edition 12 - so far ....

I had just almost finished this post but stupidly closed the browser after searching for something else and lost it arghhhhh.. Here's take 2.

after a week of more emphasis on pleasure reading than uni reading, I am now back into the swing of things. Have looked to the next assignment requirements and, as part of it is taken from blog posts and forum discussions, I thought i might just review some thoughts ...

I think my view of the TL before starting this course was probably one typical of many Ts - the head teacher gives unit outlines and time frames, there's a little bit of sharing of ideas and resources but on the whole you go out to teach as an individual in control of the class. The TL was there to assist with resources and for assignments etc but you source a large proportion of the materials yourself. No induction or teacher training lead me to consider the TL in the way the literature i have now read suggests. Thank goodness i know better now.

IN terms of RBL, i think i have utilised this approach under the guise of inquiry learning. This approach is conducive to encouraging TL-T collaboration and technology, particularly computers in classrooms, have altered the potential for utilising RBL. Though it certainly does raise the idea that IF needs to be taught in context and I'm pretty sure i would be a better teacher of these ideas now than 6 weeks ago. Could you use it all the time? Not sure, although the students are engaged, it takes longer and there is still an awful lot of stuff to get through and not much time.

Pondering on the business of TLs, i feel overwhelmed sometimes: curriculum development and implementation, collaborative planning, policy writing, advocacy, leadership, evaluation and research all while maintaining resources and their intellectual and physical access is no small task. But i do believe that students and Ts are enriched through collaboration with TLs and that the library has much more to offer.

I have also wondered how far the literature is removed from practice. I have yet to see an ILSC in action or a TL that has the support (or a principal the knowledge/drive) to create one. It has made me consider again how important the overarching principles of a school are, particularly in terms of their pedagogical approach and their understanding and approaches to learning. Having said that i do think that principals would be wise to expect TL- T collaboration in planning units and from the research can see how students in schools could be missing resources and knowledge when the TL is excluded from curriculum issues. But i do also recognise that for this to occur adequate staffing and the perennial problem of scheduling needs to be addressed. And perhaps the biggest hindrance of all is the outmoded approach to schooling we have!!

Below you can find some great links on this issue from the inspiring Ken Robinson to 24 hour learning at Paramatta and some interesting videos on information for the future and what students at university are really like.

I hope you enjoy!

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html
http://blip.tv/file/88216
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o
http://fusionfinds.wordpress.com/2009/04/04/we-are-living-in-exponential-times/
http://heyjude.wordpress.com/2009/01/10/how-we-learn/