Standard 5:
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Elements5.1 Collections
5.2 Professional Ethics 5.3 Personnel, Funding, and Facilities 5.4 Strategic Planning and Assessment |
Reflection
Management and administration begins with the Big Picture (read my "main takeaways"). An overarching mission of most school library media programs is that patrons will be effective users and producers of ideas and information. All management and administrative efforts must align with this mission. So as the informational landscape continues to shift, so must the librarian’s efforts.
Not long ago, a person regarded as “literate” had basic competencies in reading and writing. But this was before the advent of a connected world, before mostly everyone, regardless of age or socioeconomic background, had full access to the world’s knowledge. This shift brings a new definition of what it means to be “literate” in today’s digital world.
Technology demands that we teach new competencies in order for our students to effectively navigate the information landscape. Critical thinking skills are perhaps most important. Students’ abilities in monitoring comprehension, questioning, visualizing, inferencing, synthesizing, and connecting ideas are vital to understand a variety of media. Also, we must remember that we are preparing students for jobs that do not yet exist.
During coursework, I collaborated with colleagues to create a strategic management plan where I played a role in conceiving a driving mission, establishing action steps, and preparing evaluations for continual improvement. During other tasks, I made a weeding plan and drafted a letter to stakeholders on why “throwing away books” was beneficial. Curation is another skill set that I developed through multiple courses. Providing curated resources and digital alternatives to print materials is necessary to expand the library beyond the school walls.
In a field so affected by disruptive innovation, librarians will need to keep their eyes on the horizon for new technologies and best practices in education. Doug Johnson calls this role the Crowsnester. Librarians can stay fresh on new literacies by establishing a personal learning network, including resources in-person and online, from across the hall to across the world.
And in the whirlwind of expanding roles, librarians must not lose sight of their fundamental vision of empowering patrons with knowledge. What a challenging, important, and exciting role.
I would like to create a program that allows students to develop these skills while keeping alive the spirit of exploration, allowing students, as Gail Bush states, to fulfill the role of scientists, historians, activists, and entrepreneurs. Furthermore, the librarian must be curious, creative, impassioned, and adaptable, just as we hope of our students.
Not long ago, a person regarded as “literate” had basic competencies in reading and writing. But this was before the advent of a connected world, before mostly everyone, regardless of age or socioeconomic background, had full access to the world’s knowledge. This shift brings a new definition of what it means to be “literate” in today’s digital world.
Technology demands that we teach new competencies in order for our students to effectively navigate the information landscape. Critical thinking skills are perhaps most important. Students’ abilities in monitoring comprehension, questioning, visualizing, inferencing, synthesizing, and connecting ideas are vital to understand a variety of media. Also, we must remember that we are preparing students for jobs that do not yet exist.
During coursework, I collaborated with colleagues to create a strategic management plan where I played a role in conceiving a driving mission, establishing action steps, and preparing evaluations for continual improvement. During other tasks, I made a weeding plan and drafted a letter to stakeholders on why “throwing away books” was beneficial. Curation is another skill set that I developed through multiple courses. Providing curated resources and digital alternatives to print materials is necessary to expand the library beyond the school walls.
In a field so affected by disruptive innovation, librarians will need to keep their eyes on the horizon for new technologies and best practices in education. Doug Johnson calls this role the Crowsnester. Librarians can stay fresh on new literacies by establishing a personal learning network, including resources in-person and online, from across the hall to across the world.
And in the whirlwind of expanding roles, librarians must not lose sight of their fundamental vision of empowering patrons with knowledge. What a challenging, important, and exciting role.
I would like to create a program that allows students to develop these skills while keeping alive the spirit of exploration, allowing students, as Gail Bush states, to fulfill the role of scientists, historians, activists, and entrepreneurs. Furthermore, the librarian must be curious, creative, impassioned, and adaptable, just as we hope of our students.