Module 13 - "You will end where you began!"
- address your initial essential question
- give a summary of the evolution of your curation
- suggestions: perhaps summarizing your ideal library, anticipating where you want to make a difference in your school.
Reflecting the Essential Questions (from 11 January 2015)
Important Questions:
These questions will drive and develop my essential questions.
- How to transform your existing elementary school library into a learning commons while considering the current financial cutbacks, a lack of technology upgrades (e.g. wifi, Chromebooks, tablets, subscription services, etc.) and a non-desire amongst your staff to use such technology to enrich their curriculum and students’ output?
- How a teacher-librarian can successfully promote the library and its resources to collaborate with teachers to support inquiry-based assignments.
Important Questions:
These questions will drive and develop my essential questions.
- How to receive additional funding to promote the transition from a school library into a learning commons?
- How to encourage teachers to participate in problem-based or inquiry assignments?
- What is problem-based teaching or inquiry?
This term has been a learning adventure. As the saying goes, "Teachers are always life-long learners." I feel more capable and confident in promoting collaborative and inquiry projects with my colleagues and students. Initially, I wanted to focus my 'learning growth' on transforming my existing school library into a library learning commons. This remains as one of my main goals, however, I can only advocate for proper funding from my administrator at this point in time. Therefore, I think it is pertinent to review my second essential question regarding the collaboration with teachers to support inquiry.
I believe a teacher-librarian needs to "advertise" oneself with their colleagues to begin collaborative and inquiry projects. Teachers seldom like to have other adults in the room while teaching. The result to remove such barriers is collaboration. Thus, the collaborative process allows for deep conversation regarding the curriculum, assignments and assessment. Having constant discussions with a project during non-instructional or irregular times (e.g. at lunch, after-school, at the photocopier) can have a powerful effect as other teachers would like to know what you are doing, and will want to visit the class to see what the hype is about. As a result, they will recommend to begin a collaborative project with the teacher-librarian. I always say, "Drop the idea in one and many will follow."
In past experiences, I thought assessing inquiry was too difficult or I did not have enough data for my gradebook. I now have a "filing cabinet" of formative assessment strategies to help promote students' critical thinking skills. It is more about the process (assessment for learning) rather than the completed project. Also, students must be accountable for their learning. To achieve this, students' input regarding assessment (e.g. creating rubrics) is highly important.
For inquiry-based learning to be successful, the teacher-librarian must remain on top of current research, strategies and ethics. Therefore, the teacher-librarian must teach how to properly cite sources, promote 'creative commons' licenses and allow for students' voice to nourish. Importantly, a teacher-librarian must know and provide details regarding any provincial privacy law regarding technology.
According to SD73's Library Framework, the teacher-librarian:
And the trek continues...
I believe a teacher-librarian needs to "advertise" oneself with their colleagues to begin collaborative and inquiry projects. Teachers seldom like to have other adults in the room while teaching. The result to remove such barriers is collaboration. Thus, the collaborative process allows for deep conversation regarding the curriculum, assignments and assessment. Having constant discussions with a project during non-instructional or irregular times (e.g. at lunch, after-school, at the photocopier) can have a powerful effect as other teachers would like to know what you are doing, and will want to visit the class to see what the hype is about. As a result, they will recommend to begin a collaborative project with the teacher-librarian. I always say, "Drop the idea in one and many will follow."
In past experiences, I thought assessing inquiry was too difficult or I did not have enough data for my gradebook. I now have a "filing cabinet" of formative assessment strategies to help promote students' critical thinking skills. It is more about the process (assessment for learning) rather than the completed project. Also, students must be accountable for their learning. To achieve this, students' input regarding assessment (e.g. creating rubrics) is highly important.
For inquiry-based learning to be successful, the teacher-librarian must remain on top of current research, strategies and ethics. Therefore, the teacher-librarian must teach how to properly cite sources, promote 'creative commons' licenses and allow for students' voice to nourish. Importantly, a teacher-librarian must know and provide details regarding any provincial privacy law regarding technology.
According to SD73's Library Framework, the teacher-librarian:
- recognizes and promotes the school library program as integral to the success of students becoming readers and life-long learners
- develops cooperative lesson plans with classroom teachers that integrate literature and information literacy skills into subject areas
- supports personal and group professional development, particularly in the area of information literacy strategies
And the trek continues...
Resources I will use to promote inquiry-based learning:
- BCTLA's The Points of Inquiry
- Alberta's Focus on Inquiry
- Ontario School Libray Association - School Libraries and the Emergence of the Learning Commons
- Galileo.org: Educational Network
- Other resources recommended from colleagues
Begin collaborative process with The Points of Inquiry.
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Inquiry-based Project in action.
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