After the past couple of weeks in this course, I now have more web based tools and recommended blogs than I know what to do with! I have been busy curating websites, videos, and blog posts on MindMeister, Pearltrees, Storify and Live Binder It, building my Personal Learning Network with Twitter and Yammer, and really trying to find a balance between learning and sharing/research and creating.
Thankfully, we are encouraged to work in a group for this Vision Project as I (usually) always learn better in a group. Our group’s focus is on How Can Teacher Librarians Support Teachers and Students in the Inquiry Process? At this stage of planning, I am really trying to narrow down a platform in which to present my project, to best advertise my role to teachers in my school. I am considering what they will be most comfortable with using, what will they see as a viable go-to resource, and be able to implement in their classrooms. The thing I keep coming back to is my role has to be seen as necessary, beneficial, and straightforward. Our district is embracing inquiry in our school plan this year, and teachers are encouraged to use inquiry strategies at all schools. But, it has to be seen as something that saves time and is easy to do, and that is where my role comes in.
After conferring with our group, most of us have decided to go with using our own library website as the platform, and providing links to various inquiry based resources. Our thinking was that teachers and students are (or should be) used to going to our library site to research the OPAC and online databases such as World Book, and so putting a our links there (to show theory and examples of inquiry based learning) would make sense. Also, I would like to make this information shared among the 10 elementary schools in my district as the we are applying for an Innovation Grant to find and implement How Can Teacher Librarians Support Inquiry in Schools?
I’m also thinking that providing a collaboration space on our district site (email distribution list, Yammer, or collaboration group) will be helpful for us TLs to share resources, and post assessment rubrics or other things that are ‘in process’. Teachers can form part of this group as they wish, so to keep the conversations transparent and resources relevant.
I think this is actually blog post for Module 10? I am pleased you are choosing to take advantage of the resources provided by your district to explore the technological affordances available to you. I would think it would be very useful to have teachers and students finding out what is available, how they can use it, what kinds of learning relationships are supported by these platforms. I would encourage you to be aware of the ways the platforms shape your communicative experiences. What kinds of communications are possible, and what kinds of learning activities are available. Notice if there are ways that the platform constrains or directs communication and learning into particular roles or methods.