CA 5.1 - Definitions 'elearning professionals'

Just what is an elearning professional. I read an article that proclaimed when referring to a 25 page ebook, 'What I’ve covered in this book is more than enough to get you started on your new career as an eLearning professional'. Could I therefore read a 25 page book that would be everything that I need to be a teacher? I don't think so.
Once one has qualified to be a teacher, solicitor, barrister or similar profession as a result of all that hard work, one could class themselves as a professional but surely this is just the start and true professionalism will follow when experience has been gained and further development continues. How professional is a teacher that trained in the 70s and still refuses to use anything other than a blackboard.
Is an elearning professional someone who designs elearning packages using some fancy software? Or a teacher that is trying to improve the learning environment for their students by diversifying and providing blended learning.

As for 'professional', what really warrants the use of the word professional. I do not believe you have to have a qualification to be a professional, many professional footballers, are certainly not qualified and some I would say are not very professional. Marlon King was sent to prison only recently, hardly the act of a professional.

As fellow student, Alan puts it Sewell, A(2009).

'You need to practice your profession
You need to actively participate and contribute to a community of practice.
Be accepted by your profession as a professional'.

A couple of scenarios to help explain. Every morning I arrive at work the cleaner, has been in my office and cleaned my desk and emptied my bin. If I am in early enough she is always friendly, polite and discrete. She does a good job and although there may be sensitive information around the desk she would not read it. Is she a professional? She certainly goes about her job in a professional manner.

A teaching assistant in a classroom is a vital part of the smooth running of a class, he/she may not be qualified in any way (Although I do appreciate many are these days) The TA works by the same rules as a teacher and acts in the same professional manner as the teacher. Just because the TA doesn't have a teaching qualification it doesn't mean they are not professional IMHO.

So going back to Alan's three points I think in this case all three could be upheld. Providing the TA does the job well, seeks to improve, stays up to date with current practices, takes part in discussions etc long gone are the days when a TA was there for sharpening pencils and taking children to the wc.

Just some thoughts

Sewell, A. (2009) H808 Trevor’s Tutor forum, eLearning and professional development, 6 November 2009, 08:47 Available from:http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/forumng/discuss.php?d=810