Presentation delivered by the Library for Open to IT - Berkhamsted School IT Open Day

1. (Digital) Literacy
Library Department
Rachael Guy - Head of Learning Resources
&
Dr Philippa Ireland - Assistant Librarian

2. (Digital) Literacy
• What is it?
• Other terms?
• Why the brackets?

3. The team’s brainstorming session
http://www.tagxedo.com/artful/edb7c21166cb4765

4. A definition may help us
Ability to locate, organise, understand, evaluate and analyse
information using digital technology and tools
Should it also include the following?
• To identify the correct tool and technology for the
purpose/activity/learning outcome
• To include guidelines on internet safety, control and the ethics
of content

5. Other terms which have been used in place of
digital literacy
• Multi-literacies
• Information literacy
• Lateral literacy
• ICT
• e–Learning
• Digital fluency
• Blended learning

6. Why the brackets?
• The digital part must not be looked at in isolation
• It must be embedded within the key principles of research and
within the curriculum
Our approach
BLENDED
Build on these core skills, principles and
experiences across KS3

7. Encouraging effective
digital research from Year 7
http://bit.ly/yhdFET

8. Encouraging correct usage of content
“Google images are viewable but not always usable”
Berkhamsted School Library
Introducing the Creative Commons Licence
http://creativecommons.org/

9. Next steps
• Ensuring best practice and consistency takes place across all
departments
• Current working party looking at Independent learning
• Development with KS4 pupils

10. Kindles – a case study
RATIONALE
• a natural extension of our existing provision
• intended that the Kindles would give students
teachers the opportunity to try a different
way of reading
• fit in with our reader development
programme
• purchased 2 devices in 2001
(Castle Library (boys) & Kings Library (girls))

11. Kindles – ‘market’ research
• students’ input
– why not another reading device?
– eBooks: good or bad?
– pros and cons
• our own experiences
– WiFi or 3G+WiFi?

12. Kindles – purchasing books
• Which books?
– only fiction and auto/biographies
– requests, recommendations, book group reading choices,
staff suggestions, library lessons (e.g. biographies)
– same decision making process as with rest of book
collection
– great if a book is needed in a hurry
• eBooks
– treated the same as rest of book collection
– catalogued using Library Management System (HERITAGE)

13. Kindles – loaning out
• tighter controls in place
• set of protocols written specifically for the use
of Kindles in a school library environment on
the Internet
– permission granted to tailor and use here
– include acceptable use form, eBook tracking form,
checking out form
– hard copies kept in each Library

14. Kindles – loaning out cont.
• acceptable use form
– signed by pupil
– signed by parent/guardian
• understand that borrowing the Kindle
– is a privilege
– requires extra caution and responsibility
– is for reading books only
• content cannot be added, deleted or changed

15. Kindles – loaning out cont.
• signed form returned to Library
• Kindle loaned either Mon-Thurs OR Thurs-Fri
• each made borrower aware that the books on
the Kindles are suitable for a range of reading
abilities and interests
• usually borrowed to read a specific title which
has been requested in advance

16. Kindles – the story so far
• an extension of our library service
• expose young readers to new and exciting
developments in digital technology
• do not expect that they will replace the book
collection
• just one aspect of the work we do around
reader development

17. - a case study
• Revision podcasts
– anywhere, anytime: revising is more mobile and accessible in
different situations
– listen via PC at school or home
– download to any mobile device via iTunes
• Year 11 trial
– we want student feedback
• new and exciting way of revising
– podcasts: knowledge, skills and experience developed in a social
context transferred into educational world
– will suit some, but not others

18. Sixth form digital literacy
JISC report
“90% of new jobs will require excellent digital skills … it is
imperative that we equip our young adults with digital
competency and skills….”
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/supportingyourinstitution/studentjourney/digilit.aspx

19. Bridging the gap between Sixth form and University
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestarns/5909348100/

20. Sixth form skills sessions
Pilot Project ran from September 2011 - March 2012
1. Re-introduction to the Library
2. Find it- Check it
3. Becoming a Digital Researcher - new tools and technology

21. Challenges
• Achieving the right level of content and
delivery
• Timing of sessions
• Changing Sixth formers thinking
• Pupil feedback and evaluation

22. Staff Expertise
• Sharing our experimentation and best practice with pupils
― our experiences of using a range of tools and technologies including user
generated content and other social media, the cloud, bookmarking, photo
management, blogging, organisational tools, Twitter, QR codes, e reading
devices, ipads, apps - we could go on!
• Internet safety talks and presentations empowering young people
to be safe and in-control online, alongside helping parents to
understand social media tools.

23. Concluding Remarks
In the Library we
• believe that
– digital literacy should begin in school, be cross curricular and then extend into
further education and the workplace
– it is important that we do not make assumptions about students’ pre-existing
skills and knowledge
• integrate a variety of digital strategies into our provision to help promote literacy
• endeavour to make this as natural as possible
• draw on and develop the skills students have acquired outside of school
• help to equip students for future study and to enhance their learning experiences
• highlight issues associated with using digital technology in the C21st
• give pupils access to information through a variety of sources: books and beyond!
• help them to use information in a responsible, appropriate and relevant way.

24. Get in touch via
Library Blog
http://berkschlibr.wordpress.com/
Twitter - @berkholibrarian