Library, Easterhouse Campus, John Wheatley College by Jisc infoNet Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic License
In ETL 401 Teacher Librarianship I was intrigued by Herring’s (2007) assertion that school libraries must dispel the notion they are resource centres and be seen as learning centres. I remember thinking, “What’s in a name?” I have gradually understood this notion, and my visits to libraries for ETL 507 Professional Experience/Portfolio reinforced the incredible impact that flexible learning and working spaces make to the way libraries are used. These visits helped me understand the importance of the learning environment. For example the University of NSW’s library had light, spacious working environments that ranged from quiet study nooks to vibrant discussion rooms. They clearly benefited student use of, and learning within, the library. I have learned that aesthetic appeal and physical comfort are not trivial concerns. This view is echoed in the School Library Association of Australia’s advocacy statement (2008) where it’s specified that the Teacher Librarian (TL) should “ensure that the library resource centre is multi-functional” and provides “a friendly learning environment in which students feel … their information needs will be addressed”.
ETL 401 also opened my eyes to how a TL can support staff, as previously I saw the role as being predominantly for students. I agree with Fullan (1999, p. 33) that teachers often teach in isolation, and that collaborative efforts are often isolated to a faculty or year level and short lived. Therefore as a TL I will aim to provide support (space, time, information resources) and a well resourced environment conducive to staff collaboration on common goals. The neutral territory of the library is an additional benefit. Fostering such a professional learning environment encourages staff to value collaboration, reflection, and continued learning. Lofty goals, but this course is teaching me to aim high. Collaboration efforts take time, principal support, and teachers willing to be involved (Todd, 2008, p. 20) so the three ways a TL can gain respect I discussed in Teacher Librarian As Leader become imperative for establishing effective learning environments.
I have never fully engaged in constructivist methods of teaching in my career, and have not previously had their importance in developing effective learning environments for students as clearly emphasised as in ETL 401. I am particularly interested in the focus on teaching students to learn how to learn in Kuhlthau’s (2010, p. 18) guided inquiry approach. Kuhlthau was a revelation for me. I am now making the shift to more project based tasks that focus on questions or challenges, and see the role of TL as far more active. Herring (2007, p. 28) reinforced that as a TL it will be part of my role to pass on this learning and work with teachers to develop constructivist learning opportunities that create challenging learning environments for students in which deep learning can take place. In ETL 501 Information Environment it was emphasised that this involves the TL providing students with relevant resources and learning scaffolds with a clear understanding of what students learn, how they learn it, and what strategies will be most effective (Kennedy, 2006, p. 14).
ETL 501 Information Environment helped me understand the importance of a TL going beyond the physical environment of the library and creating an accessible, practical, online learning environment. I am particularly interested in how the TL having a strong online presence can engage the whole school community in student learning. For example making a wiki pathfinder, which I got to practise doing in ETL 501, gives staff, parents, students, and, potentially, a global audience access to student learning environments. This access can help them support, engage, and assist students. Valenza (2007) pointed out that an added bonus of this is that pathfinders can showcase the efforts of the TL; important in this era of TLs being challenged to validate their role in student learning.
Electronic pathfinders are just one possible way to get students engaged in the active learning environments I learned about in ETL 503 Resourcing The Curriculum. It allows for the access to information in a managed environment, information resources, and the dialogue between the learner and activity described by Wall & Ryan (2010, p. 2). I hadn’t previously thought much about managing information resources, but Wall & Ryan (2010, p. 20) got me thinking about how I should be more active and ensuring the resources made available to students are more appropriate to their age, needs, learning styles, and the context. Their ‘Resources For Learning’ chapter made me realise there is a lot more I could be doing to manage the information environments in which students learn.
References
Fullan, M. (1999). Chapter 3- The deep meaning of inside collaboration. In Change forces- The sequel, (pp.31-41).
Herring, J. (2007). Teacher librarians and the school library. In S. Ferguson (Ed.) Libraries in the twenty-first century : charting new directions in information (pp.27-42).
Kennedy, J. (2006). Collection Management: A concise introduction. (revised ed.). Centre For Information Studies: New South Wales.
Kuhlthau, C. K. (2010). Building Guided Inquiry Teams for 21st-Century Learners. School Library Monthly, 26(5), 18.
SLASA. (2008). SLASA Teacher Librarian Role Statement. Retrieved from http://www.slasa.asn.au/Advocacy/rolestatement.html
Todd, R. J. (2008). The dynamics of classroom teacher and teacher librarian instructional collaborations. Scan, 27(2), 19-28.
Valenza, J. (2007). Ten reasons why your next pathfinder should be a wiki. In School Library Journal. Retrieved from blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/neverendingsearch/2007/06/20/ten-reasons-why-your-next-pathfinder-should-be-a-wiki/
Wall, J. & Ryan, S. (2010). Resourcing for curriculum innovation: Learning in a changing world. ACER Press: Melbourne.
Teacher Librarian Journey 