Module 1 | Prompt: Please begin your learning curation with:
|
For LLED 469, I will be participating in a "learning curation" where I can share and connect my general thoughts, questions and reflections regarding the world of school libraries; plus, it is my goal to showcase my professional growth in understanding the benefits in establishing a library learning commons in an elementary school setting. I am a passionate, life-long learner. It is my intention that this course will help me become a MORE effective teacher-librarian. Collaboration, both from students and teachers, is the key to future success.
Thus, I have started with two essential questions. These questions are not static and will change with my further understandings from course work, discussions and readings.
Essential Questions:
Important Questions:
These questions will drive and develop my essential questions.
With the redesign of a school library into a LLC, I will need to further discover the importance of "movable" shelving and furniture (e.g. newer comfortable seating, tables that can be individualized or grouped together, etc.). Again, cost will be a determining factor. It would be prudent to include my vision and future goal in the redesign with my school administrator. Advocacy will be the key to success. Demonstrating how a LLC supports the new curriculum will also aid in my quest.
This year marks the first school year where I am responsible for two school libraries. Both assignments equate to 0.66 FTE. For the purpose of these assignments, I will focus my thoughts and reflections on the school library that I have been at for the last three years.
Background:
I have been in the same elementary school library for the past three years. In the second year, I have seen my FTE increase (from 0.3FTE to 0.4FTE) but only to dramatically decrease (to .26FTE) due to falling enrolment. It has been my goal to make better access to the library and its resources. Thus, I wanted to embark on two areas - 1) creating a learning commons, and 2) collaborate with staff to encourage inquiry or project-based assignments. I want the library to be the central "learning hub" of the school. I mostly focus on a fixed schedule with the early primary grades and a flexible schedule with the intermediates. This allows me to make better use of my library time where I can focus on research and collaborative activities.
School District #73's, A Framework for School Library Programs in the 21st Century, is a library document used to outline the role of a teacher-librarian, district staff, and relationship to administrators among others. The school library program's mission is to prepare literate, lifelong learners who are not afraid to challenge themselves to use their problem solving skills to conduct real-life inquiries and communicate their findings to others (School District #73, 2007). Though I am responsible to teach my students to become confident information-literate learners, I would change "information-literate" to "media literate" learners to correlate 21st century learning. The Learning Commons approach allows for students to use a variety of informational resources and technologies as they learn to formulate meaningful questions (Bishop, 2013). Being "media literate," students are able to use their critical thinking skills with the aid of information (both print/non-print) and technology to draw a conclusion.
Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada (2014), is the primary resource begin planning the transformation of a library learning commons. This article provides well-detailed standards as well as a variety of rationales as to why we need to switch to a learning commons NOW! As stated in the article (2014), the library learning commons [is] a sustainable investment in the learning of the future.
There is a focus on:
The following resources will guide my library pedagogy and overall professional growth. I am excited to glean about the positives of a library learning commons.
Thus, I have started with two essential questions. These questions are not static and will change with my further understandings from course work, discussions and readings.
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?
With the redesign of a school library into a LLC, I will need to further discover the importance of "movable" shelving and furniture (e.g. newer comfortable seating, tables that can be individualized or grouped together, etc.). Again, cost will be a determining factor. It would be prudent to include my vision and future goal in the redesign with my school administrator. Advocacy will be the key to success. Demonstrating how a LLC supports the new curriculum will also aid in my quest.
This year marks the first school year where I am responsible for two school libraries. Both assignments equate to 0.66 FTE. For the purpose of these assignments, I will focus my thoughts and reflections on the school library that I have been at for the last three years.
Background:
I have been in the same elementary school library for the past three years. In the second year, I have seen my FTE increase (from 0.3FTE to 0.4FTE) but only to dramatically decrease (to .26FTE) due to falling enrolment. It has been my goal to make better access to the library and its resources. Thus, I wanted to embark on two areas - 1) creating a learning commons, and 2) collaborate with staff to encourage inquiry or project-based assignments. I want the library to be the central "learning hub" of the school. I mostly focus on a fixed schedule with the early primary grades and a flexible schedule with the intermediates. This allows me to make better use of my library time where I can focus on research and collaborative activities.
School District #73's, A Framework for School Library Programs in the 21st Century, is a library document used to outline the role of a teacher-librarian, district staff, and relationship to administrators among others. The school library program's mission is to prepare literate, lifelong learners who are not afraid to challenge themselves to use their problem solving skills to conduct real-life inquiries and communicate their findings to others (School District #73, 2007). Though I am responsible to teach my students to become confident information-literate learners, I would change "information-literate" to "media literate" learners to correlate 21st century learning. The Learning Commons approach allows for students to use a variety of informational resources and technologies as they learn to formulate meaningful questions (Bishop, 2013). Being "media literate," students are able to use their critical thinking skills with the aid of information (both print/non-print) and technology to draw a conclusion.
Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada (2014), is the primary resource begin planning the transformation of a library learning commons. This article provides well-detailed standards as well as a variety of rationales as to why we need to switch to a learning commons NOW! As stated in the article (2014), the library learning commons [is] a sustainable investment in the learning of the future.
There is a focus on:
- Learning - the LLC will be the central "learning hub" of the school.
- The Learner - promotes personalization with support from tech tools.
- Pathways - for students to learn, create and explore.
- Collaboration - where everyone learns together.
- Creativity - promoting critical thinking skills.
- Innovation - higher learning and problem-solving.
- Opportunity - equality.
The following resources will guide my library pedagogy and overall professional growth. I am excited to glean about the positives of a library learning commons.
- Loertscher, David V., Carol Koechlin, and Sandi Zwaan. (2008). The New Learning Commons: Where Learners Win! Reinventing School Libraries and Computer Labs. Salt Lake City, UT: Hi Willow Research.
- Loertscher, David V., and Elizabeth Marcoux. (2010). Learning Commons Treasury. Bowie, MD: Teacher Librarian.
- Koechlin, Carol, Esther Rosenfeld, and David V. Loertscher. (2010). Building the Learning Commons: A Guide for School Administrators and Learning Leadership. Salt Lake City, UT: Hi Willow Research.
- Rosenfeld, Esther, and David V. Loertscher. (2007). Toward a 21st-Century School Library Media Program. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow.
Resources to Support Inquiry
Image retrieved from http://bctf.ca/bctla/pub/
| |
Videos
Teacher Librarians at the Heart of School Learning (courtesy of YouTube): | |
Learning Commons in BC (courtesy of YouTube): | |
Creating a Recipe for a Learning Commons (courtesy of YouTube) | |
References
BCTLA Info Lit Task Force. (2011, January). The Points of Inquiry: A framework for Information Literacy and the 21st Century Learner. Retrieved from http://bctf.ca/bctla/pub/documents/Points%20of%20Inquiry/PointsofInquiry.pdf
Bishop, Kay. (2013). The Collection Program in Schools: Concepts and Practices. Santa Barbara, California: Libraries Unlimited.
Canadian Library Association. (2014). Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada. Retrieved from http://clatoolbox.ca/casl/slic/llsop.pdf
Government of Alberta. (2004). Alberta Education - Inquiry Based Learning. Retrieved from https://education.alberta.ca/teachers/aisi/themes/inquiry.aspx
School District #73. (2007). A Framework for School Library Programs in the 21st Century. Retrieved from http://hgec.sd73.bc.ca/sites/hgec.sd73.bc.ca/files/WebPDF.pdf
BCTLA Info Lit Task Force. (2011, January). The Points of Inquiry: A framework for Information Literacy and the 21st Century Learner. Retrieved from http://bctf.ca/bctla/pub/documents/Points%20of%20Inquiry/PointsofInquiry.pdf
Bishop, Kay. (2013). The Collection Program in Schools: Concepts and Practices. Santa Barbara, California: Libraries Unlimited.
Canadian Library Association. (2014). Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada. Retrieved from http://clatoolbox.ca/casl/slic/llsop.pdf
Government of Alberta. (2004). Alberta Education - Inquiry Based Learning. Retrieved from https://education.alberta.ca/teachers/aisi/themes/inquiry.aspx
School District #73. (2007). A Framework for School Library Programs in the 21st Century. Retrieved from http://hgec.sd73.bc.ca/sites/hgec.sd73.bc.ca/files/WebPDF.pdf