Hi,
This article may add some insight regarding the future.
It comes from an e-newsletter (Nov. 2009) distributed by Minitex at the University
of Minnesota. I am behind in my reading.
Doug Bancks
Fairmont Jr/Sr High School
Fairmont, MN 56031
dbancks@fairmont.k12.mn.us
"You No Longer Have a Choice"
Beth Staats
I was reading Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog at
http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/ when I saw an article by
Mary Mehsikomer that caught my eye. Her post was in response to a previous post on
Doug's blog called Where
Are the Others? Which can be found at
(http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2009/10/7/
where-are-the-others.html). In this time of shrinking budgets and more and more
technology to keep track of, I
thought Mary's article was right on target.
You No Longer Have a Choice
Mary Mehsikomer, Network Coordinator with
NWLINKS
I was in a workshop a few years ago where a trainer was
working with a group of teachers and showing all the
wonderful things that can be done with Google Earth and
other online tools to make learning more engaging for
students. One of the teachers said, with no small amount
of exasperation in her voice, "Look, I have two young kids
at home, I'm in school all day, I correct papers at night,
and so when am I supposed to find time to explore all
this stuff and then figure out how to integrate it with my
instruction?"
The trainer, who happened to be from a teacher
preparation program in South Dakota calmly responded,
"You no longer have a choice."
This conversation made me think about how perhaps
that teacher is doing things the same way she has been
doing them for several years - and maybe they've worked
reasonably well-- but she has not really looked to see
what could be done in a different, more effective way.
She has not engaged with what might be a more relevant
experience for her students. The "you no longer have a
choice" response has stuck with me as I struggle in my
own work to do things better, to do them differently, to
do things that make a positive difference to the schools I
serve.
By the way, I am not a school library media specialist.
I am, however, a huge school library media specialist
advocate. I am very distressed by what I see happening to
the profession. I agree there are people who are disengaged
from this conversation, and that is very unfortunate. I am
very active in a professional organization whose mission is
to get school library media specialists to engage and to be
strong, proactive, viable educators.
I have, however, also participated in and delivered a number
of staff development programs to school library media
specialists and classroom teachers. I am sorry to say I have
observed that that such disengagement is often a choice. I
am not just picking on school library media specialists, but I
see this in classroom teachers and administrators as well.
I know in economic times like these, it is very hard for
school library media specialists to get the training and time
they need to keep up with all they are expected to know
and accomplish. There is little money for staff development
across the board. Positions are being eliminated right and
left, many school librarians have been cut to part time or
are expected to serve multiple buildings. They are being set
up for failure due to high expectations and low support.
Yet I can't help but think, how much do we as humans
perform tasks a certain way because "we've always done
it this way." Because it is what we know. It is comfortable.
It is what we believe. Is this maybe a big part of what is
impacting the profession? The stereotype of shushing and
card catalogs lingers on because our human nature inhibits
the ability to look at what we are doing and make some
hard decisions about doing things in a different way that
might have a greater impact, be a better use of time, and
provide a better experience for students? Do you suppose it
is possible that the positions are cut because administrators
and school boards do not have a good understanding of
what a school library media specialist does because all
they see, if they happen to visit the media center at all, is a
person standing at a desk checking books in and out? This
is not to say school library media specialists all need to be
technology wizards or that those who believe reading is
critical and love to promote books are doddering fossils in
a Web 2.0 world. What really matters most is the impact
on the student. What is the best way to achieve a visible,
positive impact on a student? No matter what your belief
system is about the nature of school librarianship, is that
what your work is designed to do?
There will always be economic problems. We will
never, ever have enough resources in our schools to do
everything that needs to be done. There will always be
politics, policies and work rules that interfere. But what we
do have is the creativity, excitement, and passion that I see
in many of my school library media specialist friends, their
understanding of information and technology literacy skills,
and their incredible base of knowledge - knowledge that
is meant to be shared. With students. With other teachers.
With parents. Not hidden under a bar code scanner.
School library media specialists are ESSENTIAL. Their
relevancy might be questioned in this day of massive
digital resources, but I shudder to think of an education
system and society without their influence. So engage.
In whatever way works for you. You only have the kids
30 minutes a week. So make the most of those 30
minutes. Your filter blocks social networking. Talk to
your technology coordinator and see if there is another
application you could use to accomplish the same goal.
Invite your administrator in to watch you TEACH. Just
please, please don't hide in your media center and wait for
the world to come to you. There is no longer a choice.
Doug Bancks
Library Media Specialist
Fairmont Jr/Sr High School
900 Johnson Street
Fairmont, MN 56031
dbancks@fairmont.k12.mn.us<mailto:dbancks@fairmont.k12.mn.us>
507-235-4107
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