Group items tagged

he study found that flexible access to computers, printers, Internet and other resources, including teaching expertise, before school and at non-class time was valued highly by students (Hay 2006).  In 2010, one principal stated, “When I enter my own school library I see a social network – students and teachers doing all manner of things – everything from reading, promoting, quiet games, social skilling, researching, working on the computers, group planning, the list becomes quite endless. I see a thriving centre of learning – and something that is integral to the way the whole school functions” (Hay & Todd 2010b, p. 5).

The school library becomes the hub for networking, information access, digital literacy instruction, learning and knowledge creation – a shared space for all students and the school community. The advantage of a ‘commons’ approach is it provides an opportunity to re-engineer the school library into a place/space that brings together the library, information technology and a qualified team of information, technology and learning staff whose combined knowledge, skills and expertise collectively support the integration of 21st century learning into the curriculum.

A facility which features fluid library design that allows for the customisation and personalisation of learning.

A blended learning environment which harnesses the potential of physical learning spaces and digital learning spaces.

A centre of learning innovation where teachers and teacher librarians are involved in creatively designing learning experiences.

A facility which seeks a balance between print and digital collections and which does not privilege one format over another.

Teacher librarians know which apps are free and trustworthy and can then recommend these to staff and students. The same collection development skills used to evaluate “traditional” resources to determine which are current, relevant, authentic and authoritative, are also applied to online databases and web sites.

Digital media literacy can be defined as the ability to locate, access, organise, understand, evaluate, analyse and create content using digital media (Wikipedia; Australian Communications & Media Authority). Even though this level of literacy involves knowing how to use technology it is “less about tools and more about thinking” (Johnston, et al 2011, p 5.)

The general capabilities in the Australian national curriculum, especially “critical and creative thinking”, provide a vehicle for teacher librarians to be active in the delivery of digital media literacy skills through inquiry based programs.  For example, research pathfinders encourage active engagement in the interactive information seeking process. Pathfinders provide a starting point for the generation of questions, discussions and identification of suitable and relevant resources.  Collaborative knowledge building environments such as wikis can facilitate the inquiry based activities that allow students to engage in collaboration, construction, knowledge sharing and creation. The school library is an ideal environment to engage in conversations about digital citizenship, the impact of a student’s digital footprint, ethical use of information and social responsibility in an always-connected world.

The vision is to go beyond school libraries being perceived as repositories of information artefacts to being flexible, dynamic learning environments; “centres of inquiry, discovery, creativity, critical engagement and innovative pedagogy” (Hay & Todd 2010b, p. 40). To make this vision a reality is a challenge for school leadership so that the best learning environment, resources and learning is available for all Australian students.

Teachers can provide specific support and scaffolding for desired metacognitive skills by labeling student behaviors as metacognitive behaviors, modeling specific metacognitive activities (e.g. self-questioning, reflection, strategy revision), providing opportunities for feedback to the students, and by adopting a specific learning or studying model for use within the classroom (Bondy 1984; Costa 1984).

Palinscar's (1986) definition of metacognition as the ability to plan, implement, and evaluate strategic approaches to learning and problem solving is supported by the six steps of Big6. Students who engage in task definition and information-seeking strategies are formulating a plan in order to complete an assignment or solve a problem. Engaging in location and access, use of information, and synthesis is the implementation of that plan. Evaluating the process and product resulting from the synthesis activity is the final step.

ig6 as a general, nonsubject-specific, metacognitive scaffold for students to use when solving information-based problems.

First, when students are provided metacognitive support during information problem-solving activities, they may be able manage complex tasks and subject matter content.

Second, the students relied heavily on the model in order to make decisions about current and future activities.

The researchers found that Big6 provided a focus to student research and writing activities that appeared to enhance the level of engagement the students had with both the content and their writing activities.

Results suggest that Big6 might act as a metacognitive scaffold for students who are asked to complete unfamiliar tasks involving complex content.

Scaffolding, when implemented according to the principles presented by Vygotsky (1978) is gradually withdrawn from the learner as performance approaches an expert level. The time period of the study was too brief to gradually remove the scaffolded support for students.

Big6 and other models that provide a systematic guide for information problem solving seem to provide the elements for mental modeling so necessary in helping the novice construct a method to meet the information use tasks placed before him or her. These models appear to help students visualize the series of tasks that at first are not understood or seemingly connected. Such models may be powerful in construction of mental images to manage tasks that at first did not seem possible to accomplish.

The Big6 may act as a metacognitive scaffold that supports students while they become more adept at monitoring their own thought processes during the problem-solving process.

Additionally, it provides a structured vocabulary that students and teachers can use while discussing the problem-solving strategies being employed in a particular learning situation. The structured vocabulary allows teachers and students to label behaviors and clarify terminology, two activities that are recommended to enhance metacognitive ability in students (Costa 1984). Consequently, an unobservable process is able to be monitored and tracked through a set of prescribed steps and described using a standardized vocabulary.

Big6 may also provide an overarching process that students can employ in a variety of learning situations

"encourage a deliberate and systematic approach to learning and problem solving" (236).

As Bondy (1984) stated, We cannot possibly provide school children with enough information to ensure their lifelong success in an ever-changing world. Preparing children to meet the demands of an uncertain future, however, may require a shift in educational focus from the content to the process of learning. Not only do children need to be able to think, but they need to exercise control over their own thinking. They need to know when they understand, when they need to know more, and how to direct efficiently their personal questions for knowledge. (238)