Module 5
Reflective Practice: What are your thoughts after reading about the term literacy? Write a definition and add it to your notes.
Initially, I thought ‘literacy’ was a very simple concept: reading and writing. Then I pout on my Teacher hat and added speaking and listening. Fitzgerald (2019) then points out the necessity of ‘understanding’, an idea that can often be overlooked in the assessment of student literacy skills. In the end, and in an ideal world, fully literate students would be confident and capable in all these areas. At the same time, they should be able to apply these skills across all forms of media in all situations.
Reflective Practice: Your thoughts: Do new formats and delivery modes or multi-modal resources require users to have different literacy skills to make meaning or is this just an extension of the traditional literacy definition (in the reading)?
Of course. It is important that the traditional definition of literacy considered when it comes to developing literacy skills, but it is equally important to be aware that time have changed since education was established and the occurrence of technological advances, for example, have led to developments in related language and meaning. Students must be familiar with multimodal texts and various formats and delivery methods to be considered successfully literate.
Reflective Practice: Your thoughts: Discussions of information literacy in this module are diverse and interesting. In your journal (Thinkspace), reflect on what you can take from the discussion of information literacy to your IL role in school.
Firstly, from the readings and discussions, I am able to admit that my school is in desperate need of choosing one IL model and embedding it into the teaching and learning for successful outcomes.
I like that Fitzgerald (2019) draws links between IL in different environments, creating the opportunity to transfer knowledge across careers, which is something we are all trying to get out students to do automatically.
Skills V Learning: I think both arguments have merit but, like most things in life- everything in moderation. I think each school and each student cohort will have to have these methods applied individually depending on context and educators need to be flexible enough to acknowledge and work within this mindset.
5.3a Information Literacy Model
After finding it impossible to open either reading directly, I went a round-about way and found the below document for Bonanno’s (2014) F-10 inquiry skills scope and sequence, and F-10 core skills and tools.
Link: https://eduwebinar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/curriculum_mapping.pdf
As I have previously said in my reflective practices (https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/bivathome/) my very small school is in need of identifying and embedding an IL model that can be taught across the grades. Bonanno (2014) has done much of the hard work for teachers by integrating the work of Kulthau, Maniotes and Caspari (2012) into the Australian Curriculum content descriptors (AC, 2019), as well as compiling a resource list to support this scope and sequence.
This would be an excellent place for a school, such as mine, to begin as it gives very simple, clearly laid out expectations for each stage of education. This would make integrating this IL model into programs and units already on the go. Additionally, after a few years of consistent application, each teacher could identify the expected abilities of the students based on the scope and sequence eg. in Year 3 critical/creative thinking should have been introduced in F-2, giving a sound basic understanding, meaning the Year 3 teacher can delve more deeply into familiar content and expand student thinking confident in the knowledge that this concept is something the students have come across previously.
5.3b Guided Inquiry
What advantages, challenges and/or disadvantages do you see for a teacher librarian wishing to implement a GI approach?
As Fitzgerald (2019), in her research states, there seems to be little guidance for staff on how to implement the inquiry-heavy new Australian Curriculum. Utilising Guided Inquiry (GI) is one way to potentially allow students to methodically develop inquiry skills that can be transferred to all areas of education. I think it is a great way to expand student thinking while providing them with the skills needed to develop critical and creative thinking as well as the technical research skills needed. However, a TL working alone in a school of staff may find this transition into Inquiry Learning (IL) difficult without support, which is why I think it is important that staff decided, as a majority, which IL model to follow and how GI is to be introduced and taught to students. Also, developing new GI units could eat up a lot of TL time and so it is important collaboration makes this shift in thinking, teaching and learning, as easy and impact-less on staff workload, as possible.
5.4a Information Literacy
The Journal site was down when I went to access the article so, while it looked very interesting, I was unable to delve deeper so the following answers are based, mostly off of my own ideas and other readings.
- How might the TL help the school move towards integrated information literacy instruction?
First, establishing your schools ‘literacy’ definition, as well as the decision on which IL model you will be working with, is vital. The TL, being out of class and around the school on RFF can meet with multiple teachers to lead this discussion and make suggestions. By tkaing on this lead role, TLs have the opportunity to reaffirm the importance of library in literacy adn of their position in schools, which can sometimes be an isolating one.
- What challenges lie in the way of such instruction?
Even in a small school, ensuring the complete understanding and agreement of all staff is often a difficult one. Miscommunication in the learning phase of ILs can cause different staff to alter the IL model in a way that other staff are not. It is important to keep the IL model as uniform as possible across the grades to ensure a flow-on effect in following years.
Also, having been a classroom teacher, it is difficult to cram in one more topic/unit/program/project/assessment into an already packed curriculum, let alone the brain that holds all of it together. TLs may meet some resistance in over-worked teachers, but persistence, positivity and support might just win them over. Additionally, integrating IL into lessons does not have to be a huge deal- looking at the work of Kulthau, Maniotes and Caspari (2012), most of the work has been done for you and there are additional resources available to support IL and related learning.
- How teacher librarians and teachers might encourage students to transfer information literacy skills and practices from one subject to another?
The transfer of information can be the most difficult part of IL. Fitzgerald (2019) explains that one-off IL lessons during RFF ‘are not as effective as they might be, because students fail to relate the lessons’ to other areas within school. If staff are regularly and consistently using the same language and scaffolds across the school, it takes a smaller leap for students to make the connection that the information skills developed in the classroom or library can be utilised in both these areas and more. Additionally, by sharing programs and collaborating, staff will have a general idea of what has already been introduced or worked on in other areas of the schools and be able to draw specific links to those lessons or tasks and highlight the transferrability of skills for students.
5.4b Convergence
- Has the school in which you work (or know best) developed an information literacy policy?
Currently, at my school, each staff member is working independently on their IL models and there is no set policy that I am aware of. At other schools I have worked at, the upper stages have been more focussed on IL and developing the associated skills and familiarity with scaffolds. I like that Kulthau, Maniotes and Caspari (2012) and Bonanno (2014) start integrating IL and GI early into their scaffold so students become familiar with the terminology and concepts prior to asking them to utilise them independently.
- How is information literacy approached in your school or experience?
Being a small school, staff are teaching to 2-3 stages and so each unit of work must be adapted accordingly. As such, most teachers have their own way of doing things which leaves gaps, inconsistencies and complications for the next/replacement teacher.
- How is digital citizenship approached in your school or experience?
As far as I am aware, the previous TL at my school did some RFF lessons on digital citizenship, using the esafety.gov online resources- Hector’s World (https://www.esafety.gov.au/education-resources/classroom-resources/hectors-world). I have seen these resources used at multiple schools, though in some, CTs also get involved to make the learning relevant for their classroom as well as library time.
- How can a transliteracy approach expand the teaching role of the TL beyond the traditional information literacy paradigm?
Define:
‘What is Transliteracy?
Transliteracy is the ability to read, write and interact across a range of platforms, tools and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio and film, to digital social networks.’ Newman, Ipri, Molaro, Cassaroti, & Wilkinson (2010)- https://librariesandtransliteracy.wordpress.com/what-is-transliteracy/.
By developing a transliteracy approach, TLs are remaining relevant and providing the opportunity for students to develop relevant skills that can be transferred to a real-world context. I think one of the main challenges for librarians today is to remain relevant in a highly digitised world, particularly when most students now grow up with a digital device in their hands.
Reference
(Australian Curriculum (AC) (2019) http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au) Unsure how to reference a web page like this…
Bonanno, K. (2014) F-10 inquiry skills scope and sequence, and F-10 core skills and tools. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_42381_1&content_id=_2899464_1
Fitzgerald, L. (2019). The role of the teacher librarian (TL). In ETL401: Introduction to teacher librarianship, [Module 5]. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_42381_1&content_id=_2899464_1
Kulthau, C.C, Maniotes, L. K. and Caspari, A. K. (2012). Guided inquiry design: A framework for inquiry in your school. Retrieved from Fitzgerald, L. (2019). The role of the teacher librarian (TL). In ETL401: Introduction to teacher librarianship, [Module 5]. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_42381_1&content_id=_2899464_1
Newman, B., Ipri, T., Molaro, A., Cassaroti, G., & Wilkinson, L. (2010). What is Transliteracy? Libraries and Transliteracy. Retrieved 29 March 2015, from https://librariesandtransliteracy.wordpress.com/what-is-transliteracy/
