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