• How might the TL help the school move towards integrated information literacy instruction?
• What challenges lie in the way of such instruction?
• How teacher librarians and teachers might encourage students to transfer information literacy skills and practices from one subject to another?

Integration 

I think the TL would primarily need to be able to make worthy real connections between the context and purpose of the individual school and how the implementation of information literacy instruction will be able to act as a vehicle to drive the school’s educational goals. I can see how the TL could ‘join the dots’ for teachers and leaders and educate them through presenting a chosen information model. This would provide a framework, for improving 21st century skills with content links to the current Australian Curriculum such as through the general capabilities and subject standards. Through sharing an information model there would be potential to demonstrate how the school’s curriculum could grow and develop to become more relevant to 21st century pedagogies.

Challenges

It is no secret that most teachers need to understand the inquiry process more pertinently and have limited experience in information literacy and contemporary research processes. Furthermore, teachers need to appreciate and understand the role of the TL . I must admit as an English Teacher, I did not even realise the immense capacity of the TL’s at my school until embarking on my librarianship studies!

The TL will need to demonstrate and bring greater awareness of what they can offer  to achieve  greater recognition- being visible and proactive throughout the whole school community. It is a noteworthy reality that teachers are often time poor despite genuine good intentions for the learning of their students. Therefore, lies some responsibility in school leaders to make time for meetings and professional development that will allow for collaboration and planning between teachers and TLs.

Transferable skills

How can teachers and teacher librarians help the students develop transferable skills? There needs to be unification of content and information literacy skills. These can be more effectively harnessed through a constructivist approach with student collaboration rife in lesson activities. During my readings, I found the explanation of the so called ‘Snowball Effect’ of collaborative learning very useful as it highlights how one person’s inspiration can spark another’s. (Smith, Newman-Thomas and Stormont, 2015). This reflects on the impact that group learning through such activities as inquiry circles could have on student’s abilities to effectively research and create meaning.

Being able to critically evaluate is another relevant skill across all subjects and furthermore for lifelong learning: “Evaluating the quality of information and authority of sources is an important skill to master in becoming information literate”. (Garrison and Fitzgerald, 2017, p.4)

References

Fitzgerald, L. & Garrison, K. (2017)‘It Trains Your Brain’: Student Reflections on Using the Guided Inquiry Design Process. Synergy,    15/2