Week 13 - "Learning Activities"

We have made it to the final week of class!  Hard to believe we are here - time sure does fly! 

Webinars

Last week we hosted our own webinars and attended several hosted by our fellow students.  I was pretty impressed by my classmates' efforts and I think everyone did a good job both preparing and presenting content, as well as dealing with the technology-related problems we all seemed to encounter in one way or another.  While planning our group's webinar, I noticed that attempting to learn the Elluminate system and anticipate or troubleshoot technology problems added a level of stress not typically present in traditional presentations.  While I am still not a big fan of webinars, either as a host or participant, I think they are definitely better than nothing for reaching an audience from a distance. 

Week 13 Reading - This week, as we wrap up the course, our reading focuses on the development and implementation of continuing professional development, particularly through motivated learning activities. 

• "The C's of Our Sea Change: Plans for Training Staff, from Core Competencies to Learning 2.0" - Helene Blowers and Lori Reed

This article is somewhat of a case study outlining the way one library developed a technology training program for its staff through a combination of "core competency" training sessions and a self-directed "Learning 2.0" program.  Through core competency training, you can focus resources on making sure staff at various levels have a basic level of technology skills they need in their daily jobs.  Using something like the "23 things" modules in the "Learning 2.0" program allows individual employees to build on those basic competencies by adding knowledge about discrete tools they may previously have been too busy or nervous to learn, or simply did not know existed.  Also it has the advantage of being online itself, allowing staff to participate at a distance from the training facilitator. A program like this also acknowledges that everyone will have some need for training, but individuals can each have different needs or interests.

• "Planning an Online Professional Development Module" - Kristin Fontichiaro

Following the lead from the first article, this selection discusses the way  library media specialists might adapt Blowers's "Learning 2.0" model to teaching Web 2.0 tools to K-12 instructors.  The emphasis here seems on the model's flexibility, allowing teachers to learn at their own pace through hands-on exploration of Web 2.0 tools, guided by modules developed by the library media specialist.  Professionals may not want or need an instructor holding their hand while learning Web 2.0 tools, but instead want to "play" on their own (as mentioned in this article and the Blowers & Reed article).  I can completely identify with this - when learning new software or a new online tool, I get bored watching someone else demonstrate but also get nervous if someone is standing over my shoulder watching all of the mistakes I make.  Rather, having time to "play" on my own, while also knowing there is support out there if I really need or want help, sounds much more useful.

• "When Teachers Drive Their Learning" - Joseph Semadeni

The focus of this article is on one school district's "Fusion" program for teacher development.  The program allows teachers to choose a few instructional practices which they would like to master and encourages them through individual study, group discussion, "mentor" observations, and peer evaluations to strengthen their skills in a few select areas of instruction.  I really appreciated the idea that of acknowledging that some teachers can be "experts" in a single area or instructional method without necessarily being overall master teachers.  This allows the school to capitalize on and leverage the strengths of its teachers as a whole, while improving upon individual weaknesses.

• Overall Comments/Reflection

There were several consistent themes present in each of the three readings, but I think those regarding flexibility and focusing on the individual are particularly important.  In its own way, each program ensures that staff across the board acquire some type of training and development.  This is particularly important with regards to technology because the environment is rapidly changing; even if someone learns just one new thing, they have adapted to that environment more than someone who has not learned anything.  Also, each program brakes skills into discrete "chunks" or modules.  I think this is really important because it allows participants to build and gain skills in a manageable and less over-whelming manner than perhaps a full, one-day "Introduction to Web 2.0" workshop might.  Additionally, each program allows individuals to have at least some choice in what they learn, and the programs promote self-directed, self-paced learning and risk-taking in safe environments.  I imagine this would take some stress and pressure off individuals while promoting more authentic engagement in the learning materials.  

As librarians, we can expect to be both facilitators and participants of professional training programs, and understanding additional methods to make them successful is extremely valuable. 

Week 12 - "Space" Holder

I was about to start my post for Week 13, but it feels strange not having at least something here for Week 12! There was no blog requirement or class this week because we have all been busily hosting and attending webinars. 

Although this is in no way related to SI643 or the purpose of this blog, here is one of my favorite, classic "Pigs in Space" sketches from the Muppet Show... as a "space" holder for where an actual Week 12 post may have been.  I think it's that time of the semester when I think we could all use a bit of silliness.  Feel free to enjoy or ignore!

Class Reflections - 04/04/2011

Just a quick response to this evening's class!

Twitter Debrief

It was interesting to hear various perspectives on Twitter, both from novice users and more seasoned vets.  While I was not exactly positive in my previous Twitter review, I can appreciate many of the positive features my classmates pointed out.  It does seem like a great way to have many different resources all in one place - I just think it will take some more time for me to follow the "right" people and organizations, as well as to get my feeds organized the way I like.  I also need to develop more confidence in interacting with the people on Twitter I do not know in person; being a lurker for a while longer may be good for me.  Alas, this will likely placed on my list of things to do after the semester is over as I now go back to my self-imposed social networking hiatus.

Webinars

I do not have too much to say about webinars at this point other than we are all deep into planning-mode. As is always the case with new technology, I am a little apprehensive about pulling it off, but I am also very excited to have one more skill to which I can say, "Why yes, I have done that!" during an internship or job interview.  I think having these first-time experiences in a relatively safe, classroom environment is extremely beneficial, and I am always pleasantly surprised with the end result.  I am concerned about making it to five other webinars - there are enough sessions scheduled at times which fit with my other work/class/life obligations, hopefully there will be a space for me in each!

On that note, I also hope you can join my group on Wednesday, April 6th at 7pm for "From Let-Go to In-The-Know: Libraries Helping the Unemployed."  The link will be up on the wiki! 

Week 11 - Twitterpated?

This week's assignment to explore Twitter, combined with the (almost) promise of spring, of course has me thinking of the lovable, animated wildlife of the Disney classic Bambi.  Not familiar with that particular nugget of prior knowledge?  Check it out:

Prior to this week I was not a Twitter user.  Sure, I knew what it was, understood its language (srlsly, #si643 rocks!), and from time-to-time checked in to see what some of my favorite bloggers or celebrities had to say.  I just never felt the need to join myself.

After almost a full week on Twitter, I am not exactly "twitterpated."  While I see its value in promoting quick and fluid communication with a wide variety of people, I have not found it adding much to my intake of news or knowledge.  It probably does not help that my "real world" shyness leaks into online interactions - I really prefer to observe social situations before diving in (whether they occur face-to-face or tweet-to-tweet), which made it nerve-wracking to randomly "follow" several people I do not know and even more frightening to consider "retweeting" or addressing them directly.  While I know those types of interactions are just part of the Twitter culture and promote professional networking, I think it is going to take me longer than a week to adjust.

I do, however, understand the need for libraries and librarians to establish their presence on these types of popular social networking sites.  First, as I said, I completely see the value in communicating with a wide number of people at once.  It makes for dynamic and quick-developing conversations, and it's a great way to get a message out.  Also, if this is where our users are, then this is where we should be!  Once again social networking proves to be a great resource to make librarians visible outside of the library.  And of course we've all heard this one - today, if you don't exist online, you simply don't exist. 

For these reasons I will probably stick with Twitter for a while longer before making my final decision.  I assume an adjustment period is necessary to become fully comfortable with the platform, just as it took time to gain confidence blogging.

Won't you follow me on my Twitter journey? @kmiller0128

I cannot wait to see what everyone comes up with for webinars!  Be sure to join my team Wednesday, April 6th at 7:00pm for "From Let-Go to In-the-Know: Libraries Helping the Unemployed."  Check the class wiki for a link to our session!

Class Reflections 03/28/2011 - DPLA and Embedded Librarians

Tonight's class focused primarily around two discussions - one with Paul Courant regarding a Digital Public Library of America, and one with our cohort (and class-at-large) about embedded librarianship.

Paul Courant and DPLA

After tonight, I finally feel like I understand issues surrounding "orphan" works.  I had heard previously that these items, which are still protected under copyright but whose copyright holders are unknown, are one of the big hurdles digitization projects must overcome but I never really understood why.  Now, it makes much more sense to me - if the copyright holder cannot be identified, then there is no way to get consent for digitization, period.  I am not sure why I did not understand this previously but tonight it was an "aha" moment for sure.

Also, the quote "public library collections exist to be read; academic library collections are to be known," was particularly interesting to me.  If we conceptualize library collections in these ways, I think it implies not only that different libraries have different priorities in discussions about digitization projects, but also that we might not necessarily be able to speak as one "librarian voice."  What does this mean for "big L" Librarianship and our power as a profession?

Embedded Librarianship

"What does embedded librarianship look like in 'my specialization?'"  
This is something I have been struggling with a bit when considering the traditional model of an "embedded" academic librarian as being physically located within the department they serve.  Looking into my career crystal ball,I see myself more likely at a small college library, which I am guessing will have neither the demand for nor the resources for such a model.  I think, however, there is some value in expanding the definition to include other ways in which a librarian "leaves" the library (either physically or virtually) and "embedds" themselves in their community.  For instance, I could see holding office hours or research consultations outside of the library, being involved on the course management sites, monitoring class discussions (e.g., via Skype or Twitter), etc. in my future career.


Looking forward to seeing what everyone cooks up for webinars!

Week 10 - Embedded Librarians and Webinars

With just a few weeks left in the semester we are entering the homestretch!

How People Learn Ch7 -
The chapter begins by reminding us that effective teachers tend to have both subject knowledge and pedagogical knowledge.  The chapter then goes on to give examples of teachers in math, history, and science who demonstrate these qualities in their classroom.  I have heard before (both from some here at SI, as well as other educators in my life) that good teachers can teach anything.  Since HPL argues otherwise, I would be interested to hear from those who disagree and have a bit of experience in the classroom. 

My main takeaway point is the importance of not just understanding what students need to learn and how they can best learn it, but also the importance of identifying the types of barriers they are most likely to face. What struck me about the examples provided in HPL is the importance of knowing your learners.  This is something that I think takes time to develop, requires a few iterations of teaching the same topic to similar learners, and emphasizes the need to assess what works well and what does not. 

Embedded Librarianship -

• "The Embedded Librarian Online or Fact-to-Face: American University's Experience" - Matos, Matsuoka-Motley, & Mayer (2010)
• "Online Webinars! Interactive Learning Where Our Users Are: The Future of Embedded Librarianship" - Montgomery (2010)

These articles both discuss models of embedded librarianship, as well as the value of webinars as a tool of the embedded librarian in an academic library.  Last semester I also did research on the importance of embedded librarians in serving distance education students, and during my reading I found webinars were mentioned quite frequently.  It seems one of the major benefits to embedded librarianship, in any form, is the opportunity for the librarian to become a member of the community which they serve.  In connection with ideas in HPL, from an instructional stand point this is very beneficial because the librarian would become more aware of who their learning population is and what students need to learn.

One of the major barriers I see to implementing an embedded librarian programs is whether or not a library has the necessary resources.  If an institution is sending librarians to "live" in the departments they serve (either physically or virtually), this means they must have the resources to staff both the "embedded" posts as well as positions in the main library.  When considering institutions that do not have this capability, I wonder if webinars can be particularly helpful for them.  For instance, this summer I will be interning part-time at a community college which has only two full-time professional library staff members to serve nearly 8,000 students.  They clearly cannot have "embedded librarians" in the traditional sense and have mentioned that they cannot provide instructional sessions to many courses as it is now.  I am not sure of the scale on which webinars can be given, but perhaps if many classes can attend at once or if a session can be taped and replayed for other classes, they could be a valuable alternative to institutions low on resources (time, money, staff, etc).


Preparing for Webinars - 
In preparation for our own webinars, I viewed an archived session from "Education Week" titled "Using New Media to Enhance Student Learning."  The webinar featured two speakers - an education researcher and a high school teacher - who presented ideas for using "new media" mediums (videos, websites, blogs, etc) in primarily K-12 language arts and English classrooms.  The topic was particularly interesting considering our previous discussions about information literacy and "transliteracy."  I also thought the format of the webinar itself was well done - a host introduced the webinar and gave participants "housekeeping information," then each speaker presented for about 15-20 minutes with slides shown in the webinar window, and the remaining few minutes were used to answer questions.  

The webinar also did not use a "chat" feature, per se, but did have a feature where participants could submit their questions privately and these questions were then shown in the main webinar window as they were answered.  I think I'm going to be in the minority on this, but I really preferred this model to a more traditional "free-for-all" chat.  I think it is important for participants to have the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the presenters (through polling, etc.), but during our in-class webinar I was really distracted by the participant chat and as a presenter I would be even more distracted.  This is one of the biggest decisions to make when planning our upcoming webinars - how do we best use the available tools to best our audience? 


[Edit -I subscribe to the ACRL ili-listserv (the Information Literacy Instruction discussion list) and in the last three days there have been two conversations which have specifically mentioned uses of Elluminate in libraries.  Looks like we're on the right track!]

Class Reflection 03/21/2011 - "Mea culpa" moment from workshops

Tonight was workshop night, and I have to admit I'm a little worn out from a two-and-a-half hour block of thought-provoking presentations and discussions.  In addition to presenting about potential uses of QR codes in libraries, I also learned about:
- Thoughtful consideration of library space design
- How to download eBooks
- How libraries can use Facebook pages
- Identifying collection biases in libraries
- Understanding ethical issues of Kindles and Netflix in libraries

Aside from these topics, I also learned something about myself as a newbie instructor - I sometimes forget the difference between making a presentation and providing instruction, and how this difference effects the way I can interact with participants.  More specifically, I need to learn how to better address opposing points of view.  For instance, during our presentation we did specifically ask for "cons" to using QR codes in libraries, yet when someone actually brought one up I found myself defending our presentation rather than responding thoughtfully and fairly to the idea.  Just a few seconds later, when I realized that I had unintentionally switched into "presentation-defense mode" instead of facilitating discussion, I felt really terrible.  I think teachers and instructors need to be open-minded and welcome thoughtful debate, rather than silencing differing opinions - yet here I was doing the exact opposite!  

Unfortunately, this exchange was also reflected in our feedback - it made us (or at least me) appear unapproachable and probably shut down discussion prematurely.  And I totally agree with the feedback.  A better way to handle this would have been to open it up to the group - simply asking if anyone else had a response or thoughts on the issue would have been a much better option than defensively telling them what I thought.  As awful as I feel about this exchange, I am also so glad that it happened in the relatively "safe" classroom environment instead of in an actual professional workshop.  While I still feel pretty terrible, I'm trying to see it just one of the many things I'm learning in this class.

Sorry everybody!  Lesson learned!

[Edit - if anyone is interested, here is a list I found of current uses of QR codes in libraries, "Library Success: A Best Practice Wiki - QR Codes"]