When I began my learning in ETL523, my initial post showed a very basic understanding of digital citizenship, stating that “digital citizenship is participating online in a responsible and positive manner” (Gemell, 2023, February 20, para. 3). I was on the right track, however there is more to digital citizenship than I first understood.
I now know that digital citizenship goes beyond online safety. It’s all the competencies required to interact in the digital environment in a positive way, including digital literacy (Ribble, 2015). It was also interesting to frame digital citizenship in a positive frame as a list of ‘do’s’ rather than a list of ‘don’ts’ (ISTE, 2018).
Prior to studying ETL523 I never gave much through to the digital learning environment (DLE) and the role that it plays in education. I still stand by my statement on the discussion board, “Students must have skills beyond digital literacy to engage in these platforms in a positive manner…Students need a thorough understanding of digital citizenship to prepare themselves for life in and out of (and beyond) school” (Gemell, 2023, March 5a).
As a TL, I was excited to learn about the collaboration required between TL’s and teachers to implement a successful digital citizenship program in schools. Embedding digital citizenship skills is the best way forward, rather than individual stand-alone lessons or seminars (Maughan, 2017). This is something I touched upon in the Forum Topic 1.2 where I stated that “It’s about embedding digital citizenship in the learning, not adjacent to the learning” (Gemell, 2023, March 5b).
This is best achieved through collaboration and common language around digital citizenship as a whole-school approach (Preddy, 2016). The TL is well-placed (in the Library with a central view of the curriculum) to collaborate with teachers and the integration of technology into teaching programs (ASLA, 2021).
Two challenges that are faced in many schools are the assumptions, by teachers, that students already have competencies in the DLE, and that students also believe they have these competencies. It is important to remember that students do not innately have skills in the digital environment and the concept of the ‘digital native’ is misinformed. Digital skills need to be taught and fostered (Kirschner & De Bruyckere, 2017). I touched on the idea of students thinking they know it all (about the DLE) stating that “explicitly teaching these skills is quite difficult without students coming back with the response of ‘I know!’” (Gemell, 2023, March 5c). It is also up to teachers to model appropriate online behaviours, including referencing standards. “Teachers are ridiculous with their breaches of copyright and then expect students to comply with referencing standards” (Gemell, 2023, March 22a). This possibly links with the range of teachers’ abilities in the DLE, which makes “it difficult for them to confidently navigate the DLE, let alone teach students how to use it” (Gemell, 2023, March 22b).
My learning about digital citizenship in schools, the role of the DLE in education and the role that the TL plays in this has increased significantly through studying ETL523. I look forward to applying my learning in my own school context to develop the schools’ digital citizenship program and improve the schools’ overall level of skill in the DLE.
References
Australian School Library Association (ASLA). (2021). What is a teacher librarian?. https://asla.org.au/what-is-a-teacher-librarian
ISTE. (2018, October 11). Rethinking digital citizenship [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwKTYHBG5kk
Kirschner, P.A., & De Bruyckere, P. (2017). The Myths of the digital native and the multitasker. Teaching and Teacher Education. 10(67) 135-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.06.001
Maughan, S. (2017). School librarians are teaching digital citizenship. Publishers Weekly, 264(34), 30. https://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/trade-journals/school-librarians-are-teaching-digital/docview/1931489244/se-2
Preddy, L. (2016). The critical role of the school librarian in digital citizenship education. Knowledge Quest 44(4), 4-5. https://web-s-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=752c5457-531c-4889-b73b-41955846fe5f%40redis
Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools (3rd edition). International Society for Technology in Education.
Assignment 1 for ETL523 had many challenges. The most challenging aspect for me was turning my ideas into reality in relation to the website and the video. I had very clear ideas about how I wanted the website and the video to look, but executing the ideas required a lot of practice in new skills, including manipulating HTML code. I have built a website once before using ThinkSpace, so I drew on that experience but challenged myself further by implementing features such as drop-down menus. I had to find my own information about how to do this, since this is not provided through the ThinkSpace user guides. I have never made a video before either, so that came with a new set of challenges with learning how to use unfamiliar software.
One aspect of this assignment that I found interesting was digging deep into Mark Ribble’s 9 Principles of Digital Citizenship, as outlined in ‘Digital Citizenship in Schools’ (2015). I have gained further understanding about areas of digital citizenship that I hadn’t considered before, including digital commerce and digital health and wellness.
Through doing this assignment, I would like to be involved in having an explicit digital citizenship program implemented at my school. All students at my school have a school-provided laptop and a range of, but not all, digital citizenship practices are embedded into the curriculum through teaching and modelling. After exploring through the range of skills required to be a capable digital citizen, I feel we are doing students a disservice by not providing explicit teaching of digital citizenship skills. A lot of these skills are assumed knowledge, but this is not a safe assumption to make. My school has a technology user agreement, which is generally a list of items such as ‘I agree to use my laptop in a responsible manner’, but no further instruction is given afterwards.
Using Ribble’s (2015) 9 Principles of Digital Citizenship as a framework, the students would benefit from explicit teaching of all areas of digital citizenship through the House Tutor Program. Students meet in their vertical house groups two times a week already so a possibility would be to implement a ‘skill of the week’ to be explicitly taught during one of the two sessions.
References
Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools (3rd edition). International Society for Technology in Education.
Towards the end of 2022, the name ChatGPT was on everyone’s lips. ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence app which can perform tasks that usually only humans can do (Morduchowizcz & Suanabar, 2023). This includes essays, computer code and drawings. So what does this mean for education?
Ryan (2023) points out that the NSW and QLD education departments have already banned ChatGPT in classrooms. I must admit, when I first heard about ChatGPT I had a lot of questions about the impact it would have at school. Will teachers have to change assessment tasks? How do we stop students from using it? How do we know if students have used it for their assignment? My questions all revolved around keeping things as they were and not making any changes. There has been an unending stream of technology advances for many, many years. Education settings have had to adapt every time there is a development, from television to whiteboards to the internet. As teachers we have to accept that students are going to use these tools and it is up to us to model and support them using it in a responsible manner.
So, where does this leave us? Teachers are already using ChatGPT to offload tasks such as writing emails, creating rubrics and coming up with lesson ideas. The article by Ryan (2023) gives an array of ideas for time-saving tips for teachers using ChatGPT. This is all well and good for teachers, but what about the students. In his blog article, 19 ways to use ChatGPT in your classroom, Ferlazzo (2023) has posted a multitude of ideas for harnessing AI with students. So far, ChatGPT sounds like a wonder-tool to save time for teachers and students alike.
However, it’s not all smiles and rainbows. Users of ChatGPT need to have skills to ensure that what is being produced is quality work. What we put into ChatGPT effects what comes out at the other end (Ryan, 2023). Griffith University’s Dr Chris Bigum states that “To use it well, you need three complementary skills and knowledge: a basic understanding of what it is and how it works; good promoting skills and the ability to judge the quality and accuracy of what it produces” (Ryan, 2023, p. 4). These are skills that need to be taught in the classroom to ensure that students have the skills to harness this technology appropriately.
At the end of the day, AI is not going away and it seems to be a ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ mentality. There is a time and place for ChatGPT and teachers need to model and teach these behaviours for students to be successful.
References
Ferlazzo, L. (2023, January 18). 19 ways to use ChatGPT in your classroom. Education week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-19-ways-to-use-chatgpt-in-your-classroom/2023/01
Morduchowizcz, A., & Suasnabar, J. M. (2023, January 30). ChatGPT and education: Opportunity, challenge, or threat? Enfoque Educacion. https://blogs.iadb.org/educacion/en/chatgpt-education/
Ryan, M. (2023, February 21). Here’s how teachers can model responsible use of ChatGPT. Education HQ. https://educationhq.com/news/heres-how-teachers-can-model-responsible-use-of-chatgpt-141449/
In the very first module of this subject, we were asked the think about the following questions:
- What is your definition of a ‘Digital Learning Environment’? Can you think of examples from your school and/or working/professional life to support this.
- What are some of the changes created by our digital lifestyle that you need to be aware of as an educator?
- What has been the impact of social networking on teaching and learning?
I think of a digital learning environment as an online space where students go to learn, collaborate, discuss topics submit assignments and receive feedback. I have worked in a variety of schools that use different platforms for this to occur. Some examples include Google classroom, Schoolbox, Canvas and Blackboard.
Teachers need to be aware of the use of these online platforms so that we are giving our students the best opportunities to improve their skills in the digital world. A big change as part of the digital learning environment is the 24/7 accessibility. Teachers need to ensure that the learning materials are available so that students can access them when they want to.
Social networking has had an impact in that students are getting their information from a large range of sources, not just from school. Students need to be taught how to sort the trash from the treasure.
Once again, I find myself at the beginning of another semester of study, but this one has a different feel about it for a few reasons. Firstly, this is an elective unit to I feel that I have a more focused interest in this topic. Secondly, this is my final unit of study and thirdly, I am also undertaking ETL512 (Professional practice and portfolio) concurrently with ETL523 (Digital Citizenship in Schools). What an exciting time!
I chose this elective because I feel that it is such a poignant topic in this world of non-stop information. I also chose to study this elective at this time because my school is currently undertaking a laptop rollout for years 7-11 and the school is going through the process of what the use of these devices looks like in classrooms and the expectations around their use.
What is digital citizenship and why is it important?
To me, digital citizenship is participating online in a responsible and positive manner. So, what does that look like? According to Council of Europe (2023), “digital citizens can be described as individuals able to use digital tools to create, consume, communicate and engage positively and responsibly with others”. I prefer this definition when compared with the one provided by the NSW Department of Education (n.d.) which states that “a digital citizen is a person with the skills and knowledge to effectively use digital technologies to participate in society, communicate with others and create and consume digital content”. I prefer the first definition because of the inclusion of the word ‘positively’. Ribble (2015) also agrees that the term ‘positive’ is an important aspect of digital citizenship so that everyone can engage in the digital world.
Digital citizenship is important in the fast-paced world of information overload. Being discerning about what we are consuming and engaging with online is so important. Having skills to determine the trash from the treasure is invaluable to our ability to engage with and function in society.
Is digital citizenship different to digital literacy?
This seems to be a bit of a grey area, but according to Pangrazio and Sefton-Greene (2021), digital literacy is the foundation of digital citizenship. We must be competent in the literacies before we can fully participate. Digital literacy is broken down into separate skills that each need to be mastered in order to be competent in the online world. These skills include managing online safety, locating and evaluating information and problem solving (ACARA, 2022).
I am looking forward to learning more about digital citizenship and its role in the school environment.
References
Australian Curriculum And Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2022). Digital literacy. The Australian Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/teacher-resources/understand-this-general-capability/digital-literacy
Council of Europe. (2023). Digital citizenship. Digital Citizenship in Education https://www.coe.int/en/web/digital-citizenship-education/digital-citizenship
NSW Department of Education (n.d.). About digital citizenship. Digital Citizenship. https://www.digitalcitizenship.nsw.edu.au/about
Pangrazio, L. and Sefton-Green, J. (2021). Digital Rights, Digital Citizenship and Digital Literacy: What’s the Difference?. Journal of New Approaches in Educational Research 10(1), p.15-27.
Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools (3rd ed.) International Society for Technology in Education.
I have just completed the giant task that is Assessment 2 in ETL567. This assessment involved comparing two research articles in regard to their overall research design and the strengths and weaknesses of the two studies. I won’t dive into the nitty-gritty of the analysis of the two articles, but I my big take away from this assignment has been that there is research, and then there is research.
Before undertaking any research, first there must be a strong understanding of the problem and then framing questions around this problem. It then needs to be decided how the questions are going to be answered. Are the questions framed around people’s experiences or can they be objectively measured and generalised around the sample population? Or, perhaps, it’s a bit of column A and a bit of column B. The answer to these questions will decide the paradigm of the study. Answers that can be measured and generalised will fit within a positivist paradigm. The answers around people’s experiences will fit within a interpretivist paradigm, and the combination of the two fits with a post-positivist or mixed-methods approach.
The methodology needs to match the paradigm. Typically, positivist research uses quantitative methodology, interpretivist research uses qualitative methodology and mixed methods is a combination of the two. There are a wide range of methods that can be used within these paradigms and methodologies, but must be selected appropriately to answer the research question/s. The same applies to the data collection techniques that are available under each method.
When the paradigm, methodology, method or data collection technique are selected inappropriately, then it affects the strength of the study.
This week has been a world of new vocabulary relating to research. To wrap me head around some relevant vocabulary, I decided to create my own definitions.
Research
To begin the discussion around research it is important to first define what the word research means. There are so many definitions out there, but my understanding is that research is the systematic study of a phenomenon. It relies on the collection and analysis of data and using this information to create or discover new knowledge. It can also be the analysis of existing knowledge that creates new understandings. Once this process has been completed, the dissemination of this research is also an important step.
Paradigm
The paradigm is the framework for how the researcher views the world. This view will in turn influence how the research is conducted. The three main paradigms are positivist, post-positivist and interpretivist, each with their own distinct views.
| Positivist |
The positivist paradigm is very black and white in its views. It relies on solving problems mathematically and that truth is out there, but just needs to be discovered. This truth can be discovered in its whole through quantitative methods such as experiments. |
| Post-positivist |
The post-positivist paradigm leads on from the positivist approach, however there are limits to what can be discovered. This paradigm often focuses on the null-hypothesis and falsifying findings. Eg: One black swan disproves the theory that all swans are white. Post-positivists often use mixed-methods and triangulate the findings. |
| Interpretivist |
Interpretivists focus on reality being constructed through human experience. Truth can be discovered through understanding the complexity of relationships and this is achieved through qualitative methods such as interviews and focus groups. |
Methodology
Research methodology is the framework for how a researcher intends to complete their research. It usually falls into the categories of qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. The methods then come below this. A qualitative method could be ethnography where data is gathered through interviews. A quantitative method could be an experiment where data is gathered through statistical modelling.
There is still a long way to go in my understanding of research theory, but I am enjoying the journey.
For this activity we were asked to select a topic of interest and choose two relevant papers. I decided to focus on makerspaces in preparation for assignment 3 in ETL567. First, the two articles are compared, then evaluated through set questions.
Paper 1: Fourie, I & Meyer, A. (2015). What to make of makerspaces. Library Hi Tech, 33(4), 519-525. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-09-2015-0092
Paper 2: Mersand, S. (2021). The state of makerspace research: a review of the literature. TechTrends, 65(2), 174-186. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-020-00566-5
What to make of makerspaces (Fourie & Meyer, 2015)
The purpose, methodology, findings and research limitations are all clearly stated at the beginning of the article. The article itself is well-organised under clear headings and cites a wide range of supporting research. Research questions are posed and follow-up research ideas are suggested. This paper does not contain any research or data collection from the author, it is a literature review of other research in the area of makerspaces in libraries.
The state of makerspace research: a review of the literature (Mersand, 2021)
Mersand (2021) gives clear definitions of the different types of makerspaces with reference to the literature. The article is also well-organised using clear headings. The method of selection of other research papers is explained clearly. There are also tables included to clearly support the categorisation of the documents to be reviewed, the methodology of each document and the year of publication. There is a clear discussion about the findings of the documents with reference to the literature. The article concludes with final findings and suggestions for further research. The fundings and compliance of ethical standards is also clearly stated.
Which paper was more coherent, consistent and comprehensive in describing the research procedure and finding?
Mersand (2021) was more comprehensive, using tables and describing the findings using supporting literature.
Which paper has a more constructive conclusion?
Again, Mersand (2021) was more constructive as it discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the literature analysed.
Overall, Mersand (2021) gave more insight into makerspaces in libraries by discussing the different types of makerspaces and their application.
Once again, I am at the beginning of another subject. Over the summer I will be completing the unit ETL567, Research in Practice. To tell the truth, at first, I was not thrilled about having the study this unit. My initial reactions were ‘how is this relevant?’ and ‘this is going to be so boring’. I have decided to change my attitude towards this subject and throw myself in because, hey, I might actually learn something.
So, what does research in practice look like? Having looked over the subject outline my thoughts are that it’s applying analytical research to make improvements or changes in the school library. I would even go so far as to say that these research skills could also assist my students in their research practices. Research in this context is more than fact-finding on the internet. It’s about going deeper into a problem to find possible solutions based on my own findings and the findings of others.
Module 1 asked us to think about a possible research project in our own context. It got me thinking about the Wide Reading Programme and the DEAR programme that are both currently run at school. Through readings and presentations at seminars, I am aware that there is a decline in readings for pleasure in the teenage years. The question I am thinking about is ‘What can we do to reverse this decline?’ Having learned about the ‘Just Read’ programme at Queenwood I am most interested to see if a similar model could work in my school context.
The issues that we are currently facing with the programmes are two-fold. The Wide Reading programme is run from Year 7 to 10 through the English department, with one wide reading session a cycle per class being timetabled. This means the teacher librarians only see their classes once every ten days (on average, sometimes even longer). This is not enough for students to focus on their reading on a regular basis. The DEAR programme is run from Years 7-9 each day for 20 minutes at the beginning of period 5. While this sounds great in theory, I really wonder how often this is actually happening. I would imagine that any practical class (PE, VA, Music, Drama, Science) would not participate in DEAR as it would impact too much on their own class time.
The Queenwood model involves having a dedicated daily 20-minute period for reading. This means it doesn’t impact on any other classes and is regular.
This would be a huge change, but I feel an improvement, to the school. It would require structured research about the students’ current reading habits, as well as review of current literature on the reading habits on teenage boys. Thinking about this process is overwhelming, but I’m hoping that ETL567 can provide me with some practical tools in order to tackle this project.
Technology is a great tool to harness information in the 21st century learning environment. It is the teacher librarian’s (TL) responsibility to ensure that students ‘have access to well-organised systems for retrieving resources’ (Gemell, 2022, July 24), since effective school libraries enhance student learning outcomes (Libraries Tasmania, 2022). This is achieved by providing easy access to information in a range of formats through the use of technology. Effective school libraries also assist with integrating information literacy skills across a range of curriculum areas (Libraries Tasmania, 2022). All these aspects are covered in a well-constructed research page.
Creating digital learning objects is an important role of the TL to support digital literacy for students. A digital learning object is ‘a standalone piece of digital content that can be used and reused for learning purposes’ (IGI Global, n.d.). ‘The TL is well-placed to curate digital resources for teachers and students to access’ (Gemell, 2022, August 22), making them a ‘one-stop-shop for accessing information quickly and easily’ (Gemell, 2022, August 22). This idea is supported by ACT Government (2019, p. 7), stating ‘Teacher librarians are professional curators – they select only the most useful resources for teaching and learning’. By creating research guides, TLs assist in locating reliable, meaningful and authoritative resources in a world of information overload (ACT Government, 2019). Research guides also ‘encourage active engagement in the interactive information seeking process’ (Education matters, 2022).
Teaching and support are required in students’ development of information literacy and research skills (Loh, 2019). Students do not naturally have digital literacy skills (Kirscher & De Bruyckere, 2017). Kelly (2022, September 16) stated that there is ‘value in building the essential skills students need to be successful, particularly when using digital technologies’. I agree with this statement and as a TL it is imperative to teach our students the skills they need to be successful. ‘This world of ever-changing information is a minefield for students to navigate and we are all having to upskill in a variety of areas in order to successfully navigate and access the information we require’ (Gemell, 2022, July 24).
Creating research guides presents challenges relating to copyright. As the TL I must be an exemplar for best practice. This was discussed in relation to the use of book covers as pictures when creating research guides. The main point from the discussion is that using the book covers is highly unlikely to have any negative effects, however it’s important that correct copyright practice is modelled (Oddone, 2022, September 13). I found the smartcopying website to be reliable resource.
Another challenge that arose is the consideration of the reading level of the online resources. Knowing my students is key to selecting appropriate resources, but this was also backed up by the use of website readability checkers. The two that I predominantly used were Webfx for individual pages and Experte for entire websites. The accessibility of the online research guide also needed to be considered. ‘If students are presented with a resource that is not suitable for their needs, then it is of little use’ (Gemell, 2022, September 8). This is also true in the evaluation of search engines. ‘It’s important to think about what the students need out of their searching’ (Gemell, 2022, August 4).
To validate the effort of building a research page, it needs to be used by students and promoted by teachers. It is not a matter of ‘build it and they will come’. Having the research pages located on a platform that students use regularly helps in this conundrum. In my current role, LibBase (part of Infiniti) is used as the research guide platform. These are linked to class pages and promoted in class by the classroom teachers. As a result, these research guides are well-used (Gemell, 2022, August 2022).
In building the research guide I have learnt to consider the readability of a website, including the reading level, navigation and layout. I have also learnt to do some coding (thanks to a wonderful colleague) to ensure that the website was fit for purpose.
References
ACT Government. (2019). School Libraries: The Heart of 21st Century Learning. Canberra: ACT Government: Education. https://www.education.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/1435435/School-Libraries-The-Heart-of-21st-Century-Learning.pdf
Education matters magazine. (2022). School libraries supporting 21st century learning. https://www.educationmattersmag.com.au/school-libraries-supporting-21st-century-learning/
IGI Global. (2022). What is a digital learning object. https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/enhancing-21st-century-learning-using-digital-learning-objects-and-multiple-intelligence-theory/67087
Kelly, S. (2022, September 16). Creating resources [Discussion board]. ETL501, Interact 2. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_62875_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_127076_1&forum_id=_281396_1&message_id=_4131909_1
Kirschner, P.A. & De Bruyckere, P. (2017). The myths of the digital native and the multitasker. Teaching and Teacher Education, 67, 135-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.06.001
Libraries Tasmania. (2022). Effective school libraries. https://libraries.tas.gov.au/school-library/Pages/effective.aspx
Loh, C. E. (2019). Envisioning the school library of the future: A 21st century framework. https://doi.org/ 10.13140/RG.2.2.32524.36489.
Oddone, K. (2022, September 13). Referencing pictures [Discussion board]. ETL501, Interact 2. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_62875_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_127076_1&forum_id=_281392_1&message_id=_4222723_1