scholarly journals Other Ways of Knowing: How School Librarians Can Take a Leadership Role in Addressing Multi-literacies Across the Curriculum in the School Library

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghan Harper
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
International Association ◽  
School Library ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
Continued Learning ◽  
Professional Resources

School librarians have a unique, unprecedented, and unparalleled opportunity to affirm their role in students’ use of basic literacy skills – reading and writing – while highlighting their relatively new role, guiding students through the acquisition of information through multiple modes of communication with new technologies. School librarians can create and facilitate opportunities for students to enhance their learning and become multiliterate. These learning opportunities and a focus on “core” literacies shed a much needed spotlight on the important role and influence of the school librarian on overall academic achievement and the acquisition of multiliteracy skills that have become a necessity in a changing technological and global environment. This article isbased on a presentation given at the International Association of School Librarians Conference in Doha, Qatar (2012), the goals of which were to share an overview of the multiliteracies concept, suggest strategies for facilitating literacy in the school library and classroom, and share professional resources for continued learning and the integration of multiliteracies across the curriculum.

scholarly journals Designing An Innovative School Library Environment To Facilitate 21st Century Literacy Skills

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghan Sarah Harper
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
21St Century ◽  
School Library ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
Dynamic Impact ◽  
21St Century Literacy ◽  
Instructional Collaboration

School librarians have an unprecedented opportunity to assume an instructional leadership role and create a facility that promotes instructional collaboration, inquiry and collaborative learning that will have a dynamic impact on academic achievement. Through the facilitation of these activities, school librarians provide a vital connection to student acquisition of 21st century literacy skills.

scholarly journals Evidence or Evidence Based Practice? An Analysis of IASL Research Forum Papers, 1998-2009

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Marcia A. Mardis
Keyword(s):  
Evidence Based Practice ◽  
International Association ◽  
School Library ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
Research Reporting ◽  
Library Research ◽  
Or Practice

Objective - Conferences are essential opportunities for professional development and for learning about research. This study analyses papers presented in the Research Forum track of the International Association of School Librarians (IASL) conferences to determine whether the amount of school library research reporting increased or decreased over time; who (i.e., what author roles and affiliations) has written about research; which countries were represented in the research articles; what topics were discussed in research articles; and what research methodologies were used. The aim was to determine the extent to which the Research Forum provides research evidence that relates to practice. Methods - This study continues the longitudinal analysis of published school library research begun by Clyde (1996) by analyzing Research Forum papers published in IASL conference proceedings from 1998-2009 and using the same approaches and metrics as previous studies by Clyde (e.g., 1996; 2002; 2004), Clyde and Oberg (2004), and Oberg (2006). Results - Conference paper topics, author origins, quantities, and research approaches remained static through the 11 years analyzed. The analysis reveals that the papers’ authors, methods, and topics reflected those found in previous studies of school library research. As well as replicating previous studies, the role of academic research at a practitioner-based conference was investigated. Conclusions - Based on long-established imperatives from leaders in the profession, the IASL conferences provide both evidence and evidence -based practice for school librarians from all over the world. However, when scholarly research is shared at practitioner venues, it is possible that school librarians may assume that research results constitute evidence -based practice (EBP), not evidence upon which practice should be based. This distinction is important if considering that the purpose of academic research is to objectively inform, not to advocate a particular position or practice. The Research Forum can be a valuable venue for the presentation of empirical research findings and conclusions and objective program evaluations and provide a valuable complement to the evidence -based practice descriptions shared in the Professional Papers portion of the conference program. It is argued that the Research Forum must be clear in its purpose: to present the results of research; to present effective practice determined by rigorous evaluation; or to present research-supported arguments for the support of school libraries. Through a reconceptualization of EBP, the paper demonstrates how EBP is both a method and a methodology for the presentation of school library research and practice in a conference atmosphere.

scholarly journals The Role of the School library and the School librarian in the context of new curricula

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivana Perić ◽  
Danijela Riger-Knez ◽  
Tanja Telesmanić ◽  
Hajdi Škarica ◽  
Mišela Nežić
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
School Library ◽  
Literacy Education ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
Life Long Learning ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Active Research ◽  
Educational Staff ◽  
New Curricula

Concerning the development and the opportunities provided by new technologies and changes in social reality, the task of educational staff is to raise and educate responsible participants in the learning process adaptable to new situations of learning in the digital age, the age of vast information, and therefore be prepared for life-long learning. As school librarians are recognised as educated and essential collaborators in this task, which is common to all educational staff, it is necessary to operationalise their role in the educational system in Croatia and encourage development of new curricula. This paper proposes a framework for a programme, which has a starting point in new subject curricula and extra-curricula topics. It starts from the constructivist approach of teaching where at the core are students who do not memorize facts but are capable of solving problems through active research and interaction with information and thus creating new knowledge. This approach encourages students to be critical thinkers, express themselves freely, be creative and strengthen their confidence in their quest to acquire competencies that develop the proposed framework for a library programme in information and media literacy education, and promoting reading.

scholarly journals Monitoring of verbal-linguistic development of pre-school children in Elementary school - RECEPTION project

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ines Kruselj-Vidas
Keyword(s):  
School Library ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
School Level ◽  
School Librarian ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Wide Range

The list of multiple tasks expected from a school librarian include a wide range of activities. Activity of crucial importance is advocating and argumentation how important is the development of basic literacy skills. The role of school librarians is unavoidable in this process. This presentation will show an example of school library practice and focus on the role of school librarian as designer, provider and researcher in the case study research at the school level. This research was done as an activity during international Erasmus+ project called RECEPTION (Role of Early Childhood Education in positive Transition/Introduction Outcomes for New pupils). 

scholarly journals The Role of Culture and Folk Art in School Library Programming

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy Santos Green ◽  
Melissa P Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Research Study ◽  
School Library ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
The World ◽  
Library Programming ◽  
School Librarianship ◽  
Teacher Librarians

Exploring the practices of teacher librarians in other countries fosters new knowledge, contributing to global communities of practice. The need to equip today’s youth with complex 21st century skills has served as a catalyst for change in the traditional practices of school librarians all over the world. It is this necessary change that led to questions regarding school library practices at an international level and to the need to explore school librarianship on a global level. This research study explores ways program design grounded in cultural understanding, experiences, and ways of knowing the world, are applied by practicing school librarians in Brazil, Russia, and Belize.

scholarly journals Enabling School Librarians to Serve as Instructional Leaders of Multiple Literacies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Lewis
Keyword(s):  
School District ◽  
Administrative Support ◽  
School Library ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Instructional Leaders ◽  
Multiple Literacies ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
School District Leaders ◽  
Library Program ◽  
K 12

Research has demonstrated that school leaders have little to no understanding of the instructional leadership role of the school librarian and have received little to no training in how to lead this population (Lewis, 2018; 2019). Though the standards of the school library field state that school librarians should be equipped and able to serve as instructional leaders of multiple literacies in K-12 education, barriers exist that inhibit this from becoming a reality in many schools. One of these barriers is a lack of administrative support in the form of a district library supervisor to develop a vision for and provide support to the district’s school library program and its personnel. Very little research has been conducted to examine the support needs of in-service school librarians (Weeks et al., 2017), and no research has been conducted to explore how to equip existing leadership to effectively lead its population of school librarians in a school district that lacks an official district library supervisor. The purpose of this study is to explore how school district leaders can foster the development of an effective school library in which school librarians serve as instructional leaders of multiple literacies.

scholarly journals Digital and information literacies and the school library

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne L Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Digital Literacy ◽  
International Baccalaureate ◽  
School Library ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Online Information ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
Research Libraries ◽  
Digital Environments ◽  
Library Program ◽  
Primary Years Programme

You can’t teach people everything they need to know. The best you can do is position them where they can find what they need to know when they need to know it. (Seymour Papert)  For school librarians, this is certainly part of a core responsibility, to provide students with digital literacy skills and strategies that will enable them to find and access information at point of need, in order to create knowledge (Farkas, 2011). While students are growing up in this digital age, research reveals they are not necessarily skilled in reading to locate and use online information effectively (Leu, Zawilinski, Forzani, & Timbrell, 2014b; Pickard, Shenton & Johnson, 2014). This is significant when “students overestimate their ability to engage with information in a critical and literate manner” (Kirkwood in Beetham & Oliver, 2010, p.162).  Yet, students are required to be ethical and critical thinkers, and engage as collaborators and creators in participatory digital environments (Coiro, 2003; Mackey & Jacobson, 2011; Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL), 2015). This exploratory case study seeks to investigate Year 5 students’ (ages 10-12) learning experiences within a school library program. It endeavoured to explore the pedagogical background, motivation and steps in implementing digital and information literacies. Did these sessions provide students with the emergent skills and strategies to support independent research and collaborative inquiry as they began their International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) Exhibition?

scholarly journals The Role of Mentoring in the Leadership Development of Pre-Service School Librarians

2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniella L. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Leadership Development ◽  
Leadership Training ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
School Library ◽  
Degree Program ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
Leadership Potential

The purpose of this study was to determine how providing pre-service school librarians with mentors during their degree program impacted their level of self-perceived transformational leadership potential. The study consisted of 30 participants enrolled in a school library certification master’s degree program emphasizing leadership. The findings indicated that the use of mentors had a positive impact on the leadership development of the participants. Moreover, the combination of the leadership training and the experience of having a mentor taught the participants the behaviors that are desirable in mentors and encouraged them to apply mentorship as a leadership role in their schools.

Lessons learned from designing flipped lessons for fourth grade students: implications for school librarians

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 19-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniella Smith
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Technology Implementation ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Flipped Learning ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information Literacy Skills

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine student perceptions of flipped learning lessons designed to teach information literacy skills. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-method design was implemented using a paper-based survey and an online focus group. The survey asked questions about the participants’ perceptions of the flipped lessons. The focus group was used to clarify the participants’ responses to the survey questions. Findings A majority of the students enjoyed completing the lessons. Responses also indicated that a majority of the students felt that the lessons helped them prepare for class. However, issues with computers and internet connectivity at home resulted in some of the students completing the lessons before or after school. Research limitations/implications This study was limited to a class of 21 students enrolled in a public school in North Texas. Originality/value There is limited research supporting the value of flipped learning in relation to the technology implementation role of school librarians. This study provides insights into how school librarians can develop flipped learning lessons in collaboration with classroom teachers to improve the information literacy skills of students.

scholarly journals Teen Culture, Technology and Literacy Instruction: Urban Adolescent Students’ Perspectives

2015 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia Li ◽  
Catherine Snow ◽  
Claire White
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Literacy Instruction ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Linguistically Diverse ◽  
The United States ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Language And Literacy ◽  
Adolescent Students ◽  
Use Of Technology

Modern teens have pervasively integrated new technologies into their lives, and technology has become an important component of teen popular culture. Educators have pointed out the promise of exploiting technology to enhance students’ language and literacy skills and general academic success. However, there is no consensus on the effect of technology on teens, and scant literature is available that incorporates the perspective of urban and linguistically diverse students on the feasibility of applying new technologies in teaching and learning literacy in intact classrooms. This paper reports urban adolescents’ perspectives on the use of technology within teen culture, for learning in general and for literacy instruction in particular. Focus group interviews were conducted among linguistically diverse urban students in grades 6, 7 and 8 in a lower income neighborhood in the Northeastern region of the United States. The major findings of the study were that 1) urban teens primarily and almost exclusively used social media and technology devices for peer socializing, 2) they were interested in using technology to improve their literacy skills, but did not appear to voluntarily or independently integrate technology into learning, and 3) 8th graders were considerably more sophisticated in their use of technology and their suggestions for application of technology to literacy learning than 6th and 7th graders. These findings lead to suggestions for developing effective literacy instruction using new technologies.

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