What is an appropriate role for the teacher librarian in curriculum development?

The role of the teacher librarian in curriculum development can vary depending upon the school context.  Essentially, as mentioned by Sharratt & Fullan (2012), the role of the teacher librarian in curriculum development is to support classroom teachers in their practice.  This may include (but is not limited to) collaborating with classroom teachers in the development of their units of work, curating collections of resources to assist students and teachers in finding relevant literature, and developing units of work that focus on the general capabilities, information literacy and/or the Information Fluency Framework.

 

What benefits can a school obtain from the active involvement of the teacher librarian in curriculum development?

The primary benefit for a school from the active involvement of the teacher librarian in curriculum development is a reduced workload for the classroom teacher.  Through collaboration, the teacher librarian is able to shoulder some of the planning load, particularly around areas such as the general capabilities and information literacy, that often get lost due to the large amount of content in the syllabus.

As well as this benefit for teachers, the involvement of the teacher librarian in curriculum development can be beneficial to the students as they can be given the chance to explicitly develop their information literacy skills and be supported in their learning.  They will also have access to carefully selected, relevant literature and resources to enhance their learning.

 

Should a principal expect that teachers would plan units of work with the teacher librarian?

I believe it would be unreasonable to expect that teachers plan a whole unit of work with the teacher librarian; however, I do believe that there should be an expectation that the teacher librarian is consulted during the planning and development phases of units of work.

By working collaboratively, teacher librarians can share their expertise in the area and facilitate the delivery of the unit of work.  The teacher librarian can provide relevant resources, implement inquiry learning experiences that complement the unit of work, embed the General Capabilities within the unit of work and/or support the inclusion of digital technologies throughout the unit of work,

 

How are students disadvantaged in schools that exclude the teacher librarian from curriculum development?

Students are disadvantaged in schools that exclude the teacher librarian from curriculum development as they do not receive the added support that could be provided by the teacher librarian.

When a teacher librarian is not consulted during the curriculum development phase, the library lessons may be taught in isolation, with no connection to the units of work being covered in the classroom.  This would make it difficult for students to create connections between their learning.

Without collaboration between the teacher librarian and the classroom teacher, the students may also be missing out on the opportunity to connect with resources that could enhance their understanding of the units of work that they are learning in the classroom.  They may also miss the opportunity to develop skills for 21st century learners such as digital technology skills, critical and creative thinking skills and information literacy skills.

 

Reference List

Sharratt, L., Fullan, M. (2012) Putting FACES on the data: What great leaders do! Corwin.