The last week of library school

Yes, that’s right.  I’ve finally made it.  This was a longer road than I had anticipated but it was worth it just the same.  I learned much more than I ever thought there was to librarianship.  It’s not just putting books on a shelf it’s customer service, accounting, managing, training, cataloguing, researching and being technologically savvy.  You have to know patrons, staff, leaders, collection, resources, policies, databases, procedures, laws, communities, schools, etc. etc.  That book you check out at the library was chosen for you and is available to you because of a librarian who worked hard to research it’s value, gather funds for it, catalogue it, get that book into the collection, and send it off to whatever library branch you chose.  I’m glad that I learned so much and know there’s a lot more I need to know once I step into the library as an employee.  I also was inducted into the Epsilon Omega Epsilon honor society last week, which is something I never thought possible. 

I’m finishing up my final Personal Management Theory paper which is “In some ways this paper is the scholarly culmination of your diary” that we’ve kept all through the term regarding our readings and personal experiences or initial reactions.  Therefore, with the diary already worked through and the outline finished, this was much easier than I thought because there was a lot of re-using quotes and references and merely restating my reasons for including it in my theory (or definition as we called it in the diary) of Library Management.

Anyway, I’ve just submitted my final paper now and I don’t see any other assignments I need to turn in.  I think I’m done.  My final grades will post on May 19th and then I’ll be official.

With that said, I’m not sure how much I can keep this blog up these days.  I’ll keep applying for jobs and posting any new, interesting developments I run across (or find a completely new way to use the site) but, sad as it is to admit, I think my “grad school blog days” are coming to an end.  For now at least.

I’ll post my regular goings on at The Tales of Missus P. instead.  Thanks for everyone who’s helped me out thus far on my endeavours in librarianship.  I’ll be in touch!

Catching up on library school

I’ve been on Spring Break the week before last, then last week marked our mid-point in my Library Management course. (Yes, it does seem like longer).  I’m the discussion board moderator for these two weeks about Managing People.  Reading from Herbert A. Simon’s book Administrative Behavior I inserted this quote:

"The major problems of organization today are not problems of departmentalization and coordination of operating units.  Instead, they are problems of organizing information storage and information processing -- not division of labor, but factorization of decision-making.These organizational problems are best attacks, at least to a first approximation, by examining the information system and the system of decision it supports in abstraction from agency and department structure" (p. 248-9).

My questions posed are:  What issues have you witnessed or heard of regarding problems in communication?  What could have been done to solve the problem better?  As a manager, how would you have dealt with the communication in the (library or other) organization?

I’ve found some pretty interesting comments.  I figured that was going to be a hot topic for many people.  There are public and school librarians who say that there are issues within the departments that aren’t expressed to other departments or that instructions aren’t clear and concise. 

Aside from my discussion board moderation, we have a Stakeholders Analysis project for the Dallas Public Library.  I’ll be taking on the local colleges and the City of Dallas itself for my part of the project.  We’ll get the first draft done by April 11th, then the final draft done by the 27th.  Aside from that I’ll have to do my final Reflective Diary for weeks 5-10, plus outline and complete my Personal Theory of Management paper.  That’s a lot of work to turn in by May 4th but I’ll be glad to have it under my belt.

Right now I’m still leaning toward the idea that I won’t be joining up for another online program anytime soon.  Granted I’m not working (still) and I have time to do it, I’m just burned out.  I’d like to do something in Education, but then again I’m not sure.  I think it’s best to just enjoy the Spring, look for work, get back to writing (and blogging) and try to get into a program later on when I can be in a face-to-face setting for a higher degree.  Or, better yet, if my workplace would pay for it!  I was looking through tons of online programs and then after moving and getting settled, I decided that more time in my real life was more important.  Granted I feel more enlightened and accomplished when I’m learning in a class but I can always do some online Webinars or courses through the ALA or YALSA. 

Married life is just way too good to worry about homework! (And you can quote me on that.)  With that said, I’ve got to get back to my cooking…

The Portfolio!

Now that I've dropped my Librarians as Instructional Partners class, I've been able to concentrate on my Portfolio. This is my Final Exam that includes my resume, five-year plan on how I'll benefit the community in a new job, a list of how I'll accomplish those goals, and academic papers proving I have the necessary skills needed to accomplish those goals. There was a lot of tweaking involved and working with my academic advisor whom I just happened to ask how I submit an online portfolio. She gave a lot more pointers than the basic outline gave so now I should have a pretty decent Portfolio all together. Before I submit it I'll have to add a paragraph indicating why I chose the academic papers I chose.

In other library news, I'm the proud owner of cards for both my local library and the big City Library. I'm still super impressed with their self-service machines. Having a cafe around is awesome too. Yesterday I was able to walk to the library with Steve, then go on to the park with my books and read Wuthering Heights over coffee. Not a bad way to start the week.

I also applied for a library job in a town near here. I'm not sure how many positions are available or how many people will be applying for them but I really hope I get that job. It would be part-time, a bus ride away, and something within my perspective career. I have my fingers crossed big time for this.

May can’t come soon enough

Wow.  It’s almost March and I have so much going on with these classes.  Not only do I have the two classes to work on, but I also have to get my portfolio finished as my final exam for the program.  My first attempt at it is the 9th.  For my classes, the Library Management one is doing fine.  I finished the first group of Reflection Diary entries and have our group getting organized (this teacher did like many and got our group put together for us already.)  My Librarians as Instructional Partners is another story.

So we have one group of High School Librarians together.  We had to get a trio, but then another girl needed into the group.  I said it was okay and get her set up for our group wiki, then the other two members pointed out that the professor may not want us to have four members.  So off I went to contact the professor about that. (How did this become my responsibility to begin with?)  While that was all going on, about six of us in the class were getting emails from the professor saying that we still hadn’t posted our partners for yet another project.  Sheesh.  So one girl from my High School Librarian group said she’d partner with me after I already told another girl in my class whom I’ve not worked with yet, that she could be my partner.  Of course, it ended up being my responsibility to contact the professor, see if we could have the same partner for more than one project.  There was major back and forth emailing with me and the two girls, plus these emails from the professor threatening that we need to post our partners or she would have to do it for us.  After we all sufficiently had chaos, I got the final email from the professor that we needed different partners for each group, and I confirmed that everything was go for the other girls in the class.

Yes, it’s confusing.  Yes, it’s a major pain.  I’m not the only one in the class who is making comments like “this is ridiculous”.  I even told the professor that I’d picked my partner and “a lot of us have been emailing back and forth trying to get this figured out. You can understand how getting organized for two partner projects at a time can get a bit confusing.”  The professor said before that she loves suggestions for improvement and there’s mine.  We’re confused and there’s too much going on.

But no matter.  I got into the Epsilon Omega Epsilon honour society.  I paid my $30 membership dues so I have this to put on my resume.  I wonder if it will mention that on my diploma. 

I’m still awaiting word from the library system if there are any volunteer positions open at any local branches.  I think my not being able to get into the school system here is just the reason I’ll need to get experience in the public library.  I was going to inquire about volunteering at the Children’s Book Museum but they wanted a whole police background check and then I could enquire with the museum.  As Steve said “there’s always one more thing that needs done before getting anything sorted.”  How true.  Nothing can ever be straightforward.  Granted, I understand the need for a police background check but I’d rather use my time on the library and getting a background check for them if they need it.

On to Week 5

My first big assignment for Library Management will be on Monday.  I have to finish up my Reflective Diaries for Weeks 2-4.  So far everything in that class is going pretty well as far as I can see.  I’m getting my weekly discussions posted and I’m in a group where I don’t have to be a leader.

My other class, Librarians as Instructional Partners, is still dragging on as usual.  This week, my partner did all the work in one day in our Wiki, then when I typed up the paper, he submitted it online instead of keeping it in MLA format in a Word document.  This meant that the teacher could only see our online discussion and she “could only assume” that I didn’t do any work.  Very nice.  But I’m not going to worry about that class anymore.  Already I’ve received only 109 points out of 145 after only 4 assignments.  I’ve never had this kind of nit-picky rubric for every single thing we do.  It’s really over the top and I just don’t have the patience at this point to hear how I didn’t do this and didn’t do that.  I understand teacher’s wanting to have high expectations but this is ridiculous!

I’m almost to the finish line though.  I’ll take whatever grade the teacher wants to give me in the end, get my A or B in Library Management, grab my degree and run.

However, since I can’t work at a school anytime soon and library jobs are scarce, I’m wondering if this blog will be able to serve much purpose in the near future.  I may volunteer at the local library as I had mused about a while ago.  I will be getting a job in some capacity soon enough, I’m just not sure it’s going to be in any kind of library field.  We’ll see. 

I don’t think I want to bother with getting another degree right away after this term is over.  I just don’t like homework cutting into my quality at home now that I’m here with Steve.  Maybe after I’m all settled and can go to school like a normal person (in actual classrooms), I can get my English Literature degree as I had planned in 2003.  But that’s all in the distant future.  Right now I have a Master’s of Library Science to get finished!

Going on Week 3

I found out today that since I’ve just arrived in the UK and only under a Visa, I can’t take my teacher training courses with “home” status tuition. I’d be shelling out $18k for two terms just to undergo training that will do nothing more than get me a teaching license in England.  Not worth it.  Ignorance was bliss for a while and I had this grand master plan how I’d work in the summer, then go back to school in the Fall.  Now I’m just going to have to work and keep on looking for a school online in the States to keep up my credentials until we get back.  Until then I’ll just have to try and find some kind of job without the Qualified Teacher Status here; teacher’s aide if they’ll let me.  I can always go to a temp agency or the Job Centre and find something non school related if the system won’t have me.

I’m now torn between the idea of getting an Learning and Technology degree from WGU (as the information states, this is for school media specialists) or the Ed Specialist program at Liberty University.

It’s mildly disappointing but it’s fine in the fact that I don’t have to try and force any kind of plans on myself.  Usually I’m full of organization and plans but now, heck, I can’t make any because I don’t know what’s around the corner.  I’m just enjoying being here with Steve and seeing what life, school and career offer me next.

So I have Librarians as Instructional Partners and Library Management as my courses this term.  So far I’m a bit disappointed with my “fun” class of the Instructional Partners class.  School Librarian classes before were cool.  This one is full of wikis with information all over the place instead of just in the main class webpage.  Then we have a ton of (groan) partner work.  (I should have known.)  But since it’s my last term, the class is paid for and it’s technically an elective, I’ll grin and bear it.  The Library Management class is my main focus so I have to get an A in that and grab that degree in May.  Hooray! Anyway, I did a few things for my class that I wanted to post.

Librarians as Instructional Partners Online Discussion

First, my Librarians as Instructional Partners class required me to make a short video of myself as a portrait of what kind of collaborator I am based on a couple of (not really accurate I don’t think) personality tests. 

My Jung Typology test says that I am an INFJ: Introverted 11%, Intuitive 25%, Feeling 38% and Judging 67%. I really don’t feel that is my personality at all, however. I find the term “judging” to sound harsh rather and assessing, carefully thinking through, planning and organizing, which is what I do. Hartzell Needs Assessment indicates a balance of needs for achievement, power and affirmation. I had four questions that I answered with a 1 or 2 on each section.

http://animoto.com/play/WLtn5kUsQFBJwj3lzjNvYg#

Secondly, today I had to post my reason for wanting to be a school librarian and, thus, collaborator with school teachers:

I love books and I love being important

It sounds silly but it’s true. I love the idea of being a go-to person of importance. I’ve been an English teacher. I’ve had librarians who are very helpful, on top of their game, and always willing to help. That’s the kind of librarian a teacher needs as a collaborator and as a kind of support system. I will say though, sadly, I’ve run into school librarians who weren’t as helpful when I needed interviews or help on assignments in my other classes. I want to do the best I can, learn as much as I can, and play a major role in the function of my future school. I love the idea of being the one whom people come to for help whether they are students or teachers. I know that principals rely a lot of the librarians for teacher training in new technologies or resources. The school librarian is an essential part of the school. My love for learning, literature and, let’s face it, books, is why I want to be a classroom-library collaborator.

A new term, a new start

Last week my final library science classes at TWU started.  Coincidentally or not I was travelling last week as well.  So today, from my new home office in my flat in England, with a view of the back garden, I am catching up on my first assignments.

This term I have Librarians as Instructional Partners as well as Library Management.  So far I’ve done my introductions and read an article, printed the syllabi and started writing in assignment dates in my day-planner.  It looks like I’ll have my hands full with assignments and projects, but that’s fine.  I’m enjoying the spoils of being a housewife now so I can spend my days, like today, doing the laundry and tackling homework. 

As far as the quest for an online Master’s in Ed program, I found out that I really don’t need it.  My MLS degree courses will suffice for renewing my Florida Professional Certificate so I’ve already sent in the fax to have those transcripts sent in to Tallahassee (where the FLDOE is) in May once the term is over.  After that, if we come back to Florida, all I need to do is take a Media Specialist test and I can be certified for that as well.  At this rate, I’ll have a lot of tools under my belt.  I’ll still go to Durham in February to do the interview for my UK teacher training courses (see if they’ll let me in).  I now can sort of lean back and see what, if any, classes I want to take over Summer.  I’m thinking I’d enjoy the MEd in Reading programs better than the Curriculum and Development ones.  (Still not sure what the C&I programs do for anyone either but I did hear a couple comments on that being good for librarians.)

I’m sorry I don’t have much other input than that.  I’ll be able to post more specifics about my librarian/academic life once the term really gets moving.

Schools and salespeople

While I’m waiting to ring in the New Year, I thought I’d write an update about my search for an online Education program.  As I said in my last post, once I’m in the UK, I’ll be trying to get into teacher training there.  But that won’t start until Fall if I get in.  I won’t be able to be in the classroom working (for school or otherwise) until then.  I need to take online Education program classes to keep my teaching certificate in Florida up.  But without access to a classroom, I can’t take any kind of courses that require field work or a practicum.

I was going to go with GCU, but after Christmas break, they called me six times a day, trying to get me to sign something that was “urgent.”  Since I’d already read bad reviews from them where it was said that they hound you to get a hold of your Financial Aid money, then dash off, never answering the phone or helping you again.  I guess they wanted me to sign off that they’d enroll me in classes on the 30th and have me give them money (which I don’t have now to attend class anyway).  But a normal school would just leave it up to the student.  If you sign up, fine, if you don’t pay, you’re out of the class.  The fact that GCU hounded me so much like telemarketers and salespeople, I really knew it was best to steer clear of them.  Plus, there were problems with the program:  I needed to complete a practicum and I couldn’t take more than 60 days off a couple of times while I was attending.  Just not a good vibe about the whole thing, so I ditched out of it even though a “supervisor” called me and “needed to know either way.” Strange practices that school has.

So I still am thinking about Liberty University except for the problem, again, of having to take a practicum by the end of the program.  Now, if I do get into a teacher program and get into the classroom in the UK, that’s fine, I can so something for Liberty.  The problem there is though, they want 120 hours of practicum.  Not entirely sure I’ll be able to swing that but at least I have 5 years to complete the program in total.  By then I’ll be teaching somewhere I’m sure.

But my latest prospect is Tiffin University’s online MEd program.  Their classes are 100% online and I don’t need to be in the classroom to finish the program.  That’s a major plus right there.  Second of all, it’s set up to match Ohio state standards which makes it a credible program.  My other option I had looked into was staying at TWU for their MEd in Reading program.  It’s listed in the online degree programs and I filled out a new application for it because I’d like to just stay put at a school I know I like.  Trouble is, after digging deeper, I found that the program isn’t 100% online and about every class needed some kind of field work with it.  So I guess all I can do is wait until later to get my Reading Endorsement under my belt.  After talking to a Reading teacher on Twitter who really enjoyed her job, I think it would be really beneficial to have that kind of range in my capabilities as an educator.

While I’ve mentioned before that this did start out as a blog about librarianship, I find that I have to add in my teaching endeavours as well.  It’s all steps to my dream job as a School Librarian.  I have straight As for the Fall term and a GPA of 3.6.  I think I’m headed in the right direction.

Oh yeah – Happy New Year, everyone!  I should be across the pond in about 21 days now.  Hooray!  Steve and I plan on having the best Christmas-in-January ever.

Until Spring 2011…

I’ve finished my courses for the term, officially.  I just submitted a Pathfinder for Information Sources (Reference Librarian class) on American Southern Cooking.  It was really tricky since it had to include almanacs, yearbooks, handbooks, encyclopedias, directories, indexes and the like.  With cooking you basically have magazines, books, television programs and some websites.  But I dug through and found enough things to list so tonight I just added a few more sources, annotated what I had and submitted it.  I was only one day and 15 minutes late on it too – that’s not too bad. 

I ended up with a 950 out of 1000 in my Children’s and YA Literature class as well so my grades should be pretty good.  I want to apply for membership to Epsilon Omega Epsilon (EOE) in January.  I missed the deadline this term so I want to make sure to join before I graduate in May.  I’ll be able to use the insignia on my cover letters and mention my membership in my resume.  Not too shabby.

Knowing that I’ll be graduating in May next year makes me very relieved.  I honestly am not going to be interested in getting into another college program now that I’m a married woman with a life to live.  Before it was just me and trying to get whatever head knowledge and skills I could to get put into some kind of career that I could stay in.  Now that I’ll have my Professional Teaching Certificate in Florida and my MLS degree I will be armed with the tools I need to get into a School Librarian position, should one come up.  Granted, as I said last post, there are stipulations for becoming a teacher in the UK that differs vastly to the requirements from state to state.  That’s one thing I may have to get into – more teacher training.  But no more Master’s degree programs for me for a while at least, until I really have to get one.  I just hope I won’t end up needing an IT degree – I don’t know if I could deal with that much techy coursework.

Now, again, the thing I don’t love about the library degree is that it’s just a lot of fact-finding.  That’s the main reason why I’m glad it’ll be over.  The course work offers little for creativity.  Granted there is some when we have to create pretend events or new programs at the library.  But just talking about the surface of the book and not analyzes the contents and how we can use them is dull after a while.  Now, the Children’s and YA Lit class really gave me the room to read, analyze and discuss how I’d use the books in library or school situations.  That’s what made me really think I wanted to work at the School Library.  It also means there won’t just be a public service vibe to my job.  I understand that it’s more than that, but when I was volunteering I just felt like I was back at Winn-Dixie again, ringing up people’s groceries and giving them money for their returned items.  Plus, when it’s public domain you get the odd balls whom, yes, I sympathize with, but I don’t want to have situations again where I have to call the police because some random person stole some random item off the shelf.  I’ve done that way before I had an education and I’ve no interest in going back there.  (Even though I probably will when I have to gather up some experience at the public library next year.)

Anyway, so Christmas break for me is here and I couldn’t feel less Christmassy.  There’s a slim chance I’ll get an approval email on my Visa next Monday or Tuesday but if not, that means I won’t be going over to be with Steve until after the holidays.  Complete bummer.  If this were April or something and there wasn’t much going on aside from Easter, I wouldn’t feel as bad but Christmas is a biggy and we still have not spent our first Christmas together as a married couple.  Again, major bummer but by going over after the holidays the flights and delays and crowds will be less of hassle to deal with so there is a bright side to this after all.

End of Fall 2010 Term

Next Monday I’ll have my final project, a book trailer, submitted in for my Children’s and YA Literature course.  I’ll also have to finish up my Info Sources project, a Pathfinder on Southern Cooking, by Thursday.  For the most part, aside from a few discussion board responses, that means I’m done for the term.  I’m totally relieved.  I’ve really had a rekindling of love for the library and I know I want to get into the school or academic library (later on if I get some experience and a PhD under my belt).  I’m a bit over it with the courses though.  Burned out I guess you could say.  I’m ready to have a week where I don’t have to think about what homework I have to do.  Saying that, I’ll probably have to do some teacher training courses once I move, but I’m not really unhappy about that.  Hands-on experience and doing something for my career puts you in a different mindset than just sitting and a computer all day typing up papers.  These projects have been killers but get me the head knowledge and the grades I need.  It’s a whole different world from the English/Writing/Education field I was in before.  It’s a lot of fact finding and opinions based on fact rather than creative ideas.  Not that a librarian doesn’t have to be creative, it’s just that there’s a whole science to how the library runs, just like a court of law.  There are ways to do things and the librarian just has to know these ways (and get better ideas for different ways by studying other libraries and librarians.)

I hope that soon I can write more detailed stories of my time at the library.  I’m working on it and I know I’ll get there soon.  May 2011 will be the month of MLS magic!

Week 11? Really?

Information Sources class discussion

Multiple Intelligences (H. Gardner)

“The theory of multiple intelligences suggests that there are a number of distinct forms of intelligence that each individual possesses in varying degrees. Gardner proposes seven primary forms: linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, body-kinesthetic, intrapersonal (e.g., insight, metacognition) and interpersonal (e.g., social skills). “

Principles:

1. Individuals should be encouraged to use their preferred intelligences in learning.

2. Instructional activities should appeal to different forms of intelligence.

3. Assessment of learning should measure multiple forms of intelligence.

Reference:

http://tip.psychology.org/gardner.html

To me this is the best choice because most people do not learn in one certain way. We learn different things in different ways. I love listen to audio books over reading a lot of the time. I can “see” the images better by hearing them. Music has a rhythm that makes words and stories easy to remember. Working with others helps understand what you know and what others know so you can learn from one another. All lessons are like this because we have links to see graphs and charts. We work with one another. We physically go to the library to observe and research so our bodies are involved. I just wish we had more pictures in Library Science. I mean, I know our books are data-packed but couldn’t they add some fun color photos once in a while? Maybe the TWU MLS program should come up with a channel on Youtube to show us how the library works in various training videos. Now that would be cool!

Learning something about your own learning style will help you as you prepare instruction for others with different learning styles.  Take the Learning Style Questionnaire located at the following website:  http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html

I'm sort of surprised that I do not have a high tendency for any certain learning style.  I'm in the middle for most of them.  I'm a little higher in the visual learning only because I knew those questions were asking for that kind of learning.  I know that the activities that I learned from best were based in the visual.  I always loved maps and charts on the board to explain concepts in literature, history and science.  I am not a math fan and I was only able to do well in math when I had a couple of teachers who did equations that were not just in the regular long formula mode but explained in association with other daily concepts, or having equations put into a table when doing variables.  I love using movies in a classroom but even that confuses some students who don't "get it" even after seeing it.  So for people like me (and for every library and classroom around that is full of people with various learning styles) there has to be various types of help.  Signs, verbal instruction, charts or anything else that will appeal to people's different personalities.  This is why our school implemented "Thinking Maps" campus wide.  Having students learn concepts in visual/doing/seeing/thinking/hearing/habitual mode is the only way for them to understand and get the concepts.

Children’s and YA Literature class discussion

Just want to say thank you, Dr. Vardell, for adding this section to our curriculum.  Before I thought fantasy fiction was Harry Potter or Twilight or something with dragons and pirates or something that I wasn't interested in, in the slightest.  (Reminds me too much of those boys in elementary school playing Dungeons and Dragons.)  Anyway, I'm loving this section and keep looking for more books to read within the genre that don't require wands or blood letting.

It also makes me know that I can really enjoy being a Children's or School Librarian in the future.  I've loved being exposed to these different books in each module.

I know this is a simple approach to finding new literature, but I thought I'd post it anyway.  I used this when doing my project for Collection Development class.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/Fantasy-and-Adventure/379002217/?cds2Pid=17547&linkid=1640528

My favorite category is "Edgy Stories for Teens".