ICT Trouble? TLs to the Rescue!

 Supporting Teachers' ICT  & Ongoing Pro-D

As I posited in my last post, the TL is ICT. 

Yup, I said it. 😳

This is a huge statement that I'm not completely sure I can back up and I know terrifies me to my very core as a wannabe TL, but I think it may be true. 

Module 7 of LIBE 447B(2023) reminds us that, "In many ways, Teacher-Librarians are looked to as school leaders in developing new skills, evaluating and acquiring new resources and leading workshops and inservice around new strategies, resources and school technology." and this is reinforced by Haycock's argument in his 2014 report on the standards of practice for school library learning commons, Leading Learning:

But how does a TL do this when their colleagues are tired and not necessarily interested in doing more? When perhaps the love of learning and planning has waned? We know that liking or even loving what you do means a higher likelihood of engagement and excellence. O'Keefe (2014) reminds us that, "liking work really matters", and that psychological research has proven that "interest [can] help us perform our best without feeling fatigued[.] " So what does this entail? 

What is a TL to do? How do we engage our tired, our weary and our out-of-touch? 

Hmmmm.... Wine is not generally accepted learning resource so probably not. Plus no liquor license in a Learning Commons. (although if you figure out how to get one, let me know!)

Instead, a TL must rely on the less, ahem, fermented solutions and pop up in places teachers will find them. 

 

In my last post (which I now realize was slightly ahead of its time and will be cut and pasted with glee and wild abandon), I suggested that a TL could use already in place work/social media platforms like Teams to meet teachers where they are. Creating a Professional Resources team and adding all staff to it could be an easy way to put accessible professional resources in the classroom digitally. No one has to make a special trip and the notifications that inevitably pop up at the most inopportune time could eventually tempt even the most hardened teacher to click. 

Social media is another potential opportunity for a clever TL to show up for teachers at a time and place when they could be more open to the messaging. Instagram and TikTok library accounts abound so it would not be that far of a stretch to justify making videos and content on school time in the name of sharing professional development. This is one of accounts my school's TL has created with students. 

While it's geared for students, it is followed by old and new teachers which proves it's staff appeal.

There is an added benefit to such a social media presence: if the TL has Library Tech students, it would make for a great assignment or ongoing aspect of the course to have them finding, curating and uploading resources and content for the account. Their findings would most likely be current, student friendly (or at least semi interesting) and easily accessible. Another educational win as students who engage in perceived personally relevant work are far more likely to learn from it and achieve higher grades (O'Keefe, 2014) Plus, they know how to use all the filters and music to make the reel/post interesting.  

If the idea of making TikTok reels terrifies you as much as it does me, there is a tried and true tech option to reach out to staff: the good, old fashioned weekly mass email. It's a solid standby for a reason. The mass fishing attempt is bound to net you at least one nibble, maybe even two. And all of the resources you find and present in said emails could easily be housed in Teams or whatever digital platform your district chose when we were all forced online. Now if you could only get Ms. Smith on the third floor to open her email.... 

TL Take Away

ICT Leadership has found its way into the TL's realm. It's a thing. It's happening. Best to just get on the digital bus.

How to get on said digital bus? 

    - District Provided Platforms like Teams

    - Social Media Content Creation to meet teachers where they're at like Instagram and TikTok

    - The good old fashioned mass e-mailing of resources with a warm tone and a smile emoji for good measure. 

Side note: 

If all this work and potential content creation has got you down about working in a "library", you need to follow "mychal3ts" on Instagram or TikTok for your own pro-d and affirmation that you made the right choice to be a TL. Librarians really will save the world. He managed to bring the Scholastic Book Fair to adults. With alcohol. Super heroes walk among the stacks. 

References:

“About Leading Learning.” Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada, Canadian Library Association, llsop.canadianschoollibraries.ca/about/. Accessed 20 Oct. 2023.

McNee, Darcy. LIBE 447B 63A, Module 7. Accessed Oct 20, 2023

“Mychal3ts.” TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@mychal3ts/video/7267582869969620266. Accessed 20 Oct. 2023.

O’Keefe, Paul A. “Liking Work Really Matters.” The New York Times, https://advance-lexis-com.eu1.proxy.openathens.net/document/index?crid=be31542f-028d-4648-b631-ca87c460c880&pdpermalink=f2add726-e160-4be1-838b-129b1023d79c&pdmfid=1516831&pdisurlapi=true.