Other ways of knowing: How school librarians can take a leadership role in addressing multiliteracies across the curriculum in the school library

Other ways of knowing:How school librarians can take a leadership role in addressing multi-literacies across the curriculum in the school libraryE-tech ConferenceFebruary 13, 2013Dr. Meghan Harper and Ms. Liz DeskinsGoalsShare overview of multi-literacies conceptSuggest strategies for facilitating literacy in the school library and classroomShare professional resourcesHistory of Multi-literaciesTerm first coined by New London Group, 1996Ten individuals in field of literacy pedagogyimportance of dialogue Literacy instruction should move beyond traditional reading and writing instructionterm multiliteracies to describe two aspects of literacy teaching and learning in the 21st century.

Focusfuture of teaching literacy; to discuss what would need to be taught in a rapidly changing near future, and how this should be taughtCope and Kalantzis, 2000Two Aspects of Teaching LiteracyMultiliteracies used to describe two aspects of teaching/learning literacy in the 21st centuryThe scope of literacy teaching should extend to including the diversity of culturesAvailability of the multi-modality of text forms and the connections between modes of representationTechnologies (internet, wikis, blogs, cell phones) has impacted the nature of text as well as the ways in which people use and interact with text.Borsheim, Merritt &Reed, 2008Current ObservationNew technologies have changed the types of communicationCommunication no longer limited to text-based representations of languageIncreasingly multi-media, images, sound and video accompany textnecessitates expansion of how literacy is taught and assessed in public educationHow Literacy is Taught and AddressedTeachers become designers of student learning environmentsLearners are designers of their own knowledge Individuals are both inheritors of patterns and conventions of meaning usually governed by language and designers of meaning designers of social futures (possibly workplace futures, public futures, community futures)Cope and Kalantzis, 2000Where and how do school libraries situate themselves in literacy education?School libraries should be considered the knowledge central of the school.School libraries have become responsive to changes in how students gather and exchange information.Many limitations of old have been eliminated but new challenges to meeting students where they are and providing access to multi-modes of information and promoting transliteracy across mediums must be addressed.

Warehouses of informationKnowledge CentralWhat does it mean to be literate today?21st Century Skills

The 21st Century requires us to create a generation of thinkers, learners who think creatively to solve problems and who collaborate with others at home and in the workplace. The ability to learn and create new ideas is essential for the 21st Century Teaching 21st Century Skills by Sue Z. Beers

Learning is most effective when:Multi-sensory experiencePrepares students for real-world concepts and application to real lifeStimulates interest in subjects that are introduced in school, community or part of their world Our Meta-Framework for engagementAre you Literate?Being able and willing to communicate and understand across differences in language and other modes and media for communication, in ideology, in culture and in geography is at the heart of what it means to be literate nowThe Future of Literacy Studies by Glynda Hull and Mark Nelson

Our students: Born DigitalThose who grow up immersed in digital technologies for whom a life fully integrated with digital devices is the norm.

Beckman Center for Internet and Society, Harvard University

Digital nativesdigital skills and knowledge are not evenly spread amongst all young people. Their distribution is affected by class, race, gender and nationality, creating a participation gap. Jenkins et al, 2009Literacies across the curriculumInformation LiteracyMulticultural Literacy and Global AwarenessMedia LiteracyVisual LiteracyDigital literacyTransliteracyBridging the gapsDigital divide AccessSchool Home Now FutureReal-life Academic content

What will the school library of the future look like?The library of the future will be home to highly relevant information experiences, where great ideas happen, and people have the tools and facilities to act on their ideas.Thomas Frey, Senior Futurist at the DaVinci Institute

Designing Learning SpacesDesigned to foster literacy through multi-modes of learningHands-on, exploratoryExpressive arts e.g. music, art, dramatic play

Fort Vancouver Regional Library District, Vancouver (Wash.) CommunityLibrary The Early Learning Center at the Vancouver Community Library fills more than 4,500 square feet with 20 interactive structures and hundreds of interactive play elements. The space is broken down into five zones: Land of Imagination, River Zone, Light Tower, Resource Center, and Mechanical Artworks. Each zone offers layers of shapes, colors, and interactions, so parents and children can discover new activities on subsequent visits. Activities in the space spotlight every letter, as well as pre-literacy skills.

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Child-sized village with 7 different learning areas; library, house, theater, a store, Chesapeake Bay waterfront, baby garden and construction site. (Baltimore County Public Library)

Green teen spaceFayetteville (Ark.) Public Library

Fayetteville (Ark.) Public LibraryTeens contributed to the design of Fayetteville Public Librarys new Otwell Teen Library through focus groups, surveys, and a design charrette. Design elements include a new computer lab, gaming area, project room, and communal spaces. The space features extensive use of sustainable materials, including countertops made from shredded milk jugs and laundry bottles, fabrics and carpet with significant recycled content, zero-VOC paints, a recycled-denim wall, and millwork from certified wood providers.

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Santa Cruz (Calif.) Public Libraries, Scotts Valley Library (American Libraries 2012 Library Design Showcase

Technology Rich!Terrebonne Parish Library System, North Branch Library, Houma, LouisianaSchool learning design should be based on what is known about how children learn

Developmentally appropriateUniversally designed for learningIncorporate the latest research in brain developmentOnline resourcesBrain Based Learninghttp://www.designshare.com/Research/BrainBasedLearn98.htm

Universal Design Educationhttp://www.udeducation.org/home.html

Engaging learnersOpportunities for guided discovery and explorationProvide versatile formatsProvide multi-sensory experiences with technology-rich environment to engage the senses

Multi-literacies Online ResourcesMy favs:*Digital literacy and Media LiteracyCommon Sense Mediahttp://www.commonsensemedia.org/ Reviews all types of media, games, movies, apps. Provides discussion questions.Provides teacher and instructional materials for digital literacy and vetted media products

Resources for Pre-K to adultIncludes a wealth of reviews on media formats

Information Literacy resourcesNovember learninghttp://novemberlearning.com/team/ The November Learning Team is dedicated to supporting and challenging teachers and students to expand the boundaries of learning. They are committed to helping educators share and explore ideas in a global forum - to motivating children to develop an awareness of their unique selves and exploring how they can contribute positively to the world around them to truly make a difference.

Visual Literacy http://www.humanities.umd.edu/vislit/

Secondary to adultVisual literacy resources continuedhttp://www.iste.org/images/excerpts/MEDLIT-excerpt.pdfA pdf excerpt that includes a description of the power of media to create change. The pdf includes visual examples. Geared for middle school and aboveProfessional resource for teachers and school librarians on good tips for teaching visual literacyhttp://kathyschrock.net/visual/visual.pdf

Resources continued:Visual literacy K-8http://k-8visual.info/Site for free resources to teach visual literacyTransliteracyProfessional resource for school librarianshttp://www.scoop.it/t/teacher-librarians-and-transliteracyA plethora of articles, resources and information about transliteracy.http://pinterest.com/librarianbyday/transliteracy/Created by Bobbi Newman

Global and Multicultural literacyCritical Multicultural Pavilion: Awareness Activitieshttp://www.edchange.org/multicultural/activityarch.html

Online resources continuedThis checklist is useful to review ideas for implementing ideas for promoting cultural awareness in primary school libraries.http://www11.georgetown.edu/research/gucchd/nccc/documents/checklist.EIEC.doc.pdf ReferencesAvailable upon request.sharper1@kent.eduThank you!Dr. Meghan HarperKent State Universitysharper1@kent.edu

Liz DeskinsHilliard Bradley High Schoolliz4lib2000@yahoo.com E-TECH Conference 2013, Dr. Meghan Harper and Ms. Liz Deskins