should not be solely responsible for the selection and acquisition of resources. They have a sound overview of all curriculum areas and school needs, however it is the classroom teachers who spend day-in day-out with the children, thus they are the specialist when it comes to catering for the actual clientele. The TL and the CT need to collaborate to distinguish what needs to be added to the collection, what should be built upon and what should be weeded.

The TL would be the best person for the selection of fiction books as they have the knowledge of what the students in the school enjoy reading. They can do this through informal observations and anecdotal records, or they can print reports and stock up on the most popular series of books etc. However, the classroom teacher knows best if the students are visual or spatial learners etc and they can assist the TL to best select and acquire the resources that would benefit the students in their learning.

In a nutshell: selection and acquisition is NOT a job solely for the TL. It needs to be done in close collaboration with the CT as they both has unique attributes that they can bring to the table to ensure that the learning outcomes of all students are greatly strengthened and that the students have the best possible experiences and opportunities to learn!