Throughout this course I have really enjoyed opening my thoughts to understand the impact literacy learning can have within the classroom. Being able to apply my knowledge that I had gained into practical assignments was a rewarding challenge. I am a lover of books but flipping my thinking to explore literature in a new way allowed me to enjoy this course as it progressed. As teachers and librarians the way that we grow is by learning from each other. Collaborative learning happens all the time within workplaces and it allows for diversity of perspectives. When this happens it allows us as a learner to grow (Loes, Culver & Trolian, 2018, p.936). Throughout the topic it was rewarding to read everyone’s different views on the blog reflection posts and module discussions. We all come from such wide backgrounds it was valuable to see how differently we approached the topics. I learnt about a new website called Google Lit Trips that uses Google Earth to create immersive 3D literary field trips.
The most challenging part of this course for me was that even though I did work within a school library for 7 years, it was as a library technician. It has been interesting to learn and develop skills in critically thinking about how and why texts are chosen to assist in curriculum learning. It was more difficult than I imagined but I really enjoyed thinking about how each book I selected could be used in a practical way to assist in literacy learning. I think at any age developing your critical thinking and expanding your thoughts enable you to grow. Learning from others and taking into consideration that there is more than one way to view a particular problem or situation helps you establish these new thoughts (Kallet & Patterson, 2014, p.9).
Reading back over my posts I had written it is clear that I believe that libraries are spaces that should not shy away from providing access. Everyone can learn or grow from a book that might deal with a new situation they haven’t experienced before. I think that when school libraries also provide this access to high quality resources this can have an impact on learning. I like the idea that collections need to be windows, so people can see other views of the world and mirrors to reflect themselves back. Children need to be exposed to both as this can help shape them grow and learn. It is important not to shy away from topics because they might be taboo or not widely accepted, but within the library space there is always an avenue in which it can be added (McNair, 2016, p.375).
I have thoroughly enjoyed taking this subject and being able to examine literature from a different perspective. It really furthered me to push my thinking and I really enjoyed learning from both Jennie and my classmates.
References
Kallet, M. & Patterson, D. (2014). Think smarter: critical thinking to improve problem-solving
and decision-making skill. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.
McNair, J. (2016). #WeNeedMirrorsAndWindows: Diverse Classroom Libraries for K-6
Students. Reading Teacher, 70(3), 375-281. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1516
Loes, T. L., Culver, K. C. & Trolian, T. L. (2018). How Collaborative Learning Enhances
Students’ Openness to Diversity. Journal of Higher Education, 89(6), 935-960. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2018.1442638
I think over time like anything it becomes easier to process information or learn a new skill at a younger age. This does not mean that the older generation can’t still learn and adapt to the changing environment but I do see that younger and younger kids can teach me more about an iPad than I ever knew it could do…and I’m only 27. I do think that reading is a skill that you can get better at the more you do it. I can read 3 to 4 books a week given the time and that’s simply because I practice everyday. When I told the children that I worked with I could do that they would think I was crazy but the more that they read they were so proud to tell me that they also finished 2 or 3 books in one week!
Working now within a public library environment one of my responsibilities is that I run one to one technology training and basic community workshops. The clientele of these sessions are generally our older patrons who wish to learn how to send an email or how to use a device they received for christmas. These sessions normally last an hour and at times we can only get through the very basic functions of the device. Some book in for multiple sessions so they can feel more comfortable and confident using the device and some go away thinking they will never understand how to fully use them. Alternatively we have children come in with their grandparents who do everything and more on their phones if they need help or assistance with anything. So I believe that younger people do adapt and use technology differently simply because they are able to process the information faster and more confidently.
When I worked within a school the high school trialled an ebook platform for the students to access. However after a year they didn’t continue subscribing as the stats showed that only a few students were using the platform even after promoting the service. We never trialled it within the junior school because we wanted to spend our budget on the most up to date physical resources we could get. Occasionally we would be asked by parents about ebooks but we always forwarded them onto the local libraries. Now working with a public library we offer a range of online platforms, however within my branch we get most families borrowing the max amount of resources they can (35 items) and not bothering with any of the ebook platforms. I think it comes down to personal preference and parents don’t want their kids in front of more screens so they don’t invest in kindle and kobos until the children are older. During lockdown we did see a massive shift to online resources but that was because they did not have access to the library.
As the world changes and evolves I still think that people will want access to those physical items along with the ability to get things digitally if they want.
Growing up my parents allowed me to explore, read and watch most things I wanted to. There was a degree of care and they would say no to some things if they knew it was above my age but on the whole there was not a lot I shied away from. I believe that in library collections all books should be included. Obviously things with content that may not be appropriate like swearing, drugs or sex should not be included in junior collections but I believe each book has a place somewhere. I understand that parents and carers will have a different view on these things than I did so it is important to make sure that the librarian knows and understands the collection they are managing.
I think the world has changed so much that children need to be able to access books of all shapes, sizes and content because books are a reflection of the current world. Books sometimes help people understand who they are or tough topics in life are explained in a way that is more manageable. Being able to provide these works is a responsibility of the library and I believe there is a place for them being within the collection