CCHS Library Learning Commons: Only YOU can prevent helmet fires

The school year is a roller coaster ride that keeps accelerating. By the time spring rolls around you hear words like "overwhelmed" and "overload". My personal favorite is "helmet fire", defined by Wikipedia as "an expression for a mental state characterized by unnaturally high stress and task-saturation and loss of situational awareness." The phrase originated with the military who said "the pilot is undergoing so much stress that his brain is on fire or smoke is coming out of his ears." Basically, you have so much to do, and so many tasks to accomplish during a critical window that it is physically impossible to complete it all. I think this describes a lot of teachers during the month of June!

Educational technology is often times the scapegoat of stressed teachers (and is a good example of the ideas put forward in the Information Gap). Thoughtful professional development is required to nurture teachers and provide the support for continued growth in the quickly evolving world of information and education.

A lot of the skills and new literacies described in this excellent two minute video are found in the AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner. As information and media specialists we have an obligation to provide leadership and thoughtful professional development opportunities for our colleagues during the summer. Our teachers need us. Only YOU can put out helmet fires!