PART C: CRITICAL SYNTHESIS

My initial perception of a teacher librarian was quite traditional and narrow, instilled through limited interactions with teacher librarians and no professional reading in this area.

Within the first few readings about the role of the teacher librarian, my views were being extended and challenged and my understanding of the dynamic nature of this role began to evolve. I have moved from little appreciation and no understanding of the facets involved to a deeper, more comprehensive perception, shaped by readings, forum posts and assignment preparation. I now understand what a wide-ranging impact the teacher librarian can exert on the school community.

Readings which have had the greatest impact in terms of my understanding and professional practice relate to the concepts of collaborative teaching, the definition of an information literate school community and its creation, the variety of information skills models available, the ALIA/ASLA standards, the effect of principal support and collectively, how all of these aspects impact on student learning outcomes.

In Learning for the future: Developing Information Services in Schools (ASLA/ALIA, 2001), teacher librarians are described as curriculum leaders, information specialists and information service managers. In tandem with the implementation of the twelve standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians (ALIA/ASLA, 2004), the teacher librarian is in a position of great influence and responsibility to provide leadership in policy making, collaborative planning and teaching. Lonsdale (2003) reports that higher student achievement is gained through the provision of an adequately funded, staffed and resourced library and that other factors influencing student achievement are a strong computer network that provide links between home and school, an appropriate collection and a strong collaborative program which influences this collection development and the teaching of information literacy skills- skills which with practice and support will become transferable. Readings such as these have impressed upon me the responsibility of the teacher librarian to provide all the requirements – physical, intellectual and emotional to establish a quality service. However I have also learnt that one individual cannot accomplish these ideals alone and that the creation of an information literate community needs input from many key players.

The concept of collaboration between class teachers and the teacher librarian has also impacted my knowledge. Literature by Todd (2008), Lange, Montgomery and Magee (2003) and Gibbs (2003) has reinforced my understanding of the critical importance of collaboration and I now realise that the teacher librarian must work in conjunction with classroom teachers for deep understanding and relevant information and problem solving skills to be acquired by students. I have expanded on these ideas in my blog - April 17, 2010. Collaboration in information skill sessions needs to be planned and scheduled in with relevant research tasks so that students have a sense of purpose during their research sessions in the library.
Otherwise, a library run in isolation simply becomes a depository of resources with a limited depth of engagement for users.

Reading about the various information skills models was a positive learning experience because through the required readings and posts to the forum, I began to synthesize my own notions about which information model could best be utilized in the school that I am in (Dunn, 2010). I came to the conclusion that having professional knowledge of the major models would be useful in terms of sometimes needing to incorporate different models to best suit the group before me. As many of the models are similar in the process and procedure of steps, I feel that the aims are the same and so sometimes may interchange models. Kuhlthaus’ attention to the affective realm also appealed as it reinforces the need to educate the whole child. Wolf (2006) comments on the shift in feelings that Kuhlthau identified as the learner vacillates between indecision to confidence in the research process. Knowing the theory behind the emotions has increased my awareness of how the research process affects people and now, as I have prepared for several assignments, I too have identified with these emotions. As a teacher librarian, this will inform my practice by making me more aware of different levels of support needed by students and teachers and also allowing time and gauging how much support and information is needed by different library users.

Finally I have come to realise and appreciate the importance of a supportive principal in enabling the teacher librarian to have the adequate resources of funding, budget, staffing and a flexible timetable to facilitate the implementation of an exemplary service, thus making possible the creation of a genuine information literate community.

A motivating factor in becoming a teacher is often the desire to help others as well as wanting to ‘make a difference’. The teacher librarian role aligns with this and combined with the specific skills which a trained teacher librarian brings to the role, has the potential to impact favourably on student learning outcomes and establish motivation to pursue life long learning.


REFERENCES

Australian School Library Association & Australian Library and Information Association. (2001). Learning for the future: Developing information services in schools (2nd ed.). Carlton, South Victoria: Curriculum Corporation.

Australian School Library Association (ASLA) and Australian Library and Information
Association (ALIA). (2004). Standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians. Retrieved from http://www.asla.org/policy/standards.htm

Dunn, J. (2010, April 7). ETL401: Topic 4: Information literacy. Message posted to http://janalithobooks.blogspot.com

Dunn, J. (2010, April 17). ETL401: Topic 5: Collaborative Practice. Message posted to http://janalithobooks.blogspot.com

Gibbs, R. (2003). Reframing the role of the teacher-librarian: the case for collaboration and flexibility. Scan, 22(3), 4-7.

Lange, B., Montgomery,S. & Magee, N. (2003). Does collaboration boost student learning? School Library Journal, 49(6), 4-5.

Lonsdale, M. (2003). Lonsdale, M. (2003). Impact of school libraries on student achievement: a review of the research, Report for the Australian School Library Association, Australian Council for Educational Research, p. iv. Camberwell, Victoria.

Todd, R.J. (2008). The dynamics of classroom teacher and teacher librarian instructional collaborations. Scan, 27(20, 19-28.

Wolf, S. (2003). The Big Six information skills as a metacognitive scaffold: a case study.
American Association of School Librarians, 6(27), 1-13. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/ala/divs/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/slmrb/slmrcontents/volume62003bigsixinformation.cfm