Comments on: The (un)certainty of professional persistence http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2009/11/the-uncertainty-of-professional-persistence.html Technology, leadership, and the future of schools Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:42:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Lindsay http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2009/11/the-uncertainty-of-professional-persistence.html/comment-page-1#comment-9653 Lindsay Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2009/11/the-uncertainty-of-professional-persistence.html#comment-9653 I agree that there needs to be a shift in how we conceive 'librarians', but for many I think that shift is already happening. I am seeking a media specialist degree and have yet to learn the dewey decimal system! Instead, my coursework is focusing on technology. How to use it effectively with students. I think our students (as digital natives) have a firm grasp on how to use some technologies and are wired to figure out how to use others. Adults need to tap into this knowledge. However, not many of my students are going to seek out technologies that help them to learn Algebra, Ancient Greece or Adverbs. As adults we can facilitate and focus. Our job is to teach in their language . . . we need to tap into that language or we will be obsolete! I agree that there needs to be a shift in how we conceive ‘librarians’, but for many I think that shift is already happening. I am seeking a media specialist degree and have yet to learn the dewey decimal system! Instead, my coursework is focusing on technology. How to use it effectively with students. I think our students (as digital natives) have a firm grasp on how to use some technologies and are wired to figure out how to use others. Adults need to tap into this knowledge. However, not many of my students are going to seek out technologies that help them to learn Algebra, Ancient Greece or Adverbs. As adults we can facilitate and focus. Our job is to teach in their language . . . we need to tap into that language or we will be obsolete!

]]> By: Karen http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2009/11/the-uncertainty-of-professional-persistence.html/comment-page-1#comment-9654 Karen Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2009/11/the-uncertainty-of-professional-persistence.html#comment-9654 I agree with what Beth says, and I certainly know from taking on-line courses that accessing information through a multitude of different tech formats is not the issue for most professionals involved in education. The issue, as Beth states and Bob Follmuth says above, is that there still needs to be someone, at least at younger age levels, who will guide students in judging information relevancy, teach them the importance of makng connections, and direct them in using the information responsibly. Who knows what those people will be called, but the job of teaching students to filter out what they need from the billions of bits of information available from unlimited sources seems to me to be one of the most important educational priorities of the future. I agree with what Beth says, and I certainly know from taking on-line courses that accessing information through a multitude of different tech formats is not the issue for most professionals involved in education. The issue, as Beth states and Bob Follmuth says above, is that there still needs to be someone, at least at younger age levels, who will guide students in judging information relevancy, teach them the importance of makng connections, and direct them in using the information responsibly. Who knows what those people will be called, but the job of teaching students to filter out what they need from the billions of bits of information available from unlimited sources seems to me to be one of the most important educational priorities of the future.

]]> By: Sean Fullerton http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2009/11/the-uncertainty-of-professional-persistence.html/comment-page-1#comment-9655 Sean Fullerton Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2009/11/the-uncertainty-of-professional-persistence.html#comment-9655 Lindsay, I agree that we shouldn't be afraid to learn from our "digital native" students. However, the native/immigrant thinking often leads to two fallacies that I'd encourage you to guard against: 1- Today's youth are wired to be tech-savvy: false. Most have been immersed in technology, but many students are not as comfortable as the majority, and they may be afraid to ask for help--yet librarians have a responsibility to teach them more of these skills. 2- Digital natives know how to effectively search: false. They often trust their first Google hit or the 'facts' shared on the read/write web. You're right that librarians have a huge role to play in facilitating and focusing students' search processes. Lindsay,
I agree that we shouldn’t be afraid to learn from our “digital native” students. However, the native/immigrant thinking often leads to two fallacies that I’d encourage you to guard against:

1- Today’s youth are wired to be tech-savvy: false. Most have been immersed in technology, but many students are not as comfortable as the majority, and they may be afraid to ask for help–yet librarians have a responsibility to teach them more of these skills.

2- Digital natives know how to effectively search: false. They often trust their first Google hit or the ‘facts’ shared on the read/write web. You’re right that librarians have a huge role to play in facilitating and focusing students’ search processes.

]]> By: Custom Essays http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2009/11/the-uncertainty-of-professional-persistence.html/comment-page-1#comment-9656 Custom Essays Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2009/11/the-uncertainty-of-professional-persistence.html#comment-9656 Hi, I personally like your post; you have shared good insights and experiences. Keep it up. Hi,
I personally like your post; you have shared good insights and experiences. Keep it up.

]]> By: Essays http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2009/11/the-uncertainty-of-professional-persistence.html/comment-page-1#comment-9652 Essays Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2009/11/the-uncertainty-of-professional-persistence.html#comment-9652 Hi, This is technological era and now traditional libraries are transformed into digital libraries. Trends are changing too fast, access to the internet is common, hundreds of software are available for diversified purposes in academic profession, which makes life of the students much easier. Although now books are published digitally but still not every book is digital, so the future of traditional libraries is still some what safe. Hi,
This is technological era and now traditional libraries are transformed into digital libraries. Trends are changing too fast, access to the internet is common, hundreds of software are available for diversified purposes in academic profession, which makes life of the students much easier.

Although now books are published digitally but still not every book is digital, so the future of traditional libraries is still some what safe.

]]> By: Blair Peterson http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2009/11/the-uncertainty-of-professional-persistence.html/comment-page-1#comment-9649 Blair Peterson Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2009/11/the-uncertainty-of-professional-persistence.html#comment-9649 My guess is that there will be a need for those info teachers who want to look ahead and prepare for the future. Unfortunately, like many of us in education, there are too many who are in denial. One of my favorite Covey quotes is appropriate for this topic. "Imagine that the half-life of your profession is two years. Now live your life accordingly." My guess is that there will be a need for those info teachers who want to look ahead and prepare for the future. Unfortunately, like many of us in education, there are too many who are in denial. One of my favorite Covey quotes is appropriate for this topic.

“Imagine that the half-life of your profession is two years. Now live your life accordingly.”

]]> By: Kim DeMarce http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2009/11/the-uncertainty-of-professional-persistence.html/comment-page-1#comment-9650 Kim DeMarce Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2009/11/the-uncertainty-of-professional-persistence.html#comment-9650 Change will happen there is no doubt about that. In a smaller district though, things seem to move at a slower pace. Yes, students and others in the community are clipping right along, but schools are at the mercy of funding. Those media specialist who are knowledgeable enough to stay on top of the latest trends and become a valuable resource to their colleagues are the smart ones. I just asked an administrator what he thought the future role of the media specialist would be in say 3-5 years. He is around 40 and does not shy away from technology. So, I was curious what his views would be. He definitely thought the job would be more tech oriented. As far as books go, well, he couldn't imagine who would want to read a book off of a computer screen or "one of those Kindles." Then I told him I was thinking of getting "one of those Kindles" for the media center. His response was "oh." I'm just trying to be the smart one here! Change will happen there is no doubt about that. In a smaller district though, things seem to move at a slower pace. Yes, students and others in the community are clipping right along, but schools are at the mercy of funding. Those media specialist who are knowledgeable enough to stay on top of the latest trends and become a valuable resource to their colleagues are the smart ones.
I just asked an administrator what he thought the future role of the media specialist would be in say 3-5 years. He is around 40 and does not shy away from technology. So, I was curious what his views would be. He definitely thought the job would be more tech oriented. As far as books go, well, he couldn’t imagine who would want to read a book off of a computer screen or “one of those Kindles.” Then I told him I was thinking of getting “one of those Kindles” for the media center. His response was “oh.” I’m just trying to be the smart one here!

]]> By: Sean http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2009/11/the-uncertainty-of-professional-persistence.html/comment-page-1#comment-9651 Sean Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2009/11/the-uncertainty-of-professional-persistence.html#comment-9651 Scott, I appreciate your forcing more librarians to think about these questions. It’s apparent that you have struck a nerve--evident from responses on your blog and those linked above, plus the conversations I’ve seen in more private fora (if Facebook & listservs can be considered very private). I became an elementary teacher-librarian a couple years ago (after teaching in traditional classrooms, working in online education, and having done tech work). I joined this profession because I believe it IS the future (though it’s sometimes feels difficult to convince even myself and my colleagues of that). School libraries today are already very different than when you or I went to school, and they will change much more in the next decade. I’ve just been reading Clay Christensen’s _Disrupting_Class_—-a book that I suspect is making some superintendents, principals, and classroom teachers squirm as much as your questions have made librarians do. While Christensen isn’t talking directly about libraries or librarians, the model schools he describes sound like places where librarians will be essential-—though we may go by other names in such a school. The very things that he says teachers must learn how to do (match students with the right resources, coach them to pursue their interests, find materials and activities to help them understand challenging ideas), librarians are already doing daily. Heck, when every student (and teacher) knows how to effectively find and use relevant & reliable ideas and information, I’ll be glad to say my job is obsolete. In the meantime, I’ll keep doing it. --Sean Fullerton Teacher-Librarian: reading cheerleader, information literacy instructor, and school CIO Scott,
I appreciate your forcing more librarians to think about these questions. It’s apparent that you have struck a nerve–evident from responses on your blog and those linked above, plus the conversations I’ve seen in more private fora (if Facebook & listservs can be considered very private).

I became an elementary teacher-librarian a couple years ago (after teaching in traditional classrooms, working in online education, and having done tech work). I joined this profession because I believe it IS the future (though it’s sometimes feels difficult to convince even myself and my colleagues of that). School libraries today are already very different than when you or I went to school, and they will change much more in the next decade.

I’ve just been reading Clay Christensen’s _Disrupting_Class_—-a book that I suspect is making some superintendents, principals, and classroom teachers squirm as much as your questions have made librarians do. While Christensen isn’t talking directly about libraries or librarians, the model schools he describes sound like places where librarians will be essential-—though we may go by other names in such a school. The very things that he says teachers must learn how to do (match students with the right resources, coach them to pursue their interests, find materials and activities to help them understand challenging ideas), librarians are already doing daily.

Heck, when every student (and teacher) knows how to effectively find and use relevant & reliable ideas and information, I’ll be glad to say my job is obsolete. In the meantime, I’ll keep doing it.

–Sean Fullerton
Teacher-Librarian: reading cheerleader, information literacy instructor, and school CIO

]]> By: Karen Janowski http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2009/11/the-uncertainty-of-professional-persistence.html/comment-page-1#comment-9647 Karen Janowski Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2009/11/the-uncertainty-of-professional-persistence.html#comment-9647 Interesting perspectives about the future of the profession. Juxtapose it with the fact, I keep saying I'd like to work myself OUT of a job. I WANT my profession to become obsolete. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening any time soon. I'm an assistive technology specialist and too many kids need assistive technology because the curriculum is the disability. (I know, slightly off-topic). Interesting perspectives about the future of the profession.
Juxtapose it with the fact, I keep saying I’d like to work myself OUT of a job. I WANT my profession to become obsolete. Unfortunately, I don’t see that happening any time soon. I’m an assistive technology specialist and too many kids need assistive technology because the curriculum is the disability.

(I know, slightly off-topic).

]]> By: RogerWhaley http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2009/11/the-uncertainty-of-professional-persistence.html/comment-page-1#comment-9648 RogerWhaley Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2009/11/the-uncertainty-of-professional-persistence.html#comment-9648 @ Scott McLeod: I think you are probably right. I think the "new librarians" will be working virtually as most of us will be. There is going to be a transition because schools (and corporations) still like to see who is working for them. I think I have seen the future library. My wife works for a major agricultural company and I have visited her office near the corporate library. That library was a rack of perhaps a dozen periodicals (none of which I had ever heard of) and a desk with a computer for the librarian on duty. Very minimalist. On the other hand, you could get an answer there very easily. @ Scott McLeod: I think you are probably right. I think the “new librarians” will be working virtually as most of us will be.

There is going to be a transition because schools (and corporations) still like to see who is working for them.

I think I have seen the future library.

My wife works for a major agricultural company and I have visited her office near the corporate library. That library was a rack of perhaps a dozen periodicals (none of which I had ever heard of) and a desk with a computer for the librarian on duty. Very minimalist. On the other hand, you could get an answer there very easily.

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