Part A- Statement of personal philosophy

An effective teacher librarian promotes a love for learning by fostering curiosity, providing diverse and relevant resources, and adapting to evolving educational needs. They possess a passion for literacy and prioritise collaboration, embrace technology to enhance information literacy and empower students with critical thinking skills. Teacher librarians are progressive thinkers who manage and are responsive to curriculum requirements and teacher requests.  They put a strong emphasis on promoting a love for reading, inclusivity and open-mindedness. Teacher librarians are committed to ongoing professional growth and they provide a welcoming, dynamic, safe and calm environment where inspiring and supported learning takes place. The library is the heart of the school, and the teacher librarian is the heartbeat.

Part B- 3 Thematic Reflections from across the course

I have focused my reflections on the themes of literature, library design and the information landscape. These themes stood out to me across the course and were reoccurring throughout the subjects. They were areas where I could see the most dramatic growth in my understating and application.

Literature…

As I entered the new subject of ETL 402- Literature Across the Curriculum, I thought I knew about how to effectively link a quality text to student learning and had a sound understanding of what it meant to provide teachers with high quality resources that supported their teaching and learning.  What I did not realise was that there is a whole selection of tools to appropriately gather texts that expose students to a wide range of diverse literature and this must be a carefully devised process by the teacher librarian.

Reading an expansive range of books and having students have the opportunity to see themselves and their peers’ lives in a book is a highly important cause. This allows for students to make personal links and understand that they an important part of society.

As part of an assessment task in this subject we were asked to create a rationale for fiction. I wrote an article that included a rationale for teaching professionals to build up their knowledge on the importance and value of accessing fiction books from the library to incorporate into the teaching of curriculum Learning Area- Health and Physical Education whilst covering the General Capabilities from the Australian Curriculum. My particular research was on investigating LGBTQI+ -Based Literature Aimed For Infants Students. I chose this area as I am interested in creating diversity amongst collections as well as challenging social norms.

Fiction has the ability to transport you to another world, somewhere where you’ve never visited. Making children literate is easy when you make them love what they read. Making reading enjoyable and allowing them to access literature that interests them is going to be the simplest method. Marshall states, “fiction offers endless opportunity for adventure, connection, and enlightenment, and, beyond this, comfort and refuge.” (Marshall, 2020, p. 1). Reflecting on the established fiction collection that was in my first school library, I can now see that the diversity was not broad. Due to budgetary limitations, I wasn’t able to hugely impact this area but I did attempt to introduce new and trending literature that has modern concepts for children to read. Every student comes with different backgrounds and life experiences and expectations so appealing to a variety of audiences can be a challenge for TLs but can also been seen as an opportunity to continually immerse yourself in quality literature and advocate for issues that depict stories with diversity and marginalised members of society that should be seen as equal.

I knew that fiction allows for children to use their imagination and remain young at heart but a theme that continually came up in Interact 2 notes and from further research was that fiction builds empathy. Looking through the eyes of a book character, putting yourself into their shoes is something only imaginative books allow for. Skills developed in childhood by reading fiction can enhance empathic skills because the reader is able to transfer and replicate common experiences.  Nissel and Woolley (2022) state, “engagement with imaginary worlds in fiction may afford individuals opportunities to reap benefits and transfer these benefits back to the real world.” Developing the minds of children and permitting them to immerse themselves into a place where they can feel, see and experience something they would not otherwise know is an incredible gift.

Sensitive issues such as LGBTQI+ literature must be available to all students and the younger they can access it, the more balanced and more accepting view of the world they will perceive. The value and benefits are endless. Australia’s LGBTQI+ people, like those in most countries, have historically suffered persecution. “In 2018, about 76 countries still criminalise homosexual activity.” (National Museum of Australia). It was on the 9^th December, 2017 that amendments of the federal Marriage Act gave same-sex couples the same right to marry as heterosexual couples. Malcolm Turnball who was Prime Minister at the time addressed the House of Representatives by saying, “What a day. What a day for love, for equality, for respect. Australia has done it.” (National Museum of Australia). Understanding Australia’s timeline of laws and events gives educator’s a genuine idea of significant events that have occurred and the life changing affect it has on people, their families and children. These highly important issues are imperative to understand for educators and in particular TLs so that they can deliver well-round curriculum opportunities for students.

Library design…

As the job of the teacher librarian overlaps in both education and information services, continuous investigative, reflective and evaluative practices are at the cornerstone of the profession. Teacher librarians are leaders within a school and should work in collaboration with classroom teachers and community members to work towards a common goal of creating successful and fulfilling learning experiences for the students in order for them to reach their full learning potential.

Co-planning and survey taking from stakeholders is an excellent way to understand what the current customers of the library want and need. Trends suggest young people wish for exciting and innovative spaces that allow for diversity in the activities that they can participate in. During my placement at Wollongong City Libraries recently I witnessed this on firsthand. There are several main reason people come to a library and they are to have access to book, collections, music, magazines/papers, reference materials/ local studies information, new technology, learning, sharing and celebrating and places and spaces. Customers come where they can actively engage in activities, equipment and materials that are of need and interest to them. With that in mind, decisions on what types of programs to make available to people so that all members of the community are catered for takes extensive foreplaning. There were kids, youth and adult programs available to community members.

An interesting design task that I took part in for one of my university subjects, ETL501 The Dynamic Information Environment, was creating a hypothetical written library services design proposal to “submit” to my principal and school board to make an innovative and future-focussed learning space backed by research.

Upon submission of the proposal to my principal, I ensured that I included Thorburg’s archetypal space links that the school has in areas of the school environment. It looks like:

1. Campfire- a place where the storyteller tells stories.
2. Watering hole- a place where we learn from our peers.
3. Cave- a place where learner’s ‘isolate themselves from others in order to gain special insights.’
4. Life- The application of knowledge.

(Hewes, 2013 cited in Interact 2 Module 1.3, p. 20)

I proposed the benefits of how this innovation will positively impact student learning, allow for collaborative meeting spaces for staff and or community groups/members and be used as a multi-purpose space. The proposal addressed the innovation of making the level 2 library loft physical space a functional, inviting, flexible and inclusive learning environment that supports connection and engagement and therefore enhancing student learning outcomes. Having smart, multi-purpose spaces aligns thoroughly with 21^st century learning competencies. Today’s students need to acquire necessary skills which involve learning how to ‘communicate, collaborate, think creatively, and how to become critical users of technologies engaged in both the consumption and production of knowledge.’ (Carvalho et al., 2020, p.1). In today’s fast past society, these skill sets are crucial to being a productive learner.

School libraries are the ‘heart’ of the school. This space belongs to everyone and has an important role in developing a sense of belonging and community. Not only for academic purposes but also in a social sense. Having a safe haven for students to be able flourish will have everlasting positive consequences.

The theme for the proposed innovation of this loft area was Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and peoples. I was fortunate that I was able to execute this plan. I also have a greater understanding that libraries are best used as multi-purposes spaces the types of furnishing can allow for fluid and flexibility.

Information landscape…

A theme that underpins the whole of librarianship is the information landscape. In the first subject ETL401, I was intrigued when I wrote a discussion paper on the vast amounts of information that people are privy to in this day and age and what are the advantages and disadvantages for students who a ‘digital natives’. I was also interested in how I can teach students to adequately to use information sources that are relevant, credible, and how to not just search for information but to build research skills. This still remains an ongoing passion of mine and I find it extremely important to teach, not only my students but my own children as they need to be taught healthy information seeking behaviours.

The ever changing and dynamic nature of the information landscape is promising and there are boundless opportunities for students to excel; however, it does bring many trials that students in the past have not had to deal with. Australian School Library Association (ASLA) affirms that, “Australian school students are immersed in a rapidly changing world.” (2013, p.2).  As we move forward in the 21^st century there will always be the constant requirement for ongoing learning for the TL to keep up-to-date with changing technologies and curriculums. I feel assured with the newly developed skills that I have learned from the subject ETL501 The Dynamic Information Environment taught by Dr Kay Oddone, that I can productively advance in rapid and continuous evolution.

As part of the subject, I was required to critically reflect on my Thinkspace blog about our journey from the beginning to the end of the subject. On Jan 16, 2023 I made comment that, “I felt that I had a ground comprehension on the utilisation of technology in my Library. However, as I interacted more with my peers online as well as reading about the delivery of available technologies, I quickly realised that my use of Google Classroom, Google Sites, Canva and emerging knowledge and use of Keynote was not entirely supporting my students’ needs to be competent and highly functioning 21^st century learners.” I acknowledged that while they are technological tools that support learning while in the library, my repertoire of tips and tricks thankfully now has broadened, and I have begun to try and implement some new platforms into my regular teaching schedule. I have started to create padlets for inquiry units of work that support Project Based Learning (PBL) at my school. Before this degree I did not know about padlets and their clever and easy to access interface for students to access quality research material entered by the creator. I created a successful one on Aboriginal Australia for Stage 3 students as they were investigating a PBL unit on how they can educate students in our school about the history and culture of Aboriginal people in Australia. I created a Google Form to gain feedback on what students liked and disliked about using a padlet to support their PBL project and what could be added to allow for students’ easier access information. The feedback from students was that they enjoyed clicking on the quick links that took them to relevant, age-appropriate information. Next year I will add some research findings that the Stage 3 classes acquired throughout their topic to help the students in the next year. This will be valuable for students to see other student work. I created a junior padlet with less options of available links for Stage 1 who were exploring non fiction text unit due to a current issue of snakes being found in our school. Students used i-Pads to access this resource.  I know with more practice and as the students become more familiar with this platform their logging on will become fluent.

The Teacher Librarian (TL) can make use of locally produced learning objects (LOs) to suitably cater for students across their school. A LO has been defined as any digital resource that can be reused to support learning. (Derya Gürer & Yıldırım, 2017. p.1). Knowing the students, their needs, the context and the aims of the unit of research is much more authentic than purchasing a commercially produced LO that covers curriculum outcomes but isn’t aimed at a specific student group. Using meaningful tools that can be reused in a digital learning environment can enrich teaching and learning activities.

Tying it altogether…

As I reflect on this year and this subject, I think that I have been trying to make sure I have it all and I am doing it all correctly rather than working towards a vision and implementing parts over time. Now with clear goals for the future, I am confident that my library is in a much more established position and I can begin to successfully carry out other duties in a timely manner so they are completed comprehensively and purposefully. I also feel now that with a strong theoretical basis of this course I am best equipped to be able to tackle any challenges that come my way. I am excited for what teacher librarianship can offer for the betterment of student outcomes and the extended community and I feel pleased with my new career path.

Part C- Development of skills and attitudes as a professional teacher librarian

As I approach the end of my degree in Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship), I have valued the opportunity to look back on and reflect upon my learning journey and what has inspired me up until now. Also, having perspective on my current capabilities and where I am with my professional learning is an important aspect of being a reflective practitioner. I am committed to lifelong learning and want to continue to grow and develop personally and professionally throughout my career.  As Confucius quotes, “Those people who develop the ability to continuously acquire new and better forms of knowledge that they can apply to their work and to their lives will be the movers and shakers in our society for the indefinite future.” Continuing to set goals for the future will be a way I can ensure I am maintaining these standards.

After committing to enrolling in the course and then being accepted, I knew that after 15 years of not being at University it was going to be a huge task, especially with working full time as a Teacher Librarian (TL) and having a family. Librarianship was something I knew I wanted to pursue after having worked in the library at my school at that point for 4 years. I was a classroom teacher who had always been passionate about literature and all that it provided students, but I didn’t have the formal qualification that would allow me to gain permanency in this area of education. I wanted to gain a strong theoretical understanding in the field to be able to successfully perform this specialist role with all that is required. I have been fortunate during my studies to be working in a primary school library which has allowed me to implement and replicate skills, ideas and experiences that I have developed in course, which is evident in my Thinkspace blog ‘Unstacking The Top Shelf’.

Applying a mixture of the Australian Library and information Association (ALIA) and Australian School Library Association (ASLA) Standards for professional excellence for teacher librarians (2004) as well as the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Proficient Teacher Standards, I have been able to determine areas where I feel that I practice these standards well and others that I would like to see myself progressing through to.

I am consistently meeting the following ALIA and ASLA Standards for professional excellence for teacher librarians (2004):

• 2 fully understand the need to cater for the social, cultural and developmental backgrounds of learners in program implementation and curriculum resourcing.
• 3 have a comprehensive understanding of literacy, literature for children and young adults, curriculum and specific programs in their schools.
• 1 create and nurture an information-rich learning environment which supports the needs of the school community.
• 2 assist individual learners to develop independence in their learning.
• 2 are dedicated to excellence in professional service.
• 2 foster a reading culture through the active promotion of literature.

• 4 promote library and information services to the school and the wider community.

Due to me being part of the foundation team opening up a brand-new school library there have been several different realities and priorities. I have identified that going forward, sustaining collections now that they are developed, I would like to further develop the area of Library and information services management: 2.3 ensure that the library’s policies and procedures implement the school’s mission and strategically plan and budget for improvement in library and information services and programs. Without a school Strategic Improvement Plan (SIP) that is not required within the first two year of operation, the school has not had to have a defined vision and goals, so it’s been difficult to write library policies that support the mission of the school. A recent plan for a SIP with consultation from the is now in place and I foresee that early next year I make this a priority. Additionally, coming up with a budgetary plan that will sustain the necessary maintenance and resourcing can be progressed.

I attended the Sydney study day visits and learned about the value of being in touch with a variety of external information services to develop my skills and knowledge in the wider information services sector. Places like TAFE, NSW- Ultimo Library, Marrickville Library, University of Sydney Library, State Library of NSW and the Caroline Simpson Library gave me a comprehensive insight to other acclaimed services that provide excellent service to their community of users. Maintaining my relevance in visiting alternate services will be something I endeavour to uphold.

After working through the Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) course I have gained a repertoire of skills from a wide range of learning areas that will assist me in being a successfully qualified teacher librarian. I have gained valuable knowledge of professional networks and authorities that can guide my pedagogy and keep me on track to allow for a steady trajectory of gaining future skills in areas that I identify and require professional development in so that I can support the learning and wellbeing need of my students and staff. I have had the pleasure to be able to interrogate subject areas in depth and this has allowed for amore broad and open understanding of the complex nature that we are working and living in, in the 21^st century and how I can best approach teaching and learning to ensure my students are fully equipped with a skill set that will permit them to living a productive and fulfilling life.

 References

Australian School Library Association. (2013.) Future learning and school libraries.

https://asla.org.au/resources/Documents/Website%20Documents/Resources/2013-ASLA-futures-paper.pdf

Australian School Libraries Association (2004). Standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians. https://asla.org.au/resources/Documents/Website%20Documents/Policies/TLstandards.pdf

NSW Education Standards Authority. Proficient Teacher: Standards descriptors.

https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/teacher-accreditation/meeting-requirements/the-standards/proficient-teacher

Australian Government Department of Education. (2019). Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration.

https://www.education.gov.au/alice-springs-mparntwe-education-declaration

National Museum of Australia. (2017) Defining moments: marriage equality.

https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/marriage-equality

Confucius. Top 25 Lifelong Learning Quotes/ A-Z Quotes.

https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/lifelong-learning.html#google_vignette

Carvalho, L., Nicholson, T., Yeoman, P., Thibaut, P., (2020). Learning Environments Research (2020) Space matters: framing the New Zealand learning landscape. Learning Environments Research (2020) 23:307–329.

https://link-springer-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/content/pdf/10.1007/s10984-020-09311-4.pdf

Derya Gürer., M., & , Yıldırım., Z., (2014) Effectiveness of Learning Objects in Primary School Social Studies Education: Achievement, Perceived Learning, Engagement and Usability. Journal of Education and Science, 39(176), 131-143.

https://www.proquest.com/docview/1638768539?accountid=10344&parentSessionId=uu2kyFKVY64nYqHDvys0qIPtmMAjjXEf8kyUyd7qEGQ%3D&pq-origsite=primo

Marshall, R. (2020). Reading fiction: The benefits are numerous. British Journal of General Practice, 70(691), 79–79. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp20X707945

Nissel, J. E., & Woolley, J. D. (2022). Brave new world: Imaginative fictions offer simulated safety and actual benefits. The Behavioural and Brain Sciences, 45, e289–e289. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X21002284

Wollongong City Library Events Calender

https://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/library/whats-on/events

Assessment Item 2- Comparative Evaluation

Introduction

At the heart of teacher librarianship is the quest to understand the best way to explore research practice and focus on teaching positive information behaviours so students become successful and contributing members of society. As ever-increasing demands are placed upon educators to deliver an overcrowded and complex syllabus, it is critical to be able to form smart information behaviours to clearly distil what exactly is going to be helpful in our profession rather than a hindrance and cause overload and burnout.

The skill of understanding research methodologies, paradigms, methods and research techniques in information science is going to allow us as Teacher Librarians (TLs) to be savvy in critically analysing and evaluating literature.  Information research, along with social research in general, has developed greater sophistication over the years. (Williamson & Johanson, 2018,p. 538) With the past affecting the future, the insight into the research world gives information professionals clarity that strict protocols and rigour are adhered to.

Two research articles have been examined in this comparative evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the characteristics against the evaluation checklist (Interact2 site) and make commentary around the application to practice in terms of evidence-based practice. They both show there are strengths and weaknesses to the layout of research articles and the way they are conducted. Recognising these allows for better attainment of knowledge.

Summary of each article

Research Article #1: School libraries fostering children’s literacy and literature learning: mitigating the barriers.

 Author: Margaret K. Merga.

This research paper uses a qualitative methodology and the interpretivism paradigm to explore the barriers that teacher librarians encounter in school libraries. The primary data from the 30 West Australian teacher librarians (TLs) is used to give insights in this under researched area and used in the Teacher Librarians as Australian Literature Advocates in Schools (TLALAS) project. (Merga, 2019, p.71) The research investigates educational models from three different countries: United Kingdom, United States and Australia and the roles and qualifications of librarians in schools are elaborated on. Many mitigating factors were seen as barriers to truly utilising the teacher librarian and the library space as a powerful partnership/tool in maximising the potential of literacy knowledge and literature learning and increasing better learning outcomes for students. Merga, 2019, researches the difference in attitudes in teaching staff and the wider community in valuing libraries and the constraints that teacher librarians are faced with despite being dual qualified as both teachers and librarians. The research draws on examples from TLs across different school contexts and issues that they perceive as barriers to fostering children’s literacy and literature learning due to systematic deficits and embedded attitudes towards literacy learning.

Research Article #2: Strategies for Successful School Librarian and Teacher Collaboration. Authors: Jenna Kammer, Matt King, Allison Donahay, and Heather Koeberl

School Library Research (SLR), has published a qualitative meta-analysis (Kammer et al, 2021, p.1) that explores the nature of successful collaboration between teacher librarians (TLs) and teachers. This research sits under the interpretivism paradigm and is an action research paper that was presented for the AASL Research in Practice track at the 2019 AASL National Conference in Lousieville, Kentucky, USA. The research was lead by Jenna Kammer and three authors; King, Donahay and Koeberl in 3 different settings: an elementary school (King, 2019), a pre-service TL (Donahay, 2019) and a high school TL (Koeberl, 2019). They collaborated with different teaching staff within their contexts to undertake their collaborative projects. The 3 primary studies were conducted over a 2 year period and was part of a thesis work at University of Central Missouri.

Evaluation for Article 1

School libraries fostering children’s literacy and literature learning: mitigating the barriers. Margaret K. Merga.

The use of qualitative methodologies allows for Merga, 2019, to work with 30 teacher librarians from Western Australian schools and check for common themes that arise during the data collected.  The author does not specify the methodology or paradigm that this research covers, it is left to the reader to assume. Interpretivism is the paradigm as the purpose of the research is to understand something in a particular context and time and the data is collected and analysed in terms of meaning (Interact 2 Module 2- Key terms).

The research methods used were exploratory interviews conducted with a semi-structured interview schedule. (Merga, 2019, p. 71) The strength of personal interviews are that they offer greater flexibility than other survey modes, in relation to: the nature of questions that can be asked, the two way interaction between interviewer and interviewee and the ability to access different segments of the population. (Williamson & Johanson, 2018, p. 180) The weakness, however, is that this mode can be time-consuming, costly and resource intensive. Williamson & Johanson state that this can limit the number of participants, which may mean the interviewees are less frank in their responses and may generate responses that are inadvertently biased due to the interviewer presence. (2018, p.180). The geographical location of this research was in one state of Australia and therefore is based on the experiences of TLs in that state education system only, restricting the sample size of participants. However, transferability of the research themes with the varying case studies can be considered in other states and territories of Australia.

Observation field notes provided supplementary details about library spaces. There was only brief detail about this in the research methods in the article (Merga, 2020, p71.)  Without explaining what exactly was being noted down in these jottings, it becomes problematic to concisely understand if all settings were judged similarly. If a checklist was included about the physical spaces in libraries this would have been a more effective way to balance the comments. Also, the use of a device to take pictures could also be a more active method.

Apparent themes arose amongst the participants in this study and the notable barriers to fostering children’s literacy and literature learning in school libraries were: limited time and competing demands, crowded curriculum, low teacher valuing, low student engagement, skills and motivation, issues with parental support, limited space and constrained budget.  (Merga, 2020. P. 72-76). Examples of participant responses were under each of the

barriers headings. This was clearly set out and easy to follow but considering 1 hour was spent with each participant the research only blanket-covered some of the responses. This could have been shown in a table to show percentages of times themes arose to make the figures more impactful.

Evaluation for Article 2

Strategies for Successful School Librarian and Teacher Collaboration. Jenna Kammer, Matt King, Allison Donahay, and Heather Koeberl.

Kammer et al, 2021, designed their research methodology around qualitative meta-analysis as stated in the abstract of the article (p.1). With the use of the interpretivism paradigm they were able to write a comprehensive thesis on strategies for successful school librarian and teacher collaboration as their title states.

At the beginning of the paper there is a lengthy literature review defining collaboration and confirming already researched material to back what successful teacher and school librarian collaboration looks like. Callison & Preddy, 2006 in Montiel-Overall states that the literature on teacher and librarian collaboration indicates that sharing knowledge and information can maximize time, materials, and expertise. (2010, p.33) Montiel-Overall affirms that more importantly, the literature indicates the importance of integrating libraries and librarians into the school curriculum in improving student academic achievement. (2010, p.33)

In the method part of the paper Timulak, 2009, says that “qualitative meta-analysis is particularly useful for providing a description of a single phenomenon that has been researched within a group of studies”. The Figure 1 Timulak’s six steps of qualitative meta-analysis clearly illustrates the steps used by the researchers. (Kammer et al, 2020, p.7) Elaborations on the methods could have been more wide-ranging.

Clearly set out was the 3 primary studies: King- 2019 in an elementary school collaborating with teachers from three grade levels, Koerbl- 2019 who a pre-service school librarian who liaised with a supervising librarian and history teacher to integrate picture books into a lesson on Egypt and Donahay- 2019 in a High School collaborating with an Early Language Learning (ELL) teacher to identify barriers for students who are ELL in accessing the school library. Having 3 TLs at the same level, rather than a pre-service TL would give better indication of if these strategies would work in the school for the longer term rather than just be done as a single lesson.

Triangulation, auditing, and validation was completed by all authors to check validity of the research process throughout. Triangulation is a popular approach which enables the checking of findings by the use of different data-collection methods, sources and using different theoretical constructs states Williamson & Johansen. (2018, p. 21)

Comparative evaluation

Merga and Kammer et al. in these papers use qualitative methodology and sit in the paradigm of interpretivism. There were similarities in the research papers. The purpose of the research for both papers were to demonstrate that with strong teacher librarian presence around the school and utilising their advanced skill set will only see student outcomes increase but common themes originated in both findings. Both sets of authors did stumble across hurdles. The valuing of relationships between TL and teacher was reoccurring. Often is known about the role of the TL to the point sometimes the TL needs to enlighten the principal what it is that they do and communicate how they can add value to curriculum content. Being an advocate for literacy and literature learning in schools and across the community were also something that both research articles promoted. Merga’s article was part of a project for the Teacher Librarians as Australian Literature Advocates in Schools (TLALAS), while Kammer et al. was presented for the AASL Research into Practice track at the 2019 AASL National Conference in Louiseville, Kentucky, USA. Presenting your research to your colleagues and community encourages discussion and provokes questions relating to the research project which can only enlighten our peers and make them more aware of current research in the field. The methods and techniques used

Research about the benefits of TLs and teacher collaboration has been around for some time now but little has been done around the explicit strategies that article 2 demonstrated in its findings. There is scope here to take this and delve deeper. The same can be done in relation to the further research on common barriers and mitigating them in other state or territory education systems across Australia. Making a comparative evaluation to the 30 TLs that were interviewed in Western Australia would be purposeful.

Paper 1 was brief compared to that of paper 2. Paper 1 left many important research paper characteristics out which left the reader having to infer meaning. In Paper 2 while it was a thesis for University study, the 3 different settings was difficult to compare as they were all very different. The purpose to show how strategies can be built regardless of the setting but it would have been easier to compare with the same level of schooling with different contexts.

Application to practice

Both research article 1 and 2 make valuable contributions to specifically the school library and information world and the role that school libraries and TLs play in society. The research is useful for information professionals such as teacher librarians who are wanting to know more about how to conduct an action research project in their school setting. This research can be built on and contextualised to own situations and findings can be presented to community. Reinforcing the investment in learning about how TLs and teachers can collaborate is an area that further research can go into to provide more evidence of the successes that collaborative practices make to the educational attainment of student outcomes. As global connectivity soars, generational shifts will come to play a more important role in information seeking behaviours and the profile of the library space adapts and changes with progress to cater for diverse learner needs. The teacher librarian can lead school-wide process changes through collaborative partnerships. As with all progression there will be transformation and challenges. Strategies will need to be adopted and adapted as time prevails.

Conclusion

It is imperative to understand that there is a range of ways for research to be conducted. It’s with greater clarity you can then conceptualise the implications of method choices and it will provide a more profound insight into the implications of research findings. Recognising methodologies and research paradigms; the world view of the researcher helps the reader to understand the purpose of the research. Williamson & Johanson cited Kuhn’s, 1770, definition of the term paradigm is that it is “a set of interrelated assumptions about the social world which provides philosophical and conceptual framework for the systematic study of the world.” (2018, p.4) Comparative evaluations show that there are strengths and weaknesses in all research papers as readers will take out it what is important to them depending on their world views. It is however important that as practitioners we learn to evaluate where the researcher is coming from to understand their viewpoint and its application to the professional or academic world.

References    

Kammer, J., King, M., Donahay, A., & Koeberl, H. (2021). Strategies for successful school librarian and teacher collaboration. School Library Research, 24. https://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/pubs/slr/vol24/SLR_StrategiesforSuccessful_V24.pdf

Merga, M. K. (2020). School libraries fostering children’s literacy and literature learning: mitigating the barriers. Literacy, 54 (1), 70-78. https://doi.org/10.1111/lit.12189.

Montiel-Overall, P. (2007). Further Understanding of Collaboration: A Case Study of How It Works with Teachers and Librarians. School Libraries Worldwide, 16(2), 31–54. https://doi.org/10.29173/slw6806

Williamson, K., & Johanson, G. (2018). Research Methods: information, systems and contexts. Second Ed. Elsevier Ltd.

Supporting resource: Evaluation checklist for research articles- Interact2 resources https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_68470_1&content_id=_5933694_1&mode=reset

Soooo I’m in! I finally decided to take the leap of faith and enrol in physical visits for the study day visitis in Sydney. I know it’s going to be a full on 4 day program this March but I am really looking forward to visiting:

-TAFE, NSW- Ultimo Library

-Loreto Kirribilli

-Marrickville Library

-University of Sydney Library

-State Library of NSW

Reflections

Upon reflection and as I critically analyse my development over the course of ETL402, I am confident that the knowledge, skills and experiences have allowed for me to grow as a student in my Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) course and also as a professional Teacher Librarian (TL). When I began the subject I skimmed and scanned through the content and assessment outlines and I thought to myself ‘oh yeah, I know all about that and how I go about that in my library etc etc.’ but then I am always astounded at just how much more there is to know. In a practical sense, you know what you do but having that deep theoretical background is vital to be an effective TL. I value the learning content that is presented to me so I can critically analyse my own practice and open my views and perspectives on how to ensure I am evolving my pedagogy repertoire as I proceed. From being a classroom teacher for a decade, I believed I utilised literature fairly in most curriculum areas to foster engagement amongst my students. Having a broader knowledge of literary learning, I can see how to incorporate it more widely in all subjects which makes complete sense when your teaching young children.

Proceeding into a brand new schoolyear, 2023, I am excited to look at my Library through a fresh new lens from what I have gained from ETL402. I believe the biggest take away for me are the benefits of a quality fiction section and the ability to incorporate literary learning right across all areas of learning. Students deserve to have access to a diverse collection of fiction books and online resources that are quality and allow for the student to be immersed into a world that fosters creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving and clear communication skills so that they can achieve success in their personal and academic lives. The practical assessments for this subject have given me an excellent bank of current titles to be able to use with my classes and also promote to teachers.

As the Head TL at my newly built school (operational for 1 year), programs are highly likely to get established seeing as other priorities have been taken care of. I would like to introduce a whole school buddy reading program with older students coaching younger students in a very short and sharp buddy exchange system. I did some further readings in this area and Morrice and Simmons (1991) claimed to have set up a pilot program and over time evolved it as student capacity developed. One prominent way they used the TL was that they employed their expertise to train the older students to help their buddies with library skills and the appropriate selection of texts. (1991, p.4) I found effective ways to establish a whole school reading program by reading this article along, amongst others.

I found that the library lunch time clubs and makerspace’s that Janelle (2022) commented on was something that I also had set up in my library. I identified that I would like to expand the number tinkering tables to cater for and appeal to 2-3 stages at a time. (Timmins, 2023, January 14). This can be done effectively now my library is becoming more established.

Reference

Morrice, C., & Simmons, M. (1991). Beyond Reading Buddies: A Whole Language Cross-Age Program. The Reading Teacher, 44(8), 572–577.

_________________________________________________________________

Investigating LGBTQI+ -Based Literature Aimed For Infants Students

_________________________________________________________________

Contemporary Realistic Fiction (CRF) is a genre that tells realistic stories with imaginary characters that depict real-life and society. The settings are believable, and conflicts and resolutions are generally ones that children are easily able to relate to. These stories are set in the present or recent past making it also simple to connect with. Themes that are covered in CRF are ones such as stories about “families, friendships, school, bullying, events such as moving home, losing a loved one.” (Interact notes, Module 3, p.1). Sub genres in CRF such as ones that cover LGBTQI+ themes are becoming slowly available in good book shops. Only recently (last 5 years), children’s picture books including this theme are being produced in more mainstream publishing houses. Before then it was a struggle to find books to suit communities in which TLs served, therefore making it difficult for children to access a book and view it as a mirror to either see themselves or their own families. Rudine Sims Bishop in Caple & Tian (2022) stated, “children not only need to see themselves reflected in the literature that they read, but also need to see through windows into the worlds of others.”

My shadow is pink written by Scott Stuart who is an Australian author that tells a story about a young boy who is part of a male dominated family who have very blue shadows but his is different, his shadow feels pink. It likes ponies, pink toys, fairies, books and princesses. It is written in first person and is narrated by the young boy who is the main character. The secondary character is the boy’s father who suggests to his son ‘that it is just a phase and he will grow out of it’ (Stuart, 2020, p. 9). His father finds it hard to accept and when he starts school and wears a skirt and all the others stare and make fun of him, the boy leaves and his father is saddened to learn that he’s not accepted. He takes off his skirt and pledges to himself to never wear one again.  However, his father walks into his room and asks him to put it back on says he taking him back to school. His father also dresses up in a skirt. He points out that those who judge and do not wish to accept him will miss out on knowing the true him and that is their loss. Vardell (2019. p.156) discusses how minorities try to hide or cover their true identities in order to conform to societal norms. It’s a powerful story to illustrate to students that no matter how hard a situation is that over everything it is important to show truth to yourself. This book touches on themes such as gender identity, equality, diversity and self-acceptance.

Mama and Mummy and me in the middle written by Nina Lacour (2022) can assist children in Stage 1 to share in story that can relate to their own lives. There are three main characters in this book, Mama, Mummy and the little girl. The little girl narrates the story in first person- “My mummy is on a work trip” (Lacour, 2022, p. 7) and gives a very real-life narrative of someone who is living a very ‘normal’ life, doing regular things like going to school and the shops while living with 2 mothers- Mama and Mummy. This book shows diversity in the skin colours of the mothers, one is of colour and the other is caucasian. They show love for each other by phoning each other while one is away from home and also for their daughter by doing routine events like kissing her each day she wakes and how they prepare for meals, sitting at the table with the little girl in the middle seat. Giving children the opportunities to share when one of their parents might have been away or when they’ve missed someone can be a great discussion to build empathy. This is the action of the teacher in the story to make her feel that she is not alone. Whitely (2001) cited in Di Battista et al. (2020, p. 6) states that, “gender role beliefs are described as people’s ideas of the proper social roles for which men and women are expected to perform”. Criticism around same-sex parenting is widespread suggesting that more traditional roles of the nuclear family are ones that will give children a more well-rounded upbringing. (Kite & Whitley, 1998 cited in Di Battista et al., 2020, p. 3). Discussing the roles of a family with students will allow for them to see regardless of who their family members are, they are still valuable and have the power to perform tasks that other families do that are made up differently.

Similarly, The Girl With Two Dads written by Mel Elliot (2019) is story that reveals a friendship between two young girls who meet at school when Matilda arrives at her new school, Pearl’s school, for the first time. They share a lot of common interests and become very close friends until one day Pearl is confused when she notices the dad that drops Matilda off is different to the one she’s use to seeing. She queries this and asks where her mum is? She is told that she has two dads who love each other. Central to this story is the theme that parents regardless of the orientations between the couples treat their children the same and have the same rules and expectations, ie. no jumping on beds. Pearl soon realised after visiting Matilda’s house that her parent’s were just pretty regular and said to her own mother and father- they are “just like you and dad!” (Elliot, 2019., p. 23) Posing to children from a very young age about challenging norms and making them understand the differences between relationship types: heterosexual, homosexual and bisexual and bringing to their attention what defines a relationship. Blackburn & Smith (2010) state that “by heteronormativity we mean a way of being in the world that relies on the belief that heterosexuality is normal, which implicitly positions homosexuality and bisexuality as abnormal and thus inferior. It is often much more subtle than homophobia.”

The Rainbow Parade written by Emily Neilson (2022) is a written about the authors real-life experiences of a child about when her two mums use to take her to the San Francisco Pride Parade. She was only young child and loved seeing the people who she said all had three things in common: “they are extra loud, they are super proud and they are very colourful.” (p. 11-12). A rainbow fairy queen stopped and handed her a stickers, plastic necklace and lollies and said she should be proud of her mums and that they should be in the parade. She much preferred to be on the side path watching until one of her mums suggests that they walk in the parade too behind the banner that said ‘LGBTQ+ Families’. She felt very nervous and apprehensive and said she said didn’t think of herself like the people in the parade. She didn’t feel loud enough or proud enough. Her mothers gave her reassurance that she belonged in the parade just as she was and that sometimes finding your pride takes practice. The illustrations show the diversity in that LGBTQI+ families come in all forms and uniqueness should be celebrated like parading. Students need to experience a wide range of reading topics so their views are broadened. The fact that there were boys and girls with a combination of same-sex parents was an inclusive way to show families.

Pink is for boys written by Robb Pearlman is challenging sex/gender binary stereotypes. In a stunningly illustrated way, it shows children that pink is for boys…and girls. It challenges the reader to rethink binary colours and express themselves with every colour of the rainbow.  In Western society ‘gender/sex is traditionally viewed as binary, with people falling into one of two categories: male or female. (Morgenroth et al., 2021). The characters in this story are relatable to children and it is about making them understand that regardless of the gender you’re born into, you can feel like you don’t necessarily identify as it. TLs would be able to have rich discussion with students around these themes and assist students through open discussion in understanding that the way we look and the body parts we were given doesn’t always correlate with how we feel, ie. female/ femine, male/masculine. Activities around what interests them is a successful way to query whether activities such as playing with cars or unicorns, dressing up, picking flowers or wearing crowns can be associated with sex/gender. Exposing students to these types of questions and issues is very empowering.

Bibliography

Elliot, M. (2019). The girl with two dads. Egmont.

LaCour, N.  (2022). Mama and mummy and me in the middle. Walker Books.

Neilsen, E. (2022). The rainbow parade. Penguin Random House.

Pearlman, R. (2018). Pink is for boys. Running Press Kids.

Stuart, S. (2021). My shadow is pink. Larrikin House.