2023 – Portable Magic

Tag: 2023

Education Paradigms

On July 25, 2023

Informed by Robinson’s presentation, think about the influences upon a school – structural, cultural and societal and identify a key driver for change in each area that the teacher librarian could respond to through school library programs.

Photo by Remy Gieling on Unsplash

The British educational theorist Ken Robinson and his ideas regarding systems and structures of education – and how they fail 21st century children – are well known. Anyone working in a school knows that the disengagement and distractions of students – and the disrespect that seems to come with it – is a problem, and that our educational model doesn’t fit all. In Australia, we have the (probable) consequence that our educational attainment measures – such as NAPLAN and the PISA ranking – show that our students are struggling.

I wonder if, in our desire to embrace so many different pedagogical theories, and in drastically expanding the role and responsibilities of teachers, we have become fragmented and overwhelmed by options and choice. They do say that too much choice is actually a negative (is this a structural, cultural or societal influence? It can be hard to separate them!).

Similarly to Robinson, Paulo Freire famously theorised (and challenged) the concept of ‘banking education’, the idea that teachers/adults possess the knowledge and they deposit it in children’s heads (because, y’know, their heads are empty otherwise). This aligns with the factory structure of schooling that Robinson talks about. To be honest, you can see where the comparison comes from, and why it developed that way: efficiency. Anyone who has taught others would know that it’s pretty straightforward instructing a homogenous group, where the learners are of the same ability level, similar background, and non-neuro-divergent. Though also quite boring. And for the longest time, our schools ignored difference, forced left-handed kids to write with their right hands, and offered little extra support for anyone struggling.

Absolutely the historical traditions of pedagogy still influence schools. There have been plenty of ‘experiments’ led by departments of education in an effort to ‘fix’ the system – especially to engage those students for whom the mainstream school system doesn’t work. Many of these are well-funded and make for good ‘announceables’, meaning that a Minister for Education can look good on the news and then quietly let it all slip into obscurity when the data doesn’t show it’s helping.

Yet the Teacher Librarian (TL) is in an ideal position to support new initiatives precisely because they don’t have a rigid curriculum to follow: they can be more flexible, more adaptable, and offer a more personalised approach to student wellbeing than teachers often can (due to large class sizes, time pressures, expectations etc.). The TL – and the library – are well-placed to help with student wellbeing, which is a current social issue dominating Tasmanian schools.

There are major problems with our school system, and serious challenges. No one really seems to know how to fix them, because they’re bigger than schools. And many schools in Tasmania no longer even have a library, let alone a TL. We are floundering, the education department is adding more to our plates, and one societal influence that is occasionally discussed is the growing anxiety among young people – climate change, job insecurity, housing unaffordability, health concerns etc. With so many anxious young people, it’s really not surprising that they’re educational scores are dropping, the older they get.

Certainly a lot has changed in schools, even since Robinson’s talk (his reference to an ADHD epidemic doesn’t really fit an Australian context, and he doesn’t offer any analysis of the reasons why diagnoses increase across the eastern states – but it aligns fairly well with an increase in parental involvement and ambition, class and wealth. Getting a diagnosis is expensive, after all). In Australia, one of the big influences on schools is the notion of ‘choice’, and the growing class divide. Pasi Sahlberg’s essay “By design: New foundations for teaching and learning” in the Griffith Review is enlightening and brings a lot of strands together. In Australia, structural issues must include this incredible funding divide we have here, which only exacerbates class tensions.

Robinson describes the earlier understanding of people’s abilities as being either academic or non-academic, which is still a polite way of saying ‘dumb’ (but shouldn’t be). Sahlberg’s essay explains how providing parents with choice – and politicians encouraging them to ‘shop around’ (thus treating education/schools like a consumer product) is a major part of the problem. The other is our emphasis on ‘excellence’. We end up having to teach to outcomes, rather than skills – even though our Australian curriculum is skills-oriented. The recent push to collect data, and be ‘data-driven’, only adds to this.

Regardless of the type of school, the school library can and should be a neutral space, welcoming to all, not just so-called academic students. It can, through fun and engaging programs and resources, be an inviting space that may help students engage better in school. But to ensure that a school maintains the TL role – and its library – the TL must exercise leadership skills. I see this leadership role as a way of connecting the TL to every facet of the school: to be indispensable. Not as a power-hungry move, but to be able to perform the role as it is intended and to achieve the best outcomes. It’s a win-win, really.

References

Robinson, K. [RSA Animate]. (2010, October 14). Changing education paradigms [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

Sahlberg, P. (2022). By design: New foundations for teaching and learning. Griffith Review 75. (pp. 84-97)

Reading From the Screen

By Shannon Badcock

On May 2, 2023

In ETL402, Reflection Post

Reflection: Think about how you process information and read. Are young people any different? Do they use technology differently to older people? Have ebooks ‘taken off’ in your school? What reasons could explain this?

Several years ago our school brought in Mark McCrindle for an all-day PL – repeated a few years later, weirdly. He used selected data to show that teens are ‘digital natives’ – a misleading term that has been widely countered – and thus that they needed a different style of instruction, using lots of short, multimodal texts. Pop Teaching instead of Pop Art, if you will.

Yet all of us listening were all thinking the same thing: that’s not our experience.

I don’t see a lot of difference in how they use technology, or how confident they are with it, only that they’re more engaged with SMS apps like Snapchat, and will be on multiple platforms. ‘Older’ people will probably only use text, Messenger and What’s App, and communicate via Instagram messages. Young people don’t like using email, but then no one uses email to chat anymore – that’s what apps are for.

Our students, aged 16-18, aren’t all that familiar with technology really. They’re just really comfortable with navigating their phones. They don’t know how to use computer programs much, especially Word. They interact, rather than utilise or explore. They’re certainly capable of learning more, but in general, their technology use involves a lot of passive staring.

Our school library had a subscription to Wheelers but hardly anyone borrowed books from it. Certainly the selection wasn’t super great – but even for the texts we did have, it cost over three thousand dollars a year. We ditched it.

Part of its lack of popularity is that a lot of teens aren’t reading much at all – they prefer to watch, and their attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. Some do read ebooks but they’re more likely to borrow them from the state library, which has a really good selection. Another issue is browsing; they’re just less likely to do it on an app or the website. Even getting to the Wheelers site seemed too difficult.

I definitely process information in limited ways compared to others. My students are content reading off a screen but I need a print copy or my eyes struggle. Partly due to glare, partly due to the fact that text on screen invites me to skim. I suspect my students too this too, though! Many of the articles for this degree, I have to print in order to read – which enables me to highlight and annotate, which is a good study habit anyway.

Module 5.1 Discussion: digital trends

By Shannon Badcock

On April 27, 2023

In Discussion post, ETL402

Photo by Compare Fibre on Unsplash

Working in a senior secondary public college, there is limited scope for embracing the latest trend in digital literacy or interactive media. A public school simply doesn’t have the funds, not is there space in the curriculum for much experimentation. With 30 weeks to teach 40 weeks worth of material and prepare students for exams, my experience has been not to get too clever. Working Padlet into my classes is about as inventive as I get.

What I do see is an increasing dependency on the mobile phone – not for learning but for distraction. Avoidance. There’s just so much going on in their lives, from relationship drama to sorting out a lift home to organising shifts at work. It’s hard to cut across that noise, so I’m not averse to integrating some form of digital learning – in the past I’ve tried student blogs, and creating memes, but these don’t have the same benefits of gamification, as described by Briggs (2016).

Their reference to the benefits of Minecraft in the classroom really highlighted for me the difference between what you can do in a primary school (or high school) setting, compared to a college. My son is in grade 6 and his teacher is using Minecraft almost every Friday morning to teach numeracy – but not just numeracy. Teams are given tasks, or challenges, to complete; doing so requires collaboration, maths skills and problem-solving, and then design and implementation followed by a reflection. Not only is my son super excited about being able to ‘play’ Minecraft with his friends in class, but he gets a chance to apply the learning in an engaging way.

Too often ‘engaging’ seems to mean ‘bells and whistles’, in digital device design. (There’s a nice bit of alliteration!) All those custom-made tablet-style devices for children, or the apps designed for them, seem to do little more than keep kids quiet. Some, like the ABC’s Reading Eggs (there’s also a maths version), are quite good at supplementing and consolidating more traditional classroom learning. The digital media mentioned by Springen (2011) are a lot more gimmicky than the publishers would like to admit. Which is why they haven’t ‘taken off’. There’s no substance to them. They’re not satisfying. You don’t get to sit with your thoughts, which we really need – our brains really need.

Photo by zhenzhong liu on Unsplash

Springen quotes several publishers as saying they don’t intend for digital media to replace print books; what’s not acknowledged is that young people are so distracted by shiny shiny, and getting so many dopamine hits from digital media/devices, that they’re not learning how to be present for a traditional book. It’s something that needs to be taught. My son’s primary school newsletter frequently includes messages about the importance of parents reading to their children from a young age, every. single. day. Digital media aims to free parents from this ‘chore’ and create a shortcut. But there isn’t one.

I’m generalising, of course. But that’s how we make a point. And my point is, it can’t be ‘digital media for the sake of digital media’. They’re not all equal. And just plopping a device in front of a kid doesn’t absolve adults from their responsibility to teach. There’s plenty of research on the benefits of print-based reading as opposed to digital, for learning comprehension especially (Delgado et al., 2018), as well as the potential harm caused by devices on children’s creativity (Ruder, 2019). Digital devices have a lot in common with TV shows like Cocomelon, which employs the same techniques to hook toddlers as poker machines do (Kosmas, 2022).

It must surely be about balance, and choosing digital media wisely and carefully. In terms of resourcing the library collection, I can see this being more difficult. Unlike books, Teacher Librarians can’t browse devices and apps with the same ease. And it’s not always obvious how a child will interact with it, or what exactly they will (really) learn. It will take a lot more work to research different digital media – and for teachers, more work to figure out how to integrate it in such a way that students actually learn something. They’re here to stay and so much has already changed; we do have a responsibility to teach children how to safely engage with and navigate digital and online spaces.

References

Briggs, S. (2016, Jan. 16). Using gaming principles to engage students. InformED. https://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/features/using-gaming-principles-to-engage-students/.

Delgado, P., Vargas, C., Ackerman, R. & Salmeron, L. (2018). Don’t throw away your printed books: A meta-analysis on the effects of reading media on reading comprehension. Educational Research Review, 25 (pp. 23-38). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1747938X18300101.

Kosmas, S. (2022, Mar. 17). Cocainemelon: Why toddlers can get addicted to watching Cocomelon. Evie. https://www.eviemagazine.com/post/cocainemelon-why-toddlers-can-get-addicted-to-watching-cocomelon.

Ruder, D.B. (2019, Jun. 19). Screen time and the brain. Harvard Medical School News & Research. https://hms.harvard.edu/news/screen-time-brain.

Springen, K. (2010, Jul. 19). The digital revolution in children’s publishing. Publisher’s Weekly. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/43879-the-digital-revolution-in-children-s-publishing.html.

Me & Children’s Literature

By Shannon Badcock

On March 13, 2023

In ETL402, Reflection Post

Conduct a personal stock take of your knowledge of children’s literature. List some strategies you use or could use to increase your professional knowledge of children’s literature.

Hi. I’m Shannon, I’m a bibliophile, and possibly a book hoarder as well.

My nearly 5000 books attests to that (they’re really not all worth keeping!). Of those, quite a lot are picturebooks, children’s novels, and Young Adult novels. Having children of my own was excuse enough to source quality picturebooks and, later, children’s novels. The YA novels are mostly for me haha. I do love having a home library, and I also use a lot of them in my teaching – from professional learning to lesson resources.

I’ve also been an active member of Goodreads since 2007, where (surprisingly) I’m still #25 best reviewer in Australia, but my ‘active’ status has definitely dropped off since I started teaching and I don’t use it to keep abreast of what’s out anymore. I used to review books on my blog (and cross post to GR), but I accidentally deleted my blog a couple of years ago and I don’t visit the book blogging community anymore.

When it comes to genre fiction, I have a longstanding love of speculative fiction – especially fantasy, science fiction and dystopian – and romance. I did my Honours dissertation on fantasy fiction and originally had plans to do my PhD in it! I also enjoy historical fiction, coming-of-age drama stories and some mysteries. I’m not much of a crime/murder mystery reader but I do enjoy them from time to time, and thrillers.

But my ‘knowledge’ of children’s literature could be better. As I work in a senior secondary school, our library doesn’t stock much in what I would call the children’s fiction age range (what the Americans call ‘middle grade fiction, I believe): mid- to upper-primary, especially, which can also cover grades 7 and 8. Some books, like the Nevermoor series, straddle children’s and YA (in that they are written for children but are just as enjoyable for older readers as they’re quite sophisticated. Note, also, that the first Harry Potter books were written for children, while the last ones were definitely more YA).

Which is great for helping kids like my son expand his reading from easy graphic novels (Captain Underpants et al) to more involved narratives that rely more on the reader’s imagination.

So when it comes to what’s available, what’s ‘out there’, what’s being published and emerging trends, I’ve been relying mostly on those delightful occasions when I get to go to Fullers or Dymocks and browse their children’s section. So many books! Gosh it’s come a long way since I was a kid in the 80s, when there was nothing interesting to read and they all had such terrible, terrible ugly covers! (No wonder Roald Dahl was so popular, he really had no competition!)

To complement my browsing, I could

follow more children’s book reviews sites/reviewers – Instagram is my usual haunt these days, but the reviewers I follow all focus mostly on adult books
I don’t know, actually. My brain is so tired. Is there a children’s literature equivalent of Good Reading magazine? I should find out.

What is Children’s Literature?

By Shannon Badcock

On March 7, 2023

In Discussion post, ETL402

Such an interesting topic! Having been through an English degree, the word ‘literature’ is stuck in my brain as meaning something along the lines of canonical, and ‘high brow’ – I don’t agree with it but the word has been used in such a way throughout the 20th century, and that’s the meaning I grew up with. (In short: elitism, often guarded by old white men.)

So some of the definitions of children’s literature rub my feathers the wrong way – especially the definition that includes non-fiction (Ross 2014).

The definitions that resonate with me are ones like Kathy Short’s (2018), who says that literature illuminates “what it means to be human and to make accessible the fundamental experiences of life” (p.291). I can see that a lot of non-fiction can do this as well, which brings me to the sticky part: quality.

Barone (2010) explores the definition of children’s literature as being of ‘good quality’ if it meets “critical analysis” or “readers’ appreciation” (p.7), stressing that this is subjective.

Witchfairy by Brigitte Minne & Carll Cneut

Too often, it is assumed that children’s literature must be ‘simple’ and ‘easy’ because it is often defined by age range – birth to the end of adolescence (variously 16 or 18, depending on the source). But they are far from simplistic – they are often quite complex and deal with sophisticated subject matter. It is the form that creates the illusion of simplicity. Really, ‘simplicity’ is more accurately ‘accessibility’. Like adult literature, children’s literature helps readers access a complex world, shape it, understand it and thus ‘control’ it (Saxby, 1985 in McGregor, n.d.) – i.e. control how it fills their brain and helps them navigate anxiety.

Accidental Heroes: The Rogues 1 by Lian Tanner (9781760528676) - PaperBack - Children's Fiction Older Readers (8-10)

Accidental Heroes by Lian Tanner

The way that we sort literature – into adult and children’s – is by form, which publishers control. Children’s literature is going to look different – larger font, more white space, often illustrations, brightly coloured covers. The style of writing is different from adult fiction – some adult novels seem to be simply, sparsely written yet the ideas are denser, and require broader, deeper cultural knowledge and understanding of society etc.

Some works of literature sit uneasily across manufactured, age-based divides, reminding us that, originally, there was no ‘children’s literature’; children read adult books (Barome, 2010, p.8).

Honeybee - Craig Silvey -- Allen & Unwin - 9781760877224 - Allen & Unwin - Australia

Honeybee by Craig Silvey

Books such as Jasper Jones and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time are novels that I understood to be adult fiction, but which others see as children’s literature because the protagonist is a child. Yet the protagonist of My Absolute Darling is also a child but due to its graphic content I would not feel comfortable recommending it to a child (I don’t say this because I want to censor it, but because it’s most definitely an adult book about a child). So the age of the protagonist cannot be used as a sole definer of what makes a children’s book.

Having read through all these definitions and more, I can see why there’s no one clear understanding. Ultimately, children’s literature serves the same purpose as adult literature: to help us see the world in new ways, create a safe space for us to feel new feelings, and challenge us to think again. The ‘why’ seems to be similar. It’s the way this is done – the ‘how’ – that is a bit different.

The Future of Children’s Literature

By Shannon Badcock

On March 2, 2023

In ETL402, Reflection Post

Children’s literature – and books and reading in general – seems to periodically come up against a new foe. I wonder if, when the television appeared in most people’s homes, they worried about the death of the book? Certainly the first couple of decades of the 21st century have lobbed constant grenades (such as the ebook), yet books persevere – even enjoyed a resurgence in popularity.

On the other hand, both television and smartphones have reduced the amount of reading people do, as all three activities require leisure time – one must choose how to spend it. I wonder if this competition for our attention is what has finally encouraged publishers (normally so conservative) to crack open the hallowed halls of white cishet stories and allow in more diverse voices?

For publishers are on social media and the web, as well, and they’re paying attention to what young people are reading and talking about, what they care about. (The fact that anyone can write reviews online, and share their thoughts, can be a positive.) Maybe publishers are just responding to ‘trends’, as per usual, but I’d like to think that – in Australia at least – they’re also growing more confident in publishing books that won’t automatically appeal to a majority.

It’s easy to see this in YA fiction, with the current popularity of M-M and F-F romances, gender fluid characters, and more main characters who are not white. Yet, from working in my senior secondary school library, I don’t see the readership expand. It’s the same teens, simply expanding their reading tastes (which is great, but the truth is, if you don’t get kids reading and loving stories at a young age, it’s hard to get them reading when they’re older).

Kathy Short (2018) says that, in the U.S., picture books accounted for only 14% of published children’s books in 2015, and that publishers are more focused on books for older children and teenagers (the 8-18 age range, roughly) (p.288).

Yellow Kayak (Nina Laden & Melissa Castrillon) – The Baby Bookworm

From Yellow Kayak by Nina Laden & Melissa Castrillon. Simon & Schuster, 2018

I’m very interested to see what Australia’s stats are like, as recent as possible, because when I walk into my local bookshops – especially the wonderful Fullers Bookshop – the wealth and breadth of picture books available will make you feel born again. They have the most beautiful, artful books, ones that are like works of art, as well as humorous, or exploring mental health issues, or what it means to belong, or what ‘family’ means, as well as the environment and so on. And that’s just the fiction.

Macmillan, 2018

The children’s novel section is a mix of three main genres: fantasy; historical (especially WWII); and realism – including the (often illustrated) comedy books that my son still loves. Meanwhile, YA has come a long way from white-washing book covers, and while fantasy, mystery and romance are clearly still the most popular genres, there are more stories featuring African heroines, and strong young women in general. I’d be worried about the popularity of Colleen Hoover’s books amongst older teens, but they are becoming very savvy to toxic relationships and I’ve come across good critical readings.

Where to from here? I agree with the Annabel Barker (Australian Writers’ Centre Team, 2020) that graphic novels will continue to gain in popularity – Heartstopper is only the beginning, I’m sure. What I would like is more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices published, and I hope the future of children’s literature in Australia continues to move away from its conservative past.

When I’m feeling optimistic, I believe that at some point, the obsession with smart phones and social media, and with always being on, will die down – it can leave you feeling as empty, gross and sad as eating greasy fast food, after all – and books will continue to respond to what’s happening in the world with increasingly edgier, gritty stories that make your imagination spin, your heart beat harder, and open your eyes to the world. You can’t get that from a screen.

References:

Australian Writers’ Centre Team. (2020, July 17). 7 trends in children’s and YA publishing. AWC: Australian Writers’ Centre.

Short, K. (2018). What’s trending in children’s literature and why it matters. Language Arts, 95(5), 287-298.

Portable Magic

"Books make people quiet, yet they are so loud.” – Nnedi Okorafor

Tag: 2023

Education Paradigms

Reading From the Screen

Module 5.1 Discussion: digital trends

Me & Children’s Literature

What is Children’s Literature?

The Future of Children’s Literature

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"Books make people quiet, yet they are so loud.” – Nnedi Okorafor

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Categories

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