A Literacy of Fusion

The International Association of School Librarianship SLW’s journal website displays a foundational article entitled Transformative Pedagogy (Asselin & Doiron). The authors’ work has already influenced my view on learning. Here it goes deeper by defining principles for teaching under How To Teach and What To Teach categories as well as a framework for schools and school libraries to engage student, school and community interests in ‘a literacy of fusion’. The metaphor of school library as brain or nerve centre then adds a dynamic, interactive, expansive image to the learning environment.


“Adolescents direct change within societies, they are the harbingers of the future…Internet enters their lives” (Leu et al, 2007). The characteristics of 2.0 Learners, categorized under processes and constructed identity, explain the Net Generation as ‘action-oriented problem solvers’ in need of critical literacy, among others, in ethics, creativity, diversity, flexibilty and social justice. The three dimensional framework of Damico, Baildon and Campano (2005) brings the operational, academic and critical streams into view, with the learner’s necessary focus on choice, discipline conventions and interpretation. The authors have drawn from their own research and above-noted sources, among others. Transformative Pedagogy is solid from the ground up and provides me with a blueprint that must be internalized into my own teaching and learning.


Bibliography:

Asselin, M., Doiron, R., (2008). Towards a Transformative Pedagogy for School Libraries, School Wide Libraries, Volume 14, Number 2, July, 2008 (p.1-18), IASL

http://schoollibrariesworldwide-vol14no2.blogspot.com/ and

http://asselindoiron.pbwiki.com/SLW14%3A2+AsselinDoiron