Deborah's reflections

My journey to becoming a K-6 TL.

Apr 21

5.4 a Information literacy Fitzgerald, L. & Garrison, K. (2017) ‘It Trains Your Brain’: Student Reflections on Using the Guided Inquiry Design Process. Synergy, 15/2 How might the TL help the school move towards integrated information literacy instruction? What challenges lie in the way of such instruction? How teacher librarians and teachers might encourage students to transfer information literacy skills and practices from one subject to another?

by debnicklin1

A TL will probably move a school to a IL approach slowly. Begin with your most willing participant or grade team and plan from there. Sharing the advantages and the alignment with curriculum as well as offering to collaborate will motivate a team and Principal to be involved. Teacher education and sharing pre-written GI units to model the process as well as a scaffold such as the Guided Inquiry Design Process by Kuhlthau, C. C., Caspari, A. K., & Maniotes, L. K. (2015) will hopefully enable the process.

Challenges for this process can be allowing teachers time to consider the GI process and additional time to collaborate with colleagues. (Fitzgerald and Garrison, 2017) Teachers need to understand and support the process before valuable time will be allocated to plan GI units.

In the article, It Trains Your Brain (2017) students reflected that it became easier to follow the process with repeated projects. A practical approach might be to display the GID process clearly on the library wall and classroom walls as an available reference for the students and teachers. The Guided Inquiry units I have seen so far appear to be a full term in length (minimum 10+ lessons) I wonder if there are shorter, more manageable units of work that take less time that don’t loose the integrity of the GID steps? This might be a good place for the less confident TL and class teacher to begin?

Fitzgerald, L. & Garrison, K. (2017) ‘It Trains Your Brain’: Student Reflections on Using the Guided Inquiry Design Process. Synergy,    15/2

Kuhlthau, C. C., Caspari, A. K., & Maniotes, L. K. (2015). Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st Century, 2nd Edition : Learning in the 21st Century (Vol. Second edition). Santa Barbara, California: Libraries Unlimited. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1061481&site=ehost-live

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Apr 21

5.3 b Guided Inquiry Share your views on Guided Inquiry (GI). What advantages, challenges and/or disadvantages do you see for a teacher librarian wishing to implement a GI approach?

by debnicklin1

Guided Inquiry is explained by Kuhlthau (2015) as a method of teaching that adjusts the culture of learning in a school including the way teachers work together. It’s focus on deeper learning and higher student engagement works towards a more authentic experience. (p.15)

This approach to learning is emphasised in the Australian Curriculum and NSW curriculum. GI is a method whereby TL can assess their own teaching as well as support the classroom teacher. Implementation however has it’s difficulties and the IL approach truly requires a common purpose amongst teachers and TL. A thorough understanding of the process including time allocated for assessment and evaluation is essential in order to ensure success.

Advantages of GI Challenges of GI
*Lead students to a deeper understanding of ideas. Students can verbalise and clarify their findings in group setting. *Take longer than behaviourist methods to implement.
*Students more prepared for future work/leisure. *Colleagues and Principal who prefer to work less collaboratively.
*Constructivist rather than behaviourist. *TL and /or class teacher who is unwilling to embrace digital technologies.
*Prepares students to think for themselves. *NAPLAN supports a behaviourist approach.
*Motivation, interest and emotional involvement by students. *TL and teacher knowledge of the process of GI not thorough.
*Many sources are used to support learning instead of textbook only.

Kuhlthau, C. C., Caspari, A. K., & Maniotes, L. K. (2015). Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st Century, 2nd Edition : Learning in the 21st Century (Vol. Second edition). Santa Barbara, California: Libraries Unlimited. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1061481&site=ehost-live

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Apr 21

5.3a Discuss either of these two analyses and their potential impact on the need for an IL model in your school.

by debnicklin1

F-10 Inquiry Skills Scope and Sequence by Karen Bonano and contributions by Lee Fitzgerald is a good guide for teachers to develop a Guided Inquiry unit of work. The guide covers the General Capabilities and the Creative and Critical Thinking areas of the Australian Curriculum and focuses on K-year 10. The document is easy to follow and lists a selection of specific tasks possible for each stage. On page 33 there is also a table to suggest technology tools for each step of the Inquiry Process. This document allows teachers an easy transition to creating a Guided Inquiry unit of work. It’s impact could be quite significant as it applies to the History/Science/Geography and Design Technologies areas which are mandatory areas for all primary school teachers. The document is based on the theory in the book called Guided Inquiry Design (2012) “The Guided Inquiry design framework offers a way of teaching many things at the same time within a meaningful and integrated context.” (p.1) This book is a ‘how to’ guide for teachers developing units of work.

My school certainly needs an IL model, particularly for our stage 3 students. We have high achieving students, many who are highly motivated and enjoy learning in an independent manner. Collaboration is an area that is spoken of as successfully implemented however the work I see produced by students in class is very often an individual product whereby the students research and answer the same questions. The individuality appears through presentation choice of the same information rather than students taking hold of their learning and directing it. Collaboration in future projects could deepen their knowledge and skills and give them more independence to direct their learning. Our community of parents however are generally highly focused on achieving good NAPLAN results, entry into local selective schools and a university education. So although an implementation of an IL model would be successful at our school, it isn’t a high priority due to success with standardised results which indicates we are performing well.

Kuhlthau, C. C., Maniotes, L. K., & Caspari, A. K. (2012). Guided inquiry design : A framework for inquiry in your school. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

 

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Apr 21

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.

by debnicklin1

Information Literacy is a TL bread and butter. We are the managers of the information in the library and we need to ensure our students and colleagues are literate in the methods to retrieve that information. This has always been the case however recent and rapid technological development has thrown our mostly behaviourist approach on it’s head. This approach is lacking when looking towards our student’s future functioning in their work and leisure lives. Abilock,D.(2015) lists a design process whereby updated approaches or units of work can be structured to reflect a constructivist outlook. Ideally, units of work would be planned with classroom teachers. Realistically, it depends on the nature of how groups of teachers collaborate and the expectation of the Principal and executive staff at individual schools. In my own situation I need to move more towards a constructivist approach. I certainly have elements of this design process however I need to revise and improve some areas, particularly the evaluative and reflective stages. These stages need to be incorporated throughout the research task.

Abilock, D. (2015). Information literacy. Building blocks of research: Overview of design process and outcomes. NoodleTools.

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