CT and PD

Professional development may also be useful in uniting staff to a shared commitment to creating an information literate school community. By undergoing professional devlopment related to information literacy, technology, collaborative planning and teaching and resource-based learning teachers can upskill or refresh knowledge and gain confidence. As Hazell (1990) argues, pre-service teacher training does not provide comprehensive knowledge about or facilitating a resource-based learning approach. The value of information in schools is determined by the way teachers use it because if teaching and learning continues to rely on teacher centred practice there will be less value placed on resources themselves. This means a decreased opportunity for students to look at and evaluate the resources they are exposed to and less chance they will have the opportunity to develop the information skills which enable them to evaluate sources of information which is an essential 21st century skill. As Haycock (1991) argues, resource-based learning enhances teaching and learning and the development of information literacy because it provides the opportunity for students to use information skills. It is not restricted to any key learning area, topic or skill set. It also provides an invaluable opportunity for collaborative planning, programming and teaching partnerships between teacher librarians and classroom teachers (Haycock, 1991).