Image via Clip Art Panda.

Wow.  Where do I begin?  My journey of learning in LLED 462 has been phenomenal. When I first began the course, I wasn’t entirely sure what the learning curation was or how much it would really impact me, as an individual and as a teacher-librarian. Now, as we round the corner to its completion, I feel truly fortunate to have a) gotten into this course and b) for having this learning curation, in a way, lead (and empower) me in my learning.

Initially, I was uncertain as to what my essential question should be – it seemed a bit overwhelming.  I had so many questions and ideas percolating in my mind that I had no idea how I was going to narrow it down to one leading question.  I remember deciding to just jot down my ideas on a piece of paper, simply letting the words and thoughts in my mind flow. With these thoughts in mind, I decided to take a break to read Leading Learning and IFLA School Library Guidelines. As I read, the five standards, which “focus on key concepts to be implemented to drive best teaching and learning” (CLA, 2014, p.8), really stood out to me.  My current library seemed like such a far stretch from these amazing standards and vision for school libraries (learning commons). Because these standards included a growth continuum that could lead one from library to learning commons, I knew immediately that my essential question needed to stem from them. Consequently, I decided to brainstorm questions related to each of the five standards.  You can see my brainstorm below:

Clearly, I had a number of potential essential questions to consider.  Before I selected one, I decided to outline my goals for the course.  If I had goals in mind, then my essential question would therefore become a lot clearer.  The goals I narrowed down were the following:

• To be able to justify to my administrator why we should transform the library into a learning commons
• To be more effective at my role as teacher-librarian
• To gain a better understanding of the different types of literacies and how to teach them more effectively
• To better utilize and explore the digital world/technology and apply them to my role as a teacher-librarian

As I stated in my initial learning curation, my goals were purposely broad, because they were meant to help me grow in many was both as a teacher and as a teacher-librarian. With these goals in mind, I finally decided on an essential question, knowing full well that it may change, develop, or evolve as the course progressed.  My essential question was: How do learning commons better help schools achieve their goals? Again, I chose this question, because it directly helped me achieve my personal goals.  If I could demonstrate how learning commons help schools achieve their goals, then I can better advocate to my administrator why our library needs the appropriate funding to transform into a learning commons. Furthermore, to take on a learning commons model to improve school goals, I must figure out how to be more effective at my position, which would thus entail gaining a better understanding of different literacies and embracing and understanding the digital world and technology. In essence, my essential question drove my goals.

As my learning for this course comes to a close, then, did my essential question stay the same?  Did it truly drive my goals? Yes.

I initially thought my essential question would change, yet, as I made my way through the course, I realized that my essential question continually held much power and drive in my learning.  I honestly do not think I could have chosen a better question to lead my learning. Remarkably, every module and every assignment applied to my essential question, and, consequently, to my personal goals. To wrap up my learning curation, I thought it would be nice to review the modules and connect them to my essential question.

Image via By The Brooks.

Although Module 1 mainly focused on preparing us for the course and narrowing down an essential question, the readings, as mentioned above, truly resonated with me. As I’ve explained previously, my school’s perception of the library has been a bit “discolored.”  Due to lots of teacher-librarian changeover, and, as a result, little consistency in the school library, the concept and role of what a teacher-librarian is, does, and how they impact the school has become, in a way, forgotten. Thus, when I was reading Leading Learning, I felt empowered.  It provided me with a guide to implementing change and a renewal for the school library (learning commons) that will help the staff and school perceive the library and the teacher-librarian in a new light. I loved that the standards were spread out as a continuum so that I could easily see where my current library is and where it needs to go.  In addition, it nicely laid out key steps for implementation.  Not only did it inspire my essential question, but it provided me with a crucial way for getting my current library geared up to become a learning commons, so that I can help my school achieve its goals.

I felt that Module 2, School Libraries as Places for Literacy and Learning, directly spoke to my essential question. Sulivan and Lunny (2014) specifically state, “The Learning Commons is the ‘Implementation House’ for school, district, and ministry goals”  while Leading Learning (2014) quotes, “Over twenty years of research shows that student achievement and literacy scores advance where professionally staffed and resourced school libraries are thriving” (p. 4). In other words, having a properly implemented learning commons directly increases student achievement, which thus directly improves school’s goals. Not only does implementation matter, but having an excellent rapport, learning commons’ team, and a strong basis for collaboration is pivotal to a learning commons running effectively and thus helping schools achieve their goals.  As Hayes states in Library to Learning Commons (2014), “[I]t is great staff, not great stuff, which is the hallmark of a thriving school library learning commons.”  It emphasized to me how important it is that the school works together as “team,” that the school spends time collaborating, taking ownership, reflecting, and celebrating. When this “recipe” comes together, students learn how to learn, which results in higher level thinking and higher school achievement.

Image by Trish_Gee88 via imgfave.

I was able to connect with Module 3, Cultivating Life-Long Reading Habits, in so many different ways.  Growing up, I loved reading. In retrospect, I believe it was because my mother encouraged my free voluntary reading, even though it wasn’t necessarily the highest literature that I was selecting (i.e. Archie comics). The scenarios for the discussion and learning curation really bothered me, not only because I know they happen routinely, but because I could imagine what could have happened to me as a child if I hadn’t been allowed to follow my own interests in reading. [As a side note, my 8 month old baby daughter is already participating in her own free voluntary reading.  She’ll crawl over to our bookshelf and select the books she wants to read or wants me to read to her.  She tends to always pick the same ones (The Seals on the Bus, Little Blue Truck, Color Dog, and anything Pete the Cat). It’s so amusing watching her babble to herself as she flips the pages!] The readings, however, truly reinforced to me, as my role of teacher-librarian, how crucial it is that I ensure that students be allowed their freedom to choose what they want to read and to have the pleasure to read what they want. As Gaiman (2013) states in his lecture, “Do not discourage children from reading because you feel they are reading the wrong thing…Well-meaning adults can easily destroy a child’s love of reading: stop them reading what they enjoy or give them worthy-but-dull books that you like, the 21^st century equivalents of Victorian ‘improving’ literature. You’ll wind up with a generation convinced that reading is uncool and worse, unpleasant.” Free voluntary reading is so crucial for students not only to keep them reading, but also in helping them attain higher achievement in a variety of areas. As Stephen Krashen (2012) points out in his Power to Reading video, free voluntary reading is the source of our reading ability, most of our vocabulary, our complex grammatical construction, spelling, writing, writing style, and knowledge of the world.  Being the teacher-librarian in a learning commons, I can therefore encourage free voluntary reading and help educate others about its importance (i.e. in discussions, on the website, in newsletters, etc.), which helps to build a schoolwide reading community where students become motivated to read. If students are motivated to read, they will therefore gain the literacy benefits associated with free voluntary reading, which will undoubtedly help to better meet school goals in literacy.

Module 4, Learning from Multi-Modal Texts, emphasized to me how critical it is to ensure that my definition of literacy expands to include various forms of text, not just print materials. The readings pointed out how  literacy now includes things such as images, video, audio, design elements, and hypertextual elements (Serafini & Young, 2013; Dalton and Grisham, 2013). The readings, in a way, helped redefine my definition of literacy from simply reading and writing to the ability to read, navigate, interpret, comprehend, think critically about, analyze and produce (write/create) a variety of texts (for different purposes) regardless of the format (Serafini, 2012). As Dalton and Grisham (2013) point out, “There is a growing body of research demonstrating the positive effect of multimedia on learning, including promising evidence that composing in different modes can engage students in content and develop their literary analysis skills” (p. 220-221).  Yet, they (2013) caution, “Keys to success are use of the tool in service of a meaningful literacy activity and not the tools themselves” (Dalton and Grisham, p. 224). With emerging technologies, we need to teach the necessary skills for students to be able to do these things in whatever format they are using (Serafini, 2012; Serafini & Young, 2013) while remembering to not simply use technology to use it, but to always use it with a purpose and with my students’ learning in mind.  If I can effectively integrate technology and multi-modal forms of text into my teaching in the learning commons, then students will gain a better understanding of what they are learning, which will therefore help schools meet their goals.

Image via MediaSmarts.

Module 5 and 6, Critical Literacy and Digital and Media Literacy, further expanded my definition of literacy to include multiple literacies, such as those discussed in the modules (in addition to others, such as transliteracy and cultural literacy).  Although I had heard of critical literacy before, I found myself using it interchangeably with critical thinking.  These readings helped clarify the difference for me.  From the readings, I learned that critical literacy was the ability to view the world through a critical lens by actively reading, viewing and observing; reflecting and critiquing what you are reading; actively constructing knowledge; and gaining awareness of techniques used to influence readers, so that they can challenge norms by questioning, analyzing and challenging power, inequality and injustice; being aware of bias, hidden agendas, and underlying messages; reflecting on the authors purpose; and understanding and embracing different viewpoints (Coffey, n.d.; Farkas, 2011; Hayes, 2014; Matthews, 2014; Roberge, 2013). It, in essence, helps students think differently, gain a deeper understanding, build empathy, and inspire them to take social action (Coffey, n.d.; Farkas, 2011; Hayes, 2014; Matthews, 2014; Roberge, 2013). Meanwhile, digital literacy “encompasses the personal, technological, and intellectual skills that are needed to live in a digital world” while media literacy is “critical engagement with mass media” (MediaSmarts, 2015).  Despite having different definitions, these literacies, along with the others, are all interconnected and necessary for students to develop the 21^st century skills needed to be life-long learners in our world. These literacies, therefore, are things that I need to incorporate into my everyday teaching by facilitating and scaffolding activities so that students can construct their own knowledge and apply these skills and learning. By incorporating critical literacy, students will have a deeper understanding of different perspectives, question motives, and think more critically, while integrating digital and media literacy will help students develop higher critical and creative thinking in connection to ICT. As a result, we will help schools achieve their goals, because students will be able to think more critically and creatively, use technology more effectively and ethically, and apply their learning in new and innovative ways.  This will naturally transfer to helping schools meet their goals, since students will have the skills and mindset to apply their learning in more advanced and higher level ways.

Image by Jonny Goldstein via Flickr.

Module 7, the Teacher Librarian as Educational Leader, reignited the spark in me to ensure that I get my staff back on board to perceiving the teacher-librarian in a new light, as a collaborator and an educational leader. From the readings, I realized that it all starts with building key relationships and rapport with my school, staff, and community.  As Cooper and Bray (2011) state, “In the end, school library media is at its heart a people business.”  Being proactive, flexible, adaptable, friendly, and sociable were key themes throughout the readings.  I cannot just sit back and hope that people come to me for instructional leadership or collaboration; I have to go out of my way to model and encourage this. I have to ensure my learning commons is welcoming and comfortable, participate in a variety of projects, clubs, and committees, lead professional development sessions, and make collaboration purposeful, engaging, and helpful (Canter et al., 2011; Cooper and Bray, 2011; Diggs, 2011). Not only that, but I must have a solid knowledge of the curriculum, develop and manage quality resources, network with other schools and libraries, and know the needs of my users (Canter et al., 2011; Cooper and Bray, 2011; Diggs, 2011). If I do these things, the school and staff will see not only me in a new light, but also the library learning commons.  As the readings point out, collaboration with the teacher-librarian has been linked to increasing student achievement in the school (Canter et al., 2011).  Thus, if I create an environment that is conducive to collaboration, then students will gain higher levels of achievement, which will consequently better help schools meet their goals. Not only that, but as I stated in my module 7 learning curation: Teacher-librarians themselves, as the head of learning commons, take on multi-faceted roles, such as teacher, instructional partner, information specialist, and program administrator (Cooper & Bray, 2011). They pilot new ideas, try out new technologies, and help others learn and master new teaching styles and technologies so as to meet the diversity of our learners. They need to know their users’ needs (staff, students, parents) and make creative use of their time to better meet them. When teacher-librarians embrace all these facets of their job, are proactive, and strive to do well, then they will help make their learning commons a powerful place of learning which will have significant positive impact on their users (and consequently the goals of the school).

Image via Shemeen Basit.

Module 8, Supporting Literacy with Learning Technology, reminded me of the importance of using technology purposefully, so as to engage students, support their learning, and help them develop new and multiple literacies (Asselin & Moayeri, 2011).  What really stood out to me in the readings was that although many teachers are using Web 2.0 applications, most are being used in a 1.0 consumerist way (Asselin & Moayeri, 2011).  If we want to really use these tools effectively, then we need to embrace them in the more interactive, “mindset two” way that encourages participation, distributed expertise, collective intelligence, collaboration, sharing, innovation, and evolution (Asselin & Moayeri, 2011).  When used effectively and implemented properly and purposefully, we can better take advantage of the higher level thinking and participatory nature these tools lend themselves to.  As the teacher librarian in a learning commons, I can therefore model use of these tools for teachers, conduct professional development sessions on their use, collaborate with staff on them, and use them properly with students.  If I do these things, students will develop higher level thinking, which will result in greater achievement thus resulting in schools achieving their goals.

Module 9, Supporting Learners as Inquirers and Designers, highlighted ways to get students to come into the library, to learn, collaborate, and create.  As a learning commons, the library is flexible, engaging, and welcoming to students (including those at risk!).  As Loertscher (2014) points out in his article, the learning commons transforms the library into “a giant learning laboratory” where users explore, create, participate in, perform, and command their own learning (p. 35).  I would love to create an environment that is conducive to this learning, where students can come to think, play, tinker, experiment, and create, where they feel confident and comfortable learning independently and collaboratively, and where they feel empowered and supported (mentored) by staff.  If we can do this, then we will most definitely help schools meet their goals.

Image by 5chw4r7z via Flickr.

Module 10, Supporting Diverse Learners and Creating Opportunities in the Library, brought many ideas for helping support diversity and diverse learners in our learning commons.  As teachthought (2014) states, “Student-centered learning is a process of learning that puts the needs of the students over the conveniences of planning, policy and procedure….[and which] uses an actual person as an audience, and designs learning experiences backwards from that point.” If the learning commons can focus on the needs of its users and builds learning from this, then we will help students grow, learn, and develop. Not only that, but by creating opportunities (i.e. provocations, clubs, resources, makerspaces, etc.), a place to go (for comfort and security), and by providing adaptations to meet the needs of our users, we create learning opportunities and environments that help students further learn more deeply and in the best format/way for them. All of these factors contribute to students gaining higher achievement which results in schools consequently achieving their goals.

Module 11, which focused on Social Justice, made me better aware of how I, as the teacher-librarian, can address issues of social justice by carefully selecting resources, topics, and creating collaborative plans.  As Danielle McLaughlin (2014) writes:

“I believe that we teach justice by actively and purposely engaging those whose views differ from our own.  We must do this consciously and creatively. We must invite disagreement, but also acknowledge that all points of view are not equally valid or justifiable.  But if we find everyone to be in agreement, if we quickly find a consensus, we should acknowledge that someone must be missing. Whose voice is not being heard? We need to actively seek out views that contradict our own, or we may never truly understand our own views.”

Wow. McLaughlin’s article blew me away.  I had never really thought about how important it is to seek views that contradict our own and what the consequence is if we find that there are no conflicting views. Teaching social justice isn’t an “easy” thing, it takes many forms and applies to a multitude of different contexts.  Yet, if we can help our students think critically and work towards addressing inequalities, then we are one step closer to higher, more active learning, processing, and application.

Image via Nadha Hassen.

Finally, Module 12, which focused on advocacy for school libraries, was a nice finishing touch and a wrap-around for my essential question.  The whole purpose of my essential question is so that I can advocate for my library, so it was fitting that this was the final module in the course.  I enjoyed Stephen Krashen’s (2014) defense of libraries, particularly when he pointed out how higher reading scores are directly correlated with a better school library and more school librarians per child and how access to a school library of 500 books or more balances the negative effects of poverty.  Clearly libraries and teacher-librarians play a pivotal role in students’ reading. As Dianne Oberg (2014) states, “Four decades of research indicates that well-staffed, well-stocked, and well-used libraries are correlated with increases in student achievement.” Yet, as Oberg (2014) points out, a school library isn’t the only aspect that brings about these improvements, it also requires collaboration, inquiry, engaging cultural experiences, knowledge, innovation, and access to diverse resources, which are all at the heart of a learning commons. These are direct quotes, coming from reputable sources, that I can use to advocate for my library to gain more funding and to transition to a learning commons.  Clearly, if the library is transformed into a true learning commons and is funded appropriately, then it will directly improve the school’s literacy goal on reading, since studies have shown that it is directly correlated.

Thus comes the end of my (current) learning curation (but not the end of my learning). Each module, in a way, has helped to build my case and advocacy to transform my current library into a learning commons and has helped me meet my initial goals.  First, each module has helped me better justify to my administrator how a learning commons not only helps to improve school goals, but helps build a stronger school community. I have countless articles, quotes, and explanations as to why a learning commons is necessary in our school.  Second, I feel that I will now be more effective at my role as teacher-librarian, because I have so many more tools to use and knowledge of how to more effectively meet my users’ needs.  Third, I have a much better understanding of different literacies, particularly new literacies and critical literacy. Fourth, I feel much more competent in not only using technology, but using it purposely and effectively.  From Assignment 2, I have a literacy plan that I am eager to bring to my administrator when I return to work from my maternity leave.  From Assignment 3, I have a way to showcase to my staff my role not only as instructional leader, but as a collaborative and instructional partner.  All in all, I am not only a more knowledgeable and capable teacher-librarian, but I am much more empowered and able to make the changes necessary to help my school and students become higher learners, critical thinkers, and active and engaged participants/creators in their own learning.

References:

5chw4r7z. (2015). [Image of Makerspace]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/5chw4r7z/15756583153

Alberta School Library Council. (n.d.). Web 2.0 tools. Retrieved from http://aslc.ca/for-teachers-teacher-librarians/toolkit/digital-literacy/

Asselin, M., Abebe, A. & Doiron, R. (2014). Applying an ecological model for library development to build literacy in rural Ethiopian communities. Proceedings of the International Federation of Library Associations Annual Conference, Lyons, France.

Asseslin, M. & Moayeri, M. (2011). Practical strategies: the participatory classroom: web 2.0 in the classroom. Literacy learning: the middle years, 19(2), i-vii

Barack, L. (2014, May 1). LGBTQ & you. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2014/05/diversity/lgbtq-you-how-to-support-your-students

Basit, Shemeen. (2012). [World of Web 2.0]. Retrieved from http://shemeenbasiteism-animoto.blogspot.ca/2012/04/what-kind-of-people-use-web-20.html

BC Ministry of Education. (2012, October 17). Developing digital literacy standards. Retrieved fromhttp://engage.bcedplan.ca/2012/10/developing-digital-literacy-standards/

Bird, E. (2014, August 1). Wikipedia, Amelia Bedelia, and our responsibility regarding online sources. Retrieved fromhttp://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2014/08/01/wikipedia-amelia-bedelia-and-the-responsibility-of-online-sources/#_

Clip Art Panda. (2014). [Image of Smiley Face with Thumb up]. Retrieved from http://www.clipartpanda.com/categories/smiley-face-thumbs-up-thank-you

Davis, H. (2010, February 3). Critical literacy? Information! Retrieved fromhttp://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2010/critical-literacy-information/

Farkas, M. (2011, November 1). Critical inquiry in the age of social media. Retrieved fromhttp://www.americanlibrariesmagazine.org/article/information-literacy-20

Brunelle, C. (2014, May 1). Everyday diversity: A teacher librarian offers practical tips to make a difference. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2014/05/diversity/everyday-diversity-a-teacher-librarian-offers-practical-tips-to-make-a-difference/

Canadian Library Association. (2014). Leading learning: Standards of practice for school library learning commons in Canada. Ottawa:ON. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2014/05/diversity/everyday-diversity-a-teacher-librarian-offers-practical-tips-to-make-a-difference/

Canter, L., Voytecki, K., Zambone, A., & Jones, J. (2011). School librarians: The forgotten partners. Teaching Exceptional Children, 43(3), 14-20.

Carmichael, S. (n.d.). Examining Island of the Blue Dolphins through a literary lens. Retrieved fromhttp://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/examining-island-blue-dolphins-1068.html

Coffey, H. (n.d.). Critical literacy. Retrieved from http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/4437

Cooper, O. P., & Bray, M. (2011). School library media specialist-teacher collaboration: Characteristics, challenges, opportunities. TechTrends, 55(4), 45-55.

Dambruoso, A. (2014, July 18). 10 things classroom teachers need to know about modern school librarians. Retrieved from http://libraryallegra.wordpress.com/2014/07/18/10-things-classroom-teachers-need-to-know-about-modern-school-librarians/

Dembo, S., & Bellow, A. (2013). Untangling the web: 20 tools to power up your teaching. Thousand Oaks: CA. Retrieved from https://go.library.ubc.ca/nj78Kh

Diggs, V. (2011). Teacher librarians are education: Thoughts from Valerie Diggs. Teacher Librarian, 38(5), 56-58. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/docview/875201232

Discovery Education. (n.d.). Web2014 Presentation tools. Retrieved byhttp://web2014.discoveryeducation.com/web20tools-presentation.cfm

Dressner, J., & Hicks, J. (2014, May 17). Why libraries matter. Retrieved fromhttp://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/371084/why-libraries-matter/

Gaiman, N. (2013, October 15). Why our future depends on libraries, reading and daydreaming. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/15/neil-gaiman-future-libraries-reading-daydreaming?CMP=twt_gu

Goldstein, Jonny. (2012). [Image of collaboration]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/jonnygoldstein/8161551606

Hassen, Nadha. (2014). [Image of advocacy]. Retrieved from http://nadhahassen.com/self-advocacy-allies/

Hayes, D. (2014, August 9). Let’s stop trying to teach students critical thinking. Retrieved from http://io9.com/lets-stop-trying-to-teach-students-critical-thinking-1618729143

Hayes, T. (2014, 54:3). Library to Learning Commons. Retrieved from http://www.cea-ace.ca/education-canada/article/library-learning-commons

Institute of Education, University of London. (2013, September 11). Retrieved fromhttp://www.ioe.ac.uk/newsEvents/89938.html

Grisham, D. (2013). Love that book: multimodal response to literature. The Reading Teacher. 67(3), 220-225.

Kang, C. (2014, March 5). Why all that time texting is good for your kids. A Q&A with author Danah Boyd. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/03/05/why-all-that-time-texting-is-good-for-your-kids-a-qa-with-author-danah-boyd/

Kelley, S., & Miller, D. (2013). Reading in the wild: The book whisper’s keys to cultivating lifelong reading habits. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Kennedy, C. (2014). Tweeting kindergarteners? School Administrator, 7(71), 13. Retrieved fromhttp://aasa.org/content.aspx?id=34322

Konnikova, M. (2014, July 16). Being a better online reader. Retrieved from http://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/being-a-better-online-reader

Krashen, S. (2014, February 16). Dr. Stephen Krashen defends libraries at LAUSD board meeting. Retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAui0OGfHQY

Krashen, S. (2012, April 5). The power of reading, The COE lecture series, University of Georgia. Retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSW7gmvDLag

Loertscher, D. V. (2014). Makers, self-directed learners, and the library learning commons. Teacher Librarian, 41(5), 35-35,38,71. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/docview/1548229909

McLaughlin, D. (2014). The King of Denmark and the naked mole rat: teaching critical thinking for social justice.Education Canada. 54(3). Retrieved from http://www.cea-ace.ca/education-canada/article/king-denmark-and-naked-mole-rat-teaching-critical-thinking-social-justice

MediaSmarts. (n.d.) Digital & media literacy. Retrieved from http://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy

Oberg, D. (2014). Ignoring the evidence: another decade of decline for school libraries. Education Canada, 54(3). Retrieved from http://www.cea-ace.ca/education-canada/article/ignoring-evidence-another-decade-decline-school-libraries

Pineda, I. (2013, May 25). Five questions about content curation. Retrieved fromhttp://blog.isaacpineda.com/2013/05/five-questions-about-content-curation.html

Roberge, G (2013, June). Promoting critical literacy across the curriculum and fostering safer learning environments.  What works? Research into Practice, Ontario Ministry of Education. Retrieved fromhttps://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/WW_PromotingCriticalLiteracy.pdf

Serafini, F., & Youngs, S. (2013). Reading workshop 2.0: Children’ literature in the digital age. The Reading Teacher,66(5), 401-404.

Serafini, F. (2012). Reading multimodal texts in the 21^st century. Research in Schools. 19(1), 26-32.

SLJ. (2014, May 1). Program diversity: do libraries serve kid with disabilities. Retrieved fromhttp://www.slj.com/2014/05/diversity/program-diversity-do-libraries-serve-kids-with-disabilities/

Sulivan, D., & Lunny, J. (2014, June 28). Imagine the possibilities. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_QnbQxnNCI

Teach thought. (2014, August 17). 4 principles of student-centered learning. Retrieved fromhttp://www.teachthought.com/learning/4-principles-student-centered-learning/

Trish_Gee88. (2012). [Image of Reading quote]. Retrieved from http://imgfave.com/view/2465455

Vangelova, L. (2014, June 18). What does the next-generation school library look like? Retrieved fromhttp://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/06/what-does-the-next-generation-school-library-look-like/

For this week’s module, I took notes using Padlet, largely because I really like the program and wanted more practice using it and so that I’m better prepared for incorporating it into my teaching and lessons in the future.  The more comfortable I can get with the program, the more likely I will use it and see different ways to adapt it to my teaching and students.  Below is a Padlet of my notes:

Created with Padlet

These readings really emphasized to me how much I want to transform my library into a learning commons.  I feel like it is a perfect time to make this transformation. I’ve talked a bit before about how the long layoff/recall and bouncing around of teacher-librarians in our district has made a lot of schools somewhat ambivalent about the library and the teacher-librarians role.  I think, deep down, they know its value, but it has become so uncertain and unreliable that its importance is being overlooked.  I truly feel that making this transformation to a learning commons will help it be seen in a better light (and remind staff how important a learning commons is and how pivotal a role a teacher-librarian can play in a school).

As a learning commons, I would love to see students, staff, and parents coming in for different purposes. What stood out to me in Vangelova’s (2014) article was when she pointed out that many at risk students became the frequent visitors to the learning commons.  These are the students that can be the most difficult to reach.  I loved the idea that a learning commons could help reach these students and help them feel more comfortable and “welcome” at the school.  Not only that, but as Vangelova (2014) pointed out, it became the hub for everyone.  Teachers used it for a variety of purposes (lessons, space, help, etc.), as well as students (to collaborate, to study, for quiet, to socialize, etc.).  In my mind, it’s THE place to be in the school, and that’s amazing.

The other thing that really stood out to me in the readings was the uTEC Maker Model and description in David Loertscher’s (2014) article.  I would love to create this type of environment in my learning commons where students can come to think, play, tinker, experiment, and create, where they can feel confident and comfortable learning independently and from each other, and where they feel empowered and supported (mentored) by staff. How powerful is the concept of “commanding” one’s own learning?  Of being in charge?  If we know how to learn, we are much better prepared for the future then simply if we know facts and formulas.  Just think – if we can create thinkers, problem solvers, and confident learners, then we will undoubtedly better meet our school’s goals.

References

Loertscher, D. V. (2014). Makers, self-directed learners, and the library learning commons. Teacher Librarian, 41(5), 35-35,38,71. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/docview/1548229909

Philpot, C. (2014, August 1). Fan fiction takes flight among teens. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2014/08/standards/fan-fiction-takes-flight-among-teens/

Vangelova, L. (2014, June 18). What does the next-generation school library look like? [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/06/what-does-the-next-generation-school-library-look-like/

Zeina, C. (n.d.). Sketchnoting: intelligent notetaking. Retrieved from http://voice.adobe.com/videos/4Na_cUQ2JLF

Image by Jonny Goldstein via Flickr.

I really enjoyed the readings this week (I feel like I write that every week, but it’s true!). Difficulty getting teachers on board to collaborate is definitely something I have witnessed as I transitioned into my role as teacher-librarian. As I have mentioned in the past, my district has a lot of turnover in the teacher-librarian department.  Many of the teacher-librarian positions in our district are filled by vice principals (it allows for more flexibility in their position) and by younger/newer teachers.  Vice principals frequently change schools and younger/newer teachers almost always get laid off (unless you have approximately more than ten years seniority). As a result, many of the libraries in our schools have been experiencing changes yearly (my current school has had a different teacher-librarian for the past 7 years or so). Consequently, many teachers lose sight of what the library truly is (and can be). Last year, when I started at my school, one of the teachers jokingly told me that they didn’t care what I did with their kids as long as I was actually there when they brought them down (the administrator sets a fixed schedule). I know this comment was not meant to be hurtful or negative towards me, but it just highlights the tone and feel of his/her past experience and current perception.  Thus, changing the perception of the library and getting staff on board to collaborate has been a major focus of mine. I started last year and do feel that I am changing the perception. These articles just emphasized how important it really is.

Again, because I want to learn more new technological tools, I jumped right on board to try out Padlet for this assignment. I cannot believe how many new tools I have learned and it’s only been six weeks!  I prefer to try them out firsthand, because I feel it better prepares me for understanding the technology and figuring out how to use it in my teaching (and in collaboration with others!). Overall, I thought Padlet was super simple and easy to use.  I love that you can control different settings to make it safer and more secure for your students. Plus, talk about a perfect tool for this assignment – a tool that focuses on collaboration to highlight what is important to sustain collaboration in the library.  Clearly, using tools like these help. Enjoy my padlet below (or visit it here)!

Created with Padlet

As you can see from my padlet, teacher-librarians need to be proactive, flexible, and sociable.  They need to model instructional leadership and actively engage with others in order to build positive, respectful relationships that will flourish with collaboration and reflection. As Cooper and Bray (2011) state, “In the end, school library media is at its heart a people business” (p. 51).

As with the previous modules, these readings and prompt directly impact my essential question, which is: How do learning commons better help schools achieve their goals?  If teacher-librarians can effectively use collaboration as part of their teaching and embrace their role as educational leaders, then they will automatically better help schools achieve their goals. As Canter et al. (2011) write, “Availability to collaborate with general educators was a key factor in increasing student achievement” (p. 14).  In most cases, school goals revolve around increasing student achievement.  Since a learning commons is centered around making the library a “hub of learning” which provides ownership to all its members and which values and embraces collaboration, then it will therefore better help its school achieve its goals. Teacher-librarians themselves, as the head of learning commons, take on multi-faceted roles, such as teacher, instructional partner, information specialist, and program administrator (Cooper & Bray, 2011). They pilot new ideas, try out new technologies, and help others learn and master new teaching styles and technologies so as to meet the diversity of our learners. They need to know their users’ needs (staff, students, parents) and make creative use of their time to better meet them. When teacher-librarians embrace all these facets of their job, are proactive, and strive to do well, then they will help make their learning commons a powerful place of learning which will have significant positive impact on their users (and consequently the goals of the school).

References:

Canter, L., Voytecki, K., Zambone, A., & Jones, J. (2011). School librarians: The forgotten partners.Teaching Exceptional Children, 43(3), 14-20.

Cooper, O. P., & Bray, M. (2011). School library media specialist-teacher collaboration: Characteristics, challenges, opportunities. TechTrends, 55(4), 45-55.

Dambruoso, A. (2014, July 18). 10 things classroom teachers need to know about modern school librarians. [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://libraryallegra.wordpress.com/2014/07/18/10-things-classroom-teachers-need-to-know-about-modern-school-librarians/

Diggs, V. (2011). Teacher librarians are education: Thoughts from valerie diggs. Teacher Librarian, 38(5), 56-58. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/docview/875201232

Goldstein, Jonny. (2012). [Image of collaboration]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/jonnygoldstein/8161551606

Image via Common Sense Media.

With the recent readings and my in-depth exploration of the MediaSmarts and BCed plan sites, one thing I have really noticed is how intertwined all the different literacies are. It brings me back to Heather Davis’s (2010) quote, “Much of these alternate literacies can reinforce and provide added dimension to the information competency and create critical skills for the 21^st century student.”  It’s almost like a giant web of interconnected ideas, skills, and thinking all drawing from and playing off of each other.  As the MediaSmarts site states, “[I]t is important to keep in mind that competencies for digital literacy and media literacy are not separate, but rather complementary and mutually supporting and are constantly evolving and intersecting in new and interesting ways.” It would actually be pretty fascinating to see a web created that listed all the different literacies showing how they are all related and connected. As a teacher-librarian, I believe it is very important for me to have a deeper understanding of each of the literacies, how they are “unique” and how they are “connected.”  I have always known, to a degree, about the different types of literacies, but I had not really spent that much time really trying to think about how they are similar and different and how they play/connect off each other. This is, of course, still a work in progress. As I further develop this knowledgebase and understanding, I feel like I can better meet my students’ needs – I will be better able to help them connect their dots, develop deeper understanding, and personalize their learning. It is not so much that the students themselves need to know these differences, but that I know them and can use this knowledge to better construct powerful and effective lessons.  When I am planning units and collaborating with teachers, I can connect these literacies to the activities we are preparing.

Image via MediaSmarts.

When creating my digital and media literacy toolkit, I wanted to thus ensure I had a variety of tools that would be useful, engaging, and inspirational for teaching and learning.  I also wanted to ensure that they helped students become “critically engaged consumers of media” while also enabling them to “participate in digital media in wise, safe, and ethical ways” (MediaSmarts). I started off my exploration with the MediaSmarts page and eventually branched out into other areas (youTube, Google, etc.).  Please remember that my toolkit is not “complete” but a work in progress.  I see it as something that will change and grow depending on my needs and my students’ needs. I have included many sites that have a variety of links and ideas as I like to keep my options open so that I can tailor make my lessons for my current students and school. If I narrowed my toolkit down too much, then it may not reach as many learners.

I decided to create my toolkit with Symbaloo, which is a new-to-me program.  The tutorial made it look quite simple and I loved how visual the layout was.  I loved that I could quickly add a tile and that it would automatically find a symbol to match the website address I entered. Being able to color code tiles also helped to simplify and organize my project. I can definitely see potential in using this with classes or creating special ones for my staff.

Just for your reference, I separated my tiles into 5 different groupings, as follows:

• White Tiles – Websites that provide easy-to-use lessons
• Yellow Tiles – Posters
• Pink Tiles – Sites with general information on digital and media literacy (often having multiple uses)
• Blue Tiles – Games to use with students
• Red Tiles – Videos (I have included videos that I could show students as well as videos that I can watch or show teachers)

Now, as I wrap up my learning curation for this module, I always like to link back to my essential question which is: How do learning commons better help schools achieve their goals?  My essential question, to me, is extremely important, particularly in the context of my school and my situation. Because my library has had such changeover (in staff, in teacher-librarians, etc.) and because it is located in a small school and in a small community, its not really perceived as being important or as a “hub of learning.” I truly feel that demonstrating how a library learning commons can better help schools achieve their goals will help and revive its importance and make it more central and integral to learning. Last year was my first year at the school and I was already starting to see a more positive shift in attitude simply with my encouragement for collaboration and my interaction with staff and students. By being able to use my learning and experiences in this course and others in the TL diploma, then I feel that I will be better able to meet my users’ needs and build up a somewhat deflated library. So, how does building a digital and media literacy toolkit help me demonstrate how learning commons better help schools achieve their goals?  Well, by creating students who are good digital citizens, we are not just helping them develop ICT skills and showing them how to use the Internet and technology safely, properly, and in a positive way, but we are also showing them how to protect their own privacy (and respecting the privacy of others); think critically and creatively; communicate effectively and respectfully with others; and behave legally and ethically (i.e. respecting the copyright).  As the MediaSmarts page states, “Digital Citizenship is ‘character education’ in a networked world.”  Ultimately, we are helping students develop higher critical and creative thinking in connection to ICT.  This, in turn, will help schools achieve their goals, because students will be able to think more critically and creatively, use technology more effectively and ethically, and apply their learning in new and innovative ways. If students can do these things, they will naturally transfer to the skills and higher thinking needed to meet school goals.

References:

BC Ministry of Education. (2012, October 17). Developing digital literacy standards. Retrieved fromhttp://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/dist_learning/dig_lit_standards.htm

Kang, C. (2014, March 5). Why all that time texting is good for your kids. A Q&A with author Danah Boyd. [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/03/05/why-all-that-time-texting-is-good-for-your-kids-a-qa-with-author-danah-boyd/

Konnikova, M. (2014, July 16). Being a better online reader. Retrieved from http://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/being-a-better-online-reader

MediaSmarts. (n.d.). Digital & media literacy. Retrieved from http://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy

I really enjoyed reading the various articles, blog posts, and videos for Module 5 on Critical Literacy.  The sentence that really resonated with me was when Heather Davis (2010) wrote, “Both critical thinking and information literacy work together in partnership, each leaning on and supporting the other.”  This, in essence, is what we, as teacher-librarian, do.  We work together with our staff, students, community, and world to support each other in creating and expanding our learning.

So much of what we do in the library is intertwined together, as Davis (2010) states, “Much of these alternate literacies can reinforce and provide added dimension to the information literacy competency and create critical skills for the 21st century student.” When I think about critical literacy (and the other literacies), I do not think of them as separate entities, but as important pieces to a puzzle of learning, growth, and reflection. As I read through the articles, I thought about how important critical literacy is and how essential it is to include as part of our teaching.  We must help our students construct this knowledge to better prepare them for the future (not just for research or school purposes, but also for everyday life experiences, to help them build empathy, and in hopes that they will construct and make positive changes to the world).  If I want to demonstrate how learning commons help schools achieve their goals (as my essential question), then I therefore need to ensure that I am integrating critical literacy (and all literacies) into my teaching, learning, and collaboration.  

When I saw the prompt for this module’s learning curation, I automatically thought about PowToon.  When we were first introduced to PowToon, I decided that emaze was a better fit for my presentation, so although I explored PowToon, I did not have a chance to use it as a tool to showcase my learning (or to teach others). I finally got the opportunity to try it out for an audience this past week as part of an inquiry assignment in LIBE 477B.  The inquiry was on fostering a reading culture in school and, rather than list a bunch of strategies, I decided to make a PowToon movie.  If you’d like to see it you can view it below.

I had such a blast creating the movie that I knew that I immediately wanted to use it again for this prompt.  I tend to write a lot and I wanted to use a tool to showcase my learning using fewer words. Because this prompt lends itself well to key concepts and ideas, PowToon was a perfect resource to again showcase my learning.  You can view my Critical Literacy PowToon below:

As a side note, PowToon is such an easy, fun program to use.  I love how many templates are available and how quickly one can create a movie.  The only downfall, teaching-wise, that comes to mind immediately is helping students differentiate between all the upgrades (i.e. not being able to use certain features, slides, or templates).  I can definitely see using it as a teaching tool and, despite the upgrades, can still see myself using the program with students (I think they would have a kick out of the different features).

References:

Bird, E. (2014, August 1). Wikipedia, Amelia bedelia, and our responsibility regarding online sources. [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2014/08/01/wikipedia-amelia-bedelia-and-the-responsibility-of-online-sources/#

Coffey, H. (n.d.) Critical literacy. Retrieved from http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/4437

Davis, H. (2010, February 3). Critical Literacy? Information! [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2010/critical-literacy-information/

Farkas, M. (2011, November 1). Critical inquiry in the age of social media. [Blog post]. Retrieved fromhttp://www.americanlibrariesmagazine.org/article/information-literacy-20

Hayes, D. (2014, August 9). Let’s stop trying to teach students critical thinking. Retrieved from http://io9.com/lets-stop-trying-to-teach-students-critical-thinking-1618729143

Matthews, D. (2014, February 6).Critical literacy activity. Retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uolu2tKdugA

Roberge, G (2013, June). Promoting critical literacy across the curriculum and fostering safer learning environments.  What works? Research into Practice, Ontario Ministry of Education. Retrieved from https://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/WW_PromotingCriticalLiteracy.pdf

Than, G. A. (2014). Mother Jones sit down and read. Retrieved from http://zenpencils.com/comic/149-mother-jones-sit-down-and-read/

Starting Resource:

Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Collection of Resources Inspired by The Very Hungry Caterpillar:

Click to Open Collection

Please note that I just used a table in a Word Document to create my resource list.  I thought about using different, fancier programs, but, realized that, ultimately, sometimes simpler is better. One of the things that I have taken from the readings and discussions this week (particularly Kleckner’s and Paul’s articles) is that one does not always have to use technology and that sometimes it can, in essence, take away from the experience and/or learning.  As such, I decided to stick with something simple. It is important to remember that when using technology, it must be purposeful and used to enhance learning, not just used because it can be used.

With the changes in literacy and learning, there are so many avenues that one can now take a potential resource.  With The Very Hungry Caterpillar, I decided to focus my accompanying collection of resources on the overriding theme of butterflies and butterfly life cycles.  However, because I did not want to be too limiting, I also broadened the theme to include other insects and other animal life cycles.  In this way, it can be used to reach many different potential learning outcomes, such as investigating the basic needs of animals (and how they are met in their environment), classifying animals according to similarities and differences in appearance, behaviour, and life cycles, describing some changes that affect animals, and describing ways in which animals are important to other living things (BC Ministry of Education, 2015).

I thus envisioned The Very Hungry Caterpillar being used to start a discussion about and inquiry into butterflies and their life cycles. I selected several fiction and non-fiction books and online book websites (Raz Kids and Story Jumper) that could be used to supplement this learning.  I also wanted to include some non-book resources, so I selected some youTube videos (presenting catchy songs and showcasing the metamorphosis of a butterfly life cycle) as well as several websites/databases. Because I did not want to be limited to only butterflies and their life cycles, I also wanted to include resources for insects and life cycles in general, as I can see potential to lead the inquiry and learning to other animals. Please note that because I’m on a maternity leave, the book selections are limited.  If I were working at my school, I would obviously refer to the resources I have in the library, choosing specific ones that I think would be most appropriate for the teacher/grade level/students that will be using them (since that clearly has an impact on what books/resources I select).  I have just provided a selection of potential ones for the purpose of this assignment.

I did not, however, want to just think of my collection as a way to meet science learning outcomes, but also as a way to meet many different literacies (digital literacy, media literacy, information literacy, visual literacy, traditional literacy, etc.).  Before delving into the science outcomes, one could spend time focusing on the character and story line (sequencing activities, character analysis, plot, etc.) in a variety of ways. I also included an animation of The Very Hungry Caterpillar as well as a puppet show of it, because I saw potential for students to compare these renditions to the original story and for students to use media or puppets to retell the story in their own ways (i.e. using technology to retell the story). Magic School Bus videos and books are also part of the collection, so this too could be used as a comparison and as an area to discuss changes in video vs. book form. This could also lead to discussions/debate about the way things are visually presented (i.e. Eric Carle’s collage illustrations vs. photographs vs. animations vs. video recordings). I also included other Eric Carle books that could be used as part of an author study. There are just endless ways of taking the resource depending on the teacher’s purpose and intent. The beauty of it is that it can be used to meet learning outcomes across different subject areas (Language Arts, Science, Fine Arts, etc.). Ultimately, I would love to be able to springboard ideas off of the colleagues I am working with to inspire further excitement, interest, and learning.

Making a multimodal collection inspired from a single resource really emphasized how important it is for me, as a teacher-librarian, to be able to think quickly on my feet, have a thorough knowledge of my current collection, and have a variety of avenues to find useful resources online. If I was limited to just my school resources, it would have eliminated much potential for learning (i.e. the amazing time lapse videos of the butterfly life cycle; the ability to analyze and compare an animation or puppet show to a print book; the fun, catchy songs, etc.).  With the Internet, we have so much potential to find useful, engaging, and motivating resources that could potentially inspire or motivate even reluctant learners. If I want to help my school achieve its goals (as my essential question), then I need to ensure that I am using multiple resources and avenues to help my students learn while collaborating with my amazing staff.

References:

BC Ministry of Education. (2015). Building Student Success: BC’s new curriculum. Retrieved from: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum

Grisham, D. (2013). Love that book: Multimodal response to literature. The Reading Teacher. 67(3), 220-225.

Kleckner, K. (2014, August 19). The book is far superior to the ebook for early literacy: Up for debate.School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2014/08/opinion/debate/ebooks-ufd/the-book-is-far-superior-to-the-ebook-for-child-development-up-for-debate/

Paul, A. M. (2014, July 1). Eight reasons why print trumps digital for readers. School Library Journal.Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2014/07/technology/eight-reasons-why-print-trumps-digital-for-reading/

Serafini, F. (2012) Reading multimodal texts in the 21^st century. Research in Schools. 19(1), 26-32.

Serafini, F., & Youngs, S. (2013). Reading workshop 2.0: Children’ literature in the digital age. The Reading Teacher, 66(5), 401-404.

The readings, video, and scenarios this week really resonated with and affected me, surprisingly much more than I had expected. I have such a passion for reading and I have always felt so strongly about students having choice and ownership in what they read that it was almost gut-wrenching to read scenarios that ultimately stomp all over these ideas. The saddest part? These scenarios probably happen every day.  The glimmer of hope? We have the tools, as teacher-librarians, to lead the children back onto the correct path to building a life-long love of reading.

Image by theNerdPatrol via Flickr.

Before I really delve into the question, I want to provide a brief background. When I was a little kid, I saw an Archie comic in the grocery store and asked my mom if we could get it. Not exactly the epitome of “excellent” literature.  We weren’t wealthy and rarely did I get any new toy or item. Nevertheless, she said yes. After reading that comic, I got hooked. My mom (thankfully) allowed me the opportunity to grow this interest – she bought more comics.  I devoured them.  My love for Archie eventually manifested into a love for reading.  I branched out from the comics and into novels, none of which were necessarily literary masterpieces.  However, my mom supported my interest, buying me books and taking me to the library frequently. As a result, my passion for reading grew. I cannot help but wonder, however, what would have happened had my mom said no, if she had criticized my interest in reading Archie. In Gaiman’s (2013) lecture, he states “Do not discourage children from reading because you feel they are reading the wrong thing…Well-meaning adults can easily destroy a child’s love of reading: stop them reading what they enjoy or give them worthy-but-dull books that you like, the 21^st century equivalents of Victorian “improving” literature. You’ll wind up with a generation convinced that reading is uncool and worse, unpleasant.” Instead of loving books (which in part, led me to becoming a teacher-librarian), I may have hated them, which could potentially happen with the boy in the outlined scenario:

A grade two student comes into the library, on his own, to choose books. He is usually an enthusiastic science book fan (insects, tigers, sharks). He looks sad and defeated and says: “My Mom says that from now on I have to have take out chapter books to help my reading and they have to be a 2.4”

The boy in the scenario reminded me of myself – except instead of Archie, his passion was science books and instead of his mother flourishing his love for reading, she was squelching it.  In Kelley and Miller’s (2013) book they write, “Being surrounded by cultural forces that fail to support reading or diminish reading outright erodes students’ interest in reading and prevents them from sustaining any reading motivation” (p. 90).  This, in essence, is what his mother was (unknowingly) doing.

Image via Scholastic.

What would I do/say in this situation?  First, I would empathize with the child – I would explain that I know how much he loves science books. I would then point out that we have some AMAZING science chapter books!  I would help show him the different science chapter books we have, paying particular attention to specific science topics he loves and including ones he may be interested in.  He may have been unaware that chapter books could focus on science topics. My goal would be to turn this into an opportunity to expand his reading choices into other formats (such as chapter books).

Next, I would touch base with his classroom teacher.  I would discuss with her the situation and get her input on the dynamics of his reading and his mom (Is he struggling with reading? What does the teacher notice in class with his reading/book selection/motivation? Etc.). I would like to ensure that we are seen as a team working together. If the teacher thought it was necessary (or desired), I would be open to setting up a meeting with the teacher, me, and the student’s mom, otherwise, I would move on to step three, which is to call the mom to touch base on the situation and hopefully invite her in for a chat. I would also make sure my administrator was kept informed about what was happening (my current administrator wants to know everything).

Over the phone (or in person in a meeting), I would first express to the mom how much I enjoy teaching and working with her son.  I would explain how excited he gets about science books and how much he learns from them. I would then explain that he seemed concerned and disappointed about having to only take out chapter books at level 2.4. To get a better understanding of why she was limiting his reading choices, I would ask his mom why she wanted him to only read chapter books. I would then provide her with some information on literacy development, emphasizing the power of free voluntary reading and how it has been shown to not only improve children’s reading levels, but also their spelling, grammar, vocabulary, writing, and knowledge of the world (Krashen, 2012). I would further emphasize how studies have shown that students who read for pleasure do better in school than those who do not (Institute of Education, University of London, 2013). If she was still very firm about having him read chapter books specifically, I would go on to explain that our library allows children to take out multiple books and see if she would be open to him taking out some non-chapter books in addition to a chapter book. My goals for this phone call/meeting are to validate the mother’s concerns and help educate her about the benefits of voluntary free reading (in a non-condescending way), so that the student can ultimately continue to participate in unlimited free voluntary reading (and thus continue to develop a life-long love of reading).

In addition, I would also include some fun facts in my library newsletter and website about the benefits of reading for pleasure so that more people (staff and families) understand that having choice in reading is a huge factor in one’s ability to read. I would be sure to include some quotes from articles and studies that support and demonstrate the benefits of free voluntary reading.

Although this scenario has potential to turn an avid reader into a non-reader, it actually provides the opportunity to educate not only the mother but also others about the benefits of reading for pleasure (free voluntary reading).  Because the situation arose, it would remind me to highlight its importance in my library newsletter (or library section of my school newsletter) and website.  The more people (families, staff) that understand its importance, the more likely we can create schoolwide reading communities. As Kelley and Miller (2013) point out, “Building successful schoolwide reading communities requires parent education, investment from school stakeholders, and systems that support teachers and students” (p. 96).

This scenario, therefore, links directly to my essential question: How do learning commons better help schools achieve their goals?  Most schools (and my school in particular) have literacy improvement as a school goal.  If we can create successful schoolwide reading communities, we will automatically help the school achieve its goals (particularly in literacy).  By reinforcing free voluntary reading through the learning commons, students will become more motivated to read and will therefore gain its benefits, which include making gains in literacy skills (oral language, grammar, spelling, reading level, etc.).

References:

Canadian Library Association. (2014). Leading learning: Standards of practice for school library learning commons in Canada. Ottawa: ON.

Gaiman, N. (2013, October 15). Why our future depends on libraries, reading an daydreaming. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/15/neil-gaiman-future-libraries-reading-daydreaming?CMP=twt_gu

Institute of Education, University of London. (2013, September 11). Retrieved from http://www.ioe.ac.uk/newsEvents/89938.html

Kelley, S., & Miller, D. (2013) Reading in the wild: The book whisper’s keys to cultivating lifelong reading habits. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. p.88-128

Krashen, S. (2012, April 5). The power of reading. The COE lecture series. University of Georgia. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSW7gmvDLag

As I read through the readings and watched the video for this week’s module, I could not help but think about my essential question (How do learning commons better help schools achieve their goals?). Although a step-by-step guide is not specifically stated (i.e. A learning commons helps schools better achieve their goals by…), it is definitely intertwined throughout.  Sulivan and Lunny (2014) even specifically state, “The Learning Commons is the ‘Implementation House’ for school, district, and ministry goals”  while Leading Learning (2014) quotes, “Over twenty years of research shows that student achievement and literacy scores advance where professionally staffed and resourced school libraries are thriving” (p. 4). From these readings, I am starting to see how even the simple design of a learning commons can play a pivotal role in helping schools achieve their goals and how important relationships and collaboration are. As Hayes states in Library to Learning Commons (2014), “[I]t is great staff, not great stuff, which is the hallmark of a thriving school library learning commons.”  School goals are met when schools work together, when innovative teaching practices are used, and when collaboration, reflection, innovation, transformation, and celebration take place.  The whole point of a learning commons is to transform the library into a “participatory learning community” that “is designed to engineer and drive future-oriented learning and teaching throughout the entire school” (CLA, 2014, p. 4).  It is the catalyst to higher learning, to teach students how to learn and how to navigate in both a physical and digital world. As Sulivan and Lunny point out (2014), “Students will need the highest level of literacy in human history to function in a wired world.” When students know how to learn, are provided with the skills in different literacies, and are supported in their inquiries, achieving school goals will follow.  I am looking forward to making more connections to my essential question as we delve deeper into our course readings.

With these thoughts in mind, I created my own recipe for a school library as a place of literacy and learning.  This recipe, when used together, will definitely help schools better achieve their goals. I decided to use a program called emaze, which is an online presentation software platform that allows you to create and share presentations that you have made. You can even “emaze” power point slideshows that you have previously created. The program offers a ton of templates, which include 3D animations and videos. It is a free program, but you can “upgrade” for certain additional features. It was actually really easy to use and I loved all the different templates to select from.  It also had sample slides within each template and different variations (such as colors).  As with bubbl.us from last week, the user interface was simple to use and understand with a reasonable amount of options to choose from (i.e. not too many to be overwhelming, but more than enough to make it fun to play with).  I would definitely use it in the future.

Below is my recipe for a school library as a place of literacy and learning using my emaze slideshow. I recommend that you open it up in full screen (clicking on the bottom right icon on the screen).  If the presentation transitions too quickly for you, you can click the pause icon on the bottom left of the screen. You can also use your keyboard arrows or the screen arrows to scroll forward or backward at your ease. Enjoy!

References:

Canadian Library Association. (2014).  Leading learning: Standards of practice for school library learning commons in Canada. Ottawa:ON

Hayes, T. (2014, 54:3).  Library to learning commons. Retrieved from: http://www.cea-ace.ca/education-canada/article/library-learning-commons

Sulivan, D., & Lunny, J. (2014, June 28). Imagine the possibilities. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_QnbQxnNCl

My LLED 462 journey had officially begun, but I found myself stumped as to where to begin. A guiding statement or essential question seemed daunting. How would I start? What should I focus on?  What if my mind changed?  But, isn’t that the beauty of inquiry? Inquiry leads us to answers, answers that we want answered. Ergo, I decided to simply let my mind lead me, for whatever it chose would guide me down the right path.

When I thought about my essential question, lots of phrases popped into my head – learning commons, inquiry, collaboration, literacy, change, growth, and the list went on. Ideas, words, jumbled around my brain as I contemplated what I ultimately wanted to get from this course and from this curation.  Rather than picking something right away, I decided to jot down ideas, thoughts, and let my jumbled thoughts flow onto paper.  With ideas in mind, I then decided to read Leading Learning and IFLA School Library Guidelines in hopes that my ideas would hone in on my essential question. After doing the readings, I felt inspired and decided to brainstorm a variety of potential questions stemming from the five standards from Leading Learning.  I recorded my brainstorm using bubble.us.  I have never used bubble.us, but since I want to be a more informed teacher-librarian, I decided that as part of this course, I would like to experiment with new technologies, since digital literacy, technology, and the virtual world abound throughout Leading Learning. Below is my brainstorm (click on the image to enlarge it):

As a side note, bubble.us was super easy to use.  There are not too many tools to be overwhelming and the user interface is simple to navigate and interpret. I could definitely see myself using this in the library with classes.

Now that I had many questions to consider, I decided to really think about what I wanted to focus on for this course and this curation. I came up with the following goals:

• To be able to justify to my administrator why we should transform the library into a learning commons
• To be more effective at my role as teacher-librarian
• To gain a better understanding of the different types of literacies and how to teach them more effectively
• To better utilize and explore the digital world/technology and apply them to my role as a teacher-librarian

My goals are intentionally quite broad. They are meant to help me grow in many ways as both a teacher and teacher-librarian. After looking at my goals, I decided that the essential question that makes sense and encompasses all my goals is:

How do learning commons better help schools achieve their goals?

How does the essential question help meet all my goals?  Firstly, it would be an excellent way to justify to my administrator why we should change our current library into a learning commons.  Administrators want their schools to achieve their goals.  If I can justify why a learning commons is better able to help the school achieve its goals, then I am providing excellent incentive to switch.  Second, to take on a learning commons model to improve school goals, I must figure out how to be more effective at my position, which would thus entail gaining a better understanding of different literacies and embracing and understanding the digital world and technology. In essence, my essential question drives my goals.

For the purposes of this curation, I have decided to use a blog to organize and document my learning.  This is directly related to my goal of exploring and using the digital world. If I am to be expected to use technology in the library, I need to try out different tools and resources so that I know what I am doing and so that I can then envision different ways to use it in the learning commons. It also allows me the freedom to try out different technologies that I could easily include on the blog (i.e. like bubbl.us, youTube, slideshows, etc.). It also provides me with a timeline of my learning. I can see the progression of my understanding change, grow, and blossom throughout the blog posts.  It provides a fantastic way for me to see my learning. Lastly, it allows me to be “organic” in my thinking. Rather than having something contrived, it is a more natural way for me to express my ideas, thoughts, and feelings as they come to me. That, to me, was different and inviting.

With that being said, I now loop back around to how I started – taking a look at Leading Learning. My essential goal clearly stemmed from my reading, but I have yet to delve into my thoughts or reactions to the readings. When I first started taking courses towards my Teacher-Librarian diploma, the term “learning commons” had yet to be introduced (at least in the courses that I had taken).  This past summer, however, I was introduced to the term in LIBE 465 through David Loertscher’s (2008) article called “Flip this library: School libraries need a revolution.”  In “Flip this Library,” he states, “If we want to connect with the latest generation of learners and teachers, we have to totally redesign the library from the vantage point of our users – our thinking has to do a 180-degree flip” (Loertscher, 2008, p. 46). He goes on to describe ways to alter the physical space (flexible room, movable furniture, etc.) and virtual space (describing it as a “giant, ongoing conversation and a warehouse of digital materials…all available 24/7 year-round) (Loertscher, 2008, p. 47). He then provided a great overview and introduction to the world of learning commons (providing ideas of where to go in the transition from library to learning commons). However, I always felt like something was missing – like I did not quite know what steps to take to fully make this transition.  Leading Learning helped bridge this gap.

Leading Learning was easy to read and understand.  It was nicely presented, with color coordination and clear steps and charts. I liked that the learning commons was broken down into five core standards of practice, which “focus on key concepts to be implemented to drive best teaching and learning” (CLA, 2014, p.8).  I felt that this piece was a vital part that I was missing from Loertscher’s article. I now had an idea of what I needed to include and why. Not only that, but I valued that each standard was supported by a growth continuum. When I thought about the transformation, I was initially overwhelmed, but when looking at the continuum, it helped break down where our school was and where we need to go. I realized that we are already doing many of these things (albeit at different stages). I tend to do better when I have concrete goals in front of me and Leading Learning laid this out very well. Furthermore, I liked that it provided key steps for implementation.  Again, Loertscher provided ideas and examples, but I felt that Leading Learning presented a more step-by-step guide. I think having this in front of me will make it easier when I try and justify to my administrator why we should try and move to a more learning commons set-up.  Will it be easy?  Of course not.  There are potentially many obstacles in the way (funding, support, time, etc.).  However, the grand ideas and the reasoning behind are worth the effort.  Perhaps it will take years to try and implement this vision, but I think it is worth it and having this document as support will be pivotal in this undertaking.  The first steps, I imagine, will be getting my administrator on board (which, naturally, brings me back to my essential question).  Once that happens, then I can see us starting off with forming a Learning Commons team (as the guide suggests).

Overall, I am quite excited about what is going to happen over the next few months.  When I first started thinking about my learning curation and the course, I was overwhelmed. However, now that I’ve started tackling ideas and did the initial readings, I feel inspired. Transforming my library into a learning commons seems like a huge undertaking; however, I think I will be getting ideas of how to do this throughout this course (and others).  One unsettling thing, though, is that I am in a district that has a massive layoff and recall process every year (I have nine years experience and I still get laid off every year).  As a result, I never know if I will return to my past teaching position(s) and, as a consequence, many school libraries in the district have a different teacher-librarian every year.  This has resulted in many school libraries getting neglected. It takes time for the new teacher-librarian to figure things out, get oriented, and assume his/her role. As a result, none of our schools have transformed into learning commons (how can they when there is so much disruption and change?). This is the first year that I was able to return to my same library and I have hopes that I will perhaps get to return again next year. With this (hope) in mind, I still think it is worth focusing on as a goal. I know it will take small steps and lots of time, but I think it will be remarkable to see how the library changes, evolves, and motivates. Furthermore, since a learning commons involves the whole school, if I can at least get ideas percolating and started, then perhaps the Learning Commons team can potentially keep things going (even if I end up in a different school).  I may have to keep doing this wherever I go! Nevertheless, it is an exciting time for teacher-librarians.

References

Canadian Library Association. (2014).  Leading learning: Standards of practice for school library learning commons in Canada. Ottawa:ON

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. (2015).  IFLA School Library Guidelines., 2nd revised Ed. Den Haag, Netherlands.

Loertscher, David. (2008).  Flip this Library: School Libraries Need a Revolution.  School Library Journal, 54(11), 46-48.