My job is in
education as a librarian and currently I am working at an elementary school,
3-5th grade. I was hired four years ago, even though I did not have any library experience at the time; I did receive informal training from a mentor
with 30+ years of library experience and received a good foundation of skills
to build on. Two years ago the school district required me to become certified
so I enrolled in the library certification program at TAMU-C. I chose this
program because it was recommended to me by several people who work at Region
8, and the program being available online gave me the opportunity to fit grad
school into my busy life. When I graduate I hope I can stay where I am now as
the certified librarian for my school district because I love everything about my job, from promoting literacy to collaborating with teachers.
According to
the WorkMatrixTM my job provides mostly First level service (teaching, delivering, and training), and Second level (training trainers). I teach information and research skills
to students, and I also have presented technology training for library aides
and teachers. I cannot say which I prefer the most, because both aspects of my
job are rewarding and provide psychological income, which is just as
important to me as economic income. As far as my priorities for work features,
I would not like to have a job that requires a great deal of travel because of
my small children and a geographical location that keeps me close to my family
is also important to me.
My
undergraduate degree was graphic design so after college I worked in this field
for several years before becoming a teacher, even though the technology I used back
then is now embarrassingly antiquated. Designing and developing instruction
therefore is interesting to me, but I would need some training in current media
production tools for e-learning and interactive multi-media. Out of all the
sectors listed, business and industry is the area which I have the least experience.
Because of my education background, I can identify with the aspects of
instructional design such as defining goals and formative/summative evaluation,
but I would need to take an elective such as Designing & Evaluating
Instruction in order to obtain a better grasp of the instructional design
process for work-based learning. Meanwhile, to stay successful in my job which
I love, I need to attend workshops and professional development, stay current
on research and emerging technology, and join professional organizations in
order to stay current on issues in my field.
The following hypothetical “’experience” chart was posted on the RapidE-Learning blog created by Tom Kuhlman who is a blogger for Articuate
e-learning software.
I am currently a member of the Texas Library Association (TxLA) and was able to attend the 2011 conference in Austin, and I look forward to attending the 2013 Fort Worth convention. There are many advantages for a Texas librarian to attend a conference such as this, for example by attending sessions on library advocacy I was able to promote the value of libraries in our district as well as ways to improve much needed funding.
Chapter 28 mentions many professional organizations in IDT and each one is geared toward different sectors. The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is for individuals who want to improve instruction through technology and a benefit of being a member for me as a librarian would be topics concerning information literacy. The website lists these topics of interest in the School Media and Technology division:
- Digital Citizenship
- Professional Development
- Achieving excellence in the Information Age
- Studies on School Media
- Collaboration
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) also
promotes the effective use of technology in education for PK-12 educators. This organization is an advocate for
educators to policy makers regarding educational technology and digital age
learning. ISTE is also responsible for developing
the NETS (National Education Technology Standards) which measure proficiency
and set goals for what educators and students should be doing with technology
in education. I plan to join the Texas Computer Educational Association (TCEA) which
is affiliated with ISTE. TCEA hosts a yearly convention and exposition, this year
in Austin. Members also get access to
free webinars and training. It is to my
advantage to join these professional organizations because they will help me
learn better ways to integrate technology and be an advocate for my program.
Kelly, I can tell you first hand that you will LOVE TCEA. It is by far the best convention I have ever been to. There are so many opportunities to learn. Even if you only visit the vendor's area, you will get hands-on knowledge on all types of media. I miss going. I will be a panel member for a presentation at ISTE this summer, and I am way too excited. I have dreamed of going to ISTE for years. It isn't always close, so I have not made that venture due to my children and their care. You should look into going.
ReplyDeleteI am envious of your position. I am teaching at the moment, but I also head up the math department, provide technology training to staff, and I am a member of the site base committee and several others. I stay busy, too busy most of the time. Good luck to you with your current program!
First off let me say that I think that it's great that you are in a position that you love. Online classes allow so many people to achieve their goals while still being flexible. I received my first degree in multimedia which is sort of like your graphic design. The difference is that you actually worked in that field and I never did pursue it. I switched my degree to education. I wish you the best of luck in your future.
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