The Role of a TL

• How should TLs prioritise the roles they play in the school?

Only from these readings have I formed the following opinion. I believe that the priority of a TL is the educational needs of the students based at that school.

• Are there other roles played by TLs, e.g. social roles?

TL’s along with other teachers do play other significant roles including but limited to: welfare, mentoring, mediator and ambassador to their students and school.

• How do Lamb's views on the TL's role compare and contrast with those of Herring and Purcell? 

In this post I hope to successfully identify similarities between Lamb, Herring and Purcell’s Teacher Librarian roles. Below is a list of similarities that I have identified in these readings:

·         Working collaboratively

·         Student centred learning

·         Professional development

·         Inquiry based research

·         Increased focus on information literacy rather than reading for leisure

·         Storage of information

·         Curriculum and program design

·         All make reference to the standard of ‘lifelong learners’

My ability to critically analyse text is well off par. I hope that throughout this course that it will develop to a satisfactory level. I also find this shortfall of mine embarrassing and frustrating as I am an educator and I fell that I should be better at this. A work in progress.

• What existing tasks/roles do you think you as a TL could give up in order to be as proactive as Lamb and Valenza want you to be?

Through these readings I was unable to identify specifically the emphasis to be proactive. I did however gather from these reading that due to the ever changing dynamics of information and technology there is an emphasis on TL's to  actively engage in professional development to meet the information needs and demands of their students. Therefore, from my limited understanding of this topic so for, TL's could outsource administrative jobs to increase time for the development of programs and course content that enable students of all abilities to participate in inquiry based activities.