Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Searching, reading and exploring....

Upper Primary school library skills, considered a thing of the past?
I was talking with a cousin who is a primary school teacher, (on the beach on Sunday, lovely day, nice shady spot),she was telling me that she has Grade 7 this year (last year of Primary school in Western Australia) and that the class would not be having 'Library', rather they would be using the time to develop their computer skills and net awareness. She wanted them to have both, but apparently they could not fit 'Library' into the timetable and computer skills were seen as more relevant to the children moving on to high school next year. The younger years will be still going to the library. I asked my son what he had experienced and he said he had 'library' in one English class a week, and they were expected to chose a book and do personal reading in the class.
Changes are obviously happening and the schools are moving on to the new skills, but I can't help being sad about the loss of what I viewed as one of my happiest times, in a chair, in the school library, exploring other worlds.
Thanks all FeralTB-)

2 comments:

flexnib said...

Who's teaching the computer skills? I'd love to see librarians/teacher librarians doing it! I think the computer is the tool that kids first turn to when they are looking for information!

Kalgrl said...

Good Point CW, My cousin said they had a primary school teacher combining the role with another position. Cheers TB