Nick Earls article on importance of Teacher Librarians in schools

I was speaking to two friends that live in Victoria and work in primary schools, and asked them recently about Teacher Librarians working in their schools.

They told me that neither of their schools had one but had libraries. Budgetary issues were identified as one reason.

And then a colleague emailed me an article written by Nick Earls that got me thinking about the problems that not having a teacher librarian could have for schools, even schools that have an unqualified teacher librarian managing it.

The first problem is that the collection is more likely to become mismanaged. Collections are more likely to be poorly maintained like outdated resources or items easily disappear. I can testify that from experience at one school and while fixable, the time to fix it will be a long one.

There was one matter that affects even us qualified teacher librarians - The self checkout. Yes the public libraries have them but does self checkout help students pick the right books? Experienced school library staff have a broad knowledge of literature and can make a recommendation based on what they know to each student. Without that guidance, it can create problems. A parent could ring up the school and complain if their child has borrowed a book that may have objectionable material. A student may not be able to utilise or use a book effectively e.g. Borrow a book that is above their reading level.

But what else does a school lose from not having a teacher librarian?

• An advocate for reading - Teacher Librarians love to read and they want others to read as well. The ultimate role model for reading. I can see from my practice how I have encouraged others to read. There are kids for instance who are doing the NSW Premiers Reading Challenge, who might have not done so in the first place. I am even reading books and seeing if I can read 20 books from the PRC list. Will be handy for making book reviews. 
• Less opportunities for innovation in teaching and learning. It has been reported that ICT skills amongst school students in Australia is on the decline.  A Teacher Librarian is able to collaborate with colleagues to provide teaching and learning experiences that not only incorporate ICT skills, but also educate students on how to use them effectively.
• Students will engage less with literature - The internet is not a one stop shop for information. Through a Teacher Librarian, they will be exposed to information in differing formats including print. Even in this digital age, youngsters love their printed material. Think wide reading. Would students and teachers know whats even there?
• The library is not valued as a centre for learning. The library more or less becomes a storage area for books; a bit like a museum. Books are not used for what they are intended for. 
• Developing skills in critical and creative thinking. In this globalised society, we need to make the right choices and in order to do that, we need to think through critically. In countries like Australia, we lack innovation, and if Australia wants to compete with the world and remain a leading society, we need to have skills in creative thinking. Libraries with their wealth of information can give one the ideas needed to engage in that think, but also be guided in how to express their thinking, not just creatively, but critically. 

PressReader & Zinio

These two media apps are really fascinating me and this summer has given me a real opportunity to play around with both of them.

I have been aware of PressReader for the past five or so years through membership of the State Library of NSW, which lists hundreds of newspapers and magazines in Australia, and thousands globally. These can be viewed on your browser or Ipad.

Now its possible through some libraries (like Sydney City Council) or those flying with Qantas to access these items for free through timed access. Sydney City Council will provide complementary access for seven days from when you first access it at a library branch and on their Wifi network, while if you are flying Qantas, you'll get 12 hours access from up to a day prior to your flight.

When it comes to Australian publications, PressReader has sadly been on a slide. Fairfax has generally removed major publications like The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age from the app and don't generally make their local papers available. News Corp recently made the decision to no longer publish major dallies through the app. Even though users have to pay for an individual issue or for timed use, News Corp seem to be unhappy for some reason - perhaps loss of paid subscribers and/or newsagency sales. Hold on, wouldn't they get a cut from the sale of individual issues or subscriptions that are offered through PressReader? Not the end of the world I think.

It does open up doors though for those who want their foreign magazines or newspapers. For me, I am lured by The Guardian (UK) and The Washington Post (USA), which are amongst the most respected newspapers in the world. You can actually enjoy foreign newspapers and magazines from the comfort of your home.

Zinio is more popular with public libraries which pick the magazines that might interest their clients and make them available to their borrowers. While choices are fewer, it wins out in terms of being able to keep the issues forever, even if you remove them from your iPad or device. Your account is linked to the cloud.  PressReader hasn't really got that feature yet. Still figuring out the way to preserve PressReader material.

I don't know any schools that have them, and appears to be cost-prohibitve, but I think we as T/L's and schools need to take a good look at this, especially Zinio where the school can decide which subscriptions are most relevant to the students. Would students embrace it? I think they could especially if they can access it on their device and be able to keep it for life.

NSW Premiers Reading Challenge 2016

It is that time of year again, with the NSW Premiers Reading Challenge now underway for students in Kindergarten through to Year 9.

I have been involved in the setup this year at my current school, and have been busy promoting the challenge, and having it to do it with no resources from the official website as nothing has been provided. Other Teacher Librarian's have flagged this as well over the past week or two on message boards. To promote the challenge, I decided to create a "logo" from a header used in the reading log from last year. I have sent it to one Teacher Librarian. Feel free to contact me if you want a copy. However I am aware from the NSW PRC newsletter that promotional material is on the way.

I have visited a number of English classes and have been encouraged by the response by the students. In fact it looks like the number of kids participating is set to double from 2015.

There have been a few that have expressed their interest that you might not normally associate with reading. I will admit that while it is not a race to see who reads 20 books first, some have joined after I persuaded them do so as a way of outshining their peers., and using that as a challenge for them to hopefully get them to read 20 books. 

Yes, I have certainly got in early and why not. With busy lives, the kids need as much time as possible to read. I felt last year that there was rushing towards the end, and that worked against some kids. It was too late to reach the goal. Getting them to read before the official start has been a focus with a brochure printed out and distributed. 

No More Teachers, No More Books - MacWorld Article

I came across a good article from the February 2016 edition of MacWorld Australia looking at the impact of technology on teaching. It also doubled up to as a chance to promote apple products for use in the classroom.

I recommend this article for one to read and I do have three points to comment on from my reading:

• British Educator Sir Ken Robinson mentions that education is at a tipping point as the way we educate kids has been unchanged since the start of the industrial revolution; that education is a production line. All kids do the same work and vice versa. I think we have passed it because it has been accepted for a number of years that we have to differentiate learning according to learning needs. Even as a school kid in the 1990's, I look at situations where lessons etc were modified for me or other students to reflect individual needs. 
• It is suggested that the role of the teacher is under threat. As a Teacher Librarian, I am reminded of those that say that we ourselves are under threat. Not at all. The role of the teacher is ever changing and evolving to reflect the society that we live in. We guide students in their learning and teach them how to use the wealth of information around them. 
• The article tries to suggest that printed books are on the way out thanks to iPad's and eBook readers. Yes, technology gives us greater scope for one to publish their works and to share it, and has opened up opportunities not previously available, but there is no mention of the continued interest in print resources. People still prefer their printed resources, and this can be for various reasons like reading, note-taking, interaction with text or simply the physical feel. Printed book sales have been rising Print is not dead. Technology just opens more options.