April 7, 2022 ·

LIBE 477 Future Vision Project Reveal

When thinking about my future vision for a school library learning commons, an aspect that is important to me is supporting teachers and students with innovative education technology. Therefore, I wanted this project to combine the spirit of collaboration with a branch of ICT that is new to me. I decided to launch an inquiry on digital video production in the classroom because I wanted to develop my own skills in this area. As I began my research, I found more and more compelling support for using video production as an educational tool.

Why Digital Video Production?

I knew from my limited experience that student engagement with making their own videos is high. In a case study conducted in 2005, Schuck and Kearney found that student video production improved a variety of learning outcomes apart from movie-making skills including multiple literacies, communication and presentation, organisation and teamwork, higher-order thinking, metacognition, and affective skills. In addition, students can use video production as a powerful tool for improving and reflecting on their work (Henderson et al., 2010). As digital technologies become more and more prevalent, multimodal literacies are becoming vital components of pedagogy. Video production supports students in working across modes in alignment with modern literacy practices (Ranker, 2007). Finally, video production allows us to examine the voice and representation of youth that is inherent in media creation (Dahya, 2017). All in all, there are many powerful benefits to using video production across the curriculum.

Overview of Project

When I began to think of the key elements that I wanted to include in my project, my main goal was to help colleagues see the potential of video production and their own capabilities to incorporate it, even if they do not feel “tech-savvy”. For this reason, I wanted the overall tone to be one of support. Using the collaboration model from the BCTLA and Surrey Teachers’ Association for inspiration, I designed my project to show teachers how their SLLC can support them with this tool. In order to make it beginner-friendly, I knew I wanted to include tutorials and examples. I also wanted to communicate to teachers that video production should not be seen as yet another task to add to their plates. Video production is an instructional strategy that can help students master the content of all subject areas and not the object of study itself (Norton & Hathaway, 2010). This is why I wanted to include lesson plans and examples that demonstrated curricular connections.

Project Design

Originally, I thought of this project as a presentation that could be given at staff meetings or professional development opportunities. As the project began to come together, I was inspired to make it a living document that can be used for reference and added to as time goes on. In the end, my project ended up with two components: a PowerPoint to use in presentations to colleagues and a Padlet that summarizes key information but stands on its own. I chose to use Padlet because it is a compact way to incorporate documents, videos, links, and images that can be shared with one link. I can continue to add new tools as I learn about them and teachers can opt to be notified when new content is added. I can also add members so that other teachers can insert their expertise and enhance the project. After I created the Padlet, I began to worry that this format might discourage people who are not familiar with it, so I created a how-to video to help users navigate the information and included it in my PowerPoint.

Production Process

Although there are countless excellent video production apps available, I wanted to be intentional about the apps I included in this project. I started by looking at the list of pre-approved apps for my district. Submitting new apps for approval is a daunting process that is best avoided. Then I started curating a list of apps that I felt I could reasonably learn to use during this course. I wanted to use this project to cultivate the commitment to continuous learning and exploration that is necessary to be a digital age mentor (Miller & Bass, 2019). It was also important to me that I feel confident in using all the tools I promote. Learning to use these apps involved a lot of experimentation on my own but I also sought out teachers who had used the apps to ask about their experience, attended a professional development workshop on using green screens, and volunteered to help a class with their animal research video projects. The most challenging part of this project was curating examples of videos that linked to the curriculum for each app. While I did create some on my own, I wanted to show authentic examples of students using the apps as much as possible. Because I am currently on education leave, this involved a lot of collaboration with former colleagues and “borrowing” their students to create. In the end, my collaboration for iMovie got rescheduled and I was not able to get my example ready for that app in time. I will have to add it at a later date.

What Comes Next?

As my education leave comes to an end and I return to teaching next month, I want to continue to add to this project as I add to my video production toolkit. The next app on my list is Clips for iOS. This looks like a simple alternative to iMovie that has a similar interface to Tik Tok and may be more suitable for beginning movie-makers.

Without further ado, I present to you my project in its current form (best viewed in full screen):

Digital Video Production in the Classroom Presentation

Digital Video Production Tools Padlet

Made with Padlet

References

BC Teacher Librarian’s Association & Surrey Teacher’s Association. (2019). What can collaboration with a teacher-librarian look like?. https://bctladotca.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/teacher-librarian-infographic-final.pdf

Dahya, N. (2017). Critical perspectives on youth digital media production: ‘voice’ and representation in educational contexts. Learning, Media and Technology, 42(1), 100-111. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2016.1141785

Henderson, M., Auld, G., Holkner, B., Russell, G., Seah, W. T., Fernando, A., & Romeo, G. (2010). Students creating digital video in the primary classroom: Student autonomy, learning outcomes, and professional learning communities. Australian Educational Computing, 24(2), 12–20.

Miller, S., & Bass, W. (2019). Leading from the library: Help your school community thrive in the digital age. International Society for Technology in Education.

Norton, P., & Hathaway, D. (2010). Video production as an instructional strategy: Content learning and teacher practice. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 10(1), 145-166.

Ranker, J. (2007). A new perspective on inquiry: A case study of digital video production. The English Journal, 97(1), 77–82.

Schuck, S. & Kearney, M. (2005). Students in the director’s seat: Teaching and learning with student-generated video. In P. Kommers & G. Richards (Eds.), Proceedings of ED-MEDIA 2005–World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia & Telecommunications (pp. 2864-2871). Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).

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April 1, 2022 ·

LIBE 467 Theme 3 – Reference Materials: Times Are Changing

CC image courtesy of Duke University Archives via Flickr

As I was reflecting on the lessons in Theme 3, I realised there is a common thread that weaves through all of them: times are changing and reference materials and the way we teach students to use them must change as well. The BC curriculum asks us to focus on personalized learning and to foster the competencies and skills that students will need to be lifelong learners (Province of British Columbia, 2016). Teacher-librarians are faced with the monumental task of teaching students to find information in an information landscape that is changing rapidly. To do this, we must develop their search skills, provide them with a variety of 21st-century reference materials, and embrace new ways of providing reference services.

Some may argue that libraries and the reference materials in them became relics of the past with the advent of the greatest reference tool of all… the internet. As a classroom teacher that has seen how students search the internet, I would say there is still some work to be done. Students need support to navigate the vast amount of information at their fingertips and to understand that its vastness knows no bounds. Introducing the deep web to students can help them better understand how information on the internet is organized (Hricko, 2002). This understanding is more important then ever in an increasingly multimodal world where web sites made up of graphics, videos, audio clips, etc. are more difficult for web indexes to retrieve. Teaching about alternatives to Google, such as DuckDuckGo, can help students go beyond the surface web and get the most out of their internet searches (Beaudry, 2022).

CC image courtesy of Aliqismet Aliyev via Wikimedia Commons

In addition to teaching internet search skills, teacher-librarians must provide students with a robust reference collection. “Reference services revolve around the basic principle of maximization of information resources in all formats” (Riedling, 2019, p. 3). Online databases provide a streamlined way to keep up-to-date reference materials in the collection. As I explored the databases subscribed to by my district throughout the course, I realised the importance of promoting these tools to the school community to ensure they are being used to their full potential. This should be done in conjunction with providing access to dynamic print resources, to meet the needs of all learners. The way that materials are organized in the collection, both print and non-print, can also have a huge impact on how they are used. For example, creating a special section for biographies may draw in more users than putting them in their respective Dewey locations.

I want to help students navigate information online by acknowledging that things have changed and continue to change in how we view information. Although I was taught to discount Wikipedia and all other crowd-sourced reference materials as viable sources of information, I now understand that using these as tools to teach critical thinking will be much more valuable to students down the road, where they are sure to encounter wikis on every topic under the sun. They must understand that bias, errors, and hidden agendas make it irresponsible to consult just one source (Berinstein, 2006). Similarly, teaching students to use online dictionaries, translation apps, and digital geographical resources will serve them far better than insisting on outdated print versions for the sake of tradition.

Wikipedia: Beneath the Surface from NC State University Libraries on Vimeo.

Ultimately, the role of teacher-librarians has become more important than ever with regard to reference services. If we can thoughtfully curate reference materials and incorporate them into instruction to meet the needs of our 21st-century learners, we will prove ourselves to be indispensable.

Works Cited

Beaudry, R. (2022). Lesson 8: Deep Web [Discussion board post]. University of British Columbia. https://canvas.ubc.ca/groups/395069/discussion_topics/1301218

Berinstein, P. (2006). Wikipedia and Britannica: The kid’s alright (and so’s the old man). Searcher 14(3). https://www.infotoday.com/searcher/mar06/berinstein.shtml

Hricko, M. (2002). Using the invisible web to teach information literacy. Journal of Library Administration 37(3-4), 379-386.

Province of British Columbia. (2016). Curriculum overview. BC’s curriculum. https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/overview

Riedling A., & Houston, C. (2019). Reference skills for the school librarian: Tools and tips. Libraries Unlimited.

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March 29, 2022 ·

LIBE 467 Evaluation Plan – Improving Reference Services

Context

The purpose of this report is to evaluate the reference collection and services of an elementary school library. The school currently has 277 students enrolled in grades K-7. The school library learning commons is staffed by a qualified teacher-librarian two and a half days per week. The SLLC follows a hybrid schedule, with fixed book exchange times and four flexible blocks per week for co-teaching opportunities. Most of the reference collection is housed in the non-fiction book section. There is also a small separate collection of print reference materials. Digital reference materials subscribed to by the district are available on the SLLC website from school and home.

Analysis

Students use the SLLC often (1-2 times per week) to select books to read for pleasure. They rarely use the collection for information-gathering purposes. Teachers feel that there are adequate resources in the collection to support the curriculum, but not a wide enough variety of formats available to support the learning styles of their students. Other than the web resources subscribed to by the district, there are only books in the collection. In total, there are 9,477 books in the collection. Although the book to student ratio is Exemplary, non-fiction/reference (3,602 books) make up less than 40% of the collection, which does not meet standards (Canadian Association for School Libraries, 2006).

Due to the Below Standard 0.5 staffing of the SLLC (Canadian Association for School Libraries, 2006), the school community does not have open access to reference services other than the digital resources available online. There are 13 online English databases suitable for elementary (see Appendix A). Although teachers feel there are adequate web resources available to support their teaching, they do not use them often. When asked how the collection could better support their students’ information-gathering needs, most indicated they would like more support in using the databases. Currently, the focus of co-teaching is ADST and story workshop. Classes rarely use the SLLC for research, although teachers occasionally sign out a selection of books for a topic of study.

Project Rationale

The reference collection should support the development of knowledge, skills, and understandings by providing a variety of print and non-print resources. Although the current collection adequately covers curricular content, it should “have a number of reference items covering the same content that present information in different formats, languages, or reading levels in order to meet the needs of diverse learners” (Riedling & Houston, 2019, p. 24). The digital resources available add to the variety of the collection, but classroom teachers do not feel equipped to use them with their students. According to the Canadian Library Association (2014), an established SLLC fosters information literacy when the “teacher-librarian collaborates with teachers to infuse information literacy instruction in learning experiences to ensure deep understanding of content” (p. 17). Despite dynamic co-teaching opportunities, users are not accessing the collection to develop information literacy.

Recommendations

In order to improve the reference services of the SLLC, two main courses of action are recommended:

  1. Diversify the current collection by adding a variety of resource formats to support different learning styles, such as realia, podcasts, maps, or audiobooks.
  2. Use co-teaching blocks to focus on resource-based learning to achieve curricular objectives.

To achieve the first recommendation, teachers and students should be consulted about the formats they would most like to see added to the collection. The teacher-librarian should then prioritize the budget to add these formats in alignment with the curriculum. As new resources are acquired, the teacher-librarian should alert the school community by promoting new formats during lessons, on the SLLC website, and in physical displays in prominent locations. At the end of the next budget cycle, the teacher-librarian can use an evaluation checklist (see Appendix B) to assess progress.

A shift in the focus of co-teaching blocks will require cooperation from administration and staff. The teacher-librarian and administrator should present rationale for incorporating resource-based learning to classroom teachers. The promotion of digital databases can be used to increase interest in co-teaching opportunities that involve active participation with information resources. The teacher-librarian can use the next assessment period as a goal for increasing student information literacy skills, using BC’s Digital Literacy Framework (BC Ministry of Education, 2021) as an assessment tool (see Appendix C).

This plan to improve the reference services provided by the SLLC should be re-evaluated after one year. Potential challenges will include budget limitations and resistance from classroom teachers. The support of the administrator is key to “provide the leadership, budgets and support for moving forward with library learning commons transitions and implementation of national and regional standards” (Canadian Library Association, 2014, p. 21). The end goal of the project is to ensure that the SLLC is providing the school community with the reference services they need to become lifelong learners.

Works Cited

BC Ministry of Education. (2021). BC’s Digital Literacy Framework. Province of British Columbia. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/kindergarten-to-grade-12/teach/teaching-tools/digital-literacy-framework.pdf

Canadian Association for School Libraries. (2006). Achieving information literacy: Standards for school library programs in Canada. (M. Asselin, J. L. Branch, & D. Oberg, Eds.) Canadian Association for School Libraries.

Canadian Library Association. (2014). Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada. Ottawa, ON.

Riedling, A. M., & Houston, C. (2019). Reference skills for the school librarian: Tools and tips (4th ed.). Libraries Unlimited.

Appendix A: List of Available Digital Databases

  • 4Canoes
  • EBSCOhost
  • Explora Primary – Canada
  • KnowBC
  • National Geographic Kids
  • NoveList
  • ProQuest Historical Newspapers
  • TumbleBookLibrary
  • World Book Early Learning
  • World Book Kids
  • World Book Discover
  • World Book Student
  • World Book Timelines

Appendix B: Sample Evaluation Checklist

Adapted from Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada, Canadian Association for School Libraries, 2006.

 

Appendix C: BC’s Digital Literacy Framework

Click here to see the complete framework.

 

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March 24, 2022 ·

LIBE 477 Future Vision Project Learner Considerations

The blueprint for my future vision project is starting to come together. I am working on a presentation to share with colleagues about digital video production in the classroom and how the school library can support this. This PowerPoint presentation could be shared at staff meetings, professional development opportunities, or lunch-and-learns. This week, I am trying to refine my format and intention by considering my audience and their needs.

Life After LIBE 477

After last week’s blog post, I was inspired to consider two new questions:

  1. How will this artifact be accessed and used over time? (thank you, Darcy)
  2. How can I add an interactive element to my artifact? (thank you, Erin)

When I think of my own experiences as a learner, I find that during presentations, I might not be ready to engage with all of the material. This could be due to my mindset in that particular moment or because I am not at the point in my learning where I can understand what the presenter is sharing. For this reason, I appreciate it when I am provided with the learning material, so I can go back and engage with it when I am ready. While this could mean simply sharing my PowerPoint with colleagues after the presentation, I would rather create a living document that not only contains the information from the presentation, but could be added to over time. That way, I can add new video production tools as I learn them and invite colleagues to contribute their own ideas. I think Padlet will be effective for creating this part of my artifact. The link to the Padlet could be shared in the presentation and on the school library website, so that teachers can access it at any time. This will give my artifact more lasting power than a PowerPoint alone.

Potential Roadblocks

If I want to reach as many audience members as possible, I need to consider why teachers may be resistant to incorporating digital video production into their teaching. According to research conducted by the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA), key barriers to ICT use in the classroom include:

  • lack of access to equipment
  • lack of time for training, exploration, and preparation
  • lack of models of good practice in ICT
  • negative attitudes towards computers in education
  • computer anxiety and a lack of confidence
  • fear of change
  • lack of technical, administrative, and institutional support

(BECTA, 2003)

I am hoping that the very nature of my project will address the lack of support and confidence that teachers might experience. I want them to know that the teacher-librarian is here to support them in whatever way they feel ready to tackle this.  My audience will be teachers in the Burnaby School District, so I will include tools that I know are easy to access with what is available. This means using iPads as the primary recording device and apps that are pre-approved by the district like iMovie, Chatterpix, and Green Screen by Do Ink. I will be including examples of each tool that link to the curriculum to model best practice. As for negative attitude or fear of change, I hope that by providing research about how digital video production supports student success, I can appeal to teachers enough that they will be inspired to try. I will have to find a balance between sharing concise, easy-to-read research and overwhelming my audience. I am going to keep this section of the Padlet separate from the rest so that those who just want to access tutorials or examples do not have to sift through academic articles.

Over the next two weeks I will be working on gathering and creating examples and tutorials, researching rationale behind digital video production in the classroom, and putting together my PowerPoint and Padlet. I am looking forward to sharing my final artifact with you all!

Works Cited

BECTA. (2003). What the research says about barriers to the use of ICT in teaching. http://www.mmiweb.org.uk/publications/ict/Research_Barriers_TandL.pdf

Edwards, L. (2020, October 19). What is Padlet and how does it work for teachers and students?. Tech & Learning. https://www.techlearning.com/how-to/what-is-padlet-and-how-does-it-work-for-teachers-and-students

erinthelibrarian24. (2022, March 20). A one stop shop for presentation tools and support: Final vision project design considerations. Adventures in Becoming a Teacher Librarian. https://erinthelibrarian24.wordpress.com/2022/03/20/a-one-stop-shop-for-presentation-tools-and-support-final-vision-project-design-considerations/

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March 16, 2022 ·

LIBE 477 Future Vision Project Design Considerations

Last week, I formulated the guiding philosophy for my future as a teacher-librarian based on the past five weeks of inquiry in this course. This week, I am thinking about what kind of artifact will best encapsulate that vision of the future. I have a useful little widget on the sidebar of my blog that keeps track of the different tags I use on my posts. The most prominent tags are “collaboration” and “technology” followed by “media arts” and “inquiry”. The confluence of these topics links to the issue I began exploring at the beginning of the course of how to best establish an environment of collaboration using digital video production as a tool. I want my artifact to address that issue. As I begin to consider the format and design of my project, these are the concerns I have:

  • Classroom teachers have a full load and collaboration should ease the load, not add to it.
  • Digital video production should be seen as a tool to access the curriculum, not an additional ADST component.

How can my artifact best address these concerns?

Youth filmmaking class

CC Image courtesy of Dougnamy1 via Wikimedia Commons

Collaboration in Real Life

One of the most informative articles about collaboration I have read was a conversation between Kristin Fontichiaro, a teacher-librarian who was working as a classroom teacher at the time, and Jo Angela Oehrli, a classroom teacher who was working as a teacher-librarian. This role reversal allowed each person to put themselves in the other’s shoes and paint a realistic picture of what collaboration looks like in a busy school environment. They identified four pieces of advice on how to go about the process:

  1. Know what’s going on and only ask the questions that move things forward.
  2. Be up-front about expectations and limitations.
  3. Be flexible.
  4. Take something off the other person’s plate.

(Fontichiaro & Oehrli, 2014)

Therefore, I want the tone of my artifact to be “Here is what I can do for you.” This avoids asking the question to teachers “What do you need?” which can overwhelm teachers that don’t know the answer (Oehrli, 2014). I also want my artifact to give teachers multiple entry points. This will avoid anything too prescriptive that could make teachers feel like I am trying to come in and run the show. I can do this by using video production as a base but show a lot of different options for what that might look like, or a kind of “choose your own adventure” with video production.

It’s An Instructional Strategy, Not Another Subject

Leading from the Library states the importance of reframing instruction to ensure lessons in the library support what is happening in the classroom (Miller & Bass, 2019). The examples that I include in my artifact need to have cross-curricular ties. This will help teachers to see that we will be using video production to achieve their curricular goals. “This approach . . . carries with it the potential for students to gain exposure to media analysis and production activities while simultaneously mastering the complexities of disciplinary knowledge” (Norton & Hathaway, 2010) and ties into the ISTE “Designer” standard:

(ISTE, 2022)

Although this tool can be used to access all content areas, media literacy itself is still an important part of the curriculum. Media production will help students examine their own experiences with media forms, which can often have negative connotations, particularly for young girls.  It can help students understand the choices that go into making media texts and the intention behind them. I want my artifact to show teachers this added value in using video production as an instructional strategy as opposed to more traditional approaches.

As I continue to think about the best format for my project, I would appreciate your comments to tell me what would help you or what you would like to see in regards to an artifact designed to assist teachers in incorporating digital video production in their classroom. Please comment below!

Works Cited

Fontichiaro, K., & Oehrli, J. A. (2014). Turning the tables on collaboration part I: Planning for success. Library Media Connection 32(4), 36-38.

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (2022). ISTE standards: Educators. ISTE: Area of Focus. https://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards-for-teachers

Miller, S., & Bass, W. (2019). Leading from the library: Help your school community thrive in the digital age. International Society for Technology in Education.

Norton, P., & Hathaway, D. (2010). Video production as an instructional strategy: Content learning and teacher practice. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 10(1), 145-166.

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March 12, 2022 ·

LIBE 477 Inquiry Reflection – Guiding Philosophy

Ship Radar – CC Image courtesy of Pixabay

In order to formulate my important takeaways from the past four weeks of inquiry, I returned to my blog post on each topic and tried to pull out the key understandings from my writing. What I ended up with turned out to be a kind of philosophy or vision for the kind of school library I want to cultivate and the kind of teacher-librarian I want to be. Here is what I came up with as a guiding philosophy:

  1. The school library provides a gateway to accessing and learning new educational technology alongside your peers and colleagues.
  2. The teacher-librarian is knowledgeable about learning technology and if she does not know the answer, she will help you find it.
  3. The school library acts as a link between the school and the wider community.
  4. The teacher-librarian seeks out exciting learning opportunities for the school community and has an open door for new ideas.
  5. The initiatives, focus, and identity of the school library should be led by the wants and needs of its most important clients: the students.

While I was not surprised by any of these statements, it was interesting to see that they came out in my blog posts over the course of the inquiry.

Reading the blog posts of my colleagues, many of whom are already working as teacher-librarians, gave me valuable new ideas about how to make this philosophy come into being. I made a list of tangible ways to work towards these goals, inspired by my peers:

  • incorporate technology (blogs, Padlet, Google Jamboard) into student-centred reader response discussions
  • make video tutorials that show students and colleagues how to access library resources
  • get involved in online learning communities to find new ideas to bring back to school community
  • acquire e-books and other forms of digital text to increase access to the library collection
  • extend the use of the library to the local community to establish connections to the school

I am grateful for the opportunity to establish this learning network of teacher-librarians who are passionate about sharing their experiences.

Finally, I want to reiterate this quote I shared in my blog post about collaborating with colleagues to support their professional development, which was the topic that resonated the most with me over the course of the inquiry. I think it brings together all aspects of my guiding philosophy:

“Like the sailor high atop a ship’s mast, a critical role of our profession is to scan the horizon for educational, technological, and societal changes that will affect our students, teachers, schools, and communities.” (Johnson, 2013)

(The photo at the beginning of this post is my clever attempt to update the crow’s nest analogy to represent libraries of the future…)

Works Cited

erinthelibrarian24. (2022, March 4). Big things come in small packages: The impact mobile devices have on literacy in developing countries. Adventures in Becoming a Teacher Librarian. https://erinthelibrarian24.wordpress.com/2022/03/04/big-things-come-in-small-packages-the-impact-mobile-devices-have-on-literacy-in-developing-countries/

Johnson, D. (2013). The indispensable librarian: Surviving and thriving in school libraries in the information age (2nd ed.). Linworth.

Kim. (2022, February 24).  Leading learning in the school. Ms. Cook’s Books. https://mscooksbooks.blogspot.com/2022/02/leading-learning-in-school.html

linda. (2022, February 25). How do we share what we have learned with the wider school community?. My Learning. https://blogs.ubc.ca/mylearning/2022/02/25/february-25-2022-how-do-we-share-what-we-have-learned-with-the-wider-school-community/

S Mrkich. (2022, March 6). The future is digital and developing. LIBE 477B. https://teacherlibrariancourse.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-future-is-digital-and-developing.html

westerstill. (2022, February 11). How to foster a reading culture. Librarystudies. https://booksarecool143770636.wordpress.com/2022/02/11/how-to-foster-a-reading-culture/

 

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March 10, 2022 ·

LIBE 467 Collaboration with a Teacher – Embedding Reference Materials into Practice

Introduction

Encouraging information literate citizens is a key role of the teacher-librarian. This means that teacher-librarians and classroom teachers need to work together to ensure students are being exposed to a varied and innovative set of reference skills. This can be challenging in an environment where colleagues bring different perspectives to the process. Bruce et. al (2006) suggest “our ways of seeing IL, and ways of seeing teaching and learning are likely influences on our approaches to, and experiences of, IL education” (p. 2). Although the teacher-librarian cannot change a colleague’s views entirely, it is their responsibility to enable student achievement by introducing innovations to the use of reference materials in the classroom.

The Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) is a process which can be used to understand how a colleague perceives changes to their practice and how to respond (Loucks-Horsley, 1996). It gives seven stages of concern that need to be addressed to support change. These correspond to eight levels of use which describe the transformation process (see Appendix). Identifying these stages and levels can help a teacher-librarian guide change while responding to their colleagues’ needs. This paper will present an example of a teacher who is going through different stages of incorporating information literacy into their teaching. A plan for supporting the teacher in innovating their practice will be outlined, using the CBAM as a guide.

(Huang, n.d.)

Scenario Part 1

A Grade 4/5 teacher has started a year-long project where students choose their own topic and conduct a personal inquiry. In order to facilitate the research process, the teacher spent two weeks guiding the students in asking five questions to pursue. Students have a set time each week where they have access to iPads to explore their topic. The teacher has expressed concern that when students are given time to research, they aimlessly search the internet, often ending up on YouTube watching videos about their topic. She asks the teacher-librarian for help to support the students in their research.

The teacher has started a research project but has not taught the students any reference skills. She is at the informational level of concern, where she would like to know more about it and may be receptive to new strategies. The teacher-librarian should offer to teach a series of lessons that integrate research skills, such as note-taking and keyword searches, with varied types of reference materials. One of the obstacles students can face when using reference materials is that they lack the developmental skills to search for information. “Researchers have noted that children have a preference for visual browsing for information over strategic keyword searching, leading to longer, more circuitous searches” (Riedling & Houston, 2019). Introducing a digital resource, such as World Book Online, that the students can access through the school library will give the students a more developmentally appropriate setting to conduct their search. This will also give the teacher a chance to observe the tool being used so they can become more comfortable with it themselves. Students must also have access to print resources. The teacher should be invited to bring her class into the library for a co-teaching opportunity where the students can find reference books about their topic. This will allow students to choose the format that best suits their needs and provide equitable access to students who may lack access to technology at home.

It is possible that the teacher-librarian may be met with resistance as the classroom teacher moves from informational to personal concerns about learning these new tools. It may help to remind the teacher that using these tools accesses several competencies of the BC curriculum and will fulfill some of her learning outcomes for this grade level. The teacher may approach the teacher-librarian to assist with the same lessons in future years. This support over time is necessary to ensure it is embedded into the teacher’s practice (Loucks-Horsley, 1996).

Scenario: Part 2

The teacher continues the inquiry project in their classroom. They have learned about a new way to help their students access information and are in early stages of implementation. After several research sessions, the teacher checks in on students’ progress. They have so far only produced lists of facts. The teacher is concerned that they are not pursuing their topic in much depth, which was the intent of the project.

The teacher demonstrates an awareness of the value in the inquiry process, but it does not seem to be working. This puts them at the mechanical level of use, where they are attempting to better organize the use of the innovation. They have moved beyond personal concerns and are considering consequences by asking the question, “How is this affecting learners? How can I refine it to have more impact?” (Loucks-Horsley, 1996).

Although the teacher began the project by getting the students to form their own research questions, they have now stalled in the inquiry process. Using an inquiry model will provide structure to the research process and support students in meaningful learning (University of British Columbia, 2022). Looking at the Ontario School Library Association’s inquiry model from the Together for Learning document, the class has spent time in the Exploring phase and is now in the Investigating phase.

(Ontario School Library Association, 2010)

To support the teacher in adopting the model, the teacher-librarian can offer to co-teach lessons in developing a research plan, selecting information, and formulating the focus of the inquiry to help move the students along to the next phase of the process. Graphic organizers and checklists could also be provided to assist with the Processing phase. In order to initiate school-wide change, the inquiry model could be presented to the rest of the staff at a professional development day. This would help the teacher to feel supported while she implements this change.

Conclusion

“School library programs should be a force for change at the centre of teaching and learning with a focus on enabling student achievement”  (Canadian Library Association, 2014). As the teacher-librarian is supporting colleagues to incorporate reference materials into their teaching, they must be sensitive to their concerns about change. The scenario in this paper is meant to illustrate possible interventions that can enhance the use of reference materials while addressing those concerns. This is how learning experiences evolve over time and become successful innovations in teaching information literacy.

Works Cited

Bruce, C., Edwards, S., & Lupton, M. (2006). Six frames for information literacy education: A conceptual framework for interpreting the relationships between theory and practice. Innovation in Teaching and Learning in Information and Computer Sciences, 5(1), 1-18.

Canadian Library Association. (2014). Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada. Ottawa, ON.

Huang, P. (n.d.). Stages of Concern. Concerns-Based Adoption Model. https://sites.google.com/site/ch7cbam/home/stages-of-concern

Loucks-Horsley, S. (1996). Professional development for science education: A critical and immediate challenge. In R. Bybee (Ed.), National standards & the science curriculum. Kendall/Hunt Publishing. https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/731/2015/07/CBAM-explanation.pdf

Ontario School Library Association. (2010). Together for learning: School libraries and the emergence of the learning commons. Ontario Library Association.

Riedling, A. M., & Houston, C. (2019). Reference skills for the school librarian: Tools and tips (4th ed.). Libraries Unlimited.

University of British Columbia. (2022). Lesson 2: The reference process and information skills. LIBE 467: Information Services I. https://canvas.ubc.ca/courses/84997/pages/lesson-2-the-reference-process-and-information-skills?module_item_id=3995249

Appendix

Table 1: Seven Stages of Concern in the CBAM

Table 2: Eight Levels of Use in the CBAM

(Loucks-Horsley, 1996)

 

 

 

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March 5, 2022 ·

LIBE 477 Developing World Libraries – Libraries On The Go

This week I am taking a break from digital video production to investigate how libraries are impacting communities around the world. The courses in the UBC Diploma in Teacher-Librarianship give vast information about library programming, managing resources, information literacy, and so on, but it is important to remember that this is only a small view of what libraries can offer their patrons. It was eye-opening to delve into innovative ways that libraries serve their communities in areas of the world with limited resources.

Library Reform in Bangladesh

According to a 2016 report, about 148 million people in Bangladesh do not have access to the internet. Additionally, although there are over 5000 public libraries in the country, over 80% of children in primary grades have never used one because they are geared towards adults. Beyond Access, a project established by IREX to expand the impact of libraries across the globe, formed a network of 24 libraries across Bangladesh with literary resources for young children.

Photo from Beyond Access.

The focus has also been on bringing ICT into the library for the young patrons to use. Children are provided with access to tablets that have educational software encouraging literacy and creativity. The program has shifted the perspective that libraries are only for educated citizens to one where libraries are part of the education process. Although there is support for this shift, there is reportedly still some resistance to libraries being about more than just books. Truth be told, I have seen evidence of the same resistance here in North America. It is informative to see that mobile technology in libraries is making an impact in other parts of the world.

The Wheels on the Bus Bring Books, Books, Books!

Photo from Sorin, Furcoi, Al Jazeera Press, 2019.

In Kabul, Afghanistan, the education system has been impacted by decades of war. Due to Taliban rule, barriers to education are particularly significant for girls and in rural areas. In 2018, The Charmaghaz Project started a library bus system which delivers books to children in the city. According to the founder, Freshta Karim, “The main goal of the mobile library is to promote critical thinking, which we believe it is not promoted in our education system or our society.” The project relies on donations and currently has 5 buses, each with a driver, librarian, and librarian assistant. It also offers hands-on workshops designed to promote creative thinking. The project was working towards collaborating with the Ministry of Education to provide service to schools before it had to pause operations due to another Taliban takeover in August 2021. In December, the buses were granted permission to resume service once again. The mobile libraries get around 400 young visitors each day.

Last year, a picture book inspired by mobile libraries in refugee camps in Kabul was written by Bahram Rahman with illustrations by Gabrielle Gimard. The author of The Library Bus grew up in Afghanistan during the Taliban’s first regime. You can listen to the author read his book in the video below. The reading is followed by an interview where the author talks about his inspiration for the story:

Definition of the Word Mobile

/ˈmōbəl,ˈmōˌbīl/

  1. able to move or be moved freely or easily.

  2. relating to mobile phones, handheld computers, and similar technology.

Although these examples of world library initiatives are two different spins on the word “mobile”, they both highlight ways that libraries are thinking outside the box to serve their communities. Closer to home, libraries are also becoming more mobile. Patrons want to access information from anywhere at anytime. Why should school libraries limit that access because of outdated device policies? Online databases and wifi access for personal devices allow school libraries to better serve their learners. Information is information, whether it is gleaned from a book or the screen of a mobile device.

Closing Thoughts: The Danger of a Single Story

As I conducted my research about the development of libraries around the world, I discovered much of the information is provided through a Western lens. I found many examples of other countries establishing programs in a developing country, rather than projects that are being developed intrinsically by the country itself. The effectiveness of these initiatives is questionable because it means outside influences are imposing views of what a library should be. The most troubling article I found was one which praised a Rotary program which collected discarded books from American school libraries and brought them to developing countries. These books would be outdated, in poor condition, and representing Western perspectives. Could they be doing more harm than good? Can we say the same for well-meaning library development initiatives being imposed on developing countries from across the globe? I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments.

Works Cited

1 World Connected. (2020, September 1). Beyond Access Bangladesh. https://1worldconnected.org/project/asia_digitalskills_libraries_youth_beyondaccessbangladesh/

Asia Society. (2021, November 15). A reading of ‘The Library Bus’ [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkDTKCjXUEc

Furcoi, S. (2019, March 7). ‘This is how we’ll change the country’ – inside Kabul’s book bus. Al Jazeera Media Network. https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2019/3/7/this-is-how-well-change-the-country-inside-kabuls-book-bus

Charmaghz. (2021). Mobile Libraries. https://charmaghz.org/mobilelibraries/

 

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February 26, 2022 ·

LIBE 477 Supporting Professional Development – Learning Ahoy!

In his book, The Indispensable Librarian: Surviving and Thriving in School Libraries in the Information Age, Doug Johnson likens the role of a teacher-librarian to that of a “Crowsnester”.

“Like the sailor high atop a ship’s mast, a critical role of our profession is to scan the horizon for educational, technological, and societal changes that will affect our students, teachers, schools, and communities.” (Johnson, 2013)

As demonstrated in last week’s blog posts, we are a community who loves to read, network, and learn. It is only fitting that we share all we have learned with others. This infographic from the BCTLA is a useful visual representation of this aspect of our role:

(BCTLA, 2017)

From this, we can pull out the verbs that embody the instructional role of the TL: participate, connect, liaise, and support. We are uniquely situated to lead staff development efforts because we can view the school as a whole and understand its needs. So how can I meet the professional development needs of my school community?

As teachers, we have a fundamental understanding that our students all have unique learning styles. Why would this be any different for our colleagues? While some might be interested in opportunities such as “lunch and learns” or a quick tutorial at a staff meeting, others may need to try a more hands-on approach where they can learn something new by observing collaborative lessons taught by the TL. Still others might need to try something on their own, only asking the occasional question of the TL. The common key to all of these situations is relationships. Building up relationships of trust will be my number one goal upon becoming a new TL. The following ideas about building relationships with teachers and staff resonate with me:

  • Find natural partnerships as a starting point and expand from there.
  • Advertise what you can do for your teachers. If they don’t know what you have to offer, they won’t approach you to collaborate.
  • Maintain a focus on student learning. Teachers want their students working toward curricular goals.

(Miller & Bass, 2019)

 My question at the start of this course was: how can I create opportunities for collaboration through digital video production? My initial idea for a final vision project was a document that shows teachers examples of how I can help them integrate this tool into their teaching. This ties in with this week’s inquiry topic and the advice from Miller & Bass. According to Johnson, there is a pattern to professional growth in technology: Personal Productivity to Upgrading Current Practices to Restructuring the Educational Environment (Johnson, 2013). In other words, we have to move from proficiency using the tool for our own purposes to using it in our teaching to using it to achieve a larger educational goal. For my own Personal Productivity, I have been learning how to use Stop Motion Studio. I made the following video to use as an example that I could show my colleagues:

I wanted the topic of the video to connect to curriculum content to show teachers that video production is not one more thing they should add to their plate, but a tool for achieving their curricular goals. This example could be presented at staff meetings, pro-d days, or on the LLC website, perhaps accompanied by tutorial videos on how to make your own. Teachers are then free to try it themselves or ask me to come teach a lesson in their class. I tried to keep it simple and used items that are easily available so teachers would not feel overwhelmed about trying it themselves.

I think that by working closely with my colleagues, I will have a better understanding of what their professional development needs and learning styles are. This will inform the decisions I make about presenting information, curating teacher resources, and offering support with new tools. I am looking forward to sitting in the crow’s nest, scanning the horizon for learning opportunities for myself and my colleagues while navigating the professional development ship to new territories.

Works Cited

BC Teacher Librarians’ Association. (2017). From school library to learning commons: A pro-active model for educational change. (M. Ekdahl, & S. Zubke, Eds.). https://bctladotca.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/from-school-library-to-library-learning-commons.pdf

Johnson, D. (2013). The indispensable librarian: Surviving and thriving in school libraries in the information age (2nd ed.). Linworth.

Miller, S., & Bass, W. (2019). Leading from the library: Help your school community thrive in the digital age. International Society for Technology in Education.

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February 22, 2022 ·

LIBE 467 Theme 2 – Managing and Evaluating Reference Services

(Canadian Association for School Libraries, 2006)

The vision outlined in the above quote from Achieving Information Literacy is only one piece of the puzzle. It can only be realized if the teacher-librarian in charge of the resources is providing effective reference services. While reading about the role of a TL in this area, I began to get discouraged that the current reality of the position is impacting reference services. Indeed, this topic came up in my group’s discussion several times over the last three weeks. Lack of collaboration time, inflexible scheduling, staff shortages, and budget cuts are some of the concerns that were raised. So, how can TLs continue to provide reference services in the face of these challenges?

Riedling outlines three factors that contribute to providing effective reference services:

  1. knowledge of the library collection
  2. effective teaching and communication skills
  3. competence in selecting, acquiring, and evaluating resources to meet students’ needs

(Riedling, 2019)

Knowledge of the library collection includes knowledge of the digital resources in the reference collection. One of the things I feel would be essential to providing reference services to the school community would be to explicitly teach about these resources. My district provides a subscription to several online databases. As a TL, I can incorporate them into my lessons or support teachers in using them in their classrooms. This video outlines some of the benefits of using online databases and could be shown to students and teachers:

Promoting these databases will not only support students in developing their research skills, it will also demonstrate that the reference section is more than just books.

After reading Lesson 7: Evaluating Reference Services, I began thinking about how I could use effective teaching and communication skills to work around the fact that TL time in schools continues to diminish while the demands of their position continue to grow. Setting a goal of incorporating reference skills into every lesson means I will be able to address the information literacy needs of my school community while continuing to move towards the Library Learning Commons model that will allow school libraries to thrive going into the future. This blog post shares ideas for integrating information literacy:

I appreciate how the author used research models to emphasize each part of the reference process. Using the school library’s blog or website to provide information on these processes to students and teachers which could be accessed at any time could be another way of providing reference services with limited instructional time.

Finally, part of managing the reference collection is managing the library budget. The budgets for school libraries in my district are decided using a formula based on enrollment. The first step in managing a budget will be to familiarize myself with the procedures, timelines, and processes involved. As a new TL, I will need to speak to the principal or administrative assistant about the budget cycle.  Then, I will review the current budget to get an idea of how it has been managed in the past. Reference materials are an expensive part of the library collection, so a thorough understanding of the budget will be an essential part of selecting, acquiring, and evaluating resources to meet students’ needs.

Despite the many obstacles to TLs providing effective reference services to their learners, focusing on the parts of the role that are in my control will keep me from getting overwhelmed or discouraged. If “the major learning outcome for the school library program is to develop students who are information literate” (Canadian Association for School Libraries, 2006), then managing and evaluating reference services is an essential part of the job, regardless of time and budget.

Works Cited

Asselin, M., Branch, J. L., & Oberg, D. (Eds.). (2006). Achieving information literacy: Standards for school library programs in Canada. Canadian Association for School Libraries.

BC Teacher Librarians’ Association. (2017). From school library to learning commons: A pro-active model for educational change. (M. Ekdahl, & S. Zubke, Eds.). https://bctladotca.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/from-school-library-to-library-learning-commons.pdf

Paciotti, B. (2017, December 24). 5 essential literacies for students: Part 3 information literacy. Looking Backward: No Sweat Library Lessons & Management That Works. https://lookingbackward.edublogs.org/2017/12/24/literacies-info-lit/

Riedling A., & Houston, C. (2019). Reference skills for the school librarian: Tools and tips. Libraries Unlimited.

Yavapai College Library. (2011, September 29). What are databases and why you need them [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2GMtIuaNzU

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