LinkingLearning

Getting ready for an incredible two days at the SA School Libraries conference. I am presenting a keynote and workshop, and looking forward to lots of learning and connecting with friends and colleagues.

Two years ago I wrote about OpenAI and argued that AI tools are commercial products, not neutral platforms. I came back to revisit that argument recently, because the evidence has continued to build: OpenAI's shift to a fully for-profit company at a $500 billion valuation, Meta's acknowledged scraping of every Australian adult user's data, the Character.AI lawsuit connected to the death of a teenager. These examples have accumulated, and the pattern they reveal is consistent.

And yet most professional development around AI still focuses on how to use the tool in front of us. I think we can do better than that, and I think Teacher Librarians and learning professionals are well placed to lead the way.

What does AI professional development look like in your school or organisation? I'd love to know.

Read the full post at linkinglearning.com.au

Google announced at its recent I/O conference that search as we have known it for 28 years (yes, Google is *that* old!) is changing. The shift toward AI-powered answers is already well underway, and it raises a number of questions: What happens to our capacity for critical thinking when we no longer need to search across sources for information? What happens to quality journalism and original publications when the web stops rewarding traffic? And who benefits most from AI tools, and who is left further behind?

The post draws on recent research to look at all three of those questions. I would love to know what you think after you read it.

Find it at linkinglearning.com.au

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the Melbourne conference!

SPONSOR MESSAGE: It was great to see so many educators come together at the Capacity Building School Libraries Conference at the National Education Summit Brisbane this month. Two valuable days of connecting, learning, sharing ideas, and networking across the sector.

Next, we’re heading to Melbourne for the National Education Summit on 3–4 September!

🎟 Early bird rates are available until 30 June

👥 Bring your team to maximise the value, register three or more delegates and receive 25% off early bird rates with code GROUP26

https://nationaleducationsummit.com.au/melbourne/capacity-building-school-libraries/

National Education Summit

The 2025 NAP–ICT Literacy results are out, and they are not good reading.

Based on the sample, only 37% of Year 10 students across Australia can be considered proficient in digital literacy — the lowest figure since the assessment began twenty years ago. Among Year 6 students, just half made the standard.

These are not students who avoid technology. Most Year 10 students use internet search every single day at school. More than half use AI tools to generate written content regularly. They are immersed in digital environments. But digital and doesn't come through immersion; it must be specifically taught.

And the specialist who is trained to do exactly that? Their numbers are dwindling in our schools, and they are rarely mentioned when we talk about what to do next.
I have written about why that needs to change. Read the full post here: https://www.linkinglearning.com.au/the-answer-is-in-the-library-we-keep-looking-elsewhere/

The Answer Is in the Library. We Keep Looking Elsewhere. – Linking Learning Advisory Photo by Austin Chan on Unsplash The shocking results of the 2025 National Assessment Program – ICT Literacy (NAP‑ICTL) report are right to attract media attention. In 2025, only 37% of Year 10 students across Australia met or exceeded the proficient standard for ICT literacy. That is the lowest...

Have you ever tried to describe how you actually learn through your professional network? It is a surprisingly hard question to answer well.

Most of us know we rely on our networks. We just struggle to articulate what we are doing, or why some approaches seem to produce richer outcomes than others.
The third post in my Linking Learning Advisory launch series shares the LSA framework from my PhD research: three interrelated learning practices called Linking, Stretching, and Amplifying. I have included examples across education, corporate, and government contexts so you can see where you might recognise yourself.

I would love to know which of the three you are spending most of your time in right now. Read the post at https://www.linkinglearning.com.au/linked-stretched-amplified/

Join me in Melbourne at the National Education Summit as I MC the Capability Building School Libraries stream https://nationaleducationsummit.com.au/melbourne/capacity-building-school-libraries/

Capacity Building School Libraries Melbourne Conference The Capacity Building School Libraries Melbourne Conference will focus on four major streams: Leading from the Library, Reading for Pleasure, Creating Community Connections and Designing Future-Focused Learning Spaces. Find out more.

Teacher librarians have been teaching people to think critically with information for decades.

The rest of the professional world is only just catching up.

In my latest blog post I write about why the skills at the heart of a teacher librarian's work — source evaluation, information literacy, knowing what to trust and why — are not niche or school-specific. They are the capabilities that every organisation navigating information overload, misinformation, and AI now urgently needs.

The case for school libraries has always been strong. I think this argument makes it stronger.

Link is below to read the full post. I'd love to know what you think. 👇
https://www.linkinglearning.com.au/reading-the-signal/

Many people don't realise that unlike prisons and hospitals, libraries are not mandated in schools. This great interview broadcast on the ABC explains why this must change.

The case for reviving school libraries - ABC listen If you cast your mind back to the school library of your childhood, what comes to mind? Whether it's a tiny one-room demountable, or a state-of-the-art facility, the school library is where so many kids first develop a love of reading, and learn the skills they need to understand the world outside t...