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Workshop Abstracts

Friday - Session 1

Friday - Session 2

Saturday - Session 3

Saturday - Session 4

Friday - Session 1

Mini Keynotes

W 1.1 - Dr Ross Todd (Associate Professor in the School of Communication, Information and Library Studies at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, USA)

Guided inquiry: from information to knowledge

Abstract available soon.

W 1.2 - Lisa Shanahan (Author)

On knitting a vision: picture book collaboration

Collaborating on a picture book is a heady, exhilarating, joyous process but also very difficult. For the writer, there is the challenge to write a story that captures some emotional truth about what it means to be human, a story that works with pictures, appeals to a variety of ages and almost sings off the page when read aloud. For the illustrator, there is the challenge to widen the perspective of the story, capturing character, mood and tone in a delicate blend of line and colour, with such feeling that the images speak directly to the heart.

Although these individual challenges are considerable, by far the biggest test is making sure these elements knit together; that the text and the illustrations serve the story so seamlessly that the reader is mostly unaware of how the story comes to them.

In On knitting a vision Lisa Shanahan explores her award-winning collaboration with the illustrator Emma Quay and in particular her own journey to understand the significance of the visual text.

W 1.3 - Gary Green (Director of Library, Presbyterian Ladies' College, WA)

A different footprint?

What is your ‘footprint’ on learning and is it time to start stepping in a different direction?

As we strive to maintain our relevance and value to effective school learning programmes, the attributes of adaptability and flexibility have never been more important. However, with the many recent changes to pedagogy, practice and ICT, it is time to re visit what we are offering to our learning communities and to start changing direction. So, what’s wrong with the current information literacy tools being used to meet the needs of our users?

This mini keynote will critically examine why we need to re examine our learning intervention role and the tools we have been using. It will discuss an alternative-thinking model called the ‘thinking curriculum’ and validate why we need to move to a broader generic type thinking framework if we are to remain or increase our value as key stakeholders in schools.

Be prepared to be challenged about what you do and how you do it!!! Most of all, come and investigate how you can change your footprint on within your learning communities by considering a change.

Workshops

W 1.4 - Sally Blackwell (Senior Curriculum Advisor, ICT, Centre for Learning Innovation - NSW Department of Education and Training)

Literacy through digital stories

A hands on workshop to explore the possibilities of digital story making. We will look at:

• the “theory”
• where to find the CLI digital story maker
• its potential for teachers to work on some of the higher order skills like team work, problem solving and communication as well as student ICT skills
• examples of student produced digital stories

This is a practical, computer based session

W 1.5 - Grant Casey (Senior Project Officer, Centre for Learning Innovation - NSW Department of Education and Training)

Web 2.0 tools for teaching and learning

A hands on workshop to explore a range of Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, wikis, social bookmarking and RSS. For each tool we will look at:

• the “theory”
• where to find Web 2.0 tools and tutorials
• their potential for teachers to work on some of the higher order skills like team work, problem solving and communication
• examples of teachers using these tools in their practice

This is a practical, computer based session

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Friday - Session 2

Mini Keynotes

W 2.1 - Judy O'Connell (Head of Library and Information Services at St Joseph's College)

Learning is a multi-modal conversation

Learning is a global multi-modal conversation, and it is [r]evolutionary. Choice, co-creation, and information access are changing what it means to be a net-savvy teacher. As we pour our own words, tags, sounds, images, and multimedia into the ever-increasing global knowledge and information pool, we have to become adept at patterns of connectivity in these learning contexts. If students think about the internet as a virtual locker, backpack, notebook, diary, and communication tool, then we must create flexible learning environments which are transformed by this multi-modal focus. More than ever flexibility and personalization are at the core of re-purposing our libraries and learning environments in a Web 2.0 world. Are you up for the challenge?

W 2.2 - Lyn Hay (Course Coordinator of the Master of Applied Science (Teacher Librarianship) program, Charles Sturt University)

In 2004 just over 7000 students and teachers from 46 public schools completed an online survey as part of the Student Learning Through Australian School Libraries' project. In this address, Lyn presents some key findings from her research, shares with the audience what students from Years 5 through to Year 12 had to say about how the school library has supported their learning, and presents a range of ways teacher librarians can collect local data to help build evidence of the positive impact the school library’s program has on student learning in their school.

W 2.3 - Gary Green (Director of Library, Presbyterian Ladies' College, WA)

A different footprint?

What is your ‘footprint’ on learning and is it time to start stepping in a different direction?

As we strive to maintain our relevance and value to effective school learning programmes, the attributes of adaptability and flexibility have never been more important. However, with the many recent changes to pedagogy, practice and ICT, it is time to re visit what we are offering to our learning communities and to start changing direction. So, what’s wrong with the current information literacy tools being used to meet the needs of our users?

This mini keynote will critically examine why we need to re examine our learning intervention role and the tools we have been using. It will discuss an alternative-thinking model called the ‘thinking curriculum’ and validate why we need to move to a broader generic type thinking framework if we are to remain or increase our value as key stakeholders in schools.

Be prepared to be challenged about what you do and how you do it!!! Most of all, come and investigate how you can change your footprint on within your learning communities by considering a change.

Workshops

W 1.4 - Sally Blackwell (Senior Curriculum Advisor, ICT, Centre for Learning Innovation - NSW Department of Education and Training)

Online tools for higher order thinking

A hands on workshop designed to introduce and explore a series of free online tools developed by Intel to encourage students to use higher order thinking. We will look at:

• each of the online tools

• how to access them

• their potential for teachers to work on some of the higher order skills like team work, problem solving and communication as well as student ICT skills

• teacher created examples.

This is a practical, computer lab based session

W 1.5 - Ruth Mason (Project Officer, Centre for Learning Innovation - NSW Department of Education and Training)

The Le@rning Federation resources: enriching teaching and learning through ICT

This hands on workshop will introduce participants to the range of online resources developed by the Le@rning Federation (TLF) and explore their potential for teaching and learning. During the workshop we will look at:

• how to discover the TLF resources
• how they could be used effectively in teaching and learning
• their links to Quality Teaching
• examples of lessons teachers have created

This is a practical, computer lab based session

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Saturday - Session 3

W 3.1 - Peter Mahony (Manager, soudhousevectorlab, Powerhouse Museum)

Digital storytelling - C21 voices, C21 writing

Digital storytelling (DST) is a strategy to achieve literacy and numeracy outcomes using engaging media production activities to generate movie style presentations.

Engagement is built around the popular culture cache contained in screen based media production, and personalised by emphasising personal connection between the content (the story) and the students. As a teaching/learning strategy, digital stories present achievable opportunities for creating lively and active learning environments where technology blends with traditional learning techniques and within which cultures of listening and sharing are encouraged.

W 3.2 - Linda Weeks (Teacher Librarian, St Paul's Grammar School)

Creating blogs for school library and classroom use

As part of Web 2.0, blogs are an easy communication method which anyone can use to create a presence on the Web. This workshop aims to show examples, guide you in the how-to, and uncover some of the things to consider when using blog technology. Several options will be compared and a quick look at wikis as another alternative may give food for thought.

This is a practical, computer lab based session

W 3.3 - Rhonda Parnis (Teacher Librarian, Sherwood Grange Public School) & Geoff Maguire (Assistant Principal, Sherwood Grange Public School)

Using Moviemaker to enhance teaching learning outcomes

After examining a unit of work that has been given an ICT element by incorporating the use of Moviemaker software, participants will have hands on experience of using the software to create a movie from supplied footage and go away with ideas on how they use this NSW Department of Education and Training supplied software in their own library.

This is a practical, computer lab based session

W 3.4 - R. Ford (St Andrew's Cathedral School)

History in the school library

In the new millennium the importance of the three Rs, of Reading, wRiting and 'Rithmetic has been transcended, according to Idit Harel, by the the 3 Xs, of eXploring, eXpressing and eXchanging ideas. Harel believes that these 3Xs are “the most important skills we can foster”.

Web 2.0 provides a wide range of opportunities for educators to incorporate the 3 Xs in their teaching. This presentation will look at specific innovative ways the History Department in conjunction with the school library at St Andrew’s Cathedral School are using ICT to allow students to eXplore, eXpress and eXchange ideas.

W 3.5 - Michael Murray (Manager English, Curriculum Directorate - NSW Department of Education and Training) & Prue Green (Senior Curriculum Officer 7-12 English - NSW Department of Education and Training)

Sharing the fun: how teacher librarians can join English teachers on the adventure of the new HSC English Prescriptions

This workshop will look at the challenges and opportunities presented by the new HSC English Prescriptions. This includes an exploration of the Area of Study, the modules and a brief introduction to some of the new texts. Join in the discussion on ways to support teachers and students in achieving HSC English success.

W 3.6 - Barbara Holland (Senior Project Officer Teaching and Learning, Centre for Learning Innovation - NSW Department of Education and Training)

Integrating online student projects into teaching and learning programs

This workshop will introduce participants to a range on online student projects and the explore their applicability for a range of teaching and learning programs. We will investigate:
where to find online student projects
how they could be used effectively in teaching and learning
their links to syllabus and quality teaching
examples of students’ work

W 3.7 - Lizzie Chase (Head Teacher - Teaching and Learning, Chifley College)

Writing success stories: Using the internet to ignite writing in reluctant writers in Years 5 - 7

The aim of this workshop is to share two highly successful writing contracts for reluctant writers which can be used by teacher librarians and English teachers in collaboration. Lizzie Chase used two internet resources and the skills of the teacher librarian to create these writing contracts for Year 7 students which led to an outpouring of writing by previously reluctant writers. These contracts will be described in detail and some of the children’s writing will be shared.

W 3.8 - Margaret Cossey (Founder of Indij Readers) & Kathy Rushton (Lecturer, University of Sydney)

Indigenous voices: bringing the community into the classroom

Participants in this workshop will explore some of the issues related to the teaching of reading. There will be a dual focus on teaching reading in the early years and on teaching reading to students who are not able to effectively read to learn, in the middle years. The significance of the texts chosen to teach reading will be explored in a context that recognises the importance of pedagogy, the quality of teaching and the professional development of teachers.

These issues will be explored with reference to data collected from some Indigenous communities as they were writing and publishing books with Indij Readers. Indij Readers, a not for profit publishing company, came into being to provide Indigenous students with some reading materials that reflected their own lives and culture. The writers and illustrators tell their own stories their own way and in this way help to bring their communities into the classroom.

W 3.9 - Andrew Downie (SEO Adaptive Technologies, Centre for Learning Innovation - NSW Department of Education and Training)

Web 2.0 tools for teaching and learning

This workshop is designed to introduce participants to the potential of mainstream and adaptive technologies to enhance literacy for people who have diverse disabilities

During the workshop we will:

• Define adaptive technologies and describe examples relevant to this workshop.

• Demonstrate products and their potential to provide access to a vast quantity of literature and resource material will be highlighted.

• Examine a project aimed at providing access to the Premier's Reading Challenge by students who have reading difficulties will be outlined, including the various technical and human resources involved.

• Explain and demonstrate the DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) book format.
  
  

W 3.10 - Hilary Hughes (Chief Learning Design Officer, Centre for Learning Innovation - NSW Department of Education and Training)

Ways to use interactive whiteboards in your library

This workshop is designed to suppport teacher librarians use of interactive whiteboards in the library. It will be a hands on workshop in which we will look at:

• research that demonstrates improvements in student learning outcomes through use of IWBs

• sites to find resources suitable for use on IWBs

• pedagogical principles for resources suitable for IWBs

• exemplars of digital materials developed for IWBs

• teacher created examples.

W 3.11 - Paul McDonald (The Children's Bookshop, Beecroft)

Into the Picture and More! A review of hot new picture books, graphic novels and K - 12 fiction

This workshop will focus on a range of new picture books and graphic novels, exploring the relationship between text and graphics. We will go beyond 'the picture', and quickly peruse hot new K - 12 fiction

W 3.12 - Ian McLean (Teacher Librarian, Penrith Public School)

Web 2.0: Working with wikis for K-6

Participants will gain an insight into a practical use of wikis with young students. An example (based on a unit completed with Early Stage One), with a strong focus on literacy, will show how ICT can be embedded into pedagogy in stimulating and practical ways through explicit teaching.

W 3.13 - Anne Freer (NSW Consultant, Australian Bureau of Statistics Information Skills Program)

Statistical literacy is the ability to understand, interpret and evaluate statistical information. The Australian Bureau of Statistics as Australia’s official statistical agency is interested in expanding statistical literacy in the community. This presentation will cover some of the initiatives that ABS has developed in this area, and will particularly focus on the ABS website. Anne Freer will discuss and demonstrate some of the tools currently available on the ABS website. She will also highlight the services and online resources available for librarians in the education sector to assist with statistical literacy in their institutions.

W 3.14 - Wilma Kurvink (Head of Library, Wesley College) & Marie Turnbull (Projects Librarian, Wesley College)

Teachers and librarians working together - an action research project on authentic learning in Year 7

Being part of an ACR research group involved developing ways of avoiding plagiarism in student work. We set out to develop a constructivist learning experience for students, and to incorporate a values based approach to academic honesty. We adopted action research methodology to test assumptions and efficacy of our approach, knowing we might also increase our knowledge/practice as librarians and aas co-facilitators of student inquiry with our teachers. Much data was collected and reflected upon, and many questions arose, which we would like to share with our colleagues and fellow practitioners.

This session will form part of the research strand.

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Saturday - Session 4

W 4.1 - Peter Mahony (Manager, soudhousevectorlab, Powerhouse Museum)

Digital storytelling - C21 voices, C21 writing

Digital storytelling (DST) is a strategy to achieve literacy and numeracy outcomes using engaging media production activities to generate movie style presentations.

Engagement is built around the popular culture cache contained in screen based media production, and personalised by emphasising personal connection between the content (the story) and the students. As a teaching/learning strategy, digital stories present achievable opportunities for creating lively and active learning environments where technology blends with traditional learning techniques and within which cultures of listening and sharing are encouraged.

This practical workshop takes the participants through the journey of creating a digital story.

This is a practical, computer lab based session

W 4.2 - Diane Johnston (Teacher Librarian, Fairfield Heights Public School)

Integrating ICT & Web 2.0 through the library to support student learning

This workshop will present a bird’s eye view of a dynamic pro-active library Eduweb intranet, actively integrating a variety of ICT skills to support classroom learning K-6. The workshop will consist of :

• a selection of grade activities to demonstrate the successful use & promotion of teaching & learning practices through the integration of ICT in the school library K–6

• assisting student learning through the transformation of learning from one format to another

• developing background knowledge into deep knowledge to support the Quality Teaching dimensions & elements

• activities to engage students in active learning

• activities to support teachers in implementing class units of work in Literacy, Numeracy, HSIE , SciTech, Student welfare

This is a practical, computer lab based session

W 4.3 - Michael Murray (Manager English, Curriculum Directorate - NSW Department of Education and Training) & Prue Green (Senior Curriculum Officer 7-12 English - NSW Department of Education and Training)

Writing for the stage and screen with free internet tools

We ask our students to create authentic texts, this industry standard software is very easy to use and gives/teaches students everything they need to create real film scripts, storyboards, character sheets and more. This workshop will introduce these products and explore how they can enrich the teaching of the English 7-10 Syllabus.

W 4.4 - Elizabeth Greef (Head Librarian, St Andrew's Cathedral School)

Collaboration is the key: Making a difference in our schools through integrative and progressive practice

This workshop will look at definitions of collaborative practice, relevant research, the critical role of the teacher librarian, information process models and the underpinning pedagogy of learning communities, information literacy and constructivist learning.

It will present a range of strategies a the macro level for developing opportunities for collaboration with teaching staff and library colleagues and at the micro level, strategies to enable the collaboration to occur in an effective and integrated way once avenues of communication and other forums have been set up.

W 4.5 - Heather Voskuyl (Head of Library, Queenwood School For Girls)

This workshop examines a research task that integrates Science Fiction into Science. It tests the theory of Literary Learning – that reading literature can enhance a student’s understanding in non-literary curriculum areas. The session gives an overview of the theory; the program we devised; and student feedback.

W 4.6 - Cecily Trevillion (Teacher Librarian & Learning Technologies Coordinator, St John the Evangelist High School)

A Web 2 Journey: Inspiring our school learning community into the Web 2 world. Are you a 'Sponge Bob' or a 'Grant Denyer'? Maybe an enhanced podcast can help your school too!

This workshop will outline the exciting journey taken by the Teacher Librarian and staff at St John’s High School, using an enhanced podcast as the exciting catalyst to launch students into an inspiring and engaging learning environment. It will provide student scaffolds, worksheets, staff notes and in-service outline with a class video of a student work unit and responses.

W 4.7 - Lizzie Chase (Head Teacher - Teaching and Learning, Chifley College)

Writing success stories: Using the internet to ignite writing in reluctant writers in Years 5 - 7

The aim of this workshop is to share two highly successful writing contracts for reluctant writers which can be used by teacher librarians and English teachers in collaboration. Lizzie Chase used two internet resources and the skills of the teacher librarian to create these writing contracts for Year 7 students which led to an outpouring of writing by previously reluctant writers. These contracts will be described in detail and some of the children’s writing will be shared.

W 4.8 - Margaret Cossey (Founder of Indij Readers) & Kathy Rushton (Lecturer, University of Sydney)

Indigenous voices: bringing the community into the classroom

Participants in this workshop will explore some of the issues related to the teaching of reading. There will be a dual focus on teaching reading in the early years and on teaching reading to students who are not able to effectively read to learn, in the middle years. The significance of the texts chosen to teach reading will be explored in a context that recognises the importance of pedagogy, the quality of teaching and the professional development of teachers.

These issues will be explored with reference to data collected from some Indigenous communities as they were writing and publishing books with Indij Readers. Indij Readers, a not for profit publishing company, came into being to provide Indigenous students with some reading materials that reflected their own lives and culture. The writers and illustrators tell their own stories their own way and in this way help to bring their communities into the classroom.

W 4.9 - Rosemary Hammerton (Gifted Education Teacher, Loreto Kirribili Junior School)

Cultivating character: Independant research, ethical thinking and social responsibility

This practical seminar will assist teachers to infuse ethical thinking, analytical thinking and creative thinking into a challenging, concept-driven independent research program. It will present strategies, resources and perspectives from an integrated Justice Unit designed for academically gifted Stage 3 students, with application for Middle School learners (Years 5 to 8).

W 4.10 - Hilary Hughes (Chief Learning Design Officer, Centre for Learning Innovation - NSW Department of Education and Training)

Ways to use interactive whiteboards in your library

This workshop is designed to suppport teacher librarians use of interactive whiteboards in the library. It will be a hands on workshop in which we will look at:

• research that demonstrates improvements in student learning outcomes through use of IWBs

• sites to find resources suitable for use on IWBs

• pedagogical principles for resources suitable for IWBs

• exemplars of digital materials developed for IWBs

• teacher created examples.

W 4.11 - Robyn Smith (Senior Learning Design Officer, Centre for Learning Innovation - NSW Department of Education and Training)

Picture books for secondary students

This hands on workshop will introduce a range of print and digital texts to support the teaching of picture books suitable for engaging secondary students. During the workshop we will look at:

• a range of picture books
• digital resources that support student interpretation and composition of picture books

W 4.12 - Trade Fair Presentations

W 4.13 - Trade Fair Presentations

W 4.14 - Dr Ross Todd (Associate Professor in the School of Communication, Information and Library Studies at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, USA), Lyn Hay (Course Coordinator of the Master of Applied Science (Teacher Librarianship) program, Charles Sturt University) & Dr Kirsty Williamson (Director, Information and Telecommunications Needs Research)

Building your evidence: Moving from idea to action!

This workshop is designed to help participants turn a potential research idea into a plan for action. To participate effectively in this workshop, it is expected that all participants bring with them an idea for a school-based project which they would like to implement in their school. This could be an action research project, an evidence-based practice initiative, a reading or literacy initiative, or an idea of how they may involve the school library in a school-based project. This workshop will be conducted as a roundtable where each participant will be asked to share their idea for a project, and raise questions or concerns about their idea. The workshop leaders will work with participants to brainstorm ideas, provide suggestions and advice, provide strategies for overcoming barriers/problems participants have encountered or forseen, work through options for data collection and strategies for gathering evidence, provide advice on how participants might build their project teams, and ideas for publishing the results of their project.

This session will form part of the research strand.

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