1. Digital resources, reviewing Operation Ajax.

Interactive graphic novel -Operation Ajax: The Rise and fall of Iranian democracy. Reviewed. 

I was interested in electronic resources with visual appeal, interactivity and multiple formats, such as text, picture, sound and film.  Fluency in interpreting these 21st century texts (Dresang & Kotria, 2009; Couri, 2011) is recognised as an essential skill by the Australian Curriculum  (Australian Curriculum and Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2013). In addition the convergence of literature, art and technology is  likely to benefit youth with disabilities (Price, 2011;Griffith, 2010) and boys (Bezo, 2012). Virtual games (O'Connell & Groom, 2010), e-books and digital graphic novels (Moorefield & Gavigan, 2012) can all be interactive and multimodal.

I was surprised at the range of  interactive e-books available as apps. For example there was Look and Cook complete with how-to-do-it videos (Kinetic Arts, 2012)  and an interactive atlas app (Crane & Dean, 2012). Operation Ajax: The Rise and fall of Iranian democracy (Burwen, de Seve & Kinzer, 2010)  was selected for review owing to its controversial subject matter, awards and reputation as presenting an innovative reader experience, based on a recently created digital authoring tool (Cognito Comics, 2012; Reid, 2011). A link to my review is found here.

Reading Operation Ajax was intuitive, but also attention demanding and compelling.  The complex plot drew on characters, history and politics from three countries, with frequent flashbacks, contrasting visual perspectives and switching narrator focalizers. It took longer to read than print, owing to my need to integrate text, sound and image. My path through the novel was circuitous. Following the story required exploration of declassified CIA files and character information and newsreels. Unfortunately  the story's sources are omitted- so I wondered about accuracy. According to Balaghi (2013) the knowledge of the coup is checkered because few documents have been declassified, leaving the 'heavily sanitized' memories of two former spies as the main sources.

Reviewing Operation Ajax provided a direct encounter with the power of 21st century literature, and also broadened my knowledge of e-book and graphic novel trends. This experience can be applied to the development of selection criteria for interactive apps and games to meet the needs and interests of youth. Furthermore an improved understanding of 21st century literacy has wider applications to print books for youth, which often follow a non-linear, hypertext-like format, where the reader must work harder to construct the story that comprises multiple perspectives and formats  (Dresang & Kotrla, 2009).

My understanding of new literacies can be improved by reading further interactive graphic novels and also print books that have an interactive, non-linear  format (Dresang & Kotrla, 2009) such as those by Macaulay (1990), Sciezkza and Smith (1992) and Selznick (2007). In addition I need to gain experience playing virtual games that  promote 21st century skills and also offer opportunities for library programming (O'Connell & Groom,  2010). These activities would help me keep in touch with the needs of youth, who are very engaged in the digital social world.

Daniel Burwen, creative director of Operation Ajax speaks about technological trends and  the process of creating digital graphic novels.

References

Australian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (2013).   English. Aims. In The Australian Curriculum. F-10 Curriculum. Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/english/Aims

Balaghi, S. (2013). Silenced histories and sanitized autobiographies: The 1953 CIA coup in Iran. Biography, 36(1), 71-96.

Bezo, W.G.(2012). Building bridges for boys: Graphic novels in the content classroom. Journal of Adult and Adolescent Literacy. 55(6), 550. doi:10.1002/JAAL.00064

Crane, N. & Dean, D. (2012).[app] World Atlas. Touch Press ltd. & Barefoot Books. Retrieved from
http://www.barefootbooks.com/buy-barefoot/digital-apps/

Burwen, D., de Seve, M. & Kinzer, S. (2010). Operation Ajax: The Rise and fall of Iranian democracy. Cognito Comics

Couri, S .(2011).Summer library club. Taking risks, finding rewards. Young Adult Library Services, 10(1), 18-19.

Cognito Comics. (2012). Cognito comics launches CIA: Operation Ajax on iphone. Retrieved from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cognito-comics-launches-cia-operation-ajax-on-iphone-163557946.html

Cognito (n.d.). CIA Operation Ajax. Retrieved from
http://www.cognitocomics.com/project-ajax.html

Dresang, E.T. & Kotrla, B. (2009).  Radical change theory and synergistic reading for digital age youth. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 43(2), 92-205.

Griffith, P. E. (2010). Graphic novels in the secondary classroom and school libraries. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 54(3), 181-189.

Kinetic Arts. (2012). Look and cook. Experience food, recipes and kitchen gadgets. Retrieved from
https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/look-cook-experience-food/id548470911?mt=8

Macaulay, D. (1990). Black and white. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Moorefield, H. & Gavigan, K. (2012). These aren't your father's funny papers: The New world of digital graphic novels. Knowledge Quest, 40(3), 30-35. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/aaslpubsandjournals/knowledgequest/docs/FREEArticle_TheseAren't_30-35.pdf

O'Connell, J. & Groom, D. (2010). Virtual worlds. Learning in a changing world. Melbourne: ACER press.

Price, A. (2011). Making a difference with smart tablets. Are iPads really beneficial for students with autism? Teacher Librarian, 39(1), 31-34.

Reid, C. (2011, May 16). Digital graphic novel on CIA's 1953 Iran coup. Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com:8080/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/47220-digital-graphic-novel-on-cia-s-1953-iran-coup.html

Sciezka, J. & Smith, L.(1992). The Stinky cheeseman and other fairly stupid tales. New York: Viking.

Selznick, B. (2007). The Invention of Hugo Cabret. New York: Scholastic Press.

Electronic resource review

Review of Operation Ajax: The Rise and fall of Iranian democracy

 Operation Ajax has the compulsive power of theatre - yet is a book, a graphic novel that is staged electronically. The reader controls the pace, by touching the screen to advance frames. Abrupt changes in perspective and animations are accompanied by atmospheric sound effects, music and plenty of action.

The opening scene finds the narrator peering furtively from the corners of his much enlarged eyes, the following frame his hands rigidly grip a briefcase, then the focus is his pursuing legs. We never discover the narrator's name. It emerges that he is a CIA spy, both victim and accomplice to operation Ajax, code name for the plan in 1953 to depose Dr Mossadegh, the elected leader of Iran, on the grounds that the country was susceptible to communist takeover.

Now retired, but haunted by memories, the narrator retells his story. He recalls the historic background of Britain's profiteering from Iranian oil and then the movement to nationalize the oil company, led by Mossadegh, followed by the cold war. To escape his wife and boring desk job at the CIA, the narrator volunteers for operation Ajax. However while in transit to Iran he entertains second thoughts. He reflects that the man to be deposed is Iran's first doctor of law and was imprisoned for  his pro-democracy agitation. Through the narrator's eyes, the reader becomes familiar with the historic figures, behind operation Ajax and their technique of threatening the Shah and hiring crowds to fake a communist uprising.

 This novel could be used as a teaching resource. It supports 21st century literacy skills, such as reading multimodal texts (Australian, Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority, ACARA, 2013A,) and critical literacy (McLaughlin & DeVoogd, 2004; ACARA, 2013B), through its recurrent exposure of the chasms that separate reality and  propaganda.  Contemporary newsreels form part of the narrative, and they give a vivid feel for the mood of the times and allow the reader to see how events described in the novel are morphed in the news broadcasts. There are also declassified CIA dossiers outlining the operation and the buying of  crowds to fake street protests. This is a relevant resource for VCE unit 2, twentieth century history 1945-2000 (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2013C) since it relates to the cold war, America as a superpower and has repercussions on present political issues. However its a pity that the sources for the information are not described, neither are the gaps (Balaghi, 2013) in those sources referred to, and a feminine perspective is lacking. A few frames are rather sexually explicit.

References 

Australian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (2013A).   English. Aims. In The Australian Curriculum. F-10 Curriculum. Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/english/Aims

Australian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (2013B). General capabilities. Critical and creative thinking. In The Australian Curriculum. F-10 Curriculum. Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/critical-and-creative-thinking/introduction/introduction

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (2013C). History. Victorian certificate of education study design. Retrieved from http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/vce/history/history-sd.pdf

Balaghi, S. (2013). Silenced histories and sanitized autobiographies: The 1953 CIA coup in Iran. Biography, 36(1), 71-96.

Burwen D.,, de Seve, M. Kinzer, S. (2010). Operation Ajax: The Rise and fall of Iranian democracy. Cognito Comics

McLaughlin, M. & DeVoogd, G. (2004). Critical literacy as comprehension: Expanding reader response. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 48(1), 52-62. doi:10.1598/JAAL.48.1.5

2. Censorship, analysing Lilis(2010 & 2013).

Picture books for confronting topics

The companion articles by Lillis (2010 & 2013) encouraged me to think about what censorship is, the different types of censorship and how to respond. She argues that  picture books enable learning about confronting issues. I felt that Lillis demonstrates a particularly positive and practical approach, that helped in grappling with the complex issue of censorship. The link to my review can be found here.

Lillis does not mention self-censorship, which is avoiding selection or use of controversial titles (Freedman & Holly, 2001), yet this serious issue seems to be what her article best addresses. By presenting the case that discussing confronting issues, helps children to critically accept reality, she provides convincing rationale for the professional to avoid self-censorship. Censoring isolates victims, because society then lacks understanding of their plight, and also leaves children open to horrifying news from various sources, without the opportunity for thinking discussion (Lillis, 2010 & 2013). Vygotsky's theory of social learning proposes an essential role for discussion in learning and development (Lillis 2013; Pound, 2006).  Lillis (2010 & 2013) then describes how various picture books on homelessness and war can be used to scaffold thinking and critical literacy.

I learned that self-censorship needs to be consciously resisted. I learnt how prevalent it is in Australia and America, and that it has blocked well reviewed titles from finding an audience (Dillon & Williams, 1994; Whelan, 2009a&b). Many prefer to self-censor rather than face challenges where the somewhat esoteric principle that democracy is based on free information flow (Australian Library and Information Association, 2007; United Nations, 2014) is pitted against a parent's righteous indignation and real concern for their child. Unsurprisingly challenges win two thirds of the time (Dillon & Williams, 1994), even though they may be homophobic (Brockenbrough, 2009; Hanna,2009), racist (Gainer, 2012) or ludicrous (Leung, 2006).

With regard to professional practice, I would use well considered collection development policies (particularly relating to selection and de-selection)  to avoid self-censoring. It would be important to have:

• a publically ratified collection development policy that clarifies selection and de-selection criteria,
• specified challenge procedures that involve community and professional support,
• regular weeding of the collection so that it reflects selection criteria.

A further approach is to actively promote critical literacy and the freedom to read. For example through:

•  including freedom to read statements in policy documents,
• promoting books that have been banned, as is done during the American Banned Books Week, 
• displays representing both sides of a question and raise community awareness of confronting issues - perhaps linked to United Nations international days.

My future learning could involve becoming more informed about:

• collection development policies for challenge, selection and de-selection, that both cater to community needs and also promote freedom to read, 
• using frequently challenged titles such as those discussed in Scales (2001) and  Lesesne and Chance (2002)  to promote intellectual growth,
• trends in censorship of books for children and young adults,
• wider  print and online censorship trends, particularly in Australia, as discussed by Moore (2012) and Pennell, Pryde and Stinson (2011).

References

Australian Library and Information Association. (2007). Statement on free access to information. Retrieved from https://www.alia.org.au/about-alia/policies-standards-and-guidelines/statement-free-access-information

Brockenbrough, M. (2009, November 5). The Luv Ya Bunches Controversy. Western Washington Society of Book Writers and Illustrators. Retrieved from
http://chinookupdate.blogspot.com.au/2009/11/luv-ya-bunches-controversy.html

Dillon, K., Williams, C.L. (1994). Censorship, children and school libraries in Australia: Issues of concern. Emergency Librarian, 22(2), 8-15.

Freedman, L. & Johnson, H. (2001).  Who’s protecting whom? I Hadn’t meant to tell you this, a case in point confronting self-censorship in the choice of young adult literature. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 44(4), 356-369.

Gainer, J. (2012). Critical thinking: Foundational for digital literacies and democracy. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 56(1), 14-17.

Hanna, J. (2009, July 2). Library fight riles up city, leads to book burning demand. CNN/com/US. Retrieved from
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/07/22/wisconsin.book.row/

Lesesne, T.S. & Chance, R. (2002). Hit list for young adults. Chicago: American Library Association.

Leung, C.C. (2006, April 1). The Bottom line in kid's books is udderly unreal. The Age, p12.

Lillis, K. (2010). Middle school teachers and picture books: The Notion of censorship. Literacy and Learning: The Middle Years, 18(3), 9-14. 

Lillis, K. (2013). Picture books and the concept of war: Connecting children to their world. Literacy and Learning: The Middle Years, 21(2), 29-34.

Moore, N. (2012). The Censors library. St Lucia, Queensland: Queensland University Press.

Pennel, R., Pryde, P. & Stinson, E. (2011). Banning Islamic books in Australia. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press.

Pound, L. (2006). How children learn. London: Practical Preschool Books.

Scales, P. (2001). Teaching banned books: 12 guides for young readers. Chicago: American Library Association.

United Nations. (2014).  Article 19. The Universal declaration of human rights. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

Whelan, D.L. (2009a, February 1). SLJ self-censorship survey. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2009/02/collection-development/slj-self-censorship-survey/

Whelan, D.L. (2009b, February 1). A Dirty little secret: Self-censorship. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2009/02/censorship/a-dirty-little-secret-self-censorship/#_

 

Journal article review

 Analysis of a companion journal articles about using picture books on confronting topics.

Lillis, (2010). Middle school teachers and picture books: The Notion of censorship.

Lillis, 2013). Picture books and the concept of war: Connecting children to their world.

Lillis’ articles are among the few that relate to censorship in an Australian context. After opening by defining concepts, she illustrates the importance of realistic portrayal by contrasting two picture books about homeless children.   In her subsequent paper about war picture books, she presents literature as a bridge that can connect the child to the world around them.

Lillis opens by noting the confusion that is associated with the meaning of censorship, which  she defines it broadly as “moral and authoritarian, seeks to regulate the behaviour of others in accordance with fixed ideas of right and wrong and is mainly negative (Lillis 2010).”   “Moral and authoritarian” echo Dillon and William’s (1994) survey of Australian school library censorship, with its finding that challenges were frequently based on conservative ideas. Two thirds of challenges were due to  “moral and sexual orthodoxy and obedience to authority” (Dillon & Williams, p.8). More than half the librarians surveyed had experienced challenges in the last five years which often succeeded (two thirds resulted in censorship) and policies for responding were weak or non-existent.  Similar conclusions were reached in recent American research (Whelan, 2009a).

Lillis skirts crucial, problematic issues of self-censorship, and distinguishing between it and selection. Freedman and Holly (2001, p.357) argue that selection and self-censorship are easily confused, since they both determine what resources are available. Nevertheless, they embody contrasting mindsets and purposes. Censorship seeks objections to resources to exclude them and to restrict ideas, whereas selection is based on strengths, aims to include resources and increase access to ideas. Selection is based on a public selection policy document. Self- censorship is carried out privately to avoid “controversial” resources and ideas. The study found self-censorship by all but one of the teachers, with regard to a book about friendship between a middle class black girl and a poor white girl, who was abused by her father. Although the teachers appreciated the book and sympathized with the victim’s inability to speak out, they were unwilling to discuss abuse, or teach the book, for fear of administrative repercussions (Freedman & Holly, p.360). The authors point out that unwillingness to discuss abuse, means that victims have no-one to turn to when they need to speak (Freedman & Holly, p,363). Self-censorship has been found to prevent well reviewed controversial titles from reaching the majority of libraries (Whelan, 2009,b).

Lillis argues that middle school children are curious about social issues and have the cognitive maturity to respond with rational thought and creativity. They need the opportunity to reflect critically on confronting issues. She recommends Wild’s Space Travellers (1999) and Hathorn’s Way Home (1994) as avoiding “false cheerfulness or hopelessness.”  Space Travellers shows a mother and son living in a playground rocket and Way Home is about a boy who rescues a kitten and takes it to his “home.” As the boy journeys the reader is introduced to some realities of street life. Lillis argues that Way Home presents a more realistic picture of homelessness than Space Travellers, and this point could be used to teach visual and critical literacy.

Lillis (2013) applies similar arguments to picture books that relate to war. Countering the opinion that would censor (Fox & Hunt 1996), she stresses the horrifying exposure on television and the presence of war refugees in school.

“We live in a world where there are millions of refugees and most of us are horrified by this information and feel helpless to imagine these figures, let alone do anything about them. Children are better able to cope with their lives if they are connected to their world in a meaningful way.” (Lillis,2013, p.29).

Again Lillis insists on confronting issues thoughtfully, but her rationale is now grounded in Vygotsky’s social learning theory, rather than Piaget’s cognitive development. This strengthens her case, since Vygotsky emphasises social learning, with open discussion as a scaffold and support for learning and  thinking (Pound, 2006, p.40). Obviously this contrasts starkly with the absence of discussion and support characteristic of censorship.

Lillis recommends three war picture books, My Dog (Heffernan & Mclean, 2007), Ziba Came on a Boat (Lofthouse & Ingpen, 2007) and Home and Away (Marsden & Ottley, 2008). All three have unresolved endings, the first two leave room for hope. Home and Away is about Australians who become refugees, whereas Ziba Came on a Boat is about an Afghan refugee coming to Australia. Poignancy is achieved through clever illustrations, animals and a little humour.  As in her previous paper, Lillis suggests contrasting the books will support development of critical literacy. Home and Away and Ziba Came on a Boat are particularly effective contrasts, since almost the same journey is taken in reverse directions.

In conclusion, Lillis shows how picture books and literature in general can be used to support thinking and critical literacy that relates to confronting topics.  It follows that ignoring controversy through censorship, is effectively an abandonment of the child, leaving him/her unconnected, and without support,  in understanding  what she/he sees and hears.This underlines the importance of avoiding the very common pitfall of self-censorship of controversial resources.

 References

Fox, C. & Hunt, P. (2004). War In P.E. Hunt, (ed), International companion encyclopedia of children’s literature. (2^nd ed.). Oxford: Routledge, pp499-506.

Freedman, L. & Johnson, H. (2001).  Who’s protecting whom? I Hadn’t meant to tell you this, a case in point confronting self-censorship in the choice of young adult literature. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 44(4), 356-369.

Dillon, K., Williams, C.L. (1994). Censorship, children and school libraries in Australia: Issues of concern. Emergency Librarian. 22(2), 8-15.

Lillis, K. (2010). Middle school teachers and picture books: The Notion of censorship. Literacy and Learning: The Middle Years, 18(3), 9-14.

Lillis, K. (2013). Picture books and the concept of war: Connecting children to their world. Literacy and Learning: The Middle Years, 21(2), 29-34.

Pound, L. (2006). How children learn. London: Practical Preschool Books.

Whelan, D.L. (2009a, February 1). SLJ self-censorship survey. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2009/02/collection-development/slj-self-censorship-survey/

 Whelan, D.L. (2009b, February 1). A Dirty little secret: Self-censorship. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2009/02/censorship/a-dirty-little-secret-self-censorship/#_

Children’s  literature

Hathorn, L. & Rogers, G. (1994). Way Home. Sydney: Random House.

Heffernan, J. & Mclean, A. (2001). My Dog. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.

Lofthouse, L. & Ingpen, R. (2007). Ziba came on a boat. Melbourne: Penguin.

Marsden, J. & Ottley, M. (2008). Home and away. Melbourne: Hachette Livre Australia Pty Ltd.

Wild, M. & Rogers, G. (1992). Space travellers. Gosford, NSW: Ashton Scholastic.

3. Censorship & digital resources, learning Flipboard.

I wanted a tool with potential to entice readers - 'read appeal'- in order to curate resources to share. Although Delicious (n.d.) and Diigo (n.d.), are valuable for academic collections, reading them requires clicking,  the cloud interface is unappealing  and dead links accumulate. Bea (2013) describes Paper.li (n.d.), Scoop.it (n.d.) and Flipboard (n.d.), as newer tools, that 'store' resources in an attractive, less condensed, form. However, Paper.li,  searched only my personal social media and did not find suitable material. When I used Scoop.it to search Twitter, it produced an attractive and readable format, but expensive (only two free collections permitted).

Flipboard is a well reviewed free tool (Behen, 2013, p.115; Tay, 2013) that incorporates internet resources,  selected using its browser bookmarklet, to create  e-magazines. Flipboard is best read on tablets where pages turn by swiping. The Flipboard bookmarklet would not download in Internet Explorer, but worked in Chrome, and allowed me to take material from the internet to create the online magazine about censorship of young adult literature, shown below. Since I sought currency, I started a Twitter account and began following about 100 librarians and people involved with literature. The first page turns by clicking on the arrow, subsequent pages turn using the keyboard arrow keys.

View my Flipboard Magazine.

Flipboard is useful for keeping abreast of literary and technological trends and accessing Twitter (Waters, 2013).  For example, magazine subscriptions from my login page are shown in the screen shot below.

 
Furthermore, it is suited to promoting programs and pathfinders. The intuitive magazine interface is engaging, and can be embedded in social media, where young people 'hang out' (Behen, p.53). A collection of web resources for a school topic, presented in magazine format rather than as a traditional pathfinder, may reach a new audience. As well as pulling pre-existing resources from the web, Flipboard can publish documents composed online, like blogs. Unfortunately, Flipboard could not take material from scholarly journals.

From the technological perspective, I learned that  interrogating the web and watching You Tube, were more often effective in solving technical problems than official support sites that aimed to sell upgrades. My professional practice would benefit through becoming familiar with a wider variety of tools. Just like books, I learned that tools need to be matched to the task and the person. I need to develop more skill, through practice, in learning tools, for my own information needs, and  to offer library users the most appropriate ones.

The task also heightened my awareness of censorship's prevalence. Indeed the issue proved close to home - surprisingly a local author's ballet fiction facing a ban (Bavati, 2010). The variety of books banned is amazing - reasons ranging from ludicrous to insidious (Banned Books Week n.d.). Parents are entitled to protect their children (Gurdon, 2011), but democracy relies on freedom to read and think (Freedom to Read Foundation, 2012). It would be easier to respond to challenges, if the library had previously educated about freedom to read, for example, by celebrating Banned Books Week (n.d.). I need to expand my knowledge of banned books and find ways of drawing attention to books that have been banned and also gain a deeper understanding of censorship, its relationship to democracy, and how it is impacted by the rise of the digital information environment. 

References

 

Bavati, R. (2010, November 1). Book censorship at Mount Scopus College. Galus Australis. Jewish life in the antipodies. Retrieved from http://galusaustralis.com/2010/11/3708/book-censorship-at-mount-scopus-college/

Banned Books Week. (n.d.). Banned books that shaped America. Retrieved from
http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/censorship/bannedbooksthatshapedamerica

Bea, F. (2013, March 29). Flipboard's self curation feature is a hit with 100,000 magazines created in   24 hours.  Digital Trends,  Retrieved from http://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/flipboards-self-curation-feature-is-a-hit-with-100000-magazines-created-in-24-hours/#!Nm2ZL

Behen, L, (2013). Recharge your library programs with pop culture and technology. Connect with today's teens.  Santa Barbara: Libraries Unlimited.

Delicious (n.d.) Retrieved from https://delicious.com/

Diigo (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.diigo.com/

Freedom to Read Foundation. (2012, February 7). John Green at the Freedom to Read Foundation - banned author. (Video File). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqzNxerwuGw 

Gurdon, M. (2011, June 4). Darkness too visible. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303657404576357622592697038?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303657404576357622592697038.html

Flipboard (n.d.) Flipboard is your personal magazine. Retrieved from https://flipboard.com/

Paper li (n.d.) Retrieved from http://paper.li/

Scoop it (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.scoop.it/

Tay, R. ( 2013, July, 27). Curation tools. Flipboard's custom magazines. In Musings about librarianship. Retrieved from http://musingsaboutlibrarianship.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/curation-tools-flipboard-custom.html#.U3NHj52KAcA

Waters, S. (2013, June 12). A Flip-a-holic's ultimate guide to subscribing, curating and sharing  using Flipboard. Edublogger.  Retrieved from http://theedublogger.com/2013/06/12/flipboard/

4. Diversity, writing an InCite article.

 Digital divide and diversity in online school library profiles.

 

As new immigrants to Australia, my parents instinctively selected a primary school according to the quality of its library. Today's parents are more likely to 'meet' schools in cyberspace, than on foot. Thus the question arises of the online library profile, in particular, does it have any bearing on the quality of the school? Therefore the profiles of libraries on school websites were compared to school achievement in the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE).

 

The hypothesis is that a good virtual library presence is indicative of good VCE performance, just as good libraries are consistently associated with better academic outcomes (Lonsdale, 2003; Masters & Forster, 1997). Sixty websites were examined, the twenty highest scoring independent and state schools and state schools ranked from 204-228. As expected, considerable differences were found in VCE achievement between the three groups (Graph 1,calculations in Appendix B). 

 



Graph 1



 

School websites were scored according to:

• a) referral to a library,
• b) visibility/prominence on the website and
• c)  promotion.

The key for scoring can be found in Tables 1&2,Appendix A. Visibility was scored by counting the number of clicks required to arrive at library information and promotion scored by assessing the graphics and resources. Enticing sites with resources, programming, graphics and animation are exemplified below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

logged in view - permission of Mckinnon SC.

Graph two shows that the highest ranking twenty state and independent schools, almost all referred to their libraries (columns a). Generally two or three clicks were required to locate the information (columns b), which consisted of a page of description or graphics (columns c). In contrast 30% of the lower ranked state schools made no reference to a library (column a), three clicks or a key word search was required to find information consisting of a few lines  (columns b&c; data and calculations in Appendix B).

 

Graph 2. Libraries on school websites.

These observations indicate that the library's virtual profile is predictive of student achievement, emphasizing the centrality of the 21st century online environment, and also that the library likely reflects the school's learning culture. Similarly a recent Australian study shows a positive relationship between the quality of secondary school libraries and student achievement on nation-wide  tests in years seven and nine (Softlink, 2013).  

The activity taught me about inequities in education, role of the library and the digital divide. I became very aware of the impact of an inviting website, as a reflection of the library. With regard to professional practise, I recognized the necessity of developing skills to create an appealing environment, online as much as offline. The best websites used a gamut of technologies, blogging, online resource curation, social networking, student reviews and tags, dynamic cartoons, games and tools. Although developing these Web 2.0 skills requires time, they can be self-taught and many tools are free (Holmquist, Joseph & Barwick, 2013). 

 The  major conclusion from this study is that numerous secondary students are underserved by school libraries, impacting their VCE and career prospects. In Victoria, student disengagement is substantial (Cook, 2014; Mackenzie, Thielking & Chauvet-Allen, 2012). Professional practise should comprise  support in terms of resources, technology, study environments, programming, youth advisory groups and partnering with other organisations (Gorman & Suellentrop, 2004).

References

Cook, H.(2014, May 12). Generation lost. Education crisis, school dropouts pose risk of 'social disaster.' The Age, 1.

Gorman, M. & Suellentrop, T. (2004). Outreach and Partnerships. In Connecting young adults and libraries (4th ed.). New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, pp.195-222.

Holmquist, J., Joseph, M. & Barwick, K. (2013). 23mobilethings  Exploring the potential of mobile tools for delivering library services. Retrieved from
http://23mobilethings.net/wpress/the-things/

Lonsdale, M. (2003). Impact of school libraries on student achievement: a review of the research, Report for the Australian School Library Association, Australian Council for Educational Research.  Retrieved from

http://www.asla.org.au/research/reading_literacy.htm

Mackenzie, D., Thielking, M. & Chauvet-Allen, C. ( 2012). The Geelong project. A Review of Victorian educational initiatives relating to youth homelessness. Retrieved from
http://homelessnessclearinghouse.govspace.gov.au/files/2012/04/NHRA-Swinburne-Report.pdf

Masters, G. & Forster, M. (1997). Mapping Literacy Achievement: Results of the 1996 National School English Literacy Survey. Retrieved from Australian Council of Educational Research website: http://research.acer.edu.au/monitoring_learning/1/

Scholastic Research and Results. (2008). School libraries work! Research foundation paper (3rd ed.). Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/content/collateral_resources/pdf/s/slw3_2008.pdf

Softlink. (2013). 2013 Australian school library survey. Retrieved from http://www.softlinkint.com/2013-australian-school-library-survey-schools/

5. Book awards, attending the Children's Book Festival.

 

Author encounters at the Children's Book Festival

 

Sunday at 10.00 am, the front lawn of the State Library of Victoria is abuzz with  didgeridoos, parents and children. I called Heidi, fellow student, who was 'lost' with her children in the Sticky Word Maze. This seemed to be exactly what the festival was all about, getting lost in words and the imagination.

 

 Authors were sharing their stories, through reading, telling, song and dance. Children were creating, designing aliens and crafting words with pen, paper, typewriters, even blocks.





100 Storey Basement, children write stories about objects in the basement.



Creating and sharing stories

What is that machine?

 I was particularly excited to experience first-hand, multi-award winning authors Marsden (Griffith Review, n.d.) and French (The Literature Centre, n.d.; Australian Children's Laureate, n.d.). With craggy face and worn jeans, like a prophet emerging from the desert; Marsden opened with a hard-hitting story of the unfortunate boy whose father would not tolerate his child saying 'um'. This warning about the dangers of paralysing the spirit with rules, set the tone. Although writing and living require rules, these must be transgressed occasionally. Overlooking some grammatical rules, helps in crafting language, thus breathless panic is expressed through incomplete sentences. Other advice from Marsden was "name everything, be specific" because  names "evoke powerful mental images".  "Use you eyes," meaning write what you actually see, reality, not what you would like to see, and so make your writing, "truthful, personal and unique."

 

French performed stories in response to audience questions. Most questions were about her animal stories, and French connected them with history, to challenge accepted narratives. The excerpt below, included with permission from the Wheeler Centre and French, offers a 'goat's eyed' version of Cook's voyage. (Cook only makes it back because of the goat). 

 

I felt that the strongest learning experiences were documenting the festival and the impact of meeting authors. Taking more extensive photographs, would allow the excitement of the event to be conveyed. I need to become more 'trigger-happy' when shooting pictures and not rely on images from the web that can lead to copyright  infringement (Gunelius, 2009, p.87).  

I learned the impact of wonderful authors speaking, through my own reactions and the audience's response. The author's personality adds a dimension to the literature, strengthening the message of the book. Thus French's love for animals was conveyed by the way she imitated an annoying wombat. Her maverick sense of humour combined with seriousness, came across as she told her version of how Queen Victoria's underpants really were of great service to woman's liberation. My daughter felt so special when her book was signed with a message, and has since read five Jacky French books. I was particularly struck by Marsden's message that at the heart of good literature is commitment to writing what you actually see, not what you wish to see (take note those who ban books).

In conclusion, it is difficult to imagine how this festival celebrating authors and readers could have occurred, without the awards, that identify and encourage literary quality and talent. I can apply my learning to professional practice through:

• encouraging author visits, finding author videos,
• valuing books that depict reality.

References

Australian Children's Laureate (n.d.). Jackie French is the Australian Children's Laureate. Retrieved from http://www.childrenslaureate.org.au/laureates/jackie-french/
/

The Literature Centre. (n.d.). Jackie French. Retrieved from           http://www.thelitcentre.org.au/author/jackie-French

Griffith Review (n.d.). Contributor John Marsden. Retrieved from https://www.griffithreview.com/contributors/john-marsden/

Gunelius, S. (2009). Google blogger for dummies. Indianapolis: Wiley Publishing.

PLN video

This is the video I made during the PLN course.