Category: ETL402

ETL 402 – Assessment 2 – Relective post

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What is literary learning?

The term literary learning was an unfamiliar concept before I started this unit. Reflecting on my blog post my journey with children’s literature, my own literary learning occurred as my knowledge developed through work, professional development and the learning through this course.

The perception I have now is that literary learning occurs by interacting through literature. To achieve literary learning, the student needs to be multi-literate by being fluent in textual, visual and digital literacies  to understand the information and apply this across different mediums (Bales, 2019, July 3). The student must be able to immerse themselves in the world created by the book to learn the ideas and facts the resource is trying to impart.

Transliteracy is the literary learning that happens in the context of 21st century environment. It is such a fluid concept that developed outside the confines of library walls, yet it is pervasive to the fabric of our current teaching and learning (Ipri, 2010). It defines what it means to be literate in the 21st century, by studying the way people and technology come together to create social relationships on the internet. A transliterate individual must be able to read and understand the words, sentences and paragraphs presented on various platforms and the plethora of technological devices available to view them (Ipri et al., 2017). Ipri (2010) further states, the essence is concerned with not learning all literacies in isolation but about the interaction of all these literacies such as text, visual, multimedia and digital. Literary learning happens when a student is fluid enough in all these literacies to see the social connections.

How can I use this in my library?

Literary learning happens in the library as students and teachers interact with all types of literacy. An example is mentioned in my forum post about literary learning through a digital text (Tun, 2023, May 14). However, I need to be aware that literary learning has evolved with the emergence of transliteracy. To be current and valid, the teacher librarian must continually keep watch of all current trends and analyse the impact it will have on the delivery of library services (Ipri, 2010). The concept of literary learning through transliteracy  itself is very fluid (Ipri, 2010) and I need to adapt in the 21st century environment by utilising all the web 2.0 tools available. The act of information sharing has now progressed to encompass the various platforms and technology available to users.

Many students are time disadvantaged when it comes to reading for pleasure as mentioned in my forum post (Tun, 2023, March 4). What I did not realise is that, though they are losing the literary learning through physical books, learning platforms and social interactions creating ‘fellow feeling’ (Vapp, 2023, March 1st) has moved online through transliteracy. The information literacy that I teach as part of the library lessons need to reflect this change (Ipri et al., 2017).

Literary learning has many facets in the age of transliteracy. I need to consider all perspectives to support the 21st century teaching and learning environment.

References

Bales, K. (2019, July 3). Mulitiple literacies: Definitions, types, and classroom strategies. thoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/multiple-literacies-types-classroom-strategies-4177323

Ipri, T. (2010). Introducing transliteracy: What does it mean to academic libraries? College & Research Libraries News, 71(10).

Ipri, T., Newman, B. (2017). Beginner’s guide to transliteracy: Where did the term transliteracy come from?Libraries and Transliteracy. https://librariesandtransliteracy.wordpress.com/beginners-guide-to-transliteracy/

 

 

 

The Gift of Reading for Pleasure

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“What a ‘gift’, to be immersed in the world of reading” (Travers & Travers, 2008)

In the 21st century learning environment, the right for a child to read is often taken for granted. The readings I have done has made me question whether we are truly enforcing and supporting the choice of children to reach their true reading potential?

The Book Whisperer in this video claims that her students enjoyed the reading so much more when we remove the entrapments of reading lessons such as book reports and dioramas(Reading Rockets, 2015, August 5). I have explored this theory in my discussion post about the diminishing culture of reading for pleasure. Reading is so much more pleasurable when the act is by choice. At the core, the reader should have the choice to reject, skip, highlight, share, embrace, and critique the literature that they choose.

So how do we create that ‘initial spark’? Ford et. al (2019) states that it is the duty of educators keep that fire going. To find books that reflects their life image, leading to self-identification and academic discovery(Ford, 2019). Extending from that I believe Teacher Librarians are in unique position to foster the ambers of that glow.

Movements such as “Read like a Girl” (Stower & Waring, 2018) project are examples of how a reading culture can be empowered through collaborative efforts of information professionals and educators. Again, it is often the elephant in the room. It is not enough that we have books on the shelves, it has to the right kind of books. If you want a child to read, you must find them the incentive to do so. Their reading pursuits need to be validated and valued. There must be connectedness and diversity that reflects the needs of the reader. The intergenerational exchange of ideas in “Read like a Girl with your dad” (Stower & Waring, 2018) is a wonderful example of book events that foster this spark for love of reading. It creates connectedness and meaning to the literature.

What is a good fit book?

Travers and Travers (2018) explain that according to Rosenblatt’s transactional theory there are two kinds of readers. Efferent readers read for information whereas aesthetic readers read for pleasure. Though, these identifications are on the different parts of the spectrum, depending on the interest and response of the readers they can be both efferent and aesthetic. Hence the engagement of the reader depends on whether the book creates interest and enjoyment. This connection happens when the theme or the message of the book fits the developmental stage of the child.

Book selection should be adapted to the developmental framework of the child. It is not enough to identify their reading level but the biophysychosocial factors that determine the maturity of the reader to understand and put the book in context.  Biological factors, Phycological and socio-cultural factors all play a part in determination of reader’s ability to relate to the text. The goodness of fit should be identified not only by the child’s ability to read the text fluently but also with the knowledge of the individual child’s Biopsychosocial make up (Travers & Travers, 2008).

Role of the TL

There are many aspects that TLs need to explore to fit the right book to the right child. The role they can play in finding a good fit book cannot be underestimated. However, the right kind of literature that fits the developmental stage of the child must be identified (Travers & Travers, 2008). Knowledge of the student body and the needs of the school community based on their biological, psychological, and social cultural makeup of the students must be reflected the development of collections. The scaffolding of learning occurs when the TL brings the book to life with intonation, facial expressions, gestures, questioning, and most of all the magic of immersion (Winch et al., 2014). Children inherently understand the library is a place for them to choose what they would like to read. This freedom is the gift of reading for pleasure.

 

References

Ford, et. al. (2019). I Want to Read About Me: Engaging and Empowering Gifted Black Girls Using Multicultural Literature and Bibliotherapy. Gifted Child Today, 42(1), 53-57.

Reading Rockets. (2015, August 5). Leading to reading [Video] [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/jqgjvauQmYU

Stower, H., & Waring, P. (2018). Read like a girl: Establishing a vibrant community of passionate readers. Alliance of Girls Schools Australia. https://www.agsa.org.au/news/read-like-a-girl-establishing-a-vibrant-community-of-passionate-readers/

Travers, B. E., & Travers, J. F. (2008). Children’s literature: A developmental perspective. John Wiley & Sons. John Wiley & Sons.

Winch, G., Ross Johnston, R., March, P., Ljungdahl, L., & Holliday, M. (2014). Literacy: Reading, Writing and Children’s Literature. Oxford University Press.

 

My Journey with Children’s Literature

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I had limited access to children’s literature when I was growing up. Hence,  I hungered for and read anything that came my way. The books of Enid Blyton and C.S Lewis were wonderful portals into childhoods so different to mine. The young me would have been so jealous of the work I do now surrounded by wonderful books.

When I became a primary school teacher, I was introduced to the ways  to use quality children’s literature to scaffold the meaningful learning experiences. Good literature models the  the way children learn how to read, write and understand the world around them. My teacher training opened my eyes to the wonderful science and art of teaching how to read, connect text to life, comprehend and apply, reflect and critique, explore and to inspire. The value of the the childhood books I enjoyed gained a new perspective.

I am now working as a TL in a primary school, and have been in the role for four years. My knowledge of children’s literature and what is defined as quality has grown with my experience. Exploring notable books such as CBCA shortlists made me aware of why each book is unique and relevant to the award, changing the perspective of the reader and understanding of societal values and expectations. Curation of the Aboriginal literature collection in my library gave me tremendous insight into the significance of the history of the first Nations’ people and what libraries can do to promote, educate and preserve this. I am identifying the important role of the TL in connecting the right book with the right child, or the class. The recent release of the Information Fluency Framework and Quality Literature Recommendations also shaped the way I  have used and curated the literature in creating 21st century learning resources to support my school community.

Children’s literature is like my elephant. It is many things to many people. It can not be defined with one word or sentence, or perspective. It was my childhood friend.The books are like movies in my mind and the messages are ingrained in my heart. It is the core of my identity.

References

NSW Department of Education. (2021). Information Fluency Framework. Retrieved 30.04.2022 from https://education.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/main-education/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/media/documents/Information_fluency_framework.pdf

NSW Department of Education. (2023). Quality Literature Recommendations. NSW Department of Education. https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/english/english-curriculum-resources-k-12/english-k-6-resources/literature-recommendations