“Knowledge Quest,” American Library Association, September 27, 2006.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/knowledgequest/kqweb.cfm (Accessed February 24, 2009)
Document ID: 202714

“Doing Honest Work” is the title theme of this month’s Knowledge Quest, the Journal of the American Association of School Librarians. In many cases, the enclosed articles written for school librarians are also open letters for other educators. The depth and breadth of coverage is an inspiring call to action, with too few solutions for harried working media specialists and teachers.

The issue also includes additional resources and related links for follow-up.  The problem then becomes that harried working media specialists and teachers have little-to-no time to review multiple resources and additional information.

Media specialists, teachers and students  already have numerous  duties, new applications, methods, models and tools to learn.  Are media specialists being asked to translate the professional duties of a subject specialist, academic librarian, and apply the same type of in-depth knowledge and coverage across every subject taught in a school? Can we truly handle more lists of ideas and duties even if they are wonderfully informative, factual and much needed?

Well, I’m certain many of us will try!

Does it need to be said that media specialists do not have scheduled classes; we have to basically beg and cajole over-burdened teachers to collaborate?

If media specialists are to be taken seriously in a school environment, we  need ways to systematically, with authority, insert higher standards of 21st Century skills into all classes.  (I’ll repeat the important point that we need authority to do our jobs.)  In my mind, that means media specialists should focus on the role of “master teacher” and have primary responsibility for delivery of professional development within our area of knowledge.  We need to first assist teachers to become more competent and effective with the technology and information to skillfully use what is in place, available to them at school and in their homes.  Retrieve the learning aspect of technology use away from the IT departments. Yes, that would take collaboration and agreements between numerous educational associations, unions and accreditation bodies.

Let us set “honest work” missions, goals and objectives for school library media specialists. Back at you, AASL. There’s a project for you.

Info-fetish presents additional considerations on the topic in Peer-reviewed Monday (plus 24 hours) – has anyone tried out this Delphi method? Posted on February 24, 2009 by Anne-Marie.

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