Social Constructivist Digital Literacy: A Proposed Model Curriculum for School Librarians

• In Event: 33.072 - Potential Futures for School Libraries: Researcher Perspectives

Abstract

The most recent versions of two sets of national education technology standards offer definitions of information and digital literacy that articulate outcomes related to creative technology uses and dispositions for productivity with technology tools (ISTE, 2007; AASL, 2007). The Reading, Writing and Research standards within the Common Core State Standards initiative require that students synthesize, evaluate, and present increasingly complex information, ideas, and evidence through reading, listening and speaking, as well as through engagement with information technology and media in its many forms. The National Education Technology Plan (NETP) of 2010 creates a roadmap for transforming schools towards more seamless integration of technology for teaching and learning. However, implementation in U.S. public schools of substantive and project-based technology learning experiences is still relatively rare.

Norris & Soloway (2011) identify these barriers to technology adoption by teachers: lack of vision, lack of leadership, lack of money, “curriculum, curriculum, curriculum,” infrastructure (both technological and human), parents resisting 21st-Century methods, “it takes time to change,” and finally, “the 800-pound gorilla—assessment.” Wellings and Levine (2009) further note the dilemma of innovation outpacing research as a hurdle for school educational technology decision-makers. They note that research eliciting clear pragmatic findings for effective technology integration practice is sorely needed (2009). Given the standardized testing accountability experienced by U.S. educators, and the targeting of curriculum to “teach to the test,” it remains unclear how the technology integration benchmarks established by policies such as those cited above will ever be realized.

This presentation will address the prospective responsibility of the school librarian as a key school leader and stakeholder in the delivery of formal in-school instructional interventions to inculcate students’ dispositions, practices and expertise across multiple dimensions of 21st century skills. The presentation will offer an activist stance on promoting a re-imagined role for school librarians, and demonstrating a proposed theoretically-driven model curriculum that draws upon the literature on Constructionism and “guided inquiry,” to support school librarians’ design and implementation of information and digital literacy development instruction. The curriculum aims to facilitate students’ engagement in a complex, sustained digital design task, supported by inquiry, collaboration and knowledge-sharing instructional scaffolds, and ample time on task (an entire school year). The presentation includes results from an initial pilot study at a school in Northeastern Philadelphia, where the curriculum is being tested with school librarians and a curriculum director at the middle school and high school levels (N of students = 45).

This discussion is particularly suited to the AERA community, in that such a re-imagination of school librarians’ roles will require buy in and certain commitments from school leaders such as curriculum directors and principals more widely. The model provides an anchoring curricular template to offer school librarians a toolkit and sequence of specific activities to conduct with students over time. The presentation will offer evidence of the ways in which school librarians can promote effective learning outcomes in the area of “social constructivist digital literacy,” given this re-imagined role.

Author

• Rebecca Reynolds, Rutgers University