I couldn't be happier with all I have learned in this, LIBE 477, course. It has set me on a path of new learning and knowledge.
I feel even stronger, after learning so much in this course, about the fact that teachers who are hired as Teacher Librarians should be qualified. The information presented in this course, the collaboration with other TLs and the hands-on practical skills gained through the projects will be nothing but helpful for students and colleagues.
I see such a bright future for the Library Learning Commons spaces. There is so much that can be accomplished beyond simply signing out books. The collaboration and support that can be offered to students and teachers through inquiry based learning projects, ADST, coding is endless. It is important to move forward and to take on the role as TL very seriously as one who supports and brings forward the pieces that will move students into the 21st century as digitally connected, successful, critically thinking global citizens. We often think that students are very tech savvy since they often have a device in their hand; however, they do need to be shown how to most effectively use these powerful tools to make the changes we want to see in the world. It is our job to provide the resources and teaching required. I will take as many professional development opportunists as I am able; however, I will also dedicate the time to absorbing what I learn. I need to slow down and absorb so that I can share the information with others.
Huge thanks to Aaron Meuller and all the students in this course for opening my eyes to a world of very amazing opportunities. Have a great summer and I wish you each all the very best on your continued journeys.
Here we are, the end of the school year and I am not sure where I will be in September. My fingers are crossed to be back where I was for the past year; however, given my lack of seniority, I'm not sure what the future holds. Since I first started at John Stubbs, I have wanted to re-vamp the Library Learning Commons Webpage; however, there just was not the time this past year. I have decided to create my own page, from scratch. It is one that I will use at the LLC page at John Stubbs, if I am back there in the fall. However, I will modify it as needed, depending upon where I end up.
As a parent and teacher, I want to have a quick, user friendly and easy access to a helpful site filled with resources to support my own children and my students. I want links to useful resources and helpful sites. There is a page available, however, it is not particularly user friendly. If I am back there in the future, I will take the time to fix-up and update the WordPress site:
Here is a link to the current John Stubbs LLC Page. This is the "Before" picture.
In the meantime, I have created a relatively generic LLC webpage which I will tweek to best serve whichever school community I end up at. I will add some of the resources I found to the school district website, wherever I am in the fall. It will remain an evolving "work in progress" and I will add resources as I discover great new things:
For the "After"picture, Click Here to access my LLC "work in progress"
One other piece for the future is that I will offer "lunch and learn" sessions every other week. I will introduce teachers to one digital resource in a quick session and then follow up with links so they can further explore and use the resource with their students.
I will also continue to do all I can to connect with other teachers and build a community. This is easily achieved through coffee and treats.
Travelling always has me vising libraries and bookstores. I love to see what is available in other parts if the world. However, visiting "the best" always makes me wonder about "the rest". What about schools and libraries in developing nations?
As we move into a wider perspective than our own schools and Library Learning Commons spaces this post will examine school libraries in developing nations.
What works?
What doesn't work?
How can we best support these projects; fulfilling their needs as opposed to our need to "feel good" or "do the right thing"?
What types of resources are most needed and best utilized?
Do electronics factor into these spaces and conversations?
From a Social Justice perspective, I want to open my students' eyes to global issues; instill compassion and understanding; guide them to make this world a better place and help them grow as caring, compassionate individuals.
In trying to get books into the hands of as many students as possible, mobile libraries are an excellent consideration. I discovered the Celsus: A Library Architecture Resource and the article "Mobile Libraries in Developing Countries".
I think the North Vancouver Public Library's outreach project, initiated by my cousin, Mikale Fenton, would be a great way to have a mobile libraries in developing nations (click here for full article):
One of my initial thoughts when considering schools and libraries in developing countries was back to when I was a teen and wanted to go to third world countries and help build schools. While I have not done that yet, it is still on my list; however, if I don't manage to do it myself, I will do my best to inspire students to make a difference in that way. Anytime I have the opportunity, I will share with students the story of Universal Outreach Foundation.
A second cousin of mine, Kent Bubbs, and his wife, Landis Wyatt, have been doing incredible and inspiring work in Liberia. Since 2007, they have been involved in overseeing the operations of a school in Royesville, Liberia through their foundation Universal Outreach Foundation.
I asked Kent and Landis, via e-mail, for some detail in how they went about setting up the school and specifically the library. Their responses were very detailed and interesting:
The construction of the school took 3 years and in that time we started the process of organizing the school and it's content. In Liberia there is no reading culture, meaning that people don't read outside of the school setting. Parents don't read, people don't read to each other, and people don't have books in their houses. We are living in a verbal society where stories and communications are all done by word of mouth. This being said it is very obvious when you live here that the lack of reading is also a contributor to the poor education system and the lack of information dissemination. When someone does have the ability to read then they have a hard time comprehending and absorbing what they have read, which often means that they are just reading words rather than fully understanding what they have read.
All this being said we thought it would be a great idea to implement a library into the school and create some reading programs around it. We reached out to schools in the Vancouver area to see if they could do book drives and donate old books that they had. We were looking mostly for readers that small children could comprehend. We had a great response and collected enough books for 2 libraries. If we were to do it again we would look to raise funds to buy more contextually relevant books and also put out a list of books that we were looking for rather than miscellaneous readers. The libraries are not a typical library you would see in Canada but more just books on shelves that are sorted into age appropriate categories.
Once the school was up and running we started the process of introducing reading to the kids and some of them enjoyed it but with no support at home is was quickly lost. There are definitely kids who read better than others and enjoy it when they are given the time and resources to do so but the majority still don't look at it as something they can do anytime. I think it is a struggle that will take generations to turn around and I also think the process is starting. Since the war ended, education has become an important part of the lives of Liberians and along with that will come the understanding of the importance of reading, but again it will take time. The most interesting thing about education is that it takes generations to have change.
I hope this helps to answer your question and thank you for the interest in what we are doing, it is always nice to hear that people are reading the newsletters. Please feel free to continue this conversation if there are more questions. This is our lives and we love discussing it and trying to find new approaches and ideas.
Kent Bubbs- Via e-mail conversation June 2018
One thing I would add to Kent’s comments is the need for contextually appropriate material when developing libraries abroad. We are about to establish a library later this year at our new after school resource center, Strive. Over the years I have been collecting contextually appropriate books for this library. We would like to have a story hour and I believe its important that kids have material read to them that they can relate to. That factor alone won’t change the fact that its not a reading culture but at least they will have stories made to them that they can relate to.
Landis Wyatt - via e-mail conversation June 2018
Kent and Landis' responses were so interesting and brought up important notions. While we see the need for education and want students to read and become "educated" part of me questions what exactly this means. Handing over our weeded books that are inaccurate, out of date and not relevant to the students seems to be a disservice to these communities. As Kent and Landis had said, contextually appropriate materials are what is needed most.
The American Library Association has some suggestions about donating books to needy libraries. Click here to view further information. I think the idea of selling used books and using and funds generated to purchase contextually appropriate materials is fantastic! Books that are out of date can cause more harm than the intended good and should be recycled.
Further to the school that Universal Outreach manages, they have initiated, developed, and supported an amazing sustainable project.
As Bubbs and Wyatt stated in the December 4, 2017 Guardian newspaper article (Click here to view entire article):
“The schools were lovely, but there was such a strong charity feel to it all,” says Wyatt. “Giving people the ability to make money, that felt much more empowering. The big question came: ‘What are people asking for?’” says Bubbs. “And it was jobs.”
What about technology??
Since I am so intrigued by the work my cousins are doing in Liberia, I asked (via e-mail):
Within your school and the community, there is access to any sort of technology, either laptops or mobile devices, for people to access information and communicate with others? Also, if there is adequate internet access? If there is access to technology, is it effective and helpful? If not, is it something that you believe will happen in the not too distant future and do you think it will make a difference?
They responded with the following:
You are bringing up some very good questions that we have thought about in great detail and also tested in the field. As you know there are many benefits to the use of technology in the world of education. Both of my nephews had to have a tablet at school in their senior years. The issues that we face in a place like Liberia is the infrastructure in which it operates on and not necessarily the technology itself.
We have build 2 rural schools that don't have any form of consistent current. Without current there is no technology. If you think about implementing a solar system then someone needs to maintain it and who will pay for the new batteries once they are finished? Then you have the issue of connectivity, who has the money to buy data for internet? Who has the money to keep their phone charged all the time so they can use it? If you have connectivity are you going to use it to communicate with people or research? If you don't come from a society that reads then just because you have the internet doesn't mean your going to read, instead you will use things like facebook, instagram or other platforms that use a lot of pictures and little writing and reading.
There is a new educational concept being developed across Africa called "Bridge" http://bridgepartnershipschools.com/ It basically uses a facilitator to implement an educational curriculum off a tablet. This has had huge controversy from the teachers unions because it undermines their jobs. In reality if you want to improve the education system in a place like Liberia then you need to start to eliminate the weakest links which is the teacher. The teachers in Liberia get paid poorly so it doesn't attract people that are very interested in the job and there is no quality control oversights by the Ministry of Education so anything goes. It appears that the Bridge schools are doing better than the regular public schools but really only time will tell.
In regards to the use of technology we have seen massive shifts in the 12 years we have been living here. When we first arrives the only internet was basic dial up type, very slow and very expensive. Most people at that time didn't have a phone or way of communicating with other. Today everyone has a phone and a lot of people have smart phones. Some of the issues still exist such as cost of services and the lack of interest in reading or even understanding that you can search the internet for answers to questions you may have.
So back to your original question, I believe that technology has great potential but the implementation is much more challenging than one might think. We are currently developing an after school resource center just outside of Monrovia. It will have a computer lab and various other forms of technology. I believe there will be a lot of trial and error going on but because we live here we should be able to see what is and is not working. We have been involved in the education sector for 12 years now and the challenges are huge but we also believe that you have to commit for the log term in order to see results in this area and that is what we are doing.
Kent Bubbs and Landis Wyatt - Via e-mail conversation June 2018
Here is a video from the Bridge project to which Kent referred to above:
I came across an interesting organization called Libraries Without Borders.Click here to be directed to their site. They work toward ensuring that people throughout the world have access to information, education and culture.
There are many programs available to get smart phones and electronic devices into the hands of students in developing countries. As Kent and Landis said, the challenges are huge and it is a long term commitment.
References
1. James R. The 20 Coolest Libraries In The World | HiConsumption. HiConsumption. 2018. Available at: http://hiconsumption.com/2014/05/the-20-coolest-libraries-in-the-world/. Accessed June 30, 2018.
2. Celsus: A Library Architecture Resource - Mobile libraries in developing countries. Libraryarchitecturewikispacescom. 2018. Available at: https://libraryarchitecture.wikispaces.com/Mobile+libraries+in+developing+countries. Accessed June 30, 2018.
3. Bubbs K. Universal Outreach Foundation. Universal Outreach Foundation. 2018. Available at: http://universaloutreachfoundation.org/. Accessed June 26, 2018.
4. LibGuides: Book Donation Programs: International Donations. Libguidesalaorg. 2018. Available at: https://libguides.ala.org/book-donations/international. Accessed June 30, 2018.
5. Sweet as honey: the African killer bees providing a living in Liberia | Lorraine Mallinder. the Guardian. 2018. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/dec/04/african-killer-bees-providing-living-liberia. Accessed June 30, 2018.
6. The Future Begins Here. Bridge Partnership Schools for Liberia. 2018. Available at: http://bridgepartnershipschools.com/. Accessed July 1, 2018.
7. About Us | Libraries Without Borders. Libraries Without Borders. 2018. Available at: https://www.librarieswithoutborders.org/about-us/. Accessed June 27, 2018.
8. Shaw M. 'Spokes n Words' book bike coming to North Van this summer.Vancouver Is Awesome. 2018. Available at: https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/2018/05/02/book-bike-coming-north-vancouver/. Accessed June 30, 2018.:
Supporting Teachers' ICT Curriculum and Pedagogy: On-going and Professional Development
Full plates:
Given that everyone has full plates and not overly interested in adding too much more, I try to approach any professional development information in as simple of a format as possible. Generally, I listen to what a teacher is looking for and try to find an app, extension, blog post or link to share with them and will then meet with them individually and share the information directly. If there are several teachers looking for the same information, I will share with a few teachers at once. A few times this past year, in my first position as a TL, I did attach to the staff memo library updates which often included a link of a suggestion for an extension to use or a useful site I found.
However, moving forward, I plan to make a blog available for teachers to access the resources I find and share. I will post my blog to our library learning commons' webpage. I plan to highlight some of the informative texts, videos, blogs and much more I have been introduced to through my own journey to become a teacher librarian. TedTalks often have talks by authors from our assigned texts, including several talks by "Why School" author Will Richardson. I plan to share useful TedTalks in my future blog.
I will include on my blog, links to my Symbaloo page, to which I am continually adding links. Not only is this a great resource for me to share specific resources with teachers, they can use it as an organizational tool in their own classes and teach the basics of their platform to their students to use for organizing and sharing information. The example below is a Symbaloo Webmix I have recently created around ADST - Inquiry and Project. I will soon be adding another Webmix filled with resources and information to help teachers with Information technology Professional Development.
On a daily basis, I use Google Team Drives and Google Calendars to share, organize and introduce ideas to others. This collaborative tool is an excellent way for teachers to share resources and practice the skills within the main platform they are teaching to students.
My district is in the process of forming and Teacher Librarians' association and I am part of the executive of this LSA. While we have not yet had a great number of meetings, we do plan on doing so as we move forward. The collaboration and sharing from these sessions will be invaluable and we will be able to pass along our gained knowledge to teachers within our own schools. Until regular meetings start to take place, we rely upon posting various ideas on our Team Drive. One link I will share here is the Monro's Book List that I created based upon the books Kirsten Larmon presented at our recent TL Pro-D day.
The Pro-D referred to above will likely be the model for our TL meetings in the next school year. Each librarian will be asked to share one resource (preferably Tech based) and we will have a tech based demo of some description, for example on teaching robotics.
I have in the past used Dropbox and the Microsoft Office Suite to share information; however, I am trying not to have too many places where I store resources. I am trying to streamline and concentrate on using Google Drive.
Cups o' coffee:
While I would like to have a few minutes at staff meetings to present technologies and support teachers, there never seems to be quite enough time. (Almost) every Friday during this school year, I have baked treats and made coffee for all staff during morning recess. New books are resources are always out on display. Starting in September, I will also offer a "lunch and learn" series to all teachers. Our LLC just acquired 13 new Chromebooks, so this would be a great time for teachers to have both some structured and unstructured "play time" with coffee and treats, of course.
Support from outside:
The resource centre in my district has undergone some changes, so it will be interesting to see what sorts of resources are available once it has fully re-opened. I feel very fortunate in that there has been fantastic support from the technology curriculum coordinator. He has always been available and eager to help present new resources to teachers.
What about input from teachers?
In the August 2017 article Beyond Access: Helping Teachers Integrate Technology into Classrooms Wisely by Ying Xu he describes the breakdown in technology integration. He outlines Three Practical Approaches Toward Teacher Change:
Emphasizing teacher professional development
Improving collaborative environments among teachers
Enhancing technical support
The entire article can be accessed by clicking here. It is interesting to note the importance of consulting with teachers prior to acquiring new technology is a concern for all teachers.
The TECH EDVOCATE website is a fantastic resource to find answers to many questions about technology. I plan to include links to a few of the articles found on this site in my blog.
Twitter. This is an excellent way of sharing ideas and resources quickly and effectively. I will embed my Twitter feed into my blog post, all of which will be shared on the LLC page of the school website.
References
1. Connor C. Beyond Access: Helping Teachers Integrate Technology into Classrooms Wisely. Isilearnnet. 2018. Available at: http://isilearn.net/helping-teachers-integrate-technology-into-classrooms/. Accessed June 9, 2018.
2. TedTalks. The Surprising Truth About Learning In Schools | Will Richardson | Tedxwestvancouvered.; 2018. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxyKNMrhEvY. Accessed June 9, 2018.
3. Xu Y. Beyond Access: Helping Teachers Integrate Technology into Classrooms Wisely. Isilearnnet. 2018. Available at: http://isilearn.net/helping-teachers-integrate-technology-into-classrooms/. Accessed June 10, 2018.
4. Lynch M. Helping Teachers Use Technology and Technology Experts Teach - The Tech Edvocate. The Tech Edvocate. 2018. Available at: http://www.thetechedvocate.org/helping-teachers-use-technology-technology-experts-teach/. Accessed June 9, 2018.
5. 2018. Available at: https://mefotografie.deviantart.com/art/books-coffee-and-a-cookie-214550426. Accessed June 10, 2018.
I was feeling rather embarrassed to admit that I had to look up the acronym ICT. I was just going to figure it out and move along, pretending I knew what it meant. However, I decided I mustn't be so hard on myself for learning. It is a steep learning curve and I want to learn as much as I can. Admittedly, I love it!! Despite the frustration I tend to encounter, on a regular basis, I am thoroughly enjoying this development. I can't be the only one who doesn't know these things and I am here to learn how best to develop individually as a Teacher Librarian so I can share with and help others.
In my search for a definition of ICT, I came across this YouTube video. It not only provides a good explanation of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) it is also a bit of a wake up call to realize that in the six years since this was posted, we are still struggling, world wide, with the same concerns.
There should also be a feel good story:
This is my cousin, Mikale Fenton, who spearheaded a very cool initiative at the Vancouver City Library:
Follow this link to read the full story. This is a true example of ICT combining grassroots library notions with the latest technology enabling people to track where Spokes 'n' Words will be located, allow patrons to sign out books and ask tech questions.
When I came into this position, nearly a year ago, there were already several programs taking place within the library to foster a reading culture within the school. However, this is certainly an area that needs continued concentration and hard work.The following list will give specific examples outlining what is currently being done in our library as well as the direction in which I would like to move (and generally work toward in any library) and ideas to use in the future.
I feel to foster a reading culture within the school, it is very much a team effort. Perhaps considering the teacher librarian as "general manager"; classroom teachers and administration being "coaches" of the team. Support staff, parents, and community members are "captains" and the students are "players, participants and spectators". Every part of the team needs to be:
✽ invested in the importance of reading
✽ value the importance of reading
✽ place reading as a priority within the school
Having said that, I do feel it is the role of the teacher librarian to be the general manager; co-coordinating, supporting, and establishing what is required for success. It is important to communicate with the rest of the team the school's vision and the reasons behind creating, fostering and growing a reading culture. Clearly state the WHY?
WHY? Why is it important to create, foster and grow a reading culture?
As Arthur Barigye Mugunga, the CEO of School Books Distributors, Rwanda says:
"Reading builds critical thinking and an innovative culture in a students.
Such students are able to solve many questions compared to those not exposed to reading."
The National Library of New Zealand states on their website:
Creating a reading culture in a school is essential if you want to encourage students to become engaged and motivated readers.
Creating engaged readers takes commitment to developing a school-wide reading culture that actively encourages, supports, and models reading for pleasure. Fluent and reflective reading improves literacy, social skills and well-being, and enables independent learning.
What I'm currently doing to foster a reading culture:
✽ Reading Buddies - Grade 8 classes are paired with grade 2 classes and they meet once a week in the library to read together. In addition to the class buddies, there are individual middle school students who spend 20 minutes per day during the months of May and June supporting any elementary students (as suggested by classroom teachers) needing extra reading time.
✽ Listening to needs - In addition to purchasing books requested by students, I am there to help them find books for projects, pleasure or classroom silent reading times. On several occasions, I have had to explain to parents that graphic novels are an acceptable genre for their son or daughter to read. I have shown parents some of the amazing graphic novels available and suggested that the student borrow the French Graphic Novels in order to further improve their vocabulary.
✽ Author Visits - Whenever possible, we invite authors to visit the school. Most recently, Trudy Spiller, author of Trudy's Rock Story visited all the kindergarten classes.
✽ Field trips to library - We are fortunate enough to be within walking distance of a public library. Teachers arrange directly with the library for students to apply for library cards and classes walk over for an orientation and to collect their cards. The library also visits classes in May and June to describe and promote the summer reading program.
✽ Literacy Week - National Family Literacy Week at the end of January is always a great celebration! During this time, we have book theme days, special author visits, dress as your favourite book character day, Read-a-Thon (generally collecting approximately $1500) and a huge books swap running throughout the week. Families donate gently used books and then all students have the chance to visit the library and choose a "previously loved book" to take home. During the kick off assembly, the band and choir perform, there is a book smack and a special guest author to launch Literacy week.
✽ Scholastic Book Fairs - These fairs not only promote reading and get students extremely excited about books, they provide a major source of resources for our library. This past year, the total credits will exceed $6000. There are always three fairs per year; English, French and a BOGO fair.
✽ Indigo for the Love of Reading Foundation - We signed up for this program in the fall, which proved to be very beneficial. The program was promoted on social media to families and many stories about peoples' love of reading were shared online. Free books were awarded for every story shared, voting took place, and other incentives were offered. In the end, our school ended up with over $2000 in free books! Students heard the stories that had been posted online during morning announcements and were very proud of the school's accomplishment.
✽ Lit-Circles - I have been available in the library to support teachers and novels being covered for LitCircles.
✽ Book Displays - There are endless ideas for book displays. I made these in the school's main foyers this year for Remembrance Day, Winter Celebrations and International Women's Day
Taking the time to create displays either in the display units or within the library definitely engages students. Books included in the display are always quickly signed out and there are always great ideas available on Pinterest. Currently on display at my library are:
Seen the Movie? Read the Book!!
Wordless books - Use your Imagination
Canadian Authors
✽ Practical upkeep - This, by far, is the most time consuming and important aspect which nobody really seems to notice but without this, the library would not function. I would include the following areas in this category:
signage (by Dewey) locations of books
ordering resources as per curriculum requirements and suggestions from teachers, staff and students
ensuring safe comfortable space
establishing and building relationships
weeding
maintenance of collection
maintain library portion of the school's website
communicating with parents
books lists
technology
On the "to do list" to grow and foster a reading culture:
✽ Library presence throughout the school. From the principal's office to the gym; every effort be made to show the school and individuals that teachers as readers.
✽Reading club - Once a month meeting to review and discuss books during lunch.
✽Board Game Group - Lunch hour once a week assorted board games in the library.
✽ Student Book Reviews - With each review, students get their names entered in a monthly draw (for a gift card to a local store.)
✽ Summer Reading - Visit Adrienne Gear's sites for great reading suggestions:
Click here for some great ideas in setting up the library space and engaging readers.
✽ Keep materials current; websites such as the Scottish Book Trust (www.scottishbooktrust.com) and Love Reading 4 Kids (www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/) offer a wealth of information about new and popular reading materials.
References
Aguilar, E. (2013). Ten Ways to Cultivate a Love of Reading in Students | Edutopia. [online] Edutopia. Available at: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/cultivating-love-reading-students-elena-aguilar [Accessed 27 May 2018].
Bout, A. (2016). An ‘Aha!’ moment about fostering a reading culture – LIBE477 – Inquiry Blog Post #1. [online] Mrs. Bout's Learning Commons. Available at: https://angieboutblog.wordpress.com/2016/10/11/an-aha-moment-about-fostering-a-reading-culture/ [Accessed 27 May 2018].
Ducharme, S. (2018). MS/HS Library job. [online] Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/276971445807594816/ [Accessed 27 May 2018].
Education.gov.scot. (2015). Reading for Enjoyment - Creating a Reading Culture. [online] Available at: https://education.gov.scot/improvement/Documents/Literacy/LIT12_ReadingForEnjoymentSeptember2015.pdf [Accessed 27 May 2018].
Hopper, C. (2016). 10 Ways to Foster a Reading Culture in Your School - Classroom Chronicles. [online] Classroom Chronicles. Available at: http://tnclassroomchronicles.org/10-ways-foster-reading-culture-school/ [Accessed 27 May 2018].
Natlib.govt.nz. (2018). A school-wide reading culture | Understanding reading engagement | Reading engagement | Services to Schools. [online] Available at: https://natlib.govt.nz/schools/reading-engagement/understanding-reading-engagement/a-school-wide-reading-culture [Accessed 27 May 2018].
Rose, J. (2018). Fostering a reading culture. [online] Times of India Blog. Available at: https://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/bibliobibuli-by-jaya-bhattacharji-rose/fostering-a-reading-culture/ [Accessed 27 May 2018].
Tumwebaze, P. (2017). Reading culture: Why every student should embrace it. [online] Bing.com. Available at: http://www.bing.com/cr?IG=6BB91E5C3F2249729DA84A464205462E&CID=2EF9352929CE6E3304283ED628336F12&rd=1&h=dGlj-1R0E-bDnhCxGt_TFVollI7IoNis-T3oH0dZt5A&v=1&r=http%3a%2f%2fwww.newtimes.co.rw%2fsection%2fread%2f208008&p=DevEx.LB.1,5527.1 [Accessed 27 May 2018].
Collect, link, cite, annotate and publish descriptions of about 3-5 different resources that you have found useful in better understanding your topic(s) from Part A. This blog post will review and highlight the resources as potential citations for your more detailed explorations later in the course.
In researching my keywords, I seem to be opening myself up to heading down a relatively deep rabbit hole and discovering many other tangents I would like to research. However, I am also discovering through blogs of other students on this course, that many of these topics are being researched and discussed by others. This sort of collaboration is fantastic and I am now feeling more excited and less overwhelmed.
(This is the spot where I would like to insert a Sketchnote to illustrate the
various offshots I would like to research;
however, for now, I will stick to the resources I have found for a few of my keywords.
Sketch notes will be inserted later.)
For now...
Tackling the bigger pieces:
Where I am at right now in both my journey as a Teacher Librarian and as a student in this course I feel that tackling the larger issues of Future Ready LLCs and Future Ready Schools will be areas to consider when I am further along in my journey. (This Link will be for future reference.)
For now, I would like to concentrate on areas where I can collaborate with other teachers in helping make students Future Ready.
INQUIRY -
In the fall of 2017, I was fortunate enough to attend the Google Summit in Victoria. One of the most engaging and memorable key-note speakers of the summit (besides, of course, Aaron Mueller's fabulous Teacher Librarian workshop) was Trevor Mackenzie's talk about Inquiry Based learning. The key questions he puts forward have had me contemplating how best to bring inquiry into the LLC.
Why do some of our students become disconnected from their learning in school? Where does this natural curiosity go? And how, as educators, can we ensure all of our students experience a meaningful and wonder-filled journey through their education?
--Trevor Mackenzie, author of Dive into Inquiry (2016) and Inquiry Mindset (2018)
Here is the Link to Trevor Mackenzie's website and blog post.
What is Inquiry?
Trevor Mackenzie has a short YouTube video to explain: Click here for YouTube video (**I was not able to make my blog view the YouTube video without having to click to an external link.**)
I also came across the Cool Cat Teacher blog by Vicki Davis. This episode has Trevor Mackenzie discussing 5 ideas to bring the inquiry mindset into the classroom.
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Inquiry Mindset co-author Rebecca Bathurst-Hunt teaches French Immersion kindergarten. Discovering that Trevor Mackenzie, a high school English teacher and a kindergarten French Immersion teacher co-wrote this book is very intriguing. I have wondered how to incorporate inquiry at all grade levels and subjects. "Better meeting the need of students" (Mackenzie, 2018) is key to helping students at all levels.
Here is a link to an article by Bathurst-Hunt where she discusses her shift in teaching to better meet the needs of her students: A Journey of Growth, Inquiry and Passion.
I also came across Rebecca Bathurst-Hunt's Blog and have had a hallelujah moment. She is a French Immersion teacher and she is using English books in her kindergarten class! She has a wonderful explanation here on how she incorporates the book into her teaching using Google slides. I love this solution.
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I came across the Canada 2067 site, promoting the importance of STEM based activity in moving into the future. While I was initially considering not following this link based upon the omission of the Arts in STEM (I believe it should be STEAM), I'm glad I did follow as there is a list of 8 simple ways to support inquiry based learning which are quite helpful.
Rather than continuing down the rabbit hole, I will leave Digital Literacy, Makerspace and Library Learning Commons Spaces for additional blog entries.
