ETL 401 – Part C – Reflective Practice

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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

 

Forum 2.4

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Search Scootle for a resource related to critical thinking. Share the strategies you used to refine your search results.

I used the Advanced Search option to refine what I was looking for in relation to the critical thinking search. The specifics allowed me to narrow down my search to secondary resources as I work in a high school and select different types of resources. For example, interactive, image, audio. This could be useful if I was to be looking for something specific for a particular faculty. It also has an excellent option of selecting whether or not you need the resource for any students that may have any impairments. You can narrow it down for specific KLAs and even narrow down dates of publication if you want say, more recently released resources. I forget how useful Advanced Search can be so it was good to use this to find some resources on critical thinking.

Forum 2.5

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  • Select a curriculum topic of interest to you.
  • Select one of the online communities or resource sharing services listed in Module 2, and spend some time searching for tags, hashtags, lists or communities of relevance to your topic.
  • Share a link to a relevant online resource found from that community and discuss the pros and cons of this community as a recommendation source.

Select a curriculum topic of interest to you: Drama

Select one of the online communities or resource sharing services listed in Module 2, and spend some time searching for tags, hashtags, lists or communities of relevance to your topic: Pinterest

Share a link to a relevant online resource found from that community and discuss the pros and cons of this community as a recommendation source.

I found a page called Theatrefolk. This was after having searched “drama teaching high school”. Their Pinterest boards were a visual collection of some of their website resources. One example of something that could be used in the classroom was their resource to help teachers teach character motivation. It was called, “What does my character want?”

Pros: I like the visual aspect of sites like Pinterest and PearlTrees. They are visually appealing rather than forum style design. I think this way you can see whether a resource could be good quality or not just from the design and presentation of the thumbnail. You can type in most teaching search terms ( I tried “drama teaching shakespeare”, “drama teaching monologues”, drama teaching “commedia dell arte”) all of which retrieved multiple results.

Cons: It still requires time to sift and read through the multiple results but aside from that I really don’t think there are that many cons.

Forum 2.6

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  • Select one of the crowd sourced review sites or search for prolific book bloggers in the field and have a look at the way these reviewers discuss fiction relevant to school libraries.
  • Share a link to an interesting book blog, Goodreads or LibraryThing review and discuss your thoughts on the value of such a review, and what issues there might be for relying on such sources as selection aids.

I decided to firstly explore the part that asked to “search for prolific book bloggers in the field”. To be honest, I don’t know any that specifically focus on texts relevant to school libraries. I did find a website called School Library Journal that had a book reviews section and the good thing about this was it indicated what age the books being reviewed would be suitable for. The reviews were brief but I felt like they had credibility purely for the fact that they were coming from a site that specialises in school libraries and therefore should have a knowledgeable team of writers.

I then followed this up with a review on Goodreads for Mice by Gordon Reece which is a book studied by Year 9 at my school. It was given 3/5 and had a very personal tone. It judged the book but not in an overly analytical way. Therein lies the issue with relying too heavily on reviews from the general public. They’re going to be mixed and may be more emotionally driven than focusing on the specifics of the book such as structure, characterisation, language, fluency, clarity etc. That being said, sometimes they can articulate aspects of the book that were liked or disliked in a way that the reader themselves could not so they still have vaildity. I’m just not sure that I would rely only on crowd sourced reviews.

References:

The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik by David Arnold. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.slj.com/2018/04/reviews/books/strange-fascinations-noah-hypnotik-david-arnold-slj-review/

Mice by Gordon Reece (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9895889

Forum 1.1 Group 3 (Surnames N-Z)

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Originally posted February 26th 2018 on the Discussion Forums

The influence of the digital landscape on the publishing world has had a significant impact on school libraries, their collections and I think primarily, the users of the resource: our students.

Firstly, the physical space of the library is a place where students can see a range of books on a topic. This provides them with a hands-on means with which to discern and be critical about the information being obtained. They also have the expertise of the Librarian available to support them. Now users are utilising the Internet first and relying on user reviews and the rabbit hole of click bait to discover books. This may not necessarily be a bad thing but how can a user be sure the resource is a quality one based on reviews solely by other users? How can libraries embrace technology within the physical space to better engage students? Especially our students who are still learning how to be critical thinkers?

Libraries can provide quality control to some degree through the procurement of their collections. In terms of procuring resources for library collections, libraries have become limited to some extent by what the “Big Four” can provide. On the other hand, users could read more due to the tailoring of advertisements based on search terms and previous purchases. Something to be wary of is the growth of self-publishing (aer.io) as it could create questionable quality amongst resources. Regardless, this demand for digital resources places the Teacher Librarian and the limited budget with which they must work in a precarious position. They must attempt to find a balance between both digital and physical resources that are current.

Finally, both these factors impact upon the impression and utilisation by students of the Library. Librarians are no longer seen as the expert in some students’ eyes. They rely on their social media accounts to influence their reading decisions and this can often be a narrow, tailored feed of information that doesn’t allow them to expand beyond this. What libraries face is something of a PR crisis by which they are having to work against the growing belief by the community that the Library is no longer relevant and must work increasingly hard to engage both teachers, executive staff and students in the resource. This can take Librarians away from other aspects of their core business such as resourcing the curriculum. Or perhaps this is simply, what librarians must do these days to compete in the digital age.

ETL 503 – Assignment 2 Part B

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ETL 503 -Resourcing the Curriculum has extended my knowledge and understanding of the role and nature of school library collections. Prior to commencing this course, I had very little awareness of how involved this aspect of the role could be for a Teacher Librarian. The key aspects that I have come to understand about this role include:

·         The significance and importance of the Teacher Librarian to work across the whole school to help procure the library collection

·         The importance of collaboration and communication between the Teacher Librarian, school staff, students and executive that is necessary to curate this.

·         The amount of considerations the Teacher Librarian must take into account including copyright, censorship, ethical, moral, philosophical ideologies of the school and its community, Australian Curriculum General Capabilities, the balance between digital and physical resources (Olmos, 2018).

·         The breadth of selection aids available to help Teacher Librarians access the best quality resources for students. (Olmos, 2018).

·         The Professional Learning they must undertake and provide to staff to better help them understand the role of the library and therefore more effectively engage in its use.

·         The necessary documents: policy and procedure to ensure the effective running of the school library.

Whilst I did not regularly write on my blog, instead I engaged in professional dialogue with colleagues at my school and at various times in the discussion forums as part of the exercises in the modules. When I am new to something I struggle to discuss things with people when I am unfamiliar with what I am learning. I prefer to engage more passively. Oftentimes I find too many voices overwhelm me and I want to try to navigate this new role with as much confidence as I can. That being said, they have helped me to gain a better understanding of some of the issues and considerations relating to collection policy development and collection management and how I would then try to apply it if I were in the Teacher Librarian role.

The collection development policy is important as a strategic document as it provides the overarching vision and mission statement of the library. It provides benchmarks with which to assess the success of the library’s day to day operations. It is written to align with the school’s values. It is designed as a reference document for all collection development decisions and issues in particular selection, deselection and challenged items. It should be written in a way that is accessible for all staff and community members as well as by new staff. This is because it can be influential in discussions with executive and when making budget decisions. It is a platform for open dialogue with the entire school staff (ALA, 1998).

The collection development policy assists in future proofing the collection because it provides a basis from which to consider the current collection and how it will evolve in the face of change. This is both in relation to technological change as well as the school’s evolving needs.  It is necessary for Teacher Librarians to know their school community and collaborate with them to ensure the collection reflects these. Some considerations include what do in the face of budget cuts, changing literacy demands, the promotion of the library as a place of value as seen by the school community, easy access to ebooks and searching online catalogues both at school and at home (ALIA, 2014) If Teacher Librarians make these considerations carefully they have the opportunity to ensure quality control of resources (Olmos, 2018) Regardless, there will still be competition from social media and consumerism to influence reading decisions and the role of the library as part of a student’s learning.

Because of this unit, I have a greater understanding of the value of this role and the awareness and potential to develop the role within a school that is perhaps not operating as effectively as it could. In establishing policies, processes and procedures that are effective, considerate and involving of the entire school community, it benefits and strengthens both the community and the quality of outcome achievement for students and ensures the longevity of the library well into the future.

Part B References

Australian Library and Information Association. (2014). ALIA futures: future of the library and information science profession. Retrieved from https://www.alia.org.au/futureoftheprofession

American Library Association. (1998). Workbook for Selection Policy Writing. In American Library Association. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2Gzt76C

Olmos, K.(2018, February 26). RE: Forum 1.1 Group 3 (Surnames N-Z) [Online discussion comment] Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2IAsknN

Olmos, K. (2018, April 22). RE: Forum 2.5 [Online discussion comment] Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2KDTGtG

Olmos, K (2018, April 22). RE: Forum 2.4 [Online discussion comment] Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2rTF7vk

ETL 401 – Assignment 1 – Part C

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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.

 

ETL 401 – Assignment One – Part B

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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:

Source: http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/250521-what-people-think-i-do-what-i-really-do

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.

The Oxford Dictionary defines it as:

Meme (noun):

  1. 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.

 

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