In reading the information contained in Module 2: The Information Environment I have had images of and feelings evoked by watching movies such as ‘I, Robot’ (Proyas, Alex. 2004) coming to my memory. Artificial Intelligence (AI) takes over the world and tries to do away with the human connections which created the AI in the first place. The information which was gathered by the AI in the first place is then censored and used against the humans as it was deemed better for them.

Of course, reality is that this dystopian society is not occurring at this time (phew!), however the imagery which it created does highlight to me the use and spread of information which we use today in our technology-based world. Within our global society there are aspects where the technology drives the agenda. The algorithms created by search engines which are designed to give you what you want based on your prior search history create bias in the information which is presented to each individual. Certainly, the flip side of this statement is also true where you could view the AI as not helping construct dystopia, but a society which has exponential opportunities for great growth and development. However, knowledge that the bias can exist is required to be able to see the truth in the information available.

In my growing understanding the term ‘information society’ relates to a society which economic and cultural activity is created mostly through information creation, distribution and manipulation (Rouse, M. 2005). The reality of what can be seen in the manipulative search engines, the explosion of advertising directed to individuals showcases the fact that we appear to be living within an information society.

As well as the bias created in searches, the filtering eye of truth, or what we perceive truth to be, comes into play with our interaction with information. The amount of misinformation and advertising which is portrayed online as fact is tiresome at least, and it can be an overwhelming task to wade through, and this is coming from the perspective of an adult. How much more challenging is it for children in their various stages of brain development to work out the authentic information which is needed in their interactions?  This is where the role of a Teacher Librarian becomes so important in teaching the skills necessary for discernment and critical thinking in responding to the information which is out there.

A Teacher Librarian’s role in sharing their knowledge of the misinformation as well as ways to think critically cannot be underestimated.

References:

Proyas, Alex (Director). (2004). I, Robot [Film]. Twentieth Century Fox.

Rouse, M. (2005). Information Society. WhatIs.com. https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Information-Society

I am never happier than when I am learning, which is partly why I began my journey into teaching. My desire to share that love of learning, and hopefully instil it in others, is what has driven a rather windy path in my teaching career. This attitude to teaching was imparted to me early, as I was a child of a Teacher-Librarian. This is where I saw some behind the scenes aspects of what this role entailed and was fascinated by the many facets of work which my father would bring home. I was always happy to be the ‘crash-test dummy’ for the many resources purchased for his school’s library.

My teaching career initially began as a Preschool Teacher in Victoria where play was the fundamental medium for children’s learning. Essentially, children were making their own inquiries and discoveries which I was facilitating and encouraging through the opportunities the preschool environment provided, as well as the relationships I established with these children. In this I can see many correlations between the role of Preschool Teacher and what my current understanding is of a Teacher-Librarian. Both roles offer a wide variety of resources to the students they are teaching. They also provide the sources for information and skills to be gained, but do not always have the same pathway mapped out for the students to gain this. They are particularly able to source literature which addresses specific needs, such as finding picture story books which address how everyone in the class is unique. Both roles are teachers who have positive relationships with their students. Most importantly, they are great at posing questions of students to get the students asking their own questions for their learning.

Venturing further into my teaching career, I undertook a Primary Classroom Teacher role, in a school without a Teacher-Librarian. While the library shelves were well-stocked with books due to the age of the school, it was up to individual teachers to find resources within the library for their own classes. This did lead me to purchasing and creating my own extensive personal home library so I could immediately access the resources which I valued and needed; which I love and use this library to this day. In retrospect, however, not having a central teacher to co-ordinate and encourage use of the latest curriculum resources also created a very under-utilised resource within the school, which had the potential for so much more. Of course, there were opportunities within teams in the school to share resources, but now having experienced a school with a Teacher-Librarian, I can see the benefit of having a colleague who is trained and enthusiastically finding the latest sources of information as such an asset within a school environment.

As I am looking at the role of Teacher-Librarian more through the lens of Primary rather than Secondary Education, I would also view the position to be one where they are able to engage students in great literary experiences. My school’s previous Teacher-Librarian would put on Book-Week and other dramatic opportunities for children to experience, not just read, the world which literature opens up. As the title of this blog indicates, Teacher-Librarians should be able to assist and facilitate others to step bravely into the unknown. A role I strive to do.