Throughout the readings I have tackled so far in investigating Guided Inquiry (GI), one key aspect has stood out: inquiry is a process, not just an end product. Garrison and FitzGerald (2017) showcase this in their study of students who have been through a process of inquiry projects over a year long period. Students reflected on what they had gained from the process and stated that the development of research skills in specific areas had been honed; such as their ability to search generally at first, then become more specific as the research process proceeds, as well as analyse the question before commencing research (Garrison & Fitzgerald, 2017, para 13).

With this research in mind, initiating and maintaining a GI approach to learning within a school is one which cannot be done alone. A TL can certainly be a driving factor in championing this meaningful learning, but must firstly have a team of people onboard with them. The support of the Principal and Executive of the school is a must as they greatly influence the culture of the school. A TL needs to take on many attitudes to leadership to move a school towards integrate information literacy instruction. Firstly it requires upfront leadership to provide the evidence and potential pathway forward to executive if they are needing to be convinced of the benefit of GI. Secondly, a TL needs to take a leadership position of leading from the middle, by being willing and available to collaboratively work with colleagues in setting up the planning and guidance required for GI planning.

It has been said that change takes time, which is one of the challenges which TLs may come across in trying to engage in a GI process: time to meet up and plan with colleagues, time for students to spend in both the library or information literacy rich environment, time to engage with school executive to drive the future direction of the school, time to build relationship with staff both for and against a change in the way things have been done.

“…Time…” by ĐāżŦ {mostly absent} is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Resistance is another key element which TLs and teachers need to be able to push against. As a classroom teacher who is currently looking at the scientific concept of forces, it has caused me to think about the resistance which I think is more commonly happening in schools today. From my current primary teaching experience, there are many students (and teachers) who want specific quantifiable products to show that they have learnt and don’t really want the process to be part of the design. There seems to be a resistance amongst students to creating their own lines of investigation. This is where a passionate, ever-learning TL can make the world of difference, showcasing that skills are transferable amongst different curriculum areas – research skills which are used in an inquiry about a geographical question can be used in researching what roles a student could play in creating a school musical production.  Ultimately it is the skills, not the knowledge which the TL is and should be focusing on.

Reference:

Garrison, K. & Fitzgerald, L. (2017). ‘It trains your brain’: Student reflections on using the guided inquiry process. Synergy, 15(2)

The Clan Agnew flag consists of an important motto – “Consilio non impetu” which when translated says “By wisdom not by force” (Young, 2004). This motto is one which has kept popping into my mind (the English translation of course!) due to my growing understanding of how to change things. A TL needs to take on such a motto to look at their approach to effecting change from within their role in a school setting.

While it might be stating the obvious, a teacher librarian comes into the role of TL with the 2 different specialities, one being librarian and the other teacher. In looking through the second speciality mentioned they should hopefully have experience in planning for teaching experiences which meet the curriculum. In my opinion, it can only enrich a school’s curriculum offering when there is a staff member who can not only look at the curriculum through a teaching lens, but also through the lens of librarian with information literacy ideas at the forefront of their mind.

While there can certainly be challenges and hurdles in setting up the time for a TL to collaboratively work with teachers in planning development, this can be overcome with wisdom and relationship. Curriculum development does not have to be done with face to face interactions, so it could be that a share document be set up for all staff to have their say in what is being offered. I know that I personally find the convenience of using certain sharing online platforms invaluable, but this is not the case of all teachers. While not currently in a TL role, sharing documents in a consistent way is something which I am doing and hopefully encouraging others to do so as well. In a school environment where there is always constant change, I have found that it is always the relational efforts which create more change.

A Principal’s opinion on collaborative planning is one of the key factors which will influence a school’s view on using many people within a planning cycle. My opinion is that a Principal should encourage planning opportunities with TLs and classroom teachers, but until the culture of school is ready to take this planning as expected, encouragement is the way to go.

References:

Young, R. (2004). Clan Agnew (Scottish Clan). FOTW Flags of the World. https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/gb_sccag.html

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.