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.

The Key Is to Understand

Langford (1998) presents many definitions of the term information literacy and looks at past semantics. I agree with the point that information literacy should be a whole school concern and that currently in many schools the entire burden is being carried by the TL. With a growing curriculum any approaches made to staff to implement any learning model to address this would fall on deaf ears. As many Australian school libraries are not funded according to test results even principals may not be on board due to anticipated problems with reluctant staff and time tabling issues. Langford (1998) also makes a valid point that a lot of roadblock issues which may have been current in the past are disappearing because of the increased use of electronic resources and IWBs. The school is now a much smaller place and with less physical resources the library can be brought into the classroom.

Abilock (2004) details each of the steps of the information Literacy process in terms of students skills, outcomes, curriculum and teaching design. I see this as being an independent process but it is actually the curriculum. Can this material be integrated into each KLA? I agree that meta cognition is the fundamental key to the success of any model designed to teach information literacy. Students must possess the skills to understand how they learn and why they're learning something, to make connections with prior learning and previous experiences with learning.

In Herring's (2007) discussion of the PLUS model it is obvious that it also relies heavily on students possessing the skills of meta cognition as the first question really is 'Why am I reading this?' This model clearly showed the ability to return to a previous step if meaning was lost in the process.

The Big Six

The Big Six Information skills holds great appeal for me because of its organisation and sub- skills under each one. They then can be marked up together easily with the toes of technology skills which the students needed to develop. It also ties in perfectly with a program of teaching comprehension which we have been using at school. The DRTA - direct thinking reading activity uses meta cognition and modelling from teachers to teach students how to learn which complements the big six perfectly. A clear scaffold which can be used across allKLAs is ideal for students and teachers who can use the same language and terms to help students learn how to learn.

TL Leads Information Literacy

I don't suppose I'd ever thought much about the signs relating to the process of information literacy I have seen hanging in the library all these years - defining etc. The TL also never spoke about this process to the staff so I assumed she had it all under control and that it was a "library thing". I can now see that it needs to be a part of literacy instruction which is, of course, the responsibility of all teachers in the school. How can this happen without collaboration and training and technology? These need to play a central role in the planning and teaching of any curriculum. It cannot be achieved during a thirty minute "research" lesson but by a syllabus embedded model working in collaboration with all teachers. I am excited by  the prospect of being able to make a change not only in what students learn but in teaching them how to learn by further investigation of the models for teaching information literacy.