LIBE 477 Inquiry Blog Post #2

Developing my ICT Skills and Pedagogy....On my Own?

I had a strong connection to the module topic this week. Thoughts and concerns have been running through my mind recently, that I will leave this program excited to apply what I have learned but over time and without a continuous education, be left behind and in the dark. I love learning all the current information, technology, and trends but what do I do when my formal education ends?  How will my knowledge remain relevant?  I know I do not want my education to end with my diploma, but how do I continue? Where do I turn?

 

Item ID: 85446772 (Shutterstock, 2022)

As I imagine my future beyond this program and consider ways to support my learning going forward, three ways come to mind: Independent learning, professional development, and networking. 

Independent Learning

Independent learning is something that comes naturally to me. I love research and exploring new ideas.  I am not looking forward to losing access to trustworthy recommended readings from my professors or unlimited access to the UBC library, but l have, thanks to this course, a better appreciation for blogs and social media such as Twitter and Instagram.   I feel confident moving forward I will spend time on these sites looking for ideas and tools I can apply in my library learning commons.

Professional Development

The district librarian in our district has been wonderful at touching base with teacher librarians throughout the year and offering workshops on professional development days.  She works around what we would like to do and if no one signs up, asks us if we would like to spend some one-on-one time working with her. This is greatly appreciated as other than her events, there is not much offered locally for librarians.

Shortly after I joined this program, I heard for the first time about the British Columbia Teacher- Librarians' Association, and while I perused it in the beginning, I have not yet sat down and spent time looking through the site until now. I was impressed with the various professional development networks and webinar opportunities as well as numerous other suggested links and sites to support teacher librarians (BCTLA, n.d.).  While many of these sites focus on print resources, there are still a variety of links and webinars on tech tools and digital media. The following are useful sites I found through the BCTLA, as well my own searches.

 

American Library Association  

ALA, n.d.

 

The American Library Association is a website I was only familiar with by name but have since explored and was impressed by the access to e-courses, resources, and webinars, many of which are free.  

  

Canadian School Libraries

CSL, n.d.

 

Canadian School Libraries offer many resources for teacher librarians, but what excited me the most was finding links for all school library associations across Canada.  Being able to search through other provinces' and territories' library networks offered a trove of valuable information.   

 

Global Teacher Librarian Network

I had not heard of the Global Teacher Librarian Network until now.  This a networking site I found on the BCTLA page where librarians can join groups specific to their specialty or interests and share ideas with other teacher librarians from around the world.  Sadly, it appears most of the groups are not currently active but I do think this site is worth further exploration as there are still current links, tools and resources found throughout the site.  

International Association of School Librarianship

 

The International Association of School Librarianship has numerous links to professional development resources, including useful blogs and suggested social media sites.  It also has a professional development library with access to guidelines, resources, and tools.   

Coursera

When I was laid off as a TOC during covid, I spent some time exploring courses through Coursera.  I found myself exploring more personal interests, but this inquiry post prompted me to revisit this site and I was excited to see there are many free courses that would be useful for teacher librarians that focus on technology.  

There are several other sites I have come across that offer professional development videos and webinars for teacher librarians such as the Library of Congress and School Library Journal.

Networking

I am currently participating in our district mentorship program which has been a tremendous learning experience.  My mentor told me something interesting, that she also loves the program because she gets to learn from her mentees the latest information and ideas.  Someday when I am more established, perhaps I could take on the mentor role and both teach and learn from my mentee.  Being a TOC in the district for the past 12 years, I have been very fortunate to get to know most teacher librarians and feel confident I can approach them for ideas, help, and collaboration. I have known the district librarian since my practicum, and she has been an unofficial mentor in my eyes.  She is an expert in technology and digital tools, and has a wealth of information to share. She has been a technology leader in our district for years and it had never occurred to me until now to ask her what resources and methods she uses to develop her ICT skills. This will be a conversation I will initiate next time I see her!

Social media networking is the newest tool I am exploring and one I think has incredible potential.  Social media sites, such as Instagram and Twitter, allow for vast networking on an international level and sharing of new ideas and the most up to date information. I found Sharon Hall's article on Teachersfirst.com to be relatable as she discusses how she tends to lurk on Twitter because she feels she is not an "expert", but argues we all have something meaningful to contribute and offers information on how to get started (2017).

(Image ID:36286780, Shutterstock, 2022)

I admit I always shied away from social media and even now I am still a lurker, rather than an active participant, but this course has prompted me to become more engaged moving forward.  I also rarely thought to explore blogs and am finding them to be valuable sources of information.  One of my recent finds, which includes ideas for professional development, is Mrs. J in Library.

As my journey continues, I believe I will find new ways to connect and experience professional development.  Through this inquiry blog, I discovered websites and ideas I had not previously considered, such as listening to podcasts and exploring e-books, online courses, and teacher librarian websites.  I feel more confident after this inquiry experience that resources are out there and I just need to be proactive and connect with others, both in person and online, in order to continue my professional development. 

References:

American Library Association. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13, 2022, from https://www.ala.org/

BC Teacher-librarians' Association. (n.d.). BC teacher-librarians' association. BC Teacher-Librarians' Association. Retrieved February 13, 2022, from https://bctla.ca/

Canadian School Libraries. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13, 2022, from https://www.canadianschoollibraries.ca/

Hall, A. S. (2017, July 27). Teachers first - thinking teachers teaching thinkers. TeachersFirst Blog. Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://teachersfirst.com/blog/2017/07/are-you-a-twitter-lurker-or-a-twitter-contributor/

International Association of School Librarianship - Home. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13, 2022, from https://iasl-online.org/

Mrs. J in the Library. (n.d.). Blog. Mrs. J in the Library. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://mrsjinthelibrary.com/blog/ 

 
Online courses & credentials from top educators. join for free. Coursera. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://www.coursera.org/ 

 

Professional development. BC Teacher-Librarians' Association. (2022, February 2). Retrieved February 13, 2022, from https://bctla.ca/professional-development/

Professional development: Teachers' programs: Library of Congress. The Library of Congress. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://www.loc.gov/programs/teachers/professional-development/

School libraries. School Library Journal. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2022, from https://www.slj.com/?subpage=School+Libraries Shutterstock (2022). Image Item ID:36286780. [Image]. Shutterstock, 2022. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/girl-hiding-behind-big-leaf-36286780

Shutterstock (2022). Image Item ID: 85446772. [Image]. Shutterstock, 2022.
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/businessman-start-his-journey-making-difficult-
85446772

 

TLNing (teacherlibrarian.org). (n.d.). Retrieved February 13, 2022, from https://teacherlibrarian.org/