Part A: Statement of Personal Philosophy

The role of teacher librarian (TL) is a key part of a school’s community. They provide supportive and relevant reading resources by curating a collection that is responsive and appropriate to curriculum requirements, student learning needs and broader interests. An effective TL has a deep understanding of the curriculum, collaborates with leaders and teachers across all levels of the school to implement teaching and learning initiatives. They foster a culture of reading within the school, promoting and modelling reading for pleasure and the benefits of lifelong learning. TLs are experts in information literacy and have a broad knowledge of the digital learning environment underpinned by 21^st century skills that complement the classroom teacher role and enhances the school’s ability to provide their students with valuable skills for future learning.

Part B: Themes

Literature

During my studies and research over the period of this course I have been exposed to the varied roles and responsibilities that teacher librarians (TL) undertake to support student learning. My motivation to study to become a TL was rooted in my love of reading (Crombie, 2022d), my desire to pass on that love of reading to my students, and my belief in the importance of literacy in promoting lifelong learning.

I see one of the main roles of a TL as creating and promoting a culture of reading within their school environment. This was evident through my study in ETL402 Literature Across the Curriculum where I learned that a culture of reading can help improve literacy performance amongst students (Merga & Mason, 2019). Reading for pleasure could be an indicator of academic performance (Whitten et al., 2016; Manuel & Carter, 2015), although this tends to decrease as a child grow older, however children are more likely to read for pleasure if they are members of a library (National Library of New Zealand, n.d.). Having a strong culture of reading in a school, especially centred around a well-managed and resourced library led by a qualified TL can only be an advantage to students in reading to learn and reading for enjoyment.

I have realised that there are a variety of ways to create a culture of reading. Existing programs such as the Premiers Reading Challenge (PRC) provide a perfect opportunity to build on and promote a school reading culture. As a classroom teacher, I have coordinated this program at my current school and was able to make valuable and relevant connections across library settings, and I took part in promoting the PRC during my work placement at Brunswick Library through the creation of displays. This demonstrated to me the benefits of looking at existing programs and initiatives across a range of settings and building on them to promote and encourage reading across a variety of topics and study themes.

Another way I discovered to promote a culture of reading was to incorporate literature across the curriculum, in areas other than English. Through completing assessments in ETL402 I was able to further develop my knowledge and awareness of a broader range of current children’s literature, rather than relying on old favourites, especially those that connect with science concepts and the cross-curriculum priority of Sustainability (Crombie, 2023). Literature can especially benefit cross curricular learning, such as inquiry learning, as it crosses subject divides and allows students to make connections between concepts and themselves, deepening their thinking (Murdoch, 2015; Waugh et al., 2016).

As a classroom teacher I have used this knowledge to be more purposeful and selective in my choices for literature used in my classroom. I recently read aloud to my students The Secret Science Society’s Spectacular Experiment by Kathy Hoopmann and Josie Montano during Science week and noted that the student level of engagement in both the text and Science week activities increased. I brought copies of the texts I used for the assessments in ETL402 into the classroom for students to read and they have been very popular, showing me the value of keeping up to date with new children’s literature.

The course has not only increased my understanding of children’s literature and the benefits to students, it has also increased my confidence in choosing texts for different purposes and age groups. The interests of the child and their developmental level have an impact on their ability to understand and enjoy a text (Travers & Travers, 2008). This was especially evident during my work placement at Brunswick public library where I was tasked with creating a story time kit consisting of 6-8 picture book titles along with some rhymes and a craft centred around a chosen theme with the aim of other librarians being able to re-use the resource. I needed to consider the age range of children that generally attended story time and choose texts that were appropriate to their developmental levels as well as other factors such as the quality of illustrations and size of the text. I found that many books with appropriate themes were board books and therefore not adequate for a story time session. This required me to think more creatively about the selection of the best type of texts to best suit the theme and gain the engagement of the participants who were of varying ages and backgrounds.

I discovered that preparing a story time program not only requires the ability to select texts appropriate for a particular audience but also to read them aloud in a manner that is engaging and entertaining. I was able to use this knowledge and practice of read alouds when conducting a story time during my work placement. This allowed me to make connections between my study of read alouds in ETL402 and apply my understanding in both a public library on my work placement and within my own classroom. In a classroom environment read alouds are purposeful ways to help students’ language development, the most beneficial part of the strategy discussing the text (Beck & McKeown, 2001).

I believe that literature is an essential part of a student’s education and school life, both in learning to read and reading to learn. As a future TL I look forward to helping students select texts for pleasure reading as well as assisting teachers to embed literature in subjects that span the breadth of the curriculum. I plan to continue to refine my read aloud practice and, most importantly, be a leader in cultivating a culture of reading across the school.

Digital Literature

Literature is a key element of a teacher librarian’s (TL) role, as discussed in the previous theme. A key component of the role is to carefully select literature for their school library based on policy, criteria, and the status of the current collection. This extends beyond print resources to electronic resources, including digital literature. Prior to undertaking my studies in ETL533 Literature in Digital Environments I had thought that as a classroom teacher I was making good use of the resources available to me to incorporate digital literature into my classroom practice. However, over the period of my research during ETL533 and my other studies I realised that the quality of digital resources is not consistent and there are other aspects such as the relevance of animations and embedded games that should be considered when selecting and using digital texts with students (Crombie, 2022f).

The school I teach at does not currently have any digital literature available through the library, so I was unaware of the scope of digital literature available which includes eBooks, audio books, enhanced eBooks, interactive storybooks, hypertexts, and interactive fiction (Lamb, 2011). With screens dominating all aspect of modern day lives, I believe the school library should also reflect this through their student learning offerings. Though there is some research that suggests students read less effectively on screens (Jabr, 2013; Combes, 2016) however it is important that digital texts are an option for students as they encounter them outside of the classroom and provide beneficial accommodations such as text to speech that assist a range of learners. Students can only gain the benefits from interactions with digital texts once they understand how to use their features effectively (Cahill & McGill-Franzen, 2013).

Explicitly teaching students how to use different digital texts and their unique features can help students deepen their comprehension and enjoyment of a story (Dobler, 2013).  However not all digital texts are quality literature and not all quality literature automatically makes effective digital texts. Yakota and Teale (2014) developed criteria to help decern the quality of electronic texts that I adapted and used in my reviews of digital literature (Crombie, 2022a; Crombie, 2022b; Crombie, 2022c). My reviews demonstrated an increasing understanding of my ability to critically analyse digital literature. I found the most relevant parts to analyse were the digital enhancements, determining if they added to the story or detracted from the text. Digital features should blend seamlessly into a literary text to adequately represent the human experience (Walsh, 2013).

Throughout the course I have built a deeper understanding of how digital literature can be incorporated into units of work for primary students (Crombie, 2022g) whilst also being aware of their limitations such as it being temporary and often quickly becoming technologically outdated (Bootz, 2014). I currently include digital literature in the form of read alouds on the classroom television as well as providing free and subscription-based resources like the Epic! reading app and ReadingEggs to provide students with digital literature options during independent reading time. As a future TL I aim to investigate suitable platforms that could be used within the library to host digital literature that facilitates and extends classroom learning as well as reading for pleasure. I have formed the strong view that both print and digital texts should be included in a student’s education (Yakota & Teale, 2014).

I have come to understand that it is important not only for students to read digital literature but to create it as well. Creating digital literature provides students with opportunities to utilise digital tools and 21^st century learning skills that will allow them to succeed outside of the classroom (Tackvic, 2012). I incorporated the creation of digital books using the app BookCreator into a recent classroom unit of inquiry on animal habitats, allowing students to add photographs and their voice to digital texts.

The intricacies and range of elements used in developing digital literature became clearer to me during the third assessment in ETL533 where I created my own digital text (Crombie, 2022h). Monsen (2016) suggests that the available technology shapes what digital literature is produced and I would also add that the digital literacy and skills of the authors also impact on the quality of the digital texts. This was certainly the case for me with the creation of my digital story Little Red. It was more difficult than I had anticipated to create a hypertext story with multiple endings. I tried to leverage known technology that was already familiar to students and included features such as highlighting each word as the story was read by the computer. I gained a greater appreciation of traditionally published digital literature and the amount of skilled work and effort required to make the digital interaction and navigation appealing and appropriate for younger primary school students.

Over this course, I have found that the TL needs to be knowledgeable in not only print but also digital literature, digital authoring tools and developing digital technologies. The TL has a critical role in supporting both teacher and student learning by providing quality digital literature resources and enhancing digital literacy through student created electronic texts.  Digital literature is more commonplace now than ever and the TL can be the one to champion its inclusion into teaching and learning programs.

Genrefication

Generefictation is a concept I encountered several times over this course of study, in assessment 2 for ETL401 Introduction to Teacher Librarianship, assessment 2 in ETL505 Describing and Analysing Education Resources and during my work placement program. In hindsight I am sorry that I didn’t explore this idea further on my blog as it remains a key interest of mine as a way for students to find texts to support their students and independent reading. Genrefication provides a way to organise resources into genres or topics instead of using the Dewey Decimal System (Moeller & Becnel, 2019). It is a way of organising both physical and digital resources that best meet the needs of its users. A library exists to meet the needs of its users (Johnson, 2018). This is especially true of a school library whose users are staff and students and not only requires a collection that students access for pleasure but also one that reflects curriculum outcomes and priorities. I reflected on collection development policies needing to reflect the purpose of a library and its users (Crombie, 2022e) and I believe this stance should extend towards the gnerefication and organisation of resources.

I currently work as a year 2 classroom teacher and have recently had conversations with colleagues about the inconsistencies between the way our school’s classroom libraries are set up (by genre or topic) and the way the school library is organised (using the Dewey Decimal System). Classroom teachers are directed to set up our classroom libraries with books in thematic or genrefied baskets with the covers facing out for easy browsing. The school library has most books on shelves with spines facing out and uses the Dewey Decimal System with fiction books being organised by the author’s last name. This disconnect has seen students aimlessly wandering the picture books section and choosing random books off the shelf to borrow rather than specifically searching for a book they will enjoy as they do in the classroom library.

My research into genrefication for my assessments in ETL401 and ETL505 uncovered arguments for and against this process. Genrefication can be beneficial to students by allowing them to be able to independently browse books, providing young readers with built-in scaffolded support to choose appropriate books (Wall, 2019). It also allows a school library to be fluid and adaptable to curriculum needs and borrowing data (Davenport, 2021) as categories aren’t permanently defined and can be changed according to community needs and learning initiatives. Dunne (2015) suggests that many young learners are not cognitively ready to search for books and information using the Dewey Decimal Systems and that a genreified collection helps give students a sense of control over a system they understand and may increase reading motivation.

One of the main arguments against genrefication of a collection is seen as the inconsistencies that can occur across libraries (Wall, 2019) and not preparing students for public and university libraries which mostly use the Dewey Decimal System. However, it is incorrect to say that libraries in general are consistent in their organisation of resources. During my workplace learning program I visited Glenroy Library which genrefies its nonfiction collection. This is different from the other libraries that are managed under the same council who use the Dewey Decimal System for their nonfiction collection organisation. Brunswick library where I spent most of the time during my workplace learning program uses genre stickers to identify genre within the larger fiction sections, although their digital platform applications organise their collection by genre. On my study visit to Canberra the libraries visited used different organisation methods including Dewey, a running number system and genrefication. Each of these ways of organising a collection was chosen for specific reasons that cater to the needs of those who use the libraries.

Another common argument against genrefying a collection is the complications that arise when a book fits into multiple genres or an author who writes over multiple genres having their collections split across categories which can make it difficult to find specific books (Trott & Novak, 2006). Although this may be a challenge for some school library users, it can be overcome by working with students to genrefy the library (Cameron, 2015), just as teachers work with students to ogranise the classroom library. Series books can be shelved together, and popular authors can have their collections shelved together. Generfying allows for student voice and ownership over the collection in a way that having a general fiction collection doesn’t.

I am currently using what I have learnt about genrefying a collection by implementing it in my classroom library. I see the benefits of genrefying a collection at a primary school level, particularly genrefying the picture story book area to make it more user friendly. My next steps are to advocate for the school library organisation to match how classroom libraries are organised with school leadership by outlining the benefits to students. Although time and staffing constraints may be an issue, I believe that a genrefied collection will best suit the needs of our young learners.

Part C: Professional Reflection using the Standards

As a classroom teacher with over 15 years of experience, the Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) was my first formal introduction into the profession of teacher librarian (TL). I have gained valuable knowledge of a range of roles and responsibilities of the TL from information literacy in inquiry learning to developing a deeper understanding of the Dewey Decimal System and the importance of a TL in fostering digital literature and technology. While not currently in a TL role, the Standards for Professional Excellence for Teacher Librarians (Australian Library and Information Association, 2004) provide excellent guidance towards the skills and understandings I will need to continue to develop to become an experienced and valuable future TL. I have outlined my learning relevant to each standard below:

Professional Knowledge

Each subject that I have undertaken in this course has added to my understanding of the role of the TL. Assessment 1 and 2 in ETL402 helped increase my understanding of pedagogy, how to promote reading and how literature can support areas of learning across the curriculum.  Assessment 2 in ETL401 introduced me to the information needs of students, how information literacy can be taught within inquiry units and cemented how important it is for the TL to collaborate with teachers across the school. I feel that I have gained knowledge about each area of this standard, though I would like to extend my knowledge on the national standards for library and information management as in standard 1.4 (Australian Library and Information Association, 2004).

Professional Practice

This standard is about the practicalities of teacher librarianship and putting theoretical knowledge into action. As I am not currently a TL this is hard to reflect on and evaluate my skill level in as I have not had an opportunity to apply what I have learned. As a classroom teacher I believe I create an information rich learning environment where I strive to make the most of our 1:1 iPad program. I would like to develop practical experience with creating policy documents and dealing with budgets.

Professional Commitment

I demonstrate professional commitment by modelling lifelong learning to students and colleagues by discussing the skills and understandings I have gained from this course. I actively foster a reading culture in my classroom and the school by taking on responsibilities such as coordinating the Premier’s Reading Challenge and assisting with Book Week activities. I demonstrate leadership by taking an active role in the Literacy Curriculum Team and my professional learning community. I share my knowledge with my colleagues and have joined the School Library Association of Victoria.

I have learned a lot of the theory behind being a TL during this course. On my workplace learning program in a public library, I was able to apply some skills such as weeding the children’s fiction collection, developing a story time kit, and promoting reading programs through the creation of displays. I look forward to a time where I am in a TL role and can apply more of the theoretical knowledge I have gained in a school setting.

 

References

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