ETL 501 Reflection Blog Post

When completing Module 3 about the digital library the most important aspects that resonated to me in, Module 3.2 web design, was accessibility (Charles Sturt University, n.d.). Accessibility is a very important aspect in education to me. I have taught students who have real issues accessing the curriculum from physical restrictions, vision, hearing, and learning issues including dyslexia. Also, in southwestern Sydney where I teach, many students speak multiple languages, so they need that bit of extra help to ensure they are understanding information in English. Module 3.2 explains the needs for increasing accessibility and it shows in my research guide (Charles Sturt University, n.d.). Students have slideshows explaining referencing, videos explaining citations and clips, and screencasts on using creative commons and database searching. The choices of digital resources that I have chosen aid students in engaging them in the biographical material via multimodal podcasts or videos. This allows students to not have to rely on reading. My students prefer to have choice and they often choose videos.

Although I was familiar with information literacy and The NSW Information Fluency Framework; working through module 4, it really framed all that theoretical understanding and showed how it can be put into practise in the research guide (Charles Sturt University, n.d. ). Using the information process to structure each page allowed for students to work through the information process and its necessary skills in a methodical and explicit way (NSW Department of Education, 2015). Module 4 explains the importance of teaching students explicit skills in information literacy especially in how to search (Charles Sturt University, n.d. ). A study by McPherson and Dube found students who had been taught explicit Information literacy skills showed more use of information literacy skills including using key words, citing images, paraphrasing and a discernment for websites (McPherson & Dube, 2016, p. 53). In creating the research guide, I have endeavoured to explain key words in the Troves screencast video and explained how to cite images and reference in the referencing screencast video. Through creating the website with the NSW Information Fluency Framework at the forefront of my mind allowed me to structure the website to scaffold students (NSW Department of Education, 2001). My students will have a consistent approach to Information Fluency through continued use of research guides in the future.

When I reflect how this subject has impacted me to become a 21^st century TL is scaffolding. Library design is about scaffolding learning. A Research guide is about scaffolding learning. To be a TL who impacts student learning you must find the area of need and scaffold students to learn more. Whether it be through library design or research design, knowing your students and their reading and information literacy needs is critical in the standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians (Australian Library and Information Association, 2004).

The research guide will be an important document to allow me to show other teachers its value. Now they can see what a great research guide looks like, and I can explain how it works and how important it is to scaffold students learning and understanding of information literacy skills (NSW Department of Education, 2015). I can show leadership and build collaboration of programs with my teaching colleagues across a range of subjects (Australian Library and Information Association, 2004). Module 3.3 explains the use of digital tools across the curriculum (Charles Sturt University, n.d.). I will increase the use of ICT skills across the school in the tasks students are completing in the library. Students created a video clip in my research guide. Many teachers, in my school context, are not comfortable or familiar with technology, so they shy away from these tasks. Through my library research programs, students can curate their knowledge and display their learning in fun and engaging ways using digital tools. Teachers will be encouraged to join in and learn along with the students, empowering the students to be lifelong learners (Australian Library and Information Association, 2004).

References:

Australian Library and Information Association. (2004). ALIA-ASLA standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians. Australian Library and Information Association. file:///Users/melissacook/Downloads/alia_asla_standards_of_professional_excellence_for_teacher_librarians_2004%20(2).pdf

Charles Sturt University. (n.d.). Module 3.2 web design [Module notes]. ETL501, Brightspace. https://learn.csu.edu.au/d2l/le/enhancedSequenceViewer/17888?url=https%3A%2F%2F7f0ddd6e-a334-46d2-b773-84ce640b9bf2.sequences.api.brightspace.com%2F17888%2Factivity%2F597575%3FfilterOnDatesAndDepth%3D184ce640b9bf2.sequences.api.brightspace.com%2F17888% 2Factivity%2F597575%3FfilterOnDatesAndDepth%3D1

Charles Sturt University. (n.d.). Module 3.3 The evolving web and the school library [Module notes]. ETL501, Brightspace. https://learn.csu.edu.au/d2l/le/enhancedSequenceViewer/17888?url=https%3A%2F%2F7f0ddd6e-a334-46d2-b773-84ce640b9bf2.sequences.api.brightspace.com%2F17888%2Factivity%2F597575%3FfilterOnDatesAndDepth%3D184ce640b9bf2.sequences.api.brightspace.com%2F17888% 2Factivity%2F597575%3FfilterOnDatesAndDepth%3D1