ETL503 - The School Library Collection

Well I must say that getting back into the swing of studying after having a month off has been a struggle. Especially with working full time and having end of year reports to write. Reports are now written however I am a week behind in the modules for this subject. I am going to try and write my module summary's on here to keep a record of my learning, instead of writing notes etc. So here goes.

The School Library Collection

First of all, I would like to point out that I believe the relevance of the school library, and in fact, any library for that matter, is still alive and well. We may live in a world where students today will be using technology far beyond our imaginations tomorrow, however it doesn't mean that print resources and the centre in which they are held is irrelevant.

Children learn in many different ways. There is no clear-cut way of teaching a child how to read or how to complete Mathematics sums. They learn at different rates and in different ways. Thus, an e-book may be beneficial to one child, whilst it may be totally bewildering to another. The TL needs to be able to manage AND develop the library collection so that it caters for ALL of these different learning styles and clients. You cannot simply have all books or all technological devices

I think that collection management and development are two different entities that actually go hand in hand. The TL needs to develop the library resources in collaboration with teachers and the wider school community so that it caters for all individuals; and they also need to manage it so that those individuals are able to access and sieve through the resources effectively and efficiently.

I hope that made sense.....

Part C - Critical Synthesis - ETL401

The title of my blog is indicative of my learning throughout ETL401. ‘The Journey’ has been an eye-opener to the comprehensive position of the teacher librarian (TL). It has in parts been shocking, confusing and overwhelming. Through many endless hours of literature reading, assignments and conferring with peers, it is obvious to me that my initial view about the TL could be no further from reality!

Taking on work in my current school library was the first step in my realisation of the multifaceted roles of the TL. It not only made me realise that my understanding of what the TL does and knows was extremely narrow-minded, but that my colleagues were also unaware of the true impact that TLs can have on learning (Abercrombie, 2010, July 15th). My view had been shaped by prior experience with TLs throughout my own schooling, hence, when I became a teacher I knew little about the actual role of the TL and what they can do to enhance the school learning community (Abercrombie, 2010, July 27th).

There have been many events throughout my studies that have helped to reshape my thinking about what it means to be a TL and what the TL is capable of. One of my first readings (Hazell, 1990) was a revelation. It exposed me to the fact that in the past, school libraries were seen as irrelevant to student learning. Even with my narrow-minded view I still believed that this could not be the case; surely the library would have an impact on at least the literacy skills of students with the amount of resources found there. Through wider reading (Herring 2007; Haycock 2003; Foley and Hay 2009), I was relieved to see, that over time, there had been a shift in perceptions and the library actually is seen as a vital and essential resource that, in fact, does impact on student learning experiences.

I was stunned with a comment made my Haycock (2003) that encapsulates the vision that many teachers these days hold about the school library and the TL: “school libraries are so much more than rooms dedicated to storing books” (Abercrombie, 2010, July 18th); it put my original view in a nutshell. It became increasingly obvious to me as I read forum posts that many of my peers also had the same view. I spent many weeks deliberating on the literature that I had read (Gibbs, 2003; Henri, 2005; Skrzeczynski, 1999) regarding the role of the TL and came to the conclusion that the TL was indeed the school’s curriculum leader, information specialist and information services provider; a belief that was somewhat contrary to my original view.

Preparation for Assignment 1 forced me to research the information literate school community (ILSC) and the role that the TL plays in creating and maintaining it; an idea I had no clue about (Abercrombie, 2010, August 22nd). Although my assignment result shows that I was unable to clearly articulate the leadership role that the TL has in creating an ILSC, I believe I learnt a great deal about it and do have a solid base with which to build further learning on.

One of the many roles of the TL that came to light throughout many readings and forum posts is an issue that I have had a strong opinion about for some time now; that is collaboration. I have always wondered why the TL is so readily used as a relief from face-to-face (RFF) teacher. Throughout my own research I now know that at my particular school the principal simply does not have the understanding about the potential the TL has on increasing student learning outcomes; they have never dealt first-hand with an excellent TL, nor have they been educated in the area (Abercrombie, 2010, July 27th). I have come to realise that there are many other underlying issues that can result in the TL being used a RFF teacher such as budgeting and staffing issues, however I still believe that there needs to be more education about the role and potential of the TL in schools today.

I believe that through use of the Australian School Library Association and the Australian Library and Information Association (ASLA/ALIA) Standards of Professional Excellence for Teacher Librarians (2004), I will constantly be able to ensure that I am meeting the requirements of practicing as a TL. In doing so, I will be able to promote the profession to school principals, colleagues and the wider school community, ensuring that the TL is forever seen as a crucial partner in improving student learning.

Overall, this course has taught me about the many facets of the TL; it has introduced me to information literacy and the ILSC. It has taught me to appreciate that there is much more to the role of the teacher librarian than simply scanning and tidying books.

‘The Journey’ has been uplifting and consequently it has inspired me to become the best TL that I can be.

References

Abercrombie, J. (2010). The Journey. Message posted to http://jen-thejourney.blogspot.com

Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) & Australian School Library Association (ASLA). (2004). Standards of Professional Excellence for Teacher Librarians. Retrieved from: http://www.asla.org.au/policy/standards.htm

Foley, C. & Hay, L. (2007). Shaping Our Profession: Teacher Librarianship into the Future. SCAN, 26(3), 21-26.

Gibbs, R. (2003). Reframing the Role of the Teacher Librarian: The Case for Collaboration and Flexibility, SCAN, 22(3), 4-7.

Haycock, K. (2003). The crisis in Canada’s school libraries: The case for reform and reinvestment. Toronto: Association of Canadian Publishers.

Hazell, A. (1990). School library and information services in Australia. In M. Nimon & A. Hazell (Eds.), Promoting learning: Challenges in teacher librarianship (pp. 17-22). Adelaide: Ausilb Press.

Henri, J. (2005). Understanding the information literate school community. In J. Henri & M. Asselin (Eds.), The Information Literate School Community 2: Issues of Leadership (pp. 11-26). Wagga Wagga: Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University.

Herring, J. (2007). Teacher Librarians and the School Library. In S. Ferguson (Ed.),Libraries in the Twenty-First Century: Charting New Directions in Information (pp. 27-42). Wagga Wagga: Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University.

Skrzeczynski, C. (1999). Breaking the barriers: sculpting an information literate school community. In J. Henri & K. Bonanno (Eds.), The Information Literate School Community: Best Practice (pp. 241–258). Wagga Wagga: Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University.

Just a Thought...

A thought crossed my mind tonight after extensive research into information skills models... Is the process (or model) designed to be completed in a specified time frame? Is there too short a time to complete it in? Must it take days, weeks, months etc?

I was contemplating using it/parts of it with my Year 2's at the moment as we are doing Information Reports and it would be great for them to start researching and learning those information skills. However, do they need weeks to complete it? Or can you go through each step in a simple form quite quickly... It actually is an interesting thought, when you look at the process it could take on many forms.

So is there a time limit? I'm inlcined to say no and it depends on the depth of the research task and its purpose.

It Takes Two to Tango...

The motivation has finally come back and the aprehension has subsided. After many hours of research and reading I finally had the jist of what it was I wanted to say in my next assignment and began writing! Once the ball was rolling and the first couple of sentences were written it seemed to flow quite nicely (touch wood)! *sigh of relief*

The information skills models are an interesting concept. They provide a scaffold and framework for thinking, that students may go through as they search through the vast land of information that is out there. Although students may generally go through some stages of the process automatically throughout their education, unless they are explicitly instructed on how to do so, they won't complete all of the stages sufficiently.

Hence, this is another 'hat' that the TL must wear. Guiding the students through the model shouldn't be done alone, it should be done in collaboration with the classroom teacher. Embedding the skills of the process into the students will better equip them for challenges and problems that they may face in the future, both educationaly and socially.

By utilising information skills models we give the students the opportunity to feel supported and capable of researching and learning on their own. We give them a chance to 'own' their own learning and develop individual perspectives... We force them to engage in higher order thinking. However, like most roles that the TL has and many programs and lessons the TL initiates and takes, the information skills models cannot be implemented alone... They need collaboration to thrive and successfully contribute to the learning outcomes of students. It is not enough to simply put the process on a piece of paper and ask the students to follow it; they need help, guidance and support throughout every step of the way...

'The process alone is inadequate'

.......

Is it just me???

Generally being a highly organised and motivated person, I am finding it hard to get into the next two assignments that I have to tackle for my TL course. I felt such a sigh of relief and accomplishment when I finished the first two and took a week off from studying to catch up on other things... Now I cannot seem to get back into the swing of things. I guess it will take a few slow nights of reading and researching to get there!

I have been researching a range of literature on information search process models and even that is time consuming. At this point in time I am beginning to wonder when I will ever be motivated to get stuck into the next assignments! Hopefully it will be very soon...

A Sigh of Relief...

As you will notice, it has been a long time between blogs! I had all intentions of writing a new post every Sunday night, however those intentions soon became pushed to the side as a result of working full-time and the various other commitments in my life... Such is life!

I took a huge sigh of relief on Friday night when I finally submitted my first two distance ed. assignments for MedTL. I am both excited about having finished them and nervous about the prospects of having them marked and handed back (the sooner the better!). When I first looked at the assignments I thought, no problem, they are both clearly explained, there shouldn't be any dramas. However, once I began writing them, it was obvious that they would become far more of a challenge than once perceived!

The ETL401 assignment has taught me (even more) about the value of the TL and has introduced me to what an ILSC is. To be honest, I had no idea! It makes me realise the true potential that a library has and my imagination has been running wild with endless possibilities of what I could do to make that happen! The school I am currently employed at, has a library in disarray as the TL has taken leave and possibly facing retirement. Thus, my new found knowledge about the TL and an ILSC has me thinking...

The ETL501 assignment 'opened my eyes' to information found on the WWW. I often try to find answers to questions I have, using the net and often get worried when I find information that seems negative... However, it never really occurred to me that the information I may be reading could have been written by anyone! How much can be taken seriously? and to be honest that didn't even occur to me when picking things from the WWW for my students... How much I have now come to learn!

So, in hindsight the assignments were time-consuming, BUT have taught me a fair bit! And it just goes to show that anything is possible if you put your mind to it - no matter how big something seems at the time, if you organise yourself wisely and make use of your time... You WILL get it done!

Now for the anxious wait of having the assignments returned... fingers crossed!

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep* - The Role of the TL

The sound of the barcode scanner, skimming over the books as they are returned and borrowed is one of the most predominant sounds in our school library. On average, students are given 10-15 minutes to select the books they are interested in reading, have them scanned and are asked to read through them silently back at the desks. Ten minutes later - time is up! Back to the classroom.

Is this the sole purpose of the TL? What else could happen in the library during this time? Why is so little known by the staff, about the potential that the library has on student learning outcomes?

As a student going through primary school, I saw the library as only a place where I could borrow books to read and for assignment information. I carried this perspective through high school where little help was given to me when needing to use the library and I also carried it through Uni where I seldom was given any advice or help (majority of the staff were students themselves not librarians). Hence, when I became a teacher myself, I knew little about what the TL's actual role is and what they can do to help CT's and the school community.

Through the literature I have been reading this week, it is now clear to me that the TL wears many hats. They wear the hat of teacher; librarian; leader; administrator; faciliator; IT expert and manager. It is quite obvious that to become a TL you need specific qualifications and expertise in ALL of these areas.

I have experiences school Principals who want to turn the library into a place where RFF lessons can be taken, where the TL is simply made to take a section of the CT's program whilst they are on release. This is NOT what the TL should be doing. I believe that Principals AND classroom teachers need to be educated in the potential that the library has and the positive effects that collaboration can have on student learning - they simply DON'T KNOW!

The library at my current school has such great potential to transform the school into an ILSC and to have a positive impact on student learning.

The only sounds that should predominantly come out of the library are the voices of the TL educating their students in the vast information that is available to them, teaching them to become information literate.