The Beach - Is it really an obstacle to information literacy?

Greetings from Phillip Island

Ok – we are onto ASSIGNMENT 2. 

What’s that? Do I hear a distant ahhh, as in a kind of choking or drowning sound from those still to submit Assignment 1 (Yes, Dudes, it’s due TOMORROW). Call me gifted, but I can actually feel the ache in the gut, combined with an ever so slight nausea emanating from those about to have their first encounter with the dreaded EASTS, who are desperate to press SUBMIT but are JUST TOO AFRAID just in case there is a CRITICAL DETAIL they suspect they have missed which is worth fifty per cent of the total mark.

Figure 1.1

At ease, everyone. Just Do It. You’re forgetting to ENJOY this course. Here’s a bit of Philosophy From Anna Corney for you: Read lots, enjoy learning lots, write it up, check the assessment criteria and PRESS SUBMIT. Move on and have a lovely summer immersing yourselves in the NEXT LOT OF READING which happens to be the subject of my next post.

Let's digress for a moment and reflect on ways we can enjoy our summers while undertaking our Masters in Teacher Librarianship in two easy steps.

STEP ONE: To all intents and purposes (yes, to those who always thought it was intensive porpoises, it’s not), have a break. As you can see, I am clearly enjoying the summer, reading in the garden at our beach-house at Phillip Island (figure 1.1) and typing this VERY POST as the revelry of New Year's Eve lingers on as the belching of bogans and the cracking open of new cans is heard from the beach shacks nearby. See? I have not forgotten to ENJOY THE JOURNEY J And as you can see, I  have been utterly immersed in the activity of Seeking Meaning with the Queen of all Librarians, CAROL. C. KUHLTHAU who seems to be a bit of a legend.


Here I am again with her on the sand...

and in the water...

and walking the dog...

… happily combining the two wonderful interests of my life, a Masters in Teacher Librarianship with pleasure. YES it is possible!


STEP TWO: Um there is no step two. Just get on with it.



NOW on to more serious stuff entitled…

WE ARE FORGIVEN (oh what a relief!)

Yes indeed, it is with real relief that I read that we are forgiven in advance if we cannot agree on definition for information literacy (Langford, 1998). This is a GREAT THING. To all you confused prospectiveTL’s out there, guess what? We have permission from the Librarian Gods to be critical about those we come across in our academic reading. Even novices (novi?) like us can offer threads of insight regarding the concept of Information Literacy equal to that of the most esteemed Professor Emeritus. After all, those of us who are teachers are at the COAL FACE are we not? We ought to know something…. OR DO WE? Mmmm.

I have posted these musings in their original form on the CSU forum under TOPIC 4. Heck, was that the right place for it? I now think they should have gone under ASSIGNMENT 2. Or perhaps even TOPIC 3? I know they have to go on SOME forum somewhere AS PER THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE COURSE so in order to satisfy this, I think I will simply post the link to this blog. I mean, I could cut and paste these musings a million times on several forums in the hope that they will get noticed but that would make me a Forum Floozy and I was bought up better than that.

PS if ANYBODY apart from a supervisor is actually reading this post, could you please indicate so by commenting below? A hello will do just fine. I'm curious that's all

Back to My Musings… (this is a good time to get a coffee and think about whether you want to return for the second half. It gets REALLY serious. BUT there MIGHT be another BIKINI SHOT at the end so keep going). Also, keep in mind that this comes from the perspective of a humble teacher, not a TL.

1.    From my experience, the role of the TL ought to be more apparent to teachers within the school. In fact, my readings suggest that they should just about be RUNNING the school. Or at least pushing the principal around a bit and being a bit of a teacher tart. Are they really that prominent on the school landscape? In my albeit limited experience perhaps they could be standing taller and shouting a bit louder.

2.    Each school needs to come up with its OWN definition of what information literacy is (obviously based on academic reading and good research) and work towards achieving this outcome in a collaborative way, and one which is mindful of the need for transference of skills (as per Herring’s very enlightening Feb 2011paper)

3.    This may sound a tad old fashioned but personally, I think that teaching information literacy as a set of skills is actually acceptable in the early stages of becoming info literate ( just as learning the alphabet and phonics is to early readers). But after that, the goal should no longer be the learning of the skills, but APPLYING these skills to the broader search for meaning (just as language acquisition becomes not about knowing the alphabet and words and sounding them out, but comprehension and reading for meaning and learning to write etc..).

4.    And finally, the student who eventually recognises the above and is aware if it, is engaged in higher level thinking and in metacognition – an overall aim from what I gather from all the experts and very nicely captured here by this frog who is actually engaged in some metacognition.

and now another question about our role in implementing an Infor Literacy model in our schools...

IS THE PERFECT TL POSSIBLE?

She'd have to be pretty damn perfect if she can 1) develop or steal the perfect IL model 2) convince the whole damn school to collaborate with her and implement it.

From what I have been reading, (and that seems to be HEAPS judging from the hours NOT spent lolling about in the water) the role of the TL from a teacher’s perspective is rather different from the role of the TL from the academic's point of view.


I’ve been learning about theoretical BEST PRACTICE and I know what the IDEAL role looks like, but I don’t necessarily know this from observation (ahem). Having been a classroom teacher for over 15 years, I think this points to a SERIOUS ANOMALY. I’m not sure (yet) that all that theory takes into account the daily demands of the TL like the little time consuming but inane tasks of the TL (at least Purcell asked TLs to keep a diary of tasks undertaken in her 2010 article - onya, Purcell). I can only assume there are a million additional demands to the TL just as I KNOW there are a million additional demands to the role of the teacher (which are frustratingly not apparent to all my non-teacher friends who think we have holidays and teach a bit on the side - oh, is that what I'm doing right now? Shhh).

The 64 million dollar question remains: what’s ACTUALLY in store for me when I graduate? Will I realistically be able to apply all this wonderful theory into sustainable practice? I would love a very experienced TL to ANSWER this question for me RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.

OBSTACLES

(don't you love this word? Say it out loud a few times. Obstacles. It's like a mouth full of food or maybe snorkelling.  It belongs with discombobulate and obfuscate... ok, forget it).


What are possible OBSTACLES to a TL implementing THE BEST EVER information literacy model in a school ? Here are some post academic reading, slightly cynical (but I'm prepared to concede naive) thoughts on the matter…

My first reponse to Task B of Assignment 2 was, why develop a YET ANOTHER IL model? Unless there is a very generous prize out there for the one-millionth Information Literacy Model for schools. But for the sake of the second assignment let’s contemplate the idea of obstacles.

1.    Justifying developing a new info literacy model has to be about addressing the needs of YOUR school community (assuming they are unique in some way hence the development of a model is warranted OR the information landscape has changed YET AGAIN and so it is warranted)

2.    There is no point in having a fantastic info literacy model without the resources to support it, whether print, digital or environmental. Some schools are well resourced. Some are begging the basics.

3.    Little point in having the best info literacy model ever if you can’t get classroom teachers collaborating – if they are busy, what do you do? Bribe them? Is there funding for that?

4.    Beyond that, and even more importantly the model is doomed without the support of the curriculum director, principal and library director (some schools are big enough to have all three, yes). There’s a lot of work for the humble TL to ‘sell’ an idea to therest of the school IF they are reticent to change. If they are open to new ideas, LUCKY YOU and GO FOR IT.

5.    ALAS a lack of support for the model reduces it to a MERE SET OF SKILLS taught by the TL in ISOLATION. Brrr. (yes, precisely what we don’t want and currently the subject of our next essay)

6.    BUT greatest obstacle to TL implementing a great info literacy model is operating in a school where they THINK they know what a TL does but they don’t really. Apparently, according to Herring (2011) and others, there’s a heck of a lot of ASSUMPTIONS out there about the MYSTERIOUS and ELUSIVE role of the TL

7.    Another obstacle: if academics can’t agree on a definition for info literacy, what hope do the rest of us have? I think probably the way forward is for the SCHOOL to agree on their own definition of info literacy and build on THAT. One enlightened TL working with one eager-beaver classroom teacher, though NOBLE, will not change a school culture. EVERYBODY needs to get on board. If possible, the TL should provide others with PD, which is a far more efficient way of reaching the masses and implementing a model across the school.

Ok, therein end the musings. Just some very humble reading-inspired thoughts from a classroom teacher, maybe with a little attitude, starting her TL journey and who hopes it’s all a lot easier  for TLs in the REAL WORLD.

oh and PS, here is the promised bikini shot...