Connection

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China and social networking

Visiting a website called China Internet Watch does have an ominous feel about it. China is not known for open access internet browsing so the use of social media in China would surely come with a sense of caution about who is watching, reading, tracking, knowing…

All those fears aside, though, and the numbers of social networkers and social media users in China are simply staggering. The headline reads ‘482M Chinese Visited Social Media Per Month in 2015’ and those are impressive numbers by any standard. Roughly half of net users in China are also users of social networking sites. The article goes on to describe the penetration rates across age groups and China appears to be no different from other countries as the numbers increase across all age groups.

There are differences between social media usage in China and USA including that for Chinese social networkers it is more Sina Weibo Sina Weibo qrabout humour – sharing jokes and videos – than commentary on daily events or news items like it is in the US… which probably makes sense given the attitude towards free speech in a Communist country. However, the mashups of western video and celebrity watching on Weibo (China’s twitter) looks remarkably similar to the twitter feed of the average western teen.

The top 5 social media websites in China are

  1. Sina Weibo – the Twitter equivalent but with twice as many users!
  2. Renren – once touted as China’s equivalent to Facebook but after a lengthy court battle over name and URL rights, it has recently seen a decline as its popularity amongst its student base has waned.
  3. Tencent is a social media hub so has a large user base across multiple platforms. It was originally founded on a messaging service so it is still popular in this format.
  4. Douban is an interesting service that is popular with intellectuals and writers in China. Its point of difference is that it allows access to unregistered users.
  5. Wechat has gained ground in recent times because it is a mobile voice and text app which has gained popularity in a country that has an addiction to mobile devices.

 

Read more:

http://www.chinainternetwatch.com/17191/481-5-million-chinese-social-media-month-2015/#ixzz42b8BDD1r

http://mashable.com/2012/07/02/china-social-networks/#dyeRkkzy9uqk

 

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My tribe is here somewhere…

As we return to begin Semester 2 of this MEd(TL) journey, I’ve had an opportunity to reflect on the learning that happened in Semester 1… and I say “happened” because it describes how I feel when I think about the first two subjects that I completed for this course – from the point of view of delivery, the learning “happened” to me rather than having a sense of participating in it or nurturing/developing the knowledge transfer process. The nature of Distance Education in this MEd(TL) model is that it is a bit like a MOOC (and I know what a MOOC is like – from the point of view of a participant)… too many people participating in it so the forums become chaotic dumping grounds and the assessment train must move relentlessly forward.

Detective with torch

My tribe is here somewhere…

There is no sense of it being a personal learning journey – more like a cattle truck – so I found myself in need of a side stream in this fast flowing river… rather than just allow myself to be swept ahead by the fast flowing bustle of a large student cohort, and stressed by the busy-ness of the university’s online forum model.

My solution came in the form of what is essentially a Study Group – a “tribe” to collaborate with and nurture each other’s learning, and support each other in the challenges that are inevitable when trying to juggle life and study while working in teaching positions of varying levels of responsibility. It didn’t take us long to find each other and establish a closed group on Facebook – amongst a couple of other groups trying to achieve the same model of support.

The nature of the learning, in a Masters of Education focusing on Teacher Librarianship, is partly to learn about the complicated circumstance of the job in schools. Essentially it is a role that needs a Master Builder because its description relies on the input of school executive and requires a great deal of self knowledge and just plain “chutzpah”! Establishing a high quality PLN (Professional Learning Network) becomes a survival tool of the highest importance. Teacher Librarianship is about innovation and change – get rid of the Fixed Mindset and open up to new challenges, new collaborations, new connections – ever TL needs a support network.

While the MEd(TL) is an industry accredited course to cover all library circumstances, my employer, the NSW Department of Education, has a Library Policy which states that each school’s Teacher Librarian is:

  • involved in the provision of the information-related resources integral to the planning, implementation and evaluation of the curriculum of the school

and also

  • Teacher-librarians provide students with opportunities to develop information skills and to use these skills competently and with confidence for lifelong learning.

This semester has also coincided with the introduction of the Professional Development Framework for NSW DoE teachers and identifying the challenges of self-empowerment to fulfil the policy roles stated has already identified some obstacles faced in the role of the Teacher Librarian.

In first semester, in my last assignment for ETL401: Introduction to Teacher Librarianship, the feedback provided included a criticism of my reflection on the learning in the course because I included a focus on how I have applied the learning to the role I am actually undertaking in my school. Frankly I find that a disrespectful criticism since being able to apply the learning to my role is 100% the reason for me facing the challenge of an MEd(TL) by Distance Education. As teachers we are constantly admonished that the learning should be applicable to the needs of our students… and that will continue to be my focus for the remainder of this course. This is not mere academic pursuit for me… I know that teaching is my passion… and getting better at it is my job.

 

Open source image located at: https://pixabay.com/p-156961/?no_redirect

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ETL401 The Critical Synthesis challenge

BLaKC pic

Balmain Library and Knowledge Centre 2015

My challenge here is to achieve a “critical synthesis” and assess my progress in understanding the role of the Teacher Librarian in schools. To be perfectly frank, I don’t know that I am yet capable of fully realising that goal. This course has expanded my view of the role of the Teacher Librarian in schools, increased my knowledge of the expectations and details, but has also found me acquiring scepticism that the role will ever truly be appreciated in schools, and a realisation that the frustration levels involved may yet overwhelm me.

My career as a teacher has already spanned three decades and provided me with experiences in a wide variety of education systems and pedagogical approaches – yet I find myself under pressure to be able to fulfil the TL role. Achieving success at interview and being offered a placement as TL in a NSW DEC school was a significant challenge.  I bring to this role an acceptance of the change process, a deep love of literature and information literacy, expertise in the vast array of tools of the 21st Century educator, a background in database management, and training in school leadership… and yet I find myself in a school where the role of the Teacher Librarian has a long, dark shadow and significant baggage, and I wonder if I have sufficient resilience to meet the challenge of realising the potential of the TL role. Thankfully ETL401 has provided some clarity for me but TLs must work within the staffing structure of their school and I am yet to be convinced that it is possible to establish a shift in how other staff perceive the role, or accept a change that allows change.

Since first being offered, by a secondary Principal, an opportunity to act as Teacher Librarian in 2013, and another position in 2014, I have been fortunate indeed to connect and collaborate with a large group of Teacher Librarians serving in a wide range of schools – both in NSW and internationally. I have listened and read about the issues they face – the challenges of advocacy and accreditation, the importance of “Teacher” in TL, the treatment by school executives, the budget constraints, the push for change of usage and design of Library spaces and so on, and I began this course with what I realise now was a chaotic view of the Teacher Librarian profile in schools.

My description of the role as a “Project Manager’s nightmare” (Hogg, 2015a) was an accurate assessment of how I saw the role at the beginning of this semester. Thankfully some clarity has been achieved as the course has progressed, and especially through exposure to and discussion about some of the support literature that provides greater definition of the TL role. The ASLA website and materials have been significantly useful in this pursuit of clarity and their analysis of “What is a teacher librarian?” (Asla.org.au, 2014) has provided me with a framework as a foundation for the development of a Strategic Plan for my new role. What I described as the “ubiquitous and indispensable” (Hogg, 2015a) features of the TL role are in fact examples of critical and creative thinking – two important facets of what the Australian Curriculum describes as General Capabilities of the 21st century (Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2014) and are a foundation for the role of TL in schools.

This course has also highlighted the importance of the role of the School Principal in achieving a shift in perception amongst teaching staff regarding the use of the Library and the role of the TL. The course forums gave many examples of how Principals and TLs interact in schools. As I noted in my blog post, the literature has shown me that “Supportive principals also communicate an understanding of the value of the library program and make Information Literacy an agenda item in school planning” (Hogg, 2015b) and I recognise that I have much more “collaboration homework” to do (Bush, 2003) in order to achieve a supportive relationship, and the resulting access to teaching staff that can be made available in the collaborative process.

Most importantly, though, I come away from this course with a much more detailed understanding of the importance of Information Literacy – what it looks like and how it can be explicitly taught in schools (Hogg, 2015c). In addition, through the Interact2 forums, completion of assignments, and connection and collaboration with other members of my MEd(TL) student cohort (especially through connecting via Facebook) – I have come to understand the importance of the Information Literacy models and the process of inquiry, and look forward to creating opportunities for students at my school to improve their Information Literacy and be better prepared for the challenges of lifelong learning in this information dense landscape of the 21st Century.

Information literate students, who are learning how to learn and using a 21st Century skill set, should be the focus of the TL role. Teacher Librarians have a pivotal role in teaching their students how to broaden their literacy horizons and love of literature, how to have a passion for learning and how to the acquire the metacognitive processes involved – constructivism in action. Essentially this means that TLs are teaching students to access, process, organise, create, and present their learning in meaningful, purposeful ways (Abilock, 2004). For me the fog has cleared and the challenge is revealed – I will continue to learn how to adapt and change as my participation in the role of Teacher Librarian focuses on the students of my school and the learning challenges they face, in a world where success, reading and Information Literacy are inexorably linked.

While I remain sceptical… I will face the hurdles with renewed vigour, now that the challenge has been well articulated.

Mindmap Role of TL

Role of TL

[click image to enlarge]

[Images in this post created by D.Hogg 2015]

References:

Abilock, D. (2004). Building Blocks of Research: Overview of Design, Process and Outcomes. Available at: http://www.noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/information/1over/infolit1.html

ACARA Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2014) Foundation to Year 10 Curriculum [online] Available at: http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/

Asla.org.au, (2014). What is a teacher librarian? Available at: http://www.asla.org.au/advocacy/what-is-a-teacher-librarian.aspx

Bush, G. (2003). Do your collaboration homework. Teacher Librarian, 31(1), 15-18.

Hogg, D. (2015a) ETL401 blog task 1 – trying to understand the TL role

[blog post] available at http://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/debhoggoz/2015/03/22/etl401-blog-task-1-trying-to-understand-the-tl-role/

Hogg, D. (2015b) Principal support in a 21C library [blog post] Available at:

http://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/debhoggoz/2015/05/02/principal-support-in-a-21c-library/

Hogg, D. (2015c) Am I information literate? Is information literacy more than a set of skills? [blog post] Available at:

http://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/debhoggoz/2015/04/20/am-i-information-literate-is-information-literacy-more-than-a-set-of-skills/

 

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ETL503 reflection: Personal Connections in the Purchasing Process

As we cover ground in the ETL503 (Resourcing the Curriculum) modules on such topics as the importance of applying for budget funding (Debowski, 2001) through to issues of collection management (Kenny, 2006), I find myself reflecting on some of the realities of systems that have developed over many years, and that I have inherited in my new school library.

Brays books pic

Bray’s Books, Balmain

The issue of relationship with book suppliers is very important to me and how I manage the collection development role in my school’s library. Our school has a relationship of long-standing with a local, family-owned and run, bookshop… and I have come to realise the enormous benefits of having this type of connection to experts in the field of Young Adult book supply.

My initial questions, about whether to maintain this relationship, were to do with whether this arrangement would be cost effective – but those fears have certainly been allayed as I have done the research and verified that their prices are certainly competitive to other supply options. Once those concerns were put aside, the many benefits of having this connection have been revealed.

Firstly, the length of the relationship means that the staff of this bookshop know a great deal about the library collection of my school. They know the mix of genres that have been favoured over the years, and have a good understanding of the patterns of readers that have gone through the school. They know which series we are following and can be an invaluable source of information for notification of new additions to popular Young Adult fiction series, and new genre choices. They can help with the challenges of matching book to reader.

However, the outstanding benefit of this arrangement – the one that I wasn’t really prepared for and am most fortunate to be able to step into – is the community connection made available through using this supplier, and the immediate sense of relationship over a common interest and focus… that together we are building the School library collection in order to focus on the needs of the students at my school. This realisation harks back to another time – it even brings to mind one of my favourite books, 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff – when expertise in managing bookstores was respected and supporting local businesses was seen as important for all the right reasons.

So I will be counting myself as fortunate and looking forward to developing this connection between our library and our bookshop… for as long as is possible. It’s wonderful to be able to enjoy this dimension to the challenge of Collection Development and Management at our school.

Deb Hogg

Debowski, S. (2001). Collection management policies. In K. Dillon, J. Henri & J. McGregor (Eds.). Providing more with less: collection management for school libraries (2nd ed.). (pp.126-136). Wagga Wagga, NSW: Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University.

Kennedy, J. (2006). Collection management : A concise introduction. (Rev.ed.). Wagga Wagga, N.S.W. : Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University.

 

 

 

 

 

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PLN meetup with Publishers

2015harpercollinseducationreviewLast evening, the 2015 Education Review was held at HarperCollins offices in Elizabeth Street in Sydney.

What a wonderful opportunity to meetup with our Teacher Librarian Professional Learning Network (TL PLN) and enjoy presentations by some of the authors who publish with HarperCollins.

Presentators included the wonderful illustrator, Bruce Whatley, and author, Libby Hathorn. Both of these incredibly talented Australians shared their work process for producing titles they have contributed to the commemoration of the Gallipoli Campaign of 1915.

An audience of current and future Teacher Librarians were hanging on every word and our gratitude goes to the hard-working staff of HarperCollins who were supportive and welcoming for this event.

The picture here shows the extraordinary view from the HarperCollins offices, down across Hyde Park with St Mary’s Cathedral and a cruise liner in the distance. It was a beautiful venue for a very treasured opportunity to enjoy good company and listen to fabulous Australian authors and illustrators.

Thanks HarperCollins – it was worth every moment of the effort to get there at the end of a school day.

Deb Hogg