Professional+Practice

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// Excellent teacher librarians… // // 2.1 Engage and challenge learners within a supportive, information rich learning environment // // 2.2 Collaboratively plan and resource curriculum programs which incorporate transferable information literacy and literature outcomes // // 2.3 Provide exemplary library and information services consistent with national standards // // 2.4 Evaluate student learning and library programs and services to inform professional practice //

2.1 Learning environment
Excellent teacher librarians: • create and nurture an information-rich learning environment which supports the needs of the school community

‘Collection development is comprised of numerous activities that are dependent upon one another’ (Bishop, 2007 pp. 9). These activities include learning about the collection and it’s users, developing policies and criteria for the acquisition of new materials, purchasing new materials and maintaining the collection (Bishop, 2007 pp. 9). With the introduction of the National Curriculum at the start of 2012 the Teacher-Librarian has a huge role to play in terms of sourcing and providing access to resources identified in the National Curriculum. The English syllabus in particular identifies a number of texts for study that the Teacher-Librarian will need to ensure is available to the teachers and students. This has budgeting implications as the library budget will need to take into account the necessary resources to support the new curriculum. I believe that it is even more important than usual for all Teacher-Librarians to meet with either the head of curriculum or grade teachers to collaboratively plan the development of the collection according to the needs of the teachers and requirements of the National Curriculum. Collection Development at Site 1 and 2, according to their policies, aim to satisfy the needs of the library patrons, cover a range of topics, formats, cultural beliefs, values and viewpoints, whilst considering age appropriateness and value for money (Library Handbook Site 1, 2010), (Library Policies and Procedures Site 2, 2011). The Teacher-Librarians engage in collection development throughout the year through the resourcing of new material, repairing of current resources and some weeding as well as a yearly stocktake. Due to budget restrictions at all SPP sites the Teacher-Librarian’s must make careful decisions in Collection Development. The various library’s budgets are consistent with the findings presented in the Senate Inquiry which discovered that ‘the average school library budget of respondent schools today equates to just $25 per child’ (Education and Employment Committee, 2011 pp. 2). At present both Teacher-Librarians at sites 1 and 2 are very involved in curriculum development at their schools. Site 1 Teacher-Librarian meets with the Head-of-Curriculum and grade level teachers at the beginning of each term to both plan teaching and learning programs and identify resources that need to be gathered in order to support these programs. The Teacher-Librarian at site 2 does this through slightly less structured meetings with just the grade level teachers as the school does not have a specific Head-of-Curriculum. The site 2 Teacher-Librarian at site 2 has, to some degree, taken on the role. ‘Soliciting and gathering input from teachers, administrators, and students can also assist in the selection process’ (Bishop, 2007 pp. 12) and as a result the students’ learning is adequately supported and the budget is utilised effectively. Upon my appointment to the role of Teacher-Librarian I would work to promote the library to both the principal and school community in order for others to see the benefits of a well resourced library. I would begin by exploring the advocacy ideas found at http://schoollibraries2011.wikispaces.com/advocacy+resources+for+teacher+librarians as well as seeking advice through professional networks such as OZ_TL. In addition I believe it is important for me to spend time browsing the library to familiarise myself with the collection initially, as advocated by Bishop (2007 pp. 9). Finally I will seek out the current library policies and work to further develop the policy to ensure it is as current as possible. I am also interested in investigating further web-based resources such as online encyclopaedias and subscription sites such as BrainPop [|www.brainpop.com], and ZooBurst [|www.zooburst.com] in order to provide access for students through the library website.

See Standard 2.3 for information on Collection development in relation to policy

• provide access to information resources through efficient, effective and professionally-managed systems

See Standard 1.4

• foster an environment where learners are encouraged and empowered to read, view, listen and respond for understanding and enjoyment

See Standard 1.2 for information on Information Literacy development

See Standard 1.3 for information on Promotion of Reading

• appreciate the dynamic nature of ICTs and their role in education

See Standard 1.1

Excellent teacher librarians:

• collaborate with teachers to plan and implement information literacy and literature programs that result in positive student learning outcomes The Teacher-Librarian at Site 1 plays a large role in the collaborative development of the Information Literacy program within the school. In 2004 the staff, lead by the Teacher-Librarian, developed their own Information Literacy Planning Overview (ILPO) with reference to ASLA documents and the Big 6 model for Guided Inquiry. The Teacher-Librarian uses this Information Literacy program to plan units and lessons. ‘Teacher Librarians clearly have a very important role to play in assisting classroom teachers in schools’ (Education and Employment Committee, 2011 pp. 45). This assistance is best provided through in the whole teaching and learning process. The Teacher-Librarian at Site 1’s role includes assisting teachers to effectively utilise library resources in their classroom teaching through collaboration. The Teacher-Librarian attends each year level’s curriculum planning meetings and contributes to the collaborative planning of classroom units and lessons. She also seeks input from teachers when planning library Information Literacy lessons, for example a group of students learning about Natural Disasters in class were involved in a research task on the same topic in the library. Students highlighted key points in a piece of information and created a mind map using the computer program ‘Inspiration’. Positive and productive partnerships between teachers and teacher-librarian are essential to the collaborative process. Gibson-Langford (2007) believes ‘Teacher-Librarians have to be out there leading our colleagues in cooperative, collaborative program planning.’ The Site 1 Teacher-Librarian engages in informal discussion with colleagues who call in to the library as well as participating in meetings with administration staff, teaching staff and executive staff. The other sites I visited during my SPP collaborated with teaching staff to varying degrees. Only the Teacher-Librarian at Site 1 was involved in specific planning meetings. The Teacher-Librarian at Site 2 and 3 regularly has informal meeting with teaching staff to ensure the library program is supporting classroom activities. The Teacher-Librarians at sites 5 and 6 both struggle to find times to collaborate with teachers due to all parties being very busy. As a result these libraries do not have highly structured library programs. By getting to see such a range of libraries I was able to gain a real appreciation for the importance of collaboration. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">When I am appointed to a Teacher-Librarian role I will strive to collaborate with teachers and develop positive and productive relationships as well as seeking to take on a leadership role in the school as advocated by the Education and Employment Committee in the Senate Inquiry. The Inquiry advocates a move away from being labelled teacher librarians and [towards a] new status as ‘the head of digital learning’ or the ‘head of e-learning’ (Education and Employment Committee, 2011 pp. 56). Information Literacy and ICT Literacy is also discussed in Standard 1.1, Standard 1.2, Standard 2.2 and Standard 2.4

<span style="color: #548dd4; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">• ensure that their programs are responsive to the needs of learners in the school community <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Form my SPP experiences I have been able to see a number of timetabling structures and program designs. At Site 1 a whole-school timetable in which students attend library lessons in years 1, 3, 4 and 6 only has recently been implemented to improve learning outcomes. It was found that due to time constraints deep learning was not being achieved when all classes had lessons. The Teacher Librarian feels that by not 'spreading [themselves] too thin' (Teacher-Librarian interview, Site 1. 2011) students are benefiting from the new program. Sites 2, 3, 6 and 7 are at present employing very structured timetables in which every class in the schools have a library lesson each week. Site 4 employs a very flexible timetable in which classes only have library lessons as requested by the classroom teacher. Upon appointment to the role of teacher-librarian I would like to explore flexible timetabling whilst also ensuring each class has regular contact with the library and the information literacy program. I plan to work with each grade level group of teachers to design information literacy teaching programs for each term that support classroom activities. I also plan to ensure the library timetable contains a number of free sessions that teachers can book into if more lessons are required. As a result of this the library timetable will change each term in order to meet the needs of the school community.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">• <span style="color: #548dd4; font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">support learning and teaching by providing equitable access to professionally-selected resources <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Any educational resource, regardless of format, needs to be carefully evaluated for its place and value in an educational setting. Consequently a determination need to be made of its strengths, weakness, age appropriateness, prior knowledge and skills required and relevance to identify where and when it would be of best use. While skills in evaluating educational resources are essential for all educators they are absolutely vital for a teacher-librarian whose role include sourcing and supplying quality, effective, educational resources for teachers and students to maximise learning outcomes across the entire school community. In addition I believe that we need to discuss our findings, both good and bad, with colleagues in order to foster a strong discussion around resource evaluation and selection increasing not just our knowledge of good resources but also our own evaluative skills. The Learning Place [|http://education.qld.gov.au/][|learningplace] is a fantastic resource for Queensland state teacher offering professionally selected and evaluated resources that are often already linked to learning outcomes. This resource allows teachers and Teacher-Librarians to feel confident that the resources, lessons and programs they are offering their students are of high educational quality.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">• <span style="color: #548dd4; font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">assist individual learners to develop independence in their learning <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Due to their differences all students will approach learning and learning tasks in different ways. Students need to be offered different pathways and entry points during learning opportunities to allow them to achieve learning outcomes in ways that suit their individual needs. ‘Varying the pathways [of learning] will help our unique learners access the same learning goal’ (Kryza et. al, 2009 p. 23). By targeting students varying interests a teacher can also assist students in their learning. This may be achieved by incorporating Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences (Gardner, 1983) into classroom activities.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Technological advancement has altered the landscape of education. It is apparent that ‘having access to computers and Internet connectivity does not ensure that its use will be instructionally beneficial’ (Kinzer, 2010:56). Therefore carefully designed teaching and learning programs which result from educators’ own professional learning and draw upon legitimate educational theory must be introduced into classrooms where 21st century learners are being prepared for their future roles in an increasingly technological world. Information literacy must be specifically developed through activities informed by the technologies impacting on students’ daily lives. ICT such as the Internet (including Web 2.0 tools), tablet computers, video games and portable, hand-held audio-visual devices such as iPods need to be embraced by teachers and carefully understood in order to make effective use of them in the classroom. The development of Web 2.0 including social networking sites, blogs, tagging tools, special interest forums and personal library tools such as Diigo and Del.icio.us can enhance teaching and learning opportunities, provoking student engagement and a sense of ownership and connection to learning. Although new technologies offer great benefits there are negative aspects that educators must consider and incorporate into teaching programs. Students need specific guidance in using Web 2.0 tools in order to protect their personal rights and safety as well as respect the rights and safety of others. A number of web-based resources exist to support teaching and learning programs teaching about safety and privacy including; <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|www.cybersmart.gov.au] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|www.netsmartz.org] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|www.thinkyouknow.org.au]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">• **<span style="color: #548dd4; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">teach the appropriate and relevant use of ICTs and information resources

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">These non-commercial sites, used frequently by Australian police liaison officers in schools, provide reliable material for teachers, parents and students that both up-to-date and reflective of laws.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">See Standard 1.1 for more information on ICT knowledge and experience

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">2.3 Library and information services management
<span style="color: #548dd4; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Excellent teacher librarians: • ensure that the library's policies and procedures implement the school's mission <span style="color: #548dd4; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">• provide exemplary reference and information services to the school community <span style="color: #548dd4; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">• strategically plan and budget for improvement in library and information services and programs <span style="color: #548dd4; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">• apply information management practices and systems that are consistent with national standards

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">In order to ensure consistency between the library and the rest of the school it is essential to align the library’s policies and procedure with those of the whole school. If this alignment exist it is much easier to advocate for the importance of the library and library staff. Both Site’s 1 and 6 have thorough policies and mission statements that reflect the whole school mission and policies. At Site 2 I had the opportunity to co-develop the library mission statement and policies. The Teacher-Librarian and I looked at the school’s mission statement when writing the library’s mission statement. We then moved on to writing role statements for the library staff as well as Collection Development and Collection Management policies. It is essential to develop and use policies as a policy ‘establishes guidelines that can be used to clarify the purpose and philosophy to be reflected in the subsequent activities (Debrowski, 2001 pp. 115). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The library at Site 1 has a well developed set of policies that detail the school and library’s mission and beliefs as well as specific policies on Collection Development, Collection Management, Promotion of Reading and Information Literacy. The Site 1 Library Handbook defines the roles and responsibilities of the Teacher-Librarian to include: managing the library to meet the needs of the school community, being a leader in knowledge management, encouraging resource based learning, collaboratively planning and teaching units with classroom teachers and endorsing and encouraging a love of literature and reading. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The Site 1 Collection Management policy outlines all factors ‘that impinge on the smooth, day-to-day running of the collection process’ (Debrowski, 2001 pp. 116). This includes the roles and responsibilities of all staff and how access will be provided to library resources including electronic equipment. The Site 1 library has a very thorough Collection Development policy which is concerned with ‘choosing good resources for the collection, and in keeping the collection current and viable to meet user needs’ (Debrowski, 2001 pp. 116). The policy focuses on the selection of resources and outlines detailed criteria for selection. However, the Collection Development policy does not address challenged or controversial material. I believe it is essential to have a section in the policy addressing challenged material and will ensure that my future library policies contain information regarding challenged material. Whilst co-developing the policy at site 2 used Debrowski (2001 pp. 133-134) as a guide and feel this will be a useful resource in the future. From my collaboration with the Site 2 Teacher-Librarian we developed the following draft policies;

Site 2 draft policies

This draft will be refined over the school holidays and a final copy will be produced.

<span style="color: #548dd4; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Excellent teacher librarians:

<span style="color: #548dd4; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">• monitor teaching practice to ensure improved learning and teaching • evaluate student learning to provide evidence of progress in information literacy and reading In order for the Information Literacy and ICT Literacy curriculum to be successful accurate and reliable assessment, evaluation and reflection strategies need to be employed. Assessment and evaluation consists of ‘ knowledge gained for improving teaching practice’ (Marcos, 2011 pp. 23) and must be carefully planned if teaching and learning is to be improved. It is essential to reflect on teaching and learning both throughout the teaching process and at the conclusion. The Teacher-Librarian at Site 1 utilised an Information Literacy Program checklist to assess teaching and learning. This checklist was developed at the same time as the Information Literacy Program (ILPO). In my role as a Teacher-Librarian I will work to develop a thorough Information Literacy Program and assessment and evaluation checklists, in collaboration with other teaching staff, to ensure students are provided with high quality Information Literacy education to allow them to become learners ‘who can thrive in a complex information environment’ (AASL, 2007 pp. 2). As with any teaching and learning process I plan to apply the following assessment cycle to my library program. I have developed this model to represent my understanding of the important features of the whole teaching and learning process in response to the countless assessment cycle models available in the professional literature.

Information Literacy and ICT literacy is also discussed in Standard 1.1, Standard 1.2 and Standard 2.2

As well as assessment and reflection strategies I plan to use professional journals and current research to inform my work as a Teacher-Librarian. The Teacher-Librarian at Site 2 subscribes to a number of journals including Magpies and The literature Base. In my future role in the library I plan to subscribe to these journals to ensure I am in touch with current research that may impact on my work.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">• **<span style="color: #548dd4; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">measure library resources, facilities, programs and services against current policies, standards documents and benchmarks
 * • ** use evidence to inform programs and services