My very first blog post for ETL401 at the beginning of this 12-week journey recounted my decision not to train as a school librarian because, despite their importance in the learning process, I considered them to be underrated, under-utilised and underpaid. This was many years ago and my perception of the TL’s role has changed considerably. I now see it as one of the most important in the school, primarily because the TL’s remit stretches across so many vital areas of learning. From literacy learning, digital literacy, digital citizenship and learning how to learn, to evaluating student learning and professional development, all are vital.
Despite fears that the role of the school library and the teacher librarian may become obsolete (Ahlfeld, 2019) in an information society where, potentially at least, information is digitally accessible 24/7, the reality is that the role of the teacher librarian is more important than ever before. The TL plays a decisive role in facilitating participatory learning in school and in providing students with the ICT tools they need to do so. Additionally, the TL helps students navigate the digital information environment, ensures that they are responsible members of the digital community, and plays a key leadership role both within and outside the school community.
School libraries are now multifunctional information environments which include physical and digital spaces to cater for an increasingly broad range of educational, social and cultural functions. They provide that “third space” (Maniotes, 2005) where meaningful, long-term learning is possible and where the emotional health of the student is catered for, a not unimportant consideration when we consider the current and future challenges of distance learning environments. The library has become the interface between classroom and home, providing a level of security and comfort many do not find elsewhere (Elmborg, 2011). It is “a safe haven” (Markus-Sandgren 2016) in which to explore, discuss and collaborate, and communicate, thereby turning an “information place” into a “knowledge space” (Todd, Gordon, & Lu., 2011 p. 11).
What strikes me when I consider the diverse and multifaceted role of the TL is how far removed it is from the reality I see, as I observed in my blog post on the conflicting role of the TL and the information specialist. Neither the TL, nor the instruction of sound information literacy (IL) practice is embedded in the curriculum. As I commented in a more recent blog post on the topic, the expertise of the TL in delivering integrated IL is still considered to be an optional extra, meaning it is devalued by teaching staff, by students and school leadership.
Coming at ETL401 from the direction of qualified librarian rather than teacher has opened my eyes to the complexities of establishing a relational rather than a transactional relationship with subject teachers. Attempts to establish the TL in the role of an instructional partner and to engage in collaborative practices on a regular basis are often stymied by lack of understanding, lack of time and lack of will. TLs must be active in designing in-service training, maintain close collaboration and liaison with school leadership and subject teachers and provide evidence of the transfer of skills – a so called culture of transfer in the school context . We have to promote, market and advocate (Abbott 2019; Bonanno, 2005; Lamb & Johnson, 2013) our services to the entire school community.
My knowledge of Inquiry learning (IL) is informed by the IB curriculum where it is embedded at all levels, so the difficulties encountered in implementing time-intensive, resource-intensive and staff-intensive Guided Inquiry Design have not been part of my experience. I did however have some difficulty equating the advantages and disadvantages of the various inquiry learning models (Big 6 etc.) with the IB Approaches to Learning (ATL). I investigated FOSIL as a framework for breaking down the stages of the inquiry process because it was designed to address two areas lacking in the IB system, first of all, the lack of IL/ICT skills, and secondly, and most importantly, that “knowledge is not determined by information, it is the knowing process that first decides which information is relevant, and how it is to be used“. Ultimately, I returned to Kuhltaus’ ISP-based Guided Inquiry Design because it most closely mirrors the holistic approach used in IB schools, the pros and cons of which I discussed in the ETL401 4.1 & 5.3 forum threads.
This has been the journey so far and I look forward to continuing it in ETL504 Teacher Librarian As Leader.
References:
Abbott, R. (2019). Teacher-librarians, teachers and the 21st century library: Relationships matter. Synergy, 15(2). https://www.slav.vic.edu.au/index.php/Synergy/article/view/v15220175
Ahlfeld, K. (2019). They paved paradise: School librarians and school libraries are disappearing and we won’t know what we’ve lost until its gone.Journal of Library Administration, 59(8).
Bonanno, K. (2005). Advocacy – everyone’s responsibility. Access, 19(2), 10.Retrieved from <https://search-informit-com-au.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/documentSummary;dn=035364786661229;res=IELAPA> ISSN: 1030-0155
Elmborg, J. (2011). Libraries as the spaces between us: Recognising and valuing the third space. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 50(4), 338-350. https://ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1008&context=slis_pubs
Herring, J. E., & Bush, S. J. (2011). Information literacy and transfer in schools: Implications for teacher librarians. Australian Library Journal, 60(2), 123-132. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Information-literacy-and-transfer-in-schools%3A-for-Herring-Bush/dfcbdfcf30d8e51002f7a79522b2d034e955a7c9
Gordon, C. A. (2016). Teacher-librarians as champions of digital equity.
Synergy, 4(1). https://www.slav.vic.edu.au/index.php/Synergy/article/view/v141201610/9
Lamb, A., & Johnson, L. (2013) Collaboration and the learning community. Retrieved from https://eduscapes.com/sms/overview/collaboration.html
Markus-Sandgren, R. (2016). Flipping the third space. Synergy, 14(2). https://slav.vic.edu.au/index.php/Synergy/article/view/v14220164
Scheffers, J., & Alekna, G. (2015). Scaffolding for success: Support students’ amazing journey with guided inquiry. Scan, 34(1). Retrieved from https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/professional-learning/scan
Todd, R., Gordon, C. A., & Lu, Y. (2011). One common goal: Student learning.Executive Summary of Findings and Recommendations of the New Jersey School Library Survey Phase 2. Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries. http://www.njasl.info/wp-content/NJ_study/Phase2_ExecSum.pdf
Toerien, D. (2019). Enabling students to learn by finding out for themselves: Our journey from FOSIL to the FOSIL group. The School Librarian, 67(2), 77-78. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/2398186314?accountid=10344
Weinberger, D. (2010). The problem with the data-information-knowledge-wisdom hierarchy. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2010/02/data-is-to-info-as-info-is-not