On December 7, 2010, NJEA President Barbara Keshishian announced "research-based education reform." One of the aspects of the proposed plan involves Educational Technology Coaches. [ http://www.njea.org/njea-media/pdf/EdTechCoaches.pdf ] One of the pieces of this portion of the plan is: NJEA works with the Southern Regional and Middlesex Education Technology Training Centers (ETTC) to bring technology workshops to local school districts and train school employees on how to best integrate emerging technologies into the classroom. How can I be upset with this? Because I have been chosen to provide a couple of those workshops, and I am a school librarian. Wouldn't a more member-friendly suggestion by our union be to have school librarians provide this kind of training for their respective and neighboring schools and districts? Granted, school librarians aren't the only people who provide these workshops for ETTC; any qualified teacher or school professional may submit to present a workshop for ETTC. However, with so many school librarians losing their positions, often at districts who don't see the value of a school librarian beyond circulation statistics, wouldn't it behoove NJEA to highlight the amazing technology-knowledgeable resource each school has (or should have) in its own backyard? Indeed, the NJEA's proposal includes the statements, Educators learn best from fellow educators whom they trust to understand the many challenges associated with integrating technology. … This team of teachers would act as turnkey trainers for other educators on new and innovative ways to integrate technology into New Jersey's classrooms. I was brought up being told, "Don't complain about something unless you can offer a solution." Although NJEA did follow this dictum, so, too, am I. I am suggesting that NJEA protect its members' jobs by utilizing its members' strengths and highlighting its members' skills instead of outsourcing its' members' professional expertise.
Yours in service, Arlen
Mrs. Arlen Kimmelman , Librarian National Board Certified Teacher Clearview Regional High School 625 Breakneck Road Mullica Hill, NJ 08062 856-223-2723 fax) 856-478-2705 kimmelmanar[at]clearviewregional[dot]edu http://clearviewregional.edu/docs/hs/libra/
"[Reading is] just like exercise: Do it every day and you'll feel energized; do it once a month and you'll be in pain." ~Ralph Raab, americanlibrariesmagazine.org, August 2010
NJEA works with the Southern Regional and Middlesex Education Technology Training Centers (ETTC) to bring technology workshops to local school districts and train school employees on how to best integrate emerging technologies into the classroom.
How can I be upset with this? Because I have been chosen to provide a couple of those workshops, and I am a school librarian. Wouldn't a more member-friendly suggestion by our union be to have school librarians provide this kind of training for their respective and neighboring schools and districts? Granted, school librarians aren't the only people who provide these workshops for ETTC; any qualified teacher or school professional may submit to present a workshop for ETTC. However, with so many school librarians losing their positions, often at districts who don't see the value of a school librarian beyond circulation statistics, wouldn't it behoove NJEA to highlight the amazing technology-knowledgeable resource each school has (or should have) in its own backyard? Indeed, the NJEA's proposal includes the statements,
Educators learn best from fellow educators whom they trust to understand the many challenges associated with integrating technology. … This team of teachers would act as turnkey trainers for other educators on new and innovative ways to integrate technology into New Jersey's classrooms.
I was brought up being told, "Don't complain about something unless you can offer a solution." Although NJEA did follow this dictum, so, too, am I. I am suggesting that NJEA protect its members' jobs by utilizing its members' strengths and highlighting its members' skills instead of outsourcing its' members' professional expertise.
Yours in service,
Arlen
Mrs. Arlen Kimmelman , Librarian
National Board Certified Teacher
Clearview Regional High School
625 Breakneck Road
Mullica Hill, NJ 08062
856-223-2723
fax) 856-478-2705
kimmelmanar[at]clearviewregional[dot]edu
http://clearviewregional.edu/docs/hs/libra/
"[Reading is] just like exercise: Do it every day and you'll feel energized; do it once a month and you'll be in pain."
~Ralph Raab, americanlibrariesmagazine.org, August 2010