Inquiry Blog Post #2
I am a card-carrying introvert who is not technologically inclined. Talking to lots of people (adults) and being confronted with new technology makes me … um … nervous. So, the thought of really getting into the “social” part of social media to delve into the world of educational technology? It gives me pause. However, I know how important it is for an LLC to keep pace with the century, and for schools to give students the best possible opportunities. I also know from experiences I’ve had this past year how vital a group of fellow professionals can be as a source of advice and even comfort. So, for the next couple of years, as I develop personal learning networks to counteract my own weaknesses, my mantra will be “feel the fear and do it anyway!”
I’m going to start network-building by further developing the face-to-face relationships that I have at my own school. I plan to start a Library Advisory Committee, and from that, a Makerspace group including students and faculty. I especially want to strengthen my connections with the school Tech teachers and with the Science teacher who runs the Engineering Club. I know they will have so much knowledge that I don’t have, and great advice for how to move our Makerspace forward in an effective and budget-friendly way.
Next, I want to maintain the strong connections I have made with other secondary teacher-librarians in my District. Tour has noted that learning outside of traditional institutions is “often more effective because practices are more relevant and meaningful to everyday life.” This is certainly the case with this group. It really solidified this year as we all worked on carrying out diversity audits on our fiction sections. We kept in touch via a discussion group on Teams, asking questions that ranged from the practical to the philosophical, and we all found it so useful that we ended up conferring on everything to do with our LLCs, not just the diversity audit. As a first year TL, I found their advice invaluable. Even though all of our communication was digital, we built up trust, and I felt comfortable asking what felt like really dumb questions. We all found it so useful, we’re going to keep it going next year. Certainly, I feel embedded in a professional community that has made me better at my job, a point that both Tour and Tsai et al. have made. At the local level, I also plan to start following our District Technology Consultant on both his blog and Twitter, and to attend any conferences and technology sessions held by our District Teacher-Librarians Association.
Beyond that level, we step into the world of social media! I have had a Twitter account for years, but have used it mostly to connect with students about what was happening in class. I now realize, as Valenza argues, that I need to become a social media curator, connecting with and learning from the best minds in the educational technology field to make sure my students aregetting the best. I have a preliminary list of hashtags and influencers ready to follow (e.g. @MakerEdOrg, #bcedchat, #tlchat, #pblchat), and I’m looking forward to finding more. If anyone has suggestions for who I should follow, I would love to hear them! I’m also grateful to have read Deissler et al.’s article on PLNs and their advice to use a social media tool like Hootsuite to keep the firehose of information and conversations manageable.
Finally, I’m very cognizant of Yang’s warning that social media and the PLNs that develop from them can become echo chambers. I know that social media algorithms and our own unconscious inclinations can steer us toward people who think as we do and prevent us from being challenged by well-founded critiques or new ideas. That’s why part of my plan is to continue writing my new blog reflecting critically on my own practice. I will also keep up with the opportunities, news and standards of more traditional organizations like the BCTLA, BCTF, CLA, IFLA and specialty PSAs. I don’t want to get sucked down a self-reinforcing rabbit hole!
I’m hoping that by doing all of this (or as much of it as I can), I will compensate somewhat for my own natural shortcomings and make educational technology one of the strengths of my LLC.
Resources
Deissler, C. H., Ding, L., Neumann, K. L.,& Kopcha, T. J. (2015, April 23). Professional learning networks to support school librarians’ development of instructional technology expertise. TechTrends. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11528-015-0850-1
PressureUA/iStock. (2020, July 2). [Untitled image of social media blocks]. A chronological history of social media. https://interestingengineering.com/a-chronological-history-of-social-media
Tour, E. (2016, June 20). Teachers’ self-initiated professional learning through personal learning networks. Technology, Pedagogy and Education. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1475939X.2016.1196236
Tsai, I-C., Laffey, J. M., & Hanuscin, D. (2010). Effectiveness of an online community of practice for learning to teach elementary science. Journal of Educational Computing Research. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.2190/EC.43.2.e
[Untitled image of tree full of technology]. (2016, September 17). Roots of educational technology. https://edtech11blog.wordpress.com/2016/09/17/roots-of-educational-technology/
Valenza, J. (2017, November 17). School librarians as social media curators [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtRNquJ2JU8
Yang, S-H. (2009). Using blogs to enhance critical reflection and community of practice. Journal of Educational Technology and Society. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1287038236?accountid=14656&pq-origsite=summon
Hi Andrea,
I connected so much with your post, especially your mantra, “feel the fear and do it anyway!” – If you don’t mind, I think I will adopt your mantra as well. A child of the nineties, I did not go through high school with a cellphone, we had pagers and computer labs to learn keyboarding skills. Technology is not second nature to me, and while I have come a long way, I often feel clunky compared to the tech savvy teachers who have zero apprehension tackling all of the latest and greatest tech with ease. I agree completely with you that now more than ever is the time to surround ourselves with colleagues who can provide mentorship opportunities. I loved your idea of connecting with staff members who have specific expertise. I am also planning on establishing a LAC at my school in the hopes of bringing more people together who will be able and willing to support the LLC for everyone at our school.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and ideas surrounding your apprehensions with tech, I’m so glad I’m not alone!
Oh, you’re definitely not alone! Strength! : )
Hi Andrea,
I think you shared some great ideas, I am going to use the following:
“following our District Technology Consultant on both his blog and Twitter, and to attend any conferences and technology sessions held by our District Teacher-Librarians Association.”
I also believe you made a valuable decision to “plan to start a Library Advisory Committee, and from that, a Makerspace group including students and faculty. I especially want to strengthen my connections with the school Tech teachers and with the Science teacher who runs the Engineering Club.” collaboration is a must and I am excited to read about your future achievements here on this blog or on your twitter.
This is a well-researched, thoughtful and reflective post. I appreciate your mantra of feeling the fear and doing it anyway. I agree that it can be daunting to keep up with, and support others with, all the changes in technology. You outline some excellent strategies to do this and leave the reader with some strong takeaways.
Ooo, that’s an interesting thought about the echo-chamber effect! In my post, I spoke about feeling overwhelmed by the amount and quality of information and ideas out there and about narrowing down my focus to a few active people/blogs. That being said, I wonder how I could ensure a diverse range of voices, and like you said, be sure to not “get sucked down a self-reinforcing rabbit hole!” What elements might you look at in your own critical reflections you spoke about to steer away from this. Would love to hear your thoughts!