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.
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