Our resources
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The spirit of a commons – is a commonwealth of resources shared by a community.
A commons is open and generous, collaborative, cooperative, transparent and democratic. Public libraries and schools are good example of commons; treasured institutions that are the foundations of our democratic society, open to anyone who wants to learn.
Well run school libraries have always been the heart of the school; way more program that place. What is different now is our virtual potential to grow organically beyond our individual school plants. It is not about the technological medium; it is about the commons.
The challenge is to build authentic academic collaborations while opening our minds to sharing resources and decisions. The goal is to create these same opportunities for our students and teachers.
Space
A quiet room
A collaborative work room
A staff room
Collection
Staff
Role of teacher-librarian
Reading is a window to the world.
Reading is a foundational skill for learning, personal growth, and enjoyment. The degree to which students can read and understand text in all formats (e.g., picture, video, print) and all contexts is a key indicator of success in school and in life. As a lifelong learning skill, reading goes beyond decoding and comprehension to interpretation and development of new understandings.
Inquiry provides a framework for learning.
To become independent learners, students must gain not only the skills but also the disposition to use those skills, along with an understanding of their own responsibilities and self-assessment strategies. Combined, these four elements build a learner who can thrive in a complex information environment.
Ethical behavior in the use of information must be taught.
The definition of information literacy has become more complex as resources and technologies have changed.
- Information literacy has progressed from the simple definition of using reference resources to find information. Multiple literacies, including digital, visual, textual, and technological, have now joined information literacy as crucial skills for this century.
- The continuing expansion of information demands that all individuals acquire the thinking skills that will enable them to learn on their own.
- The amount of information available to our learners necessitates that each individual acquire the skills to select, evaluate, and use information appropriately and effectively.
- Learning has a social context.
- Learning is enhanced by opportunities to share and learn with others. Students need to develop skills in sharing knowledge and learning with others, both in face-to-face situations and through technology.
- School libraries are essential to the development of learning skills.
- School libraries provide equitable physical and intellectual access to the resources and tools required for learning in a warm, stimulating, and safe environment. School librarians collaborate with others to provide instruction, learning strategies, and practice in using the essential learning skills needed in the 21st century.
- Learners use skills, resources, & tools to:
- Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge.
1
Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge.
2
Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society.
3
Pursue personal and aesthetic growth.
4
1
Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge.
1.1 Skills
1.1.1 Follow an inquiry-based process in seeking knowledge in curricular subjects, and make the real-world connection for using this process in own life.
1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.
1.1.3 Develop and refine a range of questions to frame the search for new understanding.
1.1.4 Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions.
1.1.5 Evaluate information found in selected sources on the basis of accuracy, validity, appropriateness for needs, importance, and social and cultural context.
1.1.6 Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format (e.g., textual, visual, media, digital) in order to make inferences and gather meaning.
1.1.7 Make sense of information gathered from diverse sources by identifying misconceptions, main and supporting ideas, conflicting information, and point of view or bias.
1.1.8 Demonstrate mastery of technology tools for accessing information and pursuing inquiry.
1.1.9 Collaborate with others to broaden and deepen understanding.
1.2 Dispositions in Action
1.2.1 Display initiative and engagement by posing questions and investigating the answers beyond the collection of superficial facts.
1.2.2 Demonstrate confidence and self-direction by making independent choices in the selection of resources and information.
1.2.3 Demonstrate creativity by using multiple resources and formats.
1.2.4 Maintain a critical stance by questioning the validity and accuracy of all information.
1.2.5 Demonstrate adaptability by changing the inquiry focus, questions, resources, or strategies when necessary to achieve success.
1.2.6 Display emotional resilience by persisting in information searching despite challenges.
1.2.7 Display persistence by continuing to pursue information to gain a broad perspective.
1.3 Responsibilities
1.3.1 Respect copyright/ intellectual property rights of creators and producers.
1.3.2 Seek divergent perspectives during information gathering and assessment.
1.3.3 Follow ethical and legal guidelines in gathering and using information.
1.3.4 Contribute to the exchange of ideas within the learning community.
1.3.5 Use information technology responsibly.
1.4 Self-Assessment Strategies
1.4.1 Monitor own information-seeking processes for effectiveness and progress, and adapt as necessary.
1.4.2 Use interaction with and feedback from teachers and peers to guide own inquiry process.
1.4.3 Monitor gathered information, and assess for gaps or weaknesses.
1.4.4 Seek appropriate help when it is needed.
2
Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge.
2.1 Skills
2.1.1 Continue an inquiry-based research process by applying critical-thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, evaluation, organization) to information and knowledge in order to construct new understandings, draw conclusions, and create new knowledge.
2.1.2 Organize knowledge so that it is useful.
2.1.3 Use strategies to draw conclusions from information and apply knowledge to curricular areas, real-world situations, and further investigations.
2.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize information.
2.1.5 Collaborate with others to exchange ideas, develop new understandings, make decisions, and solve problems.
2.1.6 Use the writing process, media and visual literacy, and technology skills to create products that express new understandings.
2.2 Dispositions in Action
2.2.1 Demonstrate flexibility in the use of resources by adapting information strategies to each specific resource and by seeking additional resources when clear conclusions cannot be drawn.
2.2.2 Use both divergent and convergent thinking to formulate alternative conclusions and test them against the evidence.
2.2.3 Employ a critical stance in drawing conclusions by demonstrating that the pattern of evidence leads to a decision or conclusion.
2.2.4 Demonstrate personal productivity by completing products to express learning.
2.3 Responsibilities
2.3.1 Connect understanding to the real world.
2.3.2 Consider diverse and global perspectives in drawing conclusions.
2.3.3 Use valid information and reasoned conclusions to make ethical decisions.
2.4 Self-Assessment Strategies
2.4.1 Determine how to act on information (accept, reject, modify).
2.4.2 Reflect on systematic process, and assess for completeness of investigation.
2.4.3 Recognize new knowledge and understanding.
2.4.4 Develop directions for future investigations.
3
Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society.
3.1 Skills
3.1.1 Conclude an inquiry-based research process by sharing new understandings and reflecting on the learning.
3.1.2 Participate and collaborate as members of a social and intellectual network of learners.
3.1.3 Use writing and speaking skills to communicate new understandings effectively.
3.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways that others can view, use, and assess.
3.1.5 Connect learning to community issues.
3.1.6 Use information and technology ethically and responsibly.
3.2 Dispositions in Action
3.2.1 Demonstrate leadership and confidence by presenting ideas to others in both formal and informal situations.
3.2.2 Show social responsibility by participating actively with others in learning situations and by contributing questions and ideas during group discussions.
3.2.3 Demonstrate teamwork by working productively with others.
3.3 Responsibilities
3.3.1 Solicit and respect diverse perspectives while searching for information, collaborating with others, and participating as a member of the community.
3.3.2 Respect the differing interests and experiences of others, and seek a variety of viewpoints.
3.3.3 Use knowledge and information skills and dispositions to engage in public conversation and debate around issues of common concern.
3.3.4 Create products that apply to authentic, real-world contexts.
3.3.5 Contribute to the exchange of ideas within and beyond the learning community.
3.3.6 Use information and knowledge in the service of democratic values.
3.3.7 Respect the principles of intellectual freedom.
3.4 Self-Assessment Strategies
3.4.1 Assess the processes by which learning was achieved in order to revise strategies and learn more effectively in the future.
3.4.2 Assess the quality and effectiveness of the learning product.
3.4.3 Assess own ability to work with others in a group setting by evaluating varied roles, leadership, and demonstrations of respect for other viewpoints.
4
Pursue personal and aesthetic growth.
4.1 Skills
4.1.1 Read, view, and listen for pleasure and personal growth.
4.1.2 Read widely and fluently to make connections with self, the world, and previous reading.
4.1.3 Respond to literature and creative expressions of ideas in various formats and genres.
4.1.4 Seek information for personal learning in a variety of formats and genres.
4.1.5 Connect ideas to own interests and previous knowledge and experience.
4.1.6 Organize personal knowledge in a way that can be called upon easily.
4.1.7 Use social networks and information tools to gather and share information.
4.1.8 Use creative and artistic formats to express personal learning.
4.2 Dispositions in Action
4.2.1 Display curiosity by pursuing interests through multiple resources.
4.2.2 Demonstrate motivation by seeking information to answer personal questions and interests, trying a variety of formats and genres, and displaying a willingness to go beyond academic requirements.
4.2.3 Maintain openness to new ideas by considering divergent opinions, changing opinions or conclusions when evidence supports the change, and seeking information about new ideas encountered through academic or personal experiences.
4.2.4 Show an appreciation for literature by electing to read for pleasure and expressing an interest in various literary genres.
4.3 Responsibilities
4.3.1 Participate in the social exchange of ideas, both electronically and in person.
4.3.2 Recognize that resources are created for a variety of purposes.
4.3.3 Seek opportunities for pursuing personal and aesthetic growth.
4.3.4 Practice safe and ethical behaviors in personal electronic communication and interaction.
4.4 Self-Assessment Strategies
4.4.1 Identify own areas of interest.
4.4.2 Recognize the limits of own personal knowledge.
4.4.3 Recognize how to focus efforts in personal learning.
4.4.4 Interpret new information based on cultural and social context.
4.4.5 Develop personal criteria for gauging how effectively own ideas are expressed.
4.4.6 Evaluate own ability to select resources that are engaging and appropriate for personal interests and needs.
American Association of School Librarians50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611
⌐ 2007 by the American Library Association
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21st
CENTURY
LEARNERS
Dispositions in Action
Self-Assessment
Strategies
Responsibilities
Skills
Common behaviors used by independent learners in researching, investigating, and problem solving.
key question
Is the student aware that the foundational traits for 21st-century learning require self-accountability that extends beyond skills and dispositions?
Reflections on one╒s own learning to determine that the skills, dispositions, and responsibilities are effective.
key question
Can the student recognize personal strengths and weaknesses over time and become a stronger, more independent learner?
Ongoing beliefs and attitudes that guide thinking and intellectual behavior that can be measured through actions taken.
key question
Is the student disposed to higher-level thinking and actively engaged in critical thinking to gain and share knowledge?
Key abilities needed for understanding, learning, thinking, and mastering subjects.
key question
Does the student have the right proficiencies to explore a topic or subject further?
Teacher-Librarian Program Leads to Interest in School Library Web Sites
Due to my school’s specific needs, the university courses that proved most pertinent
were those on technology instruction, inquiry-based learning and leadership in information
literacy . However, throughout the coursework my general knowledge of library practices was
constantly challenged and extended. I came to better understand my responsibilities as a school
literacy leader in promoting the new information literacies of our 21st century. I could identify
additional areas for future focus in our secondary library program, such as introducing graphic
novels and database resources, and the prospect of a library learning commons as a means for
school improvement.
One of the major features our library lacked was the presence of a school library web
site. A preliminary investigation showed that such a web site, also known as a virtual school
library, could potentially serve as a digital showcase for organizing online databases, curriculum
resources, bibliography information, forms, and for featuring new resources and literature. It
could also serve as a valuable addition to the school library commons model.
Exploring the Nature of School Library Web Sites
During my School Library Information Services and Materials course, University of
Alberta instructor Diane Galloway Solowan encouraged me to further investigate my interest in
establishing a library web site. I began my personal inquiry by searching for practical ‘how to’
information, hoping these suggestions would help me design the ‘perfect’ web presence for our
school library. At first I focused on specific features to include, tips for creating the site and the
commonalities of exemplary websites. As I gathered numerous articles from professional library
journals to learn more about school library web site development, I discovered Pappas’ (2005)
article entitled Inquiry Digital Learning Centers in which she wrote:
School library media center websites can be designed as more than a collection of resources. These websites have great potential to be digital learning centers, providing resources for information and tools that become a scaffold in the process of gathering and using that information. (p. 21)
Reading this passage was a very enlightening moment for me – one of those ‘bolt out of
the blue’ experiences where suddenly a missing piece clicks, shifting thought in a totally new
direction. The concept that a school library web site could evolve beyond a mere passive
collection of useful resources to become an active vehicle furthering the missions of the library
program was an exciting insight and a galvanizing possibility. It caused me to immediately
abandon my broader practical-centered focus and fueled a series of deep recursive explorations
back into existing research on school library web sites.
Through this narrowed lens, I searched widely for specific information on the ways a
teacher-librarian could use a library web site as a learning tool to connect students with quality
resources and also support library instruction. In a secondary school with over 1800 students and
me as the sole teacher-librarian, I was understandably motivated to learn how a virtual school
library could increase my effectiveness, especially in the area of establishing greater information
literacy within the student population.
Another moment of insight, and one that further extended my perception was the
emerging concept of a student-centered approach to developing the virtual school library. Wang
advises that virtual school libraries “ought to be constructed by examining the needs of learners,
their learning priorities, and the mission of the organization” (as cited in Valenza, 2007, p. 216).
This call for end-user involvement led me to establish the Student Library Advisory Council at
my school and to create a school-wide survey tool to identify student needs and interests related
to the library program. As I delved further into the current literature, I also came to appreciate
the importance of having an underlying library mission statement to direct and permeate all
decision-making related to the school web site’s development. This realization caused me to
further backtrack and draft a necessary guiding mission statement for our library with the
assistance and approval of the Library Advisory Council students, teachers and administration.
More Possibilities for Virtual School Libraries
Each new insight gleaned from the literature on virtual school libraries has led to similar
side-trips to investigate new dimensions of the issue, and kept me circling in a holding pattern of
recursive investigation. One challenge was the lack of pertinent research on this relatively new
topic of virtual school libraries. I had to search widely, sometimes applying academic and public
virtual library research studies to a school setting. Direct observations with students in the library
setting confirmed the research findings I uncovered – such as the need for information literacy
instruction for today’s teens. The literature on virtual school libraries contains references to use
of these digital portals as a means to support inquiry learning, encourage critical thinking, plan
collaboratively with teachers and provide an avenue for teacher-librarian leadership. These
articles clarify that the digital school library can also serve as an important intellectual and
cultural venue for the entire secondary school.
Structuring my Investigations about Virtual School Libraries
The inquiry question now guiding my research is: Why might the virtual school library be considered a necessary feature in today’s secondary school program? These secondary questions emerge from an investigation of the professional literature and educational research:
Through the process of completing this capping paper, I wish to develop a strong
framework of understanding for the future construction of my school’s virtual library. To create
a digital presence that truly reflects and extends the program of the physical library and the needs
of the school community is an ambitious undertaking and requires much pre-thought. The author
A. A. Milne once advised that, “Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that
when you do it, it's not all mixed up.” Having examined numerous examples of virtual school
libraries during this paper – some worthy of international awards and others little more than
cluttered one page bulletins - I prefer to save time and energy by first carefully thinking through
the development process. I am hopeful that this capping paper may encourage other teacher-
librarians to reflect upon their own foundational and organizational priorities in order to construct
web sites that actively promote the information literacy needs of today’s students.
