I have been wondering about what the role of the librarian is? This is actually a hard question, some people might answer that they don’t think its changed, the role remains the same. I would argue that those people have libraries that have not adapted and changed with the world we live in. Some might argue that their is no longer a role for the librarian. I would again disagree, I believe the role is so much more now. So where do I stand? Librarianship as we know it has changed . It has changed as the mediums of information distribution of changed. It has changed as the speed of information growth has increased, it has changed as the access to online media has become increasingly ubiquitous. Therefore the role of the librarian has to change. The Librarian is still the curator, but they have three key roles or features of their craft. They are the: Media Expert Ethicist Scholar So what do I mean by each of these different roles. The Many roles of the librarian Curator - Maintaining the real and virtual space, the mediums and materials,the processes and standards that underpin the library as a center of learning and information. Critical to this role is the: Media Expert, they have expertise in many different forms of Media, both the traditional book style format and the varied digital media Written Media - Book "style" media mediums paper based  - books, journals, magazines etc electronic - ebooks roles access - they know where to access these resources, whether this is by ordering from the national library or such institutions order/purchase/archive/disposal - they can manage the lifecycle of the resources from discovery to acquisition to disposal Retrieve and distribute - they are able to distribute these resources review/validate - they are considered and critical about the veracity and validity of the resources organise - they can organise in what ever required form or process the materials Other Media mediums Audio visual - video, film, television, radio, podcast, vodcast, online media (youtube, clickview, teachertube etc) internet based - webstes, encyclopedia etc Video conferencing- accessing primary  sources roles access schedule and record - where applicable they can schedule and appropriate record and archive materials order/purchase/archive/disposal Retrieve and distribute review/validate organise Ethicist - The Librarians second key role is that of the ethicist. They understand the complexities of ownership, attribution, copyright, fair use, creative commons and intellectual property. They support and assist in the development of suitable ethical practice, acting as role models, guides and facilitators Information fluency leader (see http://fluency21.com) asking good questions acquire suitable resources - online and off line, primary and secondary sources analyse - validity, accuracy, reliability apply - apply to learning experience/opportunity assess - debrief, assessing process and accuracy Copyright understand copyright law, intellectual property, ownershipand attribution apply ethical principles appropriately understand fair use, and apply this Creative Commons liciencing accessing publishing Acknowledging Bibliography APA MLA other Scholar - The librarian also has a scholarship role. Understanding adn supporting inquiry, promoting and teaching process working with curriculum leaders, teachers, students and parents to support learning. Applying their diverse skills to maximise the learning opportunities Understand the inquiry process - embedding this into everyday practice and process Deep understanding of and assisting in the development of information fluency Linking to curriculum areas planning for units of learning order suitable resources at suitable levels in suitable mediums support the learning process asking good questions acquiring suitable resources analysing validity applying it to learning assessing supporting the development of units of learning reviewing Understanding of current stock, physical and electronic - able to apply to clients learning requirements, age, interest Understanding of search engines, databases etc. able to apply understanding in age appropriate modes This isn’t a role that is limited to the physical confines of teh library. That is an artifical limitation that is, I believe, self imposed. It is a role that touch all aspects of teaching and learning. IS this a complete list? IS it a job description? No, but its my thoughts on a starting place for what a librarian is… What have I missed? How many people would say they are already doing all of this and more?

Its that time of the year again when staff and schools roll out examinations as a way of assessing the students learning. Examinations are a useful tool in summative assessment, but of course they are not the only tool in the tool kit. I have been thinking about the advice I give to staff about examinations to support them in making these assessments as useful and beneficial as possible. My first question would be "do you need an examination? are there better ways of assessing the learning and development of the student?" the answer is invariably yes to both questions. Often we are required to use examination as a tool of assessment and yes there may be better ways but this is one of the ways we have been told to use. The next piece of advice is this… Write the examination and the mark scheme simultaneously. To often we write a question and discover after its gone to print that its unanswerable, beyond the scope of learning, too simple, too hard or is not identifying the aspect of learning we wanted it to. If you can’t write the answer as you develop the question how are your students meant to. Do my marking descriptors allow the students to achieve or have I written them in such a way to mean a student can only achieve in one way? Am I limiting the students to a low grade by the criteria I have written, is it a "they ahve to do this and this and this and this and this….." and if they miss out on one point they have failed even if they show higher level understanding. Does the question allow the student to show depth and extent of learning? This obviously does not apply to multi-choice or bubble test questions, but does the question allow the student to demonstrate their depth and breadth of understanding to show a progression from… Identify -> Outline -> Describe -> Explain -> Analyse -> Evaluate Am I expecting the students to be multi-lingual? Do my students have to understand two languages - the language of assessment and the language of my subject. How many of my students are lost before they have started because they do not understand the language of assessment. If I was to ask what is the difference between describe and explain would they know? My students are provided with definitions of the assessment terms on the cover of their examination - Outline - give a brief account; Describe - give a detailed account;   Explain - give a detailed account including causes, reasons or mechanisms. and so on Are the questions structured and balanced? is there an appropriate balance between lower order thinking and higher order thinking in the number of questions. Lower order command terms Higher order command terms state, list, outline, describe, explain, annotate, define, calculate evaluate, analyse, judge, critique, compare, contrast, formulate, construct, discuss, justify, to what extent I ask my colleagues to proof my examination. I ask them to please ask these questions as they are working through the examinations. •    Does it make sense? •    Does it suit the audience? •    Does it flow from lower order to higher order questions? from topic to topic? •    What is the purpose of the task, question or instruction? Does it show the learning outcomes? •    Does the weighting match the complexity of the task? •    Is it achievable? allow the students to show excellence? •    Is the examination manageable and realistic for the time frame? •   Is the coverage of the examination suitable in terms of the students learning  

Educause publishes a series of useful resources for administrators and teachers. Here are their latest offerings: http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/7-things-you-should-know-about-connected-learning - One of the critical skills universally identified for thriving in the 21st Century is the ability to communicate and collaborate. http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/7-things-you-should-know-about-infographic-creation-tools I love infographics and the research about our brains ability to process images and develop meaning from these back up their use. http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/7-things-you-should-know-about-video-communication Video conferencing is no longer the domain of the special few with the expencive equipment. Tools like Skype for education, which allows multi person video conferencing for free for educators are change this. http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/7-things-you-should-know-about-makerspaces - this is an interesting one - this isn’t so much about a technology but about a physical space that enables the use of technology for all users - a must read for anyone investigating libraries, multi purpose spaces etc. These resources are slightly older but are very useful for teaching IT theory or providing accessible PL resources for teachers http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/7-things-you-should-know-about-ipv6 7 things you should know about IP version 6 - this is the new IP protocol that is being gradually being implemented http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/7-things-you-should-know-about-mobile-app-development This is a briefing paper on mobile application development - we only have to look at the rapid emergence of tablets and broad acceptance of smartphones to see the relevance of this. http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/7-things-you-should-know-about-agile-development Agile project management is a very useful approach to the development of software and IT based projects (its not the only one though). This is a useful resource for this.

I am currently working on a set of workshops where I am using the Literacy - Augmentative-transformative model of technology use to frame up use of iPads in a classroom. I am currently looking at Augmentative or integrating technologies. Augmentative or integrative use of technology is often described as "Teaching with technology". In this use of technology the student replaces traditional approaches with an equivalent digital version. A simple test to apply to see if the use of technology is Augmenting or transforming learning. Does the use of technology reinforce, augment or substitute for a traditional teaching approach? The key question here is "Can we do this without technology?" If the answer is Yes, then this is augmentative or integrating. I have grabbed some common classroom activities from a wiki page I developed and attempted to update the tools for the iPad. What am I missing? Traditional Approach Digital Approach Possible applications Note Taking - Hand written notes Digital Notes, word processing, speech to text Apple Pages, QuickOffice, Notes, Chapters, GoDocs(connects to google documents) , Evernote (requires internet connection), Google Drive, Notebooks,Notetaker HD, Concepts, OneNote.  Minute mate, Siri - voice to text (iPad 3 or higher) See mind mapping tools Mind map, brainstorm Mind map, brain storm, graphical organisers iThoughts HD, inspirations (lite and purchased version) Poplet, Prezi for iPad, MindMeister (free and paid version) Formal Writing Word processing, Desktop publishing, collaborative documents Apple Pages, QuickOffice, Notes, Chapters, Google Drive, GoDocs(connects to google documents) , Book Creator (creates iBooks), Evernote (requires internet connection), Notebooks Drafting process Word processing, collaborative documents Apple Pages, QuickOffice, Notes, Chapters, GoDocs(connects to google documents) , Book Creator (creates iBooks), Evernote (requires internet connection), Notebooks Formal Communications - letters etc Word processing, collaborative documents, electronic mail Mail, Apple Pages, QuickOffice, GoDocs(connects to google documents) Research - secondary text based research from reference books, newspapers journals & magazines Internet based research, online publications and news subscriptions, Dictionaries, search engines Search engines via web browsers like Safari, Chrome, Rover (Supports flash), Opera, Atomic Web Browser, Puffin (Supports flash). Search Apps - Google Search. Reference resources - Dictionary, Dictionary.com, Wikipedia mobile, Wikihood, Brain pop, iTunes U etc Processing data Spreadsheets, calculators iWork Numbers, QuickOffice, GoDocs, Google Drive, Calculator Presenting information Slideshow, video, cartoon, poster, wiki, webpage, Desktop publishing, word processing, ebook, timelines Google Drive, Keynote, Prezi for iPad, GoDocs, QuickOffice, Educreations, Explain everything, Poplet, Book Creator, Storyrobe DTP - Pages. Comic creation Comic Life, Comicstrip, Puppet Pals, Sock Puppets Diary and journal Process journal Calendar, iprocrastinate, OneNote,Schoolbook, Apple Pages, QuickOffice, Notes, Chapters, GoDocs(connects to google documents) ,  Google Drive, Notebooks,Notetaker HD, Concepts, Time management calendar, scheduling application Calendar mathematical processes Spreadsheets, calculators, reference material, drill apps iWork Numbers, QuickOffice, GoDocs, Google Drive, Calculator, Mathboard, imathematics, FormulasHD, Fieldprotractor, mathletics, Rover (web browser with matheltics built in), minds of Math, operation math, iTunes U, Math Machine

Its been a while since I have had time to do anything creative and even publish a blog post. But here is something I have been dabbling with. iPad Speak Selection Feature - How to Video speak selection This video looks at the Speak Selection feature in the iPads Operating system. Great feature and very useful as a tool for our students. Recommendation: - Make sure they use headphones

Have you just updated your iWork applications to the new version? Did you get a shock, I did. Very different. I love keynote and I needed to get my head around it so I put together a basic video on how it works in the new version. Nothing fancy, just some of the things that I think are important like: presenters notes rulers and the replacement for inspector - animate, setup and format I have also included how to find the instant Alpha. keynote 6.0  

Working in other schools is great for making you reflect on your own practice.  The fruitful discussions and observations you have, help to crystalise and refine your own philosophy. The more I consider Assessment the more I believe that all assessment must be, in the broadest sense, deliberate, purposeful and be considered Why Deliberate, Considered and Purposeful? deliberate, - adjective 1 done consciously and intentionally: Assessment, whether it is Diagnostic, Formative or Summative must be a deliberate action.  It needs to be, as the definition states, done consciously and intentionally. Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Test_(student_assessment).jpeg It should be planned, fitting into a scheme or plan derived to enhance the learning outcomes of our students. This could be in a broad perspective of a unit of learning or as an element of a single lesson. Whether, this is: a diagnostic tool to identify pre-existing knowledge, skills or abilities; formative to support and enhance the learning process by identifying areas of strength or weakness, or  a summative snapshot showing the depth of knowledge at a point in time, all assessment must be deliberate.  Assessment can not be left to the last minute. There must be a underlying reason, a rationale, essentially a purpose of doing assessment purposeful, - adjective 1 having or showing determination or resolve 2 having a useful purpose Any assessment must have a useful purpose. The purposes can be very varied. We know they could be formative, diagnostic or summative, but there are purposes deeper than this as well. Assessment can be used as a measure of the success of a student, class, teacher, cohort, school, programme of learning or education system. It could be used to inform the immediate stakeholders (the students themselves, their parents and teachers) of the progression, development and success of the learning and to the wider stakeholders like the community, further education and employers. Most of the time the assessment should have a purpose for the learner and the teacher. It needs to be useful, it needs to be helpful and developmental. It should identify success, strengths and weakness and provide opportunity to improve and develop.  Sometimes, an assessment is used as a measure of the success of an organization. There is no point in doing a diagnostic assessment if it is not used to refine and modify the learning process, personalizing and differentiating the learning of the student. Similarly there is no point or purpose in formative assessment if it is not used in the learning process to strengthen and support learning.  All assessments should be a considered actions or undertakings. consider 1 think carefully about (something), typically before making a decision: Considered means that the assessment is suitable and appropriate for the students and its intended purpose and outcome. The context of the assessment is focused on the learning, it is suitable for the learner, taking into account their age, developmental stage and maturity. It must be, to again use the abbreviation, SMART Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Timely An assessment that is not "SMART" is ill-considered Being considered means that as we develop an assessment we must also consider the responses, the mark scheme must be written at the same time as the assessment.  It must be possible for the students to successfully answer the questions or undertake the actions/processes in the time provided. So our assessments must be attainable (able to be completed to a high standard by some of the members of the group) and realistic (able to be completed in the allocated time, with the available tool, knowledge and skills). Source: http://www.latinamericaneducationalservices.com/images/educational_assessment_header.jpg The assessment must be measurable  - there must be clarity and transparency in the task/s, its application and the administration of the marking criteria and scheme. The application of the mark scheme or criteria must be honest, fair and transparent. It should suit the learners, be specific and focused on the learning being considered or undertaken, whether this is future learning (diagnostic), current learning (formative) or summative. Definitions from the Apple Dictionary Application  -Apple 2005-2011

My daughter proudly showed me this today. its not my fault Reading this makes me consider the power that media and the entertainment industry have over our young people. We as parents and teachers are forced to fight a valiant rear-guard action against the digitalised role models presented in popular entertainment. In entertainment, where if the cause is "right", you can kill, maim, injure and steal with complete justification. If you every present students with the opportunity to create stop motion animations, and do not scaffold the task by specifying no violence, how many will develop and produce a story which free of violence? How often are we faced with our students being sexualised by the television programmes they watch. How many people actually pay attention to the censors ratings and stop our young people watch in appropriate materials. Materials whose themes are ethically and morally wrong. There are those who will argue that our young people are savvy enough to discern between fiction and fact, between entertainment and reality, bit I for one am not so sure.  

Just created a new how to video and uploaded it to youtube. This one looks at using Rulers and Guides in Keynote 6.0 The URL is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCEabYg-MNM&feature=youtube_gdata

I have made another How to video on Keynote 6.0 - this one is called getting started with Keynote. This one looks at adding new slides, changing layouts and re-ordering slides. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hlo5E7IwOvY&feature=youtube_gdata