I managed to complete ETL507 (the two-term professional placement, study visit, and portfolio subject) and INF506 (Social networking for information professionals) during this last winter (Australian summer) term. I was in paper hell there at the very end, but I am so glad that it is all over and done.

So what were my thoughts? Just because I'm done with those subjects, doesn't really mean I'm done. It seems studying has only caused me to become more curious. Here are some summarizing thoughts (I'm probably writing this too late).

INF506 for me, was pure fun. I got a little carried away at the start diving into social media tools and exploring their uses. It was nice that this was essentially necessary for the class, so I had a good excuse (as I do this kind of thing for fun anyway). When it came time to work on a project, I decided to do something non-education related, and I am so happy I did. I created an online community tool for traveling families. While the site is still its infancy, what this project has done for me was to highlight some of my personal passions. I will continue to maintain this travel wiki (kidsonthego.wikispaces.com), but will treat it as a hobby site. Working on this site has led to other community website projects that I may be helping to develop. Just what I need--more personal projects! I'm not sure why I just can't be one of those people who can watch TV in their free time--I have to go building websites and creating personal projects. Go figure. Anyway, in addition to enhancing my personal passions with social media, I had also encountered a significant amount of fantastic information through rebuilding my personal learning network (PLN). I've gained a better understanding of 21C skills, and have a strong sense of the need to create a culture of sharing and participation.

I found that ETL507 was essential. The professional placement gave me some practical experience to learn a little on the job, though the experience was far too short. The study visits (as I did them) were excellent because I had the freedom to visit libraries of my choice. In my case, I visited several international school libraries (physically, but also virtually), and one university library. I felt a little inexperienced going in and having conversations with library professionals, but fortunately they were very understanding and receptive to my interests. If anything, the portfolio was probably the least 'valuable' experience. While it was good in that it required me to reflect on what I have learned, and the next steps I need to take, I was a little disappointed that it was essentially a paper for the university, and not a thorough portfolio of my experiences. What it did help me discover was that the area I lacked the most was in leadership skills/knowledge. Fortunately, that is my next and final subject!

So today was meant to be spent working on my paper for my professional placement. I have done so much professional reading recently and have learned so much--the challenge is remembering where the heck I got my information. So, as I write, I'm jumping back into the university library's website searching databases for articles that support the point I want to make. I know, it's a bit backwards, and is not meant to be done that way. Ssshhhh, don't tell anyone. I need the reference for my paper.

Anyway, as I'm searching, I encounter an article by Michael Stephens, called the Transparent Library School. He was a keynote speaker at the Learning 2.011 Worldwide Virtual Conference I participated in a month ago, so I read it (one of the many ways I get sidetracked when studying!). In it, he mentions a blog by an MLIS student named Ben Lainhart, who is frustrated about the instructional pedagogy used for his MLIS program. The quote made me laugh. "I do not want to take any more online classes that are exactly the same: sign into BB (BlackBoard), read the 'lecture,' read the articles, make my obligatory posts on the discussion board and occasionally write a paper. How uninspiring!" I could not agree more.

Sorry CSU, but many of the courses I've taken so far have been delivered this way. This element of my studies has been disappointing. However, this is not to say that I haven't learned anything. I do the necessary assignments and follow instructions carefully (and frankly, I think I've doing a pretty good job so far too). However, I learn most when I'm off track. The learning that sticks with me most, the stuff that gets me excited about jumping into this job as teacher-librarian has more to do with the professionals in the industry that I have encountered along the way. I enjoy learning from those in the job now, who are doing things that guide rest of us. When I see that, I want to learn too. No, I don't get particularly jazzed about reading about philosophies and practices from a text and making those posts to the discussion forums because I have to.

That being said, what is the answer? I am with Ben Lainhart who said: "... I don’t have too many answers yet. All I have is a feeling that things can and should be done differently. The problem is: differently may be something so open-source that it really begins to mean the end of “institutional” education. And I do not think that I have a problem with that."

Just to add to that further, I encountered a youtube video of a presentation by Jeff Utecht, who I remember used to be an IT teacher here in China. In this speech, "Community Trumps Content" he talked about the power of communities. "The Revolution will be here when the students figure out they can learn more in their own communities than they can sitting in a seat in the school." I can relate. He then mentions a university called The University of the People which offers degrees for $25 around the world. Maybe this University of the People is what Ben Lainhart is talking about.

But then again, I suppose these resources not necessarily academic. I need to get back to that paper, and find that reference. Ugh.

Lainhart, B. (2011). Is Online Education Still Stuck in 2001: Some still unformed thoughts. Available from http://benjaminlainhart.com/2011/02/17/is-online-education-still-stuck-in-2001-some-still-unformed-thoughts/
Stephens, M. (2011). The Transparent Library School. Library Journal, 136(9), 46
Utecht, J. (2010). Community Trumps Content. Available from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8djV8slDN0

I'm rocking the cataloging! :) I know, it sounds silly. Who knew?

I got my results for my second paper in this class, the one on subject headings, and I did far better than I ever expected (an HD). I had no idea how I'd do, but it was actually rather fun, and not frustratingly challenging. Am I a cataloger in the making? I suppose it depends on how I do on this next task, actually assigning Dewey Decimal numbers.

Even though I've done well in this class so far, I have to say, I still question how necessary it is for a school librarian to have to know all of these skills. After having interviewed several librarians during my study visits, no one emphasized any need to use cataloging skills. They all said it was fully or mostly automated. When it wasn't automated, they had to look the information in a database and then just copied it over. I haven't met any librarians who actually assign subject headings or Dewey Decimal numbers themselves. Sure, I suppose it is good to have those skills when you run into a situation where you have a rare resource. I also suppose that it is good to have these skills so you can manipulate your catalog to make improvements, clean up the data, or cater the catalog to serve your own library's purposes. However, this is not a big part of being a librarian is it? Was it really necessary to put all of this energy and thought into developing this skill? Besides, I'm afraid this skill will go rusty if not regularly used. I'm sure that by the time I actually do need to catalog something or write a subject heading, I'll have forgotten how to do it!