Blogs

I have recently set up a blog for students to use in association with the unit of work on Japan they are completing. Their task is to decide which Japanese city their family should move to according to certain provided criteria. They are using the blog to write their thoughts about what they are learning in their research, particularly about cultural differences, and these comments are read an commented upon by students in other classes studying the same unit and they have taken to it like ducks to water. It's so exciting.
My next project is to set up a blog to which students can upload book reviews for others to read and another for teachers to share new information about lessons and teaching and learning in the 21st century. A type of online professional learning.
Who knows from there... A library wiki with book e-trailers, links to websites, embedded videos...

Website Evaluation

Both Herring (2011) and Schrock (2002) write about the importance of the efficiency of a website including the time it takes to load the site, whether this is the same at all times of the day or if there are a large number is users trying to access it simultaneously. The WWWCRCE (McLachlan, 2002) does not address these issues, nor does it ask the user to evaluate the navigation, graphics or the amount of text and while these technical criteria do not rank as importantly as educational or reliability criteria they should still be considered when making an overall assessment of a website for student use. The First Look section asks the user to consider how quickly the user could determine the basic content and the intended audience of the site. This would appear to be superfluous because if it wasn’t obvious to the TL they would not bother to further evaluate the website.

When evaluating a website for student use for educational purposes it is most important that criteria relating to this should be considered. Not all published criteria do this well and some do not do it at all. The TL should assess the credibility of a webpage to ascertain whether they are an educationally qualified authority. (McKinney, 2007)

Information Resource Notes

 Reference Material

I think the idea of reference material is still relevant. There are many print documents which contain information that does not become out of date quickly, such as atlases and dictionaries and the historical pages of encyclopaedias. These can still be referred to in libraries and not necessarily be borrowed to be useful and relevant.

There are online resources which can also be referred to as reference materials – online dictionaries, encyclopaedias and atlases – because students refer to them for information. They can be listed and accessed via the electronic library catalogue (in DEC school though the My Library application).

Therefore I think the idea of reference materials is still relevant but is not now restricted to cover only print materials that cannot be borrowed from the library.

Wikipedia

I think the fact that Wikipedia can be added to or edited by anyone makes it a waste of time hitting the search button. If time has to be spent looking at other sites to verify the information included then it’s not worth it. I have found it to include the incorrect  birth and death dates of historical figures and I advise my students that even though it usually comes up first if they search with Google to look for an alternative site with better credentials. Although much of the information may be correct, I don’t use it any more when searching for general information for personal use, ie not for an assignment etc. What’s the point when you can’t rely on its authenticity?

Dictionaries

When I searched for online specialized dictionaries about half of the initial 10 results were not suitable mainly because the breadth of their content was not large enough. The following is  a sample of what I found.

http://www.musicoutfitters.com/music-dictionary-c.htm  This had most musical terms but some had spelling mistakes!

http://www.wordreference.com - good Italian language dictionary includes pronunciation

http://www.tuition.com.hk/geography/ - good range of words. Other sites did not contain many of the basic terms for physical geography

As a matter of practicality I think the school library should still provide students with print dictionaries. Access to the Internet is not always possible due to high demand and/or equipment failure. Students taught how to use the print dictionary using the guidewords can find the spelling and/or meaning quickly.

Online Atlas

http://www.whereis.com/ - Our Stage 3 students are studying the discovery of gold in Australia this term. This online atlas gives them the opportunity to discover where the main towns of interest are in relation to one another and to where they live now. They can also calculate the distances and observe the physical geography of the area to determine the difficulty of the trips undertaken by diggers.

Biographical Guide

http://library.uow.edu.au/search~S0/ - Excellent biographical guide for Australians. Example: Many results to a search for Ned Kelly.

Verso Solution

I love this idea as it has a visual identification as well as an expected call number. It reminds me a little of the iBooks interface on an iPad where the books are presented on a bookshelf. As far as I know this method has not been marketed yet to DEC schools. In fact we are waiting for our new cataloguing system in October this year, which one would imagine has to include something like this to cater for the inevitable shift from print to online reference materials.

The Learning and Teaching Context

ETL501            Resource Provision Discussion Forum                     

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY

My school has a featured learning style for each term of the year and all programming is done according to this. Bloom’s Taxonomy is one of those. We sometimes combine it with Gardner’s Taxonomy for a deeper examination of the topic.

I have found it to be valuable because it provides guidance for teachers who do not naturally know how to get past the initial gathering of information stage. It provides a framework for students to think metacognitively and ensures that all students can access higher order thinking skills activities.

The process takes students from using online or printed resources to using their knowledge to apply it in different situations using open ended questions.

I think part of the challenge here is to teach students where and how to locate reliable information sources that have current information and statistics to support their learning of the facts. The gathering of information in the knowledge and comprehension sections is relatively simple is topics where the facts are not altered by progress, such as the basic water cycle. The topic of ecosystems is one subject to sometimes rapid change – when we think about how long it takes to write and print a textbook – so online resources are becoming more necessary.

PART 2

This teacher would need:

Syllabus Document – To guide his teaching and learning activities he would need to read and understand the educational outcomes for the students.

Website – From a reliable source and with interactive activities that demonstrate the symbiosis of the area and the effect on the whole rainforest when one aspect of it is damaged or removed.

Textbook – One with current information and a general description of a rainforest and maps locating those that still exist in the world and those that have vanished.

ETL401 Assessment Item 2 - Portfolio - Part C

My view on the role of the Teacher Librarian (TL) at the outset of this subject was simple. Based on my experiences with librarians at primary schools I have worked in, my view was that the principal role of the TL was to promote reading, quality literature and to be the guardian of the biggest resource in the school (teachers excepted).  The TL also taught a little research if time permitted. I also knew that the TL as an employee of the DEC was bound by the code of Conduct which outlines a teacher's required commitment to delivering the curriculum in an equitable manner to all students.

It was a shock to read that the main responsibility of the TL was to teach Information Literacy (IL). The Standards of Professional Excellence illuminated and magnified the role of the TL for me.

Part of this is the role the TL and class teachers are required to play in using technology in class lessons. My experience had been that it was the domain of the IT teacher, hence my ignorance in knowing how to set up a blog. (I Begin, March 6, 2012.) I have used this knowledge to set up a blog at school with my class so that they can share, with other classes on the grade, their own learning journey in our theme for this term. In fact, we are learning together and the students have taken on a new interest in lessons and don't mind that at the moment I don't have all the answers. I am now delving into the world of Web 2.0 (Web 2.0 . . . Unexplained, May 15, 2012) (Guided Inquiry, May 14, 2012) I don't have the luxury of working in a school where I can collaborate with the TL so I am modifying my teaching unit for the term to begin to include some of these tools, such as the blog, using the Caddies Creek Public School's 'Gold! Gold! Gold! Webquest as a guide.

I would also like to use the Big6 IL model as I like the way it matches each of the sub-skills with the appropriate technology skill. (The Big Six, May 10, 2012) I would then be able to compare them and decide on a preferred model.

To me, the term 'literacy' has meant to be able to read and write to serve one's purpose and to be able to perform in society, and that it was chiefly the domain of the class teacher and had little to do with research projects being conducted in the library once a week. I now know that the TL needs to establish her/himself in the school as an information and technology leader, effective collaborator and curriculum content expert. For the TL to lead IL in a school many support structures need to be put in place such as flexible timetabling, collaboration with staff and funding for resources and technology. (TL Leads Information Literacy, May 4, 2012)

Rather than keeping to oneself and ensuring that the library program was seen as separate to that of other curriculum areas I now consider the only effective way is for there to be total integration between the function of the library and class work. TLs should be accountable for their programs, although the measurement structures are not always obvious in a primary school. (How Complex is the Librarian's Job?, April 29, 2012) The Standards of Professional Excellence from the ASLA put things into perspective for me. Curriculum knowledge is not enough on its own; it needs to be combined with appropriate pedagogy and information management knowledge and skills.

I was excited to read of the link between metacognitive process and IL models. (The Key is to Understand, May 11, 2012) This complements training we have been taking part in at school to address the needs of students in the specific field of inferential comprehension. In particular, the Direct Thinking, Reading Activity (DRTA). It requires teachers to model the skills of referring to previous knowledge to make the links with new information and it is reflected perfectly in IL models. It is yet another example of how IL is a model to be woven into existing programs and not another process for teachers to teach.

If I synthesise what I have learnt about the role of the TL, I envisage a much altered view. The role of the TL is one of leadership, collaboration and professional responsibility for the implementation of meaningful learning experiences using cutting edge technology. It is revealed that teacher librarians have a global perspective of their school and the potential to liaise at all levels to bring about positive change in the way students within the school learn.

My Situation

The school I work in does not have an IL policy. There are some signs hanging in the library displaying the headings of the NSW DET  Model but it has never been discussed. I believe that it's imperative for a school to have an IL policy but I wouldn't recommend the NSW Model as a good example of one. I doesn't specifically reflect the students' preferred learning styles, social networking or evolving digital technologies. The Big6 or Guided Inquiry would be better models to consider as the basis for the policy as they require TL/teacher collaboration as well as the issues mentioned previously.
There are so many gaps in the IL approach at my school I barely know where to begin. Three months ago I didn't know there were any gaps! Web 2.0 tools have not been implemented in any of the teaching and learning activities. There is no TL/teacher collaboration or team team teaching. Students receive 30 minutes "research time" in the library weekly and this forms part of class teachers' RFF. What goes on in those lessons is probably best described as secret librarian's business. There are no digital resources but there are 6 computers linked to the inter- and intranet. This, obviously, is inadequate to conduct a Guided Inquiry unit even if there was sufficient time.
Lots of work to be done here!
A transliteracy approach would expand the role of the TL in several ways.
1. Liaison with IT staff would provide more computers with internet access in the library.
2. Collaboration with teachers would ensure integration of Web 2.0 skills through implementation of the curriculum, providing a meaningful environment for students to learn in.
But what do you do when the TL is the one who doesn't want to collaborate!

Web 2.0 .... Unexplained

Web 2.0. I had seen this written before but had not paid much attention. It was mentioned in detail in Scheffer's (2008) article about Guided Inquiry (GI) at Caddies Creek Public School. I thought it must be a computer program or application that you could buy which presented all the tools one required to set up such a unit. So I googled it. I was disappointed to find that it was neither of these things. It isn't something one can buy but a series of online opportunities for sharing information. I then found a site called Library 2.0 (it's American) and joined it but I think I'm in over my head and need to find something a bit more basic. What has become obvious is that the IT people in a primary school really need to also be trained in these tools to assist TLs and class teachers, particularly where there are a high percentage of teachers who have not grown up with digital technology. There is also a site called Class 2.0... Still not much help. I have bookmarked a report by the Victorian Department of Education into Web 2.0 to read and hope that it will shed some illumination. I am on the steep learning curve.

Guided Inquiry

Guided Inquiry (GI) brings together the best of Kulthau's Information Search Process (ISP) and the constructivist approach to learning.It emphasises the dynamic role that the Teacher Librarian (TL) must embrace. That of collaborator, resource specialist and information literacy (IL) teacher. Conducted properly, GI provides students with the opportunity to continually develop IL in the context of the curriculum. I think the team which can achieve this would include a TL trained in the implementation of GI, a teacher plus, ideally, a literacy support teacher. All would have a valuable contribution to the planning of a unit of work which reflected the different learning styles of students and the Quality Teaching Framework. The GI unit trialled at Cadies Creek Public Shool was quite inspiring. The use of the Skinny Assessment tool, adapted from the School Impact Library Measure (SLIM) presented the teachers with a wealth of information about how the students were learning and how they were feeling about it. They reflected well the emotions identified by Kuhlthau. I would love to trial GI with a view to it being adopted as best practice at my school. First things first - TL should locate a relevant GI training course to attend! Then initial challenge would be for the TL to convince the principal of the improvement in student outcomes should GI be put into practice. Great changes, plus an increased budget would need to be realised to allow time for TL/teacher collaboration and extra computers for the library. I would use the details of SLIM to help persuade the principal of the feedback regarding staff and students that would result. The obvious advantages would be the increased knowledge students would possess about how they learn, a more efficient use of the TL and the resources of the library. Reliable data about the positive impact the library program had on educational outcomes would be readily available and would assist the TL in determining and obtaining an increased budget. Teachers would be up skilled as a result of collaboration with a TL trained in GI. Possible connections with other schools and the use of Web 2.0 would also ensure students were learning in their preferred mode in the 21st century - by sharing and discussing online. There would be difficulties with the setting up of such a program on a primary school. In my school, and I imagine many primary schools, the entire library timetable and school RFF timetable would have to be collapsed and reworked so that time in the library was no longer RFF but team teaching. Extra RFF would need to be found in other programs. Time off class for teachers to collaborate with the TL would need to be organised and allowed for in the budget.Teams would need to be carefully structured to allow for reluctant teachers to be paired with those more enthusiastic about GI. Information literacy is the core business of TLs. Guided Inquiry would be a great way to enure that this was so.

Learning Technology - A User's Perspective

Dewey's (1944) declaration that change is constant, is everywhere and is therefore the function of education is as relevant today as it was when he wrote it. In light of the rapid rate of change in technology, how to learn from it and with it becomes paramount. As constructivists do we use our prior knowledge and experience in one form of technology to predict outcomes in others? There is certainly a large amount of confusion, anxiety and uncertainty when we experience a massive influx of new technology. Prior knowledge also becomes the basis for transference. We don't learn in isolation but are dependent on using acquired knowledge and skills in later situations. Dewey's phases of reflective thinking bring us back again to meta cognition. I can see how his five phases can easily be overlayed onto five steps of information literacy. Phase 1 - suggestion - is when we're confronted with a problem. Phase 2 - intellectualization - is looking at available sources of information for possible answers including prior knowledge. Phase 3 - the guiding idea - is deciding which information will be useful. Phase 4 - reasoning - is collecting the appropriate information and Phase 5 - testing by action - is using this information to solve the problem. Prior knowledge and experience gives us the ability to make predictions about unknown situations and to anticipate the possible outcomes. Kelly (1963) called this the Personal Construct Theory and considered it to be an "endless opportunity for change". To continue the example of developing technology, Kelly was correct when he stated that the threatening effect of the unknown was a natural part of the constructive process. Aren't I glad to hear that!

Some Views

Kuhlthau's writings are based on research completed in schools and identifies the emotions related to the different information literacy skills that students worked through to complete an assignment.While this is helpful on a level of understanding the learning environment it reveals one of the obstacles the TL should be aware of when collaborating with teachers and working with students. As I read through the range of emotions identified by Kuhlthau I realise that they describe perfectly the emotions I have progressed through since beginning this course earlier this year. The emotions are the same, despite the age of the learner! I'm not sure that it helped me complete better research, though. At this point I'd describe information literacy as a set of skills needed to work through a defined process but I reserve the right to change my mind. The NSW Model is straightforward and the six steps are logical but I prefer the Big6 skills, each with its set of two sub skills. This is a much more detailed structure and can be easily adapted to include technology skills at any stage of the process. Many of the other models contain more than 6 steps or skills and Because of this I think they become u unwieldy and too complex for students to keep track of. I agree with Herring (2006) that digital literacy skills are not instead of, or in addition to, information literacy.This is where the Big6 meets our needs. We need to teach students to view all information, whether it's in a book or on a website, with a critical eye. It comes back to teaching students how to think about the task at hand and how to use the tools available. The research project involving Yr 9 students who were issued with the PLUS booklet yielded some interesting results. While they mentioned that the TL was freed up to work with students with differing learning styles, what of the students who have not mastered literacy skills? The two are co-dependent. I would like to read about a research project conducted in a primary school using any of the models to note how the huge difference in literacy skills is catered for.