Roadblocks

When writing a draft of a story or poem, it's really important to keep writing and not look back on the work and start editing. Once the editing begins, it's possible for a person to lose the real story to the turn of a phrase or the flip of a sentence. The idea should be the primary goal during the draft process, the process of discovery. I haven’t always perceived my role as a learner similarly, but as I write this, the goal of this class becomes clearer. This is a class for discovery and for experimentation. It is about the possibilities.
Once we are actually working in libraries, however, we move from the draft phase to the editing. The reality of editing makes it hard for me to embrace the exploration of technological possibility. In my head, I keep hearing the voices of my school’s Tech Chair and administrators. I am taken aback by my naturally skeptical nature and my own hesitations about technology and change.

I want to be enthusiastic and optimistic, but I find myself focused on the ways in which things can’t work. I think about the physical roadblocks: the cables that aren’t movable, the tables that just won’t fit anywhere else, the computers that HAVE to be somewhere else. I remember the logistical issues that make adding software or updating the card catalog long, difficult processes. In my position, I have not been given the privileges that would make these tasks under my immediate control. I have to put my requests to others and justify every decision. I have to decide what is truly worth entering the bureaucratic maze.

I also face additional human roadblocks in the form of teachers who are too overworked or old-fashioned or scared to embrace new technology. So, in this class, when I should be charging forward, dazzled by the prospect of new ways of teaching and learning, I find myself imagining the glazed over faces of the teachers to whom I’ll be introducing ANOTHER new way of doing things.

Some of these roadblocks are just plain out of my control, others require a little bit of patience and perseverance, and still others reflect my own insecurities, perspective, and understanding that there is only so much that can be accomplished in a day or week or year. As I challenge the editor within myself who keeps trying to revise the draft before it’s done, I realize part of my frustration is because I LOVE some of the things I’ve been learning. I can see the potential of where we can take students—if the conditions are just right. I have to remember to keep being the writer, the learner, the explorer. I wish my mind didn’t echo “roadblock” each time I hear a new idea because I really want to put some of these ideas into action. I want to be more open to the ideas, to push my library work and myself.

I’m hoping that I’m making at least a baby step with my innovative project. I could really see it working, and hope it does. I’m starting with something small and focusing on a perceived need which might be resolved via del.icio.us. Since none of the school computers can hold bookmarks on their computers, I can use technology to help teachers and students easily access the items they often refer back to. Enter del.icio.us/Feehanlibrary. It's a start at turning roadblocks into speedbumps.

I think my realistic (okay, and somewhat skeptical) nature has a place in library science and particularly in terms of technology. I just have to be sure to use it to a positive end. I need to ask questions such as: What is the greatest need in my academic setting? Where can I make a positive difference? What is possible within the given constraints? If I ask the right questions and don’t let myself become overwhelmed with thoughts of “this will be more trouble than it's worth”, I think I can make the process of learning more powerful and efficient for the students and teachers at my school. Who knows? We could all be surprised.

Long time no blog

Finally, I've found the time to read all the articles that have been piling up in my Google Reader. Yeah to scanning what the NYT is talking about. Yeah to reading articles on Pottermania including those in the Boston area. Yeah to reading comments by other classmates. (Though I wish my Reader could easily allow me to comment on those blogs via the reader.) Yeah to seeing the current additions to Threadless.

In addition, I've finally gotten a chance to read the articles about hipster librarians, and check my work email, and my library moodle page. I've even made progress on one tech encyclopedia entry. This weekend definitely had some great moments of accomplishment.

Maybe I'm getting back into the swing of things for this class. It's not as though I stopped working on it/ for it (I haven't), but the immediate thrill of the blog is gone. Now it's time for consistency, follow-up, regular maintenance. Like reading shelves, it can be necessary but daunting. And once I'm off the track for a while, where do I start in getting back on?

One of my classmates, librarygirl101, suggested that the library teacher should send daily tech emails to teachers. Perhaps this would be a great service, but I can honestly say that finding a new tech advancement to daily email about would be a challenge for me. In addition, I don't know if I could succeed with that kind of regularity. Last year, I did send messages to teachers, regarding new materials and new databases, but not daily. I tried for every quarter, and felt lucky to get that much done. Now that I've finished my first year in a school I can honestly say, the first year is a bear. There is so much I wanted to do that I still haven't done, and so much that landed on my plate that I had no idea would be there. Perhaps the best advice I got before starting was from my mom who said,

"don't do anything in the first year you won't be willing to do in the future."

It's another version of first impressions stick, I suppose, but it's helpful to remember that a base can be created and built upon, but much of the first year is about establishing the base.

I want to write more on RSS feeds and my impression of Google docs, but I feel they need their own entry. I figure this is enough for now. Also, I put a twitter feed on my blog page when trying to arrange a podcast badge for a friends show, and I want to take it off, so I should do that now.