Just over a year ago, on November 3, I wrote a blog post about being accepted into the Higher Education master's program at UM. At this point in 2011, I still had a semester left of my degree at the UM School of Information and my hope - as I outright stated in my blog post - was to find a job for the fall where I could work 30ish hours per week and finish my degree in Higher Ed. It's funny to see things written in the past - hopes and dreams - and realize that sometimes, they do happen.
More importantly to this reflection... Wow, how fast a year has gone! I remember sitting in my Intro to Higher Ed class and receiving the email that indicated my acceptance into the master's program. I knew I could learn a lot in a year, but little did I know how much. Between finishing my master's degree in Information, taking a semester's worth of purely higher ed classes, and starting a new job at the School of Information, I am overwhelmed and so excited with the knowledge and skills I've acquired in the last 12 months. I've learned about research, information literacy, privacy and security, non-profit and library management, student development, student affairs, recruiting, networking - and those are just the high-level buzz words. I've learned about community outreach from academic libraries, skills to facilitate technology instruction, "reference interview" best practices that transfer into my job of meeting with prospective students, how to plan large events, considered ways to interact with and support international students, and so much more...
After this semester is over (classes end one month from today!) I will cherish the chance to make meaning of all of this and consider how it has helped me professionally and personally. For now, I'm going to trek through my final four and a half weeks of school, learn as much as I can, and then, relax and reflect.
Showing posts with label professional development. Show all posts
Showing posts with label professional development. Show all posts
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
The lessons of Convocation
Last Friday, the UM School of Information (UMSI) held its first ever Convocation. I didn't know what to expect... there was tons of work to do at the office, emails to finish before the weekend, and a busy week ahead. But as part of my position, as part of the UMSI team, and as an alumni, I attended the event.
I'd almost never been so proud to be a part of this School. The theme of Convocation, "i Will Change the World," perfectly explained where UMSI has been and where it's going. We heard from the Dean, Jeff Mackie-Mason, associate deans, faculty new and old, and a student. We learned about the work of MSI's and doctoral students, professors, and school initiatives. We heard exciting news about projects that literally are changing the world through connecting people and information via technology.
The Convocation confirmed - once again - that UMSI is an incredibly special place. It's a growing school, Information is an expanding field, and this work can, does and will improve the lives of people. Convocation spoke to me about what is important in my new position -- being part of this team and celebrating the work we do, and looking forward. And that meant that the email left in the office was put off for a couple of hours, but reminded me that if students, faculty and staff come together to learn about our collective work we can only do it better --- for the good of others. Cheers to UMSI and all that comes next!
I'd almost never been so proud to be a part of this School. The theme of Convocation, "i Will Change the World," perfectly explained where UMSI has been and where it's going. We heard from the Dean, Jeff Mackie-Mason, associate deans, faculty new and old, and a student. We learned about the work of MSI's and doctoral students, professors, and school initiatives. We heard exciting news about projects that literally are changing the world through connecting people and information via technology.
The Convocation confirmed - once again - that UMSI is an incredibly special place. It's a growing school, Information is an expanding field, and this work can, does and will improve the lives of people. Convocation spoke to me about what is important in my new position -- being part of this team and celebrating the work we do, and looking forward. And that meant that the email left in the office was put off for a couple of hours, but reminded me that if students, faculty and staff come together to learn about our collective work we can only do it better --- for the good of others. Cheers to UMSI and all that comes next!
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Getting into the flow
Starting a new job and new classes at the same time - or even just the start of a new school year - is quite exciting and invigorating. It means new responsibilities, new deadlines, and a new routine. As I sit down on my first Sunday of the semester to begin my homework, enter due dates into my calendar, and start to engage myself in unfamiliar topics, I get a bit apprehensive about my abilities to complete all of this work and do it well.
Then I remember that I work much better when I'm in a routine... in a flow... Once I get rolling, my calendar and to-do list doesn't seem quite as daunting, because I'm in the middle of it and don't have time to worry about every single thing I have to do. I do better when I'm busy because when there's too much time to think, anxiety creeps in.
It will be a challenging semester, no doubt. But it will also be incredibly energizing as I learn about things that directly relate to my new position, that I can apply immediately or down the road. I'll get to research applicable topics to student and academic affairs, institutional environments, and developmental theories. I'll get to learn from my colleagues about their experiences and their thoughts on these issues. And I'll come out of this semester even more prepared to be a higher education professional.
So while the stress of a new term looms right in front of me, in a few weeks (or later this week), I'll be so immersed in it, I will remind myself that these are times I learn the most and thrive... and that is my motivation to have a successful final semester.
Then I remember that I work much better when I'm in a routine... in a flow... Once I get rolling, my calendar and to-do list doesn't seem quite as daunting, because I'm in the middle of it and don't have time to worry about every single thing I have to do. I do better when I'm busy because when there's too much time to think, anxiety creeps in.
It will be a challenging semester, no doubt. But it will also be incredibly energizing as I learn about things that directly relate to my new position, that I can apply immediately or down the road. I'll get to research applicable topics to student and academic affairs, institutional environments, and developmental theories. I'll get to learn from my colleagues about their experiences and their thoughts on these issues. And I'll come out of this semester even more prepared to be a higher education professional.
So while the stress of a new term looms right in front of me, in a few weeks (or later this week), I'll be so immersed in it, I will remind myself that these are times I learn the most and thrive... and that is my motivation to have a successful final semester.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
First Week in Higher Ed: The Other Side of Orientation
This was my first week as a higher education professional outside of the library. And boy, was it something! My first day at the School of Information as Recruiting and Admissions Coordinator also marked the week of the UMSI incoming student orientation. This meant that the days were filled with meeting students(!), answering questions, printing last minute materials, coordinating room changes, adjusting working groups, and so much more. To me, there was no better way to dive into my new job.
I learned so much in my first week. I learned that there is so much more to putting on a large event (like orientation) than one realizes as a student. I felt lucky knowing the people I was working with, the specializations for UMSI master's students, what "501" meant, and the culture of UMSI. But I also realized how much more I had to learn. I had never thought about all of the behind the scenes "stuff" like ordering balloons for the check-in table, what it's like to organize current student volunteers for events (even though I'd been recruited to participate as a student), or that catering orders might need to be adjusted. I never realized how much work goes into these days, and that the people working the events would still have email coming in from student groups, prospective students, students who need schedule changes, and other responsibilities that are outside of orientation.
And this all allowed me to gain even more respect for the higher education professionals that make students' experiences at UMSI special. It made me even more excited to have the opportunity to have my new position be at a place that cares SO MUCH about its students. I cannot wait to start my final graduate school semester and put my full self into working at UMSI to continue its tradition of being an incredibly unique school that focuses completely on the student experience. I'm so grateful that I get to start my higher education career (outside of the library) at a place where I can learn and grow as a professional, in a way that is completely about the student. So here's to starting the 2012-13 year!
I learned so much in my first week. I learned that there is so much more to putting on a large event (like orientation) than one realizes as a student. I felt lucky knowing the people I was working with, the specializations for UMSI master's students, what "501" meant, and the culture of UMSI. But I also realized how much more I had to learn. I had never thought about all of the behind the scenes "stuff" like ordering balloons for the check-in table, what it's like to organize current student volunteers for events (even though I'd been recruited to participate as a student), or that catering orders might need to be adjusted. I never realized how much work goes into these days, and that the people working the events would still have email coming in from student groups, prospective students, students who need schedule changes, and other responsibilities that are outside of orientation.
And this all allowed me to gain even more respect for the higher education professionals that make students' experiences at UMSI special. It made me even more excited to have the opportunity to have my new position be at a place that cares SO MUCH about its students. I cannot wait to start my final graduate school semester and put my full self into working at UMSI to continue its tradition of being an incredibly unique school that focuses completely on the student experience. I'm so grateful that I get to start my higher education career (outside of the library) at a place where I can learn and grow as a professional, in a way that is completely about the student. So here's to starting the 2012-13 year!
Friday, August 10, 2012
Final Workshop
Today I will co-instruct my last workshop at the UM Library. It's hard to believe that just over a year ago today was my first Word for Dissertation session. I wrote about that experience on August 5, 2011 and here it is August 10, 2012; boy does time fly!
When I first started teaching, I was much less confident than I am now. Now, I'm ready to go in and show graduate students the best ways to format their dissertations, in a way that will make the process easier for them. I'm comfortable working with another co-instructor and watching her teach the workshop in a different way than I did. It's great to know that there is someone else stepping in who can help mentor the person who may become their co-instructor.
I'll take my instructing technology experiences, and try to use the skills I've learned in a transferable way. I'll know that staying excited and upbeat during sessions or presentations is critical; that making the participants feel comfortable asking questions and following along; that everyone learns and processes information differently. It will be valuable to have experience instructing on a variety of things from technology, to databases, to freshmen orientation. And, it is wonderful knowing that I can always re-connect with co-instructors for tips and feedback.
Instruction has been a very interesting and fun part of my appointment at the library. It's something I've truly enjoyed and hope to do more of in different ways in my next position. And it's something that I've been fortunate enough to have time to reflect upon with mentors and colleagues who are constructive and encouraging. So for now, here's the last library instruction post... thanks for following this piece of the blog!
When I first started teaching, I was much less confident than I am now. Now, I'm ready to go in and show graduate students the best ways to format their dissertations, in a way that will make the process easier for them. I'm comfortable working with another co-instructor and watching her teach the workshop in a different way than I did. It's great to know that there is someone else stepping in who can help mentor the person who may become their co-instructor.
I'll take my instructing technology experiences, and try to use the skills I've learned in a transferable way. I'll know that staying excited and upbeat during sessions or presentations is critical; that making the participants feel comfortable asking questions and following along; that everyone learns and processes information differently. It will be valuable to have experience instructing on a variety of things from technology, to databases, to freshmen orientation. And, it is wonderful knowing that I can always re-connect with co-instructors for tips and feedback.
Instruction has been a very interesting and fun part of my appointment at the library. It's something I've truly enjoyed and hope to do more of in different ways in my next position. And it's something that I've been fortunate enough to have time to reflect upon with mentors and colleagues who are constructive and encouraging. So for now, here's the last library instruction post... thanks for following this piece of the blog!
Friday, June 1, 2012
Feels like a real job
So my current position is a two-year term appointment spanning from the time I began my MSI (August 2010) through the completion of the degree, plus the summer (so, though August 2012). During this time, I've documented many of my experiences in classes and at work, mostly all jumbled together due to time and coinciding activities. Even last summer, when I was "only working" - and was present at work nearly full-time some weeks, my personal life (knee surgery and wedding) prevented me from truly digging into the actual work I was doing.
This summer, I'm "only working" and even though I know I have less than three months left in my professional position, I'm finding it impossible not to get as much out the experience as possible. This is contradictory to two things: 1) I'm pretty close to completing the number of hours required for my position, and I was going to try to work a bit less and enjoy the summer?, but more importantly 2) I need to start winding down some of the work that won't continue when I leave. So this is my challenge right now: work less and do more?
Currently, I'm preparing for the June 8 conference, doing research for the Education librarian about the School of Ed, participating in Collection Development trainings and meetings, teaching four instructional sessions (dissertation and Google Docs), working on a PowerPoint software guide, and working desk shifts of 10 hours/week. All very valuable and exciting stuff, but a lot of stuff. So I'm trying to phase out some of that work while not essentially giving it up?
I'm finding it very easy to say yes to work, forgetting that this work will be complete at the end of August, with no option to continue. It's very easy to say yes because I enjoy what I'm doing and it's finally feeling like a real job - real engagement in real library work. And it's easy to say yes because after August, the opportunity to participate in such professional experiences will be gone. As June begins today, this issue, plus my job search and application processes, will continue to transpire.
The word "challenge" does not always conjure up a positive feeling, but in my case, I'm very grateful for this "problem" and thankful that I can have these experiences and take these opportunities while they are available. Even only for the next three months :)
This summer, I'm "only working" and even though I know I have less than three months left in my professional position, I'm finding it impossible not to get as much out the experience as possible. This is contradictory to two things: 1) I'm pretty close to completing the number of hours required for my position, and I was going to try to work a bit less and enjoy the summer?, but more importantly 2) I need to start winding down some of the work that won't continue when I leave. So this is my challenge right now: work less and do more?
Currently, I'm preparing for the June 8 conference, doing research for the Education librarian about the School of Ed, participating in Collection Development trainings and meetings, teaching four instructional sessions (dissertation and Google Docs), working on a PowerPoint software guide, and working desk shifts of 10 hours/week. All very valuable and exciting stuff, but a lot of stuff. So I'm trying to phase out some of that work while not essentially giving it up?
I'm finding it very easy to say yes to work, forgetting that this work will be complete at the end of August, with no option to continue. It's very easy to say yes because I enjoy what I'm doing and it's finally feeling like a real job - real engagement in real library work. And it's easy to say yes because after August, the opportunity to participate in such professional experiences will be gone. As June begins today, this issue, plus my job search and application processes, will continue to transpire.
The word "challenge" does not always conjure up a positive feeling, but in my case, I'm very grateful for this "problem" and thankful that I can have these experiences and take these opportunities while they are available. Even only for the next three months :)
Friday, May 25, 2012
Thoughts on presenting, continued
Last Friday, I co-presented at the Michigan Library Association's Applied Technology and Trends conference held at the UM Hatcher Graduate Library. This was a great experience, where I had the opportunity to create a presentation with a colleague with whom I'd never presented and practice my presentation skills.
On June 8, I will be presenting with a different colleague on a different topic at the eCornucopia conference at nearby Oakland University. I'm realizing that preparing for and presenting is a great experience, but that it also takes a good deal of time. Creating a presentation outline, getting that onto slides, making the slides more creative, practicing, and getting all of the collaborative pieces in place is a great way to learn and prepare, but it is also very consuming.
I'm finding similarities between presenting and instructing in the sense that there is always more to learn and that the presentation can always be improved. Light-hearted comments during the presentation can illicit positive or no response; attending to those is important if the presentation is going to be given again. Audience response at the end, and the amount of questions asked can provide clues into what would be better to focus on or what was particularly interesting to participants.
It's these observations I'll take as I move into my June 8 presentation. The conference session covers creativity and drive (our power words) and so we better make our presentation creative, and interactive. These are the new challenges I'll face while preparing for this conference.
Exciting and time-consuming... a good balance to have as I begin to prepare for the next phase of my educational and professional journey as August nears...
Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!
On June 8, I will be presenting with a different colleague on a different topic at the eCornucopia conference at nearby Oakland University. I'm realizing that preparing for and presenting is a great experience, but that it also takes a good deal of time. Creating a presentation outline, getting that onto slides, making the slides more creative, practicing, and getting all of the collaborative pieces in place is a great way to learn and prepare, but it is also very consuming.
I'm finding similarities between presenting and instructing in the sense that there is always more to learn and that the presentation can always be improved. Light-hearted comments during the presentation can illicit positive or no response; attending to those is important if the presentation is going to be given again. Audience response at the end, and the amount of questions asked can provide clues into what would be better to focus on or what was particularly interesting to participants.
It's these observations I'll take as I move into my June 8 presentation. The conference session covers creativity and drive (our power words) and so we better make our presentation creative, and interactive. These are the new challenges I'll face while preparing for this conference.
Exciting and time-consuming... a good balance to have as I begin to prepare for the next phase of my educational and professional journey as August nears...
Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
The Biggest Presentation of My Life
If you've been reading, you know it's been a busy few weeks after teaching two Enriching Scholarship sessions last week, and preparing for what I'm calling the biggest presentation of my life this past Tuesday. Oh, and there's the MLA Technology and Trends Conference presentation tomorrow.
But, this week's post will focus on the biggest presentation of my life. The presentation was the culmination of my 18-month internship experience at the University of Michigan Library as the University Library Associate in the Knowledge Navigation Center. More specifically, the 15-minute presentation discussed my second year project at the Detroit Center where I helped set up meetings, created a Library Research Guide, and laid the groundwork for the collaborative initiative between the UM Library and the Detroit Center.
I have never worked so hard on a presentation. To be honest, for most class presentations, I'd outline my presentation in a Google Doc, then copy, paste and edit the text into PowerPoint. I'd maybe add an image or two, but then I'd read it over, practice maybe once, and give a decent presentation. However, since this was what I considered to be the biggest presentation of my life, I did quite a bit more work, and I think it paid off.
First, I worked to find images that represented my ideas so that I could decrease the amount of text, or remove it all together. This was both fun and meaningful, as I realized that a picture can be worth 1000 words, and that the words were more beneficial to my remembering what to say, than to the audience. Consequently, I realized that if I practiced enough, I didn't need the words on the screen to remind me what to say. What a revelation that was....
Secondly, I practiced. I practiced alone, in front of others -- edited -- alone again -- edited -- one-on-one -- edited -- and then had my supervisor review my presentation -- and edited again. Lots and lots of reviewing, tweaking, editing. And I was still nervous! I had notes printed below my slides, but.... when I got in front of the 60+ library staff members, I found I knew what I was talking about. Not only did I work on the project for 15 or so weeks (and thus, knew what I'd done) but the countless hours I put into the presentation had caused me to know my stuff. Nervous at first, I found that by the end of the short presentation and during the Q & A, I was comfortable speaking and answering questions from the audience.
It was a great lesson learned that putting the greatest amount of work into the biggest presentation of my life was a good idea. And I learned that its much more fun for me, and constructive to the audience, if I add images and edit both the ideas and structure of the presentation. Finally, and this lesson - no matter how many times I learn it - is most important to me... the work is never done and I can always improve what I'm doing. And that is relevant for anything.
You can check out the presentation here, on my website (it's the first bullet).
But, this week's post will focus on the biggest presentation of my life. The presentation was the culmination of my 18-month internship experience at the University of Michigan Library as the University Library Associate in the Knowledge Navigation Center. More specifically, the 15-minute presentation discussed my second year project at the Detroit Center where I helped set up meetings, created a Library Research Guide, and laid the groundwork for the collaborative initiative between the UM Library and the Detroit Center.
I have never worked so hard on a presentation. To be honest, for most class presentations, I'd outline my presentation in a Google Doc, then copy, paste and edit the text into PowerPoint. I'd maybe add an image or two, but then I'd read it over, practice maybe once, and give a decent presentation. However, since this was what I considered to be the biggest presentation of my life, I did quite a bit more work, and I think it paid off.
First, I worked to find images that represented my ideas so that I could decrease the amount of text, or remove it all together. This was both fun and meaningful, as I realized that a picture can be worth 1000 words, and that the words were more beneficial to my remembering what to say, than to the audience. Consequently, I realized that if I practiced enough, I didn't need the words on the screen to remind me what to say. What a revelation that was....
Secondly, I practiced. I practiced alone, in front of others -- edited -- alone again -- edited -- one-on-one -- edited -- and then had my supervisor review my presentation -- and edited again. Lots and lots of reviewing, tweaking, editing. And I was still nervous! I had notes printed below my slides, but.... when I got in front of the 60+ library staff members, I found I knew what I was talking about. Not only did I work on the project for 15 or so weeks (and thus, knew what I'd done) but the countless hours I put into the presentation had caused me to know my stuff. Nervous at first, I found that by the end of the short presentation and during the Q & A, I was comfortable speaking and answering questions from the audience.
It was a great lesson learned that putting the greatest amount of work into the biggest presentation of my life was a good idea. And I learned that its much more fun for me, and constructive to the audience, if I add images and edit both the ideas and structure of the presentation. Finally, and this lesson - no matter how many times I learn it - is most important to me... the work is never done and I can always improve what I'm doing. And that is relevant for anything.
You can check out the presentation here, on my website (it's the first bullet).
Friday, May 11, 2012
Enriching Scholarship: A Transformative Week for Instruction and Reflection
Before I started writing this, I reviewed my post about last year's Enriching Scholarship session. Just a quick review, Enriching Scholarship is a, "week of free workshops, discussions, and seminars has become an annual
event each May for instructional faculty and staff, and showcases over
120 sessions that address the role technology plays in fostering
engaging and effective teaching, learning, and research"(http://www.teachtech.umich.edu).
Last year, I considered teaching The New Basics: Computing 101 to be my first official instructional experience. I wrote that after the session, we realized we needed to tweak the workshop because there was too much content for too little time. So in between last year and this year, my co-instructor and I taught a Web Basics class, which went pretty well. This year for Enriching Scholarship, however, we decided to not only teach The New Computer Basics: Understanding the Web but also The New Computer Basics: PC Desktop Computing. The Understanding the Web session had several participants, many of whom seemed to appreciate the information we provided about clearing your "cache" and downloading images. And the few participants in the PC Computing class appeared to enjoy learning about how right-clicking can make moving around the computer easier and more efficient.
In my post from May 2011, I wrote about practicing instruction prior to actually instructing. Many of my other posts over the last year have covered this as well. So now might be the proper time to reflect. To start, I'm more comfortable teaching - especially something I've already taught. Secondly, I've become better at being patient while instructing - I've learned the goal is not to get everything done (especially in computer basics workshops!) but to teach at a pace that is both effective and appropriate for the group's learning processes. Participant's learning is the goal!
A third "lesson learned" is that I still get nervous teaching something I've never taught before, but that I've learned how to combat this. Prior to the PC Basics workshop, I spent hours preparing and getting materials ready and arrived much too early the day-of to make sure the computers were loaded with the proper documents and that the handouts were printed and correct. But through this I also learned that that helped me to feel more comfortable with the instruction. Instead of stressing, I built that time into my work schedule and was feeling prepared to teach when the time came.
Most of all, instruction is a process. Having taught the Web Basics three times now, we're still finding things to change and pieces of the workshop to adapt, and that is OK. In fact, it makes instruction fun because I've realized that nothing is perfect and that we can always do better for our participants and ourselves. The process of instructing is part of the learning process for us all (I always learn something new while teaching) - and having the opportunity to do both at the same time is something for which I'm grateful.
Last year, I considered teaching The New Basics: Computing 101 to be my first official instructional experience. I wrote that after the session, we realized we needed to tweak the workshop because there was too much content for too little time. So in between last year and this year, my co-instructor and I taught a Web Basics class, which went pretty well. This year for Enriching Scholarship, however, we decided to not only teach The New Computer Basics: Understanding the Web but also The New Computer Basics: PC Desktop Computing. The Understanding the Web session had several participants, many of whom seemed to appreciate the information we provided about clearing your "cache" and downloading images. And the few participants in the PC Computing class appeared to enjoy learning about how right-clicking can make moving around the computer easier and more efficient.
In my post from May 2011, I wrote about practicing instruction prior to actually instructing. Many of my other posts over the last year have covered this as well. So now might be the proper time to reflect. To start, I'm more comfortable teaching - especially something I've already taught. Secondly, I've become better at being patient while instructing - I've learned the goal is not to get everything done (especially in computer basics workshops!) but to teach at a pace that is both effective and appropriate for the group's learning processes. Participant's learning is the goal!
A third "lesson learned" is that I still get nervous teaching something I've never taught before, but that I've learned how to combat this. Prior to the PC Basics workshop, I spent hours preparing and getting materials ready and arrived much too early the day-of to make sure the computers were loaded with the proper documents and that the handouts were printed and correct. But through this I also learned that that helped me to feel more comfortable with the instruction. Instead of stressing, I built that time into my work schedule and was feeling prepared to teach when the time came.
Most of all, instruction is a process. Having taught the Web Basics three times now, we're still finding things to change and pieces of the workshop to adapt, and that is OK. In fact, it makes instruction fun because I've realized that nothing is perfect and that we can always do better for our participants and ourselves. The process of instructing is part of the learning process for us all (I always learn something new while teaching) - and having the opportunity to do both at the same time is something for which I'm grateful.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Reflections on an MSI Part 4: Now what?
Classes are over, final projects turned in, and graduation is on Friday. So the question remains, now what?
And the answer is: plenty. This should be an exciting summer with a great deal of work included.
Through May, I'll be preparing for my project presentation to the UM Library about my Detroit Center project, developing a presentation for the MLA Applied Technologies and Trends conference on May 18, and will be working on two workshops for Enriching Scholarship, happening the week of May 7. I'll also be preparing to be a Google Guide as UM makes the transition to Google.
Later this summer, I'll teach some Word for Dissertation workshops, learn about collection development, and assist the education librarian with some work on instruction or research guides. Additionally, I'll be updating some of the Knowledge Navigation Center's research guides, and working on a research project with my student colleagues about our roles as University Library Associates.
So it will be a busy and productive summer with lots of presentations, conferences, and workshops. I hope to see the culmination of the work I've done over the past 18 months coming to fruition this summer, where I can use what I've learned in both the classroom and on the job in a practical way.
School ended, but the work didn't - and I'm glad!
Side note, I'll now be blogging on Fridays, starting May 11 (next week will be Thursday).
Monday, April 9, 2012
Mini Series Part 2: Reflections on an MSI
Last week, it finally hit me. I'm GRADUATING later this month. It hit
when one of my Professors said, "we'll take some time at the end of
class next week to fill out your course evaluations" and when I said,
"yep, I'm graduating next mont... oh wait. It's April. I'm graduating this month."
So here it is, my attempt at reflections on my MSI. Last Monday, I wrote about time and balance (which was weighing heavily at that time) and so this week, I'll write about something prevalent right now: extracurricular involvement.
At the end of my first year, I was asked to run for Treasurer of the School of Information Student Association (SISA). After a bit of deliberation (partially due to my worry about the amount of time it would take :), I decided to run, and I was fortunate enough to win the election. Little did I know at the time just how much of an impact this would have on my time at SI.
Being a part of SISA has allowed me to meet new great people, network, and build my resume. It's allowed me the chance to plan events (something I love to do), facilitate student involvement (something else I love to do), and gain administrative and budgetary skills. My participation in SISA has been invaluable as I learned to work with fellow Officers, other SI students, SI administrators, and SI staff.
These are skills that would have been very difficult to obtain without extending my time at SI into an extracurricular activity. So, here's a shout of encouragement to get involved when you can - it's about taking the opportunities that come and making the most of them. Until next week...
So here it is, my attempt at reflections on my MSI. Last Monday, I wrote about time and balance (which was weighing heavily at that time) and so this week, I'll write about something prevalent right now: extracurricular involvement.
At the end of my first year, I was asked to run for Treasurer of the School of Information Student Association (SISA). After a bit of deliberation (partially due to my worry about the amount of time it would take :), I decided to run, and I was fortunate enough to win the election. Little did I know at the time just how much of an impact this would have on my time at SI.
Being a part of SISA has allowed me to meet new great people, network, and build my resume. It's allowed me the chance to plan events (something I love to do), facilitate student involvement (something else I love to do), and gain administrative and budgetary skills. My participation in SISA has been invaluable as I learned to work with fellow Officers, other SI students, SI administrators, and SI staff.
These are skills that would have been very difficult to obtain without extending my time at SI into an extracurricular activity. So, here's a shout of encouragement to get involved when you can - it's about taking the opportunities that come and making the most of them. Until next week...
Monday, March 26, 2012
Lesson Learned: Taking Opportunities
Today was quite a day. Both the School of Information (SI) Networking Fair and the SI ExpoSItion (which I wrote about last week) were held as part of SI's amazing opportunities for students to broaden their job networks and increase their presentation skills. Last year, I did not participate in either the Networking Fair or the ExpoSItion. I can't remember why, but I didn't. When the chance to do both came around again this spring, I quickly decided both events were opportunities in which I wanted to take part.
I went into the Networking Fair with an apprehensive attitude. I'm not graduating from the School of Education until December, so while I will have my MSI next month (whoa!) I'm probably not "officially" on the job market until winter 2012. I gathered my Employer Booklet and went straight to a university library table where I already had contacts. The chat went well and I left having met yet another person at that library. Yay :)
The second table I chose to go to was that of another large research university in Michigan, where I've had little contact. However, I quickly learned that the employers were very interested in my current line of study, my skills, and my background. It didn't take much (except friendliness and preparedness on my part) and I walked away with the Library Director's email address and an offer to visit them after graduation.
I went into the Networking Fair expecting very little and left with a lesson that is invaluable. There were few libraries at the Fair, and of those, I knew people at all but one. All but the one that I walked away from with a chance to network further. This helped me learn the lesson that I learned today. Take the opportunities that are presented to you. It is as simple as that. Go into opportunities with an open mind, be prepared to present yourself as well as you possibly can, and take some chances. If I had not gone to the Fair, which would have been very easy, I would NOT have expanded my networking circle or met the people who are going to give me yet another opportunity.
This same lesson applies to the ExpoSItion. I went to the ExpoSItion thinking that most of the other projects would be much more interesting than my group's library research project (because frankly, many of the projects at the ExpoSItion are created by designers who do cool, interesting things and make their posters look really pretty). But I was busy talking to guests at the ExpoSItion almost the entire time. People were interested in our project, and commented on the poster's design. Without taking that chance, I never would have created a poster all on my own, learned that you don't mount your poster before getting to the conference, or met people who wanted to hear about what we were doing.
This lesson is something to carry with me - when someone gives me an opportunity to do something, take it. I simply never could have imagined all of the great things that happened today, and they wouldn't have happened if I didn't take the chances that were presented.
I went into the Networking Fair with an apprehensive attitude. I'm not graduating from the School of Education until December, so while I will have my MSI next month (whoa!) I'm probably not "officially" on the job market until winter 2012. I gathered my Employer Booklet and went straight to a university library table where I already had contacts. The chat went well and I left having met yet another person at that library. Yay :)
The second table I chose to go to was that of another large research university in Michigan, where I've had little contact. However, I quickly learned that the employers were very interested in my current line of study, my skills, and my background. It didn't take much (except friendliness and preparedness on my part) and I walked away with the Library Director's email address and an offer to visit them after graduation.
I went into the Networking Fair expecting very little and left with a lesson that is invaluable. There were few libraries at the Fair, and of those, I knew people at all but one. All but the one that I walked away from with a chance to network further. This helped me learn the lesson that I learned today. Take the opportunities that are presented to you. It is as simple as that. Go into opportunities with an open mind, be prepared to present yourself as well as you possibly can, and take some chances. If I had not gone to the Fair, which would have been very easy, I would NOT have expanded my networking circle or met the people who are going to give me yet another opportunity.
This same lesson applies to the ExpoSItion. I went to the ExpoSItion thinking that most of the other projects would be much more interesting than my group's library research project (because frankly, many of the projects at the ExpoSItion are created by designers who do cool, interesting things and make their posters look really pretty). But I was busy talking to guests at the ExpoSItion almost the entire time. People were interested in our project, and commented on the poster's design. Without taking that chance, I never would have created a poster all on my own, learned that you don't mount your poster before getting to the conference, or met people who wanted to hear about what we were doing.
This lesson is something to carry with me - when someone gives me an opportunity to do something, take it. I simply never could have imagined all of the great things that happened today, and they wouldn't have happened if I didn't take the chances that were presented.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Explaining what we do
I have probably not talked much about my current position here, but I do often write about the types of activities in which I participate including outreach and instruction. For me, it's fairly simple to write about one event or class, but the idea of explaining what I do as a whole is slightly more difficult. Compound this with trying to explain what others in my same job do, and we've got a real challenge.
Next week, I'm presenting a poster with some of my colleagues at the School of Information expoSItion, which provides a chance for students to show off a project on which they've worked to potential employers. This can include a class, work, or internship experience and allows students to highlight an important part of their time at the School of Information.
So what do my colleagues and I have in common that is worth presenting? Well, we hope it's the idea of our entire collective experience as University Library Associates (ULA) and the lessons learned from that experience. As ULAs we've all been given the opportunity to work in a professional capacity (part-time) at the University of Michigan Library while completing our graduate studies full-time at the School of Information.
The ULA positions are competitive and require us to manage our time and connect our education with our work experience. The positions require a second-year project, which includes digging into an unknown territory of the library and producing a deliverable (more on that later this spring). The job requires reflection and flexibility, and truly is, I believe, a great way to learn what it is like to work in an academic library.
So, the other current ULAs and I have been working together to find out what our positions really mean for the School of Information, the Library, and for us in our professional development. One of our group members presented on this at a conference (read her reflective blog post here), we're completing a poster for the expoSItion, and our goal is to write a paper on our findings.
It has been an interesting learning process trying to work together to pull our experiences into something that is meaningful and useful for academia and the library field. And it will be great to get reactions on our work from employers and fellow students at expoSItion next week.
Next week, I'm presenting a poster with some of my colleagues at the School of Information expoSItion, which provides a chance for students to show off a project on which they've worked to potential employers. This can include a class, work, or internship experience and allows students to highlight an important part of their time at the School of Information.
So what do my colleagues and I have in common that is worth presenting? Well, we hope it's the idea of our entire collective experience as University Library Associates (ULA) and the lessons learned from that experience. As ULAs we've all been given the opportunity to work in a professional capacity (part-time) at the University of Michigan Library while completing our graduate studies full-time at the School of Information.
The ULA positions are competitive and require us to manage our time and connect our education with our work experience. The positions require a second-year project, which includes digging into an unknown territory of the library and producing a deliverable (more on that later this spring). The job requires reflection and flexibility, and truly is, I believe, a great way to learn what it is like to work in an academic library.
So, the other current ULAs and I have been working together to find out what our positions really mean for the School of Information, the Library, and for us in our professional development. One of our group members presented on this at a conference (read her reflective blog post here), we're completing a poster for the expoSItion, and our goal is to write a paper on our findings.
It has been an interesting learning process trying to work together to pull our experiences into something that is meaningful and useful for academia and the library field. And it will be great to get reactions on our work from employers and fellow students at expoSItion next week.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Lessons learned: Professionalism, ethics, and self
It's been a tumultous couple of days. But my experiences related to these incidents have helped me see things more clearly - professionally, ethically and personally.
Between yesterday and today I've had to make some professional, ethical and personal decisions. And I learned some valuable life-long lessons in the process.
What I learned over the past two days is that honesty is the best policy. I learned that needing to take care of myself is important and is valued by those who understand that taking on too much can be taxing and dehibilitating to not only self but others. I've reaffirmed that people are good, and understand when things don't go as planned. I've learned people understand that right now I'm a student first and an "everything else" second, and that sometimes academics and health (mental or physical) need to come first. I've learned that when you do the right thing - continously - people recognize that.
This incident may be the culmination of this busy semester, where I've committed to too much and a lot has suffered. But I really believe that what has happened over the past two days has been a great learning experience and is one that I will always remember as I move forward professionally, ethically, and personally.
So here's to a clearer head, a re-focus on what's important, and a better second half of the final semester of my first Master's degree.
And here's a huge thank you to those who've helped me learn these lessons.
Between yesterday and today I've had to make some professional, ethical and personal decisions. And I learned some valuable life-long lessons in the process.
What I learned over the past two days is that honesty is the best policy. I learned that needing to take care of myself is important and is valued by those who understand that taking on too much can be taxing and dehibilitating to not only self but others. I've reaffirmed that people are good, and understand when things don't go as planned. I've learned people understand that right now I'm a student first and an "everything else" second, and that sometimes academics and health (mental or physical) need to come first. I've learned that when you do the right thing - continously - people recognize that.
This incident may be the culmination of this busy semester, where I've committed to too much and a lot has suffered. But I really believe that what has happened over the past two days has been a great learning experience and is one that I will always remember as I move forward professionally, ethically, and personally.
So here's to a clearer head, a re-focus on what's important, and a better second half of the final semester of my first Master's degree.
And here's a huge thank you to those who've helped me learn these lessons.
Monday, February 6, 2012
This blog post is about blogging
It's that time of the semester - that time that may vary individually, but inevitably hits students at least once. It's that time where you feel like no matter what you do, it's not enough. It's that time where you feel like there is no end in sight. It's that time when you work non-stop, only to still have more to do. It's that time when you... blog, instead of working on something else.
So yes, it's that time, and you may question why blogging takes precedence over that "something else," or why I would blog when I've got so much else to do.
Answers to these questions are, of course, personal, but I've got some that I'd like to share. First, blogging is a chance to reflect, and take, say, 20 minutes to escape from the pressing pressure of homework. Second, blogging is something that I hope will benefit both me and others in the long-term. To me, blogging is professional development; I'm trying to blog to grow my professional profile and connect with others who have similar interests. Additionally, blogging gives me a chance to step back and think: what was important in the last week that others might find interesting too?
Some weeks the answer is obvious. Writing about the Story Collider or a conference I attended seems natural. It's weeks like this, when there's so much else to do, that the idea of thinking about something else (blogging) is overwhelming. So, my readers end up reading a blog about blogging.
So yes, it's that time, and you may question why blogging takes precedence over that "something else," or why I would blog when I've got so much else to do.
Answers to these questions are, of course, personal, but I've got some that I'd like to share. First, blogging is a chance to reflect, and take, say, 20 minutes to escape from the pressing pressure of homework. Second, blogging is something that I hope will benefit both me and others in the long-term. To me, blogging is professional development; I'm trying to blog to grow my professional profile and connect with others who have similar interests. Additionally, blogging gives me a chance to step back and think: what was important in the last week that others might find interesting too?
Some weeks the answer is obvious. Writing about the Story Collider or a conference I attended seems natural. It's weeks like this, when there's so much else to do, that the idea of thinking about something else (blogging) is overwhelming. So, my readers end up reading a blog about blogging.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
e-book chapter, and 2011 wrap-up
It's been an exciting week. Today I am "done" with work until the new year, and it's looking like an exciting 2012.
Here's a quick rundown of the past 10 or so days:
1) Went to the Detroit Center last Wednesday to "float" during a grants workshop hosted by the UM Library and the Nonprofit Enterprise for Work for local non-profit organizations. It was exciting to see how library and database resources can be used for organizations who are doing such important work. My days at the Mott Foundation came back to me as we moved fluidly through the Foundation Center's website looking at funder's and grants that applied to the non-profits missions. It was a really cool experience to be there and see yet another facet of what the Library does.
2) Almost have finished "dscribing" part my Community Information Seminar from last semester. Dscribing means taking the lecture slides from the course and ensuring that all of the content and images are "open" for use by others. We collect lecture slides from our guest speakers, they decide the level of licensing they want (Creative Commons) and we publish it. When we're finished, you can view the course here (http://open.umich.edu/education/si). Topics included information technology development, the Open.Michigan movement, social media use in Egypt, local informatics, and more!
3) I'm published! As part of my SI 641: Information Literacy for Teaching and Learning class, we had to observe 20 hours of instruction, teach two face-to-face lessons, and create a project related to information literacy. Then, we were asked by our Professor, Kristin Fontichiaro, to write a chapter for a book about one or more of our experiences. The book, Information Literacy in the Wild, was edited by Kristin and includes a forward by School of Information Dean Jeffrey MacKie-Mason. You can download it free via Smashwords or in .pdf format. Please feel free to share widely!
4) Finally, I'm going to take a break next week and start blogging again after the new year. Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season and best wishes into 2012!
Here's a quick rundown of the past 10 or so days:
1) Went to the Detroit Center last Wednesday to "float" during a grants workshop hosted by the UM Library and the Nonprofit Enterprise for Work for local non-profit organizations. It was exciting to see how library and database resources can be used for organizations who are doing such important work. My days at the Mott Foundation came back to me as we moved fluidly through the Foundation Center's website looking at funder's and grants that applied to the non-profits missions. It was a really cool experience to be there and see yet another facet of what the Library does.
2) Almost have finished "dscribing" part my Community Information Seminar from last semester. Dscribing means taking the lecture slides from the course and ensuring that all of the content and images are "open" for use by others. We collect lecture slides from our guest speakers, they decide the level of licensing they want (Creative Commons) and we publish it. When we're finished, you can view the course here (http://open.umich.edu/education/si). Topics included information technology development, the Open.Michigan movement, social media use in Egypt, local informatics, and more!
3) I'm published! As part of my SI 641: Information Literacy for Teaching and Learning class, we had to observe 20 hours of instruction, teach two face-to-face lessons, and create a project related to information literacy. Then, we were asked by our Professor, Kristin Fontichiaro, to write a chapter for a book about one or more of our experiences. The book, Information Literacy in the Wild, was edited by Kristin and includes a forward by School of Information Dean Jeffrey MacKie-Mason. You can download it free via Smashwords or in .pdf format. Please feel free to share widely!
4) Finally, I'm going to take a break next week and start blogging again after the new year. Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season and best wishes into 2012!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
connect2edinfo - becoming a professional
Becoming a professional is a lot of work. Not only is there an actual lot of work to do inside of work, but there's a lot to do outside of work, too.
I decided a while ago that I wanted to change my Twitter name, that I wanted to create a website, and - after matriculating into the Higher Education program - that I wanted to change my blog's domain name. Whew!
You might ask why... and the answer is strictly professional. My old Twitter name - abundntsunshine - meant nothing, particularly because I live in Michigan where we don't have a lot of sunshine. I wanted to create a website because, hey, that's what information professionals do, right? And, I wanted to change the blog domain name from being solely about libraries to being more inclusive of my interest in higher education (not that I believe we shouldn't still live.love.libraries). More than anything, I wanted to create a cohesive online profile.
So then the challenges started. Not only would I have to come up with a semi-creative and relevant Twitter and blog domain name, but I'd have to find the time to change all of the links in various spaces. Between LinkedIn, my School of Information profile, Facebook, Twitter, and my resume, it's nearly impossible to keep up with everything - let alone change three important pieces of information everywhere. That's why it's taken me until December to do so. But I'm pretty satisfied with the results.
Connect2EdInfo is my new Twitter (@connect2edinfo) and blog domain (connect2edinfo.blogspot.com), and my website is simple - alissatalleypixley.com. It was my attempt to keep my online profile professional, and for it to represent what I'm interested in and what I hope to work on in my career.
It's a lot of work to continually put myself out there in a way that is representative of my professionalism. But I think it's worth it - more and more people are reading my blog and it's my hope that the new name change will begin attracting broader audiences on Twitter and on the web. Enjoy (and thanks for reading this self-promoting post :) - hopefully there are some lessons learned for all.
I decided a while ago that I wanted to change my Twitter name, that I wanted to create a website, and - after matriculating into the Higher Education program - that I wanted to change my blog's domain name. Whew!
You might ask why... and the answer is strictly professional. My old Twitter name - abundntsunshine - meant nothing, particularly because I live in Michigan where we don't have a lot of sunshine. I wanted to create a website because, hey, that's what information professionals do, right? And, I wanted to change the blog domain name from being solely about libraries to being more inclusive of my interest in higher education (not that I believe we shouldn't still live.love.libraries). More than anything, I wanted to create a cohesive online profile.
So then the challenges started. Not only would I have to come up with a semi-creative and relevant Twitter and blog domain name, but I'd have to find the time to change all of the links in various spaces. Between LinkedIn, my School of Information profile, Facebook, Twitter, and my resume, it's nearly impossible to keep up with everything - let alone change three important pieces of information everywhere. That's why it's taken me until December to do so. But I'm pretty satisfied with the results.
Connect2EdInfo is my new Twitter (@connect2edinfo) and blog domain (connect2edinfo.blogspot.com), and my website is simple - alissatalleypixley.com. It was my attempt to keep my online profile professional, and for it to represent what I'm interested in and what I hope to work on in my career.
It's a lot of work to continually put myself out there in a way that is representative of my professionalism. But I think it's worth it - more and more people are reading my blog and it's my hope that the new name change will begin attracting broader audiences on Twitter and on the web. Enjoy (and thanks for reading this self-promoting post :) - hopefully there are some lessons learned for all.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Instructional Reflections
As it's nearing the end of the term and I'll be attending the HASTAC Pre-conference Workshop called Alt-Ac: Alternative Academic Careers Workshop in just around an hour (which I'll blog about next week), tonight's post is taken from a draft of a chapter that I'm writing for my Information Literacy course this semester. For the class, we had to observe 20 hours of instruction and then teach two information literacy-related courses (all of which I did at the UM Library), and then write a chapter about it. The chapter will part of a book that includes chapters from each student and will be published as an e-book and then also printed by the Espresso Book Machine. So, with no further ado, here's a portion of my chapter...
What you learned that other people should know about to improve their own practice
Instruction at the library is something many librarians can do by choice. It’s a requirement for some positions, and is expected that should assistance be needed to instruct or float (walking around to help students stay on track during the session), librarians will step up. There are library resources for instructors including teaching outlines, informal mentors, and research-based practice on which to draw. However as a beginning instructor teaching topics on which I needed fluency, I needed to do a significant amount of work on my own. This pre-work came to be what made me comfortable teaching, and it has played an important role in my teaching effectiveness. So, to all instructors just starting out (or those who want to revisit their practice), I present to you my lessons learned and recommendations for diving into information literacy-based instruction as an information literate instructor.
1) Observe sessions
I had the chance to observe many types of workshops with different instructors (and one at another local university) and was able to glean an incredible amount from actively observing. I learned about keeping energy up (especially if you’re teaching undergraduates at 8:30 in the morning), being prepared for the topic, and different strategies such as walking around the room while talking. Observation time can give you the chance to sort out your teaching style and think about what you like and didn’t care during different types of workshops.
Take the time to sit in on a variety of instructional sessions and don’t be afraid to step out of the box to observe workshops that are in a different field or even location (such as a public library or other university, if you’re an academic librarian). Ask colleagues in your workplace if you can watch their sessions, or even float if you feel comfortable. Sit in on technology workshops, citation workshops, database workshops, and other types of sessions that can give you a varied view of instruction. While you may be teaching workshops on how to format citations, the instructor for that database class might have a teaching style that is more “you.” By observing different instructors in different settings with different topics, you’ll gain a more rounded view of what instruction means for students and for you as an instructor.
2) Consider your audience
Instructing undergraduates, PhDs, faculty and staff within a few weeks of one another really caused me to think about the audience of the workshop while I was preparing to teach and actually instructing. Teaching different types of groups requires thinking about the prior knowledge of the participant (while admitting it’s impossible to actually know this - especially when teaching a one-shot workshop), the basic skills they may or may not have, and why they are attending the session. More specifically, undergraduates may or may not have visited the library before, and one can cautiously assume they are familiar with computers in terms of web browsing, but they quite possibly are only at the database workshop because it’s required for their class. On the contrary, participants who attend the computer basics workshop are presumably there because they feel they are lacking computer skills and really want to absorb the workshop materials.
3) Conduct background information on previously taught sessions
Most of the sessions I taught had been taught before by many different people. I was provided with teaching outlines, but this only gave me part of the story. It was incredibly useful to talk to instructors who’d taught the session before to find out what works well and what doesn’t work so well (for example, some databases might not handle simultaneous use as well as others - and that’s helpful to know!), and how participants might react to the material. In a database workshop I co-taught, by talking with my co-instructor prior, I knew that one part of the workshop might take longer than predicted, so we needed to keep an eye on the time. Again, this was useful knowledge to have before getting in front of the class.
Reaching out to other instructors to prep and debrief workshops is an effective way to network with colleagues and improve your instruction. Looking back up to lesson learned #1, see if you can observe a workshop you’ll teach in the future and then chat with them afterwards to talk through some of the parts that were great or a bit confusing. Most colleagues should be open to this discussion.
4) Practice, and then practice again (by self and with others)
This might feel like an obvious step to take, but I’ve observed instructors who were clearly not as prepared as they could have been (and I’ve been there too!) - one of the steps for moving through the session was out of place, their designated search didn’t bring up the right results, or they left out a major part of the workshop.
Prior to teaching, I set aside time at least one week in advance to talk with colleagues and then actually sit down to practice working through the material. I follow all of the prescribed steps for the workshop (“now we’re going to go to the library homepage, and in the main search bar type ‘Children and Media.’ This will bring up a page that...) and talk myself through what I’m going to say. When time allows or I’m feeling particularly uncomfortable about a topic, I will practice in front of other colleagues or classmates to get feedback. By practicing , and practicing, and practicing, I’ve learned that being prepared is huge in feeling effective and comfortable in front of a classroom. I’ve also learned that you can’t predict everything that will happen, but that by being prepared for what you can control, the moments that you can’t are much easier to handle.
5) Co-teach
Not everyone might agree that co-teaching is effective or even something they want to do, but if you can find a colleague with whom you work well, having a co-instructor can be very useful to learning instructional skills and teaching styles. I found a co-instructor who’s teaching style and prep style both compliment and supplement mine. It’s been a great experience to work with someone who has his own teaching identity but who is willing to talk through instructional strategies and sessions (part of the practice part in #4!) and who is there for support during the workshop and after to provide feedback (see #7). Co-teaching can be a great way to start getting your feet wet in the vast instructional waters.
6) Teach!
Dive in and do it! Until you start teaching, you can’t possibly start to reflect and improve on what you can do better. When I started teaching, I did not have a teaching style and was merely trying to get through the material. By working with a co-instructor, having my mentor observe my sessions, reviewing the workshop evaluations from participants, and reflecting alone I was able to get critical feedback that has improved my teaching. I found that the more I taught, the more comfortable I got with different audiences (making quips about dissertation writing with PhDs, telling undergraduates that this tool will really save them time - because who wants to spend more time on citations then you have to) and the more comfortable I got in general. And the only want to do this was to start teaching - ready or not!
7) Reflect and debrief
This may be the most important step, not necessarily to start instructing, but definitely for becoming a more effective instructor. Having a co-teach or observer at some of your first sessions (and even as you progress) can make all the difference in being a great instructor. At the beginning of my teaching, I stayed behind the podium and, as mentioned earlier, just tried to get through the material. After receiving feedback, I started walking around the room, pointing more to the screen and became more interactive in my teaching style. I also worked through some of the examples in the workshop that simply didn’t work as well as I wanted. Additionally, reflection has helped me consider what I need to do more of in terms of preparation -- more practice, more background information, whether I want a co-instructor or not. These are valuable lessons on which to build for each and every instructional session I teach. Don’t be afraid to do this outside work - take this time in your office to write notes, or wait til you get home and can sit and think for a few minutes outside of the setting. It will be critical to improving your teaching to debrief each session, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Think about what went well, what didn’t go so well, and what you can improve on next time. A couple of bullet points can put things into perspective. And if a session had a lot of issues, think about how you can prevent them if possible, and more forward to making the next workshop that much better.
What you learned that other people should know about to improve their own practice
Instruction at the library is something many librarians can do by choice. It’s a requirement for some positions, and is expected that should assistance be needed to instruct or float (walking around to help students stay on track during the session), librarians will step up. There are library resources for instructors including teaching outlines, informal mentors, and research-based practice on which to draw. However as a beginning instructor teaching topics on which I needed fluency, I needed to do a significant amount of work on my own. This pre-work came to be what made me comfortable teaching, and it has played an important role in my teaching effectiveness. So, to all instructors just starting out (or those who want to revisit their practice), I present to you my lessons learned and recommendations for diving into information literacy-based instruction as an information literate instructor.
1) Observe sessions
I had the chance to observe many types of workshops with different instructors (and one at another local university) and was able to glean an incredible amount from actively observing. I learned about keeping energy up (especially if you’re teaching undergraduates at 8:30 in the morning), being prepared for the topic, and different strategies such as walking around the room while talking. Observation time can give you the chance to sort out your teaching style and think about what you like and didn’t care during different types of workshops.
Take the time to sit in on a variety of instructional sessions and don’t be afraid to step out of the box to observe workshops that are in a different field or even location (such as a public library or other university, if you’re an academic librarian). Ask colleagues in your workplace if you can watch their sessions, or even float if you feel comfortable. Sit in on technology workshops, citation workshops, database workshops, and other types of sessions that can give you a varied view of instruction. While you may be teaching workshops on how to format citations, the instructor for that database class might have a teaching style that is more “you.” By observing different instructors in different settings with different topics, you’ll gain a more rounded view of what instruction means for students and for you as an instructor.
2) Consider your audience
Instructing undergraduates, PhDs, faculty and staff within a few weeks of one another really caused me to think about the audience of the workshop while I was preparing to teach and actually instructing. Teaching different types of groups requires thinking about the prior knowledge of the participant (while admitting it’s impossible to actually know this - especially when teaching a one-shot workshop), the basic skills they may or may not have, and why they are attending the session. More specifically, undergraduates may or may not have visited the library before, and one can cautiously assume they are familiar with computers in terms of web browsing, but they quite possibly are only at the database workshop because it’s required for their class. On the contrary, participants who attend the computer basics workshop are presumably there because they feel they are lacking computer skills and really want to absorb the workshop materials.
3) Conduct background information on previously taught sessions
Most of the sessions I taught had been taught before by many different people. I was provided with teaching outlines, but this only gave me part of the story. It was incredibly useful to talk to instructors who’d taught the session before to find out what works well and what doesn’t work so well (for example, some databases might not handle simultaneous use as well as others - and that’s helpful to know!), and how participants might react to the material. In a database workshop I co-taught, by talking with my co-instructor prior, I knew that one part of the workshop might take longer than predicted, so we needed to keep an eye on the time. Again, this was useful knowledge to have before getting in front of the class.
Reaching out to other instructors to prep and debrief workshops is an effective way to network with colleagues and improve your instruction. Looking back up to lesson learned #1, see if you can observe a workshop you’ll teach in the future and then chat with them afterwards to talk through some of the parts that were great or a bit confusing. Most colleagues should be open to this discussion.
4) Practice, and then practice again (by self and with others)
This might feel like an obvious step to take, but I’ve observed instructors who were clearly not as prepared as they could have been (and I’ve been there too!) - one of the steps for moving through the session was out of place, their designated search didn’t bring up the right results, or they left out a major part of the workshop.
Prior to teaching, I set aside time at least one week in advance to talk with colleagues and then actually sit down to practice working through the material. I follow all of the prescribed steps for the workshop (“now we’re going to go to the library homepage, and in the main search bar type ‘Children and Media.’ This will bring up a page that...) and talk myself through what I’m going to say. When time allows or I’m feeling particularly uncomfortable about a topic, I will practice in front of other colleagues or classmates to get feedback. By practicing , and practicing, and practicing, I’ve learned that being prepared is huge in feeling effective and comfortable in front of a classroom. I’ve also learned that you can’t predict everything that will happen, but that by being prepared for what you can control, the moments that you can’t are much easier to handle.
5) Co-teach
Not everyone might agree that co-teaching is effective or even something they want to do, but if you can find a colleague with whom you work well, having a co-instructor can be very useful to learning instructional skills and teaching styles. I found a co-instructor who’s teaching style and prep style both compliment and supplement mine. It’s been a great experience to work with someone who has his own teaching identity but who is willing to talk through instructional strategies and sessions (part of the practice part in #4!) and who is there for support during the workshop and after to provide feedback (see #7). Co-teaching can be a great way to start getting your feet wet in the vast instructional waters.
6) Teach!
Dive in and do it! Until you start teaching, you can’t possibly start to reflect and improve on what you can do better. When I started teaching, I did not have a teaching style and was merely trying to get through the material. By working with a co-instructor, having my mentor observe my sessions, reviewing the workshop evaluations from participants, and reflecting alone I was able to get critical feedback that has improved my teaching. I found that the more I taught, the more comfortable I got with different audiences (making quips about dissertation writing with PhDs, telling undergraduates that this tool will really save them time - because who wants to spend more time on citations then you have to) and the more comfortable I got in general. And the only want to do this was to start teaching - ready or not!
7) Reflect and debrief
This may be the most important step, not necessarily to start instructing, but definitely for becoming a more effective instructor. Having a co-teach or observer at some of your first sessions (and even as you progress) can make all the difference in being a great instructor. At the beginning of my teaching, I stayed behind the podium and, as mentioned earlier, just tried to get through the material. After receiving feedback, I started walking around the room, pointing more to the screen and became more interactive in my teaching style. I also worked through some of the examples in the workshop that simply didn’t work as well as I wanted. Additionally, reflection has helped me consider what I need to do more of in terms of preparation -- more practice, more background information, whether I want a co-instructor or not. These are valuable lessons on which to build for each and every instructional session I teach. Don’t be afraid to do this outside work - take this time in your office to write notes, or wait til you get home and can sit and think for a few minutes outside of the setting. It will be critical to improving your teaching to debrief each session, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Think about what went well, what didn’t go so well, and what you can improve on next time. A couple of bullet points can put things into perspective. And if a session had a lot of issues, think about how you can prevent them if possible, and more forward to making the next workshop that much better.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Connecting Developments - Detroit Center
Last week was busy and exciting for many reasons. On Wednesday, I visited another library, which I wrote about here and Thursday I had a chance to go to the Detroit Center, a UM-sponsored center downtown that houses UM projects such as UM Semester in Detroit, School of Social Work Technical Assistance, the Ginsberg Center, and many more that you can read about on their website.
The work at the Detroit Center is something in which I'll be engaged through May 2012. As part of my internship, I'm required to commit to a project in my second year of my graduate program that not only enhances my own professional development, but also helps fulfill a need in the library. I've always been interested in outreach and knew that the outreach librarians here at UM were doing interesting work. Once I learned more about their goals and projects, and started thinking more about my higher education degree, I was even more excited to work with them.
The library is at the Detroit Center to provide research assistance to the projects. Part of the work we're doing now is thinking about how to connect the correct librarian to the appropriate project. It's exciting to see things coming together. Other goals for the library at the Detroit Center include providing resources for grants, and helping the project leaders think about how they can use library resources to enhance their work.
This relates to my visit to the nearby academic library last week in one direct way. One of the Dean's visions was to create more partnerships and collaborations. UM is not perfect and thus one of my career goals is to create more partnerships between university libraries, university resources, and the surrounding communities that need them. The Detroit Center is a great example of how this is happening NOW and has a lot of potential to develop further.
The work at the Detroit Center is something in which I'll be engaged through May 2012. As part of my internship, I'm required to commit to a project in my second year of my graduate program that not only enhances my own professional development, but also helps fulfill a need in the library. I've always been interested in outreach and knew that the outreach librarians here at UM were doing interesting work. Once I learned more about their goals and projects, and started thinking more about my higher education degree, I was even more excited to work with them.
The library is at the Detroit Center to provide research assistance to the projects. Part of the work we're doing now is thinking about how to connect the correct librarian to the appropriate project. It's exciting to see things coming together. Other goals for the library at the Detroit Center include providing resources for grants, and helping the project leaders think about how they can use library resources to enhance their work.
This relates to my visit to the nearby academic library last week in one direct way. One of the Dean's visions was to create more partnerships and collaborations. UM is not perfect and thus one of my career goals is to create more partnerships between university libraries, university resources, and the surrounding communities that need them. The Detroit Center is a great example of how this is happening NOW and has a lot of potential to develop further.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Continual Professional Development
Professional practice means something different with each new professional development. This week, I had the valuable opportunity to visit another academic library, talk with their instruction coordinator, observe an instructional session, and have a conversation with the library's Dean. Having only spent time at the University of Michigan Library and one public library, this experience was both eye-opening and a great lesson learned.
Each of the pieces of my visit to the other university library was worthwhile in it's own way. The discussion with the instruction coordinator allowed me to peer into the inner-workings of how another library structures it's staff and views instruction. The instructional observation showed me how an actual lesson was constructed and executed at another library. The conversation with the Dean provided me with an inside view of an administrator's priorities and vision for the changing world of academia from the perspective of libraries and higher education.
The structure of this other academic library was very different from UM's library. The staff there are tenure-track faculty which allows them different challenges and opportunities within their work. The person I spoke with discussed their own goals and the goals of the instructional staff, but said that because there is no supervisor telling them what to do, that they have a lot of freedom in their positions and can focus on what they feel is important.
Another interesting piece of our discussion focused on the instructional goals that this librarian identified. Information literacy came up several times in the conversation which led me to believe that this was a large focus for his/her work. Additionally, the focus for this person's work was on the research process and helping students understand that process, as well as sources, in a more embedded way meaning that they believed the focus should not be on "one-shot workshops" but rather on intentional learning that included follow up.
The instructional observation also provided me a different view of this type of work. The instructional session was held in a large lab and the instructor "took over" the computers because there was not a large projection screen on which to show the demonstrations. There was time left over for students to work on their research while the instructor floated around.
The conversation with the Dean was very interesting to me, as I like to take a big picture view of situations. Without revealing too much, the focus of her/his vision was on partnerships and collaborations. They believe that the future success of libraries on university or college campuses depends on this. For me, this was exciting because it's exactly what I want to do in my career.
I probably could have written about 10 pages of reflection after my visit yesterday in conjunction with my visit today to the Detroit Center (which I'll focus on connecting next week) but for now I'll leave it at this and the overall value add to my professional development. The greatest lesson I learned was how continually learning and expanding my view of libraries and higher education can only enhance my career. The networking is key, yes, but especially because it's a great way to see what's going on on the ground in these fields which will continue to inform my work as I move forward.
Each of the pieces of my visit to the other university library was worthwhile in it's own way. The discussion with the instruction coordinator allowed me to peer into the inner-workings of how another library structures it's staff and views instruction. The instructional observation showed me how an actual lesson was constructed and executed at another library. The conversation with the Dean provided me with an inside view of an administrator's priorities and vision for the changing world of academia from the perspective of libraries and higher education.
The structure of this other academic library was very different from UM's library. The staff there are tenure-track faculty which allows them different challenges and opportunities within their work. The person I spoke with discussed their own goals and the goals of the instructional staff, but said that because there is no supervisor telling them what to do, that they have a lot of freedom in their positions and can focus on what they feel is important.
Another interesting piece of our discussion focused on the instructional goals that this librarian identified. Information literacy came up several times in the conversation which led me to believe that this was a large focus for his/her work. Additionally, the focus for this person's work was on the research process and helping students understand that process, as well as sources, in a more embedded way meaning that they believed the focus should not be on "one-shot workshops" but rather on intentional learning that included follow up.
The instructional observation also provided me a different view of this type of work. The instructional session was held in a large lab and the instructor "took over" the computers because there was not a large projection screen on which to show the demonstrations. There was time left over for students to work on their research while the instructor floated around.
The conversation with the Dean was very interesting to me, as I like to take a big picture view of situations. Without revealing too much, the focus of her/his vision was on partnerships and collaborations. They believe that the future success of libraries on university or college campuses depends on this. For me, this was exciting because it's exactly what I want to do in my career.
I probably could have written about 10 pages of reflection after my visit yesterday in conjunction with my visit today to the Detroit Center (which I'll focus on connecting next week) but for now I'll leave it at this and the overall value add to my professional development. The greatest lesson I learned was how continually learning and expanding my view of libraries and higher education can only enhance my career. The networking is key, yes, but especially because it's a great way to see what's going on on the ground in these fields which will continue to inform my work as I move forward.
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