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ASLA Online II: Visions of Learning Abstracts
The presenters and their biographical information are correct as at 31 March 2006. The organisers of ASLA Online II reserve the right to alter or delete this information.
Powerful Practice - abstracts
Mrs Liz Derouet (Resource and Information Services Manager, St Saviour's College, Toowoomba, Australia)
Prior to a career in teacher librarianship Liz was a primary teacher at Ligntning Ridge Central School in New South Wales. After five years in the role of teacher librarian she moved, with her family, to Queensland. Following two years of supply teaching Liz now works at St Savour's College, a day and boarding college for young ladies, in Toowoomba. She has two Masters degrees - Teacher Librarianship and Children's Literature - and reviews literature for several publications.
Book talks - engaging the reluctant reader
The paper will discuss the success of book talks in encouraging reluctant readers to read for pleasure. It will discuss reluctant readers, why young people may be reluctant readers and how we can help them, through book talks, experience the joy of reading and find new books they may not have experienced. With little research done in the area, a review of related literature will be included, as well as references to journal articles concerned with reluctant readers.
Two small research projects, which I conducted involving book talks, will be discussed and conclusions based o n this research will be offered. The main aim of the research projects was to prove that by exposing students to a wide variety of books through book talks, their attitudes to reading as a recreational activity will be increased.
The book talks used were a specific type where a part of the book was read or acted out, leaving the audience no clues as to the outcome of the piece. To find out what happens, they needed to read the book. They are essentially hooks to lure prospective readers.
The paper will conclude by tying in the literature review on reluctant readers with the effect book talks have on the audiences. I will emphasise that exposure of young people to literature is essential if we are to influence reluctant readers to become lifelong readers and I will prove, through my research, that book talks have a positive influence.
Carol Koechlin and Sandi Zwaan (Consultants for School Libraries, Scarborough and Apsley respectively, Ontario, Canada)
Carol Koechlin and Sandi Zwaan recently retired as Instructional Leaders from the Toronto District School Board and continue to contribute to the field of information literacy and school librarianship. They are popular conference presenters and workshop leaders. Carol and Sandi have co-authored six books on the teaching of information literacy and have written many articles for professional journals. Their work has been recognised both nationally and internationally.
Are we there yet?
Teaching is a never-ending journey of inquiry. Teacher librarians, especially, have an insatiable thirst for new ideas, knowledge and innovation. Changes in curriculum, pedagogy, student needs, technologies and even political leadership have tremendous impact on what we do. As information specialists, teachers of information skills, facilitators of literacy, coaches of research and designers of learning experiences, we work in ever-changing conditions. Like the child in the back seat, we ask again and again, “Are we there yet?” In reality, our work has no clear destination point. We provide school communities with the best of everything as fast as we can.
We learn new technological wizardry, try new strategies to engage students, search millions of titles to find the very best resources for schools, and choreograph our timetables to keep everyone happy. Now it is time to stop and consider how our efforts help classroom teachers and enhance student achievement. It is time to reflect on what we do that works well and rework and rethink strategies and approaches to learning that do not fit with the realities of the 21st century.
This paper will address questions about realities of educating for the future and provide practical ideas and strategies, for teaching and learning in information environments.
We will journey together in a global exploration of these critical questions to build our visions of learning for the future.
Mrs Margaret Spillman (Teacher Librarian, Mackay West State School, Mackay, QLD, Australia); Ms Lorraine Todd (Library Assistant/Web Pilot, Mackay West State School, Mackay, QLD, Australia) and Ms Claire Grandcourt (Branch Librarian, Mackay City Council Library Service, Mackay, QLD, Australia)
Margaret has been the teacher librarian at Mackay West State School for the past 8 years. In 2000, she co-submitted Boys and Literacy which won an inaugural Showcase Excellence Award. She is interested in all of areas of literacy and is now exploring the potential of productive partnerships between public and school libraries. With the other members of the team she has presented the Productive Partnerships Program at the 2004 SLAQ Conference and the CYS/ALIA Powering our Parnerships seminar. The Productive Partnerships Program received the 2005 IASL Softlink Excellence Award.
In December 2000 Lorraine was a member of the team that created the school’s website and one which she now maintains. The website has grown from seven pages to approximately 150 pages. It includes Cyberville, a site that contains relevant evaluated sites and was created specifically for students. She was profiled in Education Queensland’s Education Views in September 2004 for developing a site that informs, educates, promotes and publicises. All elements of the Productive Partnerships Program are documented on the website so that schools can implement any aspect of the program if they wish.
Claire is the Branch Librarian for Mackay Libraries and prior to this appointment she was the Young People’s Librarian (YPL) for five years. As YPL her role was to develop, coordinate and promote library services, resources and collections to young people aged 0 to 18 years. Claire loves the challenge of motivating young people to use libraries to meet their educational and recreational needs. Her aim is to provide a space which young people can call their own, creating a sense of ownership over the library, its services and collections.
Productive partnerships: learning for life
The collaborative relationship between Mackay West State School and Mackay Libraries began informally when the school started a work shadowing program with its public-library counterpart. The professional discussions which followed, and an examination of the literature on the topic of school and public library co-operation, indicated that we had much in common. More importantly, we realised that co-operation could benefit our respective communities. Allan Bundy's (2002) excellent article provided a wonderful historical perspective and also investigate attitudes of those involved in both library sectors. It was a challenging article and gave us the encouragement to believe that we could make a difference in our communities.
Thus was born Productive Partnerships: public and school libraries promoting lifelong learning. Productive Partnerships ultimately came to embrace four main elements:
(Public Library Orientation for year sevens was added as a fifth element in October 2005.)
Ms Rene Wavell (Librarian, North Adelaide Primary School, SA, Australia)
Rene’s experiences as a primary educator have ranged from classroom practice, librarian, coordinator and deputy principal. Each of these roles has given her the opportunity to improve her understanding of student learning and to inquire into her own pedagogy. Rene keeps up to date with current trends through her studies, readings and attendance at conferences. She was awarded research grants to explore her inquiries and has recently been a guest speaker at the Innovations and Cegsa Conferences.
Data-bases and data-base design
My research centred on the question: Can student design and use of databases enrich and enhance their research process and support higher-order thinking skills?
Databases are well suited to support student learning and develop higher levels of thinking. I investigated whether students who were involved in the design of databases for their research would be able to question and display skills using Bloom’s hierarchy of higher-order thinking skills. Bloom’s higher-order thinking skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation were perfectly suited to the in-depth activities students can engage in using databases and database design. When students are empowered to have input into the design of their research and the data that is collected, their ability to reach deeper understandings of areas of learning are enhanced.
I worked with three classes – two year 6/7 composite classes and a year 4/5 composite class at Dernancourt Primary School – on various research topics. With each group, the students were involved in learning about databases through demonstration and explicit teaching and then in the design and planning of a database relevant to their topic. The databases they designed were then used for their research findings. Once all the data was entered, the students were able to have input into what data they wanted sorted and why.
The students’ ownership of the design of the database played an important part in their desire to discover information. Students showed perseverance in finding information about their topic and also realised the need to be specific about their investigations.
Some excellent thinking occurred during the discussions because the students were thinking about the implications of the data found, not only by them but by others in the class. It empowered many of the children to continue their research because it fired their imagination.
Dr Arthur Winzenried (Director, Research and Development, ELTHAM College of Education, VIC, Australia)
Arthur has been working for many years in the field of technology and learning. His second PhD was one outworking of this involvement and presented the findings of an international Delphi Study into information provision futures. At ELTHAM he has been instrumental in developing software (in consultation with industry) that forwards their strategic directions of transparent learning communities.
A day in the life of a learning community
Setting up a learning community that works is one thing; maintaining it is quite another. Effective learning communities need to promote both the learning and the community. They involve all stakeholders in the community, tie the community together with sound technology and personal support, and provide a safe, positive learning environment.
Nurturing such communities needs to focus on: the community members as people; potential for collaboration; a safe and positive environment in which the learning can take place; and mechanisms that offer community members the chance to change and grow in their learning and interactions.
Making all of this possible is the background technology that must meet the community’s needs while operating efficiently and reliably.
Starting with a real-life scenario, this paper deals with these issues and highlights the need for their consideration if a valuable and effective learning community is to be established and, more importantly, maintained over the long term.