ISTE v AASL Standards for School Librarians
Notes on "School Librarians Level Up," AASL, & ISTE Standards
Together, the American Assocation of School Librarians (AASL) National School Library Standards and International Society for Technology in Education's (ISTE) Standards for Educators define the responsibilities of modern school librarians. Both emphasize the importance of technology in education and student-lead solutions to real-world problems. In their article, "School Librarians Level Up," school librarians Jennifer Freedman and Alice Robinson give multiple examples of ways they met AASL standards; their projects also met many of ISTE's, as the two sets of parameters often overlap (as evidenced by the existence of the ISTE/AASL Crosswalk). According to this document, "librarians often serve as technology leads within their school building and they provide invaluable learning on how to find relevant resources, evaluate the credibility and usefulness of information, and be thoughtful digital citizens."
Projects mentioned by Freedman and Robinson meet many requirements of both sets of standards, including making real-world connections, using problem solving skills, and exhibiting behaviors of good digital citizens. Their students "researched... and spoke with experts via video conference and Twitter chat," "created [videos] to teach other students about plagiarism," "wrote book and edited book reviews for the school library blog," and connected with the Pro Football Hall of Fame "via web conference... [to learn] about NFL careers other than players and coaches" (2018, p. 12-14).
To me, the true difference between the two sets of standards lies in their intended purposes. The AASL standards are meant to ensure that school librarians are maintaining and furthering all parts of librarianship within their schools and school libraries. Implementation of the shared foundations means that school librarians have 5 different defined roles: Leader, Instructional Partner, Information Specialist, Teacher, and Program Administrator.
The ISTE Standards for Educators focus on the facets of the role of a librarian as an Information Specialist and their purpose revolves around technology inclusion and education in the school setting. Within these standards, educators are asked to don seven additional titles and indicators are associated with each: Learner, Leader, Citizen, Collaborator, Designer, Facilitator, and Analyst. These roles are more tech-centered than those defined by the AASL.
Overall, the AASL standards ensure a librarian covers the broad bases of being a school librarian while the ISTE standards narrow the focus on the advocacy and integration of technology.
References:
American Association of School Librarians. 2018. National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries. Chicago: ALA.
Freedman, J., & Robinson, A. (2018). School Librarians Level Up. Knowledge Quest, (47)5, 10-15.
ISTE, Follett, and Future Ready Librarians. 2018. Crosswalk; Future Ready Librarians and ISTE Standards for Educators. https://cdn.iste.org/www-root/Libraries/Documents%20%26%20Files/ISTEU%20Docs/iste-standards-e_frl-crosswalk_6-2018_v7-2.pdf?wv1MfDhoPKserxbH7V1mM6CJT39klO3F=&_ga=2.154503160.1960515954.1598807327-1443770737.1598531916
Hello! I really enjoyed reading your comparison of AASL and ISTE. I think you did a great job of concisely explaining the similarities and differences. I agree that I think one of the main differences between the two sets of standards is the intended audience. While the AASL standards are specfically geared towards school librarians, the ISTE standards are for a variety of different people within the scope of education. Similarly to what you wrote, I believe that the two frameworks are still pushing towards the same goal of making students think, collaborate with peers, and feel the need to further engage with information independently. I had heard of the AASL standards before, but I had never worked with ISTE. I think it will be interesting working with both sets of standards as we work towards creating 21st century learners.
ReplyDeleteThank you again for you post!
Thank you for your kind words! I think the ISTE standards are very helpful for ensuring we will keep up with the ever changing field of technology. I like that they include our own professional development and learning; if we don't maintain our own knowledge, we'll never be able to help others do the same!
DeleteThis comment was written by Tiffany Taylor Brewer. My name/email is not being displayed due to being blocked by my district-assigned laptop.
DeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post and I liked the way you explain the similarities and differences in the standards. I also love the picture of the graphic you created to summarize the article you read. I think that’s a great idea and will keep it in mind when reading future material for class. I think doing something similar would have helped me too keep the information more organized, since I didn't print the article and couldn't write on it like I usually do. I really appreciated how this article included many different activities for students to participate in that had them using problem solving skills and solving real-world problems. While I think that all the standards are important, these two are especially important. It’s very imperative in today’s world for students to feel that what they are learning is valuable and serves a purpose. Having them solve these problems shows them that they can make a difference, what they are learning is important, and how the strategies they use to solve the problem could be used again even after they leave the classroom and as they become adults. Great job!
This comment is written by Tiffany Taylor Brewer.
DeleteI'm glad you enjoyed my notes! I have always been a doodler and someone who has to hand write while reading in order to better retain my learning. I, like you, also like to print articles and annotate/highlight as I go. I also thought it might make my blog more attractive.
You're so right about the importance of students feeling that their learning is meaningful and useful! If they don't see the point, they don't buy in, which leads to less effective education.