The context for my proposal is that of my school library within the Vancouver School Board. Each year the time allotted to our library (and all libraries within the VSB) is always considered for cutbacks, yet the library is looked at as the heart of the school. To bring the school library into the 21st Century and combine the already rich resources available, with that of technology, an LMS will be used collaboratively with the other teachers within the school. The library is used quite extensively with the teachers in the school, but the methods of groupings and developing appropriate material is always a challenge. An LMS will allow new technology and ideas to flow from the library and change the way information is delivered to students. The hope is this will be the model for other school libraries within the district.
To Ms. M. Kempthorne, Media and System Librarian, VSB:
I am currently developing an online curriculum for the Grade 7 Social Studies library collaboration unit that is done at our school. This year I am working on a unit on ancient Greece, so as to fit with the 7 Curriculum under ancient civilizations. By creating an online program for students, the traditional way of moving around each week in stations can be done using the computer. The LMS will guide the students through modules that allow for up to date information, easy access to photographs and pictures, an ability to provide relevance by comparing ancient Greece with that of today, and allow for creativity in producing online assignments using the many web 2.0 tools. The LMS will allow for easy feedback and monitoring whether in or out of school.
The LMS I have decided to implement is Moodle (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment). With the budget shortfalls that we are forever hit with each year, Moodle is an open source program that can be put in place with very minimal cost. We already have a sufficient onsite server that could house Moodle and together with the computers on site, including the library, will provide an excellent starting point for this project to model the advantages to other school libraries in the system. Also with Wi-Fi soon to be throughout the school, the use of mobile devices will only enhance the possibilities and make it feel like the school library has gone virtual. Along with my Grade 7 teachers, we will work at building the web pages necessary to make the curriculum come alive on the Moodle site. This first attempt at building a curriculum in this manner will only excite other teachers in the school who use the library in a similar fashion. Scardamalia and Bereiter (1994) argue that for knowledge-building to occur, both students and teachers must look to transform the classroom (in my case, library) in a way that old patterns of delivery are replaced with immediate, real world exercises that provide relevance to todays context. This project will no doubt move the library and its use into a 21st Century learning environment with the use technology and an LMS.
With Moodle being an open source product, the school server has ample power and capacity to host an in-school application. The VSB IT department would take no time to install it on the school server and all the teacher computers. Based on Bates and Poole’s (2003) framework SECTIONS for selecting technology, the components that stand out the greatest in selecting Moodle as an LMS for this project are cost, ease of use for students and teachers, interactivity and novelty. The cost may be one of the most important during these times of cutbacks in school boards. The only immediate cost would be the release time for the Grade 7 teachers to work with the librarian to understand the Moodle system and to develop the modules. The computers in our school, and most elementary schools in Vancouver, won’t require necessary upgrades in the near future. The infrastructure is in place to successfully run Moodle on the school server and allow student access to the site without fear of slow down.
Assignments for this proposal will be online activities using a variety of web 2.0 tools available. This will allow students to experience their learning and to access information very quickly through the links that will be available on the Moodle site.
Using an LMS, such as Moodle for this project will not only change the way learning is presented, but make the school library the lead player in providing up to date technology to students. Perkins and Pfaffman (2006) say that Moodle provides parents with a window into to their child’s learning, administrators with knowledge of ongoing activities in the classroom, students access to their work, assignments and presentations at any time of the day, and teachers with a simple platform to set up and maintain a class websites.
The school library has the ability to become the main driving force behind using an LMS in schools today. The use of Moodle, with all of its options, can demonstrate to the community the importance of bridging technology with the school library.
Thank you for your time,
Darren Mitzel
References:
Bates, A.W. & Poole, G. (2003). Chapter 4: a Framework for Selecting and Using Technology. In Effective Teaching with Technology in Higher Education: Foundations for Success. (pp. 77-105). San Francisco: Jossey Bass Publishers.
Perkins, M. & Pfaffman, J. (2006). Using a Course Management System to Improve Classroom Communication. Science Teacher, 73(7), 33-37.
Scardamalia, M., & Bereiter, C. (1994). Computer support for knowledge-building communities. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 3(3), 265-283.