BCTF: The Points of Inquiry
This course has lined up perfectly with the start to my new position as teacher librarian. Throughout the weekly blogs I have been able to reflect on my current position, my choices and my goals for the future. As I begin to consider my vision for the future it circles largely around technology and inquiry. Within my school setting, teachers have begun to ask me about how they can use technology to support their units and how students can use a variety of platforms to find information and represent their findings. We have also begun to look at how we can use inquiry to support student learning and their individual questions. As students begin to take ownership over a topic or idea, they are likely to become more invested in their learning and in turn it becomes more meaningful and memorable. Collaboration has also become an important theme in that as a staff we are working together to explore how I can best be used as a resource for staff and how we can set-up the schedule so that everyone is receiving time in the library and time to collaborate with me on individual inquiry and research units. I will also be considering how this will work well for our staff as a whole, and how I can ensure that I am meeting the needs of the staff while also setting aside time to complete the administration work that needs to happen to keep the library running smoothly.
As I consider using technology to support the inquiry process, I realize that there are many questions that I still need to explore within this topic. I struggle with using technology for the sake of using it and being “current” and with using it for the purpose of creating meaningful learning opportunities. With so many different options for technology platforms, such as prezi, padlet, symbaloo, evernote, QR codes and so many more, I wonder, how do I choose the best and most applicable resource to support a lesson, unit or topic. I came across an excellent article which lists a variety of tech tools that support the inquiry process. Not only does it list and link to the different programs, but it explains which stage of the inquiry process they would be applicable for. I would highly suggest checking out this link if you are unsure about what tech tool to use to present a final product, there are many options here that I have never heard of and look forward to exploring. http://eduwebinar.com.au/web-tools-to-support-inquiry-based-learning
I am also curious about resource selection. Just like when we are selecting resources such as books, DVDs or magazines for our library collection, how do we decide which technology resources are good enough to be a part of our collection? When we choose websites, videos and articles to share, how does the selection process come into play and how can we be selective and have a full understanding of the possibilities of what we are sharing? Because we trust that a certain tech tool will serve a specific purpose, we need to ensure that we have tested that purpose and that we are the expert on what that tool can do. Therefore, when working with students and teachers we can ensure we are making the best use of the technology. Of course, troubleshooting will always be an issue with technology and perhaps depending on the resources in our school, we may not always be able to access the tech tool to its full capability. By speaking with other Teacher Librarians about what they have tried and used successfully helps to ensure that the choices we make in terms of technology selections are appropriate ones that meet our educational needs.
As I look towards the future and how I want to represent my vision, I am considering several sources. However, at this point, I am hoping to present my final project on Padlet. This is a tech tool that I am going to use with two classes in the spring, in order for them to share ideas on their inquiry project. Padlet is an online bulletin board that allows multiple members (a classroom for example) to post on the same page or their own page. You can also use it as a space to collect ideas. I have added a video below that discusses how the program works. It is very user friendly and has been used successfully with kids as young as grade two.
I hope to be able to use Padlet to express my exploration of my vision for the future by posting my thoughts, pictures and videos that I have across and hope that it will allow me to show the journey that I have been on since I’ve started this class and my new position.
Here is also an example of a successful Padlet done by a grade 1/2 class on: Wondering about the Arctic.
Melissa, thanks for sharing the link with the different technology tools for the different stages of Inquiry. The information on Padlet was interesting too, and it was neat to see the class’ Arctic Padlet. When considering which tools to use, it is important to remember that you don’t want the students to create X, but to demonstrate what they learned. Obviously, at the elementary level, it might be harder to get the younger students to make this decision! Likely, it will come down to some trial and error.
Great reflective post that clearly outlines your goals, concerns and plans for your vision, your role in your school and the ways you can share and demonstrate your learning. Excellent idea to use a Padlet as a way to enable collaboration, sharing and demonstration of learning. I think your students and staff will love it. Overall, a great start to your final vision!
Melissa, great post! Thank-you for sharing that great link to tech tools used for inquiry based learning. I also really enjoyed learning about Padlet and seeing the Artic Padlet project by the grade 2 class. I haven’t used Padlet yet but now I have a much better understanding of it!
I’m bookmarking the list of web tools as soon as I finish typing this! Great resource. That said, it can certainly be overwhelming seeing how many tools are out there and not knowing what might work best. Having a vetted list of “the best of the best” for staff would be helpful. I haven’t seen Padlet before but it’s something I’d like to try with students in the future.