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New Essential Skills for Today’s Teacher Librarian: a meme
I’ve been thinking quite a bit about the skills essential for an information/communication/technology/media specialist (aka teacher librarian) in our schools today. So I started working on a short list of the new skills I myself couldn’t function without.
I don’t believe I have all the answers, or the full picture, so I’d like to do this as a meme. Please participate. How powerful would it be if we could build some consensus on this!
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Think about it. If you were advising a principal on who to hire, if he or she wanted to hire a fully tooled, or fully retooled, library information professional, what new skills and what professional mindsets should he or she seek?
Remember, we are not only responsible for owning these skills, we are responsible for sharing them with and teaching them to faculty and learners. If we don’t own these skills ourselves, our schools may not move forward. They may not integrate critical new tools into their programs.
So, in addition to the basic library values, the here are the skills I’d be looking for as an administrator.
The ability to:
Tell digital stories: effective communicators are effective storytellers and the tools for storytelling are multiplying as quickly as Bartholomew Cubbins’ hats.
Create pathfinders: Pathfinders are essential for guiding researchers and supporting student projects.
Build a web presense: A website is no longer optional for a school library
Understand fair use and the remix culture
Design personal information portals and broadcast public information portals
Embed widgets
Blog and find relevant blogs to read
Create a personal learning network
Build wikis
Understanding Google Docs and other online officy suites
Critical mindsets: Intellectual freedom, respect for intellectual property, understanding of the new fair use guidelines for a remix culture, achieving equity of access on all levels, the importance of rethinking collection to showcase and make use of student work.
Wanna play?
Come up with your own list of essential skills and and mindsets and tag five other practicing librarians:
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As part of the ongoing discussion around the future of school library programs, the following document is provided to help focus on the critical mission and functions of the teacher-librarian and the School Library Information and Technology Program. A group of teacher-librarians met in Seattle, Washington, January 8, 2010 to create this document (see attribution list below). We offer it as a clear and powerful message at the core of efforts to brand and market School Library Information and Technology Programs.
School Library Information and Technology Programs for 21st Century Learning
Mission: To ensure that students are effective users and producers of information and ideas
Three essential functions of Teacher-Librarians:
1. Information Technology Instruction
2. Reading Advocacy
3. Information Management
The scope and mix of these functions will depend on the program priorities and goals of each local school district and school building
1. Information and technology instruction
•Leads information literacy instruction including evaluation and analysis of the credibility, relevance and currency of information
•Coaches instructional staff in support of curriculum, information technology and information management
•Teaches students to be critical consumers and producers of information
•Teaches students and staff to use emerging learning technologies for school and lifelong learning
•Teaches students to be safe, ethical and responsible digital citizens
2. Reading advocacy
•Establishes and models a powerful, fashionable and ubiquitous culture of reading in the school community
•Motivates and guides students to read for enjoyment and understanding
•Develops a relevant collection of fiction and non-fiction in a variety of formats, ensuring quality reading choices for all students
•Manages resources in support of established curriculum and student passions
3. Information management and services
•Provides open and equitable access to resources, technology and information services for the entire school community
•Develops and administers inviting and effective physical and digital library environments
•Manages resources to support teaching and learning
•Administers information management systems to support student learning and school and district programs
Authored by:
Secondary Level:
· Marianne Hunter, NTCB (North Thurston S.D.)
· Stephen Coker (Rainier S.D.)
· Sarah Applegate, NTCB (North Thurston S.D.)
· Mark Ray (Vancouver S.D.)
· Roz Thompson (Tumwater S.D.)
Middle Level:
· Linda Collins (University Place S.D.)
· Linda King (Yakima S.D.)
· Leigh Lohrasbi (Yakima S.D.)
· Nancy Mowat, NBCT (Bellevue S.D.)
Elementary Level:
· Dave Sonnen (Edmonds S.D.)
· Wayne Osborn, NBCT (Clover Park S.D.)
· Laura Berry, NBCT (Issaquah S.D.)
· Steve Goodwin (Edmonds S.D.)
Higher Education:
· Mike Eisenberg (University of Washington)
· John Marino (University of Washington)
· Betty Marcoux (University of Washington)
· Lorraine Bruce (University of Washington)
· Christie Kaaland (Antioch University)
With contributions from: Lisa Layera Brunkan (Fund our Future Washington) and Colet Bartow (Montana Office of Public Instruction).
School LIbrary Information and Technology Programs for 21st Century Learning by various is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
Filed under: Uncategorized
About Joyce Valenza
Joyce is an Assistant Professor of Teaching at Rutgers University School of Information and Communication, a technology writer, speaker, blogger and learner. Follow her on Twitter: @joycevalenza
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