Tagged (Cyberbullying)

Tagged is an Australian short film that deals with the effects and implications of cyberbullying. I mentioned it a bazillion years ago (Facebook and Cyberbullying), but only just got around to watching it, and I’m glad I did.

Tagged is brilliantly filmed, and deals with the issues surrounding cyberbullying in a fantastic, and highly realistic way. This is a must watch, particularly for anyone involved in schooling (teachers, staff, students, parents = anyone!). Digital ethics education is becoming increasingly important, and it is only through using and promoting films like this that we can ensure that everyone is aware of the implications of using the Internet for harm.

Go on, watch it! I think it’s fantastic.

Also, Tagged has managed to win Internation Media Awards for its portrayal of key social issues.

One last point before I go:

At the end of the day, cyber bullying and sexting don’t just affect the victim; it can have a significant effect on whole communities.

This is a serious issue for twenty-first century life and learning, don’t let it go unnoticed

 

Changing Roles

My understanding of the role (and especially the future) of the teacher-librarian continues to change. I have read so much in the past year about the future, or lack thereof, of the school library that my understanding of just what teacher-librarian’s do, their role within the school community, changes almost drastically from one day to another.

For my new semester at university, I have been reading a few articles on the future of the library in this ‘post-literate’ world. And I have come to a new conclusion: no matter how much the focus turns from the maintenance of a print-based collection to a digital one, no matter how the library is perceived, even if they take away the books and the library, there will still be a role for the teacher-librarian (even if they change the title).

My current understanding of the role of the teacher-librarian is founded upon the importance of information literacy, upon the need to ensure that students are critically aware and able to decipher all information to the best of their ability. Even if there is no longer a physical library in schools, but merely a digital one, the teacher-librarian may still have a role in ensuring that all students (and staff) are information literate.

But that, even there, is my worst case scenario. In my dreams, the future is one where the importance of the book and the printed and bound word is still recognised, and the library is not just something that teachers and principals put up with for tradition’s sake, but because they recognise its value, and its fundamental beauty. But what can I say? I’m a traditionalist, and I’m a romantic.

Further reading:

Mai Lee (2010), A library without books?

Doug Johnson (2010), Libraries for a post-literate society.

The role of the Teacher Librarian: My understanding

The session is coming to an end, and it is time to reflect on how my understanding of the role of the teacher librarian has been changed. When I first began this subject (fittingly titled ETL:401 – Teacher Librarianship), I had little to no real idea what the teacher-librarian actually did. I knew I wanted to be one, but had very little real understanding of their role and responsibilities.

I wish (it was 50 years ago)

I have wanted to be a teacher-librarian since August 2008. Shortly after returning from my very first teaching placement, I was struggling with the dissatisfaction and disillusionment of having not enjoyed the experience. I was nineteen and completely unsure of what I wanted to do with the rest of my life (in retrospect, not at all an unusual situation for a nineteen year old to be in). But I was aware that the aspect of my placement which I had most enjoyed were the hours I had spent in the school library.

There was nothing terribly special about this school library – it had a range of books, and around twenty computers scattered throughout for student use. Just like any other. But the experience of being in the library, surrounded by hundreds of books, hundreds of sources of information, had remained in my mind as a particular highlight. And that, I realised, was where I wanted to be…

Concerning Wikipedia…

Wikipedia. A word that can shivers of dread down any educator’s spine.

Since its launch in 2001, Wikipedia has experienced an almost viral spread that has seen it become the go-to source of information all around the world. The online encyclopaedia contains information on pretty much any topic that can, and has, been thought up: from the strange corners of science to largely unknown historical figures and influential inventors. Wikipedia is clearly a source of basic (and sometimes in-depth) knowledge on many a topic. And yet many educators refuse to acknowledge it as a useful resource.

During my previous university studies, I completed eighteen weeks of practical teaching placement in four different secondary schools. And at each of these schools I witnessed a teacher emphatically tell their students that on no account was Wikipedia to be used as a reference for school assignments. I myself have been guilty of flat-out refusing students the use of Wikipedia as a resource. But why is this?