I expected ETL402 to be very practical, thinking it would give me insight into how to purchase a range of books for a school library. It has done that (McEwen, 2020, December 28) and more. It has made me think about how I can increase my reading (McEwen, 2020, November 27), the power of graphic novels (McEwen, 2020, December 22) and the future of literature (McEwen 2020, November 17). I even found myself thinking about it when taking a break (McEwen, 2020, December 14)!
ETL402 has challenged my thinking in several areas. Surprisingly it has challenged my views on censorship (McEwen, 2021 January 6). I don’t like scary stories as I’ve never found them helpful. Reading Reynold’s chapter on scary stories (2007, p.131-154) really confronted my ideas. Stories are a safe place for students to learn about other perspectives and lifestyles, building empathy and understanding. I think it would be valuable to do a literature circle with older primary students with some “banned” picture books with the question, “Should this book be banned?” I wonder if they will come up with the “right” reason for it being banned and if they will agree?
Reading Bourne’s post (2020, December 22) on generification followed by Cornwall’s article (2018) saw me adjust my views (McEwen, 2020, December 29) again. Some think it’s unhelpful to genrefy because students won’t know how to find books in senior school, public or university libraries or that rearranging is too overwhelming with their small staff. I want to organise the library in the most accessible way possible to get the books kids want to read into their hands. After reading Morris’s article about library displays (2017) I started thinking that if all the books of a certain genre could be pulled off the shelves and made into a display it would not be as overwhelming a job to relabel them during the process and then keep them as a separate section. Over time the fiction section would be genrefied. Doing it slowly means that its success could be gauged and modified if needed.
I was also challenged when it came to ebooks (McEwen, 2020 December 30) and the importance of transliteracy (McEwen, January 1). I hear things said about the dangers of the internet and the negative effects social media can have on young people. I have read studies that show that reading from a screen is not as beneficial as reading from a book (Jeon, 2012 and Mangen at el, 2013). Yet, the reality is that much of kids’ reading has shifted online and there are some incredible developments that can engage students literacy learning in a whole new way. Because of what I’ve learnt, I have already had the opportunity to help a VCE media student with online resources I previously didn’t know existed.
The most valuable thing this class has given me is the knowledge of how effective literacy learning is. Studies show the impact of reading as a predictor of future success (Stower & Waring, 2018). I want to enable my teachers to get fiction into the hands of the students and I’m already applying that by working with the Year 7 teachers at my school to develop an Ancient Egypt Literacy Learning Kit (McEwen, 2021, January 2).
References
Bourne, H. (2020, December 22). Future arrangements of fiction collections [Online discussion comment]. Interact 2. https://interact2.csu.edu.au
Cornwall, G. (2018, July 22). How genrefication makes school libraries more like bookstores. KQED: Mindshift. https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51336/how-genrefication-makes-school-libraries-more-like-bookstores
Jeon, H. (2012). A comparison of the influence of electronic books and paper books on reading comprehension, eye fatigue, and perception. The Electronic Library, 30(3), 390-408. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640471211241663
Mangen, A., Walgermo, B. R. & Bronnick, K.A. (2013). Reading linear texts on paper versus computer screen: Effects on reading comprehension. International Journal of Educational Research, 58, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2012.12.002
Morris, A. (2017, January 23). Termly themes: A year in the school library. SCIS. https://scis.edublogs.org/2017/01/23/a-year-in-the-school-library-termly-themes/
Reynolds, K. (2007). Radical children’s literature: Future visions and aesthetic transformations in juvenile fiction (8th ed.). Palgrave Macmillan UK.
Stower, H. & Waring, P. (2018, July 16). Read like a girl: Establishing a vibrant community of passionate readers. Alliance of Girls Schools Australia. https://www.agsa.org.au/news/read-like-a-girl-establishing-a-vibrant-community-of-passionate-readers/