Since starting my master degree I have always enjoyed the idea of picking up a physical book, but my partner has introduced me to the use of kindles which I think certainly has it’s advantages. I hope that I can continue to explore these increasing uses of digital reading and media outlet during the INF533 course.
I have enjoyed reading a few books on the kindle, but I will always enjoy the nostaglia of a physical book…
Teacher Librarians (TL) have that immeasurable task of engaging and encouraging their students to continually visit the school library. This course certainly has changed how I think about the different methods of getting students interested in reading and building a strong reading ability throughout their schooling.
Storytelling has certainly been a constant while growing up or even as part of my teaching craft. Williams (2010) encourages teachers to approach storytelling in a more flamboyant way, building interest and bridges throughout the curriculum (p. 6). This means that students can experience new ways to display knowledge either through real-world scenarios or during topics that build a literacy skill, for example, scanning for important information in a non-fiction text.
Exposing students with literary learning that encourages them to not only enhance their own literacy skills, but to also work together in small group settings is incredibly beneficial! This type of learning certainly aims to provide students with opportunities to experience new ways to use their literacy skills when interpreting new information or building knowledge about a particular topic. However, having this natural ability to use language with creativity and ease is something that needs to be learned and harnessed over a long period of time (Holbrook, 2013, p. 81).
I really enjoyed the exploration of hypertext fiction during this course and the ways that this type of literature is being used to develop numerous storylines. The opportunities are certainly endless as this type of storytelling creates different links to literature in new found perspectives that appeal to the reader.
Multimodal literacy certainly has become more prominent in our literate world too. Providing more opportunities for students to get continual exposure of this type of storytelling is excellent for engaging them with creative writing. Providing more than one meaning when reading a particular story, allows for more in depth analysis and explanations to take place during literacy discussions. Discussing multiple meanings, particularly through picture books, certainly demonstrates that students are able to comprehend new information and provide personal answers either through written text, visuals or even videos (Walsh, 2010, p. 212).
I certainly believe that my future practice as a TL will definitely need to take advantage of more online services that distribute and stream hypertext narratives. Not to mention the fact that augmented reality is becoming more prominently used to assist with teaching content across several subjects is amazing! This type of exposure to digitally formatted narratives and non-fiction work will encourage learning through many ways and allow students to be more open-ended when developing their own opinion for a new topic (Unsworth & Macken-Horarik, 2015, p. 64).
Creating more exposure to literature in multiple settings, whether it be the school library, the classroom or part of home life can certainly strengthen a young reader. Getting adults involved as reading models and interactors is an incredibly vital approach to improving reading motivation (Strum, Riddle & Fox, 2017, p. 5). Having a variety of resources available to use, either physical or digital, makes the experience of reading and literary learning even more exciting. With so much digital content becoming available to the reader, it provides a great opportunity to work collaboratively with others to gain knowledge from literature and other teachers or even their peers.
References
Holbrook, P. (2013). Tradition, authority, and innovation in literary teaching and learning. English in Australia, 48(2), 79-89. Retrieved from https://search-informit-com-au.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/documentSummary;dn=568196381562427;res=IELAPA
Sturm, B. W., Riddle, M., & Fox, L. (2017). Storytelling’s impact on school library circulation. School Libraries Worldwide, 23(1), 1-14. DOI: http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.14265.23.1.001
Walsh, M. (2010). Multimodal literacy: What does it mean for classroom practice? Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 33(3), 211–239. Retrieved from https://www.alea.edu.au/documents/item/63%20%5B27
Williams, A. (2010). Library aloud! Storytelling and reading aloud give your school library a buzz. The School Librarian, 58(1), 4-6. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/57736632?accountid=10344
If you told me 15 years ago that books would be heavily introduced into a digital screen, I would have been baffled by the way someone could think that way.
Although here we are, displaying and reading quality literature has become a way of life from many people around the world. We are constantly exposing ourselves to screens and that is particularly how we interact and interpret new information. It certainly gets you thinking, particularly what that would mean if the need for eBooks rose exponentially over night. However, I don’t think that will happen immediately as we are all incredibly different and enjoy our reading in different settings.
I for one, prefer the hard copy when reading fictional stories. It draws me in and allows me to track my progress by looking at the spine of the book, allowing me to understand how quickly I am able to comprehend this new story and information.
I found it really interesting to observe many, many different forms of electronic literature on the organisation website (http://collection.eliterature.org/1/). It demonstrated to me that we are exploring new forms of media and comprehend and building interest based on reviews, digital advertisement and connection with other readers (particularly when looking at chat forums).
Does this mean that the hard copy will eventually be totally gone and eBooks take their place? That could be the case, only time and the evolution of reading will show that. I definitely am intrigued by the concept of total digital storytelling, which can expand multiple pathways of reading. Providing all these open-ended options is something that can influence not only the reader, but more importantly the writer, whose job becomes so much more complex as they determine where a set of characters are going to journey when brainstorming these immeasurable ideas.
Having a variety of genres is certainly an immensely fantastic thing as it allows the individual reader to develop a personal preference for the types of books that they like to read. The library collection can always be expanding in every genre or section, depending on how the Teacher Librarian (TL) organises the collection and expresses interest in all of those students or people that visit this place where imagination grows. I always appreciated, and still do, the fact that the TL can be so invested in both organising the library collection and to encourage students in using their own literary skills during library lessons. The fact that students are all different means that there can be a different genre for any one of us. The TL can have that overlooking opinion to assist their students to building their interest and encouraging them to do well in comprehending new story lines and character development that can also be displayed from the people situated in our lives.
With more information and texts being accessible on digital devices is creating a constant change of how we enjoy our reading material. Having a physical copy can still be incredibly beneficial as it seems more concrete and encourages the thought that people of all ages can bring a personal opinion when referring to a book in this wonderful pastime. I honestly think it’s great that there is a shift between the physical and digital as it provides both children and adults with the opportunity to enjoy their text no matter the circumstance (whether enjoying a book at home or while travelling on a plane).
The physical copies certainly encourage the idea of creating a personal library that can be accessible to others if need be; particularly if you talk up a new text to a friend and they immediately want to read it. However the digital platform is now creating more ease for saving both space and time when it comes to accessing these sources of information and stories. This means that people are constantly needing to find their personal balance as screens have become an incredibly crucial part of the world today. Information and stories can be portrayed in lots of digital formats which is now changing the future of reading and comprehending meaningful texts or current news events.
Harvey (2015) highlights these main points as part of the interaction between children and their reading:
I think it’s interesting that all of these points create new meaning to link personal preference, whether it be physical or digital, with growing attraction to new series or books by particular authors. The future of children’s literature certainly is going to always change to suit the user, but does that necessarily mean the Teacher Librarian (TL) has to be the only person to encourage other readers? Contact with literature can be demonstrated in numerous settings, whether it be in the various classrooms during their school years as well as through connecting with friends to encourage one of the best pastimes – reading!
Reference:
Harvey, E. (2015, December 8). Five trends affecting children’s literature. In Book Business. Retrieved from https://www.bookbusinessmag.com/article/what-we-learned-from-the-top-trends-in-childrens-literature-webinar/
Contributing to my Thinkspace blog throughout this session has allowed me to develop a further understanding of the different leadership styles that Teacher Librarians (TL) display in their school community. When commencing this course I wanted to identify the other tasks that a TL undertakes as part of their job in the school library (Burns, 2019a). For example, at the start of the course my main interaction with the TL involved being part of weekly professional development sessions that they would run. I now have a better understanding that the TL is an individual who collaborates with so many people as they strive to become a transformational leader and support staff when changes are being made to 21st century classrooms and the school library (Burns, 2019d).
I have always appreciated the TL for being driven and passionate to assist teachers and students in their school community. I really enjoyed learning about the important qualities that these leaders are able to possess. Some of these qualities include vision, courage, judgement and resilience which encourages the TL to be constantly collaborating with their colleagues (Burns, 2019b). It also means that the TL is seeking to extend their connections to leaders in other areas of the school community, including the technology team, and how they can contribute to making the school library relevant for the 21st century.
While working on case study scenarios, I found it incredibly useful to communicate through the use of emailing and the discussion board in our group forum (Group 13, 2019). Judith in our group demonstrated great instructional leadership at the start and throughout our case studies. Most of the contributions that I made can be viewed through a servant leadership perspective as I always made sure to contribute continuously to our group discussions and provide my individual thoughts when creating the final responses.
Our group agreed to take turns in organising and submitting the final response for each case study. I always strived to be organised and respond efficiently to whole group messages. I found it incredibly useful to have everyone contribute their own thoughts and often first-hand experiences, as we worked together to come up with a constructive response.
I appreciated that the case studies could allow for a more practical application to many of the tasks that a school librarian has to perform as part of their leadership role. Following the submission of our group response for case study 3, I documented my thoughts on my Thinkspace blog to evaluate the qualities that every group member was able to display (Burns, 2019c). Unfortunately one of our group members didn’t contribute in our discussion, although I understood that we all work in an incredibly busy profession and sometimes we can’t attempt everything.
Overall, I enjoyed hearing the different perspectives that were brought forward from each group member throughout the case studies and appreciated the range of literacy articles that were depicted throughout the module readings. I’ve been able to develop a new understanding for how the TL can lead throughout a variety of roles as well as knowing that it’s okay to ask for help from colleagues and students too.
References
Burns, S. (2019a, July 18). Re: Introductions [Online discussion comment]. Retrieved from https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_42385_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_78888_1&forum_id=_164193_1&message_id=_2359025_1
Burns, S. (2019b, August 4). Important attributes for a teacher librarian [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/simonb/2019/08/04/important-attributes-for-a-teacher-librarian/
Burns, S. (2019c, August 16). New online experience [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/simonb/2019/08/16/new-online-experience/
Burns, S. (2019d, September 5). Changing the library environment in the 21st century [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/simonb/2019/09/05/changing-the-library-environment-in-the-21st-century/
Group 13. (2019, September) Case Study 4 [Online discussion forum]. Retrieved from https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/forum?action=list_threads&course_id=_42385_1&nav=group_forum&group_id=_49723_1&conf_id=_87669_1&forum_id=_170446_1
Becoming an innovative planner doesn’t just happen over night, a lot of understanding and determination is practised to allow Teacher Librarians (TL) to succeed in all events and learning in the school library. Throughout this course, I have been further developing my understanding of what it means to lead and innovate not only people that work in the library but also what the library can look like when focusing on new things that can purchased and included in the library collection in the near future.
The TL has the enormous task of providing news creative ways of displaying learning in their library as well as being realistic with the amount of new resources that can be purchased with the yearly library budget. The real life example provided in our readings this week, got the local community library involved to assist with new ways of thinking as well as understanding that other services can be beneficial to student learning. Another way the TL can involve their students is by providing them with display areas for the work they have been completing in class. These displays can be situated all around the library, particularly near entrances or walkways so that visitors can admire the creative and hard work that students have been doing in the school library. I think building these relationships with students can be incredibly beneficial for the TL as they can also have personal discussions about what they would like to see when organising new displays or learning areas particularly for events such as book week.
I also certainly appreciated the notes provided by the Western Australian School Library Association (2009) newsletter as it encourages staff members to notice the early warning signs of any issues with building structure. Fixing these small issues can most definitely allow the TL to put in place any disaster plans in order to understand methods of salvaging any resources that have been impacted by floods so that they don’t have to come back to their school libraries with little to nothing in the collection.
Reference:
Western Australian School Library Association. (2009). Preparing for the end of the world: Are you ready for a library disaster? WASLA Newsletter. Retrieved from http://wasla.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/WASLA-Term-2-NewsletterE.pdf
Makerspaces, I have seen them done before in classrooms and I really would like to see first hand what these learning areas look like. They contribute to this new level of collaboration, not to mention allowing for so much interaction to begin to occur in these learning environments. This learning space was definitely the most interactive area that was discussed in my readings this week and I definitely appreciate the new levels of interactive practice that are taking place in 21st Century libraries.
The Alliance for Excellent Education (2016) looks at all these levels as different methods of preparing the Teacher Librarian (TL) to be prepared to the best of their ability so they can encourage collaboration. This collaboration includes multiple ways of readiness:
Each of the collaborative ways facilitates a new way of interacting with other users of the library, whether they are students, teachers or parent visitors. Everyone who is continually accessing this library environment has this opportunity to learn and develop skills, both new and old, with the cooperation of the TL in the school library. Maintaining this tie to work together will encourage more staff or students to gain essential research skills and communicate with the TL in order to build upon their existing knowledge.
Reference:
Alliance for Excellent Education (2016). Future ready librarians. Future Ready Schools. Retrieved from http://1gu04j2l2i9n1b0wor2zmgua.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Library_flyer_download.pdf.
The Teacher Librarian (TL) has this incredibly important job of maintaining constant connections with both their library team and also the Classroom Teachers (CT) that they are able to work with. Working together with these colleagues provides more opportunities to collaborate and work together in enhancing learning, particularly so that it can benefit the students and their learning experiences too. It’s not just the students that we teach that are constantly learning, both TL and CT are able to “bounce ideas” off each other. This allows further ideas to be developed as they can often involve how a new unit of work can implement the use of more technology or even how more inquiry based learning can be used in teaching.
Collay (2011, p. 84) notices that leadership is not only found from someone who carries out ideas, but is someone that has a visionary that can be implemented and planned “behind the scenes.” Allowing this plan to slowly build over time demonstrates that the TL can work with their colleagues to improve and work together in demonstrating new ways to present information, whether that be in programming or in teaching lessons.
Watanabe-Crockett (2018) also identifies that good learners make knowledge their own, particularly when poorly constructed visions need to be worked on in order to finish what’s only partially built. In this process, the TL is able to build a bigger and better knowledge structure by working with their colleagues. Having the opportunity to plan and organise times throughout the school term will allow for individuals to start working together in teams and communicating more effectively with each other. Once a team is built they can then strive to work on building new formal and informal learning experiences together. These experiences can range from whole staff Professional Learning time to discussing with stage teams on how to use new applications on class iPads.
References:
Collay, M. (2011). Everyday teacher leadership: Taking action where you are. John Wiley & Sons, 75-108. Retrieved from ProQuest Ebook Central.
Watanabe-Crockett, L. (2018, December 12). The 7 top characteristics that define good learners [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.wabisabilearning.com/blog/7-characteristics-define-good-learners
It certainly was interesting to interact and collaborate to give a response to case study 3 this week. I definitely could notice the different thoughts that each person was able to contribute (apart from one of our group members who hasn’t commented on any of our discussions which is a bit sad). This way of interacting in an online discussion setting certainly is very interesting and a new concept that I have never used during my studies. It definitely allowed for group members to provide their personal thoughts as well as being willing to contribute and make decisions together as a whole group. I certainly thought I contributed as much as I could, making sure to do my own personal research on our issue; the poisonous work environment that was presented in the case study scenario. We started communicating through email but I definitely thought it wasn’t as reliable and coherent as the wiki format that was provided in our group space.
Overall I am looking forward to the next one as it created a new source of online interaction (particularly for study) and allowed for presenting multiple perspectives or views to be discussed.