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.
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.
Before I sink my teeth too far into a new unit, I like to take a moment to pause and really think about what I already know (or think I know) about the subject. What does ‘dynamic information environment’ mean? The word ‘dynamic’ is really the key here. It shows that the world of information is ever-changing and not static or stagnant. The phrase does not specify whether the information environment is physical or digital so I’m going to apply it to both contexts. 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. So, what does this all mean in the context of a school library and the role of the teacher librarian?
According to Australian School Library Association (ASLA) (2022) the teacher librarian has three main roles. These roles are as curriculum leaders, information specialists and information service managers. Teacher librarians as information specialists and information service managers both contribute to the navigation of a dynamic information environment. The teacher librarian ensures that students and teachers have access to well-organised systems for retrieving resources. For this to be effective the teacher librarian must ensure that these systems are well maintained with the focus being on the users. Just because a system works well for the teacher librarian, it may not be suitable for the school community. These systems must consider both the physical and digital resources.
How does the dynamic information environment relate to the physical space of the library? My initial thought is that the library space must be flexible to accommodate the variety of ways in which the school accesses information. Just like the way the information landscape is every-changing, then the library space needs to adapt to accommodate this constant change. A library space is a place for collaboration, exploration, leisure as well as research and individual study. The physical space must be dynamic in its own way to function within and support the dynamic information environment.
There is a lot to consider and unpack in three words but these thoughts are just the beginning of the learning journey in ETL501.
The role of the library is to support the needs of the school community by providing a wide range of physical and digital resources (Fleishhacker, 2017; International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), 2015). It sounds quite simple but is a daunting task that involves knowledge of the curriculum, the school community, the current collection and how to build and manage a balance of resources that best support these needs.
Prior to ETL503 I did not realise that resourcing was the responsibility of both the teacher librarian (TL) and the classroom teacher (CT). I thought that supporting teachers involved providing resources such as pathfinders, lists of websites and piles of books (Gemell, 2021, November 4). In fact, selection of resources is set out in Standard 3.4 of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (2014). I now understanding that for optimum resourcing, it is vital for the TL and the CT to collaborate, with the TL providing a whole-school birds-eye view of resourcing across the curriculum, and the CT focused on their class’ needs (Gemell, 2021, November 8).
I was also initially baffled by the seemingly interchangeable terms of collection development and collection management. Through further investigation and discussion, I sifted through the terminology to discover that the two terms are, in fact, different. I was involved in a great discussion with several other students, and we nutted out that management is what happens after the collection has been developed (Gemell, 2022, January 3). This was summed-up perfectly by Kay Oddone (2022, January 10) who commented that “development is an activity that is part of the overall management of the collection.” Through this discussion I developed further understanding in the nuance between collection development and collection management.
I then came face-to-face with the concepts of copyright and creative commons. I must admit, this is an area that I have never put much thought into and I’m sure I have been in breach of copyright at some time. I was under the impression that anything could be used so long as it was properly referenced (Gemell, 2021, December 12). However, this area is hugely complex and goes far beyond appropriate referencing. I believe there is an expectation that librarians have a basic understanding of copyright and licensing of electronic resources and, as such, support the school complying with copyright requirements (Copyright laws, 2021). To assist with this, I found an invaluable resource in the website https://smartcopying.edu.au/.
I had previously heard of creative commons, but like copyright, had never given it much thought. I now understand that creative commons licenses help with the sharing and reusing of creations. Creating my own post (Gemell, 2021, December 12) about the different licenses and their uses has definitely supported my understanding of the link between copyright and creative commons. This understanding is invaluable as a TL because it helps to ensure that the library is complying with copyright, and also able to provide resources under creative commons licenses to support the school community across the curriculum. Through this knowledge of creative commons and copyright the TL is also in a strong position to advise others on copyright issues and the use of creative commons materials.
Through ETL503, I have an improved understanding of the importance of a collection development policy (CDP) as a strategic document. According to the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA, 2017), “A collection development policy is essential to a school library as it explains why the collection exists” (p. 8). During discussions with other students, it was surprising to realise just how many schools did not have a current CDP, or even more startling was the schools that did not have one at all. I found myself in that position with a policy available for my secondary school, but no policy for the primary school (Gemell, December 27). If it is such a crucial document, then why is it seemingly not a priority?
Collection development is an incredibly complex process with a multitude of facets (Oddone, 2019, August 19). These facets increase with the development of technology and changes in information access, not only in schools, but in society as a whole. It serves as a blueprint for the overall goals, processes and overall management of the library (Abercrombie, 2018, 30 May), ensuring there are clear processes for budgets, resource selection, deselection and challenged materials (Abercrombie, 2018, 30 May; Libraries Tasmania, 2021). The policy is also explicit in its descriptions of the school profile including their specific requirements. With all these elements in mind, the CDP must be updated regularly to stay current (ALIA, 2014).
The development of a CDP is an important matter to discuss with the school leadership and demonstrate the importance of developing, reviewing, and maintaining this document. The school leadership must be part of the development of the CDP (Libraries Tasmania, 2021) so they can best support the needs of the library through budgeting, and understand that the library is not stagnant, but continually changing and evolving with users’ needs, including technology and digital resources.
The CDP policy serves an important role in the issue of self-censorship. I had previously not considered self-censorship as an issue but, through my readings, have discovered that it is very common and easy to fall into to avoid conflict situations (Jacobson, 2016). The CDP supports the librarian by having clear selection criteria and processes (including use of selection tools) as well as outlining the process for challenged materials. This ensures confidence in the selection of potentially contentious material (Gemell, 2021, 28 December).
Through collection development and management, the library can be equipped for the future. It is important for the library to consistently update materials (including deselection) and provide digital resources (Tonini, 2020, June 24). The key to future-proofing the library collection is fluidity. Samantha Macey (2022, January 2) summed this up perfectly, stating that “the collection development policy should be continually revised (collaboratively if possible) to reflect the fluid nature of libraries, and to keep on top of any new developments.” The information landscape is ever evolving, and it is the responsibility of the library to evolve with it. Remember, a stagnant library is a redundant library (Gemell, 2022, January 8).
The number one goal of any library is to provide knowledge to the community, no matter how that knowledge is accessed and it is up to the library and librarians to “understand the community and adapt to their needs” (Gemell, 2022, January 8).
References
Abercrombie, S. (2018, May 30). Why do you need a collection development plan? Knowledge Quest. https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/why-do-you-need-a-collection-development-plan/
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2014). Australian professional standards for teachers. https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards.
Australian Library and Information Association. (2017). A manual for developing policies and procedures in Australian school library resource centres. (2nd ed.). https://read.alia.org.au/manual-developing-policies-and-procedures-australian-school-library-resource-centres-2nd-edition
Australian Library and Information Association. (2014). Future of the library and information science profession: School libraries. https://read.alia.org.au/content/future-library-and-information-science-profession-school-libraries
Copyright laws. (2021, September 30). A simple guide to copyright for librarians: 15 essential facts and tips. Copyrightlaws.com. https://www.copyrightlaws.com/simple-guide-copyright/
Fleishhacker, J. (2017). Collection development. Knowledge Quest. 45(4). 24-31.
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions School Libraries Section Standing Committee. (2015). IFLA school library guidelines. https://www.ifla.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/assets/school-libraries-resource-centers/publications/ifla-school-library-guidelines.pdf
Jacobson, L. (2016). Unnatural selection. School Library Journal, 62(10), 20–24.
Libraries Tasmania, (2021). Procedures and guidelines. https://libraries.tas.gov.au/school-library/Pages/managing-procedures.aspx
Tonini, S. (2020, June 24). 7 tips for future-proofing school libraries. eSchool News. https://www.eschoolnews.com/2020/06/24/7-tips-for-future-proofing-school-libraries/2/
I was faced with a question today from a student asking if I could help them find information about sink holes for a Geography assessment task. I actually found this particular student wandering through the shelves of the non-fiction section trying to find what she was after. After checking the database together (and found that our library was lacking in such resources – another issue to be faced another day) she decided to set herself loose on the world wide web.
This interaction got me thinking about the information landscape and my role as a teacher librarian. I think back to how I would have researched at high school and it looks very different now. Students no longer drag heavy volumes of encyclopaedias off the shelf or search the CD-ROM of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Instead, they search through a few taps on the keyboard and a click of the mouse. However, after these taps and clicks, a mountain of information on a particular topic appears. Price (2015) sums it up very neatly. “Today, our best estimates suggest that at least 2.5 quintillion bytes of data is produced every day.”
To get my head around such a large number I had to research it.
(Quintillion Definition (Illustrated Mathematics Dictionary), 2018)
This is an enormous amount is information; A number so big that it is equal to a million million millions (Quintillion Definition (Illustrated Mathematics Dictionary), 2018). To say this is mind-boggling is an understatement. Remember, this number was produced in 2015. However, “by 2025, it’s estimated that 463 exabytes of data will be created each day globally – that’s the equivalent of 212,765,957 DVDs per day!” (Desjardins, 2019).
With that is mind, as librarians we need to be able to understand current information trends and this is a daunting task to say the least.
To assist students to navigate the information landscape effectively, teacher librarians need to have strong skills as information specialists (“What is a Teacher Librarian?”, 2019). TLs cannot possibly be able to be experts in all areas but need to be able to adapt to changing requirements in technology and needs of staff and students alike. As a result of these needs, TLs are required to be life-long learners in order to adapt and change with the adapting and changing information landscape of which we are all a part. We are the stepping-stone for students to learn how to navigate emerging areas of the information landscape and to equip them with the skills to sift through the vast amounts and types of information available, and to make discerning choices about what is useful and what is not.
During the week I came to the conclusion that the teacher librarian is an important link between students and their navigation of the information landscape. The variety of ways to access information has changed and will continue to change over time.
References
Desjardins, J. (2019). How Much Data is Generated Each Day?. Visual Capitalist. Retrieved 11 March 2021, from https://www.visualcapitalist.com/how-much-data-is-generated-each-day/.
Price, D. (2015). Facts and stats about the big data industry. Cloud Tweaks.
Quintillion Definition (Illustrated Mathematics Dictionary). Mathsisfun.com. (2018). Retrieved 10 March 2021, from https://www.mathsisfun.com/definitions/quintillion.html.
What is a Teacher Librarian?. Asla.org.au. (2019). Retrieved 10 March 2021, from https://asla.org.au/what-is-a-teacher-librarian.
