Sparking a Canadian Sparking a Canadian Conversation on School Conversation on School Libraries 2.0Libraries 2.0Marlene AsselinRay Doiron

Treasure Mountain, CanadaEdmonton, AlbertaJune 3, 2010

Assumptions…Assumptions…You have read

Towards a Transformative Pedagogy for School Libraries 2.0 at SLW Vol. 14:2 http://schoollibrariesworldwide-vol14no2.blogspot.com/

I am to take some of these ideas and develop your conversations about school libraries.

School Libraries School Libraries WorldwideWorldwideVisit School Libraries Worldwide

Volume 14 Number 2 – July 2008 http://schoollibrariesworldwide-vol14no2.blogspot.com/

Marlene & RayMarlene & RayTend to address school librarianship

through a literacy lens.We build our rationale for strong SLs by

linking literacy (literacies) & libraries.Tend to speak to colleagues in wider

communities - beyond school libraries.Tend to challenge our school library

colleagues to read, engage in and disseminate research – we “teach” research but we never “do” research.

Tend to draw upon research from contexts beyond the SL context.

Background to this Background to this work….work…. Rapid pace of change spurred by burgeoning digital

technologies◦ Youth◦ Literacy◦ Learning

“new learners’ are entering our schools and school libraries in growing numbers and teacher-librarians are seeking ways to transform school libraries into effective and engaging digital learning environments.

We need to draw on our traditional leadership in building collaborative teaching and learning activities in order to engage students in new learning environments which harness their innate interests in new technologies and connect their in-school and out-of-school literacy practices.

PurposePurposeExplore current research and

emerging notions of school libraries 2.0◦Web 2.0◦Library 2.0◦Pedagogy 2.0

◦Critically question some long-held tenets

◦Create new research-based vision

New Learners, New Literacies, New Learners, New Literacies, New LibrariesNew Libraries Our work exploring

◦ Who are the learners of the Net Generation?◦ What are the literacies needed by the new learners?◦ How do we teach the new learners?

Our process: (See our wiki: http://asselindoiron.pbworks.com/ )

◦ Interviews with youth in Canada and Switzerland. http://asselindoiron.pbworks.com/Kaitlyn

◦ Observations of trends in types/uses of new media.◦ Literature reviews (Net Generation; new literacies; learning in

digital environments).◦ Workshops, keynotes, discussions/conversations with colleagues in

Canada, the USA, and Europe. Take the issues to our school library colleagues as

Guest Co-Editors of SLW (See SLW blog http://schoollibrariesworldwide-vol14no2.blogspot.com/

Our ProcessOur ProcessCall for manuscriptsInternal and external contributorsDetermining mode of publicationStructuring the content

◦Critical concepts◦Diverse contexts◦Creative expressions

Points from the Process 1Points from the Process 1Perception of critical literacy

◦not simply a matter of advocating for a larger role for school libraries in building information literacy, but a call for a fundamental shift in our understanding of the pervasive nature of technology and how we must arm our students with a wider range of technical and critical skills in order to cope and flourish in a new learning landscape.

Points from the Process 2Points from the Process 2Wariness to notion of “new

learners”◦We must first of all recognize and

respect the new learner’s relationship with technology and along with them embrace their new learning experiences/expectations. We can respond to new understandings of how knowledge is constructed in a global learning context and become learners along with them.

Points from the Process 3Points from the Process 3Narrow definition of major role of

SL◦ there are multiple literacies and multi-modal

uses of literacies expected of learners today.◦ Our research would suggest that many of

our youth are trying to co-exist and function within this world in their out-of-school experiences; it is schools that have narrowed the definition of literacy and school libraries who have narrowed it to information literacy that may be failing to help our youth thrive in the future.

Points from the Process 4Points from the Process 4Concern for lack of a model

◦A frustration --- No one seems to have yet shown us the model for new school libraries.

◦It gives us reason to ask have we been mistaken in trying to describe one vision for a school library and then setting out to create replicas of that vision around the world?

◦…no two libraries are exactly alike and maybe this is closer to the idea of school library 2.0.

Towards a vision Towards a vision for school libraries 2.0for school libraries 2.0

• Asselin/Doiron working definition……. A school library • is uniquely created by its users, • from the resources/tools at hand and at a distance• which can be called upon to support the construction and

dissemination of new knowledge • by the active users of that library. • It is a holistic vision of a virtual and a physical space, • accessible 24/7 and • housing the learning tools needed for a wide range of

teaching and learning experiences. • It is an open source, open access environment, a social

space where users gather virtually and physically to find multiple types of resources and create strongly visual, multimedia representations of their new understandings. (Asselin & Doiron, 2008)

ChallengesChallengesThe time is now for a broad, open conversation

about the future of school libraries. We ignore these issues at our own peril.

Moving away from “information behaviours” towards knowledge creation & distribution.

Think critically; think locally, but act globally.Create vision of one Worldwide School Library…

◦ guided by principles of equity, inclusion, and social justice,

◦ where our local libraries are nodes in this worldwide network and

◦ our students connect within and throughout that network as global learners.

Beginning the Beginning the ConversationConversationHow our Grad students said it….

(View the Mash-up)

Introduce the blog here http://schoollibrariesworldwide-vol14no2.blogspot.com/

Topics for discussion:◦ How can the SL bridge in-school & out-of-school

literacies?◦ How can we achieve a 24/7 SL?◦ How does “Think locally, act globally” affect how SLs

operate?◦ How do we deliver the SL to the desktops and

laptops of students and educators?