Assessment item 3: Part C Reflective practice

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My understanding of Information Literacy (IL), IL models and the TL role in inquiry learning has certainly expanded through this subject.  Light bulb moments have occurred over the last few weeks especially, as I’ve worked through the IL module and IL plan. At the start of the ETL401 course, I felt I had a fairly sound understanding of the role of the TL as research and information experts in the changing information and education landscapes, as discussed in my initial  Assessment 1: Blog post.  I recognised the importance of incorporating digital literacy into the TLs expanding practice, but my knowledge surrounding the details of IL and inquiry learning were still undeveloped. To use an analogy from Fitzgerald, Garrison, and Sheerman (2018), I was at the wide section in my funnel of learning! It was during module 3 when I first made the connection of the General Capabilities (GC), including Critical and Creative Thinking, to the core business of TLs. Clearly, IL isn’t just a set of skills for retrieving information, but is also about managing, evaluating and using information. In my Module 3.2 blog post, I reflected on Bonanno (2015, 2011) who stresses the importance of TLs becoming proactive participants and leaders in contemporary IL education. I realised that the TL role should explicitly connect with the changing, 21st century information landscape. I still, however, wasn’t sure how exactly the TL facilitated these skills and ways of working.

As we progressed through modules 4 and 5, inquiry learning as a model for facilitating IL was taking shape, as I read widely and slipped towards the narrower part of the funnel. The conflict between the Australian Curriculum’s (AC) promotion of 21st century skills, through the GC, and the nationwide focus on standardised assessment and accountability was a key issue in module 4. This was explored in Discussion Forum 4.1 where myself and others considered these skill sets as both being necessary and co-dependent, although difficult to manage. In the thread, Fitzgerald stressed that increasing teacher accountability and testing takes a great deal of time, which can compromise the ability of teachers to implement creative, inquiry teaching. This is a key obstacle for the introduction of inquiry learning into many school settings.

IL as a set of skills or as a way of learning, the expansion of IL pedagogy, as well as the leadership role of a TL in this pedagogy, is referred to in my Module 5.2 blog post which reflects on articles by Bruce, Edwards, and Lupton (2006) and Kutner and Armstrong (2012). The need for TLs to inhabit progressive teaching and decision-making roles which support students’ deep understanding, is a theme which keeps cropping up in my own learning journey. I could now answer my earlier query. TLs can facilitate IL through the provision of inquiry learning experiences, which promote the acquisition of 21st century skills as well as collaborative ways of working. Learning is relevant and student-centred, rather than product driven.

When digesting the work of Lupton (2014) and Bonanno (2014) in module 5, the value and importance of embedding an integrated IL model of instruction into our schools was at the forefront of my thinking. I commented on Lupton’s (2014) analysis of inquiry skills in the AC and the need for an IL model to structure them in Discussion Forum 5.3a . Lupton’s findings regarding the omission of “evaluation of information and the acknowledgement of sources” (2014, p.17) piqued my interest and I was determined to include these inquiry skills in my IL plan. I considered IL models currently being used in Australian schools, such as the Big 6, the NSW ISP, iLearn and the Guided Inquiry Design process (GID), which all describe the stages students take to progress from ignorance to understanding when engaged in an inquiry task (Fitzgerald, 2019). I reflected on the advantages and challenges of implementing GI in Discussion Forum 5.3b, and noted a specific advantage of the GID process being the inclusion of the predicted emotional highs and lows of the student researcher. I particularly value this element as it is a builder of student resilience, much needed with my own students.

As well as being the IL expert, the TL role in inquiry learning is as a team-teacher who can facilitate and maintain students’ engagement with a research task. A TL supports students through an inquiry process, guiding them to acquire skills, ask questions and build deep understandings, connections and solutions. While challenges abound, it is an exciting time to promote IL and GI for contemporary learning and student growth.

 

References (Part C)

Australian School Library Association (ASLA) (2011). A profession at the tipping point: Time to change the game plan. Keynote presentation, Karen Bonanno. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/31003940

Bonanno, K., (2015) A profession at the tipping point (revisited), ACCESS, March, 14-21. Retrieved from  https://search.informit.com.au/fullText;dn=064399679084070;res=IELAPA

Bruce, C., Edwards, C., & Lupton, M. (2007). Six frames for information literacy education. In S. Andretta (Ed.). Change and challenge: Information literacy for the 21st century. Blackwood, SA: Auslib Press. eBook, CSU Library Reserve.

Fitzgerald, L. (2019). Information literacy. In ETL401: Introduction to teacher librarianship, [Module 5]. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_42381_1&content_id=_2899464_1

Fitzgerald, L., Garrison, K.L. & Sheerman, A. (2018). ‘It’s just what the brain does’: The shape of Guided Inquiry. ACCESS, Sept., 32(3), 4-10. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=7f13d107-9c0c-40c6-be5d-811787b71ec0%40pdc-v-sessmgr01

Kuhlthau, C.C., Maniotes, L.K., & Caspari, A.K. (2012). Guided inquiry design: A framework for inquiry in your school. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.

Kutner, L. & Armstrong, A. (2012). Rethinking information literacy in a globalised world. Communications in Information Literacy, 6(1), 24-33. CSU Library.

Lupton, M. (2014). Inquiry skills in the Australian Curriculum v6: A bird’s-eye view, ACCESS, 28 (4), 8-29. Retrieved from https://eprints.qut.edu.au/78451/1/Lupton_ACCESS_Nov_2014_2pg.pdf

ETL401 Module 5.2 Information Literacy in education

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…reflect on what you can take from the discussion of information literacy to your IL role in school.

The diversity of Information Literacy (IL) definitions and models is somewhat overwhelming! Bruce, Edwards and Lupton (2006) discuss Six Frames for Information Literacy Education and explore the relational frame in more detail, as it is a less familiar way (or less traditional way) of working in the IL context. While I’m not yet in a TL position, I can see that the relational frame has relevance for TLs wanting to implement innovative 21st century skills and learning.  At its core, the relational frame aims to have students experiencing information literacy in a range of powerful contexts, so that students “develop more complex understanding” (p.6). Bruce et al. (2006) also elaborate on an IL tool, the ROSS (Reflective Online Searching System). This software program uses the relational model to create a learning environment which aims to expand students searching processes. This opening up of student search processes is surely a goal of all TLs. Bruce et al. (2006) argue that a core value of the six frames is that it can prompt reflective practice for TLs, challenging them to identify their go-to frame of working, and to consider other frames to develop their professional practice.

Kutner and Armstrong (2012) examine librarians working in higher education institutions, in our 21st century information landscape, where an intersection of global learning and information literacy occurs. They argue that librarians need to engage with an “expanded notion of information literacy” which now includes engagement with “social, cultural, economic and political contexts of information access, retrieval, use and creation” (p.25).  A skills-based approach is now not enough to engage students and faciliate deep-understanding of information literacy. The engagement of librarians encompasses being actively involved in campus-wide conversations around information literacy education, and to utilise the potential leadership of librarians as information literacy experts. This article resonated with me, as I connected it with Karen Bonanno’s (2015, 2011) article and speech and her call to arms of Australian TLs, who must become proactive in their own contexts to remain relevant and vital in their school community. Kutner and Armstrong (2012, p. 30) argue that the conversation and reflection of librarians should happen at three levels:

  1. pedagogical – the how, what and why of teaching information literacy
  2. pragmatic – the challenges of limited time with students yet more scope to cover
  3. Information literacy standards – updating the guiding professional standards

This discussion of information literacy reinforced the importance of TLs being active contributors to their school contexts, to support the concept of educating students for global citizenship.

References

Australian School Library Association (ASLA) (2011). A profession at the tipping point: Time to change the game plan. Keynote presentation, Karen Bonanno. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/31003940

Bonanno, K., (2015) A profession at the tipping point (revisited), ACCESS, March, 14-21. Retrieved from https://search.informit.com.au/fullText;dn=064399679084070;res=IELAPA

Bruce, C., Edwards, C., & Lupton, M. (2007). Six frames for information literacy education. In S. Andretta (Ed.). Change and challenge: Information literacy for the 21st century. Blackwood, SA: Auslib Press. eBook, CSU Library Reserve.

Kutner, L. & Armstrong, A. (2012). Rethinking information literacy in a globalised world. Communications in Information Literacy, 6(1), 24-33. CSU Library.

ETL401 Module 4.2 Evidence gathering to meet AITSL standards

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Consider ways in which you might use the two Australian School Library Association (ASLA) documents to further your understanding of the role of the TL, or to inform your practice.

The two Evidence Guides for Teacher Librarians (ASLA, 2014, 2015) in the proficient and highly accomplished career stages, are useful tools to be used in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Teaching (AITSL) documents. They outline the AITSL standards which:

…cover three domains of teaching: professional knowledge, professional practice and professional engagement. Across the three domains there are a total of seven standards, each with its own set of focus areas, which are interconnected, interdependent and overlapping (ASLA, 2014, 2015, p.2).

While I’m familiar with the AITSL standards through my employment as a classroom teacher, as I’ve never worked in the school library as a TL, I will certainly use them for guidance in crafting my new profession.  At this point in time, these documents are helpful in creating and informing my perceptions of the role.  The evidence guides provide a range of examples of what a quality TL practice may look like at the different career stages. In my future practice, I can see that they will be practical guides for preparing, setting and focusing my professional goals and learning plans (ASLA, 2014, 2015, p2).  These guides are also a reminder about the importance of retaining samples of evidence for accreditation purposes.

Australian School Library Association (ASLA) (2014). Evidence guide for teacher librarians in the highly accomplished career stage.  Retrieved from: http://www.asla.org.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/evidence-guide_ha.pdf

Australian School Library Association (ASLA) (2015). Evidence guide for teacher librarians in the proficient career stage. Retrieved from http://www.asla.org.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/evidence_guide_prof.pdf

 

ETL401 Module 3.2 The role of the Teacher Librarian

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Are school librarians an endangered species?

Karen Bonanno (2011) maintains that for teacher librarians (TLs) to defy this labelling of being an endangered species, they must “rise to the occasion” to meet the employment demands of their school community. She discusses the importance of TLs being visibly engaged with the education structure, which encompasses curriculum (ACARA), standards (AITSL) and services (ESA).  Building explicit connections between the role of the TL with this ‘architecture’ and making them widely known is vital. For example, TLs should use the language from the General Capabilities of ICT and Critical and Creative Thinking, to make the link with the TL role in the changing education landscape.   In her later article, Bonanno (2015) emphasizes that TLs must be proactive in building their capacity. This includes keeping abreast of educational and technological developments and being producers as well as consumers of professional conversations. In doing this, TLs can become a thriving species who are indispensable to their school community.

Australian School Library Association (ASLA) (2011). A profession at the tipping point: Time to change the game plan. Keynote presentation, Karen Bonanno. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/31003940

Bonanno, K., (2015) A profession at the tipping point (revisited), ACCESS, March, 14-21. Retrieved from https://search.informit.com.au/fullText;dn=064399679084070;res=IELAPA

 

ETL401 Module 2.2 The nature of information – availability and access

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Think about the ramifications of having ready access to information at all times. For example, how does this aspect affect you and your capacity to study this subject. What are 3 benefits and 3 negatives?

Positives:

  • Access to CSU/information any time – flexible study revolves around personal life and work
  • Ability to swiftly locate, relocate, store and manage information effectively
  • External online study enables myself and other working mothers to do it all (?)

Negatives:

  • Disrupted sleep and irritability due to late night study (blue screen baddies after 9pm)
  • Potential neglect of health and personal relationships due to spending time online rather than offline with family and friends
  • External online study enables myself and other working mothers to do it all (?)

As Mosbergen (2016) discusses in her analysis of a controversial French labor reform bill, there are a number of associated risks with our constantly interconnected information societies. These include work related stress and burn-out as the boundaries between private and professional lives blur, thanks to the electronic leashes of email and other digital technologies  (Hamon, as cited in Mosbergen 2016).  While the mediums of  digital communications have enabled this stress-inducing interconnectedness, perhaps the real problem, as articulated by Whittle (cited in Mosbergen 2016), is the “culture of having to constantly do more and constantly do better than competitors.” It’s interesting to consider that the bill was widely unpopular with many French citizens. Such legislation would potentially restrict the flexibility of employees, who, for example, may choose to work from home to complete tasks in the evening once families are fed and put to bed. This highlights a number of information access issues, including the importance of gathering data on the needs of all stakeholders.

References

Mosbergen, D. (2016). French legislation suggests employees deserve the right to disconnect (http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/work-emails-france-labor-law_us_57455130e4b03ede4413515a?section=australia). The Huffington Post. Retrieved July 2016.

Assessment item 1 Part B: Blog post

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My understandings of the role of the Teacher Librarian (TL) in schools have certainly developed over the years in which I have worked as a primary school teacher.  I have, however, always relied upon the TL, the library space and its resources in order to do my job well.  When I began my career in 2007, with limited industry experience and resources, my instinctive learner-compass led me to my school’s library and TL. This would become my first port of call at the beginning of each term, as I hunted engaging resources in order to hook my students, and considered previous and new ways of working. This was my first transformation of understanding, as I learnt that TLs support and facilitate information access for teachers, not just students.

As a beginning teacher, my perception of the TL was as a teacher in the library, who shared new books with students, encouraging and helping them to borrow. This was probably based more on my experiences as a student in a school, during a predominantly pre-digital information age, rather than as a teacher in the 21st century.  My current understandings of the role are that it is a multifaceted profession. While TLs are still vital as specialists and advocates of and for reading and literacy development, they are also facilitators of learning across the curriculum. TLs are research and information experts, who assist students and teachers to access to a variety of quality resources, be they print, digital or human.  I’ve often thought that TLs hold a fundamental, quietly powerful position within schools. I like the depiction of TLs as having a “bird’s eye view” across year levels and subjects, to describe the scope of the role (Lupton, as cited in Hughes 2013). This image portrays the TL is a surveyor of an education landscape, which is constantly in flux due to political, cultural and technological change.

As I’ve considered making the career shift, I’ve realised that not everyone appreciates the value of school libraries and TLs. When my own children recently started school, I was surprised and disappointed to learn that while there was a great library and a very helpful teacher-aide who worked there, there was no qualified TL. Many state primary schools across Brisbane (and Australia) are choosing not to employ library professionals. Staffing and funding cuts in Australian school libraries have been in effect for decades (Godfree & Neilson 2018; House of Representatives, 2011 as cited in Merga 2019).  In this age of the internet, ICT technicians are often employed as an alternative, as some school executive teams perceive the TL role as outdated. Recent research and data, however, emphasizes the importance of the TL in supporting student learning outcomes, particularly in the changing education and information landscape (Godfree & Neilson 2018, Hughes 2013, Merga 2019). In one of the Students Need School Libraries campaign films, Needle in the Haystack, TL Keith Mullumby blends the bucolic metaphor with technology. He describes the TL as a “magnet to help students find the needle” in the haystack of online information (2018).

Despite the worrying trend, it’s a pivotal time to be a part of the dynamic TL profession. Many quietly powerful magnets, and their supporters, are working hard to reinvigorate it, as an essential component of contemporary education systems.

 

 

References

Godfree, H. & Neilson, O. (2018). School Libraries Matter!* The missing piece in the education puzzle.  ACCESS, 32(1), 28-41. Retrieved from https://studentsneedschoollibraries.org.au/article-school-libraries-matter-the-missing-piece-in-the-education-puzzle/

 

Hughes, H. (2013). School libraries and teacher-librarians: evidence of their contribution to student literacy and learning. Curriculum and Leadership Journal, 11(12), n.p. Retrieved from http://www.curriculum.edu.au/leader/school_libraries_and_tls,36453.html?issueID=12777

 

Merga, M.K. (2019). How do librarians in schools support struggling readers?  English in Education, 53 (2), 145-160, DOI: 10.1080/04250494.2018.1558030

 

Mullumby, K. (2018, October). Students need school libraries campaign: Needle in the haystack [Video File]. Retrieved from https://studentsneedschoollibraries.org.au/films/

 

Copyright using Creative Commons?

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A Creative Commons licence is an extension of Copyright Laws. Creative Commons is a non-profit organisation with a focus on legally sharing work in a global community. A CC licence enables an owner to decide and specify how others may or may not use, share and manipulate their works. There are 6, free standardised CC licences available. (Creative Commons Australia, n.d.)

 

References

Creative Commons Australia (n.d.) About the licences. Retrieved from Creative Commons Australia website: https://creativecommons.org.au/learn/licences/

Creative Commons Australia (n.d.) Which Creative Commons licence is right for me? Retrieved from Creative Commons Australia website: http://creativecommons.org.au/content/licensing-flowchart.pdf

An introduction

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Hello! My name’s Alyssa and I’m excited to be finally starting my TL journey. I’ve been teaching in Brisbane primary schools for the past 13 years, as well as parenting two exuberant daughters with my very patient husband. Thankfully, we all love reading in bed.

Walking into libraries (and other forests) always gives me a thrill. As a teacher, I love helping students discover a new author, connect with characters or find new threads of information. I look forward to developing my skills and knowledge as an information specialist, and creating new pathways for myself and others.