Professional+Knowledge

= ASLA Standard 1 - Professional Knowlege =

1.1 Knowledge of the principles of lifelong learning.
I can safely say that in the 4 years it has taken to complete my Masters TL I have developed a wealth of knowledge on information literacy theory and practice (1.1.1). I thoroughly enjoyed the units on Children's Literature and Inquiry-based learning which both acknowledge the importance of progressive approaches to research and reviews. The constructivist pedagogy identifies learning not just as a process designed to find information but one that interprets and evaluates it to construct new meaning and build a deeper understanding (Kuhlthau, 2007, p. 150). Educators have long since moved away from the primary use of teaching methods that simply required their students to memorise facts. Although not an unproductive method; many memorised their spelling rules and numeric times tables this way, when compared to the use of constructive pedagogies, limitations to the use of knowledge can be seen. Constructivism in practice utilizes students’ prior knowledge and builds on it by engaging students in meaningful activities and includes reflective practice as well. John Dewey, a constructivist describes this type of learning as a creative process that at all stages, reflects on the learning process (Dewey, 1933 found in Kuhlthau, Maniotes & Caspari, 2007 p. 14). This approach is integral in the development of inquiry-based learning activities and information literacy and assist students to develop habits that allow them to become life-long learners.

1.2 Knowledge of learning and teaching - know about learning and teaching across curriculum areas and developmental levels.
It has been interesting to observe the interaction between the teacher librarian and the "regulars" who frequent the library. I came to know the "social, cultural and developmental backgrounds" (1.2.3) of many of the girls and could offer specific assistance to individuals based on their learning needs across all curriculum areas when I was in the library for 10 weeks. There are many indigenous students and girls with learning disabilities who require extra assistance in order to meet their learning goals. These students sought assistance from me when they were searching for assignment information. I became "familiar with skills and interests of learners" (1.2.2) and encouraged them to use resources to cater to their preferred learning style.

Knowing what content and skills are taught across the KLAs is an advantage when working in a library. I found in the secondary setting that I could be of assistance to multiple departments when I was able to map the key content and processes across the curriculum. I have learnt the the TL knows which subjects are taught in different year levels and can add valuable advice when it comes to planning. Most recently the College reviewed the assessment items in all junior school areas in order to focus on which CCEs (core curriculum elements) were being taught explicitly. This task was an interesting one from a TL perspective as I knew form my brief experience at the circulation counter, what each department already had in their work programs(1.2.1). In this context a TL is a valuable resource and a leader in the curriculm as they know much about specific departmental work programs and assessment tasks.

1.3 Knowledge of Curriculum - have a rich understanding of the school community and curriculum.
As mentioned previously, there is much a TL can offer when it comes understanding a school's curriculum. In terms of standard 1.3.1 the TL is the most important resource for a curriculm committee as they know about the literature for children and young adults. My study of children's literature in 2010 highlighted the need for librarians to play a significant role in the selection of reading material in all department areas. I now know that popular fiction is the "carrot" that can draw a reluctant reader into a library to "promote and foster reading (1.3.2)". The spooky themed books I put on dispaly during Halloween drew many new visitors to the library and may have encouraged several students to read beyond their normal limit. Many collected a novel form the dispaly and parked themselves on the bean bags (see figures below). I found that an understanding of the school community was most important when creating these displays as it was not only a significant move away from the types of dispalys our usual librarian created but it also changed the atmosphere within the library. I found that in order to "promote and foster reading" there sometimes need to be an air of excitment and interaction. Normally high levels of both are not always conducive to a library atmosphere but in this situation it worked. The studnets were much more engaged withthe texts and behaved more like the primary schoolers I observed in my seconf SPP.

**1.4 Know**ledge of library and information management - have a specialist knowledge of information, resources, technology and library management.
I have come to learn that information management encompasses much more than just the resources found on the shelves of a library. In my first submission of this portfolio I addressed the management of information with regards to copyright. This is an area that the entire College has had first-hand experience with when it participated in a photocopying audit. The College's policy on copyright can be viewed on the following link. [] This is an area where all teaching staff should have a basic understanding of copyright law but as a librarian I would need to review these laws in more detail to ensure I have a "comprehensive understanding of national standards for information management and retrieval" (1.4.2 and 1.4.3) and ensure that the students in my library are aware of copyright issues, particularly if it this is an area that falls within the role description of the teacher librarian. It is important that both staff and students ethically "manage" and acknowledge the information they access. In Williamson, McGregor and Archibald's paper, //Assisting students to avoid plagarism// (Access, Vol 23, Issue 3, 2009), various strategies were examined in order to promote students' awareness of plagiarism and provide them with tools to avoid a simple click and copy mentality. Knowledge of copyright and intellectual property is a way to explicitly link the two areas and instill in students a deeper understanding of plagarism.

I have developed a rudimentary knowledge of SCIS during my time spent in SPP. ASLA and ALIA recommend the minimum standards for cataloguing and data entry and promote the use of the Schools Catalogue Information Service (SCIS) to ensure that all libraries maintain national standards.(ASLA, ALIA, 2001, p. 34) The teacher librarian has an impressive working knowledge of these standards of information retrieval and although a library aid downloads the data on new resources from SCIS to transfer into Libcode, the College's resource management tool, it is the librarian who ensures that the data accurately reflects the collection. She stated that "it was sometimes necessary to change SCIS data so that the resource can be more effectively utilised in the context of the College's curriculum." (Interview August 2009). She explained that certain subjects used subject headings that "weren't always provided by SCIS" and this cross-referencing of subject headings and the adding of more relevant ones that suited the curriculum highlights her understanding of standard "1.4.1 - understand that professionally managed and resourced school libraries are crucial to the achievements of the school community."(ASLA, ALIA, 2008)

Having a detailed understanding of the curriculum across a broad range of subjects is a challenge for a new librarian and I experienced this first hand in 2011 Term 4. The teacher librarian at this College has over 20 years experience and has participated in many Head of Department meetings. She is up to date with curriculum changes and her knowledge of the resources that are available is impressive.(ASLA, ALIA Standard 1.3) I will spend several years gaining this level of knowledge when I'm in a library of my own. The challege is to collaborate with Heads of Departments and ensure that I am up to date with the latest work programs and their resource lists. The breif time that I spent accessioning resources taught me much about how information is categorized.

The very last unit of work, Information Organization has opened my eyes to a world of cataloguing systems. I knew about Dewey but had never heard of Dublin Core and AARC2 - two systems of information management I am now more fully aware of since creating my own bibliographic database. I much prefer the newer Dublin Core fields that are used but still have much to learn about using validated lists and thesauri to sort information. This will be my challenge in the future.