ETL401

Introduction to teacher librarianship.

Reflecting (Assessment 3 – Part C)

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Every day I encounter staff who don’t understand the potential that lies in the library. They see libraries as a physical resource that is separate from the classroom environment, rather than an integral part of the teaching community where learning is at the centre (Herring, 2007). They need to be shown that libraries are spaces for integrated learning, where inquiry is at the heart of our practice (Todd, 2007). This is where an awareness of the role of teacher librarians is needed.


Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

These same staff complain about students who are unable to conduct effective research and simply ‘copy and paste’ their work from the Internet. They know what they want students to be able to do, but they do not know how to help them to develop the skills to get there. It does not occur to them that a quality teacher librarian, doing their job, will be able to bridge this gap and help teachers to teach and students to learn (Purcell, 2010). This is where an understanding of Information Literacy is needed.

I'd like to thank Google, Wikipedia and copy & paste“I’d like to thank Google, Wikipedia and copy & paste” by patrickdevries2003 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

And then they sit in the staffroom at lunch whinging to anyone who will listen about students who do not complete homework and sit staring at their computer screen achieving little despite having more than enough work to do. There is a lack of understanding that, just because young people today have grown up surrounded by technology and look as though they know how to use it, they don’t necessarily know how to use it effectively (Combes, 2009). I reflected on this in a discussion thread about information societies that can be accessed here (Kempinger, 2019a). This is where the impact of collaborative teaching using an inquiry learning design is needed.


Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

So, what is my course of action moving forward? To start with, there will be an emphasis on promotion and the way that, as a teacher-librarian, I am in the unique role of being able to look at the school both vertically and horizontally (Purcell, 2010), meaning that it is easier to see the continuum of skills and how these can be supported. While I understand that I will become overwhelmed if I take on too much at once, on my to-do list for 2020 is to look at the humanities curriculum maps from years 7-12 to begin mapping the topics covered and skills required so that I can begin looking for opportunities to work collaboratively with classroom teachers to better prepare students for a life beyond high school that expects them to problem-solve and behave ethically (Lamb, 2011).


Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

When it comes to deciding who to approach for collaboration, I will need to be careful to select a teacher with whom I already have a trusting relationship built on open communication (Haycock, 2007) because, even though effective collaborative cultures need diversity in order to look at situations from a range of perspectives (Fullan, 1999), it will be trust and communication that drive the collaboration.

Thanks to documents like the Alexandria Proclamation on Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning (2005), highlighting global dedication to the empowerment of all people by teaching the skills to find, evaluate and create information is easy. While there are many models for teaching information literacy, it is important that each setting finds a model that suits them. This is where I see a conundrum for my immediate future- I personally prefer a sociocultural approach to learning where students work in communities on topics that interest them (Farrell & Badke, 2015), but many teachers at my school favour a behaviourist approach as they can fit it into their current practice. For this reason, I will need to remember that different people within the school community will see information literacy from different perspectives and this means that I cannot do what I prefer, but need to factor in these differences if I want to have a positive impact (Bruce, Edwards & Lupton, 2006).

Think positive - illustrations“Think positive – illustrations” by simona bonafini is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

So, if I revisit my first blog post (Kempinger, 2019b) I can see that I still have the same desire to be a driver for positive change, but I am now in a much better position to actually do something about it as I am armed with information that I have been able to experiment with in context, turning it into knowledge, which has power.


Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

References:

Bruce, C., Edwards, S., & Lupton, M. (2006). Six frames for information literacy education: A conceptual framework for interpreting the relationships between theory and practice. Italics, 5(1). Retrieved from https://www-tandfonline-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/doi/full/10.11120/ital.2006.05010002

Combes, B. (2009). Generation Y: Are they really digital natives or more like digital refugees? Synergy, 7(1), 31-40. Retrieved from https://search-informit-com-au.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/fullText;dn=178236;res=AEIPT

Farrell ,R. & Badke, W. (2015). Situating information literacy in the disciplines: A practical and systematic approach for academic librarians. Reference Services Review, 43(2). Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/1725782993?OpenUrlRefId=info:xri/sid:primo&accountid=10344

Fullan, M. (1999). Chapter 3: The deep meaning of inside collaboration. In Change forces – the sequel: The sequel, (pp.31-41). Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/csuau/reader.action?docID=237391&ppg=43

Haycock, K. (2007). Collaboration: Critical success factors for student learning. School Libraries Worldwide, 13(1), 25-35. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/57538522/195463D1D10D40CBPQ/1?accountid=10344

Herring, J. (2007). Teacher librarians and the school library. In S. Ferguson (Ed.) Libraries in the twenty-first century : charting new directions in information (pp. 27-42). Wagga Wagga , NSW : Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University. Retrieved from  https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/science/article/pii/B9781876938437500028

International Federation of Library Associations. (2005). Beacons of the information society: The Alexandria Proclamation on information literacy and lifelong learning. Retrieved from https://www.ifla.org/publications/beacons-of-the-information-society-the-alexandria-proclamation-on-information-literacy

Kempinger, N. (2019a). Online access. Forum 2.2 . ETL401 Response in Discussion Forums. CSU. Retrieved from https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_38048_1&conf_id=_74551_1&forum_id=_177141_1&message_id=_2632529_1&nav=discussion_board_entry

Kempinger, N. (2019b, November 28). Teacher or TL [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/kempinger/2019/11/28/teacher-or-tl-assessment-1/

Lamb, A. (2011). Bursting with potential: Mixing a media specialist’s palette. Techtrends : Linking research & practice to improve learning, 55(4), 27-36. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=0a84a319-9bd9-44be-9dc5-d7f547be53c1%40sessionmgr102&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=60840783&db=a9h

Purcell, M. (2010). All librarians do is check out books right? A look at the roles of the school library media specialist. Library Media Connection 29(3), 30-33. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=60171d13-40cb-4fcd-9884-3a2bb1ac5710%40sessionmgr103&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=EJ907292&db=eric

Todd, R. J. (2007). Evidence-based practice and school libraries. In S. Hughes-Hassell & V. H. Harada (Eds.), School reform and the school library media specialist (pp. 57-78). Retrieved from https://doms.csu.edu.au/csu/file/b84e4d87-0e09-4bd5-9dcb-023fe550270a/1/todd-r.pdf

Information Literacy takeaways

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If you had asked me last year what Information Literacy (IL) was, I would have responded with something pithy, like “The ability to find and understand information?” (Yes, the question mark is intentional.) Now I see the complexity that comes with this term and the need for me to develop a working understanding of it that I can bring to my role as a Teacher Librarian (TL).

On consideration, the behaviourist approach to IL looks like it would fit easily into the curriculum of a school by providing a set of measurable skills that students can develop. The examples provided in the Australian and New Zealand Information Literacy Framework (Bundy, 2004) could certainly be copied into a curriculum map, learning sequence or rubric with little fuss while being easily accessible to the discipline teacher. Using this approach, the TL could support the development of a specific skill in the classroom as required.

But there is concern that this will not support the deep levels of thinking that students need to strive towards in order to be ready for today’s global workforce (Kutner, L. & Armstrong, A. 2012) The sociocultural approach looks to address this by viewing the student as experiencer rather than sponge (Ackermann, E. 2001). Both Lloyd (2007) and Farrell and Badke (2015) present a case for networks or communities of people being necessary for optimal learning.

As well as this, there is research to suggest that we make meaning in different ways depending on context; this is looked at in detail in the six frames for information literacy (Bruce, Edwards, and Lupton, 2006). They (Bruce et al., 2006) ask librarians to consider the different perspectives that each teacher may have of teaching and learning and how this may impact the ways that IL is covered in the classroom.

The big takeaway for me is the need to articulate what IL is, audit it against what is currently done in domains and then offer to work in collaboration with teachers to ensure that our students have the opportunity to become lifelong learners.

Information literacy lies at the core of lifelong learning. It empowers people in all walks of life to seek, evaluate, use and create information effectively to achieve their personal, social, occupational and educational goals. It is a basic human right in a digital world and promotes social inclusion of all nations.
(The Alexandria Proclamation on Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning, UNESCO, 2005)

References:
Ackerman, E. (2001). Piaget’s Constructivism, Papert’s Constructionism: What’s the difference? Retrieved from https://learning.media.mit.edu/content/publications/EA.Piaget%20_%20Papert.pdf
Bundy, A. (Ed.) (2004). Australian and New Zealand information literacy framework: Principles, standards and practice. 2nd ed. Australian and New Zealand Institute for Information Literacy. Retrieved from https://www.utas.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/79068/anz-info-lit-policy.pdf
Farrell, R. & Badke, W. (2015). Situating information literacy in the disciplines: A practical and systematic approach for academic librarians. Reference Services Review, 43(2), 319-340. Retrieved from https://www-emerald-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/insight/content/doi/10.1108/RSR-11-2014-0052/full/html#loginreload
Kutner, L. & Armstrong, A. (2012). Rethinking information literacy in a globalised world. Communications in Information Literacy, 6(1), 24-33. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/1312440468?accountid=10344
Lloyd, A. (2007). Recasting information literacy as sociocultural practice: Implications for library and information science researchers. Information Research, 12(4). Retrieved from http://informationr.net/ir/12-4/colis/colis34.html
United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation. (2005). High level colloquium on information literacy and lifelong learning report of a meeting. Retrieved from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000144820

Who is in control?

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As I sit in the study listening to my son watch ‘The Matrix’ for the first time in the other room, I find myself pondering the world I find myself in- is it the world I expected to be living in when I watched this film in 1999?

The short answer is, no. The real answer is complicated.

The importance of technology in today’s society cannot be denied. It is embedded in everything that we do and it is becoming ‘smarter’ all the time. (Hey Google? What does Alexa think?) Schools try to keep up to date with the tech and spend money om 3D printers and laser cutters while running a BYOD program to ensure that all kids are growing up conversant in the language of now, but are we really in the now? Technology seems to change and ‘improve’ faster than most of us can keep up with.

Does this mean that the tech is in control and determining how we behave and respond to the world around us? Could it be that we, as a society, are really adept at adapting to the tools they have at hand to make life social and manageable?

All I know for sure is that I do not fear the Matrix… yet.

Teacher or TL? (assessment #1)

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It is my belief that some people are born to teach; this is certainly the case with me. Learning new information has always brought me joy and being able to share ideas with others fills me with happiness, confidence, and hope.

Over the past fifteen years, I have worked in classrooms with a broad range of student abilities and levels of engagement, and my favourite experiences are those that allow me to connect with the students in a way that empowers them to take learning and exploration of knowledge into their own hands.

Over time, I find that I am not having these experiences as frequently.

***

As a teenager, the library was a safe space where I could surround myself with books and fantasize about one day working with the always helpful, interested and friendly team of staff. Due to this, when I started work in my first school, I was drawn to the library.

Unfortunately, my first experiences of a school library confused me. While the TLs were incredibly helpful and present whenever I was looking for support or a good chat about a new book, the same was not observed with the students. Students were not encouraged to chat about their learning, and opportunities to engage with the TLs about new books or series were hidden or non-existent. My students told me that the library was not a place that they wanted to spend time.

It seemed as though the role of a TL was to support the teaching staff.

***

Over time, my interest in the school library has never diminished. Opportunities to bring classes into the library space and talk about books, share resources and encourage independent reading have become part of my weekly schedule because the need for our young people to develop good reading habits and research skills remains, yet for many, drive and enthusiasm are waning.

Some great work is happening with our year 7 English teams to re-engage students with reading, but trying to bring this across to other year levels is proving disheartening. As a teacher working within small teams of English staff, I have felt limited and unable to properly support those who do show an interest in making positive change.

Through a series of reading-focused professional development opportunities over the past two years, I have been able to visit the libraries of several schools. Through these visits, the potential of a TL has been highlighted. That I can be the support and driver for positive change by working with teachers and students is what prompted my decision to return to study.

Thanks to the support of leadership, who see the passion I have in this area, half of my teaching load for 2020 will be in the library. Working alongside the current library staff (a part-time TL and two library technicians) I plan to learn, share and bring our library into current times. This will involve the drafting of vision statements and policies, working with teachers and students to support learning and developing an evolving space that takes the needs of our cohort into consideration.