Critical Synthesis

In reflecting on my role as a teacher librarian, it has to be noted that the amount of learning that has taken place in this process has been huge. I have learnt so much about my role as teacher librarian and what it involves in order to be successful in practice. I initially thought of my role as a minor one that involved simply teaching necessary library skills to my students. However,my perception of the role changed dramatically due to my readings, personal reflection using my blog, forums, chat rooms and podcasts.

I started questioning what my role might really involve as early as February during our two day course in Sydney. The role only became clearer as I made my way around the Interact site, started reading, viewing assessment tasks via powerpoint and looking at the forums. Although this was frustrating at times, all the tools were useful in gaining an understanding of the role of teacher librarian. Contributing to forums was not as regular as I would have liked as I found the content quite overwhelming at times. I did however find the forums useful during assessment time, as everyone seemed to be getting problems clarified that were the same problems I was dealing with. I also found the forums useful in ensuring I was on the right track.

The readings for the course were plentiful and particularly useful in understanding key concepts and improving my knowledge on the information literate school community, collaboration, communication and facilitation. Haycock (2003), Herring (2007) and Hay & Foley (2009) assisted greatly in assisting me to gain an understanding of the importance of these areas that define the role of the teacher librarian.

The standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians ASLA/ALIA (2004) proved to be a huge learning curve. The framework as a guide was a very useful tool in understanding the importance of striving towards reaching these standards in order to enhance and improve student learning outcomes.

Researching information process models proved to be a very interesting exercise in firstly understanding them and secondly providing them as a learning tool for students. It was hugely beneficial to look closely at three of the models,The Big6 model, the NSW Information Process model and Kuhlthau’s Information Search Process model. Having looked at them closely, my preference still lies with the NSW model as it is the one model that I have familiarised myself with while undertaking my role as teacher librarian and it is the one model I apply in my everyday practice with the students.



Through the process of undertaking this course of study, I have felt mixed emotions at various times. I have found it particularly difficult to manage work commitments, personal commitments and full time study all at the same time, often discovering that one of them was lacking at some point in time. That is when I decided to take another look at Covey (1990) and realised that I need to adopt some of these habits and actually put them into practice. On the other hand, I have found the amount of knowledge I have gained particularly rewarding and extremely useful in undertaking my role as teacher librarian.



I have also realised that in continuing onto the next phase of of this journey, it is imperative to remember that as long as the willingness to learn new skills and gain knowledge about this complex, but rewarding role is there, success and lifelong learning will remain a high priority.

REFERENCES

Australian School Library Association [ASLA] and Australian Library and Information Association [ALIA] (2004). Library standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians. Retrieved May 15th at http://www.asla.org.au/policy/standards.htm.

Braxton, B (2005) Information Literacy, retrieved May 15th at http://palmdps.act.edu.au/resource_centre/info_lit/intro.htm


Covey, S. (1990). Principles of personal management. In The seven habits of highly effective people : restoring the character ethic (pp. 145-164). NY : Simon & Schuster.


Eisenberg and Berkowitz 1990.,The Big6. Information & Technology Skills for Student Achievement. Retrieved May 10th at http://www.big6.com/


Foley, L. & Hay, C. (2009, May). School libraries building capacity for student learning in 21 C. Scan , p. 18.

Hartzell, G. (2002). Why should principals support school libraries? ERIC Digest, November(EDO-IR-2002-06).

Hay, L., Foley, C (2009) School libraries building capacity for student learning in 21C, Scan, 28(2), 17-26.


Haycock, K. (2003). The crisis in Canada’s school libraries: the case of reform and re-investment.(pp.19-23) Toronto: Association of Canadian Publishers.


Herring, J. (2007). Libraries in the Twenty-first Century: charting new directions in information studies. Wagge Wagga: Centre for Information Studies.


Kuhlthau, C., 1999. Accommodating the User's Information Search Process: Challenges for Information Retrieval System Designers. Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science, volume 25, no.3, retrieved May 5th at http://www.asis.org/Bulletin/Feb-99/kuhlthau.html


NSW Department of Education and Training (2007)., School Libraries and Information Literacy Unit, Curriculum K–12 Directorate, State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training retrieved May 20th at http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/