The Role of the Teacher-Librarian and the School Library ProgramLLED 469: Resource-based Teaching

Summer 2014

M. Ekdahl, Instructor

21st Century Learning

Learning in the twenty-first century has taken on new

dimensions with the exponential expansion of information,

ever-changing tools, increasing digitization of text, and

heightened demands for critical and creative thinking,

communication, and collaborative problem solving …. All

learners must be able to access high-quality information

from diverse perspectives, make sense of it to draw their won

conclusions or create new knowledge, and share their

knowledge with others.AASL Standards for the 212st Century Learner in Action (2009)

The “Information Age”

Today’s students learning in a dynamic world where information

changes and expands as fast as technological innovation.

Information that grows exponentially and comes in multiple

formats is presented without prior expert editing for truth or

reliability, often without logical organization and frequently

with a very short “shelf life.” Learning in the Information Age is

very different from the kind of learning that took place prior to

the advent of the computer (3).

BCTLA’s Points of Inquiry (2010)

Teaching in the 21st Century

Committed 21st Century educators observe how their teaching, as well as student learning, has evolved as a result of our information-rich society. They:

• Move to the siade and work to guide or “scaffold” the learning

• Provide feedback that empowers students to move more deeply into their learning

• Encourage students to have more authority for their own knowledge and inquiry

• Are actively engaged in learning, assessing, and teaching

• Ensure new learning takes place in active, collaborative, and social contexts, real or virtual (5)

• BCTLA Points of Inquiry

UNESCO/IASL on the SLP:• The school library provides information and ideas that are

fundamental to functioning successfully in today’s

information and knowledge-based society. [It] equips

students with life-long learning skills and develops the

imagination, enabling them to live as responsible citizens.

• The school library [program] offers learning services,

books and resources that enable all members of the school

community to become critical thinkers and effective users

of information in all formats and media.

UNESCO/IASL, cont’d:• [Research has shown that,] when [TLs] and teachers work

together, students achieve higher levels of literacy, reading,

learning, problem-solving and [ICT] skills.

• All education systems should be encouraged to extend the

learning environment beyond textbook and teacher into the

school library.

• The school library [program] provides a wide range of resources,

both print and non-print, including electronic media and access

to data, which promote an awareness of the child’s own cultural

heritage and provide the basis for an understanding of the

diversity of other cultures.

UNESCO/IASL on the Role of TLs• [Teacher-librarians] support the use of books and other

information sources, ranging from the fictional to the

documentary, from print to electronic, both on-site and

remote. The materials complement and enrich textbooks

teaching materials and methodologies.

• [TLs provide] access to services and collections [UN

Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Freedoms that]

… should not be subject to any form of ideological, political,

or religious censorship, or to commercial pressures.

AASL L4L and TLsTeacher-librarians are educators who cross disciplines and grade levels

as they work to empower every student with the skills, resources, and

tools to:

• Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge

• Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to

new situations, and create new knowledge

• Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as

members of our democratic society

• Pursue personal and aesthetic growth. “

The AASL’s Learning4Life (L4L) program supports the key role of the

TLs in developing independent and lifelong learning, the ability to

think, create, share, and grow in school and beyond

Colorado’s Highly Effective SLPs

The focus of school library programs has moved from the

library as a confined place to one with fluid boundaries

that is layered by diverse needs and influenced by an

interactive global community. Guiding principles for

school library programs must focus on building flexible

learning environments with the goal of producing

successful learners skilled in multiple literacies.

NB: Colorado’s “highly effective TL” video series

CASL/CLA Guidelines (2000)• The role and responsibility of the school library lies in the

development of resource-based programs that will ensure that all the

young people in our schools have the opportunity to learn the skills

that will enable them to become competent users of information.

• The program is most effective when it is an integral part of the

instruction program of the school … The program is developed

jointly by teachers and TLs who work co-operatively to plan,

implement, and evaluate resource-based units of study.

• The school library exists within a particular context and is shaped by

policy set at national, provincial and local levels, by professional

standards and research, by educational objectives and curriculum

requirements, and by the expectations of the administration, the

staff, and the community.

BCTLA/BCTF“Every public school student in BC is entitled to meaningful

and substantive library services. The school library or

learning resource centre provides a dynamic environment

made up of a vital mix of people, materials, equipment,

furnishing and space, and this centre is responsive to the

individual and curricular needs of all students and staff.

While the classroom is the core of the learning situation, the

success of the educational process relies on an adaptable and

enriching library program.”

BCTF Members’ Guide, 3.P. Desirable Criteria for School Libraries

BCTLA’s Points of Inquiry

• TLs support both teachers and students as they explore multiple sources of information to create new knowledge and learning.

• TLs have both the role description and the responsibility to advocate for a consistent approach within the school and to foster collaboration between teachers based on the systematic and systemic development of students’ literacy abilities.

• [Teachers] will need to understand and teach the fundamentals of information literacy if they are to empower BC’s young people to succeed as adults in meeting the knowledge demands for living, working, and learning independently.

VSB and the Role of the TLA teacher-librarian is a teacher who selects, manages, and promotes

the effective use of resources. The VTF collective agreement frames

the TLs’ instructional role; the TL “promotes the effective use of

resources” and the VSB Role Document provides details. TLs:

• Work collaboratively to plan, teach, evaluate resource-based

inquiry units that promote student achievement

• Incorporate IL skills, technology, print and digital resources

• Support teachers professionally

• Provide reader and reference services

• Promote reading and student achievement

• Advocate for strong, well-supported school library programs

One TL’s Program ReflectionsHow do I show direct evidence of:

• Meaningful integration of 21st century skills into the library

program?

• Leadership within and outside the school?

• Impact on student achievement within the school?

• A collaborative environment where students have the

instruction they need to be college and career ready?

• A culture of collaboration that includes the TL in instruction,

leadership decisions, and the provision of digital literacy

instruction for staff and students?

One TL’s Reflections, cont’d:

How do I show direct evidence of:

• The creation of programs, aligned with school and district

goals, that encourage student involvement in community,

cultural or global initiatives?

• Demonstrated differentiation to meet the learning needs of

all students?

• My work in helping teachers with student assessment?

• Purposeful lesson design that creates lifelong learning?

• My role in the school as a leader for change?