Critical Synthesis

To suggest that my view of the role of the teacher librarian has changed through my engagement with ETL401 is a gargantuan understatement. My view has changed from assumption to understanding through my engagement with the modules, literature, forum and my blog. The Standards (ASLA/ALIA, 2004) in particular were very useful as I have learnt that there is more to being a teacher librarian than I first thought. These views include roles and responsibilities, the leadership role in information literacy, involvement in committees, the use of Standards to guide professional practice and as a framework for my professional learning, drawing upon productive pedagogies and quality teaching in order to improve learning outcomes, and how the support from my principal is integral in my role.

Through the modules I worked through content which was very informative and provided pertinent examples which I could directly relate to my professional practice. For example, how all specialists need support from the culture of the school and from the administrators who are responsible for the school, especially the principal (R. Crotty, personal communication, February 24, 2010). Literature provided multiple viewpoints and examples from a variety of school library settlings in addition to evidence to support theory. For example, Hartzell’s (2002) discussion of how a principal’s support is integral though budgeting, timetabling and encouraging collaboration. From this I am able to appreciate how teacher librarians gain support and cater their library and library programs to the needs of their school community.

I feel that the forum was a key communicative tool which enabled me to relate my thoughts, feelings and ideas using common language and experiences with my peers. This is evident in my blog postings about the forum dialogue (e.g. My thoughts on a forum post from my peer, March 23). I used my blog as an opportunity to synthesise my new knowledge with existing knowledge and experiences (e.g. critical comparison between my experiences and a forum poster, March 26). My blog became a powerful indicator of how my view of the role of the teacher librarian has changed during the subject.

My beginning thoughts described a teacher librarian as “a teacher and a librarian playing a key role in implementing the curriculum and managing the schools resources. The TL also collaborates with staff, executives and the school community in teaching information literacy in the library. This means integrating IL in library lessons which are collaboratively programmed with classroom teachers” (What is a TL???? What do they do? February 25). This can be explained by my naïve and limited experiences in my own library and my assumptions were purely based on these experiences. I considered the readings in light of my experiences and therefore was quite selective in the main ideas I took from them. For example, my blog post Similar (March 10) where I discussed the importance of collaboration, communication and facilitation and not leadership from the readings of Hazell (1990), Haycock (1991) and Herring (2007).

My views had changed dramatically when I identified my selective reading behaviour, as indicated in my May 1 post (Another recurring theme….) where I reflected on the leadership rather than sole role or independent role of a TL within the school and in IL. In Assignment one I was heavily penalised (rightfully) for paying so much attention to the collaborative function of the TL role and not the leadership role, which is of key importance. This was clearly indicated in the readings (e.g. Skrzecynski, 1999; Haycock, 1999; Hartzell, 2002) the forums I perused (e.g. Module 2 forum) and in my blog where I discussed the importance of taking on a leadership role (What is the TL role in ILSC and are there obstacles....???, April 13). I was really pre-occupied with collaboration. Reflecting on this, I believe this was because in my school functions in such a collaborative manner that there are no clear leadership roles, besides that of the principal and deputy principal. Investigating the teacher librarian Standards (ASLA/ALIA, 2004) for assignment two clarified the roles and responsibilities and has given me a framework for my professional practice in terms of areas I need to work on and recognition for things I have been doing well.

In my professional practice I’d also just been using the NSW model of IL in my teaching and learning. I’ve learnt about a lot more models (e.g. PLUS, Big6, ISP) and though the literature about IL models (e.g. NSW DET, 2007; Kuhlthau, 2004, Eisenberg, 2004), productive pedagogies and quality teaching (NSW DET, 2003) I understand why I should provide students with options instead of forcing my preference (NSW model) on to them. This really identified to me how I could have a positive effect in my teaching that would enable my students to become lifelong learners.

Throughout this course, I have gone through many highs and lows as I have attempted to juggle my learning with my career and family life. However, I really feel like I am just beginning this extraordinary journey of becoming an excellent teacher librarian. As an end note, the greatest influence on me and my knew knowledge is a quote from E.M. Gray from the Covey (1989) reading which I reflected on in my blog, "the successful person has the habit of doing the things failures don't like to do" (p.148) and "they don't like doing them either necessarily. But their disliking is subordinated to the strength of their purpose". This quote both guides and motivates me through in my roles and responsibilities as a teacher librarian and in my life as a whole.

References

Australian School Library Association [ASLA] and Australian Library and Information Association [ALIA] (2004). Library standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians. Retrieved May 2, 2010 from http://www.asla.org.au/policy/standards.htm.

Covey, S.R. (1989). The seven habits of highly effective people: Restoring the character ethic (p. 145-164). NY: Simon and Schuster.

Eisenberg, M. (2004). Information literacy: essential skills for the information age [electronic resource]. Westport, Conn: Libraries Unlimited.

Hazell, A. (1990). School library and information services in Australia. In M. Nimon & A. Hazell (Eds.). Promoting learning: challenges in teacher librarianship (pp. 17-22). Adelaide: Auslib Press.

Hartzell, G. (2002). Why should principals support school libraries? Retrieved April 19, 2010 from http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-3/libraries.htm.

Haycock, C. (1991). Resource-based learning: a shift in the roles of the teacher, learner. NASSP Bulletin, 75(535), p.15-22.

Haycock, C. (1999). Fostering collaboration, leadership and information literacy: Common behaviours of uncommon principals and faculties. NASSP Bulletin, 83(605), p. 82-87.

Herring, J.E. (2007). Teacher librarians and the school library [electronic resource]. In S. Ferguson (Ed.) Libraries in the twenty-first century: charting new directions in information (pp. 27-42). Wagga Wagga, NSW: Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University.

Kuhlthau, C. C. (2004) Seeking Meaning: a Process Approach to Library and Information Services [electronic resource]. Norwood, N.J.: Ablex Publishing Corp.

NSW DET (2003). Quality teaching in NSW public schools: a classroom practice guide. Ryde: NSW DET.

NSW DET School Libraries and Information Literacy Unit (2007). Information skills in the school: engaging learners in constructing knowledge. Sydney: NSW DET.

Skrzeczynski, C. (1999). Breaking the barriers: Sculpturing an information literate school community. In Henri, J. & Bonanno, K. (Eds.). The information literate school community: Best practice (p.241-258). Wagga Wagga, NSW: Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University.