Inquiry Blog Post #2: Developing your own ICT Skills and Pedagogy

Since the beginning of my diploma, I feel much more informed about the needs of the 21st-century students and more in touch with the whole technical aspect of the school program. I became aware of what exists out there in terms of web tools, I understand their benefits and I fully believe that their integration into the curricular contents is essential.

Currently, I read a lot of blogs, tweets, websites, and articles written by educational professionals, educators, and teacher-librarians who share ideologies, opinions, survey results, pedagogical trends, etc. which forces me to reflect and improve my ways of teaching and supporting students. The big problem that I anticipate in the future is to find THE time to stay on the cutting edge of all this information.

Our time is often very limited so that we must be strategic and choose carefully our sources of information.

For now, I choose to focus on the following ones:

District/Program TLs (PLN): Being in touch with other TLs in my District Program is often very convenient for quick feedback on school events, specific titles/authors or issues, and concerns. As we speak the same language and deal with the same community school profile, the support we get from each other is effective (time-saving) and practical. Moreover, we get to know each other so well that text messages are sometimes used.

We also try to meet at least 2 or 3 times a year to further discuss on pre-determined topics. Those meetings are precious and allow further discussion on subjects of common interest. Whether it is about reading programs, advocacy ideas, novel suggestions or class series, this collaboration initiative is very valuable. On that note, I am thinking to bring Google Hangouts on the agenda of our next meeting to encourage and facilitate further exchanges and video chats.

 Twitter : “How to get the information we need without feeling overwhelmed.” (Palter, 2019). This expression explains very well the purpose of Twitter. In other words, we can say that it is a social networking platform where people communicate in short messages on topics of interest. Some say that it is ideal for our modern “attention-deficit” world.

I am presently in the process of gathering a list of information sources to follow that I find relevant to my own professional interest. To name a few, I follow the Vancouver Public Library, the Museum of Vancouver, UNESCO, BCTLA (British Columbia Teacher-Librarian Association), School Library Journal, Edutopia and Darcy Leigh McKee😉. All tweets are simple to understand and often accompanied by links or videos that give us access to further information on many subjects. Whether it's about a new app, an upcoming event, a podcast to hear, etc., the shared information keeps us in touch with the latest news and educational trends.

I would love to see my twitter account become a daily habit or at least weekly and of course start sharing my own ideas and findings. This is a work in progress.

Vancouver Public Library: I find important to look at our local public library website in order to stay in touch with the local events, exhibitions, and programs. It informs me as to what is going on in the community and gives me ideas on activities that I could do in our school LC. I can browse the new title arrivals by format, audience, and content to get an update on novelties that I might want to purchase for our school LC. I like to look at their STEAM literacy for 6-12 years old book selection based on Science, Technology, Arts, Engineering, and math contents. Lots of references there. As a member myself, I can access their Digital Library Services and Programs where I might find classes or workshops of interest.

I can ask the librarians for advice and suggestions and even work in collaboration on special event activity. It is another great way to learn and share experiences. I just recently noticed a Chat option on their website which is an efficient way to get quick answers.

BCTLA:  This is the British Columbia Teacher-Librarians’ Association website. I like this one because it is specifically targeting the Teacher-Librarians of my area. I can learn about library programs and services. BCTLA offers professional development such as conference and online learning. I can find posters, links, videos, and so many other information. Here is below a list of BCTLA programs and services:

 Here is an informative video that was done by a BCTLA information literacy task force member presenting different online tools, technologies to watch, media sharing tools, etc. to keep all educators and TLs current.

Edutopia: The website offers so many interesting articles and videos from A to Z list of topics such as School Libraries, Collaborative Learning, Digital Citizenship, Education Trends, Game-Based Learning, Media Literacy, etc. Edutopia’s vision is based on project-based and social-emotional learning and access to new technology which are exactly what we should focus on to empower today’s learners.

ERAC: It is a collection of various resources, collaboration opportunities, references, and curriculum support that targets educators from British Colombia and Yukon from K to 12. I personally like to look at their "new" novel selection for title suggestions. Whatever I pick, I know that my choice is good and appropriate as all their resources are curated and approved according to School Districts’ requirements.

If I need a quick book review on a specific title, chances that ERAC has it.

If I am not sure about a resource, I can always request a resource evaluation. 

ERAC also gives access to conference videos that promote new ideas or new methodologies that might be worth exploring. See the following conference on transforming student learning through virtual reality.

LM_net: This is a professional development resource for all Teacher-Librarians. When I have a question or if I need advice on specifics, I search on this listserv and often get answers or at least some suggestions. It is always interesting to read about others’ personal experiences and very valuable. It is a very good way to connect and share which again I have to get better at.

I would like to end this post by sharing Richardson's words: “It’s now easier than ever to communicate, create, and collaborate with others from around the globe who share our passion to learn. This changes just about everything when it comes to being “educated.”

What I find essential is to keep a variety of sources of information that will keep me on the cutting edge of technological and literary innovations, local and provincial programs and professional development opportunities, news from elsewhere in the world, and be part of my association of teacher-librarians. 

Sources:

Palter, J. (2018, September 08). How to stay informed. Retrieved from https://www.advisor.ca/columnists_/jay-palter/how-to-use-twitter-to-stay-informed/

Richardson, Will. (2012). Why School?. How Education Must Change When Learning and Information Are Everywhere [Kindle Single]. TED Conferences.