Reflective practice
The ease of access to information is, on one hand, so amazing, but on the other, slightly alarming. It is exceptionally difficult to ‘switch off’, and already I am spending so much time checking the Interact2 site in both ETL503 and ETL 401 for discussions, to reply to posts, to check my referencing etc. I am constantly looking at my modules. Have I read everything thoroughly? Online delivery is much different to face-to-face, and it can take some time to get used to. In my previous experiences of higher education (a BA, BTeach and Grad dip), I would have to find time to head to the library, to grab prescribed texts or journals from the reserve desk – I might have my 2 hours to make my handwritten notes, and then I’d be off to my waitressing, tutoring or ushering job, then able to switch off until I was back at uni the next day. Since becoming a teacher I have been fortunate enough to have done some online study, so, at the very least I was reasonably prepared for having to be organised and self-motivated to study online.
Module 2 has so far been interesting, but I keep asking myself – how can I use this in my role as a primary school Teacher Librarian? The required reading in ‘Finding information’ (Case, 2006) was quite overwhelming, but I suppose the main thing I got out of it was that there are many attempts to define information – some broad, and some narrow, and there is much that has been written on the topic.
Traditionally I have thought more of information as ‘knowledge’. One of the main things I do in the library is help students find the most trustworthy information for their inquiry topics. In school libraries, information is available in a number of different formats, and it’s my job to assist students and teachers to access the most relevant information for their needs. So, I suppose in this respect I also look at information as ‘bits’(in books, encyclopedias, trusted websites, provided by an expert) to be read and understood, but mostly I am asking students to find information on something they are learning, evaluate its trustworthiness, accuracy, content etc and then use it to increase their knowledge.
So, what are the benefits of having ready access to information at all times?
AS A LEARNER:
- Most of the resources we require are hyperlinked – which is amazing given the fact that this huge cohort of students in the Master of Teacher Librarianship come from all over the world. It means we are on an even keel (internet access, speeds permitting, of course). As someone who has pretty good broadband in West Footscray, I have found the online modules and information easily accessible.
- I can read, study and write at times that suit me and my professional and personal commitments.
- I rely on the information provided to me as trustworthy and accessible, that is, there is an expert checking links to ensure information is up-to date and relevant, but of course it is up to me to interpret this information and use it in a way that is relevant to my course and profession.
AS A TEACHER:
- I can flip my classroom if I please by providing curated online tools for my students to use and discover from home, in order to greater utilise time spent during library lessons.
- I can use my expertise to evaluate online information to deliver to my students rather than having them ‘just Google it’.
- I can access a variety of experts I may not have been able to have access to if information was not so readily available (eg online networking of TL’s, author Q and A’s, live chats, face time amongst others).
So what are the possible disadvantages of having ready access to information at all times?
AS A LEARNER:
- It can be very tricky to ‘switch off’ – it is very easy to burn the midnight candle and forget to sleep!
- There is so much information out there – we are very lucky to be pointed in the right direction with our further reading. We also have access to reputable online databases, full text and chapters of required and suggested readings. We shouldn’t have to ‘just Google it’.
- Further to the second point, we can get a little lost in searching for information – not knowing how to search for trusted sites online, such as adding a site:gov.au (for example) to find reputable sites can be a huge disadvantage.
AS A TEACHER:
- We can’t really control how students search and use information from home (but we can teach them valuable search skills that we would like to think they will use!)
- Can students differentiate between real and fake news?
- We can find it hard to switch off as teachers, too. Our school has a policy where we only answer parent or student emails between the hours of 8.00am and 4.30pm on school days. Teachers are always burning the midnight candle, though – I know I’m constantly updating my library page on the school’s website and writing book reviews at all hours!
REFERENCES
Case, D. (2006). The concept of information. In Looking for information: A survey of research on information seeking, needs and behaviour, pp. 40-65. 2nd ed. Burlingham: Emerald Group Publishing Ltd. ebook, CSU Library.
Floridi, L. (2007). A look into the future impact of ICT on our lives. The Information Society, 23, 59-64. CSU Library.
