Digital Citizenship - Issues and Concerns in the modern on-line context

No man is an island entire of itself; every man

is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;

MEDITATION XVII

Devotions upon Emergent Occasions

John Donne

from https://web.cs.dal.ca/~johnston/poetry/island.html

Whilst Donne and his contemporaries such as Marlowe, Jonson and Shakespeare may never imagined the social media dominated world which we find ourselves, they certainly could encapsulate the human condition in fine prose. The human condition pertains to avatars just as it does the analog self. That much has not changed.

Technology is a tool which we can use to improve our lives, to benefit others and to also degrade, humiliate and harm just like humanity has been doing for millennia, without the aid of computer technology. Social media definitely falls into that category and it is the modern educator's role to assist learners in the effective and ethical use of technologies in order to successfully navigate the murky and sometimes turbulent waters of the Internet and social media.

The stakeholders for any educator is the students, teaching colleagues, parents and the wider community and they must consider the specific needs and context of the learning community within which they operate. As Donne eloquently puts it "No man is an island entire of itself" and ethical, safe, responsible, respectful and legal use of information and technology is something which needs to be modelled and explicitly taught to our young chargers. Life-long learning, the modern catch cry, can only be successfully achieved if the learner is conversant in the issues and concerns of digital. The online well-being of our students is just as important as the well-being that exists in the face to face realm.

Rather than being Henny Penny and claim that all the world's ill and dangers are wrapped up in the devices which teenagers seems constantly attached to, modern educators need to ensure that they have a positive and informed attitude towards to the use of technology in order that learners to create, share, think, learn and grow. As a responsible adult you wouldn't ban a young person from going near any water until they were 13, 15, or 18 as they needed to be protected from drowning. I believe that the same principle applies to the digital world and social media. Of course, there are considerations of age appropriateness, but as an educator who works with teenagers even my youngest students have the right and NEED to be made aware of the all issues, pitfalls and positive aspects that the online world can offer.

Young people need to be aware of what constitutes ethical on line behaviour. They need to   understand the concepts of intellectual property and fair use/dealing. As a student enquired of me in a digital citizenship/ethical scholarship lesson one day - if we aren't meant to copy and paste why can we? Just because it is possible to drive over the speed limit in your car doesn't mean you should. When you explain to students that whilst you may be able to "rip off" the latest popular song and put it into your school project doesn't mean that you should. It is about being ethical. Doing the right thing. You might get away with it and then again you might not.

I have encouraged my students to seek permission and were thrilled when they were allowed to use the jingle for Minecraft in their presentation from the copyright holders. Students shouldn't be afraid to ask permission - and if they get a knock back they have still learnt the lesson.

 danah boyd's It's Complicated delves into the networked lives of modern teenagers but what struck me that most about listening to podcasts of interviews with her is that what she is really saying is that teenagers haven't really changed. They seek approval from their peers and are starting to differentiate themselves from their parents, they just want to hang out with their friends.  One of the comment boyd made which resonated with me is the culture of fear which prevents the modern teenager from physically hanging out with their friends in the same way kids of the 1970s and earlier were able to.  They have much less physical freedom and the technology is merely an enabler.  They can hang out online in ways that older generations never had to and have great difficulty in understanding. Boyd's concept of "context collapse" is also an interesting one in which everyone with an online presence must relate to.  In a sense it is very hard to navigate the online world as all they various contexts of you as a friend, school friends from the past, current colleague, previous colleague, current partner, ex-partner are all in the same space - and they all know a different side of "you" from the context they know you. The legal ramifications of an angry post or spiteful tweet are being felt in the courts and the evidence of these can be gathered and used in legal disputes is a scary reality but if the apposite arguments and lessons are taught to the students then the worst case scenarios which are used as the warning bells can be just an interesting anecdote rather than a reality. Digital citizenship is just one of the many forms of citizenship that exist in the modern world but I believe it to be the most important.  Access to the online world has rights and responsibilities and just as we wouldn't condone unaware and unlicensed drivers on our roads, nor should we allow our students to navigate the twist and turns of a world which they need to understand it is dangers as well as it benefits.  The independence that comes with that understanding, efficacy is just the same as having safe, legally responsible drivers who can enjoy the open road just as much as the next person.

Kid B

Following on from the power of the word YET - here is what happens when the government policies on education and the impact of high stakes testing and standardisation happens to kid b.

http://vimeo.com/54229444


If you have 6 minutes - watch.  It is a powerful example of how as educators we have the power to really change and/or make a difference in the lives of the students we encounter and how the modern educator is so hamstrung by the accountability to the ever changing landscape of government policies which seem to lose sight of what is trying to be achieved.  Outcomes and accountability are all very well and good, but I am afraid that the intrinsic humanity and dignity of learning and the learners seem to get lost in the paperwork and process.  Good policy would see the right outcomes be achieved without the extraneous BS that goes with it.

Putting the soapbox in storage for a another day.

Yet

Looking at my twitter feed this morning I came across an interesting link to a fabulous article http://thetalentcode.com/2012/12/11/the-most-powerful-3-letter-word-a-parent-or-teacher-can-use/
by Daniel Coyle.

As a teacher this article resonated with me.  So many times students will position themselves as being hopeless or incapable of doing a task, succeeding at a particular academic discipline or sport.  I have often thought that when I teach students, especially in English, that it is matter of building up the students' confidence to see that they indeed are capable of reading an entire novel and understanding it; that they are indeed capable of constructing a perfectly good essay with worthy things to say; that they are indeed able to be creative and imaginative with their narrative writing.

At times, being frustrated by their negativity, I have often thought that the plaintive cries of "I can't ...." or "I not good at..." was just work avoidance.  Especially when I have heard it from the same student for the umpteenth time.  But if I truly taught from the heart and listened carefully to the student then I would see that it really was a quite of them perceiving themselves as incapable and they are crippled by self-doubt and the lack of confidence to struggle and work at the problem, seeing it as too big, too hard, and being too ill equipped - not having the skills.

So how to reframe the view; how do you get students to reposition themselves in the classroom or playing field; how do you give them the confidence to "have a go" and work towards mastery???  Especially in the face of their simple and firmly held belief  " I'm not good at ...." or "I can't ...."  And as Daniel Coyle points out - it is with the simple and powerful three letter word - YET.  "I'm not good at ..... YET".  This starts that student and teacher on a different path, and firmly foregrounds the notion that anything can be achieved but it needs effort and it needs to take time.  Those that are talented at things, don't have to work hard, and students will often measure themselves against the best.  I would not measure myself against the best swimmers in the world when I do my morning laps - because I have not worked at my skills and technique or fitness - YET - nearly enough.  And that powerful little word hints to all parties in the exchange, that it will come, if you work at it.

"As Dr Coral Dweck and her work on mindset ....(has) shown how small changes in language - even a few words - can affect performance. 
Her core insight is that they way we frame questions of talent matter hugely.  If we put the focus on "natural ability", kids tend to be less engaged on put forth less effort (often all, if it's just a genetic lottery, then why should I try?). When we put the focus on effort, however, kids try harder and are more engaged."

And as Daniel Coyle says "... because "yet" tells a clear story about the value of effort and struggle, and that story is aligned with the way the brain grows."

Working with teenagers, I feat they they could become resistant or deaf to the effect of the word "YET", but there are also other ways of reframing the viewpoint of the student who sees themselves as incapable, no good, why bother.  Acknowledge their fears, listen to them and not blithely dismiss their feelings and viewpoint countering their negativity by saying "Yes you are good at ..."  You have just dishonoured them and their dignity has taken a blow.  You might not see them as "no good at ...", but they most certainly do. For them it is a statement of fact.  Johanna Hedgardh suggested to say to the students "Ok, but if you could, how would you do it?"  They might elicit "I don't know", because the student genuinely doesn't know the first thing about how to tackle being better at.  So this is where the teacher can step in and give them the skills and confidence to start working their way towards mastery in the particular skill or subject area. 
Another way to tackle the finality of what students are saying -" I am no good at...." which is somehow supposed to be the end of the conservation - how it will always be.  YET you could also say to the student  "You're not good at it NOW, BUT ....."  which again opens up the valuing of the learning and acquiring of skills as a long-term process, of something that requires effort and then the mastery and achievement will come.  And always remember that success is measured differently for everyone.  For one student, reading an entire book is going to be a huge achievement, whereas for another, achievement will be reading the entire works of Jane Austen in a year.

As a wonderful school counsellor always used to remind the teaching staff, never underestimate the power that you words have to influence your students.

Happy New Year - Welcome 2013

Quote from To Kill a Mockingbird from Banned Books Week poster

What a lovely way to start the new year by reading a cracking book.  I have just finished Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey.  With references to To Kill a Mockingbird I thought that the image  and quote to the left was appropriate.
At times, I might take my ability to read (and read whatever I like) for granted, but if I couldn't read ever again my world would be so much more the drabber and duller.  To enter worlds and concepts with ease and to be transported to another time and place is something I cherish, yet I don't contemplate it as a privilege that some may not have.
I give thanks for living in a country which does not dictate to me what I can and can't read.  I give thanks for my free public education which engendered in me a love of reading.  I give thanks for great teacher librarians (which I can only hope to emulate) who fostered my love of learning and reading and encouraged me in all my weired and wonderful endeavours.  I remember be obsessed as a primary school student on stories of shipwrecks - despite living nearly 400 kilometres inland.  And in high school being hungry for biographies and autobiographies of every type - Nikki Lauder being a memorable read - which certainly nurtured my inner rev-head.
2012 my have been the National Year of Reading but it seems like every year needs to be the year of reading.  I hope to devote much of my free time to reading and rereading my lovely friends.  To discover and to revisit familiar and disparate worlds.
Let the reading begin.
Or as Max would have - Let the wild rumpus start!

Edgar Allen Poe

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/26/edgar-poe-house-vandalized_n_2190368.html?ir=Books&ref=topbar

Huffingtonpost Article on Edgar Allen Poe

The Writing Revolution - The Atlantic

The Writing Revolution - The Atlantic

I got my boarding Pass!

This week I was lucky enough to attend the South Western Sydney Region Teacher Librarian Conference at St Andrew's Primary School.  What a great school with a very impressive Principal and a beautiful library.

Taking off with PLANE

Katherine Hannaford, the ICT guru Teacher Librarian from Macquarie Fields High School, introduces us, to what I believe, the next big thing in teaching - Professional Learning Anywhere Anytime Network for Educators.  I have joined and am really excited about the collaborative and professional learning potential of being able to share, learn and lead across sectors, across Australia.

I have my boarding pass, ready to travel!

Connect, Communicate, Collaborate - Learning in a changing world

It is a red letter day for me.  I have finally got back to my blog after far too long.  The impetus in doing so is working with colleagues on developing ICT skills in a designated area.  How germane - it is about blogging in the classroom setting.

My "go to" starting point is Judy O'Connell and Dean Groom's great book Connect, communicate and collaborate - Learning in a changing world. Chapter Three on Writing and Reflecting is particularly informative.

As Wall and Ryan point out "Students no longer work in isolation" (Resourcing for curriculum innovation - Learning in a changing world by June Wall and Sandra Ryan) and that "Working collaboratively in all aspects of life has been acknowledged as a core element for education and employment." page 25.

"Students can use collaborative group work spaces to develop group assignments and produce material faster and with possibilities or more depth than the face-to-face mode of working on one physical document.  Wikis, shared work spaces such as Google Docs, and collaborative communication tools such as Skype enable students to reflect on team members' work and critically analyse and edit in real time" pages 25/26

Wall and Ryan highlight that" blogs, which enable sharing of ideas and resources. the comment mechanism on a blog can also be used for higher order thinking responses by either an anonymous user or a named student.  As the blog visitor reads the posts and comments, they share thoughts and information in the development of the idea or concept in the post."

Criteria for Website Evaluation - Johnson and Lamb

Criteria for Evaluation by Larry Johnson and Annette Lamb

Students need to learn to evaluate the quality of information they find on the web as well as other information resources such as books, magazines, CD-ROM, and television. Ask students to be skeptical of everything they find. Encourage them to compare and contrast different information resources. Consider the following ideas:

Authority.
Who says? Know the author.

■Who created this information and why?
■Do you recognize this author or their work?
■What knowledge or skills do they have in the area?
■Is he or she stating fact or opinion?
■What else has this author written?
■Does the author acknowledge other viewpoints and theories?

Objectivity.
Is the information biased? Think about perspective.

■Is the information objective or subjective?
■Is it full of fact or opinion?
■Does it reflect bias? How?
■How does the sponsorship impact the perspective of the information?
■Are a balance of perspectives represented?
■Could the information be meant as humorous, a parody, or satire?

Authenticity.
Is the information authentic? Know the source.


■Where does the information originate?
■Is the information from an established organization?
■Has the information been reviewed by others to insure accuracy?
■Is this a primary source or secondary source of information?
■Are original sources clear and documented?
■Is a bibliography provided citing the sources used?

Reliability.
Is this information accurate? Consider the origin of the information.

■Are the sources truth worthy? How do you know?
■Who is sponsoring this publication?
■Does the information come from a school, business, or company site?
■What's the purpose of the information resource: to inform, instruct, persuade, sell? Does this matter?
■What's their motive?


Timeliness.
Is the information current? Consider the currency and timeliness of the information.

■Does the page provide information about timeliness such as specific dates of information?
■Does currency of information matter with your particular topic?
■How current are the sources or links?

Relevance.
Is the information helpful? Think about whether you need this information.

■Does the information contain the breadth and depth needed?
■Is the information written in a form that is useable (i.e. reading level, technical level)?
■Is the information in a form that is useful such as words, pictures, charts, sounds, or video?
■Do the facts contribute something new or add to your knowledge of the subject?
■Will this information be useful to your project?

Efficiency.
Is this information worth the effort? Think about the organization and speed of information access.

■Is the information well-organized including a table of contents, index, menu, and other easy-to-follow tools for navigation?
■Is the information presented in a way that is easy to use (i.e., fonts, graphics, headings)?
■Is the information quick to access?


from http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic32.htm

The Wikipedia debate

from http://www.flickr.com/photos/octaviorojas/238466023/

It is very interesting that the debate surrounding Wikipedia in educational circles is such a hot one. As the Colbert Report "reporting" on the concept of Wikiality. This is the next edition.



So the information on-line is fragile and susceptible to manipulation but is getting rid of WIkipedia the answer when it is the "go to" source for so many of our students? Peter Macinnis has made an interesting contribution to the debate and his answer to the calls from many to "get rid of Wikipedia" in which he says

" I think the answer has more to do with training people to accept that all sources can be wrong, faulty or biased, and need checking. Further, these large-scale information systems need a straightforward mechanism to allow moderators to be alerted to blunders. And there needs to be some way of ensuring that corrections flow to downstream sites. "Peter Macinnis from http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ss/stories/s1613571.htm


Students are often going to use Google and Wikipedia as their first port of call - the starting point on their information searches. As teacher librarians it is imperative that we equip our students with the skills to use these sites in the most powerful and effective ways. Which includes skilling them with the ability to CRITICALLY evaluate the content of so many websites - including Wikipedia. Wikipedia can be powerful in giving students an extended vocabulary to take with them on further searches. The lower part of entries have links to many other sources - often other websites.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedrosz/5868197461/

So whilst students will click away to their hearts content - and if the information in front of them doesn't grab them within 10 to 15 seconds they have moved on, as teacher librarians we needs to give them the critical lenses to view all the online information they encounter so they can utilise the BEST ones for the purposes.

Howard Rheingold's Infotention - How to filter information for your needs

Kathy Schrock and the ABCs of Website Evaluation

from http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawksanddoves/325231714/

As it apparently to anyone living in the 21st century grappling with the breakneck speed of technology, that the on-line world is becoming increasingly important. As an educator you cannot discount the on-line world, students will regard you as a dinosaur who refused to learn - so how can you be taken seriously as an educator if you aren't interested in learning.

With that premise as the foundation stone - Kathy Schrock's 2002 article "Teaching Media Literacy in the Age of the Internet - The ABC'S of Website Evaluation" is a good starting point in my investigation of what to consider when gathering the relevant website for the teaching and learning needs for those in my school.

As Schrock points out "students and teachers need to be able to critically evaluate Web pages for authenticity, applicability, authorship, bias and usability."

Both Brown (2oo2) and Schrock point out that there is no editing or publishing process for information on-line in order to weed out the "substandard information".

The acquisition of digital literacy skills is dependent upon the student's ability to find information, determine its usefulness and accuracy, and utilize it effectively.

Following is the 24(!) criteria :

1. AUTHORITY - is the author a well-regarded name you recognise? Does the online document contain an biography and an email address? Are you led to additional information about the author?


2. BIAS - is it clear what organization is sponsoring the page? Is there a link to the sponsoring organisation's website? Is the page actually an ad disguised as information?


3. CITATIONS - Is there a bibliography which students can consult? Are the citations in full?


4. DATES - does the site have the date when it was created and when it was last updated? Does it provide a date when the data was collected? (currency)


5. EFFICIENCY - does the site take a long time to load? Will this create problems if a whole class is trying to access the site? Can it be used at all times with the same efficiency?


6. FALLACY - Be sure that the students can see the "top" of the website- read the author's purpose and rationale for providing the information so it is not read out of context


7. GRAPHICS - Do the graphics AID the students' understanding of the content? Do the graphics serve a clear purpose or are they just irrelevant additions?


8. HANDICAPPED ACCESS - is it possible for visually impaired users to access the information on this site? Especially to "read" the graphics software?


9. INFORMATION AVAILABILITY - do you have to pay for the information? Students should be aware of the costs involved in keeping information up-to-date.


10. JERRY - BUILT - Is the site poorly built? Is unprofessional in that it contains spelling and grammatical errors?


11. KNOWLEDGE - Schrock advises that students should have a working knowledge of the topics that they are browsing


12. LINKS - Is the site's purpose to be comprehensive or a sampler, starting point or an overview? Are the links appropriate for the intended audience's purposes and needs? What does this site provide that no other site provides?


13. MISINFORMATION - Can the content of the website be altered by anyone? Does the site contain mainly opinion or fact? Students need to be aware that there are many pranks and jokes on the Internet.


14. NAVIGABILITY - Is the site easy to navigate? Are the links easy to identify? Are the links grouped logically? Is the content well organised? Does the site have a keyword search function?


15. ONLINE RESEARCH MODELS -Does the site have models of how to research - does it help the student in the formation of their research question, search strategies and gathering of information?


16. PERTINENT Is the information pertinent to the students' needs? - Students should also be able to learn how to evaluate whether the information they find is pertinent to their purpose.


17. QUALITY OF INFORMATION - Students need to be aware of the sites that they use in the searches on topics - visit them regularly and see if the information is updated regularly.


18. REQUIREMENTS - Does the site ask for students to be registered users? Does the site require it to be accessed through a specific Internet browser? Caution should be exercised if Yes is the answer to either question.


19. SCHOLASTIC REVIEWS - Is the website reviewed by a professional periodical like SCAN? Has the site been given an award? Do other sites dealing with the topic provide links to this site? If answer is YES then it is more than likely a website of quality and useful for students' needs.


20. THEORISTS - For example, Eisenberg and Bekowitz'sBig 6 - provides sound educational framework for research and seraching for information - get students to use a theory in helping them to assess the usefulness of the information they are finding.


21. UNIQUENESS - the great advantage of websites is its ability to blend many different formats to aid students' learning


22. VERIFIABLE -Can the information on the site be verified with a reputable print source? Does the site contain citations?


23. THE FIVE Ws -Schrock has her five Ws for students to simply evaluate a web site (see below)


24. LACK OF ORGANISATION - it is important to keep in mind that the Net is not run by one company, it lack organization and you cannot consistently navigate it - not can you search everything that is on the Net all at once.
    

Much of what Schrock has listed in her article is more things to consider rather than a clearly articulated set of criteria. She has obviously distilled these ideas into her FIVE Ws which is much more useful than the rambling above list!

WHO - Who wrote the pages and are they an expert? Is a biography of the author included? How can I find out more about the author?

WHAT - What does the author say is the purpose of the site? What else might the author have in mind for the site? What makes the site easy to use? What information is included and does the information differ from other sites?

WHEN- when was the site created? When was it last updated?

WHERE - Where does the information come from? Where can I look to find out more about the sponsor of the site?

WHY - Why is this information useful for my purpose? Why should I use this information? Why is this page better than another?

From http://kathyschrock.net.abceval/5ws.pdf

Brown, J. (2002). Why Evaluate Web Information. www.ed.uiuc.edu/wp/credibility/page2.html

Schrock, K. (2002)Teaching Media Literacy in the Age of the Internet - The ABCS of Website Evaluation

Science Fiction - what to read?

by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan

http://www.flickr.com/photos/63619732@N06/5908797263/

I was sent a really interesting link from the Digital Citizenship group via Diigo.com about good Science Fiction reading suggestions - not really my preferred cup of earl grey but I need to keep in mind that fantasy and science fiction is a very much loved genre for my many reading students and I shouldn't discount it because it isn't what I normally turn to for a lovely reading indulgence.

http://www.sfgateway.com/

Critical Evaluation of Print and e-Resources

http://www.flickr.com/photos/adriarichards/3629666375/

Website evaluation is now part of the TL skill set; described by James Herring as a key activity or one of the core competencies for a TL - and that it is increasingly important that teachers and TLs become EXPERTS IN WEBSITE EVALUATION.

And as collaboration is such a fundamental part of the TL role this is an area in which sharing and working with colleagues is going to become more and more vital in order to positively influence the teaching and learning that occurs within the school setting.

Some things need to be kept in mind:

• what are the learning needs of the students and what are the desired learning outcomes?


• SPECIFICITY is key when it comes to the task of website evaluation


• Website evaluation is highly dependent upon the given CONTEXT


• TL need to focus on matching the learning needs of the students to what the websites can offer


• REMEMBER TO BE STUDENT FOCUSED

James Herring in his books Improving Students' Web Use and Information Literacy - A guide for teachers and teacher librarians (2011) Facet Publishing : London. outlines THREE important areas for website criteria and it is important to remember that when looking at websites you need to look at ALL THREE AREAS - that a judgement needs to be base don the BALANCE of criteria in relation to a particular website.

1. educational criteria - this is really the MOST IMPORTANT of all the criteria for the TL. Think about what is the purpose of the website? Is it for a student or a teacher resource? Within the class what is the range of reading levels? and comprehension levels? Does the site allow activities for student engagement and allow for differentiation? Can this site challenge students to extend themselves?


2. reliability criteria - this is quite complex but is asking Is this site reliable? Do I trust this site? The needs of the students and teachers need to be kept in mind and what the key question is based on bias? Who is the author? Do I trust the author(s)? Is the content opinion based?


3. technical criteria - this deals with how well designed the sites are? Many evaluation criteria stress the importance of technical aspects but it needs to be balanced in terms of the educational needs of the students - Are my students going to get lost in this site? Does the technical aspects of the site meet the education needs of some or all of the students?

Why life-long learning is important.

Came across this on youtube today - a great message.

ENCYCLOPEDIAS

Encyclopedias in the Web 2.0 World


Encyclopedias
Despite the redundancy of the term ‘reference work’, there are some categories of material, both in digital and print form, which retain their nomenclature on the web and which can be used by students and staff in schools. Encyclopedias fall into this category. Many school libraries will still have printed versions of encyclopedias such as World Book Encyclopedia or Encyclopedia Britannica, but the availability of online versions of these works means that it is increasingly unlikely that a TL will buy a set of encyclopedia volumes for the school library.

Online encyclopedias include a number of free encyclopaedias on the web including Encarta (http://encarta.msn.com/artcenter_/browse.html) and there is a good list of free encyclopaedias at: http://mciunix.mciu.k12.pa.us/~spjvweb/encyclopedia.html.
The newest free encyclopedia is Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page) but this is a controversial development as Wikipedia can be edited and updated by anyone. There are differing views on the value and, particularly, the accuracy of some of Wikipedia’s content. Wikipedia states that:

Wikipedia has been both praised and criticized for being open to editing by anyone. Critics claim that non-expert editing undermines quality, and that the project lacks authority … Rather than relying on the personal authority of credentialed experts, Wikipedia’s policies state that assertions should be supported by reliable, published sources – ideally, by anonymously peer reviewed publications.[5] Founder Jimmy Wales stresses that encyclopedias of any type are not usually appropriate as primary sources, and should not be relied upon as authoritative.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Wikipedia)

On a recent blog, one commentator argued that:

What Wikipedia is, is an unimaginably broad repository of community-edited documents that is generally accurate on most matters. What it is not is the final word on a subject that bears the reputation of well-known editors or publishers behind it. Sure it would be nice if Wikipedia could also have the latter characteristics but it does not; if a reader assumes that it does, the fault likes with the reader, not with Wikipedia.(http://randomratio.blogspot.com/2006/07/is-wikipedia-criticism-justified.html) ETL501 Module

What is your opinion of Wikipedia? Should TLs encourage students to use it with care or should they advise students against using Wikipedia? What is your experience of using Wikipedia in terms of its reliability and accuracy?

Wikipedia as Joyce Valenza says "shouldn't be demonised". It needs to be used as a learning tool - along with everything else on the web - so that students become web learners - rather than web users (as Herring states in his book - the textbook for this subject) Students and Internet browsers in general will find themselves in the "ubiquitous" domains of google and wikipedia. I read a very interesting article
http://informationr.net/ir/16-2/paper476.html about how wikipedia searches are actually used.
Essentially it states that wikipedia is excellent for social and cultural references - which is what it is mainly used for by the majority of users.

So much of the discussion that takes place about the evils or otherwise of wikipedia amongst colleagues and acquaintances is in the realm of anecdotes - I suppose we have to wait for more research to catch up with practice.

When I taught "Wikipedia" to student in Year 12 Standard English for the HSC Module C - Global Village, we talked about the radical philosophy which underpins the site - which is very 21c - collaborative, dynamic, fluid AND certainly unsettling to digital immigrants. It is often criticised by those who have their hegemony challenged.

That being said, I did stress to students, as I was encouraged as a student pre-digital web 2.0 - to question everything. The temptation to just "accept as true" what appears on the screen is passive and dangerous. Students, in fact everyone, need to be critical. Ask if the opposite could be true - and if it can't then maybe it has veracity? But wikipedia CANNOT be the one stop shop that so many people use it as; ultimately the user needs to take responsibility of how they use the information they access. The user needs to verify from "other sources" in ensure that it is "definitely fact" or "definitely fiction". As many people find - it is a great place to start the learning journey - a good start for some background information to then move onto to other sources information. It can be utilised as a learning tool, as long as users are aware of its accuracy and reliability may not be as "stable" as other sources.

REFERNCE MATERIAL

Reference Material

The world of school libraries and publishing has moved away from such concepts and, in terms of material on the web, the term ‘reference work’ is now as redundant as is the idea of ‘borrowing’.

James Herring contends that reference work is a now as redundant as is the idea of of "borrowing". On the surface this seems a somewhat provocative statement. I had students ask for the encyclopedias the other day. I must admit that I was surprised that they weren't using on-line sources to find the information. I had dismantled the stack that used to contain all the reference books and shifted the majority of them so that they were "inter-shelved". Atlases, dictionaries and a couple of sets of encyclopedias all got their own trolley. I felt somewhat vindicated when the students wheeled the encyclopedias over to the desks they were working at. I had the idea of taking "the mountain to Mohamed" and it actually worked. Yay for me!


should we abandon the idea of ‘reference material’ altogether? Or should the term be kept only for non-borrowable print resources in the library?

I suppose I am conservative by nature, and I do struggle with the concept of abandoning the idea of "reference material" altogether. If we had a black out - the students could still find information with the print resources. And for some inexplicable reason, these students wanted the print version. That being said, I am reluctant to spend the precious and limited library budget on replacing the ever 'out-dated' reference books. One particularly pushy World Book seller would love to see me fork out nearly nearly half of my budget on the "latest" versions of these American-centric publications. Don't get me wrong, they have their place, but I think it might now be becoming a place in the basket of "diminishing returns".

So the term non-borrowable print resources does seem to be more specific and relevant to what is the purpose of the these materials. However, the concept of referring to something - using a reference book - is an important concept which could somehow get lost if you more to what feels like a more politically correct term. Even though it isn't really politically correct - it is just trying to be more clear and descriptive of the practice in the library. So again, I am seem to be erring on the side of keeping the term "reference material". Or should I get with the program?

Now if you take the idea that a reference material should one in which the information should be found quickly - often the beauty of these books before the Internet- a good one stop shop, alphabetised source which could give you clear, succinct information on a topic.
According to wikipedia A reference work is a compendium of information, usually of a specific type, compiled for ease of reference. That is, the information is intended to be quickly found when needed.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reference_work)
And that is EXACTLY what looking up wikipedia does - in a nanosecond - compared to hauling a book off the shelf, turning pages, working out the alphabetical system and finding correct page. There is no hyperlinks to related articles which take you STRAIGHT THERE. Instead you might have to haul another heavy tome off the shelf and go through the same "laborious" process. I know which method the students prefer. And I would too if I was time poor or stressed out by so many assignments. But calling these materials the "non-borrowable print resources" may make the concept of citing, attributing and "referencing sources" that little bit harder. I think that the 21c learner can cope with the "old" and the "new" quite easily. I understand that the accepted practice is so entirely different from that of last centuries, but I don't think the art of look up reference books should be lost.

Students should be aware that before wikipedia - this is what an encyclopedia looked like. And the differences - print was inflexible, finite, out of date as soon as it was printed, authoritative writers usually academics and peer reviewed in some cases. In comparison the on-line 21c web 2.0 iteration of the encyclopedia is flexible, infinite, collaborative, constantly updating, everyone contributes their expertise - but can be vandalised and at times not as authoritative.

A Model for Managing an excellent school

Beare, H., Caldwell, B. J., & Millikan, R. H. (1989). A model for managing an excellent school. In Creating an excellent school : some new management techniques. (pp. 125-150). London : Routledge.

This article is over twenty years old, and establishes itself with the purpose of creating a model of Managing an excellent school. A worthy intent. It outlines that leadership is required, policies need to be formulated, priorities set, plans made, resources allocated along with "systematic appraisal of the programme". p 125. All fundamental requirements which seem very hard to argue against. So if twenty years ago Beare et. al. were earnestly writing about school improvement and excellence - why is that this still isn't being achieved in every school?

Perhaps the previous reading by Bennett (2001) suggests that there are essential aspects of the paradigm which are being overlooked - structures, culture and power.

21c educators would agree that any organisation or learning community needs to be founded upon the sharing of the same values or mission. This why school formulate values statements and policies are crucial to establishing and articulating the clear purpose and values that each member of the organisation holds in order to achieve the purpose the organisation was created to do. In schools' case - that is to educate the students in the care.

The aim of collaborative decision making is a noble and worthy one - which in reality gets hi-jacked by external factors of legislation and being in a sector which is impacted upon by so many government decisions and electoral cycles. The pace of change for those working in educator is increasing and the lack of funding is almost now a given, with the accountability of each role with the sector ratcheting up daily - or least that is what it feels like. As much as everyone working within a learning community would love to partake in collaborative decision making - it very rarely becomes a reality. Schools function in a manner which runs counter to the giving of individual teachers the "responsibility and authority in determining the exact means by which the address the problem of increasing academic performance." (p. 126) This does not and cannot happen because of the multitude of structures and cultures in place which prevent it. If teacher says I would like to spend a whole term focusing on blah - the curriculum and external examination intervene, the over crowded curriculum and the time poor practitioners are going to say - it can't be done.

Grant Beare et. al suggest that for the five factors they have identified for managing an excellent school

1. purposing






2. values






3. school-site management and collaborative decision-making






4. leadership density






5. institutionalising the vision

then MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE will need to occur. DERRRR! So how do you ensure that they change that you want to institute is going to be successful??? These are generally described as "school improvement", "school effectiveness" or "teacher effectiveness".

Four preconditions are written in red, the rest are factors

1. leadership






2. school autonomy






3. staff cohesiveness






4. good programme / fit






5. power-sharing - tend occur after major decisions about programmes but critical for success






6. rewards for staff - empowerment of staff was important






7. visions






8. control over staffing






9. control over resources






10. staff willingness/initiative






11. evolutionary programme development - or "a strong bias towards steady adaptation"






12. external networks - both internal and external networks meant needs of the school could be met, sustained working towards success.






13. coping - with problems 'was important if implementation was to be successful"






14. 'good implementation'






15. institutionalisation






16. organisational change

Beare et.al. recommend the Collaborative School Management Cycle of Caldwell and Spinks (1988). The cycle has six phases (see pp 133 - 135)

• goal-setting and needs identification






• policy-making, with policies consisting of statements of purpose and broad guidelines






• planning of programmes






• preparation and approval of programme budgets






• implementing






• evaluating
  

In the Collaborative School Management Cycle the policy group looks after

• goal-setting and needs identification






• Policy-making - purpose and broad guidelines






• approval of budgets






• evaluating (shared with programme teams)

the programme teams looks after

• planning of programmes






• preparation of budgets






• implementing of programmes






• evaluating (shared with policy group)

Beare et.al. feel that a "feature of the model which provides for power-sharing with a "critical mass" of actively engaged people and "leadership density". ... The model thus affords a framework wherein a school can exercise control over the allocation of resources, subject to the limits of school autonomy." p 135.

It was found through studies conducted in Tasmania and South Australia that "highly effective schools ... had adopted approaches to resource allocation which involved a clearly identifiable and systematic approach to matching resources to educational goals and students needs, with opportunities for staff and often community involvement in the process." p. 136

Beare et. al. place heavy emphasis upon the need for "vision for excellence" within the examples of excellent school and that this vision rests in the principal in most cases. That the principal can be solely responsible for the excellence of a school is probably true in some cases, and the importance of leadership cannot be understated in this cases. But to diminish the contributions of everyone else within the learning community is somewhat harsh. And it would lead to what Bennett would describe as "alienative compliance" in the worst cases (those particularly resistant and resentful) or instrumental compliance (those who are only doing it because they have to, they might agree that it is correct!) where as the leadership should be aiming for cognitive compliance which rises out of commitment to the changes that are being implemented. "Accomplishing ...change of attitude is the essence of transforming leadership and the hallmark of excellence" p. 137 Which according to Beare et. al. can be achieved through 'use of rewards, choice of language and careful attention to design of activities such as school ceremonies" Whilst all this is built upon an commonly held philosophy. In my experience, the commonly held philosophy is tacitly agreed upon but very rarely debated and enunciated to the point where everyone agrees. Possibly this is where school run into difficulty of creating the change to achieve the vision - everyone's idea of the the vision and how to achieve is different - meaning that people are rarely pulling together in the same direction.

Beare et. al. posit that goals need to reflect the vision and philosophy of the learning community AND everyone is the committed to these goals. An important aspect is identification of needs - this is where there is a shortfall in desired outcomes or resources to achieve those desired outcomes. "The discrepancy between what is and what ought to be." p 139. Once those needs have been identified then this feeds into setting of priorities.

Once the need has been identified then policy-making can be instituted where the policy acts as a statement of purpose or can be guidelines on how the purpose can be achieved. p 139

Simple policy documentation can take place when the non-contentious issue (there exists general satisfaction with current practice) with an agreed format - normally no longer than one A4 page - describing the guideline, free of jargon.

More complex policy documentation takes place when contentious issues need to have clear guidelines and agreed upon practices implemented. This should be developed through the working party (a representative body of those stakeholders and those with expertise in the area). The desired outcome is consensus on a policy which is both desirable and feasible. p. 140

Once policies are in place, priorities set, then PLANNING can start (corporate, strategic, programme, curriculum, instructional etc) - which is a continuous process which links goal-setting, policy-making, short and long term planning, budgeting and evaluation. p 140

• corporate planning - often for three years, whole school in nature, strategies for achieving the desired outcomes and priority to be assigned to each initiative




• strategic planning - an aspect of corporate planning - involves assessment of needs, identification of desired outcomes and assignment of priorities




• programme and curriculum and instructional - specialised planning involved often with external factors which dictate changes to be incorporated - for example, the implementation of the national curriculum and its impact on the classroom programme and curriculum offered at the school




• programme planning - how a programme is to be implemented




• curriculum planning - detailed specification of intended learning experiences




• instructional planning - how the individual classroom teacher will carry out the programme and curriculum requirements.

Beare points out that planning present many opportunities for empowerment of staff and "leadership density". p. 144

Budgeting is of course an important part of the model for managing an excellent school but it does often feel that for the individual working at the coal face - from the principal down ,there is little influence that can be made in terms of the budget. Increasing educational needs of students have to be met with seemingly ever-decreasing pots of money - or pots of money which have strings attached. This obviously only increases the importance of planning the use of the monies in a school to best meet the identified needs and ensure that each student receives the best bang for the educational buck that is allocated to them by external parties - IE the government if you are in a state school.

Evaluation is not a discrete activity carried out in isolation from other phases of management. p 148. Evaluation can be done regularly, annually or in three - five year cycles - but an appropriate time-framed cycle for the type of evaluating being undertaken needs to be instituted. Depending on the extent of the evaluation - a unit of work - a single to couple of teachers, to major evaluation - needs to be have representative group associated with the process including members of the policy group.

All very straightfoward, very noble and worthy and all happening in schools to a large extent - but models are fine in theory. What happens when you try to put them into practice - you come up against individuals who can wield their personal power to either help or hinder the process of managing change to achieve the goal of an excellent school. What this article and model doesn't really take into account is what Bennett discusses in his article -and there is too much reliance on the leadership from the mangagement of the school being able to garner the support and commitment from the rest of the school staff to achieve the changes needed. Too much of a wing and prayer for my liking. Beare et. al. say that the model should be consistent with "outstanding leadership" - what happens if the "outstanding leadership" isn't there. And yet power-sharing is a key component of the model they put forward - it seems counter-intutitive to place so much importance on the leadership of the principal yet want to have the horizontal organizational power-sharing structure to achieve the goals.

Bennett (2001) Organisational Theory - Part II

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bask/157502263/















































STRUCTURES AS DYNAMIC ENTITIES, REFLECTING POWER DISTRIBUTION.





Bennett outlines four main structural aspects in an organization:

1. physical structures




2. work structures




3. task structures




4. impact of external factors on structures

PHYSICAL STRUCTURES - are "deliberately constructed to organise what work is done and how it is done" p 104 - Libraries maybe open planned and therefore the structuring of the work carried in them will be impacted by the physical building.

WORK STRUCTURES - "... influence the way that organizational members do their work and the colleagues with whom they have to interact on a formal, work-related, non-social basis." p. 104 In schools this applies to students and staff alike. Roll Call or pastoral care system maybe organized horizontally or vertically, dictating what year groups or cohort interact, when and how.

TASK STRUCTURES - "... relates to the responsibilities that individuals discharge and the tasks they carry out." Job descriptions are a good example of how tasks are structured within an organization. JOB DESCRIPTIONS define responsibilities and tasks and managerial accountability, organizational charts demonstrates the inter-relationship of the jobs and tasks within an organization. Job descriptions can be proscriptive - strict procedures, rules and protocols outlines within them - which can kill off dynamism and become inflexible or rigid. Inherent value of the particular task/job is outline with the monetary reward for the job within the organization. (VALUE) - Bennett then flirts with the debate over performance-based pay for teachers - again something that I am not a fan of - it didn't in the cases I saw in England - philosophical sound, very hard to make practicable.

STRUCTURAL RESPONSES TO EXTERNAL FACTORS

Legal, (OH&S, Child Protection) for example provide formal constraints with which organizations such as school need to comply.

Legislative - Teaching awards - pay scales, accreditation etc NAPLAN, HSC and SC external examinations etc.

"Organizational structures only start to have any meaning when they relate to individual actions." p. 106 ... the significance of organizational structure for organizational members lies in the ways in which they define their relations with colleagues and the arenas within which they are able to make decisions"

"Structures, then, both create and are created by power relationship. They are dynamic: simultaneously static and fluid, fixed and changing." (p. 107)

The concept of POWER. Bennett takes it to be dependent on two things:

1. how central the individual is to the issue under consideration and the decision that has to be taken




2. the extent to which the structure allow the freedom to decide how to act in response (discretion)

What do individuals bring to the situation?

• cognitive knowledge - possible actions which could be taken




• an affective valuation of the situation - judgement




• 'cathectic sense of how we ourselves related to the situation - our role




• directive sense of being required to make a decision - what to do?

Young (1981) calls this our "assumptive world" - an active and continuous process - which is yet just another dynamic piece of the organizational puzzle.

CULTURES AS DYNAMIC ENTITIES, REFLECTING POWER DISTRIBUTION

What is organizational culture? "the way we do things around here", "shared values and norms", "the way an organization solves problems and achieves goals and maintains itself".

Schein (1992) includes within an organization's culture what members believe their work involves and requires and the consequent organizational decisions that result both structural and physical.

All this is quite pertinent to the role of the TL. How the TL perceives their role within the learning community will of course impact on the physical structuring of the library and the manner in which work and task structures are responded to under or within the constraints of the external factors.

Culture as distinctive rather than integrative - Bennett believes that the culture of an organization CAN be the distinguishing factor, as it is unique. Its advantages is that it can give more room for variation and allows members of the organization to "buffer" themselves against influences which they they disapprove - in education, especially the public system, this is more often than not external factors. (page 108)

EXTERNALLY GENERATED NORMS

The norms and rules which dictate those who work within the education sector are partly derived from, according to Bennett, "the concept of the work in which the organization is engaged." So to many within and without the learning community - the core business is clear - to improve the students' educational achievements. This understandings begins in the outside community - is often scrutinised quite closely and definitely held accountable by the various stakeholders, parents, public and politicians. Culture of any organization is therefore a CONSTRUCT, made by internal and external factors. Structures and cultures for any organization can deliver FREEDOM or CONSTRAINTS. Structures create the paradigm of Freedom or Constraint - the individual with react to those freedoms or constraints THEREBY creating the CULTURE.

WHERE DO THE EXPECTATIONS THAT DEFINE LEGITIMATE ACTION COME FROM AND HOW DO THEY BECOME APART OF THE ASSUMPTIVE WORLDS OF EACH ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBER? These need to be answered in order for any real progress to be made in the area of school effectiveness research or school improvement. Bennett contends that it isn't happening as the fundamental premise of the research being undertaken.

TWO VIEWS OF POWER AS SOURCES OF NORMS: HEGEMONY AND DISCIPLINE

Hegemony (Gramsci 1971 and Lukes 1974) as a concept rests on the idea that domination and control rest simultaneously on both coercion and consent. Or "the active consent of dominated groups" (Clegg 1989) which needs to be "generated and sustained." p. 109 Organizations which are significant in "generating this active consent" are the Church, schools, trade unions and mass media. p. 109.

Disciplinary power (Foucault 1977) "emphasizes the way in which state apparatuses are at work to control not just how individuals act but how they think" p. 110 which has been developed through "techniques of surveillance" where the power is "derived ... in the potential to observe, and thence, to discipline and punish misbehaviour." Clegg (1989) uses religious rules and systems to illustrate the ways in which norms and rituals become part and parcel of the manner in which "disciplinary power is exercised". Importantly, Foucault's view of power is that "it does not see power as negative", relating power to view of self-discipline, where structures and cultures can be empowering for an individual, in order for them to be productive.

Burrell (1998) says that "power resides in a network of interconnected relationships." So for Bennett "It is through the day-to-day working out of these 'minute and diffuse power relations' that our organizational members' assumptive worlds are formed and influenced." p. 111 To continue Bennett's rather glass half full analysis of Foucault and discipline - personal power can be perceived as something that a member of an organization can wield in every aspect of their day-to-day job. It is obviously dependent on many factors but to see oneself as having power to exert influence, no matter how small must feel much more positive then feeling like a beast of burden being exploited by THE MAN on a daily basis.

POWER AND THE CREATION OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

Bennett sees structures operating through relationships and if relationally, within any organization "minute and diffuse power relations exist" then power connects to organizational cultural as a given. Or logically. There does, however, need to be an explanation of the establishing and maintenance of the values and norms of the organization. Schein (1992) the values and norms are initially derived from the founder. As Bennett points out "these views of culture creation and maintenance as a deliberate activity invest particular individuals with a great deal of power to direct the actions and behaviours of others."p. 111

Bennett (2001) Organisational Theory

Bennett, N. (2001). Power, structure and culture : an organizational view of school effectiveness and school improvement. In Harris & N. Bennett (Eds.), School effectiveness and school improvement : alternative perspectives (pp.98-112). London : Continuum.

Bennett's basic premise for this chapter is that organizational theory can provide insights for schools and the ways in which to improve themselves, but this is often overlooked. The process of school improvement is often seen in terms of change of culture and then the problems will be fixed. Whereas the fundamental aspect - that schools are by the very nature organisations is overlooked and the academic fields writing on school improvementand organisational theory very rarely coincide and tend to be separate fields of endeavour. Bennett suggests that there needs to be a sharper focus on seeing connections between the two fields.

Just as with the attempt to nail down a definition of information literacy, it seems that the academics have "no clearly agreed view of what an organization is, nor how it should be analyzed". p.99. Given this claim, is it any wonder that the school improvement camp haven't really want to get into bed with the organizational theory mob!

Scott (1987) has three basic organizational systems identified:

1. Rational systems - characterized by "highly formalised social structure"






2. Natural systems - characterized by the "sharing of a common goal'






3. Open systems - characterized by being "strongly influence by their environment", negotiated goals and/or coalition or interdependence with inputs - process - outputs model

According to Bennett "the school effectiveness movement rests on a rational open systems model". p 99

Bennett posits that "this makes it easy to see the process of educational activity as one of "adding value" to the "raw material" of the input". Possibly statements like these are the very reason why the two branches of research rarely intersect - for those with the effectiveness of educational organizations at the core of their vocation - this is an odious goal. Working in England during the early 2000s has given me a healthy aversion to the educational application of statements such valuing adding. Having students in your class AND the pay bonuses your receive at the end of the academic year dependent upon statistical analysis (solely upon this in the case of the pay bonus) was anathema to why I become a teacher. And yes Bennett wrote this in 2001 and talks about the debate over the "fairness of government league tables". The Daily Telegraph readers in the UK might think that league tables for schools is a good thing - try working in a school that is under OFSTED special measures or in a school that has an OFSTED report which suggests that if you value your child's life and education you want NEVER contemplate sending them to that school. As a teacher working under those perceptions it makes the primary focus of improvement the educational outcomes of your students nigh on impossible some days. My three years working the UK state school system was an eye opener and it is sad to see that Australia hasn't learnt from the mistakes of the Blair/Gordon government.

Removing emotion from the examination of schools as organizations - you can see why the RATIONAL OPEN SYSTEM is the model that the school effectiveness movement have hit open. The basic attributes of schools are:

• schools' raw material - the students they receive each academic year






• possesses a formalized social structure - for both staff and students this can be quite rigid






• emphasis on a limited set of measurable outputs - NAPLAN, School Certificate and HSC results - school reports feed into this as well






• lack of emphasis on process-related issues

Bennett outlines that with the OPEN SYSTEMS view of schools and colleges - analysis of the learning community to ascertain where improvement can be made may need to

• stress a process as much as a product (TEACHING AND LEARNING)




• stress the interdependence of different parts of the organization (structure) which can be fluid and dynamic (FLEXIBILITY, COLLABORATION)



• stress the interdependence of organizations (WORKING WITHIN BROADER SYSTEMS AND CONTEXT)



• stress the need to keep the organization in a "reasonably stable condition" (HARD UNDER CERTAIN POLITICAL CLIMATES???!!!)



• stress the importance of each part of the organization is kept informed of what is going on elsewhere that might affect its work (COMMUNICATION)



• see that organizations should be seen as STATIC forms but as DYNAMIC PROCESSES.



• see the organization as being possessed of members rather than tasks - more organic in which members see the organization as having the capacity to adapt and grow in relation to its environment

Bennett demonstrate that if writers focus upon RATIONAL/TECHNICIST view of organizations emphasis the following:

• detailed task specification



• routinized work



• uniform procedures and consistency



• see management as oversight - ensuring that routines are correctly adhere to and procedures (not processes) are followed



• quality control rather than quality assurance



• see the organization as being possessed of tasks rather than members - in which members of the organization see change being instituted by management decisions (an activity rather than a collaborative process)

Bennett suggests that despite which view of organizational theory you follow there are "certain basic propositions about organizations that would probably gain widespread acceptance " p 101 Organizations:

• have members;



• have a purpose, which gives rise to both the core tasks of the organization and the technology or technologies through which it is carried out;



• have to acquire and retain resources;



• required some sort of structure through which to ensure that the tasks are carried out and the purpose met.



• are both identifiably similar and different - something makes one distinguishable from another.

MEMBERS

Fundamentally - members ARE the organization.

School could be classified as "total organizations" (those which key members had not choice over membership or right to leave). Certainly in the climate of the raised school leaving age - with the "captured" students who are trapped at school until they are 17 - would certainly argue that schools are "total organisations".

Membership to the organization can often be enunciated through rules and regulations to which the members have to adhere. In schools these are articulated in very tangible ways for both students and staff - code of conduct is oft cited in New South Wales Department of Education school and just watch for the eye rolling when you bring up the subject of school rules - classroom, playground, uniform or otherwise with students.

Rules and regs can take the form of:

1. informal norms



2. informal expectations



3. officially sanctioned norms and expectations



4. whole organization (universal)



5. limited to specific tasks or areas of work

PURPOSE

"Schein (1992) points out that organizations are artefact's: human creations, not naturally occurring phenomena" p 102 "In addition, organization purposes, tasks and technologies may be influenced, if not indeed defined, by agencies external to the organization itself."p.102 Anyone working in modern educational systems would resonate with that statement. Education is a political hot button issue which invariably becomes a foundational plank in any political party's mandate to be elected. Policy initiatives are then required to be undertaken by school, which often rarely gets a say in the agenda setting process.

Also - "schools are widely recognizable within and indeed across societies and those that do not conform to those wider institutional norms come under enormous pressure to do so." p. 102 - being a political football is another side issue!

RESOURCES

"... often understood as either financial resources or as "raw material" to be processed. ...range of expertise that can be purchased within the financial resources that are obtained. .... include members ..." p.102

Looking are resources from a dispassionate angle, they can be costly or cheap (depending on availability), skills, knowledge and expertise are all resources which can be financially acquired, used effectively and efficiently OR NOT depending on the output of the organisation.

STRUCTURE AND TASKS

tasks = fulfilling the purposes of the organization

structure = created to exploit its resources so as to deliver the activities involved in fulfilling its purposes

"Structures imply that tasks and responsibilities are allocated and that resources reach the right place at the right time" p. 103

Structures all mean members are influenced or directed, and ACCOUNTABILITY.

"Mechanistic views of organizations see structures as fixed, static entities that only change as a result of specific decisions by those who control them" p. 103

"Organic views see structures as capable of developing in an almost living way." p. 103

Bennett remind us that "structures only function because of the actions of the organizational members who work they shape. Membership can change and with it the ways in which the structure operate. Purposes can change, as can what is externally defined as legitimate, and these can affect the structuring of the core task. Technologies available to members in discharging those core tasks can also develop, placing structures under pressure."

So how does this relate to being a TL in a school. A TL can be central to the teaching and learning context if the structures within the school allow it be so, the members of the school (students and teaching staff) see as a place in which teaching and learning can take place. If membership changes - new year group needs to be enculturated into the ways of the library, and new staff need to see that the library and TL are important and helpful in their core purpose. Purpose can change - the principal may determine new roles for the TL or cut the library program altogether (it happened in LA!) and of course, the ever-changing technologies all impact on the organization structure of schools and libraries - as TLs we need to adapt the structures to the new technologies - easier said than done. As Bennett contends "Structures, then, should be seen as dynamic entities, even when there is no change apparently taking place." p 103.