ETL401 Part C Assessment task – Reflective Practice

Reflective Practice – What have I learned, what does the future look like? When initially confronted with deliberating the nature of information (Parker, 2020a) my long held (semantic) view was challenged with an alternative and far more interesting approach. Examining ‘The information Hierarchy’ (AEW, 2008) I could see information as a process, existing on a […]

ETL503 Part B Assessment Task – Reflective Practice

Reflective Practice When considering the nature of a school library collection I first connected with the interpretation given by the NSW Department of Education (2015, p. 2) of collection development and collection management (Parker, 2020a). With no attempt to separate the two terms I reasoned that both development and management were part of a holistic […]

ETL401 Module 4.1 Inquiry learning (ii)

The TL and inquiry learning A review of  Levitov, D. (2016). School libraries, librarians, and inquiry learning. Teacher Librarian, 43(4), 28- 31, 34-35. Whilst coming from an American POV it nicely summarises the differences between traditional and inquiry based research. Levitov (2016) continues with a description of the inquiry approach implementation process and the central role the TL should […]

ETL 401 Module 4.1 Inquiry learning (i)

Reflecting on Inquiry Learning I perceive my greatest barriers to developing an effective inquiry learning environment are time (timetabling), the Principal/Exec and the classroom teachers. Delving into the inquiry models available – understanding the most appropriate for our school setting, research, getting all the stakeholders onboard are some areas I perhaps need to consider moving […]

ETL401 Module 4.3 The TL and the Curriculum

Leader? Adviser? Team member? All of the above? Where do we fit in? Brown (2008) suggests that School media specialists or TLs “hold the key to ensuring successful research projects that bring our world, and its vast amount of information, into a manageable perspective.” (p. 16). An undeniable fact yes, the TL is a curriculum […]

ETL401 Module 3 The role of the Teacher Librarian (ii)

The Teacher Librarian – An Expert, a Leader, a Necessity? Reflections on Karen Bonanno’s 2015 article ‘A profession at the tipping point (revisited)‘ Bonanno (2015) reviews findings shown in surveys undertaken by Softlink to support her discussions around the viability of school libraries and TLs (p. 20). Her “glass half full” (p. 14) approach to […]

ETL401 Module 3 The role of the Teacher Librarian(i)

The Teacher Librarian – endangered or just misunderstood? A reflection on Karen Bonanno’s speech at ASLA, 2011 conference: A profession at the tipping point: Time to change the game plan. Often considered an invisible profession TLs are however unique in the world of education. It is through strength of character, clear focus, presenting a solid brand, […]

ETL503 Module 5 Evaluating Collections

A reflection on Johnson’s 2018 methods of collection analysis Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management (Fourth Ed.) (Johnson, 2018) presents an apprised table (p. 288) that appears to contain a few updates including the consideration of e-resources. The aim of a collection analysis is essentially to asses a collection’s value not the quality (Johnson, p. […]

ETL503 Module 3 School Library Suppliers

I’m not in this alone! I was asked to consider what qualities I would look for in preferred school library suppliers during the readings for Module 4 (Legal and ethical issues of collections). Oh yes, I have a list of qualities: I prefer to support local but sometimes pricing/availability and timeframe can be an issue. […]

ETL503 Module 3 The Collection Policy

Budget Considerations Whilst an overarching budget plan considers the mission of the library, Johnson (2018, p 102) looks to both internal and external factors that affect library needs and in turn shape the budgeting considerations. An “environmental scan” (Johnson, 2018 p. 102) or data gathering exercise must take place to establish the needs and wants […]