SLANSW Summit - March 2024

On 16 March, I attended the biannual School Library Association of NSW (SLANSW) Summit at Trinity Grammar School in Summer Hill. The theme was: Piecing it together: Voice, choice and connection and focused on literacy.

I have prepared an article for SLANSW that will appear in its blog. In it, I provide a detailed account of the summit from a member's perspective. This entry in my blog will focus on three strategies or approaches that I can apply what I learnt on the day to my day-to-day professional practice and my school library.

1. In encouraging students to read, I should consider the types of readers that exist such as Avid, Proficient, Struggling and Reluctant readers within the school community and propose how I can accommodate them, especially struggling and reluctant readers. Also, I should consider the types of reading, such as Aesthetic and efferent. What type of reading should I be promoting in the classroom? What type of reading supports reading for pleasure.
2. My school has a READ program where students read for twenty minutes a day, four times a week. I believe that student input in how the program is run will be key to its future success and effectiveness in improving student reading (and ultimately) academic results. Given the successful approach of including students in the success of the Just Read Program at Queenwood, I'll need to advocate for student input.
3. I concede that my school library has other pressing challenges that need to be prioritised at present, but I would like to eventually move towards greater curation of resources within the library collections and working with teachers across the faculties to make this happen. In past years at previous schools, I have attempted a library newsletter as a means of communicating with staff, which has its merits, especially with limited time to undertake such a venture, but it becomes a diary of record relating to the library in itself. I would like to challenge myself to also provide library presentations in the event of any professional learning days that comprise concurrent workshops that are delivered by staff.

Learning to facilitate Professional Development

The Teacher Learning Network (TLN) has delivered quality professional development courses for a number of years. I came across it recently as I was seeking providers that can provide on-demand professional learning. You can either attend a live or recorded course, complete an evaluation and you will receive a certificate.

One area of interest has been their courses focusing on the delivery of professional development to colleagues.

In my practice, there have been several occassions where I have presented professional development workshops, whether it may be a ten minute session in a whole school staff meeting or spending an hour with colleagues guiding them through the application of a resource in their teaching or learning.

But there is scope to further develop and refine my knowledge and skills in the delivery of professional development and do an even better job. The feedback that I receive has been good, but I aspire to do better.

So far I have done one course on presenting profssional development to colleagues. While it might be targeted to those who may want to be a provider of professional development, the knowledge presented is applicable to conducting it with fellow colleagues at school level such as planning the session itself, persuading the school executive to allow the presentation, organising time to prepare and undertaking the presentation. 

I also have completed a course on how to present professional development online. I learnt how to structure a presentation or course that engages with the audience i.e. encourage attendees to undertake short activities. This is based on the structure that the TLN follows.

I would recommend that teacher librarians sign up to TLN. It usually costs around $350 for 12 months but I think there are benefits to be gained. There are also courses relating to leadership which I intend on doing to brush up on my leadership skills. 

The Laureate & The Literacy Leader - SLANSW Summit

Last Saturday (March 13), the School Library Association of NSW (SLANSW) presented its first blended summit where attendees could either attend in person or online. Instead of the State Library of NSW, it was hosted by The Kings School. 

For those who enjoy attending face to face, it was the first time in one year that we could gather in person for a summit or conference. Last year, SLANSW were fortuante to have one face to face summit prior to COVID-19 Restrictions and presented an online speaker series instead of a second face to face summit.

Providing it online enabled those in regional areas to participate or for those in the city, participate from the comfort of their own home. 

Karen Yager was fantastic in explaining how we can use Australian literature to encourage students to improve their writing by focusing on landscapes then collaborating actively on creating lists of resources to share with English Teachers.

Ursula Dubosarsky (Author & Australian Children's Laureate 2020-2021) shared her insights in the role of libraries in engaging children with reading and how we can support them. I asked her a question based on experiences where schools do not have a wide reading program and students have presented statements such as "I don't like reading" and "I don't read" and what we could do. She admitted that she could not answer the question, but she had her concerns about schools that have not encouraged a positive reading culture. I for one have concerns for schools that do not have a wide reading program or encourage reading for pleasure. Ursula and I have common ground on this.

Also we had an opportunity to discuss different wide reading intiatives and programs applied by different schools and I was encouraged by the opportunity to share within a small group some of my successes to date with wide reading programs and the interest attendees within that group had.

I hope to comment further once resources are finalised but found the day to be well engaging. 

I am a currently a Metropolitan Representative on the Management Committee of SLANSW. If you wish to join, please feel free to contact me at fabian.amuso@syd.catholic.edu.au

Study Ties College Success to Students’ Exposure to a High School Librarian (Article from the School Library Journal)

An article recently landed in my inbox (hence the title of the post) about the three way relationship between the Teacher-Librarian, teacher and student in shaping the success of students in their studies at tertiary level.

Research has found that the development of information literacy skills is shaped during a student's schooling. Students that were exposed to the expertise and skills of a teacher librarian are more likely to result in better academic achievement at university. Also collaboration with teacher made it even more likely.

I found from my own experience as a student, that we were not necessarily prepared for the requirements to engage in learning effectively at university level. For example, I did not know what a database was and how to use it, nor to reference effectively.

These experiences have helped me as a teacher librarian. I encourage students to make use of databases that may be available to them, either through the school library, their local library or the State Library of NSW. I have found them to be amazed at what they do end up finding.

Or teaching students where to locate books on a certain topic e.g. Music in the 700's.

Also I have encouraged students to not just focus on websites, but also on printed, electronic and audio visual materials through Resource Based Learning.

And finally I have been an advocate of Guided Inquiry because it allows for that reflection on the learning process, right from start to finish. I have guided senior students in writing up a research question/s, recommending resources (as mentioned) or reflecting on the usefulness of a resource.