Connect the dots – Thoughts and reflections from a Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) student

ETL504: A Reflection on Learning

June 3, 2025 Amanda Wilson Comments 0 Comment

ETL504 has encouraged me to think beyond the walls of the school library to how I can influence and lead school-wide change. In this blog post, I reflect upon my past experiences with teacher leadership and change management. I will also identify strategies I can use in the future to solidify the school library and teacher librarian’s place within the school hierarchy. During my time as a classroom teacher, I had taken on additional roles beyond my classroom teaching,…

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Improving Relationships Within Organisational Structures

March 8, 2025 Amanda Wilson Comments 0 Comment

Reading the experiences of my peers in the ETL504 forum, there were a few people who felt that the teacher librarian role was isolated or they didn’t know where the role sat within their school’s organisational structure. These experiences demonstrate that some schools are still in an era where it is dependent upon the teacher librarian to use initiative and work hard to establish themselves as the information expert of the school. Using these viewpoints, coupled with my own experience…

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Organisation Theory and Schools

March 5, 2025 Amanda Wilson Comments 0 Comment

Sir Ken Robinson (2010) is a world-renowned education expert known for challenging the status quo when it comes to how we educate children. In a talk delivered at the RSA, Robinson proposes a change to the education paradigms that currently exist by shifting the focus towards a system that fosters divergent thinking. Robinson’s theory takes on a “normative approach” (Bush, 2015, p. 2), in which he advocates for what he believes is best practice for educational institutions. Below are the…

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ETL501: A Reflection On Learning

October 8, 2024 Amanda Wilson Comments 0 Comment

In the first week of ETL501, we were asked to create a definition reflective of our emerging understanding of dynamic learning environments (Wilson, 2024, July 2). After all I have learned this semester, I would not change my answer. However, I now have a greater depth of understanding that underpins this definition. In this blog post, I unpack the key strategies I used to create a research guide and outline my understanding of the technological skill set necessary to be…

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Teaching Information Literacy

October 5, 2024 Amanda Wilson Comments 0 Comment

This blog post is a reflection on my experience with teaching information literacy. I identify the changes needed in my own teaching practice and the challenges I see facing the profession as a whole. How is information literacy currently taught to students in your context? Reflecting on my six years teaching Year 1 and Year 2, information literacy was barely touched upon. The only thing I can recall is teaching our students how to paraphrase information they had read…

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Smart Searching Infographic

September 5, 2024 Amanda Wilson Comments 0 Comment

In Module 4.2 of ETL501, we were encouraged to create a smart searching infographic that could be used to develop students’ search skills. I chose to adapt Caulfield’s (n.d.) SIFT method into an simple, eye-catching infographic. The SIFT method is comprised of four steps that aid in the evaluation of information sources that students may encounter. These steps are: Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, and Trace claims, quotes and media to the original context. Further learning about the…

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A participatory designing approach

August 20, 2024 Amanda Wilson Comments 0 Comment

At the onset of a school library’s build or refurbishment, it is crucial that the needs of the people who will be using the facilities are considered in the design. A participatory designing approach ensures that a space is not just aesthetically beautiful, but also works well for the end user by including them in the designing process (Hughes et al., 2019, p. 331). The most favourable time for the school community to have an impact on the design process…

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The dynamic school library: My emerging understanding

July 2, 2024 Amanda Wilson Comments 1 comment

Module 1 of ETL501 The Dynamic Information Environment has made it clear to me that a dynamic school library does not only exist within the space where the school’s books and resources are held. It is present in every classroom, with collaboration and co-teaching happening between the teacher librarian and classroom teachers. A dynamic school library is responsive to the learning needs of the students upon which it serves. It is ever evolving, keeping pace with the changing information environment…

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ETL533: A Reflection on Learning

October 3, 2023 Amanda Wilson Comments 0 Comment

Literature in Digital Environments (ETL355) has introduced me to new forms of literature that I had not experienced before and has helped me in reclassifying literature that I had engaged with in the past. Reflecting back on my initial understandings at the commencement of this unit, I had already been using digital literature sporadically within my classroom teaching, I just did not realise at the time. In my initial blog post, I mused as to whether the app Scratch Jr…

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Cover of digital story, Growing Up in the 1960s

Context for Digital Story Telling Project

October 3, 2023 Amanda Wilson Comments 0 Comment

Growing Up in the 1960s (Wilson, 2023) is a non-fiction digital narrative that centres around a young boy named Frank. Using a first-person perspective to tell the story, Frank shares facts, photos and videos of what life is like for him growing up in the Victorian town of Yarrawonga. Reading about Frank’s family, home, school, and the fun he has, students can gain a glimpse into what life was like for Frank as a child in the 1960s. After interacting…

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