Blog-The Daring Librarian

I’m actually pretty surprised at how much fun I had doing this week’s blog work.  I’ve worked as the librarian as a long term sub at Osuna Elementary school all year and part of last Winter/Spring.  Our library is fun, but needs a boost in the technology area (a rocket boost….we still have cassette tapes and DVDs).  I talked with the APS Library Services manager and she recommended the Advocacy for School Libraries blog which many of the librarians follow.  It’s a good site/blog which I will follow, but there I found a link to another blog:  www.thedaringlibrarian.com

I’ve been looking into how to introduce modern technology into the library.  This was great.  Her work with the QR codes looks fun.  I got hooked into the twitter like book reviews.  Check this out:  http://www.thedaringlibrarian.com/2011/05/twitter-style-book-reviews.html

What a great way to come at info from another direction. 

I’ve been doing this program called Battle of the Books for years at the elementary.  It’s a national program that we do in NM where 4^th and 5^th graders read 20 pre-selected books and have to remember the details of those books when they “battle” or compete against each other in teams from different schools around the state.  They are asked questions about the books and the answer is always the title and author of the book the question came from….pretty tough, but lots of fun.  I’ve gone a bit further and have had the classes battle each other so all the students can get involved.   This twitter-like book review idea can be another way to get my kids thinking about how to use their words wisely and remember their information.  Seems like you’re having a “fun” day, but they’re learning.

I also do the Flat Stanley project with 2^nd graders….I wonder what kind of ideas this blog will give….hmmm

This librarian has some cutting edge ideas about how to incorporate the latest technology into her library.  I love that.  I want to get my kids hooked on books…on reading….it’s why I do what I do.  I like how this librarian goes on the cutting edge without hesitation….I hope I can do that too.

Also….and this is the big reason I liked this blog….I hope to get inspired to learn the new tech too.  From the awards she’s earned or been nominated for, it looks like this will be a blog I will check regularly to keep up to date.

The fundamental purpose of education and schooling is to guide a person from birth to death in learning first how to survive, how to communicate, how to care for yourself, how to interact with the rest of humankind, and finally how to find your “spot” in the world.

I believe there is a difference between education and schooling.  To me, education is everywhere.  Education is navigating life and learning from the mistakes and successes on that journey.  Some of that education is subtle and some is quite plain.  Someone may learn how to handle a situation by observing another person or by doing what seems to come naturally and then when asked to explain how they learned that or why they do something a certain way, they say “that’s the way I’ve always done it,…I never thought about doing it any other way.”  On the other hand, when a person is taught by a parent and corrected over and over about how to tie his shoes, it is quite plain where they learned that skill.

I see schooling as institutional.  A person goes to a school or takes a course to learn something specific.  In the US, we begin with elementary school where the curriculum is chosen for them and they learn what is “required”.   As people complete the public education system, they can choose to continue their institutional schooling by focusing on taking courses of their own choosing at universities.

Historically, as adults enter the work force, employers will require a certain level of schooling (from an institution) no matter what kind of education (life lessons, experiences) the person may have.  I’ve been in that position where I could not be hired even though I had the skills to do a job, and do it well, because I didn’t have a specific piece of paper from an institution.

I think that education is a contextual word that is often used interchangeable with schooling.  When we talk about education we are usually talking about the institution or system.  However, when I think about it, education is much more than a building and some books.

My First Thoughts

Defining “Education” in class made me pause for a moment.  At first it was difficult.  First because I have many thoughts/opinions it’s hard to give a broad answer.  Second, having been in the public and private education system and guiding both my own children and the ones I’ve taught through pieces of it has me focused more on navigation and in the moment teaching and planning for small pieces instead of always looking at the big picture.  Having multiple children has taught me that not all kids are the same, not all needs are the same, and what works for one will not work for them all.  This makes it difficult to find the right place for each child, the right approach, the right environment.  And “right” is a constantly changing idea.  The question then becomes how can a system be provided to a constantly changing population of children with different needs and abilities?  Having choices in styles of schools and environments is a beginning.  Do we then have to begin pigeon holing at an early age where our kids to school?  What about availability? 

In our small group we said education is unique to the individual.  That resonates with me.  Education needs to provide children with the opportunity to be the person they would like to become.

I’ve always been a proponent of setting a high standard that is available to all.  Provide as many opportunities to learn a varied array of subjects, ideas, philosophies, and people.  I believe, right now, that education is about providing choices.  If a child can be exposed to many areas, then the choices he will have will be greater because they will know that that choice either exists or have the background to be able to pursue that choice.  Right now, I think education is about providing choices and about children taking advantage of the opportunity to learn things that will give them choices.  If we begin at an early age to pinhole them or “sort” them, we are doing them a great disservice. 

For now, I have to say that Education is a changing idea.  It is as unique as the children who are learning.  It needs to adjust to the changing population and the growth of that population.  Maybe the building blocks stay the same (like learning to speak and read) but as the world evolves, so does/should Education.