Teacher-Librarians as Change Agents:

Innovation and Leadership in the 21st Century School Community

  

Beyond the BuildingAre You Running a 20th Century Organisation?

Audience & Purpose

1) Perceive the need for

educational change in the 21st century

2) Embrace integrated

leadership based on principles

of organisational theory

3) Utilise the pivotal role of

teacher librarians as change

agents who provide innovativ

e leadership within their

organisations.

We strive to inspire Education Administrators to:

Members Knowledg

eNew Ideas

Investment

in Change

  Organisational change is needed in 21st Century educational institutions to meet the demands of digital age students.  Administrators should recognise that teacher librarians underpin sound organisational theory which will facilitate this change.   

(Fullan, 1999) 

The Inspiring Challenge

Challenge in Education for the 21st Century

Student's today are digital natives. Information and communication technologies are critical.

Quality management dictates that students' needs are paramount and meeting these needs determines value (Tribus, 1993).

Innovation and change are instrumental in improving student learning which is only possible through effective leadership.

Dynamic information landscape demands organisational response. Information and learning leaders with the skills, capacity and knowledge to fill gaps in expertise, are required to chart, integrate and implement courses of action, with clear moral purpose that meets client needs (Fullan, 1999).  

 Refocusing to Collective Leadership

Administrators must view 21st Century leadership as the collective responsibility of the school community.

  Achieved by:  

Collective Leadership

 3) Creating a

holistic environm

ent 

 2) Fostering relationships and trust

1) Shared vision. Set

of practices. "School's

moral voice"

(Sergiovanni 2000).

Innovation

SolvingExplorin

gExperimentingTaking risks

Evaluating

Reflecting

Sustainable

change &

improved

student learning

 

Leadership Capacity for Innovation and Change

 Given leadership capacity, teachers integrate purposeful

innovations, resulting in a school culture valuing continual learning and moral purpose.

 ,

 

  

 Relationships: Communication and Collaboration

Relationships are identified as key levers for maximizing school improvement and effectiveness.

Successful collaboration is dependent on powerful communication.

Communication must be inclusive and effective between all relevant stakeholders (Winzenried, 2010).

  Don't be reactive - be proactive, look to the future. Administrators distribute leadership, set goals, and promote learning of present and future leaders (Hargreaves & Fink, 2003). Innovative Teacher Librarians are the change agents for future success.

  

Ensuring Sustainable Leadership

21st Century Teacher Librarians are ideally suited to drive innovation.

As information and learning specialists, they are qualified to service the dynamic needs of Google Generation students.(Herman Miller Inc., 2010)  

Teacher Librarian as Information Specialists

Old Libraries

•Book repositories

New Libraries

•Extension of the classroom•Networked•Web 2.0•Library 2.0•Integrated•Interactive•Collaborative

Teacher

Librarians

Centre of

Innovation and

Change.

Middle Manager Change Agent

Promoting Moral Purpose Builds Relationships

 Why the Teacher Librarian?  Teacher librarians are ideally positioned to manage staff from the middle, to facilitate the moral purpose and mediate external and internal forces towards purposeful change. Goal setting through this integrated leadership model plays a significant role in improving student outcomes (Robinson, 2008).   

Teacher librarians are innovative leaders in the sustainable delivery of information and technology provision relevant to digital age students.

Information literacy is the “true catalyst for educational change” as technology use for our students is “intrinsic to their lives” (O'Connell 2006, p46).

  

21st Century = Collaborative and Digitally Based Learning

Schools are social organisations that must respond to their community culture to ensure deep learning experiences (Hargreaves & Fink, 2003).When teacher librarians act as change agents they facilitate enriched learning in school communities, through innovative leadership and improved student outcomes.

Integrated Leadership Provides Sustainable School Improvement

Fullan, M. (1999). Change forces: The sequel. Hoboken: Routledge-Flamer.

Hargreaves, A. & Fink, D. (2003). Sustaining leadership. Phi Delta Kappan, 84(9), 693-700.

Herman Miller Inc. ( 2010). The once and future library. In Hermanmiller.com. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/3qsafjt

O’Connell, J. (2006). Engaging the google generation through web 2.0. Scan, 25(3), 46-50.  Robinson, V., Lloyd.C, & Rowe,K. (2008). The impact of leadership on student outcomes: An analysis of the differential effects of leadership types. Educational Administration Quarterly, 44(5) 635-674.

Sergiovanni, T. J. (2000). The lifeworld of leadership: Creating culture, community, and personal meaning in our schools. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Tribus, M. (1993). Quality management. Education Journal for Quality and Participation, 16(1), 12-21.

Winzenried, A. (2010). Visionary leaders for information. Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University.

References