the educate-advocate hat

Jan27

Sadly, there are still many teachers and PTB who view the teacher librarian’s role as the reading expert and the keeper of the books. Despite all the years of advocacy – something no other professional has to do to justify their daily existence – those in high places (including government, education authorities and schools) are yet to learn that there is a reason that to be a teacher librarian entails a post-graduate qualification, involves specialist knowledge and is so much more than their childhood recollections of a place filled with books.

The key issue seems to be a lack of understanding of the role of the modern TL in the support of teaching and learning stemming from the days of the introduction of affordable, reliable internet access and the mistaken belief that “everything can be found on the internet” coupled with the perpetuated myth that the TL’s main role is to do with reading and the circulation of books. As I have said so many times in the past 25+ years as a TL (and 53 as a teacher) TLs are NOT “English teachers on steroids” yet so many continue to present themselves as such. While we have a role in supporting the leisure reading of our students , our primary role is enabling them to navigate, and evaluate information in all its formats, and then interpreting this to form their own viewpoints, inform their choices and create new information. Thus, despite over 30 years of trying to change perceptions, including a Federal Inquiry into our role here in Australia, the fight continues and we must do all that we can, including sharing planning that puts the emphasis on that primary information literacy role to show what it is we can do. IMO, as long as we continue to put reading and books as the primary focus we will always be seen as the “keeper of the books” by those who hole the purse strings and fewer and fewer teachers and students will experience the benefits that a fully0informed, qualified TL can bring to the table.

So now, at the beginning of the school year when we are planning what students will do during their time with us, we have the best opportunity to use our programming skills to show how we can contribute to both the teaching and learning outcomes of the school in a purposeful, meaningful and wide-reaching way. To educate and advocate.

Recently, a NSW colleague Emily G. Williams generously shared her Term 1 program for her year 3-4 students with a wider audience so others could have a starting point for theirs. With Emily’s permission, this is what she offered…

OVERVIEW: The beginning of the term will be spent refamiliarising ourselves with the library, its contents, expectations and borrowing needs. Students will participate in a QR code scavenger hunt for library orientation. The rest of the term students will be engaged in picture books from the Premier’s Reading Challenge based on Australian environments (to support their classroom unit Earth’s Environment). Students will write a book review for each and add to their PRC profile.

Outcomes:

EN2-4A uses an increasing range of skills, strategies and knowledge to fluently read, view and comprehend a range of texts on increasingly challenging topics in different media and technologies

ENe2=7B understand how characters, actions and events in imaginative texts can engage the reader.

Library Outcomes

LK4.3 Metalanguage of the library – call number, shelf label, OPAC, Oliver, Dewey, circulation desk, return tray or slot, reference, etc..

LK4:15 Selects appropriate text based on purpose, interest and ability. Recognises the benefits of selecting from a wide range of texts

LK4:18 Uses LMS (OLIVER) to locate fiction resources by author and places reservations. Use OLIVER to write and record a book review

LL4:1 Completes a short-written review on a chapter book

LL4:23 Explain the contribution of illustrations in developing the sequence of main events and climax of a particular fiction book

Information Fluency Framework
IFF2S.1.1 identify and describe shared perspectives within and across various cultural groups
IFF2L.1.1 navigate, read and view a range of texts for information purposes or literary exploration.
IFF2L.1.2 interpret literal information / story and make inferences to expand knowledge or understanding of the story
IFF2I.2.2 experiment with a range of options when putting ideas into action
IFF2C.2.3 transfer and apply information in one setting to enrich another
IFF2E.2.1 apply ethical decisions when creating information

But what if we changed this outline to place greater emphasis on the purpose of the program by identifying what we want students to know, do, understand, appreciate and value as a result of the time invested, and the evidence we would accept that they had achieved this? Could we get something that, apart from making our own teaching purpose clearer, would show others that what we teach has meaning, context and validity beyond the library’s walls thus helping them to change their perception of our role?

Perhaps the new plan could look something like this…

OVERVIEW/PURPOSE

As students become more aware of the world around them, they are presented with a variety of viewpoints from which they are increasingly expected to form their own opinions, make informed choices, create new information and take targeted action. Yet the messages students see and hear through an increasingly complex media landscape can be conflicting and confusing. Therefore, they need to become critical assessors of these so they can identify the author’s objectivity or lack of it and evaluate the information in light of this. This program is designed to build their awareness of the influence a writer’s perspective has on their writing and enable them to examine texts for purpose and bias.

To complement the classroom study of Earth’s Environment, students will use picture books, particularly those on the Stage 2 PRC list which focus on the Australian environment, so they can

understand and appreciate that authors write for a purpose – to persuade, inform, entertain or reflect
identify and distinguish between fiction, fact and opinion
examine and explore a text to determine the author’s purpose
understand that there can be differing points of view about the same situation
understand and appreciate that authors use fiction and narrative non fiction to convey a message, perspective or particular point of view
identify the text features and language of persuasion
use their existing knowledge of the library’s layout, language and systems to locate and select an appropriate text to study, seeking assistance if required
identify what a particular author’s perspective is and how it has influenced their writing
identify how the author has used the setting, characters and plot to convey/portray/embed their message
identify how the illustrations have been used to consolidate the author’s message through the medium, colour palette, perspective and other devices
consider their own perspective and opinion about a particular issue and whether the author has confirmed, challenged or changed their point of view
transfer what they have learned by using books focusing on the Australian environment to those featuring a broader scope so they can compare the similarities and differences of a variety of environmental situations and issues
understand and use the essential elements of a book review as they write their own to demonstrate their understanding of the concepts of assessing texts for suitability and interpreting them for objectivity, including providing evidence to support their opinion
navigate and use the functionality of Oliver to publish their review
extend their reading into new areas and add to their personal Premier’s Reading Challenge records

EVIDENCE

Students will select a book with an Australian environmental focus and prepare a book review for publication on Oliver that demonstrates that they understand the author’s purpose and message and explains how this has been achieved.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

As a result of this study students will demonstrate the following outcomes*…

pose questions to expand their knowledge about the world (ACC General capabilities –Critical and Creative Thinking L3)
identify main ideas and select and clarify information from a range of sources (ACC General capabilities – Critical and Creative Thinking L3)
collect, compare and categorise facts and opinions found in a widening range of sources (ACC General capabilities – Critical and Creative Thinking L3)
identify and apply appropriate reasoning and thinking strategies for particular outcomes (ACC General capabilities – Critical and Creative Thinking L3)
draw on prior knowledge and use evidence when choosing a course of action or drawing a conclusion (ACC General capabilities – Critical and Creative Thinking L3)
explain and justify ideas and outcomes (ACC General capabilities – Critical and Creative Thinking )
transfer and apply information in one setting to enrich another (ACC General capabilities – Critical and Creative Thinking )
discuss the value of diverse perspectives and describe a point of view that is different from their own (ACC General capabilities –Personal and Social Capability)
describe different points of view associated with an ethical dilemma and give possible reasons for these differences ACC General capabilities – Ethical Understanding)
make connections between the ways different authors may represent similar storylines, ideas and relationships (ACELT1602)
discuss literary experiences with others, sharing responses and expressing a point of view (ACELT1603)
identify characteristic features used in imaginative, informative and persuasive texts to meet the purpose of the text (ACELY1690)
use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning to expand content knowledge, integrating and linking ideas and analysing and evaluating texts (ACELY 1692)
plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts containing key information and supporting details for a widening range of audiences, demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language features (ACELY1694)
re-read and edit for meaning by adding, deleting or moving words or word groups to improve content and structure (ACELY 1695)
use a range of software including word processing programs to construct, edit and publish written text, and select, edit and place visual, print and audio elements (ACELY 1697)
understand differences between the language of opinion and feeling and the language of factual reporting or recording (ACELA 1689)
understand how texts vary in complexity and technicality depending on the approach to the topic, the purpose and the intended audience (ACELA 1490)
explore the effect of choices when framing an image, placement of elements in the image, and salience on composition of still and moving images in a range of types of texts (ACELA 1496)

*For the sake of inclusion for the majority of readers of this blog, outcomes have been taken from the Australian Curriculum. They could be supported or supplemented by specific outcomes from state and school-based curricula as required (and demonstrated in the original), thus illustrating how particular skills such as using the OPAC to locate resources support the student’s overall information literacy development, or engaging with the Premier’s Reading Challenge broadens their reading horizons.

By making the big-picture, lifelong learning outcomes the focus of the program – in this case, helping students begin to understand author purpose and detect bias and prejudice in writing, enabling them to be more creators and critical consumers of text in all its forms – and clearly stating these and their connections to other areas of the curriculum, we demonstrate that what is offered during “library lessons” not only supports the classroom program but shows that those skills usually seen as “bizniz-bilong-library” have both a purpose and a pathway that goes beyond its walls. Suddenly teachers have the evidence of what we intend to do and why in front of them in professional but accessible language. They can see that what we offer is valid and validated and perhaps even valuable. This could be taken even further by using a summary of the overview as the statement of learning for student reports, showing parents that the library is so much more than borrowing books and whatever their personal recollections are.

If we are to spend our precious time on this sort of paperwork, then it’s worth getting the biggest bang for our buck by educating those who need to know and advocating for a qualified teacher librarian who has essential knowledge and skills beyond that of the regular classroom teacher-that by working together we can offer so much more depth rather than being just that keeper of the books.

the imagineer’s hat

Oct5

Just over 45 years ago, in 1973, a 21-year-old sat in her first session at Christchurch Teachers’ College in New Zealand, ready to begin to realise her childhood dream of being a teacher. Unlike her peers who were going from the classroom of high school to the classroom of college to their own classrooms in a school, this young woman had a couple of years of life experience under her belt having lived in Papua New Guinea and Australia, both exotic locations in the still-isolated New Zealand of the early 1970s.

But like them, she had her imagineer’s hat on, constantly thinking about how what she was learning would translate into practice in her classroom. She wanted her students to come in each day full of wonder and curiosity, happy to be there and eager to explore and discover the new pathways into their world that would open up to them that day. She quickly discovered that “language arts” was her thing, that inquiry learning based on the Nuffield model fitted her like a glove and that maths continued to be the mystery it was in high school. But being a teacher in the primary system of both New Zealand and Australia means having to master all areas of the curriculum so she immersed herself in her studies, keeping a journal of how she imagined she would integrate the theory of both child development and subject mastery with the dream of that wonder-filled classroom a few years hence.

Fast forward two decades and that 21-year-old, who had a 21-year-old of her own by then, is back at college ready to study again, albeit with 20 years experience and reality under her belt, a vastly different study situation where everything is done online including lecturer and peer interaction, but still with that imagineer’s hat firmly on.

What is it she wants her students to feel, appreciate, value, learn and understand as a result of visiting the school library?

What does she need to do and put in place to make that happen?

How will the environment, services and attitude she offers enable the students and the staff to feel that the library offers them something, caters to their needs and is a place they want to be?

What would she, as a student, want to see, find and do in this space to feel that she was welcome, my needs were satisfied and it was a place she wanted to spend time in?

Everyone from retailers, restaurateurs and resort owners tell us it is not about the product but “the experience”, so how can the teacher librarian provide an “experience” that enriches and enhances the visitor’s learning?

Luckily for that apprentice TL of the mid-90s, she was in a brand new school with a brand new library and a visionary principal who could see the impact technology would have and who gave her carte blanche to develop the best resource centre ever.

But as the Australian school year comes to an end, the northern hemisphere one gets under way and a new bunch of apprentice teacher librarians about to graduate and move into their own libraries, starting from scratch is not an option for all. Nevertheless, it is possible to possible to put that imagineer’s hat on and imagine or re-create that big picture even if we have been bogged down in the daily detail that the endless paperwork burden dictates.

Here are a few steps to follow…

As the name implies, the imagineer’s hat requires imagination so shut your eyes and dream about the library you would love to be and work in. Think about the environment, the atmosphere, the collection – content and arrangement, the services, the timetable – every aspect of the perfect library that you can think of.
Make notes about your vision and identify those things you have, those things you can improve and those things you can strive towards. Prioritise them.
Create or revisit your vision statement. Make sure it still encapsulates what it is you want your library to be. Remember its purpose is to succinctly state the future direction of your school library such as A best-practice 21st century library which is integral to the teaching and learning at xxxx Primary School and offers a warm, inclusive, supportive environment for all.
Create or revisit your mission statement to ensure that it still reflects the purpose of the library and its place within the school’s philosophy, ethos and educational programs. It needs to inform the development of strategies for improvement and the goals and objectives so its achievement can be measured. There have been many changes and advances in the last few years so something you wrote a few years ago may have been accomplished or need tweaking to reflect the current and proposed situation.
Identify those areas that you want to change – environment, procedures, professional knowledge, professional practice – and be explicit about how you want to change them. Begin with the end in mind and determine what you want things to be like and look like so you can work towards specific S.M.A.R.T. goals.
Identify the particular pathways you need to follow to achieve your vision. For example, if you want to change the look of your library, check out photos on Pinterest or read The Landscaper’s Hat and Landscape Your Library; if you want to expand your professional knowledge map out your professional learning program; if you want to change procedures then research best practice and get input from stakeholders – whatever it takes to make the change you want to be and see.
Revisit or revise your strategic plan so that your ideas are formalised and accountable so the library of your imagination can become a reality
Be on the alert for great ideas and activities that others are employing and sharing and which might work for your clientele, save them so you don’t forget and implement them as soon as practical, always working towards that dream.

Schools and school libraries have changed so much since that 21-year-old first sat in that Teachers’ College classroom all those years ago but in fundamental ways the students she teaches have remained the same – they still have to attend school from 5-15 and they still aspire and expect to learn to read, write and calculate. And they still deserve to achieve that in the very best of conditions that she can provide by constantly wearing and adjusting the imagineer’s hat.

the professional learning hat

Jun8

At the core of our mandate as teacher librarians is enabling our students to become lifelong learners.

Through teaching them about the information literacy process we give them a scaffold they can use in any area that allows them to know how to find out what they want or need to know whether it’s solving a complex mathematical problem or learning how to start a motor mower. As teacher librarians, we pride ourselves on being lifelong learners – but are we?

How many of us walk across the stage at graduation, accept that piece of paper that states we are now qualified to teach in this specialist area, and think, “That’s it. No more study for me”? Or believe that the only way to grow our learning is through TL-specific courses and conferences? Or look at the requirements for progressing our careers and think that they are all focused on the sphere of the classroom-based teacher and therefore irrelevant? From the messages I read on the various TL networks I belong to, it would seem that all too often this is the case.

Over the last few years, education in Australia has changed significantly with the establishment of AITSL – Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership – and all teachers are now required to be formally accredited and to log a minimum of 20 hours professional learning each year (100 hours over five years in NSW). This is because AITSL believes that a great education system is based on its teachers, that the best educators are the best learners and

the best systems make sure that teachers and school leaders can become great as they progress through their profession because people naturally want to grow, develop, and be successful

And for this to be achieved there need to be opportunities and commitment for learning with diverse forms of support that meet the needs, abilities and preferences of the teachers. In other words, we do for ourselves that which we do for our students.

Most education jurisdictions now require the annual logging and formal evaluation of professional learning based on a formal professional learning plan that has stated personal and corporate goals that identify the why, when, where and how of achievement.

For some reason, this seems to pose problems for many TLs who can’t seem to move themselves beyond TL-focused professional learning and nebulous statements such as having children loving reading (which cannot be measured) or improving circulation stats (which prove nothing beyond the number of times a resource is checked out). Goals need to be S.M.A.R.T – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely – and the best way to formulate is to consult any formal documentation you can such as the professional standards and the Standards of Professional Excellence for Teacher Librarians and identify the areas where you personally need to improve your knowledge, practice and/or commitment. For Australian TLs, ALIA Schools Group have mapped the AITSL standards to TL professional practice in Teacher Librarian Practice for the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

Examine your library’s vision statement, mission statement and strategic plan to identify what you want the library to be like in three years and from that identify what professional learning you need to be able to get it there. If it is not readily available then approach your professional network to see if there is a demand for it and whether they can supply it. Don’t limit yourself to face-to-face delivery at conferences and meetings but look for webinars and other online opportunities, reading books and articles and so forth.

Even if you have been in the position for many years there is always something new to learn but it may be worthwhile to stop, draw breath, and reflect on what you believe and value and develop manifestos to encapsulate this to help you draw together all you have learned and achieved already and provide a benchmark from which to go forward. Such an exercise will ensure your plans are true to your beliefs, will help you take them to a higher level and ensure you are invested in the outcomes. Your plan will be more than a tick-a-box-for-authority document.

If a plan is to be achieved successfully it cannot be overwhelming so three goals relating to the domains of professional knowledge, professional practice and professional commitment should be sufficient but carefully chosen. Ask yourself…

How will achieving this goal contribute to
- my personal professional growth?
- the design and delivery of the curriculum for teachers and students?
- the achievement of the library’s vision and mission statements and strategic plan?
- the school’s plan for progress?
- the perception of the role of the TL within this learning community?

Explicitly identify the elements for each goal so success is even more likely. So a PLP could look like

PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE
GOAL		PURPOSE	STANDARDS ADDRESSED	RELATIONSHIP TO SCHOOL PRIORITIES
Strategy	Actions	Timeframe	Resources	Evidence of Achievement
Identify each strategy to be undertaken to achieve the goal	What you need to do to satisfy the strategy	Short.medium.long term	human, financial, physical, time	Performance indicators Include milestones for long term goals
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
GOAL		PURPOSE	STANDARDS ADDRESSED	RELATIONSHIP TO SCHOOL PRIORITIES
Strategy	Actions	Timeframe	Resources	Evidence of Achievement

PROFESSIONAL COMMITMENT
GOAL		PURPOSE	STANDARDS ADDRESSED	RELATIONSHIP TO SCHOOL PRIORITIES
Strategy	Actions	Timeframe	Resources	Evidence of Achievement

By explicitly articulating the goal, the reason you are focusing on it, and the professional standard it is addressing you are demonstrating your understanding of your need for professional growth and your commitment to it. You are showing that you are taking the process seriously and professionally and not only does this underline the TL’s role in the teaching and learning process but it is more likely to get you the resources – human, financial, physical and time – you need to achieve it. Even if you are required to use a common pro forma, knowing why you have chosen a particular goal and so forth can be added as an extra and addressed in your formal conversation with your line manager.

In her presentation Revisioning the School Library Program Anne Weaver states, “Teacher librarians must provide cutting edge library programs, using evidence based practice, that focus on goals directly connected to school leadership priorities…” She argues that if we do not do deliver programs that keep the school leadership satisfied that their investment in our salaries is justified then we put our positions at risk.

In its publication Global trends in professional learning and performance & development AITSL examined the features of innovative professional learning and performance & development…

Features of innovative
professional learning
and performance &
development

From: Global trends in professional learning and performance & development

Their analysis showed that while there is a trend for individuals undertaking professional learning that is based online, collaborative, self-directed and informal and that this has value for the individual participant, it is not the best way for the organisation to leverage the results and grow as a whole. The most effective combinations for both the individual and the organisation were opportunities that were

individual – participants take part alone
self-directed – participants choose the focus, pace and outcomes…and monitor and evaluate their own progress and achievement
personalised – learning focuses on the needs of the participant
situated – learning is within and geared to the goals of the organisation
offered – opportunities are made available to the participants
incentivised – learning is highly valued by the organisation and participants are given incentives to take part

If one of the purposes of the professional learning is to build the knowledge capital within the school, then specialist teachers like TLs need to be part of the big picture. Sometimes it is difficult to see how matches can be made between the specialist role and the school generally. How do school goals about a greater focus on STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fit with the TL role that is traditionally associated with English and possibly History?

Such an apparent ‘mis-match’ just needs some new thinking, the putting on of a new hat and some homework using that information literacy scaffold.

Ask yourself…
- How can I view this goal with a TL lens? What leadership and/or support can I give teachers and students? What resources are required?
- What do I already know, do, and have that can provide that support or offer leadership?
- What do I, as an individual need to learn or do so I can provide what is required to the school as a whole?
- How can I shape that learning into a personal goal using both the professional standards and the Standards of Professional Excellence for Teacher Librarians?
- Where can I get the learning/training that I need to achieve that goal and deliver what is expected? What resources will I need to access it?
- How can I demonstrate my learning as an individual and its contribution to the school’s growth?
- How can I build on what I have learned to strengthen the school’s position in this area and to take it even further forward?
Develop a detailed plan to share with your school’s executive which not only demonstrates how your professional learning is in alignment with theirs but will also show that the TL’s role is integral to their success.
Put the plan into practice, document it, seek evidence that it is having an impact and share this as part of your formal PL discussions with your executive.

While the focus of the professional learning in a school can be driven from the top-down and for many, remains a passive process of attendance, listening and note-taking, by taking the opportunity to make it a personal action plan that we are committed to, it can have meaning and momentum that really contributes to the big picture.

If we are to encourage and enable lifelong learning, then we must be lifelong learners ourselves. Putting on our professional learning hat and ensuring it is a snug fit is one way of doing that.

the special needs hat

Mar15

hat_special_needs

The mission statement for my library included this statement

We are dedicated to providing and promoting

intellectual and physical access for all

to an extensive range of print and electronic resources,

tools and technologies

It sounded very grand in theory but what did it look like in practice? Was it even put into practice? Or was it one of those statements that had no substance behind it?

Achieving this part of the mission statement became a very real necessity as the school grew and more and more students enrolled. While every child has their own specific special needs, some experience more challenges than others and as the student population grew so did the number of students with particular needs, both mainstream and in the Learning Support Unit which specialised in working with children of the autism spectrum.

One of these special children was Molly who was a delightful child, but who suffered from severe and very frequent epileptic episodes which intruded on her everyday functioning as well as her ability to learn. She was also the daughter of a close friend so when she entered Kindergarten at age 5, I vowed that she would be able to operate in the library as independently as she could and the spinoff would be that if she could so could all the other students.

It meant closely examining a number of things

how the regular students used the library
- why they were there
- what they did when they were there
- how they used the space
- what they borrowed
- what they asked for or expected
- how they operated within it independently
how Molly and the other special needs students used the library
- did their use of the library differ from that of mainstream students
- what were their expectations
- what were their frustrations
- how their expectations could be met and their frustrations overcome
what their teachers expected of and needed from the library to support the students
what we were already doing that was working
what we needed to change to make it better

a familiar place

Above all there has to be an atmosphere that tells the special needs child they are welcome in the library and that they are children first and while their disability is addressed, their needs as a child are what drives what we do. Invite the children in with their aides (and parents if possible) when there are no other students in there so you can introduce yourself and any other adults who will assist them and show them around explaining how their needs can be met and seek suggestions for improvements. Talk to the adults about any particular needs a child has and not just how these can be met but how the child might contribute. For example, Lochie loved routine so he took on the responsibility of feeding the goldfish every morning. In consultation with his parents, his reward was to take them home at the end of each year (so they wouldn’t starve over vacation) and they bought him an aquarium so he could continue his job. Goldfish are cheap in comparison to the joy and sense of responsibility it gave him as well as acknowledging his need for rhythm and routine.

Two senior boys with anger management issues who spent more time off the playground than on relished the opportunity to be in charge of a canned food collection while a couple of artistic girls wanted to wrap all the presents that we collected for the children of Charleville when a crippling drought meant Santa probably wouldn’t get there that year.

Provide teddies or other soft toys which the children can cuddle during storytime, read to or tell their secrets to. If a child got restless and started to throw the teddy or whatever, I’d just ask “Can teddy enjoy the story?’ and it brought about calm again. I ended up having a collection of about 50 teddies sitting on the couches so any child could come in at any time and share a story with a teddy. Angry kids, sad kids, kids having playground issues – there was never a teddy (or child) left unloved.

Teddies provide comfort

physical access

The first thing that usually comes to mind when we think of children with special needs is how a child in a wheelchair is going to access the shelves and while we think of allowing sufficient width between the aisles (and some jurisdictions have compulsory regulations to ensure this) it also means leaving room to manoeuvre the wheelchair at the ends of the rows. Because ours was a large library much of the collection had been arranged in ‘rooms’ rather than rows so this wasn’t a huge problem. Wherever possible and practical and particularly for fiction, I placed books in wall-shelves, dumpbins and displays at eye level for little ones so location and selection was easier. Face-out displays allowed for familiar titles, characters and authors to be easily recognised.

Dumpbins, wall shelves and tubs put the collection at the child’s height.

However, there does need to be careful consideration given to the floor-covering particularly if it is carpet. When it was refurbished, a local shopping centre laid acres of new carpet that was almost impossible to push either a wheelchair or a wheelie-walker on thus denying access to many shops and services for those not physically independent.

Shelf height is also an issue particularly for those school libraries serving older students who are taller so some compromises may have to be made. In the primary school library things have to be at a lower level so little five-year-olds can access them but nevertheless there has to be a system in place to enable those who struggle and an environment created where they feel comfortable in asking for assistance. Also think about the height of your Returns box, the circ desk and any computers that a child with a disability might access. Talk to their primary carers about their needs and how these might be addressed. While the provision of step-stools may appeal, these themselves can provide even more problems.

I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve asked children to tuck their chairs in as they rush off in their eagerness to be wherever they need to be and another dollar for every time the plea fell on deaf ears and I’ve had to go round and tuck them in myself. But chairs and bags and so forth can be significant hazards for those with mobility issues so the nagging has to continue. However, when you relate to it a particular student’s movement – “Tuck your chair in so —- can get through” – it is surprising how quickly the children see the purpose of your request and it becomes automatic. Often they will remind their friends or just move something anyway!

resources

Under the Collection Policy the collection should offer resources in a diversity of formats to meet the learning styles of its users generally but it is essential that you look beyond the general population and examine the needs of specific groups within it. Consider the needs of

indigenous students
English language learners
those with learning disabilities
those with physical disabilities, particular illnesses or allergies
those from other cultures and countries
the religious philosophy of the school, if any
the LGBTI community

Strive to have resources that will allow the children to read about themselves so they feel they are included and acknowledged. Seek out services that supply or adapt resources to meet the needs of these students such as Vision Australia Information and Library Service or the Geoff Gallop Braille and Talking Book Library Ensure your signage is large, visible and readable and include a picture or other non-text cue where appropriate.

Signage needs to be bold and clear

As well as signage, write clear step-by-step instructions for using the OPAC or borrowing procedures or logging into the computers, including non-texts cues where necessary. These can become a teaching exercise for the students, peer-tested and then published. Make them available as bookmarks too.

social

As well as catering for the physical and learning needs, be aware of each child’s social and emotional needs so these can be addressed during teaching times. Some like to work alone, others with a partner or group members; some can cope with being touched or close to other children while this can be an anathema to others; some like public praise, others shy from it. Consider concentration spans (often quotes as the child’s age plus three minutes for regular children) and structure the time so there is a time to listen and a time to respond.

Talk to the teachers and aides about particular behaviour management routines that the child knows and responds to so that there is consistency between classroom and library including any strategies to be used in an emergency.

online

If your school has an online presence strive to make is as user-friendly as possible by making the information easily accessible even to those without a lot of language skills. This is the Resource Centre’s entry page of a particular school’s website that was based on that philosophy. Embedded in the graphic were links to various parts of the Centre’s website and there were small graphic-based buttons that led to pages as well.

Working with children with special needs is as rewarding as it is challenging. But if we have their needs as a child at the forefront of our practice, anything we do to make the library a better place for them makes it a better place for the other children as well.

the landscaper’s hat

Jan27

The landscaper’s hat is a much more important hat than many realise. The environment we provide is a critical element in a student’s perception about whether the library is for them and their choice to use it.

In 1999, eminent management researcher, Peter Drucker predicted that in the Information Age workforce of the 21^st century the most successful person will be a knowledge worker – one who

- has had a strong formal education
- is able to apply theory to a practical world
- can continually update their knowledge and upgrade their skills.
- is able to access, evaluate, interpret and use information
- is committed to lifelong learning.

Their greatest assets will be what is between their ears and their ability to continually learn.

The library is the information center of the school and its staff are the information specialists. We know how to provide “[the] services that make specific suggestions about how to use the information, [how to] ask specific questions regarding the user’s business and practices, and perhaps provide interactive consultation” that Drucker (2001) says are necessary for the knowledge worker to be able to make meaning from the information.

It is in the library, and through the programs and products that we offer, that the knowledge workers of the future will be nurtured.

But to be nurtured, they need to be in the library and so it needs to be a place that invites them in.

Does your library look like the one ruled over by Madam Pince at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in J. K. Rowling’s series about Harry Potter – “tens of thousands of books, thousands of shelves, hundreds of narrow rows”?

Is this your library?

Are those books standing shoulder-to-shoulder like soldiers in mufti, in strict alphabetical or numerical order, ranks only broken when some clever student breaks the code and finds what she is looking for? Is it quieter than troops being inspected by the general, a place only for reference and research, serious study, and no nonsense?

Or is it a place that invites and excites?

Or does it invite and excite?

As well as Drucker’s research, research into learning tells us

the brain functions at many levels simultaneously as thoughts, emotions, imagination, predispositions and physiology interact and exchange information with the environment
the brain absorbs information both directly and indirectly, continually aware of what is beyond the immediate focus of attention, to the extent that 70% of what is learned is not directly taught.
learning involves conscious and unconscious processes, including experience, emotion and sensory input, and that much of our learning occurs and is processed below the level of immediate awareness so that understanding may not happen until much later after there has been time for reflection and assimilation
the brain is “plastic” because its structure is changed (or ‘rewired’) by exposure to new experiences so the more we use it, the better it gets.
the brain is stimulated by challenge and inhibited by threat, so students in safe, secure environments, both mental and physical, can allow their cognitive brains to dominate their emotional brains and will explore, investigate, take risks and learn.
that 30%-60% of the brain’s wiring comes from our genetic makeup (nature) and 40%-70% comes from environmental influences and impact (nurture)
the two critical factors in learning are novelty and interactive specific feedback

In addition, in What Do I Do on Monday? eminent educator John Holt talks to us about the four worlds of learning.

The Four Worlds of Learning

The first world is that intense, personal world of our thoughts, emotions, attitudes, values, and preferences based on our experiences and how they have all merged to give us our perception of the world. It is a changing world, but the common core of beliefs strengthens as we age as we tend to take from experiences that which confirms those beliefs.

The second world is that of the memory of what we have actually seen and done. It is the world of direct experience, the things we have seen, felt, smelt, touched, heard, tasted by ourselves and with others. These interactions with the world around us shape our World 1.

The third world is the world we know because we have learned that it exists. It is the world of books, television, movies, plays, pictures, the internet – it is the world of words and pictures that others create for us to learn about.

The fourth world is the world we don’t know about yet. It has no boundaries. It is a world of possibilities because we don’t know what is in it simply because we don’t know what we don’t know.

As we learn each world influences the other. Learning is how we integrate our experiences into our knowing.

The library is the gateway to World 3. Through the world of words and pictures we can introduce our students to worlds that they don’t yet know, or explore the worlds they have visited via television, the movies or the internet.

The library allows them to revisit their experiences in World 2, to shape their World 1 and have a peek into World 4.

The astute teacher-librarian will understand the impact these research findings can have on the services we offer and how we offer them.

With a little imagination, it is easy to compromise between the austerity of Hogwarts and the flamboyance of the bookstore that thinks it is a coffee shop. Your library can be a place where the students choose to be even when they don’t have to, as well as a must-see on the principal’s itinerary when prospective parents are shown through the school. And you can have confidence that the environment is built around sound pedagogical principles which provide sound evidence for the time you spend creating it.

Giving your library the WOW factor does not mean having to change any of your core business practices. It just means examining what you do and considering how you could do it with a bit more flair.

Place your Space

Whether you are planning a brand new library or renovating an established one it is important to go back to basics and identify

what is the purpose of your school library now and envisaged
who are its target users
what are their interests, needs, abilities, demands and priorities
what essential services must be provided to meet those needs and priorities
what resources will meet those needs and in what formats and how these will impact on layout
which parts of the library are best suited to providing those services
what is the library’s role in helping students develop an awareness for and appreciation of aesthetics
how the users tend/want to use the library’s spaces
how the library can be future-proofed by being able to respond to significant changes without significant investment

Answering those questions means you can develop a plan that organizes your space and provides you with a priority list of projects.

First and foremost, since 2005 Australia has had Disability Standards for Education legislation which clarifies ” the obligations of education and training providers, and seek to ensure that students with disability can access and participate in education on the same basis as students without disability.” This was reviewed in 2020 but remains mandatory in all schools within Australia requiring schools to make reasonable adjustment for students with disability. Each state has its own documentation identifying its requirements and your library layout must comply with these so all students have access that meets their needs.

So ensuring these are met,

Create a scale floorplan of your space and mark in the fixed furniture and fittings, windows and power points.

Floorplans help place the space

Check your building or district fire safety regulations so you can comply with their entry/exit requirements, what can be put on walls, hung from ceilings and any other constraints. Make sure that nothing interferes with the line-of-sight of your security cameras, scanners and sensors
Using your priority list place spaces that are dependent on those non-negotiables, such as the quiet reading corner near natural light and computers near power sources.
Top priority must go to being able to see as much of the space as possible from the place you spend the majority of your time. Under duty-of-care legislation we are required to do “everything reasonably practical” to ensure the safety and well-being of those in our care. We are also charged with being in loco parentis (in place of the parent) so there is an extra layer of supervision imposed on us.
Consider the needs of the disabled so they are able to operate as independently as possible – some authorities impose regulations about minimum width access aisles and so forth.
Apart from those considerations, design the space for flexibility so it can be reconfigured to meet various and changing needs. Support motivation, collaboration and personalisation. Diana Rendina identifies six active spaces that all libraries should have.
Plan for learning that is both mobile and connected; interactive and supported; large group, small group and individual; as well as remote and face-to-face. Think about these verbs… choose, read, listen, connect, think, reflect, write, collaborate, co-operate, discuss, debate, share, plan, prepare, present, design, deliver, inform, entertain, inspire, delight, integrate, display, store, perform, circulate, meet, organise, select, play, challenge, manipulate, demonstrate, change, access, involve, engage, inquire, investigate, dream …

Above all the space should be a place where staff and students want to be, where there is mental and physical comfort, safety and security.

Consider the unique aspects of being a child, especially if you are working with younger students. You need to bring the kids into the world of words before you can put the world of words into the world of kids.

What to us seems to be a regular space and regular proportions, especially if we are familiar with it because it is our daily environment, can be very overwhelming for a small child. So we need to consider bringing the space down to their size and make it as friendly as possible so they feel that this is a place for them and they are welcome in it. High ceilings that seem to soar almost to heaven, can be “brought down” by hanging things like kites, or signs or swathes of fabric. Connect the floor and the ceiling with Jack and the Beanstalk or other displays, or build semi-permanent displays on top of shelves. All fool the eye into thinking that this is a manageable, comfortable space to operate in.

Use displays to bring the space to the scale of the child

Rooms or Rows?

After making the space student-friendly, the most important consideration is access to the resources by the students. They need to be able to find either what they specifically want, or something that appeals to them, very quickly – that is the instant-gratification nature of the 21^st century child. The days of taking time and pleasure in reading reviews, browsing titles, reading blurbs, flicking through pages and looking at pictures have slipped away, particularly as a library visit is likely to be squeezed in between changes in classes or shared with 30 other class members. Even using the OPAC for leisure reading selections comes second-place to an eye-catching display, a quirky title or a colourful cover.

Even though the need for orderly, organized access is imperative for staff and important for students, rows and rows of shelves can be daunting.

So think about how you can create or rearrange sections that make the popular titles easy to find by even the youngest patron or the most reluctant reader. Put yourself in the shoes of the new entrant who can confidently and independently find the books about dinosaurs. How do you feel? Put yourself in the shoes of the 6^th grade student who would love to learn more about Tyrannosaurus Rex but does not want to publicise his ignorance about numbers by having to ask for help. How do you feel? If our students are to be regular users of the school library, or any other, then they must be able to access what they want easily and efficiently without any stigma or feeling of being marginalised. It is our job to make this place one where everyone can operate at their own level regardless of ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious and cultural beliefs or sexual orientation.

Many school libraries are reinventing themselves into a learning commons.

The learning commons, sometimes called an “information commons,” has evolved from a combination library and computer lab into a full-service learning, research, and project space.

School libraries shelve tradition to create new learning spaces provides lots of examples, ideas and photographs of how to look at the space with new eyes. Many school libraries are including a makerspace and there is a gallery of these on Pinterest. If you don’t have space for a full makerspace consider devoting a table to a community jigsaw puzzle. Attaching thin dowel around the edges prevents the pieces falling off and it’s amazing how many stop to place a piece.

Come in!

Making your library say welcome is essential.

First impressions are critical so what happens at the front door is really important.

Have the children create a Welcome sign and surround it with the word in all the languages spoken in your school. This display is a constant talking point even though it has been up for several years. Children traveling overseas often bring us a doll to add to the collection!

On either side of the front door there is a water feature offering some movement and sound (the library is a talking place) that was our contribution to the ISLD Growing the Future project that was initiated after September 11, 2001. The poem above is the students’ version of John Marsden’s Prayer for the 21^st Century.

There is also an imposing RETURNS box. As well as making for easier administration, it serves as a constant reminder for those who are forgetful. This one is made from cardboard boxes and accessories from El Cheapos and it works for our little people but a more sophisticated one could easily be an opportunity for collaboration between you and the staff and students of the technology department.

First impressions are critical…

If you can, create a large eye-catching display to catch the eye as people enter the library. This can be seasonal, topical, whimsical or fanciful. The best

are big, bright, bold and beautiful
incorporate the students’ world
offer them something to interact with
include books, both fiction and non-fiction, displayed with the topic and these are able to be borrowed while the interest is piqued.
involve the children’s work.

It all helps to create the perception that the library is an exciting and interesting place to be, somewhere where it is worthwhile to spend their time because there are always new things to discover.

Students are engaged in this display based on a popular TV series and ‘The Eleventh Hour” by Graeme Base

Santa’s Book Shop heralded our Christmas book fair

If you’re stuck for an idea here are 30 Quirky Quickies. If you want inspiration for your displays then there are ideas aplenty at Library Displays and School Library Displays or you can search Pinterest or even Google images for either general designs or your particular theme.

Being comfortable is part of being welcome. Create special spaces in your library. If you regularly read aloud to your students have a special story-tellers space with a unique chair, a rug for students to sit on and a space to put all your props. Ideas for establishing a read-aloud space are included in The Art of Reading Aloud and the importance of this activity in the read-aloud hat

Tusitala’s Chair – named after Robert Louis Stevenson who took the native Samoan name meaning “teller of tales”.

Strive to provide areas where clients can just curl up and read – either to themselves, to others or even a friendly teddy.

Comfortable seating encourages lingering

Create child-friendly spaces with permanent displays that encourage and enable independent choice and selection.

Investigate the sorts of books that your students, especially the reluctant readers, consistently borrow and then group these books together. Consider grouping favourite fiction titles, series, characters and authors together so

the students can find all the works by their favourite authors quickly because they are all in one place
all the books in a series are collected together
shelves are not so tightly packed or left scattered and shattered after a class has been in
shelving is easy and quick

An array of authors…plastic tubs are cheap.

Booksellers’ dumpbins create interest and a natural display space

Consider putting

all the fairy tales (usually at 398.2) under the banner of Timeless Tales – experience shows that these are the first choice of the new students making the transition from pre-school and being able to find such familiar favourites gives them a feeling of confidence and independence
all the perennial favourite characters such as Winnie-the-Pooh, Franklin, Spot, Arthur, and Elmer under the banner of Family Favourites – again, the children feel very grown up being able to find these for themselves and show their parents who often come in after to school to borrow together.
all the series in their own tubs under the banner Select-a-Series –ice cream containers, lunch boxes and planter boxes are sturdy, cheap and easy to obtain
all the works by popular and prolific authors together.

If you see a display stand in a shop, don’t be shy about asking if you can have it when their display is over for your library. Often they will be grateful that they don’t have to worry about disposing of it. Cover any unwanted advertising with colorful, self-adhesive paper, turn the header board inside out and create your own, and for the time it took you to collect it, you have a personalized yet professional stand. Ask for the posters and any other paraphernalia that accompanies the display and then re-create the display in your library.

Even though it make take some time to arrange your collection like this, the increase in circulation and students’ discussions and recommendations will make it more than worthwhile.

Uncover the Covers

Let’s return to one of those principles of learning that underpin the need to landscape the library

the brain functions at many levels simultaneously as thoughts, emotions, imagination, predispositions and physiology interact and exchange information with the environment

Many researchers have proven that the key factor in book selection is the book’s cover, so it makes sense to display as many books with their covers showing as you can. Think of some of the more successful bookstores that you have visited. Do you spend ages getting a crick in your neck because it is turned sideways to read titles on spines? Or are you attracted to those books whose covers you can see? Did you know that, just as in supermarkets, publishers pay bookstores for a book to be displayed with the cover facing out, because they know that the cover sells the product?

Like us, children don’t choose books that look like they have “don’t touch me” signs on them, that are lined up with just a sliver of spine bravely trying to sell themselves and packed so tightly that little fingers cannot prize them apart, creating a barrier rather than a gateway.

Make mini-displays wherever you can that allow covers to be displayed and to give the students greater access to new authors, genres and topics. These can be about anything that takes your or the students’ fancy, be as large or as small as space allows, and be as temporary or permanent as you want, but the aim is to get the covers of the books to catch the eye.

Mini-displays can fit into small spaces and invite exploration

Encourage the students to have input to and ownership of the space by inviting them to create displays; asking class teachers to contribute the students’ work to accompany collaborative research projects and inviting them to read, reflect and review their reading and share it with others.

Encourage students to have ownership of the space by seeking their input.

Facing Facts

In the 1870s, Melville Dewey spent a lot of time organizing subject areas to create a classification system that is now used in more than 200,000 libraries in 135 countries in more than 30 languages. According to the Online Library Computer Center (OCLC), the official owners of the Dewey system, 95 percent of all public and K-12 school libraries use the system.

While it is very important that our students know how to use this system to be able to find specific titles, and there is a strong argument that understanding how to locate a resource is a transferable lifelong skill, it is not much use to them if the students cannot and do not want to read. So, in the elementary system at least, there is an equally strong argument for manipulating the arrangement so that students are encouraged to choose to read. Time enough for them to learn the difference between 994.04 and 994.4.

The nature of non-fiction means that more-or-less adhering to the Dewey Decimal Classification system in the non fiction sector of the library makes sense. Even if you use a simpler adaptation to meet the needs of your students, staying within the basic concept encourages independence and helps them build lifelong skills. Nevertheless, it is still possible to make certain subjects easier to access and circulate. Again, do some in-house investigations to identify the subjects most often borrowed by the students, particularly for leisure reading. Books about topics such as space, pets, dinosaurs and cars are usually borrowed before they are shelved, so consider giving these a space of their own in your non-fiction section.

Consider putting

all the picture puzzle books (usually at 793.73) under the banner Pick-a-Puzzle
all the joke and riddle books (usually at 808.88) under the banner of Side-Splitters
all the Horrible Histories, Horrible Science and their cousins on a stand
all those skinny beginner information series in baskets or a stand so that even the kindergarten children can find something of interest
all the books about your country together

Despite their not being in strict Dewey order, students very quickly learn to locate their favourite sections so they can make their selections independently.

Circulation data shows that non-fiction displayed in a similar way to fiction is much more likely to be borrowed, and that even if the reader is just looking at the pictures, there is a lot of information being absorbed, including the format and structure of this type of text.

Be very aware of what is being studied in classrooms, is on the news, or is topical with students and be pro-active by displaying resources about those subjects while they are of such interest.

Sign on

Whether you landscape your library strictly according to the principles of the Dewey system, or whether you are more flexible, the key to unlocking the space for the user is signage. Everything must be clearly labeled so that even the very youngest student, or one with specific special needs, can find what they are looking for with a minimum of help. Being able to find what you want for yourself is very empowering and being able to show someone else, particularly a parent, is the icing on the cake.

Signage is critical.

The best signage

uses large letters
backs up words with pictures
has dark lettering on light backgrounds and the opposite for special effects
uses plain sans serif fonts
uses capitals and fancy fonts for short captions only
has a consistent colour schemes for similar signs
includes hanging signs using lightweight objects from El Cheapos strung together with fishing line hung over the appropriate section
has correct spelling
uses child friendly language

Near the non-fiction section display posters that summarize the DDC system and also a ready reference so that the student wanting a book about the moon can see at a glance that there will be something at 523.3.

In your non-fiction section label the shelves so the student can see just which numbers are housed there, but make sure they know that 500-510 also includes the numbers in between. If you have space, list the main topic areas covered. Sub-divide the books into practical breaks using index blocks available from your library-supply store, or recycle plastic video boxes. Assign numbers that make sense rather than just an arbitrary number of digits. The more divisions, the easier it is to find (and shelve) what you are looking for and reinforces the belief that this is a space where the child can operate independently.

In your fiction section, label every ”room”, shelf, container and display, particularly if you have diverged from the standard DDC layout. Such clear signage means that students soon learn where to look for those out-of-order books and shelving them after they have been returned also becomes much easier, especially for student and parent volunteers.

The world of words

Returning to yet another principle of learning …

learning involves conscious and unconscious processes, including experience, emotion and sensory input, and that much of our learning occurs and is processed below the level of immediate awareness so that understanding may not happen until much later after there has been time for reflection and assimilation

we can do much to support our students’ reading by ensuring displays have captions or even provocative questions that lead to further investigations. Bare walls can be covered with children’s work samples or charts that support their learning. It will all be absorbed at an unconscious level.

Wherever you can have the students contribute to the wording, design and construction of the charts. Ownership is a powerful motivator. Charts can include behaviour guidelines, borrowing instructions, instructions for using the OPAC or caring for books. It gives them ownership of the space and is one more way to put the world of words into their world.

Captions and instructions encourage students to read.

Retailers spend millions of dollars on market research to identify what entices customers to buy and what turns them off

Reuse, recycle, rethink

So you don’t have to be an interior designer (frustrated or otherwise) to landscape your library. Every time you go shopping, look at displays and how they are constructed and then take the ideas and elements and reproduce them.

Think of it as recycling – their research and its output into your environment – two displays for the cost of one!

There are many subtle ways that they get us to part with our money. Consider how you might employ some of these tempters in your library.

With just a little knowledge and lots of imagination you can make your library a model of the very best in student learning environments and know that you are putting the world of words into the world of kids.

And, if you want to read further try

Ramblings: Planning Library Displays for the Year

Divine Design: How to create the 21st-century school library of your dreams

Learning Commons Transformation – Ten Steps

Ideas for Inspiring Contemporary School Library Design

Power Up! / The New School Library

School Library Journal’s Buildings/Design page

Can the physical environment have an impact on the learning environment?

Designing Spaces for Learning

Designing Spaces for Effective Learning

Spaces for Knowledge Generation – Seven Principles

Learning Spaces

Contemporary Library Checklist

50 of the Most Majestic Libraries in the World

Creative Book Displays to Get Students Reading (Part 1)

Designed for Learning: School Libraries

References

Caine R. and Caine, G. 1994 Making Connections: Teaching and the Human Brain, Menlo Park, Calif.: Addison-Wesley

Drucker, P. F. 1999 Management Challenges for the 21st Century New York: Harper Business

Drucker, P. F. 2001 The Essential Drucker New York: HarperCollins

Industry Commission, Work, Health and Safety, Report No. 47, Sept 1995, National Occupational Health and Safety Commission, Australia

Jensen, E. 1998 Teaching with the brain in mind Alexandra, VA: ASCD

Oliver, M. & Christenson, J. 2001 The Rain Gutter Literacy Revolution

Rippel, C. 2003 What libraries can learn from bookstores : applying the bookstore model to public libraries

the game-player’s hat

May11

As the cooler days of Australia’s winter encroach, more and more students make their way to the library as a warm haven during recess and lunch breaks. But to expect them all to want to curl up and read for that time may be a bit ambitious so this is a perfect opportunity to introduce them to some of the “old-fashioned” board and card games of yesteryear.

Those of us of a certain vintage may well remember the family nights where televisionwas turned off (if there were a television) and games like Monopoly, Scrabble and Squatter would be set up or a lively game of cards would ensue. As well as being entertained, we absorbed the social niceties of taking turns, sharing, patience and how to lose gracefully while learning to think strategically, plan ahead, and know enough maths to keep the scorer/banker honest. Like traditional fairytales, the best games always had something to teach us.

While today’s students seem to be entranced with screen-based games, the library can become the place where more traditional formats are introduced and so much learning can take place. Games enable students to

collaborate with their peers to set goals, rules, deadlines and make collegial decisions through negotiation
develop an understanding of “fair play” and the need for rules to ensure this happens
reinforce the concepts of taking turns, sharing and being gracious in success or defeat
develop resilience and perseverance as there is an expectation they will play through to the end rather than giving up because they are not winning
have a common topic of conversation in which all can be included
assume roles that place them in unfamiliar situations and having to make decisions based on different perspectives which may challenge their existing ideas
think strategically and plan ahead, posing and answering questions, considering cause and effect both immediate and longer-term
think creatively to reach a solution or conclusion
deal with a variety of information, often in a diverse range of formats and from a diverse range of sources, and synthesise this to solve problems, make informed decisions and consider how their actions will impinge on another’s as well as how another player’s actions determines theirs

Many games feed directly into specific curriculum outcomes and priorities justifying their existence in both the library and the classroom as yet another way of meeting the diverse learning styles of our students. Libraries Got Game: Aligned Learning Through Modern Board Games by Brian Mayer and Christopher Harris explores the role of games in education in depth offering sound pedagogical evidence for their inclusion in the classroom and library programs. Even though the curriculum links are US-based, it’s a small jump to the Australian Curriculum.

Games were a popular part of my library’s resources and one of the most popular pastimes that continually drew participants was the jigsaw table. Edged with strips of dowel glued down to minimise the chance of pieces landing on the floor, there was always a jigsaw waiting for a passer-by to stop and add a piece or two. Even the principal couldn’t resist. The difficulty of the puzzles varied, but given their importance in the development of visual acuity and spatial awareness, eventually I had two tables – one for the K-2 brigade and the other for those older (including adults.) Initially I bought the puzzles new to ensure they were complete, but I also got donations from puzzlers who had completed a puzzle and didn’t want the challenge of doing it again.

Board games were also popular, especially those that could be completed in a short session like Chinese Checkers, Trouble, Ludo, Snakes and Ladders and Junior Scrabble but there was also the opportunity for students to continue a longer game like Monopoly over a couple of days because I had the luxury of space to keep it set up near the circulation desk. It amazed me how well students respected their friends’ games and did not touch them during the day. To ensure fairness, students could sign on to play the next round which would include the winner of the previous game. Chess was also popular and we had many chess sets donated after a local club introduced the students to the game at the instigation of a teacher with a passion for it. Two students who had often been seen as trouble-makers in the playground organised a Round Robin competition and one lunchtime a week, all the library tables were set up for this. Suddenly the boys had a purpose and a responsibility and not only did their attitudes changes, but the attitudes of students and teacherstowards them also shifted. They were popular rather than pariahs. Students were encouraged to bring in their own games too and often the popularity of one of these determined the library’s next purchase. However, parents were also very generous and donated games too, often instead of a book for the Birthday Book Club.

Some of our Asian students also introduced their friends to the mysteries of Mah Jong which soon became as popular as chess and brought community members in as teachers and mentors, strengthening the ties between home and school and amongst the community, which had a broad ethnic base.

Card games also proved popular with Uno an enduring favourite while many learned to play gin rummy, euchre, whist, 500 and Hearts from their peers and teachers who also dropped in to be challenged. (I have always taught Vingt-et-Un as a way to get students proficient in rapidly counting to 21.)

As well as the actual games there was a significant collection of books in the Pick-a-Puzzle section that was always popular as students pored over pages to find Wally or travel through mazes or solve clues to progress through an adventure. This lead to the creation of our own version of Where’s Wally as students created clues about where in Australia he might be for their friends to unravel, as well as The Quizzard of Oz, still going strong as Backpack Bear.

The Pick-a-Puzzle collection was always popular.

Some of the enduring memories for me of these games sessions are the camaraderie between the players, the gentleness and patience that experienced students showed as they taught younger or inexperienced children how to play, the willingness to abide by the rules and the acceptance that it is OK to lose, because, after all, it is only a game, even though it might be instilling life lessons.

Computer games were beginning to make an appearance although hand-held devices like Donkey Kong were discouraged at school and mobile phones were not what they are today. However, there is a growing body of literature that is exploring how popular games can have significant value in the learning process both in the library and in the classroom. MindShift examines Beyond Grades: Do Games Have a Future As Assessment Tools? and How game-based learning teaches problem solving in context while Russ Pitts examines how video games can change the world, one child at a time. and Dean Groom asks What’s holding schools back from using games in class? In the Winter 2013 edition of YALSA (Young Adult LibraryServices)– Vol. 11, Number 2, entitled Minecraft Programs in the Library: If you build it they will come by Erica Gauquier and Jessica Schneider, and there have been a number of discussions in the Scootle Community about its use in the school context. Judy O’Connell has also blogged about it in her Hey Jude blog post Building the (Minecraft) lost city of Babylon In fact there is new literature being published almost daily demonstrating that this is a hot topic that the teacher librarian not only needs to know about but also should be taking the lead in sharing the literature and starting the conversations.

If, like me, you feel you don’t know enough about the online gaming learning environment, then Games MOOC offers an open course designed for educators who want to learn more about games, simulations and game-like environments for education. It is designed for all levels of participation and a new course will start in July 2014. You can look at what has been offered previously to determine whether this would be of benefit.

In the meantime, Blake J Harris has traced the development of the videogame and he has identified 10 Video Games that Book Lovers will enjoy Some of them go way back to console systems like Atari so might not be easy to access, but if you read the comments at the bottome there are other suggestions to explore too. There is also the NMC On the Horison video to view, while the School Library Association New South Wales is holding a gamification conference in August 2014 but if you can’t get to , the page offers some names of people to follow in this field.

Putting on the game-player’s hat offers the TL a number of opportunities…

It enables students to see that the library is about more than the circulation of books and it might offer something of interest for them
Creating a display of resources that include instructions for playing popular games, the history of games and even unusual, historic or rare games may encourage a shift from player to reader
Students may well take their knowledge and enthusiasm for a particular game home to their families, opening up new conversations and entertainment options
Providing students with opportunities to play games not only gives them social and gaming skills they can take beyond the school walls, but also provides experience to create their own game, a common end-product of a classroom-based study
Providing teachers with professional articles about the relevance of games within the curriculum not only expands their professional knowledge, but also offers them another tool with which to connect to students, as well as demonstrating the TL’s leadership and being at the cutting edge of new initiatives
Providing the powers-that-be with professional articles may influence their thinking about the use of mobile devices within the school and loosen some of the tight restrictions that have been imposed
Drawing families into the library for a Family Games Night like the more traditional Family Reading Night offers another avenue to promote the library and its services to parents, including those who share their child’s perspective that a library has nothing to offer them.

Because Games and Gamification has been identified as one of the 18 top trends in the 2014 NMC Horizon Report K-12 edition, the game-player’s hat might become a game-changing one!

the learner’s hat

Jan10

The best parties are those where the guests mix and mingle, the conversation flows and ideas and information are shared, considered, discussed, perhaps even debated.

And so it has been at my party for over 40 years – I’ve had on my best party hat, circulated and participated, listened and learned, contemplated and celebrated. Now, I think I know enough to host a party with confidence and competence because this is what I know about the hat that the learner wears…

The brain constantly grows and changes from conception to death.
The brain develops over three decades with the sensory sectors being the most active in the first ten years, and those enabling deep and independent thinking developing over the second decade.
Different ages have different needs and conditions for learning.
We build new concepts on old understandings, and new information must be connected to a prior experience for it to make sense.
Intelligence is not fixed – it is a combination of nature and nurture.
An enriched environment with appropriate multi-sensory challenges and opportunities to explore it has a significant impact on learning.
Boredom and threat diminish the brain as much as challenge enhances it.
Learning is unique and is dependent on many factors, many of them internal and intrinsic to the individual.
There are many ways to learn the same thing and we each have our own preferences and predilections to ensure success.
There are two types of learning
- Experience-expectant which are the basic survival skills, including speech, which will occur in a well-described order and in a well-defined timeframe provided the child has the opportunities to learn them
- Experience-dependent learning of non-essential skills, including reading, which require explicit instruction, repetition, motivation and mental effort and which develop at different times and different rates for each individual.

So, I put on my teacher’s hat and I ask…

How does this knowledge impact on what I know and believe about child development?
How does this knowledge impact on what I know and believe about learning?
How does this knowledge impact on what I know and believe about teaching?
What is the driving force behind my current teaching programs and practices?
How does that align with what I know and believe about learning?
How does what I currently do and how I do it impact on the learning of my students?
What sorts of teaching programs and practices are the most appropriate for what and how I want my students to learn at this time?
What do my students need to know and be able to do five years from now as a result of my current programs and practices?
What do I need to develop, change or abandon to provide my students with what they need, not what I think they should have?
What sorts of environments should I be providing for my students?
What can I do to guide my students along the path of lifelong learning?

Ken and Yetta Goodman say that learning is easy when…

it is real and natural
it is whole
it is sensible
it is interesting
it is relevant
it is part of a real event
it belongs to the learner
it has social utility
it has purpose for the learner
the learner chooses to use it
the learner has the power to use it

Adapted from ‘What’s Whole in Whole Language”, K.S. Goodman (1986, 2005)

So I have to consider…

What knowledge, understandings, skills, attitudes, beliefs and values do I want my students to learn as a result of undertaking this task?
How can I connect what I want them to know with what they already know?
How can I demonstrate the purpose and relevance of this learning to their world?
How can I determine that they have achieved what I intended?

Cambourne developed this model of learning…

Cambourne contends that successful learning is dependent on the learner…

having a need to learn
being physically and mentally capable of doing so
being immersed in or surrounded by examples of what is to be learned
receiving many demonstrations of what is to be learned and how it can be used
expecting to succeed and knowing those around him expect success
taking responsibility for what is learned, when and how it is learned
having time and opportunities to practise and use their new skills in real-life situations
being free to make mistakes and learn from these
receiving relevant, timely, and non-threatening feedback from those who already know

Cambourne contends that the learner’s attitude to learning is critical and the most effective learning happens when the learner can make an emotional connection to what is being learned, and this is confirmed by Renate and Geoffrey Caine .

What we learn is influenced and organized by emotions and mindsets involving expectancy, personal biases and prejudices, self-esteem and the need for social interaction Emotions and thoughts literally shape each other and cannot be separated. Emotions color meaning … Moreover, the emotional impact of any lesson or life experience may continue to reverberate long after the specific event that triggers it. Hence an appropriate emotional climate is indispensable to sound education.

Caine R. and Caine G. 1994. Making connections: Teaching and the human brain.

Menlo Park,CA: Addison-Wesley

In a nutshell, I believe that it is essential that the learner perceives that the learning is necessary to make sense of the world and therefore has real purpose and meaning and is worth the effort and time involved.

Adapted from “The Whole Story: natural learning and the acquisition of literacy in the classroom” Cambourne, B. (1988)

So I ask …

Do my students come to school each day in anticipation, not anxiety?
Is their learning over before it starts because they have already shut down, telling themselves there is no purpose and denying themselves any chance of success?
Do I unconsciously confirm those beliefs through my own attitudes and actions towards them?
What can I do to promote more positive attitudes for both learner and teacher?
What is the role of the library in providing a safe and satisfying learning environment?
What is happening in the rest of the school that means the library is the only safe haven for some students?
What sorts of options and opportunities can we offer to encourage, excite and extend student learning?

500 Hats

-the teacher librarian in the 21st century

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