Assignment #1: Reading Review Blog Post #1:


Some background info first.

I have been a Teacher-Librarian for just over a year. The bulk of my career has been spent in classrooms, mostly teaching the French Immersion program to students from Grade 1 to Grade 7. Since the beginning, I've always been trying to find ways to interest students in learning which made me one of those teachers who always reinvents already made up resources and leaves the school last. However, my passion for teaching made it all worth it.

I was also extremely fortunate to have worked for many years with a colleague who understood early on that true learning comes with engaging activities. He taught me that students get excited and motivated to learn when they figure out on their own, when they choose how they will present their findings to others, when they have opportunities to be creative, when they learn through trial and error. Twenty years ago, that motivation came from curricular contents integration and hands on activities only. The classroom could get pretty messy for weeks but kids were working and loving it. They work to the point that they were asking to stay in during recesses to continue working on their projects and that was a big “AHA!” moment for me.

Now, I hope to create the same phenomenon within the library by offering various learning opportunities that are adapted to the needs of all students and that means stepping away from the traditional library style and creating a learning commons that will fit the needs of the 21st century learners. As Steven Downes said: “we have to stop thinking of an education as something that is delivered to us and instead see it as something we create for ourselves.”

 Learning Commons in BC:



Our school is located on the West side of Vancouver and offers a dual track program (English and French Immersion) to students from K to 7. The 2018-19 enrolment is 467 pupils including an increasing number of ELL students.
I am very fortunate to have a supportive and open minded administration as well as  very generous PAC members who understand the learning way of today and the necessity to upgrade and invest in technology.
Halfway through last school year, the PAC had already purchased a 70” TV screen, a mobile TV cart and, an AppleTV. In September this year, I received 15 digital laptop computers with a charging unit that is permanently based in the Library.
What needed to be done next was the reorganization of the physical space of the library to accommodate more students at a time and provide spaces for different learning opportunities.

So to recap and stay on track with the school library’s transition, here are the 2 things  that have been done so far:

A.  More access to technology, website creation, News Blog set up, school database     


 School Library Database:

School Library Website & Blog:


















B.  Reorganization of the physical space of the library to allow different learnings

What I would like to do next is find additional learning opportunities with a focus on special need students. If my objective is to create a busy hub for all community members, all needs need to be addressed.

Here are a few topics that I would like to investigate on:

  • Learn about Networking (Edmodo, Global classroom, Office 365); connecting people
  • Educational Games online; for Primary and Intermediate students
  • eBooks and audio books (English and French); according to the school profile
  • Makerspace


Sources:

YouTube, YouTube, 18 Oct. 2011, youtu.be/LglFl1BYfFs.

Richardson, Will. “Why School?: How Education Must Change When Learning and Information Are Everywhere.” Amazone, Amazone.

Comments

  1. D.McNeeJanuary 14, 2019 at 7:02 AM

    This is a strong first post. I appreciate the description of your personal context and learning more about your library, your current initiatives and future plans. You have identified some good themes to direct your learning. By tying these closely to your personal context you ensure that your Final Vision Digital Artifact will have relevance and use. The inclusion of the multimedia elements (screen-caps and video) further enhanced the reading experience for your audience.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mme MicheleJanuary 14, 2019 at 8:05 PM

    Thanks Darcy,
    I think it is very important to provide a variety of resources to all students but especially to those who need them most. The others will always manage to find answers to their questions (with guidance of course).
    In addition, there is a lot of talk about inclusive teaching and this type of teaching must also be possible at the school library.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Summarizing and Discussing Phase 2 Topics and Interests

Image
I find it impossible to pick only one topic as I see them as a whole. The Inquiry Blog Posts experience has been extremely enriching for my Teacher-Librarian practice. First of all, I recognize more than ever how beneficial it is to share knowledge with others. I really enjoyed reading messages from the members of my group and learning from their personal experiences and recent discoveries. It helps me to see where I stand and makes me reflect on different future possibilities.   The Blog Posts and Tweets make me think of traveling. When we travel we see other landscapes, we discover other cultures and we evolve through all that. Sharing information, ideas, and professional experiences with others gives me the same satisfaction and allows me to progress in my professional environment. The four themes that we discussed, Fostering Reading Culture, Developing ICT Skills, Supporting Teachers, and Developing World Libraries, made me want to create a multi-faceted literary ...
Read more

Assignment 3: Vision of the Future, Part 1

Image
I started working as a Teacher-Librarian at the same time as I started the Librarianship diploma and I must say that despite all the work, I consider myself lucky to be able to learn and integrate new learnings almost simultaneously.   I first physically changed the entire library space to provide opportunities for multi-purpose learning spaces. Then I created a library website FOR the teachers where information and resources are centralized and easily accessible. I created a Library Blog to keep the whole school community informed about the library activities, novelties, and events. I also encouraged collaborative work using the Inquiry-based methodology and pushed for technology integration to further meet the 21st century learning skills.   Even if I know that all these changes are positive and are great additions to the SLC’s program, I realize that changing teachers’ habits is not always easily done and that it takes time for things to happen. As Weisburg said i...
Read more

Inquiry Blog Post #1: Fostering Reading Cultures in Schools

Image
Fostering reading cultures are THE most important role of school teacher-librarians. I would even add that this is the role of all educators and parents. In order to develop a true reading culture in a school, the whole community must work together to promote activities and events centered on literacies. When you think about it, there are always opportunities to present a book, a text or an author's quotation related to a school theme, an event or a celebration. We just have to learn to grasp them when they present themselves. At a school assembly, on the PA system before the morning announcements, before silent reading time, etc.  These moments do not need to be lengthy but recurrent.  My big challenge as a teacher-librarian is to keep a balance between the print and the digital reading material. I noticed that since technology is much more accessible in the library, a large majority of children choose to sit in front of a screen instead of sitting comfortably in a bean...
Read more