<![CDATA[A Blog's Life]]> http://www.freewebs.com/ablogslife/blog.htm Freewebs <![CDATA[Biting My Tongue]]> http://www.freewebs.com/ablogslife/blog.htm?blogentryid=3958139 Lately I have been biting my tongue a lot, especially in cyberspace.  I think learning to edit your speech before it leaves your mouth is a skill that we should all strive to improve as we get older.   And as I get older I am becoming so much more aware of how I speak to people and also what I say to people(which in my mind are two distinct things).

But lately, due to the charged societal dialogue brought on by an election, I have been keeping my opinions to myself.  Being outspoken politically is something that I used to consider part of my persona, part of "who I am".  I have so many ideas about what politics can and should be and as an educator government policy touches my life daily and work. 

So why do I feel like I can't talk about this in a professional setting?  There have been plenty of opportunities for me to throw my two cents into the hat.  On Facebook several teachers from my school have joined groups that support one party, and were I to join a group, I would join the other side.  And on our professional listserv for the state there has been some debate as to whether or not it is appropriate to discuss a candidate's intellectual freedom background.  As librarians we should know if a candidate supports banning books, but with media spin how do we sift through all the sensationalizing without bringing politics into the discussion.  We can't, which is exactly why I bit my tongue.  By voicing my opinion on the candidate in question, I would be outing myself politically. 

What strikes me as unfair is that others have no problem waving their party flag while I feel I have to hide my affiliation.  And were it to "come out" it might look like I am embarrassed by my choice.  Which is not the case at all.  This will be one of the most exciting elections in our brief history.  Either way the country votes, we will make history.  I am a proud supporter of my candidate and I believe that he is an agent of change and a beacon of hope in a world that desperately needs both. 

I have been mulling this over for weeks now; everytime I hit cancel on an email or delete a post.  As a library media specialist there are so many barriers to what we do.  Time, resources,  and trust are just a few.  I don't need to add the barrier of disagreeing politically.  I don't want my teachers to stop looking at me as a trusted colleague and start looking at me as one of the "bad guys". 

Is self censorship essential as an educator? 

]]> http://www.freewebs.com/ablogslife/blog.htm?blogentryid=3958139#topBox http://www.freewebs.com/ablogslife/blog.htm?blogentryid=3958139 Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:43:00 -0100 <![CDATA[Chickening Out?]]> http://www.freewebs.com/ablogslife/blog.htm?blogentryid=3820364
A few examples:

I was planning on making a set schedule for myself that teachers could sign up for.  The difference between this and the past is that I always molded my schedule around the teacher, often meaning I would be seating a class as another class left, or going into my lunch time to accommodate a class.  Due to some scheduling requirements we have at school this year, I am going to be much more semi than flex, leaving me with a small window of time to see flex classes.  So even though it would still be within my rights to host classes on my time frame, I feel like I need to make accommodations. 

Another area I was planning on toughening up is was collaboration.  I wanted to sit down with teachers and hammer out exactly which projects they would be working with the MC on, and which resources they would want to use.  Our school has so many new teachers that I feel hesitant to try and pin them down so early.  The relationship with a teacher and the LMS is based on trust, support, and trial and error.  Any demands I might make could harm a potential working relationship.

I tend to compare myself and my programs to others out there and perhaps the need to have more formality to what I do stemmed from hearing how others do things.   So I am looking at how I feel right now two ways.

One I need to realize that I am the right LMS for my school, and that I approach the community with the sensitivity and the professionalism uniquely required.  I shouldn't worry about changing what I do when what I do has been working.

Or

I am chickening out.  I am afraid to take a stand on things in case people don't like what I am doing and by extension don't like me.

What do you think?


]]> http://www.freewebs.com/ablogslife/blog.htm?blogentryid=3820364#topBox http://www.freewebs.com/ablogslife/blog.htm?blogentryid=3820364 Sun, 10 Aug 2008 14:01:00 -0100 <![CDATA[Under Resourced Learners - And How I Can Help]]> http://www.freewebs.com/ablogslife/blog.htm?blogentryid=3750020
Her first book is called A Framework for Understanding Poverty, and while it is true page for page, I think her newest text is much more appropriate for today's economic climate.  We studied The Under-Resourced Learner, and strategies we can use to help them succeed.  It can be overwhelming to think about some of the tragic situations all of our students find themselves in, and situational poverty is something is close to home for most Americans.  Foreclosures, rising cost of living and stagnate wages, and the health care crisis are only a few of the monsters terrorizing the average American's standard of living.  As educators we can't pay someone's bills or get their car fixed (or at least we shouldn't!).  So how can we help a students who are under-resourced, either financially or emotionally?

Here are a few strategies I took away from today:

Students need to have only one (although they would benefit from more) meaningful relationship with a caring adult.

Within the school walls there is a host of resources available to the student, they just need to be tapped. 

Students need to have a social support network, and often times the under-resourced student does not have this.  It is possible for people in the learning community can provide this.  Being a stable group of adults can serve as a quality support network. 

How can I apply these to my work as LMS?

I can be a resource that is available in flexible and creative ways.  If a child is trying to meet a reading goal by having an adult read with them and they don't have an adult at home that can help, I can be there.  I should be there. 

I can be a part of a social network for a student by collaborating with my peers on behalf of an under resourced student.

I can seek out the help of others in the school community to help me form these social networks for under-resourced students.


]]> http://www.freewebs.com/ablogslife/blog.htm?blogentryid=3750020#topBox http://www.freewebs.com/ablogslife/blog.htm?blogentryid=3750020 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:21:00 -0100