During this course, the learning I have undertaken about the digital learning environment has helped to solidify concepts that I learnt earlier in my Masters as well as reassure me that much of the thinking and processes that I have been attempting to use to develop and implement better virtual environments within my school, has been underpinned by some of the academic thinking and practical processes suggested throughout this course.
A digital learning environment has a distinct variation between the expectations, pedagogy and tools used to that of the face-to-face classroom. Now, more than ever, due to the recent online learning phase, the validity, relevance and effectiveness of these environments has been pulled into focus. In particular, the learning and instruction differences that these environments can offer. (Veletsianos, 2015, pg 243). The outcomes of the digital learning environment in the Collaboration Age (Richardson, 2008, para 4) are two-fold: not only do they teach students skills in the specific subjects they are learning but also that of digital and global citizenship. There is a fluidity to the classroom walls in which students can reach beyond the classroom to the more than one billion people online to “mine their wisdom and experiences” (Richardson, 2008, para 5). To then read, reply, create and publish work in response to the questions they are attempting to answer opens a world of possibility for curriculum development.
Students need to be explicitly taught these skills but there is often a lack of clarity around who is responsible for this. There is also varying opinion on what skills need to be taught as well as limits on time and the crowded syllabus from which teachers are accountable. Rheingold (2010, para 3) identifies several skills relating to social media that he believes should be taught – attention, participation, collaboration, network awareness, critical consumption. In Hollandsworth, Donovan and Welch’s (2017, para 14) most recent research it was suggested that there is a decreasing awareness of digital citizenship amongst parents and students despite a significant increase in the use of technology on a daily basis. The evidence of their findings indicating that these skills need to be embedded within the delivery of content.
The challenge then is how to foster collective efficacy that utilises all staff, not just specialised teaching staff like a Teacher Librarian or Head of IT. Assignment 3 made me consider this more carefully. Many teachers are not actively engaged in digital learning environments or professional learning networks themselves which makes this particularly difficult when the investment is not apparent and when they have misconceptions as to what digital citizenship is (Sackson, 2015, para 2-3).
I believe the Teacher Librarian can play a pertinent role as an information leader in helping to drive discussion within a school to evaluate how digital learning environments are being used and how they can be pushed to extend students beyond digital citizenship capabilities and move them into the realm of the global digital leader. This is a long-term goal for my school. One that I need to ensure is carefully executed once a good practice surrounding the foundations of digital citizenship are embedded in the school culture. Work would be needed to develop policies and guidelines around privacy and safety. There would need to be discussion around having a shared vision that ensures a sustained focus on curriculum but that also prepares students to have an attitude to learning that encourages user responsibility. (Lindsay, 2014).
In so doing, this course has made me aware that in considering and building digital learning environments, it is not only possible to build technological capacity in students and staff but information fluency through a personalised learning environment.
612 words.
References
Altman, G. (2016). Woman Face Thoughts. [Image]. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/photos/woman-face-thoughts-media-head-1446557/
Osorio, P. (2018). Flashback Transport Rear-View Mirror. [Image]. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/photos/flashback-transport-rear-view-mirror-3216836/
Veletsianos, G. (2016). Digital Learning Environments. N Rushby & D. W. Surry (Eds). In The Wiley Handbook of Learning Technology, First Edition. Pg. 242-260. Retrieved from 10.1002/9781118736494
The collaborative online learning environment created by myself, Judy and Christy I feel, overall, was successful.
Our process began with the initial teething problems: working from two different Google Docs – one that Christy had already done some work on that she shared with us via email and another one that Judy had started. The email trail proved challenging for myself and Christy so I suggested moving across to Microsoft Teams. The advantage of Teams was that all our messages were streamed on one screen and you could see replies to various threads.
The newest piece of software that I was unfamiliar with was Zoom. It timed out well however, as the move to online learning happened around the time we started collaboration and I had heard that this was a good tool to use as an alternate to Adobe Connect which I was more familiar with.
I found the online meetings most helpful. This would be a “norm” for collaborative learning that I believe should be present in a digital learning environment. Locke (2007) talks about the various spaces that are user-centred and have various functions and behaviours that are present in that space such as “group” and “participation” spaces.
In the case of our group project, it provided an opportunity to get to know each other personally and to discuss the ideas we had all had individually about how we wanted to approach the project. It was an opportunity to ask questions and get clarification on understanding which I felt was important if we wanted to create a cohesive module. This was particularly important as at one key point in the process there were differences in understanding as to who our audience would be and how evaluation using the Quality Teaching Framework was going to be embedded into the modules. To combat this Christy adapted the template that Julie had provided for us as a Google doc to help get clarification and streamline what each of us was doing which I felt was a good strategy.
In terms of the school environment, online meetings would be vital in building relationships to ensure that students can feel as though they can be open and learn from one another as “co-learners” safely and responsibly (Rheingold, 2016, para 1). This is fundamental in a face to face context so developing those parameters online would also be important.
Building the online collaborative learning into a school environment would also need to be collectively designed by the school community – executive, teachers, students and community to ensure there is some consistency across the digital learning environments, a fluidity between formal and informal learning spaces and enough room for personalisation both for the teacher and student.
Individuals are always going to have a preference as to what they like to use in terms of digital tools and the ways in which they prefer to collaborate (just like learning styles) so it may be difficult to make everyone happy all of the time. As evidenced by our recent move to online learning, the diversity of tools and the variety of styles we have used should, hopefully, in the long term, make our students (and teachers) more versatile in their online collaborations and therefore better able to learn from each other within a digital world as long as collaborative discussion is embedded within this practice.
This is the digital artefact I made on referencing for senior students. I used Adobe Spark, H5p and Wordle. I also sourced my images from attribution free sites such as Pexels and Flickr.
In this post I have summarised the key learnings I have obtained from my two years in the Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) degree. I have broken the reflection into three parts: Part A – Statement of personal philosophy, Part B – A discussion of key ideas facing Teacher Librarians and Part C – A personal reflection and evaluation on how my practice thus far reflects the professional Teacher Librarian standards.
Part A – Statement of Personal Philosophy
The role of the Teacher Librarian is to lead and advocate for a school culture whereby language, reading, writing, expression and information literacy are valued. They are an information specialist who is committed to ensuring students are both information literate and striving to improve. They must develop strong interpersonal relationships with staff, students and the community to ensure programs are delivered that are reflective of the syllabus requirements, innovative in their design and engage students in higher order thinking and experiential learning that will encourage a deeper understanding of information literacy. The development of the physical and virtual collection, the library space as well as teaching and learning resources should include cutting edge technologies so as to reflect best practice and support quality teaching. The Teacher Librarian is the vital connection in ensuring that the library becomes and remains the central learning hub within a school.
Part B – Critical Evaluation of Learning
Through my study in the Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) course I have come to believe that the role of the Teacher Librarian can be broken down into three key areas: teaching, collection management and leadership. As such in choosing to discuss three themes I have guided my discussion around these key points.
Teaching: Guided Inquiry and Information Literacy
Fundamentally, I believe, a good Teacher Librarian must be a good teacher first. I have felt this very strongly in my year as Relieving Teacher Librarian at my school. Looking back on one of my very early blog posts it is evident how much my thoughts on this have changed. The ASLA/ALIA teaching standards outline the guidelines by which the TLs practices must be founded and so many of them come back to the fundamentals of good pedagogy such as: “Excellent teacher librarians thoroughly understand how all learners develop and apply lifelong learning skills and strategies.” (Australian Library and Information Association [ALIA], 2004).
ETL 401 was pivotal in gaining an understanding of information literacy and the guided inquiry model. Familiarising myself once again with the Australian Curriculum and the cross curriculum priorities was also valuable as I found that by engaging with these it gave greater meaning, purpose and value to the Australian Curriculum in the context of the NSW curriculum in which I work.
Floridi (2007) discusses the information landscape and the various modes in which it is delivered: both digital and physical formats. The breadth of this information and the rate at which new information becomes available means that it is a complex and evolving landscape that needs to be navigated effectively (Combes & Valli, 2007). Thus the role of the Teacher Librarian in ensuring the skills needed to navigate these landscapes is taught. Guided inquiry’s constructivist approach provides students with an opportunity to learn how to judge the quality of information, find a way through complex and disparate sources, formulate their own focus, the answer to their own questions and to transform information into knowledge.
We looked at different models including the ISP process and how it is embedded into the guided inquiry model:
ETL 504 and its focus on leadership has also been valuable in shifting the awareness and attitudes towards the library and its place in supporting the teaching and learning of teachers and students. I have worked closely with the Head Teacher Secondary Studies and teachers of “Future Focused Learning” to redevelop the programs for our inquiry based units in Year 7 and 8 so that they are modelled on guided inquiry. This is the first phase of a whole school introduction of this model across the school.
EER 500’s scaffolding on how to research a question of interest was valuable, particularly in the early stages when we were completing the first and second assignment because it modelled fundamental research strategies that are useful when starting an assignment. I have then replicated these in my own teaching of the research process.
INF 532 helped me to appreciate the value of several web based tools that can be used to design and create resources that may be useful when delivering teaching and learning programs to students. In this unit I considered the nature of learning in the digital age and how the near unlimited resources have also had the ability to connect learners with others, a valuable skill when participating in inquiry learning. Students have been cultivating minds, seeing other students as resources and have been figuring out how to learn from each other. As such there is now a bridge between two worlds: the public and information based and the personal and structured (Thomas & Brown, 2011, p. 17-18). As such we looked at flexible and digital learning environments, MOOCs and sharing of resources as a way for students to learn and how the teacher is able to facilitate this.
My understanding of collection development has certainly expanded due to my study in ETL 503 and ETL 505. It is probably the one part of the role that is the most new and unfamiliar. Therefore I’m struggling to find an approach that works.
Cataloguing in ETL 505 was challenging but I appreciate how fundamental it is in understanding how to approach the organisation of the collection. It is important to reflect upon and evaluate the collection regularly because user needs change and the collection needs to maintain relevance if it is to be used. (Kennedy, 2006) Of particular focus in my practice has been deselection. My school’s fiction collection has not been weeded in over three years so it was important to be strategic in how I approached this with my staff. When on my Study Visit in Canberra earlier this year, one of the Librarians at The Australian National University was very practical in her approach to weeding and reminded us all that “part of a librarian’s heart is cold and black” and must be when weeding if the collection is to remain relevant and useful. I also had to explain this to the school staff as they saw trolley loads of books being taken to the skip bin or being sold at the bargain bin price of 50 cents. I tried to make light of it as many staff were mortified at the thought of books being thrown in the bin. I found this clip quite helpful:
SCIS Subject Headings was also something I found challenging. I feel it is valuable that all schools work within a “controlled language approach” (Schools Catalogue and Information Service [SCIS], 2016, pg 1) for subject access to the catalogue as it makes it transferable across schools and easier for students. There was a considerable amount of metalanguage that was also difficult to grasp. However, in my day to day workings as a TL I have been pushing for greater use of the search terminal, Oliver, and as such I have had to model how to search the catalogue and the benefit of subject headings in helping students to find resources, so without this subject I would have struggled to teach it.
My colleagues and I have had many discussions about the genrefication of the collection and the advantages and disadvantages of doing this. Whilst no firm decisions have been made in this regard I have lead the development of a new section called “Quick Reads.” This simple adjustment of the collection has already begun to attract “non-readers” who are trying to find “their kind of book” (Stiles, 2004, p 32).
This blog post highlights my learning and understanding of collection development. Much of that learning still holds true now. Writing the collection development policy for my school has been helpful in relation to this as it has provided a framework from which to consistently revise the collection and deselect anything that is not current. Writing the strategic directions was also useful. We wrote a direction that focused on developing the collection to ensure that it is current and useful to students and staff. I am still learning the intricacies of each of the KLA’s syllabi and have been working closely with Head Teacher and teaching staff to ensure the collection development policy and therefore collection, reflect their needs.
Lastly in this area of my practice, the development of the virtual collection has been a challenge. The library must ‘dismantle its walls’ and use the wider networked world as its new teaching space, rather than staying in its paper-based world (Lee, 2012). I conducted a survey with staff and students to ascertain their interest and willingness to use virtual resources. We have conducted several ebook/audiobook trials through Wheelers as well as a database trial with JSTOR. I have no firm perspective on this as yet and am still working to ascertain the benefits from staff but I am continuing to engage in discussion with various networks in order to keep abreast of ways in which to develop this area of our collection.
Leadership: The Role of the Teacher Librarian
ETL 504 was particularly influential for me throughout this degree. It held a great deal of resonance this year as I have relieved in the Teacher Librarian role in my school. It helped me to find a new vision, focus and motivation as I had become stale in my teaching practice and my desire to make a difference to young people. As such, it really helped to reinvigorate my teaching, how I view my role in public education and how I want the Teacher Librarian role to be viewed. It highlighted for me the shift that information professionals are trying to push for that moves the Teacher Librarian out of the familiar stereotypes and into the 21st Century.
Key ideas in ETL 504 that I came to reflect upon in my learning included the diverse range of management styles and the complexities of working with a diverse range of people. Working with the Principal is a key aspect of leadership of the library as this collaboration, if done well, should ensure support for initiatives and promotion of the library and its value within a school (Haycock, 2007, p31).
It highlighted for me the necessity for the Teacher Librarian to be visible, model best practice, contribute to committees and provide professional development for staff. To ensure they maintain an evidenced based practice to validate the vision, goals and strategies they are implementing. To effectively lead change the Teacher Librarian needs to understand the present culture and work towards creating new values and vision with like-minded staff. Additionally, leading from the middle was something I felt could help with this as it would be good to draw out the leadership capabilities of the staff because there is something “about the power we all have to build something together that none of us can accomplish on our own” (Gottlieb, 2012, para 26). Ultimately however, to advocate for the library requires leadership and through advocacy comes stronger leadership skills (Toor and Weisberg, 2011, pg 28).
I have taken a very active approach in my role as Relieving Teacher Librarian to raise the profile of the library within the school. This has involved me being a constant, engaged presence in staff rooms by attending faculty meetings, participating in collegial discussion about their information literacy and collection needs and considering how best to facilitate that through team teaching. I have begun to involve the Principal and Deputy Principal in discussions about the planned changes for the library including the development of a collection development policy, strategic directions and professionally develop them as to the expectations they should have for the new generation of librarians. I have been working to raise the profile of the library through its student leaders. The Library Leader program has the students not only volunteering their time in the library several times a week but also that service being recognised on their school report.
Part C – Personal Reflection and Evaluation
In reflecting on the ALIA/ASLA professional standards, I feel I have demonstrated an ability to address these in the following ways:
Professional Knowledge
I have actively sought the opportunity to develop teaching and learning programs in the Library. Utilising my understanding of guided inquiry and information literacy from ETL 401, I have revised and redeveloped the teaching and learning programs in Year 7 Future Focused Learning and Year 8 Project Based Learning to more effectively follow a guided inquiry model. Additionally, I have produced a series of lessons explicitly teaching research and referencing skills to select classes in various KLAs across Stages 4-6.
I have demonstrated a capacity to learn and lead the use of new and cutting edge technologies to deliver teaching and learning programs that reflect best practice and support quality teaching. INF 532 was particularly useful in developing these skills. I familiarised myself with new web based tools that I could add to my existing technology experience and as such implemented a number of innovative methods of curriculum delivery designed to improve student engagement for 21st Century learners. This has included redeveloping the online search terminal, implementing maker spaces and engaging with teachers and students in their classrooms through the BYOD program.
Professional Practice
I have actively sought out ways to develop and embed the library as a central learning hub within the school. I led professional development seminars for staff on accessing credible websites and databases and the APA referencing system whilst working in their classroom. I also undertook team teaching with various KLA teachers. I redesigned the layout of Oliver to include more specific, topical reading lists from which students could source credible information.
I have demonstrated highly developed interpersonal skills with a proven ability to work collaboratively within a team to support the development of high quality teaching and learning programs in the library. I am able to determine key content from the syllabus across KLAs and integrate technology across the breadth of curriculum. This has been through a collegial approach with Head Teachers and teaching staff. I have designed these for a range of performance and learning styles as well as a range of abilities including those with special learning needs through to gifted and talented students.
I have lead the upgrade of library facilities and physical resources.
The recent renovation of the library has presented challenges in terms of space and resources. Through my learning in ETL 504 I have lead the library staff in ensuring the library remains a positive, inviting space that is flexible to the needs of the staff and students during this time.
I have successfully lead the design and delivery of a library survey for staff and students to ascertain what the strengths and weaknesses of the library were in relation to the collection and services offered. A collection development policy, library handbook and strategic directions for 2020-2023 including a mission and vision statement have been developed in collaboration with the Head Teacher Secondary Studies, Principal and library staff to create improved transparency and accountability for all staff working in the library. My work from ETL 503 was imperative in gaining an understanding of these areas in order to implement these strategies.
Other initiatives introduced in collaboration with various staff and students included: a book fair, student resource recommendation slips, student reviews, displays, an improved library leaders program, reader’s advisory, pop-up library, reading circles, book club, refinement of the library collection to enhance diversity and support the school’s DEAR initiative and PRC all of which have enhanced the profile of the library within the school.
Professional Commitment
I feel my actions in the above two areas have demonstrated that I am a hard working information specialist who is committed to extending my capabilities as a teacher and my commitment to the profession. That being said, I can continue to develop my knowledge and practice by extending my networks and drawing on and contributing to these to develop programs within the library. I also aim through my enthusiasm, dedication, care and commitment to build on school strategies and teach students the relevant skills they need to become independent and mature young people and to support this with relevant and engaging resources. I will strive to continue to develop and expand the library to continue to effectively support students and their differentiated learning needs.
The Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) course has been a worthwhile learning experience. At times it has been very demanding, particularly when juggling full time work, family and friends. I feel the long term benefits will outweigh these short term challenges however and allow me to have a new range of skills that I can contribute to my teaching for years to come.
Combes, B. & Valli, R. (2007). Fiction and the 21st century: a new paradigm? Cyberspace, D-world, e-learning: giving libraries and schools the cutting edge. The 2007 IASL Conference, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
Floridi, L. (2007) A Look into the Future Impact of ICT on Our Lives. The Information Society, 23(1), 59-64, doi: 10.1080/01972240601059094
Stiles, L. (2004). Shelf Shifters. School Library Journal 50(9), 32. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lih&AN=14407881&site=ehost-live
Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). Arc-of-Life learning. In A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change (pp. 17-33). Lexington, KY: CreateSpace
Toor, R., Weisburg, H. K., & Walter, V. A. (2010). Being indispensable : A school librarian’s guide to becoming an invaluable leader (epdf). Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com
This report will provide a statement of the networked learning experiences documented whilst studying INF 532 – Knowledge Networking for Educators.
Olmos’ first blog post in response to De Saulles’ reading, attempted to identify the key characteristics that have stimulated the production of information on the web: Web 2.0 content and tools. Web 2.0, digital environments are now filled with content creators from all walks of life. This has changed the power relationship between what information is considered important and credible and whether that information should be freely available (e.g. newspaper subscriptions) (De Saulles, 2015, pg. 21). In reflecting on the Thomas & Brown reading, the author highlighted that learning happens anywhere and everywhere now and this has implications for schools and teaching. It raises questions about the future of information and how it is going to be produced, managed and shared.
In module 2, the author came to formulate an idea of what a connected educator is. Olmos worked through the formative activities linked with the Nussbaum-Beach and Hall (2010, pg. 13-21) reading and noted her minimal engagement as a connected educator. In reading Tolisano’s (2014, September 28) blog post, Olmos made some comments about her four ideas that make a connected educator. The key learning obtained was that it is possible to break through the isolation of the classroom and expand teaching and learning through the creation of a Professional Learning Network (PLN). These connect teachers with a range of individuals from all over the world. They can help them to gain new ideas and perspectives on the issues at hand. Individuals can also help others by sharing the knowledge that they have. It was from here that Olmos set-up a Twitter account and updated the aesthetic on the Thinkspace blog. The author attempted to engage with Twitter daily for the suggested 15 minutes per day and developed the curation of tweets by adding comments to re-tweets as she became more confident using the platform in the appropriate manner.
The author found Rheingold’s video rather dense and did not quite understand it. In looking at some of the other readings including Oddone (2016) the following key learnings resonated: a network is a collection of points that are connected through interactions. These can be linked to ties that make up the complete network. Understanding how this works is a necessary skill for educators to know and to teach their students. The latter half of the module that discussed MOOCs (Cormier, 2010, Dec 1) helped to develop an understanding of how this theory of network literacy could look in practice. The author considered some of the networks they are involved in, for example the ETA or Drama Peeps on Facebook. The relationships and learning that has occurred through those and how it has helped support the author’s teaching and learning was considered. Connecting with others adds value to our learning. There are different ways to do this and it is an essential skill that all 21st Century learners need to develop.
The proposal for the Knowledge Network Artefact followed by Assignment 2 – Knowledge Network Artefact and Exegesis was a key aspect of the session to demonstrate several of the learning objectives of the unit including locating, evaluating and using a range of online tools and spaces for creative knowledge production and learner engagement, building on knowledge networking to strengthen school-based classroom engagement and instructional design (Morris, 2019, pg. 3). The author’s artefact was about content curation which was an area they were previously unfamiliar with prior to this module. A range of online tools was utilised including Powtoon, Screencastify, Vimeo, Pixabay, Pexels, CC Mixer as well as Windows Movie Maker to create the artefact. The artefact was also critiqued along with the artefacts of two other students in the course. Some of the key learnings in this module included that curation is the collection, maintenance and organisation of online sites, videos, images etc. There are various ways in which to do this: aggregation, distillation, elevation, mashup, chronology (Bhargava, 2011, para 7-11). It is something that can be done individually or collectively. By using the “loop” of seeking, sensing and sharing information new thinking can be embedded (Jarche, 2016, para 9) It is another way to become a connected educator.
In looking at ways to support connected learners in the classroom the case study Skype in the Classroom by Tolisano (2011-2013) and the Graphic Novel example by Miller (2013-2014) were used as examples. Olmos commented on the ways that formal and informal learning is taking place in the classroom and that creating connected learners needs to start with the learning opportunities teachers provide in the classroom. This involves connecting virtually with other educators or professionals who can help to give what is being taught greater meaning. It highlighted that learning in the connected world is never over and that the teacher’s role varies from teacher directed to teacher facilitated (Tolisano, 2013, para 3).
The module that explored instructional design discussed the language surrounding how it is described and the implications of it in the digital sphere. The author reflected on how much was personally being shared online and considered what digital learning may look like in schools in the future. The key learning gained was defining what flexible learning is and that it is important that teachers consider the type of instructional model depending on the needs of the class and what skills and learning is taking place.
Part B – Reflective Statement
Part B – Reflective Statement
In this subject a number of skills and understandings have been gained about becoming a globally connected educator. These have had an impact on my engagement as a teaching professional and will drive some of the personal goals and objectives I have as a Teacher Librarian.
Establishing and building a PLN.
Initially there was a reluctance to engage with blogging and the use of Twitter as part of this subject. Being from a generation where technology is seen as not something to be afraid of, may make this seem surprising. I have posted before about my previous experience with blogging and PLNs, including a very active Twitter presence and how the overwhelm was not achieving balance in my professional life.
Having had time away from these interactions for a few years and being, for want of a better word, forced to use the tools once again, the ill feelings towards this needed to be addressed. Participating cautiously this session did enable for some key learnings to be identified as a result:
Allocating time for social media interaction both personal and professional allows for feelings of engagement rather than overwhelm. It can be a constructive, purposeful use of time.
Tailoring the Twitter feed to include only teaching professionals has helped to keep the focus on professional engagement. Setting timers to limit the time scrolling aimlessly has also been a useful boundary.
Reflection through blogging has helped to formulate foundational understandings about the concepts being taught. This is something that would be beneficial to sustain when commencing as a Teacher Librarian.
Participating as a member of various networks on Facebook and curating resources on Pinterest has been both a supportive and constructive place from which to develop networks.
Utilising web tools for content curation and artefact development.
The course offered an opportunity to become aware of and use a range of unfamiliar web tools. This was particularly the case during Module 4 when learning about curation. I was not aware of Pinterest as a curation tool and have since learned about Pearl Trees, Symbaloo and Diigo. Other tools that were useful and could be utilised in the future included Screencastify, Powtoon and several of the attribution free image and music sites. It was apparent that there is a plethora of tools available to the connected educator as highlighted in the blog post from 23 Mobile Things. This blog post highlighted what was already being used but it was not possible to experiment with all of them during the session. Having an arsenal of tools means that learning and ideas can be expressed in different ways both through the PLN and the artefacts that are created (Oddone, 2017, para 4). This can now become a professional goal for the future.
Defining a globally connected educator.
A globally connected educator involves the individual and the collective. It is an individual who is part of a network. This network is a digital one that uses social media and web tools, such as blogs, to connect with other educators beyond the local school environment. In being part of this network they are not only educators but learners. Through the development of a personal learning network (PLN) the possibilities and dynamics of the classroom can change. Whilst PLNs are individualised for educators, collectively the concept of networked learning has implications for schools and classrooms everywhere. Today students are tech savvy and constantly connected. By redesigning learning opportunities and using the teacher’s experience of pedagogy and marrying that with the student’s enthusiasm for online networks, something revolutionary could occur within teaching and learning (Richardson & Mancabelli, 2011, pg. 7). Teachers are not going to feel equipped to manage this unless they themselves connect into the world of their students and PLNs are one way in which to do this.
Looking to the future. Leadership and the library.
Since returning to the digital networking sphere significant re-learning has had to take place as to the benefits of being a globally connected educator. Studying INF 532 has provided the opportunity to think about how to develop and improve as an educator within my own classroom practice and how this knowledge can be shared with colleagues through professional development. In considering how to be a leader in this area below are some goals to work towards both as a classroom teacher and Teacher Librarian:
Initiating professional development opportunities for staff to learn about Professional Learning Networks. This may include learning about social media engagement and/or blogging.
Initiating professional development opportunities for staff on digital learning environments and the structuring of pedagogy based on need.
Embed an activity as part of a unit to connect students with another classroom/expert using Skype or another videoconferencing platform. This could first be attempted individually and then shared with colleagues.
Initiate professional development opportunities for staff in relation to content curation and new web tools.
Embed a whole school approach to content curation to support student learning.
In moving forward, INF 532 has instilled a confidence in which to model what a globally connected educator is and does. To further learning as a networked educator it is important that this knowledge be shared with others and networked cultures be developed within schools.
Holmquist, J., Barwick, K., & Joseph, M. (2013). 23mobilethings: Exploring the potential of mobile tools for delivering library services. Retrieved from http://23mobilethings.net/wpress/
Miller, S. (2014). Stan Mack and Susan Champlin Teach The 4th Graders About Writing And Drawing A Graphic Novel. In The Library Voice A place to be heard through creating, technology, connecting, reading, collaborating and noise. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2JGeW5S
Morris, G. (2019). Knowledge Networking for Educators. [INF532_201930Subject Outline]Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://bit.ly/2WbSgBa
Nussbaum-Beach, S., & Hall, L. R. (2012). Defining the connected educator. In The connected educator: Learning and leading in a digital age (pp. 3-24). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
Olmos, K. (2019, May 27). Twitter feed [Screenshot] Retrieved from https://twitter.com/anovelidea4
Powell, A. (2019, January 7). Man Taking Photo Of His Reflection On Mirror While Being Surrounded With Lights. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2HDzidy
Richardson, W., & Mancabelli, R. (2011). The power of networked learning. In Personal learning networks : using the power of connections to transform education (pp. 1-14). Moorabbin, Victoria : Solution Tree Press.
This unit, Introduction to Teacher Librarianship has been an interesting and engaging learning experience. I have not studied for over 15 years. To now be studying online, through a virtual classroom and engaging with other students in this manner, has been an adjustment. I made a conscious decision not to engage in the discussion forums early on unless I required clarification on an issue because I was worried they would be overwhelming and impact my confidence. The engagement I have had to have with the forums, however, has been constructive and supportive so I will try to engage in them more in future because I am aware that it has been limited. It was also difficult to maintain a reflective blog amidst full time work, family and other commitments. That doesn’t mean I didn’t reflect. I often would have professional conversations at work with my colleagues about what I was learning and that helped me to further my understanding. Overall, through the studying of this unit I have a much clearer understanding of the role of the Teacher Librarian. It is because of this that I now have a greater appreciation for the importance of this job within a school, the potential they can offer a school and the desire to make this role a more significant one within my own school context. In relation to the key areas of focus in this unit, this is how my understanding of each has expanded:
What is information literacy?
I have learnt that information literacy has become more complex now that there is the virtual landscape to consider. There are now multiple types and modes of information literacies however what is key in all literacies is the outcome of understanding. How we, as Teacher Librarians lead our students to navigate to this point across both the physical and digital landscape is vitally important. It is our responsibility to prepare our students with the necessary skills to do this. It also necessary for us to support other staff who may have difficulty with this. Much of the discussion in Forum 5.1 reiterated the complexity of having to try to define information literacy. Within the school context, the effectiveness of this will be impacted by the types of information used by both the classroom teacher and Teacher Librarian as well as the collective efficacy across the whole school in working to achieve this literacy. It will also be impacted by how the skills taught by the Teacher Librarian are transferred by students across those subject areas (Prentice, 2018). Further to this, some discussion posts raised issues about how to effectively assess these skills (Simon, 2018). These are all considerations that we as Teacher Librarians must make in our day to day role.
What are the IL models? Which one did you choose? Why?
In Module 5, we learnt about different inquiry learning models. These are scaffolds designed to help teachers and Teacher Librarians to structure and approach learning. The skills developed through inquiry learning are designed to focus on information literacy and how students use those skills to reach a level of understanding. Since the development and implementation of the Australian Curriculum there is now a significant emphasise on Critical and Creative Thinking in the General Capabilities and Teacher Librarians now see this as part of their core business. One way to develop this is through project style learning that has a focus question that must be answered. It is a move away from traditional teacher directed learning and sees the teacher in the role of facilitator. We looked at Herring’s (2004) PLUS model, NSW Information Search Process (ISP), Neuman’s (2014) iLearn Model, The Big 6 and the Guided Inquiry Design Process.
I chose the NSW Information Search Process because I work in a DET school and this is what they use. In my school context inquiry learning is relatively new. The use of an explicit model to work from initially would be of benefit. I also liked this model for several other reasons:
The structured questions that are part of the scaffolding at each stage of the process
The link to the specific information literacy skills to be taught
I felt that the benefit of this for me as a Teacher Librarian in training was that I could then guide teachers to explicitly map these skills in their program and then I would know when I would be needed to come in and teach them.
I have learnt that the Teacher Librarian’s role in Inquiry Learning is very valuable within a school. I have learnt that they have a responsibility to explicitly teach the information skills students need to be successful, independent learners. They have a responsibility to support the teaching staff who should try to include research as part of assessment tasks or as a class work activity if their syllabus requires it.
Thus, Teacher Librarians must be up to date with their information literacy skills, they must have a competence with the digital landscape to ensure they are providing the skills that will future proof students as changes to information and learning evolve.
References
Prentice, M. (2018, April 23). RE: Forum 5.1 [Online discussion comment] Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://bit.ly/2Io4H4X
Simon, M. (2018, May 2). Going beyond a skills based view of information literacy – possibilities and problems [Online discussion comment] Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://bit.ly/2wYPWRP
For Part C of the assignment, here is my peer review on Tyler Ashcroft’s post:
Hi Mr Ashcroft,
Your blog appealed to me for a few reasons. Firstly, the use of white space in the choice of theme made it easy on the eye to read, consider and respond to the thoughts you expressed.
It also used engaging language appropriate to a blog post. For example “…the local community for many schools seem to have little to no involvement with this learning centre oozing with knowledge and resources.” I felt this personalised the writing. However, I am aware that it is also being viewed from an academic perspective so I would perhaps consider when and where you use this in future posts.
In terms of your discussion on the role of the TL, I liked the angle that you took exploring the TL role: how humour contributes to instruction in the library. It was something I had not considered because I too have had similar memories of libraries not being particularly humorous places. Your article further prompted me to consider, should they be? Your discussion I felt, looked at teacher pedagogy and is something I would argue all teachers must contest with at present. The article and quote you cited earlier in the reflection connected with your initial thought about how humour could be used, however stronger context was needed to strengthen how supportive the quote was to your argument.
Your use of the anecdote to conclude your reflection and support your thoughts created some strong imagery of the TL in a pastoral as well as management role. To strengthen the impact of this anecdote, a specific example of one aspect that had strengthened the community and therefore highlighted the complex role of the TL would have worked well.
Overall, I enjoyed reading your post as it made me consider the role in a way I had not done before.
[305 words]
References:
Griffin, S. (1990), “Joy riders: comedy traffic schools eye state”, Phoenix Gazette, March 13, p. A1.
Thinkspace.csu.edu.au. (2018). Assessment ETL401: Online Reflective Journal | MrAshcroft, Imagination Overlord. [online] Available at: http://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/tyedashash/2018/02/26/assessment-etl401-online-reflective-journal/ [Accessed 4 Mar. 2018].
Zucco, T. (1997), “A ticket to laugh”, St Petersburg Times, January 22, p. 1D.
Reflecting on your experiences of school libraries thus far, write a 500 word piece about how you think the role of the TL is perceived by parents/community in schools.
When considering my response to this question, I immediately thought of this popular meme:
I felt a meme was appropriate in helping to articulate my thoughts on this topic as they are often used today to reflect popular thoughts on ideas relating to culture and stereotypes.
An image, video, piece of text, etc., typically humorous in nature, that is copied and spread rapidly by Internet users, often with slight variations.
There were various versions of this meme but I selected this one mostly because I felt a couple of the pictures summarised, for me, common misconceptions about librarians.
Namely, the picture of the woman with a stern expression, glasses and the caption, “What my friends think I do.” It captures what I believe is a common idea: that librarians are old, grumpy and spend most of their working day telling people to be quiet and/or joyfully giving out library fines (see picture one).
The other images I connected with included the last two: the image of the children, riding a rainbow into a book, with the caption “What I think I do” and the last image, “What I really do” which sees the librarian almost tearing her hair out at the incompetent patron.
Having now read the Standards of Professional Excellence for Teacher Librarians (Asla.org.au, 2018) it is evident that the Teacher Librarian’s role is more than the sum of an internet meme. In some ways, I feel a Teacher Librarian is a super human teacher. They have the qualification of a teacher first and foremost. This means they must comply with the Australian Teaching Standards (Aitsl.edu.au, 2018) and ensure they maintain their proficiency in these areas. They utilise those skills in teaching literacy, inquiry learning and information literacy in a classroom setting and have the same requirements of any competent teacher: know your students and how to teach them.
In addition, they must comply with the ASLA standards and have evidence to support that they comply with these standards. This aspect of the role has a whole school focus: understanding the curriculum and collaborating with various areas of the whole school to do this as well as managing the library resources and the space as a learning environment. Purcell (2010) explores in her journal article that Teacher Librarians are working in a micro and macro environment within a school.
This, to me, is an idealist approach to the role and correlates with the second last image, “What I think I do.” It is one TLs should strive for however, TLs must work against these persistent, simplified community perceptions. I also believe if the role isn’t viewed positively from within the school environment: as being multi-faceted, dynamic and necessary in its assistance of the whole school’s achievement of outcomes, then unfortunately, I think these commonplace stereotypes will continue to persist.
References:
Aitsl.edu.au. (2018). Teacher Standards. [online] Available at: https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards [Accessed 4 Mar. 2018].
Asla.org.au. (2018). Standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians :: ASLA. [online] Available at: http://www.asla.org.au/policy/standards.aspx [Accessed 4 Mar. 2018].
Purcell, M. (2010) All librarians do is check out books right? A look at the roles of the school library media specialist. Library Media Connection 29(3), 30-33.
