tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41111640497442676542024-03-13T11:03:22.970-05:00The Sheck SpotTrying to make explicit what is implicit about information literacy, teaching, and librariesThe Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.comBlogger220125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-20124667032107472582012-04-25T15:37:00.001-05:002012-04-25T15:43:41.545-05:00A Reflection on Leaving the ClassroomI recently taught my last class at Champlain College. As of June 1st, I will be assuming the role of Associate University Librarian at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Exciting, for sure. But that's not what this post is about. This is a post about leaving the classroom. <br />
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I have always enjoyed teaching. I am one of those people that has a particular gift for standing up in front of students and giving it my all. And it usually works. That is not to say that I have not worked on my teaching or tried to develop my craft. As Ken Bain or Parker Palmer would swear, even the best teachers have to work on teaching. I believe that quite deeply. I think that is an area where librarianship, LIS education, and even our professional associations have fallen short. But again, that's not what this post is about. <br />
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My last session at Champlain was very difficult. It was a nightmare class, actually. Students who were texting. Students who refuse, and articulate their refusal, to participate. Students who put their heads down on the desk. It was a really hard way to go out of the classroom, especially because I have really developed as a teacher at Champlain, because I love our students, and because the class before this nightmarish one was so successful. But, as I think more about it, it might have been the best class to go out on. It was one of those sessions where I am reminded that I don't know what students are bringing into the classroom. Parker Palmer talks about this extensively: we have no idea what is going on in our students' lives when they walk in. That is particularly true as librarians who are trying to engage in an instant environment. We don't know the students we teach, especially if you are not teaching a stand alone course. <br />
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I am also reminded that the impact of my session is not the session itself. This is why asking students to assess a session at the time of the session cannot be the only measure of success. I didn't actually realize this until two students from the class made follow up appointments with me for help. They didn't say a word during class but they were listening. <br />
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Which brings me to what this post is really about: teaching is hard. It is hard work to stand up in front of a bunch of students and a professor and show your stuff. It is hard to prepare for it, to open yourself up to it, to reflect on it, to grow from it. During LILAC, Megan Oakleaf said that if you walk out of the classroom exhausted, you are doing something wrong. That is only true if your exhaustion is a result of doing everything for your students. But, being an authentic, open teacher who welcomes questions, models inquiry, and is passionate about student learning is exhausting. <br />
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On second thought, perhaps that class was a great way to end my time in the classroom here. For now.The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-84284823624925918842012-04-17T14:34:00.000-05:002012-04-17T14:34:11.852-05:00What are you busy about? Post LILAC thoughts.Coming home from conferences are often frustrating for me because reentry into work is so overwhelming. Perhaps because I am about to transition to a new position (more on that later), I am taking a bit more time to reflect on LILAC Glasgow. The thing that keeps coming to mind is that I find myself thinking about a different set of questions than when I come out of ACRL or ALA conferences. Rather than thinking about what I can try in the classroom, I am thinking about what I can do for information literacy on a broader plane. <br />
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I am specifically thinking about Drs. <a href="http://staffs.academia.edu/GeoffWalton" target="_blank">Geoff Walton</a> and <a href="http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/ls/people/mhepworth.html" target="_blank">Mark Hepworth</a>'s presentation, "This house believes that librarians and their services are the barrier to information literacy." The workshop's provocative title snagged me right off the bat. But I was glad when the presenters asked the delegates to break up into groups and identify what barriers we see to the success of information literacy. The group responses were excellent but it was actually something small that Geoff said that really stayed with me. He talked about "marginal gain" and defined that as small differences in small steps that eventually becomes a large step and will change the world. This has continued to work on me: What are the small steps that I am taking to change the world that I inhabit: the library, information literacy, pedagogy, inquiry, higher education, learning? Do the questions that I ask and the work that I do consistently propel me further towards change? This reminds me of a quote by Throeau that I write on my to-do list, my whiteboard, my notebooks, "It is not enough to be busy; what are you busy about." <br />
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This is really the crux of my argument when I talk about "<a href="http://www.slideshare.net/thesheck/real-deal-information-literacy" target="_blank">Real Deal Information Literacy</a>" or about <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/thesheck/the-missing-link-librarians-and-teaching-identity" target="_blank">teaching identity</a>. There are hard questions that we need to be asking about the work we are doing for our students. And some of those questions strike a tender chord because they challenge what the role of the librarian is. The best example I can give, and the one I hope to write more about, is do we want our students to know something about libraries or something about information? Do we want them to have skills for the information environment, or just <i>our </i>information environment?<br />
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So, as we work with our colleagues, our students, our faculty, what steps are we taking and towards what end? What are we busy about?The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-46535404393743118592012-04-12T04:27:00.001-05:002012-04-12T04:28:15.258-05:00Back where I belongSitting in Glasgow, Scotland for this year's <a href="http://lilacconference.com/WP/" target="_blank">LILAC </a>conference. For anyone interested in information literacy, this is THE conference. This is my third LILAC and every year, I am impressed and amazed. UK librarians are having a very different conversation about information literacy than we are in the States. Very few presentations focus on "tips and tricks." They are evidence-based, in large part. Or they are presenting on models or ideas about expanding IL's reach and prominence within our institutions and communities. Even more refreshing is the true IL that is under the microscope here. The IL that focuses on critical thinking, not libraries. The IL that serves a broad purpose, not just for an assignment. It is refreshing, invigorating, exciting, educational, and thought provoking. This is really my kind of conference.<br />
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I will be posting on a few of the talks I attend. Check out the conference's hashtag at #LILAC12. And start saving your professional development dollars: every penny is worth it at this conference.The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-38471056796515876522012-03-02T12:21:00.000-05:002012-03-02T12:21:30.719-05:00Starting with Why in the ClassroomWe just finished our teaching load for first year students. These sessions are always hard for me. Admittedly, I prefer teaching about information more broadly than highlighting library resources. And as I finished my own sessions and watched other librarians, I think I figured out why. <br />
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My last post was about <a href="http://thesheckspot.blogspot.com/2012/02/brain-candy-my-top-five-ted-talks.html" target="_blank">my favorite TED talks</a> and I listed Simon Sinek's as one of them. His argument that "people don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it" has helped me reach a tipping point in my teaching. In librarians' classrooms, we need to start with WHY. Why are library resources worth the extra effort? Because let's be honest, they are more, a lot more, effort. If we want our students to use our resources, showing them all the features doesn't <i>inspire</i> them to use them. And that is what Sinek is talking about: inspiration. <br />
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So why do we want students to use the library and what we have to offer, even if it's harder to use and even scary for them (and I think it is partly fear that keeps them with Google)? I've heard some librarians talk about it in terms of quantity (we have so much stuff), or that their tuition affords them access to restricted content (it's expensive stuff). Others talk about meeting their professor's expectations (it's scholarly stuff) or completing an assignment well (it's required stuff). When I try those explanations on, they don't quite fit. They aren't inspiring me so I doubt that they would inspire my students. These are academic arguments. In his "The Art of Teaching," Jay Parini talks about Robert Frost as a teacher who said that he hated "academic ways". Frost says, "Think of what time we waste in trying to learn academically--and what talent we staunch with academic teaching." <br />
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So if not these academic arguments, what then? Why do I want students to learn to use the library? For me, it's about adventure. It's about challenge. It's about growing and curiosity. The library not only houses materials but it is a way of being, a way of thinking: it is about considering more than you know. It is about getting your hands dirty in other people's minds, thoughts, and ideas. How is that different than the Internet? In some ways, it is very similar. But, the internet is many many things. The library is where you can explore without judgment, without someone interrupting, without any ulterior motives. <br />
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Is this inspiring for students? Maybe not. But it is inspiring for me. And that is a good place to start from. If I know why I use the library, I can start there in the classroom.The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-22660128017714298612012-02-13T11:21:00.001-05:002012-02-13T11:22:04.110-05:00Brain Candy: My Top Five TED TalksRecently, I was speaking with my parents and said something about <a href="http://www.ted.com/" target="_blank">TED Talks</a>. You can imagine my surprise that they had never heard of TED. Wow, I said, you guys are in for something very special.<br />
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TED Talks are like candy for my brain. There are many evenings when friends will come over and we will kick back to watch each other's favorite TED Talks. There are many lunch breaks when I will reboot by watching TED. By far, TED has become arguably my most important resource for inspiration, creativity, and learning. <br />
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So, Mom and Dad, as an introduction to this incredible library and compendium of ideas and ways of thinking, here are my top five TED talks. <br />
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1. Sir Ken Robinson's Do Schools Kill Creativity. It's hard to pick which one of Sir Ken's talks to show. I love <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_bring_on_the_revolution.html" target="_blank">his most recent TED talk</a> and I love <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U" target="_blank">the visualization video</a> that gives a history of current education paradigms and how they need to change. This seems particularly apropos to a conversation my father and I had over dinner where my dad pointed out that one facet to America's problems is that our vision of the future is based on the past (don't you love solving the world's problems over dinner?) This video demonstrates how true that is in education. <br />
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</div>2. Barry Schwartz's talk on the Paradox of Choice is certainly one of my favorites. It is particularly important, in my view, to librarians' understanding of search habits and information overload. This talk is funny while challenging what has become a fundamental principle of our culture. Great stuff.<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">3. Daniel Pink's talk on the Surprising Science of Motivation. Again, I love how funny Pink is while challenging our traditional notions of motivation. Especially as I think about the kind of leader and manager I want to be, this talk is on the top layer of my tool box.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/rrkrvAUbU9Y?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">4. Simon Sinek's talk on How Great Leaders Inspire Action. Again, perhaps because I am focusing on leadership but this talk is wonderful. This is a talk that is vital to teachers. For today's students, we must give them the WHY. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qp0HIF3SfI4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">5. Benjamin Zander's talk on Music and Passion. I know this will be my parents' favorite talk because of their deep love of classical music (which I share). But I love this talk because it inspires me as a librarian, teacher, thinker, and parent. I have used Zander's process of coming home as an instructional design model (very successfully) and I deeply appreciate his passion for teaching and connecting with us. Marvelous.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/r9LCwI5iErE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Selecting my top five TEDs was actually quite difficult. I have been watching <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeaAHv4UTI8" target="_blank">this video</a> by Michael Wesch a lot lately and I think <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%E2%96%BA%2015:29%E2%96%BA%2015:29%20www.youtube.com/watch?v=18uDutylDa4" target="_blank">this talk</a> by Sheryl Sandberg is inspiriting, especially as a Smithie.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So, give it a go: what are your favorite TED talks? Which ones would you share to someone just meeting TED for the first time?</div>The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-21280173457554517352012-01-30T10:22:00.000-05:002012-01-30T10:22:47.116-05:00SuperstarsBlogging after a<i> long </i>hiatus feels kind of funny. What have I been doing that has kept me away?<br />
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We've been busy at Champlain and last week, our hard work has recognized by our peers: Champlain was awarded <a href="http://www.acrl.ala.org/acrlinsider/archives/4697" target="_blank">ACRL's Excellence in Academic Libraries Award</a>. <br />
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Needless to say, everyone at the Library was delighted. <a href="http://andyburkhardt.com/2012/01/29/2012-acrl-excellence-in-academic-libraries-award/" target="_blank">Andy </a>talks about the application process in his post and I couldn't agree more that the writing of that kind of award was enormously gratifying. For me, hearing the Teaching Librarians talk about our information literacy program and our team-based design process as what they are most proud of made me so proud of the work we have done here. Being part of such a collaborative, creative team that takes risks and faces challenges is pretty special and I value it deeply.<br />
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Champlain College Librarians and Staff....superstars.The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-41196392327727275382011-07-28T15:08:00.002-05:002011-07-28T15:11:06.505-05:00Best Twitter Experience EverWhat did I do in my <a href="http://librarydayinthelife.pbworks.com/w/page/16941198/FrontPage">library life</a> today? <br />
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I had the best Twitter experience EVER by trying to be a librarian to the White House Chat (<a href="http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23WHChat">#whchat</a>) on the debt ceiling. There were a lot of rants and opinions slamming <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/whitehouse">@whitehouse</a> but there will also some genuine questions that I tried to answer. Some examples:<br />
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<ul><li>What is the history of the debt ceiling?</li>
<li>What is the difference between default and bankruptcy?</li>
<li>What might (notice the word MIGHT) happen if we default?</li>
</ul><div>I tried to answer a few questions and ended my tweets with "From a friendly #librarian". </div><div><br />
</div><div>It was pretty awesome to get thank you's from other tweeters. People I do not know and never will. But maybe they will ask a librarian another question. Just maybe.</div>The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-8358787288638083742011-07-27T09:32:00.000-05:002011-07-27T09:32:06.201-05:00Exercising the power in my fingersThe internet is Jim Gillian's religion. <br />
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<div style="font-size: 11px; padding-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 560px;"><a href="http://www.livestream.com/pdf2011?utm_source=lsplayer&utm_medium=embed&utm_campaign=footerlinks" title="Watch pdf2011">pdf2011</a> on livestream.com. <a href="http://www.livestream.com/?utm_source=lsplayer&utm_medium=embed&utm_campaign=footerlinks" title="Broadcast Live Free">Broadcast Live Free</a></div><br />
Jim's story is powerful and profound. But even more powerful is the activism that he reminds us of. The creator and change agent in each of us as we blog, as we read, as we write emails. Seemingly mundane and trivial. But together, powerful. <br />
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Is that something we are reminding our students of? Is that something we are remembering ourselves? Information Literacy spends so much time talking about the evaluative. Are we thinking about the active, about the creative component? Are we thinking about how the information we find and ultimately put to use can impact the <i>world</i>? <br />
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This video reminds me of a bigger framework, a bigger picture in which to think about the work we do with students. But it also makes me remember the power that lives in my fingertips. Have I exercised it today? Have you?The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-18577581563829967592011-07-14T15:41:00.000-05:002011-07-14T15:41:27.563-05:00Serious funThe Teaching Librarians have been working on our lesson plans for the fall over the last week. One of our sessions is with our third year students. I love working with third years. Something seems to happen by the junior year where many, if not most, of our students really understand that you are a valuable resource. They don't sleep through class. They ask questions. They ask for help. Hallellujah!<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">We are 100% committed to active, inquiry-based learning and to having fun in the classroom. As we thought about how to engage our students, we started talking about how third years seem ready to be serious. We don't have to "trick" them into participating or learning anymore. We can treat them like fellow researchers. It's kind of exciting. <br />
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In this case, students are tackling their first literature reviews. As we thought about what students need to do this assignment well, we found ourselves digging into some pretty advance research skills. As we talked about the what and the how, the question arose: <b>how do we make the session fun while also imparting the serious nature of the assignment and the task?</b> Can we be serious but also have fun?<br />
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We talked about a number of ways to engage our students. We talked about metaphors. We talked about using technology, music, Youtubes. We talked about relating to things they care about. We talked about the process, the outcomes. And we came up with a lesson plan that is feeling pretty solid. But still, the question haunts me. Not because I think I know the answer but because I think it is revealing about our own attitudes towards what we offer and sometimes teach. <br />
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I think fear factors into it. Fear of boring students and being boring, fear of messing up in front of them, fear of lacking authority, fear of not being invited back, fear of descending reference statistics, decreases in funding....AHHHH! (she runs and hides under her desk). <br />
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This fear is natural I think. We've been told for decades and longer that we will soon be outdone by computers. By golly, I watched Desk Set the other night and realized that we were already manifesting that fear in 1957! But while this fear is natural, it is also exhausting. <br />
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A particular axiom comes to mind: <u>Ensure your own good time</u>. What is it about databases that makes it fun for you? For me, I love how it makes me think about a topic in a different light. And that excites me. When I have to show databases in class, that is what I share about it. How this tool excites me and makes me feel like I am on an adventure. Dorky? Sure. By god, I'm a librarian! I am dorky! <br />
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Can we make serious research and serious teaching on research skills fun? YES! But it has to come from within. <br />
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So when it comes to the serious stuff, what is it that you (yes YOU) find fun about it? How to share something fun is way easier than sharing something boring, right?<br />
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Do you have a story to share about something serious you made fun? I'd love to hear it! Share away!</div>The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-13614942789896551632011-07-12T15:43:00.000-05:002011-07-12T15:43:25.017-05:00Where are the librarians?!I love reading about Wikipedia and love when I learn about new ways to use it. So, it was exciting to read <a href="http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/07/11/wikipedia_seeks_to_build_academic_ties">this article from Inside Higher Ed</a> about Wikipedia's efforts to expand and improve their reputation in higher ed. I wish I could have gone to their first conference on <a href="http://outreach.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_in_Higher_Education_Summit#The_Classroom_Experience">Wikipedia in Higher Ed</a>!! <br />
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Wait a second...why didn't I? <br />
And come to think of it, why didn't you? <br />
Where are the librarians in all this? <br />
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Know anyone that went? Know anyone that blogged it? And if not, why?The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-22608078758524348082011-06-23T08:50:00.003-05:002011-06-23T09:23:24.827-05:00What to teach and when to say enoughWhile scrolling through my RSS this morning, I came across <a href="http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/communityacademiclibraries/891086-419/promoting_financial_literacy_for_college.html.csp">this article by Steven Bell.</a> In it, Steven suggests that academic librarians welcome the opportunity to include financial literacy in our teaching. His argument is compelling and I applaud the idea that financial literacy is "the ultimate information challenge, and the consequences of the decisions can be life altering." Absolutely. Admittedly, I am still dealing with some poor decisions from college and directly after. I would love to help students learn to make sound decisions about the wide variety of financial information that is out there.<br /><br />This topic converges with two things that are at the forefront of my mind: professional development and sustainability of information literacy programs.<br /><br />The Teaching Librarians at Champlain are reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reflective-Teaching-Effective-Learning-Instructional/dp/0838910521">Char Booth's book "Reflective Teaching, Effective Learning"</a> for our summer book (we read something together each summer). In the beginning of the book, <a href="http://infomational.wordpress.com/">Char</a> talks about academic librarians' underpreparedness for a huge part of our jobs--teaching. If we are to take up Steven's call, how are we going to prepare ourselves for that teaching? Is this an opportunity to bring a new type of sponsor to ALA or ACRL? Will we see the likes of Citibank or TD Banknorth offering us bags and mugs with sessions about financial literacy? Or, are we going to take it upon ourselves to learn how to teach this vital literacy. As echoed earlier, financial decisions have lasting impact. Are we prepared to teach those skills, that literacy? Some of us might say yes because we are experts at evaluating and THAT is what they would share with students. Bravo, I say. But there is a lot wrapped up in taking something like this on. Do you have the time and the resources to prepare yourself and the other librarians to do this teaching? Do you know how to prepare yourself for it? I would urge us to think about this call as an opportunity for collaborations and new kind of professional development. It has potential to be wonderfully fruitful! But I don't think we should jump into teaching financial literacy without some help and training on our end too.<br /><br />On to my second point: sustainability. We have had a number of visitors at Champlain lately. Some amazing librarians from Keene State came to talk about embedded information literacy. We then had the incredible <a href="http://meganoakleaf.info/">Megan Oakleaf</a> on campus to talk about the same and the value of academic libraries. As usual, I came away from these experiences with a long wish list. A list of ideas for our program, for the Teaching Librarians, for our faculty, for our students. As I sat in my office looking at these ideas, something truly eye opening dawned on me: it will never be enough. You could give me my own course to teach on IL (and I don't mean library skills...I mean, what I am calling, "real deal" IL). You could give me multiple visits to classes. You could give me a lecture series, student ambassadors, a marketing campaign, faculty toolkits, mentorships....give it all to me. And I will still want more. I will still think of things that I think we should think about with students. It will never be enough. <br /><br />Are you laughing at me? Some of the more experienced librarians or managers might be because I imagine everyone comes to this realization at some point. I don't say this to deter you or myself from consistently reviewing our program, session content, or delivery strategies. Not at all. I say it to remind myself that some things will make it from my notebook to the design session and all the way to the classroom and even to assessment. And somethings won't. And that's ok. Financial literacy would be a terrific thing to add into my sessions. But where we are at Champlain, for something to come into a session, something has to come out, at least until we find a way into more sessions. And even then, it is never enough. <br /><br />The best that I can do as a program manager is to work with my team to decide what are the skills and habits of mind that are essential. We move from there, knowing that we have more ideas to draw from when our students' needs change. There is something very grounding about that. And something inspiring and focusing about it as well. <br /><br />What do you think about librarians taking on financial literacy? <br />Do you feel prepared to teach different literacies? <br />What training do you wish you had for teaching? <br />Are there ways to broaden our teaching strategies beyond sessions or classes for something like financial literacy? <br />Do you find something like "it will never be enough" disheartening or empowering?The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-69051289844727223502011-06-17T15:44:00.003-05:002011-06-17T15:48:21.140-05:00Thoughtful Technology in the Classroom<a href="http://andyburkhardt.com/">Andy</a> and I presented at the Vermont Library Association's Special & Academic Library section on Tuesday in gorgeous Castleton, VT. We were even able to get the group into an inquiry exercise....pretty fun! <br /><br />And the tuna melts at the <a href="http://www.birdseyediner.com/">Birdseye Diner</a> was pretty awesome. <br /><br /><div style="width:425px" id="__ss_8340473"> <strong style="display:block;margin:12px 0 4px"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/thesheck/fun-tech" title="Fun, thoughtful technology in the classroom">Fun, thoughtful technology in the classroom</a></strong> <iframe src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/8340473" width="425" height="355" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="padding:5px 0 12px"> View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/thesheck">Sarah Cohen</a> </div> </div><br /><br />If you want to talk fun tech in the classroom, let me know!The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-10390356676610445402011-06-16T09:01:00.005-05:002011-06-16T10:10:19.068-05:00Creativity on demandRandy Hensley was the keynote at NELIG a few weeks ago. Many of us know Randy as an instructor at Immersion and have learned so much from him in that environment. What he spoke about at NELIG was creativity. He talked about the <span style="font-style:italic;">attributes</span> of creativity rather than modalities. Some of the attributes he listed included creativity as starting from an unusual place, as problem solving, as visual. But one thing he said that has really stuck with me is that creativity is not something that you turn on. It is engaging in a series of processes. <br /><br />Creativity is not something you turn on. <br /><br />Randy talked about preparing people to be creative rather than springing something on them in the hopes of creative bursts. He points out that 98% of us don't get creative that way. Rather, we need to prepare for it. To marinate on the topic. To develop creative approaches.<br /><br />I have almost always asked the teaching librarians to turn on their creativity, to brainstorm on the spot. As I think about the dynamics of our team, I realize that I was not tapping into their most creative ways. I am one of those people that can, and enjoys, brainstorming on the spot. I have had to learn to a<a href="http://thesheckspot.blogspot.com/2010/09/overprepared-maybe.html">dapt the way I prepare for teaching</a> and Randy's talk has also taught me that I need to adapt how I approach creativity with others. It makes me think about how I approach prep for teaching, how I prepare for meetings, and how I can really allow everyone to engage in the creative process. <br /><br />But it also made me realize what I need for creativity. I need to feel safe to speak and safe to fail. I need to know that not everything I say will be taken seriously. I need a partner in creativity (Andy, thank god, has been my partner and a darn good one. Apparently he's a <a href="http://andyburkhardt.com/">good blogger</a> too.) <br /><br />What do you need? What circumstances really get your juices flowing? Or don't? When do you feel the most creative?The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-91230686911554855022011-06-08T10:51:00.004-05:002011-06-08T10:55:34.634-05:00Using Mobile Phones in Info Lit Instruction<a href="http://andyburkhardt.com/">Andy</a> and I presented at the <a href="http://www.acrlnec.org/sigs/nelig/2011/index.html">New England Library Instruction Group's Annual Conference</a> this past Friday. Such a great day! I will be posting later on Randy Hensley's awesome keynote (he's incredible). Here are our slides on using Poll Everywhere in first year instruction. We had a terrific group in our session who posed a number of good questions about the technology, our program, assessment, and faculty reactions. If you have questions, please share them in the comments! Enjoy!<br /><br /><div style="width:425px" id="__ss_8247948"><strong style="display:block;margin:12px 0 4px"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/thesheck/the-librarian-says-turn-your-cellphones-on-piloting-mobile-polling-in-inquirybased-information-literacy-instruction" title="The Librarian Says "Turn Your Cellphones on!": Piloting mobile polling in inquiry-based information literacy instruction">The Librarian Says "Turn Your Cellphones on!": Piloting mobile polling in inquiry-based information literacy instruction</a></strong><object id="__sse8247948" width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=finalneligslideshare-110608104335-phpapp01&stripped_title=the-librarian-says-turn-your-cellphones-on-piloting-mobile-polling-in-inquirybased-information-literacy-instruction&userName=thesheck" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><embed name="__sse8247948" src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=finalneligslideshare-110608104335-phpapp01&stripped_title=the-librarian-says-turn-your-cellphones-on-piloting-mobile-polling-in-inquirybased-information-literacy-instruction&userName=thesheck" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><div style="padding:5px 0 12px">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/thesheck">Sarah Cohen</a>.</div></div>The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-84451274422418456902011-05-25T12:15:00.003-05:002011-05-25T12:33:26.291-05:00Just model it.We recently ended the Faculty Collaborative at Champlain. This annual event brings faculty together for three weeks to have conversations we've been vying for but for which we never have the time. Anyone that has met me or worked with me knows how much I love things like this. Nothing feeds my soul more than listening to and participating in conversations about our students, our teaching, our curriculum, or our institution. I am one of those people. I love it.<br /><br />As you might expect, one thing that came up a lot was our students. Faculty expressed a drastic increase in their frustration over a lack of curiosity in our students. And a lack of reading. It's no question that reading habits have changed over the course of all Americans but particularly young people in the last decade or longer. TV, computers, texting, video games. There's a lot of ways to entertain yourself. "Back in my day", my dad would walk in the room if we were watching TV and turn it off, no matter what was on, and tell me to go read a book. I did and here I am, a librarian and avid reader. There doesn't seem to be as clear a way to get kids to read today. My husband and I have paid a lot of attention to the literature about early childhood development and reading. Hence, our daughter gets at least one book a day (more like five) and she is only four months. But, I digress. The point I want to make is that there seems to be a shifting tone to the conversation. A tone of great concern and of disappointment and shock. One professor suggested locking all the students' cell phones in one room and forcing them to the stacks to read. I smile even as I write that down. <br /><br />I don't think there is anything new here in terms of adult incredulity at student learning or student interest or student apathy. But I do think we are facing a change in terrain. I suggested to faculty that they neglect to realize how much reading students <span style="font-style:italic;">are </span>doing. Just a reading of a different kind. I credit my friend and mentor, <a href="http://www.robwilliamsmedia.com/">Rob Williams</a>, for pointing this out to me when I taught an online class. When I shared my assignments with him he reminded me how much reading and writing students are doing on discussion boards. Or how much reading they are doing just to attend the class. He pushed me to make the readings I do assign more essential, more vital.<br /><br />Today, we had a candidate for our librarian position field a question from a faculty member on this topic. The professor asked how we can get students to take their position as student more seriously. The response from the candidate was that we need to make a case for reading, for books, for whatever we want students to read. We need to be compelling rather than admonishing. I agree but I also think there is a component that is missing there. We need to model the behavior. We, as educators, talk about and know the value of this in writing. My 15 year old niece was just telling me how she wished she were a better writer and I immediately responded that to achieve that goal she should read more. She immediately went on to say that she hates to read but I reminded her that she doesn't have to read fiction. She can read magazines, newspapers, history, science, sports writing....whatever it is, she should read more of it. Turn off the TV, I said, and read anything of interest in any format but pay attention to how its written. If you like something in particular, try to write in a similar fashion. Model it.<br /><br />And that, to me, is a fundamental need that is often overlooked. In libraries, in the classroom, modeling the behavior and the type of questions we want to see from students provides essential scaffolding to their learning those skills. If we want students to ask questions in a new way, let's stop asking them questions in the same way we have always done. If we want students to try new things, experiment, and get comfortable in new information environments, I think we have to ask ourselves if we model that behavior. One thing that Champlain librarians do exceptionally well is communicate the amount of fun we have helping students find information. And that invites students to have fun with us. But I wonder what behaviors I expect from students that I don't model. <br /><br />What ways do you model "good" behavior? What strategies do you use to engage students that brings results?The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-77976784504551031112011-05-10T07:40:00.003-05:002011-05-10T07:54:37.934-05:00Notice something new?After five years, I have made a few changes to the Sheck Spot. <br /><br />Funny how one sentence can say so much. <br /><br />"After five years": it's hard to believe I have been blogging for that long. While I go back and forth sometimes about whether intermittent blogging is ok, I deeply appreciate the space to think and develop ideas that a blog offers. It's not always pretty but as I look back at posts from these last few years, I can see how much I have grown as a librarian, as a teacher, even as a thinker and writer. <br /><br />"I have made a few changes": well, the template is the most visible change. Changing the look of the blog is a lot like moving the furniture around in the living room. It's awkward at first. And I need a few mornings of looking at it, coffee in hand, to decide whether I like where I put things. Knowing me, a few changes are still to come. But it is kind of refreshing. Yet, I will admit that I did use the templates from blogger. I have neither the skill nor the inclination to customize so heavily as to tap into the code of templates. Sorry. <br /><br />"The Sheck Spot": One thing I'd like to point out is my new tag line or subtitle. Previously it read, "Ruminations on Libraries, Technology, and the space between." And for years, that is what I was doing. <a href="http://thesheckspot.blogspot.com/search/label/%22Exploring%20New%20Technology%22">"Exploring New Technology"</a> was a big part of this blog as was <a href="http://thesheckspot.blogspot.com/search/label/wikipedia">Wikipedia.</a> But again, I've been blogging for five years. And a lot has changed. Recently, I was asked for a bio for a presentation <a href="http://andyburkhardt.com/">Andy</a> and I are giving at <a href="http://www.acrlnec.org/sigs/nelig/2011/index.html">NELIG's Annual Program</a>. As I was writing it, I realized how much I focus on teaching and information literacy in my writing, particularly on my blog. Oftentimes when I write about technology it is in frame of teaching. So, let's call things by their proper names. The new tag reads, "Trying to make explicit what is implicit about information literacy, teaching, and libraries." The purpose, "trying to make explicit what is implicit" says a bit more about my process in the classroom. Whether it be our assumptions about students or our assumptions about our value in the university, I try to dig down a bit. I am a gardener, after all. <br /><br />So, there are some changes a foot. Can I promise more posting? Not necessarily. But it feels good to open the windows and let some fresh air into the blog. <br /><br />Happy Spring.The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-23648767744212680852011-04-15T07:48:00.007-05:002011-04-15T09:25:09.165-05:00Librarians as Teachers: the QuestionA very close friend and colleague, Cinse Bonino, directs Champlain's Center for Instructional Practice. Essentially, it is our teaching and learning center. But Cinse is such an incredibly creative and original, it is not your run of the mill teaching and learning center. <br /><br />In preparation for an all-campus retreat that is coming up, Cinse asked professors around campus to answer a series of questions about teaching for a video. She also asked the librarians to participate. As she said, we are teachers too. <br /><br />Yes, we are teachers too.<br /><br />At ACRL (by the way, <a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/events/national/2011/papers/index.cfm">the proceedings are now available</a>!), I attended an excellent <a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/events/national/2011/papers/librarians_as_teache.pdf">talk by Laura Saunders</a> about librarians as teachers. During the talk, Laura made the point that it is not particularly revolutionary to think of librarians as teachers. Indeed! But she did point out that librarians are in need of professional development as teachers. <br /><br />So, in the name of deepening our understanding of ourselves as teachers, in the name of concretizing the librarian/teacher identity, in the name of hard questions....let me pose the question Cinse posed to me.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Why do you teach?</span><br /><br />To tell you the truth, I really had to give this some thought. This is a different question than "why are you a librarian", which I can easily answer. But, why do I teach? <br /><br />That's harder.<br /><br />Why do I teach?<br />I teach because I am curious.<br />I teach because I want to learn and I believe I learn by asking and helping to answer questions.<br />I teach because I want to do something other, something more than make money.<br />I teach because I like to see synapses fire.<br />I teach because I want to share what I know.<br />I teach because I want to have an impact.<br />I teach because I believe I can have an impact.<br />I teach because it teaches me.<br />I teach because I am good at it.<br /><br />As I read those over, two thoughts come to mind: first, it's not a terribly academic answer. Rather, it is a very personal, heartfelt one. Second, it is not so much about students as it is about me. Who I am. What I am. What I enjoy. What I want. <br /><br />I want to teach because I enjoy it.<br /><br />I think that is an important component to the push for teaching in libraries: do we do it because we must or are expected to, or, do we do it because we love it?<br /><br />That gets to the question of who we are, how we see ourselves, and ultimately, why we are essential to the academic experience (eg. why we are valuable). <br /><br />So, let me put it to you....why do you teach?The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-18310352658731729912011-04-07T09:08:00.005-05:002011-04-07T11:00:57.013-05:00ACRL 2011: A view from a few steps backSo here's the thing about becoming a mom: I haven't been at work for a while. I haven't been reading library blogs or articles. I haven't been keeping up on technology. I haven't been "in the loop". I didn't even know <a href="http://www.geeksmack.net/internet/yahoo-closing-down-delicious-grab-your-bookmarks-before-its-too-late">delicious</a> was wrapping up (not happy about that, by the way). So, going into ACRL was a different experience for me. It was a chance to put my head back in the game. But it also offered me a different perspective; to look at our work as academic librarians from a few steps back. To listen to talks with less of an opinion than I normally have because I haven't had my finger on the pulse. <br /><br />It was different. And enjoyable. But also a bit frustrating. Here's a bit of a breakdown:<br /><br />Enjoyable:<br />The tweeting. <a href="http://acrlog.org/2011/04/06/acrl-2011-walking-the-talk/">Steven Bell</a> just wrote about the efforts of the conference organizers to encourage and support tweeting of the conference over at ACRLog but he makes some really interesting points about tweeting as a plus and a minus. He suggests that people that are tweeting aren't really listening. Sorry, but I disagree. For me, tweeting the sessions I attended really helps me find the nuggets I want to keep and share from a session. Granted, retweeting and responding during sessions can be a distraction. But for me, tweeting the session was the equivalent of taking notes. And <a href="http://twitter.com/thesheck">">sharing my notes</a> (posts of said tweets that are forthcoming). But real quick here, I am kind of surprised by Steven's post. Especially given so much emphasis on teaching and instruction at ACRL, as <a href="http://infomational.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/post-acrl-post/">Char Booth</a> well points out.. Over and over we talk about the need for different approaches to instruction because students learn in so many different ways. The same is true for librarians, in the classroom and at conferences. <br /><br />This brings me to a point of frustration: I heard an awful lot of the same talk as I've heard before. Not everywhere. And there were some pretty exciting new presentation styles, the UNconference and Cyber Zed Shed in particular. But...there were not a lot of surprises in the more formal talks I heard. Is it really a risk to talk about librarians as teachers? Is it really a risk to question how we determine our value? Is it really a risk to talk about engaging students with new media? Sorry, but not really. I feel like those are the same talks we've been having on blogs, in articles, and at conferences for years. And that is frustrating. <br /><br />My husband, who is a project manager, always is frustrated by people who say they don't like how something was done but offer no suggestions for improvement. I dare not commit that crime here. I would like to make two suggestions, one logistical and one conceptual.<br /><br />-Logistical: ACRL, please consider rescheduling the call for papers closer to the conference. If you truly want innovation at this conference, I think we need to recognize that trends change. And sometimes quickly. I wonder if we hear the same talks over and over because they are easy to write about a year out from the conference?! I respect and realize the amount of organization that goes into something as massive as ACRL but, please think about whether this could be somewhat remedied. Thank you.<br /><br />-Conceptual: I wonder if we, and I mean academic librarians, need to ask some different questions than we have been. Instead of asking how we can engage students in the classroom and ending up with answers we already know, perhaps we should think about why students aren't engaged. Instead of asking how we can increase our value, perhaps we should ask ourselves why we have to fight this fight? I am suggesting something perhaps less positive, less congratulatory. But truly educational. I think back to LILAC last year and one of their keynotes, <a href="http://thesheckspot.blogspot.com/2010/04/lilac2010ralph-catts-keynote.html">Ralph Catts</a>. He stood up and told a room of librarians what we don't do well. It was hard to hear. But I walked out of that room inspired to improve, not feeling like I am on the right track but really thinking about what track I want to be on, how I might get there, and who I might ask to help me define it or acheive it. That is what I want from my conferences. <br /><br />I guess that brings me down to it: what do we want from conferences? Is it a space to feel affirmed? Is it a space to see what others have been doing? Is it a space to question? Is it a space to be challenged? Does it need to be all those things? Can it? <br /><br />I think bringing a keynote like Jaron Lanier is a step in the right direction. Bravo on that one, ACRL, and thanks. <br /><br /> I am not saying I didn't get a great deal from ACRL. I did and I will go again. But, having taken some time away, I saw ACRL a little differently than usual and it made me stop and think. And that's worth sharing, isn't it?The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-15736449594459482052011-04-01T09:41:00.005-05:002011-04-01T09:46:51.379-05:00Where, oh where has The Sheck Been?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LWGFYBssIb0/TZXklM9uBBI/AAAAAAAAAO4/kOAL8VaGCnw/s1600/AC%2BSmiles%2B6%2Bweeks.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LWGFYBssIb0/TZXklM9uBBI/AAAAAAAAAO4/kOAL8VaGCnw/s400/AC%2BSmiles%2B6%2Bweeks.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590625840236725266" /></a><br /><br />Could you tear yourself away from this? Neither could I. <br /><br />I'm at ACRL this week so I will be posting some thoughts about that and about going back to work (eek!). But I thought a picture would speak louder than a lengthy explanation.The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-42775786489250638012010-12-02T11:33:00.001-05:002010-12-02T11:35:02.803-05:00AwesomeJust a reminder that some days, it's truly worth it!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jpQCNDKOl0U/TPfKi98I_3I/AAAAAAAAAN0/XfgzNQogykI/s1600/Awesome.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 215px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jpQCNDKOl0U/TPfKi98I_3I/AAAAAAAAAN0/XfgzNQogykI/s400/Awesome.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546124168221228914" /></a>The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-522186246655240982010-09-15T15:54:00.004-05:002010-09-15T16:14:55.412-05:00Overprepared? Maybe.As is the case for many of us, it's instruction season at the college library. For us at Champlain, that means crunch time for the Teaching Librarians. As I have mentioned in the past, Champlain's instruction program is an embedded, incremental program. What does that mean? It means that we are embedded in the <a href="http://www.champlain.edu/Core-Division/Academics.html">Core curriculum</a>. It means that we are seeing students in a coordinated progression every semester for the three years. This allows us to create an equally coordinated, progressive, incremental curriculum. We don't have to worry about covering everything in one shot. Rather, we can spread out what we want students to know and what the skills we want them to learn over their college career. <br /><br />We're pretty lucky.<br /><br />But, there are some drawbacks in paradise. One of them is that teaching is extremely coordinated. Every teaching librarian is teaching the same content, at the same time, using the same pedagogy. I am always concerned about balancing this need for consistency in the teaching with academic freedom. The last thing I want is to cramp any teacher's style. Which is why I really have to think carefully about what it means to be a teacher. Hence my post last week at <a href="http://acrlog.org/2010/09/08/ready-set-teach-you-in-the-classroom/">ACRLog. </a> As I said there, there are many ways to prepare yourself to teach. But can we be overprepared? Can we beat a lesson to death before we even walk into the classroom? <br /><br />Here's where I am coming from. I help all the Teaching Librarians prepare for our sessions. Now, we design, create, and tweak these lessons as a team. So we all have a say every step of the way in what we want to do and how we want to do it. But, we are all very different teachers and very different people who prepare to walk into the classroom in very different ways. Some of us are more nervous than others. Some of us are more comfortable with the possibility of failure or with student apathy than others. And sometimes, I struggle with the needs, concerns, and fears of my fellow librarians, as incredible as they are, and balancing my own way of teaching. I like to keep a level of spontaneity and experimentation in my teaching. More, perhaps, than they do. But in working hard as the head of this group and as the Assistant Director and the one responsible for information literacy at the College....well, I have had to give up what works for me a bit. I have had to overprepare. I have had to anticipate many possible outcomes, problems, difficulties, and responses to our lessons. I have started to question whether the level of creativity and innovation we bring to our design is truly sustainable. <br /><br />To be honest, that doesn't feel good. It's really hard for me to deal with. To surrender to. <br /><br />Yet, at the same time, I find an incredible amount of reward in seeing my colleagues level of comfort increase. Today, one of my colleagues said that they feel ready, prepared. And another chimed in as we rehearsed our session that it was "pretty amazing". I beamed. <br /><br />One thing I am learning is how true it is that we prepare for teaching in different ways. And what is overprepared to one person is just right for another. And not enough still for someone else. The Goldilock's syndrome. The real challenge I face, personally, is not how to maintain my enthusiasm in the classroom. That's what students just do to me. But how to support my team, as a group and as individuals. How to listen to their needs and offer them the right opportunities as well as when to push the responsibility onto them for their own classroom experience. <br /><br />It's really hard. And I hope that I am doing a good job of it. I wonder how others handle these situations. How you balance these seemingly competing needs. How you grow and sustain. I wonder.The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-50105795785685951262010-09-08T11:52:00.003-05:002010-09-08T11:55:00.844-05:00Thanks, ACRLogAs if I needed yet another feather in my cap to start off the new school year but I was asked to post about instruction on the ACRLog. I was thrilled to be invited. So, hop over there (if you don't the ACRLog already, you should!) and check out <a href="http://acrlog.org/2010/09/08/ready-set-teach-you-in-the-classroom/">the post</a>.<br /><br />And thanks to Maura Smale and Steven Bell for the opportunity!The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-13249834388930578652010-09-03T13:34:00.004-05:002010-09-03T13:44:20.238-05:00Bye Bye Feevy (RE-Viewing what once worked)I've been meaning to do this, to write about doing it, to stop dawdling and do it....<br /><br />I'm saying goodbye to my <a href="http://www.feevy.com/">Feevy. </a><br /><br />Feevy has been a terrific tool for me. I loved <a href="http://thesheckspot.blogspot.com/2007/05/exploring-new-technology-rewind-feevy.html">adding it to my blog</a> and enjoyed the dynamic roll/role is has played here. However, the way I use my blog and the way I follow blogs has changed. I can't remember the last time I clicked on something from my Feevy. My blog roll lives in my RSS. I follow peeps on the tweets. My way of handling information has changed. And I feel like my blog, my home base, should reflect that. <br /><br />This gets at something I have been thinking a lot about as the school year begins, as our assessment cycle beings, as our teaching prep wraps up---reviewing. I'd even suggest we reconsider how we look at that word itself: RE-Viewing. Viewing again. To see anew. To see what we offer and if it aligns with where we are trying to go. That's a huge part of creating meaningful assessment but also a huge part of what makes instruction successful. <br /><br />And also how technology is useful. Is it fulfilling a role or is just taking up space? Or time? How often do you RE-View your technology choices? On your blog? On your iPhone? How often do you RE-View your teaching? Your lessons? Your activities? Your assessment? <br /><br />Funny how strands come together, isn't it. <br /><br />Or rather, not funny at all. Fitting, really.The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-52435862323957529262010-08-30T10:10:00.005-05:002010-08-30T10:44:56.585-05:00Going Manager, or, Big News-Part 2It's been a month since I last posted and part of me wants to apologize. But I think something I have to learn and practice for the next few months (or maybe the rest of my life) is that I can't do it all. Some things have to slide over to make room for the bigger, more pressing things. <br /><br />An aside: it's funny to me to use words like "bigger" and "pressing" now that I am having a baby. Ha!<br /><br />This is all a lead up to part two of my big news: my promotion. In July, I was promoted to Assistant Director of our library. When it rains, it pours!<br /><br />The last two months have been a bit of a whirlwind. But I didn't want to jump into the school year without really sharing, and thereby processing, what this change has been like and means for me. <br /><br />What does it mean to Go Manager?<br /><br />Well, one thing I've learned is that you work past five, you bring work home with you, and you work on the weekend. I say that in jest but it is also true. I have more work to do. I have less time to chat, less time to read articles or blogs, less time to do things I feel like doing versus things that need doing. My to-do list has changed. My way of looking at my to-do list has changed. My way of prioritizing is changing. My willingness to say "yes" is changing. And with these changes come some concerns, some of which I anticipated and some of which I am starting to look at and question. <br /><br />One of my biggest hesitations to taking on this increased responsibility was that I loved my job. As Information Literacy Librarian, I was responsible for the IL program at the college. It was my responsibility to keep up on the literature in the field, to brainstorm, to generate ideas, to collaborate, to make things happen in the program. Sure, there were parts that were less than wonderful (scheduling), but by and large, I loved the commitment I was able to make to IL. And as a manager, I have to put that part of my job in a silo. I have to look at it sometimes and say, "Not right now". It doesn't mean I love IL any less or am any less committed to the program. But I am having to broaden my gaze. And that frightened me. Which is why it was so important for me to do it. Being afraid of it means it is going to be challenging and as a young librarian, I want challenges. Building a program from scratch was a challenge and one that I have looked in the face and smiled at. That hasn't gone away. But a new challenge adds a layer of complexity to my daily work and to my thinking over time. <br /><br />A concern I am also thinking about is how to "Go-Manager" and still be accommodating. As I said, my willingness to say "yes" is changing. There are some requests, some preferences, some suggestions, that I just can't accommodate. And that hurts. I hate to disappoint people and I have to have to say no. But I am learning a bit more about how pieces of the puzzle fit together rather than looking at individual pieces. It's hard. <br /><br />And I guess that's what I am finding and thinking about: making the shift to manager is hard. I feel incredibly supported in doing it and I feel like there are a plethora of resources available to me to do it well. But that doesn't change the fact that there are things to think about, to reconcile. And while I might post even less (is that possible?!), I intend to make this blog a space where I do that. Where I talk about this transition and reflect on the kind of manager I want to be. And what it means to Go Manager.The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111164049744267654.post-44663366712350091162010-07-29T10:36:00.003-05:002010-07-29T10:40:33.176-05:00The Really Big News FirstThe Really Big News: The Sheck is having a baby. 17 weeks today and excited! Very excited!<br /><br />I wish my husband blogged so he could post this. But when I saw it in my RSS this morning, and after crying while watching it, I realized how much Google has been amazing as we prepare for this crazy thing called parenthood. That, and the amazing friends we have who temper what I learn in Google with the real deal experience. If that's not the outline for a post on the information literacy of pregnancy and parenting, I don't know what is.<br /><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3-WRn9keARE&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3-WRn9keARE&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>The Sheckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17794972508218564277noreply@blogger.com3