I have critically evaluated my learning throughout the Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) course, guided by a reflection process from Corley and Zubizarreta (2012). This evaluation is based on the three themes outlined below.
Digital literature
My understanding of digital literature has changed profoundly across my learning journey. As is evident in my blog post (July 9, 2024), I initially thought that this term referred to any piece of literature that had been digitised, however I learnt very quickly that is not the case. Digital literature has surprised and inspired me as it is much more complex than I initially considered and has infinite potential across the globe (as highlighted by Haines, 2017).
I now see digital literature as a key component of my profession due to this great potential. As noted by O’Connell, Bales & Mitchell (2015), it has the power to teach and inspire the next generation in ways that would not have been possible in years gone by. A quality Teacher Librarian (TL) must maintain future-focused practices to ensure that their students are exposed to the greatest potential and have the processes and skills that will be needed throughout their own careers and for interests in years to come. Digital literature provides one path to allow students to access, develop and create these skills.
The hands-on learning opportunities in ETL533 that allowed me to create a quality piece of digital literature has been one of the most valuable ways for me to learn. I plan to use the technical skills to design, create and manipulate digital technology that I have learned throughout this course to teach my students and promote them to excel in their learning. The digital literature I created (Hansel and Gretel Choose Your Own Safe Adventure) will be used to inspire future library programs, student learning and staff professional development.
Opportunities to interact with peers in ETL533 (such as my comments on this blog post from Marcy, 2024) have enhanced my learning as this enabled me to take on current, specific feedback as well as contribute my own ideas towards discussions and provide positive critique for others to consider and improve their own understanding of digital literature. Research from Ribosa & Duran (2022) emphasises the impact of learning through supporting others and this reflects my perspective on learning through ETL533. Therefore the knowledge I have gained in this subject was practical and relevant to my current role as TL, with resources that I created being directly impactful for the students that I teach. The learning I have gained through this course around digital literature is therefore highly relevant and will continue to be applicable throughout my career as a TL as well as more generally, an information professional.
Information literacy
My understanding of information literacy has continued to grow since I published my ETL401 blog post (May 18, 2023). In this post I stated that my original view was that it referred to a user’s use, understanding and communication of information. My view now aligns more closely with the statement from Australian Library and Information Association & Australian School Library Association (2016) that promotes 21st century skills when critically using and analysing information from reliable sources to create and share their own new understandings.
As highlighted by Graham and Borgen (2017), educators are preparing students to be future-ready. In my role as TL, I plan to contribute to this by helping students understand the value of library tools, alongside more extensive (and sometimes overwhelming) online search engines. This will involve breaking down each search process and incorporating traditional library tools during both guided and exploratory research tasks. Hand (2010) emphasizes how the TL can guide and support students in adopting the most efficient and effective search practices to access high-quality resources, demonstrating the advantages of using traditional library tools. As highlighted by the image below, the TL plays an essential role in assisting users navigate the library and online worlds. I explore more deeply with this notion, that the ultimate goal for a TL is to develop users’ informational literacy and strengthen the skills to independently find the answers for themselves. Sinisalo (2015) emphasises this point, noting that students must be guided to critically evaluate sources and share information accurately.
Image source: Weis, 2024.
There is an ongoing conversation around the use of traditional library tools and search engines. All librarians must focus on the 21st century user need and experience and this includes the design of the physical and digital library space. The TL in a school may support students by improving the experience through incorporating more innovative design and features including result retrieval. Sinisalo (2015) notes that this layout is becoming almost unavoidable, however highlights the benefits of working with users to customise the digital and physical library spaces to suit their needs, ultimately enhancing their informational literacy. I will continue to strive for this in my future as a TL.
My personal development during ETL401 and throughout the Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) course has inspired me to ensure all library users are provided the best possible circumstances to enhance their informational literacy. As a TL in NSW public primary schools, I plan to cater for the age and abilities of the wide range of users. I will be flexible in the design of the physical and digital library spaces and work collaboratively with staff and students to enhance their informational literacy, enabling them to strengthen their critical research skills to design and share new information for their intended purpose.
Leadership
As outlined in my school leadership blog post (April 23, 2024), my knowledge of quality leadership in education continues to develop throughout my career. Learning in this degree has enhanced my understanding of the variations in leadership approaches and I can now consider the effectiveness of these approaches in different contexts. As Cox & Korodaj (2019) emphasise, some leadership styles may be more beneficial in supporting different systems, organisations and teams.
My understanding of school leadership has been strengthened by ETL504 and is based on a notion shared by Lipscombe (2024), that all leaders within the school must acknowledge that they hold a position of power, having the capacity to influence others and initiate change. It is up to each individual leader to use their role for the benefit of all and the TL must acknowledge their role as a leader, guiding fellow staff and students appropriately. The TL is perfectly positioned to achieve this by conducting and supporting colleagues through High Impact Professional Learning (NSW Department of Education, 2024) that is specific to their school context.
I see great potential for all TLs to lead their colleagues and students in the area of digital citizenship. Learning in ETL523 and ETL533 has impacted my intellectual, personal and professional development of digital environments as I explored processes and practices beyond anything I have experienced. The creation of interactive tools, a website (Digital Learning Environment) and digital literature (Hansel and Gretel Choose your Own Safe Adventure) has inspired me to lead colleagues, exposing them to the endless possibilities available to them and their students. Knowledge of leadership through ETL504 has given me the confidence and capabilities to embed this change process and I see this as an area for all TLs to excel through their leadership role.
Above: Digital Citizenship Video that I created using Canva during the Master of Education course. (Leeson, 2024).
I maintain that transformational leadership is highly advantageous in the constantly changing information landscape of the 21st century and this style will form part of my future leadership approach in my role as TL. In an ETL504 discussion post (2023, March 18) I noted this leadership style as conducive to the change process for schools and my view has been reinforced since then. This perspective is supported by findings from Umpstead, Hacker & Akanwa (2023) who highlight that change is only possible when leaders understand the dynamics and relationships, build on deep learning and ensure the processes align with each other as well as the overall direction of the school. Successful leadership is complex and the learning throughout this course has been highly relevant and useful. I will ensure that in my future practice, I will evolve with this to enable the best outcomes for staff, students and the institution.
Learning throughout this course has been connected and coherent, within and across subjects and further beyond studies into the real-world context. I use the leadership knowledge for me personally as a current school leader in my roles as TL, Assistant Principal and as a Learning and Support Teacher. I also witness other leaders within the school and across schools and the institution and reflect on what works well in their roles. I concur with Mestry and Pillay (2013) as they emphasise that leadership must be adapted to suit the school context for the leadership strategies and techniques to be most effective and promote quality education and successful management. This is how I intend to achieve ongoing success for the future.
I now have a deeper insight into leadership beyond the school setting, specifically with reflection upon my ETL512 professional placement, when I engaged with public library managers who are valuable leaders in their space. I took on a new perspective of how they are effective in their leadership role and what they have done and continue to do to ensure this success is ongoing. Quality leadership is therefore vital to the success of any organisation and this is a notion that will be embedded in my ongoing practice whether that is in a school library or more broadly across the information profession.
Southern Downs Regional Council Library (Stanthorpe).
Image source: Southern Downs Regional Council (2024).
References (PART B)
Australian Library and Information Association & Australian School Library
Association. (2016). Statement on information literacy. Australian Library and
Information Association, Australian School Library Association.
https://asla.org.au/resources/Documents/Website%20Documents/Policies/policy_Information_Literacy.pdf
Corley, C. R., & Zubizarreta, J. (2012). The Power and Utility of Reflective Learning
Portfolios in Honors. Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council, 13(1),
63-76.
Cox, E. & Korodaj. L. (2019). Leading from the sweet spot: embedding the library
and the teacher librarian in your school community. Access.
Graham, M. and Borgen, J. (2016). Google tools meets middle school. Corwin.
Haines, C. (2017). The DIG checklist for inclusive, high-quality children’s media.
Kidmap. https://www.joinkidmap.org/digchecklist/
Hand, D. (2010). Independent school libraries. Greenwood Publishing Group.
Leeson, L. [L Leeson]. (2024, March 28). Digital citizenship [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8RJlpSMX_U
Lipscombe, K. (2024, May, 8). Leading with influence [Keynote presentation]. APC&I
Leadership Practice for Improvement Conference 3: Influence, Microsoft Teams. https://teams.microsoft.com/v2/
Marcy, J. (2024, August 10). Assessment 2 proposal. CSU Thinkspace Blog Post.
WordPress. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jessicamarcy/2024/08/10/assessment-2-proposal/
Mestry, R. & Pillay, J. (2013). Editorial: School Instructional Leadership. Education
as Change, Volume 17 (S1), S1–S3. https://doi.org/10.1080/16823206.2014.865974
O’Connell, J., Bales, J., & Mitchell, P. (2015). Literature in digital environments:
Changes and emerging trends in Australian school libraries. In L. Das, S. Brand-Gruwel, K. Kok, & J. Walhout (Eds.), 2015: IASL Conference Proceedings (Maastricht, Netherlands): The School Library Rocks: Living it, Learning it, Loving it (pp. 324-337). International Association of School Librarianship. https://doi.org/10.29173/iasl7467
NSW Department of Education. (2024). What is high impact professional learning?.
NSW Government. https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/professional-learning/high-impact-professional-learning/what-is-hipl
Ribosa, J., & Duran, D. (2022). Do students learn what they teach when generating
teaching materials for others? A meta-analysis through the lens of learning by
teaching. Educational Research Review, 37, 100475-.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2022.100475
Sinisalo, R. (2015). Customizing new library catalogue for information literacy,
digital collections and sustainable development. In: Kurbanoglu, S.,
Boustany, J., Špiranec, S., Grassian, E., Mizrachi, D., Roy, L. (eds)
Information literacy: moving toward sustainability. ECIL 2015.
Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 552. Springer,
Cham.
Southern Downs Regional Council. (2024). Discover the new look Stanthorpe library.
Southern Downs Regional Council. https://www.facebook.com/MYSDRC/posts/-discover-the-new-look-stanthorpe-library-after-much-anticipation-the-new-stanth/885782340241458/
Umpstead, R., Hacker, N. & Akanwa, E. (2023). Transformation of school leaders’
understandings and practices of change leadership, deeper learning and equity through participation in a leadership academy. Journal of Educational Administration. Vol. 62 No. 1, pp. 57-72. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-03-2023-0050
Weiss, L. (2024). Dr Lennart Weiss’ post. LinkedIn.
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