National School Library Standards and ISTE Standards (A Comparison)
In reading through the articles in the May/June 2019 issue of Knowledge Quest, and in seeking
to compare and contrast the new AASL Standards Framework for School Libraries with those of ISTE,
I was particularly helped by Courtney Lewis’ contribution “Collaborating to Communicate.” In the article
she states, “The impact this reading group has had on our daily practice cannot be overstated” (p. 40),
and I find it apropos that as she points to the value of shared reading, understanding, and collaboration,
these are the very cornerstones of the standards themselves. Throughout the study, librarians met in
person, through a Google group, and through Slack, a backchannel chat group. Throughout the
meetings, the members were truly able to dig deep into the standards in order to make sure they
were understood and faithfully implemented.
to compare and contrast the new AASL Standards Framework for School Libraries with those of ISTE,
I was particularly helped by Courtney Lewis’ contribution “Collaborating to Communicate.” In the article
she states, “The impact this reading group has had on our daily practice cannot be overstated” (p. 40),
and I find it apropos that as she points to the value of shared reading, understanding, and collaboration,
these are the very cornerstones of the standards themselves. Throughout the study, librarians met in
person, through a Google group, and through Slack, a backchannel chat group. Throughout the
meetings, the members were truly able to dig deep into the standards in order to make sure they
were understood and faithfully implemented.
The most helpful reference in Lewis’ article was the Crosswalks document that offered a side-by-side
look at each set of standards. Found there are a wealth of similarities (with a few notable
differences) that map the future of teaching and learning in the 21st century.
look at each set of standards. Found there are a wealth of similarities (with a few notable
differences) that map the future of teaching and learning in the 21st century.
Similarities:
Both sets of standards are steeped in a profound belief in the power of personal inquiry, curiosity, and
curation of both information and resources.
curation of both information and resources.
Both sets of standards focus on design, iteration, collaboration, and networking to achieve a desired
learning goal.
learning goal.
Both sets of standards place a high value on exploration of the real world and meeting challenges with
21st century tools and resources.
21st century tools and resources.
Both sets of standards seek to give students support in a positive learning environment that fosters
good digital and literacy citizenship, including responsible use of intellectual property and proper
attribution.
good digital and literacy citizenship, including responsible use of intellectual property and proper
attribution.
Differences:
A notable difference between ISTE’s standards and those of the AASL is their philosophy of the
inclusion of others in the learning process. The National School Library Standards state “Learners
contribute a balanced perspective when participating in a learning community” (p. 2), whereas ISTE
seeks collaboration in a problem-solving mode with a transactional approach. The AASL standards
focus instead on empathy, diversity, and equity, ultimately valuing relationships and people over
processes.
inclusion of others in the learning process. The National School Library Standards state “Learners
contribute a balanced perspective when participating in a learning community” (p. 2), whereas ISTE
seeks collaboration in a problem-solving mode with a transactional approach. The AASL standards
focus instead on empathy, diversity, and equity, ultimately valuing relationships and people over
processes.
Additionally, the ISTE standards have an intentionally exclusive focus on technology tools, whereas
the National School Library Standards are more inclusive of all literacy. For instance, under “Curate,”
while the AASL is focused on “resources and technology,” ISTE falls distinctly in a digital camp with
“appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired objectives” (p. 4). Furthermore, with regard
to “Explore-Think” (p. 5) “Reading widely and deeply in multiple formats” and “Fostering opportunities
for learners to demonstrate personal curiosity and creation of knowledge through engaging with a
wide variety of resources and technology” (emphasis mine) is the hallmark of the School Library
Standards. While ISTE does prompt learners to find solutions to problems, its main vehicle for these
involve “collaborative technologies” that seek “peers, experts, or community members, to examine
issues and problems from multiple viewpoints” (p. 5). It is not surprising that the School Library
Standards are inclusive of all types and formats of information, as reading and information access are
cornerstones of the profession.
Conclusions:the National School Library Standards are more inclusive of all literacy. For instance, under “Curate,”
while the AASL is focused on “resources and technology,” ISTE falls distinctly in a digital camp with
“appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired objectives” (p. 4). Furthermore, with regard
to “Explore-Think” (p. 5) “Reading widely and deeply in multiple formats” and “Fostering opportunities
for learners to demonstrate personal curiosity and creation of knowledge through engaging with a
wide variety of resources and technology” (emphasis mine) is the hallmark of the School Library
Standards. While ISTE does prompt learners to find solutions to problems, its main vehicle for these
involve “collaborative technologies” that seek “peers, experts, or community members, to examine
issues and problems from multiple viewpoints” (p. 5). It is not surprising that the School Library
Standards are inclusive of all types and formats of information, as reading and information access are
cornerstones of the profession.
While I have highlighted some similarities and differences, these standards are in truth, quite
complimentary. ISTE standards seek to leverage technology in pursuing deeply engaged learning,
and the National School Library Standards come alongside these initiatives, providing a greater depth
of resources and a mindset that embraces diversity and empathy. In effect, this is the best of all worlds,
where teachers, technology coaches, librarians, and learners can all embrace the best tools of teaching
and learning in the digital age.
complimentary. ISTE standards seek to leverage technology in pursuing deeply engaged learning,
and the National School Library Standards come alongside these initiatives, providing a greater depth
of resources and a mindset that embraces diversity and empathy. In effect, this is the best of all worlds,
where teachers, technology coaches, librarians, and learners can all embrace the best tools of teaching
and learning in the digital age.
References
American Association of School Librarians. (2018). National school library standards crosswalk
with ISTE standards for students and educators. Retrieved from https://standards.aasl.org
/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/180828-aasl-standards-crosswalk-iste.pdf
/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/180828-aasl-standards-crosswalk-iste.pdf
Lewis, C. L. (2019). Collaborating to Communicate. Knowledge Quest, 47(5), 36–43.
Hi, Linda!
ReplyDeleteI came to a similar conclusion as you, namely that the AASL and ISTE standards are closely intertwined. The better we as librarians and teachers understand the standards, the more we can find ways to get them to work for us and support our practices, finding connections in ways we never considered. I agree that the primary difference between the two sets of standards is mostly philosophical, as the ISTE standards are more rooted in technology development where the AASL standards are more concerned with the student as a whole, which is a conclusion I also came to when I read about Calypso Gilstrap's IB approach with a focus on students' personal development. Like you, I found the Crosswalks document extremely helpful, as while I watched the videos on the standards, it is more helpful to me to have a side-by-side comparison of each set where I can look for parallels as well as contrasts between the sets of standards.
David Ballinger
Linda,
ReplyDeleteI also chose to discuss this article in my blog post! I found it extremely helpful and insightful in many ways. I loved her idea of the librarian reading group. I think that is something that is so important since librarians often work independently. I also found the Crosswalk document to be very helpful! It easily lays out all of the standards in a way that is visually appealing and makes sense to me. Like Lewis states in her article, this would be a great resource to share with principals or others who are not familiar with the standards. I also noticed the same similarities and differences that you noted. I love that you pointed out that the ISTE standards have an exclusive focus on technology while the AASL standards focus on all literacy. This is something I did not notice right away. I really enjoyed reading this part of your blog post. I think you explain the differences in literacy very well.
Marie Ouzts
Hi Linda!
ReplyDeleteI too used Courtney Lewis' article. I was struck with by her discussion of collaboration being a standard that not only applied to learners but also to educators. So often I have thought of standards as "what the student needs to be able to do" but she showed that standards can be used for educators as well as students. Discussion groups dedicated to learning and understanding the standards was such a great idea and one I wish had been thought of when I first starting teaching (nearly 16 years ago) when standards were just given out, with little to no discussion on how they were to be implemented. The crosswalk info for the AASL/ISTE standards was so helpful and I also came away with idea that standards are complementary in many ways. I do think, like you, that ISTE is focused almost exclusively on technology, while AASl covered much broader concepts. My only concern is when there are TOO many sets of standards and which (if any) will the school choose to follow.
Very well expressed!!
Hi Linda! Thank you for the clarity of your post. I had a hard time expressing the differences between the two sets of standards. It was easier for me to talk about the similarities. It was interesting to me that although you noticed that collaboration was a similarity between the two - you wrote how with the ITSE standards version of collaboration was more focused on process whereas in the AASL standards the focus was on valuing people and diversity. I also agree that there is more depth to the AASL standards. I did not use this articlefor my blog. I read Jenna Spiering's artlicle on adolescent literacy. Through her lens it iwas easy for me to see how technology is integrated into the AASL standards. I think the wording is a bit more encompassing of the traditional roles librarians have had but she demonstrated how keeping up with the research and intergrating digital/multimodal literacies is critical in working with adolescents. Though this was a different area of focus, I came to the same basic conclusion as you - that both standards are complimentary to each other and can be used to help librarians come up with the best approaches/tools for teaching and learning.
ReplyDeleteLinda,
ReplyDeleteI loved that you focused on this collaboration article. It shows the power of collaboration and how to work together to fully understand the standards. The librarians were able to fully grasp the standards and that is very important for our students. We can learn so much from each other when we work together just like we want our students to do. You provided an in depth discussion of the similarities and differences between the standards. I agree that the AASL standards are written to be used with all types of literacy and ISTE focuses on digital literacy. I think that we can use the ISTE standards to support learners even when not using digital literacy by incorporating the bones of the standards when it is possible. I love your closing about how these standards will allow all educators to navigate students in their learning during this digital age.