Literacies, Learning&Libraries Vol5No1

Literacies, Learning & Libraries
of the Alberta Teachers Association
Alberta School Library Council
Volume 5, Number 1, 2012
M a k iin g iit R e a ll Mak ng t Rea
Literacies, Learning & Libraries is an official publication of the Alberta School Library Council (ASLC) of The Alberta Teachers Association (ATA). This publication assists the ASLC in achieving its constitutional objectives to enhance the competencies of school library professionals and to increase knowledge, understanding and awareness of the role of school library programs in education.
Copyright 2012 by The Alberta Teachers Association, 11010 142 Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta T5N 2R1. Unless otherwise indicated in the text, reproduction of material in Literacies, Learning & Libraries is authorized for classroom and professional development use, provided that each copy contain full acknowledgement of the source and that no charge be made beyond the cost of reprinting. Any other reproduction in whole or in part without prior written consent of the ATA is prohibited. Literacies, Learning & Libraries is published by the ATA for the ASLC. Although every effort is made to ensure accurate scholarship and responsible judgment, opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the ASLC or the ATA. Editorial and production services: Document Production staff, ATA. ISSN 1918-1779. Individual copies of this journal can be ordered at the following prices: 1 to 4 copies, $7.50 each; 5 to 10 copies, $5.00 each; over 10 copies, $3.50 each. Please add 5 per cent shipping and handling and 5 per cent GST. Please contact Distribution at Barnett House to place your order. In Edmonton, dial 780-447-9400, ext 321; toll free in Alberta, dial 1-800-232-7208, ext 321.
Table of Contents
2 3
Volume 5, Number 1, 2012
From the Editors Desk ............................................................................................ Diane GallowaySolowan Presidents Message ................................................................................................. Holly Huber
Feature Articles
4 13 16 22 26 29 Valuing and Validating the Culture of Aboriginal Students in School Libraries.................................................................................... Carol Wilkinson Exploring the Benefits of Object-Based Learning ................................................ Brandi Clark Moving Toward Teacher-Librarianship and an Integrated School Library Program ....................................................................... Kimberly Scheideman Builders and Creators in the 21st Century: Using Web 2.0 to Support Inquiry-Based Learning ........................................................ Nancy Prentice How Do Teacher-Librarians Build Leadership Capacity? .................................. Tu Loan Trieu An Old Dog Teaches New Tricks: The Role of Inquiry-Based Learning in 21st-Century Pedagogy ....................................... Terri Ann Hayes
From Theory to Practice

33 35 37 46 Point 2: Whats a TL to Do? ..................................................................................... Lissa Davies Reading Makes Us Smarter: Arlene Lipkewich and One Schools Journey ............................................................................................... Dia Macbeth Millennials Internet Research Habits.................................................................... Claire Rockliff and Maya Pelechaty Professional Learning Community in Action in Medicine Hat: Transforming the Inquiry Process for Elementary and Secondary Language Arts .......................................................... Rhonda Hunter
Professionally Speaking
47 49 50 51 52 55 School Library Services Initiative (SLSI) Update: June 2012 ..................................................................................................... Judith Sykes ASLC Website Update: Kelly Reierson and What a Difference a Year Makes! ............................................................................ Lissa Davies TLDL Convocation 2012 .......................................................................................... Jennifer Branch 2011 ASLC Bursary Recipients ................................................................................ Diane GallowaySolowan News and Awards from the Regionals iLibraries 2012: A Symposium on the 21st Century Learning Commons .................................................................................. Jamie Davis
Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012
From the Editors Desk

alk is cheap. Research, we hope, will either confirm or deny what we think is true. Implementation, on the other hand, brings it home. We can all talk on and on about the benefits to kids of having access to dynamic and vibrant school library learning environments (or learning commons, if you like), but sooner or later, to borrow a contemporary term, we have to make it real! This issue of Literacies, Learning and Libraries is an outstanding compilation of ideas and practical applications of what educators can do to make school libraries everywhere real. We begin with the well-researched writing of graduate students grappling for the first time with big ideas related to school libraries: working with First Nations students in the library; integrated school leadership models; object-based and inquiry-based learning. These students look at our profession of teacher-librarianship with new eyes and the excitement and promise of making it real in their own schools. We can learn so much by listening closely to their take on this new reality. But there is nothing quite like having the rubber meet the road. Do our theories work in practice? If you have only .2 time as a teacher-librarian (T-L) in your school, what influence can you possibly have with so little time? Lissa Davies has begun to figure this out and has shared her ideas in this issue. How can a teacher-librarian influence the work of a school professional learning community (PLC) from the full spectrum of K12? Where would you start? Some T-Ls in Medicine Hat gave it a try and Rhonda Hunter has written about their ideas. Can reading really make your school smarter? Arlene Lipkewich, T-L at ABlair McPherson School, and Dia Macbeth, the schools assistant principal, thought so and told us about their success by contributing an article to this issue. However, the icing on the reality cake couldnt get any better than learning from two Calgary elementary school students who got the inquiry process from their teacher-librarian. The two students, Clair and Maya, decided to apply that skill to researching just what their fellow millennials Internet research habits really are. Their teachers helped them submit their article, so now you can read first-hand about what Alberta elementary students are thinking about this very important topic. The theory, the process and the application work! Dont stop believing. There is a place for teacher-librarians and school libraries in every school in Alberta and across the country. On a closing note, I want to thank the ALSC and all Literacies, Learning and Libraries readers for their support for the past five years. You have always come through with great articles and made my job easy. Yes, youve guessed by these statements that I am moving on from this post once this issue is published. I hope that my successor enjoys the challenge of bringing this publication together as much as I havebut retirement and the open road call. I wish each and every one of you all the best for a most successful year of making it real! Diane GallowaySolowan
Presidents Message
ne of the key mandates of the Alberta School Library Council is to provide quality professional development for our members. The past year has seen our provincial ASLC and our northern and southern regional ASLC present a number of outstanding PD opportunities. It is our hope that you will continue to include our offerings in the diverse patchwork that makes up your professional learning quilt. The Connecting Globally conference, presented jointly last October by the ATAs Educational Technology Council, Social Studies Council and Alberta School Library Council, exemplifies the increased interconnectedness of our professional world. Attendees remarked on the tremendous sessions presented by our ASLC executive members Judith Sykes, Donna Grove, Kelly Reierson, Lissa Bonnell Davies and Jill Usher. These types of cooperative efforts will be central to the ASLCs plans for future PD. In May, our members had two more fantastic learning opportunities presented by our regional groups in conjunction with the Edmonton and Calgary Regional Learning Consortia. The ASLC Southern Regional hosted a Learning Commons Boot Camp with David Loertscher and Carol Koechlin. The ASLC Northern Regional held iLibraries 2012 with Phil McRae, Jennifer Branch and Margaret Mackey. Each event attracted more than 100 participants, many of whom were library technicians, administrators and tech leads. At the iLibraries 2012 symposium, Jennifer Branch talked about the importance of developing personal learning networks. Given the isolation that many working in school libraries experience, the social events that were recently organized by our regionals help celebrate and support our work in school libraries. The ASLC Southern Regional held its annual breakfast at the Calgary Teachers Convention, and the ASLC Northern Regional hosted a celebratory dinner along with its AGM and an end-of-year garden party. Although these were not formal PD events, the opportunity to meet and talk enhanced the attendees connection to the school library community. This October, members of the ASLC can look forward to attending the PAGES 2012 conference, in Edmonton, which celebrates partnerships to support literacy. In November, the unparalleled childrens literature conference, Kaleidoscope (www.kaleidoscopeconference.ca), will be held again in Calgary. Also, if you are looking for professional development and networking opportunities closer to home, dont forget our ASLC website, www.aslc.ca. Our webmaster, Kelly Reierson, works hard to ensure that useful and up-to-date ideas and resources are continually being added. Finally, the Alberta School Library Association would like to thank our publications editor, Diane GallowaySolowan. Diane has been an integral player in Albertas school library community as a school librarian, member of the ASLC executive, editor of Teacher Librarian Today and later Literacies, Learning and Libraries, and director of the Alberta Librarys Online Reference Centre. She is a fierce advocate and dedicated friend of Albertas school libraries. We will miss her feisty voice at the school library table and wish her all the best with her exciting retirement plans! Holly Huber
Feature Articles
Valuing and Validating the Culture of Aboriginal Students in School Libraries

Carol Wilkinson
y Aboriginal ancestry and educational experiences and the educational needs of Aboriginal children have always been at the forefront of my thinking, planning and teaching. Throughout my university education I was encouraged, supported and motivated to become a teacher who strove to understand, value and validate the lives and experiences of Aboriginal children through cultural experiences and expressions in language, communication, understanding, arts and athletics. Along with my interest in Aboriginal issues in education, I also developed a passion for school libraries and the opportunities and supports they can provide to learning. This passion followed me into the classroom. As a classroom teacher, my students and I took advantage of all services provided by the school library, and we were very fortunate to work with an effective teacher-librarian. I then had the opportunity to move into the school library as teacher-librarian. This position gave me the opportunity to share my love for books and literature, reading, information, technology, libraries and learning with the entire school populationprekindergarten through Grade8. Through my work in the library I hope to have given students opportunities for their lives and cultures to be mirrored visually, as well as throughout the collection and during meaningful, engaging learning activities. From the school-based library, I moved to the divisions central library, which is a library for all teachers in the school division, prekindergarten through Grade12. As the division teacher-librarian, I had the opportunity to influence teaching and learning throughout the division by recommending resources to enhance school library collections to all teachers and administrative personnel. At library staff meetings, I talked about
curricular initiatives with all library staff; one such initiative was the incorporation and integration of First Nations and Mtis perspectives and knowledge in all subject areas. To feel that their culture, lives and experiences are validated and valued in the school setting is vital to success for all students. Because teacher-librarians engage with all students in their school and have access to a wide variety of resources, they have the opportunity to give students culturally relevant learning opportunities that connect with classroom learning, through interacting with students or by providing classroom teachers with relevant, engaging, meaningful and supportive resources to use with students. After working as lead teacher-librarian for the school division for a few years, I felt that it was important for me to further my education. I applied to the TeacherLibrarianship by Distance-Learning program at the University of Alberta, was accepted and began another educational journey, always keeping Aboriginal learning and students at the forefront. This paper is a result of my personal connections to Aboriginal culture and libraries and the pursuit of a masters degree in education. Through it, I hope to address the recommendations made by the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) (2009) and Saskatchewans Aboriginal Education Provincial Advisory Committee (2005). By analyzing my own personal and professional experiences, and relevant scholarly and professional literature, I will attempt to answer the following question: What cultural values do Aboriginal people in Canada have, and how can teachers and teacher-librarians ensure that these values are integrated in the K12 educational setting, particularly school libraries, to ensure success for Aboriginal students? The focus of this paper is to discover ways in which our schools and school libraries can work toward
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valuing and validating the lives, cultures and experiences of our Aboriginal students. This will be done by reviewing scholarly and professional literature, focusing on material from Canada but also including some from the United States. I will address the topics of holism, lifelong learning, experiential learning, spiritualism, communal education, teacherstudent relationship, and the integration of Aboriginal knowledge and Western knowledge as they relate to Aboriginal culture, education and success. Aboriginal identities, like Aboriginal cultures, vary, as do those of any cultural group. Recognizing and respecting the great disparity among Aboriginal cultures, the term Aboriginal, as defined by the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) (2009), is used to refer to Canadas First Nations, Inuit and Mtis people. Educators must be careful to recognize these differences, and to provide the necessary supports for understanding and recognition of individual and cultural differences. As Farrell-Racette et al (1996) state, Even when students share a common culture and sense of identity, there are enormous differences within First Nations and Mtis groups that need to be considered. Individuals within any one cultural group will vary widely in the degree to which they identify with and the attitudes they hold toward their own people. A key point for teachers to consider is that the First Nations and Mtis students they have in their classroom will vary in the degree to which they identify with their people. (p13) This paper is not intended to create step-by-step guidelines for teachers of Aboriginal students or Aboriginal learners; rather, its goal is to provide teachers and teacher-librarians with suggestions about how to make school libraries more welcoming and inviting for our Aboriginal learners and, by doing so, extend a sense of value and validation of their cultures. In turn, students will begin to develop a sense of connection and belonging that will help them be successful at school. heart, mind, and body ... . ... There is positive messaging throughout the building... (p74). For many Aboriginal learners, the scene has not always been so inviting, welcoming or friendly. Historically, many were forced to leave their culture and walk in another worlda foreign world where they were forbidden to speak their language, practise their traditions, live their culture and learn their cultural ways from their family or elders. In forcing assimilation and acculturation to Eurocentric knowledge, first in residential schools and later in public schools, governments and educational systems have displaced Indigenous knowledge and in so doing have failed First Nations children (Ledoux 2006, 270). The time has come to re-establish those traditional Aboriginal cultural values and traditions in our schools, including our school libraries, to allow, encourage and support our Aboriginal students to reach their full potential. Aesthetics, as mentioned above, are a great beginning, but in order to attain their goals, schools, educators and administrators must delve deeper into the heart of Aboriginal culture to gain true understanding and to be able to provide the environment necessary for success. A major challenge in Aboriginal education is to help Aboriginal students retain their cultural identity, while at the same time preparing them for life in a complex, non-Aboriginal and homogenizing world (Katz and McCluskey 2003, 131). It is not enough to teach Aboriginal culture and values in isolation. To be truly effective and provide the means to value and validate that culture, Aboriginal perspectives must be integrated into all aspects of the school program and curriculum. Aboriginal culture must become an intrinsic part of everything that is school. That is, the books, the pictures, the seating plan, the music, the announcements, the school staff, the extra-curricular activities such as clubs and sports, the food, and even the reception of parents in the office (Ledoux 2006, 268) must reflect those Aboriginal perspectives, knowledge and culture. The following quote from the CCL (2009) embodies the need for resurgence in an education system that appeals and extends an invitation to, and addresses the needs of, Canadas Aboriginal people. Aboriginal learning is a fully integrated and potentially all-encompassing process that permeates all aspects of the learners life and their community. However, over the course of time, external influences (such as the residential school system) have obstructed
What Does The Literature Say?

Schools that are welcoming and friendly invite the community to share in the experiences of its learners and to share their knowledge in a way that is ingrained as lifelong, holistic, experiential and communal. These are the values common to Aboriginal people and in the school setting described by Anuik, Battiste and George (2010): From the time learners first walk through the door ... they are treated like a whole personspirit,
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this process, leaving many First Nations, Inuit and Mtis people alienated from their true learning heritage. Success for Aboriginal people requires the recognition and more importantly the restoration of this vision of lifelong learning. (p11) As outlined by the CCLs (2009) report, the following are seven key attributes of the Aboriginal perspective on learning. 1. Holisticencompasses all parts: physical, emotional, spiritual and mental 2. Lifelongbegins at birth and continues through adulthood 3. Experientialactively engaged in learning through participation 4. Rooted in Aboriginal languages and cultures 5. Spiritually orientedexplores the interconnectedness of all beings 6. Community basedincludes family, elders and community 7. Integrates Aboriginal and Western knowledge (p10) Saskatchewans Aboriginal Education Provincial Advisory Committee (AEPAC) (2005) has specified four areas of importance for Aboriginal education: 1. Cultural affirmation and school climateincluding cultures, traditions, languages, spirituality and world view 2. Shared decision-makinginvolving elders, parents and community members 3. Core curriculum actualization and the integration of Aboriginal knowledge in an authentic and qualitative manner 4. Lifelong learningbeginning at birth and continuing throughout life It is from these seven key attributes and four areas of importance that I will further explore Aboriginal cultural values, which I will expand to schools and school libraries. person denotes a human being who is capable of balancing his/her mental, emotional, physical and spiritual human capabilities both internally within oneself and externally in societal interaction with all life forms present throughout Creation. (p67) The holistic perspective may be likened to the circle. According to Manitoba Education, Training and Youth (2003), the circle teaches that one must understand the whole body and the interactions of the underlying components when seeking understanding and knowledge (p13). The whole body refers to the holistic perspective of including the physical, emotional, spiritual and mental aspects of the child and, in many Aboriginal cultures, is grounded in the medicine wheel. While the medicine wheel is not part of the original spiritual practice of every aboriginal group in North America, it does embody principles common to most (Gallagher-Hayashi 2004, 21). Traditional Aboriginal learning was based on the circlecyclical, with no beginning and no end, and continuous. According to Chambers (2006), Literacy is seen as multidimensional by the parents. Literacy incorporates singing, music, art, storytelling, emotions, speaking and a way of being. Literacy encompasses Spirit, Heart, Mind and Body in a holistic approach (p14). It is believed that when all aspects of the child are nurtured, the child will achieve to the best of his or her ability.
Learning Spirit
A substantial part of Aboriginal learning is the appeal to and nourishment of the learners spirit. In reference to the medicine wheel or circle, the spirit is one-quarter and is an equal part of the holistic Aboriginal perspective. In order for the person to be balanced, the spirit must be nourished as well. Anuik, Battiste and George (2010) explain that the learning spirit is the entity within each of us that guides our search for purpose and vision. The learning spirit knows its journey and finds itself attracted to certain learning experiences that will build those gifts. These gifts require a learning environment that will sustain and challenge learners (p67). Doige (2003) adds that spirituality unites the human part of all of us and permits the differences to exist; through our spirituality we find our connectedness to one another (p144). She continues her discussion by stating that education is more than merely acquiring skills and knowledge. ... The connections between morals, values, and learning are fundamental to Aboriginal identity (p146). And so it is that Aboriginal youth must learn how they
Holistic
Researchers and academics agree that traditional Aboriginal culture is holistic (Chambers 2006; Anuik, Battiste and George 2010; Manitoba Education, Training and Youth 2003; Canadian Council on Learning 2009). Aboriginal culture focuses on and encompasses the entire personbody, intellect, emotion and spirit. Hill (as cited in Anuik, Battiste and George 2010) provides the following definition: Holistic embraces the qualities and characteristics necessary to become a whole person. A whole
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connect with and belong in their environment, including nature, others and themselves. As children grow and change, so does their spirit; it is important to nourish that growth and change in positive ways. The Aboriginal process of knowing never leaves information as parts, but searches for the connections to meaning and holism as found at the points of togetherness (Doige 2003, 147). In other words, Aboriginal people constantly strive to find and make connections between parts in order to make sense of their surroundings. Aboriginal knowing is an expression of an individuals spirituality in relationship[s], not an expression of an objectified system of beliefs or a religion (Doige 2003, 147). understanding, it is important for all children, particularly Aboriginal children, to engage in experiential learning opportunities.
Grounded in Language and Culture

Aboriginal cultures have traditionally and historically been based on oral language. Storytelling is foremost in communication among family and community members. Kanu (2002) acknowledges that in indigenous Aboriginal culture traditional stories, legends, songs, and many other forms of knowledge are passed on among generations by continual retelling (through stories) by elders and leaders who carry the knowledge of these spoken forms in their memories (p10). The printed version of Aboriginal stories and legends are relatively new, and through their translation to print, some meaning has been lost. It is only through traditional storytelling by Aboriginal elders that these stories will be carried on with all their intended meanings, lessons and learning intact. Even though oral language is a tradition of Aboriginal culture, it has been noted by Kanu (2002) that although oral instructional methods such as storytelling are an important cultural approach to learning for [Aboriginal] students, the verbal saturation that characterizes much of school instruction, especially when this instruction is fast-paced and delivered in a different language, is not conducive to academic success (p11). It seems as though a balance must be found for the amount of verbal communication that occurs in schools, especially for students whose first language is not the language most often used in the schoolEnglish. Kanu (2002) continues, learning style differences have far-reaching consequences in the formal education of Aboriginal students, particularly in view of the fact that the formal education system almost always favors those who are highly verbal (p11). In contrast, some Aboriginal cultures value silence. It is believed that in order to understand, time is needed to reflect on an idea, concept or new learning. Charlie (nd) explains: First Nations students unfamiliar with a subject feel stressed and in danger, and in keeping with their culture, retreat into positions of careful observation. The more unfamiliar the situation, the more you can expect the student to withdraw into physical immobility and silence. First Nations value silence as a skill and being silent is not an empty activity. (pp2930)
Lifelong
In traditional Aboriginal culture, education was a lifelong journey, beginning at birth and continuing throughout adulthood into old age. The foundation of Aboriginal teachings on learning is built on a notion of a life as learning and learning as lifelong (Anuik, Battiste and George 2010, 67). Parents, extended family and community members all played a part in a childs education. It was believed that all children came into the world with their own gifts and talents and it was the responsibility of adults to recognize and nurture those gifts (Farrell-Racette et al 1996, 24). Lifelong learning is not specific to Aboriginal culture, and many throughout the world are acknowledging the significance of lifelong learning to individuals, communities and society.
Experiential
In traditional Aboriginal cultures, children learned by ...observation and imitation as ... [they] and adults in the extended family participate[d] in everyday activities (Kanu 2002, 10), such as hunting, fishing, food preparation and storage, and cooking, to name just a few. The goal of education in traditional Aboriginal societies was to prepare children for their lives (Manitoba Education, Training and Youth 2003, 15). Children received guidance rather than direction, and caregivers believed that children would make the right choices for themselves. Aboriginal children were intrinsically rewarded for achieving the goal or task (Manitoba Education, Training and Youth 2003, 16). Many of us have probably heard the famous quote from Confucius that attests to the power of experiential learning opportunities: I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. In order to develop
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Communal
Traditional Aboriginal education began at home with parents, extended family, elders and community members. Children learned through experience and by watching and listening. Traditional Aboriginal cultures hold the utmost respect for the elders of the community. Elders in Aboriginal cultures are not necessarily the eldest in years; they are seen as wise and rich in experience. Those whose lives, experiences, personalities and manner of being gave them the knowledge, understandings and abilities to share their wisdom with others were, and continue to be, revered as elders. Aboriginal elders are regarded as keepers of knowledge, traditions and culture and are looked to for guidance on any number of issues. Along with wisdom and elders comes the Aboriginal tradition of storytelling. Because Aboriginal cultures have traditionally been oral, they are rich in stories, and many lessons are taught through storytelling. Kanu (2002) supports this idea: in Aboriginal culture narratives are often used for teaching about cultural norms traditional stories, legends, songs, and many other forms of knowledge are passed on among generations by continual retelling (through stories) by elders and leaders who carry the knowledge of these spoken forms in their memories. (p10) Due to the variance between Aboriginal communities and cultures, sources of cultural knowledge should be parents, family and community, including elders, to ensure that the culture being represented is the one of the local community.
Relationship
Not only is it important to include the Aboriginal cultural values identified by the CCLs report in schools and school libraries, but it is also important to include the value of relationshipparticularly the relationship between teacher and student. As mentioned by Saskatchewans AEPAC (2005) action plan, in order for learning to take place, students must feel that the school reflects their cultural community (p6). This is reflected in the school climate, and a significant part of that climate is the relationships between students and teachers. Many researchers (Goulet 2005; Kanu 2002; Sinoski 2008; Alberta Education 2005) have included this relationship as one of the keys to success and achievement for Aboriginal learners. Alberta Education (2005) recognizes this significance: The relationship between student and teacher is the heart of Aboriginal education
(pv). This relationship is built on the traditional Aboriginal value of respect. Sinoski (2008) speaks of the relationship she develops with her students and the ways in which it empowers her students to succeed: ...it is essential that my practice be influenced by my belief in the power of relationship. And each time these young people reach out to me or their peers and discover in these relationships their ability to achieve, to be self-sufficient and to be unselfish, I know that at the foundation of culturally relevant practice must be the relationships we cultivate in our classrooms and school communities. (pp1718) The studentteacher relationship may be compared to that of parentchild, in that one is typically the defined authority and the other is not. A respectful release of this authority can transform into into a positive relationship between student and teacher, in which authority is shared, rather than imposed. This type of relationship takes time to develop, and the qualities that must evolve in order for the relationship to be positive are mutual respect and trust. Goulet (2005) also acknowledges the importance and significance of relationship building. She found that in the classrooms... relationship building created connections that developed a culturally meaningful learning environment (p213). She also recognizes that it is not only the teacherstudent relationship that is important but also the relationship between the curriculum and the student. Teachers ... built relationships between the student and the curriculum that connected the learner and the self, and the learner and his culture (p213). In order for connections to be made to the curriculum, students must be able to see their lives and experiences mirrored in that curriculum in some way.
Integration of Aboriginal and Western Knowledge

For many Aboriginal people, the traditional way of life is disappearing and the reality is that they must learn to live and succeed in what may be considered a more nontraditional society. In response, this has brought them to understand the value of such integration. This is not to say that they are going to abandon their traditional knowledge, values and beliefs, as many of these are the qualities ingrained in their spirit, but, rather, that they will find ways to integrate and connect their traditions with useful Western knowledge. Aboriginal people understand the value of integrating Western knowledge into their own traditional knowledge.
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AEPAC (2005) recognizes the importance of Aboriginal knowledge in its first principle: Aboriginal world view is a valid way of knowing and understanding the world. [It is] the key to cultural affirmation... success for Aboriginal students, and harmonious relations between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples (p5). Kanu (2002) points out that curriculum should include Aboriginal perspectives, histories or traditions, and interests, all of which have foundations in their cultural heritage (p15). In her research, Chambers (2006) made a similar discovery, in that parents wanted to see a mix of culturally sensitive materials and EuroWestern activities (p11). Chambers recognized the need and desire for the integration of Aboriginal and Western knowledge. She states, in this study parents clearly requested bi-cultural content. This linkage and integration of world views would serve to breathe life into current literacy practices (p15). Alberta Education (2005) acknowledges the significance of an integrative approach to perspectives: Effective education that includes Aboriginal worldviews does not exclude or discredit other cultures but ensures that non-Aboriginal students and Aboriginal students alike are given the opportunity to see Aboriginal perspectives, and the strengths and gifts of Aboriginal people reflected in the schools they attend. (p14) Doige (2003) has indicated that there is a conflict between the holistic, subjective and spiritual nature of Aboriginal learning and the secular quality of Western knowledge, which is typically linear and objective. Making education culturally appropriate for Aboriginal students does not mean that the Western knowledge paradigm has to change. It does mean that [both] must be incorporated into the teachers pedagogy such that one is not regarded as superior to the other (p148). student, and the importance of schools acknowledging and reflecting Aboriginal culture, as recommended by Saskatchewans AEPA Committee. How can these values be demonstrated in the school library in order to value and validate the lives and experiences of our Aboriginal students and to ensure they achieve to their potential?
Reflections and Implications

Based on the literature reviewed, it is apparent that in order to give Aboriginal students an inviting, welcoming and friendly learning environment and educational experience, the learning environment must represent those attributes valued by Aboriginal culture, as well as those that value and validate Aboriginal culture. The following suggestions for improving school environments are based on the preceding research, as well as personal and professional experiences.
Implications for School Libraries

The incorporation of teaching strategies and methods that appeal to a variety of multiple intelligences within the classroom and library would ensure that individual learners, including Aboriginal students, could and would make connections with concepts, theories and curriculum in their own way, thus enhancing and developing their inner spirit. For learners to succeed on their journeys to find their academic, emotional, and spiritual gifts, teachers need to: facilitate collective community action; provide holistic approaches that emphasize the learners bodies, emotions and spirits in addition to matters related to their minds...; and respect community ownership over learning. Learners are on a lifelong journey. ... And it is our responsibility as teachers to provide, using community resources, the conditions needed to stimulate and continually nourish the learning spirit, the energy residing inside of everyone that defines and shapes the learning journey. (Doige 2003, 78) In our school libraries we can honour, value and validate the cultures of our Aboriginal students and nourish their spirits by providing meaningful, relevant learning experiences that include their families and are based in their community. We can integrate Aboriginal music and artwork (professional and student created), such as posters reflecting Aboriginal role models and cultural symbols, into the library environment, thus
In Summary
Throughout the literature review I have confirmed the Canadian Council on Learnings key attributes of Aboriginal education and the identified educational cultural values: holistic, lifelong learning, experiential, grounded in language and culture, spiritually oriented, integrated Aboriginal and Western knowledge, and the importance of community. I have also recognized and acknowledged the importance of the development of a mutually respectful relationship between teacher and
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creating a welcoming and inviting atmosphere for Aboriginal students and their families. The librarys atmosphere can reflect the lives of our students, and the librarys resources can mirror their lives. The library collection must include contemporary and historical Aboriginal culture, traditions and information that, in turn, reflect our respect for and understanding of Aboriginal people and their culture. Slapin and Seale (1998) provide a guide for the selection of appropriate literature. Schools must be careful to include literature that accurately portrays Aboriginal people because The ways in which Native people have been and are portrayed in writing for children contribute beyond the telling to the destruction of ... [Native] cultures and lifeways that ... [are] still experience[d] ... . By and large one truth remains: the best writing about Native peoples is still done by the people themselves. (p85) And so it is that, whenever possible, literature that is written about Aboriginal people by Aboriginal people should be included in a school library collection. As noted by Zmuda and Harada (2008), the changing demographics of our schools have created the need for building resource collections that are culturally sensitive and culturally diverse (p105). In Saskatchewan, as in many Canadian provinces, there has been and will continue to be an increase in the population of Aboriginal students, and school library collections must reflect this increase by selecting acceptable and appropriate literature, as well as weeding out selections that do not fit the criteria. As part of their lifelong educational experience, Aboriginal students should be given opportunities to practise their talents and gifts, and hone the skills necessary to reach their potential. In our libraries, students can work in collaborative groups and writing and literature circles (Gallagher-Hayashi 2004, 21) to complete assignments and use their talents and gifts to support the group effort. This will give them experiences and skills that will last them a lifetime. Group projects can incorporate new literacies and Web2.0 tools, such as wikis and fan fiction, that will nurture cooperative skills and provide experiences and skills students can use throughout their lives. During class discussions, a talking stick, stone or feather, which was and continues to be customary in many Aboriginal cultures, may be used to signal whose turn it is to talk and to show respect for the speaker. Such a practice is another way to validate the traditions of many Aboriginal cultures. It should be expected that all students use the stick, stone or feather so as not to single out an individual or a group of students. In classroom and school libraries, teachers and teacher-librarians should strive to differentiate learning experiences in order to accommodate a variety of learning styles. This is important for all students, but may be particularly necessary for Aboriginal students because it incorporates the Aboriginal values of holism, language and culture, and experiential learning. The inclusion of inquiry-based learning in curriculum has given teachers opportunities and direction to ensure that units and lessons are more student-centred. Teachers must understand the importance of inquiry and strive to incorporate it whenever and wherever possible. It is possible to make connections with the community by inviting community members to share their knowledge with students, and also to take students to the community by taking learning outside the school. This coincides particularly well with environmental education in science; creative writing in language arts; drawing, sketching or painting in visual arts; and community care and development in social studies and/or health. Teacher-librarians have the privilege of teaching all classes in a school and so can provide rich learning experiences for allagain ensuring that we are developing and nurturing that learning spirit (Anuik, Battiste and George 2010, 67) and that allimportant teacherstudent relationship. Most often, providing a different learning venue gives students an opportunity to showcase their skills, gifts and talents in a different way. Many students are more receptive to the visual presentation of information and concepts; visual presentation often increases engagement, interest and motivation to learn. When possible, therefore, teachers should make learning opportunities more visual to appeal to a wider range of students, including those of Aboriginal ancestry. One way to do this is by using visual technologies, such as interactive whiteboards, that let students visualize and interact with concepts that would otherwise be static. Whenever possible, school libraries should invite Aboriginal elders to share their knowledge with students at all levels through the oral tradition of storytelling. Primary students are most familiar with the practice of storytelling, whereas older students are often expected to experience stories through reading rather than listening, so it is important to include older students in storytelling in our school libraries as well.
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The practice of inviting elders into the library validates Aboriginal students traditional oral culture and demonstrates that the same culture is valued in their school. The presence of elders in the school also connects the Aboriginal community with the school. We must be cognizant of the need for our Aboriginal students to have time to think, process and decide, as is sometimes the custom of their cultures. As mentioned by Charlie (nd), teachers must appreciate this need, and teacher-librarians are no exception. By allowing our Aboriginal students this thinking time, we again acknowledge students need to develop and nurture their learning spirit and the studentteacher relationship.
Bibliography
Aboriginal Education Provincial Advisory Committee. 2005. Action Plan: Year 2000-2005. Regina, Sask: Saskatchewan Education. Available at www.education.gov.sk.ca/ aepac-action-plan (accessed August16, 2012). Alberta Education. 2005. Our Words, Our Ways: Teaching First Nations, Mtis, and Inuit Learners. Edmonton, Alta: Alberta Education, Aboriginal Services Branch & Learning and Teaching Resources Branch. Available at www.education.gov.ab.ca/ k_12/curriculum/OurWords.asp (accessed August16, 2012). Alberta Learning. 2004. Focus on Inquiry: A Teachers Guide to Implementing Inquiry-Based Learning. Edmonton, Alta: Alberta Learning, Learning and Teaching Resources Branch. Available at http://education.alberta.ca/media/313361/focusoninquiry .pdf (accessed August16, 2012). Anuik, J, MBattiste and PGeorge. 2010. Learning from Promising Programs and Applications in Nourishing the Learning Spirit. Canadian Journal of Native Education 33, no1: 6382. Asselin, M, JBranch and DOberg. 2003. Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada. Ottawa, Ont: Canadian School Library Association. Canadian Council on Learning (CCL). 2009. The State of Aboriginal Learning in Canada: A Holistic Approach to Measuring Success. Ottawa, Ont: CCL. Available at www.ccl-cca.ca/ccl/Reports/ StateofAboriginalLearning.html (accessed August 16, 2012). Chambers, C. 2006. Blurring the Literascape: A Study of First Nations Parent and Teacher Voice in Family Literacy Curriculum Design. Educational Insights 10, no1. Available at www.ccfi.educ.ubc.ca/publication/insights/v10n01/articles/ chambers.html or http://tinyurl.com/8sqnvun (accessed August 16, 2012). Charlie, L. nd. Understanding the Rules of Culture to Improve Your Classroom Practice. In Beyond Words: Creating Racism Free Schools for Aboriginal Learners, 2831.Vancouver, BC: British Columbia Teachers Federation Aboriginal Education. Available at www.bctf.ca/social/FirstNations/BeyondWords .html (accessed August 16, 2012). Doige, L. 2003. A Missing Link: Between Traditional Aboriginal Education and the Western System of Education. Canadian Journal of Native Education 27, no2: 14460. Farrell-Racette, S, LGoulet, JPelletier and KShmon. 1996. Aboriginal Cultures and Perspectives: Making a Difference in the Classroom. Regina, Sask: Saskatchewan Professional Development Unit. Gallagher-Hayashi, D. 2004. Connecting with Aboriginal Students. Teacher Librarian 31, no5: 2024. Goulet, L M. 2005. Creating Culturally Meaningful Learning Environments: Teacher Actions to Engage Aboriginal Students in Learning. Regina, Sask: University of Regina. Kanu, Y. 2002. In Their Own Voices: First Nations Students Identify Some Cultural Mediators of Their Learning in the Formal School System. Alberta Journal of Educational Research 48, no2: 98121. Available at http://ajer.synergiesprairies.ca/ ajer/index.php/ajer/article/view/315 or http://tinyurl.com/ bry528j (accessed August 16, 2012).
Conclusion
Efforts to value and validate Aboriginal culture in schools and school libraries can help develop and maintain an inviting, friendly, welcoming and warm environment for our Aboriginal students, their families and community. Such an environment is grounded in Aboriginal culture and incorporates Aboriginal ways of knowing, and therefore is engaging and meaningful to Aboriginal students and supports their potential for learning and success. In this kind of classroom, Aboriginal students eagerly anticipate learning alongside staff and teachers with whom they have developed, or are beginning to develop, respectful and trusting relationships. Asselin, Branch and Oberg (2003) relate the importance of culture to students, learning, schools and school libraries in the following statement: Vision of a school library: a resource centre, filled with our literature and a wealth of national and international information resources, which acts as a national endowment for all our children and youth. If school libraries were to be fully developed, they could be the great cultural equalizer that would give children in every corner of the country access to resources that would enhance their learning, give great personal pleasure, and help them learn about themselves and each other. (p3) This vision reflects the importance of culture as part of a librarys required resources and highlights the importance of libraries in students being able to understand and appreciate the worlds cultures, including those of Canadas Aboriginal people. It is through such value and validation that our Aboriginal students will reach their potential and succeed in our schools.
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Ledoux, J. 2006. Integrating Aboriginal Perspectives into Curricula: A Literature Review. Canadian Journal of Native Studies 26, no2: 26588. Available at http://www2.brandonu .ca/library/cjns/26.2/03ledoux.pdf (accessed August 16, 2012). Katz, H, and KMcCluskey. 2003. Seeking Strength-Based Approaches in Aboriginal Education: The Three Stars and a Wish Project. McGill Journal of Education 38, no1: 11634. Available at http://mje.mcgill.ca/index.php/MJE/article/ view/8667 or http://tinyurl.com/cvtfzu2 (accessed August16, 2012). Manitoba Education, Training and Youth. 2003. Integrating Aboriginal Perspectives into Curricula: A Resource for Curriculum Developers, Teachers and Administrators. Winnipeg, Man: Crown in Right of Manitoba. Available at www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/ docs/policy/abpersp/index.html (accessed August 16, 2012). Saskatchewan Learning. 2004. Building Communities of Hope: Effective Practices for Meeting the Diverse Learning Needs of Children and Youth. Regina, Sask: Saskatchewan Learning, Childrens Services and Programs Branch. Available at www .education.gov.sk.ca/building-communities-of-hope (accessed August 16, 2012). Sinoski, G. 2008. Come InYou Are Welcome: Supporting Struggling Aboriginal Middle Years Readers Through Culturally Relevant Practice. Masters thesis, University of Saskatchewan. Slapin, B, and DSeale, eds. 1998. Through Indian Eyes: The Native Experience in Books for Children. Los Angeles, Calif: American Indian Studies Center, University of California. Zmuda, A, and VHarada. 2008. Librarians as Learning Specialists: Meeting the Learning Imperative for the 21st Century. Westport, Conn: Libraries Unlimited.
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Exploring the Benefits of Object-Based Learning

Brandi Clark
Introduction
fter studying bridges for more than four weeks, my daughter and I settled in to watch a movie. Hey, whats that type of bridge? I asked, pointing to the screen. I dont know, she answered. But you just had a test. Well, I guess I must have spit my brain on the page. A common experience in classrooms of the past and present: learning something intently for a test only to spit your brain on the page and leave it there forever. This is not what learners need and not what teachers want. A solution is to engage students in learning that matters to them. Through the process of inquiry, specifically object-based learning, students can learn from the inside out and enhance other thinking processes. Unrath and Mudd (2011) state that todays students learn best from thoughtful projects with embedded opportunities to make meaning and connections to their own liveswhether technological or notassignments that capitalize on their unique abilities (p10). Thus, in order to succeed, teachers must find ways to engage students to find out what students know and help them on their journey to creating new knowledge. How can teachers facilitate student learning? What are the advantages of using objects as a way of engaging students in inquiry?
Guide to Implementing Inquiry-Based Learning (Alberta Learning 2004) suggests six non-linear phases: planning, retrieving, processing, creating, sharing and evaluating. The planning phase is initiated by the inquirers interest in or curiosity about a topic (Alberta Learning 2004, 11). Wilhelm, Wilhelm and Boas (2009) state that purpose drives motivation, determines what one attends to, how one engages and what one remembers (p12). Therefore, the role of the teacher is to examine the curriculum for entry points that are ripe for inquiry. Although there are many ways to pique the interest of an inquirer this article will focus specifically on the benefits of objects to springboard inquiry.
Object-Based Learning Defined

Object-based learning is a type of inquiry in which the objects themselves become central to develop the concepts which are essential to your unit of study (Alvarado and Herr 2003,6). For example, a teacher might bring in a historical artifact such as an old crank-handled bean grinder as a way of encouraging students to think about the past. Why does the grinder have a handle and not a plug? What does this say about the past? Sometimes the student chooses the object, and the teacher centres the unit on their interests. For example, Ogu and Schmidt (2009) noticed that their students had taken to examining rocks each day. The students went so far as to create new words to sort the rocks. There were the sparkly ones, the marking ones, the volcanic ones the kind that came from the fairies the ones from the moon (Ogu and Schmidt 2009, 12). The teachers took this opportunity to launch an in-class inquiry unit on rocks and sand. In both cases, using unfamiliar or familiar objects provides equally valuable and purposeful connections for the students. Objects can also be found on nature walks, in personal collections and at local museums.
It Begins with Inquiry

Inquiry-based learning is defined as a process where students are involved in their learning, formulate questions, investigate widely and then build new understandings, meanings and knowledge (Alberta Learning 2004,1). Inquiry-based learning is a constructivist approach: students create their own learning with varying degrees of teacher scaffolds. Although there are many models of inquiry, Focus on Inquiry: A Teachers
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Object-Based Learning as Linked to the Alberta English Language Arts Outcomes

Object-based learning is in the Alberta program of studies, specifically in the English language arts outcomes. Embedded in all of the outcomes are six strands of language arts: reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing and representing. Alberta Learning (2000) specifies that viewing is an active process of attending to and comprehending such visual media as television, advertising images, films, diagrams, symbols, photographs, videos, drama, drawings, sculpture and paintings (p3). Therefore, observing objects through the senses of sight and touch facilitates and enhances comprehension. In addition, English language arts outcomes are organized under five general outcomes from kindergarten to Grade9. General outcome number five focuses on collaboration among students as an important learning process. By using objects to focus conversation, students learn collaboration skills by discussing in groups, by building on the ideas of others, and by planning and working together to meet common goals and strengthen community (Alberta Learning 2000, 87).
Objects as a Tool to Build Prior Knowledge

As students interact with an object, it provides an opportunity for teachers to assess their background knowledge. A teacher might engage the students in open-ended questions about the object to not only collect data from the children about which direction the project may take, [but also to] address various learning styles (Ogu and Schmidt 2009, 13). Similarly, Fontichiaro (2010) writes that teachers can build on prior knowledge with their students to create a firmer foundation for inquiry and, in a sense, level the playing field for all learners and help to identify flawed assumptions or misconceptions(p12). To support students as they explore objects, a teacher might choose to document group discoveries. Stead (2006) developed a modification of the KWL strategy (what I know, what I want to know and what I learned) (Fontichiaro 2010) called the RAN strategy, or the strategy for reading and analyzing nonfiction. The aforementioned KWL did not have an embedded way of correcting misguided information. So, instead of three categories, the RAN strategy has five categories: what I think I know, confirmed, misconceptions, new information and wonderings. The first category, what I think I know, provides a way to honour what students know, and the other categories can help to refine and guide their knowledge. In addition to informing the teacher, this frontloading helps students to know what interests and resources they already possess that relate to the inquiry (Wilhelm, Wilhelm and Boas 2009, 17).
Objects as a Tool to Support Oral Communication Skills

Talking about objects supports oral language development in students. We know that oral language is the foundation of literacy (Alberta Learning 2000,2). Thus, the more students practise their skills, the better they are academically and socially. Students in todays classrooms arrive at school with diverse oral language abilities. While some students are fluent in their oral language, others are just learning English, exhibit speech language delays or come from socially deprived homes. Focusing talk on objects provides a common ground for students to interact and, therefore, increases the level of comfort and security. Kampmann and Bowne (2011) state that in socially competent classrooms, children feel a sense of belonging to a coherent classroom community (p84). Thus, a large component of social competency is oral language fluency. Harvey and Daniels (2009) state it perfectly: Youve got to talk to grow, talk to learn, talk to read, and most definitely, talk to write (p84).
Objects as a Tool to Support Inferential Thinking

Objects used for inquiry can be familiar or unfamiliar. Everyday household objects, such as mobile phones, keys, rocks and feathers, provide support for conversation. Tishman (2008) states that closely examining everyday objects sparks students curiosity and leads to increasingly complex thinking (p44). However, using unfamiliar objects supports inferential thinking. Without the ability to identify an object, a student must collaborate with others and search for clues. As Feldhusen (2008) states, there is a difference between looking at objects and understanding them and, in fact, understanding is a social practice that
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requires looking closely, asking questions, and informing our inferences (p26). In the book Comprehension Connections: Bridges to Strategic Reading, McGregor (2007) teaches inference through objects, specifically an old, worn-out slipper. Students analyze the slipper for evidence and try to deduce who the true owner is. Objects used for inquiry require students to use many critical thinking skills; however, teachers need to guide this process. Regardless of background knowledge, learning style, or skill, almost all students can notice features of an object, ask questions about it, and generate ideas and connections (p45). In the end, what students need and what teachers want is for students to be fully engaged in learning and not spitting their brain on the page.
References
Alberta Learning. 2000. English Language Arts (K9). Available at http://education.alberta.ca/media/450519/elak-9.pdf (accessed July 30, 2012). . 2004. Focus on Inquiry: A Teachers Guide to Implementing Inquiry-Based Learning. Edmonton, Alta: Alberta Learning. Alvarado, A E, and PRHerr. 2003. Inquiry-Based Learning Using Everyday Objects: Hands-On Instructional Strategies That Promote Active Learning in Grades 38. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin. Feldhusen, M. 2008. The Social Life of Objects: Interpreting Our Material Culture. Art Education61, no6: 2532. Fontichiaro, K. 2010. Nudging Toward Inquiry: Awakening and Building upon Prior Knowledge. School Library Monthly 27, no1: 1213. Harvey, S, and HDaniels. 2009. Comprehension and Collaboration: Inquiry Circles in Action. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Jacobs, H H, ed. 2010. Curriculum 21: Essential Education for a Changing World. Alexandria, Va: ASCD. Jones, P. 2010. Teaching, Learning and Talking: Mapping The Trail of Fire. English Teaching: Practice and Critique9, no2: 61 80. Available at http://edlinked.soe.waikato.ac.nz/research/ journal/view.php?article=true&id=674&p=1 or http://tinyurl .com/bmgq8wu (accessed July30, 2012). Kampmann, J, and MBowne. 2011. Teacher, Theres an Elephant in the Room! An Inquiry Approach to Preschoolers Early Language Learning. Young Children 66, no5: 8489. Kuhlthau, C C, LKManiotes and AKCaspari. 2007. Assessment in Guided Inquiry. In Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st Century. Westport, Conn: Libraries Unlimited. McGregor, T. 2007 Comprehension Connections: Bridges to Strategic Reading. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Ogu, U, and SRSchmidt. 2009. Investigating Rocks and Sand. Young Children 64, no2: 1218. Available at www.naeyc.org/ files/yc/file/200903/BTJSchmidt_Ogu_Expanded.pdf or http://tinyurl.com/6ndozo2 (accessed July30, 2012). Stead, T. 2006. Reality Checks: Teaching Reading Comprehension with Nonfiction K-5. Markham, Ont: Pembroke. Tishman, S. 2008. The Object of Their Attention. Educational Leadership 65, no5: 4446. Available at www.earcos.org/ etc2010/handouts/hahn.pdf (accessed July30, 2012.) Unrath, K A, and MAMudd. 2011. Signs of Change: Art Education in the Age of the iKid. Art Education 64, no4: 611. Wilhelm, J D, PJWilhelm and EBoas. 2009. Inquiring Minds Learn to Read and Write. Markham, Ont: Scholastic.
Objects as a Tool to Support Assessment

Object-based learning also provides valuable assessment opportunities for teachers. Jones (2010) states that talk offers teachers a valuable tool for understanding and shaping learning environments as well as for providing insights into learners conceptual development (p62). While students are engaged in discussion the teacher can listen in on the conversation and record observations. In fact, Kuhlthau, Maniotes and Caspari (2007) suggest that the best assessment methods are embedded in the inquiry process and [are] not cumbersome or intrusive (p116). Alternatively, the teacher may choose to confer with students in a kind of conference to gain a better understanding of their knowledge. This can involve further questioning or a conversation. In fact, conferences support all studentsHarvey and Daniels (2009) state that those natural talkers are only too happy to fill you in on their thinking, and the more reticent kids may surprise you and open up, too (p273).
Conclusion
Object-based learning facilitates a deeper and more purposeful learning. As Jacobs (2010) states, humans dont get ideas; they make ideas (p224). We want students to take an active role in their learning. Objectbased learning helps both student and teacher achieve an authentic learning experience. Learning is, after all, a social experience. In addition, we want students to fully integrate new information with their previous knowledge. Curriculum content needs to be covered, but the most successful curriculum inquiry projects emerge from topics that are of personal interest to students (Alberta Learning 2000, 15). Objects can be used to link students learning to curriculum expectations. Furthermore, as Tishman (2008) states,
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Moving Toward Teacher-Librarianship and an Integrated School Library Program

Kimberly Scheideman
can speak first-hand of the frustration a person can experience when he or she lacks effective and efficient information literacy skillsas a student and later as a teacher, I struggled to find necessary and relevant information. After a series of professional development experiences, the answer became apparent to me: I had not learned how to conduct research. Last summer I took a course on inquiry-based instruction. The task was to create a pathfinder, something I had never heard of. As the class discussion about this assignment unfolded, I realized how much I had not learned about research in my previous educational years. I was unfamiliar with how to identify topic and subject words to facilitate an effective Boolean search, classification systems for topics, and many other aspects of research. I have never experienced an integrated school library program nor had the privilege of collaborating with a teacher-librarian. This is not surprising, considering that only 10per cent of schools in Alberta currently have a teacher-librarian, and only 42per cent of Alberta schools have a current school library services plan (Sykes 2010). In other words, 90per cent of students in Alberta schools are not experiencing the expertise and services a teacher-librarian can offer, and more than half of schools have no plan to integrate library programs with curriculum delivery. This leads me to believe that limited information literacy skills will continue to be a reality for most Alberta students. Very few teachers have mastered the necessary literacy skills to educate modern-day students. At a time when we are inundated with information, students need guidance to become discerning users of information. Although information and communication technology (ICT) outcomes are part of the Alberta programs of studies, they are often overshadowed by subject-area knowledge outcomes.
Subject and grade-level specialists are often experts in content but have little training or experience with the ICT outcomes. Teacher-librarians are trained in this area and can collaborate with teachers to bring balance to the delivery of all learner outcomes. In this paper, I synthesize five steps that I feel can move a school culture toward an integrated school library program and a teacher-librarian position, and draw on some of my own experiences to illuminate these ideas. Any classroom teacher can implement these steps and will ultimately benefit from such implementation. Through patience and persistence, it is possible to lead from the middle and influence others to see the value in these two components. First, the term 21st-century learning needs to be unpacked for many teachers. Along with describing the 21st-century learner, educators need to identify what teaching supports this type of learning, as well as how an integrated school library program encourages such education. Second, it is important to become educated in the roles of a teacher-librarian and determine what roles you can implement based on your current role in the school. Third, one needs to become an expert/ specialist in areas related to those roles. Fourth, it is essential to initiate collaboration and share leadership with others. Finally, underlying the previous four steps, it is necessary to advocate for teacher-librarians and school library programs whenever it is reasonable and appropriate to do so.
Define 21st-Century Learners, Teachers and Integrated School Library Programs

Understanding the dynamics of modern-day learning and teaching is not a simple task. The phrase
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21st-century has been used to describe a very different teaching and learning environment, but the term is complex and dynamic. The skills and behaviours associated with the term 21st-century learning are not new curricula outcomes (Sykes 2010); the ICT outcomes just need to be brought to the forefront of our pedagogical approaches. The shift in education is really a shift in how we deliver the program of studies. So how does an educator begin to define the dynamic learner of contemporary society? A good place to start is the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). Standards for the 21st-Century Learner (AASL 2007) describes the skills, dispositions in action, responsibilities and self-assessment strategies essential for students in an information era, and basic common beliefs about reading, inquiry, ethical behaviour in information use, technology skills, equitable access, information literacy, cognitive strategies and partnership with school libraries (AASL 2007). Ultimately, 21st-century learning is about educating students in how to use skills, resources and tools to thrive in a society inundated with information. Teachers need to teach cognitive strategies that enable students to inquire, think critically, learn, draw conclusions, make informed decisions, transfer learning to new situations, become producers of new knowledge, contribute to society by sharing knowledge and pursue their own interests and needs, all in an ethical and productive manner (AASL 2007). With this understanding in place, classroom teachers need to assess how their current pedagogical approaches meet these needs. 21st Century Teacher: Are You Ready to Meet the Challenge? (Becta 2010) is one helpful resource for teachers who would like to assess their use of technology in education. This document helps teachers identify effective and efficient ways to use technology on their own and with learners to communicate with students and parents, and how to support ICT outcomes schoolwide. This pedagogical shift can be overwhelming, which is why it is equally important for classroom teachers to understand what an integrated school library program involves. An integrated school library program can provide the supportresources, programs and expertisethat teachers need to make complex and daunting changes in their pedagogy. Change takes time, and the integrated school library program is the unifying and enduring component that supports the longevity of the commitment. The difficulty with defining an integrated school library program is that each school library program is different. The program needs to augment the dynamic culture of a school, which is a complex mixture of staff, students, technology, budgets and a plethora of other elements. It needs to lead growth and change by providing services and programs that meet the needs of a changing society. For example, reading programs that incorporate contemporary literacy skills, support for inquiry-based lessons incorporating various research-based learning strategies, and differentiated instruction through effective use of digital resources are programs and services that a teacher-librarian can develop and implement to support an evolving school culture. In Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada, Asselin, Branch and Oberg (2003) present a vision and framework for a school library program, as well as tools to assess the school library program. They identify five components for re-visioning a school library: (1)designing a learning centre that facilitates life-long learning, (2)creating an active learning environment, (3)providing access to information beyond the school walls, (4)developing a collection to support a resource-based learning environment and (5)creating a collaborative learning environment. This list is helpful in outlining the possibilities of the school library and identifying which aspects can be addressed in a particular school. The moral purpose of the integrated school library program is making a difference in the lives of young people (Oberg 2009, 22). To understand the direction of change within a school, a person needs to be able to identify the destination. By understanding the needs of students living in an information age, teachers can identify the purpose of education in the 21st century and establish the appropriate learning environments.
The Roles of the TeacherLibrarian: What the Classroom Teacher Can Do

Oberg and LaRocque (1992) state that the journey of learning to become a teacher-librarian is improvisational in nature. There are many resources that help define the many roles of a teacher-librarian in a school. Zmuda and Harada (2008) discuss the role of a teacherlibrarian as a learning specialist. They set out how the learning specialist can be involved in assessment and instruction with students; with curriculum, assessment and instruction with staff; and with program development, leadership and management roles as well. Many of these roles overlap that of the classroom teacher,
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though and Zmuda and Harada (2008) identify how classroom teachers can incorporate them into their own practices: Implement research-supported instructional programs Get involved in curriculum committees Develop/select assessment instruments Interpret test results Collaborate with other teachers to support struggling students, develop collections and share effective instructional strategies Model effective teaching practices for other teachers Listen when other teachers talk about their educational practices Provide professional development for staff that supports school targets Work with administration on professional development decisions Mentor new teachers Lead professional study groups (professional readings, webinars, etc) and discuss Collaborate with other school specialists Hughes-Hassell and Harada (2007) present a framework for school reform that involves the roles of change agent, partner in student achievement and literacy specialist to meet the needs of diverse student populations, and describes how action research can be used to support and improve a 21st-century learning environment. Rosenfeld and Loertscher (2007) define the learning leadership role of the teacher-librarian, which involves collaboration, technology integration, curriculum design and assessment, 21st-century skills, literacy and reading, partnerships, and the issues and management of a 21st-century school library media program. Coatney (2010) also unpacks the many-faceted job of the teacher-librarian. She describes the roles as leadership from the middle, learning leader (inquiry), advocacy leader, advocate for intellectual freedom, literacy leader, curriculum leader, technology leader, leader in staff development, member of professional organizations and visionary. With a solid understanding of the roles a teacherlibrarian can play in supporting student achievement, the goal is to begin implementing the highest-leveraging roles: teacher entrepreneurship and accountability, customizing education, collaboration, utilizing personal learning networks, and assessment of the learning process (Davis 2009). It is important to be cognizant of the school culture and to identify which roles are likely to be successfully implemented and integrated and which will have the biggest impact on student learning. As an Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) lead teacher, I benefit from using my own classroom as a place for experimentation; it is where I train to become an expert in new learning and teaching styles, assessment practices, cognitive strategies, inquiry and other research-based practices. I have colleagues who I know are willing to collaborate; I practise and develop my leadership, collaboration and team-teaching skills with them. I am involved in visionary aspects of our school, such as involvement in the committee to develop a mission statement, goals and targets for our learning environment. I lead staff in professional learning communities (PLCs), which involve professional readings and professional development consistent with our school goals. I am involved in district-level leadership as an AISI lead teacher and instructional coach; I collaborate with other leaders in our district to influence change beyond the school I am part of. I do this with a 0.1 FTE as an AISI lead/ instructional coach, and a 0.9 FTE as a junior high social studies teacher. It is necessary to understand all the roles a teacherlibrarian plays when determining which roles the classroom teacher can incorporate in his or her own practice. Understanding the programs and services facilitated by a teacher-librarian brings to light a vision for the futurea destination. The roles the classroom teacher can begin to implement and advocate for can educate others about how a teacher-librarian and an integrated school library program can positively affect student achievement.
Become an Expert/Specialist
With an understanding of the 21st-century learner, teacher and school library, it is easier to identify the purpose of education. It is worthwhile for all teachers to craft a personal mission statement that will guide their pedagogical approach. Zmuda and Harada (2008) show how a mission statement leads to a disciplined mindset. A mission statement can also be translated into school targets and checklists that are tools to put the mission into action (Knight 2011). Ferriter (2011) provides a technology planning guide in his blog post that is designed to ensure that the technology and the mission of the school align. Having established clear targets for student learning and instructional improvement, it is easier to identify the areas that require expert/specialist skills and
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knowledge. There are several areas that support the dynamic learning environment of a 21st-century learner. AASL describes information literacy in contemporary society as multiple literacies, including digital, visual, textual, and technological as well as information literacy (2007, p3). Valenza and Johnson (2009) explain the challenges of keeping ahead of the changing information environment and how we must embrace technology to form professional networks that keep us on the cutting edge. In Manifesto for 21st Century School Librarians (2010a), Apps for Student Teacher Librarians (2010b) and Curation is the New Search: Seven Tools You May Not Know You Can Search With (2011), Valenza identifies key digital tools, information literacies, information ethics, professional development resources, curation tools and myriad other resources that foster the development of expertise to support a dynamic learning environment. In addition to developing expertise in multiple literacies, it is crucial for a teacher-librarian to become a reading specialist to support the development of reading skills in a digital age. Krashen (1994) states that reading is the only way we develop large vocabularies, become good spellers, develop acceptable writing styles, become good readers, and develop control over complex grammatical structures (p118). Ultimately, the goal is to get more students reading and encourage more reading to be done. We must have a thorough understanding of how reading skills develop, strategies to support reading development and programs to increase reading participation. Alberta Learnings Focus on Inquiry: A Teachers Guide to Implementing Inquiry-based Learning (2004) is also a key resource. Inquiry is a pedagogical approach evident in all learning. A firm understanding of the phases of inquiry and the metacognition that accompanies them supports the delivery of 21st-century education. Pon (2005) presents useful rubrics for evaluating key skills and competencies. These rubrics help teachers identify where they are in the implementation or development of expert-level abilities and what innovative use can be. He provides rubrics for collaborative program planning and teaching, educational leadership, library management, and technology integration. Teachers must develop expert and specialist abilities in learning leadership, multiple literacies, reading programs and inquiry to support the 21st-century learning environment. In doing so, they give credibility to the role of the teacher-librarian and the integrated school library program.
Collaborate and Share Leadership

Collaboration increases the likelihood that innovative programs and approaches will be implemented and sustained (Oberg 2009). Oberg further states, The implementation of the integrated school library program involves educators sharing ideas and working together; the process both requires and enhances the collaborative school culture that is essential to developing improved learning outcomes for students and to creating rewarding and exciting work for educators. (p10) Montiel-Overall (2007) defines collaboration in education as a trusting working relationship between two or more equal participants involved in shared thinking, shared planning, and shared creation of something new. Through a shared vision and shared objectives, student learning opportunities are created that integrate subject content and information literacy through jointly planning, implementing, and evaluating student progress throughout the instructional process in order to improve teaching and learning in all areas of the curriculum. (p19) Brown (2007) identifies five conditions for successful collaboration: (1)a proactive and flexible leadership role; (2)trust between the parties who are collaborating; (3)a shared vision; (4)open communication; and (5)teachers self-efficacy in their contributions to the collaboration process. Lindahl (2008) suggests that it is through shared leadership that collective achievement and responsibility can be realized, and the article presents a plethora of research that supports the positive influence of shared leadership. He does caution, however, that this type of leadership needs to be in step with the structural leadership functions of the school. Teacher-leaders can support the implementation and institutionalization of innovative programs and practices in a multitude of ways. They can model initiatives in their own classrooms, be involved in school planning, assist in unpacking the mission and vision of the school for others, and mentor and assist peers or encourage them as they attempt to implement innovative approaches in their own classrooms (Lindahl 2008). Changing the culture of a school involves everyone. To make a deep and sustained change, it is crucial to
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invite others to be part of the vision and process. This can be achieved through collaboration and shared leadership. sure that my administration and district principal see the results. I have casual conversations with colleagues about the vision for a teacher-librarian role and a library program and seek their input. The efforts are paying off. I realize there are many obstaclescompeting interests, budget constraints, misconceptions about the teacher-librarian role and integrated school library program, a lack of time and energy, and so on. Understanding those obstacles and how to overcome them (research, education, understanding the impact on student achievement, etc) is part of advocacy. Innovative and complex change can take years to achieve (Oberg 2009). Patience and persistence are necessary as a person explores new ground. Advocacy increases understanding of the programs and services offered by the teacher-librarian and the school library program. Advocacy helps others understand the structure and function of such programming. People need to know what they are missing in order to know what to ask for.
Advocate for the TeacherLibrarian and the Integrated School Library Program
AASL suggests that advocacy begins with a vision for the school library media program, which I feel is also true for the role of a teacher-librarian. It is important to continually promote this vision with administration, teachers, students and parents. Create a positive image for the integrated school library program and the role of the teacher-librarian. Demonstrate how teacher-librarians help teachers and students by collaborating, building diversified collections and assisting with curricular changes (Woolls 2008). Classroom teachers can incorporate such efforts into their own practices, which can be one way to open doors and build relationships with colleagues. Either formally or informally, survey staff and students to understand their wants and needs related to a school library program. Investigate research about school libraries to help identify beneficial services and programs (Woolls 2008). A person who knows what is in demand can advocate for the necessary programs and services. Levitov (2010) identifies personal advocacy, which is one-on-one advocacy, and group advocacy, which involves organized efforts by those who have a vested interest in the school library. The latter approach has more impact. Levitov (2010) states that effective advocacy needs to be a daily activity and must involve more than just one voice. I use my role as an AISI lead/instructional coach to advocate for both the teacher-librarian and the integrated school library program. My approaches are varied. Sometimes a teacher expresses frustration with technology; I let that teacher know how a teacherlibrarian could help. Other times, during PLC meetings, a professional reading will provoke a conversation about information literacies, and a colleague will connect that with the work I am doing and I can expand on this to explain how a library program could support this aspect of education. I speak to administration and district staff about the possibilities for our school library program and provide them with literature about them. I work with our library technician to evaluate our library and make
Conclusion
We need to create a 21st-century learning environment in order to educate students in the skills and behaviours they need to thrive in an information age. Ideally, a teacher-librarian leading an integrated school library program would facilitate such a learning environment. However, when this option is not available, classroom teachers need to examine what they can do to shift the culture of the school in that direction. Implement high-leverage programs and services in the classroom and school, collaborate, and share leadership roles with others. Identify what you can successfully implement with depth and sustainability and become an expert or specialist in those areas. Advocate daily, both on your own and as part of a group, to move the school culture toward teacherlibrarianled integrated school library programs. The bottom line is that such programs positively affect student achievement.
Bibliography
Alberta Learning. 2004. Focus on Inquiry: A Teachers Guide to Implementing Inquiry-Based Learning. Edmonton, Alta: Alberta Learning. Available at www.education.alberta.ca/ media/313361/focusoninquiry.pdf (accessed August1, 2012). American Association of School Librarians (AASL). 2007. Standards for the 21st-Century Learner. Chicago, Ill: AASL. Available at www.ala.org/aasl/standards (accessed July31, 2012).
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Asselin M, JBranch and DOberg. 2003. Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada. Ottawa, Ont: Canadian School Library Association/ Association for Teacher Librarianship in Canada. Becta. (2010). 21st Century Teacher: Are You Ready to Meet the Challenge? Coventry, UK: Becta. Available at http://www .e-learningcentre.co.uk/Resource/CMS/Assets/ 5c10130e-6a9f-102c-a0be-003005bbceb4/form_uploads/ 21st_century_teacher.pdf or http://tinyurl.com/bon7yb4 (accessed July 31, 2012). Brown, C. 2007. Teacher and Teacher-Librarian Collaboration: Moving Toward Integration. In Toward a 21st-Century School Library Media Program, ed ERosenfeld and DLoertscher, 1017. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow. Coatney, S, ed. 2010. The Many Faces of School Library Leadership. Westport, Conn: Libraries Unlimited. Davis, V. 2009. Influencing Positive Change: The Vital Behaviors to Turn Schools Toward Success. Teacher Librarian 37, no2: 812. Ferriter, B. 2011. Developing Technology Vision Statements. Teacher Leaders Network, January25. Available at http:// teacherleaders.typepad.com/the_tempered_radical/2011/01/ does-your-school-have-technology-vision-statements.html or http://tinyurl.com/d4u6tdz (accessed August1, 2012). Hughes-Hassell, S, and VHHarada. 2007. School Reform and the School Library Media Specialist. Westport, Conn: Libraries Unlimited. Knight, J. 2011. Unmistakable Impact: A Partnership Approach for Dramatically Improving Instruction. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin. Krashen, S D. 1994. An Answer to the Literacy Crisis: Free Voluntary Reading. School Library Media Annual (SLMA) 12: 11322. Levitov, D. 2010. The School Librarian as an Advocacy Leader. In The Many Faces of School Library Leadership, ed SCoatney, 2942. Westport, Conn: Libraries Unlimited. Lindahl, R. 2008. Shared Leadership: Can It Work in Schools? Educational Forum 72, no4: 298307. Montiel-Overall, P. 2007. Teacher and Teacher-Librarian Collaboration: Moving Toward Integration. In Toward a 21st-Century School Library Media Program, ed ERosenfeld and DLoertscher, 1825. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow. Oberg, D. 2002. Looking for the Evidence: Do School Libraries Improve Student Achievement? School Libraries in Canada 22, no2: 10. Available at http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/ pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&hid=113&sid=14be219a-83a0420d-9443-5f7f6ca34b86%40sessionmgr104 or http://tinyurl .com/csq7xqe. . 2009. Libraries in Schools: Essential Contexts for Studying Organizational Change and Culture. Library Trends 58, no1: 925. Oberg, D, and LLaRocque. 1992. Learning to Be a TeacherLibrarian: A Play Without a Script. Alberta Learning Resources Journal 11 no1: 1721. Pon, T. 2005. Professional Development/Performance Evaluation Model: Evaluation Tools for Teacher-Librarians. School Libraries in Canada 24, no3: 4462. Rosenfeld, E, and DVLoertscher, eds. 2007. Toward a 21st-Century School Library Media Program. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow. Sykes, J. 2010. Transforming Canadian School Libraries to Meet the Needs of 21st Century Learners: Alberta Education School Library Services Initiative Research Review and Principal Survey Themes. Edmonton, Alta: Alberta Education. Valenza, J. 2010a. Manifesto for 21st Century School Librarians. VOYA, October. Available at www.voya.com/2010/09/15/ tag-team-tech-october-2010 or http://tinyurl.com/crodmkr (accessed July31, 2012). . 2010b. Apps for Student Teacher Librarians. School Library Journal, November6. Available at http://blog. schoollibraryjournal.com/neverendingsearch/2010/11/06/ apps-for-student-teacher-librarians or http://tinyurl.com/ bnmfkly (accessed July31, 2012). . 2011. Curation Is the New Search: Seven Tools You May Not Know You Can Search With. Tech & Learning, November 14. Available at www.techlearning.com/Default .aspx?tabid=67&EntryId=3418 or http://tinyurl.com/cp89p5t (accessed July31, 2012). Valenza, J, and DJohnson. 2009. Things That Keep Us Up at Night. School Library Journal 55, no10: 2832. Woolls, B. 2008. The School Library Media Manager. 4th ed. Westport, Conn: Libraries Unlimited. Zmuda, A, and VHHarada. 2008. Librarians as Learning Specialists: Meeting the Learning Imperative for the 21st Century. Westport, Conn: Libraries Unlimited.
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Builders and Creators in the 21st Century: Using Web2.0 to Support Inquiry-Based Learning
Nancy Prentice
arlier this year, I had a chance to sit in on a Grade 10Construction class. The students were learning about fasteners. Im not a very handy person, and Im rarely called on to wield a screwdriver, so our toolbox at home is pretty rudimentary. Not surprisingly, I was quite impressed to learn about the array of fasteners that exist and their specialized features, functions and uses. It got me thinking about building, the tools we use to build and the importance of selecting the right tool for the job. As teachers and teacher-librarians, were in the business of building the potential of our students to be successful in the futureand that future is a wired one. Kuhlthau (2003) sums it up nicely: Three charges of education in a free society are to prepare students for the workplace, citizenship and daily life. We need to rethink each of these for the information age (p3). In the 21st century, technology is integral to the realms of work, citizenship and daily life and, as Kuhlthau notes, this infusion of technology in our lives raises interesting questions. How do we best harness technology to enhance productivity, innovation and creativity in the workplace? Technology is also changing how we conceive of community and citizen participation. How doesor how shoulddemocracy evolve to keep pace with new conceptions of what it means to participate in society? Finally, the wired world is changing our sense of self and the nature of our identities. How do we conceive of ourselves in relation to others? How do we carve out a voice and place for ourselves in a wired world? Life in the digital age is also changing our relationship with information. When we have anywhere, anytime access, knowing facts becomes less important than knowing how to use them. This means that what students learn to do with information is more important
than the specifics of the information itself (Ekdahl et al 2010,3). In order to be critical, ethical, efficient, effective users of information, we need to be able to evaluate and filter the vast quantities of data available at our fingertips. In this sense, the most important tool our students possess is their brains. They need to be able to use this vital tool to comprehend, apply, evaluate and effectively synthesize information in the knowledge age. Of course, there is nothing new in this. Critical and creative thinking skills have always been important. What has changed is that 21st-century tools have broadened the context. Cooper-Simon (2008) observes that we belong to a shift toward a creating culture, mirrored in Web 2.0 (p36). Sharing our mental processes, our understandings and our creative work is easier than ever before thanks to technology, and this process of creating and sharing is increasingly vital not only to our workplace worlds, but also to our personal ones. How do we equip our students with the tools they will need to participate in the culture of creation?
Building an Intellectual Toolkit Through Inquiry

Most of the professional literature on pedagogy advises that it is best to prepare students for the complex world in which they will live and work. To do this, educators should develop interactive, inquirybased, technology-rich curriculum (Berger 2010, p15). Inquiry-based learning has a long tradition, grounded in the child-centred, constructivist theories of Dewey, Bruner and others. Inquiry has much to recommend it, but perhaps one of the greatest strengths of the
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approach is the way that it mirrors the way we actually engage with information in the real world. Inquiry has us begin with a questionone that we ourselves have generated because it is important, it compels us or it excites our curiosity. We investigate the question by gathering and evaluating information from a variety of sources. We synthesize that information into a new understanding and we present our findings to an audience. The skills and habits of mind developed in inquiry are exactly those vital skills required for success in the 21st century: the ability to be selfdirected and to work with information in a range of formats and contexts, the critical and creative thinking skills to process that information into new understandings, and the creativity to generate a product that shares the new understandings with others. Inquirybased learning, then, should be a crucial tool in every educators toolkit, because it develops the necessary intellectual and process skills for lifelong learning. Costa (2008) has observed that learning is not a spectator sport (cited in Harada 2010, 14). In the 21stcentury, learners need to be prepared for a world where they can create as well as find (Cooper-Simon, 2008, 36). We need to equip kids with the tools they require for membership in an information society. These tools include the ability to work with informationcreativity, innovation, and the ability to think critically and solve problems (Pappas 2009, 50)but they also include the competence and confidence to use Web2.0 applications for more than passive consumption. Our kids need the tools to be builders of content in the 21st century. For the teacher or teacher-librarian who wants to combine Web2.0 with inquiry, the prospect can seem daunting. There is such a vast array of applications available. How do we choose among them? Berger (2010) suggests that we focus on the technology and application that best support the thinking processes and strategies of a particular phase of inquiry (p17). Thats sound advice. Tools change; critical thinking, creative thinking and decision making do not. Rather than being dazzled by whats neat, new or fun in Web2.0, we need to keep skills and strategies at the forefrontthese are the vital and transferrable pieces that prepare our students for the future. Using Alberta Learnings Focus on Inquiry (Alberta Learning 2004) as a process model, here are some suggestions as to how Web 2.0 could be used in support of inquiry-based learning. All the tools suggested mentioned are free, easily accessible and user friendly.
Web 2.0: Adding Technology to the Toolkit

Web2.0 tools are a natural fit for inquiry-based learning. Berger (2010) identifies active participation and collaboration as core principles of good teaching and learning (p17). They are also core principles of Web2.0. By definition, Web2.0 demands that users be active in the creation, publication and evaluation of content. Web2.0 can also contribute positively to student engagement and effort. It has been suggested that students may put greater attention into their self-published work when presented with the possibility of an audience (Wheeler, Yeomans and Wheeler 2008). Finally, Web2.0 provides a range of exciting collaborative opportunities across time and space. Our students crave opportunities to connect, express themselves and take ownership of their learning. Web2.0 offers the tools to do that. There is another compelling reason for teachers and teacher-librarians to incorporate Web2.0 into inquiry work. We hear a lot about our tech-savvy students the so-called digital natives. But there is research to suggest that although kids may use Web2.0 tools, they tend to use them passively as a platform for consuming the products created by others, rather than self-creating content (Luckin et al 2009, 97). Additionally, the collaboration that kids do engage in tends to be superficial and lacking in higher-order thinking (Luckin et al 2009, 96).
Planning
The planning phase sets the stage for inquiry. This is where students develop an inquiry question, create a plan for action and, with their teachers, begin thinking about evaluative criteria and how to meet them. In the planning stage, students need to be able to brainstorm, build on ideas and create an action plan. This is also where students begin to develop a sense of inquiry as a recursive process, rather than a linear one (Branch and Galloway Solowan 2003,7). Web2.0 tools such as Wallwisher (www.wallwisher.com) can provide opportunities for students to share ideas for essential questions, brainstorm or build on the ideas of others by posting digital sticky notes. Once students have developed their preliminary question for inquiry, self-publishing tools such as wikis (for example www .wikispaces.com) can provide easy ways for students to create, collaborate, publish and revise research pathfinders, or reflect on the initial stage of inquiry.
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Retrieving
In the retrieving stage of inquiry, students need skills and strategies to help them locate a variety of information sources relevant to their question. An important part of this process is understanding how information is organized: the structures of information systems, subject categories, and how to narrow, broaden or branch from a search term. Social bookmarking tools such as Diigo (www.diigo.com) can be helpful for two reasons. First, social bookmarking gives students a way of saving and organizing the results of their searches. Second, tagging functions encourage students to think more intentionally about organizing and categorizing information, and provide a way for students to share results of their searches. Livebinders (www.livebinders.com/) offers another tool for curating the Web, and likewise requires students to think carefully about how to organize information under headings and subheadings within their digital binders.
original products that students can be proud of. VoiceThreads (http://voicethread.com/) allow students to combine audio, video and text. Digital storytelling tools such as Animoto (http://animoto.com/ education) can be used to create original films or presentations by incorporating video, still images, audio and text files. Glogster (http://glogsteredu.edu .glogster.com/) lets users create interactive, multimedia posters. Using these powerful tools, students can personalize their understandings, and present them in new and exciting ways. Unlike the traditional written report or oral presentation, students can tailor their products to their learning styles or learning strengths by incorporating dynamic auditory or visual representations.
Evaluating and Reflecting

At the end of the inquiry project, students, teachers and teacher-librarians will likely engage in some form of summative evaluation, but learner-centred assessment throughout the inquiry process is important to help students develop metacognitive skills (Branch 2004). Student reflection becomes an important part of this formative assessment. By asking students to reflect on their cognitive and affective processes, we give them the opportunity to develop the language to talk about their thinking and their feelings. This kind of deliberate, intentional reflection helps kids develop the skills necessary for lifelong learning. Self-publishing in blogs (for example, www.blogger.com) or in wikis is a natural fit, but for students who like an alternative to text-based expression, tools like Voicethread or Voki (http://www.voki.com) offer great audio options.
Processing and Creating

Processing is one of the most challenging phases of inquiry (Branch and Galloway Solowan, 2003). This is when students must make meaning of the information they have retrieved. They need to connect their background knowledge or personal experience to the new information theyve gathered in order to create new understandings. To begin creating new understandings, kids need to be able to combine what they know with the new information learned through inquiry. Tools that encourage students to leave tracks of their thinking, such as Diigos annotating function, or that provide easy ways to revisit, revise and reassess notes, such as wikis or Google Docs, are helpful to the process. The other great advantage of these tools is their collaborative nature: students can share their bookmarks and annotations, or compile notes collaboratively in a wiki or Google Doc. By sharing, kids can construct richer meaning from their inquiry work (Harvey and Daniels 2009).
Builders and Creators

Good tools are vital to getting the job done. We have to choose our tools carefully to address the specifics of the task at hand. Carpenters know this, and good teachers do too. The job of teachers and teacher-librarians is to help students assemble their own toolkits for the future. The toolkit needs to be flexible and responsive to the challenges of living in an information culture. Our students need to be equipped with the tools they will need to be builders and creators of knowledge. They need to be imbued with the competence and confidence to use the vast array of sophisticated technological skills at their disposal. Inquiry and Web2.0 offer the technical and intellectual tools that kids will need to meet the challenges of the 21stcentury.
Sharing
Sharing is the fun phase of inquiry, when students work to create an engaging and compelling product for their audience. Here, students need to think carefully about how to best share their new understandings in the context of a particular audience. In the 21stcentury, presentation skills include working with a variety of media. This is where Web2.0 really shines: free and simple tools can be used to create professional-looking,
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Bibliography
Alberta Learning. 2004. Focus on Inquiry: A Teachers Guide to Implementing Inquiry-Based Learning. Edmonton, Alta: Alberta Learning. Berger, P. 2010. Student Inquiry and Web2.0. School Library Monthly 26, no5: 1417. Branch, JL. 2004. Understanding and Assessing Inquiry-Based Learning. In Reality Bytes: Information Literacy for Independent Learning, ed SLaMarca and MManning, 99113. Carleton, Victoria, Australia: School Library Association of Victoria. Branch, JL, and DGalloway Solowan. 2003. Inquiry-Based Learning: The Key to Student Success. School Libraries in Canada 22, no4: 612. Byrne, R. 2009. The Effect of Web2.0 on Teaching and Learning. Teacher Librarian 37, no2: 50, 5253. Cooper-Simon, S. 2008. Rethinking Collaboration: Transforming Web2.0 Thinking into Real-Time Behavior. Teacher-Librarian 36, no1: 3438. Costa, A L. 2008. The Thought-Filled Curriculum. Educational Leadership 65, no5: 2024. Ekdahl, M, MFarquharson, JRobinson and LTurner. 2010. The Points of Inquiry: A Framework for Information Literacy and the 21st Century Learner. Vancouver, BC: British Columbia Teacher-Librarians Association. Harada, VH. 2010. Librarians as Learning Leaders: Cultivating Cultures of Inquiry. In The Many Faces of School Library Leadership, ed SCoatney, 1328. Santa Barbara, Calif: Libraries Unlimited.
Harvey, S, and HDaniels. 2009. Comprehension and Collaboration: Inquiry Circles in Action. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Kuhlthau, CC. 2003. Rethinking Libraries for the Information Age School: Vital Roles in Inquiry Learning. School Libraries in Canada 22, no4: 35. Luckin, R, WClark, RGraber, KLogan, AMee and MOliver. 2009. Do Web 2.0 Tools Really Open the Door to Learning? Practices, Perceptions and Profiles of 1116-Year-Old Students. Learning, Media and Technology 34, no2: 87104. Maury, Y. 2009. Information Culture and Web2.0: New Practices, New Knowledge. International Association of School Librarianship: Selected Papers from the Annual Conference. Pappas, M L. 2009. Inquiry and 21st-Century Learning. School Library Media Activities Monthly 25, no9: 4951. Sibberson, F. 2010. Leading Through Learning: Web 2.0 Tools and the Teacher-Librarian. Literacies, Learning & Libraries3, no1: 3235. Valenza, J. 2006. They Might Be Gurus. Teacher Librarian 34, no1: 1826. Vaughn, N. 2010. Student Engagement and Web2.0: Whats the Connection? Education Canada 50, no2: 5255. Wheeler, S, PYeomans and DWheeler. 2008. The Good, the Bad and the Wiki: Evaluating Student-Generated Content for Collaborative Learning. British Journal of Educational Technology 39, no6: 98795.
Editors note: websites were accessed on August10, 2012.
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How Do Teacher-Librarians Build Leadership Capacity?

Tu Loan Trieu
In the public psyche, a librarian is a woman of indeterminate age, who wears spectacles; a person with either a timorous disposition or an austere disposition, wearing a long sleeved blouse buttoned to the neck; someone who loves silence, likes books, and suffers people. Librarians dont laugh. They are covered with a thin film of dust. They have pale skins, which, when touched (as if one ever could) might flake and prove to be reptilian scales. Barry Bowes developing this social influence due to the nature of their position. As a teacher who has access to classes and the flexibility to work with all teachers and students, the teacher-librarian can develop leadership skills by promoting the goals of the school. Teacher-librarians have the potential to influence other members of staff from different positions. This is what Haycock (2010) labels as leading from the middle (p2). By establishing their presence, forging strong relationships and sharing their knowledge, teacher-librarians can play an important leadership role in and outside of the library. The key to breaking away from the stereotype is to show others the true nature of this amazing position.
ow many times have I been teased about this stereotype of a teacher-librarian? In the beginning, it was rather amusing, but that effect wore off quickly, and frustration would set in. Although teacher-librarians of today are far from the stereotype that Bowes described in 1979, the image persists today. It is important to break free of this stereotype because it only hinders our profession. When students, principals and teachers think of teacher-librarians as library staff that do little more than check books in and out (Harrison and Arlington 2011), they undervalue the true work of a teacher-librarian as a dynamic, Internet-savvy collaborator with everyone on campus (Rosales nd). Those old prejudices are tiresome and have a rather negative impact on teacher-librarian staffing. When administrators view teacher-librarians as mere keepers of books, they tend not to staff the position properly (Harris and Arlington 2011). How do we break free from this pernicious stereotype? The answer is to move away from the staid role of keeper of the books and guardian of the library, and move toward the role of a dynamic leader in the school. How does a teacher-librarian build leadership capacity in the school? Before we begin this inquiry, we must first define leadership and how it relates to teacher-librarians. According to Chelmers, as quoted by Haycock (2010), leadership is a process of social influence in which one person is able to enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task (p2). Teacher-librarians have great potential for
Developing Presence
A big part of developing leadership skills is establishing a strong presence in the school. According to Boyd (2002), to be influential, teacher-librarians (need) to be visible and to engage with the people whom they work with (p39). Boyds study on teacher-librarians in Australia revealed that influential teacher-librarians made concerted efforts to be noticed outside of the library, for example by attending school events, participating in extracurricular activities (eg, drama productions, coaching), setting up and leading committees, and reaching out to stakeholders (eg, students, parents, teachers, etc). By understanding the needs of each stakeholder and by catering to them, teacherlibrarians can develop a strong presence in the school community. Creating a strong library culture that is warm and inviting also helps elevate the standing of the teacher-librarian, especially among students. This standing makes the teacher-librarian more visible and thus expands his or her circle of influence.
Building Relationships
Leadership is about building strong relationships with the different stakeholders in the school community
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(Haycock 2010). An important part of building strong relationships is gaining the trust of coworkers. Hay and Henri, as quoted in Boyd (2002), believe that a strong relationship with visionary and supportive administrators is instrumental for influential teacher-librarians. Without the support of the principal, teacher-librarians would have a difficult time advancing their library program (Dopke nd). Henri and Boyd (2002) interviewed six teacher-librarians and their principals (four [principals] actually responded) and it was interesting to note that the administrators supported the view that the TLs were influential (p4) at a whole school level (p5). Collaboration is another powerful way to build strong relationships. When teacher-librarians have strong relationships with colleagues, the ability to influence and persuade is enhanced because the teacher-librarian is able to convince others to join the effort (Haycock 2010,5). To further strengthen relationships with teachers, Haycock also suggests that teacher-librarians could exceed expectations when offering help. This strategy would promote reciprocation, the tendency for teachers to return favours performed for (them) (p5). To have a positive relationship with colleagues is essential in developing leadership capacity, because some administrators may value teachers perceptions of teacher-librarians (Haycock 2010). Ultimately, teacher-librarians who broaden their social networks put themselves into a position where their social network is more likely to help pursue the common vision/goal. teacher-librarian does. Further, students are often more comfortable using technology than their classroom teachers are (Kist 2010); teacher-librarians can step in to help students harness their skills in a positive and productive manner. Being a technology leader is not just about the students. Everhart, Mardis, and Johnston (2010) found that teacher-librarians who integrated technology while working collaboratively with teachers were deemed by the staff to exhibit leadership qualities. Teachers often look to teacher-librarians for help in technology integration. A teacher-librarians own literacy makes her a literacy leaderpart of what teacher-librarians do is promote literacy among students and teachers, whether it be promoting the love of reading, improving students (digital) literacy skills or assisting teachers with literacy instruction and learning (Achterman 2010). Teacher-librarians must continually develop their own literacy (Achterman 2010) in all curricular areas. It has been noted that teachers who see teacherlibrarians as literacy leaders seek them out more, which eventually leads to increased collaboration (Achterman 2010). When teacher-librarians share their knowledge, it is appreciated and valued by students, teachers and administrators.
The Importance of Teacher-Librarian Leadership

Teacher-librarians can no longer simply sit behind their desks and circulate books. They must increase their presence outside of the library, build positive and cohesive relationships with administrators and teachers, and share their knowledge of technological integration of curriculum and literacy. If teacher-librarians do not transform the image of the stereotype from bespectacled prude to dynamic school leader, they will be undervalued, and this often leads to cutting of library services and funding (Harrison and Arlington 2011). However, if teacher-librarians can to convey their leadership potential, they will be valued as essential. In her study on a school district in Arizona, Ewbank (2010) wanted to know why the district decided to retain its teacher-librarians when the district was experiencing severe cuts to its budget. This action was counter to what many districts around the country were doingreplacing qualified teachers with paraprofessionals, or eliminating the position entirely and replacing teacher-librarians with volunteers. Through
Sharing Knowledge
Although we want to move away from the perception of the teacher-librarian as one who is bookish and full of information, an important leadership role for teacher-librarians is that of instructional leader. According to Harada (2010), teacher-librarians have the potential to be leaders in learning (p20). Two areas in which teacher-librarians can gain influence through sharing their knowledge are technology and literacy. The school library is a place for students to collaborate and gain information. With the advent of the Internet and the mountain of information available to students, the role of the teacher-librarian to help students figure out creative ways to find and use data (Godin 2011) is more important than ever. Often, classroom teachers do not have the know-how to guide students through the World Wide Web, but a well-trained
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interviews with the superintendent and district leaders, Ewbank found that teacher-librarians were valued for their role in school wide curriculum integration and literacy promotion (p9). The district understood that if literacy was important to student learning, then teacher-librarians must be retained because they play a fundamental role in developing literacy across the curriculum. It is difficult to replace a dynamic leader in a school. The key to becoming a dynamic teacherlibrarian is to build a visible presence through strong relationships and sharing knowledge with all stakeholders.
International Forum on Research in School Librarianship. Brisbane, Australia, September27October1. Ewbank, A D. 2010. Why Did a U.S. Secondary School District Retain Teacher-Librarians in a Time of Economic Crisis? A Case Study. Paper presented at the School Library Association of Queensland and the International Association of School Librarianship Conference incorporating the International Forum on Research in School Librarianship. Brisbane, Australia, September27October1. Godin, S. 2011. The Future of the Library. Available at http:// sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/05/the-future-ofthe-library.html or http://tinyurl.com/6djhmxp (accessed August 7, 2012). Harada, V H. 2010. Librarians as Learning Leaders: Cultivating Cultures of Inquiry. In The Many Faces of School Library Leadership, ed SCoatney, 1325. Santa Barbara, Calif: Libraries Unlimited. Harrison, D, and KArlington. 2011. Were Not Dragons in Pearls, Say Librarians, Were Just Misunderstood. Available at www.smh.com.au/national/education/were-not-dragonsin-pearls-say-librarians-were-just-misunderstood-201105231f0vr.html or http://tinyurl.com/3h7v6e8 (accessed August 7, 2012). Haycock, K. 2010. Leadership from the Middle: Building Influence for Change. In The Many Faces of School Library Leadership, ed SCoatney, 112. Santa Barbara, Calif: Libraries Unlimited. Henri, J, and SBoyd. 2002. Teacher Librarian Influence: Principal and Teacher Librarian Perspectives. School Libraries Worldwide 8, no2: 117. Kist, W. 2010. The Socially Networked Classroom: Teaching in the New Media Age. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin. Rosales, J. nd. Checking Out: Budget Hawks See Library Programs as an Easy Cut, But Whats the Cost to Student Achievement? Available at www.nea.org/home/43952.htm (accessed August 7, 2012).
References
Achterman, D. 2010. Literacy Leadership and the School Library. In The Many Faces of School Library Leadership, ed SCoatney, 6784. Santa Barbara, Calif: Libraries Unlimited. Bowes, B. 1979. Between the Stacks. London: Landesman. Boyd, S. 2002. Developing Power and Influence for the Professional Teacher Librarian. In School Libraries for a Knowledge Society: Proceedings of the 31st Annual Conference of the International Association of School Librarianship, and the Sixth International Forum on Research in School Librarianship, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, 5-9 August 2002, ed DSingh, AAbdullah, SFoneska and BdeRozario, 3947. Dopke, M. nd. Reaching Out: Beyond School Walls. Available at www.sosspotlight.org/site_creator/view/174 (accessed August 7, 2012). Everhart, N, MAMardis and MJohnston. 2010. The Leadership Role of the Teacher Librarian in Technology Integration: Early Results of a Survey of Highly Certified Teacher Librarians in the United States. Paper presented at the School Library Association of Queensland and the International Association of School Librarianship Conference incorporating the
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An Old Dog Teaches New Tricks: The Role of Inquiry-Based Learning in 21st-Century Pedagogy
Terri Ann Hayes
ersonalized learning, differentiated instruction, universal design for learning, 21st-century education ... in our current climate of educational reform, a teacher can be forgiven for feeling a little overwhelmed by all of the catchphrases being bantered about. One of the fundamental questions facing modern teachers is how to incorporate the essential tenets of these seemingly disparate educational philosophies into a manageable and effective teaching practice. A careful review of contemporary educational literature reveals that inquiry-based learning provides an ideal solution as teachers seek to provide individualized, relevant, engaging education that gives students the skills and attitudes they need not only to survive, but to thrive, in the 21stcentury.
thought of as an individual pursuit, it is enhanced by involvement with a community of learners, each learning from the other in social interaction. (p2) Alberta Learning (2004) points out that the knowledge gained through an inquiry project is usually presented to others and may result in some sort of action (p1). Harvey and Daniels (2009) add that topics are chosen based on student curiosity, questions and interests, and authentic real-life problems, and that inquiry-based learning usually involves small heterogeneous research teams..
Universal Design for Learning

According to Rose and Meyer (2002), universal design for learning is a framework for instruction based on the premise that instilling flexibility into methods and materials maximizes learning opportunities not only for students with identified disabilities, but for all students (p3). It is based on the realization that learning takes place across three interconnected networks: recognition (content, or what to learn), strategic (actions and plans for how to learn) and affective (engagement in the learning process, understanding why you are learning). The teachers role is to identify each students learning strengths weaknesses and areas of interest through a learning profile, and then plan instruction with this information in mind, guiding the student in ways that help overcome challenges, while allowing the students strengths to shine. Rose and Meyer go on to explain that universal design for learning is based on the elimination of barriers to learning through digital media and tools, such as text-to-speech software, digital highlighters and multimedia recording devices. These tools are used to embed presentation options and learning preferences into the curriculum.
Inquiry-Based Learning
What then, is this 21st-century teaching panacea? Inquiry-based learning is not new. Alberta Learning (2004) reminds us that the Inquiry Model is based on more than 30 years of research from around the world (p9). Fontichiaro (2009) adds that inquiry in education has been discussed for over seventy years since the days of John Dewey (p17). Although inquiry-based learning may take on many forms, such as objectbased, curricular, guided or open inquiry, the essential components remain constant. Kuhlthau, Maniotes and Caspari (2007) define inquiry-based learning as an approach to learning whereby students find and use a variety of sources of information and ideas to increase their understanding of a problem, topic or issue. It requires more of them than simply answering questions or getting a right answer. It espouses investigation, exploration, search, quest, research, pursuit and study. Inquiry does not stand alone; it engages, interests, and challenges students to connect their world with the curriculum. Although it is often
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Does inquiry-based instruction appeal to the recognition, strategic and affective networks referred to in universal design for learning? Although the terms authors use may differ, the concepts and the message are the same: inquiry-based learning is guided by the content students must master, based on the explicit teaching of skills that students will need to be successful, and planned around students own questions and interests. According to Alberta Learning (2004), the process approach to inquiry emphasizes affective as well as cognitive aspects. The affective domain involves elements of pleasure, engagement, motivation, imagination, participation in community and acknowledgement of other voices. These elements provide the energy that keeps young people engaged in inquiry-based learning activities. (p76) In terms of the strategic network, there is ample support for the explicit teaching of specific skills and strategies that students need to develop at each stage of the inquiry process (Alberta Learning 2004; Harvey and Daniels 2009; Kuhlthau, Maniotes and Caspari 2007). Kuhlthau, Maniotes and Caspari (2007) recommend that the instructional team employs intervention strategies for enabling students to construct their own understandings. These strategies are recommended for helping students to move beyond fact finding to explanation and synthesis of the facts (p137). In addition, Harvey and Daniels (2009) remind us that as students engage in the content of their inquiry project, we need to provide the technology supportsthe infrastructure, hardware and softwareand teach the necessary technical skills (p98). As part of the process of skill development, there is no reason why students cant be introduced to text-tospeech software, digital highlighting tools and other means to increase accessibility for special needs students in particular and all students in general. Where does the learner profile fit within inquirybased teaching? Although the creation of learner profiles has not been specifically mentioned in current literature about inquiry-based learning, Alberta Learning (2004) provides a series of templates designed to help teachers apply teaching strategies that accommodate various learning preferences, and help learners identify their particular strengths and learning styles. The implication is that this information is both useful and desirable in the planning of an inquiry-based learning experience.
Differentiated Instruction
Differentiated instruction shares many similarities with universal design for learning. Alberta Education (2010) describes differentiated instruction as a philosophy and an approach to teaching in which teachers and school communities actively work to support the learning of all students through strategic assessment, thoughtful planning and targeted, flexible instruction (p1). Tomlinson and Imbeau (2010) suggest that differentiation involves the modification of four curriculum-related elementscontent, process, product and affectwhich are based on three categories of student need and variancereadiness, interests and learning profile (p15). They go on to explain that the learning profile should consider a students learning style, intelligence preference (based on Howard Gardners multiple intelligences), gender and culture. Can inquiry-based learning accommodate the diversity of students in our classrooms? Harvey and Daniels (2009) argue that inquiry circles can be a crucible of inclusion when we commit to heterogeneous membership, diverse along every dimensiongender, learning style, special needs, home language Each person can be a vital part of the groups work without having to read the same materials, do the same task, or have the same learning goals. (pp8687) Kuhlthau, Maniotes and Caspari (2007) recommend that a variety of resources be incorporated into the inquiry process, including audio, visual and tactile, in order to appeal to the multiple intelligences present in our student population. They go on to say that using a variety of resources allows students to have a chance to excel in accordance with their innate talents. They also have opportunities to stretch their abilities and develop new ways of learning (p62). Content, process and affect, important components of differentiation, have already been discussed in the context of universal design for learning, but product is an aspect of differentiation that inquiry-based learning also addresses. Tomlinson and Imbeau (2010) define product as how students demonstrate what they have come to know, understand, and are able to do after an extended period of learning (p15). According to our earlier definition of inquiry-based learning, in which students share their learning with others, the creation of a product is an innate aspect of the inquiry process. According to Kuhlthau, Maniotes and Caspari (2007), products take many forms, such as oral presentations,
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festivals, demonstrations and dramas. Products are also presented in many media, such as videos, PowerPoint slides, and dioramas (p123). Harvey and Daniels (2009) add that, in inquiry-based learning, its important to invite kids to present their findings in any way they choose leave the door open to all the different ways in which students can make their learning visible (p163). Does this sound like differentiated instruction? You bet it does! Strategic assessment is another cornerstone of differentiated instruction. Tomlinson and Imbeau (2010) remind teachers that differentiated learning activities should include diagnostic, formative and summative assessments designed to guide students in learning key outcomes, inform them of their progress toward those outcomes and provide information about how they can achieve their full potential in working toward and beyond those outcomes. Once again, inquiry-based projects offer opportunities to create an assessment-rich environment that provides multiple opportunities to assess thinking and learning, process and product (Alberta Learning 2004; Branch 2004; Harvey and Daniels 2009; Kuhlthau, Maniotes and Caspari 2007; Stripling 2007). beyond the traditional environment of the classroom and into the community? Both Harvey and Daniels (2009) and Kuhlthau, Maniotes and Caspari (2007) recommend that schools do an inventory of areas of specialty within the school and school community, actively enlist community members with expertise in the area of study, and plan visits to community institutions to support and extend student learning and experiences.
21st-Century Learning
The key components of 21st-century learning, as described by the Government of Alberta (2010), are a set of competencies determined to be critical for the 21stcentury, including critical thinking and problem solving; creativity and innovation; social responsibility and cultural, global and environmental awareness; communication; digital literacy; lifelong learning, personal management and self-direction; and collaboration and leadership. Does inquiry-based learning satisfy these basic tenets? According to the Alberta Social Studies Kindergarten to Grade 12 program of studies (2005), the research process develops learners who are independent, self-motivated problem solvers and co-creators of knowledge. Developing research skills prepares students for the world of work, post-secondary studies, lifelong learning and citizenship in a complex world. (p10) Furthermore, inquiry-based learning, which involves authentic questions and real-world problems, cannot help but increase cultural, global and environmental awareness. Similarly, as teachers guide students to plan their projects, work together and be accountable for their contribution to the group, students will develop important skills in collaboration, personal management and self-direction (Alberta Learning 2004; Harvey and Daniels 2009; Kuhlthau, Maniotes and Caspari 2007).
Personalized Learning
According to the Government of Alberta (2010), personalized learning involves the provision of high-quality and engaging learning opportunities that meet students diverse learning needs, through flexible timing and pacing, in a range of learning environments with learning supports and services tailored to meet their needs (p14). It goes on to suggest that personalized learning provides a greater variety of learning experiences that include and extend beyond traditional education settings and benefit from increased community involvement in their learning (p14). Wolf (2010) adds that the intent is to meet each child where he is and help him meet his potential through a wide range of instructional resources, content, strategies, and schedules appropriate for his learning style, abilities, and interests, as well as social, emotional, and physical factors ... and to incorporate informal and community learning opportunities. (p14) By now, it should be apparent that inquiry-based learning does indeed provide high-quality, engaging learning activities that meet diverse learning needs. But what about providing learning experiences that extend
Implications for Teachers and Teacher-Librarians

Despite its long-standing recognition as educational best practice, and despite the fact that it clearly supports the essential tenets of current educational pedagogy, inquiry-based learning is not standard practice in many of our schools. Fontichiaro (2009) points out that
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it appears inquiry rarely occurs systematically As a result, low-level projects perseverate: projects where students simply copy answers to low-level worksheet questions, then copy those answers again into a report or PowerPoint presentation (pp1718). Teacher-librarians, acting in their role as what Harada (2010) describes as servant and instructional leaders, can promote and support the inquiry-based learning model with confidence, knowing that it embraces some of the most important educational philosophies of our century. In some school settings, where inquiry-based learning has not yet been embraced, this may mean what Fontichiaro (2009) calls nudging toward inquiry (p18). In other settings, the teacher-librarian may act as an equal partner in the planning and execution of inquiry-based learning projects. Indeed, a wide body of literature endorses a collaborative planning model when implementing inquiry-based learning experiences, with the library media specialist acting as an integral partner on the collaborative team (Brown 2004; Lance, Rodney and Schwarz 2010; Montiel-Overall 2006). When planning for an inquiry-based learning experience, it is clear that the addition of a learner profile, to assist teachers in identifying student strengths, needs, and learning preferences and profile, would enhance the overall effectiveness and impact of the inquiry project.
Branch, J L. 2004. Understanding and Assessing Inquiry Based Learning. In Reality Bytes: Information Literacy for Independent Learning, ed SLaMarca and MManning, 99113. Carlton, Australia: School Library Association of Victoria. Brown, C. 2004. Americas Most Wanted: Teachers Who Collaborate. Teacher Librarian 32, no1: 1318. Fontichiaro, K. 2009. Nudging Toward Inquiry: Re-Envisioning Research Projects. School Library Monthly 26, no1: 1719. Government of Alberta. 2010. Inspiring Action on Education. Edmonton, Alta: Government of Alberta. Available at http:// ideas.education.alberta.ca/media/2905/inspiringaction%20 eng.pdf (accessed August 8, 2012). Harada, V H. 2010. Librarians as Learning Leaders: Cultivating Cultures of Inquiry. In The Many Faces of School Library Leadership, ed SCoatney, 1328. Santa Barbara, Calif: Libraries Unlimited. Harvey, S, and HDaniels. 2009. Comprehension and Collaboration: Inquiry Circles in Action. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Kuhlthau, C C, LKManiotes and AKCaspari. 2007. Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st Century. Westport, Conn: Libraries Unlimited. Lance, K C, MJRodney and BSchwarz. 2010. Collaboration WorksWhen It Happens! The Idaho School Library Impact Study. Teacher Librarian 37, no5: 3036. Montiel-Overall, P. 2006. Teacher and Teacher-Librarian Collaboration: Moving Toward Integration. Teacher Librarian 34, no2: 2833. Rose, D H, and AMeyer. 2002. Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning. Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). Stripling, B. 2007. Assessing Information Fluency: Gathering Evidence of Student Learning. School Library Monthly 23, no8: 2529. Tomlinson, C A, and MBImbeau. 2010. Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom. Alexandria, Va: ASCD. Wolf, M A. 2010. Innovate to Educate: System [Re]Design for Personalized Learning; A Report from the 2010 Symposium. Washington, DC: ASCD and the Council of Chief State School Officers. Available at www.siia.net/pli/presentations/ PerLearnPaper.pdf (accessed August 8, 2012).
References
Alberta Education. 2005. Social Studies Kindergarten to Grade12. Program of studies. Edmonton, Alta: Alberta Education. . 2010. Making a Difference: Meeting Diverse Learning Needs with Differentiated Instruction. Edmonton, Alta: Alberta Education. Alberta Learning. 2004. Focus on Inquiry: A Teachers Guide to Implementing Inquiry-Based Learning. Edmonton, Alta: Alberta Learning.
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Point2 Whats a TL to Do?

Lissa Davies
hhh, developing an effective library program in .2time. It sounds like an administrators dream, doesnt it? (Ooops, better do a disclaimer: The views here are mine alone and not related to my administrator, my district, my family, my friends or my dog.) Gentle readers, lets start with my history (Im sure you are all dying to know). I began my library career three years ago. Before I turned into Super Librarian (really!), I was an elementary learning strategies teacher. Our .6 part-time teacher-librarian (TL) was retiring (and she really was a Super TL!) and my administrator asked me if I would like the position. I leapt at the chance. After all, I loved inquiry learning, and reading, and books, and reading, and kids. What more was needed? There was one small, teensy-weensy catch. This would be a .5position, and in order to make it a full-time position, I would be teaching a new gradekindergarten. (You should all be hearing the duh-duh-duh-DUHN sound of doom in your heads by now.) Come September, gentle readers, I was supremely lost and bewildered. Fortunately I had my retired Super TL (aka Maureen) and our districts Fearless Library Consultant (aka Betty-Lou) to support me in my hours of need. Soon I had a plan to work with all classes on inquiry projects, do book talks and book fairs, manage the schools technology and our live broadcast morning news, and sit on the Best of the Best committee to review books. I also registered in the TeacherLibrarianship by
Distance Learning (TLDL) program at the University of Alberta, taking three courses per year. I still felt lost, but I was too busy to think about it. Much. The next year, our enrolment dropped and so, perforce, did our budget. I was retained as TL at .23, with .5kindergarten and .17Grades1/2 (another new assignment). That year, I worked with two classes on inquiry learning projects, did book talks and book fairs, managed our live broadcast morning news, took TLDL classes, and (now that the TLDL program had taught me so much about what at teacher-librarian could be) I dreamt about the things I should be doing. This year came with another drop in the budget, so I am now .2TL and .8Grades 5/6. While my courses in the TLDL program were expanding my ideas of libraries and librarians, my TL time in real life was shrinking. Unfortunately, this is the reality for many of our elementary schools and, as a matter of fact, it is better than the reality of most. Few schools have a TL, and some schools dont even have a library tech. While we all know the value that a great library program brings to student achievement (Lance, nd), others require convincing. Todd (2001) (yes, those of you who have taken courses with me know that Ross Todd is one of my library idols, and I dont apologize for that. Much.) talks about the need for us to use evidencebased practices to track and show the value of our libraries; however, the reality is that when push comes to shove, administrators will choose to cut the teacherlibrarian position rather than other options. So, lets consider our options in .2time. What does a strong library program contain? What should a strong TL be doing in his or her school? Zmuda and Harada (2008) have a few suggestions about what TLs should be. (Gentle readers, you may disagree with me, but you cant disagree with Zmuda and Harada, can you?) They suggest becoming leaders in providing PD to schools, experts in curriculum development and resources, and experts in instruction and collaboration with teachers.
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Valenza (2010) (I call her She Who Does Not Sleep. Ever.) goes even farther. She says we should be leaders in using technology for teaching and learning, inquiry teaching and learning, reading and developing readers, understanding and teaching information fluency, and developing a schools collection. Gentle reader, I dont know about you, but I do like to sleep, and eat, and spend some time with my family! So, given the above constraints, what can we do in .2? Given my time this year, the needs of the students in my school and our district focus on literacy, I decided that I needed to have one focus. I chose developing readers and focusing on book talks and the collection. Gentle reader, I hear the stirrings in your bosom. What about technology? What about inquiry learning? What about...? I, too, had all of those questions. Was it the right decision? Was I now in danger of turning into... an old-fashioned GOL (Grumpy Old Librarian)? I certainly hope not! Students were engaged and excited during book talks, which I did for each grade group twice a month. (I should mention that I was on a flexible schedule, so I did not provide preps). When I was not in front of kids, I organized and weeded the collection; helped other teachers with technology, book suggestions, or pulling books for units; added websites to our Diigo account; prepared book talks; and answered e-mails like crazy. Often I felt that I lived in the Twilight Zone, because time seems to morph and shrink when I am in the library. So, gentle readers, this is my story. This is what I have chosen to do in my.2. What are you doing in your library? Share your stories with us on the Alberta School Library Council website, www.aslc.ca.
References
Lance, K C. nd. The Importance of School Libraries. Available at www.laurabushfoundation.org/Lance.pdf (accessed August 20, 2012). Todd, R. 2001. Transitions for Preferred Futures of School Libraries: Knowledge Space, Not Information Place, Connections, Not Collections, Actions, Not Positions, Evidence, Not Advocacy. Keynote paper, 2001 IASL Conference, Auckland, New Zealand, July 912. Available at www.iasl-online.org/events/ conf/virtualpaper2001.html (accessed August 20, 2012). Valenza, J. 2010. You Know You Are a 21st Century Librarian If Available at http://informationfluency.wikispaces .com/You+know+youre+a+21st+century+librarian+if+.+.+. or http://tinyurl.com/8ztr3os (accessed August 20, 2012). Zmuda, A, and VHarada. 2008. Librarians as Learning Specialists. Westport, Conn: Libraries Unlimited.
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Reading Makes Us Smarter: One Schools Journey

Arlene Lipkewich and Dia Macbeth
Arlene Lipkewich is teacher-librarian at ABlair McPherson School, Edmonton Public Schools, Edmonton, Alberta. She can be reached at arlene.lipkewich@epsb.ca. Dia Macbeth is assistant principal at ABlair McPherson School; she can be reached at dia.macbeth@epsb.ca. Students receive a minimum of five ballots to enter for prizes including a golden bookmark, which gives the bearer front-of-the-line access to all of our new books and a seat in our librarys Amish rocking chair, a coveted seat among students. Another sought-after prize is lunch for the winner and a friend with our schools principal and two assistant principals. Students who read titles above and/or below their grade level also have the possibility of receiving even more ballots to enter draws for books and gift cards to purchase a book of their choice. It is not surprising that once the ballots were counted, the winning titles for this years You Decide included many graphic novel titles (for example, Squish: Super Amoeba, by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm, or Smile, by Raina Telgemeier); books that incorporate comic elements, such as the Dumb Bunnies books, by Sue Denim and Dav Pilkey; books that have a sequel or are part of a trilogy or series; or books that have a tie-in with nonfiction. Since it was the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, many students pored over nonfiction books after reading the first You Decide title in Gordon Kormans Titanic series. Each teacher keeps his or classroom set of You Decide titles, which form part of a growing classroom library. Our hope is that when students are in junior high they will remember their favourite You Decide titles from elementary. Another tradition that we have begun since our school opened in the fall of 2010 is a monthly meeting we call Cookies and Milk and Books, for teachers and support staff. Yes, there really are homemade cookies and lots of milk to go around. During each after-school meeting, we booktalk about a dozen books each. We feature new books, award nominees and winners, and hidden gems. Because we are a K9 school, conversations about books shift to how they could be used in different grade levels, whether to incorporate literature in math or as a mentor text for writing. Before winter break we had the Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa
very morning we pass through the doors and beneath the name of the person for whom our school was named. A picture of ABlair McPherson, seated with children surrounding him as he reads aloud, is perched in our library window. Would he be proud of our initiatives to promote a lifelong reading community with our students? We cant help but wonder. You Decide has existed in different schools in various forms for the last 11years. Instead of selecting titles by division, like the Young Readers Choice Award (YRCA), our Reading Makes You Smarter Committee, with members from all three divisions, collaboratively selects five titles at each grade level for students to read. At least two teachers must read a book before it is chosen for a particular grade, which prevents the likelihood of there being a dud at a grade level. What is a dud? A book that kids dont want to read. Since many of our students are English language learners, we must be very conscious that the story be high interest and not overwhelming in size. The kickoff for You Decide is during Read-In Week. The titles are booktalked in each class and the reading begins! This fall we plan to booktalk all five titles to all students at each grade level to build even more excitement. We might even have one or two junior high teachers champion each title, as they do on CBC Radios Canada Reads. Students can revisit the titles, author websites and book trailers at http:// abmyoudecide.blogspot.ca. Students who have read all five books at their grade level are invited to a big pizza party, complete with prizes and voting, in May.
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edition, and before Valentines Day we featured books about love in many different forms. Each meeting sees increased staff attendance, and it is very rewarding to see the majority of books checked out at the end of the meeting. Next year we hope to incorporate TeachingBooks.net into Cookies and Milk and Books by discussing what is available for some of the titles that we discuss and giving teachers an opportunity to explore the website. We also hope to start a Cookies and Milk and Books Student Editionstudents have been asking to join when they hear what their teachers are up to! Our goal each year is to provide at least one author visit for each division. In our first year, we were fortunate to host Eric Walters and Rachna Gilmore during TD Canadian Childrens Book Week. The great thing about Book Week is that it allows schools in the west to host authors from the east because the cost of travel and accommodations is subsidized and divided between all the stops the authors make on their tour. We are an inquiry schoolwe aim to have studentinitiated questions answered by experts in their field. So in addition to the above authors, Larry Loyie, a residential school survivor who has written books about his experience with his partner Constance Brisenden, answered Grade9 questions related to social studies. Storyteller Renee Englot brought to life the DivisionII social studies classes and their study of the Famous Five. During the Young Alberta Book Societys Taleblazers Festival, in October, ABlair McPherson School hosted author and storyteller Tololwa Mollel; our Grades1 and2 students continued to talk about him until the end of the year. Through an Alberta Foundation for the Arts Artist-in-Residence grant, the Grade4 students had the opportunity to work with author and playwright Marty Chan for a week in February 2012. This year during TD Canadian Childrens Book Week, we hosted author Rina Singh. All studentsmale, female, Aboriginal or from India have the opportunity to see themselves in the authors, illustrators or storytellers that come to our school. We are already preparing for Kenneth Oppels visit in October 2012. Even when ABlair McPherson School was fortunate to be selected as an Alberta Arts Days Host Celebration Site we remember the importance of literacy. We were able to access grant funds to host a variety of artists on Friday, September30, and Saturday, October1, 2011; we introduced students to illustrators and writers as artists, including storyteller Gail de Vos, illustrator Lorna Bennett and author Gail Sobat. In addition to our work at school we also take a district perspective. We wondered what we could do when our school districts Best of the Best program, which reviewed and recommended titles for libraries and teachers, came to an end. Our solution was what we affectionately call the Mighty Smackdown! We wanted to create a way for teachers to read a few books, learn about many more titles and have fun doing it. The tournament-style reading of the Mighty Smackdown means that in the first round each participant reads two books, discusses both in a blog post and selects one book to move on to the next round. Teachers enjoy blogging, and the process gives library technicians another source of titles for their library, because many do not have teacher-librarians. We start with at least 16 participants and 32 books that have been nominated or shortlisted or have won awards. Teachers are asked to commit to only one round but most, if not all, continue. We read until only one tattered book is left standing! The Mighty Smackdown is geared towards DivisionIII andIV teachers, teacherlibrarians and their technicians. The blog is public, at http://mightysmackdown.blogspot.ca, and we welcome comments from everyone. Its hard to believe that we have reached the end of the second year of our school being open. We learn more about our community daily, and our biggest lesson so far is how important literacy is for members of our school. It is simply not enough to teach our kids to read. We must teach them why they should read. Our students need practice, practice, practice. No amount of workbooks or computer-driven reading teaching systems will replace the right book in the right hands. Our teachers must see the importance of that, and we work for that. Our students must see the benefits of reading, and we work for that too. We have initiated many reading traditions at our school that we hope will help us to build a strong community of lifelong readers. We believe that ABlair McPherson would be proud of what we have accomplished so far to continue his legacy.
References
Denim, S, and DPilkey. 2007. The Dumb Bunnies. New York: Scholastic. Orig pub 1994. Holm, J, and MHolm. 2011. Squish: Super Amoeba. New York: Random House. Korman, G. 2012. Titanic #1: Unsinkable. New York: Scholastic. Telgemeier, R. 2010. Smile. New York: Scholastic.
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Millennials Internet Research Habits

Claire Rockliff and Maya Pelechaty
Claire Rockliff is a Grade6 student at StVincent de Paul School in Calgary. Her favourite subjects are math and language arts. Claire plays peewee hockey in the winter and Tier1 soccer year round. She also loves downhill mountain biking and dirt biking. Maya Pelechaty is a Grade6 student at St Vincent de Paul, where her favourite subjects are math, music and language arts. Maya loves hockey, soccer and skiing. She also loves travelling and has lived in Oman, Malaysia and Australia. usually explained what the Internet is or told kids or teachers how to use the Internet. The articles seemed to be mostly studies. The American Association of School Librarians (2007) says that as part of 21st-century skills, students need to be able to find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to find information (p4). In a Canadian study, Media Awareness Network (2005) found that 72per cent of students in Grades412 use the Internet for school assignments and 68per cent want to learn how to know if the information on the Internet is correct. In a follow-up study, Media Awareness Network (2012) discovered that teachers believe that students are not so savvy surfers (p9). This same study found that teachers thought that students do not know how to search and how to figure out keywords to use.
ids today spend a lot of time on the Internet. Sometimes they play games, go on Facebook or watch videos. Maybe they want to find out what the weather will be like for soccer practice the next day or they want information on a topic for a school project. We are two Grade6 stuMaya Pelechaty, left, and dents who go to school Claire Rockliff, right in Calgary. We decided to do a project for the 2012 Calgary Youth Science Fair (CYSF) and after a lot of discussion with our parents about what we might do, we finally chose to find out what Internet resources Grade6 students use when they have to do a research project for school. Our research question was, Where do Grade6 students go for research information?
Introduction
Research Hypotheses
Grade6 students look for information that is easy and quick to find. Grade6 students tend not to use databases for finding research information. Grade6 students tend to select the information from the first site they find.
Methodology
The Survey1
We decided the best way to find out what kids use for school projects was to create a survey. First, we looked at a survey from a PhD dissertation that investigated Grade3 students information-seeking for some example questions. We then brainstormed together to create more questions based on our own experiences of searching for information for assignments. We thought it would be easy to come up with questions, but it took a lot of time to get the questions just right. One of us even asked her grandmother, who was a university researcher for years, to go over the
Background Information
One of our mothers is a librarian, so she was able to help us find books and articles that examined how students could or did use the Internet. The books
See AppendixA.
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questions in case some of them were confusing. Some of the questions had only one possible response, while others had multiple possible answers. All the questions were multiple choice but also included Other in case we did not include all possible choices. Then, to make sure that kids would understand the questions, we pretested the survey with six Grade6 students who would not be in the study. We revised our survey based on the results from this pilot test. The survey took about 10minutes to complete. As well, we were interested to find out if boys and girls gave different answers to the questions. So we asked each kid to identify his or her gender on the survey. We printed our questionnaires in a different colour for each school so we could keep track of how many responses we got from each school. The consent forms and surveys, as well as directions for the classroom teachers to give when they had their students fill out the surveys, were delivered to each school.
Our Participants
There are many elementary schools from our school district in our area. We thought that if we selected four Grade6 classesone from each selected school, including our own Grade6 classwe would have about 100 participants. Our schools were elementary or elementary/junior high Catholic schools located in northwest Calgary. No one but us knew which school was which because we used the colour-coding system rather than school names. This helped to ensure anonymity. One of our mothers (our research assistant) contacted the principal of our school, told her about the project and asked her if she would talk to the principals of the three other schools, which she agreed to do. Those principals then said that they would ask their Grade6 teachers if they were willing to have their students participate. These teachers could then distribute the consent forms for the students to take home for their parents to sign. The teachers allowed time in class for the kids who had parental permission to complete the survey. Unfortunately, our plans did not go as well as we had hoped, as the chart below shows. Of the four schools, two responded with a smaller number of kids participating than we had expected, and one school had no students return the consent forms so no one could complete the survey. We then selected two more schools, only one of which had students agree to participate. Although we were quite disappointed that we did not get 100 completed questionnaires, we finally ended up with 29 girls and 35 boys from four schools. This gave us 64 participantsa 60per cent response rate for the schools.
Consent Forms
We knew that if we wanted students to participate, we would have to get their parents permission. The Calgary Youth Science Fair also requires that any research with human subjects have ethics clearance. So we wrote up an ethics application, which was approved by the CYSF Ethics Committee. We also used a consent form for parents to sign to give permission for their child to participate in our study. This form also told parents what the project was about and that all responses would be confidential and anonymous.
Table 1: Study Participants Number of Participants N=64 Response Rate for Participating Schools: 60% Blue School (K-9) Green School (K-6) Yellow School (K-9) White School (K-6) Pink School (K-6) Lime School (K-9)
# C. # Surveys # C. # Surveys # C. # Surveys # C. # Surveys # C. # Surveys # C. # Surveys Forms Forms Forms Forms Forms Forms 25 Boys n=12 25 Girls n=13 100% 12 Boys n=6 39% 12 Girls n=6 14 Boys n=7 50% 13 Girls n=6 0 Boys n=0 0% 0 Girls n=0 0 Boys n=0 0% 0 Girls n=0 16 Boys n=9 54% 13 Girls n=4
% Response Rate
% Response Rate
% Response Rate
% Response Rate
% Response Rate
% Response Rate
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Analyzing the Data

After we collected all the consent forms and completed surveys, we read them through so we could get a sense of our results and then talked about them. We developed a coding sheet to record all the responses to the survey by creating tables in Word. We made two copies of the coding sheet for each schoolone for boys and one for girls. Each of us had a set of school coding sheets so that each of us could code all of the 64surveys individually. For example, Maya used two coding sheets for Blue School and Claire did the same. We then compared our total numbers for each question for each school, and if they were not similar, we examined where our differences happened and fixed any errors by looking back at all the responses for the particular question. This happened only a few times. We ended up with 100per cent interrater reliability. It was a lot of work to code the data, and we were thankful we had 64participants instead of 100. We entered the number of responses for each question into Excel and then created charts from the data. Once we had total numbers for each question, we were able to convert those numbers into percentages. Chart 1 Do you use the Internet to find information on research topics?
For the final, open-ended question, which asked kids to describe in one or two words how they felt about Internet searching, we typed all the replies into Word. We then used Wordle (www.wordle.net) to create a word cloud of all the responses. The larger the word in a word cloud, the more times it was mentioned by participants.
Results and Discussion

We give the results of our research by showing response percentages for each survey question. All the students always or sometimes use the Internet for research information. We found it interesting that girls are more likely than boys to always use the Internet. We knew that the Internet use is popular for kids, so we were not surprised by this result. More than 60per cent of students use search engines such as Google, Bing or Yahoo. Boys are more likely to use these popular search engines than girls. Search engines that are designed for kids are used very rarely. We also discovered that online library resources, including Alberta Educations Online Reference Centre and the public librarys online resources, are rarely searched. We were quite surprised by these results. We thought that search engines designed for kids would be used more often. They are safe to use, and the information in them is easier for kids to read and understand. Chart 2 Which of the following do you use to find information?
Percentage of Respondents
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We wondered if kids know about these search engines. Maybe teachers and librarians do not tell them that these search engines are available. The most frequent one was a search engine like Google or Yahoo, with 95per cent of kids saying this is what they use most often. As in question2, they seem to ignore search engines designed for kids and online library resources. Boys and girls were very similar in their responses. Chart3 Which one do you use more often? The survey responses show that 70per cent of students read through the results before deciding what site to use. Girls are more likely than boys to read through the results from their search before deciding if they have found what they need. More than 15per cent of students select the first site at the top of their search results for their information. As well, more than 10per cent of boys pick the result that comes from Wikipedia. We thought these numbers were quite high, because kids are constantly warned about finding appropriate sites for their research assignments. It seems that some kids are not getting this message. Thirty-four per cent of students believe that web addresses (ie, URLs) do not matter. For girls (43per cent), URLs matter less than for boys (27per cent). As well, more kids choose websites with .ca and .com for their searches. We wondered if kids knew why sites have different addresses and why they might be able to trust the accuracy of information on some sites because of their addresses. More than 70per cent of students sometimes get help from their parents in searching for information on the Internet. This is likely to happen more often for girls than boys, although the difference in percentages is quite small. We were a bit surprised that more than 30per cent of kids do not get search help at home. Maybe their parents feel that kids should do their own search work, or perhaps they think their kids are very capable at finding what they need. Chart 5 Do you choose a website with the following addresses?
Chart 4 When choosing a website, what do you do?
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Nearly 35per cent of parents check their childrens search results for information accuracy, and girls receive this help more often than boys. On the other hand, the parents of boys are more likely to help them figure out key words (start them off) or find a website than parents of girls. It is interesting to note that few parents help their kids use online library resources Chart 6 Do your parents help you find information on the Internet? such as the public library or the Online Reference Centre. As well, Wikipedia does not seem to be a site recommended by parents. It could be that students know how to get to Wikipedia right away so do not require their parents help. With over 30per cent responding that a good website has information relevant to the topic, that it is current or up to date (20per cent) and comes from a recognized association (over 25per cent), it seems that the majority of participants know how to evaluate websites. We think teachers would be pleased by this result because they remind us often how to evaluate websites. Figure 1 Write one or two words to describe what you think about finding information on the Internet
Both boys and girls used words like helpful, useful and easy as the most frequent responses to this question. Few of them wrote that is was not always reliable. Even fewer said that it was hard or difficult. It seems that kids generally are comfortable using the Internet for searching. Chart 7 If your parents assist you with your research, how do they help you?
Chart 8 What do you think makes a website good for research?

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Research Hypotheses: Findings

1. Grade6 students look for information that is easy and quick to find. This hypothesis is supported by the data as all participants used the Internet, and most of them used search engines like Google most often. 2. Grade6 students tend not to use databases for finding research information. Because only 15per cent of participants used online library resources/databases, this hypothesis is supported by the research. 3. Grade6 students tend to select information from the first website they find. This hypothesis is not supported by the research 70per cent of the students read through the results and only 17per cent chose the first website found.
We asked only Grade6 students to respond to our survey. Maybe we would have got different results if we had asked other grades as well. Also, we asked only about using the Internet for research. Kids might be using other resources like libraries, experts, newspapers, and books for their searches.
Recommendations
Our results show that Grade6 students do not know about search engines designed specifically for kids. We think teachers could create a list of those kinds of search engines and provide it to kids, which would help them find appropriate information for homework assignments. Very few students in our study use the Alberta Governments Online Reference Centre. The databases in this resource are aimed at K12 students and show which resource is best for what grades. Teachers could send home the login and password with students so they could search the databases in the Online Reference Centre at home. The school library staff member could teach the students how to search the databases and suggest which ones to use for different types of assignments. Also, in research assignments, the teachers could specifically require students to search databases in the Online Reference Centre, note what information they found there, and compare it to a search in Google and a search in a kid-appropriate search engine. For the majority of students, parents help them find information for research projects at least sometimes. Parents may not be aware of online library resources like the Online Reference Centre and databases offered through the public library. School libraries could offer information sessions to parents at the beginning of the year on how to help their kids find appropriate and accurate information using these tools. A local public librarian could visit classes and talk about the online resources available to everyone who has a public library card. We really enjoyed doing our research and discovering how Grade6 students find information. We hope our study results make a difference and more students will use authoritative library resources such as databases from the Online Reference Centre or kid-specific search engines, rather than always using Google. We shared our PowerPoint slides with the schools that participated and created a list of kid-friendly search engines.
Conclusions
1. All participants use the Internet to find research information. 2. Kids do not use search engines specifically designed for kids. 3. Kids do not use online library resources or databases such as Online Reference Centre or the electronic resources from the public library. 4. Kids appear to know how to evaluate a website, but seem to think the type of website (address) does not matter. They will most likely read through the results of their search and then pick what they think is the best one. 5. There are few differences between boys and girls when they are searching for information. 6. Parents are more inclined to help girls than they are boys when they search for information.
Reflection
Limitations
Our study had some limitations. Even though we gave a list of instructions for teachers to use before their students completed the survey, we had no way of knowing what each teacher said. It might have been better if we had spoken to each class in person instead. As well, we had only a 64per cent overall return rate of surveys. Perhaps if we had given an incentive, we might have had a greater return rate.
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Bibliography
American Association of School Librarians (AASL). 2007. Standards for the 21st-Century Learner. Chicago, Ill: American Library Association. Brasch, N. 2011. The Technology Behind the Internet. Mankato, Australia: Smart Apple Media. Connolly, S. 2010. The Internet and the World Wide Web. Mankato, Australia: Smart Apple Media. Media Awareness Network. 2005. Young Canadians in a Wired World: Phase II, Student Survey. Ottawa, Ont: Media Awareness Network. . 2012. Young Canadians in a Wired World: Phase III, Teachers Perspectives. Ottawa, Ont: Media Awareness Network.
Nesset, V. 2009. The Information-Seeking Behaviour of Grade-Three Elementary School Students in the Context of a Class Project. PhD diss, McGill University. November, A. 2008. Web Literacy for Educators. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin.
Experts Consulted
Alix Hayden, PhD, librarian at the University of Calgary Ruth Hayden, PhD, professor emeritus in the Department of Elementary Education, University of Alberta
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Appendix A
Millennials Internet Research Habits
Hello: We are Claire and Maya from StVincent de Paul School. We are in Grade6 and are doing research for the 2012 Calgary Science Fair. We want to learn where Grade6 students look for information for research topics. When you do a project, you usually have to do some research on a topic. For example, if you have to write a science report on a planet, you need to find information about the planet before you can write the report. Please answer the following questions about finding information. Pretend that you need to find information on a planet when you are answering each question. Think about what you would do to find information. 1. Do you use the Internet to find information for research topics? q All the time 2. q Sometimes q Never
Which of the following do you use to find information? Check the box beside the ones that you use. Check all the ones that you use. q Search Engine : Google, Bing, Yahoo, AskJeeves q Search Engine for Kids : YahooKids, AskJeeves for Kids, KidsClick q Online Library Resource : Online Reference Center from LearnAlberta, ELibrary from Calgary Public Library, Kids Search from Calgary Public Library q Other (name the ones that you use)
3.
Which one do you use most often? Check the box beside the one that you use most often. Check only ONE BOX. q Search Engine : Google, Bing, Yahoo, AskJeeves q Search Engine for Kids : YahooKids, AskJeeves for Kids, KidsClick q Online Library Resource : Online Reference Center from LearnAlberta, ELibrary from Calgary Public Library, Kids Search from Calgary Public Library q Other (name the one that you use most often)
4.
When choosing a website, what do you do? Check the box beside the response that best describes how you choose a website. Check only ONE BOX. q Pick the first one at the top of the list q Read through the results and then pick q Pick the result that comes from Wikipedia q Other (describe how you choose a website)
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5.
Do you choose a website with the following web addresses? Check the box beside the ones that you use. Check all the ones that you choose. q .edu q .org q .ca q dont know q .com q doesnt matter
6.
Do your parents help you find information on the Internet? q All the time q Sometimes q Never
7.
If your parents assist you with your research, how do they help you? Choose ALL THAT APPLY. q Find an appropriate website for me q Help me get to Wikipedia q Help me figure out what keywords to use q Review the website and information with me q Help me determine if the website has accurate and correct information q Help me search online library resources like Online Reference Center, ELibrary (Calgary Public Library) q Other (describe how your parents help you)
8.
What do you think makes a website good for research? Choose ALL THAT APPLY. q It is first one at the top of the page of results q The author is an authority or expert; name of author given q The information is relevant, useful and appropriate to the topic you searched q The information is opinion with no facts q The website has pretty colors and lots of pictures q The information is current; there is a date on the page q There are lots of ads and pop-ups q The website is from a recognized association or government (like NASA for space information)
9.
Write one or two words to describe what you think about finding information on the Internet.
10.
Gender: q Male q Female
Thank you for helping us with our Science Fair survey. You have really helped us a lot and we are really grateful. We will send your teacher a copy of our results.
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Professional Learning Community in Action in Medicine Hat

Transforming the Inquiry Process for Elementary and Secondary Language Arts
Rhonda Hunter
o address the needs of our students in kindergarten through to Grade12, the teacher-librarians from Medicine Hat School District worked together to transform the inquiry process to fit elementary and secondary-school language, to find the instructional intelligence strategies to address each component and, finally, to create links to sources that are relevant and appropriate and speak in the language that 5- to 18-year-olds can understand. The inquiry process outlined by Alberta Education was modified slightly, but the essence of the process is still intact, with only minor changes to the wording and organization. The I-Cubed title was also part of this process. The components, instructional intelligence and inquiry, work interdependently with each other to enable students and teachers to take advantage of the work we have done. It was our intent to compile the overwhelming amount of information available on the World Wide Web into a manageable inquiry process.
This online tool is available to anyone at www .livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=215441 or http://tinyurl.com/9hcrvub; please note that attachments can be opened only through Google Chrome.
Back row: Anne Rogers, Avis Gaudet, Chris Townsend (retired), Linda Ruetz (retired), Sharon Samcoe (retired) Front row: Lisa Mueller, Rhonda Hunter Missing: Kelly Marshall, Maria Thompson, Bryce Donauer
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School Library Services Initiative (SLSI) Update: June 2012

Judith Sykes
he School Library Services Initiative (SLSI) focuses on reviewing K12 school library services and support resources. Results from a survey about the state of school library services in Alberta (2009) confirmed the need to review and update the 1984 school library policy and are informing the draft of a revised policy and support resources under development. SLSI is coordinated by Alberta Education in consultation with advisory and interbranch committees.
Success
Research
SLSI has examined literature/research in the area of school library services, school development, collaboration with other libraries, and Canadian and American school library standards and documents, including Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Web-based supports for a revised policy include Library Programs in Canada (Asselin, Branch and templates, visuals and examples for implementing, Oberg 2003), Standards for the 21st-Century Learner supporting and assessing a learning commons. Ideas (American Association of School Librarians [AASL] for School Library Transformation and School 2007), Connections: Policy and Guidelines for School Library Services Plan Template: Transforming to a Libraries in Saskatchewan (Saskatchewan Ministry of Learning Commons Guiding Questions (Draft) are Education 2008), and Together for Learning: School available at Alberta Educations Curriculum Libraries and the Emergence of the Coordinator Learning Commons (Ontario Library Corner, http:// How can we ensure that students leave school Association 2010). tinyurl. having learned how to learn? Having learned The literature/research supports a com/9mhhype, how to know when they need information? student-centred learning commons for getting started. Where to find it and how to know if its any perspective focused on student An inservice series good or not? (Lance 2007) learning outcomes developed for school library through a plan that is part of the learning commons whole school plan and provides a teams based on A base for schools to engage in conversation to develop Guide to Support Implementation: Essential Conditions contextually unique school library learning commons (Albertas Education Partners 2010) is under developenvironments. ment. Opportunities to provide digital library
A draft revised School Library Services Policy and Guidelines was developed in collaboration with stakeholders and other ministries; the revision includes transitioning to a school library learning commons perspective in which students are supported in their diverse learning needs through physical and/or online library services (Alberta Education 2011a, 70).The revision is currently being reviewed by Alberta Education in consideration of future curriculum development as outlined Extensive research (21states, Ontario, British in Our Children, Our Future: Getting it Columbia) supports the correlation of reading Right (Alberta Education 2012) and growth and overall student achievement with Framework for Student Learning: quality school library services. (Krashen 2004; Competencies for Engaged Thinkers and Lance and Loertscher 2005) Ethical Citizens with an Entrepreneurial Spirit (Alberta Education 2011b).
Tips
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resources to all Albertans through economy of scale are being explored. Alberta Education has made available at no cost to all school authorities LearnAlberta.ca, which provides teaching and learning resources and a virtual library through the Online Reference Centre. Additional information can be viewed at the School Library Services Initiative (SLSI) website, www .education.alberta.ca/department/ipr/slsi.aspx. Contact Judith Sykes, school library services manager, Education Program Standards and Assessment Division, at 403-297-5024 (toll free by dialing 310-0000 first) or by e-mail at judith.sykes@gov.ab.ca.
American Association of School Librarians (AASL). 2007. Standards for the 21st-Century Learner. Chicago, Ill: AASL. Available at www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/ content/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/AASL_ LearningStandards.pdf or http://tinyurl.com/7cp6ytx (accessed August20, 2012). Asselin, Branch and Oberg. 2003. Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada. Ottawa, Ont: Canadian Association for School Libraries. Available at www .clatoolbox.ca/casl/slic (accessed August20, 2012). Krashen, S. 2004. The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research. 2nd ed. Westport, Conn: Libraries Unlimited. Lance, K C. 2007. The Sower: Interview with Keith Curry Lance. By DAchterman, School Library Journal, October1. Available at www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/ CA6484335.html (accessed August 21, 2012). Lance, K C, and DVLoertscher. 2005. Powering Achievement: School Library Media Programs Make a Difference: The Evidence Mounts. 3rd ed. Salt Lake City, Utah: Hi Willow. Ontario Library Association. 2010. Together for Learning: School Libraries and the Emergence of the Learning Commons. Toronto, Ont: Ontario Library Association. Available at www .accessola.org/OLAWEB/Together_for_Learning/T4L_ Vision_Document/OLAWEB/OSLA/Together_for_Learning/ T4L_Vision_Document.aspx?hkey=66a90fb4-ce5d-458d-83337a6820a33376 or http://tinyurl.com/8pxy2ra (accessed August20, 2012). Saskatchewan Ministry of Education. 2008. Connections: Policy and Guidelines for School Libraries in Saskatchewan. Regina, Sask: Saskatchewan Ministry of Education. Available at www.education.gov.sk.ca/adx/aspx/adxGetMedia. aspx?DocID=1870 or http://tinyurl.com/8ph9hxt (accessed August 20, 2012).
References
Alberta Education. 2011a. Annual Report 20102011. Edmonton, Alta: Alberta Education. Available at www.education.alberta .ca/media/6552055/anualreport2011.pdf or http://tinyurl .com/8jh6ew5 (accessed September 18, 2012). . 2011b. Framework for Student Learning: Competencies for Engaged Thinkers and Ethical Citizens with an Entrepreneurial Spirit. Edmonton, Alta: Alberta Education. Available at http:// education.alberta.ca/media/6581166/framework.pdf or http://tinyurl.com/8m4dca4 (accessed August21, 2012). . 2012. Our Children, Our Future: Getting It Right. Edmonton, Alta: Alberta Education. Available at http://ideas. education.alberta.ca/engage/current-initiatives/educationact-getting-it-right or http://tinyurl.com/822urcf (accessed August21, 2012). Albertas Education Partners. 2010. A Guide to Support Implementation: Essential Conditions. Available at www .essentialconditions.ca (accessed August 21, 2012).
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ASLC Website Update

What a Difference a Year Makes!
Kelly Reierson and Lissa Davies
appy Birthday! Alberta School Library Councils website is one year old, and what an exciting year its been! New content continues to be added, focusing on anything and everything to do with school libraries. Highlights include how to build a learning commons, technology tools for teachers and TLs, resources for inquiry teaching and learning, and opportunities and bursaries for professional development. Our blog has grown from just three followers (probably the contributors) to more than 100. Post topics range from how to run an effective program
and the reality of being a part-time librarian (Point 2: Whats a TL to Do? in this issue of LLL is a great example of our blog content) to the best research resources and how to engage teachers and students with Web2.0. Become one of our followersor, better yet, contribute by submitting a post or post idea to our webmaster, Kelly Reierson, at kreierso@gmail. com. Be sure to follow our ASLC website to keep up to date on upcoming events. New content is always being added. Check us out at www.ASLC.ca!
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TLDL Convocation 2012

Jennifer Branch
ongratulations to the recent graduates of the TLDL program. Two students, Carol Wilkinson and Yaz Lemieux, attended the ceremonies on campus. A luncheon to celebrate convocation was held on campus on Tuesday, June12. We are excited that we were successful in our application for a grant to build on the already successful TeacherLibrarianship by Distance Learning program. Funding will support the development of an online master of library and information studies degree, to be housed in the School of Library and Information Studies, focusing on small and medium-sized public libraries. We will also build on the success of online education by developing additional opportunities for teachers across Canada and around the world to complete a master of education degree in elementary education. More news to come.
Yasmina Lemieux, from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and Carol Wilkinson, from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, enjoy their preconvocation lunch at the Faculty of Education. They both graduated this year from the TLDL program at the University of Alberta. Carol is also a contributor to this issue of Literacies, Learning and Libraries.
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2011 ASLC Bursary Recipients

Diane GallowaySolowan
SLC has once again awarded bursaries to assist teachers to pursue further study and professional development in teacher-librarianship. The winners for 2011 were Shelly Jobagy, Erin Hansen and Janice Sundar. Please go to the ASLC website (www.aslc.ca) for further information should you be interested in applying for these bursaries.
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News and Awards from the Regionals

South
Jacquie Vincent
he annual banquet of the South Regional (Calgary) Alberta School Library Council, held on Thursday, June 7, 2012, honoured the contributions made to school libraries by teacher-librarians, administrators, library assistants and library technicians. The 2012 recipient of the Bev Anderson Certificate of Merit: Administrators was Barb McPherson, principal of Grant MacEwan Elementary School, in Calgary. Barb was nominated by Irene Masciuch, assistant principal and teacher-librarian at Grant MacEwan Elementary School. The 2012 recipients of the Tom Colbens Certificate of Merit for Library Assistants/Library Technicians were Sherry Martel, of Grant MacEwan Elementary School, and Bette Willson, library assistant at Henry Wise Wood High School. Sherry was nominated by Irene Masciuch, assistant principal and teacher-librarian at Grant MacEwan Elementary School. Bette was nominated by Sherri Blyth, teacher-librarian at Henry Wise Wood High School. The annual banquet was also the occasion to honour the contributions of two council members: Marsha Hales, education strategist and former teacher-librarian with the Calgary Board of Education; and Judith Sykes, school library services manager with Alberta Education, and a former principal and teacher-librarian with the Calgary Board of Education. Marsha and Judith both retired at the end of the 2011/12 school year. Congratulations to all the honourees!
Irene Masciuch, Barb McPherson, Tom Colbens, Sherry Martel
Sherry Martel, Tom Colbens, Bette Willson
Sherri Blyth, Tom Colbens, Bette Willson
Judith Sykes, Marsha Hales
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North
Rob Poole2012 Award of Merit
Fern Reirson
library website and has participated in development of the http://mylibrary.epsb.ca site with other Edmonton Public Schools teacher-librarians. He also recently collaborated with Edmonton Public Schools teacherlibrarians to provide access to e-books for students. Rob Pooles longevity as a teacher-librarian in this precarious profession is witness to both the esteem in which he is held by administrators and colleagues and his effectiveness with students. His willingness to work with colleagues at his school, at the Edmonton Public School district level and with Alberta School Library Council colleagues demonstrates his commitment to excellence for the profession of teacher-librarians and, most of all, his students. A special note: Rob Poole was also named the 2012 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Associations National Coach of the Year. Rob is the head coach of the MacEwan University womens basketball program.
Ron Bradley2012 Award of Merit for Administrators

Fern Reirson, Rob Poole Rob Poole received the 2012 Award of Merit from the North Regional ASLC for his outstanding commitment and exemplary leadership in school librarianship. Rob has been the teacher-librarian at Harry Ainlay High School, in Edmonton, Alberta, for the past 16years. Over this time, he has hosted international, provincial and local visitors who want to see an exemplary school library commons in action. Rob has provided professional development for his own school staff and for school library staff in our regional repeatedly throughout his career. He has acted as a model teacher-librarian and mentor, and has shared his expertise and resources with new teacher-librarians in Edmonton Public Schools. Rob Poole displayed initiative in moving the Harry Ainlay library toward the model of a library learning commons long before many of us even heard the term learning commons. Over time, he made changes in his schools physical and virtual learning spaces. He developed http://ainlay.ca/library, now recognized as an exemplary virtual learning space by numerous national and international library organizations. Rob created pathfinders for his students and book reviews on his library blog. He initiated access to his schools OPAC [online public access catalogue] through the
Betty Lou Ayers
Betty Lou Ayers, Ron Bradley Ron Bradley, principal of Ross Sheppard High School, in Edmonton, has been a keen supporter of libraries and exemplary library programming for many years. In 1992, when Ron opened a new school, JohnD Bracco Junior High, he hired a teacher-librarian and a library technician team with the ambition of creating a strong library program. This was visionary for this time period, when budget cuts were made across all Edmonton schools.
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In 2009, Ron was strategic in promoting the My Library project (http://mylibrary.epsb.ca) and persuaded high school principals to fund an innovative project that brought a small team of teacher-librarians and a consultant together to design and build a commonly shared website of resources for all Edmonton Public high schools. The purchase of reference e-books and high-quality online databases was also integral to this project. Ron supported this project through the two-year development phase and continues to encourage its further development to this day. Four years ago, with his vision, Ross Sheppards library space was rebuilt into a learning commons. Ron put a great deal of thought, effort and precious budget dollars into reimagining the space. Today it functions as a vital versatile learning space in which a number of teaching professions work. In addition, Rons vision for strong library programming was fortified this year with the hire of a new teacher-librarian, who feels very privileged to work at Ross Sheppard and to have been afforded every courtesy imaginable to bring change and innovation into a high school library program. This year Ron also invited his teacher-librarian to take the lead in a number of schoolwide projects, including East of the Mountains and a three-year technology plan. Congratulations, Ron, on behalf of the North Regional ASLC for taking the initiative to make your teacher-librarian such an integral part of your schools administrative team!
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iLibraries 2012: A Symposium on the 21st-Century Learning Commons

Jamie Davis
n May22, 2012, 105 teachers, teacher-librarians, administrators and library technicians participated in iLibraries 2012: A Symposium on the 21st Century Learning Commons. This professional development day was a joint venture between the Alberta School Library Council (ASLC) and the Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium (ERLC). When we initially started planning this event we were hoping to get at least 20people registered. Little did we know that the demand for a session like this would be so great that it would be full before registration closed, even though we opened more spots! The ASLC was excited to discover that school libraries and the transition to a library learning commons philosophy were important not only to the council and teacher-librarians, but to the larger school community. This event could not have happened on this scale if it were not for the hard work of the ERLC and the fantastic speakers who presentedDrPhil McRae, DrJennifer Branch-Mueller and DrMargaret Mackey. DrPhil McRae, executive staff officer with the Alberta Teachers Association and adjunct professor within the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta, presented an overview of the current educational environment and provided insight into what is coming next in education. He discussed how societal changes have shaped our students expectations. To meet these expectations, education must provide students with choice, flexibility and personalization. The library learning commons approach can play an integral role in this educational transformation by offering any-time, anywhere access to students and by being a place where relationships are created. DrJennifer Branch-Mueller, professor and coordinator of the Teacher-Librarianship by Distance Learning program at the University of Alberta, discussed the key role that professional development plays in our practice. She suggested that models for PD are changing and that they need to change. With our current access to technology, professional learning networks can be developed locally and globally. Even though being a teacher-librarian can make one feel isolated at times, schoolwide professional development is teacher-
librarian development because of the nature of the teacher-librarians role. By using technology we can actively create global professional learning networks that facilitate our practice. DrMargaret Mackey, professor at the School of Library and Information studies at the University of Alberta, wrapped up the day with a wonderful presentation on changing the narrativetransmedia storytelling. Stories are being created outside of text, in ads, DVDs, merchandising and games. Tapping into transmedia storytelling can be very powerful in the learning commons for both staff and students. This is one way we can recognize and honour our students who are entering the library learning commons with an understanding of diverse literacies. Think not of digital immigrants and natives, but rather of digital rule followers and improvisers, and become an improviser yourself! Because of the high demand for this professional development day, the ASLC and ERLC plan to offer two additional sessions in the upcoming school year. In addition to these professional development days, the ASLC is excited to offer a wide variety of professional development opportunities. Furthermore, the council will be providing its members with access to special funds for professional development during the 2012/13 school year. If you are not already a member, this is certainly the year to join.
Kathie Crosby (left) and Patricia Sparling (right) attended the iLibraries 2012 Symposium and the ASLC North Regional awards banquet, in Edmonton.
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ASLC Executive 2011/12
Back (L to R): Diane GallowaySolowan; Betty-Lou Ayers; Janice Sundar; Linda Davis; Holly Huber, Judith Sykes. Front (L to R):Lissa Davies; Donna Grove; Jill Usher; Kelly Rierson; Jamie Davis.
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Guidelines for Contributors

Literacies, Learning & Libraries is published to enhance the competencies of school library professionals; increase knowledge, understanding and awareness of the role of school library programs in education; and stimulate thinking, explore new ideas, offer various viewpoints and share information about learning resources and school library programs.
Articles from all educators are welcome. Teacherlibrarians are especially invited to write about aspects of teacher-librarianship and school library programs that interest them and to share ideas with colleagues. Submissions are requested that will stimulate personal reflection, theoretical consideration and practical application. Articles that present differing perspectives; innovative, cooperatively planned and taught programs; trends and issues in teacher-librarianship; research findings; or reviews or evaluations of learning resources in all media are appreciated. From time to time, the editor may identify specific themes or topics for special issues and invite submissions on these topics. Manuscripts should be submitted by e-mail with an accompanying hard copy mailed to the editor. A cover page should include the contributors name, professional position, degree(s) held, address, and telephone and fax numbers. A recent photograph and related biographical information are also requested. Manuscripts may be up to 3,500 words long. References to literature made in the text of the submission should appear in full in a list at the end of the article. Literature not cited in the text but providing background material or further reading should be listed similarly. Photographs, line drawings, diagrams and other graphics are welcome. To ensure quality reproduction, photographs should be clear and have good contrast. A caption and photo credit should accompany each photograph, and people in photographs should be clearly identified on a separate sheet of paper submitted with the photograph. (Note: do not write on the back of a photograph or attach information to it in any way that could mark its surface.) The contributor is responsible for obtaining releases for the use of photographs. Only original drawings should be submitted, and the source of the drawings must be credited. Disks and photographs will be returned. Contributors whose manuscripts are accepted will receive two copies of Literacies, Learning & Libraries containing the published article. Literacies, Learning & Libraries, published once yearly, is not refereed. Contributions are reviewed by the editor, who reserves the right to edit for clarity and space. Manuscripts, including the specified cover page and accompanied by one copy of the Copyright Transfer Agreement below, may be sent to Diane GallowaySolowan 838 112B Street NW Edmonton, AB T6J 6W2 Phone 780-432-4507 (res) 780-414-0805 (bus) Fax 780-414-0806 E-mail dgs@thealbertalibrary.ab.ca
Copyright Transfer Agreement

I (the author) transfer copyright of the manuscript entitled _________________________________________________ by (names of authors) __________________________________________ to the Alberta Teachers Association (ATA), in consideration of publication for the Alberta School Library Council. This transfer shall become effective if and when the manuscript is accepted for publication, thereby granting the ATA the right to authorize republication, representation and distribution of the original and derivative material. I further certify that the manuscript under consideration has not been published and is not being considered by another publisher. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Name (signature of one author is required) Date
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Diversity Equity Human Rights Diversity Equity Human Rights
We are there for you!
www.teachers.ab.ca
PD-80-14 indd gr4
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Diversity Equity Human Rights Diversity Equity Human Rights
Specialist councils role in promoting diversity, equity and human rights

Albertas rapidly changing demographics are creating an exciting cultural diversity that is reflected in the provinces urban and rural classrooms. The new landscape of the school provides an ideal context in which to teach students that strength lies in diversity. The challenge that teachers face is to capitalize on the energy of todays intercultural classroom mix to lay the groundwork for all students to succeed. To support teachers in their critical roles as leaders in inclusive education, in 2000 the Alberta Teachers Association established the Diversity, Equity and Human Rights Committee (DEHRC). DEHRC aims to assist educators in their legal, professional and ethical responsibilities to protect all students and to maintain safe, caring and inclusive learning environments. Topics of focus for DEHRC include intercultural education, inclusive learning communities, gender equity, UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network, sexual orientation and gender variance. Here are some activities the DEHR committee undertakes: Studying, advising and making recommendations on policies that reflect respect for diversity, equity and human rights Offering annual Inclusive Learning Communities Grants (up to $2,000) to support activities that support inclusion Producing Just in Time, an electronic newsletter that can be found at www.teachers .ab.ca; Teaching in Alberta; Diversity, Equity and Human Rights. Providing and creating print and web-based teacher resources Creating a list of presenters on DEHR topics Supporting the Association instructor workshops on diversity Specialist councils are uniquely situated to learn about diversity issues directly from teachers in the field who see how diversity issues play out in subject areas. Specialist council members are encouraged to share the challenges they may be facing in terms of diversity in their own classrooms and to incorporate these discussions into specialist council activities, publications and conferences. Diversity, equity and human rights affect the work of all members. What are you doing to make a difference? Further information about the work of the DEHR committee can be found on the Associations website at www.teachers.ab.ca under Teaching in Alberta, Diversity, Equity and Human Rights. Alternatively, contact Andrea Berg, executive staff officer, Professional Development, at andrea.berg@ata.ab.ca for more information.
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Alberta School Library Council Executive 2011/12

http://aslc.teachers.ab.ca
President Holly Huber hhuber@ualberta.ca or hjchuber@gmail.com Past President Betty-Lou Ayers bayers@ualberta.ca or ayers.bettylou@gmail.com President-Elect TBD Secretary Janice Sundar janicesundar@gmail.com Treasurer Donna Grove dmgrove@shaw.ca Webmaster Kelly Reierson kelly.reierson@epsb.ca or kreierso@gmail.com Publications Editor Diane GallowaySolowan dgallow.sol@gmail.com Conference Director Jill Usher jnusher@shaw.ca or jill.usher@ei.educ.ab.ca Membership/Mentorship Coordinator Lissa Bonnell-Davies lissa.davies@epsb.ca or lissadavies@gmail.com Kaleidoscope Conference 2012 Linda Davis lsdavis@shaw.ca or lsdavis@cbe.ab.ca LAA Representative TBD University of Alberta Representative TBD Alberta Education Representative Judith Sykes judith.sykes@gov.ab.ca PEC Liaison Christine Harris christine.harris@teachers.ab.ca ATA Staff Advisor Marg Preston marg.preston@ata.ab.ca
REGIONAL PRESIDENTS North Jamie Davis jamiedvs@me.com South Nikki Coles necoles@cbe.ab.ca
ISSN 1918-1779 Printed in Barnett House 11010 142 Street NW Edmonton AB T5N 2R1

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Literacies, Learning & Libraries

of the Alberta Teachers Association

Alberta School Library Council

Volume 5, Number 1, 2012

M a k iin g iit R e a ll Mak ng t Rea

Volume 5, Number 1, 2012

From Theory to Practice

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

From the Editors Desk

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Valuing and Validating the Culture of Aboriginal Students in School Libraries

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

What Does The Literature Say?

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Grounded in Language and Culture

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Integration of Aboriginal and Western Knowledge

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Reflections and Implications

Implications for School Libraries

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Exploring the Benefits of Object-Based Learning

Object-Based Learning Defined

It Begins with Inquiry

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Object-Based Learning as Linked to the Alberta English Language Arts Outcomes

Objects as a Tool to Build Prior Knowledge

Objects as a Tool to Support Oral Communication Skills

Objects as a Tool to Support Inferential Thinking

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Objects as a Tool to Support Assessment

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Moving Toward Teacher-Librarianship and an Integrated School Library Program

Define 21st-Century Learners, Teachers and Integrated School Library Programs

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

The Roles of the TeacherLibrarian: What the Classroom Teacher Can Do

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Collaborate and Share Leadership

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Building an Intellectual Toolkit Through Inquiry

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Web 2.0: Adding Technology to the Toolkit

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Evaluating and Reflecting

Processing and Creating

Builders and Creators

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Editors note: websites were accessed on August10, 2012.

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

How Do Teacher-Librarians Build Leadership Capacity?

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

The Importance of Teacher-Librarian Leadership

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Literacies, Learning & Libraries, Vol 5, No 1, 2012

Universal Design for Learning