Candidate Reflection Form​– Progress Update #1

You are asked to reflect on your learning up to this point and share this self-reflection
with your instructor.
Please complete the form below and submit it to the ​Assignments folder, ​Progress
Update 1.​ After you have submitted this form, your instructor will complete a Rubric of
Professional Learning and provide you with feedback on your progress to date.
****************************************
Name: Jordan Freed Date: March 16​th​, 2019

1.​ ​What are some of your personal learning goals in taking this
course?
My big hope in taking this course is to develop a better understanding
of what teacher librarians do. Although I’ve spent a lot of time in school
libraries and am close with several TL’s in my district, I don’t actually
have a good grasp on the job and its demands. Beyond formulating a
strong understanding of TL job requirements, I hope to find resources
and develop skills that will allow me to effectively introduce inquiry
projects to diverse groups of students, and teach critical research skills.
 2.​ W
​ hat steps are you taking to reach these goals?
I believe I already have a better understanding TL job requirements,
thanks, largely, to the early assigned readings. That having been said,
the scope of the job (and the expectations there in) are incredibly
intimidating. I’m not entirely sure how one person can do “everything”,
especially when most TLs only work part time. I hope to sit down with
several TLs I know in the coming weeks, and look at their schedules to
see how they allot their time. I imagine there will be overlap in their
schedules, allowing me to see what responsibilities experienced and
practicing TLs consider the most important.
As for my goal of developing a better understanding of the inquiry
process, I’ve paid particular attention to course readings that explore
inquiry, and have done some independent research on the topic. I’m
following several TL blogs, actively speaking with teachers who have
experience implementing inquiry in their classrooms, and have read
several academic articles on the subject. Although every article did a
good job explaining ​why​inquiry is important, none gave practical advice
for implementation. I hope to do my unit 3 inquiry project on student
lead inquiry so I can continue to improve my understanding of effective
inquiry practices, pedagogy and resources.
 3.​ ​If applicable, please share any questions or concerns you may
have at this point in the course.
I’ve been very happy with this course so far. It’s easy to navigate, the
assignments and readings are interesting, informative and manageable. I
also appreciate your flexibility with deadlines. You understand how busy
the school year is and work hard to accommodate our schedules. This
really is a course for teachers, taught by teachers.
There are a couple links that do not work (they are in module three in
the “Collaboration” section).
It would be nice to have a model to work with during major
assignments (especially our capstone project). I feel a little lost, and
seeing an example of a Teacher Librarian Handbook would help.
I’d also like some clarification on how discussion boards contributions
will be assessed. The discussion boards can be frustrating because
people post at different times. It is my hope that, for this reason, our
discussion board contributions will be marked comprehensively at the
end of the course, rather than week to week, so we don’t feel rushed to
meet deadlines and can pace ourselves in order to stimulate
conversation.

Instructor Response:

Instructor Feedback is based on the following expectations :

● Contribution to a collaborative learning environment.
● Completion of tasks and participation in discussions.

The completed Rubric of Professional Learning and instructor feedback will appear
in the ​Feedback​textbox of the ​Assignments ​folder ​Progress Update 1​.
Instructors may also opt to provide feedback in the space below.
Candidate Reflection Form​– Progress Update #2
You are asked to reflect on your learning up to this point and share this self-reflection with
your instructor.
Please complete the form below and submit it to the ​Assignments folder,​Progress
Update 2.​ ​After you have submitted this form, your instructor will complete a Rubric of
Professional Learning and provide you with feedback on your progress to date.
****************************************
Name: Jordan Freed Date: April 7, 2019

1.​ ​How has the content of this course, and the input from the other
candidates, helped you to change or refine your thinking about
teaching and learning?
​Both the course content, and my interactions with the other candidates, have
highlighted how complex the TL job is. Being a librarian is much more than “shelving
books”. The course readings in particular have helped me form and refine an in-depth
understanding of the expectations placed on a TL.
In addition to monitoring library resources, the teacher librarian plays a crucial
educational role by helping others implement the curriculum, co-planning units and
lessons, teaching research and inquiry skills, hosting various social activities,
planning and implement extra-curricular library clubs, supervising staff and
volunteers, and monitoring/ promoting school wide literacy programs.
Additionally, my engagement in this course has helped me understand just how
political the TL job is, and the central role TL’s play in promoting technological
literacy, in protecting students as they engage with WEB 2.0, and in defending library
resources from unnecessary censorship.

2.​ ​If applicable, please share any questions or concerns you may
have at this point in the course.
​I have really enjoyed this course so far. The readings are relevant, and I believe
every assignment/activity is helping prepare me for my future role as a TL. My goal
for the rest of the course is to be more active in the discussion forms. I am trying out
a few strategies in an attempt to create more engaging interactions.

Instructor Response:
Instructor Feedback is based on the following expectations :
● Contribution to a collaborative learning environment.
● Completion of tasks and participation in discussions.

The completed ​Rubric of Professional Learning​ and instructor feedback will

appear in the ​Feedback​ textbox of the ​Assignments ​folder ​Progress Update
2​. Instructors may also opt to provide feedback in the space below.
Candidate Reflection Form​– Progress Update #3
You are asked to reflect on your learning up to this point and share this self-reflection
with your instructor.
Please complete the form below and submit it to the ​Assignments folder,​Progress
Update 3.​ After you have submitted this form, your instructor will complete a ​Rubric of
Professional Learninga​ nd provide you with feedback on your progress to date.
****************************************
Name: Jordan Freed Date: April 15,2019

1.​ ​Identify any connections you have made in this course

between theory and classroom practice.
The collaboration strategies we studied in this program ring very true. I
spend a lot of time collaborating as part of my current job, but never
considered the steps I take to form effective collaborative partnerships.
Learning the specific strategies proposed in this course forced me to
reflect on my practice, resulting in the realization that I have
unknowingly been implementing many of those strategies.
Additionally, since taking this course, I’ve tried to promote greater
personal efficacy in my classroom. As an educator, it is my responsibility
to develop capable and independent problem solvers. Although I strive to
develop the metacognitive capabilities of every student I encounter, I’ve
recently come to the conclusion that I do too much for my students, and
need to place greater responsibility on their shoulders. I can do this by
promoting my students to seek out alternative sources of information, by
giving them the opportunity to wrestle with a problem before proposing
solutions, and by encouraging them to research questions in order to find
their own answers.
 2. ​Consider the personal learning goals you identified in your
Progress Update #1 and reflect on your progress to date.
I have a much better understanding of exactly what a teacher librarian
does. The individual components of the job are still somewhat
intimidating (there is an awful lot expected of one person) but I’m
starting to feel like teacher librarianship is something I’m capable
of—with the right resources of course. In fact, I would go so far as to say
that the importance of good resources is my number one takeaway.
Good resources make it possible for a TL to manage the library’s
resources, implement creative programing, stay up to date on new
trends in education, collaborate, promote literacy and teach research and
inquiry skills.

3. ​ If applicable, please share any questions or concerns you may have

at this point in the course.

Instructor Response:

Instructor Feedback is based on the following expectations :

● Contribution to a collaborative learning environment.
● Completion of tasks and participation in discussions.

The completed ​Rubric of Professional Learning​ and instructor feedback will appear in
the ​Feedback​ textbox of the ​Assignments folder​ ​Progress Update 3​. Instructors
may also opt to provide feedback in the space below.