Dr Ross J ToddDirector, Center for International Scholarship in School

LibrariesRutgers, The State University of New Jersey

cissl.scils.rutgers.edurtodd@rutgers.edu

www.twitter.com/RossJToddwww.facebook.com/RossJTodd

“CELEBRATE SCHOOL LIBRARIES:

Agents of Learning" 

Rita DoveRita DoveUS Poet Laureate 1993-1995US Poet Laureate 1993-1995"The library is an arena of "The library is an arena of possibility, opening both a possibility, opening both a window into the soul and a window into the soul and a door onto the world."door onto the world."

Roger Rosenblatt US Author / Essasyist

"A library should be like a pair of open arms."

Stay Focused

Pick one Card

It is YOUR card

Think about YOUR card for

20 seconds

Stay focused on YOUR card

Ross is now going

To remove YOUR Card!

YOUR card has been removed

School Libraries and Learning:

50 years of Evidence tell us

that school libraries impact

student achievement

“With the school library literally the heart of the educational program, the students of the school have their best chance to become capable and enthusiastic readers, informed about the world around them, and alive to the limitless possibilities of tomorrow.” Mary Gaver, 1958

Gaver, M. Every child needs a school library. Chicago, ALA, 1958 Gaver, M. Effectiveness of Centralized Library Service in Elementary Schools. Rutgers University, 1963

Student Achievement Through School Libraries

School libraries as powerful and engaging places in the lives of

students do not happen by chance or force.

School Libraries and Learning

Research shows that quality school libraries

• Improve student achievement as measured by standardized scores

• Develop students as capable and avid readers

• Develop a range of information scaffolds to help students interrogate multiple, diverse and conflicting sources of information into deep knowledge

School Libraries and Learning

Quality school libraries have:

• Up-to-date resources – virtual and print

• Qualified school library educators

• Budget allocation

• Access to information technology to find information and to create products

• Active instruction in information literacy, critical thinking and knowledge construction

• Vibrant reading programs

• Teams of teachers and librarians working to create high-quality learning experiences based on curriculum standards

Student Achievement

Learning outcomes are achieved through deliberate actions and instructional interventions of school administrators, teachers and school librarians

INFORMATIONAL – TRANSFORMATONAL – FORMATIONAL

How do effective school libraries help students?

25,574 students tell us!1,812 teachers tell us!

3 Studies: Student Learning Through School Libraries

• Ohio (USA): 13,123 valid student responses and 879 teacher responses (39 schools) (2003-4)

• Australia: 6,718 valid student responses and 525 teacher responses (46 schools) (Lyn Hay, 2004-5)

• Delaware (USA): 5,733 valid student responses and 408 teacher responses (13 schools) (2005-6)

7 Sets of “help”

1. how helpful the school library is with getting information you need

2. how helpful the school library is with using the information to complete your school work (l.L skills)

3. How helpful the school library is with your school work in general (knowledge building, knowledge outcomes)

4. How helpful the school library is with using computers in the library, at school, and at home

5. How helpful the school library is to you with your general reading interests

6. How helpful the school library is to you when you are not at school (independent learning)

7. General school aspects –Academic Achievement

How School Libraries Help• Provides access to information technology (sources

and tools) necessary for students to complete their research assignments and projects successfully

• Provides up-to-date diverse resources to meet curriculum informational needs

• Instructional intervention focuses on the development of an understanding of what good research is about and how you undertake good research

• Engages students in an active process of building their own understanding and knowledge

• Demonstrates the link between school library services and learning outcomes

The Students’ Voices777 When I was working on a project about science I had no idea

what I was doing I asked my library teachers for help they helped and by the end of the day I felt so much better!!! And from that day on I knew what I was doing on that project and I got a A I was so proud of myself and my confidence went up a whole lot and now when ever I do a project I know I have a lot of power now to do well on projects!!!

1532The school librarians don’t help me at all like they make me do all the stuff myself and wont tell me where the things are even when I already looked – they show me and make me learn how to find the stuff myself and its hard work!!!! You gotta use your brain, they say

1015 I I would have never have found the sources I needed for the paper if not for the school library, the public library, and the helpful people who staff those places. They even showed me steps to work through to do the research and complete it. They ran some classes specifically for us and they were very very very helpful

Students’ Voices

3532 I was working on History project and we had to have several sources (primary documents) and the librarians instructed the students on how to go about finding the information we needed and compiling it into something worthwhile. I was able to combine everything together and earn a good grade.

1075 Well one time was when we had to do a report on Animals and I had no clue how to find information about my animal. So Mrs. X helped me find the information on the computer. On the internet if its true or false – to learn that is very important at school.

100 I needed help doing a project for government that had to do with presidents and they had so many books and then the librarian helped me find web sites. But then they gave me ways of sorting through all the ideas to extract the key points so I could get my head around it all

66 I needed to write a paper and I went to the Library where I was ultimately able to write a paper successfully. My ideas were a mess and talking to the librarian gave me a way to organize my ideas and present the argument. I did really well!! I’ve never forgotten that – used it to do many other assignments.

433 It helped me find info on racism for a 10th grade project, and made me really think about that, especially I didn’t realize how racist some of my ideas were

6256 Sometimes I argue with my parents about things and use the library to check if my opinions are true

1408 One time, I wanted books on Teen Suicide and they were able to get some for me. It was helpful of them as my cousin died that way and I could figure it out a bit more for me.

6110 I guess I’ve discovered one thing. When I do my research well, and do the proper thing with note cards and writing in my own words, I seem to just get to know the stuff and that makes a big help when I talk about the stuff in class.

Students’ Voices

“Because of the school library, I was able to research

the African Hindu Tribes of my native country. This

proved extremely helpful in my search for self

acceptance. I have searched many months through books of all sorts never stumbling

upon anything remotely near what I needed. Even the tour I took to the museum and the Epcot center couldn’t clearly explain in full detail what it

felt like to be a true African. I would have never felt in

place without this necessary information.”

Developing knowledge,

understanding, and a sense of self.

Listen to the Voices

School Libraries at the heart of learning

Learning to Read

SCHOOL LIBRARIES

Reading to Learn

New Jersey Research

• 10 New Jersey diverse public schools

• Experienced and expert school librarians

• 10 school librarians working on curriculum projects with 17 classroom teachers

• 574 students in Grades 6 – 12; range of disciplines

• Key question: Did they learn anything? What did the learning look like?

• Changes in knowledge

Changes in Knowledge

Two distinctive approaches to knowledge construction:

-- Transport

-- Transform

“Transport” Approach to Knowledge Construction

• Gathering facts, then more facts, then more facts

• Stockpile of facts, even though facts were sorted, organized and grouped by end of task.

• Remained on a descriptive level throughout

• Limited intellectual engagement with the ideas

• Surface knowledge

• Saw the collection of facts as the end of the research

“Transform” Approach to Knowledge Construction

• Initial: superficial sets of properties

• Moved beyond gathering facts:- building explanations- address differences in information- organizing facts in more coherent ways

• Interpret information

• Establish personal conclusions and reflections

• Collecting facts was the beginning and not end

• Facts were the basis for personal choice

THE SCHOOL LIBRARY ….

What is a School Library?

the school’s physical and virtual information-to-knowledge commons

where literacy, inquiry, thinking, imagination, discovery, and creativity are central to students’ learning in all

curriculum areas

BUILDING KNOWLEDGE

Björk “New Worlds” in “Selmasongs” album

“If living is seeingI’m holding my

breathIn wonder – I

wonderWhat happens

next?A new world, a new

day to see”

Key Challenges

• From Information to knowledge

• Evidence-based practice

• Building teams and partnerships

• Engaging Web 2.0 tools to develop deep inquiry

• Re-imagining school libraries

Key Challenges

• From Information to Inquiry

• Evidence-based practice

• Building teams and partnerships

• Engaging Web 2.0 tools to develop deep inquiry

• Re-imagining school libraries

Without inquiry, there is no reason for school libraries

Without evidence, it is just another opinion

Without teams, there is limited capacity for change

Without Web 2.0, missed opportunity for situating learning in the real world of kids

Vision for the future: you create the vision. Without vision, you walk in darkness

CHALLENGE 1

SCHOOL LIBRARIES AS KNOWLEDGE CENTERS, NOT

INFORMATION PLACES

Building knowledge, not finding information

The Information-to-Knowledge Challenge

Now I am really

confused!

The Information-to-Knowledge Challenge

NoWonder

I amlost!

The Information-to-Knowledge Challenge

A knowledge society?

Such insight!!!

From Information to Knowledge: Research

• Children using libraries less since they first began using internet research tools

• Search engines are the primary starting point for information searching

• Horizontal information seeking: skim viewing a small number of pages then ‘bounce’ out

• Spend very little time on e-book and e-journal sites, and databases in school libraries

• Engage in “power browsing”: rapid scanning, quick decisions and clicking extensively – limited evaluation

• Make little use of advanced search capabilities; tendency to use simple search strategies; preference for natural language

• Squirreling behavior: stockpiling content in the form of downloads

www.schoolsucks.com

www.evilhouseofcheat.com

www.cheathouse.com

http://www.phuckschool.com

The TRANSPORTATION of Information

The TRANSFORMATION OF Information

The answer is already there

From Information to Knowledge

• Focus of the school library: moving from information finding and gathering, to enabling the construction of deep knowledge and understanding

• Focus on INQUIRY : questioning, discovery, critical thinking, reflection, building deep knowledge of topics

• Educational systems globally embracing Inquiry

• School library as a KNOWLEDGE CENTER, AN INQUIRY CENTER, and not an INFORMATION CENTER

Schooling in the Twenty-first Century

Library Policy Tagcloud

The role of the school library TRANSFORMATION

CHALLENGE 2

EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE

How do our school libraries contribute to Learning,

Literacy, and Living

Key Questions

• Why do school libraries matter?

• Are school librarians necessary?

• How do we ensure that our libraries survive?

• How do school libraries impact on student learning?

• How do school libraries help students learn?

• What / how do school libraries add to personal, social, cultural and global growth of our students?

• HOW DOES MY SCHOOL LIBRARY CONTRIBUTE TO:- Learning- Literacy- Living

Evidence-Based Practice

• Evidence FOR Practice: use research to inform our day-to-day practice

- reading, information literacy, information technology, instruction

• Evidence IN Practice: gather data from our practice, and using data within our schools

• Evidence OF Practice: impacts of our libraries on student achievement; gathering local evidence as well as country evidence

Evidence

Informationo Number of classes in the

libraryo Number of library items

borrowedo Number of students using

the library at lunch timeso Number of items

purchased annuallyo Number of web searcheso Number of books lost

KnowledgeUnderstanding how school libraries help kids learn: Learning outcomes in terms ofo Knowledge outcomes –

deep mastery of contento Critical thinkingo Knowledge constructiono Information-to-knowledge

processes o Information technologyo Reading comprehension

and enrichmento Attitudes and values of

information, learningo Self concept and personal

agency

CHALLENGE 3

BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS AND TEAMS

• Advocated as a high priority for school librarians

• Important dynamic in student achievement (eg Lance)

• Low levels of collaboration are documented (Callison, 2005, Todd 2005)

Instructional Collaboration Study

• CISSL study of school librarian-teacher collaboration, 2004-2006

• 85 school librarians (65%) and 45 teachers (35%)

• To develop a deeper understanding of classroom teacher-school librarian instructional collaborations:

- their dynamics, processes, enablers, barriers, impact on learning outcomes- their role in continuous improvement and school change

What participants hoped the students would gain through the collaboration

Teachers

• students to develop knowledge of curriculum content

• increased information literacy skills; critical thinking; problem solving

• Increased depth and better quality of learning

School Librarians

• students to develop information literacy

• students to develop a better perception of the library and the librarian

Common Goals?

KNOWLEDGE OUTCOMES

Shared Learning Teams

• Take advantage of varied experiences and expertises that exist in a school community

• “Occupational Invisibility” (Hartzell) Do not see depth, breadth and importance of what SLs contribute

flexible team approach; alliances for shared learning

- Alliances within / outside school- Instructional expertise- Subject expertise- Technical expertise- Reading / Literacy expertise- Student expertise

Teams - “Don’t Water Rocks”

• Principal? • Technology leader?• Maths teacher? Other teachers• Curriculum coordinator?• School counselor?• Literacy / reading specialist• Special needs teacher?• Parent organization? • Community experts?• Public library / museum experts?• Teen social networkers?• Education system leaders?

CHALLENGE 4

Engaging Web 2.0 tools to develop deep inquiry

• Web-based environments which seek to facilitate community, communication, collaboration and creativity between users.

• Architecture of participation: users generate content rather than consume content Web 2.0 = people

• Opportunities to engage with tools of knowledge building: blogs and online diaries, wikis, podcasts, videoblogs, content creation mechanisms, syndicated content feeds, folksonomies and user tagging

Capitalize on the Web 2.0 Opportunities

Web 2.0 Tools• Blogging: logs / journals/ diaries on the internet;

chronological, single authorship; multiple forms, with plug-ins (widgets) for mixing of content, links

• Wikis: collaborative, editable writing spaces: collective knowledge

• Podcasting: distributing compressed audio across internet; screencasting, videocasting

• RSS: Real Simple Syndication / Rich Site Summary: feed of content collected and organized through aggregators

• Social Networking; Social Bookmarking

• Online photo galleries: publishing, creating, using images online

Blogs: Knowledge Spaces• What constitutes a sustained response? Whose

voice is being heard?

- Expository response: provision of information• Explanatory response: focus is on explanation- Critical response: addressing postings with

argument / evidence analysis- Analytical response: comparison, analysis,

identifying patterns, trends, themes, issues, associations across postings

- Synthetical response: Developing conclusions, establishing personal viewpoints and perspectives, generating position statements from multiple postings

- Reflective Response: my learnings; identifying implications

Wikis

• Collaborative, editable spaces: collective knowledge (eg Wikipedia: eg Tsunami 2004 – 9hrs for first 76 word story; 48 hours later, 6,500 words and edited 1,200 times; wikihow.com; wikitravel.com)

• Open, contributory, living documents; people work together to generate and maintain a document

• Social construction of knowledge; negotiation of meaning: group’s best effort, not an individual; community watchdog, soft security

• Working as a team / group / community in a shared information space: giving students control of knowledge construction and editorial control – responsibility and ownership

What to do with Wikipedia

• Students use W. to brainstorm ideas, build background knowledge – you will not stop it!

• Take group through a key Wikipedia article on a topic related to class work, pointing out its strengths and weaknesses, and inviting the class to edit it

• Students use other sources to determine accuracy of the facts in a Wikipedia article:

• The class takes on creating specific Wikipedia articles related to class work and post to Wikipedia

• Watch what happens: modification, spammed, and how to deal with this

Scaffolds for Working in a Wiki: What does it take?

• Constructing the sustained response + creative + publishing competencies

• How teams work together in safety and security

• Dealing with team issues, conflict eg someone edits without justification / explanation; arguments

• Negotiation skills: negotiating to agree on correctness, meaning, relevance

• Team management / project management: planning, timelines, role assignment, delegation

• Communication eg explaining intentions behind edits

• Document management / versions

CHALLENGE 5

RE-IMAGINE SCHOOL LIBRARIES

Re-imagining School Libraries

• Learning Commons for knowledge building

• Focus on inquiry, thinking, imagination, discovery, and creativity as central to students’ learning in all curriculum areas

• Provide the information, intellectual and social tools to foster creativity, knowledge creation and production

• Inquiry Center: Instruction in thinking, analysis and synthesis, not just information finding

Great Minds at

work?

BuildingEffective Inquiry

Learning habits

Hall of Fame Research “Greatness”

• Where/when born, died, lived

• Education/Jobs/Career• Challenges overcome• Qualities that led to

greatness• Awards/Commendations • Political offices held• Best remembered for

what• Connection to NJ

Grade 8 Research Project

Critical thinking and Deep Knowledge?

Walt Whitman (Camden) Considered by many to be the most influential poet in U.S. history

Lonely, Nervous, Brave, Determined, SassyDaughter of parents who filled their house with musicMusic must have filled her loneliness when her father diedMoved to New York for a better life.Who loved the night magic of Harlem, Who loved the celebrities and begging for autographs with her friendsWho really loved singing and scatting Who loved her Aunt that took care of her as a child.Who felt loss, when her mother died Who felt anger when she was put in an orphanageWho felt trapped in those walls but they couldn’t keep her down because she felt the pull of her song and the night magic of Harlem.Who felt nervous and fear at auditionsWho feared not being able to sing because she had no one to care for her Who feared dying from diabetes and possibly going blind, Who feared whom she would pass her singing crown down toWho wanted to see someone take over her singing crownWho would have liked to have spent more time with her late parentsWho wanted to work with the best bandsWho changed the world of jazz and swingWho was very proud of her awards and achievementsShe was “The First Lady Of Song”; she was “Sassy” and a Legend of JazzBorn in Virginia, grew up in New York, adopted by the world.Ella was greatFitzgerald

Ella

A TIME OF BOLD ACTION Edna St Vincent Millay 1892-1950

“Upon this gifted age, in its dark hourRains from the sky a meteoric showerOf facts, they lie unquestioned, uncombined.Wisdom enough to leech us of our illIs daily spun, but there exists no loomTo weave it into fabric.”