Reply To: Staff/Common Room

[Sarah Pavey Participant]

I am a freelance qualified professional librarian with teaching experience. I have worked in many spheres of education both in the independent and maintained sectors, primary and secondary.

I am passionate about developing information literacy skills, digital and media literacy skills, critical thinking skills and independent learning skills throughout all key stages and having been employed as a teacher librarian  I spent considerable amounts of time in the classroom as well as the library. If nearly 700 websites and 500 hours of video footage are added to the internet every minute then surely learning to handle and evaluate information becomes akin to learning to speak another language. If technology exists to aid this process and to help encourage creativity in writing then we have to teach these digital media and information skills. I feel saddened by the current focus on rote learning. My own daughter when doing her A Levels begged me to “stop filling up my brain with stuff I don’t need to pass my exams” and I was only redeemed as valuable when she started doing research as part of her degree course.

Equally, I am interested in how we communicate and work with others and run courses on people management and student behaviour. This also encompasses areas such as assertiveness, resilience and self esteem.

My training style is very practical. I like to use problem solving, critical thinking and games to help participants understand concepts in preference to just delivering “how to” content

I help schools with consultancy and recruitment for a new school library or development project, training for all members of a school community in digital and information literacy including writing and presentation. I have worked with key stages 2 – 4 and with sixth form EPQ, International Baccalaureate Diploma Extended Essays and Cambridge Pre-U.

My first degree is in Biochemistry and my master’s degree is in Information Science. I have a post 16 teaching qualification too. I am also a qualified trainer with the British Council. Although I have spent most of the last 20 years of my career in schools, I also have experience of the Pharmaceutical and Financial information sectors and have worked for some time in Qualitative Market Research.

When I am not being a consultant I play in professional traditional folk music ceilidh bands and singing groups.

My website is http://www.sp4il.co.uk and you can stalk me on Twitter (@Sarahinthelib) LinkedIn and Facebook