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.

School, school and more school

While this site is predominately for my library studies information, I have a lot of education that will branch of and tie into the library career plan.  So while I say this is a site about my endeavors in librarianship, I still need to discuss my steps toward teaching.  As I said before, I hope to get into a school library but with 0 library jobs available in my new town, my only option is to go back into teaching.  With that said, I have two conundrums to work out.  First, for my FL Professional Teaching Certificate I need 6 credit hours to keep my certificate from expiring within my 5 years if I’m not in the classroom.  While Brevard County Schools said for me to just take a couple of non-degree seeking classes at University of Phoenix. After thinking about it, if I can help it, I’d rather take a couple classes toward an actual degree instead of tossing out $1000 to keep a certificate (in one state) up to date. 
What it’s kind of confusing, and maybe a bit disappointing to me, is that colleges seem to be like car lots these days.  If you show any interest in their program, they jump on it full force and will call and email relentlessly.  No, I don’t want to chat, I want information sent to me in the mail so I can look over the curriculum.  If I want to ask questions I’ll email or call.  I’ve had tons of messages left on my voicemail (over things that can be addressed in email, mind you).  When I went to interview for a position as a college recruiter for a private college in Daytona Beach a while back, they were interested in people who had business and sales backgrounds.  Granted, the kind of schools I want to get into are not the ones who chase you down, so I’m glad to have found reviews about the school I was going to sign on with.  What I had a hard time with is that advisors not only call constantly, they email the exact same information.  I was asked to apply 3-4 times.  Both GCU and Univ of Phoenix said that I had to reapply with my new, married name, change my degree plan, etc. with a whole new application form.  That means a bunch of application accounts and major confusion on both my and the advisors’ parts. 
The other thing that got me was their insistence that I apply for Financial Aid.  I explained to them that I already have my financial aid application tied in with TWU and I wouldn’t jeopardize messing that up for anything, especially since I’ll graduate after this coming term.  I contacted FAFSA about GCU saying to just add their school code so they could “see where I’m at.”  FAFSA said that I could add the school code and tell GCU not to do anything with the application because you can only get Financial Aid from one school at a time.  I didn’t trust some random school I didn’t know to not do anything with my financial information if they already knew I had no intention of taking out loans.  Still, the school continued to say, with every email enquiry about my application, that I had to apply (for the 3rd, 4th time) and fill out the FAFSA information, including Promissory Note for them.  When I finally flat out declined to do so they said, “Oh, no problem, you only need to do that if you’re going to take out a loan with us anyway.  Um…so why did they keep pressuring me to do that when I told them I wasn’t going to take loans out ahead of time?  Major red flag.
After all this back and forth stuff, I finally stumbled across Pitt Online which has an MEd in English program. There was no pressure to apply, maybe an email here or there from an actual person who had answers to my questions.  I found out that they are ranked #64 in U.S. News and World Report for 2011 and I would way rather have a state college on my transcript than an all-online school that seems a bit dodgy to begin with.  I talked to an advisor this morning and she was very helpful and talked to me about both of the Education programs that were available online.  The only hitch is some of the classes may require fieldwork or being in the classroom to utilize the course assignments but I may very well be doing that soon. Plus after NU got me to take classes and then claimed I was at my limit with financial aid until the very end (they’re tricky fellas) I can’t get my transcripts to them.  
Aside from all of this, yes, I still have to work on my U.K. Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).  I had mentioned before that the first school I applied for wanted my GCSE exam scores which, of course, I don’t have because I graduated from an American high school.  I was denied flat out for not having UK test scores.  The second school, however, was invited me for an interview in January.  I emailed the professor in charge of the PGCE whom I will interview with and asked if my lack of GSCE UK high school test scores is a problem.  I got an email back saying, “as far as I can tell, you're eligible, which is why you've been called for interview.”  Awesome news that made me very encouraged to go ahead and try to get to England sooner than I’d planned (by a week) and get to that interview. 
With all this stuff in motion, I’m thinking of making, yet another, blog to document my teaching endeavors.  I still have another term for the library studies, and I still plan on ending up as a school librarian but on my way to getting my dream job, I’m going to have to jump a few hoops.  I’ll want to document that too.
UPDATE: Turns out being hornswagged by National University means that UPitt won't accept me. I'll have to go back to GCU after all since it is a MEd degree I seek (not a Master's of Arts in Teaching or something similar.) Here's hoping it ends up okay.

Almost finished with Spring 2010

Collection Development class discussion

Short essay by school librarian - do you agree?

Bringelson , Carin. (2004). On intellectual freedom. School Libraries in Canada, 24(4), p.57-9

I really liked this passage in the article, "My job was not to take a position on the book, but simply to provide concrete information about the title and sometimes perspectives on the broader issue or issues involved. My work gave me the opportunity to think about the reasons why people challenge materials. While these reasons were many and varied, among the concerns that came up repeatedly (for many different titles) were objectionable language, sexuality, and violence.”

I would find it hard to not take a stance on a book, especially something I felt strongly against. I feel like a lawyer, trying to defend a client whom I thought shouldn’t walk the streets. I think this is probably the hardest part of our job, but I sort of see it from a parental sort of view to. (Granted, I have no children yet, so my views may change later when I do.) But, it seems like if you give kids the ability to be taught at home what is acceptable and what is not, then allow the kids to decide on their own if they think something is too much or inappropriate. Maybe it’s like drinking. If you tell them that it’s restricted and off limits and then on their 21^st birthday they put themselves into a stupor, it’s because the whole thing was so out of their underage reach.

What is the difference between selection and censorship?

How can librarians avoid self-censorship?

Can you provide an example of self-censorship? This one can be real or made-up. Just provide a "case" for us to talk about. If real, do not name the library's name or the librarian.    

I'm not sure if things are fairly similar in small towns in Texas as they are in Florida, but I live in a very conservative place.  The school where I use to teach had a very nice, Sunday school teaching librarian and he was totally against having the book Wicked in his library.  But, as he pointed out, the kids wanted to read it so he put it on the shelves.

I honestly would have a hard time with self censorship, I admit, especially if I were working in the Children's Library.  Our jobs as librarians are to allow children to read whatever book they want to on the public library level. That’s a hard pill to swallow. Now, as for school libraries, I think it’s going to be even more tricky. As we’ve discussed, there are plenty of parents who are against Harry Potter novels yet the school libraries have them. I’m glad to know that, as our Power Point notes state, “Children – Lesser, but substantial protection, Parental control, ‘Harmful to minors’ statutes, Not all minors are the treated the same -5 year-old vs. 16 year-old.” But, if there is a YA book that has something a parent doesn’t like, it doesn’t mean the book will be yanked off a school or public library shelf. Again, I think it’s the toughest part of our job, quite honestly, to keep our own personal beliefs and convictions out of the selection process.

Class work

I have to finish shining up my website for Web Development class.  I’ll add some library events and tweak the fonts some, but otherwise it’s a basic website and that’s all we need.  (Well, it has that dreaded CSS stuff in there too…)

I also have to write my final Reflection paper and turn that in for Collection Development.  Everything, for both classes, is due on Friday.

Personal stuff

I finished teaching my day class on Monday, and now I have to finish up grading their Lit. Criticism essays and Annotated Bibliographies as well as their Final Exams.  Tonight I go to school for the last night class to collect the same work from those students.  Then I’ll put the grades in by next Monday and be finished with everything and officially on break for a while.

I’ve been jogging and swimming at the gym, so that’s giving me something else to keep me busy each day.  I also started up my new project called Unfinished Book Reviews that I may or may not keep on blogspot.  It seems the easiest right now to use Blogger for this stuff since so many library, librarian and education blogs are products of Blogger.

23 days until Steve and I begin our vacation!

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Are we the future?

Web Development class discussion

Do you think Vannevar Bush's vision was prophetic? Why or why not? What strikes you about his essay?

“There is a growing mountain of research. But there is increased evidence that we are being bogged down today as specialization extends.” I think this is exactly correct. We have commercials for Bing.com that show how even a simple web search can boggle us with nonsense we’re not interested in. There is a huge abundance of information available to us that we can never possible read it all or even try to sift through ever bit of it. There is no ultimate decision as to what can and cannot be printed online so any kind of information is transmitted or submitted in so many avenues of electronic communication that, yes, there is a mountain of research material.

It’s amazing to me that Vannevar Bush had such a vision yet the internet is something that we can’t completely grasp entirely in our present day.

“[A]dvanced photography which can record what is seen or even what is not.” I was just thinking how the Hubble telescope is such a major step in that direction.

“To make the record, we now push a pencil or tap a typewriter. Then comes the process of digestion and correction, followed by an intricate process of typesetting, printing, and distribution. To consider the first stage of the procedure, will the author of the future cease writing by hand or typewriter and talk directly to the record?” This is my favorite quote. You know, we’re still amazed by Dragon Diction apps on the iPhone. I wonder if we’ll ever cease to be amazed at what kind of gadgets we have available to us. Now we don’t even need a real keyboard. Eventually we will stop writing or typing at all and only use verbal dictation to our recording device?

http://www.ps.uni-saarland.de/~duchier/pub/vbush/vbush.txt

Personal stuff

I just have to collect the Final Exams next week, then get everything graded by May 10th.  I have my last week for TWU next week too.  I’m almost done!

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Library marketing

Collection Development class discussion
I’m the moderator for the discussion this week so I have to stay on top of things.
Please pick one promotional activities and talk about it. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages? In what circumstances do you think you would use it? Also, what kinds of promotional activities have you seen from your local libraries? Do you think it was effective? Why or why not?
I’ve seen a lot of various marketing strategies at my local public library. The website was revamped and is a lot more modern and cleaner looking. It has more zing. I think that will attract people more, especially in the library itself – for a while they still had computers with text based only card catalog search capabilities. I’ve seen the same library have information on their webpage but I’m not sure how much viewing it gets. For example, since I’ve been interested in the YA section of the Children’s library, I did not see much listed online at their old website regarding Books Clubs and activities for teens. Now that I’ve been in the library more and snooped around on their new website they have tons of Teen Space stuff. Still a lot of it is not updated. I would love to have a job where I did that kind of marketing in my library. The webpages need to be updated and fancied up as much as possible to keep the views and interest coming in.
I also bought the Friends of the library tote bag they have on sale too. The Friends’ website, incidentally, is so outdated looking that I chose it for my Web Development class project.
Please post the bibliography of your selection tools that you used to develop your collection. Also, please answer this question: What did you think about the assignment? What did you learn about collection development? This should be an informal comment. I just want you all to talk about your experience. You'll be doing a formal reflection for the assignment next week.
I really did enjoy the project, I'll say that up front.  However, I still contend that this was one of, if not the most, difficult things I've done in school before.  I still wonder if librarians do this start from scratch type of collection development often.  I understand we needed to learn how to pick and chose carefully as to what we will include in our collection.  I found that fun in the beginning.  I was very interested to see the similarities in what kinds of books libraries and bookstores had.  Still, it was quite time consuming, just by listing everything.  I took notes throughout the project but it was the actual listing, organizing, polishing, choosing the best justification, etc.  That was the most difficult for me.  And, as I said before, after $2000 worth, I didn't feel like I had even scratched the surface. There are so many great books and great magazines for teens that I would love to pick and choose a little of everything. It really opened my eyes to the world of teen literature.
In my bibliography I listed every thing I ever used to gather any kind of information in my collection.
Personal stuff
35 days until Steve gets here!  No wonder I’m finding it hard to concentrate on grading – I just want to get ready for him to be here!

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