LIBE 467: Theme One: Providing Reference Services in the Digital Age

A Theme One Reflection:  

    As the month of September is coming to an end and we begin to wrap up the first theme in LIBE 467, I have been reflecting upon our course readings, class discussions and the many things I have learned. Over the past few weeks I have learned about school library reference services, the reference process and my role as a teacher-librarian in providing reference services through the provision of information and bibliographic instruction. Providing reference services as an elementary teacher-librarian in the digital age means the ways in which we provide this information to students as well as the ways in which we teach our students to locate, analyze and synthesize information is dramatically changing. As teacher-librarians we must carefully consider many factors when selecting, acquiring and evaluating resources to meet our students needs. It is also crucial, now more than ever, that we equip our students with the information literacy skills they require to successfully locate, evaluate and use information in a variety of formats to meet their information needs. 

    As teacher-librarians, two of our duties include the provision of reference services and maintenance of the reference collection. However, with the introduction of the internet, along with rapid developments in technology in the 21st-century, the composition of reference collections in elementary school libraries looks much different now than it did 20+ years ago when I was an elementary student learning to write my first report. Nowadays, rather than just a simple shelf with a collection of print dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases etc., many school libraries are now providing digital resources either as a replacement or as an addition to their print reference collection. With such a wide variety of print and digital resources now available, teacher-librarians now have a number of factors to consider when selecting and deselecting reference materials for their collection. 

    As we learned in the readings from module 3, there are seven main criteria to consider when evaluating a reference resource:

1. Content Scope
2. Accuracy, Authority, and Bias
3. Arrangement and Presentation
4. Relation to Similar Works
5. Timeliness and Permanence
6. Accessibility/Diversity
7. Cost

(Riedling & Houston, 2019, p. 24-25).

The ways in which we consider each of the criteria listed above depends on whether we are evaluating a print or digital reference resource. Accordingly, whether we select either print or digital resources for our collection is also dependent upon the above criteria. 

Figure 1. Girl using computer. (Spratt, 2020)

    Over the past few weeks I have found myself pondering whether elementary school libraries in the 21st-century should invest in print reference materials, digital reference materials, or try to invest in and  maintain both? This question first came to mind while I was reading Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips, in which Riedling and Houston (2019) state that "at the elementary level, reference instruction continues to use print sources because of the difficulty young children experience in navigating the Internet" (para. 6, p. 25). At first I was somewhat perturbed by this statement, because although I agree that young children do experience difficulty in navigating the internet, one of our roles as teacher-librarians is to facilitate student development of information and digital literacy skills to enable them to "locate, evaluate and use information in a variety of formats to meet their information needs" (Riedling & Houston, 2019, para. 5, p. 6). Thus, in order for our students to become information literate, they must have opportunities to engage with information in a variety of formats, including online, digital formats. 

Figure 2. World Book Kids. (World Book, 2020)

    This topic came up for me again a few days later when I conversing with a teacher-librarian from a local elementary school. She explained to me that she is currently in the process of phasing out the print materials from the reference collection. According to her, the high cost of print materials, along with the frequent need to update them, makes maintaining a print collection of reference materials a nearly impossible task when on a limited budget. She also noted that with the low cost of subscriptions to online reference databases such as World Book Online Kids (approximately $1.00 per student) students are able to access regularly updated, verified, multimodal forms of information. While she confirmed that younger students do experience some struggles with navigating online information, she explained that she begins reference instruction by teaching students how to navigate a few select kid-friendly websites and databases before teaching them the skills required to use more sophisticated search interfaces. 

    As we learned in module 1, the key evolutions of reference resources as they become more digital has lead to many benefits, as well as drawbacks. Some of the benefits we explored include increased speed of access, increase in amount of information available, increase in access to free material, increase in technology in schools and increased comfort with use of technology compared to previous generations. Another advantage that I have recently witnessed myself, is remote access through subscription logins, which has been a huge benefit to those who are currently engaging in remote learning due to Covid-19. Additionally, digital reference resources have increased access to information for all, through various formats which go beyond the limitations of print materials. As Riedling and Houston (2019) suggest, "reference resources must be accessible to the entire student population regardless of linguistic or physical limitations" (para. 4, p. 24). However, although digital resources produce many benefits, they also have drawbacks to consider. For example, although students may feel comfortable using a computer, most students still lack the skills to find and identify the best information available. Since digital materials can vary in quality, students must develop the skills to analyze, critique and evaluate information. Another consideration is that the increase in availability of free materials may lead to budget cuts for the school libraries along with the assumption that libraries are no longer necessary. 

    As I have yet to obtain employment as a teacher-librarian or work in a library, I have been imagining what my future school library reference collection will look like. I believe digital reference resources have a lot to offer an elementary school library. One appealing factor of digital reference materials is that some can provide modes of access to information not available through print materials, such as "read aloud" commands which reads the text aloud to students. Other formats available digitally include videos and podcasts which allow students to see and/or hear information, a major benefiting factor for ELL students for example. Additionally, many school libraries have a library website which includes links to subscription databases as well as links to popular, credible websites that have been vetted by the teacher-librarian. I must admit, I am very much looking forward to developing a website that will assist my students and colleagues in finding and accessing the best information available. In addition to having a variety of digital resources in my future reference collection, I also believe that print reference materials should be included, as they are still relevant in elementary school libraries. Personally, I love the hands on experience I engage in when using print materials. I love using bookmarks and sticky notes to take note of specific information, and being able to quickly flip back to find the right page. I also believe that it is important for our students to develop the skills necessary to navigate print reference materials such as dictionaries, encyclopedias and thesauruses as it teaches them the basics of navigating sequences such as alphabetical and chronological order. Additionally, as we learned in module 4, print encyclopedias work as a "basic building block to information gathering" and "the predictable layout of entries and the formal and structured arrangement of most of these print references allow for students to focus on a limited amount of information that will give them the background that they require to dig deeper into a topic" (UBC, 2020, Module 4, para. 8). 

    Ultimately, I believe that finding a balance of both print and digital reference resources in the reference collection is the best means of providing reference services and instruction in an elementary library. As stated in Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada, "the collection is to reflect an appropriate balance of print, non-print and electronic and digital resources" (2006, para. 3, p. 24). However, with so many factors to consider when evaluating and selecting new resources as I mentioned above, I imagine it will be a challenge to find the right balance. Considering Riedling and Houston's guidelines on timeliness and permanence alone (most reference materials are outdated within five years), I also imagine it is a struggle to maintain an adequate collection of up-to-date print and digital materials without a very healthy library budget, which is unfortunately not the case for many school libraries. As a teacher-librarian I will need to weigh the costs on print vs. digital materials, while also considering the quality of each in terms of arrangement and presentation, accessibility and diversity, as well as in terms of content and accuracy. Another factor to consider is that "as print and electronic reference collections grow in size and format, they must be continually assessed to determine their relevance, utility and appropriateness to patrons" (American Library Association, 2007, "4.0 Measuring and assessing reference resources", para. 1). I recognize that considering all these factors will be a challenge, however, we also learned from Riedling and Houston (2019) that the selection of new materials should be a collaborative initiative; "above all, collaboration with teachers on assignments using information resources is crucial for continuous improvement in developing an effective reference collection (para. 3, p. 20). By including my colleagues in the selection process, I am ensuring that the materials selected for purchase are relevant, appropriate and will be useful for students information needs. 

Concluding thoughts...

    Although we learned that a mix of print and digital references resources is essential, the reality is that many school libraries do not meet the "acceptable" or "exemplary" standards identified in Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada due to restricting factors such as limited budget. Thus it is essential that we as teacher-librarians carefully evaluate reference resources for selection and that we do our best to facilitate the development of student information literacy skills, to enable our students to ask the “right” questions and to locate, analyze and use the best information we have access to. As suggested in module 4, "perhaps, what information students find is less important than how they find and apply it" (UBC, 2020, Module 4, para. 3). 

References:

American Library Association. (2007). Measuring and Assessing Reference Services and Resources: A
    Guide. Reference & User Services Association (RUSA). Retrieved 27 September 2020,
    from: http://www.ala.org/rusa/sections/rss/rsssection/rsscomm/evaluationofref/measrefguide

Canadian Association for School Libraries. (2006). Achieving information literacy: Standards for school         library programs in Canada. Retrieved from: http://accessola2.com/SLIC-Site/slic/ail110217.pdf

Riedling, A., & Houston, C. (2019). Reference skills for the school librarian: tools and tips (4th ed.).
    Libraries Unlimited.

Spratt, A. (2020). Girl using computer [Image]. Retrieved 27 September, 2020,
    from: https://unsplash.com/photos/4-4WPFLVhAY

UBC. (2020). Module 4: Print and/or electronic reference materials [Canvas]. Retrieved from UBC LIBE
    467. Canvas site. 

World Book. (2020). World Book Kids Online [Image]. Retrieved 28 September 2020, from: 
    https://www.worldbook.com/resize/Shared/Images/Product/World-Book-Kids/kids.jpg?
    bw=575&w=575 

LIBE 477: Reading Review: Part B: Exploring Digital Literacy and Media Literacy

    As I began searching for sources related to the keywords and topics I had identified in my previous post, I also began to realize the vast scope of the topics I had selected, and the need to narrow down the focus of my research. In Part A: Exploring Keywords, I had identified the following keywords and topics for my initial exploration:

• Digital Literacy
• Internet Safety
• Media Literacy
• Evaluation and Critique of Online Resources
• Personal Learning Networks
• Social Media Connections

    After spending what was supposed to be a 1-2 hour search for resources (it turned into 4-5 very quickly!) I now have a much clearer understanding of these topics and their relation to student learning in the 21st-century. Although I learned that all of these topics are very much interconnected, I have selected several resources which I found to be critical to the development of my understanding of the topics of Digital Literacy and Media Literacy, and how as I as a teacher-librarian can support my elementary school colleagues and their students in the development of theses literacies.

BC's Digital Literacy Framework

Figure 1. 6 Characteristics of BC's Digital Literacy Framework. (Lim, 2020).

    I found this document to be exceptionally beneficial to my understanding of the components of digital literacy and how to integrate digital literacy activities into classroom practice. At the beginning of the document, a clear definition of digital literacy is stated, as provided by the BC Ministry of Education: the interest, attitude and ability of individuals to appropriately use digital technology and communication tools to access, manage, integrate, analyze and evaluate information, construct new knowledge, create and communicate with others. (BC Ministry of Education, n.d.)

    This definition clearly aligns with my objective of helping students achieve the 21st-century knowledge and skills they require to effectively, safely and ethically utilize technology to support learning outcomes and objectives, thus reinforcing my need for further research on the topic of digital literacy and how I can foster student development of this literacy. The framework itself is composed of 6 components which highlight and further break down the specific knowledge and skills our students require to be successful in today's technological world. It even provides a breakdown of the age range at which each of these outcomes are ideally achieved, how they relate to the BC competencies and suggestions for classroom activities. Although I am currently teaching in Alberta and the BC competencies differ from those outlined by Alberta Education, there is clear overlap between the two, making it simple to adapt this framework to align with the Alberta competencies. Although Alberta has a Learning and Technology Policy Framework, which touches on digital literacy, I found the BC Digital Literacy Framework to be much more practical and specific to digital literacy with clear guidelines for implementation.

The Six Components of BC's Digital Literacy Framework

    I also found this video (scroll to bottom of page) through UBC which provides a summary explanation of each of the 6 components of the framework, as well as each of the subcategories. I found this video to be helpful as it identifies areas of the curriculum through which each component may be integrated. It also provides some real life examples of how these components affect our students personal lives, such as through social media and how we can educate our students to be safe, ethical users of technology.

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE):

    After familiarizing myself with BC's Digital Literacy Framework, I decided to look at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) website, as the framework was based on the National Education Technology Standards for Students developed by ISTE. This website offers a wealth of information in regards to technology in education, including online courses and workshops for educators (which I hope to explore further in the future). For my research, I chose to look at a collection of articles and blogs under the category "digital and media literacy". These articles cover a wide range of topics in regards to digital literacy and media literacy such as digital citizenship, fact checking, fake news, online safety, navigating YouTube and podcasts for research, social media, personal learning networks and more. Each of the articles are written concisely and offer practical suggestions for educators, links to additional sources and other sites that educators can base lessons and activities on, along with ready to use materials such as the following infographic:

Figure 2. Media Literacy Infographic. (ISTE, 2017).

    One article which I found to be very helpful in developing my understanding of how to teach students about media literacy is entitled, Media literacy starts with SEARCHing the internet. This article explains how educators can use the acronym SEARCH to teach students a series of steps to follow when using the internet to conduct research. Each of the letters of the acronym addresses an important component of conducting online research, and guides students through the process of locating, analyzing and evaluating information. The article provides helpful suggestions for how teachers can help their students develop an understanding of each step, along with practical examples of how students can practice applying these steps when conducting research.

                                        Select keywords
                                        Evaluation
                                        Add quotation marks or Boolean terms
                                        Refine results
                                        Check the URL
                                        Hunt for important information

Best Practices in Teaching Digital Literacy: The Beginning, Acting, Telling (BAT) Model: A Visual Framework for Teaching Digital Literacy through Inquiry and Information Seeking

    I found a book entitled Best Practices in Teaching Digital Literacy through the UBC Library Database, as I was searching for ways that I might use inquiry based learning opportunities to help my students develop digital literacy skills. From the collection of articles included in the book, I chose to focus on the article entitled The Beginning, Acting, Telling (BAT) Model: A Visual Framework for Teaching Digital Literacy through Inquiry and Information Seeking. The BAT model described in the article uses "visual cues and mnemonic to present stages and actions of the research process [as this] helps students to better conceptualize the research process" (Nesset & McVee, 2018, para. 1). The BAT model includes three stages, Beginning, Acting and Telling. The Beginning stage is primarily instructional, and aims to prepare students for the following stages which are more self-directed. The Acting stage is student centred and focuses on inquiry and the search for information through six key actions. Each action is explained as it pertains to digital literacy. It includes helpful suggestions for selecting search engines, selecting sources, evaluating online information and how to analyze the quality and relevance of multimodal information. The Telling stage is also student centred and involves interpreting, integrating, referencing and presenting. To support this stage, the article offers practical suggestions for encouraging accountability and integrity by teaching students about proper citations and references.

Figure 3. BAT Model. (Nesset & McVee, 2018).

Edutopia: Teaching Digital Citizenship in the Elementary Classroom

    This blog post I found on Edutopia through a simple Google search, discusses our students need for online safety and digital citizenship skills inside and outside the classroom. As many students, including elementary aged students are engaging in online gaming and social networks, the author discusses how we as educators can facilitate student practice and development of digital citizenship skills through various online tools that incorporate social features. The author describes how she used several different online tools with her students to teach them how to write blogs and how to comment and use discussion forums. Through these hands on activities, her students gained valuable insight in regards to digital footprints, cyberbullying and how to deal with negativity online. In addition to explaining ways in which educators might engage in similar activities with their own classes, the author also provides a collection of links to online tools educators may use to support these activities.


References:

BC Ministry of Education. BC’s Digital Literacy Framework [Ebook]. Government of British Columbia. Retrieved 20 September
    2020, from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/kindergarten-to-grade-12/teach/teaching-tools/digital-literacy-
    framework.pdf.

Lim, J. (2020). 6 Characteristics of BC's Digital Literacy Framework [Image]. Retrieved 24 September 2020, from
    https://scarfedigitalsandbox.teach.educ.ubc.ca/the-bc-digital-literacy-framework/.

Nesset, V., & McVee, M. (2018). The Beginning, Acting, Telling (Bat) Model: A Visual Framework for
    Teaching Digital Literacy through Inquiry and Information Seeking. In E. Ortlieb, E. Cheek, Jr. & P.
    Semingson, Best Practices in Teaching Digital Literacies. Emerald Publishing Limited. Retrieved 22
    September 2020, from https://www-emerald-
    com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/insight/publication/doi/10.1108/S2048-0458201809.

Nesset, V., & McVee, M. (2018). BAT Model [Image]. Retrieved 25 September 2020, from https://www-
    emerald-com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/insight/proxy/img?
    link=/resource/id/urn:emeraldgroup.com:asset:id:article:10_1108_S2048-
    045820180000009012/urn:emeraldgroup.com:asset:id:binary:S2048-045820180000009012-F14-
    001.jpg.

LIBE 477: Reading Review: Part A: Exploring Keywords

 
                                                                                                    Figure 1. Keyword Exploration. Created with WordArt.com

As a teacher who is currently taking time away from the classroom, I am realizing more and more that my areas of interest in regards to education are continuously changing and expanding. For many years, I primarily aimed my focus and my professional development opportunities on early childhood education as I mainly worked with Kindergarten students. A step away from the hustle and bustle of the Kindergarten classroom has allowed me to reflect on other areas of education I want to explore and the type of teacher-librarian I aspire to become. There are so many areas to explore, especially in terms of digital technologies. While I was brainstorming topics of interest, as well as opportunities and issues that may arise for educators in the near future, I found that many of my thoughts and concerns relate back to the topics of digital literacy, online safety, social media connections, and personal learning networks. 

     There have been many recent changes to the education system in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The protocols put in place, in response to the Covid-19 virus, have had a drastic impact on the way teachers are currently teaching and the way students are learning. In Alberta, many school districts are struggling to balance remote learning opportunities as well as safe in-school learning opportunities for students. Regardless of whether students are learning remotely or in the classroom, I have noticed a significant increase in our reliance on digital technologies to support student learning. My colleagues who returned to elementary classrooms this fall have expressed their frustrations with limited access to print texts and resources from the Learning Commons due to the need for sanitization between uses. As a result, they are relying more heavily on individual student Chromebooks and iPads for reading apps, ebooks, and online resources. Similarly, students who have chosen to learn at home this term have reduced access to print resources and they are required to have a personal device, a laptop, or Chromebook with internet access to engage in remote online learning. 

Figure 2. Virtual Learning (Park, 2020).

     With this shift in our reliance on technology, we must ask ourselves: are our students equipped with the 21st-century knowledge and skills they require to effectively, safely, and ethically utilize technology in their efforts to meet the learning outcomes as outlined by the Alberta Program of Studies? 

         From my personal experience working with students from K-6 over the past 7 years, and based on the sentiments of my colleagues who along with their students are struggling to adjust to our new reality, I would argue that in many cases the answer is “no”. Although the majority of students have grown up surrounded by technology and have most likely utilized it regularly outside of the classroom, that does not necessarily mean they are proficient in its use. While working as a substitute teacher, I regularly witnessed students struggle with technology, from the basics of learning to type with a keyboard and use a trackpad on a Chromebook, to struggling to navigate Google searches in order to locate, access and assess information (Google often seems to be their only source of choice when beginning research) to struggling to communicate and cooperate with their peers through online educational networks and games such as Prodigy and Mathletics. As Richardson (2012) suggests, in his book Why School?, "no matter how often we dub our kids ‘digital natives’ the fact is they can still use our help" (“The upside”, para. 5). Furthermore, Richardson (2012) suggests that when applying the benchmarks laid out by the National Council of Teachers of English, upwards of "80 percent of students graduating from private, public, parochial, and home schools were [considered] illiterate" in terms of 21st-century literacies (“Our kids are illiterate”, para. 4). 

    Consequently, as a teacher-librarian, how can I support my colleagues and students during this unique period of learning? What can I do to provide for both those who are currently in school and those who are engaging in remote learning? How can I support students in the development of 21st-century learning skills, and more importantly, the skills they require to effectively, safely and ethically use technology to support their learning during this time, as well as in the future? What types of digital resources (websites, apps, social media, games etc.) could be used to enhance student learning in this area? Finally, as a professional, how can I ensure that I am staying informed and aware of relevant resources, professional learning opportunities, and advances in this area of education?

Below I have compiled a list of topics and keywords that I will be exploring in effort to answer these questions:

• Digital Literacy

• Internet Safety

• Media Literacy

• Evaluation and Critique of Online Resources

• Personal Learning Networks

• Social Media Connections

    As I explore these areas, I plan to keep in mind how they might relate to the eight competencies as laid out by Alberta Education: 

Figure 3. Alberta Competencies. (Alberta Education, 2016).

     While the Alberta Program of Studies works to promote the development of these competencies within the curriculum, Alberta Education (2016) suggests that "students use and develop [these] competencies when they encounter unfamiliar or challenging situations" (para. 1). The current implications of Covid-19 means that all students are currently encountering both unfamiliar and challenging situations, resulting in a unique opportunity for educators and students to practice, develop and apply these competencies to their current educational setting as well as in their personal lives. Additionally, Alberta Education (2016) suggests that these "competencies are critical for equipping students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes that they will need to successfully navigate their personal journeys in learning, living and working" (para. 1). Therefore, I would argue that these competencies are also integral to the development of the 21st-century learning skills and literacies our students require to be successful in the digital age. 

    In addition to keeping these competencies in mind, as an educator, it is also important that I consider my pedagogical approach to teaching as I explore the key words and topics I have listed above. Alberta Education (2016) suggests that the eight "competencies help students draw and build upon what they know, how they think and what they can do" (para. 2). Building upon prior knowledge is a component of learning that is at the foundation of constructivism, which requires students to be active participants in the learning process. In effort to foster student engagement, excitement, and active participation throughout the learning process, I plan to explore ways that I might incorporate inquiry-based learning opportunities for my students in order to help them develop the knowledge and skills they need to successfully navigate their current learning situation. 

                                                        Figure 4. The Inquiry Model. (Alberta Learning, 2004). 

    It appears I have my work cut out for me over the next few weeks as I continue to explore these keywords and topics through literature searches, and I realize that I will most likely need to narrow my selections down to a few areas of focus. However, I am very much looking forward to this opportunity to learn and grow as both an individual and as a professional, and to explore ways I can support my colleagues and their students during this unique and challenging season in our lives. 

References:

Alberta Education. (2016). Competencies overview. Retrieved from: 

           https://education.alberta.ca/media/3115408/competencies-overview-may-17.pdf

Alberta Education. (2016). Competencies Overview [Digital image]. Retrieved September 13, 2020, from https://education.alberta.ca/media/3115408/competencies-overview-may-17.pdf

Alberta Learning. (2004). Inquiry Model [Digital image]. Retrieved September 13, 2020, from https://www.ifla.org/files/assets/school-libraries-resource-centers/oberg_il_and_the_school_library.pdf

Park, T. (2020). [Virtual Learning]. Retrieved September 19, 2020, from https://unsplash.com/photos/6MePtA9EVDA

Richardson, Will. (2012). Why school? How education must change when learning and
information are everywhere [eBook edition]. Ted Conferences.