Reflections on Assignment Writing.

As I write my assignments, what am I trying to achieve?

1. Answer the question.

2. Comprehensively examine the issues.

3. Make some insightful comments.

4. Write clearly and concisely.

5. Write something that impresses the marker.

6. Demonstrate understanding of the subject.

But perhaps I should be more interested in actually understanding the subject and asking questions about the issues.

Before beginning this course, I was unaware of "information skills models". I approached "information tasks" intuitively. If I now unpack what my process is, it would go something like this:

• Read the question. Think: What do I know about this? What is this question really asking? What direction do I think my answer will go in? What material do I have at hand that will help me to answer this? What extra information will I need?
• Read the material I have at hand. Make summary notes of important points and organise them in such a way as to be able to attach them to the relevant section of the question.
• Begin to map out my answer. Think: What parts of my argument are missing? What extra information do I need to make my argument clear and well supported? Does my answer flow? have a structure? make sense to the reader?
• Begin to write my essay. Read over what I've already written constantly, editing to change phrases or words as I go. Make slow progress as I reread and edit every few minutes.
• Keep writing, rereading, editing...
• Finally it is finished. Step away from the computer.
• Look again at the essay. Reread it critically. Edit, edit, edit.
• Submit essay when I can no longer stand to look at it any more.

As I read through this, I realise that once I start writing, I have set my course. Though I edit, edit, edit, I never go back to the question, or seriously reevaluate my argument. Interesting...

In other news, the renovation pace has slowed considerably. Basically the kitchen cannot proceed until we have the new bench top. Chris needs to get up into the roof to fix up some pipes for the laundry, I'm not sure if that is something he is planning to get to on the weekend. Also the external brickwork needs to be done, but it's not exactly the weather for that! After a disturbed night with heavy rain and gales, I said to Chris this morning, (tentatively) "You might want to go out and check the tarp.". Thankfully he was able to report that everything was safe and dry.

I'm going to see Jane Rutter's "An Australian in Paris" tomorrow night. I'm taking my flute students and their mothers. It's been a very long time since I've done something like this - something that I want to do and will enjoy, without reference to my husband or children.

What we're reading:

Chris: recipe books. He's cooking dinner for our weekly get together with my sister's family and is choosing something lovely to cook.

Me: Dean Koontz Life Expectancy - grabbed it at the library when I was there getting some books for Josh.

Alana: Stephenie Meyer Twilight - has just started it to see if it grabs her.

Josh: (sorry don't have author at hand) Lab rats in space - one of the books I chose for him at the library. I read the back and it sounded like something he'd like!

Why I want to be a Librarian.

I thought long and hard before embarking on a career change that included two years of masters level study. Before starting this course, I really believed that I would enjoy, and be good at, being a librarian. Notice that I say librarian, not teacher librarian. It was never my intention to focus on working in a school library. My interest lay more in the direction of public libraries, or even specialist libraries in museum settings or similar. I chose this course because it was the best course to give me options for future work situations.

Why did I think I'd enjoy working in a library?

I don't mind working alone, pottering about doing my thing. I imagined that, while dealing with clients and colleagues, a librarian would have a lot of solo tasks to get on with. I don't mind organisational, routine tasks. I have been in lots of libraries, and seen librarians and library techs in action. None of the tasks seemed boring to me, I thought it might be quite relaxing to process loans and shelve books etc. I really enjoy being in libraries, and thought that an important factor in job satisfaction is to enjoy your work environment.

People like me. I seem to be approachable, have a nice smile, be easy to talk to, helpful and optimistic. I think library clients would like to be served by me! I think my colleagues would find me easy to work with, efficient, and not a complainer. I'm good with kids. I love to sing, read aloud, do actions and funny voices. I think I'd be great at story time!

I'm genuinely interested in learning new things. I like to read widely, and I like to extend into new areas of knowledge. I'm one of those people who is forever saying, "I read something interesting the other day...". People are often amazed at the varied trivia that I know! I just like finding out about stuff. I think a library is a good place for me, I have the opportunity to keep learning and share my knowledge with others.

So...I know this post sounds a bit arrogant, like I think quite a lot of myself! But I don't mean it that way. I'm just trying to express how I feel about making librarianship my career, and use this journal to work through what I'm thinking and feeling.

I'm still struggling to get my thoughts organised on my ETL401 assignment. At the moment I'm reading through Topic 5, and most of what I'm reading is applicable to the assignment. So I'm trying to add these new thoughts to what I already have from topics 2, 3 and 4. It's getting out of control!

I'm having no trouble at all seeing the connections between all the different things I'm learning about. Creating an information literate school community is like growing an entire organism - there are many organs and systems that must work together. Just like a body cannot function without an essential organ (e.g. skin), or system (e.g. circulatory system), there are many aspects that are essential to an ILSC. The trouble I'm having is in concisely expressing what these different aspects are and putting together a logical argument.

So what is wrong with my information process? Am I lacking some higher order thinking skills? (I don't think so, but I might be having trouble using them effectively.) Am I lacking sufficient focus in my topic definition? Yes, I think this might be closer to the truth. I am reading so much that I feel is interesting and relevant, I'm loath to let go of any of it. I can see its merits, and how it fits together with everything else, so I am determined to make it all fit instead of limiting my discussion.

There's a lot to be said for journaling. It helps to think things through "aloud". I use the technique in my personal life too, writing things in a little book beside my bed that I would never publish here! Things somehow seem much clearer when they're put in black and white in front of you. Faulty logic is exposed, and silly fears disappear. I think I'm ready to jump back into it now.

Just a quick post to suggest checking out http://www.andrewsproject.webs.com

This is the school project of a classmate's of my daughter.

I have noticed quite a few things about my children's school projects:

• the teachers try to allow children to present their knowledge using a range of techniques and tools
• children are rarely given information about what is expected from them
• the children's products vary considerably, especially in standard
• the children are not explicitly taught any skills or processes to use when working on their projects
• my daughter doesn't enjoy research
• my daughter likes everything to be quick, neat and easy.

Becoming Conscious of my Study Process

Sounds like a very serious title, doesn't it! As I proceed on to my second assignment, I am simultaneously evaluating the success of my first one. My experiences then are informing my approach now. I'm coming to realise that I approach this whole study thing very intuitively. I have confidence in my intelligence and skills, and don't explicitly think about my process. I think I might find that thinking explicitly about my process improves my results.

I think it's good that I'm open to trying new ways of doing things. I think it's great that I'm not hung up on perfection, but see improvement and learning as way more important.

My daughter is completing a school project as we speak. It's interesting to watch her work. The whole experience of collecting information has been like pulling teeth. But now that she's putting together a presentation of what she has learned, her whole demeanor has changed. I talked to her about how she was feeling, and she told me that she really enjoyed the creativity of this aspect of the project. Interesting, isn't it, that we are all different and enjoy different aspects of learning.

Ah-ha aaaaarrgh!

Had an "a-ha" moment yesterday, and not in a good way.

Was reading through the ETL503 Assessment 1 forum, and read someone's post. They were indicating that they had finally realised that the assignment wasn't really about the unit of work they had chosen, the teaching and learning activities within it, and the resources (good or bad) that were used and/or recommended. It was really about showing the processes of evaluating needs, and selection and acquisition of resources. The unit of work merely provided the necessary context for what was really being assessed.

Oh no! I now realise that my focus was too much on the actual unit of work. I got a bit carried away imagining myself in the school, doing my TL thing, interacting with the kids, collaborating with the teacher... I put too little focus on demonstrating my understanding of the processes involved in evaluating, selecting and acquiring. Oh well...you live and learn.

I'm really hoping that I will still do well on the assignment. I still believe that I have answered the questions and fulfilled the criteria to the best of my ability. But if I could do it all again, I'd approach it with a different mindset, and it might turn out quite differently.

I really have to remember that studying at uni is supposed to be a learning experience. If you knew everything before you started, and never made any mistakes, then what would be the point?

Up, up and away.

I'm starting to feel like I can do this. All the reading I'm doing, all the thinking, all the internet surfing etc is starting to crystallise in my mind. I do have great ideas for teaching and learning that use many different resources. I'm open to innovation and enthusiastic about collaboration. I like to learn and try new things and enjoy finding out about new ideas in the world of education. I actually buy into the hype about new ways of doing things!

Now maybe I'm a little too idealistic! But in the world of academia, a little idealism can take you a long way. I think I can get more excited about my essay writing than the average cynic.

I have been reading a bit about critical thinking and other higher order thinking skills, and, I've got to be honest, I think I'm pretty good at them! A lot of the processes come naturally to me; I don't even have to think about them. It's normal for me to take what I learn and make connections with other things I already know. I ask a lot of penetrating questions - I'm a great "devil's advocate". I'm good at organising information and restating it for others. I can cut through the bull and get to the essentials.

I just thought I was clever! Now I know I have good higher order thinking skills the question is: how did I learn them? how can I model them? and how can I teach them?

Having a very difficult week. One minute I'm up, the next I'm down.

When I've got a lot going on, I find it hard to focus on my uni work. I like to have everything else "sorted" so I can relax and pay close attention to what I'm reading and learning and what I think about all the issues.

It doesn't seem to be in my nature to have insights when I'm worried about medical test results, daughter's ballet eisteddfod and children's birthday parties. But this is life...messy and unpredictable...so I just keep plodding away and expect that the insights will come when they're good and ready.

Yes, as you can see, my husband thinks that now is a great time to start demolishing the house!

OK, it's not that bad, I do get to pick out a new kitchen benchtop and new kitchen cupboard doors!

As for my course, I am just barely on top of things. Really I'd like to be way ahead! Maybe that is an unrealistic expectation. Maybe I should let go of that expectation before it really hurts me. When working as a librarian, and especially if I work as a teacher librarian, I'll have lots of times when my workload means I'll have to prioritise and not expect to do everything. I'll often have to be happy with what I can do, and not waste time worrying about what I can't do. It won't always be an option to be "ahead". I'd really better get used to it!

The Real World...

Had an interesting weekend...While at a friends house, he commented on his daughter's maths homework. (I'm a maths teacher, people often tell me about their children's maths homework.) She had an assignment to complete which involved her researching a particular type of "special number". She had a list to choose from: Square numbers, Pascal's triangle, the Fibonacci sequence etc, and had to produce a poster with a definition, any special properties or applications of these numbers and any other interesting facts she could find out about them.

See what had fallen into my lap? A real world example of "inquiry based learning"! From chatting with her father, hearing about her approach to the task and seeing her finished product, I am able to make the following statements.

1. This task/topic was not at all motivating to this student. She had not engaged with it at all.

2. The expectations for the product of this task were not clear enough. (Her product would not pass at all under my reading of the task description. However, she and her parents seemed satisfied with the result.)

3. The methods and skills for completing this task were not explained, taught or modelled. After completing the task, the student knew nothing about the Palindromic Numbers she had chosen to study, and had no idea how she would go about finding more information if she wanted to. (She didn't.)

4. Parents are often ill-equipped to help students complete inquiry based tasks at home. These particular parents were happy to help but really didn't have the skills to do so. They also didn't have a clear understanding of the expectations of the task. (Did anyone?)

I can appreciate that this task was a well-meaning attempt by the teacher to depart from the "chalk and talk" and exercises from the text of a normal maths lesson. But I don't think the execution has been very successful.

I'm having insights all over the place now!

Reading Kuhlthau et al's Guided Inquiry has really got me thinking. Firstly, I actually enjoy reading this stuff...I find educational theory interesting! I think this sets me apart from a lot of other students, who would rather focus on more practical and "realistic" stuff. I remember now...when I was doing my Dip Ed I felt the same way...that I'd happily stay at uni forever studying this stuff and never have to set foot in a school!

What does this say about me? What does it indicate for future career directions?

Secondly, it gives me insight into how I am approaching my own inquiries i.e. my assignments for uni. Am I simply fact-finding or looking for the right answer? Am I having difficulty finding a focus? Am I finding my own point of view, constructing my own understanding, and preparing to write something new?

I have had quite an insight today. I have been feeling a bit out of sorts - worried, anxious, depressed. Not good for me. I can recognise the signs...not wanting to do things that normally give me pleasure, being overly self-critical, feeling overwhelmed. I was starting to feel that "getting my uni work done" was taking over my life. I was starting to worry that I wasn't doing a good job as a wife and mother, and that I was neglecting important areas of my life. But how to get back the balance?

I decided to take control of my day today, and do some things that I know make me feel good. I went for a coffee at a local coffee shop, taking my uni readings to look over as I sipped my Vanilla Latte. Just a simple pleasure, but it really helped me.

Then I drove on to the local Japanese Gardens to sit and continue my readings. The beautiful weather and surroundings felt very healing to me.

But what was surprising was the insight I gained from what I was actually reading. As luck would have it, I was reading about "Personal Management" in an extract from Stephen Covey's The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. He begins with the need to form one's own "personal mission statement" and the importance of knowing just what are your foundational principles.

He then goes on to explain that the best way to plan your diary is to:

1. List the different roles you will play during the week.

2. Set one or two goals for each role that are achievable this week.

3. Set aside time to do things that will contribute to reaching these goals.

It makes sense to me, and makes me realise a few things about myself:

1. I was doing the "urgent" rather than the "important".

2. I didn't have a big picture approach to what I was actually trying to achieve.

3. I hadn't thought through my goals with reference to my personal "mission".

4. That's why I was feeling unhappy, unfulfilled and unsettled.

So now I've got a place to start from in rethinking the way I plan and prioritise.

I'm feeling pretty good about my uni work this week. Three reasons...

1. I actually feel like I'm keeping up!

2. I have got in contact with the local school librarian. This will allow me regular access to a school library which will make my assignments much easier to complete.

3. I have learnt a little bit about selection tools, so now I'm not worrying so much about how on earth I'm going to find resources for my first assignment!

Overall, I think I may have been a bit overwhelmed at the beginning and had a bit of a negative view of things. I've decided to think positive now. That doesn't mean I'm not going to notice mistakes I make though!

I realise that I am prone to spending too much time on line reading through forum posts etc. I'm going to try to set aside special times for this and stick to them so I can get on with some reading and writing work too.

I'm really surprised at how much satisfaction I am getting from studying. A great surprise!

Confession Time

I have a confession to make...I don't think I want to become a teacher librarian. When I decided to do my MEd, it was with the intention of "keeping my options open". As I am already a qualified and experienced teacher, the MEd will qualify me to be a teacher librarian (work in a school library) or a regular librarian in a public, private or "special" library. After much thought and soul-searching, I believed that working in a library would be enjoyable for me. This course seemed the way to get the most "bang for my buck" so to speak.

I guess I imagined a library to be a nice calm, quiet environment to work in. I imagined it to be intellectually stimulating, and frankly, downright bliss to be surrounded by so many books! I love to read; fiction, but I also read quite a lot of non-fiction for recreational purposes. I just like to learn new things! I enjoy biographies, and lately I've been reading quite a lot in the psychology/mind-body-spirit/philosophy subject areas. I've been re-thinking some of my answers to the 'Who am I?' and 'Why am I here?' questions of life.

I also know enough about myself to realise that I'm a good organiser, and I don't at all mind routine "administrative" tasks. I believed that within a library was a wonderful place for me to make use of these skills.

I'm a great communicator, both verbally and with the written word. I believed that I would be a great asset in a library when it came to interacting with "clients", be they young mothers with children trying to get some "time out" at storytime in the children's library, or adult researchers needing help to access information.

In my course, the focus has been squarely put on the school context. There has been a huge emphasis on collaboration with teachers, planning of teaching and learning programs and lots of interaction with students. Now don't get me wrong, I love interacting with students...one at a time! The reason why I am not currently working in a school as a teacher is because I don't like the classroom context. I don't like having to deal with behaviour, I don't like trying to teach 30 individuals all the same thing in a 40 minute period, and I don't like working alongside colleagues who have no interest in collaborating with or supporting each other. I have been in schools that have no written program! (They just follow the text book and try to get to the end of it by the end of the year!!!) I have been in schools where there is no support for new teachers or help for them to improve their classroom management skills.

I'm not a fan of the idea of jumping back into that world. However, I'll try to keep an open mind as I continue on with my course...

Insights - hard to come by

So far, I'm having a lot of trouble thinking deeply about the issues that I'm supposed to be grappling with in regard to teacher librarianship. I'm finding that there is such a large volume of information provided with my course, my first priority is simply to "get through" all the required reading.

Being aware of the many demands on my time, I'm trying to be quite task-oriented in my approach to study. So after reading, I am focusing on answering the questions posed in the study material. I'm finding even this level of work challenging, timewise.

But the real work of learning; the wondering, puzzling, "a-ha!" moments, creation of new ideas, posing of new questions etc hasn't really been happening yet. Snatching small pockets of time here and there to work doesn't appear to be conducive to immersing myself fully in what I am studying.

I can already see the value in blogging: even if I have no particular insights when I start, the process of writing down whatever thoughts I do have helps. I may even have an insight by the end of the post!