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Category: ETL501 – The Dynamic Learning Environment

ETL501: A Reflection On Learning

ETL501: A Reflection On Learning

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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 a teacher librarian in the 21st century.

 

A fundamental learning experience from this unit was the creation of a research guide for year five students on the Eureka Stockade. At the forefront of my mind when creating the guide was accessibility. WordPress (WordPress, n.d.) was chosen as the platform for the research guide as it contained an accessibility toolbar, which allows the user to adjust the font size and the contrast of the research guide. This decision was influenced by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (World Wide Web Consortium), in particular SC 1.4.4 and SC 1.4.3. Readability was also an important factor. For novice researchers, simplicity of language is key to ensuring students actually use and appreciate research guides (Puckett, 2015, p. 80). Given that the target audience for the research guide is year five students, the language used had to match their reading abilities. Using the Hemmingway Editor (.38 Long LLC, n.d.), I obtained feedback on the readability of the content I created and simplified the information to ensure that year five students could read and understand the task.

 

To evaluate the books and digital resources that I included in the guide I used Caulfield’s (n.d.) SIFT method, which is the same method the students are encouraged to use during the research task. Using this method myself made it easier to create prompts that encourage students to critically evaluate the resources themselves. As a classroom teacher, I used to undertake the task of evaluating resources on behalf of my students, which I reflected upon in Module 4.5 (Wilson, 2024, October 5). I now have the knowledge and the skills to scaffold my students in undertaking this important information literacy skill for themselves.

 

21st century teacher librarians need to possess the technical knowledge necessary to tailor online spaces, such as research guides, to meet the teaching and learning needs of their students. It is an expectation in the Australian Capital Territory that teacher librarians be able to maintain “a virtual learning commons accessible to everyone, at any place and on any device” (Australian Capital Territory, 2019, p. 2). As a future teacher librarian, I aim to create a curated collection of digital artefacts that provide targeted support in information literacy skill development. I have already begun this process in ETL501, with the creation of infographics (Wilson, 2024, September 5) and other digital artefacts embedded within my research guide.

 

This unit has also encouraged me to think critically about physical school library spaces I have worked in previously and apply theory to suggest improvements to these spaces (Wilson, 2024, July 16). As a future teacher librarian, I feel confident that the knowledge I have gained from this unit will allow me to create and maintain a dynamic school library space that is responsive to the ever-changing information landscape.

 

 

References

Australian Capital Territory. (2019). School Libraries: The Heart of 21st Century Learning. https://www.education.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/1435435/School-Libraries-The-Heart-of-21st-Century-Learning.pdf

Caulfield, M. A. (n.d.). Check, Please! Starter Course. https://checkpleasecc.notion.site/Check-Please-Starter-Course-ae34d043575e42828dc2964437ea4eed

World Wide Web Consortium. (n.d.). Web Content Accessability Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/

Puckett, J. (2015). Modern Pathfinders: Creating Better Research Guides. Association of College and Research Libraries.

Wilson, A. (2024, July 2). The Dynamic School Library: My Emerging Understanding. Connect the Dots. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/amandawilson/2024/07/02/the-dynamic-school-library-emerging-understandings/

Wilson, A. (2024, September 5). Smart Searching Infographic. Connect the Dots. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/amandawilson/2024/09/05/smart-searching-infographic/

Wilson, A. (2024, October 5). Teaching Information Literacy. Connect the Dots. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/amandawilson/2024/10/05/teaching-information-literacy/

WordPress. (n.d.). WordPress. https://wordpress.org/

.38 Long LLC. (n.d.). Hemmingway Editor. https://hemingwayapp.com/

Photo by Firmbee.com on Unsplash
Teaching Information Literacy

Teaching Information Literacy

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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 on topics of interest when writing their own informative texts, but this was as far as we went on this topic. For these tasks I always sought out quality information sources myself and provided these to the students. Upon reflection, doing this was taking away the chance to model, guide, and support my students in how to select quality information sources.

 

What is needed to build upon current teaching approaches?

A clear continuum of what information literacy may look like at each stage. An example of this is Hossain’s (2020, p. 14) K-12 Academic Integrity Literacy (citation and referencing) continuum. The expectations listed in the ‘K-Grade 2’ column emphasise a need for teachers to explicitly model information literacy practices, such as verbally acknowledging the ownership of work. Linking back to the teaching of paraphrasing that I mentioned previously, I could further build upon this by clearly explaining why we paraphrase the information we have gained to develop an awareness of ownership within my students.

 

What do you see as the challenges for teaching information literacy in our complex and changing information ecosystem?

I see smartphones as a huge challenge when it comes to teaching information literacy. While the younger generation are often labelled as “digital natives”, evidence suggests that the digital literacy skills of this cohort vary considerably, and the technologies they choose to engage with are limited (Merga, 2018, p. 78). In 2023, it was estimated around 91 percent of 14- to 17-year-olds in Australia owned a smartphone (Maclean, 2024, para. 1). While smartphones appear to be the technology of choice for the current teenage cohort of students, the technology has drawbacks that impact the application of digital literacy skills. A smartphones screen size and capabilities do not facilitate the ability to critically assess content using strategies such as exploring multiple sources (Yarmey, 2023, p. 108). This limitation impacts a young persons ability to critically assess information sources that they may encounter when using their smartphones.

 

What might you consider to be potential ways to respond to these challenges?

Embedding instruction on how to select the right tools for information searching within our information literacy lessons. Also ensuring that the information literacy skills that are taught, particularly at the high school level, are transferable to mobile phone devices, as it is inevitable that this cohort of students will engaging with information sources using smartphones.

 

References:

Hossain, Z. (2020). Connecting policy to practice: How do literature, standards and guidelines inform our understanding of the role of school library professionals in cultivating an academic integrity culture? Synergy, 18(1). https://slav.vic.edu.au/index.php/Synergy/article/view/373

Maclean, J. (2024, September 9). 91 per cent of Australian teens have a phone – but many are not secure. CSU News. https://news.csu.edu.au/opinion/91-per-cent-of-australian-teens-have-a-phone-but-many-are-not-secure#:~:text=Most%20Australian%20teenagers%20have%20their,the%20interactions%20they%20might%20have.

Merga, M. K. (2018). Reading Engagement for Tweens and Teens: What Would Make Them Read More?. Bloomsbury Publishing

Yarmey, K. (2023). Changing the conversation: introducing information literacy to a generation of smartphone users. In Godwin, P. & Parker, J. (Eds.), Information Literacy beyond Library 2.0 (1st ed., pp. 103-110). Facet.

Smart Searching Infographic

Smart Searching Infographic

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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 SIFT method can be gained through the Check Please! Starter Course.

The SIFT method

References:

Caulfield, M. A. (n.d.). Check, Please! Starter Course. https://checkpleasecc.notion.site/Check-Please-Starter-Course-ae34d043575e42828dc2964437ea4eed

Photo by Sven Mieke on Unsplash
A participatory designing approach

A participatory designing approach

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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 is at the very beginning, as opportunities for the school community to influence the design process decline once professionals are engaged (Hughes, 2019, p. 10). There are many methods teacher librarians can use to give a voice to the teaching and learning community of a school to ensure the end product will be one that is functional, well used, and elicits a love of reading and learning. Examples of participatory design methods include surveys, charettes, and student design projects that can be embedded into units of work.

 

Site visits are a useful participatory design strategy that allows a teacher librarian to gain insights into design possibilities. During site visits, teacher librarians can speak directly to other teacher librarians, teachers, and students to gain an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses different design features posess and how they impact learning and teaching. The information gained from site visits can create a foundation upon which other participatory design methods can be built upon. Any photos, ideas, and anecdotes collected from the site visits could then be presented to the school community and used as a springboard for inspiration and guide an informed discussion around design possibilities.

 

One way in which I would keep school community members up to date on the school library redesign process would be through the creation of Prezi’s (n.d.), that could be distributed to the wider school community via different channels, such as email and the school social media accounts. Using the Prezi format would make the information accessible to everyone, from staff and parents, to our youngest students. Classroom teachers, particularly in the younger grades, could use the Prezi as a springboard for discussion with younger students.

 

References:

Hughes, H. (2019).  (Re)Designing the library through school community participation. Connections, 111. https://www.scisdata.com/connections/issue-111/re-designing-the-library-through-school-community-participation/

Hughes, H., Bland, D., Willis, J., & Burns, R. E. (2015). A happy compromise: collaborative approaches to school library designing. The Australian Library Journal, 64(4), 321–334. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049670.2015.1033380

Prezi. (n.d.). Prezi. https://prezi.com/

The dynamic school library: My emerging understanding

The dynamic school library: My emerging understanding

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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 around it.

 

A key takeaway I gained from this module are the approaches that I can utilise to help me create a dynamic school library in the future. The first approach, The 21st Century School Libraries Framework (Loh, 2018, p. 4), illustrates how a school library can evaluate access, space, and programming in order to fulfill the five key roles of a school library, being: reading, research, collaboration, studying, and doing (Loh, 2018, p.4).

The 21st Century School Libraries Framework (Loh, 2018, p.4)
The 21st Century School Libraries Framework (Loh, 2018, p.4)

The second approach is built upon the concept of embedded librarianship, where a teacher librarian embeds themselves alongside classroom teachers in the planning and teaching of curriculum content. Boyer (2015, p. 74) outlines that the level upon which a teacher librarian embeds themselves within the school learning framework exists on a continuum, aptly called The Embedded Continuum.

The Embedded Continuum (Boyer, 2015)
The Embedded Continuum (Boyer, 2015)

Below is a Y Chart categorising the main themes I have identified throughout module 1:

Y Chart: A dynamic school library
Y Chart: A dynamic school library

 

References:

Boyer, B. (2015). Designer Librarian: Embedded in K12 Online Learning. TechTrends, 59(3), 71-76. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-015-0855-9

 

Loh, C. E. (2018). Envisioning the school library of the future: A 21st century framework. Office of Education Research National Institute of Education. https://repository.nie.edu.sg/server/api/core/bitstreams/c3e6186c-3beb-419e-b602-b54c874963aa/content

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