Week 11-Change A Teacher

Riedling, in her text, Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist, states that there are three components to being a successful librarian:
1.  knowledge of the media collection
2. effective communication skills
3.  competence in selecting, acquiring, and evaluating resources to meet students' needs.

I decide to take this course because while I felt fairly confident of my abilities of the the first two components, I realized that in order to best assist students in finding resources, I needed to become more informed of all the reference resources available in the library.  I needed to do this for 3 reasons; first, if I wanted students to use the the library for research, I needed to make sure that I had all the resources possible available to them in their quests for information. Secondly, in doing so, I would also be able to teach students how to become information literate, skills they need for life. Thirdly, it would increase my value as an effective teacher.
While I feel I have a fairly good understanding of the reference sections of the library, I was very surprised at how outdated many of the resources are, according to the standards set in Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada.  While I plan to update many of these resources, it was through the weekly readings and discussions of online resources that really increased my knowledge in information services.  There are so many excellent and reputable resources available, and so many of my classmates were fountains of information (thanks, Brenda!)when it came sharing them.  I added several to my library homepage. A huge advantage of online resources is that they are more affordable and current than print resources.  It also recognizes how students are using technology to access information-a skill relevant in their lives.  This also underscores the need for teacher-librarians to communicate with each other on a regular basis (like the BCTL forum) to ensure that we are well-informed as information specialists, solidifying our value as educators in today's schools.
In collaborating with the grade five teacher on a notable Canadian research project, I became aware of the value and need to teach specific research skills in all research projects. This needs to be done at all grade levels for all research projects, so that all students have equal access to the terminology and skills involved in the research process. Through regular practice, these skills become a regular part of the curriculum in information literacy.  This was a common thread I noticed with my classmates' in their "change a teacher" assignments-few teachers had a good understanding of the research process. By working through the steps together, both the classroom teacher and I recognized the immense value of teaching the students the steps in the research process.  We also realized that by working together, the task was less daunting and the workload was shared.  This was a relief to the teacher, as she was initially worried about extra work in working together.  By dividing the tasks, students benefited from having two teachers, each with their own area of expertise.  In focusing on my task of teaching students how to locate and access information, I realized that I needed to improve on finding all the available resources to them if I wanted them to use the library for information. Through the weekly readings and discussions of this course, I was able to develop a much more thorough list of resources for the students.  They were able to find and use the information, and I improved my skills as an information specialist in my school library.
While I still worry about the role of teacher librarians in the future, I recognize the need for continued education of the role of teachers librarians in school libraries to staff and administration. This was another common thread I found with my classmates "change a teacher" assignment. Not all teachers understand what teacher-librarians do.  We are not just "keepers of the books", we need to showcase the many tasks we do on a daily basis that proves our value as educators in today's schools. We need to highlight successful collaborative units, give workshops on on-line resources, have book clubs, do digital book trailers, etc. (I recently had all teaching staff come to the computer lab to have them try some of the on-line resources available on the library homepage.  Many said "I didn't know we had this!" (even though I had told them many times before!) or "This is great!").
We also need to keep talking to administration about the vital role of teaching students how to become information literate, through the research process, to learn how to learn, skills that are essential for lifelong learning.  
School library media specialists play an important role in education today. Because of technology, there is so much information available, and school library specialists are necessary to help students make sense of it all. As Riedling states "School library media centers and reference services are intended to enrich society and contribute to studetns' efforts to learn. The challenge is ours" (p.13)

Asselin, M., Branch, J.L., & Oberg, D. (Eds), Achieving Information Literacy:Standards for School Library Programs in Canada; Ottawa:Canadian School Library Association, 2003. Print.

Riedling, A., Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist:Tools and Tips, (2nd edition), Worthington, OH: Linworth, 2005. Print.