Bad cpd23-er

These are the reasons I am a rubbish cpd23-er:

- I have two jobs and consequently work 6 days a week.
- I am learning to drive.
- I am training for a hiking marathon.
- I have taken up running.

And so that is how I now find myself, on the 13th December, three days away from the end of term, wondering what on Earth happened to the last few months. So, it's winter now? Where did that go? Where is my social life? Where is my mind?

And I think I might not be able to sustain this cpd23 stuff, although I will try.

I am also considering putting my manic reading (as an Assistant School Librarian, I find myself reading stuff like The Hunger Games and Patrick Ness and Malorie Blackman and Sophie McKenzie and books about zombies) to good use by writing a few reviews. Watch this space.

Why I don't comment on things (not my fault)

Blogspot won't let me comment on anything, even my own blog. So I've tried to comment on some cpd23 blogs, but I can't. This upsets me. I want to let you know I've been reading! I have been.

Also, if anyone knows how to fix this problem, I'd be massively grateful of any help.

Thing 13: Google Docs, Wiki & Dropbox

I used both Google Docs and Dropbox while studying for my MA and found them both incredibly useful for group work. For one piece of work, which was a reflective log, Dropbox was especially useful. Myself and the rest of my group would meet up every couple of weeks and record our conversations, which we then went on to use as part of the final piece of work. We shared the audio files through Dropbox, and also shared articles. For another piece of written group work, Google Docs was used - this was much easier than emailing.

I have now got my first professional post in a school (I start tomorrow, eek!) and so I am keeping my eyes open for any ideas I can use. The idea of collaboration and sharing seems especially appropriate for education. I know the school I am working for has their own remote file sharing system, so I am unsure whether Dropbox would really be necessary, but the principles certainly seem the same: pupils can access work from home and IT don't have to worry about the security risks posed by USB sticks. It also means that a lot of work can be submitted electronically - so instead of handing in a piece of paper, students can simply drag & drop documents into teachers' files. This is something I find really interesting, and so very different to what happened when I was at school! That was less than 10 years ago, so things are changing very quickly. I certainly see the potential of such a system. It makes sense, if children are using technology, to utilise that for educational purposes, save teachers time, and to save money on resources such as paper.

I suppose the challenges relate to the fact that not all children are as familiar with technology as each other, and induction sessions would be necessary to ensure everyone understood what to do. Parents may find this especially challenging.

In terms of Google Docs, this would be useful for any group work carried out in the classroom. The remote file-sharing system would be useful, but the problem of multiple copies, presumably, would be an issue. I will certainly consider this if the need ever came up.

I'm a little dubious about wikis. I've read a lot about how they're often neglected and poorly used. I should probably read more positive articles! If anyone has any, feel free to let me know :) It would be foolish to write wikis off completely. It would certainly be an interesting exercise in collaboration to start one up, even if the outcome was negative; this could open up debate into the limitations of computer-mediated collaboration.

Thing 12: Putting the Social into Social Media

are there any other advantages to social networking in the context of professional development than those already outlined above?

I think social networking can probably do most of the things that face-to-face networking can do, albeit to a lesser extent. I see it as very embedded in the wider social context generally, but also very embedded into the way I organise both my social and professional lives; I tend to make all my arrangements through a combination of social networks, text messages and phone calls. These things do not feel separate to me.

One thing that I think is incredibly useful about social networking in the context of professional development is the opportunities it provides for learning, both from other individuals and from learning resources recommended by others; this is most related to collaborative working space, but I think it's connected to all the points raised in the original post. Social networking fosters very directed discussion and anyone can contribute. I think this is something that is more difficult to do face-to-face.

can you think of any disadvantages?

It's difficult to form a whole opinion of someone from an online profile. Some things don't come across online - body language, tone of voice; this, in many ways, makes it a more difficult social world. Some things just need to be done in person: lectures are often more inspiring face-to-face, and being in the physical presence of others is more supportive. In a general sense, people do still want to meet others offline, and there is a reason for this. But social networks do not simply exist online, they overlap with the offline world. And as a tool to supplement this offline interaction, I think the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

has CPD23 helped you to make contact with others that you would not have had contact with normally?

Definitely, both online and offline. I have followed a few blogs written by people I don't know. I also met quite a few new people at the meet-up in week 7 who I wouldn't otherwise have had contact with.

Incidentally, I now feel like I know the people who came to the meet-up much better than those who I follow but have not met face-to-face.

did you already use social media for your career development before starting CPD23? Will you keep using it after the programme has finished?

I did, but I am relatively new to it all! I think doing cpd23 has really shown me the power of using social media as a tool for my professional development. I have discovered new sources of information and have gained a few Twitter followers, giving me a wider view of the profession as a whole.

in your opinion does social networking really help to foster a sense of community?

This question is actually very closely related to my dissertation topic, so I could probably write an essay here! I will try not to. In short, my answer is: yes, I think it can. I don't think it always does, nor do I think the community it fosters is quite the same as "traditional" community, but it does help, definitely.

My point above about social networking being embedded in the wider social context is really important here - online social networks translate themselves to the offline world frequently. I think that social networks are great for conversing, arranging and disseminating information. But people still want to meet others face-to-face and, when they do, they feel closer to them. And then they can continue that relationship via social networking. And the social networks do help.

But really, what I am trying to say, is that there is no substitute for a good old sit down natter with a cup of tea and biscuits, is there?



Yesterday, when I started writing this blog, I started following a few people on Twitter: a couple of librarian folk & World Book Night. For the latter, I filled out my top ten books. To end with a digression, I picked:

1. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
2. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
3. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
4. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
5. Ghost World by Daniel Clowes
6. The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
7. Things the Grandchildren Should Know by Mark Oliver Everett
8. Dracula by Bram Stoker
9. Our Band could be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991 by Michael Azerrad
10. Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder

Thing 11: Mentoring

I don't really have any experience of mentoring. Most of the library people I've met were on my course, and while everyone was at different stages of their career, we were all working towards the same qualification, learning the same things. The support on the course was amazing, but felt more like peer support, as opposed to mentoring.

The closest I ever got to having a mentor was probably when I did my work placement at Whitworth Art Gallery. The librarian there is a retired public librarian who volunteers at the Whitworth once a week. We talked a fair bit about government policy impacting libraries, the way computers are changing everything and the various issues surrounding different types of libraries. It was interesting to learn about how things go in cycles; how back in the late '70s there were threats to libraries too, challenges that were overcome. And things will get better again, then worse, then better. That's just the way it goes.

I like the idea of having a mentor, but it always seemed a somewhat mysterious process to me. I always thought it happened organically; you met someone who you got along with, who gave you advice, and the mentoring thing developed, like a friendship, but with one person knowing more stuff. This always seemed fairly difficult to me, a social puzzle I didn't understand. I didn't know you could ask for a mentor. Now it all makes sense!

I would like a mentor, I think. I am a new librarian, I am starting my first professional post a week today and I am nervous! Having someone to talk to about professional stuff would be a good thing. Also, I make a good cup of tea. This, I find, always helps with everything.

Thing 10: Graduate traineeships, Masters Degrees, Chartership, Accreditation

I am not sure, yet, whether to call myself a "librarian", as opposed to a "library student". I have finished the taught part of my MA, the part which comprised the PGdip; I could stop writing my dissertation now and still be qualified to apply for professional posts. So in a sense I'd be perfectly entitled to. But. But. There is a but. It feels strange calling myself a librarian. It feels new. I feel like I don't know enough yet. I feel too clueless.



Perhaps I will feel different in six months, a year, two years, when I have worked in a professional post, learned more things, really seen where I can take this. I am optimistic. I really want to become a real librarian!

Why did I want to become a librarian in the first place? I won't say I had epiphany, because it wasn't as grand as that. I finished my undergraduate course in 2007 and spent three years drifting around temp jobs trying to figure things out. I was unemployed for six months, which was awful. My Sociology degree couldn't help me then, and when it could help me, it could only get me Reception and entry-level admin jobs. Which was fine for a clueless 23 year-old, but not really what I wanted to do in the long-term.

I think I was having something of an existential crisis.

I spoke to people who know lots more about life by virtue of having lived it for longer than I, and they all told me not to wait for an epiphany: just pick something you're interested in and do your best. So I flirted with a few ideas. Nursing. Too squeamish. Occupational Therapy. Realised I wasn't even sure what it was. Teaching. Just not sure. Research. I actually worked in research for a bit as a temp and, for some reason, didn't apply for the permanent role that came up. And there weren't many other jobs I was qualified for.

I tried to think of the things that linked together my temp jobs, and realised I'd done a lot of archiving. And I knew I wanted at least two things out of any job: 1) That I was, in some way, helping people, 2) That I'd be playing to my strengths, but that there would be room to challenge myself. I also knew I had always loved libraries, and information, and words, and I knew I was really, really interested education, and I truly believed (and still do) that knowledge is empowering. I applied for the MA and got in. I found something I was interested in.

I moved to Manchester for the MA at MMU, which wasn't too big a change as I'm from Stockport originally and have quite a few friends here. I really enjoyed the MA, it felt good to be a student again, and everyone on the course was really nice. It's a hectic course, but because you're so busy all the time, by the time you realise you're stressed, it's Easter.

I'm currently in the midst of my dissertation, which is due in on the 30th September. 18, 000 words and a vast expanse of time seems scary, but breaking it into sections helps a lot.

I am now really excited about getting out and using all that I've learned, although slightly apprehensive about finding a job. I am keen to stay in Manchester as I've ended up moving house for the last 7 years in a row, and I'd really like to settle in one place! Plus I love Manchester and fear London. I will move if I can't find anything, but for now I'm going to carry on filling in job applications for every single job I can find in the NW area. Ideally, I'd love to work in education, as it's something I'd say I'm passionate about, and I did an Online Learning module on the MA and found it really interesting. I'd also really like to look into chartership eventually. But we'll see.

Thing 8: Google Calendar

I must admit, I may have been putting this entry off somewhat. I have been super busy, but there was also a part of me that actually couldn't think of much to write. Perhaps I've used my writing quota elsewhere (current dissertation wordcount: 13, 123) and I've run out of brainspace to put words together. But if I don't say much about Google Calendar, that's okay, right?

I used to work as a Receptionist in Leeds and part of my job was to book meetings and various Important Events using Outlook, so I am used to that interface for such things. So using Google was odd at first, but after I got used to it I did like it, I do like it, and I'd be interested to use it when I am working in a professional post. It is useful. Well done, Google Calendar!