May 9

Information literacy = healthy society and a fulfilled individual

Information literacy, technology and the student – Photo by Waldemar Brandt from Pexels

To enable a person to be able to function in their community in a way that if capable, confident and competent, they must be educated and capable in every literacy that allows them to do that. Whether the format of the text is in a new medium, new platform, technology or format, a student or adult should have the skills and knowledge to be able to read, comprehend, deconstruct, create another texts based on this one which includes critical analysis and synthesis of information. All people need to be not only consumers of information but also creator. They need to know the pitfalls and implications of that. They need to know the ethics involved. They need to know ways to determine whether are being deceived (“fake news”) or whether they are using credible sources.

At the end of the day, it is important for students to become enriched, life long learners who are capable and confident members of society. They need to be able to contribute in a meaningful way to society but also have the ability to lead fulfilled, positive lives. For this to happen, they must be taught the skills, theory and processes of information literacy and all the different forms that information literacy morphs into – whether it is digital literacy or transliteracy or many other forms.

With the incorporation of all the different elements of information literacy, it is advantageous to have an information literacy model so that every opportunity to enhance the information literacy learning process can be snapped up. The learning activities need to be up to date with technological developments and be inspirational to students to capture their interest. They need to be adapted for differentiation purposes.

Category: ETL401, Information literacy, Technology, Uncategorized | LEAVE A COMMENT
April 22

An Informed Practice

jarmoluk / Pixabay

The Australian School Library Association’s (ASLA) “Evidence guide for teacher librarians in the highly accomplished career stage” and “Evidence guide for teacher librarians in the proficient career stage” contains helpful information that can be used to further understandings on the role of the teacher librarian and to inform practice. These documents help a teacher “play” the teacher librarian “game”. They can be used to confirm the duties included in the role of teacher librarian and/or extend those duties for new teacher librarians. Just as in a chess game, teacher librarians learn, with practise, how to play the game. That is, which chess pieces should be played how and when.  Each standard is explained with further text and then directly connected with examples of evidence, breaking the standards down into obtainable steps. For teachers who are aspiring to highly accomplished status, the documents provide further information as to what is necessary to gain that qualification. In other words, they give concrete ideas as a path to follow to attain proficient and highly accomplished status. It allows teacher librarians to move the pawns to play a winning game.

Winning encompasses several elements. It can mean that the evidence stated in these documents can be used for accreditation purposes as well as used to support evidence of learning and/or value-adding to students’ learning. Additionally, it can be used to win the principal over as as evidence to supporting the school/principal’s vision and goals.  It can also be used to win parents and colleagues when presenting professional development as evidence of effective teaching .

Therefore, ASLA’s evidence guide can be used for several purposes. These include: accreditation, for career development, professional development, to achieve principal’s vision, gives inspiration for planning, preparation, used to develop the library’s mission statement and used as evidence of legitimate activities to collaborate on. An informed practice is a winning practice.

References:

Australian School Library Association (ASLA)  (2014). Evidence guide for teacher librarians in the highly accomplished career stage.  Retrieved from: http://www.asla.org.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/evidence-guide_ha.pdf

Australian School Library Association (2015). Evidence guide for teacher librarians in the proficient career stage. Retrieved from http://www.asla.org.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/evidence_guide_prof.pdf

Category: ETL401, Miscellaneous, Uncategorized | LEAVE A COMMENT
March 21

Informed About Information

On the surface, the definition of information should be very simple. How deceptive and naive that thought is!

Simple dictionary definitions do not scrape the surface of all the facets that various types of academic definitions do. The semantic definition where the meaning of information is important as opposed to the more classic definition – almost a dadaist interpretation of information just existing. These seem to be the extremes in the definitions. The data-knowledge continuum tells of chaos and wisdom – which are an extension of the semantic and classic definitions. The classic definition being in incoherent jumble of characters and as the continuum works its way up the sliding scale it becomes more about an information hierarchy about meaning, types of meaning and the types of meaning – a similar concept to Blooms taxonomy. According to Stonier (as cited in O’Connell, n.d.) “information requires no intelligence to interpret it. It does not have to have meaning to exist.”1 However, Gregory Bateson (as cited in O’Connell, n.d.) puts much more emphasis on the meaning of the information as he asserts that it “changes us”2.

It occurs to me that the purpose and the context of the information is important. That is, what the information is being used for, who is using the information, what is  and how it is to be used are all necessary factors. For information to be defined properly, it is necessary to know all these things.

Learning as a Collaborative Process

rawpixel / Pixabay

As a prospective Teacher Librarian, it occurred to me that all this information might exist, it may have context and purpose but it is how the information is used and perceived or processed by the conveyor and the receiver is what matters.  It is interesting that Steve Regur in a Ted Talk video (as cited in the “Create, Curate, Collaborate”, n.d.) presents his talk on how “Learning Networks Could Reconfigure Schools”. He talks about collaboration and instead of there being one teacher teaching to a number of students, he says that there should be a learning team involved in the students’ learning. Students should seek out experts or professionals in a project or field they want to study  and are passionate about, they should pick the learning outcomes, seek out resources, compile their learning teams and direct their learning. I think this is a valuable concept that deserves to be explored. It is an interesting concept that teacher-librarians would be integral in.3  The “General Capabilities” page in an ACARA article (as cited in Lori’s E-musings, 12 March 2019)4 provides much room to expand this concept. However, it also leaves great space for refining and crafting. It would be fascinating to explore it further.

The role of teacher-librarian is constantly growing and developing. Libraries and teacher-librarians have great scope for being managers of information, creators and facilitators and distributors of information.

References

1 and 2 O’Connell, J, n.d., Module 2: The Information Environment, Retrieved from Charles Sturt Universit website at https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_42380_1&content_id=_2633951_1&mode=view

3 Create, Curate, Collaborate n.d., Retreived from Teacher-Librarian Learning Network’s blog at https://feedly.com/i/entry/5oT5ifkZN1JBXX3mX4pji4hWD0AUSB04SCT7+1+6tNQ=_1696a74271c:78409:5bce999a

4  Lori (2019), Information. Dissemination. influence. in Lori’s E-Musings Retrieved from https://lorikemusings.wordpress.com/2019/03/12/information-dissemination-influence/

 

Category: Curriculum and Learning, ETL401, Uncategorized | LEAVE A COMMENT