Librarian as a Teacher and a Learner

Now that is a mouthful of a blog topic. As soon as I become a teacher/librarian without learning, I need to be looking for a different job. True educators never stop learning. It seems very ironic but it is actually never been more true. A librarian is indeed an educator not simply a “clerk guarding dead paper” as written in the blog by Joyce Volenza.

Once upon a time, there was a person who wanted to become a school library media specialist. Chapter 3 of our text goes through the steps on how to become a certified librarian. Each state has it's own requirements to consider when completing the program. It's important to choose carefully when desiring an education and to continue your professional education even after receiving you get your “dream” job.

There are many things to consider and learn when choosing this “dream” job. One is the many guidelines mandated from on high. We must keep abreast of any new guidelines and constantly be learning about how to follow them. The patrons that visit our library have rights. We must contain their confidentiality as mentioned in Chapter 8 of our text and not deny them access to any of our materials. Another consideration is that we must manage our collections and select approriate materials to meet the needs of our patrons. There is constant learning going on while we keep up with what is updated and correct information and in the removing of false or invaluable information.

Today's libraries have made the turn toward technology with enthusiasm. The librarian should be the introducer of all new technologies to the school. Therefore, that person will need to learn how to use them successfully. That is when the librarian is the learner. Chapter 2 of our text reinforces the fact that our role also encompasses collaboration and providing in-service training to assimilate the information we have learned. That is an example of the librarian being a teacher.

I found in chapter 10 of our text a very a powerful statement. The library media center is seen as a classroom and also seen in the classroom. The Common Core Standards is quite daunting to all of us I education. Teachers forget that the librarian is an advocate for them. We can help classroom teachers with the requirements of the standards. Sara Kelly Johns blog titled “Make Some Noise” says that when finalizing yearling budgets, the shift is funding subjects that will help focus on Common Core. The library is one of them. There are many standards that the library already teaches.

The Youtube video from Crescent Heights High School is embracing the Learning Commons philosophy as mentioned in my previous blog post. I loved watching the comments from educators, students and the principal. We should all work together in the school. Librarians have a unique situation because we are able to reach all disciplines and all students from one large classroom. The principal said that “learning is a natural process.” We have to take the time we have with students and other educators to make a positive impact on their learning.

Though face-to-face learning is probably not going to replaced by online learning, Josh Catone writes about online learning vs face-to-face learning. It seems that the results from a study done by the United States Department of Education was pretty inconclusive. Online learning is not necessarily the “easier” of the two, in my opinion, but it does have it's positive attributes. One part of the future of learning is online learning. Libraries will not disappear but we must help facilitate the future. Therefore, we are learning and teaching and learning and teaching constantly.

TEXT: Empowering Learners:  Chapter 2, “Teaching for Learning”

TEXT: Empowering Learners: Chapter 3, “The Learning Space,” (pp. 33-34); “ Collection and Information Access,” (pp. 36-40)

TEXT: Woolls, Chapter 8, “On the Job: Managing Access to Information”

TEXT: Woolls, Chapter 10, “On the Job: Managing Services”

Catone, Josh. “What Is the Future of Teaching?” Mashable 31 Aug. 2009. Web. 30 May 2011. <http://mashable.com/2009/08/31/online-education-teachers/>.

Johns, Sara Kelly. “’L ibrary Skills’=Information Literacy Skills=Common Core Skills.” Make Some Noise. 23 March 2012. Web. 4 June 2012. < http://blogs.slj.com/make-some-noise/2012/03/23/library-skills-information-literacy-skills-common-core-skills/#comment-31>.

Librarycommons. "CHHS Learning Commons Part 2." YouTube. YouTube, 11 Apr. 2011. Web. 01 June 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVipfjDk6A8>.

Valenza, Joyce. “Tell Me, What Do You Teach?” NeverEndingSearch 26 May 2011. Web. 27 May 2011. <http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/neverendingsearch/2011/05/26/if-they-come-for-you-what-will-you-do/>.