Reflecting on your experiences as a teacher, write a 500 word piece about your understandings of the role of the TL in school.
Role #1: Accessing and Assessing Information
US Pacific Fleet
In my first post I reflected on the IFLA’s report on how information is evolving, noting in the introduction: “The amount of new digital content created in 2011 amounts to several million times that contained in all books ever written” (IFLA, p.3, 2013). This statistic stands out as an indicator of how important it is for teacher librarians to understand the plethora of information that is being created and how it will disrupt traditional learning. In my own experience working with high school students, they become very frustrated when researching as it is can feel overwhelming and is rarely instantaneous. I believe a large part of the teacher librarian’s role is to help teachers and students learn the subtle idiosyncrasies of research databases and to provide access to relevant material for the topic. In order to understand what information will be most useful TL’s need have a good understanding of the assessment. Joanna Freeman, a librarian of over twenty years, reflects on this from her article in “Beyond the Stacks”: “Supplementing the school’s curriculum requires that I have at least some knowledge of it at all grade levels. This is difficult” (p.3, 2014). In order to help assess the value of research for a student, TL’s need to collaborate with with colleagues and students to find help them find the “best fit”.
Role #2: A Collaborative Voice
Howard Lake
In reviewing the ETL 401 discussion forums I have uncovered a bothersome trend amongst my fellow students: schools are missing the value of the librarian. I could empathise with posts that detailed how colleagues are “snickering” when you tell them your taking information sciences. A subtle insinuation that you’re looking for a job without grading papers (which I think TL’s should be doing regardless).
So, I purpose that an important role for a TL is to speak up! My sense from classmates is that some librarians and libraries are being underused. Part of our role is help administrators, teachers, students and families see the potential for collaborative growth. The painful piece here is that so many schools are looking for ways to collaborate and the library is not even on their radar.
Unfortunately for some, it is still only the “quiet place where you read”. This article on 21st century libraries by Beth Collins in Edutopia (2015) reveals a much more lively library then the misguided stereotype . Part of our role as TL’s is to spread the word about the creative and collaborative potential that a library can have
References:
Collins, Beth. (2015). “21st Century Libraries: The Learning Commons”. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/21st-century-libraries-learning-commons-beth-holland
IFLA. (2013). Insights from the IFLA Trend Report. Retrieved from http://trends.ifla.org/
Freeman, Joanna. (2014). “How Librarians Support Students Across the School”. Beyond the Stacks. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1049433.pdf
Image References: Thanks to the Flickr Creative Commons images listed below
“Speak Up”. Howard Lake. Retrieved via this link
“Waters Near Guam”. U.S. Pacific Fleet. Retrieved via this link
Hi Michael,
This is a good post on your perceptions of the role of the teacher librarian. You’ve disclosed the priorities so far for you – helping students access and use information critically, that we should be involved in assessing learning, that we are off the radar in some schools, and that we should speak up. You write very well, use your sources appropriately, though you need more from subject literature and practitioner journals, to round out some categories for your discussion of the role. In Switzerland, maybe journals like School Libraries Worldwide, or Knowledge Quest might be good as practitioner journals for your use.
For the Connections’ article – come to a decision on the elements of the role, that is a set of headings under which you’ll discuss the role at its best current practice. this might be as simple as Teacher, Librarian, Manager, IT specialist – however you can view the categories of the role at their best for your understanding, and for providing a shape for the article. Then remember your audience of Connections – who will not be ignorant of the role of the TL – and get the tone engaging and interesting. Then give ample space and visionary thinking to the future role of the TL.
You need more subject readings, and if you combine that with some practitioner articles, you’ll get a down to earth point of view on what’s currently happening; if you read NMC Horizons’ report on the future of technology, that’ll give you some fodder for the future; and if you watch and listen to the ppt and youtube video I’ve posted in Resources in interact, you’ll be ready to write.
I’m afraid I know very little of the school library position in Switzerland… Are you at an IB school? I know that school libraries were strong in Canada, in the Ken Haycock days, but I don’t know about now.
This is a good post, Michael, just needs to grapple with how the TL role looks like in practice, without too many negatives.
Lee
ETL401 SC
Thanks for the feedback Lee.
Your “Role of the TL” Youtube video was useful in helping me understanding the importance of being an Information Service Manager first and foremost, likewise your advice to review the Horizon’s report helped me understand long term concerns such as “openness” and physical space.
I am at an international school that instructs the IB and the AP (advanced placement) so we offer a lot for student choices, but it can stretch teachers at times. I do feel like we are behind Australia when it comes to understanding the potential for TL and implementing the role, hence why some of my reflections may have felt a bit “negative”.
Cheers,
Michael