Transformative Questions

Reading a recent post by http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/?p=3174 and I am propelled into applying these questions in my own context. I need to work out who to ask and when to ask them.
Classroom Teachers:

How might I alter this assignment or project so that it “Responds” to the learner? How can the experience “Talk Back?”
How might I plant barriers within the assignment that force learners to “Question” their way through — to value the “questions” not just for “answers?”
How can I ban silence in my classroom, provoking “Conversation” with my assignments and projects, expecting learners to exchange ideas and knowledge?
How can I make their learning worth “Investing” in? How might the outcomes of their learning be of value to themselves and to others?
How am I daring my students to make the “Mistakes” that feed the learning dialog?

Teacher Librarians:

How can I make my library “Respond?” How can I make it “Talk Back?”
How might it become a place that evokes “Questions” — not just answers?
How can I ban silence, provoke “Conversation,” and expect patrons to explicitly exchange knowledge?
How can I make this library a place that inspires “personal Invest”?
How am I daring my students to make the “Mistakes” that feed the learning dialog — expanding and enriching the information experience?

Administrators:

How does the learning here “Respond” to the learner? How does the learning “Talk Back” to the learner and to the community?
Have my classrooms banned silence? Do the learning experiences “Provoke Conversation” by expecting learners to exchange knowledge?
Are my classrooms places that student “Questions” as much as their answers?
How do the learning environments in my school inspire learners to invest their time and skills for something larger?
How are learners being dared to make the “Mistakes” that feed the learning dialog and how am I a part of that dialog?

Perhaps I can start by posting them on my Project’s FaceBook site?

Keeping up and keeping track

The pressure of becoming information literate and working as an information professional is certainly real for me. I am conscious that I struggle at times to handle all that is coming towards me and know that I need to strategically set aside more thinking time.

I am conscious that I have worked on my INF506 course material with limited recording of the journey. And yet, I have learned so much about the power of the SN world to grow my knowledge and skills. I have refined my use of Delicious and after reading another student’s blog may investigate Diigo as it may prove a better option for school.

Implementing and managing my project has taken up my ‘study’ time this past 2 weeks. I have actually become quiet excited by the developments in the project and in particular with the direction the project is taking. Whilst only a pilot project for this subject, I can see the potentialities of it continuing beyond this course. I am definitely energised by working on something directly linked to my workplace. I can also see how the project assists me in advocating and in actually achieving my role. The project has provided me with a platform for connectivity and collaboration that I have wanted to see occur in my work context for a while. Perhaps SN will be a way to overcome some of the barriers/obstacles in my overstretched portfolio of tasks.

I have recorded more reflections about the project progress but have not placed them here as yet – keeping them off-line for the time being.

Whilst I am a more active social networker than prior to this course, I am still a little shy when it comes to public postings. I have yet to move beyond lurking in some arenas – mostly this is a product of the limited amount of time I have to devote to twitter and Second Life – balanced against work demands and the inevitable crises that sometimes surface in a busy school term.

These situations do make it easy for me to understand the challenge it is in embracing and adopting new technologies and to identify with some of the ‘fears’ of the teachers in my school. We are in need of some mentoring as we move from Learning Platform ‘awareness’ to a point of transformational use of technology in the learning context (BECTA, 2010; Richardson & Mancebelli, 2011). I realise that as I make this journey through this subject, I am traversing a landscape very new to most of the staff at my school. I am thus placed to reflect, recognise the challenges and put into place some strategies to assist others to make the journey forward. Some of these strategies will be sharing how I have been going in my own learning journey, encouraging them to develop their own PLN and mentoring them in the inclusion of technologies in classroom learning. I think I will also find others more experienced than me to help me assist others.

References:
BECTA Learning Platforms (2010) Learning Platforms: Steps to Adoption: A step-by-step guide for schools pdf. Retrieved September 7, 2011 from: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20101102103654/publications.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=42120

Bernoff, J. (2010, January 19). Social technographics: Conversationalists get onto the ladder [blog post]. Retrieved from: http://forrester.typepad.com/groundswell/2010/01/conversationalists-get-onto-the-ladder.html

Ferriter, W.M., Ramsden, J.T. & Sheninger, E.C. (2011). Communicating and Connecting with Social Media. Bloomington IN: Solution Tree Press.

Hinds, D & Lee, R. (2008). “Social Network Structure as a Critical Success Condition for Virtual Communities,” hicss, pp.323, Proceedings of the 41st Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS 2008), 2008 Retrieved from: www.computer.org/comp/proceedings/hicss/2008/…/30750323.pdf

Howard, T. (2010). Sustainable Social Networks and Virtual Communities: Morgan Kaufmann. Retrieved September 24, 2011, from Ebook Library.

Lee, M., Finger, G. & Lewis, M. (2010). Implementing the shift. In M. Lee & G. Finger (Eds.), Developing a Networked School Community – A guide to realising the vision. (pp. 293 – 309). Camberwell, Victoria: ACER Press.

Nielson, J. (2006, October 9). Participation inequality: Encouraging more users to contribute. Alertbox, October 9, 2006. Retrieved on September 24, 2011 from : http://www.user.com/alertbox/participation_inequality.html

Resourcelink, (September, 21, 2011). How Social Media can Enhance Schools as Professional Learning Communities. Blog accessed at: http://resourcelinkbce.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/how-social-media-can-enhance-schools-as-professional-learning-communities/

Richardson, W. & Mancabelli, R. (2011). Personal Learning Networks – Using the Power of Connections to Transform Education. Bloomington: Solution Tree Press.

Sheninger, E (2010, August, 23). A PLN Quick Start Guide. Retrieved September 12, 2011 from: http://esheninger.blogspot.com/2010/08/pln-quick-start-guide.html

Utecht, J. (2008, 7 January 2011). Stages of PLN Adoption. http://www.thethinkingstick.com/stages-of-pln-adoption.

Becoming a connected learner – A – Z of Social Networking and Priority PLN

Module 3: OLJ#1, A – Z of Social Networking.

My work context/library is in the early stages(Infancy – Dempsey, 2009) of implementing Web 2.0 tools and developing a stronger Library 2.0 construct. In light of these early beginnings the following 5 letters have been selected as a focus for moving forward.

A – Active

School library teams need to be actively exploring, using and recommending appropriate Web 2.0 tools for teacher/student use across a range of learning contexts. Active marketing of social media is also needed to ensure growth and increase user-expertise. Teacher librarians and their team can facilitate the use of new technologies, assist teachers to grow their skills, see the possibilities for student learning and encourage them to incorporate SN tools as part of their PLN (Richardson and Mancebelli, 2011)

C – Content

Quality content targeting user need (Farkas, 2007), is important. Collaborative connections with teachers and students will ensure that content is tailored to needs, co-created where appropriate and regularly updated in order to connect with changing needs. Purposed conversations for tailored content enables knowledge creation pathways and development of critical thinking skills. People engage as creators, curators and consumers – 1:9:90 Rule (Nielson, 2010).

D – Direction

Vision for SN tool usage (Why and which way to go?) is required in order to plan and enact the process (How?). Understanding user needs and developing goals for tool and technology implementation and integration is essential. People, Objectives, Strategy and Technology (POST strategy – Li & Bernoff, 2008) are iterative considerations as is the need to develop ‘Responsible-use’ policies to cover issues relating to privacy and online safety.

O – Open-source

Open-source software considerations will be advantageous given current budget limitations (Farkas, 2007, p.242) that present as potential barrier to innovation. Moving away from a technological monoculture will expose students to a greater breadth of platforms and applications. It will also reflect the real-world scenarios that students will experience in the commercial technology world.

Z – Zeal

A degree of Zeal – enthusiasm and focused persistence – from Library team and school leadership is needed for social networking to become an effective and efficient platform for learning. Before progressing, the level of support for and acceptance of SN in the Library needs to be ascertained. Zeal is essential to create opportunities for staff and students to become familiar and confident in the potentialities of Library 2.0 ( See Casey & Savastinuk, 2007; Farkas, 2007, p.234) and to effectively promote them.

References:

Brown, A. (2010). A to Z of Social Networking for Libraries. Retrieved from http://socialnetworkinglibrarian.com/2010/01/22/a-to-z-of-social-networking-for-libraries/

Casey, M. E. & Savastinuk, L. C. (2007). Maintaining the momentum. In Library 2.0 : a guide to participatory library service (pp. 119-132). Medford, N.J. : Information Today, Inc.

Chapman, C. (2009). . Smashing Magazine, (13 July). Retrieved from http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/07/13/social-network-design-examples-and-best-practices/

Farkas, M. G. (2007). What will work @ your library. In Social software in libraries : building collaboration, communication, and community online (pp. 233-255). Medford, N.J. : Information Today, Inc.

Richardson, W. & Mancabelli, R. (2011). Personal Learning Networks – Using the Power of Connections to Transform Education. Bloomington: Solution Tree Press.

OLJ#2:Priority PLN

I have spent the last month developing a more consistent approach to my own Professional Learning Network (PLN). In undertaking my INF506 Project I engaged in more consistent and persistent use of Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Google Reader and Delicious. I am convinced of the potential of a PLN to be a tailored ‘me-specific’ Professional Development tool. It’s affordable, transportable, transferable and transformational!

I have become a more comfortable and confident participant and am seeing myself as someone who is developing more discerning thinking. I know that my own journey of becoming a contributor, conversationalist and creator (Bernoff, 2010) has been shaped by the cogent comment of other educators and I am increasingly challenging myself to sharpen my skills and have a go at new things. More than that, I am more confident in recommending to others this learning journey and helping them to engage in developing their own tailored PLN.

However, evaluating my stage equivalent using Utecht’s (2008) Stages of PLN adoption, I am mid-way Stage 3 (Know it all) and Stage 4 (Perspective) conscious that over-spending time ‘networking’ will increase the stress in my daily life and I long to reach Stage 5 – Balance. Routinely managing my PLN with strategic engagement and monitoring foci and benefit will assist me in continuing my PLN journey, equipping and motivating others in my TL role whilst ensuring that I stay ‘sane’!

The realisation that this PLN concept connects with the core tenets of my role as teacher-librarian is exciting! It will of course connect with the outcomes of my INF506 Project even in its embryonic form. I agree with Joyce Valenza in saying that there has never been a more exciting and challenging time to be an information professional and our students have never needed us more.

My Mindmap of my PLN – using SimpleMind application from my iPad.

References:

Henry, V. (2010). How to network and LIKE it: A 10 point plan. FUMSI, (February). Retrieved from http://web.fumsi.com/go/article/share/4472

Nielson, J. (2006, October 9). Participation inequality: Encouraging more users to contribute. Alertbox, October 9, 2006. Retrieved from : http://www.user.com/alertbox/participation_inequality.html

Nielson, L. (2008, 12 October) ’5 Things You Can Do to Begin Developing Your Personal Learning Network” Innovative Educator Blog.
Retrieved from:

Peckham, S. (2009). Networking: Overcoming your hesitation. FUMSI, November. Retrieved from http://web.fumsi.com/go/article/share/433

Resourcelink, (September, 21, 2011). How Social Media can Enhance Schools as Professional Learning Communities. Blog accessed at: http://resourcelinkbce.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/how-social-media-can-enhance-schools-as-professional-learning-communities/

Richardson, W. & Mancebelli, R., (2011). Personal Learning Networks – Using the Power of Connections to Transform Education. Bloomington: Solution Tree Press.

Sheninger, E. (2010, August, 23). A PLN Quick Start Guide. Retrieved September 12, 2011 from: http://esheninger.blogspot.com/2010/08/pln-quick-start-guide.html

Utecht, J. (2008, 7 January 2011). Stages of PLN Adoption. http://www.thethinkingstick.com/stages-of-pln-adoption.

Dissecting Delicious

INF506 Module 2. Some additional comments:

I have just read another students OLJ Blog posting about Delicious and it has enabled me to be more critical in my evaluation of this tool.See Communit-e Learning
I too have found tagging tricky with the need to use inverted commas to link two words or separate them via the _ key. My biggest challenge has been consistency of use and being more consistent in applying tags to the content in such a way that they are reflective of what is contained in the site. It relies on my own semantic webbing being well-developed and also beginning with the end in mind (Covey). Questions I need to ask: What may be my future search need? What terms should be in my tagging vocabulary? Am I building this with others in mind?

I would also like to explore the idea of developing and effective on-line ‘collection’ for staff and students to access. However, I am not sure how this works in practice, nor do I have a clear idea of what an excellent example looks like. More collaborating required…

References:
Aharony, N. (2009). Web 2.0 use by librarians. Library & Information Science Research, 31(1), 29-37.

Hargadon, S. (2007). Best of social bookmarking. School Library Journal,53(12), 20.

Rethlefson, M. (2007, September 15). Tags help make libraries delicious. Retrieved August 5, 2011 from

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6476403.html

Sodt, J. M., & Summey, T. P. (2009). Beyond the library’s walls: Using library 2.0 tools to reach out to all users. Journal of Library Administration, 49(1), 97 – 109.

Effective Library Websites

INF506 – Module 3.
We have all seen them… poorly designed and underutilized websites. The challenge is to create a ‘good’ one or at least to progressively modify an existing one (some say just scrap it and start afresh – bit daunting for the uninitiated!).

Brian Matthew’s article presents a comprehensive and practical listing of 10 features of effective library websites. I have used these essentials to critique our current Library Intranet presence in our school. I hope to glean transferable concepts to bring improvements and clarify vision for our presently ‘inadequate’ presence. I am a ‘little’ embarrassed at what the site says about us!

So what should a great library website DO?

1. Promote
Need to promote events, the collections, popular material, technology and services. Needs to incorporate photos, embed video, blog rolls and effectively draw attention to what the library provides. Placement of material is important with the enticing material near the top. Need to refresh content regularly to avoid tune out. Invite readers to return to view the new! Is this sustainable with current TL workload?

2. Cater

• Communicate effectively with target group
• Customize wording images and style
• Develop separate content to cater for different age levels and staff

3.Cue – Visually
Use images and icons to draw focus and guide viewing

4. Inspire

• Reduce clutter and use images to showcase features
• Display ambience and client engagement
• Spotlight key areas
• Impress

5. Incorporate search boxes
Optimize search ability with a federated search bar

6. Mobile enable

7. Encourage and Engage Feedback
Provide opportunities for comment and demonstrate that the library listens and takes action

8. Reduce confusion
Provide numerous ways for users to find things via the site

9. Analyse for Success
Determine actual online behaviour to streamline wording, rearrange content and direct content use

10. Invite Connection
Use ‘Ask-a-Librarian’ effectively and make sure the connection is easily visible from any part of the website

I look forward to implementing some of these advise essentials in the forthcoming re-design of our website.

References:

Matthews,B. (2009). Web design matters: Ten essentials for any library site. Library Journal, (15 February). Retrieved from http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6634712.html?industryid=47126

Lazaris, L. (2009). Designing websites for kids: Trends and best practices, http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/11/27/designing-websites-for-kids-trends-and-best-practices/

McBurnie, J. (2007). Your online identity: Key to marketing and being found. FUMSI, (October), Retrieved from http://webfumsi.com/go/article/share/2510

Diving into Delicious

INF506 Module 2
I started using Delicious to aggregate useful web pages some time ago but like all new things, time and an undisciplined approach meant that my use of it fell by the way. Engaging with the content of this subject and re-affirming my need to progress in this area has meant that I have been a bit more organised and rigorous in using the tool.

This tool has a number of key features that will assist me with easily and quickly tagging and aggregating websites for personal, professional and collaborative purposes. I’m more conscious of creating specific tags(one word descriptors) and am gradually building a folksonomy. I am finding it useful for searching, recording and annotating resources.
Incorporating Delicious into Library Information Services

I plan to share information/links with others and develop a more reliable way of ‘cataloguing’ great resources – and thus explore its collaborative capacities. I’m also hoping to be more disciplined in searching through my account to relocate ‘gems’. I feel released from the ‘I must remember where I put the link for…’.

I realise that in my role as a TL, I need to become more skilled at sharing, tagging and connecting resources with others. Delicious will enable collaborative work and so, I am seriously thinking that I should start one at school and investigate how to make it work as a Library service. I know that this is not a new tool and that others are more advanced in their understanding of its applications – I can therefore connect and learn form them. Perhaps there is even something better out there? My journey of discovery continues.
Bookmarking (accessing and adding) is available from any location and contributions and searches can be undertaken by any member of the library team. It is then a knowledge creation/sharing tool that will benefit teachers, students and the community through its capacity for ‘tag bundles’ to be grouped into curriculum areas, topics or specific groupings. It provides quick access to topic specific information already aggregated by other users/TL’s/ educational experts.

Update: During this subject I have systematically increased my use of delicious, begun to more systematically tag the saved links and to effectively search for more information. I realise that I have not fully utilised the collaborative capacities of Delicious but I have begun.

Collaborative Connections

In an interconnected professional world, the benefits of a PLN continue to reveal themselves. Instead of searching for great ideas and learning tools, they come to me via blogs, facebook friends and tweets. I found this one waiting for me this morning Research Questions Glogster. If I read the ‘code words’ correctly – I think its originally from Discovery College in Hong Kong. What the TL gets up to over there is impressive. I am left wondering if she ever sleeps!! Or perhaps she has perfected the collaborative connections journey that I am excited by? Now to make sure that I tag it in my Delicious account so I have some hope of finding it again.