The convergence of literacies in the 21st Century

Blog Post #2

Over the course of study, my understanding of the capacity of the Teacher Librarian (TL) has widened alarmingly. I have become engrossed, inspired and at times completely overwhelmed at the possibilities that lie ahead of me in my future as a TL. One of the areas that I perceive as most challenging is that of the emergence of new literacies, or 'transliteracy' (Ipri, 2010). A TL should have a firm grasp on the use of technology and curating a digital and interactive collection.  It is my understanding that a Teacher Librarian has to be the innovator in a learning environment if they wish to remain relevant, and that they must challenge the perception of the library so a school community can move forward into the future. The modern library environment is one where traditional reference texts and print are no longer the resources that we come to rely on to gain information.

Literacy is evolving quickly, and it is imperative that a TL works with students and teachers to act as 'catalysts for change in a new, information-rich culture' (Lorenzo, 2007) The implications of this evolution of sorts is that the TL must be the kind of student that they wish to teach. In my reading and preparation for my assignments, I am comparing aspic

ts of inquiry-based learning, and find myself mirroring behaviour that I would like to see in my classroom and library environment. I would hope that I model 'innovative thinking and inquiry' (Lamb, 2011) to the adolescents that I teach. A student with sound 'Information Literacy' not only has a good grasp of the content, but they have skills to problem-solve, to relate to peers, to evaluate and assess, to think critically and to navigate through a complex digital environment to gain the information that they seek. 

21st Century developments have meant that the digital environment is far more prominent as a medium for research and publishing. Teacher Librarians are advocates for good 'digital citizens', those students who have 'a day-to-day skill set, social responsibility, beyond basic skills, and encoding and decoding skills'. (Waters, 2012)  The learners of today are far more connected to the digital environment, with the prevalence of tablets, one-to-one laptop programs and the ever-burgeoning smart phone, 'digital natives' are overwhelmed with complex information at a rapid rates. A TL needs to use this to develop their collection and teaching practice accordingly. They need to recognise that the learning landscape is one that is interactive, multilayered and no longer confined to the physical space of the library-it moves in and out of the digital environment at any given time. Student outcomes are at the forefront of every schools' priority, and "school libraries that adapt to the digital needs of their students not only continue to build a reading culture in the school, but provide the materials for motivation, differentiation, collaboration and connections necessary for 21st Century learning." (O'Connell, 2012) 

The convergence of literacies in the learning environment means greater communication is enabled. Staff can collaborate with the TL and each other more readily with a flexible team approach. Students can be connected to their classes using microblogging tools such as Edmodo to collaborate with peers and maintain their research and information collection using Endnote. Teacher Librarians curate the online presence of the library, giving them the perfect opportunity to model proficiency in these emerging literacies. Managing the collection is no longer as simple as cataloguing printed text. A 'proactive librarian integrate and interacts' (Lorenzo, 2007)

References

Ipri, T. (2010) Introducing Transliteracy. College & Research Libraries              

                News 71(10), 532-567

Lamb, A. (2011). Bursting with Potential: Mixing a Media Specialist's Palette. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 55(4), 27-36.

Lorenzo, G. (2007) Catalysts for Change: Information Fluency, Web 2.0,    

            Library 2.0 and the New Education Culture. Clarence Center, NY: 

            Lorenzo Associates Inc., March

O'Connell, J. (2012) Change has arrived at an iSchool library near you, in P. 

           Goodwin & J. Parker (Ed.) Information literacy beyond Library 2.0. 

          London:Facet Publishing, UK

Waters, J.K. (2012). Turning students into good digital citizens. THE Journal, 9 April. Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/Articles/2012/04/09/Rethinking-digital-citizenship.aspx