Being PRO-active: Encourage Professional Reading

Tuesday, April 15th, 4:00 - 4:50pm

speakers:

• Dr. Holly Weimar, Sam Houston State University
• Dr. Mary Ann Bell, Sam Houston State University

(Dr. Weimar)

Goal: that you will help your colleagues find motivation for professional reading.

Background

• read studies going back a hundred years, at professional reading for teachers
• teachers usually said they didn't have enough time to read
• talked about building time into the schoolday for that reading; doesn't currently exist
• talk now of extending schooldays and/or schoolyears; but teachers often read during summers now
• had trouble managing their time for professional reading
• statement of support for professional reading for teachers: went away
• we have to do it ourselves

Funneling Masses of Knowledge

• this is something that's been done with students for a long time; now it's coming to us
• in professional development/training, we pour in what they need to know, and at the end, we expect them to know--but it may not necessarily happen
• the funnels aren't working

Many Strings Pulling Us

• we have guidelines of what we need to know, read
• then you have curriculum development
• juggling what is mandated of you
• become puppets of your schedules
• you all have individual learning needs

We need the "control" button

• need control of our self-learning
• but it looks like it won't happen
• environment: the classroom includes the class, students, subjects, and the teacher = lots of problems with possible solutions found in professional development
• when someone learns, they tend to get excited, and share it with someone else
• if you're working with kids, you're setting an example: set that example of lifelong readers, lifelong learners

"testing"

• all the environmental things can have problems with testing
• you can find literature with solutions on testing

"commitment" - think about other things first...

• are you a lifelong reader? does your reading carry over to your professiona life?
• are you aware that each school is different? training may be an entrance or a blockade.
  • those who hold the power (administrators) need to be seen as readers who share what they learn
• in that hundred-year study, if administrators were involved and shared what they were professionally reading, then their staff/teachers would do the same
• if they didn't, there could be a "sacred story" for that school
  • mundane stories are everyday experience
  • sacred story--just happens and you don't speak about it, acceptance
  • schools that had this sacred story; whatever happened in professional development was what they talked about; didn't discuss other kinds of reading
    • the way to break that is to have other kinds of reading going on and discussed on the campus

What can you do?

• think about state standards; 20% of ongoing education required can be independent study--which is professional reading
• as you professionally read, it can lead to other activities that can count toward ongoing education (curr. development, etc.)

Help your colleagues locate professional reading materials

• you wear many hats; you aren't a counselor and don't have time for their whole problem
  • get them to write about the problem and pull out keywords
  • what are you saying to staff members about this problem?
  • look for patterns
  • have them read what they've written and list keywords, topics
• many times, teachers only have time to find materials when your school library is closed (use bookstores, which only have manuals)
• check to find materials from ILL, TexShare, etc.
  • give them other libraries to go to
• teach them how to use databases; some of them may be afraid to use them, so train them
  • show them how to use abstracts
• internet resources
• sometimes teachers don't make the best researchers; they have a lack of time, forget to glean from their reading
• don't forget to gather data for your library; do you need to have professional development in certain areas? (be discreet)
  • want to help your colleagues so that they are in turn there for you

(Dr. Bell)

http://forwhomthebelltold.pbwiki.com/BE+PRO-ACTIVE!

Where to go for: online, full-text, for free

• ERIC
• subscription databases:
  • EBSCO
  • university resources (various databases)
  • check your area for what resources are available to you and your patrons (if you're a school librarian or teacher, check your public library)

Periodicals

• Phi Delta Kappan, http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/kappan.html
• From Now On, http://fno.org
• THE Journal, http://thejournal.com
  • will send you print copies for free (see online)
• eSchool news
• School Library Journal
• Multimedia and Internet @ School
• lists of online periodicals:
  • The Virtual Professor, http://www.ibritt.com/resources/vp_journals.htm
  • Leslie College List, http://www.lesley.com/faculty/kholmes/libguides/edjournals.html

Internet Sites

• Kathy Schrock
• Bernie Poole's Ed-Index - free book online
• 23 Things
• BareBones 101: Basic Internet Tutorial

Blogs

(see her wiki to find more of these links and information)