For a previous discussion forum activity in ETL503, I considered Trove as a selection aid and admittedly, did not have as much success in finding appropriate resources for my keyword search of ‘minibeasts’. The reason why it did not leave a particularly good impression at the time, is that it presented many newspaper articles that […]
Month: July 2022
Discussion Forum 2 Activity – Database Comparison
For the purpose of this activity, I chose to consider children’s picture book fiction in general. In browsing through the CSU Primo library database list, I thought the International Children’s Digital Library (ICDL) would be an appropriate option to compare to my local library catalogue. I was a little disappointed that the ICDL was not […]
Discussion Forum 2 Activity – SCIS Search
The first search I conducted on SCIS was using the broad keyword ‘space’, as both Stage 2 and Stage 3 are currently exploring the unit as part of their project-based learning topic. An interesting side note here is that I generally gave more attention to resource with an accompanying cover picture… The first resource presented […]
Discussion Forum 3.1 – Change, Leadership and School Environments
A major change that I have experienced is joining a new school that is establishing a student wellbeing framework based upon William Glasser’s Choice Theory and 5 Basic Needs. It is a move away from traditional ‘behaviour management’ systems, which are largely focused on extrinsic rewards for managing student behaviour management (merit certificates/stickers etc). It […]
Discussion Forum Module 3.1 – Student-friendly Search Engine: Kidtopia vs. Kiddle
For this module activity, I chose to compare student-friendly search engines Kidtopia and Kiddle to find out information about the concept of sustainability. Kidtopia’s top four results were ads, which did take up the entirety of the screen; therefore, scrolling was required to get to the first non-ad hit. The ads were outlined in a […]
Discussion Forum Module 3.1 – Common Search Engine: Google vs. Dogpile
For this module activity, I chose to compare Google and Dogpile to find out information about the concept of sustainability. The page display of results from Google were clean and simple. The top chunk of information was a definition of the concept, followed by a list of potential questions to further hone results. This was […]
Reflections and Takeaways – Module 2
Leadership Skills – Illustration by Digits.co.uk Images, CC BY 2.0 The readings from Module 2 of Teacher Librarian as Leader have provided a great foundation for understanding organisational, management and leadership theories. There is often confusion between the notion of management and leadership, where oft at times the terms are used interchangeably. Management is more […]
Discussion Forum Module 2 Activity – School Organisational Structure
I work at a NSW Department of Education K-6 public primary school. It is a brand-new school located in Western Sydney, which opened in October 2021. I was fortunate enough to be a foundational staff member and was entrusted with the lead role in establishing the library space. We opened with approximately 380 students and […]
Discussion Forum 2.3 – Critical Evaluation for Students
A Stage 3 classroom teacher entered the library the other week, wanting to borrow a few junior non-fiction texts for a low-ability student. The class was conducting online research for a writing task and the teacher was complaining that the student “couldn’t even do a simple Google search” and thus, the books were the alternative. […]
Discussion Forum Module 2.3 Activity – Concept Mapping of Principal and TL Leadership
For this concept mapping task, I felt the most appropriate leadership style for the principal to adopt would be distributed leadership. This style is about empowering other staff to lead for the benefit of the organisation. This is made possible by recognising the expertise of others (in this case, the teacher librarian) and by providing […]
Discussion Forum 2.2 – Critical Website Evaluation for Teachers
It is interesting to pause and reflect on the learnings from Module 2, in light of how I have previously evaluated websites and their usage for teaching and learning. I had been made aware of readability tools back in the Resourcing the Curriculum unit, to check appropriateness of websites for inclusion in the curation of […]
Attributes of Effective Leaders
Leadership by nist6dh, CC BY-SA 2.0 In reflecting upon people who have been inspirational in my working and learning life, a few key people come to mind. They have all been effective as leaders and are positioned throughout the school hierarchy, not just existing within the upper levels. In particular, they have a number of […]
Building Trust and Collaboration
In Ezard’s (2015) YouTube clip, she focused on the importance of building trust and collaboration, for the benefit of establishing quality relationships. Trust floods the brain with oxytocin and dopamine, which opens it up to collaborative learning opportunities and problem-solving. Alternatively, distrust raises levels of adrenaline and cortisol, which shuts the brain down, causing it […]
The Importance of Understanding Information Resource Description
Most schools (such as my own NSW Department of Education primary school), use SCIS for their catalogue record data. It is important to recognise that although teacher librarians (generally) don’t create this metadata utilised in library systems (such as Oliver), they need to have a comprehensive understanding of information resource description. Rowe (2022, Module 1) […]
Discussion Forum Module 1 Activity – Finding a Resource Considering FRBR Five ‘User Tasks’
The purpose of this learning activity, I considered the goal of locating the prescribed subject textbook. This is a resource that I would be intending to keep and therefore be requiring to purchase as a physical copy. In attempting to find the textbook resource, I would utilise the (shortened) title (Information Resource Description) and author […]
Blooms Taxonomy Module 1 Activity
This practical activity required an exploration of Bloom’s Taxonomy and then locating Resources/Web 2.0 tools that would assist in developing students’ understandings on the given curriculum area and related questions that were provided. Objective Question Resources/Web 2.0 tools Knowledge What is an ecosystem? Dictionary – print or online (http://www.onelook.com) or basic textbook, https://www.workdnik.com/, http://visuwords.com, […]
Discussion Forum 1 – What Does Trust Look Like in a School?
The article I chose from the Diigo Teacher Librarian as Leader group that resonated with me was: What does Trust Look Like in a School? by Michelle Blanchet. Blanchet outlines 8 ways to show trust. They are: 1. Recognise excellence 2. Give meaningful challenges 3. Encourage autonomy 4. Let teachers pursue their passions 5. […]
Discussion Forum 1 – Dynamic Learning Spaces
Last year in my very first year as teacher librarian, I had the pretty unique opportunity to set up a library at a brand-new school – I did a blog post on my Thinkspace blog with before and after pictures and also some reflections on the process. The bulk of the furniture had already been […]
Discussion Forum 1 – The Need to Organise Information
Rowe (2022) specifies that an information resource is “something that contains information”, where information resource description is “the art of describing a resource” (Module 1). In the context of a school, resources include a whole range of physical items such as books and DVDs and also digital items such as ebooks or websites, for example. […]