Reflections of a Teacher Librarian
Being in lockdown in New South Wales has been a challenging time for educators. It’s not the first time we have had to adapt our teaching practice to online learning and the process has been much smoother this year. While attending non-stop Zoom meetings and working all kinds of hours to get everything done, I have now stopped to reflect on how the formal leadership team are navigating everyone through this time of crisis. Continue reading “Looking to Leaders in Lockdown”
The role and nature of school library collections
The ETL503 course introduced the practices and issues related to school library collection development. It was a lightbulb moment when I realised the teacher librarian (TL) was perfectly placed to assist teachers to cover the requirements of the cross-curriculum priority areas. With the release of the new Partnership Agreement (2020-2030) between the New South Wales Consultative Group (AECG) and the NSW Department of Education (DET), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures is a current and significant priority area for public schools (New South Wales Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Inc., n.d.). Continue reading “ETL503 Reflective Practice”
Understanding Information Literacy
I had never thought that finding a simple definition to a word could be so complicated. The ETL401 course introduced the overwhelming concept of information. As I worked my way through each module, it became apparent that information was a complex issue. I soon discovered how challenging the information landscape was for a teacher librarian (TL) to prepare students with the transferable skills for the jobs and technologies of the future (Friend, 2021, March 15). Continue reading “ETL401 Reflective Practice”
In my experience information literacy is something that is assumed knowledge in schools. Teachers are experts at teaching content and skills specific to their subject area, there really is not enough time left to explicitly teach information literacy. Digital citizenship is usually approached from a legal point of view and covers aspects of sexting, cyberbullying and plagiarism as the need arises. Continue reading “Convergence”
The article by Mandy Lupton discusses ‘Inquiry skills in the Australian Curriculum’ and focuses on the areas of science, history, and geography. When comparing the subject areas, it becomes apparent that the inquiry skills in each subject area do not align neatly across stages. Therefore, opening up the opportunity for a curriculum specialist such as the teacher librarian (TL) to have input in any school wide approach to information literacy. Continue reading “Information Literacy Model”
Copyright presents a variety of legal issues for schools, which staff and students should be aware of when accessing and using information for educational purposes. The laws exist to protect people who make a living off the content they create. In Australia there is no need to register for copyright, it is protected from the moment of creation in a material form. Following are some frequently asked questions to help inform school users of the correct way to approach information use. Continue reading “Copyright Issues in Schools”
Time is a big issue when trying to meet the demands of an overcrowded curriculum. In education, there is currently a push to develop skills required by 21st century learners to take into the workforce. This includes covering the requirements outlined in the General Capabilities and Cross Curriculum Priority areas from the Australian Curriculum. The teacher librarian (TL) is perfectly placed to collaborate with classroom teachers to design inquiry units to meet these requirements. Continue reading “Twenty-First Century Learning Skills and Accountability”
A supportive partnership between the Teacher Librarian (TL) and the school Principal is important to the success of the school library. If the objective of the library is to support the learning needs of the school community, it makes sense to align the goals of the library with the vision of the school. The strategic directions identified in the school plan will outline the priorities for professional development and the focus of working groups for a three-year period. These strategic directions have been developed to improve outcomes for students, with the specific needs of the learning community in mind. When everyone in the school is working towards a common goal, improvement is likely to follow. Continue reading “The Teacher Librarian and the Principal”
When considering Karen Bonanno’s speech A profession at the tipping point: Time to change the gameplan at the Australian School Library Association conference, I note the following ideas. The role of a teacher librarian is at a crossroads and we all have a choice to make. We work swiftly to become hardworking advocates for the essential position, or we sit back and watch the profession shrink away to extinction. (Bonanno, 2011) It is up to each and every one of us to add value to the role, working productively to ease the pressure of resourcing on our overburdened teaching colleagues. We must position ourselves in schools as leaders, who continue to deliver valuable resources to school communities in an environment of rapid technological change. We must embrace change and become indispensable and unique members of our school learning communities. Continue reading “Are School Librarians an Endangered Species?”
The term ‘collection development’ refers to the selection and acquisition of resources that make up the information assets in a library. These resources can be in any format and the entire library collection can be made up of a combination of physical, digital or online resources. In their collection development policy, the University of New South Wales defines a collection “as the material, regardless of format that is acquired by the … library.” (University of New South Wales, 2017) Continue reading “Collection Development and Management in School Libraries”