Reflection Theme 2: The Art of Being a Teacher-Librarian and The Daily Realities

As I look back and reflect on the last three weeks of course work and teaching, I have learned many things about being an effective T-L and the realities T-Ls face in their daily work.

In particular, I have learned three key things on which I would like to reflect:

1. Being an effective T-L is a skill that is crafted with time and experience

2. The role description of a T-L is multi-faceted

3. Reference services and the accessibility to reference resources are constantly evolving.

I found it quite difficult sometimes in the last few weeks to reconcile the differences between what was being discussed in our course work as best-practice and what I was experiencing while at work. At times it was inspiring and at times disheartening to see the discord between reality and best-practice principles. So here are my lessons learned:

1. Being an effective T-L is a skill that is crafted with time and experience:

Rielding does a good job of laying out the framework for a good reference interview. I found this to be a good introduction to the skill set that is needed as a T-L. I found that the collaborative piece of the skill set was missing in her description. I enjoyed the way that was laid out in the Leading Learning document. Personally, I think that an effective T-L can come to the job from various backgrounds; however, a true spirit of collaboration is essential, as well as a deep desire to teach, learn and evolve. 

2. The role description of a T-L is multi-faceted:

The role description provided by the GVSD is very helpful. It is clear, concise and I believe gives concrete direction for the T-L and the administration. I found myself becoming frustrated with my district when I found out that T-Ls are not really supported in their roles other than through an email group. I spoke to some T-Ls who were so thankful to have had a mentor when they first started who supported them and gave them a common sense of direction. Unfortunately, that role does not exists anymore. I found it very helpful to look over the Surrey School District's Teacher-Librarian Handbook. Although somewhat dated, in the absence of any such document from my district, it was an easy find and a good starting point that gave some concrete direction. 

A lot is said about collaboration between the T-L and teachers at a school site. While that is a rich and essential process, I would think that it would be really helpful to have collaboration between T-Ls from different school sites. It made me think how isolated a T-L can be. Classroom teachers have their grade group colleagues to share ideas with. What about the T-L?

3. Reference services and accessibility to reference resources are constantly evolving:

I think this aspect is an exciting part of the job. Being in an elementary school, I would like to see reference resources circulated as much as possible and reference services used from K-grade 7. In talking to other primary teachers, it is interesting to note that even new teacher graduates are not necessarily being taught the value of collaborating with the T-L or learning what sorts of services the library has to offer. I found this useful video that gives student-teachers an overview of the assets that T-Ls bring to the school.

Also, some teachers that have been around awhile may not realize that the T-L is there for more than just a book exchange or read-aloud. So, it seems that an effective T-L has to advocate for their services and advertise at the same time. This is something that I was not so aware of until now, although from this video you can tell it has been going for a long time. 

Overall, I think it sounds exciting to be a T-L and to provide reference services in an ever-changing environment. Transforming the library into a learning commons comes with a clearer understanding of not just the physical environment but also the intellectual milieu that a T-L is working in. I really like the BCTLA's document "From School Library to Library Learning Commons: a pro-active model for educational change". It really captures the essence of teacher-librarianship and is inspirational for leading the way to best-practice. 


Bibliography:

Bibliophile80224. "School Librarians Are Teachers." YouTube. YouTube, 05 June 2010. Web. 19 Feb. 2017.

Canadian Libraries Association. Leading learning: Standards of practice for school library learning commons in Canada. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Libraries Association.

From School Library to Library Learning Commons. N.p.: Bctla, May 2014. PFD.

Jensen, Yrsa. Teacher-Librarian Handbook. Surrey: SD36, Apr.-May 2007. PDF.

Libraryresources. "Why Teacher Librarians Are VERY Important." YouTube. YouTube, 07 Feb. 2011. Web. 19 Feb. 2017.

Riedling, Ann Marlow, Loretta Shake, and Cynthia Houston. Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips. Santa Barbara, CA: Linworth, an Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2013. P

TSLAC. "I Am a School Librarian." YouTube. YouTube, 11 Apr. 2016. Web. 19 Feb. 2017.

"The Role of a Teacher Librarian." The Role of a Teacher Librarian. N.p., Web. 18 Feb. 2017.

LIBE 467 Assignment 1: Evaluation of a Reference Resource

Background:

The library I have chosen is housed in a 4 year old school on the west side of Vancouver with 457 students in grade K-7 with a multicultural background. The school is built around the architectural concept of many communal areas and the library is a large space located next to the entrance of the school. Spatially, the library could be an effective library learning commons. At the moment the library is in flux, as the librarian recently retired and a new permanent librarian has yet to start. Although the space is new, the printed reference collection is quite dated. The Vancouver School Board has a very good on-line database collection, so although the printed reference section is quite small and old, the students have a good digital collection divided into primary, but mostly intermediate sections.

I am a primary teacher and currently teach grade ½ at the school one day a week. I take my students to the library for a 20 minute book exchange once a week. My classroom has many fiction and non-fiction books for the students that are provided privately by the primary teacher for theme studies. I have noticed the teacher going to the Vancouver Public Library to supplement her private collection of reference materials for the grade ½ students.

Analysis of a Current Significant Resource in the Library Reference Section:

I am choosing to analyse the World Book Illustrated Atlas (2008), hereafter referred to as WBIA, as it is one of the handful of items in the reference section of the school. Being a primary classroom teacher, the lens with which I am analysing it, is for use with early primary students, as it is the only atlas in the library that would be an option for younger students to use.

Relevancy: According to the World Book website, it claims to be a useful resource for students in grade 2-8. The WBIA is the only comprehensive atlas resource in the library for primary students. For early primary students parts of it would be appropriate as a read aloud. For late primary students and early intermediate students it would be an acceptable reference for independent use. Late intermediates may get some new information out of it or at the very least it would be a good starting point for more detailed research. It has simple text and text features, a little lengthy for early primary students. It does have numerous illustrations.

Purpose: An atlas is a collection of various maps of the earth or a specific region of the earth, such as North America, South America, Asia or Europe. The maps in atlases show geographic features, the topography of an area's landscape and political boundaries. They also show climatic, social, religious and economic statistics of an area.

WBIA is just that. It is an overview and a good introduction to the use and purpose of an atlas. The atlas begins by describing its purpose and the way in which the earth can be divided into sections for meaningful study. The information in each section is a snapshot of each region in the world. The regions are divided into subsections: general information, “the countries”, “looking at the land”, “plants and animals”, “growing and making”, “people and how they live”, “the cities”, “modes of transportation”.

Currency: The World Book Atlas (2008) is out of date. According to several sources, geographical resources should be updated often, as our world is changing quickly and constantly. According to Riedling, “a five year old atlas is considered historical” (p. 80).

Curricular Connections: In the primary grades, there is an emphasis on learning about one’s surrounding, one’s roles and responsibilities, locally, nationally and also globally, as well as learning about culture and traditions, and indigenous culture and influences. In the intermediate grades the curriculum focusses more heavily on a Canadian perspective in relation to global issues and immigration. So learning about other places and their influences, as well as people through an atlas is relevant for those grades as well.

Efficient Use of Library Space: The WBIA is an acceptable size for primary students. It is the size of a large picture book, though it is probably too heavy to carry around for an early primary student. It would easily fit into a regular book shelf or backpack. From this perspective it is not taking up space in the library that could be used for other purposes or resources.

Rubric for Assessing Reference Resources:

This is the rubric I have developed to evaluate a reference resource in the library. I have chosen seven aspects that my research has shown to be important considerations when evaluating a resource¹. I have described the aspect in the “meeting” column and provided a “notes” column with specific information that needs to be filled out and any other comments that the evaluator may wish to make. The idea is to highlight the descriptors in the “meeting” column. The hope is that all (or nearly all) will be highlighted, if the reference resource is one that is truly useful.

 

TITLE:______________________________________________

Aspect	Meeting	Notes
Content Scope	-The resource reflects its purpose and addresses its intended audience using facts and balanced coverage -It is at the appropriate level	Intended audience:________ -
Accuracy, Authority, & Bias	-The author/publisher are highly credited and experts in the area -Information is accurate and impartial -This resource has accurate information and inclusion of indigenous perspective	Author/publisher:__________ -
Arrangement & Presentation	-The resource is easy to follow and information is easy to find, including scale, indexing, formatting -Contains numerous text features (photos/illustrations, maps, information boxes, etc) -Is it well made?	-
Relation to Similar Works	-The resource complements and supports the curriculum -The resource adds to, rather than duplicates the overall collection	Similar resources in the library:__________________ -
Timeliness & Permanence	-The information is current (not more than 5 years old, preferably  much less) -This resource is available as a digital resource which undergoes ongoing updates	Age:_____ URL:___________________ -
Accessibility/Diversity	-This resources is available in different languages -The information provides information from various cultural perspectives -The information is accessible to various reading levels -This resource has indigenous material and content	Available languages:_______ Reading level:____________ -
Cost	-The cost of the resource is acceptable in relation to the budget and its usage	Number of classes that will use it:__________________ Replacement cost:________ Vendor info:_____________ -

Rubric for Assessing Reference Resources:

TITLE: World Book Illustrated Atlas, 2008 print, barcode: 3 3389 14759 9029

Aspect	Meeting		Notes
Content Scope	-The resource reflects its purpose and addresses its intended audience using facts and balanced coverage -It is at the appropriate level		Intended audience: Elementary -Better for late primary and intermediate students
Accuracy, Authority, & Bias	-The author/publisher are highly credited and experts in the area -Information is accurate and impartial -This resource has accurate information and inclusion of indigenous perspective		Author/publisher: World Book, with credible contributors listed; experts for each section -information is euro-centric -Does not have any indigenous perspective
Arrangement & Presentation	-The resource is easy to follow and information is easy to find, including scale, indexing, formatting -Contains numerous text features (photos/illustrations, maps, information boxes, etc) -It is well made		-text features are outdated; some sections are easy to use, some sections are more difficult
Relation to Similar Works	-The resource complements and supports the curriculum -The resource adds to, rather than duplicates the overall collection		Similar resources in the library: no other atlas for primary students -
Timeliness & Permanence	-The information is current (not more than 5 years old, preferably  much less) -This resource is available as a digital resource which undergoes ongoing updates		Age:9 years old URL:___________________ -
Accessibility/Diversity	-This resources is available in different languages -The information provides information from various cultural perspectives -The information is accessible to various reading levels -This resource has indigenous material and content		Available languages: English Reading level: primary -the information mentions different cultures, but does not supply information from various perspectives
Cost	-The cost of the resource is acceptable in relation to the budget and its usage		Number of classes that will use it: Replacement cost:$59 CAD. Vendor info: World Book 1-800-837-5365 -

Discussion of WBIA 2008

Based on the rubric and the findings, I could choose to replace the current edition with the new edition. However, evaluation of the WBIA found some areas in which improvements could be made if a new resource could be found to address the following shortcomings:

1.  There must be a better resource around for early primary students.
2. The table of contents is not easy to navigate.
3. The formatting could have been better thought out to make it more easily accessible, especially to primary students.
4. The material is out of date, the atlas is 9 years old!
5. The information contained in the atlas is euro-centric. It describes other cultures but not from various perspectives.
6. The only language for the atlas is English.
7. There is no mention of indigenous cultures in the atlas and this aspect is highly emphasized in the new BC curriculum.

The school district already has a subscription to the on-line world book, which would address some of the above issues. However, for early primary/primary grades there is value in having a print copy available for circulation, read-alouds, and independent discovery by these young students.

Potential Replacement Reference Resource:

Name: Scholastic Canada Children’s Atlas of the World, 2015 (hereafter SCCAW)

Cost: $19.99

Potential usage: grades K-3, print material for circulation especially for grade K/1

Evaluation:

Relevancy: According to the publisher, the SCCAW is for ages 6 and up. The atlas, although smaller in size has more relevant information to the young Canadian student. It has 2 well-formatted pages dedicated to each country or region, depicting a good map using digital mapping techniques, full colour photos and interesting, relevant facts.

For early primary students it would be appropriate as a read aloud. It would be useful for late primary students as an independent research reference. It has great text features and teaches the students about these features. For instance, when you flip to the general index, it tells the students what its purpose is and how to use it.

Purpose: Each subsection in the SSCAW describes the region, its geography, history wildlife and culture. It mentions the indigenous cultures and traditions, as well as global topics such as climate, conservation and the environment in an easy to understand and easily formatted way.

Currency: The SSCAW was published in 2015.

Curricular Connections: The curricular connections remain the same for the SSCAW as with the WBIA. The SSCAW is directed more toward primary students and addresses the curriculum for these students. The intermediate students would benefit from having a more detailed atlas of Canada as they are studying contemporary global issues and how they relate to Canada (a Canadian Atlas already exists in the library in print and digitally). Likely, an on-line version such as Canadian Geographic would also be beneficial. 

Efficient Use of Library Space: The SSCAW is an even better size than the WBIA for primary students. It is the size of a large picture book, but not as thick and heavy. It is very manageable to carry around for an early primary student. It would easily fit into a regular book shelf or backpack. From this perspective it is not taking up space in the library that could be used for other purposes or resources.

Rubric for Assessing Reference Resources

TITLE: Scholastic Canada Children’s Atlas of the World. 2015 ISBN 9781443146685

Aspect	Meeting	Notes
Content Scope	-The resource reflects its purpose and addresses its intended audience using facts and balanced coverage -It is at the appropriate level	Intended audience: early primary ages 6+ -
Accuracy, Authority, & Bias	-The author/publisher are highly credited and experts in the area -Information is accurate and impartial -This resource has accurate information and inclusion of indigenous perspective	Author/publisher: Scholastic Canada -
Arrangement & Presentation	-The resource is easy to follow and information is easy to find, including scale, indexing, formatting -Contains numerous text features (photos/illustrations, maps, information boxes, etc) -Is it well made?	-
Relation to Similar Works	-The resource complements and supports the curriculum -The resource adds to, rather than duplicates the overall collection	Similar resources in the library: none -
Timeliness & Permanence	-The information is current (not more than 5 years old, preferably  much less) -This resource is available as a digital resource which undergoes ongoing updates	Age:2 years old URL:___________________ -
Accessibility/Diversity	-This resources is available in different languages -The information provides information from various cultural perspectives -The information is accessible to various reading levels -This resource has indigenous material and content	Available languages: English Reading level: primary -this could be a good reading level for ELL students
Cost	-The cost of the resource is acceptable in relation to the budget and its usage	Number of classes that will use it:K-3 (6 classes total) Replacement cost$19.99CAD Vendor info: available through Kidsbooks Vancouver or http://www.scholastic.ca/clubsonline/contact.htm -

Discussion of New Reference Resource: 

Pros:

1. The SCCAW addresses the need for an easy to use world atlas for the early primary students at the school with regard to reading level, text features, teaching the beginnings of critical literacy skills and complementing the curriculum.
2. It could also be used for ELL students in higher grades because the text feature support their language learning and the information content is dense but easily accessible.
3. It has a balanced perspective and includes an indigenous perspective.
4. The small cost of the resources is such that it would be possible to buy the latest edition and to invest in other resources to supplement the available information.

Cons:

1. This resource is 2 years old. Although the information did not seem out of date, perhaps, because the information was so basic or addressed timeless facts. There was an error in the previous 2008 edition which was addressed with a reprint in 2009. So, one could infer that the publisher takes the dissemination of accurate information seriously.
2. This resource is only available in English. However, there are many large photographs and simple texts so this could be advantageous for an English language learner.
3. This resource is a print resource and possibly not as up-to-date as a digital atlas. However, according to Riedling (p.13), it is not necessarily a bad thing to have a print copy for younger students. Furthermore, there are internet-links, directing readers to carefully checked, child-friendly sites that expand on interesting topics.

Recommendation:

Unfortunately, I did not find any helpful recommendations at CM Magazine or Quill and Quire.

I did find some useful reviews at Amazon and Good Reads. Based on the findings of this evaluation process, I would choose to purchase the Scholastic Canada Children's Atlas of the World (2015), and update it regularly with the newest edition so as to offer the youngest students at the school an accessible and appropriate reference resource for their studies. 

Bibliography:

Amazon Reviews. Web. 06 Feb. 2017. https://www.amazon.ca/Scholastic-Canada-Childrens-Atlas-REVISED/dp/1443146684/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

"B.C.'s New Curriculum." Ministry of Education. Province of British Columbia, 14 Dec. 2016. Web. 06 Feb. 2017. https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/

"Canadian Geographic." Canadian Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2017. https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/

Good Reads. Web. 06 Fe. 2017. http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/662917322?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1

Illustrated Atlas. Chicago, IL: World Book, 2008. Print. https://www.worldbook.com/products/illustrated-atlas-map

Picthall, Chez, and Christiane Gunzi. Scholastic Canada Children's Atlas of the World. Toronto: Scholastic Canada, 2015. Print. http://www.scholastic.ca/books/view/scholastic-canada-childrens-atlas-of-the-world-revised-edition

Riedling, Ann Marlow. Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist: Tools and Tips. Worthington, OH: Linworth Pub., 2013. Print.

Footnote:

 1. Evaluating, selecting and acquiring learning resources: A guide published by the BC Education Resource Acquisition Consortium (BC ERAC) http://www.bcerac.ca/resources/whitepapers/docs/erac_wb.pdf

Exner, Nina. "Evaluating Web Resources  ." The CRAAP Test - Evaluating Web Resources - LibGuides at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2017.