Book Choice for March 2020

I have nowhere enough knowledge to teach this, but I think I have a larger knowledge on the subject than some teachers. This is an ever changing field and one you would need to specialise in

@sjbloomers Do you think you need to specialise in it or can you learn as you go along and share your knowledge in the classroom. I feel it is about having a base and then updating as things change. Do you teach any of this at the moment?

I feel that there is a large bank of teachers out there that never use social media for all sorts of reasons. One of the reasons I did take the plunge was because I wanted to know enough to keep my own children safe online. I feel that we as information professionals can have a role to play in leading by example of how to behave online and we could also be leaders and supporters of others if we do it well.

@Elizabeth The government’s targeting of the BBC worries me as usually BBC news is fairly trustworthy by everyone world wide. If we end up in a world of competing news channels the danger is they will start cutting corners/making things up. Than as so many people - young and old, don’t question what they read fake news an panic will spread. At the current moment that’s the last thing we need.

@dawnwoods2000 Even more reason for us to engage in teaching how to evaluate websites and recognise fake news. It is going to get harder as technology grows. It is already difficult enough to keep up...

I have been thinking more and more about how all our students need digital literacy skills once they leave school at 16. The focus for me has really changed and even though it is important that our students going onto higher education do need these skills we have to make sure we are there to support everyone. In focusing more on all students I have found that teachers are more interested in what I have to say and in one school we are embedding these skills at the highest level.

@Elizabeth I’ve always said this should start at primary school level. Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross’ picture books are great for showing children from 5 to 15 the dangers of throwing yourself into digital mayhem

@dawnwoods2000 Using picture books for older students is such a useful tool. I have loved the discussions it brings when older children are looking at the pictures and the messages they receive can be amazing. It takes us back to empathy again and looking deeper into the meaning of a book.

@Annie It sounds like you have amazing support and learning network where you work. I don't think many of us can say quite the same. I agree I think sharing our learning with teachers is definitely the hard part. I know that emails do not always hit the mark. Maybe a newsletter that is not called a 'newsletter' might work? Especially if it gives them tips and tricks that you could show them if they are interested. Some I know run book clubs for all staff and that sometimes works. I wonder if anyone else joining in might have some ideas? We will just have to wait and see :)

My CPD is very important to me, I think it is a way of showing teachers that we are still learning and often if I come across something that applies to teachers I share that with them. I am lucky to work in a school that allows me still to learn.

@sjbloomers Such an important point! CPD is more than just about what you learn for yourself but also about how you share your learning too. This also raises your profile as a professional too. It is great that your school supports this!

@dawnwoods2000 @Annie I agree that sharing amongst themselves with credit is probably improving I would suggest that beyond that is still very questionable. Just yesterday I saw teachers on twitter talking about reading stories online during school closures. I didn't join in the conversation as the circumstances are unprecedented but if they read a book cover to cover they are risking copyright infringement. However if they read a book and add something to it like they would in a lesson then that is ok. It is little things like this that we can help and support with but no-one thinks we have this expertise so they don't ask us.

Copyright is a minefield. I do deal with it in EPQ and HPQ lessons but less so with staff. I have on occasion commented to staff that they need to reference what they are using on a power point - I think there is a lack of awareness of requirements in general across schools.

@sjbloomers I would agree! I think the 'for educational purposes' give the teachers a 'get out of jail free card'. They don't think it applies to them and this is part of the problem. They generally don't lead by example so students are likely to pick up their bad habits.

I have seen students used as digital champions in one of the schools I worked in but I don't think they were used in the manor that is discussed in this chapter. These students were taught how to use certain online tools and were called on if any teacher was struggling to use it with a class. It was more about students knowing how to switch something on rather than have digital literacy skills though.

@Elizabeth In SLS I used to visit loads of primary schools during the Summer term to encourage pupils to take part in the Summer Reading Challenge. I lost count of the times teachers would call upon Ryan from Y6 to get the laptop and powerpoint working for me. But yes, that is different from having chosen which medium to deliver a message.

@dawnwoods2000 I agree but I still think we have a problem with expecting children just to be able to find the answers without much guidance on how to find credible sources. Is that down to time or lack of knowledge from teachers themselves? We know ourselves how hard it is to keep up and teachers hardly have time to do what they need to do. It is important that they begin to understand that this is something we can help them with and save them time. Advocacy is so important...

@Elizabeth I think years ago teachers used to teach the same lessons every year, but I suppose partly because of the changing curriculum and partly because newer teachers are taught differently and link points they need to get across to popular culture the pupils relate to that teachers now will pick up on something they see to be relevant. If they aren’t aware of it, they can’t use it and that awareness is not just one person’s job, we all need to keep up awareness and share. So a school librarian should go to teachers to show apps/websites/technologies that they think would be useful or to use them themselves if they are team teaching. I suppose then it’s a case of persistence on our part and not being discouraged which can be difficult at time’s.

Times not time’s!

@Annie It was interesting Annie! The gif made me smile :) I do think adding technology into a topic can help engagement. However, I think you are right; that reading for pleasure really does need to be introduced early and then supported through reading teachers and the school library.

@Annie @Elizabeth I am currently reading Reader, come home by Maryanne Wolf. In it she cites Hemingway’s 6 word story - For sale: baby shoes. Never worn - and says we pick up so much from our experience and prior knowledge. So a younger child may be able to decode the words, but without encouragement to critically think and discuss reasons for this, would not have the empathy to instantly focus on those last 2 words. So empathy can be encouraged from what we read and as adults, it’s our job to do that for our children.

As regards using different technologies and apps, children love that creative side, although as we all know they can focus on adding in movement and sounds in a PowerPoint at the expense of content, we need to show them apps are a tool and we need to use the right tool for the point we are trying to get across.

@dawnwoods2000 Reader sounds fascinating! Empathy from reading is so important. A school librarians role in engaging children to talk about what they are reading and how they feel about it is cruitial. We must take every opportunity to talk about books with our students and how they make us feel is essential too. So often these days we are all too busy but we definitely need to make sure we find time for this if we can. Thanks for sharing this Dawn!

I agree that our children can get distracted by technology but finding the right tool can make all the difference to engagement. I love tools like Flipgrid and Padlet that allows students to engage with each other on the same platform. It is even possible to connect with students across the world and giving children a live audience outside their classroom and school can have a huge impact.

I think digital literacy is becoming more common than information literacy. This certainly helps in thinking about how I talk to teachers about research skills and will certainly use digital literacy more often.

@Elizabeth I thought separating the different literacies and critical thinking and saying we needed them all was relevant, even if depending on what we are doing means they overlap.

@dawnwoods2000 I certainly thought that it highlighted the many literacies that are out there and agree that recognising that there is an overlap is important. This book certainly built our ability to talk about the overlap which is a powerful conversation within the curriculum.

I thought I was only going to have time to flick through this book and had planned to just read certain chapters. Once I got started though I found that I didn't want to miss anything out and ended up reading it all. The chapters were generally quite short and easy to read. I had been worried that it was going to be very focused on higher education but was again please to read that there was a lot of relevant stuff for school librarians to digest and use.

@Elizabeth I will admit to starting to read thoroughly in the beginning, but couldn’t take in nuances if read too much.. Later chapters I did possibly skip through more. Have long ago decided I am definitely not up there with the intelligent people which is probably a good thing I’m not responsible for students in my charge.

@dawnwoods2000 Thanks for being so honest Dawn. I am not sure I understood it all either but put that down to it being targeted at higher education librarians. I think books like this must be dipped in and out of as there are going to be areas that are of more use to you than others. I think if you bought this book rather than borrowed it, it would be something that you referred to from time to time. Especially now that we know what it contains.