Some questions I have pondered from Topic 3....
What is an appropriate role for the TL in curriculum development?
So far in my learning I have discovered the vital role that a TL can/should be playing in a school in terms of providing the necessary support and assistance in creating a resource based learning environment. Therefore, based on this, I feel that a TL should definitely be playing a role within curriculum development. In their role of ‘media specialist’, their expertise and their knowledge of resources available should be the starting point when beginning to plan new units of work.
What benefits can a school obtain from the active involvement of the TL in curriculum development?
The school can benefit greatly from active involvement from the TL. In terms of a resource based learning model, Campbell et al (2002) outlines the success of a unit that had been planned by both the class teacher and the TL, as opposed to the very much teacher directed unit that was also discussed. As a teacher, I know which unit sounds preferable to plan and teach – the one with the more active student involvement where the students are engaged and learning about something they are really interested in.
Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) supports inquiry based learning. Inquiry learning and planning can only be enhanced with input from a qualified TL. A TL can bring skills that may not otherwise be available.
Should a principal expect teachers would plan units of work with the TL?
Yes, I think that a principal should expect and encourage collaboration within his/her staff. Relating to VELS and inquiry learning again, when planning a scope and sequence for this, the TL should definitely be involved. Apart from any other factors, the TL needs to be ‘in the loop’ in order to ensure that there are appropriate resources available. Also, the inquiry model aims to support students in becoming autonomous learners, which, in my understanding, is what resource based learning is about. Therefore, who better to collaborate with than the TL?
How are students disadvantaged in schools that exclude the teacher librarian from curriculum development?
Students can be disadvantaged in many ways. If the TL is not involved in collaboration, then the TL may not be ‘seen’ by the school community. The library itself will be seen by students as ‘the place where the books are stored’ (a view that the students at my school hold I am sure), rather than the exciting learning hub that it can be. The teachers themselves could miss out on a wealth of knowledge which no doubt would be beneficial to the students they are teaching. Readings I have completed so far have shown evidence of increased student achievement when the TL is actively involved in curriculum development.
It just seems to me to be common sense that if a school is lucky enough to have a fully qualified TL on staff that they should utilise this ‘human resource’ to his/her fullest potential!
Campbell, L., Flageolle, P., Griffith, S., & Wojcik, C. (2002). Resource-based learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. (Wiki-based version of the original publication by Association for Educational Communications and Technology).
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Topic 2 - The role of the teacher librarian
This topic was a real eye opener for me. To be honest, before I started this course, I had a fairly narrow view of a TL’s role. In my career I have worked in 2 schools, neither of which have had a qualified TL on staff (as I mentioned in my last post). As far as I can tell, both people who were in charge of these libraries have seen their role purely as a collection management one. In the case of the first school I worked in, the staff member in question was a qualified teacher and so was also in charge of teaching some primary library lessons. The school I currently teach in is staffed by someone without qualifications in either teaching or librarianship, so it is all about collection management. In my reading, a quote from Dianne Oberg (2006) caught my eye; ‘teacher librarians need to hold both teacher and librarianship qualifications to be effective.’ This summed it up for me in terms of my professional experience so far.
The readings I have done, particularly in this topic, have shown me what a TL can do and how it can benefit the school. Hartzell (2002) says that ‘one great barrier to full library utilization is a lack of faculty awareness of what the library and librarian have to offer. Exposure to and experience working with effective school librarians is a first step in correcting that deficiency.’ This rings true for me as I have not worked with a TL and through my readings I am building up a picture of how an effective TL could enhance my teaching and my students learning. It has also shown me how much more emphasis I need to place on teaching my students IL skills. This is something I intend to tackle this term.
One of the questions posed to us in this module was ‘How do principals ‘stack up’ against this’ (articles relating to principal support of the library.) As I read and pondered this, I first thought that I had nothing to compare it with as neither school had an effective library, so they couldn’t be compared to other principals who do support the library and its programs. Neither staff member in charge of the libraries show/showed any leadership and neither were interested in setting up a library program that would enhance and encourage collaborative planning and learning. However, as I kept reading, Hartzell (2002) gave me something to turn my thinking on its head. He said that schools should ‘hire high-quality, forward-looking, energetic, innovative librarians’. Does this then mean that these 2 principals have failed in the role to promote an ILSC because they did not hire such people? Or, does it mean that neither principal have been exposed to a qualified TL and so are unaware of the benefits that they can bring to a school. Through my readings, I have discovered that many of these articles that promote the roles of TL’s are not published in journals that might be read by the administrators of a school. Therefore, how are they to find out what a TL can do and how they can enhance their school if they have not been exposed to a TL and the knowledge that he/she possesses?
As I continue through this course, I will do my best to show my current principal what a trained TL can do. Perhaps I can help to set our little school on the path to becoming an Information Literate School Community!
Hartzell, G. (2002). Why should principals support school libraries? ERIC Digest, November(EDO-IR-2002-06).
Oberg, D. (2006). Developing the respect and support of school administrators. Teacher Librarian, 33(3), 13-18
The readings I have done, particularly in this topic, have shown me what a TL can do and how it can benefit the school. Hartzell (2002) says that ‘one great barrier to full library utilization is a lack of faculty awareness of what the library and librarian have to offer. Exposure to and experience working with effective school librarians is a first step in correcting that deficiency.’ This rings true for me as I have not worked with a TL and through my readings I am building up a picture of how an effective TL could enhance my teaching and my students learning. It has also shown me how much more emphasis I need to place on teaching my students IL skills. This is something I intend to tackle this term.
One of the questions posed to us in this module was ‘How do principals ‘stack up’ against this’ (articles relating to principal support of the library.) As I read and pondered this, I first thought that I had nothing to compare it with as neither school had an effective library, so they couldn’t be compared to other principals who do support the library and its programs. Neither staff member in charge of the libraries show/showed any leadership and neither were interested in setting up a library program that would enhance and encourage collaborative planning and learning. However, as I kept reading, Hartzell (2002) gave me something to turn my thinking on its head. He said that schools should ‘hire high-quality, forward-looking, energetic, innovative librarians’. Does this then mean that these 2 principals have failed in the role to promote an ILSC because they did not hire such people? Or, does it mean that neither principal have been exposed to a qualified TL and so are unaware of the benefits that they can bring to a school. Through my readings, I have discovered that many of these articles that promote the roles of TL’s are not published in journals that might be read by the administrators of a school. Therefore, how are they to find out what a TL can do and how they can enhance their school if they have not been exposed to a TL and the knowledge that he/she possesses?
As I continue through this course, I will do my best to show my current principal what a trained TL can do. Perhaps I can help to set our little school on the path to becoming an Information Literate School Community!
Hartzell, G. (2002). Why should principals support school libraries? ERIC Digest, November(EDO-IR-2002-06).
Oberg, D. (2006). Developing the respect and support of school administrators. Teacher Librarian, 33(3), 13-18
Monday, April 6, 2009
TOPIC 1 - RBL vs RBT
Ok, I have finally made it...it seems like an age since I set this up. I have been busy reading and familiarising myself with the RBL model as outlined in topic one. Here are some of my thoughts...
* Do I think that resource based learning (RBL) is is a viable model of learning?
- I think that to a certain extent it is a viable model. A lot depends on the teaching staff and the resources that are available. For example a small school (such as the one I teach in) may not have the same access to resources as a larger school may have. Also, they may not have access to a teacher librarian (TL) who can help to facilitate this method of teaching.
It is difficult to get the RBL model right and as outlined in the Haycock article, RBL is often being used interchangably with resource based teaching (RBT) which are two different concepts, hence the confusion surrounding what RBL actually is.
Teachers have been trained to teach using the 'front and centre/ chalk and talk' method of teaching. It is a big shift in beliefs for many to begin teaching to a RBL model, particularly if they have limited support.
Teachers have to be accountable for what their students do or do not learn. We (teachers) have to be able to report on student learning and it (RBL method) can be confronting when it comes to assessment, especially if it has not been done properly. When the teacher is no longer the central focal point, it can be a concern that the students are not learning. However, this is where the role of the TL becomes vital. A TL can assist and guide the teacher to provide a method of teaching in which RBL is at the core. The TL can also assist with how to maintain assesment goals etc.
Reading back though this answer, it is clear to me...and no doubt anyone else reading...that my background is a classroom teacher, not a TL. I do find the idea of a RBL model confronting, but exciting at the same time. I hope that as I continue on this journey, I will feel more confident to help facilitate a RBL model of teaching.
*Has the advent of new technologies, and in particular the Internet, changed the nature of RBL?
The internet, in my experience, has been more a part of the RBT model. Often, children seem to think that everyting they need is on Google and are reluctant to look elsewhere. I realise that this is part of the teacher's responsibility, but a TL can be invaluable in this instance. Many teachers may be unsure themselves on how to effectively locate information using the net. The TL can help to guide both the teachers and students through the 'google overload'!
I have not been lucky enough to work in a school where we have had a fully qualified TL, but through the readings I have completed so far, I can see how important the role of the TL is and will continue to be as we move through the 21st century.
* Do I think that resource based learning (RBL) is is a viable model of learning?
- I think that to a certain extent it is a viable model. A lot depends on the teaching staff and the resources that are available. For example a small school (such as the one I teach in) may not have the same access to resources as a larger school may have. Also, they may not have access to a teacher librarian (TL) who can help to facilitate this method of teaching.
It is difficult to get the RBL model right and as outlined in the Haycock article, RBL is often being used interchangably with resource based teaching (RBT) which are two different concepts, hence the confusion surrounding what RBL actually is.
Teachers have been trained to teach using the 'front and centre/ chalk and talk' method of teaching. It is a big shift in beliefs for many to begin teaching to a RBL model, particularly if they have limited support.
Teachers have to be accountable for what their students do or do not learn. We (teachers) have to be able to report on student learning and it (RBL method) can be confronting when it comes to assessment, especially if it has not been done properly. When the teacher is no longer the central focal point, it can be a concern that the students are not learning. However, this is where the role of the TL becomes vital. A TL can assist and guide the teacher to provide a method of teaching in which RBL is at the core. The TL can also assist with how to maintain assesment goals etc.
Reading back though this answer, it is clear to me...and no doubt anyone else reading...that my background is a classroom teacher, not a TL. I do find the idea of a RBL model confronting, but exciting at the same time. I hope that as I continue on this journey, I will feel more confident to help facilitate a RBL model of teaching.
*Has the advent of new technologies, and in particular the Internet, changed the nature of RBL?
The internet, in my experience, has been more a part of the RBT model. Often, children seem to think that everyting they need is on Google and are reluctant to look elsewhere. I realise that this is part of the teacher's responsibility, but a TL can be invaluable in this instance. Many teachers may be unsure themselves on how to effectively locate information using the net. The TL can help to guide both the teachers and students through the 'google overload'!
I have not been lucky enough to work in a school where we have had a fully qualified TL, but through the readings I have completed so far, I can see how important the role of the TL is and will continue to be as we move through the 21st century.
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