A look at how evidence based practice can help tell the story of your library. The presentation links evidence based practice (EBP) to the Australian Curriculum general capabilities and considers ways to use the AITSL Standards to focus evidence collection. This presentation will be of use to all levels of education.

1. VIRTUE IS NOT ENOUGH
P R E S E N T E D B Y
I S O B E L W I L L I A M S
P R E S I D E N T , A S L A
Australian School Library
Association Inc.

2. Introduction
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Isobel Williams
Currently ASLA President,
teacher librarian and year 7
Science teacher at Ogilvie High
School in Hobart
isobel.williams@education.tas.gov.au

3. How does what you do improve your community?
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The mission of [teacher] librarians is to improve
[schools] through facilitating knowledge creation in
their communities.
R. DAVID LANKES (2011)

4. What did the inquiry tell us?
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Potential of school libraries and teacher
librarians to contribute to improved
educational and community outcomes (Section 3)
Research
Evidence Based Practice
Literacy
Supporting teachers
Improving digital literacy
Inclusive hubs of 21st Century learning
Leadership

5. What impact do we have on students?
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Lack of evidence in Australian context

6. Are we invisible?
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Occupational Invisibility? – others do not see the depth
and breadth of what we do Gary Hartzel

7. Evidence Based Practice
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Use to improve student outcomes
Use to gather evidence for your portfolio
Use to advocate

8. Can you answer these questions?
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What differences do my school library and its
learning initiatives make to student learning
outcomes?
What are the tangible learning benefits of my school
library?
How can I improve my teaching practice?
How do I let others know about the answer to these
questions?

9. Issues
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Time
Not my job
I am not a researcher
Accountability
I don’t know what outcomes to focus on
Its all too hard
I don’t need to get accreditation
Not enough time….

10. Its not about numbers…
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Numbers of classes
Numbers of borrowers
Issued items
Lost items
Web pages linked
Items purchased
Questions answered

11. Its about learning outcomes…..
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The Australian Curriculum includes seven general
capabilities:
Literacy
Numeracy
Information and communication technology (ICT)
capability
Critical and creative thinking
Personal and social capability
Ethical understanding
Intercultural understanding.

12. Mission Statements
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Redefine school library as an experience – not a
place
Focus on inquiry, thinking and learning not
collections and access
Celebrate the understood not the found

13. Libraries as verbs
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Examine Understand ImagineImagine Inquire
Interpret Find Search DISCOVER
Create Explore Compare Inform

14. Write a mission statement
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Start writing a mission statement for your school library
Experience not place
Verbs not adjectives
The understood not the found
Always align this to your own school’s mission
statement.

15. Australian Curriculum
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General Capabilities
Literacy
Critical and creative thinking
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
capability
Ethical behaviour

16. Scope of Literacy
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17. Scope of Critical and creative thinking
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18. Scope of ICT competence
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19. Scope of Ethical behaviour
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20. Dimensions of evidence
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Resource capabilities
Thinking capabilities
Knowledge capabilities
Reading to learn
Learning management

21. Collect the evidence
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Student interviews
Student portfolios
Reflection journals
Standards-based scoring guides and rubrics
Surveys of students and teachers
Pre-test and post-test measures
Student generated product
Bibliography
Tests analysed for connections
Measurement of information literacy competencies

22. Focus on Bibliographies
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Diversity of sources
Depth of knowledge
Accuracy of citation
Relevance to learning task
Use of multiple formats
Recency / accuracy
Reason for choice

23. Rubrics
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Scaled according to criteria
Clearly defined performances
Compare with previous assignments

24. Rails - http://railsontrack.info/rubrics.aspx
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25. Feedback
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Formal feedback strategies
Engagement
Relevance
Relationships
Class Efficacy
Cooperative Learning
Environment
Critical Thinking
Positive Pedagogy
http://www.metproject.org/downloads/Asking_Students_Practitioner_Brief.pdf

26. Collect personal reflection
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Ask yourself about
The questions you ask students?
The culture in my classroom/ library?
The content and how it relates to the curriculum?
My teaching strategies and skills?
The ways I assess students?
How and who do I collaborate with others?
Am I part of a professional learning network?

27. Result analysis
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Match scores with high use library groups
Match before and after bibliographies
Match before and after scores and products
Match improvement in critical thinking scores after
inquiry based intervention
Target gaps in scores for next time

28. Teacher Feedback
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Teacher reflection on collaboration
Enthusiasm
Promote critical thinking
Effective communication
Number of collaborations
Focus of collaborations
Teacher observations
Teacher summary of outcomes
Teacher summary of benefits

29. Tell the story
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Library website
School website
Newspaper articles
Research journals
Teacher journals
Access
Exhibitions
Digital storytelling

30. Keep telling the story
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Portfolios for Teacher Registration
AITSL – Teacher Feature
AITSL - Accreditation
Conferences (not just library ones)
Your school community
Your local community
Locally
Nationally
Internationally

31. Teacher Feature http://www.teacherfeature.aitsl.edu.au/
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32. Evidence guides
Evidence guide for teacher librarians
Australian School Library Association Inc.

33. Standard 1 Evidence
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student surveys and incorporation of survey
feedback into library programs to meet the needs of
the student
evidence of formal mentoring of colleagues including
feedback
team teaching with colleagues to demonstrate how
the library can cater for diverse learners
teacher librarians or teachers mentored to develop
differentiated teaching and learning programs
presentations at staff meetings about resources,
programs and support available from the library

34. Standard 2 Evidence
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testimonial from a colleague documenting the input
of the teacher librarian in the development of content
in a variety of teaching and learning programs
communications to colleagues promoting appropriate
resources that support reconciliation
testimonials attesting that the teacher librarian works
with colleagues to devise teaching and learning
online learning spaces; for example, library content
management and information sharing systems that
have been shared with colleagues to enhance
teaching and learning

35. Standard 3 Evidence
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descriptions of how collaborative lesson evaluations, informed
by student achievement and measured against learning
outcomes, are shared with colleagues
testimonial or observations that indicate that the teacher
librarian shared with colleagues, lesson plans, behaviour
management techniques, student work samples and
innovative teaching ideas
reference from a colleague or mentor that indicates that the
teacher librarian has observed, provided feedback and
suggestions on teaching strategies
Demonstration of ICT resources at staff/faculty/professional
meetings
evidence-based practice with colleagues to review teaching
and learning programs in the library

36. Standard 4 Evidence
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articles written for school newsletter/yearbook or
professional association journal showing how the
teacher librarian models effective practice and
supports colleagues to implement inclusive
strategies that engage and support all students
collaborative lessons to demonstrate how the
teacher librarian ensures student engagement
support provided to colleagues to work
collaboratively to incorporate strategies that promote
the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in
teaching and learning

37. Standard 5 Evidence
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feedback on students, and sharing collated feedback
with teachers
testimonial or observation attesting to the provision
of tools or templates; for example, mind maps for
colleagues to use in assessment tasks
feedback gained from students; for example, the
differentiated curriculum, the feedback loop
use of data from assessments to evaluate, identify
and modify collaborative teaching and learning
programs

38. Standard 6 Evidence
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presentation to colleagues at local, national and
international levels
presentation of research findings to other staff for
professional development
engagement in action research planning,
implementation or reporting to improve practice
organisation of professional development events for
colleagues that are focussed on improving practice

39. Standard 7 Evidence
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cooperative teaching and learning programs that
incorporate ethical use of information
contribution to professional journals; for example,
Access
planning and leading parents’/carers’ workshops; for
example, Internet safety, research skills, helping
their children to read
contribution to professional publications such as
journals, online discussion groups, blogs, wikis and
microblogging

40. Bibliography
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http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/EBPforSL/239558419483992/
Hay, L. (2012). Building an EBP movement: Our day – our profession –
our evidence. Presented at the SybaSigns School Libraries Making A
Difference Seminar – 21 May/Sydney & 25 May/Gold Coast. Retrieved
from http://www.sybasigns.com.au/Seminar%20Materials/EBP_Hay-
Todd_slides-1.pdf
Todd, R. (2012). Tools and measures for charting and documenting
evidence. Presented at the SybaSigns School Libraries Making A Difference
Seminar – 21 May/Sydney & 25 May/Gold Coast. Retrieved from
http://www.sybasigns.com.au/Seminar%20Materials/EBP_Hay-
Todd_slides-2%20.pdf
Todd, R. (2012). Shout it out loud! he essentials of dissemination.
Presented at the SybaSigns School Libraries Making A Difference Seminar
– 21 May/Sydney & 25 May/Gold Coast. Retrieved from
http://www.sybasigns.com.au/Seminar%20Materials/EBP_Hay-
Todd_slides-3.pdf
SLANZA Collected vol 7 2012 http://www.slanza.org.nz/collected.html
Australian School Library Association 2014, Evidence guide for teacher
librarians in the highly accomplished career stage, Australian School
Library Association, Canberra, ACT.

41. Post-webinar information
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Resource list and certificate of attendance
will be emailed
Membership information is available at
http://www.asla.org.au/membership.aspx
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