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Information and critical literacy on the web

By Kay Oddone

Issue 96, Term 1 2016

be able to educate students in becoming informed, literate, self-directed learners. Mandy Lupton (2014) has found that inquiry skills and information literacy are embedded in the Australian Curriculum in the subject areas of Science, History, Geography, Economics and Business, Civics and Citizenship

Let's talk about literacy

By John Parsons

Issue 95, Term 4 2015

Search for 'literacy standards' on the web, and your first ten pages will be articles about plunging standards, woeful skills and a slippery slide towards becoming a nation of illiterates. Plough onwards for a bewildering array of cutting-edge initiatives, ambitious policies, and funding demands, a

Lending an ear for literacy

By Leah Sheldon, Janine Sigley

Issue 94, Term 3 2015

The mission of Story Dogs is 'To make reading fun for children, so they become confident lifelong readers. No child should be left behind in literacy.' Earlier this year Connections approached Janine and Leah to share how their organisation is helping to address the issue of literacy in Australi

Leading whole school literacy from the library

By Dr Margaret Merga

Issue 124, Term 1 2023

Literacy is a general capability to be taught across all learning areas in Australian schools. Students use literacy skills to learn and demonstrate their learning across the curriculum, and they need to learn both cross-disciplinary and discipline-specific literacy skills to achieve their academic

Digital fluency vs. digital literacy

By Clint Lalonde

Issue 111, Term 4 2019

Recently I’ve been doing a bit of research on digital literacy/digital fluency, to find out whether our post-secondary institutions are currently offering any programs and initiatives that will help instructors to use digital tools effectively. Many organisations have identified a lack of digital

School libraries supporting literacy

By Stephanie Ellis

Issue 99, Term 4 2016

tempts to keep up with the latest trends in school librarianship, it is sometimes handy to be reminded that the core business of a school library is literacy . A growing body of international evidence shows the significant impact that a school library can make on student achievement. However, simp

Supercharge students' digital literacy skills with content curation

By Kay Oddone

Issue 105, Term 2 2018

Digital content curation is a meta-skill, requiring many different facets of information and digital literacy. While articles abound promoting it as a tool for teachers, the rich learning opportunities embedded within this practice also make it a supercharged pedagogical approach for students. As t

Improving literacy levels in remote Indigenous communities

By Karen Williams

Issue 111, Term 4 2019

ting kids to the wonderful magic of books. We’re about opening a door — for young minds and imaginations — to a world without limits. The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) is an Australian organisation that works to reduce low literacy rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children b

How to boost your digital literacy confidence

By Sally Pewhairangi

Issue 106, Term 3 2018

Hands up if you have ever had thoughts like these: I wish I didn’t feel out of my depth when a teacher asks me to find additional sources (such as case studies or videos) for their class assignment. If I was more confident in my presentation skills, I would show other teacher librarians how w

21st-century literacy with graphic novels

By Iurgi Urrutia

Issue 115, Term 4 2020

bills, websites, blogs, social media posts et cetera. When we read all those things, consciously or unconsciously we’re developing and using multiple literacy skills. Thanks to the internet and social media, we’re also increasingly relying on visual literacy and multimodal texts. Comics have long

Helping literacy learners: the vital role of librarians

By Kerrie Shanahan

Issue 122, Term 3 2022

happen, it’s essential that students develop the skills needed to become independent readers in their early years. Teaching these vital foundational literacy skills is a complex task, and it’s one in which library professionals play a key role.  Understanding literacy learning Substantial resea

Language, literature and literacy during COVID-19 and beyond

By Annette Wagner

Issue 114, Term 3 2020

e tools, including storytelling tools. During isolation, educators have used digital tools to help to maintain a focus on language, literature and literacy for students. Teachers across Australia have integrated online learning tools with their school’s chosen platforms. Some used communication a

Digital literacy: using Wikipedia as a fact-checking tool

By Mathieu O'Neil, Rachel Cunneen

Issue 121, Term 2 2022

outdated view of  Wikipedia, which they were taught  in school. Given the usefulness of Wikipedia as both a source of information and as a media literacy teaching tool, this article was intended to change the narrative around Wikipedia. It represented the first step in a pilot project investiga

Developing low-budget literacy programs in schools

By Sue Bursztynski

Issue 109, Term 2 2019

Writer in residence Last year I retired after many years in the library and classroom, and focused mostly on my writing. However, as I was missing my students, I signed up as a volunteer with the Ardoch Foundation. Ardoch is a children’s education charity focused on improving educational outcomes

Do we need library lessons?

By Barbara Band

Issue 104, Term 1 2018

brary programs A lack of regular library lessons makes it difficult to organise and promote many of the activities that encourage reading and boost literacy levels, such as competitions, book talks, author visits and participation in both local and national initiatives. Communication via tutors an

How to support early literacy with phonemic awareness

By Judith Barker

Issue 119, Term 4 2021

to young readers and students with special needs.  Some terminology Library professionals of course play an important role in the development of literacy and enjoyment of reading. Maybe you are unaware of some important terminology and major new resources now available in this area. Teachers at

Computational thinking as the 'new literacy': professional development opportunities

By Associate Professor Katrina Falkner

Issue 95, Term 4 2015

go, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) education generally focused on ICT as a tool, to be understood through the development of digital literacy. Areas such as Computer Science (CS) or Computational Thinking (CT) were typically isolated into senior secondary programs, with a focus on p

Reading like a girl

By Bec Kavanagh

Issue 93, Term 2 2015

widely, by a range of authors in order to see a true representation of the voices that make up our society. We should encourage reading not just for literacy skills, but to increase empathy, critical thinking, and to dare all young people, boys and girls alike, to imagine a future where they can be

Building a buzz with book snaps

By Susan Stephenson

Issue 104, Term 1 2018

come across something they notice, like, or make a judgement about. Book snapping is also an opportunity to integrate technology with literature and literacy. It is much faster than writing a book report, but is still an authentic way to respond to text, be an active reader, and potentially read an

So, you have established a reading culture: now what?

By Catherine Barnes

Issue 108, Term 1 2019

much good fortune. For this reason, for the past two years, our college has been involved in The Smith Family student2student Reading Program. The literacy foundations built by children during their primary and early secondary years are crucial to their ability to do well at school. Research show